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I thought therapy would fix me. It just made me feel everything.
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.

Joshua Ericson
May 292 min read


No is a complete sentence. And also, not an apology
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.

Joshua Ericson
May 262 min read


The tiny ways we betray ourselves to keep the peace
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.

Joshua Ericson
May 222 min read


Emotional regulation isn't suppression. It's trust.
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.

Joshua Ericson
May 191 min read


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
May 162 min read


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
May 152 min read


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
May 122 min read


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


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


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


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


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


The Therapist Pause That Wrecked Me (In a Good Way)
Intimacy doesn’t disappear—it evolves. Love looks different over time, and that’s not failure. That’s how you know it’s real.

Joshua Ericson
Apr 191 min read


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


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


Hard Truth: Rest Isn’t a Reward—It’s Maintenance
Rest isn’t a reward. It’s maintenance. You don’t have to earn it. You just have to stop running yourself into the ground.

Joshua Ericson
Apr 32 min read


The Emotional Cost of Being the 'Stable One'
Being the “stable one” sounds noble, but it’s exhausting. You’re allowed to ask for help, too.

Joshua Ericson
Apr 12 min read
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