Welcome to the Very Well Mind podcast. We've interviewed over 100 authors, experts, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and others to help you learn strategies to care for your mental health.

This episode is hosted by psychotherapist and bestselling author Amy Morin. Now let's get into the episode.

Okay. Every Friday, I share a quick mental strength strategy that will help fix the thoughts, feelings, and actions that can hold you back in life.

Today, we're talking about writing yourself a kind letter is a really powerful exercise.

That sounds a little hokey to you, though. Stick with me. It's more than a quick feel-good activity.

It's an exercise that can help you stay on track with your goals. It can help you feel better when you're down. And it can give you a much-needed boost in confidence when you're filled with self-doubt.

Before I get into how to do this exercise, though, let me explain why it works so well.

When you're having a hard time, you might feel better when other people say nice things to you.

Your mom might give you a much-needed pep talk when you're on your way to a job interview,

or your friend might remind you that your ex pep talk when you're on your way to a job interview, or your

friend might remind you that your ex's decision to end the relationship wasn't your fault.

Kind words like that at just the right moment can quiet all those negative voices in your brain.

Those words might also reduce the intensity of an uncomfortable emotion, like anxiety or sadness as well.

When you feel a little bit better, you'll be able to think more clearly, and you might be able to

develop a plan to tackle the problem. But there will likely be times when there isn't someone

readily available to say nice things to you at the exact moment when you want to hear it.

And in those moments, it's important to be able to give yourself some emotional support.

One way you could do this is by talking to yourself like a good friend.

It's a strategy I discussed back in episode number 47.

Basically, it involves pausing and asking yourself, what would I say to a friend who had this

problem? That helps you gain a little psychological distance so you can see the problem from a

different angle and it can help you develop a solution more easily. The reason it works so well is

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