⏰ Match my freak

Plus bad therapists and mental health's impact on sex.

View this email in your browser MONDAY WARMUP 💪 Try this: Really go overboard on the positive self-talk today. Congratulate yourself for making the bed, pat yourself on the back for showing up at work, cheer yourself on for squeezing in some chill time before bed. Then, notice how you feel at the end of the day. Think on this: Do you want to reconcile with anyone in your life? If so, what do you think is the best way to go about it? Remember this: You don't always have to power through. Read this: How to Get to the Bottom of What You're Feeling WELL, THIS IS DELIGHTFUL ✨ "Love is how present you are." 11 surprising tips for being an even better friend Consider this your sign to watch Inside Out 2 A really good reason to cancel your gym membership To all the bad therapists we haven't loved before Were you forwarded this email? Click here to subscribe for free. LET'S TALK NUMBERS If you feel painstakingly awkward at parties, forget how to speak during work meetings, or find yourself nervously laughing when something terrible happens, well, lots of other people match your freak. One survey found that one in four Americans, or 26%, say they're much more or somewhat more awkward than other people. At least we're all baffled by our own behavior together! IT'S NOT JUST YOU I think my mental health might be messing with my sex life. Everything from the stress of daily life to seemingly unrelated conditions can have a sneaky way of screwing with your sex life or leading to sexual dysfunction—even if it's not always immediately obvious that that's what's going on. "There are so many things that go into the mix of our sexual functioning and mental health that it's difficult to pin down the exact relationship between the two," says psychiatrist Gail Saltz, MD. Because of that, it can take some exploration and even professional support to get to the root of any issues you might be dealing with—in part because our sexual histories and relationship to sex matter too. "The experiences that we have throughout our lives shape our sense of self and our emotional well-being, and that impacts who we are as sexual beings," says sex therapist Taylor Kravitz, LMFT. So, keep in mind, this list is not meant to be exhaustive. But if you're dealing with any of the following struggles, it's worth exploring the connection between your sex life and mental health in more detail.  1. You suddenly couldn't care less about having sex. While there's nothing wrong with a low libido if it doesn't bother you, if your typical desire for sex has vanished into thin air, your mental health is a potential suspect. Depression is a common culprit behind libido loss—and get used to hearing that in this article, because Dr. Saltz says our buddy depression can interfere with pretty much every stage of the sexual response cycle, from getting turned on to getting off. Even if you're dealing with "high-functioning depression" (or what psychiatrists call "subclinical"—as in, you don't meet the diagnosis for major depressive disorder), you probably know that feeling depressed isn't exactly an aphrodisiac.  Feeling too stressed or anxious for sex is definitely a thing too, says Dr. Saltz. For one, anxiety can trigger your fight-or-flight response, which can push thoughts of intimacy from your mind completely. "It's really an evolutionary mechanism—if a bear is chasing you, you don't want to be thinking about sex," Dr. Saltz says.  Keep reading to discover 6 other ways that mental health can throw your sex life for a loop. READ MORE ON THAT NOTE 12 Things Sex Therapists Want You to Know We Asked Sex Therapists What They Wish People Knew About Sex Therapy  READ MORE READ MORE 12 Things Sex Therapists Want You to Know READ MORE We Asked Sex Therapists What They Wish People Knew About Sex Therapy  READ MORE 🎧 What we're listening to: A song for shaking off sadness. NEED HELP NOW? These resources can help. SAMHSA National Helpline Suicide Prevention Lifeline The Trevor Project Trans Lifeline Advertise With Us PR Inquiries Want to unsubscribe? Click here to take a break.   Copyright © 2022 Wondermind. All rights reserved.   228 Park Avenue South, Suite 26327, New York, NY 10003   All products featured on Wondermind are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.   DISCLAIMER: THIS NEWSLETTER DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE The information contained in this newsletter is for informational purposes only. This newsletter is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this newsletter.