March 20, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC I excitedly anticipate every weekend the same way: With a gravitational-pull-strength desire to kick back and binge-watch reality television after waking from an extra-long slumber. “I’m going to have such a relaxing, restorative weekend!” I habitually say to myself come Friday evening, after an inevitably long, busy AF week. But then, like clockwork, after about a whole two hours of straight chillin’, I get restless. So begins the process of texting all my friends to make last-minute plans for…right at this very second, or finding errands to run, or a museum to visit, or a a movie to see, or whatever—anything to get me out of my apartment. My sister says both my dad and I have a serious case of shpilkes, a Yiddish term describing nervous restlessness. I.e., I chronically have ants in my pants, and I know a ton of other people have trouble leaning into their valiant hygge intentions to do a whole bunch of nothing. To be clear, there’s nothing wrong, per se, with having a go-go-go personality—but there is a downside: Come Monday a.m., you’re likely still exhausted rather than recharged from your weekend. You know, because of those ants, or according to clinical psychotherapist Jennifer Silvershein, LCSW, an inability to relax, largely supported by the millennial lifestyle. “Growing up, we had to do all of these things in order to be amazing—get good grades, be in extracurriculars, get a scholarship, go to college, get a job,” she says. “Where in that
Tag: Media
Shift workers share how they sleep, socialize, and generally function on a nontraditional schedule
March 19, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC It’s 3 a.m. when firefighter Molly* jolts awake. Great, just great, she thinks. Molly works 10 24-hour shifts a month and, but this is a night where she’s home in her own bed. “I fall asleep easily, but have problems staying asleep,” she says. When she clocks her rest at the firehouse, she has to be up and ready in mere seconds at the sound of an (extremely loud) siren. Knowing she might have to be awake and alert enough to make literal life or death decisions makes for terrible sleep during shifts. And because her body’s conditioned to spring into action at any time, she has trouble getting quality sleep at home, too. Kimberly Brown, MD, a 34-year-old ER doctor living in Memphis can relate. Her schedule is all over the place; sometimes she works 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., and other times it’s 8 p.m. to 7 p.m. “My night shifts are never more than three days in a row, so I don’t get too used to it,’” she says. Still, because her hours change so often (and to such a high magnitude), she says it’s hard to get consistent, quality sleep. Chasing enough sleep is a pursuit that keeps so many of us awake at night—and in the case of night shift workers, during the day, too. According to Well+Good’s recent survey of nearly 1,500 people about their sleep habits and health, 92 percent of of us feel fatigued more
When it comes to matters of love, it’s definitely possible to have too much chill
March 19, 2019 at 07:52AM by CWC I have never had any chill—especially regarding romantic pursuits. I’m basically an air-condition-less apartment in July with nary a cheap Bed Bath & Beyond fan to speak of. Sure, this may have opened me up to more heartbreak than what a run-of-the-mill softboy may experience, but turns out, scientifically speaking, that it’s high time that I embrace my complete and utter lack of chill. To quote the Smashing Pumpkins, today is the greatest day I’ve ever known, because I’ve come across (my favorite) study, which finds that being too easygoing can be problematic. Researchers from the University of Western Australia gave 214 students a questionnaire to assess qualities desirable for both long-term (romantic) and short-term (sexual) attractions by assigning percentile ranks to the indicators of intelligence, kindness, easygoingness, and physical attractiveness. Spoiler: Being “too hot” or “too kind” doesn’t work against you. While all four characteristics peaked at the 90th percentile, being too easygoing or highly intelligent showed statistically significant decreases from the 90th to 99th percentiles, while attractiveness and kindness did not. Being too easygoing can remove any sense of friction in a relationship—and without friction, there’s no spark. And with no spark, things can become monotonous. So, if you identify as a Chill Guy Who Likes to Hang, it would appear that such a slacker-esque mentality ain’t super hot in extreme doses. Though the study doesn’t offer intel as to why being too easygoing gets tired beyond positing that it’s “for reasons that may be
Cancel that foot massage—these feel-good stretches make feet happy
March 18, 2019 at 11:17AM by CWC When you’re trying to increase the number of steps displayed on your fitness tracker, your feet are definitely going to feel it after the daily grind takes its toll. The best way to repay your feet for carrying you from A to B is with some foot stretches for pain. Feet and toes often get neglected even if you’re stretching the rest of your body regularly. “If you have feet, you probably wear shoes,” says Brea Johnson, founder of Heart + Bones Yoga, in a YouTube video. “And if you wear shoes, your feet probably don’t get to move as much as they need to. And then we wonder, ‘Why do my feet hurt? Why is the bottom of my foot sore when I wake up in the morning? Why do my toes start to squish together? Because we don’t move them enough.” In addition to increasing circulation to the area, Johnson’s toe and foot stretches are easy enough to do anywhere you can sit comfortably, such as when you’re a passenger on a long car ride or you’re sitting on the couch watching your favorite TV show. Your feet will thank you. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpxBDjIn7nc] Now that your feet and toes are all stretched out, try these options before bed for better sleep. You can also improve your sex life with stretches as well, and these are the top trainer-recommended picks. Continue Reading… Author Tehrene Firman | Well and Good Selected by iversue
If a good cry is healthy, the new season of “Queer Eye” has gotta be a cure-all
March 16, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC What does a perfect day look like for you? Maybe it includes an epic meal, jet-setting adventures, romantic moments that make Call Me By Your Name seem gray and boring, and of course: cathartic sobbing. (Just me?) Any great day for me can be made better by getting at least a little teary, because the high from that release is the quickest stress-buster I know. Medical experts agree that letting those tears flow, even if they come up at unexpected moments (like yoga class, during movies, and even, yikes, post-orgasm), is really good for you. So if you judge Queer Eye seasons purely on sob factor (again, just me?), let me give the third outing for the Fab Five, which dropped yesterday on Netflix, a hearty two (Kleenex-covered) thumbs up. When the Netflix series debuted in early 2018 (God, was it only a year ago?), the crying was the point. Call it must-sob TV. Watching Queer Eye is like a beautiful detox to cleanse your tear ducts, your eyes, your lymphatic system, and your very soul. Or at least it feels that way. When the Netflix series debuted in early 2018 (God, was it only a year ago?), the crying was the point. Call it must-sob TV. It was a cultural moment where America took a break from its red state-blue state stalemate for some seriously therapeutic hugs. ( Oh, A.J…I hope you and your stepmom are okay.) And this season, as it strays further from
The most important thing I ever did for my self-esteem was to stop wearing pants
March 14, 2019 at 01:04PM by CWC High school isn’t often characterized as a fun time, but those years were tumultuous for me in a very specific way. Long story short: I skipped two grades, so I was only 12 when I started ninth grade. While most of the people around me had already gone through puberty, I had yet to experience what it meant to have a “changing body.” When that uncomfortable coming-of-age moment finally arrived in tenth grade—I was 13 going on 14—my self-esteem went downhill, fast. That year, I got my first period and ballooned in size to about 300 pounds. I suddenly went from being baby-fat chubby to being the type of person who was now firmly in the plus-size category. (It would take me years to learn that I was dealing with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal condition that can cause heavy periods, acne, infertility, and—yes—weight gain.) Of course, this meant my entire wardrobe changed, especially when my J-cup boobs continued to grow in. Before this moment, I hadn’t really thought about clothing that much. As the middle of five children, I often wore hand-me-downs or stuff my mom picked out. I didn’t really question whether something looked good or made me feel good. As I struggled to understand what felt like a completely new body, I realized that clothing now existed in two categories for me: clothing that made me feel good about myself and clothing that didn’t. I spent the better part of that year trying to
Why true-crime and murder content is so frighteningly addictive—especially for women
March 14, 2019 at 11:13AM by CWC Making a Murderer. The Staircase. Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes. The Jinx. The Keepers. Abducted in Plain Sight. O.J.: Made in America. This is just a quick selection—honestly a mere fraction—of all the true-crime series and documentaries that have become binge-watchable cultural phenomenons of sorts. And when you’re not watching the often murderous content, you can listen to podcasts about the stories (My Favorite Murder, Serial) or read books about them (I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, A Serial Killer’s Daughter). While offerings of the genre are pervasive and plentiful across platforms, many still can’t consume enough of it. But why do so many people crave this dark-leaning form of escapism—is any part of it relatable? Weirdly exciting? Alluring, even? According to clinical and forensic psychologist Paula E. Bruce, PhD, a large part is because reality can actually be stranger than fiction. “True-crime shows are compelling to many because they can provide a window into a reality that we do not readily have access to.” “True-crime shows are compelling to many because they can provide a window into a reality that we do not readily have access to.” —Paula E. Bruce, PhD And given that the victims of the brutal and violent crimes covered (including rape, torture, and murder) are often female, it’s worth noting that research points to women also being the biggest fans of the genre. According to Dr. Bruce, that’s no coincidence. “Women, in general, are more attuned to
Why you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation
March 14, 2019 at 09:48AM by CWC You’d think that after a blissful break from work, far away from the daily stressors of everyday life, that you’d feel rejuvenated. Maybe you just spent a week at the beach, basking in the sun. Or maybe you were exploring a new city, filling up on the local cuisine and soaking up the culture. So why is it that the second you get home, you feel so damn tired after vacation? There’s a pretty reasonable explanation. “When you have a routine, there’s less mental energy that has to go towards figuring out what we have to do,” explains Tim Bono, PhD, a psychological and brain sciences lecturer at Washington State University in St. Louis. “It’s part of the reason why vacations can be so exhausting. You have to figure out, okay, ‘where do we park the car? Where do we get our coffee? If we want something to eat, where do we go? What are the choices for what we’re going to do today?’ Those are all things you don’t have to really think about in your typical day-to-day life.” It’s why, Dr. Bono explains, humans thrive on routine. It saves you from making a bunch of small decisions, which in turn saves a heck of a lot of cognitive energy. And of course if you were trying to do all the things on vacation, that can contribute to feeling exhausted post-trip, too. So how can you make sure you feel truly rejuvenated before
Some bralettes are too cute not to be seen—here are 9 genius ways to style them
March 09, 2019 at 09:00AM by CWC IMHO, a bralette is a perfect article of clothing. Aside from holding your boobs in place without any pesky (and often painful) underwire, there’s something about the lacy unmentionables that make me want to mention them, loudly, from the rooftops. Or at least wear them very publicly and on full display outside of my clothes as part of an outfit. If you want to know how to wear a bralette as part of your springtime #lewk, it’s first important to understand what, exactly, this heaven-sent closet staple actually is. A bralette is basically a bra without all of the uncomfortable bells and whistles. There’s no underwire or clasp, which somehow puts it in a category smack in between “lingerie” and “clothing,” and means it can easily serve double duty as both. They’re pretty, sexy, and so cozy that I’d go so far as to call them the clothing equivalent of the Lovesac. The best part, though, is that you can enjoy the wonders associated with wearing a bralette whether you’re a 32A, a 40D, or anywhere in between. Thanks in large part to the fashion industry’s movement toward size inclusivity, there are a lot of supportive—and more importantly, sexy—options out there. One W+G staffer is a fan of Cosabella’s Never Say Never bralette ($66) and The Evolution bralette ($80) for her own DDs, and The Lively Busty Bralette ($45) is a fan-favorite that goes up to a size 38DDD. So if my true obsession has you feeling inspired to try
I’ve been working out on my own for decades, but now I never sweat without this app
March 06, 2019 at 08:02AM by CWC Let me paint a little picture for you: I was in the middle of my treadmill run—a HIIT sequence led by a Peloton trainer on my app—when the streaming abruptly came to a stop. I don’t know whether it was the spotty Wi-Fi in the gym or Mercury Retrograde rearing its ugly head, but either way, it led to an absolute crisis. I truly didn’t know what to do with myself next. Without one of my go-to running instructors from the streaming platform guiding me through each and every interval, hill, and sprint, I was helpless. The ironic thing is that I’ve been working out for decades on my own, no trainer needed—so I can assure you without hesitation that within my brain are a roster of workout moves and running drills that I could perform on my own…just like I used to. But for some reason, these days I just can’t bring myself to, well, instruct myself through my own workout. Ever since I was introduced to the Peloton workout app about three months ago, I haven’t done a sweat sesh without it. Former, independent me would scoff at the fact that I now workout without my running playlist (which I used to look forward to sprinting to)—but now I’m totally hypnotized and reliant upon Peloton trainers like Olivia Amato, Selena Samuela, and Rebecca Kennedy, regardless of whether or not I like the music they play in the background. Watching a Peloton instructor actually do the workout