Articles

Evidence-based insights on anxiety, CBT self-help, DBT distress tolerance, and emotional wellbeing from the MoodFire team.

Mental Health Awareness Month: Why It Matters and What Actually Helps

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. What the WHO, NHS and NIMH numbers really show, why everyday self-help tools matter and how MoodFire’s evidence-based features fit in now that MoodFire is live.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

Worrying What People Think of You? Why It Runs So Deep and What Actually Helps

Constantly worrying what people think of you isn’t a flaw. It’s a loop with deep roots. What the research and Dr Gabor Maté say about approval-seeking, and the small shifts that loosen the grip.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

New Parent Anxiety: Why It Happens and How to Cope

Nobody warns you about the dread that can arrive with a newborn. Why it happens, what’s going on in the postnatal brain, and what helps when you’re running on two hours of broken sleep.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

Bilateral Stimulation App: What It Means and How MoodFire Delivers It

Bilateral stimulation uses alternating sensory input to settle the nervous system. What the term means, why the research supports it, and how MoodFire delivers it free.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

Anxiety for Gen Z: Why This Generation Is the Most Anxious Ever

Gen Z reports higher rates of anxiety than any previous generation. A look at what’s driving it, from social media to economic precarity, and the evidence-based strategies that make a difference.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

Anxiety at Night: Why It Gets Worse and How to Calm Your Mind

Night-time anxiety is incredibly common, and there are real reasons your brain won’t switch off after dark. What’s going on physiologically, and what to reach for at 2am.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

Breathing for Anxiety: Why It Works, What the Science Says, and How to Actually Do It

Everyone tells you to “just breathe” when you’re anxious. The science is surprisingly strong. Why slow breathing calms the nervous system, and how to do it properly.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

What Actually Happens During a Panic Attack, and How to Get Through One

Panic attacks are among the most violently physical experiences your body can produce without anything being medically wrong. What’s firing inside you, why they come back, and evidence-based techniques for getting through one.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

You Know You’re Anxious. So Why Doesn’t Knowing Make It Stop?

Gen Z understands anxiety better than any generation before it. So why aren’t things getting better? Why awareness alone isn’t enough, and the practical tools the evidence backs.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

Why “Just Think Positive” Is Some of the Least Helpful Advice You Can Give Someone With Anxiety

Telling someone to “just think positive” when they're anxious doesn't help: it piles on guilt. What the evidence backs instead: reframing, slow breathing, grounding and gratitude done without the performance.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

Social Anxiety: Why It’s More Than Just Shyness

Social anxiety isn’t being a bit shy. It’s a persistent fear of being judged, embarrassed or humiliated in everyday situations. What’s really going on in the brain, and what the research says helps.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

How to Stop Overthinking (When Your Brain Won’t Shut Up)

Overthinking isn’t a personality quirk. It’s a pattern that grinds people down. What the research says about why your brain won’t stop looping, and the evidence-based techniques that interrupt it.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

Work Anxiety: Why Your Job Is Making You Anxious and What Actually Helps

Work anxiety is more than just stress. Why the modern job triggers it so reliably, what the research says about workplace mental health, and the evidence-based strategies that help you cope.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

CBT for Anxiety: How Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Works and How to Use It

Cognitive behavioural therapy is the first-line treatment for anxiety disorders. How CBT works, what the research says and how to start using it on your own.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team

Grounding Techniques: What They Are and How They Calm Anxiety

Grounding techniques pull your attention back to the present moment when anxiety spirals. What the science says about why they work, and the specific exercises worth practising.

By the MoodFire Editorial Team