Lifestyle

Want To Write for Well+Good? Start Here

Well+Good encourages pitches from freelancers with fresh ideas. But please read the pitching guidelines before contacting our editorial staff.

alt
Photo: Getty Images/Westend61
Updated Sep 29, 2023

Written by 

Well+Good Editors

First things first…

Interested in writing for Well+Good? Great! We’re happy you’re here. Each month, a large percentage of Well+Good’s content comes from freelancers, and we’re always excited about new, fresh voices and perspectives.

(If you’re a publicist, potential advertiser, or are looking for information regarding pitching video or events talent, please visit our Contact Us page.)

Before pitching, please review the guidelines below and do the following:

  • Spend some time reading Well+Good. While we’ve briefly outlined below the topic areas and story formats we publish, the best way for you to get a sense of our tone and scope is to cozy up for some quality time with the site. While you’re there, please also check to see if we’ve already covered the idea you’re about to pitch—by far, the top reason we turn down pitches is because we’ve published similar pieces in the past.
  • Google your own idea. It might seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised by how often we’re pitched stories that are very close to articles we’ve seen in other health and wellness publications. We’re looking for original stories and angles, so if your pitch has been widely covered in a similar way by other titles, we likely won’t approve it.

Also note: We do not accept stories on spec; please submit pitches only, not pre-written articles. Once your pitch is approved, you’ll begin a collaborative editorial process with your assigning editor. This will include no more than two rounds of revisions.

Pitching format

We accept all pitches on a rolling basis. Your pitch should include the following:

A working headline: This will give us a sense of the story’s tone and angle. What’s your unique hook?

advertisement

A brief description: What will the story cover, how will it be framed, and what questions are you hoping to answer? We understand that some of this will be determined during your reporting and writing process, but a few sentences on what inspired the piece (a trend? a study?) and how you are conceptualizing it is important.

We solicit and publish personal essays, “I Tried It” pieces (like this, this, and this), multi-expert reported features, market and commerce roundups, and op-eds. We do NOT accept previously published articles or blog posts.

Sources: The vast majority of the content published at Well+Good includes original reporting. Who would you like to speak to for your story? Please name specific people and brands or types of people (e.g., an OB/GYN, a chef, an LGBTQ+ advocate, a women’s history scholar, et al.).

A brief bio and clips: You should include a line or two about who you are and what you bring to the table as a writer, including any certifications or degrees (i.e., why are you the best one to tell this story?). Also include samples of your past work (links, not attachments, and/or a portfolio website).

Topic areas

Health and mental health:

Mind, body, and community health are crucial to one’s overall well-being. We’re looking for stories that use expert intel, research, and real-life experience to inform our audience about the health issues that most affect them, with an emphasis on removing stigma around “taboo” topics.

We do NOT publish stories that are overly medical, diagnostic, or fear-mongering. Ask yourself: Would this article feel at home on WebMD? If so, it’s probably not for us.

Contact: Betty Gold, Senior Food Editor; [email protected] or Jennifer Heimlich, Senior Fitness Editor; [email protected]

advertisement

Food and Nutrition:

Food is often one of the most personal expressions of people’s values, cultures, and traditions. At Well+Good, we believe that healthy eating can and should be accessible, simple, and joyful—and that there is no one way of eating that’s right for everyone. As such, we’re looking for expert-driven nutrition stories, personal essays or experiences, and well-researched thought pieces about how food, health, and culture intersect. We’re not interested in stories that encourage or provide advice for dieting in order to lose weight.

Contact: Betty Gold, Senior Food Editor; [email protected]

Lifestyle:

Lifestyle is a broad umbrella covering relationships, sex, career and financial advice, astrology, and meditation and mindfulness practices. As with all our content, we’re looking for stories that capture how these areas impact one’s physical, mental, emotional, and/or spiritual well-being.

With our sex content, we prioritize pleasure for all and are looking for pitches that share tips from sex-positive, inclusive thought leaders with backgrounds in sexual health, psychology, and relationship therapy. For instance, we are not interested in telling our readers to “Learn These 9 Sex Moves To Blow His Mind,” but we’d love to bust myths about masturbation, explain how porn can be a healthy addition to partnered and non-partnered sex, or share foreplay tips for enhancing your pleasure without having orgasm as the goal (to name a few).

Contact: Erica Sloan, Senior Lifestyle Editor; [email protected]

Travel:

Well+Good’s travel coverage highlights wellness-oriented destinations and activities around the U.S. and abroad; how travel can act as a means of self care, empowerment, or growth; and personal stories of how travel has impacted your life and well-being.

advertisement

Please note that we unfortunately cannot guarantee coverage in order to secure freelancer spots on press trips.

Contact: Erica Sloan, Senior Lifestyle Editor; [email protected]

Beauty:

Our beauty coverage emphasizes the health of your hair, skin, and nails, taking a deep dive into products’ ingredients lists and using expert intel and new research to explain the science behind how and why they work. We’re also looking for pitches that speak to beauty as a form of self-expression or self care, highlighting how our highly individualized beauty routines (at every price point!) make us feel.

Contact:

Fitness:

There are lots of reasons to sweat—mental health, strength, just feeling good—and we’re looking for stories that speak to each and any of them. We know that fitness can be cost prohibitive and intimidating for some readers, so we like pitches that offer affordable alternatives and help break down complex concepts into easily accessible and informative stories. At the same time, we know that fitness is at the heart of many people’s wellness routines, so we welcome trend-forward features that shed a light on innovative new technologies, ways to sweat, and trainers who can make fitness easy.

We do NOT focus on fitness as solely a weight-loss measure, and “bikini bodies” and “six-pack abs” have no place at Well+Good.

Contact: Jennifer Heimlich, Senior Fitness Editor; [email protected]

Other:

Have an idea that doesn’t fit into one of the above buckets?Contact: Alexis Berger, Deputy Editor; [email protected]

advertisement

Have an idea that centers around a product or products? (Do you want to pitch a “shoppable” story?)Contact: Frankie Krempa, Commerce Editor; [email protected]

For SEO writing opportunities:Contact: Jamie Thilman, Senior Growth Editor; [email protected]

Rates

Your rate will be agreed upon at the time of assignment. While our standard rates are noted as a reference point below, we understand that not every article fits nicely into one of those buckets, and accordingly, all rates are subject to editor discretion and negotiation.

If, after two rounds of revisions, your editor decides not to move forward with your article, you will be paid a “kill fee” equivalent to 50% of your agreed upon rate.

For reported pieces:

Tier 1: $150-$350 (500-800 words, 0-2 sources)Tier 2: $350-$500 (800-1,200 words, 3-4 sources)Tier 3: $500+ (1,200+ words, heavily reported)

For personal essays and op-eds:

Tier 1: $200-$400 (600-1,000 words)Tier 2: $400+ (1,000+ words)

advertisement

Thank you—we look forward to reading your pitches!

Sign Up for Our Daily Newsletter

Get all the latest in wellness, trends, food, fitness, beauty, and more delivered right to your inbox.

LifestyleMindfulness

What Would You Tell Your Younger Self? The Power of Narrative Therapy

Psychologists say reflecting on and writing down your life experiences has unexpected mental health benefits

An older woman and younger women are seen running on a beach.
Stocksy / BONNINSTUDIO
Published Feb 20, 2025

Written by 

Hannah Yasharoff

What would you tell your younger self? And how would you reflect on your life so far?

advertisement

There's a new TikTok trend, inspired by a poem by writer Jennae Cecelia, where creators imagine they just got coffee with their younger selves. Each "version" takes turns expressing how they feel at their point in life. The younger version leaves the coffee date feeling the support and love they perhaps didn't have earlier, and the older version comes away with more clarity on how much they’ve grown, persevered, and learned.

"[My younger self] said she always felt like she made the wrong decision," wrote creator @hello.kelsie in a TikTok video that has amassed nearly two million views. "I told her I [now] never second-guessed myself." 

Even Barbara Corcoran got in on the TikTok trend, looking back on how she went from “scared” waitress to fearless real estate mogul. 

It may feel like a silly premise, but the trend actually mirrors a rising therapeutic technique: narrative therapy, which involves lots of self-reflection and putting on your creative writing cap.

The concept? Physically writing down your experiences or sharing stories of what happened in your life can help you break out of negative thought patterns, stereotypes, and other societal messaging. 

"The stories we tell ourselves can become self-fulfilling prophecies," therapist Jordan Madison, LCMFT, tells Well+Good. Narrative therapy is all about looking at the big picture from an outsider's perspective, which can help keep you from internalizing problems or focusing only on the negative. If you understand the story of your own life, you can better figure out how to rewrite the next chapter to your liking. 

Author your life story

There's some research to back up the benefits of narrative therapy. One study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology explored how a person's storytelling skills are related to their sense of meaning in life. Through a series of surveys, researchers found that across the board, test subjects who were dubbed better storytellers (by themselves, strangers, and those close to them) also had a stronger sense of purpose, meaning, and growth. 

Christine Pride, a longtime memoir publisher and author of the upcoming novel All the Men I’ve Loved Again, understands the power of someone writing down their story—both for the author and the readers. Pride jokes that she sometimes feels like a writer's therapist as they're working on a memoir together. And though being an author isn't quite the same as booking an appointment with a licensed professional, the steps of journaling for your mental health and writing a memoir for public consumption might be more similar than you'd think.

"There's a lot of personal writing that can be really helpful and therapeutic," Pride says, citing things like morning pages or writing letters you never intend to send in order to help yourself make sense of what you experienced. 

In narrative therapy, it's also helpful to get everything off your chest via journaling before pulling back to notice which storylines keep popping up. After that, there's something to be said for pretending to be an outside observer, reading someone else's story. What unhelpful thought patterns do you keep seeing?

"Reframing and noticing patterns are huge tools in boosting your mental health," Madison says. “When you realize patterns you’re participating in, and that you have the power to change them, it helps you to feel less stuck and work on small habits and changes in thoughts and behaviors to do things differently." 

advertisement

How to try narrative therapy techniques for yourself

So you're intrigued by the concept of narrative therapy—what's next? Book that coffee date, buy your younger self that Frappuccino they love, and get reflecting. (And, of course, you can also book an appointment with a licensed mental health professional who can help you work through your thoughts.) If you're flying solo, try these expert-approved tips to get started:

Ask yourself the right questions
When journaling, it may help to have specific prompts to guide you. Madison recommends implementing the following questions as you reflect: 

  • What is the narrative I have about this situation? 
  • How does this story affect my thoughts, emotions, and behaviors? 
  • Who are the characters in this story, and what are the roles they play? 
  • When was the first time I created this story, and what situation made it develop? 
  • What events or experiences contributed to this narrative? 
  • Have there been times when this story wasn't true? 
  • What is a more empowering narrative I can begin to tell myself instead?

Write like nobody will read it 
While editing memoirs, Pride sometimes notices writers holding back the real emotional crux of their story because they're worried about how those close to them might react. Whether you're writing for yourself or an audience, you won't find the true meaning of your story until you're 100% honest with yourself. 

"You can't write your story honestly if you're censoring yourself along the way based on fearing what your mom or cousin is going to say about it," she says. 

(However, if you're actually publishing your life story, those close to you are going to have opinions, which you may need to mentally prepare for.) 

Don't expect to fix everything right away
Writing the story of your life will take some time. Pride says that not only is that OK, but it's actually beneficial. More time means you might better understand the full arc of your story. 

"You have to have distance," Pride says. "I tell people they can't really be objective without some distance, and sometimes that distance equates to time."

When you hug your younger self goodbye at the end of your coffee date, promise to keep in touch—the more you two get to know each other, the better you'll feel in the long run. 

Sign Up for Our Daily Newsletter

Get all the latest in wellness, trends, food, fitness, beauty, and more delivered right to your inbox.

Food

Food Trends Come and Go, But Kombucha Is Forever—Here’s Why, According to an RD

Here's what an RD has to say about the kombucha trend, why it's held such staying power, and what to look for when you're stocking up.

alt
Photo: W+G Creative
Published Feb 3, 2025

In Partnership With 

GT's Living Foods

Written by 

Well+Good Editors

There was the low-fat craze of the 1990s and 2000s. The ‘10s rolled in with celery juice, Impossible burgers, and truffle oil on everything—followed by whipped coffee, feta pasta, and the gazillion other viral #foodtok moments of the current decade. Try to keep up with the latest food trends, and you’re in for a quite a ride.

advertisement

There’s nothing wrong with opting into the (literal) flavor of the month—but when it comes to nutrition, it’s worth paying special attention to the foods and drinks that have lasted longer than a season. For registered dietitian Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD, kombucha is high on that list of long-standing staples.

According to Google Trends, the kombucha trend entered the wellness mainstream around 2017—but Manaker notes that its history stretches back thousands of years, originating as a traditional fermented drink in East Asia. “What has given kombucha such remarkable staying power, compared to other fleeting food and beverage trends, lies in its unique combination of health benefits, historical significance, and overall appeal,” she says.

Back to the ’90s for a minute: That sacred, historical significance of kombucha is what inspired a California teenager named GT Dave to eschew the food trends of the day in favor of a—at the time—less popular way of supporting his and his family’s health. In 1995, Dave was gifted an heirloom Himalayan SCOBY (or symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, the living culture used to ferment kombucha). He was intrigued by the healing effects he’d seen firsthand when his mother was sick, so he began crafting his own homemade kombucha. His at-home hobby turned into SYNERGY, The Real Kombucha, and a suite of other probiotic-rich, living foods.

This year, GT’s Living Foods celebrates 30 years of crafting kombucha the real way: traditionally fermented with heirloom cultures for billions of living probiotics. While other health trends have come and gone, it’s clear Dave was ahead of the curve all those years ago.

Here’s what Manaker has to say about why the kombucha trend is so much more than just a passing fad, the health benefits of the drink, and why it’s worthy of a forever spot in your daily wellness routine.

The health benefits of kombucha

The secret to foods that outlast all the fads? They strike the balance of nutritious, tasty, and generally low-effort. Done, done, and done: According to Manaker, the health benefits of kombucha are wide-ranging—and its delicious, tangy taste is the cherry (or guava, or pomelo, or strawberry) on top.

First and foremost, studies suggest that drinking kombucha may help boost your gut health, which has a major effect on your overall well-being. “Kombucha is a source of probiotics, which are beneficial microorganisms that support gut health by balancing the gut microbiome,” Manaker says. “A healthy gut microbiome is linked to improved digestion, immune health, and nutrient absorption.”

Some kombucha contains polyphenols and bioactive compounds, which Manaker says may help manage inflammation in the body, as well as antioxidants, which help combat oxidative stress by neutralizing harmful free radicals. “Data highlights that the consumption of antioxidant-rich beverages like kombucha can support overall cellular health and potentially reduce the risk of chronic diseases,” she says.

To reap its full benefits, Manaker recommends sipping kombucha daily. “Consistent consumption helps colonize the gut with the beneficial probiotics found in this fermented beverage, supporting a balanced and healthy microbiome over time,” she says—with the caveat that not all kombucha is created equal. Choose one that contains live probiotics and diverse strains (like SYNERGY, The Real Kombucha), she says, because these ingredients contribute more actively to gut health.

Why the kombucha trend has such staying power

From Manaker’s POV, the “kombucha trend” has withstood decades (correction, centuries) of changing food-and-beverage tides because it’s equal parts nutritious and delicious. “A growing awareness of gut health and its importance to overall well-being has kept kombucha in the spotlight,” she says. “Its natural probiotics and enzymes support a balanced microbiome, which in turn promotes digestion, immunity, and even potentially mental health.”

advertisement

And beyond its health benefits? “Kombucha’s distinct, tangy, and slightly effervescent flavor profile has helped it gain a loyal following as a delicious and refreshing alternative to sugary sodas or artificial drinks,” Manaker says.

What to look for in a quality kombucha

“When choosing a kombucha brand, it’s essential to prioritize quality, ingredients, and sourcing,” Manaker says. She looks for options that are raw, organic, unpasteurized (to help preserve the live probiotics and enzymes, she says), and grown by the traditional fermentation process. “Transparency about the ingredients and brewing process is another key factor,” she adds. “Opt for brands that list exactly what they use without hidden sugars or synthetic flavorings.”

GT’s SYNERGY checks every one of her kombucha boxes. She loves the small-batch brewing and weeks-long fermentation process, which separates GT’s from most other kombuchas on the market *and* boosts its nutritional value. “It’s clear [GT’s Living Foods] never cuts corners—each bottle is raw, unpasteurized, and free from artificial flavors, which only enhances the natural and refreshing experience. And since it is made with real tea, it naturally contains antioxidants to support my brain health.”

Manaker’s go-to for a little well-being boost is Pomelo Pink Lemonade, but you can’t go wrong with any of SYNERGY’s 23 fizzy flavors. Try them all and find your favorite—and then make kombucha a forever thing in your life.

Sign Up for Our Daily Newsletter

Get all the latest in wellness, trends, food, fitness, beauty, and more delivered right to your inbox.

All Stories

Health

Fact or Fiction: Are Wireless Headphones Actually Bad For Your Brain?

Our experts share whether these handy devices are friends...or foes.

by Jaime Osnato
on Feb 20
young woman in orange sweater listening to music on wireless headphones over a mobile app while sitting on a comfortable green sofa
Health

8 Life Hacks You *Need* to Use to Build a Consistent (and Realistic) Morning Routine

Trust us, this works even if you're not a morning person.

by Rebecca Strong
on Feb 20
Cheerful woman enjoying morning coffee in bed while reading a book and using a mint green blanket
bySumo Citrus

The Making of an Internet-Famous Fruit: How Sumo Citrus Has Captured Hearts, Tastebuds, and a Devoted Following

by Maeve McCormick
on Feb 20
photo of growers transporting many sumo citrus for review
Food
Cooking
Recipes

5 Tips for Creating the Perfect Brunch When You Have Food Allergies

Plus, an exclusive recipe from Chef Ashley Lonsdale, the chef-in-residence at ButcherBox.

by Kelsey Kloss
on Feb 20
a chickpea pancake in a black cast iron pan on a wood cutting board surrounded by salad plates and smoked salmon
Fitness
Fitness Tips

“I’m an Exercise Physiologist—Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Cortisol Spikes When You Do HIIT Workouts.” 

There’s a difference between chronic stress and making your body work during workouts.

by Jennifer Heimlich
on Feb 20
woman sweating in the gym