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Self-Awareness & Growth


Am I angry or just hungry? A case study in emotional regulation
I used to think I had an anger problem. Turns out, I just needed a sandwich. Emotional regulation isn’t always deep inner work—sometimes it’s remembering to eat, rest, and stop white-knuckling your way through the day.

Joshua Ericson
2 days ago2 min read
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Shame isn't a signal you're bad. It's a signal you're human.
Shame doesn’t yell—it whispers. It rewrites how you see yourself and convinces you that struggling means you’re defective. But shame isn’t a flaw. It’s a defense. And healing starts by choosing something kinder in response.

Joshua Ericson
3 days ago2 min read
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I thought I was broken. Turns out, I just had shame.
I spent years thinking I was lazy, broken, or just not trying hard enough. Turns out, I wasn’t defective—I was carrying shame. Once I could name it, everything started to change.

Joshua Ericson
6 days ago2 min read
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Therapy isn't magic, but it did wreck my favorite coping strategy.
Therapy didn’t just help me grow—it made some of my favorite coping strategies unusable. Detached humor, emotional shutdown, overworking? They don’t work like they used to. And weirdly, that’s how I knew the work was working.

Joshua Ericson
May 82 min read
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Yes, I Talked Around the Real Issue for 6 Weeks
Avoidance doesn’t always look like silence. Sometimes it sounds like insight, humor, and perfectly crafted emotional detours.

Joshua Ericson
May 52 min read
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That Text Was Totally About Me… Right?
A short text message is all it takes to send an overthinker into full psychological meltdown. But maybe—just maybe—it really was just a text

Joshua Ericson
Apr 292 min read
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Parenting Through the Awkward Stuff
Talking to your kids about sex might be the most awkward parenting milestone—and that’s exactly why it matters. The goal isn’t perfection. I

Joshua Ericson
Apr 282 min read
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Take the Break Before the Break Takes You
Burnout doesn’t always come with sirens. Sometimes it just feels like you're tired, distant, and disconnected—and you keep pushing anyway. R

Joshua Ericson
Apr 273 min read
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Build the Dream Without Breaking Your Family
Big dreams take time—but time isn’t free. If you’re not careful, the cost of your goals could be the people who matter most. Presence can’t

Joshua Ericson
Apr 263 min read
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Silence Isn’t Strength If It’s Hiding Who You Are
Silence isn’t always strength. Sometimes, it’s a mask we wear to protect ourselves. But real healing starts when we let ourselves be seen—im

Joshua Ericson
Apr 253 min read
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The Hustle Doesn’t Care If You Burn Out
The hustle doesn’t care if you burn out. But you should. You’re not lazy for needing rest—you’re human. And there’s a life beyond the metric

Joshua Ericson
Apr 243 min read
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The Lie of “I’m Fine”
“I’m fine” can mean anything—except fine. Burnout doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like showing up, smiling, and falling apa

Joshua Ericson
Apr 232 min read
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I Need a Break (But I’m Scared I’ll Disappear)
Taking a break doesn’t erase your worth. It protects it. You won’t disappear—you’ll return stronger. Even if no one claps when you pause, yo

Joshua Ericson
Apr 221 min read
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I Didn’t Mean to Trauma-Bond with My Therapist
You didn’t mean to get attached in therapy. But now you’re spiraling over every pause and replaying every session. Sound familiar?

Joshua Ericson
Apr 212 min read
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When You Realize You're Becoming Your Parent
You hear yourself say it: a phrase straight out of your childhood. Sometimes it’s funny. Sometimes it’s unsettling. But the real power? Choo

Joshua Ericson
Apr 162 min read
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The ADHD Productivity Spiral
You start with a to-do list and end up researching sea otters. Welcome to the ADHD productivity spiral—where guilt, overwhelm, and bursts of

Joshua Ericson
Apr 152 min read
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Marriage Counseling: You Don’t Have to Be Falling Apart to Get Help
Marriage counseling isn’t just for couples in crisis. It’s a tool for growth, connection, and communication—especially when things are going

Joshua Ericson
Apr 142 min read
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Healing Doesn’t Look Like the Movies
Real healing doesn’t come with a montage. It’s messy, nonlinear, and sometimes invisible. But every small, stubborn choice to keep going? Th

Joshua Ericson
Apr 132 min read
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I Didn’t Do the Therapy Homework (Until I Did)
I kept skipping my therapy homework. Not because I didn’t care—but because something in me resisted. When I finally did it, it wasn’t magica

Joshua Ericson
Apr 122 min read
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The Invisible Labor of Marriage
Marriage isn’t just romance—it’s remembering, planning, anticipating, adjusting. And when that invisible labor goes unspoken or unshared, it

Joshua Ericson
Apr 112 min read
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