December 24, 2018 at 03:00AM Let’s be real: 2018 was a long, hard, roller coaster of a year. (Like, can you even believe that the Winter Olympics happened in the same year as the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, a Thai soccer team getting rescued from a cave, and Harry and Meghan’s wedding? I cannot.) So yeah, 2018 has been a lot. But it’s also been a banner year for mental health awareness. More celebrities than ever have been opening up about their struggles with depression and anxiety (take that, stigma!). And new scientific research has continued to shed more light on the complexities of mental illness, from understanding the surprising link between climate change and mental health to how stress can even affect your memory. There’s been a lot to learn this year, and we want to share the goods with you. Below, seven W+G staffers share the mental health advice they learned in 2018 that have helped them better handle their stress and anxiety. Change your schedule to work for you “The best thing I did for my mental health this year was start going to workout classes at 6 a.m. When my alarm goes off at 5:20 every morning, it feels utterly masochistic, but it’s worth getting out of bed for the feeling of accomplishment I have by 7 a.m. Moving my body right when I wake up helps me curb my anxiety first thing in the morning, and going so early gives me two full hours of awake time
Category: 2019 Health
The hygge lounge staple that doubles as the ideal party outfit
December 23, 2018 at 09:02AM Any social outing that requires changing out of my cozy loungewear is a chore during the winter. It’s so cold and I find it hard to look cute or even just presentable when all I want to do is swathe myself in layers of chenille. But this year I’ve found a solution that makes anyone look chic and put together—while essentially allowing you to leave the house in pajamas: the slip dress. A slip dress is, in my opinion, the most important wardrobe staple of hygge season. They are either literally pajamas or as comfortable as sleepwear (which, is equally as good, to be honest). Plus, these types of slinky sheaths are so easy to style. Really, it just comes down to individual preference. Personally, I like to layer it over mesh and lace tops or a black turtleneck. If I’m already lounging in a slip dress, however, and need an easier way to convert the outfit, I’ll throw on a sweater or cardigan. Depending on the temps, bare legs might be fine, but you can also add an extra layer of warmth with patterned tights, crew socks, and (to be entirely on trend) hiking boots. To create your I-very-elegantly-rolled-out-of-my-boudoir look, you can transition any nightgown slip you have lying around, or you can get your hands on one specifically meant for wearing out of the house (i.e. a version that isn’t too sheer or too short). With the right planning, you too can spend the entire season
Get ready for things to get awkward, because there’s some intense sexual energy coming your way
December 23, 2018 at 04:00AM After all the presents are unwrapped (if you’re into that kind of thing), there’s another cosmic gift coming your way this holiday week, says astrologer Jennifer Racioppi—in the form of sultry and sexually charged energy. Here’s her day-by-day advice for making the most of it, no matter what your sun sign is. Monday, December 24 With the holiday week in full effect, and consequently year-end stress too, take time to focus on what’s going right in your life. Stop, savor, and consciously connect with the feeling of joy. Doing so helps you to open up to heartfelt positivity, which amplifies the potential for transformation—a change in the way you experience life (or at least the day!). Stop, savor, and consciously connect with the feeling of joy. Doing so helps you to open up to heartfelt positivity, which amplifies the potential for transformation. With Mercury making a harsh and hard angle to Neptune today, mindfully moving through the day proves fruitful. On a very practical level, this aspect could lead to intoxication, too, so be sure to imbibe with consciousness. Most importantly, don’t drink and drive. Tuesday, December 25 Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate. The moon travels in Leo all day today, which bodes well for celebrations. To quote Oprah’s holiday message, “My prayer, my wish for you, is that you actually lay it down and that in these coming holidays you allow yourself to be fully present with whoever is in front of
Don’t know what to do with your life? This exercise can make things clear
December 23, 2018 at 03:30AM Stepping up your game each year means ushering in a better, bolder, and more graceful you. The exercise of documenting your plans and purpose—what matters most—can bring clarity and intentionality to your day-to-day. What better way to start a new year than with a personal manifesto? Here, Well+Good Council member Candice Kumai shares how she created her own… and how you can do the same. When I was in my twenties and toughing it out as a writer in Brooklyn—even when I was judging on Iron Chef—I was struggling. One Christmas, my sister gave me an artist-designed poster, a “manifesto.” After framing it, I put it on the wall of my broke-ass-artist room. As my career grew and my apartments gradually became nicer, I took the poster with me. It went from an East Williamsburg apartment share to a Wall Street studio (where I could barely afford rent) to a waterfront two-bedroom overlooking the NYC skyline. No matter where I went, the manifesto poster always went on the wall to steer, motivate, and inspire me. I’ve learned that a manifesto is infinitely valuable. It can help to solidify and clarify your life’s big calling. It puts all your pondering thoughts and anxious days into one safe place, bringing you back to earth and reminding your heart what really matters. Manifestos can serve as a sense of purpose or your true north. We are all in need of some good inspiration and focus, and a personal
I started taking medication for my acne—and it made me finally understand how everyone’s skin journey is different
December 23, 2018 at 03:00AM I used to think something was wrong with me. Regardless of how many expensive facial treatments I’d get or skin-care products I’d try (after several years as a beauty editor, there’s gotta be hundreds) in the name of vanquishing my breakouts, nothing would work—and I mean nothing. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent reading deep into product reviews or Reddit skin-care subthreads in order to learn about serums or masks or spot treatments that have magically cleared people’s acne, and then proceeding to buy it for myself—only to have it do absolutely nothing to my skin. It confounded me. My breakouts wouldn’t budge, and yet these zillions of acne solutions have given zillions of other people the radiant, clear skin that I’ve always dreamed of. I’ve gone with my metaphorical tail between my legs to dermatologists desperately seeking help a few times over the decades, only to be put on topical treatments that also—you guessed it—didn’t work. That was all until a derm visit earlier this year finally changed my life (at the age of 30, mind you). My acne is now completely gone. And ya know what did the trick? A pill. Spironolactone, a hormone-regulating prescription medication, has zapped my pimples into nonexistence. It wasn’t instantaneous—there were tons of rebellious flare-ups during the first couple of months (which led to bouts of hysterical tears)—but after plenty of patience and pill-poppin’ diligence, I’m in the clear. For the first time, my skin-care routine feels normal, not like a
Are rice cakes a better for you than toast?
December 22, 2018 at 07:00AM Rice cakes have been a health-food favorite since the 1980s, when low-fat eating was all the rage. But unlike TCBY and SnackWell’s, they’ve had undeniable staying power; rice cakes are still a pantry staple in many healthy kitchens. A rice cake has fewer calories than a slice of bread, which suggests it’s a healthier vehicle for almond butter or smashed avocado. But not so fast. “Bread can be a very healthy choice depending on the ingredients, so I would hesitate to say that a rice cake is a better option,” say registered dietitian Maya Feller. “Some whole grain breads have more fiber than rice [cakes] and supply more vitamins and minerals.” As you probably already know, fiber is key to maintaining a healthy metabolism and keeping your digestive system running properly. Holley Grainger, RD, says that it really comes down to the type of bread you choose, considering the nutrient profiles for white bread, whole-grain bread, and gluten-free bread differ greatly. That said, most breads are likely to be more filling than any rice cake. “When swapping a slice of bread for a rice cake, it’s likely that you’ll be decreasing the amount of satiating protein, fiber, and carbohydrates that you would have otherwise eaten,” says Grainger. “Also, most commercial breads are made with flour that has been fortified with iron and folic acid, so know that you’ll be slashing these nutrients and will need to find other ways to make them up.” The takeaway: Yes,
Why I’m taking my skin-care inspo from a frog this winter—and yes, I’m serious
December 22, 2018 at 05:29AM Sometimes I see a a dog with a super-shiny coat or a glistening, oily breadstick and wonder, “What highlighter she use?” For real: I can find beauty inspiration in many, many things. So this winter, I’m looking around for particularly moisture-ridden animals/food/objects to take cues from. Certain boiled vegetables and glazed donuts have stricken my fancy, sure. And also the hot duck, which looks like he’s dripping in finesse hydration. But then, in a twist of fate, as I dug through the Reddit Skin-care addiction subthreads, I stumbled across the king of all moisturized creatures: a monkey frog. In what might just be the most inspirational beauty video I’ve seen in my entire life, the monkey frog—an especially waxy amphibian—covers its entire body in its own skin secretion (it sounds gross, but hear me out). He utilizes his itty-bitty limbs to carry out some sort of genius moisturizing method, ensuring to reach each and every bit of its skin. It’s iconic. His ambidextrous feet hydrate his rump and his back (astounding, TBH), and then he proceeds to use his front hands to moisturize his head to his snout, then down to his décolletage and stomach, all in the correct direction to stimulate his lymphatic drainage (brilliant). The end result is pure glowy radiance that I could only pray for in the midst of winter. The frog’s technique deserves some sort of skin-care reward or recognition. While I sadly can’t copy his foot-to-back moisturizing method, I’m
The one tiny change I made to my workday that has had a huge mental-health payoff
December 22, 2018 at 04:00AM This year, I planned my wedding and got married; I tacked on a restorative vacay to the tail end of trip for a friend’s destination wedding; and when a role opened up at work that aligned with my personal interests and general career goals, I raised my hand to make the shift. But I wouldn’t call any of those things the most impactful wellness change I made for myself in 2018. That, rather, would be my conscious decision to leave the office at lunchtime each day for a break. Dream big, right? Well, it’s actually a bit tricky when taking that break—to stretch your legs, breathe some fresh air, give your mind a break, and grab some nourishment—directly conflicts with another priority: packing a lunch to benefit your financial health. And sure, when I have a hankering, I treat myself to a designer salad or poké bowl or grain bowl or whatever other lunch option is available near Well+Good’s headquarters in New York City (most likely, it’s in a—you guessed it—bowl). But I want that to remain the exception to the rule because, frankly, my packed lunches generally do fulfill me. Alas, the arrangement was flawed: I routinely let pass entire days, which gave way to weeks and months (yep, months), without leaving the office at all from the time I arrived in the morning until I left for the day. I’d barely even get up from my desk. Worse than not leaving the building to
This 1-minute yogic technique makes you instantly more radiant
December 22, 2018 at 03:30AM Long drives, plane travel, and general holiday goings-on can be a *lot* for your skin and energy levels to handle. Fortunately, getting in touch with your inner—and outer—glow takes only a minute and doesn’t cost a penny. Here, Kundalini teacher Guru Jagat shares two go-anywhere, do-anywhere techniques to boost your brightness. 1-minute holiday beauty practice One of the things I love about the holidays is that even ordinary days feel special. The holidays are the time to dress up and put your best face forward. You can up the luminosity of your skin, balance your body, and activate that feel-good glow with this amazingly powerful micro-technique from Kundalini yoga. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU9iJmQlHug] 1-minute holiday radiance secret Tinsel decks the halls, lights galore bedazzle the streets and shimmering clothes are the order of the day. Tis the season for the shiniest you. I fell in love with this 1-minute practice form Kundalini yoga when I experienced how effective it was at activating undeniable magnetism. The posture this exercise uses is called celibate pose because, when you sit in it, you create the same level of electric glow as the eternal yogis of yore without their inconvenient vow! [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WweBjFRTQMY] Guru Jagat is the founder of RA MA Institute for Applied Yogic Science and Technology, a Kundalini yoga school with locations in Venice, CA; Mallorca, Spain; and New York City, and the author of the best-selling book Invincible Living: The Power of Yoga, The Energy of Breath, and Other
These are the top 10 healthy eating tips we learned in 2018
December 22, 2018 at 03:00AM One of the benefits of interviewing wellness experts for a living and doing deep dives into questions that keep us up at night (Are potatoes healthy? Can you OD on adaptogens?) is that you learn a lot about healthy eating. It seems like a new food trend pops up every week—I think we can all agree that 2018 was the year CBD officially went mainstream—and it can be hard to know which ones are worth pursing and what’s more hype than healthy. MDs, dietitians, nutritionists, and health coaches help cut through the noise and tune into what’s really important. To that end, compiled here are the most surprising, educational, and behavior-changing eatings tips Team Well+Good learned this year. Keep reading and prepare for your mind to be blown—and for your meal-prep routine to get a New Year’s makeover. Photo: Getty Images/Klaus-Vedfelt 1. Eating moldy bread is nothing to freak out over. Unlike those apples in your crisper that take weeks to go bad, bread has a relatively short shelf life. If you don’t eat it in time, you’re bound to see fuzzy green spots starting to sprout up—a sure sign to toss the loaf. But what if you bite into your sandwich before you see it? Terrifying, right? Before you freak out—don’t. Turns out, a little bit of mold just one time isn’t going to do much damage. The image of biting into a moldy slice, though? Let’s be honest, you may never get that