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Rachel Vaughn

Based in Dublin, Rachel Vaughn is an applied-psychology writer who translates peer-reviewed findings into practical micro-habits. She holds an M.A. in Applied Positive Psychology from Trinity College Dublin, is a Certified Mental-Health First Aider, and an associate member of the British Psychological Society. Rachel’s research briefs appear in the subscriber-only Positive Psychology Practitioner Bulletin and she regularly delivers evidence-based resilience workshops for Irish mental-health NGOs. At DMNews she distils complex studies into Direct Messages that help readers convert small mindset shifts into lasting change.
Close-up of a man's face with a dramatic light, surrounded by pills, conveying anxiety.

The generation that was taught to finish everything on their plate, never call in sick, and push through every hardship in silence is now being told they need to learn self-care — and the contradiction is breaking something nobody is talking about

Low angle side view of crop depressed young African American female millennial with dark curly hair crying emotionally and looking away

Psychology says people who were never praised as children don’t just struggle with compliments as adults — they develop a specific internal pattern where every good thing that happens feels like a clerical error about to be corrected

If you feel anxious even after a productive day, psychology says these 5 mental habits are likely the cause

If you feel anxious every Sunday evening, your mind is sending you a warning you shouldn’t ignore

If you can’t stop thinking about a conversation from years ago, your brain is trying to resolve something unfinished

If you get sudden bursts of energy at 10 PM, your body is trying to tell you something important

What to do when a platform change breaks your funnel overnight

The communication style that pushes people away while trying to get closer

7 psychological reasons people reject genuine praise

Personalization works when it reduces friction, not manufactures urgency

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