-
Hormones and Mental Health in Women: What You Need to Know
Part 2 of the Say It Louder Series In Part 1 of this series, we talked about something many women know all too well: being told their symptoms are “just anxiety” while deeper physical concerns go unexplored. We talked about how women are often treated in pieces instead of as whole people—and how that can leave many feeling dismissed, confused, and exhausted. But let’s go deeper. Because one of the biggest missing conversations in women’s healthcare is hormones. And no—I’m not talking about the oversimplified version of “women are emotional because hormones fluctuate.” I’m talking about the very real ways hormones can impact mood, anxiety, sleep, focus, energy, and overall…
-
Always Busy and Burned Out? How to Start Living Intentionally
When “Busy” Starts to Feel Like Too Much Not long ago, I found myself sitting in my car in the carport for a few extra minutes before walking inside. It had been a full day—meetings, conversations, responsibilities—the kind of day where nothing was necessarily wrong, but everything felt like a lot. I remember thinking, I did a lot today… but I’m not even sure what I did. Maybe you’ve had days like that, too. The calendar was full. You showed up where you needed to. You handled what came your way. You checked the boxes. And yet, there’s this quiet feeling underneath it all. A sense that you were busy,…
-
Beyond “Just Anxiety”: How Women’s Symptoms Are Misdiagnosed
Part 1 of the Say It Louder Series How many women have heard phrases like: “It’s just stress.”“That’s normal for your age.”“Hormones fluctuate.”“Try birth control.”“Let’s increase your antidepressant.”“You just need to relax.” And how many women have left those appointments knowing something still felt wrong? Too many—including myself and many women and girls I know and love. How Women’s Symptoms Are Dismissed Women are often taught to tolerate pain, normalize exhaustion, and push through symptoms that deserve deeper medical attention. We’re praised for being resilient while quietly carrying issues that may be connected to real biological concerns. And when those symptoms begin affecting mental health? Many women are quickly prescribed…
-
Mental Health Is Health: The Stories of Overwhelm We Don’t Always See
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year I want to say something simple but important. 5 Things I Want You to Know This Mental Health Awareness Month Mental health is health. It is not separate from the rest of our well-being, and it is not something only certain people deal with. It is a part of being human. It feels fitting that Mental Health Awareness Month falls in May, a season when so much around us is blooming, growing, and coming back to life. As someone who has spent almost two decades in the helping profession, I have had the privilege of hearing the stories of people from…
