“Workaholism is the one form of addiction that is worn as a medal rather than a ribbon that says, ‘dysfunction’.” —Virginia-based Talkspace therapist Cynthia Catchings, LMFT-S This statement hit me hard. I’ve struggled for most of my life with workaholism. I can remember doing homework until midnight as early as the fifth grade. People would […]

Likeability is a strange concept. After all, who is to say if you are likeable or not? If you strive your whole life to do everything in your power to be likeable (and avoid being unlikeable), you won’t truly be living your life. You will be living the life that others deem appropriate. As a recovering people-pleaser, […]

Word of the Week: SurrenderLife Lesson: When I first started freelance writing, a 750-word piece would take me anywhere from 6-12 hours to write. I belabored over every word, was obsessed with finding scientific studies to “prove” all of my points, and would re-write sentences up until the eleventh hour the piece was due. Not […]

Word of the Week: FlowLife Lesson: I have a confession: I wrote the last five Monday Vibes emails back in July. I was feeling particularly creative (which tends to happen to me when I am on my period) so I decided to put everything else aside and knock out all of my newsletters for the month of August […]

Word of the Week: IntuitionLife Lesson: “You never finish anything that you start” “You are all over the place” “You are so scattered” “You need to be more consistent” “You didn’t even give that a try” These are all things I’ve been told by loved ones, past managers, and business coaches when it comes to my […]

It was around 10pm when I got a knock on my freshman college dorm room. I probably had been up since 8am studying, squirreled away for most of the day in my favorite cubicle on the no-talking floor in the library. 12-hour study days were the norm for me. Monday through Sunday. No days off. […]

Today’s generation of young people are experiencing more mental health issues than ever. According to the World Health Organization, 10-20% of children and adolescents worldwide experience mental health disorders. The American Journal of Managed Care cites that “between 2008 and 2017, the amount of adults that experienced serious psychological distress in the last month increased […]

Word of the Week: AngerLife Lesson: “Do you expect people to do things for you for free just because you got yourself into a mess?” “Why do you even have a business when you only make $___ in revenue?” “Your finances are a disaster” “I expect you to pay in the next seven days or I’ll […]

Let’s face it, sometimes your partner will annoy you. I used to think conflict with my partner meant our relationship was doomed. I was so terrified of it that I would do everything in my power to either avoid it or make it go away. As a recovering people-pleaser, I used to immediately abandon myself […]

“I’m sorry for what you have been through.” This is the very first thing my therapist said to me. Before we talked about working together. Before she explained how therapy could help. Before she offered any advice. I will never forget that moment because it was the first time I truly felt “seen.” Up until […]