The hottest Well-being Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Health & Wellness Topics

The two kinds of desire, and one of the most important things I know

Sasha's 'Newsletter' • 13443 implied HN points • 04 Feb 26
📖 Philosophy Well-being
  1. There are two kinds of desire: tanha is grasping, scarcity-based, and draining, while chanda is a whole-body, pull-like desire that refreshes you when you follow it.
  2. Your real delights show up as repeating patterns when you’re truly happy, so look for those general shapes and arrange your work and relationships to give you those chanda experiences.
  3. Use tanha strategically when it sets you up for more chanda or helps others, but avoid filling your life with grasping wants; a life built mainly around chanda leads to more happiness, creativity, and ease.

Arthur Brooks: Stress Makes Life Meaningful

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 250 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Modern screen use is a major driver of rising stress, so cutting back on screens can help reduce daily strain.
  2. Many of life’s happiest milestones—like pregnancy, parenting, and big achievements—are also highly stressful, so joy and stress often come together.
  3. Stress isn’t automatically bad; it can add meaning to life, so rather than seeking a stress-free existence, learn to manage and accept the hard and sweet parts together.

Arthur Brooks: Therapy Won’t Make You Happier. And That’s Okay.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 908 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Therapy is now common and openly talked about, especially among younger, college-educated adults.
  2. Many people mistakenly expect therapy to make them happier, but therapy isn’t a miracle worker for producing happiness.
  3. It’s okay if therapy doesn’t make you happier; building happiness often requires other intentional practices and therapy has a different, important role in treating mental-health issues.

Arthur Brooks: Suffer Like a Marine

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 537 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Well-being
  1. Pain is a natural signal and often important for growth, so trying to erase all pain is both impossible and undesirable. Suffering comes from how strongly you resist pain, so lowering resistance is a better goal than eliminating pain.
  2. Nonresistance means accepting pain without fear, anger, or self-pity, which lets you feel pain without multiplying your suffering. When you stop railing against pain, its power over you weakens.
  3. You can build nonresistance by deliberately facing hardship (like tough training) and by practices such as prayer or mental preparation that help you accept what comes. The real skill is applying these habits when pain is unwanted, not just when you choose it.

Thinking Points, January 22, 2024

uTobian • 7252 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Higher education failed in responding to Covid, showing weaknesses and flaws.
  2. Climate change movement shifted focus to target small farmers and families, losing sight of its original goals.
  3. Advocating for 'freedom of choice' in allowing toxic products can lead to harmful consequences and is not a viable solution.
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Arthur Brooks: Popularity Won’t Make You Happy

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 500 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Being popular or beloved by millions does not automatically make you happy; external approval is not the same as inner fulfillment.
  2. Different people thrive in different roles. Some find joy in private, scholarly work while others enjoy public-facing careers with travel and recognition.
  3. Choose work and a lifestyle that fit your temperament and values instead of chasing fame, because popularity is an unreliable guide to a good life.

Inverted Darwinism

Anima Mundi • 123 implied HN points • 13 Feb 26
📖 Philosophy Well-being
  1. You can have everything society says you should want and still feel hollow or like you’re disappearing.
  2. As survival becomes easier, the psychological structures that evolved to give life meaning under scarcity stop working, causing a kind of "meaning‑extinction."
  3. That emptiness isn’t just personal failure or clinical illness but an evolutionary mismatch, so simple fixes like gratitude often don’t resolve it.

Your body thinks itself into its shape

The Intrinsic Perspective • 14234 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Nutrition science has been confusing, with mixed messages about what's healthy or unhealthy for years. This shows that even experts struggle to understand basic health questions.
  2. Our bodies might work like complex systems, similar to a neural network, meaning personal health experiences can vary greatly from one person to another. This could explain why people have different reactions to the same foods.
  3. Recent research suggests that our cells can 'remember' past states, such as being overweight, which influences how our bodies respond to changes in diet and lifestyle over time.

Do you need to reinvent – or should you just cut yourself some slack?!

The Shift With Sam Baker • 3854 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Reinvention is a popular theme for New Year's resolutions, but it's worth questioning why you feel the need to reinvent something in your life.
  2. Consider what aspects of your life truly need change and why before jumping into reinventing yourself.
  3. Don't feel pressured to follow trends like 'New Year, New You' if it doesn't resonate with you; it's okay to not feel the need to constantly reinvent yourself.

You can't be too happy, literally

Experimental History • 21278 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. People tend to stay at the same level of happiness over time, despite major events happening around them.
  2. Research shows that individuals adjust to both good and bad situations, aiming to maintain a balance in their emotions like a thermostat.
  3. The mind has control systems like a furnace and an air conditioner that help modulate mood levels to prevent extreme states of sadness or euphoria.

How to stay sane

Striking 13 • 3693 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Having a hobby not related to politics can help you stay sane and prevent burnout by giving you a break from political anger and allowing you to focus on something you enjoy.
  2. Hobbies provide personal permission for relaxation and access to higher realms of pleasure by tricking the brain into feeling achievement and offering a sense of purpose.
  3. Engaging in a hobby allows you to enjoy the process of learning and perfecting skills with no external pressures, leading to a meaningful pursuit of pleasure and maintaining mental well-being.

The Secret to a Hobby-Filled Life

Culture Study • 7579 implied HN points • 31 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Well-being
  1. Having a hobby is great for your mental health and helps you relax. It lets you take a break from work and feel restored.
  2. Starting a hobby as an adult can be tough and might feel forced at first. It's important to find something that feels natural and enjoyable for you.
  3. People often struggle with how to spend their free time between self-care and family obligations. It's okay to take time for yourself and explore hobbies without pressure.

The Power Of Movement Over Exercise

Insight Axis • 1402 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Think of movement as more inclusive and sustainable than just exercise - align with your biology rather than work against it.
  2. Make movement a meaningful ritual instead of just a habit - care for your body intentionally.
  3. Remember that movement is constant in life - from everyday tasks to intentional workouts, aim for a sustainable approach for long-term health.

Show Up For Yourself First

Culture Study • 7951 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Taking care of your own needs first is important to be able to help others effectively.
  2. Liking yourself and spending time alone can lead to better relationships and a more fulfilling life.
  3. Balancing spending time with yourself and with others is essential for overall well-being and maintaining healthy relationships.

on being selective

Mind Mine • 1690 implied HN points • 09 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  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.

E. Jean Caroll’s Nasty Little Game – the Animus of the Childless, Family-less Boomer.

Welcome to Absurdistan • 1572 implied HN points • 12 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. The pursuit of wealth, power, and fame can lead some individuals into harmful and dangerous situations.
  2. The book 'Feminism Against Progress' explores the challenges faced by those who try to defy nature in pursuits like career success and family-building.
  3. Gen Z is showing a trend of rejecting societal norms around sex, birth control, and identity, signaling a shift in values.

How do you know when to give up?

BAD AT KEEPING SECRETS • 1533 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Knowing when to give up can be a difficult decision, even when you love what you're doing.
  2. The pandemic has brought forth challenges of disconnection and lack of control, leading to uncertainty about the future.
  3. Around 40% of our happiness is theoretically within our control, so focus on doing your best amidst uncertainties.

Don't update too much on money-happiness correlations

inexactscience • 79 implied HN points • 30 Jul 24
💰 Finance Well-being
  1. Money doesn't always equal happiness. Many studies show mixed results, suggesting other factors play a big role.
  2. People have different values around work and leisure. This means that income may not always reflect happiness for everyone.
  3. Surveys on money and happiness can be tricky. The way they ask questions may not capture the real relationship between income and how people feel.

How to Manage Health Anxiety

Are You Okay? • 1258 implied HN points • 06 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Health anxiety can be exacerbated by external factors like trauma from the pandemic and current world events
  2. Normalize cognitive distortions of anxiety and seek medical advice to address health anxiety instead of turning to online sources like Dr. Google
  3. Recognize the impact of misinformation on health anxiety and learn to accept uncertainty while addressing anxiety directly through various strategies like mindfulness, exercise, therapy, and medication when necessary

A COVID Q&A: booster timing; testing; contagiousness; & the Novavax shot

Are You Okay? • 718 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. It's crucial for high-risk individuals to consider getting a COVID booster shot 6 months post-infection, but the benefits of additional doses diminish for those at lower risk. Boosters may help briefly reduce infection risks, but lifestyle factors like sleep, nutrition, and exercise are also key for health.
  2. COVID testing should be prioritized for cases where results would alter medical care. For healthy individuals, testing may not be as critical for every symptom, but knowing the specific virus causing symptoms can still influence precautions and decisions.
  3. In households with multiple symptomatic individuals, differing COVID test results can occur; one positive and one negative doesn't necessarily mean the negative individual isn't contagious. Contact a healthcare provider for guidance when unsure.

When Internet Life Feels Futile

Deep Fix • 1120 implied HN points • 12 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Sometimes we need to step back from intellectual pursuits and embrace non-conceptual awareness.
  2. Mindfulness can help us navigate the overwhelming online world and find peace.
  3. It's important to prioritize self-care and mental well-being, especially in a digital age filled with distractions.

What's Love Got to Do With It?

Ladyparts • 1098 implied HN points • 24 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Love is linked to our physical health and well-being based on scientific research.
  2. Maintaining privacy in relationships is crucial for growth and trust.
  3. Navigating complex family dynamics requires patience, vulnerability, and respect for all individuals involved.

Putting one foot in front of another

Logging the World • 976 implied HN points • 21 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Taking 10,000 steps daily can benefit physical and mental health by providing fresh air, exercise, and a change of scenery.
  2. Walking at a slower pace allows for a better connection with the surroundings, noticing details like street art and wildlife.
  3. Embarking on longer walks can lead to unique experiences, connections with landscapes, and a sense of personal achievement.

How Our Minds Shape Reality

The Dose • 943 implied HN points • 13 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Well-being
  1. Our minds shape our reality based on our expectations and beliefs.
  2. Expectations influence behavior and even physiology.
  3. Anticipatory coping strategies can help manage stress and mental health by focusing on problem analysis and plan rehearsal.

Underrated reasons to be thankful IV

DYNOMIGHT INTERNET NEWSLETTER • 1437 implied HN points • 28 Nov 24
📖 Philosophy Well-being
  1. Meditation can help you feel really good, almost like drugs or other intense pleasures, and it’s cool that you can explore new ways to relax without getting addicted.
  2. Your brain can automate tasks as you practice, which makes it easier to do complex things without thinking too hard about every detail.
  3. Even though there are worries about pollution, some studies suggest that common plastics might not harm your health much, which is a relief.