At the onset of the pandemic, I found myself with a lot of “free time.” I would usually spend this time doing random and mundane things, like scrolling mindlessly through social media or sitting in traffic. With the global pandemic aside, I also felt a sigh of relief for the first time in years.

This relief also came with the realization of just how much wasted time was in my day. This is time I could spend with loved ones, working on my goals, or resting and doing self-care.

Reclaiming Time During a Pandemic

I no longer have extra “time confetti,” all the small scraps…

In the beginning of my running journey, I was a fish out of water, awkward, untrained, and flailing about. But, despite being a novice, I remembered that running and walking are some of the most natural things we do as humans.

Even though running didn’t come easy to me, it taught me that I’m stronger and more capable than I realized.

Acceptance vs. Control

As a therapist, I’ve learned that stressors are apart of life. That’s something I’ve accepted.

Recently, a patient told me that learning how to think differently about a situation won’t stop it from happening. …

At 4am this morning, I went for a long jog. It was peaceful. The darkness surrounded me, and I was left alone with only the company of my thoughts.

I realized that this time last year, I would’ve been gearing up for a long 2-hour commute into the office instead of a long run.

My morning routine has completely changed since working from home (WFH).

Once I got into my mind that this was the new normal, and not just really long snow days, I’ve been able to adapt and make the most out of this unprecedented time.

Because I’ve…

“Mental imagery is the process of visualizing pictures, events, and scenarios in the ‘mind’s eye’.” — Research article on mental imagery

I’m *this close* to graduating with my doctorate in clinical psychology. For now, I’m doing my clinical training at Harvard Medical School. As I think back to how I get here, I realize that one key step was visualizing what I wanted my life to look like.

Six years ago, I was preparing for college graduation and simultaneously having a quarter-life crisis. …

Mental illness is not a character flaw. However, in today’s day and age, it’s hard to convince people otherwise.

I’m training as a clinical psychologist, and I’ve been a therapist for years now. I’ve had my own stressors and have seen a psychologist to learn better ways of coping and to live a better and fulfilled life.

It was actually my own self-improvement and work to improve my mental health that led me on my journey to cultivate wellness in others.

Before any real work can be done in therapy, I usually work with the person to dismantle some harmful…

Binge eating is such a new concept in the medical community. For years, I’ve worked alongside physicians, providing mental healthcare to patients who come to their doctor for health reasons such as diabetes, heart disease, or other medical conditions. What we’ve found is that many people have eating concerns, such as binge eating, that go untreated and unnoticed. As I train as a psychologist, I hope to provide as much information as I can about mental health.

Society normalizes overeating and then promotes weight loss pills and fad diets. All the while diet culture grows and gets richer.

We’re being…

“I think, therefore I am” — René Descartes

From the moment you wake up, thoughts flood your brain. It happens automatically. Because of this, it’s impossible to be aware of every thought that comes into your head.

You may even think multiple thoughts at once. It’s hard to have any real control over them.

They’re spontaneous, yet they usually have a pattern.

They’re fluid and intangible, yet they have such a huge impact on our lives.

Research shows that people usually have up to 6,200 thoughts per day.

80–90% of the population experiences negative thoughts, leading to negative emotional states and mood.

These negative thoughts can be about anything…our relationships, work, parenting…

“If you live for the weekends and vacations, your sh*t is broken.”

“Your legacy is being written by yourself. Make the right decisions.”
– Gary Vaynerchuk

In the age of hustle-culture, there’s more pressure than ever to succeed. With the urge to succeed often comes an “always-on” mentality.

The “always-on” mentality is draining, to say the least. The boundaries between work and life become muddled. They become so muddled that the boundaries start to disappear.

And that, my friends, is when burnout creeps in.

Stress becomes a normal part of the day. …