February 11, 2019 at 11:24AM by CWC The only way to get better at your job is to have your manager shine a light on the areas where you can improve…right? Maybe not so much. In this week’s Good@Work column, all-around boss babe 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—explains why, when it comes to feedback, you should be careful what you wish for. Question: I feel like I’m doing really well at work, but always looking to improve. I know my manager is super busy and has a ton of projects and meetings on her plate but I’m dying for some constructive feedback and don’t have the heart to put another thing on her plate, especially since she’s already told me I’m doing awesome. Any advice? Answer: Let’s set your boss aside for a few minutes and focus on you. I wonder why you’re so anxious about getting feedback. I know we’re trained to believe that being able to take constructive (which means negative) feedback is the key to finding success at work in 2019, but actually, feedback isn’t always that helpful. Research shows that employees react much more strongly to negative feedback than praise, and negative feedback can have a significant effects on employees’ productivity. If you had this meeting with your manager and she was able to tell you what you’re not doing well, how would you feel? Would you go back to your desk happy and ready to maximize
Category: 2019 Health
Sustainable travel tips to keep your vacays great without compromising the world you want to see
February 11, 2019 at 10:49AM by CWC Travel may well be good for your health, but it’s not so great for the environment. In fact, a recent study showed that tourism accounts for nearly 10 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. But before you despair becoming a hypocrite who petitions lawmakers to take climate change seriously while simultaneously planning as many trips as possible for 2019, take comfort in knowing that even environmentalists travel—they simply do so mindfully. Below, experts share their tried-and-true eco-friendly tips for reducing your carbon footprint on the road. And remember, as with most things that are green, the simple steps aren’t only kind to the environment, but also to your wallet and your health. Keep reading to reduce the environmental impact of your 2019 travels. Photo: Getty Images/hedgehog94 Before you go 1. Donate or freeze leftover fresh foods It can feel nearly impossible to plan pre-vacation groceries perfectly; somehow, something is almost always leftover to rot in the fridge. While these wasted veggies, fruits, or animal proteins might amount to just a few dollars of lost cash, such food waste has a more significant environmental cost. According to Kathryn Kellogg of Going Zero Waste, 20 percent of the food in America goes to landfills, where it’s unable to decompose because it’s trapped by inorganic matter (e.g. trash bags). These preserved organics then release methane, which is a huge contributor to climate change. To minimize your contribution to this problem, zero-waste expert Celia Ristow of
The biggest takeaway from New York Fashion Week is that everyone just wants to be comfortable and cozy
February 11, 2019 at 10:46AM by CWC When fashion week comes around, between the street style and dozens of runway shows, I’m often visually overwhelmed—and this year was no different. Once I got over my impulse to throw all my clothing out (it happens every fashion month), I finally digested the collections and came to one, overarching conclusion: Everyone just wants to be comfortable and cozy. At least, that seemed to be the aim, when it comes to dressing, for both designers and the people who turned out to watch their shows. That things are headed in a decidedly more casual direction isn’t entirely surprising given the rise of athleisure and its offshoots leisurée to bathleisure. Still, you know something’s in the air when even a designer like Tom Ford, known for his steadfast dedication to sensuality and glamour—often at the expense of comfort—switches gears and presents a collection that looks, well, soft. For his FW19 presentation, which was shown on Feb. 6, the third day of New York Fashion Week, Ford sent models down the runway in a number of looks that exuded power and confidence (his trademark) but from a decidedly less sexually charged place: The models wore satin pants, velvet blazers, and a number of them wore a black hoodie layered into their perspective looks. Then, there was Tory Burch (the designer behind the color-blocked parka pictured in the feature photo). Her fashion sense tends to skew toward the feminine and form-fitting, but for her latest collection, she
This game-changing pillow is a big spoon’s dream come true
February 11, 2019 at 10:35AM by CWC While being the little spoon is consistently all kinds of cozy, for the big spoons of the world that’s not always the case. Sure, one arm is comfortably wrapped around your cuddle buddy, but the other never fails to get in the way and fall asleep before you do. A quick Google search proves that the best place for a big spoon’s lower arm is the subject of a contentious debate. And that’s exactly why two geniuses came up with an invention called the Coodle pillow to put the issue to bed. If you haven’t heard of the Coodle, it’s about to become your new best friend. The comfy pillow features a brace design system that lets the big spoon slide their arm right through the bottom as their partner’s head rests on top, preventing that pins-and-needles feeling. You can use it all by yourself, too, whether you’re sleeping on your side or watching TV. Basically, it solves one of the biggest #FirstWorldProblems for the cool price of $65. View this post on Instagram #spooningpillow #giftguide A post shared by Coodle (@coodlepillow) on Sep 7, 2018 at 4:42pm PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Alright, the Coodle might be a little pricier than your average pillow. But considering you’ll get to schedule in more cuddling time and prevent arm numbness because of it, it might just be worth the extra money. And nothing says Happy Valentine’s Day like the promise of comfortable cuddles. These hilariously real Valentine’s Day cards are perfect for
IKEA’s Billy bookcase is 40 years old! Here are 8 hacks that keep it totally fresh
February 11, 2019 at 10:05AM by CWC Swedish home furnishings giant IKEA is responsible for introducing the world to thousands of minimalist furniture pieces, but there’s noting quite like the iconic Billy bookcase. “It is estimated that every five seconds, one Billy bookcase is sold somewhere in the world,” boasts Ikea’s website. As one of the most versatile items in the store, the Billy bookcase has the potential to be so much more than place to store books. For its 40th birthday, we’d like to celebrate with a few show-stopping Billy bookcase hacks. When Billy Liljedahl, an IKEA advertising manager, told his furniture designer colleague Gillis Lundgren that he wanted a “proper” bookcase, Lundgren set out to create just that. What resulted was an eponymous product, of course, that “could belong to almost anyone and everyone,” IKEA explains. Now, there are many different variations of it to choose from, from wide options with glass doors to tall and skinny designs. With so many styles to choose from, there’s an endless amount of ways to transform the Billy bookcase to work for your healthy home—and these are the best hacks to start with. Functional and chic IKEA Billy bookcase hacks Photo: Kristina Steinmetz 1. Add a sliding door Designer Kristina Steinmetz‘s idea to add a sliding door to the Billy bookcase smartly disguises clutter. Photo: Place Of My Taste 2. Switch up the shelves Installing a few strategically placed shelves as vertical dividers is one of many great Billy bookcase hacks for displaying objets d’art. Place of My Taste will show you
Why we should all think about our wellness routine like a savings account
February 11, 2019 at 09:28AM by CWC 6:00 a.m. Wake up 6:10 a.m. Meditate 6:20 a.m. Journal 7:30 a.m. Yoga 8:30 a.m. Shower and 10-step makeup routine 9:00 a.m. Work If your mornings look anything like mine (see detailed scheduling above), then question: Do you also feel like a complete and utter failure when hitting the snooze button derails your carefully created routine? The conundrum was top of mind at the most recent Well+Good TALK in New York City, where a panel of wellness all-stars discussed how we can stop wellness-shaming ourselves in 2019. One genius way to reframe your thinking? To find your healthy balance for life, holistic nutritionist and founder of Doing Well Daphne Javitch said to think of everything you do as a bank transaction—a series of withdrawals and deposits, if you will. “It’s a savings account,” she told the audience. “Create health by collecting great choices…and then have French fries at Polo Bar with your girlfriend.” In other words, each time you serve yourself a hearty stack of healthy matcha pancakes, make it to your favorite sweaty dance class, or have a cathartic session with your therapist, you’re making (wellness) bank. And since you have your savings to fall back on it’s okay (I repeat, all good! More than fine! You go girl!) to raincheck your hefty morning routine for the snooze button. The goal is just to make sure you don’t go into debt. “The sign of a pro is how quickly can you course correct, how quickly can you return to your routine.”
Powdered skin care is the water-free solution for happier skin
February 11, 2019 at 09:17AM by CWC As someone who could singlehandedly keep the dry shampoo economy afloat, I’m a big believer in powdered personal care products. You can keep your whipped moisturizers and jelly cleaners, thanks—I’d be thrilled to have an entire beauty regimen filled with things that resemble old-school astronaut food. (If only for the fact that they won’t ruin my stuff if they explode in my carry-on luggage.) Over the past few years I’ve come a little closer to realizing my dreams, thanks to products like Botnia’s Kale-Yeah Mask ($32, plus the cost of goat’s milk yogurt to mix it with), Eminence’s Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant exfoliating powder ($48), and The Ordinary’s 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder ($6), a highly stable form of vitamin C that can be mixed into other skin care products. But a new beauty brand, PWDR, just arrived on the scene totally dedicated to snow-textured skin care, with a debut product line that includes the world’s first powdered hyaluronic acid serum. According to founder Carrington Snyder—a cofounder of face-grade body care brand Kayo, whose family has been in the cosmetic chemistry business for decades—going the powder route allowed her to formulate products using water-soluble ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, without the water. (You blend the powders with water yourself, right before applying them.) This allowed her to forego preservatives and other “filler ingredients,” like emulsifiers and stabilizers, to which some people are sensitive. “When you have water in a product, you generally need a preservative to prevent the
Mammograms are really effective—like, 600,000-lives-saved effective
February 11, 2019 at 08:58AM by CWC A visit to the doctor isn’t exactly everyone’s idea of a good time, especially when it involves their boobs getting squished by a machine. While the experience may be uncomfortable, it’s also literally a lifesaver. According to a new study published in the journal Cancer, mammogram screening has helped save up to 600,000 lives since 1989. Researchers from the University of Colorado’s School of Medicine in Denver analyzed breast cancer mortality data U.S. women aged 40 to 84 years collected from 1990 to 2015. Mammograms—X-rays of the breast taken by a mammographer and reviewed by a radiologist—were successful in detecting early signs of breast cancer in hundreds of thousands of women, many of whom were then successfully treated. Mammography often finds a lump before it can be felt by hand during self-examination or clinical breast examination by a healthcare professional. Researchers estimate that between 305,000 and 483,000 lives were saved depending on how the data is interpreted. And using that as a baseline for calculating what that would mean through the end of 2018, that brings the count up to between 384,000 and 614,500. Mammography often finds a lump before it can be felt by hand during self-examination or clinical breast examination by a healthcare professional. “Our study provides evidence of just how effective the combination of early detection and modern breast cancer treatment have been in averting breast cancer deaths,” study author R. Edward Hendrick, Ph.D tells U.S. News & World Report of the findings. So who needs a mammogram and how
True or false: Drinking too much coffee can cause a magnesium deficiency
February 11, 2019 at 08:35AM by CWC Like a lot of people, I’m a big coffee drinker. Sometimes just the promise of a frothy oat milk latte is what gets me out of bed when it’s cold outside and I’d rather hit the snooze button. Which is why I wasn’t exactly thrilled when a friend told me my favorite morning ritual could be completely obliterating my magnesium levels. Magnesium might not get as much press time as collagen or calcium, but the multitasking mineral has over 300 roles in the body. A few of the tasks in magnesium’s job description: helping with cognitive function, supporting the immune system, providing energy, keeping the heart strong, improving muscle function, and strengthening bones. Women ages 19 and older should be getting between 310 and 320 milligrams of magnesium a day from their diet, and more if they’re pregnant. Some of the best sources of magnesium include leafy greens, nuts, soy, legumes, fruit, fish, and (score) dark chocolate. (There are lots of different kinds of magnesium supplements that can help you get your daily dose, too.) However, coffee may not play so nicely with your bod’s magnesium supply. “There are a few very anecdotal studies that show that when you drink coffee, the intestinal lining actually has a drop in its ability to absorb magnesium,” says internal medicine and gastroenterologist Niket Sonpal, MD. He says that some researchers found that there was an association between people who drank lots of coffee and magnesium deficiency. However, Dr. Sonpal says there are some
How to know if you’re ready to move in with your significant other
February 11, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC Every relationship has its memorable milestones: the first time you kiss, the first time you have sex, the first time you binge Sex Education instead of having sex…. And while some of these milestones can feel pretty low-pressure (what’s a little spit-swapping, really?), others can leave you sweating through your favorite sweater or grinding your pearly whites at night. An example? Moving in together—because how, exactly, do you know if you’re ready to cohabitate? Is it a matter of how long you’ve been dating? Or whether you’re getting married? Or whether you’re in love? Or whether your leases are conveniently expiring at the exact same time? Of course, different people have completely different priorities, beliefs, and values that help inform this important decision, but talking with several experts made clear that there are some common denominators that point to a romance not quite being ready for roommate status. Plus, there are several questions to ask yourself to help you decide. First off, take the time to do a bit of self-reflection and decide whether you feel truly ready for this level of commitment. “A very clear ‘no’ that you’re not ready is that you still feel like you want to date others,” says relationship expert Jaime Bronstein, LCSW. [Editor’s note: Open relationships can certainly be healthy, and being in one doesn’t mean you’re not ready to live together. In this case, introspect and make sure that your potential roommate is a partner with whom you are confident