Words
Here you’ll find an ever-expanding collection of articles focused on mental health, self-worth, masculinity, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and why we struggle. These articles aren't about giving you easy answers or quick fixes. They're about looking at familiar struggles differently, questioning what we've come to believe about ourselves, and making better sense of what we're going through.
You can read them chronologically below or brose by topic:
Stuck In a Story: How We’re Shaped by Our Narratives
When we connect the dots of our experiences in a way that tells us we’re lazy, cruel, careless, or not good enough, we inevitably story out the moments that suggest otherwise.
So stories of inadequacy make success feel like a fluke.
Stories of weakness make strength invisible.
Stories of inferiority make capability a footnote.
A New Kind of Grief: Job Loss and Mental Health
What we’re going through is heartbreaking, shocking, overwhelming, and traumatic. I wish I could tell you there was some sort of quick fix to help you feel better, but having lived through job loss and been surrounded by others going through it as well, it’s clear that this is a uniquely complex and painful experience… If nothing else, I hope this helps you to name your feelings a bit more clearly.
There’s Cartography in Every Scar: Emotions as Signposts
It may seem unbelievable that anything of value could come from our hard, awful feelings, but they can carry vital information. Our emotions are signposts and trail markers, giving us crucial data about who we are, and what we need, opening up an opportunity to map a better and more authentic course for our lives.
Now I’m In It: Haim on Depression
Clients will often feel depressed, and then feel guilty for feeling that way. There’s a touch of this in Haim's tweet. When you're releasing critically acclaimed music, touring the world, and on the guest list for Taylor Swift's Fourth of July parties, depression can feel incongruous, or unearned. In other words, if life looks this good, why should I feel this bad?
Maybe That Lion’s Not a Lion: How Jumping to Conclusions Trips Us Up
It might sound simplistic. “Don’t jump to conclusions” has become so cliché that it’s easy to dismiss such advice and believe we aren’t susceptible to it. But the reality is we’re all prone to this thought pattern. When we don’t have all the information we need, our minds use past experiences, beliefs, biases and more to fill in the blanks.