Relationships Made Easy

Relationship OCD, or R-OCD, is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder where people experience intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors related to worries, fears, and doubts in their relationships. While R-OCD can apply to any kind of relationship, we’re going to focus on romantic ones. Today I’ll be teaching you what exactly Relationship OCD is, why you might have it, and the top evidence-b...

We all want to have connected, happy and fulfilling relationships with the important people in our lives. The problem is that we often feel frustrated, resentful, and annoyed with those very same people! How do we get from irritated to connected? Today I’m teaching you the six habits to make all your relationships successful.  ____________________________ Full blog and show notes: https://abbymedc...

Someone has done you wrong and you can’t let it go. You’ve tried to breathe, meditate, or find closure, but nothing seems to work long-term. Maybe you even have moments of relief, but before long, you’re back to bitter thoughts of this person or situation taking up prime real estate in your mind. If left unchecked, resentment will poison your life and happiness. But what to do? Today I’m teaching...

How do you get past your partner changing the rules of your relationship? Maybe they quit smoking when you first got together but then started again two years in. Maybe they gained weight and no longer care about a healthier lifestyle. Maybe you’ve had kids, and now they don’t want to have sex as often, or they promised to be a stay-at-home mom and now want to go back to work? What do you do when...

There’s a big difference between being controlling and being in control. Being in control is awesome. It means you’re self-aware, confident, and have strong self-esteem. But being controlling is the opposite. It’s an unhealthy sign that your self-esteem is rocky, and that fear is running the show. Today I’m going to teach you the three reasons you’ve got control issues and my top five tips for fin...

Controlling people can show up anywhere in your life: romance, friendships, work, or your good old dad. Sometimes these people are well-meaning, but it’s driving you crazy! They’re always telling you what to do, and there are two ways of doing things: their way and the wrong way. They say they’re “just trying to be helpful,” but you often walk away feeling resentful, frustrated, drained, or even d...

Back in the day, I thought journaling was either for those crunchy granola types or people wanting to grab a teddy bear and find their inner child, so it was something I decided early on wasn’t for me. But, like many things in life, I couldn’t have been more wrong! The research has shown that journaling can reduce depression, anxiety, and negative thoughts while also boosting your immune system an...

I’ve spoken previously about self-acceptance and self-esteem, and today we’re going to go deep on self-love. We’ll talk about the differences between these three terms (and how they relate), and then you’ll learn my top five ways to cultivate self-love so you can start having the relationships and life you so richly deserve.  ____________________________ Full blog and show notes: https://abbymedca...

You say you’re going to start waking up earlier to have a healthier start to your day, but then you stay up all night binging Wednesday on Netflix and sleep through your alarm. You’re finally in a great relationship, but you keep finding fault with your partner. You say you want to go to graduate school, but you keep missing the deadlines for application. Self-sabotaging behavior can strike anywhe...

Trauma bonding was identified over 40 years ago, but it’s easy to dismiss if you don’t think you’ve ever had trauma. Are you experiencing trauma bonding but don’t realize it? Do you have repeating unhealthy patterns, miscommunications, or consistent frustration or dissatisfaction with your partner? Today I’ll teach you the seven stages of trauma bonding and how to know if this applies to you so yo...

Whether you call it criticism or judgment, this kind of feedback never feels good. But what do you do when you’re dealing with someone who always seems to be belittling, condemning, or finding fault with everything you say or do? When the feedback feels harsh or disapproving, how do you say something without sounding defensive? Today you’ll learn why people are critical and my top five strategies...

We’ve all been there. You’ve been working on yourself and acting in a more healthy way with your partner, parent, or friend. But then you slip up, even a little, and suddenly they’re reminding you of that thing you did five years ago that hurt them. WTF?! Are they always going to throw your past behavior in your face no matter how many changes you’ve made? Are you feeling frustrated because you’re...

Negotiating in relationships can be tough. When we’re trying to find common ground, but we’ve got different points of view, there’s a feeling of competition which means there’s an underlying winning and losing mentality going on. With this mindset, each person walks away feeling like they gave up more than they wanted, which leads to disconnection, resentment, and frustration. But today, we’re goi...

Spirituality in a relationship isn’t just about whether you go to temple, church, or mosque together. What we believe (or don’t) either religiously or spiritually touches everything from how we spend our time and money to how we raise our children and even what friendships we keep. Today I’m going to talk about the common mistakes couples make when there are different religions or spiritual belief...

Every relationship has some form of manipulation. Unless you’re the most self-actualized being in the Universe (and I think you’d be off floating on a cloud somewhere and not listening to me right now), you are sometimes manipulative and sometimes on the receiving end of manipulation. Today, we’re going to talk about the subtle signs as well as the big warning flags. Then we’ll talk about why peop...

They’re messy, and you’re neat. They’re a saver, and you’re a spender. They’re a free spirit, and you like things to run on a schedule. You’re a homebody, but your partner always wants to be out with people. The idea that opposites attract has been around for centuries, but is it true? And, whether it’s true or not, how the hell can you find a way to happily coexist with someone when there are so...

Last week I taught you the key difference between stress and anxiety and my top seven tips for effectively dealing with stress . You learned that while stress and anxiety are linked, they’re actually two different states of being, and what you do to alleviate stress can actually make you more anxious! This week, we’re focusing on my top tips to effectively tackle anxiety, so stay tuned to learn ev...

While stress and anxiety are linked, they’re actually two different states of being. And what you do to alleviate stress can actually make you more anxious! So you’ve got to know what tools to use when! I’ve got so many great strategies and tools that I’ve created this two-part series. Today, I’ll teach you the key difference between stress and anxiety and then outline my top seven tips for effect...

Whether you call it technoference, phubbing, or just plain annoying, dealing with technology in our relationships can be challenging. From over 50 years of research, we know that the quality of our social connections is the number one predictor of our happiness. We also know from the research that email, social media, online gaming, and texting are poor substitutes for those crucial in-person inte...

When they say that everything changes after you have kids, they’re right, but it doesn’t have to mean that things have to get worse! Your relationship after children is different, and there are some things to do and think to not only safeguard your relationship, but to even make it better! Today is a master class in rebuilding intimacy with your partner after having kids. I’ve got tons of valuable...

Whether it’s a coworker, friend, parent, or partner, dealing with people who are aggressive or confrontational is exhausting. They try to bulldoze, argue or dominate, which leaves you feeling inadequate, frustrated, upset, or resentful. But all that’s going to change after today! Stay tuned to better understand why people are aggressive and confrontational and my three-step process for handling th...

So many of my clients come to therapy looking for some type of closure. From breakups to being fired to getting over childhood trauma, it’s a common human condition to look for endings or bad events to be explained and wrapped up so you can move on. But can you ever do that, and if you could, would it actually help in the way you’re hoping? Today I’m teaching you what closure really is, the three...

Do you know someone who always seems to be picking a fight for no apparent reason? Are they just argumentative, or is there something deeper going on? Today I’m teaching you the five reasons people pick fights and the three things you can do to make the craziness stop. Full blog and show notes: https://abbymedcalf.com/the-five-reasons-people-pick-fights-and-three-things-to-do-about-it ____________...

You’ve always got two choices to make in your relationship: evolve and grow or repeat and stay stuck in old patterns. Don’t wait until after the holidays, the first of next month, or the first of next year to set goals. If your relationship doesn’t feel the way you want, there’s no better time to set and achieve new relationship goals, than right now. Today we’re going deep on the five goals every...

They love you one minute and hate you the next. They seem to cause trouble in all their relationships. They’ll go from sweet and loving to furious and lashing out. Yup. That’s life when a loved one has borderline personality disorder or BPD. Today I’m going to explain what BPD is exactly and the top ways you can help others and yourself. Full blog and show notes: https://abbymedcalf.com/how-to-cop...