Wellness Wednesday Issue #166

🧯Learn simple de-escalation moves to keep things calm, safe, and productive.

👩‍💼 Mastering the balance between personal and professional starts with clear boundaries as a boss.

🪜 Climbing the ladder is optional when the career jungle gym might offer more flexibility.

👗 Streamline your closet with versatile fashion that actually keeps up.

I’m not a financial advisor. I’m just a first-gen girl with immigrant parents who has had to navigate financial wealth as a pioneer in my family, and I like seeing my Stash portfolio go up, my 401K savings go up, and my other investments go up.

So in an effort to keep us all in the loop, I got curious: what’s popping in the stock market lately? What global trends are causing certain sectors to drop or increase? How is global politics impacting stocks?

Now, if you’re a financial guru, this article may not be for you. But if you’re a novice and want to know the up and up in the stock market, let’s dive in.

Top stocks that have been crushing it since 2023

These are companies that have shown very strong returns over the last several years:

The AI and Tech Giants:

• NVIDIA (NVDA): One of the top S&P 500 performers in 2023-2024, central to AI infrastructure with triple-digit gains
• Microsoft (MSFT): Key driver of S&P 500 gains from cloud and AI
• Meta (META): Huge rebound from cost cuts and ad recovery Alphabet
• (GOOGL): Dominant in search, cloud, and AI
• Amazon (AMZN): Strong growth from e-commerce and AWS cloud
• Apple (AAPL): Core mega-cap winner with strong long-term returns
• Broadcom (AVGO): Strong returns tied to semiconductors and AI networking

The Standouts:

• Palantir (PLTR): Triple-digit annual returns from AI and defense data exposure
• Tesla (TSLA): Volatile, but high multi-year ROI
• Shopify (SHOP): Massive multi-year winner with strong rebound
• MicroStrategy (MSTR): Extreme returns tied to Bitcoin’s bull market

These stocks aren’t just doing well, they’re driving over half of the S&P 500’s gains in recent years.

How global politics and trends are moving sectors

Several big global forces are pushing some sectors up and others down, and politics is now a key driver rather than background noise.

• Higher interest rates help cash-rich sectors (energy, financials, defense) but hurt highly leveraged growth stocks.
• Supply chain rewiring benefits industrials, logistics, and automation as companies reduce geopolitical exposure (U.S. vs. China).
• AI spending is boosting tech, chips, and data centers, but pressuring traditional software that AI might replace.
• Energy security supports infrastructure and critical-minerals miners as governments balance renewables with energy independence.
• Tariffs and trade wars spike volatility and hit export-driven sectors like autos, semiconductors, and luxury goods when headlines surprise.
• Wars and defense spending push up defense and cybersecurity stocks while weighing on airlines and tourism.
• U.S.-China competition is reshaping where factories and data centers get built through export controls and tech bans.

The quick mental model: Cyclical sectors benefit from re-shoring and defense spending. Growth/tech benefits from AI but faces overvaluation risk. Defensive assets like utilities and gold catch flows when geopolitical shocks spike volatility.

What financial experts are recommending right now

Since January 2025, the stocks most mentioned as “good investments” are dominated by the “Magnificent 7”: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, Tesla, and Nvidia. These seven are repeatedly described as central to long-term growth and AI themes.

Beyond the Magnificent 7, AI-related stocks like Micron Technology (MU), Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), and Lam Research (LRCX) are heavily featured in “best AI stocks to buy” lists.

Stocks financial experts are wary of (and why)

Not everything is a good bet. Here’s what the smart money is cautious about:

AI bubble risks: Many analysts are warning about classic bubble signs like euphoric narratives, heavy retail trading, and huge capital flows chasing “the next Nvidia.” Smaller AI companies with no profits are particularly risky.

Unprofitable growth stocks: Companies with persistent losses, weak cash flow, and high debt are flagged as risky, especially if interest rates stay high.

GLP-1 obesity drug stocks: While weight-loss drugs are medically transformative, analysts are wary that current valuations already assume very optimistic scenarios around pricing, insurance coverage, and long-term use.

Software vulnerable to AI disruption: Some enterprise software companies could get squeezed as AI automates their functions, making them less valuable.

What about energy, gold, and Bitcoin?

Energy: Energy stocks delivered modest gains in 2025 but lagged the S&P 500. Experts recommend refiners and pipelines for stable cash flows over pure oil producers.

Gold: After a strong 2025, some institutions project gold reaching $4,000-$5,000 per ounce, driven by high global debt and currency concerns. But short-term volatility is expected.

Bitcoin: Discussion has shifted from “pure speculation” to “increasingly institutional.” With over $100 billion in ETF assets, it’s maturing but still extremely volatile. Most experts recommend small allocation sizes and disciplined rebalancing.

My takeaway

Hopefully, you found that helpful. Now we’re both a little more aware of what’s doing well, what’s risky, and how global politics is actually moving markets. If I choose to invest, I know where the momentum is (AI and tech) and where the caution flags are (speculative AI plays, unprofitable companies, and overhyped sectors).

But, remember that past performance doesn’t guarantee future results. Do your own research. Talk to a financial advisor if you’re making big moves.

And most importantly? Don’t invest money you can’t afford to lose!

Thania (TA Content Mgr)

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Every single TA staff member belongs to the go-to-therapy club and we are proud of it. Somewhere along the way, we stopped whispering about therapy and started talking about it the way we talk about workouts or podcasts. It comes up in team meetings, Slack, and in casual check-ins. “My therapist said…” has become a completely normal sentence around here.

We have normalized growth in our day-to-day interactions. And honestly, it has made us better. Better coworkers. Better leaders. Better humans.

So we thought we would share some of the therapy aha moments that shifted us. The sentences that reframed something. The tools we now use without even thinking about it.

Because sometimes one line is all it takes to see yourself differently.

Thania’s aha: “Be unafraid to be seen. It takes time to un-do limiting beliefs and instead believe what you know God has placed into your soul.”

I didn’t realize how much my external world has shaped me and contributed to my limiting beliefs.

Parents, sibling dynamics, boyfriends, friends, educational institutions, society, patriarchy, and so much more has caused me to constrict and shrink in ways I hadn’t considered.

I was subconsciously living with a whisper of, “Well, who do you think you are? You’re good but not that good.”

Instead, I have to lean into remembering who the F I am, and living the God-given purpose I know has been placed into my soul. Point blank, period. No questions asked.

Oh and, everyone needs therapy. If they don’t believe in therapy they probably need it the most. Therapy is the best soul medicine you could give yourself when it comes to personal growth.

Cameron’s Aha: “I’m not in danger. I’m just uncomfortable.”

I grew up believing rest wasn’t productive. If I wasn’t doing something useful, I was lazy or not contributing. As an adult, that turned into constant busyness, anxiety around unfinished to-dos, and a deep discomfort with slowing down.

A big therapy breakthrough was learning to separate discomfort from danger. My nervous system treated them as the same thing. Now, when I feel the urge to overwork or panic about my to-do list, I pause and remind myself: nothing is wrong, nothing is unsafe. I’m just uncomfortable.

Learning to sit with discomfort instead of outrunning it with productivity has been incredibly freeing.

Joanna’s aha: “Check the facts. Then communicate clearly.”

I used to react to what I thought someone meant instead of what they actually said.

A big shift for me was using the “Check the Facts” worksheet. It forced me to slow down and separate observable facts from the story I was layering on top. What were the exact words? What was objectively said? What evidence did I actually have for my interpretation?

More often than not, I realized I was filling in gaps with insecurity, past experiences, or assumptions. Taking five minutes to analyze the facts instead of spiraling into my perception saved me from unnecessary conflict, and a lot of internal stress.

The second tool that changed everything was the DEAR MAN framework, which stands for:

• Describe the situation
• Express how you feel
• Assert what you need
• Reinforce why it matters

While staying

• Mindful (don’t get derailed)
• Appearing confident
• Negotiating when needed

It gave me a structure for hard conversations. Instead of over-explaining, shutting down, or getting emotional mid-convo, I could walk through it step by step. It made my communication calmer, cleaner, and more effective.

My biggest takeaway from therapy? Not every thought is a fact, and clear communication is a skill you can learn and practice.

Kristel’s aha: “I can clarify once, then let it be.”

I used to struggle with guilt all the time. Even when I hadn’t done anything wrong, I would replay conversations in my head and worry about what the other person thought I meant. I would rewrite texts, overthink my tone, and keep circling the moment like I needed to defend myself.

Therapy helped me realize a lot of what I called guilt was actually anxiety wearing a guilt costume.

One of the most helpful shifts was learning the difference between clean guilt and sticky guilt. Clean guilt shows up when I missed the mark and need to repair something. Sticky guilt shows up when I feel responsible for someone else’s reaction, or when I assume I was misunderstood and punish myself for it.

Now, when the spiral starts, I do a quick reset:

• What are the facts of what I actually said or did?
• What was my intention?
• Is there anything to repair?

If I do need to clarify, I keep it simple: “Hey, I’ve been thinking about earlier. My intention was ___. I want to make sure it came across that way.”

Then I let it be. One clear clarification. One release. I’m learning that being thoughtful doesn’t require endless self doubt. My job is to communicate with care and then trust myself.

Guilt is information, and self trust is a skill you can practice.

Recognition often happens in bursts: a promotion, a big launch, a standout save, etc. What keeps people engaged is consistency.

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When appreciation is part of the system, it stops feeling reactive and starts feeling intentional.

🍩 A daily news email that tells you what’s happening without making you spiral before 9AM

💧 That one conditioner that makes your hair feel expensive again after one wash.

🍊 A vitamin C serum that actually makes you look awake instead of just “skincare-y.”

👁️ The mascara we reach for when I want lift and length but zero clumps or drama.

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