Self-Awareness & Growth

Therapy didn’t make me a serene, emotionally stable adult. It gave me feelings. All of them. At once. Usually in public. Turns out, awareness isn’t peace—it’s the part before peace, and it’s deeply inconvenient.

I used to think saying “no” required a detailed explanation. Now I know better: people who respect your boundaries don’t need a backstory. “No” is a full sentence—and it doesn’t need a footnote.

Not all boundary violations are dramatic. Sometimes they look like saying “I’m fine” when you’re not, or agreeing to things that drain you. But those small betrayals add up—and you deserve better than a life lived in quiet resentment.

I used to think staying calm meant I was in control. But what I was really doing was dissociating. Emotional regulation isn’t silence—it’s learning how to feel safely, stay present, and respond with intention.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Avoidance doesn’t always look like silence. Sometimes it sounds like insight, humor, and perfectly crafted emotional detours.

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

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

Burnout doesn’t always come with sirens. Sometimes it just feels like you're tired, distant, and disconnected—and you keep pushing anyway. R

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

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

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

“I’m fine” can mean anything—except fine. Burnout doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like showing up, smiling, and falling apa

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

You didn’t mean to get attached in therapy. But now you’re spiraling over every pause and replaying every session. Sound familiar?

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

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