September 27, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC I hit adulthood long before the concept of body positivity was a widely held and authentic mainstream thing perpetuated by brands, models, and other voices of influence. I felt, largely as a byproduct of the world in which I was raised, I should despise my imperfections, including those related to my healthy and normal human body. So when a friend nine years my junior began showcasing her body all over Instagram in photos captioned with affirmations, I was baffled. Wait, I thought. She doesn’t hate herself? I looked for cracks in the facade but quickly realized she wasn’t faking it; she actually feels good in the skin she’s in. And when I clued her in on my internal struggle, she was shocked. Her stance is that no amount of negative self-talk will change the fact that your body is yours—so what’s the point in hating it? She’s totally on the money and has since inspired an epiphany in me to learn to love my body. This experience led me to change my stance regarding wide discrepancies in friend ages. I once worried about how connecting with someone who makes my pop-culture references feel like history class would reflect on me, but not anymore. The stigma, though, isn’t uncommon. Clinical counselor Karla Ivankovich, PhD, says it’s rooted in the experience of childhood. When we’re younger, she says, maturity levels tend to differ vastly between children of various ages, even when those ages aren’t so
Month: September 2019
Weekend Plans: Try This Meditative Craft That’s Extra Great For Yogis
September 27, 2019 at 04:14PM There’s something to be said for sitting down with a needle and thread and just creating for creating’s sake. Continue Reading… Author Emma Loewe | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
The ‘feelings wheel’ reveals the complexity of your emotions
September 27, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC Emotions are complex, and yet we generally use oversimplified—and often, inaccurate—language to describe them. When I say, “I’m depressed,” for example, I typically mean I’m stressed, anxious, tired, and feeling stuck in the circumstances that’ve led to those emotional states—none of which actually describes sadness. Essentially, then, I’m not communicating effectively, which makes it difficult for anyone—my therapist, boyfriend, best friend, etc.—to help me feel better. Plus, if I don’t understand my own emotional state, I can’t effectively improve things for myself, either. “We often feel ‘strange’ or ‘wired’ or ‘down’ but don’t necessarily have the proper words to express what we feel,” says performance coach Dris Mi. To solve for this, Gloria Willcox created what’s known as “the feelings wheel,” a chart designed to help people quickly and easily identify the specifics of their emotional state. “The feelings wheel allows people to accurately name their experience, which often leads to using tools that are more effective at managing those emotions,” explains Sabrina Smith, LCSW. View this post on Instagram I love a good feelings wheel to help clients better identify exactly what they are feeling and experiencing. Emotions can be incredibly nuanced and finding the right word to express a feeling can be challenging. Using a feelings wheel can help us to understand our experiences and emotional states, express ourselves more effectively, and offer or provide ourselves with the most accurate tool to manage those feelings. What are you feeling? . .
Master the “big five” yoga poses to set the foundation for your entire practice
September 27, 2019 at 03:43PM by CWC Looking around a yoga class can often feel like you’re at a circus, watching people contort themselves into literal pretzels or lift themselves into the air with nothing more than a few fingertips. If you’re a beginner, it can feel intimidating and frustrating, but remember: Every handstand-holding yogi had to start somewhere. So, if you’re hanging out in child’s pose wondering why you can’t flex your body into these positions, it’s time to master “the big five” yoga fundamentals. “Developing a yoga practice is just like building a house: You need to start with the foundation before you can begin adding furniture and decor,” says Los Angeles-based yoga master Claire Grieve, who’s been practicing for over a decade. To build that foundation, she says that you need to perfect warrior I, downward-facing dog, forward bend, boat, and savasana, which can help to deepen your practice for more ahem adventurous poses in the future. “Mastering these five poses will help you set a strong foundation for an advanced yoga practice,” says Grieve. “By strengthening your muscles and mind, you can be on your way to an elevated practice.” Here, Grieve breaks down the poses that will set the stage for the entire rest of your practice. Nail the “big-five” yoga poses, according to Grieve 1. Warrior 1: “Warrior I is a strengthening pose for the entire body,” she says. “Practicing this pose will strengthen every major muscle group. It will also help you understand
How to get rid of acne when you have sensitive skin and everything is irritating
September 27, 2019 at 03:10PM by CWC As if dealing with acne on its own wasn’t frustrating enough, handling acne and sensitive skin at the same time is a double-whammy that will have you asking: “Why me, universe?” Since most zit treatments work by aggressively attacking the dirt and excess sebum deep within your pores, they can often leave skin—especially sensitive skin—irritated. That means that your pimples may technically be improving, but you’re suddenly left with a whole other set of problems you’ve got to deal with. “Those with sensitive skin may have a particularly hard time treating acne because many pimple products can be irritating for sensitive skin types,” confirms David Lortscher, MD, dermatologist and founder of Curology. “They contain ingredients that can be drying, irritating, or comedogenic, especially for sensitive skin.” So what the heck are you supposed to do? Instead of opting for the usual active ingredients in prescription retinoids—like tretinoin and tazarotene, which can irritate certain complexions, dermatologist, Hilary Baldwin, MD suggests reaching for a different form of retinoid (that you can get over the counter) called adapalene, such as La Roche Posay Adapalene Gel ($22) or good old-fashioned Differin ($9). This ingredient tends to be a bit kinder to sensitive skin, according to her. (Need to brush up on your retinoids? Check out our latest episode of Dear Derm.) [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj-Uii3ZJD8] “All other things equal, [tazarotene and tretinoin] irritate the skin more than adapalene does,” she tells me. That’s usually A-OK for the skin types
A dietitian explains how you can eat healthy and delicious meals for just $7 a day
September 27, 2019 at 03:01PM by CWC Healthy eating has a reputation for being like the Big Apple—and by that I mean overpriced. Here in New York City, everything is expensive it seems. I once waited in line for two hours to buy a $15 bagel, and I’ve paid $19 for Serendipity 3‘s Forbidden Broadway Sundae more times than I care to admit. But if you ask Ilana Muhlstein, MS, RDN, and Los Angeles-based dietitian, she’ll tell you that purchasing a full day of nutritious food only requires a mere $7. “It’s a misconception that healthy eating has to be expensive,” Muhlstein explains. “It’s possible to eat cups of veggies, fresh fruit, and lean proteins for just pennies a meal.” You read that right! Loose change between the couch cushions is enough to buy a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner to fuel your daily activities. All you have to do is reach fro the right ingredients. “It could take some prep and planning, but even the $7 day includes a store bought wrap,” says the dietitian. View this post on Instagram HEALTHY EATING ON A BUDGET It’s a misconception that healthy eating has to be expensive. It’s possible to eat cups of veggies, fresh fruit and lean proteins for just pennies a meal. It could take some prep and planning, but even the $7 day includes a store bought wrap! Double tap if you want me to do more of these and tag a friend who is
‘I’m a psychologist, and these are the 5 things I do for better mental health’
September 27, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC If anyone knows how important self-care practices are for mental health, it’s a psychologist. In today’s hectic age—between work deadlines, relationship stress, financial difficulties, and a never-ending lack of sleep—it can be hard to make time for yourself and your mental well-being each day. Jamie Long, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist at The Psychology Group Fort Lauderdale, understands that struggle. That’s why she says she prioritizes a few habits each day, week, and month in order to combat the effects of stress and burnout. Without taking time for yourself do things that uplift you and give you a break, it can create an emptiness and sense of longing, she explains, which can contribute to poor self-image, depression, anxiety disorders, and other emotional states if left unchecked. Everyone’s self-care routine looks a bit different, depending their unique needs and what techniques work for them. But if you’re looking for expert-driven inspiration, here are the healthy habits that Dr. Long swears by to help maintain and improve her mental health. 1. Meditate Dr. Long meditates every day for at least five minutes with the help of an app on her phone. “I’ve experimented with what time of day works best and for me I really enjoy starting my day with a meditation or doing it on my lunch break for a mid-day pick me up,” she says. This might not seem exactly groundbreaking (if I had a nickel for every mental health expert who meditates…),
This core-conditioning workout will give you better posture in 3 easy moves
September 27, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC “Strengthening your core” is one of those things that any trainer, no matter who they are or which modality they teach, will tell you is critically important. While getting stronger is a major part of that—especially because your core is responsible for pretty much every movement you ask your body to do—we should actually be thinking more about conditioning our cores, too. “I focus on developing a conditioned core versus a strong core, as many times ‘strengthening’ may lock certain functions up,” says Wundabar founder Amy Jordan. There are five major components of your core (yes, it’s more than just your abs)—the transverse abdominis, the rectus abdominis, the pelvic floor, the diaphragm, and the multifidus—and “conditioning” allows them to work properly together. “You can think of these five structures creating a peanut-like shape underneath your ribs down to the base of your pelvis, with a wetsuit zipper running the length of your spine,” says Jordan. “Proper alignment is key in order to find harmonious activation of these five core structures.” This is, in effect, the entire principle behind Pilates, which centers many of its movements on core stabilization. While conditioning your core will admittedly help you build muscle, there are even more important benefits. A 2013 study found a link between a stabilized core and the risk of lower-body injuries, and according to a report from Harvard, earlier research confirmed that “well-coordinated core muscle use stabilizes the spine and helps create a firm
Nontoxic Fall & Winter Skin Care: How To Transition Your Routine
September 27, 2019 at 01:04PM You need to revamp your routine—no, it’s not just marketing. Continue Reading… Author Alexandra Engler | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
Never Has There Been A Better Time To Buy An Electric Car
September 27, 2019 at 12:11PM Car companies are coming out with shiny new models faster than you can say “zero fossil fuels.” Continue Reading… Author Emma Loewe | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC