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The Archive

Essays, episodes, and reflections — one new piece of each, every week.

The Latest

THIS WEEK'S ESSAY

The Irony of Trying to Rest

There is a kind of movement inside us that can be incredibly hard to stop—a persistent reaching for the next thought, the next worry, the next place for our attention to land. This essay explores the paradox that trying to rest often becomes just another form of effort, and the realization that the goal isn't to permanently unhook our minds, but to simply notice when we're gripping too tightly. 

Read on Substack
THIS WEEK'S EPISODE

Unhook Your Consciousness

We tend to think of resting as watching a show or scrolling on our phones, but in those moments, our consciousness is still completely hooked. In this episode, we explore the biological habit of always needing something to chew on, and the irony that trying to rest often becomes just another exhausting project. We talk about putting down the heavy coats we carry, offering a gentle hand to our own minds, and finding the open space where we can actually be present in our lives.

Listen on Apple
THIS WEEK'S REFLECTION

Letting Your Attention Rest

There are moments when your mind won’t stop reaching—grabbing for the next thought, the next focus, the next thing to do. Even rest can start to feel like effort.

This guided meditation offers a different way of relating to that impulse by gently noticing the movement and allowing your attention to rest, even briefly, without needing to follow it.

Listen on Apple

Essays

Published weekly on Substack.  Read here or subscribe to receive them directly. 

You Didn't Adapt As a Person. You Adapted Into One. Mar 17, 2026

A couple of years ago, my husband and I went backpacking. We hiked a ridiculous number of miles in one day—because that’s just what we did back then—and by the time we needed to set up camp, we were too tired to be picky.

I like to camp near the designated campsites, but not actually in them. The w...

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The Defense Was Never the Problem Mar 14, 2026

Most of us are operating under a premise we don’t even notice anymore. It is so pervasive, so woven into the water we swim in, that it just feels like the truth.

The premise is this: Something is missing.

Something from our lives is missing. Something from within ourselves is missing. And if we co...

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You Don’t Lose Capacity When You’re Overwhelmed Mar 14, 2026

Last week, I shared a podcast and essay about emotional maturity and emotional distance, and one of you asked a very practical question: What do you actually do in the moment when you feel like you’re about to lose it? When everything inside you is spilling over, when you’re reacting in ways you kno...

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