The hottest Mental health Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health & Wellness Topics

The Gift of 4-7-8 Breathing

Are You Okay? • 1337 implied HN points • 25 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Take a moment to relax and recharge, especially during hectic times like holidays.
  2. Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique for natural stress relief and better sleep.
  3. The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a simple way to calm the nervous system and boost relaxation.

Are You Struggling With Your Own Screen Time? 

After Babel • 2596 implied HN points • 29 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. It's important to figure out why you want to reduce your screen time before trying to change your habits. Knowing your goals will help you stay motivated.
  2. To spend less time on your phone, reconnect with real life by seeking fun and interesting activities outside of screens. This makes you less likely to reach for your device.
  3. Make your phone boring by deleting tempting apps and reducing notifications. This way, you'll be less distracted and more present in your daily life.

Where was your father?

Disaffected Newsletter • 1578 implied HN points • 25 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Mental health
  1. The author grew up in an abusive home, primarily influenced by the relationship between their mother and stepfather.
  2. The author's father left before they were born, and while they initially saw him as a villain, they later discovered complexities about their family dynamics.
  3. Even with conflicting feelings about their father, the author acknowledges the impact of their mother's behavior on that relationship.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Screenless Sunday

Seven Senses • 599 implied HN points • 06 Apr 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Taking a break from screens can help bring balance to our lives. Spending 24 hours without phones or TVs allows us to reconnect with ourselves and the world around us.
  2. Using our phones less can reduce anxiety and improve mental health. It's easy to grab our phones to fill moments of boredom, but it can take us away from enjoying real-life experiences.
  3. Mindfulness is key to finding balance with technology. By being intentional about screen time and engaging fully with what's happening around us, we can enjoy the benefits of both the digital world and our everyday lives.

Paying Attention to Your Attention Span

Range Widely • 1985 implied HN points • 25 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Slowing down and focusing on one task at a time can improve productivity and well-being.
  2. Managing attention and taking breaks proactively can prevent burnout and enhance performance.
  3. Understanding and monitoring your own attentional rhythm throughout the day can lead to better focus and productivity.

Want to Be Happier? Use These Five Charts to Improve Your Life.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2796 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Happiness comes from many types of wealth, not just money. You should focus on time, social connections, mental well-being, and physical health too.
  2. Reflect on the time you have left with loved ones. Understanding this can help you prioritize your time and who you spend it with.
  3. There's always something more to chase in life, like a bigger boat. Instead of striving for what society tells you to want, figure out what truly matters to you.

4 Steps Toward Reclaiming Your Health

Are You Okay? • 1158 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Recognize the normalcy of feeling stressed and prioritize removing self-stigma.
  2. Understand that doctors are there to help, not judge, and provide guidance on managing stress-induced health issues.
  3. Be honest about your struggles, ask for help, and build a support system to prioritize your health and well-being.

Reflections on Health and AI

The Engineering Leader • 79 implied HN points • 01 Sep 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Health is super important, and we often forget to take care of ourselves when busy. Neglecting health can lead to serious issues, so it’s vital to prioritize it.
  2. Ignoring your well-being creates 'health debt' that can affect your energy, focus, and overall life quality. Just like financial debt, the more you neglect it, the worse it gets.
  3. Taking care of yourself isn't selfish; it's necessary. When you're healthy, you can help others better and handle life’s challenges more effectively.

So I cried at the dentist...

David Spinks' Newsletter • 15 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
🎭️ Culture Mental health
  1. Boys and men are taught to hide tears and see crying as weakness, so many people hold emotions in to protect their masculinity.
  2. Letting tears and feelings out can be cathartic and makes you feel clearer and stronger, because emotional expression often signals safety.
  3. Changing how we view masculinity could help address harms rooted in patriarchy, but crying alone isn’t enough — it must be paired with ownership and real behavioral change.

Abigail Shrier: Stop Asking Kids If They’re Depressed

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 779 implied HN points • 12 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Mental health
  1. Asking kids if they are depressed can lead them to believe they are when they might not be. It’s important to be careful with the questions we ask children about their mental health.
  2. Many children might be incorrectly diagnosed with depression, leading to a lot of unnecessary worry. This can happen when they are put in situations where they are questioned about their feelings repeatedly.
  3. The approach to mental health assessments for kids is changing, and some policies may encourage kids to see themselves as sick even if they aren’t. It's crucial to think about how these practices affect their well-being.

The Moment I Knew I Had ADHD

The Reclamation Era • 79 implied HN points • 08 Aug 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. The author experiences moments of panic and shame related to forgetting important tasks or details. This reflects a struggle many face when managing responsibilities.
  2. ADHD is a constant presence in the author's life, often affecting daily organization and memory. It highlights the challenges people with ADHD encounter regularly.
  3. The author's messy closet symbolizes the chaos in their mind and life, representing feelings of failure and frustration. It shows how external clutter can mirror internal struggles.

Vague Recriminations Can't Fix American Mental Healthcare

Freddie deBoer • 11540 implied HN points • 14 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. The American mental healthcare system needs more than vague criticisms to be fixed.
  2. Expanding access to mental healthcare requires understanding and addressing the existing stigma and challenges within the system.
  3. Advocacy for mental healthcare should focus on realistic goals and solutions, rather than relying on vague critiques and unfounded assumptions.

What I Read This Week...

chamathreads • 864 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Drug companies are working on solutions to prevent muscle mass loss caused by weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Doctors suggest simple fixes like increasing protein intake and weightlifting.
  2. A recent study suggests that a special set of molecules on the extra X chromosome in women may make them more susceptible to autoimmune conditions. This discovery could lead to new, more targeted treatments.
  3. Adam Neumann, the co-founder of WeWork, is in talks with a hedge fund to buy back the company out of bankruptcy. WeWork's bankruptcy was fueled by debt and a decline in demand for office space.

Could You Live Without a Computer? I Can.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1140 implied HN points • 12 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Mental health
  1. Living without a computer can lead to more free time and less distraction. It feels good to focus on real life instead of being pulled into the digital world.
  2. Using technology in moderation can be really tough because devices are made to grab your attention all the time. It's better to find ways to minimize your tech use completely.
  3. Switching to a less advanced phone helped improve one's life, but it’s still a challenge to resist using computers, especially when trying to write or stay productive.

The Most Compelling Argument Against Tech in Schools

After Babel • 2022 implied HN points • 27 Feb 25
🚌 Education Mental health
  1. Too much screen time is hurting kids' learning and development. It's taking their focus away from teachers and each other, making them more anxious and isolated.
  2. Studies show that using too much technology in schools isn't helping students. In fact, it can make their learning worse and even affect their mental health.
  3. We need to rethink how much tech kids use in school. Instead of relying on screens, we should promote reading books and spending time with teachers to help kids learn better.

On Reclaiming Leisure

The Analog Family • 699 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Mental health
  1. We often feel the need to scroll on our phones for a break, but this can actually lower our happiness. Instead, we should look for more rewarding ways to spend our downtime.
  2. Finding high-quality leisure activities can help us feel more fulfilled. This means doing things like reading, being creative, or spending time outside, which can all boost our energy and happiness.
  3. It's important to remember how to have fun as adults. We should allow ourselves time to play and enjoy life, not just focus on responsibilities.

The darker side of being a doctor

DrEricLevi’s Substack • 499 HN points • 13 Apr 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Loss of control over work schedule and healthcare system can lead to despair and burnout for doctors.
  2. Lack of support system due to demanding work hours and administrative pressure can exacerbate emotional and physical exhaustion for doctors.
  3. Diminished sense of meaning in medical practice, as administrative demands overshadow patient care, leading to frustration and disillusionment among doctors.

Sunday Strip: Just the Facts Ma'am.

Who is Robert Malone • 39 implied HN points • 08 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Mental health
  1. Young liberal women report much lower life satisfaction than conservative and moderate women, with only about 12% of liberal women aged 18–40 saying they are completely satisfied versus 37% of conservative women.
  2. Liberal women also show higher rates of mental health diagnoses and greater feelings of loneliness, making them the least happy and loneliest group in the surveys (for example, 56% of white liberal women 18–29 had a diagnosed mental health condition versus 27% of conservative women).
  3. Multiple surveys (the American Family Survey and Pew Research Center) reveal a consistent ideological gap in wellbeing among women, especially in younger age groups.

The Power of Perspective

Holly’s Newsletter • 1011 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Loving your life and being content with what you have is key to happiness, according to the stoic belief of 'love of one's fate.'
  2. Throughout life, there is a continuous cycle of looking forward to the next milestone in the future as the key to happiness, rather than appreciating the present moment.
  3. Having a comfortable and suitable living environment can significantly impact mental health and well-being. It is essential to prioritize aspects like space, access to outdoors, and accommodating pets when seeking a new place to live.

"Defining Deviancy Down" at 30: Reflections on Crime, Welfare, and Mental Health

Glenn Loury • 1706 implied HN points • 05 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Mental health
  1. Moynihan's essay 'Defining Deviancy Down' explores the impact of shifting norms and incentives on society.
  2. Critics of Moynihan's work questioned his motives rather than engaging with the validity of his analysis.
  3. The redefinition of deviancy has implications for mental health, substance abuse, and social control in society, leading to complex outcomes.

I Was Told to Approve All Teen Gender Transitions. I Refused.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 6649 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Independent publications and individual testimonies have been instrumental in shedding light on the complexities of 'gender-affirming' care.
  2. The increase in lawsuits from young individuals highlights the significant consequences of life-altering treatments.
  3. Therapist Tamara Pietzke's experience reveals concerns about the current trend of 'affirmative care' for youth with gender dysphoria, urging a reevaluation of therapeutic approaches.

what secure attachment could do for you

bookbear express • 643 implied HN points • 23 Aug 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Secure attachment helps you understand that other people's actions aren't personal judgments about you. You can recognize they might just be busy or have their own issues.
  2. It encourages you to want things for yourself without feeling guilty, giving you the freedom to express your needs confidently.
  3. With a solid sense of self, you're more consistent and honest in your interactions and can feel okay about not being liked by everyone.

Startled?! Try Glycine

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 1557 implied HN points • 28 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Being easily startled could indicate an issue, while a normal startle response is crucial for protection and fight-or-flight preparation.
  2. The startle reflex involves visual, auditory, and tactile inputs, with enhanced reflex indicative of certain conditions like PTSD.
  3. Glycine plays a crucial role in inhibiting the motor response of the startle reflex, and low glycine levels can lead to heightened startle responses.

VSRF LIVE TONIGHT: Episode 217: Kim Witczak, Dr. Roger McFillin, Psy.D., and Danielle Gansky.

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 2 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Antidepressants can help many people but may also increase suicide risk for some, so clear information and careful monitoring are essential.
  2. Children are being prescribed psychiatric drugs more often, which raises serious concerns about long-term harm and the need for stronger safeguards and informed consent for families.
  3. Withdrawal, tapering, and overall oversight of psychiatric medications need improvement so patients get safe discontinuation plans, true informed consent, and better regulatory accountability.

on being selective

Mind Mine • 1690 implied HN points • 09 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Focus becomes harder as you become more selective with your life choices.
  2. Being alone is important for reflection and maintaining inner alignment.
  3. Check in with yourself regularly to ensure you are living intentionally and in alignment with your values.

serenity

Poems, Short stories and other things.. • 58 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Sometimes not asking the question or opening a door is a deliberate act of self-care, not avoidance.
  2. You can change your priorities to protect your sanity, and stepping back doesn't mean you've given up.
  3. Let moments move through you without letting them take pieces of who you are, keeping your sense of self intact.