Wellness

Candace Bryan is one of six people tracking their resolutions with Apartment Therapy in real time. You can read her earlier installments here and here. Three weeks into my month-long no-coffee challenge, something unimaginably horrific happened: I drank a latte. OK, so it wasn’t the end of the world. But it did mark the end of my total caffeine abstinence. Since then, I have begun to regularly drink coffee again. Oops! However, I don’t see my challenge as a failure.

Hello and welcome to the new year. Let’s talk fitness. Particularly, fitness and resolutions. This year I hit the ground running (lol. But also no, that’s too high impact) by trying out four different types of fitness classes. I wanted to actually find something new that I could maybe stick with for the whole of 2017 and there’s nothing like a New Year’s resolution to push you past the “first class jitters”.

At the end of a long, stressful day, what do you most look forward to? Everyone has a different way of unwinding—for some people it’s plopping down on the couch to watch their favorite show on Netflix, for others, it’s going to the gym or taking a long hot shower. There’s pretty much no limit to how you can relax and de-stress.

So you want to fit more fitness time into your day, but you also value your TV time and don’t want to miss out on your favorite shows. Rather than sacrifice your relationship with Netflix, why not incorporate some exercise into your watch schedule? Try swapping out the couch (and by swapping out, we mean more like sliding the coffee table out of the way to make room) and watching from your yoga mat instead.

If you’re anything like me, you probably continually promise yourself that tonight’s the night you’re finally going to start going to bed earlier, and then midnight rolls around and you’re still wide awake, intently reading some article you saw on Twitter (or watching “okay, just one more!” episode of your new favorite Netflix show and suddenly it’s 2 AM).

Say you woke up with flu symptoms this morning—fever, aches, a bad case of the sniffles and a cough that won’t quit. Would you call out sick from work so you could have a day to rest and help yourself feel better? We often take sick days when we’re feeling under the weather, but what about when we’re otherwise exhausted and drained or have been super stressed out lately?

If you’ve ever poured cups of Epsom salt into your bath while wondering, “What is this stuff, and why am I doing this?

Try not to think about it too hard, but you’re currently flying through the universe at a million miles an hour. Your balance—a skill finely tuned since you were a toddler—is keeping you upright, allowing you to maintain control when everything around you is moving faster than you could imagine. Balance is no less important outside of the body.

When your alarm goes off in the morning, how do you feel? If the answer is “dreadful,” you’re not alone—a new study from Sleep Junkie found that more than half (53.86 percent!) of people feel the same way upon hearing their alarm. In addition, 27.12 percent of people feel anxious when they’re alarm goes off, while only 11.24 percent feel energized, 2.32 percent feel excited, and a mere 0.

Whether you read your horoscope every day or you don’t fully buy into the idea of astrology, it’s interesting to see what your sign says about your personality. And those traits may also be the key to a healthier, happier life. Progress happens one step at a time. You need to start with something super doable — something so “you” that it becomes part of your new routine without even trying.

Think about your morning routine—you probably get up out of bed (possibly after pressing snooze a few times), brush your teeth, maybe make breakfast or coffee, and start getting ready for work. If that sounds about right, there’s one thing you might be leaving out: stretching. For those of you who aren’t serial stretchers, the whole practice might seem pointless, but there are actually quite a few benefits you can get out of incorporating an AM stretch session into your day.

I often fall asleep listening to YouTube videos of a stranger speaking softly while she pretends to braid my hair (or make me tea, or massage my scalp). Or while she whispers about the candles she’s making, the starchy shirts she’s crinkling slowly, or the towels she’s folding. What matters most to me about these videos isn’t what she says but rather the quality of her voice (calm, soothing) and the attitude she projects (do I trust her? does she seem genuine?

There’s nothing plain, boring, or basic about modern wedding bands for the minimalist bride. Whether you’re after something beautifully crafted, ethically sourced, or perfectly embellished, we’ve got you covered. From simple silver bands to more sophisticated, and dare we say, even a bit sparkly options, there are terrific rings across the minimalist spectrum.

If you haven’t laced up those running shoes since January (hey, no judgement), this news might motivate you. New research has calculated just how much time a jog adds to your life. A paper published last month in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases takes a look at just how much running increases longevity. The study states that in general, “runners have a 25-40% reduced risk of premature mortality and live approximately three years longer than non-runners.

Forget the Wheel of Life (and our home-oriented Life Balance Wheel) — or, don’t forget them, but after you maximize those wheels’ utility, there’s a new wheel in town: the Historic Paper Odor Wheel, developed by a team out of the University of London to more precisely describe and categorize the smell of old books.

While fitness trackers help count your steps and sometimes make for chic wrist candy, they actually do a lot more than people give them credit for. If you’ve grown bored with yours and thrown it into a junk drawer, the reason might just be that you haven’t used it to its fullest potential. Read on to learn about the cool and not-so-obvious ways you can use your fitness tracker. Every activity is more fun when you have the chance to kick butt, including your daily steps.

While natural beauty guru Rachel Winard (of the cult-favorite brand Soapwalla) and I were talking about good, easy facials to make with food that might currently be in your kitchen, I also asked her for pointers on how to start an essential oil collection. Essentially: What are the essential essential oils? She suggested these five (for which you could come up with your own mnemonic, too — my first attempt is “let little ponies eat … tea trees.

Everyone needs a nap now and again, but if you’re feeling sleepy and you’ve got things to do, you definitely want to maximize your time, right? Naps work in different ways, and the truth is, it’s all about timing and understanding how the body’s sleep cycles work. Before you doze off for 45 minutes and hope for the best, you should know how they work and what kinds there are—here’s what you need to know.

Since I was a young girl, I’ve always loved shopping. Back in the day, I may have had more…extravagant takes (I gravitated toward everything pink, sequined handbags, feather boas and kitten heels…topped off with plastic clip-on earrings), but the love for style was already there, albeit it a little misguided. Nowadays I’ve updated a few things here and there, but I can’t say the road to the aesthetic I have now has always been smooth.

Want to be more mindful of your screen time and lead a more active lifestyle? There’s one simple formula to remember that can help you achieve both, and it’s called the 2/30 rule. It’s simple, really—the goal is to limit yourself to 2 hours of TV watching time per day, and to also get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. It’s about spending less time sitting in front of a screen and spending a little more time working on your fitness.

If you feel like you can stand to become more centered and relaxed throughout your day, then take a look at the guided meditations free on YouTube – there are hundreds of videos to choose from that take you from a stressed, anxious state, and back down to a zen attitude. No one’s weekday is an absolute breeze, and it’s easy to get caught up in stress when your responsibilities and to-do lists pile up mile high.

Here’s the thing: I used to be a very productive person in the morning. I used to be a wake up early, make myself breakfast, get out the door and make it into the office before everyone else kind of person, but lately I’ve fallen into a very slow and tired routine. My recent mornings have been kind of a struggle, so I decided to try something new to get me out of my AM slump: getting up and going for a walk outside before doing anything else.

Being more mindful of your health doesn’t necessarily mean overhauling your entire diet or hitting the gym for an hour every day—there are a lot of little things you can do to help you feel like your happiest, healthiest self. Things like staying hydrated, getting in extra steps, trying new things and taking breaks are all important, and it all starts with challenging yourself to pay attention to them.

There’s no faster way to look more put together and elegant than having a closet full of well-tailored clothes. But if you have a hard time finding pieces that fit you properly—from struggling with long pant hems or boxy blazers—know that there’s an easy fix for that: A tailor! Bringing your clothes into a trusted seamstress to be nipped and tucked can make all the difference, especially considering you can change the details that you don’t find flattering.

There are many ways living in Germany has changed my life, but the greatest change came from a most unexpected source: a cheese box. How has a five-Euro plastic container made such a huge impact on my dinner habits and well-being? And what makes a cheese box so superior to a dedicated cheese drawer in your refrigerator? A cheese box is ingenious because you can fill it with cheese from the market and put it straight on your dinner table — that’s why.

People have tried to decipher what our dreams mean since the beginning of time, and now, researchers are taking a look at why we have them. A new study published last month takes a look at one particularly stressful dream pattern: the recurring nightmare. Occasional bad dreams are one thing, but recurring nightmares can signal something else, according to a study published in the journal Motivation and Emotion.

I want to read more. I really do. But it’s easy to let myself off the hook, with all the responsibilities that come from having a gaggle of young children, a house to care for and work to do. But I also know that reading — good, solid, offline reading — adds a dimension to our lives that only books (or e-books) can offer. Let’s determine to find a way to make more time for them in the coming year.

After overindulging at a networking event in November (who thought it was a good idea to slip me those extra beer tickets?), I decided to swear off drinking until my birthday in January. It wasn’t until I posted my promise on Facebook that I realized I’d instated my ban in what is perhaps the booziest time of the year: the holiday season. Rather than deleting my post and giving up, I decided to go for it anyway.

Whether you’ve recently kickstarted a new workout plan for the New Year, you’re trying to exercise more, or you’re just trying to keep up with your current habits, one thing is certain: you cannot forget about recovery. In fact, physical therapist David Jou and co-owner of MOTIVNY, says that recovery is just as important as the exercise itself. A good way to get started is by being more aware of your body, your muscles, and how everything works together when you work out.

Don't let crowded gyms deter you from fitting in a workout.

Hello stranger! It’s time for another installment of Beauty Bucket List, a series in which we roll up our sleeves to do some hard and fast testing of cult beauty products, because just hearing about how great something is isn’t good enough for us.

Ever heard that it takes 21 days to form a habit? Turns out, it may require longer than just three weeks for your New Year’s resolution to become second nature. New research shows that it takes 66 days on average to form a habit — busting the old 21-day myth.

Everyone seems to be talking about “kids these days” and their addiction to technology. Yet, where’s the accountability for adults? With many of us checking our phones up to 85 times a day, it feels like we could all use a bit of an intervention. So this is exactly what I decided to do. I vowed to give up my phone for a week with just three simple rules: 1. No cell phone or social media for a week in any way. 2. No cheating. 3. Seriously, no cheating.

Even the most focused and organized people let their resolutions slip—it’s so common that a “holiday” has even been invented to let people ditch their resolutions without shame. But we want to challenge you to try something else: Restart Your Resolution Day. Now that you’re back in a normal routine, revisit that goal that’s starting to make you feel guilty and recommit.

Whether you live in an area that’s prone to thunderstorms, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, or any other number of natural disasters, if the power goes out, we all have the same questions: How long can we still eat the food in the refrigerator or freezer, and what should we keep or pitch after the power comes back on? Here’s a guide to help you both monitor and know what to do with food when there’s no electricity.

It’s a brutal winter. The world outside can be a horrible place. Can you blame anyone for wanting to cancel their plans, stay in, sleep late and watch TV all weekend? It’s self care, after all, and we can all get behind that. I mean, it feels good to get cozy and binge on, well, pretty much any shows out right now. And who among us doesn’t need some more shut-eye?

Let’s preface this by stating clearly that there is absolutely nothing wrong with sex or TV. They’re both fantastic when enjoyed with a loving partner (or by yourself). But whether your relationship is brand new or you’ve been together so long you’re inadvertently starting to dress the same, building intimacy as a couple is important. And real intimacy, well, that can sometimes take more than just a little Netflix and chill.

Are you a card-carrying member of Exfoliation Nation? Then you need to know about the Italy Towel, a sandpaper-esque mitt worshipped by skincare fanatics. If you’re one for falling down the rabbit hole that is internet skincare sites — Reddit’s Skincare Addiction is a personal fave — then you may have seen the abrasive and (often) electric green-colored towel before.

If you’ve ever sipped on a velvety, chewy glass of red wine so delicious that you thought to yourself, “Wow, I could take a bath in this,” then you just might be ready to try the Medieval self-care regimen we didn’t know we were missing — but are totally here for now.

My house has never looked better than it did in the third trimester of my pregnancy. My kitchen cabinets and bedroom closet were organized, my carpets and counters were clean, and my living spaces were decked out with the latest mid-century pieces from Target and CB2. As I deep-cleaned and primped my home prior to the baby’s arrival, I knew exactly what was happening: I was nesting. (And then the baby came, and all bets for a clean or well-designed home were off.

Pets belong on the bed. At our house anyway, and at many of yours, I bet. In fact, surveys on the topic show that around half of pet owners let them sleep on the bed. As for us, our little guy Truffle starts out wedged between my pillows and my husband’s, but at some point in the night moves to curl up to my back, a solid, warm little brick that’s surprisingly immovable for 16 pounds.

Stretching is critical component of physical fitness and overall health. “It keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints,” according to experts at Harvard Health. “Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.

Is it just me or does it seem like astrology is everywhere? Not that I’m mad about it—I check about four different sites every Monday and look forward to our Home Horoscopes every month. I was talking to my friend Emily the other day, a true astrology believer, about getting back into the online dating game when she whipped out an astrology card to check on my compatibility with a guy I’d matched with.

I recently spent hours examining every yogurt label I could find to determine which yogurts have the least amount of sugar. I was focusing on toddler yogurts for this story for Kitchn about low-sugar yogurt brands, but it got me thinking about the yogurts I eat, too. It was shocking, truly, to discover most yogurts have a ton of added sugar. I had frequently heard this was the case, but I assumed it was the “dessert” yogurts like strawberry cheesecake or cookies and cream.

Confidently flashing a smile can indicate confidence and friendliness, and make a strong first impression. So it’s totally normal to chase whiter, brighter teeth by turning to a professional for treatments or reaching for a package of whitener at the drugstore.

Waking up with linen lines imprinted on your face is no fun, but it’s hard to resist the urge to snuggle into a soft, cozy pillow at night. Especially since you’re, you know, asleep. But sleep-you doesn’t necessarily know what’s best, which is why she needs awake-you to be the voice of reason. And for both your sakes, it’s time to pull out those satin pillowcases you stuffed inside the closet long ago.

More nights than I care to admit, I work into the wee hours of the morning, slinging words so I can pay for important things like Netflix and magnetic eyelashes. When I finally drag my tired body toward the bedroom, I have just enough energy left to brush my teeth before crashing. But as I fall asleep to the symphonic range of my husband’s snoring, I often wonder just how bad it is for me to skip washing my face. Is the good skincare fairy going to come down and bop me on the head?

I always tell my kids that we don’t always get to choose our feelings, but we get to choose what we do with them. Sometimes those emotions, though, can be so strong that they feel impossible to overcome. This is where it helps to fake it ’til we make it: Acting as if we feel a certain way can cause us to actually feel that way. It’s science.

Move over, hygge. There’s a new unpronounceable #lifegoal in town for 2018, and though it does have some roots in Scandinavian tradition it’s now the Austrians who are claiming they have the real secret to happy living—with gemütlichkeit. According to the Oxford Institute, gemütlichkeit is a German-language word that sums up as “quality time” and is used to convey the idea of a state or feeling of warmth, friendliness, cordiality, and good cheer.

When you’re on the go all the time, it’s easy to be overly (almost accidentally) wasteful. Not-so-eco-friendly disposables—think plastic bottles of water, tissue, and shopping bags—often become the go-to when we’re running around in a rush. That’s why it pays to stock up on compact, eco-conscious items ahead of time, so they’re already in your bag in a pinch.

A good documentary has the power to make you look at the world differently, and if it’s really impactful, might change the way you live your life. Case in point: Sustainability documentaries—like ones that educate viewers about the global effects of excessive trash and waste. Watch one stellar documentary about the importance of sustainability, and we can pretty much guarantee you’ll start thinking twice about all the stuff you throw away in a day.

Life can get crazy. That’s why it’s important to take mental breaks from daily stress throughout the day. And while for some of us that might mean watching a mindless reality TV show or playing a silly iPhone game, there are also some more enriching ways to spend your downtime, when you feel so inclined. The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed by work or family, try calming yourself down with a more cerebral distraction.

Period sex is a highlight of what I, personally, consider the most miserable 3-5 days of the month. Because of my birth control, it’s been about a year since I’ve had an actual period, but the previous fifteen years of intermittent anguish are burned into my memory: cramps, mood swings, anxiety attacks, ruined underwear, bloating, acne, and spotted sheets, to name just a few symptoms. But sex on my period?

You’re just getting home after a long night, or you’re rushing to work in the morning, and you think: A quick rinse with mouthwash will be the same as brushing my teeth. Sound familiar? Unfortunately for you, that logic isn’t quite right. While mouthwash can be a helpful addition to your oral hygiene routine, it should never be a replacement for proper dental care, says Dr.

Being healthy can feel like a chore—you think that you have to cook special food or try trendy fitness classes to achieve any healthy goals. However, when I talked to some really healthy individuals—from the founder of Whole30 to a sleep doctor—none of them brought up any scary superfoods or crazy workout routines. Turns out, being healthy is just about making a few very simple, but very good, choices.

Perfect Night In is a series where we ask actors, artists, entrepreneurs, and beyond how they’d spend the ultimate luxury—a blissful evening at home. Designers Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent are the epitome of a power couple. They rescue homeowners in desperate need of renovations through their TV show “Nate & Jeremiah By Design,” they started an exclusive furniture line with Living Spaces, and they are fathers to two kids, Poppy and Oskar.