This past month, I found myself reading more slowly. Instead of scrolling, I’ve been sitting with words that demanded my full attention. There is so much beauty being written in this corner of the internet, and these are the writers I kept coming back to when I needed grounding, reflection, or a moment of quiet depth.

The List of this Month’s Favorites:

1. - If you’re looking for writing that is equal parts clever, funny, and spot-on, Mark is the writer to follow. He has a knack for taking everyday frustrations or complex topics and breaking them down with brilliant analogies and sharp humor that keeps you hooked from the first sentence.

My personal favorite:

Mark Armstrong, Children's Book Author

Use Your Interior Pages to Help Create the Cover and Title Page of Your Children's Book

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2 months ago · 10 likes · 9 comments · Mark Armstrong

1. - Seeing her name pop up in my notifications always brightens my day! Beyond being a incredibly supportive presence in our community, her own writing is so fun, vibrant, and full of vivid imagery that paints a picture right in your mind. I always look forward to following along on her stories.

My personal favorite:

Gathering the Pieces of Me

Shedding My Skin

As years pass, we outgrow more than we realise, and sometimes the discomfort isn’t the problem, it’s a signal. The skin we are in might not be ours anymore, and this is not failure, it is growth. This season, where our skin feels tight, is not because of who we are, but because of who we’ve already changed into…

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5 months ago · 37 likes · 27 comments · Gathering the Pieces of Me

1. - There is a grounded wisdom in everything Haide writes. Reading her work feels like sitting down with a trusted mentor who has a wealth of life experience to share. Her posts are always packed with deeply reflective insights that stayed with me long after I finished reading.

My personal favorite:

Encouragement Along the Journey

What Keeps Us Human

One of the rhythms I have come to appreciate is my annual attendance at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium. This eveAunt is held annually in Washington DC and is a gathering of psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, social workers, and health professionals. Each year is filled with four days of creativity, le…

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2 months ago · 23 likes · 15 comments · Haide Wall Giesbrecht

1. - There’s a wonderful balance of practical wisdom and lighthearted energy in Rev. Kevin’s writing. His pieces are always informative, engaging, and easy to digest, and I never leave one of his articles without walking away with a memorable nugget of wisdom to carry into my week.

My personal favorite:

Lean on Me

The Weight We Carry: Grief Without a Funeral

Some losses leave an empty place without giving you a funeral…

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2 months ago · 37 likes · 73 comments · Rev. Kevin T. Taylor

1. - Dino writes uniquely compelling pieces that consistently challenge how I look at the world. His writing is brilliant, inquisitive, and deeply intellectual without ever feeling distant. If you love essays that make you think, and question things in the best way, his publication is a must-read.

My personal favorite:

Dino's K9 Vault

The Commander Had a Problem

Winter 2012…

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2 months ago · 20 likes · 20 comments · Dino

1. - A true ray of sunshine on Substack. Whether it’s her uplifting essays or her sweet, encouraging comments, Talia brings so much warmth and light to this platform. Her pieces never fail to put a genuine smile on my face when I need it most.

My personal favorite:

becoming (un)familiar

no need for a face

I see so many people…

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2 months ago · 12 likes · 12 comments · Talia Briske

1. - Reading her work always feels like a quiet sigh of relief. She has a rare gift for taking life’s unspoken moments: grief, joys, and subtle transitions, and turning them into words that feel like a warm hug.

My personal favorite:

Sandi Lindgren

The Permission

I can no longer remember what first sparked the idea of walking the Camino. But in 2022, the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage came up so many times that I finally had to pay attention. I knew I would go, I just didn’t know when…

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2 months ago · 7 likes · 9 comments · SandiLindgren

1. - Tabitha is such a true girl’s girl and a wonderfully brave writer. She writes about her condition, life’s messy, vulnerable moments with so much honesty and grace that you can’t help but feel seen. Every piece she publishes reminds me that none of us are walking through these feelings alone.

My personal favorite:

Housebound Journeys

A Bit of Fear, But Boatloads of Confidence

Content note: I do cuss a bit in this article. Usually, I try to avoid that so as to not alienate my readers and/or cause offense. In this case, I felt it necessary…

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2 months ago · 17 likes · 8 comments · Tabitha M. Johnson

These are the writers that stayed with me this month, but the beauty of this space is that there is always more to discover.

I love this monthsary tradition, a way to celebrate the community by highlighting the writers who make it worth being here. It’s another way to offer more of them and less of me.

I am always looking for beautiful, soul-stretching writing. If there are writers that captured your mind recently, please share them in the comments below.

Until next month,

LIFE INSIDE MY MIND 🌷

Anxiety isn’t just an emotional experience, it’s a physical one. It lives in our nervous systems, our gut health, our stress hormones, and the ways our bodies react before our minds even have time to catch up.

To better understand what is happening beneath the surface, I sat down for a Q&A with Apothecaribe, a biochemist who also brings a passion for alternative medicine and holistic wellness. Together, we explored the fascinating intersection of molecular science and natural healing from how stress hormones affect our cells to the biochemical logic behind herbal remedies and nervous system regulation.

There is a steady calm and grace that radiates through everything Apothecaribe writes. Her pieces manage to be informative and practical while remaining light, engaging, and fun. Every single time I read her work, I walk away with a nugget of wisdom to carry with me.

Whether you navigate health anxiety, daily stress, or are simply curious about how to support your body naturally, I hope this conversation offers you fresh insights and a grounded sense of comfort.

The Spotlight Interview: A Conversation with Apothecaribe

1. Gut-Brain Connection

“We hear a lot about the gut-brain axis when it comes to mood and nervous system regulation. What is the biochemical link between gut health and anxiety, and what natural or alternative remedies genuinely support this pathway?”

The gut is in constant communication with the brain through many interconnected biochemical mechanisms that we collectively term the gut-brain axis. It consists of a combination of gut cells, nerve cells, gut microbes and the neurochemicals they produce that function as an information highway between the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Lining the GI tract are enterochromaffin cells, that produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood and makes us feel calm.

Then we also have our incredibly important gut microflora, which inhabit our GI tract. Beneficial microbes produce neurotransmitters like gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin. GABA, in particular, is the brain’s inhibitory neurotransmitter that binds to neurons and helps them to calm down brain activity. These and other chemical messengers made by the microbes can regulate stress hormones like cortisol through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis helps us to manage day-to-day stress, regulate our sleep cycle, immune function and our digestion.

And, there’s the vagus nerve, which directly connects our brain to our stomach and GI tract. Metabolites produced by the gut microbiota, like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), can directly stimulate the vagus nerve and send messages which change the activity of brain neurons.

If our gut is in distress because of imbalances in our gut microflora and the chemicals they synthesise, it can directly alter our mood and impact anxiety levels. And the thing is, this pathway also runs the other way. Our brain activity can also influence our gut health. What’s interesting is that the abundance of beneficial gut microbes depends a lot on what you feed them, so natural approaches and alternative remedies provide a unique opportunity to support these pathways.

So far, the research tells us that the best natural approaches are to eat a range of whole foods that are high in fibre and incorporate fermented foods. Both of these interventions help to introduce and feed the beneficial microbes what they need to make the mood-regulating chemicals. Taking a probiotic supplement can help to increase specific beneficial microbe species. The research is still emerging for most alternative remedies (even though some of the evidence is promising!), but the best-studied so far are chamomile tea and lavender aromatherapy.

2. Nutritional Biochemistry & Supplements

“What are some key micronutrient deficiencies or metabolic imbalances (like magnesium, B vitamins, or adaptogens) that frequently mimic or worsen anxiety symptoms?”

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies and hormonal imbalances definitely can overlap with symptoms of anxiety. That’s why it’s important to get your blood work done to address these issues with your physician as soon as possible.

On the nutrient side of things, iron, vitamin B12 and folate (B9) deficiencies can cause abnormal heart rhythms, weakness and fatigue that resemble anxiety symptoms. Additionally, magnesium deficiency can also cause muscle cramps and tremors. Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to poor mood.

Hormonal imbalances, particularly hyperthyroidism, can mimic anxiety, as its symptoms include nervousness, tremor, sweating, palpitations and insomnia, all of which might be mistaken for symptoms of anxiety.

An adaptogen is a bit different. It’s usually a plant or fungus that has stress-relieving and fatigue-fighting properties, e.g. holy basil or ashwagandha. They have free radical-lowering phytochemicals that can influence the HPA axis to reduce stress hormone production, while increasing mood-boosting chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. That’s why their most sought-after property is their ability to aid the body’s quick recovery after stressful or strenuous conditions. One caution I’d add is that, while they can boost mood in the short term, they aren’t meant to be used routinely or as an alternative to prescribed medications.

3. Evaluating Adaptogens & Herbs

“As a biochemist, how do you evaluate popular natural anxiety treatments like ashwagandha, L-theanine, or valerian root—to separate real biological efficacy from pure placebo effect?”

When we want to evaluate the latest herbal treatments, our best method is to look at the evidence from double-blind, randomised controlled trials. They are the gold standard for assessing whether an intervention like a herb actually caused a particular outcome.

Let’s take holy basil or tulsi as an example. If we want to make sure that tulsi has a natural anxiety-reducing effect, we’d randomly assign half of the volunteers for the study to two groups: the intervention group that receives the tulsi remedy and the control group that receives the placebo. The placebo is a ‘fake’ treatment that looks, smells and tastes exactly like the tulsi remedy we’re testing but without the active ingredient. This helps us as researchers to determine whether any changes actually came from the active ingredient itself rather than the volunteer expecting to get better from taking a treatment.

The ‘double-blind’ part refers to the fact that neither the participants nor the researchers interacting with them know who is receiving the real treatment. If the participant doesn’t know what they received, it prevents them from behaving in a particular way or reporting symptoms in a particular manner which can skew the results in a certain direction. An independent person will be assigned to deliver the treatments, which are coded, and the code won’t be revealed until the trial is finished or a safety issue requires it. This prevents any researcher bias or expectations when collecting the data and prevents researchers from unintentionally interacting differently with any one group, which could also influence the results.

We’d measure anxiety using a standardised tool like a questionnaire for both the tulsi and placebo group before and after the period of treatment. After collecting the data, we’d compare the results statistically and look for significant differences in measures of anxiety between the two groups. If there’s a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms in the tulsi group vs. the placebo group after the course of the study, then it’s highly likely that it was due to the tulsi treatment.

4. Addressing the Root Cause

“Conventional medicine often uses SSRIs or sedatives to manage acute anxiety symptoms. How can alternative medicine work alongside modern science to address the underlying root causes of chronic anxiety?”

I’d say there is a place for both modalities to work alongside each other, especially as many biological targets for pharmaceuticals currently on the market were discovered from investigating herbal and alternative remedies. We’re still researching and learning about the biological activity of certain alternative treatments, so if using a complementary approach for chronic anxiety, we have to be cautious and select those that have significant scientific evidence behind them. The best ones would have been studied in comparison to chronic anxiety medications like SSRIs. There would also have to be a discussion with your physician about incorporating alternative medications because there’s always the possibility of herb-drug interactions.

5. Your Daily Anti-Anxiety Routine

“Combining your scientific knowledge and holistic toolkit, what are the most non-negotiable daily habits, supplements, or rituals you use (or recommend) to maintain a grounded, resilient nervous system?”

For me, it’s the tried-and-true daily habits that set up a resilient nervous system:

Set a consistent sleep schedule – Try to get in bed at the same time each night and wake up around the same time each morning. Research shows that this helps to stabilise your brain’s Circadian rhythm, which in turn coordinates the HPA axis I mentioned earlier that controls stress.

Eat a variety of whole, minimally-processed and fermented foods – Whole foods provide the best raw materials that the gut microbiota need to make the mood-altering signalling chemicals. Fermented foods help to introduce a wide variety of new and beneficial microbes to the gut. So incorporating both of these helps your gut microbes out!

Exercise regularly – Moving your body consistently helps to regulate stress on so many levels. It trains the brain to adapt to short bouts of physiological stress, improves sleep, and triggers the release of calming neurotransmitters and endorphins. Importantly, it doesn’t have to be extreme exercise. Finding a moderate exercise that you love and can do consistently, like taking a walk outdoors, gardening or hiking, is similar to strength training for the brain. You don’t become stronger because you lifted a weight once. You become stronger because you repeatedly expose the body to a manageable stimulus and allow it to adapt.

Herbal teas – As a biochemist and a Caribbean woman, I try to incorporate our local herbal bush teas like lemongrass, tulsi or bay leaf into my wellness routine when I have some ‘me’ time. These herbs contain active phytochemical compounds that interact with GABA-related pathways and/or the HPA axis to reduce stress. For someone else, it might be chamomile or lemon balm teas, which have similar effects. I also think that just the combination of warmth, comfort, and routine of having a quiet cup of herbal tea can enhance relaxation.

A Final Reflection

To close our conversation, Apothecaribe asked a question that stopped me in my tracks. It’s a question that gets to the heart of why I started this publication, bridging the gap between the modern molecular science of Anxiety and the soulful atmosphere of the sanctuary I’ve built.

Apothecaribe: “What’s one thing you’ve learned from your readers about their experiences with anxiety that’s challenged your perspective or influenced your writing?”

My readers taught me that we don't necessarily want to be cured overnight, we want to be seen. Early on, I felt the pressure to write toward hopeful conclusions. But my community showed me that what they resonate with most is the unpolished truth: the physical toll of hypervigilance, the fear of new symptoms, and the strange loneliness of feeling trapped in your own body. They challenged me to stop trying to solve the uncertainty and instead learn how to write right alongside it.

Talking with Apothecaribe reminds us that living with anxiety can so easily make us feel disconnected from our own bodies. But as this conversation shows, understanding the physical mechanisms beneath our symptoms from gut chemistry to stress hormones takes away so much of the terrifying mystery.

When we combine scientific insight with holistic care, we stop fighting our bodies and start supporting them. I hope this deep dive leaves you feeling more grounded in your understanding, equipped with practical tools, and above all, reminded that you are never alone in navigating the storm. 🌸

You can check out Apothecaribe’s profile and subscribe to her publication here:

Subscribe to Apothecaribe

Anxiety thrives on routine and control. It is terrified of uncertainty. A new physical symptom, an unexpected problem, an impromptu trip. If you live with an anxiety disorder, any one of these can send your mind spinning completely out of control.

Living with daily symptoms means you are constantly on high alert. The second an unfamiliar sensation arises, your mind immediately spirals: What is this? Is it just another symptom, or am I actually in real danger this time? And even when you know deep down it’s just anxiety, you still second-guess yourself: “What if this time is different? What if I’m dying?”

Every single time it strikes, all you can do is pray and hold on for dear life. You brace for impact and try to ride out the wave. You feel a desperate urge to crawl out of your own skin just to make the sensation stop. Yet, even while terrified, you force yourself to muster every ounce of strength to stay calm because you know that panicking will only prolong the agony.

You might have people around you when it happens, but experiencing it inside your own body is an intensely lonely thing. No matter how thoroughly you try to explain it, no one can truly understand unless they’ve felt that exact weight themselves.

When the overwhelm peaks and you run out of coping mechanisms, you cry just to release the built-up tension. You clear the rest of your day and retreat to bed, treating yourself with the same care as if you were physically ill.

Then the next morning arrives. You get up and carry on as if nothing happened, strapping on your armor and facing the world head-on once again.

If you’re currently navigating a loud storm and need a bit more guidance, I created a small gift for you. You can download my e-book, When Your Body Feels Unsafe, which covers how to manage physical anxiety symptoms when you feel unanchored.

Download E-book

And if this piece resonated with you, you can subscribe so future reflections and guides find their way to your inbox.

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I grew up in a comfortable life safely shielded in a bubble. While our family faced setbacks over the years, I didn’t truly feel their weight until my university days. I was always protected by my parents so much so that whenever a problem felt too heavy, they would immediately step in and resolve it for me.

Looking back, I don’t know why, but it never dawned on me that my parents would age, get sick, or eventually pass away. I spent my entire childhood viewing them as invincible heroes who would always be there to hold up our world.

My first real encounter with reality came in 2022 when my mother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Because I was already navigating an anxiety disorder, my family tried to protect me by keeping the details hidden at first, so I received the full truth late. When I finally learned what was happening, I didn’t cry. In fact, I felt completely numb and that numbness terrified me, because I knew I was supposed to feel something.

Then, last year, while my mom was in the hospital, my father received his own diagnosis. There were times when both of them were admitted simultaneously, forcing the three of us siblings and our husbands to divide and conquer. The hardest moment came when we all gathered in my mom’s hospital room, and my sister gently shared the news about Dad.

My parents sat in silence, but I could feel the heartbreak radiating from my mother. We three siblings knew we had to be the strong ones in that room. We even cracked a joke that our lives had turned into a movie script because out of all the statistics in the world, what were the odds that both of our parents would face cancer at the exact same time?

In a instant, I went from viewing my parents as invincible to scheduling doctor appointments, learning complex medical jargon, and keeping track of strict medication schedules. I suddenly realized that the two people who had spent a lifetime protecting us now needed us to protect them.

When our mom passed away last year, the grief felt overwhelming. But grieving became even harder because we had to keep going, staying strong to care for our father.

Alongside that grief lives a quiet fear for ourselves. Knowing cancer is in our genetics means we have to stay vigilant about our own health. Carrying an anxiety disorder on top of that reality makes every day a delicate balancing act.

Cancer didn’t just changed my parents, it also changed us siblings. It changed me. And not entirely for the worse, but also for the better.

Today, I am far more present during family gatherings. I’m learning to celebrate even the most ordinary days, working hard to let go of trivial worries, and doing my best to live peacefully alongside uncertainty.

When I look back at the kid who thought her parents were invincible, I don’t judge her for being naive anymore. I’m glad she had that safe world for as long as she did. Becoming the protector wasn't a role I ever asked for, and carrying both grief and anxiety on the same path is heavier than I know how to put into words. But it has also taught me what really matters. Cancer took so much from our family, but it couldn't take our ability to show up for each other. I may never fully get used to the uncertainty of tomorrow, but today, I am right here. Holding Dad’s hand, cherishing my siblings, and finding light in the ordinary days. 🌸

If this piece resonated with you, you can subscribe so future reflections and guides find their way to your inbox.

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If the previous piece was your perspective, this one is mine.

This past month, I found myself reading more slowly. Instead of scrolling, I’ve been sitting with words that demanded my full attention. There is so much beauty being written in this corner of the internet, and these are the writers I kept coming back to when I needed grounding, reflection, or a moment of quiet depth.

The List of this Month’s Favorites:

1. Teresa Fracasso - Beyond sharing a first name with my mom, Teresa captured my heart with the same traits as her: kindness and generosity. Whenever she leaves a comment on my pieces, her words radiate genuine warmth and sincerity. Her own writing is intentional, reflective, and always leaves me contemplating long after I’ve finished reading.

My personal favorite:

Teresa Fracasso

Movement Didn't Save My Body. It Saved Me.

The Horse…

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3 months ago · 31 likes · 44 comments · Teresa Fracasso

2. Ankesh K Prasad - I will never forget the first time Ankesh commented on one of my pieces. It was a long, deeply personal message, and I was so moved by how accurately he understood who I am behind my writing. It made me teary-eyed. His own work is relatable and eye-opening, a true joy to read.

My personal favorite:

Once Upon My Mind...

A Friend, Indeed

I put my glass of water down, pushed my chair back, and stood for a moment, staring at a calendar that seemed intent on convincing me the week ahead had no room left for anything else to slip into it…

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2 months ago · 19 likes · 33 comments · Ankesh K Prasad

3. Virginia Curtis - Virg is a ray of sunshine on Substack. Whenever I see her work or spot her in my comment section, it instantly brightens my day. She always ends her notes with “Love, Virg”, a sweet reflection of her naturally loving heart. Her writing never fails to bring a smile to my face. Her words are comforting and always feel like a warm hug.

My personal favorite:

On The Verge

The Warmth of Her Sun

My Nana, Attala Victorina Solari Bailard, (whose Italian name means the light from the sun) was my best example of womanhood, my role model of wife, mother, social citizen and guide. She was born before the turn of the last century in 1897 and died weeks before my first child was born in June of 1981…

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3 months ago · 27 likes · 23 comments · Virginia Curtis

4. Apothecaribe - There is a steady calm and grace that radiates through everything she writes. Her pieces manage to be informative and practical while remaining light, engaging, and fun. Every single time I read her work, I walk away with a nugget of wisdom to carry with me.

My personal favorite:

Apothecaribe

Vervine: the Caribbean’s traditional cleansing, cooling, and calming herb 🪻

Vervine is the kind of plant that you could miss if you’re taking a hike in the forest or a walk along the roadside. Quiet and unassuming, the plant carries an air of peace and tranquillity. Vervine is content to grow anywhere, it remains resilient even in the harshest conditions. Perhaps that’s why some people consider it a weed, while others grow it a…

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3 months ago · 15 likes · 11 comments · Apothecaribe

5. Hazel - Hazel is such a girl’s girl. She is one of those incredible people on Substack who always manages to lift my spirits through her thoughtful comments whenever I’m feeling down. Her own writing is vulnerable, relatable, and a comfort to read.

My personal favorite:

Not Done Drowning

A Letter to a Friend I Lost

It’s always the worst kind of heartbreak when you lose a close friend. But growing up, we lose so so many of them. Some to love, some to distance, some to aging, some to…just stupid random reasons…

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2 months ago · 60 likes · 33 comments · Hazel

6. Alexandra Flora - Mind-expanding and beautifully written, Alexandra’s pieces are uniquely challenging in the best way. Her words are intellectual, inquisitive, and deeply engaging.

My personal favorite:

MISPLANTED

I Quit the Best Job of My Life Because It Was “Beneath Me”

I asked a man at the garden centre if I could work there…

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2 months ago · 27 likes · 23 comments · Alexandra Flora

7. Dean M - Dean is one of my top supporters. I see his name pop up in my notifications constantly. His own writing is so unique, fun, and full of rich imagery that brings every story to life. I love the way he shares his adventures. He makes you feel like you're right there experiencing them with him.

My personal favorite:

Short Stories, Some Poetry, Some Thoughts

Arrival, the Story

The story behind the photo I used for the poem, which somehow came to be “long story short…

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4 months ago · 9 likes · 15 comments · Dean M

8. Antonio Castellaneta - Antonio’s wisdom shines through every piece he publishes and every comment he leaves. He writes with the depth of someone who has a wealth of life experience under his belt. His work is reflective, inspiring, and grounded in real truth.

My personal favorite:

The Light That Remembers

THE TENDERNESS THAT REMAINS — Evolution Report

Every published poem carries another story within it. Not the story it tells, but the story of how it became itself. Behind the Scenes of a Poem was created to preserve that hidden journey. Each Evolution Report traces the path a poem followed before reaching its final form…

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a month ago · 67 likes · 9 comments · Antonio Castellaneta

These are the writers that stayed with me this month, but the beauty of this space is that there is always more to discover.

I love this monthsary tradition, a way to celebrate the community by highlighting the writers who make it worth being here. It’s another way to offer more of them and less of me.

I am always looking for beautiful, soul-stretching writing. If there are writers that captured your mind recently, please share them in the comments below.

Until next month,

LIFE INSIDE MY MIND 🌷

Yesterday marked exactly my fifth month since I began writing here. To celebrate, we are continuing our tradition: a monthly monthsary digest where I share the voices that are moving you.

In a note and in the chat, I asked you to share articles from writers that helped you, moved you or stayed with you. Below is the collection of stories you brought to the table; not just links, but pieces of yourselves.

This is the fifth month’s collection:

1. Shared by Marta:

of an artist

the beauty of being

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2 months ago · 44 likes · 33 comments · olivia

For so long, I believed that feeling safe and content required making my life as big, grand, and controlled as possible. But this piece reminded me that the version of me I am today, the one who finds deep comfort in quiet mornings, simple routines, and soft present moments, is so much better than any grand fantasy my younger self ever dreamt up for survival.

2. Shared by :

   Mariia's Substack

   Poems that fled from notes (at 3 a.m.

   Love is everything she wants…

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   2 months ago · 6 likes · 5 comments · Mariia Kovalenko🐞

   There is an unvarnished honesty that only comes out at 3 in the morning. This piece stayed with me because it captures the exhausting dance of wanting to be deeply loved while simultaneously trying to hide our scars, putting glitter over our wounds and hiding the scratches on the mirror. It’s a reminder of the performative roles we often play just to feel worthy of affection, and how healing requires us to finally drop the backstage act and let ourselves be seen as we are.

The image of golden threads sprang out from her skin lingered with me long after reading. It captures that exact moment when literature-fed desire finally meets reality. It stayed with me as a tribute to innocence: how an unassuming location, an ordinary airport terminal, can suddenly become sacred ground just because two people shared a transformative waltz there.

John Madrid

The Daughter

First fare of the day was a quick trip from Hammersmith to Shepherd’s Bush. A couple of tourists. One of them showed me the phone with Westfield on Google Maps, gave a thumbs-up and I said: “Hop in.” I wasn’t sure what language they were speaking, but they left a 10% tip. From there I got a passenger straight away heading to Cavendish Square for a physi…

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a month ago · 24 likes · 18 comments · John Madrid

What lingered most here are the gritty details of central London life: a classic greasy spoon, the hum of the M11, cheap lager, and a blinking kitchen light, intertwined with a deeply human experience of grief. It stayed with me as a study in emotional compartmentalization: how we can drive through the city, make small talk with strangers, and sing along to the radio, all while keeping the door to our most painful memories locked until we get home.

3. Shared by :

   One Take

   They Told Me My Voice Wasn't Special

   I was eighteen, a few weeks into university, when someone told me my voice wasn’t special…

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   2 months ago · 58 likes · 38 comments · Haru Yosano(与謝野はる)

   This piece struck such a cord because of how universally we carry the casual verdicts of others. It stayed with me as a powerful reminder of how easily we internalize a single offhand comment and quietly build a whole life around it, agreeing to perform a script we never wrote. Haru’s realization that their unremarkable voice was actually just waiting for a world that valued truth over performance was a breathtaking invitation for all of us to look closely at our own internal limitations and finally notice the quotation marks around them.

4. Shared by :

   The Bitter Truth

   When AI Solves Poverty... But Creates an Identity Crisis.

   This article is in response to findings by Daniel Kokotajlo (former OpenAI governance researcher and author of AI 2027 and AI 2040: Plan A…

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   a month ago · 10 likes · 6 comments · The Bitter Truth

This piece stayed with me because it shifts the entire conversation around AI away from abstract economic fears and toward the human heart of the issue: meaning. It forced me to reflect on how often we use being busy as a socially acceptable hiding place to avoid confronting who we actually are beneath our titles. It serves as a gentle reminder that while technology can automate our tasks, no machine can ever do our inner work for us or replace the unmonetized beauty of simply being human.

4. Shared by :

   Dee Does Things

   The Fiftieth

   Sometime a few years ago, I decided, with the confidence of a person who had never once had a plan fall through, that I would have fifty countries logged before I turned thirty…

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   a month ago · 4 likes · 4 comments · Dee

   Because of that grounding realization: "Fifty countries before thirty was never the point.", this piece lingered long after reading as a tribute to life's glorious detours. It reminds us that while we can’t legislate the shape of our lives in advance, we can choose to say yes when an unplanned door opens and that the most meaningful destinations are often the ones we never once thought to put on our list.

5. Shared by :

   Stories to Protect Your Buzz

   The Day I Stopped Saving My Mother

   When I was twelve years old, I planned an intervention for my mother…

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   2 months ago · 29 likes · 46 comments · Lilly Mercer

   This piece stayed with me because of its emotional bravery. It captures the silent weight so many children carry when they try to become the savior in a house broken by addiction: cleaning the dishes, hiding the shame, and holding the family together at twelve years old. It lingered as a heartbreaking tribute to that little girl who thought her mother's illness was her own failure, and a beautiful reflection on the immense grace it takes to forgive and heal together.

The pieces that stayed with me:

1. By

Lean on Me

The Weight We Carry: Grief Without a Funeral

Some losses leave an empty place without giving you a funeral…

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2 months ago · 24 likes · 54 comments · Rev. Kevin T. Taylor

What lingered most was the distinction between restraint and evasion in broken relationships. This essay stayed with me because it refuses to reduce complex human estrangements into simple villains and victims. It dismantles the pressure to fix what cannot be solved overnight, offering a grounded framework for discernment: how to take responsibility for your part without carrying the entire weight, and how those surrounding grieving families can offer dignity instead of drive-by advice or gossip.

2. By

Keiichiro Iwamoto

The Power of Nature, and the Kindness of People

It’s hard to believe it’s already been fifteen years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. More than twenty two thousand people lost their lives, and in just a moment so many towns and ordinary lives were changed forever. Time has passed and many places have slowly been rebuilt, but I think the memory of that day still stays quietly in people’s hearts…

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6 months ago · 130 likes · 84 comments · Keiichiro Iwamoto

Because of that striking contrast between the uncontrollable power of nature and the quiet power of human kindness, this piece lingered long after reading as a tribute to remembrance, reminding us that while time slowly rebuilds broken landscapes, the true strength of humanity lies in our decision to reach out, support one another, and keep moving forward together.

3. By

Bluebonnetsandroses

On Meeting Someone Again for the First Time

It is one of love’s more elaborate paradoxes that the most significant meeting of two people’s lives is rarely the first one. The first meeting has the advantage of novelty and the considerable disadvantage of everything else — the mutual incompleteness of two people who have not yet been sufficiently shaped by each other’s existence, the anxiety of not…

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2 months ago · 41 likes · 19 comments · Abhilasha ❤️🪻🌹❤️

This piece stayed with me because it offers such a generous reframing of bad timing in love. It dismantles the grief of almost, reminding us that the wrong moment isn’t proof of the wrong love, but simply evidence of a growing season doing its necessary work. The idea that a second meeting isn’t a second chance, but an opening night after two people have finally become fully themselves, is a good perspective on patience, trust, and the beauty of love that has to lose itself to find itself.

There are pieces we read and quietly move on from, and then there are those that stay.

Thank you to Marta, Dua, Rei, Moe and Productivity With Care who shared something that mattered to them. This space continues to remind me that we are never really alone in what we carry.

Happy fifth month to this community! I can’t wait to see what we find together in the month ahead. 🌷

When we are navigating the daily realities of anxiety, it is easy to feel like our minds are constantly speaking a language we don’t understand. We try to quiet the palpitations during a workout, we manage the hormonal storms during our cycles, and we fight the exhausting loops of self-doubt. Sometimes, we just need a voice of clinical reason to step into the room, pull up a chair, and help us make sense of it all.

That is exactly why I am so incredibly honored to share this space today with .

If you have spent any time in our Substack community, you have likely noticed Moe’s presence. He is the author of the mini e-book A Life of Attention and he is one of the people I look up to here in Substack. He writes with a rare depth and his community engagement is always deeply intentional. As a clinical scientist with a rich background in psychology, he possesses the unique ability to translate dense, textbook science into compassionate, real-world truth.

Today, we are sitting down to answer the questions that don’t always fit neatly into a clinical handbook. We’re dropping the clinical jargon to talk about the raw reality of anxiety, the barrier of accessible care, and what healing actually looks like when you’re starting from zero. Grab a warm drink, take a deep breath, and let’s dive in.

The Spotlight Interview: A Conversation with Moe

1. On Voice & Depth

“I find so much profound depth in your writing. Is that deep, reflective perspective something that has always been innate to you, or is it a muscle you deliberately built over time?”

I grew up being curious about everything, I question everything, and I've always been curious about how life works, from biology and the human body to the way our minds shape how we experience the world. That curiosity led me to become a clinical scientist and to study psychology. But curiosity alone doesn't create depth.

What shaped my perspective was paying attention to my own struggles, to the people around me, and to the moments most of us rush past. I eventually realized that beneath almost every problem there is a deeper question about identity, fear, meaning, or the stories we tell ourselves.

Writing became the place where I explored those questions. I don’t sit down trying to sound profound, I sit down trying to understand something honestly. I also write for myself first. The way I write is the way I speak to myself when I’m trying to make sense of something. I don’t try to adopt a different voice for an audience or write what I think people want to hear. If something resonates with others, I think it’s because they’re reading an honest conversation I was first having with myself.

So yes, I believe reflection is a muscle. Like any muscle, it gets stronger every time you’re willing to be uncomfortable, question your assumptions, and remain curious a little longer.

2. On Intention

“I’ve noticed that your comments, both on my pieces and across the wider community, are always incredibly intentional. For readers who want to cultivate that same presence, what practical steps can you share for being more intentional in daily life?”

For me, being intentional starts with slowing down. We live in a culture that rewards reacting quickly, but I’ve found that our best thoughts usually do not arrive in a hurry.

When I read someone’s work, I take my time, I don’t think about what I can say next before I finish reading. I try to understand what they’re really trying to communicate. I ask myself, What stayed with me? What challenged me? What idea is beneath the words? My comment usually grows from answering one of those questions.

I try to practice this principle beyond writing. Before responding, making a decision, or even forming an opinion, I pause for a moment. I ask myself, Am I responding deliberately? That small space between stimulus and response is where intentionality begins.

3. On the Reality of Anxiety

"A lot of my readers experience symptoms that don't fit neatly into a textbook description. From your perspective, what do people get wrong about how anxiety actually shows up in day-to-day life versus how it is traditionally described in clinical text?"

One of the biggest misconceptions is that anxiety always looks like obvious fear or panic. Clinical descriptions are designed to identify patterns for diagnosis, but people don’t experience anxiety in neat categories. In everyday life, anxiety can look very ordinary on the surface. It can look like someone who is highly productive but never feels they’ve done enough. It can look like overthinking a simple text message, replaying conversations long after they’ve ended, constantly seeking reassurance, procrastinating because the stakes feel too high, or saying yes to everything because disappointing someone feels unbearable.

Many people don’t even recognize they’re anxious because their symptoms have become part of their personality. They describe themselves as perfectionists, people-pleasers, chronic worriers, or simply “someone who likes to be prepared.” In reality, those behaviours can sometimes be strategies for managing uncertainty rather than reflections of who they truly are.

Another big misconception is that anxiety is only psychological. It is also physical, like a racing heart, muscle tension, digestive discomfort, headaches, shallow breathing, or a persistent sense that something isn’t quite right, even when there’s no obvious danger.

I think it’s also important to remember that anxiety exists on a spectrum, we all experience it at some point in our lives. Feeling anxious before an important event is part of being human. Anxiety becomes problematic when it begins to restrict your life, when you stop pursuing opportunities, avoid experiences, or organize your world around preventing discomfort instead of living according to your values.

Anxiety isn’t just about fear. At its core, it’s the desire for certainty. We naturally want certainty because it feels safe, but life doesn’t offer guarantees. Learning to live well isn’t about eliminating uncertainty, it’s about developing the confidence that we can navigate it when it arrives.

4. On Accessibility & Self-Led Healing

"Therapy and formal diagnoses are out of reach for so many people due to cost, massive waitlists, stigma, or geography. For someone who cannot access a professional right now, what is an evidence-based tool they can safely and effectively practice on their own?"

One practice I use, and I actually wrote an article about it, is learning to change your relationship with your thoughts rather than trying to eliminate them. This approach is called cognitive defusion, and it’s a core skill in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which has a strong evidence base for anxiety and conditions related to it.

When we’re anxious, we treat every thought as if it’s a fact. I’m going to fail. Something bad is about to happen. I can’t handle this. The mind presents these thoughts with such conviction that we don’t question them.

Cognitive defusion creates a powerful shift. Instead of saying, “I’m going to fail,” try saying, “I’m noticing that I’m having the thought that I’m going to fail.”

It may sound like a small change, but psychologically it’s significant. You’re no longer fused with the thought, you’ve stepped back and become the observer of it. That doesn’t make the thought disappear, and that’s not the goal. The goal is to recognize that thoughts are mental events, not commands, predictions, or objective truths.

This is also why I’m a strong believer in developing self-awareness. The more we learn to observe our thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without immediately reacting to them, the more freedom we have to choose our response instead of being driven by automatic patterns.

Of course, self-help has its limits. If anxiety is becoming severely overwhelming, persistent, or begins interfering with daily life to the point of significant impairment, seeking professional support is important whenever it’s available. But for many people, learning to observe rather than automatically believe every anxious thought can be a meaningful first step toward regaining a sense of control.

5. On a Fresh Diagnosis

"For a reader who just received a diagnosis and feels completely overwhelmed, like their life as they knew it is over, what would you tell them? Not the sugar-coated, comforting version, but the raw truth of what you have genuinely seen to be true over your years of clinical work?"

The first thing I would tell them is that a diagnosis changes what you know, it doesn’t change who you are.

Long before we gave it a name, you were already living with the thoughts, emotions, or symptoms that brought you to that appointment. The diagnosis didn’t create your struggle. It simply gave it a language.

I’ve also learned something else over the years. The greatest source of suffering is not the diagnosis itself, but the story people begin telling themselves because of it.

“I’ll never be the same.”

“My future is over.”

“This is all I’ll ever be.”

Those thoughts are understandable, but they’re only stories, not certainties. A diagnosis is a clinical tool. It helps clinicians communicate, guide treatment, and understand symptom patterns. It was never meant to define a person’s identity. Unfortunately, many people begin to wear it as one.

The other truth I’ve seen repeatedly is that healing is never a straight line. Progress is uneven. There are setbacks, moments of doubt, and days when it feels like nothing is changing. That doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re human.

The most important lesson I’ve learned is that people are more adaptable than they believe. I’ve seen people who were convinced their lives were over go on to build meaningful relationships, pursue careers they are passionate about, raise families, and discover strengths they never knew they had. Their diagnosis became part of their story, but it never became the whole story.

So if someone had just been diagnosed, I wouldn’t tell them everything will be okay, because none of us can honestly promise that. I would tell them something I know to be true:

This moment is not the end of your life. It’s the end of uncertainty about what you’ve been experiencing and the beginning of understanding it. What happens next won’t be determined by the diagnosis itself, but by the relationship you build with it.

A Final Reflection

To close our conversation, Moe asked me questions that stopped me in my tracks. They are questions that gets to the heart of why I started this publication, bridging the gap between the clinical reality of Anxiety and the soulful atmosphere of the sanctuary I’ve built.

Moe: Your writing has resonated with many readers. If you’re comfortable sharing, what part of your experience with anxiety feels most important for people to understand?

Life Inside My Mind:

I think it’s vital for people to understand that I have to intentionally pause or take a step back once in a while to prioritize my own mental well-being. I genuinely love reading and supporting other creators' work, but there are times when certain articles take me a little longer to read through. I've had to learn that I need to be in the right headspace to consume deep content, and giving myself the grace to wait until my mind is ready is a non-negotiable part of my self-care.

Moe: What misconceptions about anxiety frustrate you the most?

Life Inside My Mind:

Not just with anxiety, but with any mental health condition, people often assume that because you struggle, you aren't capable of handling hard things. Because of this, loved ones will often try to shield you by withholding stressful information. While that protection comes from a place of deep love and good intentions, it can accidentally hinder growth. The truth is, in order to truly heal, we have to gradually expose ourselves to our triggers, one small intentional step at a time.

Moe: What role has self-compassion played in your journey?

Life Inside My Mind:

Self-compassion allowed me to finally become my own best friend. It helped me understand that prioritizing my own needs before taking care of my loved ones isn’t selfish, it’s necessary. Most of all, it completely transformed the way I talk to myself, shifting my internal voice from a harsh critic to a gentle guide.

Moe: As someone who’s lived with anxiety, what do you wish researchers and clinicians would study more?

Life Inside My Mind:

I wish they would dig deeper into the hereditary aspects of mental health disorders to give us clearer answers on exactly how these traits are passed down. I also wish they would study individual physical symptoms more extensively, providing better diagnostic tools to help us confirm whether a sudden bodily sensation is truly just anxiety, or a separate underlying illness.

Talking with Moe reminds us that while clinical science can give us the map, we are the ones who have to walk the terrain. Healing from anxiety is rarely a linear journey that fits perfectly onto a textbook page. It is messy, it is deeply personal, and it requires us to listen to our bodies with an abundance of patience. Having a clinical diagnosis doesn't mean your story has ended, it simply means you finally have the vocabulary to understand the landscape you are navigating.

To my readers: If you are sitting here today holding a fresh diagnosis, or if you are quietly trying to heal on your own because professional care feels out of reach right now: I see you. Please know that you are not broken. You are simply navigating a highly sensitive system in a very loud world. 🌸

You can check out Moe’s profile and subscribe to his publication here:

Subscribe to Moe

Explore Moe’s mini e-book, A Life of Attention , and purchase it here:

A Life of Attention

Another publication by Moe, Conquer the Everyday, can be found here:

Conquer the Everyday: Transform Daily Struggles into Opportunities

Nutrition plays an important role in the life of anyone navigating an anxiety disorder. Because I am currently on two medications, I prefer to refrain from taking additional drugs or over-the-counter supplements as much as possible. Instead, I channel my energy into research—finding whole foods that are naturally rich in the exact nutrients my body needs, and making them the foundation of my grocery list. This is not what you need to avoid but what you add to your diet. Here is a guide to what has worked for me so far.

My Grounding Nutrition Protocol

• The 5:2 Weekly Rhythm: I focus on natural whole foods from Monday through Friday. Weekends and special celebrations are reserved as my intentional treat days.

• Plenty of Fiber: A healthy gut is essential for a calm mind. I love to alternate between oats and quinoa to keep my digestive system happy.

• Salmon (Omega-3s): Salmon is incredibly rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which play a vital role in cognitive function and emotional regulation. If you don’t like salmon, mackerel, trout, or herring make excellent replacements.

• Veggies with Every Meal: I make sure every plate has a green element. Spinach is my absolute favorite because it’s packed with magnesium, an essential mineral that helps calm intense stress signaling in the nervous system.

• Sweet Potatoes: A fantastic complex carbohydrate that supports steady serotonin production and keeps your blood sugar beautifully stable.

• Chamomile Tea: My go-to evening ritual for a natural boost of GABA, the neurotransmitter that tells your brain it’s time to rest and wind down.

• Olive Oil: A healthy fat that actively supports brain health and protects your nerve pathways.

• Bananas: An excellent source of potassium, which is a vital mineral for regulated nerve transmission.

• Probiotics for Gut Health: Because the gut and the brain are constantly talking to each other, I protect my microbiome by rotating my favorite fermented foods: yogurt, miso soup, and kimchi.

• Avocados: Packed with healthy fats and rich in B vitamins, which provide foundational support for a sensitive nervous system.

It is important to remember that not every single day will be perfect. If you had an unhealthy meal, you don’t need to panic or give up. You can simply get back on track with your very next plate. Prioritizing my nutrition isn’t about perfection. It’s about preventing sickness and removing the quiet worries that fuel my anxiety. It allows me to look at my reflection and remind my anxious mind: Look at how well I am taking care of us.

At the end of the day, food is one of the gentlest ways we can speak to our nervous system. Prioritizing your nutrition isn't about rigid perfection. It’s about giving your body the fuel it needs to stay steady. When you choose whole, nourishing foods, you send a clear, powerful signal to your anxious mind: You are safe, you are protected, and you are being deeply cared for.🌸

I hope these tools will help you create a diet that helps you manage your anxiety. Save this guide or send it to a loved one who needs it today.

If you’re currently navigating a loud storm and need a bit more guidance, I created a small gift for you. You can download my e-book, When Your Body Feels Unsafe, which covers how to manage physical anxiety symptoms when you feel unanchored.

Download E-book

And if this piece resonated with you, you can subscribe so future reflections and guides find their way to your inbox.

Subscribe now

We all know that exercise and movement promote better health, but the reality is that having an anxiety disorder can make the experience feel incredibly daunting. Palpitations are a common symptom of anxiety, and when you exercise, your heart rate naturally increases. Because our nervous systems are highly sensitive, we feel that sudden shift instantly, and our brains can misinterpret it as danger, making us want to stop entirely. On top of that, anxiety absolutely hates heat, meaning humidity and working out can be a tough combination to navigate.

The first activity I tried after my diagnosis was yoga. It worked wonders for my healing because it combined movement with meditation. For the first few months, the physical discomfort was still there. There were even times I felt like I might faint but I kept showing up until my body adapted.

Yoga gave me the confidence to step outside my comfort zone and try other activities. I eventually explored boxing, obstacle racing, and running. But none of it came easily. I remember an instance during a boxing session where I suddenly felt weak and my coach had to tell me to rest. Through that, I discovered that I absolutely cannot do any activity on an empty stomach. I need to fuel myself properly and allow enough time for digestion before moving.

Another time, while running, I could hear my heart beating incredibly loudly in my chest. I stopped immediately and focused entirely on my breathing exercises. I also realized how difficult it is for me to run when the weather is humid.

Even though movement doesn’t always feel natural or easy for me, it hasn’t stopped me from trying or enjoying it. I just have to put a little extra intention into my routine: fueling my body with the right nutrition, staying properly hydrated, prioritizing recovery days, and getting massages to help my muscles heal. Most importantly, I have to ensure I’m genuinely enjoying what I do.

If you have an anxiety disorder, I know that just thinking about starting an activity can feel completely overwhelming. But you can always start small. Begin with a slow, five-minute walk. Once you are consistent, increase it to ten minutes, and gradually transition to a brisk walk. Choose an activity that brings you joy so that even when it feels hard, it feels worth it. You can also start by working out with a buddy to ease your worries, building up the confidence to eventually try it on your own.

Moving your body when your mind is telling you to panic takes an immense amount of bravery. It is completely normal if your heart rate spikes today and you feel the urge to run right back to the safety of your home.

Healing isn’t about perfectly executing a high-intensity workout without fear. It’s about listening to your body, taking that slow five-minute walk, and giving yourself credit for trying. You are rebuilding your relationship with your own physical strength, one gentle step at a time.

I’d love to hear your experiences: What was the first activity you tried that made you feel confident again after a difficult mental health season? Let’s share our favorite ways to move gently in the comments below.

If you’re currently navigating a loud storm and need a bit more guidance, I created a small gift for you. You can download my e-book, When Your Body Feels Unsafe, which covers how to manage physical anxiety symptoms when you feel unanchored.

Download E-book

And if this piece resonated with you, you can subscribe so future reflections and guides find their way to your inbox.

Subscribe now

As I shared in my previous article, Pink Nails and Panic Attacks, the quiet difficulties of a woman’s period are entirely doubled when she is also living with an anxiety disorder. Because this hormonal shift can feel like an emotional storm, I’ve created a gentle guide sharing the exact best practices I use to navigate and conquer my PMS and menstrual phases.

The PMS Phase

• Soothe the Nausea: Keep essential oils nearby. A quick inhale of peppermint or lavender can immediately calm a nervous, fluttering stomach.

• Anchor Your Meal Times: Make sure to eat your meals at regular, timely intervals. Keeping your blood sugar steady is one of your best defenses against sudden mood swings and anxiety spikes.

• Give Your Emotions Somewhere to Go: If the hormonal shift causes your feelings to boil over, don’t suppress them. Release the pressure by having a good cry or letting it all out in a journal.

• Move Gently: Low-impact aerobic exercises like long walks, release endorphins that act as natural, built-in mood lifters for a racing mind.

• Balance the Cravings: Stock up on fruits during your grocery run. Incorporating natural sweetness into your cravings helps satisfy your body without triggering an inflammatory sugar crash later.

• Don’t Fight Insomnia: You may find it incredibly hard to fall asleep during this phase. If that happens, don’t force it. Instead, get out of bed, engage in a relaxing activity in low light, and return to bed only when your body feels genuinely sleepy.

The Menstrual Phase

• Combat Weakness and Dizziness: If you feel weak, lightheaded, or faint as your period starts, intentionally boost your iron intake by incorporating spinach and red meat into your meals.

• Soothe the Physical Pain: A heating pad placed on your lower abdomen or lower back is an absolute necessity for melting away painful cramps and easing physical tension.

• Prioritize Rest: The sudden drop in progesterone and estrogen can wreak havoc on your sleep cycle. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of rest nightly, and try to maintain a consistent bedtime to help anchor your circadian rhythm.

• Lower Your Productivity Output: This is the time to consciously scale back, especially when it comes to intense physical demands. Give yourself permission to do less.

• Create a Comfort Ritual: Treat yourself to a cozy night in. Put on your absolute favorite show, order or cook your favorite meal, and let yourself be completely taken care of.

Navigating a menstrual cycle with a highly sensitive nervous system is a monthly test of endurance. If your anxiety spikes or your mood dips over the next few weeks, please remember that you aren’t failing. Your body is simply moving through a profound hormonal shift, and it is asking you to slow down.

These tools aren’t about masking the reality of being a woman with anxiety, they are about treating yourself with an abundance of kindness when the storm rolls in.

What is your absolute go-to comfort ritual when you are on your period? Do you have a favorite tea, a specific grounding item, or a comforting meal that gets you through the heaviest days? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.

I hope these tools will navigate and conquer your PMS and menstrual phases. Save this guide or send it to a loved one who needs it today.

If you’re currently navigating a loud storm and need a bit more guidance, I created a small gift for you. You can download my e-book, When Your Body Feels Unsafe, which covers how to manage physical anxiety symptoms when you feel unanchored.

Download E-book

And if this piece resonated with you, you can subscribe so future reflections and guides find their way to your inbox.

Subscribe now

I have always been deeply anchored to my family. I would do absolutely anything for them. But the quiet reality of caretaking is that you are constantly negotiating with your own limits. I know I have to take care of myself first, and I have a career to maintain, one that allows me to support and treat them the way they deserve. But some days, the time and the emotional bandwidth simply aren’t enough.

We are a family that runs on hard work. Everyone has a career, including my Dad, who is in his seventies, still runs his consultancy business, and absolutely refuses to retire. We were all running at full speed in our own lives when my Mom got sick. Even with a hired caretaker, we struggled to balance it all. We constantly wrestled with schedules, trying to figure out how to maintain our work while ensuring we had quality time to just be with her.

Mom passed away a few months ago. Now, Dad is undergoing treatment. While the logistics are slightly easier this time because he isn’t bedridden, the reality of taking care of him is still incredibly hard.

Beyond the physical exhaustion, the emotional toll is massive. I have to actively anchor my mindset before I visit him. I need to be strong for him, to hold space for his pain, and I have to be so careful not to let my own personal stress bleed into his space.

The hardest part, though, is the hospital. Walking through those doors instantly pulls me back to the days we spent there with Mommy. Navigating this while managing an anxiety disorder adds a heavy, complicated layer to the grief. During our most recent hospital trip, my anxiety symptoms flared up, but I had to push through them. I was fielding questions, giving medical histories to doctors and nurses, and stepping away to do quiet breathing exercises in the margins.

There are nights we rush Dad to the hospital in the dark, and if we are blessed, we are discharged by morning. I come home running on zero sleep, take a shower to wash the hospital off of me, and sleep until the afternoon. Waking up means trying to gently coax my nervous system back into my normal schedule, a jarring readjustment every single time.

It is profoundly tiring. But I won’t give up, I can’t. Because underneath the exhaustion and the anxiety, it is a privilege to serve my parents. They gave everything for us. Yes, these are unimaginably hard times, but we still have our Dad. We still get to spend time with him. And that makes every sleepless night worth it. 🌸

If this piece resonated with you, you can subscribe so future reflections and guides find their way to your inbox.

Subscribe now

P.S. Writing about mental health has become a form of therapy for me. Your support allows me to continue writing.

Support

After my diagnosis, it became incredibly hard for me to leave the house, especially without a companion. I am endlessly grateful to look back and see how far I’ve come from that place. Today, I take long walks, go on runs, and comfortably take myself out on solo dates. But that growth doesn’t mean the discomfort has vanished entirely. It still shows up every now and then.

My way of finding comfort when the symptoms say hi is simply to be prepared. I’m sharing what’s inside my anti-anxiety pouch in the hope that it might help you, or a loved one, when you need it most. My psychiatrist once told me that just knowing the pouch is sitting in your bag can reduce baseline anxiety before you even open it, and he’s entirely right.

Before we dive into the list, a quick word on the pouch itself: I chose a small, pink, furry travel purse. It is incredibly comforting to hold, and the bright color brings a little flash of happiness before I even look inside.

Here is my portable toolkit:

Read more

If the previous piece was your perspective, this one is mine.

This past month, I found myself reading more slowly. Instead of scrolling, I’ve been sitting with words that demanded my full attention. There is so much beauty being written in this corner of the internet, and these are the writers I kept coming back to when I needed grounding, reflection, or a moment of quiet depth.

The List of this Month’s Favorites:

1. - Seth is one of the most genuinely supportive and kind-hearted people I’ve crossed paths with here on Substack. While his publication focuses beautifully on food and cars, he is the kind of writer who could truthfully write about anything under the sun and make it captivating. His pieces are consistently honest, deeply interesting, and a total joy to read.

My personal favorite: Newbie Deuxbie Deux, Where Are You! (III)

2. - True to his name, Rei is an absolute ray of sunshine in this community. He is incredibly generous with his presence, never failing to interact with my notes and articles with an infectious, positive energy that brightens up the whole feed. Beyond his wonderful engagement, his own pieces are deeply reflective and informative. He consistently curates the absolute best lists of songs and movies.

My personal favorite: 38 lessons at 38 [Last Chapter] (38)

3. - Vanessa is one of those rare, beautiful friends I’ve been lucky enough to find here on Substack. She is kindhearted and honest. You can feel the true weight of her sincerity in every single word she writes. She is the kind of friend who never fails to quietly check in on me, sliding into my messages just to ask how I am truly doing. Her own pieces are wonderfully raw. She is entirely unafraid of vulnerability, and her writing is a beautiful reflection of her open heart.

My personal favorite: the most important thing i've ever written

4. - Mihaela’s words have a way of digging incredibly deep. Her pieces are so relatable that they frequently give me literal goosebumps, always leaving me completely speechless and sitting in quiet reflection long after I’ve finished reading. Beyond her evocative writing, she has a supportive presence in this community, never failing to show up with the kindest, most thoughtful words on my notes.

My personal favorite: If You Can See Me Now

5. - She carries this beautiful, soft-girl calm vibe that draws you in completely. I stumbled across her publication one day, read her piece about youngest daughters, and have been completely hooked ever since. As an eldest daughter myself, diving into her work has been such a gift. It gives me a rare, gentle window into the mind and point of view of my own youngest sister.

My personal favorite: I can’t fit into my jeans

6. - Lindsey gives off a brave aura. Her voice has a long-lasting impact, and her pieces are deeply reflective. What I love most about her space is that when you leave a comment on her work, she always replies with a genuine, thoughtful question, making you feel less like a reader on a screen and more like you are simply having a cozy, real-life conversation with her.

My personal favorite: Why It's Easier to Know What You Hate

7. - Adeline is a beautiful anchor of consistent support in this space. There is truly never a day when her name doesn't pop up in my notifications to brighten my feed. Finding people who share your exact core values is incredibly rare in the digital world, and I am profoundly grateful that our paths crossed here. Reading her pieces is always an introspective experience, leaving me reflecting on and realizing so many new things about myself.

My personal favorite: Sixty Neighbors, Not Sixty Metrics

8. - She has been right here since my very first day on Substack and her steady support hasn't wavered since. She writes absolutely breathtaking poems and her creative talent truly knows no bounds. If you want to add a touch of exquisite, boundless artistry to your feed, you must check out her space.

My personal favorite: Why Did It Kill the Cat?

These are the writers that stayed with me this month, but the beauty of this space is that there is always more to discover.

I love this monthsary tradition, a way to celebrate the community by highlighting the writers who make it worth being here. It’s another way to offer more of them and less of me.

I am always looking for beautiful, soul-stretching writing. If there are writers that captured your mind recently, please share them in the comments below.

Until next month,

LIFE INSIDE MY MIND 🌷

Last Saturday marked exactly my fourth month since I began writing here. To celebrate, we are continuing our tradition: a monthly monthsary digest where I share the voices that are moving you.

In a note and in the chat, I asked you to share articles from writers that helped you, moved you or stayed with you. Below is the collection of stories you brought to the table; not just links, but pieces of yourselves.

This is the fourth month’s collection:

1. Shared by

this kitty's got claws: the history of the 'crazy cat lady' and why hating cats feels misogynistic by

There is something so empowering about taking an insult designed to shrink women and wearing it as a badge of honor instead. This is a brilliant exploration of the crazy cat lady archetype. But what truly stayed with me is the behavioral breakdown of why cats are the chosen symbol for this specific brand of misogyny. It is a deeply validating reminder that the crazy cat lady was never actually crazy. She was simply a woman who refused to bend to the will of the patriarchy. If you have ever been called difficult or unpredictable for simply holding your ground and protecting your peace, this piece is absolutely for you.

2. Shared by

How to Picture One Trillion Dollars by

Sometimes, a piece of writing makes you laugh out loud, and then immediately sends you into an existential spiral. That is exactly what this brilliantly, dark comedic piece did for me. What truly anchored this piece for me, though, was the ending. After walking us through the breathless heights of unimaginable wealth, it brings us gently back down to the simple yearning we all share: the desire for having enough. Just enough to breathe easily, to skip the mental math before treating yourself, and to find a little peace in the everyday. This piece is funny, it is a little terrifying, and it will absolutely stay with you.

3. Shared by

Between a Beautiful Road and an Ugly Truth by

Some pieces of writing don’t just stay in your mind, they settle heavily into your bones, just like this piece. What struck me most is how accurately it portrays the physical reality of a nervous system on high alert. This is a beautifully written reflection on what happens when women are forced to survive inside lives they never agreed to, and a powerful exploration of the dangerous entitlement that grows when a person believes they will face no real consequences. This is writing that demands you hold your breath right alongside the author.

4. Shared by

some mothers do not like their daughters by

There are certain cultural myths we protect so fiercely that challenging them feels almost dangerous. This piece does exactly that, dismantling one of our most universally accepted narratives: the idea that motherhood automatically guarantees unconditional, mutual affection. What makes this essay so profoundly validating is its definition of decentering. It is a gentle but firm permission slip to stop organizing your identity around someone else's emotional agenda and to finally step out of the holding cell of the past. If you have ever felt the learned guilt of needing space to simply exist, set boundaries, and be held, this piece will make you feel incredibly seen.

5. Shared by

The More I Draw, the More I Close by

There is a quiet isolation that comes with deeply immersing yourself in your creative work. A space where time disappears, the world fades, and you are left entirely alone with your craft. This introspective piece captures that exact feeling, exploring the delicate, often painful tension between the satisfaction of solitary creation and the very human need for outside connection. The true anchor of this piece, however, is its gentle defense of the margins of life. In a world that demands efficiency and quick judgments, where we are so often tempted to cut our losses if a connection doesn't immediately work. This is a stunning reminder that awkward stretches and seemingly pointless conversations are not a waste of time.

The pieces that stayed with me:

The Little Critter in My Head by

This piece is a highly relatable exploration of the mind's internal landscape. The progression from the fascinating neurological concept of anendophasia to practical, compassionate steps: mindfulness, seeking reinforcements through friendship, and active dialogue offers a clear roadmap for living with a busy mind. This is a beautifully grounded piece that tackles complex behavioral psychology and the universal human experience with warmth and accessibility.

The right by

This piece is an unfiltered battle cry. It reads exactly like a raw journal entry, skipping any polite or formal introductions to pull us directly into a very human, unpolished truth. This is the kind of writing that genuinely breaks through the noise because it feels so startlingly honest.

Sign Was Right by

This is a wonderfully paced story. This piece has a beautiful grasp of dialogue and sensory detail: the way the arrivals hall smells, the contrast between the sisters' heights, and the quiet, specific weight of a house that is missing someone. It is a story that doesn't force a dramatic resolution. Instead, it leaves you with the comforting realization that healing doesn't happen in fireworks.

There are pieces we read and quietly move on from, and then there are those that stay.

Thank you to everyone who shared something that mattered to them. This space continues to remind me that we are never really alone in what we carry.

Happy fourth month to this community! I can’t wait to see what we find together in the month ahead. 🌷

Anxiety often feels like an isolated storm, a quiet panic we carry alone in our chests. When we look for ways to navigate that fear, we usually turn to clinical guides or wellness routines. But sometimes, the most profound wisdom comes from those who stand daily in the center of the heaviest storms. For this piece, I wanted to bring in a brilliant mind to help us deconstruct Anxiety. Today, I am sitting down with Bill to discuss its mechanics, how parents can become anchors for their kids, and the enduring power of hope.

Before we dive into the Q&A, I want to properly introduce you to the voice behind these answers. Bill is a pediatric oncologist, but his identity is in no way defined by his medical career alone. His writing carries a deep, unmasked humanity that reaches far beyond his clinical profession. He is the author of the memoir Stunt Mole and he is one of the writers I look up to here on Substack. I have rarely encountered someone so deeply intentional, personal, and genuinely humble. He is also incredibly supportive of this community. He recently bought my e-book and completely blew me away by generously contributing far beyond the asking price.

Bill’s memoir called Stunt Mole.

In his work, he sits alongside families and children as they navigate the ultimate forms of fear and uncertainty. I brought him into this space to talk about the true anatomy of anxiety, the breathtaking resilience of children, and how we can all find a steady harbor when the ground shifts beneath us.

The Spotlight Interview: A Conversation with Bill

1. The Human Behind the Stethoscope

"What is your experience with Anxiety as a kid and as a physician?"

My experiences with anxiety as a child revolved around low self-esteem and bullying. My parents were viewed by both our family and our community as heroes. I had a high-achieving older brother and a younger sister who was fearless and popular, and I often felt that I did not live up to the family standard.

I tried to compensate by being fearless myself, earning the nickname “Stunt Mole” by following through on dares that initially involved bravery. Eventually, I was tricked into a sexual situation with other boys that, as a ten-year-old, I did not really understand. When rumors about it spread through my school, I experienced waves of merciless bullying that became the most powerful source of my anxiety.

My father’s reaction reflected the attitudes of the time, but his inability to talk with me about what had happened left me carrying feelings of guilt and shame beneath the surface throughout much of my childhood and young adulthood.

At the time, anxiety and depression were rarely discussed in children and carried significant stigma. There were few resources for kids who were struggling the way I was.

My anxiety manifested primarily as separation anxiety. Both of my parents had lost their own parents at a young age, and I became terrified that they would die and leave me alone. I faked illnesses to avoid school and experienced panic attacks whenever my parents went out to dinner or traveled without us.
As I grew older, anxiety began showing up in other ways. Relationships became difficult, stage fright became common, and at times I experienced panic attacks and periods of depression severe enough to get my attention.

Several things helped me over time. My music teacher introduced me to The Inner Game of Tennis, which taught visualization and positive self-talk. Later, when my panic attacks were finally recognized for what they were while I was living in London, I began meditating and read The Relaxation Response, which explores the science of anxiety and practical ways to reduce it. Over time I developed routines centered on exercise, music, art, singing, and spending time in nature—especially birdwatching. Eventually I identified the childhood experiences that had contributed to my anxiety and sought counseling. As my relationships, career, and confidence grew, so did my self-esteem.

My experience with anxiety has changed as I have gotten older. Today it is more likely to arise from difficult situations at work—particularly when outcomes are poor for a child or when interpersonal conflicts occur. What helps is maintaining the same healthy habits that carried me through earlier struggles: exercise, meditation, meaningful relationships, and periodic psychotherapy when I need it.

Meditation in particular has been especially helpful. The difference is that anxiety no longer runs my life. I recognize it sooner, understand where it comes from, and have tools that help me respond rather than react.

This is an image from Bill’s book Stunt Mole depicting what a panic attack was like for him as a kid. The train is the soo line which ran behind his house every night but the imagery is from the Oddysey: Oddyseus tied to the mast.

2. The Frontlines of Fear & Resilience

"As a pediatric oncologist, you've cared for many children and families facing fear and uncertainty. What approaches have you seen parents use that seem to help children cope with anxiety and stress?"

Providing daily structure and resources for stress reduction is key for patients and family members.

Over the years, I became deeply aware of the importance of psychological support after seeing the devastating consequences when anxiety, depression, and grief go untreated. For that reason, we have worked hard to maintain a psychologist as part of our treatment team. We also have two outstanding child life specialists who help children navigate painful procedures and difficult experiences through play therapy and age-appropriate education.

Our center offers several programs designed to support both children and their caregivers. Footprints provides trained volunteers who play with and occupy children, allowing parents to get a meal, do laundry, rest, or simply catch their breath. Streetlight pairs adolescent and young adult patients with college-aged volunteers who share music, movies, video games, and conversation, helping lift spirits while giving caregivers a much-needed break. Our center also offers art therapy, where local artists help patients express themselves creatively through art projects.

Attention to physical symptoms is equally important. Adequate pain control and treatment of nausea can dramatically reduce anxiety for children undergoing treatment.

One of the most helpful things parents can do is create structure and normalcy, especially during long hospitalizations. Schoolwork, art projects, games, visits with volunteers, and time with child life specialists help create a sense of routine and purpose.

Maintaining healthy sleep habits is also important, since hospital stays can easily blur the distinction between day and night.
Simple activities such as walks through the children’s garden, physical therapy sessions, time outdoors, or sharing a favorite hobby can provide moments of joy and distraction during difficult days.

Most importantly, parents can simply be present. Children are remarkably perceptive. More than any program or intervention, what often reassures them most is knowing they do not have to face frightening experiences alone.

3. The Architecture of Support

"Many people struggle silently with anxiety. What signs suggest that it may be time to reach out for professional support?"

I should begin by saying that I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist. However, I do know that anxiety deserves professional attention when it begins interfering with a person’s ability to function in daily life, maintain relationships, attend school, or perform effectively at work.

In children, anxiety may present as separation anxiety, school avoidance, difficulty sleeping, declining academic performance, irritability, or physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, or other unexplained complaints. Sometimes children are unable to describe what they are feeling emotionally, so anxiety shows up through symptoms in the body.

Kids with cancer often experience anticipatory anxiety before chemotherapy or painful procedures. We have found that certain medications, along with behavioral strategies, can be particularly helpful for this type of anxiety.

Parents and physicians should also pay attention when anxiety begins affecting appetite, growth, social relationships, or participation in normal activities. Loss of friendships, increasing conflict at school or home, withdrawal from activities that were once enjoyable, and substance use can all be warning signs.

For adolescents and adults, persistent panic attacks, increasing isolation, difficulty maintaining responsibilities, substance misuse, or thoughts of self-harm are all important signals that professional help may be needed.

One of the most important lessons I have learned is that people do not need to wait until they are in crisis to seek support. Anxiety is highly treatable, and reaching out for help early often prevents much greater suffering later on. You do not need to earn the right to seek help by suffering long enough.

4. The Final Anchor

"If you could leave readers with one message about anxiety, fear, and hope, what would it be?"

One of the lies anxiety tells us is that the way we feel right now is the way we will always feel.

My experience has been the opposite. Feelings change. Circumstances change. We learn. We heal. We develop tools.
As a child, anxiety and fear shaped many of my decisions. Today they are still part of my life, but they no longer define it. Healthy habits—particularly exercise, meditation, music, time in nature, and meaningful relationships—have helped me tremendously.
Like all things in life, nothing is permanent, and in my own life anxiety has become less of a feature as I have grown older.
Healing rarely comes from a single breakthrough. More often it comes from many small practices repeated consistently over years. What once felt overwhelming can become manageable. There is hope in that.

Bill (second to left) singing bass with his Doo Wop Group, The Dukes of Earlton. Singing A Capella, you can’t worry about anything because you have to carry your part.

A Final Reflection

To close our conversation, Bill asked a question for both of us that stopped me in my tracks. It’s a question that gets to the heart of why I started this publication, bridging the gap between the clinical reality of Anxiety and the soulful atmosphere of the sanctuary I’ve built.

Bill: “How has writing helped you understand or cope with anxiety, fear, and uncertainty?”

Life Inside My Mind:

Writing is the only space that truly sees the unmasked version of me. It holds my deepest emotions, my heaviest regrets, and my quietest guilts. For a long time, the page was the only place I could turn when I felt I had no one else to listen. I am profoundly grateful that I started journaling at such a young age, because I honestly don’t know how I would have navigated those heavy years without it.

Today, writing is how I regulate my nervous system. When it comes to fear, the simple act of naming it on paper makes it instantly less terrifying. Our minds have a habit of magnifying our worries in the dark, but writing forces those thoughts into the light, allowing us to process them practically. By the time I put the pen down, the overwhelm is gone, and I am almost always surprised by how small the monsters actually were once I took them out of my head.

Bill:

I originally wrote Stunt Mole for my children, but the process became something much more meaningful for me. By retelling the stories of my childhood, I was able to stop and think deeply about experiences I had never fully processed and examine them through the eyes of a sixty-year-old man.

One of the most valuable parts of the project was interviewing many of the people who had shared those experiences with me. Their memories often differed from my own, and hearing their perspectives allowed me to see events in a new light. Stories I had carried as burdens for decades sometimes looked very different when viewed through someone else’s eyes.

One of the surprises of writing Stunt Mole was discovering that some of the villains in my childhood memories were viewed very differently by others. Seeing people through multiple lenses didn’t excuse hurtful behavior, but it often replaced certainty with understanding. That, in itself, can be healing.

There were moments during the writing process when I found myself tearing up, and others when I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and warmth because I had finally found the words that captured something true. The telling itself was cathartic.

Listening to Bill speak about the raw resilience of children and his vulnerability about his past is a beautiful reminder that even in our darkest, most uncertain chapters, we are never truly without hope. Anxiety always tries to convince us that we are alone in the storm, but conversations like this prove that there is always a harbor to be found.

A massive, heartfelt thank you to Bill for taking the time to share his profound, front-row perspective with us today, for sharing his story and for this wonderful collaboration piece. This is the most meaningful collaboration I have done so far.

To my readers: Even in the presence of your heaviest fears, may you always remember the profound, breathtaking resilience that already lives inside of you. 🌸

You can check out Bill’s profile and subscribe to his publication here:

Subscribe to Bill

Explore Bill’s memoir and purchase it here:

Stunt Mole

This interview is part of our ongoing mission to unmask the physical side of Anxiety. I also wrote my perspective on a piece for Bill’s publication called Fellow Travelers. You can check it out below:

Fellow Travelers

I genuinely love being a woman. There is so much joy in the rituals of girlhood: the fun of painting my nails, getting dressed up, and playing with makeup whenever I want. But behind that beautiful exterior, the hormonal reality of womanhood is incredibly heavy, especially when you are also navigating an Anxiety disorder.

We are all familiar with the standard rhythms of PMS. We know the cravings, the sudden drops in mood, and the inevitable irritability. But when you introduce an Anxiety disorder into that mix, your entire nervous system is already heightened. For me, PMS means sudden waves of nausea, the terrifying sensation that I might faint in a humid room, and battling through insomnia so severe it overpowers medication designed to make me drowsy.

Then comes the period itself. Beyond the intense lower abdominal pain and the physical exhaustion from a sudden drop in iron, there is the silent, constant mental load. We are tracking hygiene, worried about leaks, and hyper-aware of how we feel and smell, all while showing up for work and fulfilling our daily responsibilities as if nothing is happening. Women truly do not get enough praise for carrying this invisible weight.

Now, add a sensitized, anxious mind to that physical toll. The pain is usually something we can tolerate, but it’s the hot flashes, the tension headaches, and that terrifying, spiraling feeling that you might actually be losing your mind that break you down. Every baseline Anxiety symptom is magnified. It is our most vulnerable phase, and the hormonal shift alone is often enough to trigger a full-blown panic attack.

To say being a woman is hard is a massive understatement and it makes me wonder how much heavier that hormonal shift becomes during pregnancy. Navigating an Anxiety disorder means fighting this exact battle every single month. Even with a period tracker, cycles aren’t always perfectly timed. Often, you find yourself spiraling, convinced something is terribly wrong with your body or your mind, only to realize a few days later that it was just the hormones playing their monthly trick.

But do we give up? Never. We still show up to work, care for our families, and keep our lives moving forward. Because that is simply what it means to be a woman: we are as tough as nails.

If you’re currently navigating a loud storm and need a bit more guidance, I created a small gift for you. You can download my e-book, When Your Body Feels Unsafe, which covers how to manage physical anxiety symptoms when you feel unanchored.

Download E-book

And if this piece resonated with you, you can subscribe so future reflections and guides find their way to your inbox.

Subscribe now

Anxiety isn’t just a mental hurdle, it is a physical reality that drains our daily bandwidth and disrupts our peace. When our internal warning systems are permanently stuck on high alert, the worst thing we can do is treat our well-being like a pressurized to-do list.

You don’t have to try all of these at once, and you certainly don't need to execute them perfectly. Treat the list below as a gentle menu of options. Take a slow breath, look through the practices, and simply pick the one that feels like the safest harbor for your mind and body right now.

The Anxiety Management Menu

Read more

The question of how we become who we are usually has a quiet, systemic rhythm to it. I grew up as the eldest daughter in a comfortable home; a comfort bought entirely by the relentless, exhausting hard work of my parents. Because they were always working, the architecture of our daily lives fell to me. I became the anchor. I still remember summer mornings waking up to a completely empty dining room; there was always money left on the counter, but there was no food so I had to think on where will I buy food and budget the money given at such a young age.

I matured ahead of my time. By the time I reached university, I wasn’t just a student. I was a financial manager, tasked with budgeting the living funds for both my sister and myself since we studied far from home.

I will never forget my first prom. My parents couldn't make it, but they provided a lovely dress and the money for a salon appointment. At the salon, a friend invited me to change at her house so we could go to the venue together. I stood in her living room and watched her parents shower her with praise, telling her how beautiful she looked. In that moment, a sharp, unfamiliar envy bloomed in my chest; not because of her dress, but because I had no one standing there to say those words to me.

That night, a quiet realization crystallized. My parents wouldn’t be coming to these milestones. So, I made a silent pact with myself to shield my younger siblings from that exact same loneliness. I became a fixture at almost all of their events. I sat in the school chairs of PTA meetings. I traveled to my brother’s dorm room to strip the mattress and change his sheets. I became the safety net I never had.

And then, our family system suffered a financial collapse. My siblings were enrolled in prestigious schools at the time, and the thought of forcing them to transfer felt like an unthinkable fracture. We sold our cars, but the math still didn't work. To protect their trajectory, I entered the workforce early.

Being the eldest means systematically learning to put your own structural needs last. When we were children, all three of us suffered from asthma. I remember one terrifying afternoon when we had attacks simultaneously. We were rushed to a nearby clinic, but the staff only had two oxygen tanks available. Without a second thought, I gave way. Watching my siblings’ chests rise and fall with steady, clean air while I sat there struggling for my own breath remains the most perfect, devastating metaphor for what it means to be the eldest daughter.

During the hardest years, my daily protocol consisted of eating cheap dumplings for every single meal just to route my remaining funds to my brother. I couldn’t bear the thought of him being left out, sitting on the sidelines at fast-food joints while his peers ate at proper restaurants. Every payday, I bought him clothes so he could hold his head high at a school with no uniform policy. I buried my own panic in work and soccer. I don’t entirely know how my system overcame the exhaustion, but somehow, the gears kept turning. The day my brother crossed the stage at graduation, I wept like he was my own son. I was fiercely proud of him then, and I am fiercely proud of him now.

Ultimately, being the eldest means building a scaffolding to help your siblings grow into the best versions of themselves, and then having the grace to let them go, to watch them fly toward their own dreams and build their own families.

Today, the inputs have beautifully inverted. My siblings both hold remarkable careers: my brother is a vice president at one of the top five banks in the world, and my sister thrives within a major French corporation. Now, they are the ones mostly look after our family. Whenever they travel across the globe, they return with food and thoughtful pieces of the world.

Stepping into a substitute parenting role as a child means losing a significant part of your own youth. It is a heavy, consuming gravity. But if my system were reset and I was asked to run this entire protocol again, I would do it without a single shadow of a doubt. I love my family, and I am profoundly grateful that I was able to build a harbor for them in my own way. As long as we are all here, I will continue to shower them with every ounce of love I possess. Despite our systemic shortcomings and historical differences, everyone was simply doing their best with the tools they had. Even when the world feels incredibly heavy, this beautiful, messy life is still deeply worth living.🌸

If this piece resonated with you, you can subscribe so future reflections and guides find their way to your inbox.

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P.S. Writing about mental health has become a form of therapy for me. Your support allows me to continue writing.

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If the previous piece was your perspective, this one is mine.

This past month, I found myself reading more slowly. Instead of scrolling, I’ve been sitting with words that demanded my full attention. There is so much beauty being written in this corner of the internet, and these are the writers I kept coming back to when I needed grounding, reflection, or a moment of quiet depth.

The List of this Month’s Favorites:

1. - There’s something deeply human about Bill’s works. Each essay functions as a practical blueprint, tying a specific real-world realization back to the structural framework of his past. As a fellow traveler who have spent significant energy managing the day-to-day economics of anxiety, I felt an instant calibration when reading his archive. Bill is a pediatric oncologist, yet he never allows that monumental title to define or limit his name. His writing proves he is so much more than the weight of his profession.

My personal favorite: Bodhisattva

2. - Reading Monica’s work feels like stepping out of the noise and sitting quietly in a room with someone who truly knows how to notice the world. She possesses that rare, unscripted ability to capture the subtle textures of life that most people simply scroll past. Beyond her beautiful prose, Monica is also an active anchor in my own digital neighborhood. You can see the sheer intentionality she pours into her corner of the internet. She values the architecture of community deeply, treating her readers not as mere metrics, but as real people worth holding space for.

My personal favorite: No Half Measure

3. - Natasha’s writing carries a rare, intuitive emotional intelligence that never feels forced or over-engineered. She is a lawyer by trade, yet she refuses to wave her professional credentials like a flag or hide behind dense, academic scripts. Instead, she brings a beautifully soft-spoken humility to her pieces. She strips away the armor of her title to meet her readers with a quiet, grounded presence, proving that true authority doesn't need to be loud to completely anchor a room.

My personal favorite: Hard Boundaries Might be Bogus

4. - Taylor is emotionally observant, gentle, and deeply reflective. There is a radiant, unforced happy energy to her presence here in Substack, the exact kind of frequency you find yourself wanting to pull into your own system and absorb. I always look at her pieces as pure sunbeams breaking through the digital noise. In a landscape that can often feel heavy or over-analyzed, her voice acts as a bright, warm window, reminding us how beautiful it is to let a little light into our daily architecture.

My personal favorite: how to collapse the wave of who you're becoming

5. - What I appreciate most about Peter’s writing is its absolute, refreshing honesty. He doesn’t hide behind complex, unneeded scripts, his prose cuts straight to the point. His essays function as practical guides, giving us actionable steps to navigate life while beautifully anchoring those lessons in raw examples from his own story. I also find his creative courage incredibly inspiring. He recently stepped out from behind the screen to launch his own YouTube channel. As someone who prefers to stay safely behind the curtain, looking at him take that massive leap makes me want to tip my hat. It’s a spectacular display of what it looks like to do it scared.

My personal favorite: Do you recognize your own version of the "Maintenance Fade"?

6. - Tiba has a magnificent, rare gift for weaving deep, informative wisdom with an absolute, breathtaking gentleness. Her prose never feels heavy, clinical, or overwhelming. Instead, it carries an inherent softness that hits you on a physical level. Every time I open her publication, I can literally feel my nervous system slowing down and regulating. In a digital landscape that constantly keeps our internal wires pulled tight, stepping into Tiba’s pieces feel like walking into a quiet, warm sanctuary where your mind can finally lower its defenses and just breathe.

My personal favorite: How the Modern Woman cultivates habits for a rooted life

7. - There is a beautiful, unwavering consistency to her writing that makes every single piece feel deeply relatable. She has a magnificent way of dismantling the toxic, high-pressure scripts of modern hustle culture, replacing them with guides and topics that actually hold space for the human element. Reading her work feels like receiving a functional yet incredibly gentle blueprint for your life, a reminder that we can optimize our daily systems and chase our dreams without ever abandoning our need for rest, softness, and self-care.

My personal favorite: Substack Was Taking Over My Day—So I Set Boundaries.

8. - Erin is an incredible writer and someone I truly look up to in this space. Her pieces are beautifully informative, rooted in deep clinical wisdom. But what sets her apart, is the absolute purity of her intent. You can feel her heart on her works, every word she writes is driven by a fierce dedication to the greater good. When you step into her pieces, you are instantly reminded of what it looks like to use your voice to leave the world a slightly gentler, safer place than you found it. She is an absolute inspiration and a magnificent anchor on my shelf.

My personal favorite: The Power of Documentation In Social Work Advocacy

These are the writers that stayed with me this month, but the beauty of this space is that there is always more to discover.

I love this monthsary tradition, a way to celebrate the community by highlighting the writers who make it worth being here. It’s another way to offer more of them and less of me.

I am always looking for beautiful, soul-stretching writing. If there are writers that captured your mind recently, please share them in the comments below.

Until next month,

LIFE INSIDE MY MIND 🌷

Last week marked exactly my third month since I began writing here. To celebrate, we are continuing our tradition: a monthly monthsary digest where I share the voices that are moving you.

In a note and in the chat, I asked you to share articles from writers that helped you, moved you or stayed with you. Below is the collection of stories you brought to the table; not just links, but pieces of yourselves.

This is the third month’s collection:

1. Shared by

If the Poem Could Revise Me by

Sometimes, we mistake the familiar terrain of our wounds for the only depth we possess. We write ourselves into storms, into ashes, into women waiting indefinitely by locked doors, calling it devotion. But in this breathtaking piece, the poem itself rebels against its creator’s suffering. It asks a profound question: What if we stopped turning our almosts into epics?

2. Shared by

Thriving in Five by

If you have ever felt trapped by task paralysis or blamed a lack of time for your stalled creative projects, this piece is the ultimate system calibration. The author delivers a beautifully gritty, unfiltered reality check on creative efficiency.

3. Shared by

Dark Cocoa Espresso Mini Muffins by

Sometimes, a recipe isn’t just about the food. It’s about the boundary we draw at the end of a long, loud evening. This piece begins with the brilliant, relatable reality of being the person already doing the math on the exit at a dinner table, and finding refuge in a late-night espresso.

Chapter 12 - The First Time by

What happens when we agree to step into an environment that every nerve in our body is screaming against? This jaw-droppingly honest memoir excerpt takes us behind the closed doors of a couple’s first foray into a secret world, a world built on luxury, performative desire, and the casual bending of initial agreements.

4. Shared by

The Vanishing Alyssa James. P10 by

For anyone tracking their own platform growth, this piece offers a hilarious, highly relatable reality check on metrics and data analytics. We follow Logan, an inept podcaster trying to look professional while navigating an unhelpful American GPS app and checking his feed engagement, only to realize his loads of comments are just five consecutive posts from the same internet troll.

5. Shared by

Weekly AniManga Index - Issue #1 by

In a digital landscape dominated by aggressive algorithms and noisy popularity contests, this piece stands as a radical, democratic sanctuary for independent voices. The project serves a beautifully clear mission: to ensure that excellent, uncompromised writing in the realms of anime, manga, gaming, and speculative fiction actually gets seen, giving the exact same visibility to a writer with 10 subscribers as one with 10,000.

6. Shared by

“I’m Undecided” Is Not Innocent by

In a world that constantly confronts us with collective trauma, outrage, and heavy headlines, choosing to look away can feel like the only way to protect our immediate peace. But this fiercely honest, deeply moving essay challenges us to dismantle the comfortable illusion of permanent neutrality.

7. Shared by

The Waking of the Lamb. by

True intimacy rarely arrives with a grand revelation. More often, it begins with a subtle, terrifying shift beneath the skin. This beautifully atmospheric narrative piece pulls us into a rain-slicked charity gala where luxury and tailored suits serve as a backdrop for a quiet, psychological awakening.

8. Shared by

When Did Friendship Become an Appointment? by

In a world where everyone is carrying a heavy cognitive load, brains running fifty tabs at once while navigating exhaustion and grief, this beautifully tender piece gives a voice to a quiet, collective ache. The author examines the modern landscape of connection, wondering exactly when friendship stopped feeling like a shared harbor and started looking like a calendar invite with a strict hard stop.

9. Shared by

A Bad Batch of Berries by

A fierce, brilliant, and deeply personal critique of the American prison kitchen as a humanitarian and public healthcare crisis. Moving from a kitchen counter full of mushy grocery store produce to a prison bunk where a son has spent years medically underweight, this essay exposes the systematic manufacturing of desperation behind bars. Featuring an incredible, data-backed guest segment by advocate Chandler Dugal on the revolutionary success of Maine’s prison gardening programs, this piece is an essential reminder that we reap exactly what we sow. An unforgettable, deeply necessary anchor for our Month 3 digest.

Tragedy in Tennessee by

A fierce, brilliant, and deeply unsettling exposé on the reality of the American death chamber. Moving past campaign speeches and sterile legal briefs, this essay pulls back the curtain on Tennessee's failed attempt to execute Tony Carruthers; unpacking more than an hour of hidden trauma, legal doubt, and structural incompetence. It challenges us to confront the terrifying reality of a justice system that demands absolute secrecy to function, reminding us that silence and closed blinds are never neutral; they are active permission for violence.

Alabama's blood money continues to gush by

A brilliant, uncompromising expose on the multi-million dollar economy of mass incarceration and state-funded opacity. Moving through the state’s open checkbook database, this piece reveals how Alabama has spent over $68 million since 2020 to defend a prison system in crisis—funding elite private defense firms while systematically promoting officers with extensive records of brutality. It stands as a powerful, data-backed indictment of political leaders who choose to treat civil rights lawsuits as a tool of the left rather than an obvious symptom of a bleeding institution.

The pieces that stayed with me:

Writing Space #1 — habits to reconnect with your writing by

A beautifully written, intimate guide to reclaiming the joy of the written word in a fast-paced world. Moving past rigid metrics and strict output demands, this essay explores the simple, analog habits like the tactile art of handwriting and writing while in motion that help us stay tethered to our imagination. It stands as a powerful reminder that writing should never become a pressurized obligation, and that sometimes, simply holding space for our thoughts is the most productive thing we can do.

Exile in Newbieville (I) by

A fiercely authentic, laugh-out-loud honest look at what it actually takes for an independent creator to find a home on the internet in 2026. Moving at a blistering speed through topics of food, vintage Ray-Bans, and the exhausting reality of algorithm fatigue, this essay serves as a powerful testament to the grit required to stay visible. It refuses to hide behind standard promotional scripts, offering an unfiltered view of the author dusting himself off after a system freeze to chase a real, un-templated human connection.

I'm 26, starting from scratch, and I'm bringing you with me by

There is a profound difference between building a career that looks secure at family gatherings and building a life that actually feels like your own. The author pulls back the curtain on five years of working from home, admitting how easily a dream of freedom can accidentally contract into a comfortable, isolating cage where lounge sets replace style and work becomes a shield to avoid the silence.

There are pieces we read and quietly move on from, and then there are those that stay.

Thank you to everyone who shared something that mattered to them. This space continues to remind me that we are never really alone in what we carry.

Happy third month to this community! I can’t wait to see what we find together in the month ahead. 🌷