Christen Hong Coaching 11/18/25 Hi friends, Y'all I hope you're taking care out there. I've started noticing people exploding lately - quick to react, quick to anger, quick to reach their limit. It's been people I know, total strangers, even myself some days. And I get it. Things are wild. This is a hard part of a hard year and we as a society aren't really taught how to hold empathy for others (or, frankly, ourselves), especially when we're in the throes of our limits. And though my initial...
11 days ago • 2 min read
Christen Hong Coaching 11/12/25 Hi friends, You may not have noticed, but I didn't send out a newsletter last week. It's not because I didn't want to — I actually spent time throughout the week thinking about what I'd write. But then I got in my head about it. I told myself I should probably wait until after the election results came in, just in case I felt the need to comment. And then...I just forgot. When I remembered, I initially felt panicked. I'd made a goal to write every week, and...
18 days ago • 1 min read
Christen Hong Coaching 10/29/25 Hi friends, I think I've been using my brain wrong. Don't get it twisted, I'm grateful for my mind. I recognize that I have a unique perspective that usually serves me well. But I also let the pressure of this world convince me that I need to do more, need to figure it all out, all on my own. That I need to push hard to make things happen. And it's exhausting trying to have all the answers, trying to make something out of nothing. It perpetuates the belief, and...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Christen Hong Coaching 10/22/25 Hi friends, This week I've been thinking about motivation — specifically, the difference between the drive to move away from something versus moving towards something. It's the difference between trying to get out of a job you hate versus building a career that excites you. Between wanting to stop feeling lonely and opening yourself to deeper connection.Between avoiding burnout and cultivating balance and peace. When your goal is simply to escape where you are,...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Christen Hong Coaching 10/15/25 Hi friends, One lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way: things don't automatically happen for you — you have to ask for what you want. This can be especially hard for those of us who grew up striving to be likable, to not rock the boat. In fact, you might even find yourself resenting people who boldly declare what they want, who don't have the same hangups about putting themselves out there. But the truth is this: no one can read your mind. If you want something...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Christen Hong Coaching 10/8/25 Hi friends, This week I've been thinking that despite the fact that technology lets us find anything we could possibly be looking for, it doesn't always add substance. In fact, it can sometimes make things feel more hollow. That knowing more about something can actually make it harder to truly grasp. You'd think that having endless information at your fingertips would deepen understanding. Instead, it often creates overwhelm — and sometimes a false sense of...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Christen Hong Coaching 10/1/25 Hi friends, This week I've been traveling, and I'm feeling tired and a little disconnected. Still, I've found that even when I don't feel like doing much, I can always connect with my body through my breath. Breathing with intention roots me in the present moment, which brings healing and connection. When we breathe with awareness, we remind ourselves that life only ever unfolds here, in this moment — not in a past we replay or a future we worry about. By...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Christen Hong Coaching 9/24/25 Hi friends, I’ve noticed how my constant habit of tuning into my phone leaves me feeling overwhelmed. The news cycle is endless and often debilitating — to the point where lately I found myself struggling to do anything. I know that to show up effectively in the world, I have to take care of myself first. So this week I gave myself a break and made Sunday an internet-free day. I’ve taken internet breaks before and they always feel good — and yet, it’s still...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Christen Hong Coaching 09/17/25 Hi friends, Maybe it's the eclipse season stirring things up, but I've been noticing how often a tiny assumption can quietly snowball into a whole story I take as truth. This week I've been reflecting on projection and assumption, and how they shape the way I relate to what I think I know. Over the weekend I ran into a friend and recalled a story that we had discussed years ago. I said, "You told me your dad subscribed to Rare Fruits Magazine when you were a...
2 months ago • 2 min read