Living Well Journal

What to say when your child doesn't get into college
The decision came at four in the afternoon. They read it, closed the laptop, said they were fine, and went upstairs. What actually helps in the hour after, and what doesn't. Read more...
What to say to someone after a rejection
The job, the audition, the application, the pitch. Somebody looked at what they offered and chose somebody else. Here is what to say, and what to retire. Read more...
What to say to someone who lost their job (besides "sorry")
Someone you care about just got laid off. You want to say the right thing. So you reach for something hopeful, something that reframes it, and out comes a version of the two lines everyone reaches for: "This will be the best thing that ever happened to you." "Really, they did you a favor." You mean well. You're trying to hand them a silver lining. But here's what it's actually like on the other end of those words. I've been on that end. There were stretches where I used to... Read more...
Gift ideas for a friend who is completely burnt out
There's a moment where you stop worrying that your friend is stressed and start worrying that something in them has gone quiet. Stress is loud. Burnout is the opposite. It's the friend who used to send you nine texts a day going flat, answering in single words, saying "I'm fine, just tired" for the fourth month running. If you're looking for a gift for a friend who is burnt out, you've probably already noticed that they've stopped asking for anything at all. That's the thing you're actually responding to. What... Read more...
How to comfort a friend after a breakup when you live far away
Distance takes your best tools off the table. What actually helps a heartbroken friend when you can't be in the room, what to stop saying, and how to show up from afar. Read more...