Rest anxiety: why slowing down makes you more anxious, not less
You finally get a free evening. You close the laptop, cancel the plans, take a breath. Then your chest tightens. Your thoughts race. You feel irritable, wired, restless. Or you go the other direction: numb, flat, suddenly far away from yourself. Grief shows up. Old memories surface. You were just trying to rest. Researchers call […]
Survival mode is the issue of our time: how hustle culture, capitalism, and social injustice keep us stuck
I know survival mode too well. In the early years of building Heal Magazine, I worked past my limits again and again. I convinced myself that exhaustion meant progress, that being tired all the time was just part of the journey. But the truth is, I was stuck in survival mode. And I see it […]
6 Ways the system is destroying your mental health (it’s not just you)
Let’s be honest, you’re definitely not alone in this. So many of us are wandering around feeling anxious, drained, unmotivated, or just… off. While personal healing methods like therapy, meditation, or journaling are crucial, they can only do so much when we’re caught up in systems that seem designed to keep us feeling this way. […]
Why you shouldn’t rush your healing journey
Healing is an ongoing journey that has many layers as we move through the seasons of our lives. It takes patience, dedication, energy, and time. It can feel never-ending and relentless at times, yet all of that energetic investment you put into your healing is always worth it. Trevor Hall, in his beautiful song “Don’t […]
Bouncing back after a big loss: finding meaning in the pain
Life has a way of knocking us on our feet when we least expect it, but before it happens to you, the process of getting back up can seem unfathomable. I mean how can we cope with the death of a parent, a life-changing injury, a debilitating mental illness, fill in the blank. How can […]
Healing in community: releasing immigrant daughter shame
For many daughters of immigrants, navigating multiple worlds often comes with a hidden weight: shame. This shame isn’t something we chose but something that quietly took root through cultural expectations, unspoken family dynamics, and the desire to fit in. As we try to balance our identities between family, friends, and society, we often end up […]
The effects of financial stress on your nervous system
Did you know that nearly half of the world’s population lives below the $6.85 poverty line? This financial strain doesn’t just affect bank accounts—it has serious impacts on your brain and nervous system. Recent neuroscience research reveals that financial stress can significantly impair crucial parts of your central nervous system, which includes your brain and […]
5 ways to heal immigrant daughters’ shame
As both a licensed trauma therapist and the daughter of immigrant parents, I can relate to a topic that comes up often in therapy: shame. Working with children of immigrants, I am familiar with the shame that accompanies the struggles of biculturalism. Healing this shame can take different forms, and here are five options to […]
Intersectional healing: a guide to inclusive wellness and wellbeing
Healing isn’t just about fixing physical or mental problems. It’s about understanding how different parts of who we are—like our race, gender, and background—affect our well-being. That’s what intersectional healing is all about. It’s a way of looking at how all these different parts of us fit together and how they impact our health and […]
Embracing your inner critic: go softly with yourself
Take a moment to imagine you are speaking to a beautiful small child. Notice how innocent they are, how sweet they are, how bright their eyes are as they look into yours. Listen as their voice lands in your ears like a songbird sharing with you its authentic expression. Now, imagine how you would speak […]