Back in November, I took a break from my daily cup of coffee and was a little surprised to find that within just a few days, my vocabulary had halved and my ability to finish a sentence seemed to be on the fritz. I’ve always been sensitive, so it made sense that caffeine withdrawal could make me feel fuzzy and tired. But months later, my brain fog hadn’t gotten even a bit better and I was still super tired. Mid-sentence I lost my train of thought, never to catch it agai

I’m writing you this letter from my front step. It's an unusually warm February day and I'm wondering how I’d like to spend the rest of my afternoon, after I hit send. It’s my birthday, and I’m stepping out of work early and taking tomorrow off to enjoy the sunshine and be quiet with myself. Maybe I’ll roll out my yoga mat on the lawn. Or I might curl up on the couch with my journal and a cup of tea. Or just sit outside and daydream. These are not the kind of things that

Americans are big fans of ambition and productivity. We work long hours, wear “busyness as a badge of honor,” and set New Year’s resolutions designed to take us from non-runners to marathoners in a flash. This can lead to advances in science, humanitarian contributions that help the world become a better place, and professional success. When it comes to lifestyle change, however, we can feel as though we’ve failed if we fall short of our high expectations. Here’s an

​ Falling asleep (and staying asleep) has been a struggle on and off for much of my life. Even though a few years ago and after a LOT of trial and error, I managed to find a set of habits that work nicely for me, my system isn’t foolproof. During a recent string of rough, nightmare-filled nights, I started to dread and avoid bedtime like I used to years ago. I was convinced I’d repeat the same story of the nights before, living out worst case scenarios once I finally and fitf

For many of my friends, photos are how they capture memories. I, on the other hand, rarely take photos. I’ve always preferred to capture life’s texture in my journal. Writing has been my favorite way to process life and my emotions since I was little. My journal was always a trusted friend who could help me understand why I was feeling what I was feeling, and often helped me uncover what I needed to know or do to be ok. I addressed many of the entries in my old journals to my

Few things are as frustrating as being wide awake when you’re craving a good night’s sleep. Research shows an alarming list of ways we are hurting ourselves by not sleeping. Lack of sleep is related to everything from depression to heart disease, which is enough to work any insomniac into a frenzy. Which really stinks, because anxiety is a major reason a lot of us can’t sleep, and advice like “don’t worry about it, and you’ll sleep better” can be totally infuriating. Other re

Over the past few months I’ve developed tendonitis in my ankle, most likely from wearing shoes with poor support while dancing (please learn from my mistakes, fellow dancers!). I’ve had to put my favorite hobby on hold while my ankle heals, and I really miss walking, which is where I do a lot of thinking and processing. One of my loved ones has been experiencing a lot of back pain, so he’s been sidelined from his active lifestyle as well. He’s clearly mourning the loss of tim