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Woman shares her therapist's incredibly helpful mental health hack: 'Run the dishwasher twice'

The advice sounds strange, but it's brilliant.

Achim Thiemermann from Pixabay, Natasha G from Pixabay, Danielle Wunker/Facebook

Dirty dishes and clean dishes.

"Run the dishwasher twice" might sound like strange mental health advice, but a viral post is proving that it's actually quite helpful.

Danielle Wunker, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor, shared a story on her Facebook page that is resonating with people who struggle with mental health issues. It originally came from an answer from Katie Scott on Quora to the question "Has a therapist ever told you something completely unexpected?"

It reads:

"When I was at one of my lowest (mental) points in life, I couldn't get out of bed some days. I had no energy or motivation and was barely getting by. I had therapy once per week, and on this particular week I didn't have much to 'bring' to the session. He asked how my week was and I really had nothing to say.

'What are you struggling with?' he asked. I gestured around me and said 'I dunno man. Life.' Not satisfied with my answer, he said 'No, what exactly are you worried about right now? What feels overwhelming? When you go home after this session, what issue will be staring at you?'

upset man, stressed man, unhappy man, man alone, anxiety Man sitting on chair covering his eyes.Photo by christopher lemercier on Unsplash


I knew the answer, but it was so ridiculous that I didn't want to say it. I wanted to have something more substantial.
Something more profound.

But I didn't.

So I told him, 'Honestly? The dishes. It's stupid, I know, but the more I look at them the more I CAN'T do them because I'll have to scrub them before I put them in the dishwasher, because the dishwasher sucks, and I just can't stand and scrub the dishes.'

I felt like an idiot even saying it.

What kind of grown ass woman is undone by a stack of dishes? There are people out there with *actual* problems, and I'm whining to my therapist about dishes?

But he nodded in understanding and then said:

'Run the dishwasher twice.'


dishes, dish washer, plates, pots, pans, glasses Dishwasher and dishes.via commons.wikimedia.org

I began to tell him that you're not supposed to, but he stopped me.

'Why the hell aren't you supposed to? If you don't want to scrub the dishes and your dishwasher sucks, run it twice. Run it three times, who cares?! Rules do not exist.'

It blew my mind in a way that I don't think I can properly express. That day, I went home and tossed my smelly dishes haphazardly into the dishwasher and ran it three times. I felt like I had conquered a dragon.

The next day, I took a shower lying down. A few days later. I folded my laundry and put them wherever the f**k they fit. There were no longer arbitrary rules I had to follow, and it gave me the freedom to make accomplishments again. Now that I'm in a healthier place, I rinse off my dishes and put them in the dishwasher properly. I shower standing up. I sort my laundry.

But at a time when living was a struggle instead of a blessing, I learned an incredibly important lesson:

There are no rules.

Run the dishwasher twice."

washing dishes, dish washer, woman doing dishes, sink A woman washing dishes.via Canva/Photos

"For me it is not exactly that there are no rules, but I ask myself 'Whose rules are these?' 'Do I want them to be mine or can I come up with better ones?' No rules might work for some folks, but I like a little structure, the structure I supply and can alter if it is not working." Sam wrote in the comments.

"That is brilliant! Thank you for sharing that profound story. Isn’t it amazing how often we miss the faulty assumption that is stymying us? I’m glad to hear you are in a much better place now," Charlie added.

Anyone who has been in a mental or emotional place where even just the most basic, mundane tasks seem overwhelming understands the wisdom in this lesson. Dishes might seem like such a minor detail of life, but those kinds of minor details can be the straw that breaks the camel's back mentally. If you've never stared at a basket of laundry that would take three minutes to fold and thought, "Nope, can't do it. Not now. Maybe not ever..." then you may not need this lesson, but there are millions of people who appreciate the express permission to let go of the rules in our heads about how things have to be done.

Adjusting expectations and arbitrary ideas about how something works is incredibly freeing and can provide a seemingly temporary fix for a seemingly insurmountable problem. Oddly enough, though, that temporary fix can be the necessary bridge that gets someone from unable to cope with daily life things to functioning on a somewhat normal level.

Mental health is such a tricky thing to manage, and many of the tools for managing it run counter to what we might expect. That's what therapists are for—to help us step outside the box of our own brains, adjust our thoughts and behaviors to create greater possibilities for ourselves, and give us permission to reject the negative voices in our head try to keep us locked in unhelpful or unhealthy patterns.

Even when that unhelpful pattern is as simple as letting the dishes pile up instead of running the dishwasher twice.

This article originally appeared four years ago.

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What’s the science behind the summer ‘Cortisol Cocktail’ trend everyone’s talking about?

These mocktails purportedly support relaxation, stress reduction, and healthy adrenal function.

Photo credit: Canva

As non-alcoholic socializing grows, people are increasingly seeking non-booze options to unwind.

Science confirms what many of us already feel—we're stressed. The eighth edition of the Censis-Eudaimon report, which analyzes the relationship between work, companies, and employee well-being, revealed that 31.8% of people feel “close to burnout” due to workplace stress. Meanwhile, as non-alcoholic socializing continues to grow, with sober bars and events gaining popularity, people are seeking booze-free options to help them unwind. Enter the latest trend promising relaxation without the hangover: Cortisol Cocktails.

These viral drinks—available in various flavors and colors—are alcohol-free beverages made with ingredients that purportedly lower cortisol, restore energy, relieve tension, and balance hormones. But is this just a catchy, alliterative name? Or could cortisol cocktails actually deliver on their promises? Let's dive in.

woman, mocktail, drinking, juice, non-alcoholic Cortisol prepares your body for “fight or flight” situations, but shouldn't produce too much of it. Photo credit: Canva

So, what is cortisol?

First things first: Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced in the adrenal glands (which sit atop the kidneys), often called the “stress hormone” because your body releases more of it when facing physical or emotional stress. By regulating the body's stress response, cortisol prepares you for “fight or flight” situations. This isn't necessarily bad—producing cortisol is valuable for the body, as it plays a vital role in regulating metabolism, inflammation, and blood sugar levels, while helping to balance our circadian rhythm. However, like everything in life, beware of excess cortisol. While temporary increases are healthy and normal, chronically elevated cortisol keeps you in a constant state of stress and can lead to harmful long-term effects, including anxiety, depression, irritability, fatigue and sleep problems, increased weight gain (especially around the abdomen), and memory problems or brain fog.

The science behind cortisol mocktails

While there are plenty of ways to lower cortisol, like spending time in nature and maintaining positive social interactions, these solutions lack one thing: deliciousness. (Another non-delicious yet interesting cortisol fact: a 2023 study found that laughter is a great way to lower cortisol levels, noting that “spontaneous laughter is associated with greater reduction in cortisol levels as compared with usual activities, suggesting laughter as a potential adjunctive medical therapy to improve well-being.”)

Cortisol mocktails—also called “adrenal cocktails”—are alcohol-free beverages concocted with a medley of ingredients that purportedly support relaxation, stress reduction, and healthy adrenal function. While no drink can “cure” stress, these beverages contain ingredients that are associated with managing cortisol and offer other beneficial qualities.

via GIPHY

Research shows that adaptogens like ashwagandha, rhodiola, and holy basil help the body adapt to stress and may lower cortisol levels. The same goes for foods rich in vitamin C—think bright citrus fruits, berries, and pineapple. Meanwhile, a dash of magnesium can support muscle relaxation and stress response, and L-theanine (an amino acid found in green tea) promotes relaxation without causing drowsiness.


Three cortisol mocktail recipes to try this summer

(1) Tropical pineapple coconut mocktail

This refreshing drink combines pineapple and coconut water, creating a dynamic combo for supporting adrenal health. Pineapple is sweet and loaded with vitamin C, which is especially essential for adrenal function, as the glands use large amounts of it to produce stress hormones and combat oxidative stress. Coconut water, on the other hand, is naturally high in potassium, magnesium, and sodium: three electrolytes essential for maintaining fluid balance and proper adrenal gland activity.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup cubed pineapple
  • ¾ cup coconut water
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • ½ tsp monk fruit sweetener (or honey)
  • ¼ tsp sea salt

Instructions:

Blend all ingredients for 20–30 seconds until smooth. Pour over ice and enjoy. This tropical treat provides vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6—all while making you feel like you’re getting ready for a vacation.

group, mocktail, drinking, juice, non-alcoholic Green tea, pineapple, and coconut water are all associated with lowered cortisol levels. Photo credit: Canva

Calming matcha lemon balm mocktail

Green tea is a natural wonder, offering a ton of health benefits and bringing even energy without any jitters, spikes, or crashes. That’s because of its natural contents: caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes relaxation and supports healthy sleep and stress levels. A 2022 study found that increased consumption of green tea led to significantly reduced levels of elevated stress hormones like cortisol in teenagers.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sparkling water
  • ⅓ tsp matcha green tea powder
  • 1 inch cucumber, sliced
  • 2-3 fresh lemon balm leaves (or 1 lemon balm tea bag, brewed and cooled)
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Natural sweetener to taste
  • Ice

Instructions:

Muddle cucumber and lemon balm in a shaker. Add matcha, lime juice, sweetener, and ice. Shake well, strain into a glass, and top with sparkling water. Garnish with lime and cucumber slices.


woman, mocktail, drinking, juice, non-alcoholic Keep in mind, cortisol mocktails are not magic potions. Photo credit: Canva

Sleepy girl mocktail

Ideal for winding down, this delicious nightcap combines magnesium with the naturally occurring melatonin present in cherry juice that supports sleep and relaxation.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp magnesium powder (berry-flavored works great)
  • 2 oz organic tart cherry juice
  • 10 oz sparkling water
  • Ice

Instructions:

Combine magnesium powder and tart cherry juice in a glass. Top with sparkling water and ice. Sip in bliss as you prepare for a restful night.

via GIPHY

The bottom line

It’s important to keep in mind that cortisol mocktails aren’t magic potions. Don’t look to social media for cure-alls or for alternatives to medicine or a doctor’s advice, either.

“If you think there’s something wrong with your hormone levels, it’s so, so critical to seek the help of an endocrinologist instead of trying to do your own research to diagnose and treat yourself,” says Christine Byrne, dietitian and owner of Ruby Oak Nutrition, to CBS News. “Lots of influencers and wellness companies prey off people with difficult-to-diagnose symptoms by blaming these symptoms on vague problems like hormone imbalance or adrenal fatigue, then selling a supposed solution. But most of this stuff isn’t evidence-based or thoroughly tested.”

While these mocktails aren't substitutes for medical treatment of chronic stress, they offer a delicious and supportive addition to your stress-management routine. (Be sure to incorporate other essential lifestyle factors like adequate sleep, regular exercise, and stress management techniques like yoga and meditation.) The next time stress weighs heavily on you, remember that relief might be just a sip away. Cheers!

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Expert reveals 6 ways we've created 'a world our nervous system no longer wants to live in'

We're so out of balance.

via Canva/Photos

A map of the human nervous system and a stressed woman.

There has been an alarming increase in the number of Americans who experience chronic pain, disease, and mental illness. According to the White House, six in 10 Americans have at least one chronic disease, and four in 10 have two or more chronic diseases. A 2023 CNN survey found that 90% of Americans feel we are in a mental health crisis, and according to Pew Research, 38% more people are in mental health care since the onset of the pandemic than before.

What’s the cause of this rising tide of poor physical and mental health in the U.S.? Brittany Piper, a 36-year-old Somatic Experiencing practitioner and author of Body-First Healing, believes there is a single cause for this destructive trend. "It is my personal and professional belief that the drastic rise we are seeing in chronic physical and mental illness can be attributed to this one thing. Basically, we have created a world that our nervous system no longer wants to live in,” she said in a TikTok video with over 900,000 views.

@healwithbritt

We created a world our nervous system doesn't want to live in #survivalmode #chronicillness #anxietyrelief #chronicpain #mentalillness #nervoussystemregulation #fightflightfreeze

To explain her theory, she said we should look at our nervous system—the body’s command center that transmits brain signals throughout the body—as a security system. Whenever this system detects a perceived threat, it releases survival hormones into the body, such as adrenaline and cortisol, to prepare you for battle. “Now, as survival becomes priority number one, all of the other working systems within the brain and body, like your hormones, your immune system, digestion, muscular, skeletal, etc. These all fall to the back burner and become disrupted,” Piper posits.

Piper argues that prolonged exposure to these stressors means that we continue to produce stress hormones, creating a vicious cycle. “Walk through the doors of my practice every single day with my clients. Symptoms like anxiety, depression, burnout, fatigue, chronic illness, chronic pain, digestive issues, fibromyalgia, migraines, TMJ, dissociation, and so much more,” she said.

nervous system, stress, human body, healing, work, pain, chronic illness, therapy A stressed woman talking to her therapist.via Canva/Photos

Piper outlined six reasons why we are stuck in survival mode:

1. Pressure to succeed

2. Divisive political climate

3. A culture of emotional suppression

4. Unhealthy environment

5. Constant catastrophic news

6. Personal guilt

The good news is that Piper didn’t just describe the problem, but also shared six ways to heal our stressed nervous systems.

Six ways to heal a stressed nervous system

feet, water, hike, stream, healing, nature, boots A woman crossing a pond.via Canva/Photos

Step 1: Slow down

Permit yourself to slow down to the slowest part of you.

Step 2: Get into your body

Get out of your head and into your body, which is where your nervous system lives, operates, and constantly communicates with you through your emotions, feelings, and sensations.

Step 3: Become present

Your nervous system is always being pulled into the past or to the future. Instead, when you slow down, take the time to be present in the moment with your body and senses.

Step 4: Take time to validate

Acknowledge what sucks, what's hard in your life, what triggers you. But also take time to acknowledge the positive parts of your life.

Step 5: Focus on what you can control

Give more power to what you actually can control and influence.

Step 6: Regulate the chaos

Identify what regulates your nervous system. These could include activities such as nature play, co-regulation, spending time with family, music, expression, dance, and other forms of creative engagement.


Piper’s post brings up a very important question in American life: Has our dependence on technology, high-pressure work ethic, disconnection from nature, and culture, obsessed with negative news and division, finally reached the tipping point where the society we’ve created no longer bears any resemblance to the world in which we evolved to thrive? If so, how can we create a more harmonious way of living that fosters both health and material abundance?

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Depressed by the state of the world? Deepak Chopra shares the first step to finding joy again.

The author of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success shares his life-changing advice in an exclusive interview with Upworthy.

via Canva/Photos and Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons.

A depressed woman and Deepak Chopra.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult for people to shake the deep-seated sense of dread about where the world is headed. Every day, we are subjected to images of bombs dropping on civilians, massive icebergs falling into the ocean due to climate change, masked men pulling people off the streets for deportation, constant political chaos, and a culture changing so fast due to technology, it’s easy to be overwhelmed.

Added to this is a lingering sense of brokenness that persists from the COVID-19 pandemic era. The result is that in the United States, more people are being diagnosed with depression than ever before. To help our readers break free from the current sense of helplessness, we sat down with Deepak Chopra at Aspen Ideas: Health to hear his thoughts on overcoming depression.

Chopra is a Consciousness Explorer and a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. He is also a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization. He told Upworthy that the most common problem people ask him about these days is depression.

deepak chopra, wisdom, consciousness, deepak chopra wisdom, deepak chopra speech, deepak in the uk Deepak Chopra, author and guru, at the SXSW London festival hosted in London, England during June 2025.via Deepak Chopra/Wikimedia Commons

“It's just people in general right now are stressed, anxious, and depressed. And that's because of all the things that are happening in their environment, social ecosystem, political systems, war, climate change, health,” he told Upworthy. He notes that although tough times aren’t new, modern stress seems to take a deeper toll.

“Because we have modern capacities for war, drones, nuclear weapons, cyber warfare. And for the first time, I think we are risking extinction. [Instability] has been happening since Medieval times. But Medieval tribal bonds and modern technology is a dangerous combination. So it's much worse than it's ever been,” he said.

What's the first step to overcoming depression, according to Deepak Chopra?

depression, saddness, sad man, depressed man, mental health A man holding his head in his hands.via Canva/Photos

Chopra says that those who are experiencing depression or are just feeling down should ground themselves in their “essential being” (more on that later). But, more practically, they should spend time with people who lift them up. “Hang out with people who are joyful with only one purpose: to create joy in the world. Create joy for yourself. Hang out with joyful people and help create joy in the world,” he told Upworthy. “Joy is the only antidote for suffering. And joy is our fundamental state of being. It's not the same thing as happiness, which is the opposite of sadness. Joy is what you see in an innocent child that is happy for no reason whatsoever. It's our fundamental state of being before we get bamboozled by the hypnosis of social conditioning.”

To find out what Chopra means by being “grounded in your essential being,” we consulted his digital twin at DigitalDeepak.AI. Chopra has created an AI that encapsulates all of his teachings throughout his illustrious career, allowing everyone to access his wisdom at any time.


The concept of essential being, according to Digital Deepak:

Being grounded in your essential being is about connecting with the deepest part of yourself—the true self that exists beyond the fluctuations of the mind and the distractions of daily life. It is about recognizing that, at your core, you are pure consciousness —a field of infinite possibilities and potential.

When you are grounded in this essential state, you experience a profound sense of peace and stability. You become anchored in a state of awareness that transcends the temporary and ever-changing nature of the external world. This grounding allows you to navigate life's challenges with a sense of ease and fearlessness, as you are deeply connected to the eternal power within you.


Sometimes, we can become so overwhelmed by world events that it's easy to overlook the basic things we need to be happy and healthy. That's why Chopra's belief in the importance of maintaining positive social relationships with others, especially during stressful times, is crucial to our mental well-being. If you are feeling down, it's essential to get out and spend time with positive, uplifting people. But it's also crucial to get help from a trained mental health professional.

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