Most of us get this wrong, but there’s an easy fix — I put up a new Instagram post, and unconsciously find myself checking the app more often over the next few hours. Why? Because I’m anxious to see how well it does, which is mostly defined by likes, comments and saves. I’m rather embarrassed to admit this, as I truly believe…

How I’m cultivating wonder in a world obsessed with productivity — Wake up, make breakfasts, shower, dress, work, house chores, homework, prepare dinner, clean up, Netflix, bed. Rinse and repeat. Throw in a few variations for the weekend and special occasions, of course, but the pattern is basically the same: plow through home, work and parenting tasks as efficiently as possible…

It’s a prevalent attitude but doing us no favors in the long run — I was talking to a friend the other day and she shared an interesting insight with me. An old boss of hers had a position open up and wanted her to take it. …

Here’s my criterion on whether or not to write about painful, personal experiences — Whether you’ve been writing for a day or a decade, you’ve probably run across this popular advice: write about what you know. We’re told to dig deep and share our experiences, our struggles, our lives. Personally, I’ve found this to be true, especially here on Medium. Stories where I share…

All it requires is a little of your time. — It doesn’t matter who you are, we’ve all been beaten up and knocked down by this thing called life. The degree will vary, of course, but each of us is in need of some level of healing from the bumps and bruises we’ve picked up along the way. Maybe for…

It’s tempting to offer these words of “comfort”, but there’s a much better way to support someone going through a tragedy. — We’ve all been there. We’re sharing a particularly painful or confusing experience with a friend and our struggle is met with the almost-inevitable cliché, “well, everything happens for a reason.” The phrase, while almost always well-meaning, effectively shuts down the conversation.

Believe me, I wish there were an easier way — Empathy is quite certainly enjoying it’s day in the sun. It’s the trending trait, with everyone rallying around and talking about how important it is. You can find online quizzes, articles, books and more around this current hot topic. All for good reason, of course. Empathy is what connects us…

It benefits others, but benefits you even more — A few years ago, I wrote a post on my blog all about how to best use Pinterest as a blogger. Pinterest, at the time, was my blog’s main traffic source, and I wrote a comprehensive post sharing exactly how I use the platform to receive maximum traffic and engagement…

This is what to do instead. — The self-care business is booming. Everywhere I look, there are tips, products, TED talks and social media posts about the importance of self-care, and the consequences of not getting enough. I have nothing against self-care, per se. I took a recent quiz entitled “How High Maintenance Are You?” and scored…