In recent years, large numbers of workers across the U.S. have experienced job loss through no fault of their own, a reality that has reshaped how many people think about work, stability, and identity. When someone loses a job through no real fault of their own, the loss can be devastating financially, but it often reaches much deeper than money. Being let go from something you invested your time, effort, and energy into can unsettle your sense of self, because for many people, their work is...

There is a particular kind of unraveling that happens when someone we care about does not affirm us or chooses someone else, and the pain of that moment quietly turns inward. Recently, someone shared how the man she was seeing never told her she was beautiful while publicly engaging with and posting images of other women. She experienced that as comparison, and it began to reshape how she saw herself. What hurt was not only the absence of affirmation, but how easily that absence turned into a...

The new year began somewhat hopeful for me. I had spent the last few weeks of 2025 trying to restructure my life in ways that might support a more balanced work and life rhythm, something that would allow me to operate within my capacity while still accomplishing what mattered to me. I entered 2026 believing that kind of preparation might be enough. Less than thirty days in, I feel exhausted in ways I am still trying to maneuver through. I have not decided whether what I am feeling comes from...