February 10, 2019 at 10:30AM by CWC Sometimes, when I know I’m going to have to talk about my mental health with loved ones, I prepare like I’m heading into battle. I load myself up with mantras for calm, consider the facts I need to know, and affix it all like armor to deflect from well-meaning but destructive utterances. So many people don’t have the language for how to talk about this stuff, and it often results in everyone feeling a little bit more terrible than they did before. This year, for instance, I worked through one of the worst depressions of my life—it lasted a year, and I felt as though I was drowning, constantly. Living across the country from most of the people I love means their understanding of my mental space hinges almost entirely on my ability to communicate it in a way they’ll understand—a way that doesn’t make them worry or feel as though they need to say the “right” thing. So, I consulted with my family, friends, and New York-based behavior analyst Makenzie Sandler to figure out how to avoid the seemingly innocuous conversational pitfalls that stop mental health discussions in their tracks. Photo: Getty Images/Klaus Vedfelt Don’t: Offer unsolicited advice This one can be hard, as it feels almost hard-wired into how we as people communicate. But sometimes it does more harm than good. “Most times, the person does not want your advice,” Sandler cautions. “Pause and reflect before you spew out your well-meaning
Category: City
9 vegan winter coats that are cozy, cool, and sustainable
February 09, 2019 at 07:05AM by CWC It got down to 45 degrees here in Los Angeles the other day, which means it basically turned into The Day After Tomorrow, only with more faux fur. I found myself in need of more than the fleece jacket. And, as a result, I’ve spent a significant amount of time researching this season’s stock of vegan winter coats. What I found is that, because sustainable fashion is booming, especially in California, right now, ethical options—that also happen to be cool and cozy—are easier than ever to come by. When looking at vegan winter coats, be sure to avoid the obvious: leather, suede, fur, wool, cashmere, angora, camel hair, and mohair. “Often, people just look at the outer fabric, but a jacket’s lining, filling, trim, and hardware can [also] have unsustainable origins,” says Amy Rebecca Wilde, founder of Vegan Scene, a vegan fashion boutique in Venice, Cali. She says they’re usually made from plant or synthetic fibers, but they could contain silk, which is not vegan. You also want to avoid down as the filling of your coat, because this often means feathers from ducks or geese. One more design element to watch out for when looking for vegan winter coats: “Most people don’t know that they should investigate buttons, which can be sneaky, and you can find pearl, shell, horn, and ivory,” she adds. Knowledge is power, people. If you’re looking to stave off the winter chill, wherever you live, here are 9 vegan winter
How to choose music for your zodiac sign, according to cosmic playlist expert Chani Nicholas
February 09, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC You know those CDs you used to burn for road trips with a track list that couldn’t be more…you? It takes time to find the songs that align best with your personality—the ones that you could listen to over and over because those lyrics just get it. And if anyone knows how to pick them it’s Chani Nicholas. Catering to each zodiac sign, the badass astrologer (and meme wizard) recently curated cosmic playlists for Spotify, each filled with 25 different songs. She has a particular method for selecting a few dozen from of the millions of tunes available. “I choose the music that best fits each sign based on the astrology that is happening at the moment,” she tells me. “I go by themes of the moment for that sign and align the astrology with certain songs, genres, or feelings that seem most appropriate, helpful, and might help people to move though that moment, find inspiration, or articulate their feelings.” While Nicholas is highly skilled in astrology, there’s a way you can go about choosing music that really speaks to you. And the biggest piece of advice she has is to dig deeper than your sign. “We’re all born at a specific astrological moment that gives us a chart, or map of the sky, the moment we took our first breath. We’re the imprint of the entire sky, and we’re so much more than just the sign that the sun was in when we were born,”
How I totally overhauled my relationship with Instagram for better mental health
February 08, 2019 at 10:20AM by CWC We’ve all read the headlines about how social media and mental health typically don’t go hand in hand. So many people swear by just cutting it out of their lives altogether for better peace of mind. And that’s valid. But as someone who has always prided herself on being an over-sharer (case in point: I used to post photos from middle school to a website called Web Shots a decade before Instagram was a thing), I always assumed I was immune to it all. Then last year, I had an Instagram-induced mental health crisis. At the time, I felt like I was leading a double life. There was the smiley, happy version of myself who dominated my Instagram feed with vacation photos and cool beauty products. Then there was IRL me, who was having daily panic attacks and wasn’t sleeping or eating or taking care of herself. The pressure to live up to the persona I had created for myself online became crippling, but I felt like if I put out an image of myself that was anything other than what my followers expected, I would be failing them. Even worse: I felt like I would be failing myself. I secretly liked the Internet version of me a whole lot more than the real life one. So privately, I would lie awake all night, sobbing, and then hours later I would post photos of myself smiling on a beach in a bikini. It was all
I did yoga every day for a year and learned a ton about myself in the process
February 08, 2019 at 09:26AM by CWC Hi, my name is Avery, and I have practiced yoga every day for the past year. Truly, if I’m being honest, while I have not skipped a single day in the past 365, I don’t think I’ve missed more than a handful over the past five years. That might sound crazy to those alarm clock snoozers or early-to-bedders, but I’m here to tell you that it has totally changed my life. Allow me to explain. A little over five years ago, I quit my full-time office job at a glossy fashion magazine to go out on my own as a freelance writer and stylist. Back then, I hadn’t exercised for more than a collective week since high school, and (spoiler alert!) that was longer than I cared to admit. So on that first Monday in May (yes, it really was…) I woke up before the sun—my very own boss—and was invigorated by the new non-scheduled schedule I was about to set up for myself. I started the day with a hot power yoga class. I had dabbled in heated yoga in high school, and then again in college, but it never really stuck. Now, with little structure to my full-of-work days as a freelancer, I needed something to jump-start that energy. So, I slipped into my leggings and tank top, threw my yoga mat in my bag, and off to Earth Yoga I went. Quietly sitting in the back of the class, it
Omega 3 deficiency is wildly common, and that’s not great news for skin
February 08, 2019 at 07:31AM by CWC It took but one deep-diving DNA test to tell me that I was severely deficient in Omega 3s (and 6s, the full-package deal) which are widely known to help improve cardiovascular health and even brain function—not to mention skin condition. There are complexion-boosting benefits to both ingesting essential fatty acids and applying them topically that should be taken seriously—especially since according to Arivale, the new wellness platform that tests nutrient levels in comparison to thousands of clients, most of us are likely lacking. “Arivale tests labs related to your Omega 3 levels, called an Omega 3 index. At the initial observation, 88.62 percent of Arivale members were out of range,” says Erica Mouch, RDN CD LD and Arivale Coach, who adds that since we can’t naturally create more, it’s time to be an adult and seek them out. “To have the right levels in our bodies, they must be consumed or taken as a supplement. Together, Omega 3 and Omega 6 support reducing inflammation, which may be most visible in your skin.” Ingesting Omega 3 and 6 for skin health A quality supplement is a must, which has been the focus of Omega 3 Innovations, who follow Norway’s sustainable fishing regulations to produce cod liver oil (with zero fishy taste, mind you) masquerading as delectable treats like dark chocolate truffles and gluten-free cookies that deliver the same amount of fish oil as eating a 5-ounce filet of salmon. The easy sweet-tooth swaps are serious business
The confidence-boosting tips Iskra Lawerence taught me for feeling damn good in a swimsuit
February 07, 2019 at 12:36PM by CWC I think the universe sent me model Iskra Lawrence for a reason. On the day we were scheduled to meet to chat about her new Aerie campaign, I was less than 24 hours away from heading to a beach reunion trip in Puerto Rico with a big group of friends who I hadn’t seen in over a year. And if I’m being totally honest, I hadn’t exactly been #feelinmyself in the weeks leading up to the vacation. I’ve struggled with body image and eating issues for pretty much of my entire life, and the thought of being in a bikini—knowing that my body had changed quite a bit since any of these people saw me—had started to breed a whole lot of nasty self-talk deep within my brain. So much so, that I was beginning to dread the vacation that I’d been looking forward to for a really, really long time. Ahead of our interview, I spent hours looking at Lawrence’s Instagram feed (which, it’s worth noting, I’ve followed for a long time for a regular dose of body positivity, and would highly recommend) scrolling through photo after photo of her looking fierce AF on beaches all over the world. In every picture—whether she’s wearing lingerie eating a burger in the backseat of a car or sobbing in a selfie after a particularly trying day—she simply oozes confidence. And I wanted to know: How the heck does she do it? Apparently, it wasn’t always as
Talk about your beauty routine the way French girls do to make it feel so. much. better.
February 05, 2019 at 10:10AM by CWC If your essential beauty products had job titles, retinol would be the cell-turnover specialist, hyaluronic acid the SVP of hydration, and vitamin C the brightening executive. It might well feel natural to value skin-care staples in terms of the results they give your complexion, but at Well+Good’s most recent TALK in New York City, New York Times beauty columnist and author of Skin Deep Bee Shapiro suggested viewing your skin-care routine through an à la Française lens. Meaning, rather than putting all the emphasis on the effects of your lotions and potions (très American), consider how they make you feel in the process of using them. “I have this French girlfriend who’s so into beauty,” Shapiro tells the audience. “When we talk about products, her descriptions are always like, ‘Oh, it feels so good. It makes me feel relaxed. I use it like a massage before I go to sleep.’” Meanwhile in the US—where we all basically have “achieve! achieve! achieve!” tattooed onto our brains—many of us tend to equate a product’s worth with what it can accomplish. But why not enjoy the actual lathering, slathering process instead? “We’re so result-driven that even during self care, we’re like, ‘Oh! Gotta achieve something.’ Maybe you just like that oil because it feels really good.” —Bee Shapiro, New York Times beauty columnist and author of Skin Deep “We’re so result-driven that even during self care, we’re like, ‘Oh! Gotta achieve something,’” Shapiro adds. “Maybe you just like that oil because it feels
6 date night outfits Marie Kondo would approve
February 05, 2019 at 10:07AM by CWC As a typical New Yorker with a strong desire to expand her closet, but the sinking reality that my apartment space just won’t allow for it (or my budget for that matter), there’s one question that, in one way or another, I’ve been asking myself a lot thus far into 2019 and that’s: WWMKD? (What would Marie Kondo do?) What would Marie Kondo do about this extreme weather? What would Marie Kondo do about (another) government shutdown? What would Marie Kondo do with Ariana Grande’s jewelry collection? And while this story isn’t necessarily here to answer any of the above burning questions (although we should still look for their answers!), it does get me wondering how the Tidy Queen herself approaches something a bit more tangible and up her alley, like Valentine’s Day. Regardless of how you celebrate (or don’t celebrate), I think we can all agree, Valentine’s Day comes with its own fair share of consumerism baggage—a quick walk into any local CVS will confirm this, with a never-ending variety of stuffed animals that play ting-y sounding renditions of “My Girl,” “You Sexy Thing,” and, my favorite left-field option, Toto’s “Africa.” Of course, once you factor in candy or flowers, dinner reservations, and possibly a gift that isn’t of the stuffed animal variety, Valentine’s Day starts to resemble a collection of things veering into the “no longer sparking joy” pile. Throw in a pink sequin cocktail dress that doesn’t quite fold well using the
I opted out of these 3 popular things, and I’ve never been happier
February 05, 2019 at 05:32AM by CWC I’m a single guy, and I haven’t ever used a dating app (I did once upon a time use the dating site OkCupid—more on that later). I’ve never had my work Slack or email on my phone. I haven’t posted on Instagram in well over a year. And believe it or not, my dating, professional, and social lives have never been better. To be clear, I’m not some kind of ascetic or martyr or one of those people who decided to live in the woods without technology. (No judgment though!) I have an iPhone, watch Netflix, and go down deep YouTube rabbit holes. I definitely haven’t rejected modernity or pop culture, but I’ve tried over the past few years to be more aware of what I think I can’t live without and what I actually can’t live without. I want to distinguish between a want and a need, and I want to need as little as possible. When I Kondo-ed my apartment last year, I realized I’ve been gradually decluttering my life for years—paring down and simplifying and finding myself happier, calmer, and more self-actualized. Specifically when it comes to how I interact with technology. Below are a few techy things I’ve opted out of already. Photo: Julia Garan 1. Instagram (and pretty much social media in general) It started with deleting my personal Facebook page in lieu of a professional one, where I used to but now rarely post my writing. My