Woman goes viral for literally steaming from her head due to a hot flash
"This is the realest depiction of a hot flash I’ve seen!"
The way she just laughs it off…
Ah, hot flashes. They're the one thing most people know about menopause—but even at that, we don’t really have that much common knowledge about. For instance, did you know that a hot flash can make a woman literally steam from head to toe? Probably not.
And yet, it’s true. The proof? A now viral video showing author and podcaster Tracey Monique sitting in the stands of a football game, eating nachos, and nonchalantly exuding vapors like a fantastical dragon. She even laughs as it’s happening.
“When the flash starts flashin’,” one of her friends can be heard saying behind the camera.
Hot flashes are caused by fluctuating hormone levels, and can feel as though you're suddenly thrust into a sauna. The intense heat can cause sweating, face reddening, and even chills and a rapid heartbeat. In short—it’s not for the faint of heart. And yet, because of the stigma surrounding hot flashes (and menopause in general), so many women are made to feel embarrassed by it or have their symptoms minimized, rather than feeling like badasses for being part of this rather remarkable aspect of the human condition.
This is why the video is resonating with so many people. One, it depicts a rarely seen image of what menopause actually looks like, and two, it helps combat any notion of women being dramatic about symptoms. As a viewer noted, “this is the realest depiction of a hot flash I’ve seen! I’ve saved it so that I can show anyone who even in the very slightest suggests that I’m exaggerating when it happens!”
Another person quipped, “To all husbands out there. When she says she's hot... this is what she means.”
Still another exclaimed, “Finally! Visual evidence of a HOT FLASH!!! Thank you so much for posting this. You have validated millions of women all over the world: menopause symptoms are REAL and they are MISERABLE!”
Similarly, it really shows how little we know about women’s bodies. Like, why does this phenomenon still look so otherworldly and strange in our modern world? More than one viewer commented how if this were the late 1600s, poor Monique would be tried as a witch. And if this one teeny tiny aspect of menopause is still so wildly misunderstood, imagine the rest of it or any other female biological process.
So much of our views on menopause are directly linked with our fears of aging in general. By and large, we see menopause as a disease or marker of inevitable decline, rather than a new chapter of life. Then of course there's the whole tying-a-woman’s-sense-of-self-worth-to-her -ability-to-bear-children thing, which is undoubtedly a prevailing issue. But it’s moments like those that really shift those outdated perspectives, enabling women to feel seen, understood, and hopefully even a little confident in their own strength and resilience.
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."