menu_open Columnists
Mark Travers Ph.d

Mark Travers Ph.d

Psychology Today

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

2 Necessary Lies That Every Relationship Needs

2 Necessary Lies That Every Relationship Needs

Why honesty isn't always the best policy when it comes to love.

yesterday 30

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

1 Habit That Will Instantly Boost Your Happiness

1 Habit That Will Instantly Boost Your Happiness

To achieve true happiness, you need to learn how to listen for it.

05.06.2026 50

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

The 10 Strongest Signs of Commitment in a Relationship

The 10 Strongest Signs of Commitment in a Relationship

Signs that your partner is deeply committed to building a future with you.

04.06.2026 60

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

5 Ways the Happiest Couples Spend Their Weekends

5 Ways the Happiest Couples Spend Their Weekends

What happy couples do together every weekend to keep their partnership strong.

03.06.2026 50

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

2 Frustrating Habits of the Most Intelligent People

2 Frustrating Habits of the Most Intelligent People

Why intelligent minds often face misunderstandings from others.

02.06.2026 50

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 ‘Lazy’ Habits That Actually Signal Intelligence

3 ‘Lazy’ Habits That Actually Signal Intelligence

What looks like the opposite of productivity often signals cognitive sophistication.

01.06.2026 70

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Boundaries Every Relationship Needs

3 Boundaries Every Relationship Needs

Three ways that "selfish" boundaries can strengthen your relationships.

29.05.2026 100

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

The Number-One Habit That Destroys Adult Friendships

Imbalance in give-and-take can spell serious trouble for a friendship.

28.05.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

The Number One Sign Your Child Is Emotionally Intelligent

Naming emotions teaches kids that they have agency over their feelings.

27.05.2026 50

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 ‘Antisocial’ Habits That Actually Signal Intelligence

Intelligence shapes not just how we think but also how we relate to other people.

26.05.2026 90

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Ways to Tell if Someone Respects You

Respect is less about how someone speaks to you and more about how well they listen.

25.05.2026 60

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

The No. 1 Habit All Confident People Have

Confidence isn't a starting condition. It's meant to be the end result.

22.05.2026 70

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

2 Commonly Overlooked Signs of Intelligence

Two "bad" habits that actually signal cognitive sophistication.

21.05.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

Four Phrases That Destroy Trust in a Relationship

Words that invalidate partners feelings and experiences in love.

20.05.2026 90

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Signs That Your Partner Is the One for You

Three subtle and, sometimes, strange signs that your partner is your true match.

19.05.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

2 Signs That You're Resilient

Two signs you can adapt and recover from just about anything life throws at you.

18.05.2026 70

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 "Bad Habits" That Actually Signal Emotional Intelligence

Three ways that "overthinking" signals sophisticated internal processing.

14.05.2026 60

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

2 Ways That Men Love Differently Than Women

Research reveals two primary ways men diverge from women when falling in love.

13.05.2026 100

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Ways "Healthy Selfishness" Can Improve Relationships

Slight selfishness begets psychological safety in relationships.

12.05.2026 100

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Signs of Deep Commitment in a Relationship

Three habits that reflect partners' commitment to their relationship and future.

11.05.2026 60

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

2 Ways Giving Advice Can Make Someone Feel Worse

Even well-intentioned, your advice can still land the wrong way.

08.05.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Reasons Intelligent People Are More Indecisive Than Others

You don’t win by finding the best option; you win by getting your time back.

07.05.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Ways That Self-Awarness Can Make Life Feel Harder

Self-reflection should lead to wiser choices, not endless mental loops.

06.05.2026 100

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

2 Productivity 'Rules' Successful People Ignore—on Purpose

Which rules are working with your brain, and which ones against it?

05.05.2026 70

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Signs That a Couple Is Drifting Apart

Three things that couples stop doing in their relationship before drifting apart.

04.05.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Ways Good Parents Can Traumatize Their Children

Here's how, despite good intentions, parents can cause inadvertent harm.

01.05.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

2 Reasons Why Intelligent People Face Higher Loneliness

Intelligent people have social needs that often look different from the norm.

30.04.2026 90

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Unconscious Habits That Make You Look Less Confident

Three signals that communicate confidence to others that unfold unconsciously.

29.04.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

The 3 Most Common Ways We Undermine Our Happiness

Three overlooked psychological needs that profoundly shape your well-being.

27.04.2026 90

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Ways to Turn Overwhelm Into Productivity

Overwhelm, when reappraised, tells you what matters most.

24.04.2026 100

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Ways to Support Your Highly Sensitive Child

How parents can facilitate their hypersensitive children's happiness.

23.04.2026 100

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

Why We Cry Emotional Tears When No Other Animal Does

The psychological foundations of emotional crying, a uniquely human behavior

22.04.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Signs That You're Better Off Single

Who are you when no one's watching? When singlehood might be the honest choice.

21.04.2026 90

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

The Habit You Don't Realize Is Hurting Your Productivity

How habitual task-switching leaves you with greater attention residue.

20.04.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Ways to Overcome the Fear of Judgment

Don't let worries about negative evaluation prevent you from living life.

17.04.2026 70

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Things You Can Learn About Yourself Without Therapy

Three psychological domains you can learn about yourself outside therapy.

16.04.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Reasons to Stop Hiding Your Bad Habits From Your Kids

Hiding your flaws won't teach a child the importance of honesty. Here's why.

14.04.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Downsides of Being the "Easy" Partner

Three ways being "easy to be with" isn't nearly as easy as it sounds.

13.04.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Signs You’re Outsourcing Intimacy in Your Relationship

Some partners avoid practicing intimacy themselves, relying on external sources.

10.04.2026 80

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

2 Signs You're Shrinking Your Needs

Two ways we dismiss our own needs and wants for the sake of others.

09.04.2026 90

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Ways Remote Work Exposes People-Pleasing Habits

Psychological research reveals why some remote workers struggle to log off.

08.04.2026 100

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

Why Hypersensitivity Is an Emotional Superpower

Emotional sensitivity isn't a flaw; it signals social intelligence and empathy.

07.04.2026 90

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

2 Reasons You Keep Breaking Promises to Yourself

06.04.2026 90

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

Two Signs You're Raising a Hyper-Sensitive Child

Two ways to recognize if your child has deep emotional and sensory responses.

03.04.2026 90

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

2 Reasons Why Happy Relationships Can Feel Boring

Why being labeled as a "boring" partner isn't always a bad thing.

02.04.2026 100

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

What 'I Need Space' Actually Means in a Relationship

Demystifying a request that often leads to misinterpretation in relationships.

01.04.2026 100

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

3 Signs You're Carrying Someone Else's Anxiety

Three ways that high-empathy individuals sponge up others' anxieties.

31.03.2026 90

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

2 Reasons Why Some Couples Love to Fight

Two ways that arguments become couples' primary means for showing love.

30.03.2026 100

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

The Most Mentally Taxing Kind of Friendship

Many are the ways that one-sided friendships can harm your mental health.

28.03.2026 100

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d

2 Ways to Increase Your Capacity for Joy

You may need to retrain your nervous system to tolerate joy.

27.03.2026 90

Psychology Today

Mark Travers Ph.d