A few days ago, Chrissy Teigen shared a photo of a horse with Twitter and told her followers that her therapist recommended she do something for herself. “Today begins my journey into the horse world,” she wrote.

For those who aren’t aware, Teigen and her husband John Legend lost their pregnancy last fall. Following that experience, she shared her struggle with grief and depression publicly. Horseback riding, it seemed, could be a positive way to cope.

Of course, the internet had plenty to say about it. Although some people accused Teigen of ignorantly flaunting her wealth while others are struggling during the pandemic, I have a different opinion. …

Recently a friend and I were discussing the act of writing about trauma. She said that our trauma is ours, and we are allowed to do with it as we please. If that means writing about it, then certainly there are less constructive ways to process something so challenging and personal.

Her words stayed with me throughout the rest of the day. My friend is also a writer, and she understands how the process of writing about trauma can be transformative. …

Think about it: You just spent the past eight hours hunkered over a computer, and now that you’re off the clock you’re going to go home and plunk down at your own computer and try to write?

I don’t think so.

There’s a reason that bestselling authors don’t put it long, mentally taxing hours at another job and proceed to write in the evenings after work. It’s because it’s too much for your brain.

Creativity, productivity, and the writing process can’t flourish when you give them what’s left of you after a draining day managing emails and office tasks.

Sure, maybe you could get up early and write before your shift, then fall asleep on your dinner plate when you get home. After all, people do make it work. …

I have always been an ambitious person — it feels like an intrinsic part of my personality. I don’t start something unless I’m planning to become very good at it. I hate being bad at things.

At eight years old, I decided I was going to become a bestselling author. I haven’t quit that dream since. As a young adult, I dedicated myself to improving my writing, to learning and practicing, and building a platform as an author.

But ambition also takes its toll. The price of aiming for perfection is a deep dissatisfaction with everything you create or do. This sense of dissatisfaction, of striving for society’s definition of success, leaves me unhappy with myself whenever I don’t reach a goal. …

Ever since Trump started sharing misinformation about the election, from mail-in vote to calling Biden’s win fraud, Twitter has had to intervene. But it took this afternoon’s storming of the capitol by Trump’s supporters, and his subsequent failure to condemn their violence, for Twitter to finally act.

According to The Verge, several of the president’s tweets were removed for violating Twitter’s rules. His account is locked for 12 hours and there is a possibility he may be banned permanently, though it’s unclear how serious that threat is. It’s a step, but there’s more to be done.

We are at a crucial moment. The fact that Trump supporters are rapidly devolving into domestic terrorists is loud and clear. Powerful social media platforms like Twitter need to combat Trump’s efforts to rile up and encourage his boldest supporters, and the only way to do that is to take away his megaphone. …

“You are in so many ways less than a man.”

The comment above didn’t surprise me. I write about feminist issues, so I’m used to making men angry. Most of the time I don’t bother reading the pissed-off rants they leave all over my articles or tweets. I block, delete, and report when necessary.

But this time? Well, this time was different. The comment left on my Medium article was longer and more personal than anything I had previously seen. …

During a normal year, the darker days of winter can be difficult for many people to bear. But this year especially, because we are stuck at home during the pandemic, you may find yourself feeling a little more gloomy than usual.

Winter weather appears to have a direct impact on mental health. Ways to combat the winter blues involve socialization and outdoor activity, but in the age of COVID-19, these strategies can be more difficult to implement.

When lockdown started earlier this year, I was confined within the small walls of my one bedroom apartment. It was difficult adjusting to studying, working, and sleeping in the same room every day. …

Essayist Joseph Epstein recently wrote a letter-style op-ed for the Wall Street Journal in which he suggests Dr. Jill Biden should drop her title as she prepares to become First Lady of the United States.

Epstein spends the letter giddily elaborating on the reasons he feels Biden’s title is an unnecessary indulgence. Despite the fact that anyone who holds such an advanced degree earned their title through years of labor, Epstein — who holds only an honorary doctorate and admits he barely scraped through his bachelor’s program — suggests Biden’s degree is insufficient. Fraudulent. Comedic, even.

Because a woman who holds an advanced degree is, in his eyes, a joke. Only a man who delivers a baby can hold the title of doctor — by implication, not a woman who has merely birthed one. …