April 29, 2019 at 01:53PM by CWC For many people, the days of clocking out of work at 5 p.m. seem to have gone the way of the typewriter. But that doesn’t mean it’s cool for work communications to regularly invade your nights and weekends. In this week’s Good@Work column, career expert Amy Odell—whom you may know as the former editor (AKA HBIC) of Cosmopolitan.com and founding blogger of New York magazine’s The Cut—advises a young professional dealing with a boss who is chipping away at her work-life balance, one after-hours notification at a time. Question: My boss recently gifted me a work phone, which was a total score for my monthly bill. Lately though, I’ve been noticing that she’s texting me later and later (even on the weekends). I suddenly feel trapped by the notifications popping up at all hours on the +1 smart device in my purse. Help! How do I set healthy boundaries with the phone…and my boss? Answer: Turn off work-related notifications. In fact, I’d suggest turning of all notifications on all your devices because the main purpose of notifications is to keep you glued to your phone(s). They’re a mechanism tech companies use to divert your attention from important things, like eating tacos on a Saturday afternoon with your significant other, to completely unimportant things, like Instagram Stories and Facebook and email. Notifications about work messages are particularly insidious. I’m assuming your boss texts you at odd hours because she forgot to tell you something during work hours,
Day: April 29, 2019
This easy “nourish bowl” formula gets dinner on the table in 5 minutes flat
April 29, 2019 at 11:38AM by CWC When a bowl of cold greens just isn’t enough, you’ll want to know how to build a nourish bowl. Not to hate on salads, but sometimes you just need something a little heartier. The concept behind nourish bowls is simple. And by following a nutritionist’s go-to formula, you can make a nutritious meal in five minutes flat. Essentially, a nourish bowls is a next-level salad that’s loaded with everything you need for a well-rounded meal. “The root of the nourish bowl is choosing nutrient-dense veggies, fruits/carbohydrates, healthy fats, and quality proteins to make a filling meal in a bowl,” writes McKel Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN, founder of Nutrition Stripped. The key is preparing everything in advance so that all you need to do is combine a handful of different foods to create exciting new combinations throughout the week. “Making a healthy lunch or dinner can be as simple as throwing these ingredients into one bowl and calling it a meal,” Kooienga says. “Typically, I suggest making nourish bowls utilizing meal-prepped meal components from the weekend, such as roasted veggies, prepared proteins of your choice, homemade salad dressings, and baked/cooked carbohydrates, but you can use whatever you have on hand.” Hungry yet? How to make a nourish bowl View this post on Instagram A post shared by McKel Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN (@nutritionstripped) on Apr 29, 2019 at 6:11am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js To show how easy it is to build a nourish bowl,
Platform sneakers are making a comeback—to which I say, stop right now, thank you very much
April 29, 2019 at 11:37AM by CWC At this point, it’s become relatively cliche to be snarky about Coachella, so let’s skip the part where I say that I’m so glad my Instagram feed is practically back to normal after being overwhelmed by that annoying Ferris Wheel for the past couple of weeks. Instead, let’s go right to the part where I say that it seemed like everyone at the festival was wearing platform sneakers. Perplexed, I took to the bigger Internet (Google on my computer) to see if platform sneakers were, indeed, a thing that was coming back in style. They are, according to multiple fashion sites, and high-end brands like Prada and Versace are creating their own iterations. It was during the aforementioned Google session that I came across a recent Vogue article telling me that platform sneakers are “just the boost my spring wardrobe needs.” The search description for said article says that they’ve found the best platform sneakers to wear to work or the club. Or the club? I have questions. Namely, do people still go to “the club” and if they do, are they really wearing platform sneakers there? View this post on Instagram Day 2 💘🦄💅🏽 Brb just taking a call🌴🎡💕 seriously pulling these outfits out my ginorm booty haha 😂 🙌🏾 #coachella #notprepared 📱Edited/shot on iPhone with @teganandnedpresets SELFIE GAME #teganandnedpresets A post shared by ✖️t e g a n p h i l l i p a✖️ (@teganphillipa) on Apr 14, 2019 at 4:32pm
Work Stress Paired With Sleep Issues May Increase Risk Of Cardiovascular Death
April 29, 2019 at 11:02AM Here’s what you can do to reduce your risk. Continue Reading… Author Caroline Muggia | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
To all those common sex hang-ups—sight, smell, and sound—sexperts have a message: Let it go
April 29, 2019 at 10:01AM by CWC For a good part of my twenties, I would wear a body-slimming tank during sex. My partner was critical of my stomach, so covering up both appeased him and helped me worry less. Just kidding about that last part. The garment may have smoothed my midsection, but I was still always in my head. My mind raced between topics like what I looked like on top and whether he was thinking about being with someone “prettier.” One thing that wasn’t top of mind? The sex I was currently having. In retrospect it makes sense that being with a guy who seemed to want me to have a different body didn’t help me appreciate my own or listen to to it during sex. In other words, it was bad sex, in more ways than one. I actually started to enjoy sex in my early thirties, after I’d ditched him and that damn tank top. Of course, this is progress. But still, I lost nearly a decade of would-be—nay, should-be—pleasurable and additive-to-life sexual experiences. To help make sure I stay on top for all intents and purposes, I spoke with sexperts about how to let go of common bedroom-related insecurities for better lovemaking. Forget about how you look during sex Sure, different positions make you more visible and require different levels of exertion, but in general, sex is a pretty ridiculous-looking edition of real-life human Tetris. You and your partner(s) are on the same team,
How to have good posture if “shoulders back” feels uncomfortable
April 29, 2019 at 09:25AM by CWC “Posture” is probably the most powerful word in the English language, because it literally has the ability to cause people to react on demand and stack their shoulders. (“Sleep,” I wish you could do the same.) Whenever anyone utters the word—or even if my eyes come across it in a book or on a website—I immediately straighten up and so does everyone else I know. Although most of us understand that having good posture is important and all that, it’s just really hard to maintain—especially since most people are hunched over computers all. damn. day. And TBH, having good posture—with your back straight and shoulders back—isn’t even that comfortable. So I sent some stretching and body mechanics pros an SOS. “More often than not, poor posture is a result of repetitive stress,” explains Jeff Brannigan, program director at Stretch*d. “Typically, ‘repetitive stress’ makes people think of activity—lots of working out, walking, running, and so on—but in this case, inactivity can often be to blame.” That inactivity is primarily your nine-to-five state, with your head and neck down staring at a screen and shoulders rounded forward. “As we do this, our heads and shoulders are falling forward, our back is arching, and our hips are tightening,” he says. All of this can lead to us feel like we’re slacking the posture department. To readjust, he says it’s key to address each one of those positions. And you don’t have to sit or stand there
Tossing and turning? These sleepy songs will make you drift off faster than you can say “melatonin”
April 29, 2019 at 09:20AM by CWC Pianist George Winston’s rendition of “The Snowman” is my go-to tune for when I have trouble falling asleep. It’s dreamy, deeply calming, and fulfills the National Sleep Foundation’s (NSF) 60 to 80 beats per minute cap for music that’s basically pre-gaming for slumber. Winston’s tracks might as well be melatonin. (That’s a compliment!) And similar sleep meditation music is ubiquitous on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music, among other platforms. “Music is more than something that’s simply enjoyable to listen to. It has a direct effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps your body relax and prepare for sleep,” reads the NSF’s website. The foundation cites a study that found just 45 minutes of chill beats before bedtime has been found to promote longer, less interrupted sleep in older adults. Get ready, because I’m about to geek out on why certain notes promote restorative sleep. Listening to music with between 60 to 80 BPM actually has the same effect as falling asleep itself. It slows your heart rate, relaxes your muscles, and lowers your blood pressure. “Once you integrate music into your bedtime routine, stick with it,” instructs the NSF. “The positive sleep effects can build over time, as listening to your relaxing sleep soundtrack becomes a habit that cues your body to prepare for shuteye.” Ready to queue up some somnolent symphonies? Here are 4 sleep meditation music tracks to help you fall asleep. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnh3hyX918k] Space Tunes For an out-of-this-world relaxing
Ditch your serum (gasp) for these glow-bestowing active moisturizers that work double duty
April 29, 2019 at 09:18AM by CWC Yesterday, I washed my face in my gym’s locker room after a sweat sesh, then used a toner, and then reached into my skin-care bag only to practically scream with horror. The reason for the distress? I forgot to bring my serum. Shaken, I applied my moisturizer to my freshly cleansed and toned face—but proceeded to feel weird about it for the rest of the day. Serums are my favorite beauty product, since they tend to pack a nutritious punch for your complexion, so without it, I felt like my skin would be starved for its typical antioxidants. While my situation was a lost cause, there generally is a way to counteract having to go serum-free with your routine: All you’ve gotta do is buy a moisturizer that has serum-like benefits. “Serums are not a necessary component of your routine, but rather can boost your regular skin-care products,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. (Color me shook.) “The goal of a serum is to deliver high concentrations of a specific active ingredient to the skin. In some cases, though, that active is a moisturizer, but it may also be a retinol, a brightening ingredient, or even an exfoliator—for many people, the right day or night cream may be enough.” So moisturizer-serum hybrids do exist (better known as “active moisturizers”), and do the coveted and all-important job of hydrating your complexion with hyaluronic acid or glycerin, for instance, on
Skin still adjusting to spring? Slather on an ultra-hydrating algae serum
April 29, 2019 at 09:16AM by CWC If I’m lucky enough to be swimming in the ocean, I’m as happy as a clam… until one of my body parts brushes against a piece of algae. The slimy sea stuff really grosses me out because of its super-wet texture, so I try to avoid it at all costs. Ironically enough, though, that wet-slimy sensation is precisely why algae is so coveted in skin-care products. “You’ll notice that algae is always several things: It can grow deep in the water, it can float in water, and it also retains a lot of water,” says Dennis Gross, MD, a star dermatologist and founder of his eponymous skin-care line. “It has this mushy consistency, which means it has a lot of water retention within the algae fibers. So when you use algae in skin-care products, it’s always going to be the driving force for hydration.” So that yucky feeling it may have underwater can work wonders when used topically via a beauty product. You’ll notice more and more beauty brands have been incorporating the marine-derived ingredient, too, for this very reason. As you browse the algae-spiked offerings, you’ll see that there are various types of algae being used for the skin. “Algae is fascinating because it’s one of the few organisms where we’re continually discovering new species,” says Allison McNamara, founder of Mara skin care. “Algae has been around for two billion years and is constantly changing and evolving. There are seven major types
The Dos & Don’ts Of Taking Magnesium For Anxiety
April 29, 2019 at 08:34AM How to take magnesium supplements for anxiety, including dosage, safety concerns, and what the research says about magnesium and the brain. Continue Reading… Author Gretchen Lidicker | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC