Countries I have called home (and that my ancestors called home) have problematic aspects to their histories, and I worry that celebrating the good can seem like I’m ignoring the bad. After wrestling with history, optics, intention, and impact as a tourist in Germany, I think there’s an effective way to elevate what we’ve learned from darker days and celebrate efforts to do better.
The hardest thing any pet parent will have to do is make the choice to end suffering. It’s not something we care to think about, but it is perhaps the most important way we can show up for the ones who love us the most. My vet supported me through the worst experience of my life, but I realized that these professionals need support too.
The human race has used cannabis for 5,000 years. But for the last (almost) 100, it has been vilified in the United States as a “gateway drug” that will “fry your brain.” Federal prohibitions have limited opportunities for the scientific community to study the benefits (not just the harms) of this plant, particularly when it comes to stress reduction and a healthier Endocannabinoid System.
The Endocannabinoid System is present in all mammals and regulates bodily functions in the face of stressors. Strangely, despite its critical importance to our existence, we’ve only known about it for a few decades. We do know that it can become less effective in the face of chronic stress or major trauma, and that we can support its function with healthy diet, exercise, and cannabis.
If Gandhi told us to “be the change you wish to see in the world,” this post represents the words I need to hear right now. Between battling depression, interpersonal conflicts, and existential threats to humanity, I haven’t been feeling very motivated lately. My mom always inspired me to change the world for the better, but her absence is making that a difficult ask right now.
Humans grieve at times of transition, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a job, a dream, or expectations of how something would turn out. There’s no easy solution for getting through grief, but accepting it and allowing space for it helps. Similarly, normalizing the concept that nothing lasts forever may help us to be more mindful of precious moments when they’re happening.
Having fun – by definition – means being playful and limiting self-judgment, but self-judgment has dictated my relationship with music for more than half of my life. I am currently working through one of the most complicated relationships I’ve ever experienced. In doing so, I have at least identified what feels healthy and what I want more of, but I also know it’s going to be a long process.
In trying to carve out time for doing things that I love, I tend to turn activities that should be fun into obligations, at which point they are no longer fun. Music has been an incredibly important part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I’m trying very hard to figure out how to make it fun again.
A bike crash in college shook my confidence to the point that I was no longer comfortable riding. Some associated baggage is tied up with the desire to do it well or not do it at all. A recent mountain biking trip helped me practice going easy on myself, and some of those lessons came back to the office with me.
Between climate change, pollution, war, gun violence, and erosion of basic human rights, things are looking a little dire right now, and people are getting exhausted, myself included. This post looks at Nervous System Dysregulation as a result of chronic stress, as well as what individuals can do to step back and view the long path of advocacy as a marathon, not a sprint.