For years, you didn't have words for what you were.

Not accurate words, anyway. Not words that felt right. You'd say "mixed" and people would nod politely. You'd say "half-Asian" and feel something twist inside you, like you were suggesting to being incomplete. You'd stumble through explanations at family gatherings, in new friend groups, on forms that asked you to check a single box.

You did it! (Please read in Elle Woods’ voice from Legally Blonde). You're graduating from college or maybe you're in your senior year, already feeling the anticipation of what’s to come. There's a cap and gown somewhere in your near future, and everyone around you seems so excited. But if you're being honest, you might be feeling something more complex than pure celebration.

Congratulations!! you're engaged! You said yes to spending your life with your person, and everyone around you seems thrilled. There are (presumably) champagne toasts, excited phone calls, and probably already some unsolicited opinions about your wedding plans. It's supposed to be one of the happiest times of your life, right?

So why do you feel so...complicated?

I still remember making tiny play-dough potstickers, when I visited my grandparents' in California growing up, and watching my Abu (grandma) make tiny perfect folds with the bright pink “dough”. I was learning about my Chinese heritage through food (fake and real), through my grandparents' stories (when they would share them), through the few Mandarin and Shanghainese words I picked up. And I was also sitting at the dinner table knowing my dad's family cooked differently, spoke differently, saw the world differently.

"What are you?"

"Where are you really from?"

"But you don't look..."

If these questions feel painfully familiar, you're not alone.

When life feels overwhelming and your to-do list seems never-ending, what's the first thing people tell you? "Just breathe." And while it might feel dismissive in the moment, there's actually profound wisdom in that advice. Our breath is one of the most powerful tools we have for managing stress and anxiety, and it's been recognized as such for thousands of years.

A colleague of mine was describing a helpful healing practices she was doing as “a little woo woo,” casting her eyes down as if awaiting a verbal blow of judgment from me. Instead she seemed surprised and a little cautious when I offered curiosity instead “Oh, that sounds really cool, could you tell me more about that?”. I don’t need to specify what practice she was talking about, because maybe it was meditation, somatic therapy, energy work, intuition, or anything that didn’t fit neatly into a Western, evidence-based box. We’ve all heard someone use the phrase “woo woo” in a way that invokes judgment and shame around a potentially helpful practice.

Welcome back to my Holistic Health Interviewing Series! Today, I’m interviewing Dr. Meghan Jain and Dr. Francine Park, owners of Ocean Bay Psychiatry based out of Southern California. They are a mental health clinic providing psychiatric care to children, adolescents, and adults. They are double board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry as well as general psychiatry. We are here to talk about how psychiatrists and therapists can work together to provide integrative support of mental health.

Have you seen the term job hugging popping up on your LinkedIn feed lately? If you have, you’re probably like me and have felt a mix of recognition and discomfort.

Job hugging describes the growing trend of employees staying in roles they’ve outgrown or feel unhappy in, not because they love the work, but because leaving feels too risky. In an uncertain economy, with layoffs, rising costs of living, and an unpredictable job market, this choice can understandably feel like a necessity.

When you’re burned out, it can feel like your energy never quite comes back. It doesn’t seem to matter how much you “rest”, take time off, or try to relax. You may be still appear to be functioning and fulfilling your daily duties, but everything feels a little harder than it used to. There’s a name for this experience: allostatic load.

I’ve struggle for words about what the world feels like to me right now. I realized that it brings me a lot of comfort to know that I don’t need to come up with new words, opinions, or ideas on how to broach the turmoil I feel and see around me. I hope that this list of books can offer you some guidance and support through difficult times. I hope they offer you hope and peace when you need it, and challenge and growth when you also need that.

You’re going to bed. You’re even getting the recommended number of hours. And yet, you wake up feeling foggy, heavy, or already behind.

That’s because it’s not really about sleep, it’s about your lack of restorative rest. Sleep and rest aren’t the same thing and it’s important to understand the difference and how to get both.

Rooted in thousands of years of Chinese culture, Lunar New Year (LNY) marks a collective pause between what has been and what is becoming. Unlike the urgency often felt leading up to January 1st, Lunar New Year invites reflection, restoration, and intentional movement forward.

“Why can’t I sleep?" “How can I fall asleep faster?” These are two of the top mental health-related google searches of this year. And it’s no wonder, because we’re living in a world that rarely lets our nervous systems fully relax. Even when we’re technically resting, we’re often still taking in information, others’ emotion, and stimulation.

For many people, the issue isn’t that they don’t want to sleep or don’t know the basics of sleep hygiene. It’s that our bodies are getting all kind of mixed signals about when and how they are supposed to power down.

Polyvagal theory gives modern language to that ancient knowing. It helps explain how anxiety lives in the body, why talk alone doesn’t always help, and how small, embodied shifts can change how safe you feel day to day. Let’s dive into learning about the vagus nerve and how it can actually apply to your daily life to support anxiety and overwhelm.

I’m guessing if you’re here it’s because the very notion of confrontation makes your stomach drop. And if you do feel that way, you’re amongst a lot of good company. Many of us grew up in a way that made us dread, fear, or even panic at the notion of confronting someone especially if it’s about our own hurt feelings. For many self-proclaimed people-pleasers, causes your nervous system to spike. Your heart races, your mind jumps to worst-case scenarios, and suddenly staying quiet seems far safer than speaking up.

The best part about cozy hobbies is that it’s not about mastering a skills (although you often do improve) or monetizing your interests. They’re about engaging with ourselves in ways that feel grounding, soothing, and human. And from a mental health perspective, they’re one of the keys to rejuvenating our spirits and beating burnout.

Have you ever felt like you experience the world more intensely than others? Maybe you’ve even been put down by others for being “too sensitive”. To you, sounds feel louder, emotions run deeper, and subtle shifts in mood, energy, or environment are quickly and easily noticeable. Let’s talk about understanding sensitivity through a compassionate lens that still offers room for relief and growth.