By Ashley Barnes, Ketamine Therapy Coordinator at Mental Health Center As if to compensate for the endless parking lot traffic, Los Angeles has some of the best food one can find anywhere. It accommodates different palettes and food sensitivities. You can find whole streets lined with amazing Asian food (shoutout to Sawtelle), you can find vegan food, vegetarian food, spicy food, fried food, restaurants dedicated to greens and salads, Mexican food, Italian food, food trucks, rooftop bars with happy hour menus, and the list goes on. Sometimes, self-care is treating ourselves to a good meal. This weekend I felt a gravitational pull towards Korean BBQ which brought me to the heart of Korea town where the neon signs glowed with the promise of gustatory heaven. On my drive there, I noticed the tension in my shoulders, likely caused by stress throughout the week. Stress: perhaps the mere word is aversive …

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By Ashley Barnes, Ketamine Therapy Coordinator at Mental Health Center Self care is a concept that is often misinterpreted. Many believe it is synonymous with self-indulgence, deeming it unnecessary and frivolous. In reality, we need to engage in self care in order to maintain our mental and physical health, keep up with our numerous responsibilities, and to find a sense of balance in our lives. If we don’t attend to ourselves and our own needs, we will find it increasingly challenging to attend to others’ needs. Readers may have heard the same idea communicated through the cup analogy. Imagine your life being represented by a full cup of water. In front of you are other cups, some representing responsibilities such as work or school, others representing organizations or communities you may be involved in, and other cups may be the people in our lives. The water represents our time, energy, …

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