Hi! I’m Katie, and I’m a cultural and social psychologist—but you can think of me as your BFF with a PhD. I live in the desert of Texas alongside the cacti, roadrunners, and horned lizards. If you’re looking to understand your inner landscape and the whirlwind of the world around you, I hope you find something of value here. Make sure to subscribe—and you won’t miss a beat! Thank you so much for being here.
I love to write about the importance of keeping a regular dopamine hit list and how this practice can enrich our daily lives.
If you’re new to the concept or want to learn more, you can read my latest post about it here:
I love to write articles where I share what’s on my personal hit list each week.
Think of it as your antidote to doom-scrolling and your weekly wee boost of artisanal inspiration.
You can slow scroll, sip it like a cosy cuppa, and gather fresh insight for how you might want to fill your dopamine hit list each week.
These are some of my favorite posts to write! I love them—because I also get to hear from you in the comments about what you’re loving throughout your week, too.
So, in the spirit of finding joy in the everyday—here’s what’s landing on the top of my chart this autumn.
☕︎ This article on rewilding the internet. I’m always sucked in by any title that claims to be “rewilding” anything. I also love anything making an attempt to cleverly mesh technology with nature. The article is a reinvisioning of where the Internet could go now that we’ve landed in this place of ick and overwhelm. It’s been my personal opinion for some time now that the Internet needs to evolve itself or we’re all going down on the ship together. This article is a great start on brainstorming where to go from here.
☕︎ On the topic of meshing technology with nature, I just finished reading The Wild Robot by Peter Brown and WOW! It’s such a touching and inspiring story, encouraging us to break down the false dichotomy pitting technology against nature. I am so excited to see the movie now, which just released in the US. I closed the cover, having finished the last page, and immediately jumped onto YouTube to binge all the movie trailers over a good, long cry. It’s this quote from the movie that gets me every time:
“Sometimes to survive, we must become more than we were programmed to be.”
I’ll check back in once I’ve seen the film. As a sidenote, if you’re looking to read more but struggle to, one of my recommendations is to start with a good Middle Grade novel. They’re usually quick, easy reads (since they’re written for littles)—which can result in a smooth and seamless dopamine hit.
☕︎ Finding Fraser by kc dyer is the most joyful book I have read in a long time. I did not want it to end. You know those books—you’re so full of joy once you’ve reached the end, but the ending also brings a sense of loss. You have to almost give it a proper farewell before putting it back on the shelf, returning it to the library, or handing it over to its original owner. Inspired by Diana Gabaldon's #1 New York Times bestselling Outlander series, the book follows the fictional journey of Emma who sells all of her belongings and leaves the US for Scotland on a mission to find her very own Jamie Fraser. This book is hilarious, endearing, and an easy read—absolute perfection for any Outlander fan. If you have any tangible connection to the spaces and places of Scotland—bonus points!—you will especially love this book!
☕︎ Since we’re officially knee-deep in autumn and I am in between my regular binge-worthy shows—I am watching Gilmore Girls from top to bottom.
I’ve never actually watched an episode of Gilmore Girls. That may come as a surprise to you, as much as I prefer the season of autumn and delight in holding a cup of hot something in my hands. But, it’s true! I guess, in the Gilmore Girls era, I was too caught up in college life—and now that I think of it, I’m not even sure I had cable circa 2001.
Anyway, I have absolutely been loving it. In fact, I’m obsessed. It’s the perfectly-seasoned, simple dopamine hit. One of my favorite dopamine hits is always one where I can “turn off my brain”, as I like to say. And, this show is that for me.
My favorite character is Loralei. Although I found her incredibly annoying at first—I also have come to love-hate Emily Gilmore and eat up every episode that highlights her. If you’re a Gilmore Girls fan—without any spoilers (I haven’t finished the entirety of the show yet)—tell me in the comments below who is your fave!
I love it, because the relationship between Loralei and Rory is so non-traditional but also so incredibly healthy. #goals for me. The breaking of so many Western norms is refreshing, and the rich community feel of Stars Hollow is incredibly charming. I think this is what human existence was designed to look like. If only we all had such a robust sense of belonging and support in our towns. Do you have that where you currently reside? Tell us about it in the comments!
I’m in the second season, so again—please save me from any spoilers. If I’m honest, I think my favorite part of the show has been reliving the late 90s/early 2000s culture. It’s hitting that nostalgia for me—in a good way. Like cosying up in my warm, giant Big Blanket.
☕︎ I don’t make too many splurges for myself these days, but this may be the one. Ffern is a natural fragrance maker based in the UK that works a bit like a subscription. Once you are placed on the ledger, you receive a new bottle four times per year. Each quarterly batch is made in tandem with the season—so in a year’s time, you will receive one bottle that coincides with the Spring Equinox, the Summer Solstice, the Autumn Equinox, and the Winter Solstice. It’s truly a lovely experience.
There’s this from their website:
“At Ffern, we use natural ingredients and artisan techniques to create fine fragrances inspired by the seasons.”
I just received my bottle of the Autumn ‘24 batch. Aged and bottled in Somerset, England, this batch has soft notes of pear, floral tones of jasmine and davana, and a warm, gently spiced base of myrrh and caraway seed. Each bottle comes with a looseleaf tea designed to accompany the fragrance, a handmade terracotta diffusion stone, and a coordinating art print. This season’s bottle also came with a recipe for quince pies which inspired this season’s fragrance.
Here’s a cinematic experience made by Ffern to pair with this season’s batch. Enjoy!
Bonus gold stars for Ffern include their impeccable customer service + their allergy-friendly model. They openly reveal each individual ingredient in every season’s bottle. The experience is absolute perfection. 10/10 highly recommend!
That’s it for this week’s edition of psychologie. I hope you’ve found some inspiration by taking a glimpse into what I’ve been loving this autumn. Maybe it’s even left you with a few fresh ideas for your own dopamine hit list!
As much as I love to wax poetically about all of my faves in true monologue style, I most love when everything here at psychologie feels like a conversation. I would love to know what you have on your dopamine hit list this week. So, please tell me what you have been loving in the comments below!
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Cover art by Alena Ganzhela used under license
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