My anxiety and depression diagnoses serve a valuable purpose. — In 2014, I was in a dark place in my life. I blamed my anxiety and depression on the “quarter-life crisis.” But really, that was just my attempt to wish away my mood disorders. …

When hope dims, affirmations rekindle the flame. Here are my six favorite affirmations. Exerting effort at anything and not seeing positive results can be discouraging, I learned this after job rejections, friendship losses, breakups, poor grades, and failure to meet personal goals. Perhaps you’ve had some of these experiences, too. …

Although mental health stigma has declined over the last year, it is still a major issue. Here are some ideas on how to recognize and reduce it. Mental health stigma affects how we perceive psychiatric disorders. It also affects self-esteem and progress in mental health treatment. …

One of the things that I love about writing is that it allows me to process my thoughts, problem-solve, and improve my well-being. I can catch thought distortions, behavior patterns, and consequences that are difficult to recognize during a busy day. Then when I have free time, I can write…

Here are my views on a ridiculous TikTok trend. — First off, let me preface this by saying that I am not a parent. So who am I to tell you how to raise your children? And I, too, have been guilty of laughing at children’s reactions to humorous TikTok trends. So maybe I am out of bounds for seeing…

A poem before a busy workday — It’s 2:11 before a 2:30 shift, 19 minutes of tuning into my music. when I keep the world at a distance just for a little bit. And even just a few minutes makes a big difference. I’m just chilling, pre-work chilling. Listening to Noah Kahan’s soothing voice reminds me that it’s…

A Late-Night Reflection on the Past and the Present — I’m going to get totally real right now. This is unfiltered, unedited content. This time of the year…sucks. And no, it has nothing to do with breakups (a common theme for my rants). But no. This has to do with the new school year and my longing for the past. I miss the girl that I used to be. …

A poem inspired by a plane ride to Colorado — I packed my bags with wonder and relief. Couldn’t wait to leave Illinois and go on an adventure that my angst begged me to take to escape the stress from typical days. I left my problems at the baggage claim. I flew away from all the drama. Flew away to find some…

Today, it was in the mid-80s, sunny, and humid. My therapist was only a five-minute drive from my house. Not wanting to waste money on Uber, I decided to walk there. It was about a 40-minute walk. When I was 10 minutes away from the office, I started to feel…