Margarita Tartakovsky, MS

Margarita Tartakovsky, MS, is an associate editor and regular contributor at Psych Central. Her Master's degree is in clinical psychology from Texas A&M University. In addition to writing about mental disorders, she blogs regularly about body and self-image issues on her Psych Central blog, Weightless.

When One Spouse Wants Out of the Marriage But the Other Doesn’t

What happens when divorce isn't a unanimous decision? Discernment counseling isn…

5 Ways to Maintain Boundaries With Difficult People

Setting and maintaining boundaries is hard to do. Add a difficult person into th…

14 Strategies for Sleeping Better

Can't remember the last time you had a good night's sleep? It's time to take a m…

6 Lesser-Known Ways to Beat Burnout

Are you burned out? It may feel insurmountable at times. The key is finding stra…

Anxious Right Now? 8 Helpful Tools

Whether it be the result of a big presentation, an important exam, or even a sma…

11 Questions to Change Your Perspective

If you reframe your perspective, your entire life can change. Ask yourself these…

10 Ways Couples Can Improve Their Relationship in Stressful Times

Many couples are finding their relationship fraying right now. Here are some ide…

6 Habits to Help Navigate Anxiety

“While we can’t eliminate our anxiety, we can navigate it. We can diminish its p…

How to Support a Loved One Struggling with Mental Illness

Here are eight tips for sincerely supporting a loved one who is struggling with …

6 Mindfulness-Based Techniques to Help You Fall Asleep

Mindfulness techniques are being incorporated more and more for sleep health. He…

9 Ways to Reduce Anxiety Right Here, Right Now

There are many tools and techniques you can use to manage and eliminate anxiety …

How to Make Self-Care Work for You

What self-care means is unique to each of us. Ask yourself these questions to go…

5 Ways to Be More Assertive

It’s hard to be assertive when you’re really worried about the other person’s re…

Stressed Out? Make a Checklist.

This one simple strategy can help you significantly reduce your anxiety and stre…

​How to Support a Writing Routine When You’re Already Too Busy

When your days are filled with work, laundry, and other activities, the thought …

9 Tips for Enhancing Your Emotional Wellbeing in 2020

Boosting your emotional wellbeing doesn’t always have to feature grand gestures …

5 Unique Ways to Unravel Your Story

Tools and techniques to put pen to paper.

How to Find Stillness Every Day, Throughout the Day

Here’s how you can find more stillness in your life—no matter how busy you are. …

Infuse the Sacred in the Nooks and Crannies of Your Home

5 ways to fit a bit of the sacred in any kind of space.

Invite the Sacred into Your Kitchen Space

The keys to creating a kitchen that makes cooking into a beautiful, spiritual ex…

Seeing Ourselves Through Nature

We can reconnect to ourselves, gaining a deeper, fuller understanding of who we …

How to Create a Morning Routine that Inspires You

Set the tone for your day by developing a morning routine that engages your imag…

10 Tiny Ways You Can Be Creative Every Day

Have 10 minutes? Here are ways to make time for creativity in your daily life.…

10 Creative Ways to Deepen Our Relationship with Anyone

Explore these creative, playful connection builders.

How to Believe in Yourself

If you don’t believe in yourself, if you don’t trust yourself, here are ideas to…

How to Commute Inward

In her beautiful book Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life…

How to Stop Speaking Harshly to Yourself

Harsh self-talk is a pattern of learned behavior, and the good news is we can un…

7 Self-Care Practices to Support You

Self-care is about nourishing ourselves mentally, emotionally, physically, and s…

Pay Attention Like a Poet

Cultivate presence by writing haiku poetry.

5 Ways to Use Art for Reconnecting to Yourself

Here are five art-inspired techniques anyone can try.

7 Different Ways to Journal to Help You Create, Reflect, and Explore

There are many different ways we can approach journaling. Here are seven suggest…

5 Mindful Ways to Transcend Stress

Try these practices when stress starts to overwhelm you.

The Imperfect Home

Sacred spaces are reflections of us, our needs, our souls.

On Self-Care and Not Living a Frantic Life

Recently, I read this excellent piece by author Shauna Niequist that speaks to s…

What It Really Means to Practice Radical Acceptance

There are many misconceptions about what radical acceptance — a skill taug…

3 Exercises for Being Kinder to Yourself

A lot of us have a hard time being kind, understanding and patient with ourselve…

8 Creative Techniques to Cope with Painful Emotions

Many of us have a hard time coping with negative emotions. This makes sense. “Pa…

5 Meditations for Navigating Negative, Anxious Thoughts

Navigating negative, anxious thoughts is hard. It’s hard when your mind ruminate…

15 Creative Ways to Spend the Week

Creativity is powerful for all of us. We can channel our pain into penning a poe…

How to Relinquish Unrealistic Expectations

All of us hold unrealistic expectations. In fact, the biggest unrealistic expect…

Cultivating Connection

One of the most important parts of self-care is cultivating connection. This inc…

Meaningful Morning

Mornings can be tough. Maybe you like to sleep in as long as you can, and end up…

6 Ways to Stress Less at Work

Today’s employees are expected to do more with less, which has become a major so…

The Power in Being Still

Today, stillness can be hard to come by. There’s just so much going on. So much …

5 Ways to Help Your Partner Feel Loved

We are wired for emotional connection, said Jazmin Moral, LCSW-C, a psychotherap…

Paying Attention to the Most Beautiful Details

Last week I mentioned the power of paying attention to details. The details of o…

5 Playful Prompts for Creating a Meaningful Life

Play is powerful. I’ve written before about the importance of play for adults. M…

When You Need Stillness

Lately, my mind has felt very crowded. There are so many thoughts bumping up aga…

Paying Attention to Our Bodies

Author Tina Welling had no idea that she had an underactive thyroid. She was exp…

30 Spiritual Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery

Spiritual journaling prompts are questions and ideas to explore spirituality and…

17 Questions to Ask Your Partner to Deepen Your Connection

Couples who have strong bonds remain interested in each other. Relationship expe…

7 Powerful Questions to Inspire Positive Change

Good questions can be powerful in life-changing ways. They can spark exciting id…

5 Practices for Calming Racing Thoughts

Racing thoughts can be overwhelming, confusing, and distressing.

Nourishing the Different Types of Intimacy in Your Relationship

When we talk about being intimate in a romantic relationship, we often equate it…

Practicing Self-Care During Stressful Times

When stress strikes, self-care often takes a backseat. “The ability to care for …

20 Calming or Invigorating Mini Meditations You Can Practice Every Day

Inspiration for practicing kindness and breathing in the beauty of daily moments…