I write about almost anything. Right now clients are paying me for articles on:

• Narcissists
• One of the most powerful telescopes in the world
• The COVID-19 vaccines
• Acne scars
• Fighting racism with lament
• Insomnia in the pandemic

That’s not everything I’m working on, but you get the idea. Plus I write about writing, health, cooking, personal growth, and productivity on Medium.

Here’s a little bit about me:

I grew up in a great family in Swansea, a middle-class coastal town that’s in the part of Massachusetts that’s not Boston, Cape Cod, or the Berkshires. It’s where I learned to love clam boils and morning mist rising…

I’ll admit it — whenever I’ve interviewed or quoted people for my articles, I’ve been assuming gender. Someone named Sara talks to me with a higher-pitched voice? That’s a “she.” Someone named Brian shows up on my Zoom screen wearing a tie? “He.”

But that’s not fair to people whose genders don’t match my stereotypes — and it’s not good reporting, either. I would never assume my facts were accurate in other areas of my writing, but in these instances, I was letting myself slide.

I recently interviewed someone who included the pronouns he/him/they/them in a Zoom screen name, which…

Behavioral activation therapy builds on a simple concept: what you do affects how you feel.

With behavioral activation therapy, you do an activity that you would normally like to do, even if you don’t feel like doing it at the moment.

It’s an evidence-based treatment for depression, and studies have found it’s as effective as medication and more effective than therapy. It also shows promise for treating anxiety.

I’ve got to say, the pandemic is wearing me down. I’m probably months away from getting a vaccine, and the winter weather doesn’t exactly inspire me to hike to a waterfall or…

When I volunteered to teach an illiterate adult how to read, I was terrible at it. I would sit down with my student and say things like “sound it out,” which made no sense to him. I had some training, but I couldn’t figure out how to explain to him how to read in a way he could understand. It was frustrating for both of us.

I think I figured out why teaching reading was so hard for me — I learned to read so young that I couldn’t remember learning it. It feels like something I’ve always known how…

Here’s what’s stressing me out lately: Tight work deadlines. How to use up the half hog in my freezer that seemed like a good idea to buy. When I can get vaccinated. Whether I can get Instacart to bring me some dish detergent before the next snowstorm. I’m sure you have your own list.

So I’ve been trying all kinds of stress-reduction techniques, from walking outside to yoga to getting enough sleep. But when I talked to certified human potential coach Anne Trager, she explained another simple technique for feeling calmer — exhaling for longer than you inhale.

Here’s the science behind how it works

Your longer…

It’s worth it to get out there and take a walk, even if it’s cold and even if you don’t feel like it. Don’t believe me? I talked to experts about the ways walking — especially walking outside — is good for your body and your mind. Here’s what I wrote for NBC TODAY.

Bonus: It includes mention of my key motivation for walking — my dog, Daisy.

Late last year, my neighbor installed two security lights on the back of his house. They are like having high-beam headlights that shine right into our sunroom, where my husband and I like to listen to music with the lights turned down. Those bright lights kill the vibe and really get on my nerves. I didn’t expect them to show me the value of my meditation practice, but they did. Here’s what happened.

First, I asked my neighbor if he would angle the lights downward or install shades on them. No luck. He likes his lights the way they are.

…

Me: How bad can refined carbs be, really? (Slathers cream cheese on bagel.)

Me, confronted with real-time data: I am never eating a bagel again.

Let me take a step back. For about a week last year, I had the chance to monitor my blood sugar level 24/7 with a wearable monitor. I don’t have diabetes, but my blood sugar tends to run a little high. The last time I got it checked, it was 102 mg/dL — it should be below 100 mg/dL.

Over time, high blood sugar levels can be dangerous. They can lead to type 2 diabetes…