Feelings & Emotions

You’re sitting at work answering emails when you realize you’ve read the same sentence three times and still have no idea what it says. Or you’re parked outside your daughter’s dance class, staring at nothing, realizing you can’t remember the last time you had an hour to yourself—much less what…

You’re folding laundry, sitting in traffic, or halfway through a perfectly fine Tuesday—and suddenly you’re crying. Not because anything happened. Not because you’re particularly sad. You just… are. It’s disorienting. Maybe even a little embarrassing. And the harder you try to figure out what’s wrong, the more elusive the answer…

On paper, everything’s fine: steady job, decent house, friends you see regularly. Nothing’s obviously broken. So why does the question “why am I not happy?” keep showing up uninvited in your head? This question can make you feel alone, but therapists hear it often. “I’d say it’s probably one of…

When’s the last time you tried to imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes? This is one of the simplest ways to practice empathy, a powerful skill that plops you into another person’s headspace so you’re in tune with what they may be thinking or feeling. To be human is to…

You’re lying in bed when an unexplainable wave of dread hits. Or maybe an irrational fear that something bad is about to happen ambushes you during your morning commute. These scenarios highlight how impending doom is like a party crasher: It doesn’t knock, but barges in, takes up the whole…

Sexual attraction in relationships is often treated like a taboo subject. Many people feel judged for admitting they’re not physically attracted to their partner, or for worrying about the role of physical chemistry in a relationship. But the truth is, it’s entirely possible to deeply care for—or even love—someone without…

Your heart races during a normal work meeting. A friend’s offhand comment replays in your mind for days. You feel exhausted but can’t sleep, or you’re going through the motions but can’t quite feel present. If these moments sound familiar, you might be experiencing what’s become one of the most…

Loss doesn’t announce itself gently. One moment, someone or something is woven into the fabric of your daily life. The next, they’re gone, and you’re left holding the weight of that absence. Whether you’re grappling with the death of a loved one, the end of a significant relationship, or another…

When we think about approaching perimenopause, most of us brace for the obvious stuff: irregular periods, hot flashes, maybe some new chin hairs. But many women are less prepared for the mental and emotional symptoms that can completely upend how you feel day to day. Research shows that up to…

“I can’t stop thinking about it.” “I keep replaying it in my mind.” “I just want to let it go.” These are things Nicole Johnson, LPC, author of Reparenting Your Inner Child frequently hears in her therapy practice. Whether someone has been wronged by a friend, made a huge mistake…

If you’ve scrolled through mental health TikTok, you’ve probably stumbled upon people who are determined to “heal” their dysregulated nervous system. The gist: When your nervous system is out of whack, your body sends out alerts—physical and emotional symptoms like chronic tension, randomly losing your cool, or mentally shutting down….

The alarm clock beeps, and you press snooze with a groan. When you finally do get up, you’re greeted by your ever-growing to-do list and a complete lack of motivation. We all have days that start like this, and it’s human to sometimes say, “I don’t want to do anything.”…