For most of my life, I really thought that if everyone around me was okay, then I’d be okay too. Like my own wellbeing depended on everyone else being happy first. So I got really good at reading people. I could tell when someone’s mood changed, even if nothing was said, and I’d adjust myself…
Category: Social Emotional
Mental Health Is More Than Just How We Feel
Every May, there’s a lot of conversation around mental health. I see the posts, the statistics, and the reminders to check in on the people we care about, and I really do think these conversations matter. But I also think there’s more to mental health than we sometimes talk about. Think about how we feel…
The Enemy Within
Why we stand in our own way, and how to gently, firmly step aside. There’s a particular kind of frustration that comes from knowing what matters to you but still struggling to move toward it. You know the deadline matters. You care about the relationship. You know the opportunity might not come around again. Yet…
Social-Emotional Development: Connection Over Performance
If you’ve ever watched a toddler completely fall apart because you handed them the blue cup instead of the red one… you probably know exactly what I mean. Or maybe it’s your older child who struggles to share without it turning into a full-on back-and-forth. Honestly, those moments can feel like a lot.Especially when you’re…
The Everyday Mindfulness of Japan
I remember one afternoon in particular. I’d ducked into a tiny café somewhere in Kyoto. It had maybe just a few seats, a handwritten menu, and soft late-afternoon light coming through the window. I ordered an iced matcha and a soft red bean paste sweet with cinnamon, wrapped in mist-warabi dough. They went together better…