charlielukas.com (Page 4)

Part of Me Desperately Wants to Escape the Internet

Jul 30, 2021 4 min read Culture and Modernity

I have something to admit. I don’t know if I’m addicted to the internet, or if everything I do is confined to it. If I am addicted, then I want control

Writing Is a Science-Backed Way to Heal Your Soul

Jul 30, 2021 3 min read Recovery and Hope

It felt like a tyrant was cracking a whip in my head. I was having a depressive episode a few years back. I was at work, so I was trying hard to keep

Having the Will to Win Does Not Make You A Bad Person

Jul 30, 2021 3 min read Anxiety, Confidence, and Self Esteem

> “I shouldn’t do this. He’ll be embarrassed if I win. He worked so hard, and he’s struggling so much. Who am I to take that away from him? And…

I Almost Did Something Terrible to Myself (Self-Harm)

Jul 30, 2021 6 min read My Stories

Warning: Content addresses self-harm and suicidal thoughts. This article was featured on Medium.com [https://medium.com/invisible-illness/i-almost-did-something-terrible-to-myself-b947f88083bb] I was twenty-four years

Don't Let Social Anxiety Get You Killed

Jul 25, 2021 3 min read Anxiety, Confidence, and Self Esteem

This is what social anxiety and self-denial look like. And this is what you should never, ever do. No matter how shy you are. I took a leap in 2018. I went

Why No One Can Hear You When You Talk

Apr 18, 2021 4 min read Anxiety, Confidence, and Self Esteem

“How the hell did she not hear me?” I was making small talk with a customer at my job. I said something clearly, audibly, and without mumbling, to her face. She completely ignored

Stop Beating Yourself Up for Botching a Handshake

Apr 18, 2021 3 min read Anxiety, Confidence, and Self Esteem

I botched the shit out of a handshake today. It’s still gnawing at me. Have you ever done that? My jiu-jitsu coach was the victim. We had just finished our sparring

6 Empowering Lessons from Terence McKenna

Apr 17, 2021 5 min read Anxiety, Confidence, and Self Esteem

Terence McKenna [https://psychedelicreview.com/person/terence-mckenna/] did a lot of drugs. That’s an understatement. Timothy Leary, the figurehead of the 60s LSD counterculture, called him the “Timothy Leary of the

5 Keys to Achieving Rock Solid Consistency

Apr 2, 2021 4 min read Productivity

Consistency is key. You ever heard that? I’m not a fan of clichés, but this one gets a pass because it’s true. Consistent habits appreciate over time, like good investments. It’

How to Escape an OCD Thought Loop

Apr 2, 2021 5 min read Anxiety, Confidence, and Self Esteem

It’s amazing how a person can get lost in their own head. An OCD Thought Loop will do that. When I was a kid, I developed the strangest obsession. And, no lie,

Why is Mental Illness so Common in 2021?

Mar 28, 2021 6 min read Culture and Modernity

> “It’s here. It’s there. It’s everywhere. Tears soak each card the dealer’s dealt. Time taught me to see every second as heaven even though they’re perfectly disguised

5 Lessons From Ralph Waldo Emerson to Help You Stand Tall in the World

Mar 28, 2021 6 min read Anxiety, Confidence, and Self Esteem

You don’t typically think of Americans when you hear the word “philosopher.” But Ralph Waldo Emerson is a special exception. Emerson was an American philosopher [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/emerson/#MajTheEme]

5 Ways to Know You've Found the Right Therapist

Mar 28, 2021 5 min read Recovery and Hope

I’ve seen five therapists in the last ten years. But who’s counting, right? I have some understanding of what it’s like to not find the right therapist. Their job is

What You Should Know if You're Trying to Change

Mar 28, 2021 4 min read Recovery and Hope

Change is pain. It’s the truth. When you decide to change, you risk losing your friends, your financial security, your reputation, your comfort, and your wellbeing. What if the people you care

Social Media Is a Bad Place to Leave Your Memories

Mar 11, 2021 5 min read Culture and Modernity

Did you know they still make polaroid cameras? I had no idea. Apparently social media hasn't blotted them out yet. I figured they had gone the way of the VCR. Why

4 Principles I've Followed to Reduce Social Anxiety

Mar 11, 2021 5 min read Anxiety, Confidence, and Self Esteem

Some people walk through life so petrified of others they can hardly breathe. That's social anxiety. Here’s how I always felt it. Maybe you can relate: Before I spoke with

Focusing: A Strange, but Effective Alternative to Mindfulness Meditation

Feb 28, 2021 7 min read Recovery and Hope

Mindfulness is overrated. Focusing is better. Kidding (sort of). Vipassana [https://mindworks.org/blog/what-is-vipassana-meditation/#:~:text=Vipassana%20is%20usually%20translated%20as,and%20our%20perception%20of%20things.] (mindfulness) mediation involves placing