Month: October 2019

October 17, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC When I was a kid, I used to be able to sleep anywhere. In my stroller, in the backseat of my mom’s minivan, at my desk in algebra class (sorry, Mr. Woods!), on the hard ground on a camping trip. Anywhere. My parents joked that as a baby they just had to show me a blanket and I would pass out. As an adult, however, I’m kind of like the Goldilocks of sleep. It can’t be too loud, too quiet, too bright, too hot, or too cold for me to drift off. (I’m truly a delight to share a bed with!) Which makes falling asleep on a plane—one of the loudest, most uncomfortable places on the planet—the white whale to my Ishmael. I’ve tried face masks, ear plugs, and just about every kind of neck pillow on the planet. None of it has ever worked, until I tried the Bullbird BR2 Travel Pillow for neck support ($60). The Bullbird doesn’t look (or feel) like your traditional neck pillow. According to the company’s website, the pillow was designed by medical product engineers and chiropractors to properly align your neck vertebrae as you sit. Unlike most neck pillows (usually just U-shaped beanbags that hang around your neck), the Bullbird is shaped like a C, and combines memory foam with a solid, ergonomic frame to make it more supportive than plushy; it sits at the base of your skull to cradle and hold up your neck.

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October 17, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC While maturity, as we popularly understand it, is typically developed through a combination of age and experience, emotional maturity is another story. Merriam-Webster defines the state of being mature as “having completed natural growth and development,” but with emotional maturity, the emphasis is more specific and personal. Nicole LePera, PhD, founder of The Holistic Psychologist, defines it as “the ability to process your own emotions and cope with life situations with agency, responsibility, and flexibility.” And that agency aspect of the definition is key. “Emotional maturity is when you do not rely on others to fulfill your needs physically, emotionally, or spiritually,” says licensed clinical psychologist Dara Bushman, PsyD. So, think of the concept as an internal thermostat that self-regulates, no matter what external stressors you are experiencing. There are several symptoms, so to speak, that point to someone having a highly developed sense of emotional maturity. Those include being able to see other people’s perspective without reacting, allowing yourself to be vulnerable, setting boundaries, not trying to fix or change people, and having empathy for yourself and others when mistakes are made. Signs of emotional immaturity skew toward the opposite, and—spoiler—many of us are guilty of a number of them from time to time. “Screaming, stomping off, and slamming doors are common manifestations of this,” Dr. LePera says. Other signs, says Dr. Bushman, include not taking care of your own needs and engaging in self-sacrificing behavior. For the most part, the concept

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October 17, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin’s weekly podcast with her sister—Elizabeth Craft—never fails to serve up happiness tips that are at once effective and simple. Recently on the appropriately titled The Happiness Project, after Rubin’s best-selling book, the expert in all things joy dished out a “chaffle” (yup, that’s cheese waffle) recipe that’s been bringing glee to her tastebuds. And, here’s the best part: it only calls for three-ingredients. Rubin, whose currently eating low-carb, explains that her trainer introduced her to the snack-slash-toast-alternative. To try it for yourself, just combine one egg, a spoonful of almond flour, and a handful of shredded cheese.  Heat up your electric waffle iron—and watch the magic happen. Rubin’s voice practically bubbles over with excitement as she says: “I’ve had one or two a day. They’re delicious. They take, like, one minute to make; they’re super healthy, super low-carb; and they’re very, very filling.” If that’s not a ringing endorsement from someone who’s dedicated her life to the pursuit of happiness, then I don’t know what is. “I’ve had one or two a day. They’re delicious. They take, like, one minute to make; they’re super healthy, super low-carb; and they’re very, very filling.” —Gretchen Rubin, happiness expert Although Rubin doesn’t specifically call eggs out as a mood-booster in the episode, it’s important to note that yolks and whites in your chaffle are working to boost your mood. You see, eggs contain vitamin D, which helps your body produce serotonin (the

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