I’m an online shopping addict.

Like many others, I’ve spent countless hours browsing online stores and adding unnecessary items to my cart before checking all of them out during “promotional periods”.

And even with numerous stories of people buying defective products or being “cheated” of their money by sellers who simply disappeared, I never considered myself at risk of a scam. To me, that was something that was simply not possible. After all, I’ve always done my due diligence and only bought from reputable sellers with lots of good reviews.

That was until I was the one being scammed.

The Scam

To…

Humans consume a lot. And in doing so, we inadvertently create lots of waste as well. In fact, we produce so much waste that we can find them everywhere. A study done by researchers from the University of Hull and Brunel University found that for every 100g of British mussels eaten, an estimated 70 tiny pieces of debris (like microplastics) is being consumed as well.

Furthermore, the prevalence of waste even affects areas that are far away from human settlements. Henderson Island, an uninhabited coral atoll, has the highest density of anthropogenic debris recorded anywhere in the world, with 99.8%…

Nowadays, with so many new things entering the market, the consuming never seems to end. From getting the latest tech devices to using retail as a way to destress (also known as ‘retail therapy’), shopping and buying is something that has become deeply embedded into our society.

And it’s not like we aren’t aware of the evils of consumerism. Many of us can agree that Nestle is a company that causes numerous issues in developing countries. Amazon is known to be a company that actively prevents unions from forming, and the factories that make those coveted Apple smartphones have been…

Nowadays, becoming invested in helping the environment feels like a chore to many. From giving up your car, cutting out air travel, going vegetarian (or even vegan), and even having to fork out extra money to buy necessities that are “greener”, many might believe that caring for the environment requires huge sacrifices.

Of course, while some sacrifices might be more palatable (like taking a slightly shorter shower or avoiding the use of air-conditioners), many other sacrifices make life much tougher (like giving up the use of a private car in a remote suburban location). …

Blogging can be depressing at times. Whether it is on Medium or through other blogging platforms, opening up the “stats” page and seeing low numbers feels extremely discouraging.

And I should know how it feels to get nearly no views. After all, I started my first month on Medium writing posts that garnered single digit views, earning a grand total of 1 cent through the Partner Program at the end of the month. Furthermore, I am no Tim Denning. I still regularly post stories that barely get any traction.

Truthfully, I have thought about quitting. I’ve experienced bad writer burnout…

If you’ve read anything from the self-help or self-improvement genre, the call to “be yourself” would definitely have appeared in front of you at least once before. Even here on Medium, we are constantly encouraged to “stay faithful” to our true selves and “express ourselves” however we want to. And honestly, I love this call to embrace our true selves. Nothing is more helpful for our mental health and confidence.

Yet, despite all the calls to “be yourself”, living in the real world often makes me question if I should really be expressing myself however I want. When I’m too…

As a full-time university student and freelance writer, my schedule is already filled with work. From school assignments to commissioned pieces during my holidays, a big part of my life is already defined by the work that I have to complete.

At the same time, I’ve always found time to work on hobbies that I love. From reading to video gaming, hobbies were a way for me to destress and enjoy myself.

Yet, every time I begin to browse through social media, I begin to feel inadequate. From hashtags like #thegrindneverstops and #sleepisfortheweak to Instagram stories showcasing a recent success…

As a whole, we are all working too much. In the United States, the average hour worked per workday by full-time workers is 8.5 hours (and 5.4 hours on weekends).

Yet, despite the long hours spent at work, the amount of time spent at work by US workers isn’t even comparable to many other countries. In 2017, the average annual working hours in the US was 1,757 hours. In comparison, South Korean workers worked 2,063 hours, Singaporean workers worked 2,238 hours, and Cambodian workers worked 2,456 hours. And it’s not just the Asian countries. …