Mental Health
TIL about Nowruz, the Persian New Year, celebrated for over 3,000 years. Every spring equinox, families set a “haft-sin” table: seven items starting with “S,” each symbolic. Sprouts for renewal. Apples for beauty. Garlic for protection. Sumac for light over darkness. Vinegar for wisdom. Wheat pudding for abundance. Dried oleaster for love.
Designer Nicole Najafi describes it as “a tangible link to the past.” Remodelista
On day 13, you tie the sprouts in a knot, make a wish, and throw them into running water. Beautifully weird. Beautifully human.
So, it’s actually happening. Starting in 2027, Greece is banning social media for anyone under the age of 15.
What happened?
Prime Minister Mitsotakis went on TikTok today to break the news. He’s doing this because he’s seen a massive rise in anxiety and sleep loss in kids who are addicted to their screens. He even sent a letter to the EU asking them to make this a standard across all of Europe.
The Court says banning conversion therapy silences free speech. But every major medical group calls it harmful and discredited. So when does “free speech” become a license to hurt kids? And on Trans Day of Visibility, of all days — that timing stings. It is a sad day for the LGBT community.
Have you heard of dark showering? Showering with the lights dimmed or off before bed. TikTok is obsessed, and the science is actually interesting.
“Showering with the lights off promotes melatonin release, preparing the brain for sleep ahead of time.” — Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, neuroscientist & sleep expert
Warm water raises your body temp, then the drop when you step out mimics what your body naturally does before sleep. I’ve tried it and find it really relaxing. Worth adding to your nighttime routine!
Photo by Victor Furtuna on Unsplash
Just read this fascinating study where older adults (65+) did brain training for 10 weeks and reversed about a decade of brain aging. They actually measured brain chemistry changes. Kind of makes me think about what I could be doing now at 50 to keep my brain sharp down the road. Read more here.
Here's something that's been sitting uncomfortably in my brain lately: I don't really experience what I'd call "screen stress," but I've definitely found myself in those loops where I've been on screens for hours and hours, and I look up and feel... exhausted. Not stressed exactly, just drained. And somehow in all that scrolling time, I've been neglecting analog things I actually need to do. Errands that keep getting pushed to tomorrow, books sitting unread, walks not taken.
This year: more bloom than doom. Bloomscrolling means intentionally curating uplifting content instead of doomscrolling. I won’t avoid hard topics—open wounds need discussion—but I want scrolling that serves me, not just drains me. Small shifts, better mental space. Read more about it here
I knew hugs were good for stress, but I had no idea they boost immunity, lower blood pressure, help you sleep better, and reduce pain by 31%. A 2025 study says hugging 1-3 people daily is ideal. Most of us are touch-deprived. Time to get our daily dose of free medicine. Read this article here.
You know how some people collect stamps or vintage records? I collect random things. It's honestly my favorite thing - shuffling through the vast web, discovering stuff I never knew existed. So here's what caught my attention lately.
Someone once said, “The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.” Turns out that’s annoyingly true. Especially when you discover entire personality types you never knew existed.
Ready? Let’s dive in.
“Women and girls struggle with anorexia—the feeling they’re never thin enough. Now there’s something affecting men and boys that’s just as serious, but way less talked about. It’s called bigorexia. Ever heard of it? I hadn’t. Here’s what parents need to know.