Nato is a writer and a researcher with an academic background in psychology. She investigates self-compassion, emotional intelligence, psychological well-being, and the ways people make decisions. Writing about recent trends in the movie industry is her other hobby, alongside music, art, culture, and social influences. She dreams to create an uplifting documentary one day, inspired by her experiences with strangers.
Five months is a long time to sit in the same chair and wonder why nothing is moving. I had everything I was supposed to have. A dedicated workspace. A routine. A desk positioned near a window, which every productivity article told me would help. I kept the surface ...Read More
A week ago, on a Tuesday that felt heavier than usual, I deleted Instagram. Not deactivated. Actually deleted the app, which for me is the equivalent of hiding the snacks in a different room. A modest act of self-preservation I told myself I'd try for a day. By the evening, I ...Read More
When I told my mother I was considering a PhD, she didn't push me toward it. She didn't need to. She simply never held the other option in the room long enough to look at it. The alternative — not doing it, choosing something slower or less legible, following ...Read More
Scrolling through Substack last night, I came across a note by cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Julie Fratantoni that stopped me mid-scroll, which felt appropriate given what it was saying. Her point was simple: the small margins of waiting — the line, the elevator, the gap between meetings — are some ...Read More
Every time I came back to my hometown, my mother left sliced apples on the table. She never announced it. There was no ceremony around it. I would arrive, set my bag down, and they would just be there — a small white plate, the fruit already browning at ...Read More
We love the idea that birth order explains us because it gives chaos a neat family label. The responsible firstborn. The forgotten middle child. The charming youngest. The mysterious only child who somehow becomes both independent and strange in everyone’s imagination. It is comforting, in a way. Families are complicated. Childhood is rarely ...Read More