He meant well—but his tone said otherwise. Micah prided himself on being honest. He told people what they “needed to hear.” He thought of it as being real, being strong, being helpful. But lately, people have been pulling away. His partner got quieter. His teammates stopped asking for feedback. His sister said, “You’re always right, but […]

She was addicted to feedback—until she realized it was running her life. Nina checked her inbox like a pulse. After every client session, she waited—hoped—for that five-star review, the glowing thank-you message, the validation. When it came, she felt alive. Worthy. Safe. But when it didn’t? Or worse—when someone questioned her approach? She unraveled. Spiraled into

All it took was one text to unravel what took years to build. Rachel stared at her phone. One message. That’s all it took to shake her again. It wasn’t cruel. Just short. Dismissive. From her best friend of twelve years. They’d been drifting lately, but this? It felt like the final straw. Her chest tightened.

He missed the days he didn’t have to think about his body. Jared used to wake up and roll straight into his day—coffee, inbox, commute. No fanfare. No awareness. His body was background music. Until the stomach pain started. Small at first. Then persistent. Then everything. He stopped drinking coffee. Started avoiding certain foods. Then

The coffee had gone cold, but she didn’t notice—until her daughter reached for her hand. Maya had a meeting in twenty minutes, a half-written report, and three unread messages blinking at the top of her screen. She stirred the cup absently, mind already halfway into tomorrow. Across the table, her daughter sat silently, coloring the

She hadn’t gotten out of bed yet, and already, she was behind. Cara woke with that familiar tension in her chest. No alarm had gone off. Nothing bad had happened. But her mind was already building a list of things that could. “I forgot to reply to that email.” “The client’s going to be upset.”

He hadn’t seen her in three years, but he still argued with her in his head. David wasn’t angry. At least, that’s what he told himself. But every time someone mentioned her name, he tightened. When her face popped up on an old photo, he felt the sting in his chest. He’d scroll past, but

She wouldn’t let anyone speak to her the way she spoke to herself. Amira forgot the salad dressing. Again. It was the third time this week she’d forgotten something small, and the voice in her head didn’t hesitate: “You’re a mess.” “Why can’t you get it together?” “Of course you forgot.” At the checkout counter, she

She lit the candle, adjusted the cushion, and still felt restless. Lena had tried everything. Morning meditation. Lavender oils. Forest hikes. Guided breathwork. She had a playlist for calm. A journal for gratitude. Even a Himalayan salt lamp. But every time life cracked—when her boss dismissed her, when her partner pulled away, when her friends didn’t

He didn’t need anyone to criticize him. He was doing a fine job on his own. Ravi replayed the conversation in his head all afternoon. His manager had simply said, “Let’s tighten up that presentation next time.” But Ravi heard: You’re not smart enough. You’re a disappointment. They finally figured you out. He opened Slack to