Do you know your odds of being alive?

1 in 400 trillion.

Some even say it’s 10^2,640,000.

You might think you understand those numbers, but you can’t even comprehend them. Not really.

I think we forget this—how improbable, even impossible it is to be here.

Once you really let that sink in, it becomes impossible not to ask better questions about what we’re doing with the time we’ve been given.

That question—what it even means to be alive at all—has shaped nearly everything I write about.

Sorry, where are my manners? I’m getting existential and I haven’t even introduced myself: I'm Erin Nystrom—a writer and creator based in Bend, Oregon, exploring wellness, mental health, and what it actually takes to feel fully alive in the modern world. Through my bestselling Substack, Human, Being, I write about finding meaning, navigating the complexity of being human, and building a life that feels real. I’ve built a devoted following of readers who are tired of being told how to live—and hungry for something more honest. More… human.

I'm obsessed with exploring the human condition. With what moves us, breaks us, and puts us back together. With the strange and beautiful complexity of being a human on this planet.

I studied psychology and social science, but, if I’m being honest, the real education came from living—from a decade of navigating my own mental health and coming out the other side with a lot of insights, and even more curiosity.

If you're a brand, publication, or collaborator who wants to tell stories about the weight and wonder of being alive, I'd love to hear from you.

I’m available for essays, editorial collaborations, brand storytelling, and speaking engagements on wellness, mental health, and the human experience.