Ask Polly

Home
Archive
About
Workshop: What stories did you tell in order to survive?
Which old narratives still serve you, and which are holding you back?
 • 
Heather Havrilesky
120
'I'm Pretty Sure My Writing is Pure Trash!'
Learning to write means learning to love your garbage with all of your heart.
 • 
Heather Havrilesky
12
Speak Up.
Avoiding conflict at all costs is common today, and it's unhealthy.
 • 
Heather Havrilesky
16
'I Like Birbs!'
This parable has a moral.
 • 
Heather Havrilesky
106
'Should I Follow My Much-Older Boyfriend to a State Where I Don't Want to Live?'
Sometimes the age gap isn't all it's cracked up to be.
 • 
Heather Havrilesky
76
Embracing Totality
How to stop worrying and say yes to whatever comes next.
 • 
Heather Havrilesky
30
'My Boyfriend Dumped Me After I Got Out of the Hospital with Long Covid!'
You don't need dismissive resolutions. You just need to open your heart wider and trust yourself more.
 • 
Heather Havrilesky
23
'I'm Afraid to Write About Myself!'
Daring to tell your own story is a revolutionary act.
 • 
Heather Havrilesky
8

March 2024

'Was It Even Real?'
Making an expressive, sensitive man your best friend can be an exercise in disappointment.
 • 
Heather Havrilesky
38
Love Doesn't Evaporate
Don't protect yourself from loss, pain, regret, and hope.
 • 
Heather Havrilesky
19
Tolerating Unknowns Will Make You Stronger
Learning not to flail and fight and flee in the face of big questions opens your heart, mind, and body to a more deeply connected, satisfying existence.
 • 
Heather Havrilesky
31
'Should I Leave My 12-Year-Old Daughter Behind to Pursue My Dreams?'
In a word? No.
 • 
Heather Havrilesky
64
© 2024 Heather Havrilesky
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture