#anxiety

#anxiety

Have you ever noticed how certain family gatherings seem to revolve around managing one person's moods or reactions? Maybe it's the sibling whose temper dictates whether dinner stays peaceful, or the relative everyone tiptoes around to avoid triggering an outburst. We've all witnessed these dynamics, but here's the uncomfortable question: what if that person is you? Growing up after my parents' divorce, I became fascinated with family dynamics and the roles we unconsciously adopt.

I am a worrier, and have been for most of my life. At some point, someone dear and smart teased me that I worry about the wrong things. The things that hit me, she noted, were never the things I worried about. For a while that left me feeling like an incompetent worrier-until my research caught up. I realized that the things I worry about often don't end up hurting me precisely because worrying helps me diffuse them ahead of time.

In the middle of December 2025, I decided to switch my digital smartwatch for a classic analog watch, as part of my effort to make my life just a bit less digital in 2026. The added bonus is that I really liked the look of a classic watch. I went to my local jewellery store and picked out a mid-range watch. I didn't want to get an expensive one just in case my resolution didn't work out.

Two journalists were arrested in connection with their coverage of a protest. Two residents were shot and killed while documenting the actions of ICE agents in Minneapolis. And the list goes on. I spoke to Siobhan Flowers , a licensed therapist and a former television reporter, to help journalists make sense of their emotions and feelings around what's happening in the industry. To start, Flowers said, don't gaslight yourself if you are feeling more depressed about work or the stories you're covering.

We've all been there: Someone asks if you're okay, and even though your world feels like it's crumbling, you manage a weak smile and say, "I'm just tired." It rolls off the tongue so easily, doesn't it? Like a reflex we've perfected over years of practice. I used to be the queen of this response. During my worst anxiety spirals in my twenties, when deadlines loomed and my chest felt tight,

I can't even count the number of thoughts I have every single day, just bouncing around in my head like a ping pong ball. I think every mom feels the same way, which is why when you ask a mom what's on her mind, her response could range from something like "Oh, just thinking about my kid's new soccer team" to "The fall of democracy and the state of the world."

You know that feeling when your alarm goes off and your brain immediately starts racing? Before your feet even hit the floor, you're already scrolling through your mental to-do list, checking your phone, and feeling that familiar knot of anxiety tightening in your chest. I spent most of my twenties waking up this way. My mind would launch into overdrive the second consciousness hit, cycling through worries about work, regrets about yesterday, and a general sense of being behind before the day even started.

There are so many proven scientific benefits to moving our bodies, but the one I need more than ever right now is burning off the low-grade anxiety that we, as mothers, are carrying around. The pent-up emotional energy that comes from existing in an increasingly hostile country, and doing our best to keep that from spilling into our mothering. We can't very well spend all day, every day screaming into the void like we want to.

Every minute was scheduled, every grade scrutinized, every social interaction monitored. Her parents meant well, they really did. They wanted the best for her, believed structure and discipline would set her up for success. Fast forward twenty years, and she's successful by every traditional measure: great job, nice house, impressive resume. But she also can't make a decision without second-guessing herself fifteen times, apologizes for everything including her own existence,

Six months ago, I found myself sitting in a coffee shop, supposedly working on an article, but instead I was switching between seven different apps, responding to notifications, and feeling my chest tighten with each ping. My heart was racing, my breathing was shallow, and I realized I couldn't remember the last time I'd gone more than five minutes without checking my phone. That's when it hit me: the device that was supposed to make my life easier had become my biggest source of stress.

In a world that never stops talking, your mind can often feel like an overcrowded room. If you are struggling with anxiety, you know that the "noise" isn't just external; it's a persistent, jagged frequency within your own body. Perhaps you've tried traditional meditation only to find that the silence is too loud, or your racing thoughts simply won't be still.