October 17, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC Once you hit the workforce, it’s easy to get swept into the role you’re in without giving more thought to the why—other than, you know, paying rent and affording your grocery haul. But solidifying a job or career that aligns with your personal values and goals should be something you think about before writing another “I’m so excited to announce…” post on social media. The first thing to nail down? Minda Harts, founder of The Memo (who recently appeared at our Wellness Collective event with Athleta), recommends figuring out what a “successful” career actually means to you. Is it making sure you’re home by five, or is it ensuring each job you take ladders up to one overall goal? Your why can take a lot of different shapes, Harts says. For her, it’s empowering women of color and providing career guidance in the workplace—and everything she does leads back to this mission. Once you have your definition nailed down, she suggests focusing on your specific personality traits then deciding what office setting you most thrive in. Do you prefer to work autonomously or do you shine better on a team? Would you rather work at home or come into the office every day? Remember, there are no wrong answers. Now, lay out what you truly love to do and the skills you already have (as well as the ones you need to work on). It’s not just a wild dream to get paid for
Tag: Well+Good
The Kivin Method for oral sex can make you orgasm in 3 minutes flat
October 17, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC For people with vulvas, the image of receiving oral sex probably looks pretty similar. While there’s no single way to do something well, the head-between-the-legs approach is a pretty standard and accepted one here. And hey, for many, it works—but, does it work best? Not necessarily. Once you learn how to master the Kivin Method, which many contend does the trick faster and stronger, you’ll be left wondering why you wasted time doing anything else throughout the duration of your sexually active life. The Kivin Method is a technique that’s best explained as “sideways oral,” says United Kingdom-based sex and relationship expert Annabelle Knight. As opposed to the typical vertical approach, the giver comes in-between the legs at a horizontal angle, which maximizes exposure to the tongue and focus on and across the clitoris, labia majora, and labia minora. “We now know that the clitoris isn’t just a little external nub but instead is a much larger, and longer, internal organ boasting thousands of pleasurable nerve endings,” says Knight. “Instead of being licked up and down, which would miss out on stimulating the crura and bulbs (the arms and legs), licking occurs lengthways [with the Kivin Method], meaning that stimulation is spread over a larger surface area.” And, she adds, some have reported using the method has led to them climaxing in three minutes flat. To get in position for the Kivin Method, the receiver lies on their back and brings one knee
The new definition of ‘American’ cuisine pushes the boundaries of fast food and TV dinners
October 17, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC Between 2013 and 2015, artist Lois Bielefeld set out to photograph the “typical American meal” in a series called Weeknight Dinners. The scenes are as mundane as they are interesting. One image captures a couple eating on the floor of their living room. In another, a teenager places her phone between herself and a bowl of something orange. There’s a family barbecue, a TV dinner eaten alone, a paper plate with pizza slices, and—of course—a Tupperware meal. Consumed as a series, Weeknight Dinner paints a colorful portrait of 21st century American cuisine. One that’s focused largely on convenience rather than health. The food industry has kept these two factors at odds for decades. But now, a new crop of wellness-enthused consumers are demanding ease and nutrition in one bite. As a result, the portrait of American cuisine is getting revamped. If the $4.2 trillion global wellness industry ($702.1 billion of which centers around healthy eating and nutrition) has its way, a recreation of Bielefeld’s project 10 years in the future would look much, much different. Before looking forward, though, culinary historians and experts say a little bit of retrospection is in order. A brief history of American cuisine Coney Island hot dogs and French fries may come to mind when you think about America, but just like French food is more than baguettes and escargots, U.S. fare is vibrant, varied, and ever-evolving. “I’m an anthropologist, so I think of things starting off with indigenous foods, like Indian maize, beans, and
I wasn’t able to sleep on airplanes until I bought this chiropractor-approved neck pillow
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.
9 steps for raising your emotional maturity level and taking stress in stride
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
I tried 6 minimizing bras to make my boobs look smaller—here’s how they stack up
October 17, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC My boobs were the first part of my body I ever felt confident about, and I usually take every opportunity to emphasize them accordingly. But sometimes—like when your job-interview-appropriate blouse starts to strain against its buttons so badly you look like you’re posing for the cover of a romance novel, or when the classy bridesmaid dress you’re trying on reveals a veritable Marianas Trench of cleavage—a large chest can be real trouble. I’d resigned myself to a buttonless fate until I stumbled upon a magical subset of undergarment called minimizing bras. Are these bras, which are designed to reduce your bust by a cup size or more, the sexiest bras you’re ever going to wear? Probably not. But, after taking six different kinds for a test drive, I can attest that they live up to their name—without resorting to the smush and squash techniques favored by your trusty sports bra. Below, find a ranking of the best minimizing bras, from “does the job” to “you’ll pry this off my cold, dead, chest.” 6. HSIA Minimizer Underwire, $19 Don’t be fooled by the delicate lace and the pretty design: This minimizer bra lives up to its name, and the black and white iteration looks very Black Swan. It doesn’t make it up higher on the list because the material is a tad flimsy and doesn’t provide a ton of support. 5. Wacoal Visual Effects Minimizer Bra, $65 This is not the comfiest bra of
This 3-ingredient recipe from a happiness expert sparks joy in more ways than one
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
Yoga is the most popular workout in the world—here’s proof it works for everyone
October 16, 2019 at 10:30PM by CWC Yoga may be a 5,000 year old practice, but it has seemingly never been more popular. According to a report from the Global Wellness Institute titled “The Global Economy of Physical Activity,” the participation in “mindful movement” is growing around the world, and yoga is the leader of the pack. “In our frenetically paced, stressful, sleepless, and chronic-pain-plagued world, the demand for slower, mindful movement—which includes yoga, Pilates, tai chi, qigong, stretch, barre, Gyrotonic, etc.—is skyrocketing,” writes the report. There are 165 million people around the world who participate in the practice, making it a whopping $16.9 billion market. And the world, it seems, is onto something. You’d be hard-pressed to find any trainer who wouldn’t recommend integrating at least some yoga into your routine, whether you’re a runner, a Pilates lover, or into Crossfit. It’s got a laundry list of proven physical and mental benefits (increases strength, betters flexibility, reduces anxiety—seriously, the list goes on), plus can help you start your days feeling more focused or finish them off with an added level of zen. But even so, there are a whole lot of people out there still feel like yoga just isn’t their thing, or that they prefer other styles of working out to flowing on the mat. And to that, I say, “maybe you just haven’t tried the right kind yet.” So here are the best types of yoga for every type of fitness enthusiast, which might just turn you
Cancel your manicure: These at-home nail tips will keep your polish on longer than gels
October 16, 2019 at 09:59PM by CWC I would say the top things that make me really, incredibly upset are 1) an overly tardy Seamless order when I’m hangry, 2) people that walk slowly in my path, and 3) a chipped manicure. While the first two can be fixed by a simple snack or a maneuver around the person in your way, the third scenario is more of a longer-lasting bummer that sends me into a spiral of despair. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. The founder and CEO of LA-based nail salon Olive & June, Sarah Gibson Tuttle, blew my mind with her insider tricks on making a mani last much longer than the usual handful of days (you know, like your pedicure weirdly does). “Our biggest mani-saving trick is to apply a thin layer of top coat every third day,” says Tuttle. “This will really extend the life of your mani because it acts as a layer of defense against everything your hands are interacting with.” She shows me her seven day-old manicure that she did this trick on, and I swear it looked like they were freshly painted an hour before. Your cuticles also play a major role in keeping your manicure looking just-done. “Definitely apply a cuticle serum every day to hydrate the skin around your nails and your cuticles,” says Tuttle (Olive & June makes an easy-to-swipe-on serum for this for $16). “Not only will it make your mani look like you just stepped
Now you can stargaze straight from your smartphone at an hour of the day
October 16, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC There are at least 100 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, according to The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (aka the one and only NASA). For the amateur stargazer, the night sky can be a playground for your imagination. And now, with a little curiosity—and yes, a decent amount of outdoor space—you can capture the stars and planets in a crisp, mesmerizing image on your smartphone. On Tuesday, Google introduced the Pixel 4 and its astrophotography feature, Night Sight 2.0: a brand-new way to take photos the kind of star-studded photos you see in the pages of National Geographic. In order to take full advantage of the new camera capability, you have to “travel away from the city lights, and start shooting 90 minutes or more after sunset.” Once you’ve found a dark spot, simply point your phone toward the sky as it rests on a steady surface, tap “capture,” and leave it be until the countdown timer says the image is ready. Then, go ahead—let your jaw drop. All Photos: Google While you’re making your camera roll that much more beautiful, awe-inspiring, and ‘grammable, you’ll also be surrounding yourself with nature when you otherwise might be indoors. Research has indicated that making time to frolic in nature (or, you know, sit down and ponder the enormity of the universe) comes with a wide range of health benefits. Spending time outside has been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stress, high