Monday Matter: A radical surgeon, ketamine and (dis)ambiguation

Your biweekly Foreign Bodies roundup

Every other Monday, I send subscribers and gift recipients of immigrant mental health and storytelling newsletter Foreign Bodies stories I recently inhaled and adored. This is also a chance to do some housekeeping and give shout-outs and all that jazz.

First things first

A little housekeeping

Spooky season ends, seasonal depression begins.

I’m not ready for November, friends. I feel nervous about the end of autumn and overwhelmed by the thought of being consumed by darkness at the start and close of my workdays. I’m worried about my mental health and about the fleeting will to follow through with all of my adult responsibilities. To cope with what feels like the Sunday Scaries of the calendar year (on Halloween, no less), I’m making a small list of how I might try to be proactive in avoiding the doom of seasonal depression:

• Find community in new spaces: Election volunteering, comedy shows, the gym

• Speaking of the gym: Spend time in there before the sun rises so you can begin the workday fueled by endorphins and familiar company

• Go on late morning and midday walks with Lady, rain or shine.

• Soup, chili, stews. Make ‘em all.

• Commit to consistent therapy.

• More poetry.

• Make more weeknight plans instead of staying in.

• Reread Anaïs Nin.

• Don’t skip meds.

• Write, damnit.

A musical start to your Mondays 🎧

One song to groove to, cry to, drive to or share

Here’s a fun, spooky treat inspired by Norman Bates' character in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho from American rock band Talking Heads.

Resource(s) of the week

Something helpful and interesting and cool (*storytelling opportunity)

• Addressing the needs of Filipino children in the U.S.: An explainer and guide for practitioners from Joyce Javier, Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Southern California, on her personal experience as an immigrant and professional experience treating Filipino Americans

• *Wondermind’s Shannon Barbour is looking for pitches of personal essays on mental health, including specific essays on family, deleting dating apps for your mental health, traveling as a plus-size person and more. Send pitches to shannon.barbour@wondermind.com with “Wondermind Freelance Article Pitch” in the subject line.