Doing Life Together

Marijuana use in America has reached record highs, surpassing even alcohol consumption. Across the country, states have legalized cannabis for medical purposes, while others have pushed to legalize it for recreational use. But here’s the pressing question: is marijuana truly “medical,” or have we been misled by powerful lobbyists and profit-driven campaigns? Honestly, there is…

The events of this past week have left me exhausted, emotional, and deeply concerned about the state of American culture. I know many of you feel the same way. And it really doesn’t matter where you fall on the political spectrum. Enough is enough. Moral collapse seems to be winning the day. In part, this…

You’ve seen it in movies: a woman misses her boyfriend and clings to his hoodie or T-shirt, breathing in his scent like it’s a lifeline. That scene isn’t just Hollywood fluff. Science shows that smell has real power when it comes to attraction. One famous study put this to the test. Women smelled T-shirts worn…

At my university, we have a campaign called “You Matter.” It’s a nice idea, but it doesn’t really get to the heart of the issue. A quarterly shout-out from a random system isn’t people-centric. Still, the concept is important, because many of us quietly ask, “Do I really matter to my workplace?” Too often, the answer feels like no. Many…

Ten years ago, in 2015, I visited the 9/11 Memorial.  I walked slowly along the walls, reading the names—names of people I had never met, but who were someone’s mother, father, sibling, spouse, or friend. Ordinary people who had simply shown up for work or boarded a flight, doing what they did every day—until everything…

In August, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a law requiring mental health screenings for all public-school students in grades three through twelve. At first glance, this may sound like a good idea—after all, who wouldn’t want to identify a child who is depressed and in need of support? But is mandating school-based screenings really the…

  When most people hear the word stress, they think of sleepless nights, weight gain, forgetfulness, and even heart problems. But not all stress is harmful. In fact, there’s a type of stress that can actually help you. The Power of Positive Stress Known as eustress, this positive form of stress can boost motivation, focus, and performance. It’s the…

A friend recently asked me how to bring up the subject of mental health with someone she cares about. She noticed her friend wasn’t eating well, seemed withdrawn, and had lost interest in activities he used to enjoy. She wondered if he might be clinically depressed but didn’t know how to start the conversation. Mental…

Heather doesn’t want to keep thinking about the breakup she went through, but no matter how hard she tries, she can’t get those unwanted thoughts out of her head. She finds herself ruminating: “I should have done this… Why did he say that? How could I have missed the signs?” The cycle is distressing and exhausting—and it…

  Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has sounded the alarm on what he calls a growing epidemic of loneliness. In his 2023 advisory, he described loneliness and social disconnection as a public health crisis—comparable in risk to smoking 15 cigarettes a day and more serious, in some cases, than…

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