March 18, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC There are two kinds of people: those that refuse to schlep around their home without house shoes on their feet, and those that have never spent an hour in a black hole of online slipper shopping. Whichever camp you fall into (if you’re a dad, there’s a 99.9 percent chance you’re in the former), we can all agree that staying at home for an indeterminate amount of time due to the spread of COVID-19 means we need all the cozy moments we can get—especially as we intake the news surrounding it. It can feel scary out there right now, but let’s focus on the practical joy of having slippers: They’re soft, fuzzy, and furry, and they provide a barrier between your (maybe) clean trotters and the floor. One of life’s small delights. Here, shop some of our favorites in a range of styles. 1. Topdrawer Merippa House Shoes, $55 Photo: Topdrawer Power clash on your feet with these cozy, plaid-slash-fleece house shoes that were designed in Japan. They’re machine-washable (a true perk for slippers), and roll up into a ball so that you can bring them everywhere you go. 2. Loft Faux Fur Slide Slippers, $17 Photo: Loft Slide your feet into these faux fur slides that’ll embrace the bottom of your toes with soft coziness. You only have two bold choices: hot pink or crimson red. 3. L.L. Bean Wicked Good Slipper Moccasin Women’s Original, $89 Photo: L.L. Bean Wrap your feet
Tag: Well+Good
10 healthy daily habits to retain even while social distancing, according to psychologists
March 18, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC In a true act of bravery, today I put on a bra, leggings, and a pair of earrings, and even deigned to wear a dress. I’ve been self-isolating for a week now amid the COVID-19 crisis, and along with life feeling surreal, sweatpants have begun to feel like a second skin. But today, I fought that urge because for me, the ritual of getting dressed for work is one of the most important habits I stick stick to for retaining a sense of normalcy during this time when social distancing is the general recommendation to heed. It’s easy to feel not much beyond fright, worry, and frustration about lack of control for seeing out whatever your personal prerogative is right now. But in an effort to keep those (totally valid) feelings from taking over, the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) actually encourages you to stick with “normality and routine that mirrors life’s daily patterns and practices.” In other words, you can work to protect your sense of normal during this time, and preserving as much of your regularly scheduled programming as possible can help. “The worst things for us all would be to just collapse into sick-like behavior, like staying on the couch, wearing our pajamas all day, eating out of cans,” says psychotherapist and astrologer Jennifer Freed, PhD. “Do everything you would do if you’re about to meet the most important romantic date of your life.” To that point, perhaps I’ll really
On the Cusp: What it means when you’re a mix of intuitive Pisces and headstrong Aries
March 18, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC Each month with On the Cusp, we point our astrological magnifying glass on all the people born between two zodiac signs. Because when your birthday falls at either the tail end or the very beginning of your sun sign’s season, your personality may be influenced by your cosmic neighbor. Stefanie Iris Weiss Stefanie Iris Weiss, astrologer and co-author of Surviving Saturn’s Return: Overcoming the Most Tumultuous Time of Your Life, is here to illuminate us about what being born on the Pisces Aries cusp may mean for someone’s personality. Below, Weiss (who is available for 2020 readings), explains what happens when psychic empath Pisces (February 19 to March 20) merges with fast-paced Aries (March 20 to April 19) The Pisces Aries cusp is one of rest and rebirth; the twin-fish sign Pisces ends the astrological year, while Aries leads the charge of the next one. The shift between these two signs also marks the transition from winter to spring, which can be a confusing time, but often poetic. As such, it’s worth noting this very apt pairing marks the final combination for the On the Cusp series (but you can check out all the others here). We have two very different figures at war today: Pisces is calm, empathetic, and psychic—the mystic by the river. Aries is the knight who charges into action, someone who doesn’t feel, rarely thinks, and instead just acts. So will their combined energy be explosive? “It’s kind of confusing to feel the
A bare-minimum skin-care routine only costs $6, according to one derm
March 18, 2020 at 11:00AM by CWC Suffice to say we’ve all got a lot on our minds right now. Whether that’s navigating the strange new world of telecommuting, figuring out how we’re going to keep ourselves occupied during social distancing, or trying to ration toilet paper to last for an indeterminate amount of time (on top of the obvious stress of keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe from Covid-19), if you’re anything like me you’re looking for any way possible to simplify your life during this uncertain time. And one thing you can keep easy, according to a dermatologist, is your skin-care routine (a simple facial care routine is really all it takes). If spending your quarantine sampling a 25-step skin-care routine just isn’t feasible for (or appealing to) you, board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, says that you only need two products to keep skin happy and healthy. In a recent Instagram post, he shared his “emergency skin-care kit,” which consists of the bare minimum that you need to get your skin cleaned and moisturized. And the best part? It will only put a $6 dent in your wallet, and you can pick up everything you need during your next drugstore run. View this post on Instagram We are living in uncertain times right now with the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus. I personally left New York City with my family to distance ourselves from other people. Like you, we are preparing ourselves for potential
The meaning of ‘shelter in place,’ and how it relates to social distancing
March 18, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC The San Francisco Bay Area woke up Tuesday to an order of “shelter in place.” Mayor London Breed had announced on Monday that as of 12 a.m. on March 17, residents must stay home unless they’re leaving for an essential reason. “These steps are based on the advice of public health experts to slow the spread of COVID-19,” she said. “There is no need to rush out for food or supplies, as these stores will remain open.” At a news conference on Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio said he’s considering a similar “shelter in place” order for the five boroughs. While it might sound like something scary, the meaning of “shelter in place,” says Brian Labus, PhD, MPH, is simple: you need to stay home. And the reasoning behind such an order is important: it stops people from getting sick. Sheltering in place isn’t totally dissimilar from what’s happening in Italy, says Dr. Labus, but the Bay Area’s order still allows people to go out to buy food, get medical treatment, care for family members, engage in outdoor activities while keeping six feet away from others, and go to work in certain industries like health care or law enforcement, reports the Los Angeles Times. “A broad shelter in place might be enforced after an emergency, when you absolutely do not let people go out in public,” says Dr. Labus. “In [San Francisco’s] case, people can still go out for important
Digital fitness is creating the communities we need right now
March 18, 2020 at 01:00AM by CWC When Barry‘s chief instructor Keoni Hudoba hosted his first free “#COREntine” workout on Instagram Live on March 17, he figured that he’d be teaching 100 people, max. At the end of the 20 minute session, more than 800 people had tuned in to watch. The same thing happened during Akin Akman’s first ever free AARMY digital spin class on March 16, which saw 3,000 people from around the world tapping it back, together, on their at-home bikes. As gyms and boutique fitness studios across the country have shut their doors to keep their members safe from Covid-19, trainers have brought their offerings online—for free—proving that the communities they’ve created transcend the brick and mortars they were created in. “This is our time, as motivators in the health and wellness industry, to band together and keep the positive energy going,” says Hudoba. After Akman closed his studio on March 14, he sprung into action to come up with a plan to keep his community connected. “What’s been incredible is that way beyond the AARMY community, all over the world there have been people who have found our classes, and it’s been really inspiring to be able to get out there and help people,” he says. “Normally, we can inspire 62 people at a time, but people from everywhere can now come together.” Considering the vast amount of research linking the positive benefits of physical fitness to mental health—an hour of exercise a week can
I’m in my 30s, and I have a compromised immune system. Here’s why I want you to take COVID-19 seriously
March 18, 2020 at 12:00AM by CWC You might not know from seeing me, but I have two chronic diseases—psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. My immune system is on overdrive all the time, which means that I have to take immunosuppressant drugs in order to help manage my conditions. A suppressed immune system, as you can imagine, is the last thing you’d want when facing a global pandemic such as COVID-19. I have been on high alert since March 2, when cases started to escalate in the U.S., but until recently it felt like I was the only one who understood the looming reality of self-quarantining, stringent hygiene practices, and avoiding social contact. I’ve been on edge and nervous for weeks. I enforced strict boundaries to ensure people don’t touch me, stayed inside my apartment as much as possible, and increased all of my normal self-care measures to where they feel more like survival techniques. As someone who has been living with a compromised immune system for almost three decades, these feelings have always been present on some level. But what used to be a low-grade hum in the background has officially taken its place front and center in my life and the lives of millions of others out there. I’m not the only person who is facing this challenge—as many as 4 percent of U.S. adults are considered immunocompromised, meaning that they have weakened immune systems due to health conditions (such as HIV/AIDS and cancer) or necessary medications. Four percent
What happens to your skin when you stop wearing makeup for a day, week, or month
March 17, 2020 at 11:00PM by CWC Global cases of Covid-19 are rising, leading many people to work remotely for the foreseeable future. Working from home has its pros and cons, like more time with your pet, but for many it can also increase feelings loneliness. However, one thing rings (mainly) true: It’s certainly easier to skip makeup if you so choose. So, we asked dermatologists for the low-down on just what happens to your skin when you don’t wear makeup. “Typically when people stop wearing makeup, especially if the makeup they were wearing was occlusive or comedogenic, they state that their skin looks better,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. A makeup break works as a skin refresher, and results in brighter, more even, less broken out skin. This is because unlike your skin care, which penetrates into your skin, makeup sits on top of your complexion. So what happens to your skin when you give it a break for different lengths of time? We asked the pros to find out. A day Without it, your skin can “breathe,” so to speak, but what does that really mean? In the short term, it just means that your skin is able to better recalibrate itself. “Your skin behaves differently depending on humidity levels, stress levels, and many other [external] factors, so if you keep it covered in makeup, your skin may choose to increase or decrease sebum and oil production, and increase or decrease its
The 6 happy news stories that are making us smile today
March 17, 2020 at 10:00PM by CWC The news cycle during the time of COVID-19 is best described as bleak. Now, more than ever, it’s just as important to find moments of joy as it is to wash your hands, practice social distancing, or check in on your loved ones. Yesterday, the Well+Good office (now completely digital since we’re all WFH) made it a point to share the internet memes and things that brought us genuine happiness in a time otherwise filled with uncertainty. We shared them all in Slack for laughs, chuckles, and “awwws.” If you, too, crave a little more lightness in your heart right now, keep scrolling for the most delightful things the internet has to offer. Remember: You’re still allowed to be happy. The 6 happy news stories that are making us smile today 1. This VERY IMPORTANT VIDEO of a penguin on a ‘field trip’ at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium Penguins in the Amazon?! Some of the penguins went on a field trip to meet other animals at Shedd. Wellington seemed most interested in the fishes in Amazon Rising! The black-barred silver dollars also seemed interested in their unusual visitor. pic.twitter.com/KgYWsp5VQD — Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 15, 2020 There’s something decidedly meta about a penguin taking a field trip at the aquarium—and we’re 100 percent here for it. Wellington, the star of this particular clip, took a particular interest in the schools of Amazonian fish in an inter-species meet-and-greet that’s sure to warm your heart. 2. Spanish
The 5-ingredient secret sauce thousands of healthy eaters drizzle on absolutely everything
March 17, 2020 at 09:00PM by CWC Sauces make the world a better place. That’s a fact. Whether it’s your pasta, roasted vegetables, or taco bowl—a good sauce instantly transforms any meal into a solid great one. And while there countless options out there to choose from, it only takes five ingredients to make the chili sauce recipe thousands of healthy eaters can’t get enough of. Out of all of Sakara Life‘s offerings, the Daydreamer Soba Noodle Bowl is a hard-to-beat favorite amongst those who use the healthy meal programs. While the shiitake mushrooms, buckwheat soba noodles, and asparagus make for a delicious combo, it’s the chili sauce that always has clients coming back for more. In fact, it was so popular they decided to keep the dish on the menu for good. You’d think something so noteworthy would come with a long, complicated ingredients list—especially considering it was created by a world-renowned chef!—but it just goes to show mouth-watering meals can be made in minutes, too. This sauce only requires healthy pantry staples you probably already have at home: tahini, brown rice vinegar, white miso, soy sauce, and Sriracha. Yep, that’s it. If you don’t have those exact ingredients, you could make substitutions—like another hot sauce instead of Sriracha, for example. Grab some veggies and noodles, then coat them in this chili sauce recipe you can make in minutes. Pro tip: Make extra and store it in the fridge, because you’re going to want to use this stuff all