The "Adulting" Handbook

My stomach tensed as I glanced at the digital clock above the stove. Dinner was in 15 minutes, and I had yet to bake the apple pie I was supposed to serve my partner’s family for dessert. It was a Friday night in August, and we'd been quarantining…

If a good night’s sleep seems to constantly elude you, you’re probably willing to try almost anything to find it. And a huge global sleep aids market — projected to hit nearly $80 billion by 2023, according to an Allied Market Research report —…

"You were careful," Mom recalls of my infant self. "You always tested the waters." Before easing into any new situation, she says, I needed to know exactly what was happening. Over time, that caution evolved into a constant anticipation of the…

Steve Clark lost his sense of smell in late March due to a suspected coronavirus infection. Five months later he was taken to the hospital for a depressive breakdown — a direct consequence, Clark believes, of his inability to smell. “I just couldn’t…

“You can see — the sky,” my dad said with boyish wonder in his voice when my family and I moved to California from New York City nearly 25 years ago. He later developed a habit of reclining on the diving board that hovered above the kidney-shaped…

I’ve been intermittent fasting — eating during only limited hours of the day — for about four years. It didn’t start out as a way to lose weight, which is why most people do it. Intermittent fasting just kind of lines up with the way I live my life…

Recently, I found myself on YouTube watching Megan Thee Stallion videos, (I came for “WAP,” and stayed for whatever the algorithm gave me) and after butchering the dance to “Savage,” I encountered Meg’s second single off of her EP Suga, “Captain…

About a quarter of childless adults don’t want to have children because of climate change concerns, according to a new study published by data intelligence company Morning Consult. At least 11 percent of surveyed adults considered climate change a…

In many parts of the country, temperatures are falling, sweaters have replaced t-shirts, and cafés are selling pumpkin spiced everything. All signs point to cuffing season, when the single among us boo up and canoodle the winter away. But cuffing…

For many couples, the situation is familiar: one partner always seems down to bone, while the other wants to Netflix and chill, but, like, literally. Left ignored, a discrepancy in libido could lead to a hot mess of confusion, frustration, and hurt…

Falling in love for the first time can be a thrill, and teen dating is important to adolescent development. But according to the results of a study that my research team recently conducted, these early forays into romance often veer into unhealthy…

When I met my current bae in person for the first time, I brought my dog, Stevie, along for the ride because she is the trusty guardian of my heart. When he passed the initial sniff test, I was really relieved. Honestly, I just can’t get excited…

Think about how hard you work for your money. Now think about how easily some of that goes down the drain each month. It might be hard to visualize just how much money we waste because we don’t know what our bank accounts would actually look like…

I am not a millionaire. I probably never will be one. I also fundamentally disagree with wealth-hoarding. But on most nights, you can catch me watching semi-informative YouTube videos by 29-year-old millionaire Graham Stephan talking about his real…

Breakups are the worst. As if the emotional turmoil isn’t bad enough, there’s the logistical headache of figuring out how to handle the money part of the breakup. Six years into my last relationship, my live-in boyfriend at the time had quit his job…

My anxiety has never been higher than when I started out as a freelancer four years ago. Panic washed over me as I sent clients “just following up” emails about past-due payments and did mental gymnastics devising ways to minimize my already meager…

The gig economy is poppin’. There are close to 57 million freelancers working in the US, and research suggests that number is expected to rise by 14% by 2027. There’s a lot of moaning and groaning about the instability of the hustle economy, but the…

Weddings and official announcements may not be for everyone, but the money-related perks of marriage — from joint income taxes to health insurance coverage — can often be what pushes some couples toward an official union. What many people don't…