Wellbeing

I’m not good at sleeping. It seems like a borderline absurd thing to be bad at — what am I, five? — but it's true. The problem isn’t so much in the sleeping, per say, but in the falling asleep part. It’s like as soon as my body slows down, my brain…

The baseline existential dread of the pandemic has made me more attuned than ever to my generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms. These days, I’m especially mindful about not only checking in with my therapist and refilling my medication on time,…

I’ve been seeing a lot of people wearing two masks lately. Honestly, at first I thought it seemed like a strategy that was more performance than science, and that it was just another example of American’s “more is better” approach to basically…

Look, no one is happier than me to see that fascist leave the oval office. I ugly cried when Gaga sang — even though I have mixed feelings about the national anthem — and yes, her outfit was great. The Obamas came through like stunning superheroes,…

Fun food fact that you might not have known: In the late 1700s, the then French colony of Haiti had become one of the biggest exporters of sugar in the world and was wealthier than the 13 colonies of the United States at the time. I’m going to say…

It's true — marijuana milk is a thing. Milk isn't what it used to be. Though milk can certainly refer to the dairy product from a cow — or goat or camel — a whole range of vegan and lactose-free nut milks and other alternative products look and…

A fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has been found in at least 20 states, and people are wondering: How do I protect myself now? We saw what the new variant, known as B.1.1.7, can do as it spread quickly through…

Sometimes I feel like I can’t leave my house without having to explain to some red-faced moron that science is real. It’s sometimes scary and always emotionally draining. Last week, a store manager in Salem, Oregon refused to allow maskless would-be…

I tend to assume the role of “The Listener” with my friends and loved ones. It’s not always easy. Don’t get me wrong — I want to help them through a tough time. But sometimes, I’ll scroll through walls of text or sit through long phone calls with…

For almost a year now, President Trump and his administration have horribly mismanaged the coronavirus pandemic. With the incoming of President-elect Joe Biden, many Americans are hoping that his administration will not only provide solely needed…

If the COVID-19 pandemic should have taught us anything, it’s that we are globally interdependent. What happens in, say, the U.K., does not stay in the U.K. Our globalized economy means that people and things, including coronavirus, cross national…

This entire week, I’ve been repeatedly rapping the phrase “throw it like a stripper, yuh” — to no one in particular — from Erica Banks’ “Buss It.” Though this behavior is concerning to all of the people I live with, the 2020 single and its catchy…

One of the most terrifying things about COVID-19 has been how much we don’t know about it. Scientists have been working around the clock for the past year trying to figure out how the virus works and how we can defeat it. One of the major questions…

Many of us are anxious to make change in our lives and in the world, what with far right fools looting democracy and the global pandemic and all. Except that we’re still stuck at home, with precious few opportunities for face time with like minded…

My day-to-day existence has crackled with nervous energy for as long as I can remember. Anxiety shapes how I think, feel, and relate to others — and how I see myself. A formal diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) a few years ago only…

Maybe you’re trying to eat healthier these days, aiming to get enough of the good stuff and limit the less-good stuff. You’re paying attention to things like fiber and fat and vitamins… and anti-nutrients? What the heck are anti-nutrients and are…

When I moved the last box into the Casa de Joy — my affectionate nickname for my new apartment in Brooklyn — my first priority was acquiring a set of houseplants. After years of surviving and navigating homelessness in shelters and other people’s…

As the coronavirus continues to tear through the country — sickening more than 22.6 million people and killing 376,476 so far — a new study offers some heartening news for a change. In a paper published in Science today, researchers concluded that…

For some Members of Congress who sheltered in place during the terrifying insurrection at the Capitol building in Washington last week, another threat, this one viral, loomed large inside of their Republican counterparts. Representative Pramila…