Toby Geeks Out!

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. It’s that damn infinite scroll, right? You start out thinking you’ll just check one thing, and suddenly it’s been two hours and you haven’t moved.And here’s the kicker: the …

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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. The Great French Toast Identity Crisis French toast. Not French. At all. Plot twist: it’s Roman. Back in the 4th century, Romans soaked stale bread in milk and eggs, fried it up, drizzled honey on top. …

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“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.

Here’s something I can’t stop thinking about: people are developing romantic relationships with AI companions. They know the AI isn’t real, doesn’t actually feel anything—and yet they describe these as the most emotionally supportive relationships in their lives. Is that comforting or terrifying?

Apparently reading can drop stress by 68% in just 6 minutes? Wild. Also activates multiple brain areas and strengthens connectivity over time - may even lower your risk of memory loss as you age. This is why I love reading - feeds my writing, sparks ideas, builds vocabulary, boosts creativity and focus. Fiction builds empathy, too. Legit brain training for longevity. Another good article: “10 Brain Reasons To Make Reading a Habit.”

“an active engaging of the imagination…cause you to enter what is essentially an altered state of consciousness.” - Dr. David Lewis, Sussex University (WebMd)

So I’ve been reading about some random stuff lately, and these things have been sitting in my head for a while. You know how it is—you start with skyscrapers covered in forests, end up at the grocery store aisle, and somehow land on Bambi, of all things. Anyway, figured I’d share. You might find them interesting too. Buildings with actual forests on them I love buildings covered in greenery. Walls, balconies, entire facades—just filled with plants. It’s brilliant. I’m a total black thumb—I can kill a cactus—but that doesn’t stop me from appreciating it. I grew up in an Appalachian town surrounded by trees. I’d sit for hours just looking at …

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So I’ve been doing a lot of writing lately for this new organization I’m working with—OULDHH (Organization of Unique Learners for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community). We’re pretty informal, just getting started really, but we’re gathering resources and information about neurodivergence, accessibility, and education for the Deaf community. I’ve been posting new content every Wednesday—sometimes about neurodivergence, sometimes about whatever else I’m geeking out about that week. And honestly? Some of these posts hit close to home. Whether you just got a diagnosis for yourself or your child, you’re dealing with school stuff that feels …

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