This week’s episode of The Well+Good Podcast delves into how competitive athletes can create a balanced life off the court or field, with stress relief being a big piece of that. Host Taylor Camille speaks with Nina Westbrook, LMFT, a former Division I college basketball player turned therapist and founder of digital wellness platform Bene by Nina, and sports psychologist Angela Charlton, PhD, who have recently partnered on a workshop designed to teach athletes how to boost their mental fitness.

Listen to the full podcast episode here:

“Typically, in competitive sports, the focus is the physical output—what we’re achieving physically, whether we’re winning games, whether we’re injured,” says Westbrook. “But what it really takes is a balance between the psychological and the emotional, the social wellness and the physical wellness. You have to be physically healthy to be able to compete, but in order to compete at a high level constantly and continuously, you also have to be mentally strong and mentally fit.”

That reality applies to any high achievers who may find themselves defending against a high-stress environment. And just like athletes, anyone who is looking to perform at their peak level will benefit from equipping themselves with stress-management tools—and practicing using them—before they wind up facing off with stress. “It’s important to have practical tools to be able to balance [everything on your plate] so that when you face those tremendous times of stress or those stressful transitions, you know how to handle them,” says Dr. Charlton.

Below, find Westbrook and Dr. Charlton’s top tips for how to manage high stress like a star athlete, even if you don’t have an athletic bone in your body.

How to manage high stress like an elite athlete, according to an athlete-turned-therapist and sports psychologist

1. Bolster your social ties, and build a life you love outside of work

Strong relationships, like those with friends and family, are essential to both mental and physical wellbeing and can lend support when it comes to handling stress. As a former college athlete herself, Westbrook emphasizes that people who hold a high-stress position or one that’s deeply wrapped up with their identity, need to enrich their lives outside of their jobs. That means maintaining friendships and relationships with family members, and doing things outside of your work that you bring you joy (yes, even if your work itself is joy-sparking). After all, your job isn’t the entirety of who you are.

2. Make time (even if it’s just a few minutes) for mindfulness

No matter what your day looks like, it’s key to fit stress-busting mindfulness practices into it. Yoga is Westbrook’s mindfulness activity of choice because of how it combines breathwork, mindful meditation, and movement. Dr. Charlton recommends diagphragmatic breathing, which can have a physically de-stressing effect—research has shown it can lower cortisol levels—and grounding techniques to really orient yourself to the present.

All of these practices can be effective for stress management and relief even in short bursts. If you really feel strapped for time, though, consider working mindfulness into your shower, says Dr. Charlton, “and just really utilize all their senses.”  To do this, simply turn your focus toward the sounds, smells, sights, and textures you’re experiencing in the shower; this has a way of distracting your mind from the other stressful thoughts that might occupy it.

Another tip for people low on time and high on stress? Try simply turning the lights off for 10 minutes and focusing on being present where you are to ground yourself, says Dr. Charlton.

3. Redirect stressful thought patterns

Thoughts can feed and exacerbate stress, particularly when they distort your perception of reality into something much more negative or upsetting than it really is. These kinds of thoughts are called cognitive distortions and include things like, “If I make a mistake, I will lose my worth and value,” and “I must get everything on my list done to be or feel accomplished.”

To avoid these negative spirals, it’s important to first recognize that “the way you think about something is going to significantly impact how you behave,” says Dr. Charlton. Being aware of this reality could help you identify when you’re stuck in a stress-inducing thought pattern.

If you do catch yourself thinking in negative circles, pause to examine the factual information of the situation, and assess whether your thoughts are truly rooted in those facts. Dr. Charlton gives the example of passing by a friend at a shopping mall who doesn’t say “hi” to you, and then resorting to thinking that they are mad at you or don’t like you—both of which are conclusions that could cause stress. By instead thinking through the facts of the situation, you’d also realize that it’s possible this friend never actually saw you. This realization can help reframe the interaction from something upsetting to something much more benign.

For more tips from Westbrook and Dr. Charlton on how to get ahead of and manage stress in high-stress environments, listen to the full podcast episode here.

What’s more, all of us are constantly being forced to flounder in attempt to cut through the (deafening) noise of BS weight loss content on social media—not to mention day-to-day interactions. And as a result, discerning what foods, workouts, or forms of self-care are actually serving us has become a total mindf*ck. But as much as external influences may attempt to dictate how we live our lives, we’ve come to understand that wellness isn’t one-size-fits-all by any means. It’s about listening to one’s own body in order to determine the best way to achieve a well-balanced, healthy, and joyful lifestyle for you.

In the most recent episode of The Well+Good Podcast, we chatted with Christy Harrison, RD, leading anti-diet registered dietitian, journalist, certified intuitive eating counselor, and host of the podcasts Rethinking Wellness and Food Psych. Harrison has dedicated her career to breaking down serious societal issues that stem from modern wellness culture, as well as how to heal ourselves from the long and damaging history we’ve endured in the face of diet culture. (Using actual science! And expertise! And factual information!)

Listen to the full podcast episode here:

One of Harrison’s recent focuses? Practical, simple strategies folks can use to avoid falling into a “wellness trap,” as discussed in her groundbreaking new book, The Wellness Trap: Break Free from Diet Culture, Disinformation, and Dubious Diagnoses, and Find Your True Well-Being.

The Wellness Trap by Christy Harrison, RD — $26.00

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In our conversation with Harrison, we dive deep into the prevalence of nutrition misinformation on social media and the real-deal risks of drowning yourself in (capital-W, capital-C) Wellness Culture. Plus: the expert shares effective ways to work towards a more positive, well-balanced relationship with food and your body. Because isn’t that kind of…the goal? More on that ahead.

3 ways to prevent yourself from falling into a wellness trap

1. Learn to identify wellness misinformation

According to Harrison, misinformation is one of the most significant issues in modern wellness culture. “I think wellness culture is some of the rockiest terrain we have in terms of [providing factual, evidence-based] information,” Harrison says, sharing that she coped with the struggle herself when managing personal health issues. Getting a proper diagnosis and finding the appropriate ways to treat her situation was extremely challenging, she says, due in part to the unending amount of conflicting information available on the internet—much of which was lacking in science-backed evidence.

“Social media is rife with disinformation, harmful diet advice, supplement regimens, and ideas being pushed on people to optimize themselves and heal from their chronic health conditions that often don’t have great treatments or support in conventional medicine. This can really pull people away from conventional medicine and away from science—and there is good evidence [to show that] going down these rabbit holes is where some people can even get exposed to potentially life-threatening misinformation,” Harrison says. She encourages folks to always take what they see on the internet with a grain of salt, perform their own background research, and speak with a healthcare practitioner to determine the best course of action for any nutrition-related situation.

2. Use the “SIFT” check method to fact-check wellness information

To sort through the health chatter online and find the appropriate science-backed research, Harrison suggests conducting a “SIFT” check.

“A researcher on media literacy and disinformation coined this term. SIFT stands for stop, investigate the source, find better coverage, and trace claims, quotes, and other information back to the original source. So regarding social media, it means to take a pause; don’t click, follow, subscribe, or share right away. And investigate,” Harrison says. This can help you discern the motives behind a post as well as fact-check the information, so you can apply what you deem appropriate and safe.

“SIFT stands for stop, investigate the source, find better coverage, and trace claims, quotes, and other information back to the original source. So regarding social media, it means to take a pause; don’t click, follow, subscribe, or share right away. And investigate.”—Christy Harrison, RD

3. Avoid social media content that’s intended to provoke a strong or radical emotion

Harrison’s emphasizes the fact that social media content that looks, sounds, or seems “extreme” is a red flag.

“Things that tend to get people to stay on the platforms longer [tends to be content] that provokes anxiety, moral outrage, disgust, anger, things that keep people clicking, sharing, and outrage Tweeting,” Harrison says. But according to her, this type of content can also quickly lead folks down a path of extreme dieting, an unhealthy relationship with food, or even “orthorexia,” an unhealthy obsession with “healthy” eating.

To stay away from this, Harrison suggests limiting mindless scrolling on social media platforms and searching for health-related information in a very targeted and methodical way. This might also mean cutting out social media altogether at times, which Harrison says has benefited her own mental health tremendously.

Listen to the full podcast episode here for more tips on navigating the wellness industry, as well as how to dig yourself out of a wellness trap.

No social issue affecting the world right now exists in a vacuum, though. And some experts want to shine a light on the intersectionality of the sustainability movement. Two of them are this week’s Well+Good podcast guests: Leah Thomas, founder of the nonprofit Intersectional Environmentalist and the author of The Intersectional Environmentalist, and Whitney McGuire, a fashion industry lawyer, sustainability consultant, and co-founder of Sustainable Brooklyn.

Thomas explains to Well+Good’s director of podcasts Taylor Camille that the term intersectionality was coined by lawyer Kimberly Crenshaw in 1989 to describe the ways that the court system was treating Black women and how they were not equally protected as a result of their overlapping marginalizations in both their race and gender. The concept of intersectionality points out the need to take in the whole picture and consider numerous circumstances at once.

“It’s so important to consider those nuances. And then when applying it specifically to climate justice or environmentalism and sustainability, for example, I get so annoyed when I’m on Instagram, and I see sustainable fashion bloggers that are like, you’re a horrible person if you’re not buying this $300 t-shirt—and it’s just not accessible to the everyday person,” says Thomas, who is also known as Greengirlleah on Instagram. Her work centers on the overlap between environmentalism and racism, focuses on how the push to save the planet needs to include everyone. 

But it’s not just individuals who need to get mobilized. Corporations also have a responsibility to think about intersectional sustainability as well, and McGuire points out that they shouldn’t avoid making eco-friendly products and business decisions out of fears of being accused of greenwashing.

“As we address these really huge issues, especially when it comes to our planet, we cannot be afraid of f’ing up, right? Right. And so I would say that you know, corporations really need to have more courage, and more of an understanding of their responsibility across sectors, across industries,” says McGuire, who opened a law firm to support the sustainability of marginalized artists in 2013 and is currently the Guggenheim’s inaugural director of sustainability. “Engage and utilize collaboration and partnerships. Get rid of this idea of competition only for, you know, achieving the profit, the bottom line. And use competition to inspire creativity, and focus on how we can all really collaborate and work together.”

Because once again, the solutions lie in taking in the whole picture. To hear more about how an intersectional approach could change the sustainability movement, check out the Well+Good podcast, below.

That was how the now-household name that is athleisure brand Girlfriend Collective launched onto the scene over six years ago. To this day, I still wear the high-rise black pair I got in the mail, and frequently peruse the brand’s website for new launches and to see when old standbys get restocked.

The leggings have certainly stood the test of time in terms of their quality. The seams are sturdy, the fabric is not pilly like some other older leggings I own, there are no holes, and I can do the deepest of lunges in them. However, I’m not exactly the same size I was when I got them six years ago, so they’re not as comfortable as they once were, and there’s a dullness to the black that’s set in recently. So I have considered taking advantage of the Girlfriend Collective’s upcycling program, ReGirlfriend, which says to “send us your old Girlfriend and we’ll turn it into new Girlfriend”—especially since doing so gets you $15 in store credit.

I’m not alone. Girlfriend Collective co-founder Quang Dinh recently told the Well+Good podcast that more and more people are taking advantage of the Girlfriend Collective upcycling program, and they’re seeing a lot of leggings that they think came from the 2016 promotion starting to come in.

“We’ve had circularity in mind from the very beginning,” Dinh says. ReGirlfriend is different from other upcycling programs in that it doesn’t just stitch the fabric into new garments, it’s actually attempting to make new yarn from the fabric, and then weaving entirely new pieces.

That’s what makes turning old Girlfriend into new Girlfriend not quite as simple as it sounds. Dinh says that right now they are collecting and sorting, and working with their mill in Taiwan to figure out how to make the process of color removal eco-friendly.

“The next important step is to try to strip out as much of the color as possible in a sustainable manner,” Dinh says. “We have to use chemicals. You have to do this. What’s the impact there? Can we remove the color safely?”

That’s the current hurdle. Next, Dinh thinks the process of recycling the yarn will be similar to the way that water bottles get recycled into small chips that then become yarn. But then comes more experimentation: Will the yarn recycled from clothes made from recycled water bottles behave in the same way as the original recycled yarn?

“Now it’s like, okay, we have this yarn that’s not from water bottles. What does it do?” Dinh says. “We’ve gotta figure that out. So it’s in stages and it’s a long game, it’s a long road. But as a brand, if we wanna do this, we’ve gotta do it right.”

Listen to Dinh’s interview with the Well+Good podcast to learn about how he and his wife built the now iconic and trend-setting sustainable brand, how brands like Girlfriend are trying to combat fast fashion, and how our shopping choices really can and do matter.

The good news? It seems like each year people are becoming more and more aware of how pervasive this issue is, and smart leaders are coming up with solutions that could help us cut it down.

In her research for Well+Good’s upcoming Climate Issue, lifestyle editor Erica Sloan got to know an innovative new brand called Cabinet Health that is tackling the pharmaceutical industry’s single-use plastic waste problem in particular. For the most recent episode of the Well+Good podcast, our director of podcasts Taylor Camille was able to sit down with the founders, Achal Patel and Russell Gong, and talk to them about how their idea to create reusable packaging for over-the-counter medicines became a reality—including an appearance on Shark Tank earlier this year.

Why focus specifically on medicine packaging? The use of plastic in the healthcare sector has increased significantly in recent years: According to the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, the US healthcare system generates 14,000 tons of waste daily, and 20 to 25 percent of that is plastic. What’s more: 91 percent of that plastic is not recycled.

Cabinet Health offers reusable glass containers for over-the-counter drugs—like acetominophen or lactase enzyme—that can be refilled. Each container comes with a magnetic label for the top that includes the details you need about your medicine, and you can purchase additional refill packs whenever you need more, rather than buying a whole new bottle. This alternative is meant to cut down on the reported 194 billion plastic medicine bottles produced every year.

Sloan points out that medicine is one part of our lives in which most of us rarely think twice about the plastic we go through. “I think most people just take over-the-counter drugs, even prescriptions, and aren’t really thinking about the eco impact of those bottles or where they’re going because those drugs are something that you need to take, so it’s not really a thing that’s on your mind,” says Sloan.

Yet those bottles we go through can be a significant contributor to pollution and harm the environment, wildlife, and human health. To learn more about Sloan’s reporting on microplastics and Cabinet Health, check out this week’s episode of the podcast:

All April long at Well+Good, we are celebrating Earth Month and organizations, brands, and founders that walk the walk and talk the talk when it comes to fighting climate change and caring for our planet. So stay tuned for more.

“Every time the sun meets up with a planet, it’s a really special moment because it’s a restart to its cycle.”—Kirah Tabourn, astrologer

This transit is a highlight on this week’s episode of The Well+Good Podcast, during which host and director of podcasts Taylor Camille speaks with astrologer Kirah Tabourn about what the cosmos has in store for us in the months of April, May, and June. The Jupiter cazimi is “one of the best little alignments we get [in 2023],” says Tabourn. “Every time the sun meets up with a planet, it’s a really special moment because it’s a restart to its cycle.”

Listen to the full episode here:

Why the 2023 Jupiter cazimi will bring luck for all signs, but especially so for Sagittarius and Pisces

According to Tabourn, any planet being in cazimi is a special moment, bringing an opportunity for growth and renewal around themes associated with that planet. Essentially, the sun acts as a spark to the planet’s core quality—which is, in this case, Jupiter’s penchant for luck and fortune. As a result, we can all expect an extra dose of good vibes around April 11.

But given that Jupiter is Sagittarius’s modern-day planetary ruler and Pisces’s traditional planetary ruler (before Neptune was discovered), these two signs can expect to really experience Jupiter’s beneficent touch on the Jupiter cazimi. Because the sun and Jupiter will both be in Aries—a self-starter cardinal sign of the fire element—the energy of this particular cazimi will also have an extra tinge of intensity to it, with which fellow fire sign Sagittarius may especially resonate.

Naturally optimistic, curious, and fun-loving, Sagittarians can expect to feel like the best versions of themselves during this Jupiter cazimi, according to Tabourn. That’s especially true because it falls in their fifth house of pleasure and play, making this an ideal day for all Sagittarians to lean into fun, sex, and socializing. So, Sag, if you have any leisure plans you’ve been putting off, pencil them into your calendar for April 11, and approach them with gusto. “It’s a really great time for Sagittarius to feel energized, clear, and motivated,” says Tabourn.

For Pisces, the lucky energy of the 2023 Jupiter cazimi will also hit in a big way—but perhaps more materially. The meetup of the sun and Jupiter in Aries will happen in Pisces’s second house, which governs finances, value, ownership, and possessions. This could mean you’re due to receive a tax refund, Pisces, or perhaps, a bonus at work, or some other influx of material resources that’ll pad your bank account…or otherwise enhance your perception of your worth and value.

Not a Sagittarius or a Pisces? Not to worry. For more of Tabourn’s insights on what the astrology of the spring season will bring for every zodiac sign, listen to the full podcast episode here.

In the latest episode of The Well+Good Podcast, host Taylor Camille and I discuss the eight different money archetypes. As a psychotherapist, I’ve come to understand that the ways we engage with our finances can help us feel empowered about our priorities, behaviors, and patterns of how we show up in the world.

One common factor that colors a person’s relationship to money in America especially is socioeconomic status. Many of us are afraid of being judged and can experience shame around our financial choices, ranging from how much we spent on suede boots or the amount of student loan debt we have. Some of us might be class-straddling—we didn’t grow up with money, and therefore never learned about how to spend it or save it now that we have some of it. I, for one, would like to get back every hour I spent on precalculus and instead learn how to take care of my financial health.

Regardless of our socioeconomic status, we all developed a way to relate to money, consciously or unconsciously. Consider who handled the money in your home growing up and how they spent it. Did anyone ever share any money mantras with you, like “money doesn’t grow on trees?” Was money about survival, or was it about pleasure? Was it used as a way to gain and assert control, or was it shared? Did you long for it or did you have it? Do you feel joy or fear when you think about money?

Money archetypes help you see specific patterns, attitudes, tendencies, and beliefs that you have surrounding money so you can begin to face some of what stresses you out about it.

Sitting with these questions and getting to know more about your “money story,” as I like to call it, can help you develop a more empowering relationship to it. Identifying your money archetype can help, too. It’s a simple way to learn about specific patterns, attitudes, tendencies, and beliefs that you have surrounding money so you can begin to face some of what stresses you out about it.

As you read through, you may notice you identify with more than one archetype or that your archetype has changed over time. None of these categories are fixed, nor are they good or bad. Rather, they can help you identify areas of strength and where you feel like you need more support in order to reach your financial goals.

Many of the archetypes below come from money mindset mentor and author Denise Duffield-Thomas, who also created a “bootcamp” that has supported nearly 10,000 students in reaching their financial goals. Her archetypes, as opposed to others, are strengths-based rather than problem-focused, which I appreciate. I also include one additional archetype, called “The Innocent,” from certified money coach Karen McAllister, because it is a money mindset that I hear a lot about as a psychotherapist and group facilitator.

A breakdown of the 8 money archetypes

1. The maverick

You are a risk-taker and are used to pushing limits. Entrepreneurs are often mavericks. You see big gains, and you take leaps to get there. One question to ask yourself is: “What are my boundaries around risk?” Figuring out how much uncertainty you can tolerate and how to balance your desire for big rewards with your desire for peace of mind may be important for you along your journey.

2. The romantic

You love spending money on yourself and others because it makes you feel good. You are so good at going after the luxuries in life! Budgeting feels restrictive, and you’d much rather have something that feels freeing. You are skilled in living in line with what brings you pleasure. It might be helpful to consider whether your short-term spending is aligned with your long term goals.

3. The ruler

You are very invested in making money and working hard to do so. You are en route to building an empire and generating wealth for yourself and others. While you thrive on innovation and creating, it can be helpful to be aware of striving and to check in and ask yourself a few questions: “Am I enjoying the journey? How are others impacted by my “ruling” ways? Who benefits and who may be left behind?”

4. The innocent

Money might overwhelm you. It can feel hard to look at money, talk about it, or handle it. You might have someone like your partner or a financial advisor be in control of your accounts. It can be helpful to figure out what, if anything, you may be avoiding about examining your money and your relationship to it How might it be helpful, and how might it be harmful to deny certain realities?

5. The celebrity

Money is about status for you. You buy things so that you can be part of a social experience and be perceived in a certain way. You like to live like a star. Consider how much of your spending is extrinsically motivated and what, if any, insecurity this spending may be helping you avoid.

6. The nurturer

You love to give and spend on others, and it is important to you to show care through spending. You are so committed to others and want them to thrive. It can be helpful to be mindful of your own financial needs. Considering why you are giving in this way and keeping track of resentment can help you become more aware of the amount you are giving.

7. The accumulator

You love to save, save, save and create financial stability for yourself. You are very adept at denying a culture of materialism, as you’ve got your eye on your long-term goals. You may want to consider whether you’re delaying certain gratifications that you crave and want to integrate into your life to build present-day satisfaction.

8. The connector

People and connection are the most important thing to you, and you use money in the name of connection and community building. You have found that connection, including networking, can actually bring you money. It can be helpful to be aware of what connections money can help foster and which might you want to separate from your spending.

Being in your financial reality, no matter what it is, will enable you to figure out how you feel about your tendencies and decide if you want to adjust them. What isn’t measured isn’t monitored, so if you’re wanting to monitor your progress toward your financial goals, getting to know more about where you align with the money archetypes at is a good place to start.

Want to learn even more about the money archetypes? Listen to the full podcast episode here.

To be clear, equal access to work among people of different gender identities is not the same thing as gender equity at work, which involves the different experiences that people have once they get to the workplace, in terms of growth opportunities and compensation. Breaking down this gender inequity is a key part of the conversation on this week’s episode of The Well+Good Podcast. In it, Well+Good director of podcasts Taylor Camille speaks with financial expert Farnoosh Torabi, host of the So Money podcast, about how and why women still lag behind men in the workplace and the societal and personal shifts that can help close the gap.

Listen to the full episode here:

Perhaps the clearest indication of this lack of gender equity at work is the gender pay gap: As of 2022, women made 82 cents for every dollar earned by men (a statistic that also fails to account for the full spectrum of gender identities). This earnings gap is the genesis of Equal Pay Day, which falls on March 14 to reflect how far into the year women would need to work to earn what men earned the year prior.

According to Torabi, a major part of the continued challenge for women is that, “as active participants in the workplace, we’re still new to this scene,” she says, in the episode. Despite all of the progress that’s been made, it’s important to remember that as recently as 50 years ago, we weren’t “invited to rise through the ranks of corporate America,” she says, “so we’re relatively new to the politics and the systems at work, which have largely been designed by men.” In turn, we’re still making up for lost time when it comes to things like networking and mentorship, which have long been a part of the experience for men in the workplace.

“It shouldn’t be about playing by established [workplace] rules because then we’re just saying the old rules are [correct], and they need to persist.”—Farnoosh Torabi, financial expert

Rather than trying to simply follow in men’s footsteps, however, Torabi argues that women should help blaze a new trail forward. “It shouldn’t be about playing by these established rules because then we’re just saying the old rules are [correct], and they need to persist,” says Torabi. “Let’s be more creative and think a little more inclusively and have everyone write these rules, and not just the folks who’ve been there the longest and are the loudest.”

Why financial expert Farnoosh Torabi says we need to create a new workplace playbook to achieve gender equity at work

It’s often implied that to get ahead at work and in life, women should emulate traditionally masculine behaviors. As historian and author Blair Imani noted on last week’s episode of The Well+Good Podcast, our patriarchal society tends to pit women against each other on the basis that there are only so many seats at the table for them. And this reality can lead women to internalize certain toxic and classically masculine behaviors like ruthless competitiveness.

The result is a workplace playbook that prioritizes and promotes these kinds of behaviors without acknowledging their limitations. As an example, take former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg’s popular book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, which, soon after publication and for a while thereafter, became the authority for women looking to ascend the rungs of the corporate ladder. While Torabi acknowledges that the book does have its merits (one of them being its recommendation for women to look at a job description that’s relevant to their experience and believe that they qualify), it “is very much a playbook that stemmed from how the men were doing things,” she says. (And since its publication, it’s been widely criticized for its lack of intersectionality and promotion of ‘girl boss feminism.’)

Still, that’s not to say that we can’t learn anything from the workplace habits of men or that they cannot be helpful allies to their women colleagues, Torabi caveats, adding that men can certainly be a great source of wisdom and advice at work. Gender equity is a fight for which everyone needs to come off the sidelines and help, she says.

Part of the reason for that are the many systemic roadblocks to gender equity at work—like, for instance, the lack of national paid and family leave in this country, which can disproportionately hold back women who become mothers from career advancement (and the higher paychecks that come with it). And advocating for legislative change is something that anyone can do, regardless of their gender identity.

“If more and more women decide to start speaking up and asking to be paid what they’re worth, we become a force that’s much harder to reckon with.” —Torabi

But at the same time, she says, women, in particular, can and should play an active role in rewriting the workplace playbook going forward—which will mean letting go of or breaking certain rules created by men. “Women, through no fault of our own, have been culturized to believe that we should just put up and shut up in the workplace, and that there will be a cost to speaking up,” says Torabi. “I’ll be the first to admit that there can be a risk there, and employers can be punitive in this way, but if more and more women decide to start speaking up and asking to be paid what they’re worth, we become a force that’s much harder to reckon with.”

The message? Enlist your allies, says Torabi. Though gender inequity at work is still a major issue in 2023, what she says has changed in recent years is the discourse around it—it’s become a lot stronger, she says. “To bring up pay equity during a pay or salary negotiation is no longer unheard of or unusual.” And the next time you’re considering asking for a raise or promotion, that cultural context is something you can leverage, she adds. “Bring that into your conversation.”

To hear more of Torabi’s insights on how we can all work to enhance gender equity at work, listen to the full episode here. 

This topic is a key part of the conversation on this week’s episode of The Well+Good Podcast, during which host Taylor Camille speaks with Imani about her perceptions of womanhood in honor of Women’s History Month. They delve into why it’s important to recognize how far women have come on the road to gender equity (and how far we can still go) and how women can and do support each other in the face of challenges along the way.

“Women supporting women is something that we have down pat in our community.”—Blair Imani, author and historian

“Women supporting women is something that we have down pat in our community,” says Imani. “As much as people like to mischaracterize women as being competitive, that [is often] just internalized toxic masculinity or productivity—but what it isn’t is inherent to womanhood.”

Listen to the full podcast episode here:

Why author and historian Blair Imani says community is an inherent part of womanhood

On the episode, Imani shares an anecdote about a recent time when she was feeling overwhelmed with her activism work and communicated this sentiment to her followers. “[A friend] sent me a voice note and was like, ‘Hey, sis, I saw your story. I just want you to know that you don’t have to perform for us. You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do.’ And I almost started crying,” she says. “I think having that extra encouragement [from other women] is really important.”

Imani sees this level of community care as the rule in womanhood, not the exception. Again, the mischaracterization of women as inherently competitive or always ready to get into “cat fights” stems from a patriarchal society that pits them against one another. In this framework, which devalues women, they may feel the need to adopt more stereotypically male behaviors—like overt competitiveness or toxic productivity—to get ahead in what is often labeled “Queen Bee Syndrome.”  In other cases, women may have the perception that they need to be in the room, so to speak, and do whatever it takes to get there in order to fight for and secure progress and equity (even if it means stepping over other women on the way).

But these realities of women in the patriarchy don’t negate the fact that community is actually central to womanhood, according to Imani. And gestures like that of her friend, above, who reached out to offer her support are far more emblematic of what it actually means to be a woman, she says.

That isn’t to say that real womanhood looks one way, however. Part of honoring women is recognizing that womanhood does not have one specific definition or demeanor. “[What it means to be a woman] doesn’t have to be exclusively softness, and it doesn’t have to be exclusively resilience,” says Imani. “It can just be unlabeled and unconstrained.”

This perception of womanhood is also inclusive of anyone who identifies as a woman, no matter their biological sex or sexual orientation. And that’s especially important to remember now, amid the onslaught of anti-trans legislation (including bans on drag and gender-affirming care) being introduced and signed into law across the country, adds Imani. To maintain the culture of community inherent in womanhood, she says, it’s essential not to cede ground to those who would harm us and divide us.

“The more often we participate and entertain conversations that narrowly define what it means to be a woman, man, or human being, the more we are allowing the infiltration of people who want to take away human rights,” she says.

The idea that every group of disenfranchised people must fight for their rights alone isn’t true. Coming together and bolstering community is a better way to be involved, says Imani. “We can be collectives, and we can be nimble about what it means to be a collective,” she says.

To learn more information about the importance of Women’s History Month and what womanhood means to Imani, listen to the full episode here.

In this week’s episode of the The Well+Good Podcast, host Ella Dove speaks with financial content creator Vivian Tu (“Your Rich BFF“) about lifestyle creep and how to avoid it. Tu, who used to work as a trader at J.P. Morgan and strategy sales partner at BuzzFeed and has since been doling out financial tips on TikTok, says lifestyle creep is a nearly universal experience. “It’s happened to me, and it’s happened to your best friend, and it’s really hard,” she says. But even so, it’s not inevitable if you take some precautionary measures—and if you’re experiencing it already, there’s a way to fight back against the creep.

Listen to the full podcast episode here:

While receiving more money certainly makes it easier to spend more freely, it’s still important to create and stick to a budget with your new financial situation in mind, according to Tu. This way, you can ensure that you continue to allocate funds toward your short- and long-term financial goals while covering your expenses and spending on things that bring you joy. Specifically, Tu advises allocating 50 percent of your take-home pay to “needs” (aka expenses), 30 percent to “wants” (things you desire but don’t need), and 20 percent to investing, saving, and/or paying down debt.

“It’s so important [to save and invest] because it’s today-you taking care of future-you.” —Vivian Tu, financial content creator

Within that budgetary pie chart, it’s essential to protect that final savings piece. “Lifestyle creep happens when people start to cut out that 20 percent,” says Tu. “It’s so important [to keep that up] because it’s today-you taking care of future-you.”

Figuring out exactly how to do that, however, is often easier said than done. That’s why Tu has created what she calls the S.T.R.I.P. method (which stands for “savings,” “total debt,” “retirement funds,” “investments,” “plan”), a five-part plan designed to help you manage the “future-you” part of your budget. Read on to learn how you can use the S.T.R.I.P. method to build wealth while tamping down on lifestyle creep (or avoiding it altogether).

How to use the S.T.R.I.P method to build wealth

S: Savings

This part of the plan involves saving between three and six months’ worth of living expenses to account for emergencies that have financial implications. For instance, let’s say you get laid off without much severance, you get injured and are faced with a high medical bill, your car gets damaged and needs an expensive repair, and so on. In these cases, having the above emergency fund is essential for avoiding even more money issues down the line, in terms of debt, says Tu.

T: Total debt

Do an audit of any and all debts, and rank them from highest to lowest interest rate. Think: credit-card debt, student loans, and mortgages. Prioritize paying off the highest-interest debts first because they accumulate the fastest, says Tu. “Anything above seven percent is a top priority, and anything below that is on the back burner.”

R: Retirement funds

Once you’re able to address your debts with the highest interest levels, and you’re making the minimum payments on debts with lower interest rates, Tu advises focusing on retirement planning. This piece of the puzzle encompasses maxing out your contributions to a 401k, if you have one through an employer, or opening a ROTH IRA or SEP IRA, if you’re self-employed or a small-business owner.

I: Investments

It’s also important to devote a portion of your take-home pay to investing, if you’re left with a surplus after retirement contributions. This can certainly mean buying stocks and bonds, but according to Tu, it might also include investing in yourself by spending money to learn new skills that can make you a more valuable employee at work or increase your earning potential more broadly, she says.

P: Plan

The last (but certainly not least) piece of the S.T.R.I.P. method to build wealth is the planning part. Consider how you want your life to look in five years and in 10, and set goals that will help you get there. This way, you’ll also have in your mind a version of future-you to anchor all the saving and investing you’re doing above. To hold yourself accountable, Tu advises writing goals down and telling a friend or family member who can serve as an accountability partner.

To learn more financial tips for fending off lifestyle creep, listen to the full episode here.

“Systemic racism and other inequalities do not leave us with a level playing field,” says author, activist, and TV host Alison Mariella Désir “So if you’re living in poverty, no matter how much you hope to exercise or take care of yourself, there are structures that make it difficult, if not impossible for you to access wellness. I think it’s important for the wellness industry to recognize those systemic inequalities and start to address them to make access to fitness and movement more available and more realistic for people. If we’re not addressing the systemic issues, then we absolutely cannot address people’s health.”

That’s absolutely a tall order, but nevertheless, people like Désir and other wellness innovators are taking it on. Through her many projects, like writing the book Running While Black and founding Harlem Run, Désir works to expose the racism in fitness and health, and build a more level playing field.

But how can we truly make wellness services equitable without missing the industry’s blind spots that have historically left so many people out? One strategy: Think about driving a car.

“The Well+Good audience can make such a big improvement in their own lives and innovate in their own communities by simply looking backwards at what doesn’t work before they look forward at what they want to change,” says Brian Levine, the CEO & Founder of surrogacy connection and transparency service Nodal. “No one needs to drive a car by looking in just the rearview mirror, but no one drives a car by only looking through the windshield either. You kind of need to take a look around at what’s behind you and what’s in front of you to make the best plan.”

Levine and Désir are not driving the car alone. In this episode of the Well+Good podcast, we sit down with some of our Well+Good 2023 Changemakers, the people who are making meaningful change in the wellness realm. That includes Désir and Levine, as well as Tiffany Yu, the CEO and founder of Diversability, Jing Gao, the CEO and founder of FlybyJing, and Holly Thaggard the CEO and founder of Supergoop. Take a listen to hear how, as Thaggard says, they’re “reaching for the sun, the moon, [and] the stars” when it comes to wellness, and why Thaggard thinks those celestial bodies are “right at our fingertips.”

In this week’s episode of the The Well+Good Podcast, host Taylor Camille speaks with Tiffany, Megan, and Becky, three single people who are self-described “late bloomers”—a term used for a broad swath of singles in a Facebook group where they’ve found community.  Everyone in the group started dating and entering relationships later in their lives compared to their peers and are currently single, having followed various roads to being so.

“It’s interesting that we’re all [somewhere] on the spectrum from having never been kissed at 40 or being a virgin at 40…to having lots of experience with dating, but nothing ever stuck,” says Tiffany. What they all embody is that modern womanhood certainly doesn’t have to include being someone’s partner.

Listen to the full episode podcast episode here:

Each of the late bloomers has a unique perspective on romantic relationships; some are open to entering relationships but haven’t had the right opportunity, while others are healing from past trauma and consciously choosing to be single.

During the episode, they discuss how being single later in life than others in their sphere has affected them, touching on how their relative upbringings have influenced their approach to the single life, and how practicing self-love helps them combat loneliness whenever it may creep up. One of the primary ways they do that is by planning solo dates, which allow them to build fulfilling lives undefined by a partner or significant other—which is an empowering act, in and of itself.

“There is so much more to you [outside of a romantic relationship]…you can make cool choices to do cool things [on your own].” —Megan, self-described late bloomer

For example, Megan travels solo and often spends time at the beach near her home, making a “conscious choice and decision to be as happy in my singleness as I can,” she says. She’s also proud to model independent behavior for younger women like her nieces and the foster-care children that she worked with at a previous job. “I’m not teaching them to hate men, but I want them to know that there is so much more to you … you can make cool choices to do cool things [on your own],” she says.

All the late bloomers certainly admit to having tough days and getting lonely every once in a while, just like anyone else might. But they find that going on solo dates really helps; it demonstrates to themselves and others that you can live a meaningful and enjoyable life without a partner by your side.

Tiffany, who loves going on solo dates to concerts and on trips, also uses gratitude as a self-care practice, reminding herself of all the great parts about having full autonomy over her life as a single person. “Once I start to notice I’m getting really sad, I try to focus on what I do have instead of where I’m lacking,” she says.

To hear more insights from the late bloomers about how they use solo dates to feel satisfied and empowered in their singledom, listen to the full episode here.

“Although data and research give us information on how certain inequities impact communities of color, statistics without any kind of change in real life can make people of color feel as if they are being reduced to numbers and not seen as actual humans who deserve better treatment and quality care to sustain their mental health and livelihood,” says Minaa B., therapist and author of Owning Our Struggles: A Path to Healing and Finding Community in a Broken World, in the introduction to the Black Well-Being series. “Real progress happens when we examine data and use it as a guide to creating both micro- and macro-level change that helps propel people of color forward.

Building on that idea, podcast host Taylor Camille, director of podcasts at Well+Good, talked with the founder and CEO of The Honey Pot, Bea Dixon, who created her line of feminine hygiene products with ancestral knowledge of ingredients and the intent to provide women with a healthy alternative to feminine care that is free of chemicals, parabens, carcinogens, and sulfates. The latest podcast episode is a thoughtful exploration of what Black well-being represents.

Listen to the full podcast here:

When Camille asks Dixon what she thinks of the state of Black well-being currently, Dixon shares, “You know, I live in the United States of Beatrice. I can focus on that. And I also don’t think about it as Black well-being. I just think about it as well-being. When we have to put Black in it, that’s almost the reason for the problem; my well-being is just as important as anybody else’s well-being,” she says.

In the episode, Dixon and Camille explore what self-care and centering wellness can look like for Black women. Camille asks Dixon, “What does reclaiming our wellness look like in practice? I mean, you mentioned your food, your rest, especially for a group of Black women who sometimes don’t put themselves first, sometimes, make sure everybody else is well before they even tap in with themselves?”

Dixon explains that she prioritizes an expansive definition of wellness that forgoes perfectionism and prioritizes better choices in any area that feels possible. “It could be when you go to the doctor, and your doctor has no respect for you. It could literally be you telling your doctor, you know what? I’m going to get a second opinion.”

Dixon also lists having a friend accompany you to doctor’s visits on Facetime or in person, taking time for yourself, and prioritizing rest. “It can look like many things, and it doesn’t have to be you sitting down for 30 minutes a day, and you know, in your, in your lotus pose and meditating, it doesn’t mean that you’re doing yoga right every single day, but are you drinking water?” she adds.

Perhaps Audre Lorde said it best when writing about her experience with breast cancer. “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence; it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare,” she wrote. This episode explores the vast and expansive iterations of what Black well-being can mean to individuals and communities.

For more insights, check out the latest episode of The Well + Good Podcast.

“Your heart is the most vital organ in your body, and it’s essential that you take care of it. But let’s face it, do we really understand how heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.? Meaning many of us will confront it on a personal level at some point in our lives,” says Ella Dove, senior director of creative development at Well+Good, and host of the most recent episode of The Well+Good Podcast, which is all about—you guessed it—heart health.

Listen to the full podcast here:

Dove sat down with cardiologist Jenn Haythe, MD, an associate professor of medicine in cardiology, associate director of the adult pulmonary hypertension program, and the director of the cardio-obstetrics program at Columbia University, to talk through exactly what it means to have a healthy heart. Dr. Haythe, who specializes in heart failure, cardiac transplant, pulmonary hypertension, women’s cardiovascular disease, and cardio-obstetrics, stresses that the earlier you start to invest in and protect your heart—the better.

How to start protecting your heart health

Here are Dr. Haythe’s six tips for taking care of your heart health at any age, whether you’re in your 20s, 40s, or beyond.

1. Work movement into your life in some way

To start, Dr. Haythe acknowledges that people can put a lot of pressure on themselves to be “healthy,” but that means different things to different people, and also depends on whether you have a disability, your socioeconomic status, your geographic location, race, culture, and more. For example, it can be hard to stay on top of your heart health if you don’t have adequate medical insurance or your insurance doesn’t cover a specialist visit. It can also be difficult to move more if you don’t live in a place where walking is an easy way to get exercise.

That said, Dr. Haythe stresses it’s best to start where you’re at. You don’t have to be hitting the pavement with intense daily exercise if that’s not accessible to you. Just taking time to work extra movement into your schedule is important for your long-term well-being, since the data on sedentary lifestyles show that sitting for long stretches during the day has a negative impact on overall cardiovascular health.

2. Explore stress management

Dove mentions that stress can feel like one of the hardest “heart health” categories to control because life can just be downright stressful. When you add in the strain that stress can have on our physical bodies and important bodily functions, it can start to feel a bit overwhelming. Dr. Haythe agrees that this is one of the more difficult tips to follow, but says it’s good to embrace those feelings instead of trying not to feel them. Another way to combat stress? Test out different relaxation strategies to find one that works for you. If meditation isn’t it—that’s okay, maybe deep breathing will be.

3. Seek treatment for mental health challenges

If your stress-busting techniques don’t seem to be having any effect on your mental health and mood, it might be time to reach out to a professional, says Dr. Haythe. “If you’re feeling stressed and anxious, and you can’t get it under control, think about getting treated, there are a lot of medications that can help treat stress and anxiety,” she says. She also recommends cognitive behavioral therapy and talk therapy to work through some of your thoughts and feelings.

4. Get serious about your sleep schedule

Sleep is one of the most important factors for your overall health, and that includes your heart, according to Dr. Haythe. She recommends getting really serious about the quality and duration of your sleep if you want to protect your heart long-term. Generally, adults should be getting at least seven hours of sleep every night, according to the Mayo Clinic.

5. Consider quitting smoking

Not all nicotine consumption is created equal. Chewing nicotine gum is a lot better for you than smoking or vaping, says Dr. Haythe. If you’re looking for one place to start your heart health journey, quitting smoking and vaping is a really important step, she says.

6. Try to treat health concerns as early as you can catch them

“Blood pressure is something that can have a huge impact on your overall health, so I try to encourage patients to treat high blood pressure as soon as they can. I know people don’t like to take medication, but treating high blood pressure in your early thirties is so much better than just ignoring it until it becomes really serious,” says Dr. Haythe. Though it’s worth noting that many people run up against barriers to care and inadequate care, which can make diagnosing and treating blood pressure at a younger age more difficult.

What to remember about protecting your heart health

Most people want to be good at protecting their heart health, but it can be hard to know what to do or where to start. Dr. Haythe reminds people that it doesn’t have to be a million changes overnight, but just taking small steps in the direction of a healthier heart can have a lasting effect.

To hear more of Dr. Haythe’s heart-healthy recommendations,  check out the newest episode of The Well+Good Podcast here. 

Here at Well+Good, we’ve been trying to move away from a mindset of unrealistic new year goal setting that often centers on expectations set by the diet industry. Instead, with our ReNew Year program, we’re focusing on self-care and ways that we can try nourish ourselves and feel our best inside and out.

Still, there is something special about the spark of motivation that blooms on January 1. Being proactive about the way we want our lives to look has the potential to help us find fulfillment and joy. Is there a way to bottle that will, without the pressure and shame that often follows?

Author, meditation teacher, and self-care expert Kimberly Snyder believes there is. She sees every morning as an opportunity for a new beginning, and practices rituals like meditating and connecting with her body by drinking a hot beverage to hone in on what she really wants out of the day—and all those days we live in a row…also known as a life.

There’s an unexpected benefit to treating every day like the fresh start it is. The new year only comes around, well, once a year. So it is a moment that can feel like the stakes are high and the pressure is intense. But if we bring that new year mindset to every morning, we see how much power we truly have to make our lives what we want them to be.

“It takes the pressure off,” Snyder says. “Like it’s New Year’s and we mess up, versus, hey, every day is a fresh start. And it’s these small steps that really add up in big, profound ways.”

From a grounding morning practice, to tuning in to the dietary and physical needs of our bodies, Snyder along with fitness coach Elisabeth Akinwale and registered dietitian Maya Feller talk about what it really means to “renew” on the latest episode of the Well+Good podcast. Tune in below to hear their full conversation and get tips about how to bring a sense of renewal to your life beyond January.

In this week’s episode of The Well+Good Podcast, host Taylor Camille speaks with Dunlap, author of Financial Feminist: Overcome the Patriarchy’s Bullsh*t to Master Your Money and Build a Life You Love, about how to overcome harmful beliefs about your ability to manage money.

Listen to the full podcast episode here:

According to Dunlap, believing the trope that women are bad with money can function like a self-fulfilling prophecy. “We’ve been told for so long that money is not for us and that we’re bad at it,” she says.

“The vast majority of these narratives have been perpetuated to keep us playing small and to keep us controllable.” —Tori Dunlap, CEO of Her First $100K

Buying into this trope reinforces the idea that women don’t deserve to have money or be in control of their own wealth because they’re likely to mess it up. But in reality, societal conditions and structures are working against them, telling them that the pursuit of wealth itself is bad. For instance, women have made less money than men since the beginning of time, and the reality of that alone upholds and perpetuates the false gendered “bad with money” myth. “This is even more nuanced and layered if you’re a woman of color, if you are disabled, if you are a queer person…all of these systemic issues will and can and do affect how you manage your money,” Dunlap says.

Another effect of painting the pursuit of earning more money as gross, or crass, or immoral is that it obscures the freedoms that amassing it affords. “The vast majority of these narratives have been perpetuated to keep us playing small and to keep us controllable, because when you have money you are no longer controllable in a really beautiful way,” Dunlap says.

When you’re conditioned to believe money is bad, and accumulating it connects to a moral miss, you might well be afraid to intentionally learn more. Enter: the self-fulfilling prophecy component of being bad with money. Without feeling confident about having constructive conversations about money, it’s tough to figure out how to spend it strategically and, in general, make it work for you.

Two common effects of this ingrained myth include being afraid to engage with money (or even just comfortable with not doing it) to the point of avoidance or choosing to never spend at all. And Dunlap says neither scenario is connected to a healthy relationship with finances. “The answer is to spend money thoughtfully, focused on your values and without a side of guilt.”

So, where can you start in the pursuit of unlearning any “bad with money” ideals you might’ve accepted, even if subconsciously? Dunlap’s advice includes acknowledging the fears and associated habits you’ve built around money and then unpacking them. From there, you can work to intentionally interact with your money, and make concrete, specific goals.

For more advice from Tori Dunlap about how to reframe your relationship with money and make it work for you, listen to the full episode.

Unsurprisingly, one of the first things many people choose to cut back on in the new year is alcohol. (IYKYK: Starting the new year with a throbbing hangover-induced headache is one serious form of inspiration.)

A 2022 national survey revealed that up to 35 percent of drinking-age U.S. adults abstained from booze during the month of January, a commitment commonly referred to as “Dry January.” In the most recent episode of The Well+Good Podcast, Taylor Camille, the pod’s host and director, spoke with master distiller Morgan McLachlan and co-founder (along with Katy Perry) of the alcohol-alternative beverage company, De Soi, to reflect on our culture’s relationship with alcohol, its impact on social gatherings, and why we may want to consider extending Dry January into Dry Everuary this year.

Listen to the full podcast episode here:

What are the benefits of Dry January and going alcohol-free for the rest of the year?

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), a large body of research shows that there are both short- and long-term benefits for your physical and mental health when you go alcohol-free or reduce your alcohol consumption. Said benefits include (but are not limited to) better sleep quality and liver functioning, boosted energy levels, improvements in mood and concentration levels, and lower blood pressure.

On the flip side, the AHA says that “excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages can increase the risk for high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, obesity, stroke, breast cancer, liver disease, depression, suicide, and accidents.”

While experts caution that the majority of long-term benefits of going alcohol-free won’t happen overnight—or in just a month, for that matter—every effort counts significantly. And even in the short term, the improvements you’ll notice in your energy, mood, and anxiety levels are very real.

There are delicious options for those looking to cut back on alcohol

It’s no secret that cutting out alcohol cold turkey might be difficult for some, as drinking has been heavily intertwined with culture, social, and even spiritual gatherings for centuries. “Most people don’t have an alcohol dependency, but they have a little bit of just a habit of reaching for that beverage as a way to unwind or as a way to mark a moment in the day,” McLachlan says.

And while many may have a seemingly relaxed relationship with the occasional weeknight glass of Pinot to unwind after a long day, McLachlan says that you can find similarly soothing benefits from De Soi’s range of non-alcoholic apéritifs made with natural adaptogens, which can have a calming effect on the central nervous system. (Not the mention, zero hangover the next day!)

So, where did the idea for De Soi come from? Turns out that McLachlan herself was searching for sophisticated, celebratory, alcohol-free drink options, and in the process, she landed on the idea of an alcohol-free apéritif. (Typically, an apéritif is a wine-based alcoholic beverage that is lower in alcohol than a cocktail and often includes a bitter component, like herbs.) According to McLachlan, this type of drink is usually consumed before dinner or a meal and is meant to prepare the stomach to receive food and get the digestive juices flowing.

When developing De Soi’s line of booze-free apéritifs, McLachlan took a mindful approach: She started by curating a list of functional adaptogenic botanical ingredients—like ashwagandha, rose, and reishi—that give you a “floaty, relaxed feeling.” Then, she married this soothe-inducing concept with the goal of doing something nice for yourself; something that feels like a little moment of pleasure without a drop of alcohol. (De Soi’s sleek, luxe-looking packaging is a major value-add in this department.) The result? A wonderful way to imbibe while experiencing absolutely no hangover—or FOMO.

“I think one thing that’s happening is people are sticking their toe into the world of abstaining from alcohol for even short periods of time, and they’re discovering, ‘oh, actually went to that party and I had a great time and, and I woke up in the morning like fresh as a daisy the next day,’” McLachlan says.

Whether you’re embarking on your first-ever Dry January journey or are looking for the perfect alcohol-free party drink, check out the full podcast episode to learn more ways to take the first step to practice mindful drinking with the help of a booze-free *but still guaranteed-good-time* drink in hand.

For more information on the long-term health benefits of curtailing your alcohol intake and alcohol-free cocktail ideas, listen to the full podcast episode here. 

In this week’s episode of The Well+Good Podcast, host Ella Dove speaks with Lia Avellino, LCSW, therapist and co-founder and CEO of therapy group Spoke, about the conundrum of needing to be and feel good “enough” can unintentially shield us from joy.

Listen to the full podcast episode here:

According to Avellino, many folks feel pressure that’s both internal and external to create a life that’s optimized, or, some might say, perfect. But, if you feel the need to secure a dream job, find a soul-mate partner, have a tight-knit circle of friends, and, in general, check all the boxes that one would assume add up to a quality life, you may well feel like you’re running at full tilt on a hamster wheel. Worse yet, even if all those boxes are checked, the hamster wheel doesn’t stop or even slow, because there’s always room for improvement when you desire to optimize your life. That’s why Avellino wants you to stop being too hopeful, embrace the concept of “good enough,” and find a sense of happiness with what you have.

“The goal of ‘good enough’ is to broaden the lens to not only looking at lack, but also looking at the fullness; where we might be hitting the mark already and [where] we might be missing it.” —Lia Avellino

“The goal of ‘good enough’ is to broaden the lens to not only looking at lack, but also looking at the fullness; where we might be hitting the mark already, and [where] we might be missing it,” Avellino says. This isn’t to say that being introspective and having intentions to mindfully work on parts of ourselves and our lives isn’t worthy, but constantly chasing self-improvement can be exhausting and diminishing. So, what’s the right balance?

According to Avellino, having hope for the future is an important tool that can be helpful for visualization and achieve goals. But it’s a double-edged sword in that having a fixation on tomorrow can obscure all that we can learn and appreciate today. “If we’re constantly staying in a realm of hopefulness, we are not necessarily connecting with what we already have,” Avellino says. “We’re trying to escape by living in the future and making things better rather than feeling that a full life means discontentment,” she says.

So, have hope, but don’t allow that hope to make you disengage from what’s happening in the present—even if you don’t love the way the present feels. “A full life does not mean happiness all the time,” Avellino says. “Happiness is a fleeting emotion, and aliveness is not happiness… [Aliveness] is feeling the spectrum, the fear, the sadness, the grief, the anger.” To harness hope the right way, take stock of the present as well.

For more of Avellino’s tips and thoughts for how to feel fulfilled and abandon a need for perfection, listen to the full episode.

In this week’s episode of the Well+Good Podcast, astrologer and CosmicRx founder Madi Murphy is here to explain what you can expect from astrology in 2023.

Listen to the full episode:

While you might be ready to take on a new fitness regimen or reorganize your space for the new year, take some time to reflect on the prior year. Themes of collaboration and inclusivity will reign supreme in 2023, says Murphy, presenting opportunities for introspection and self growth.

Take it nice and easy. Use these first few months to meditate on your goals and visions for the year. You’ll be better equipped to tackle them head-on come springtime. “It’s a great time to plan, to plot, to look ahead,” says Murphy. “It’s really not the time to plant seeds or to start something new; it’s the time to reflect. What worked last year, what didn’t?”

While Murphy promises juicy transformations across the zodiac this year, Taureans are expected to experience glow-ups of epic proportions. Eclipses throughout 2022 caused some topsy-turvy, uncomfortable changes for the sign. Come May 16, however, Jupiter will move into Taurus, providing clarity and vision for the earthy sign. “Taurus is definitely going to have the main character energy on 1000,” says Murphy.

Revolution, too, is going to rock the zodiac this year, says Murphy. As Pluto moves into Aquarius and out of Capricorn, we’ll be experiencing the “wildest, most progressive revolutionary advances” of our lifetimes. Not since 1777 has the planet entered Aquarius’ rebellious arena—expect some much-needed changes in the collective.

“This whole year is going to be paradigm-shifting,” says Murphy. “The real theme for the year is ‘anything can happen.’ There’s going to be a lot of new energy.”

What does 2023 have in store for you? Check out the full podcast episode here, where Murphy dives deeper into her predictions for each sign. 

Through all that chaos, thought leaders in the wellness space were still able to learn, find strength, prioritize rest, and acknowledge their growth as humans this year. In the latest episode of The Well+Good Podcast, host Taylor Camille sat down with Sharmin Hossain, organizing director of 18 Million Rising, a digital-first organizing collective that advocates for the rights of Asian Americans, Jessamyn Stanley, author and co-founder of The Underbelly, which offers inclusive yoga classes, AK MacKellar, queer and non-binary entrepreneur and founder of  Free to Move, a body inclusive movement platform for LGBTQ+ folks, Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist and creator and host of the podcast, A Slight Change of Plans, and Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian, and health and nutrition coach—to hear their biggest takeaways from 2022.

Listen to the full podcast here:

5 wellness leaders reflect on 2022—and discuss their personal growth this year

As we look ahead to 2023, these wellness experts reflect back on what made 2022 a year to remember for personal growth.

On prioritizing rest and growth simultaneously

“It was really concretizing all of the self-care practices and the community care practices that I have been cultivating that really center. Rest, but also hobbies and skills and tools that are going to keep me strong and disciplined in the long run. It’s amazing how our bodies adjust and grow and learn with us. I learned about the intimate connections that I could build as a friend and as an adult. I learned about the ways that I can lean into trust and new habits that allow me to be vulnerable.”—Sharmin Hossain

On sharing who you are authentically

“This year, I felt I made a ton of growth in my personal life—I took a lot of big steps in terms of sharing who I am with the world and with my family and the people around me in terms of my non-binary and trans identity, and that took a lot of courage in bravery, and it’s something that I’m really proud of.”—AK Mackellar

On becoming even more curious about people

“I think I became a far more curious person. This is pretty unexpected because I think I’m naturally pretty curious. But when you interview fascinating people all the time, and you’re learning about them and reading their books, you end up leaving any conversation with far more questions than you had at the outset. I have new questions about the human mind and condition.”—Maya Shankar

On learning how to find inner strength and wisdom

“Oh my goodness. I learned so much about what strength is, where the strength lies, and what it means to look within yourself for the answers to life’s questions. I also learned a lot about community and how important it is to be in community with other people and how important it is to show and share love.”—Jessamyn Stanley

On connecting self-care and community care

“I totally grew in my healing with EMDR therapy for trauma and expanding the ways that I take care of myself. I would also say I grew in my business as well. Being able to create a space for women to come together and share their experiences and gain friendships and watch women support each other as we are celebrating their health goals and reaching new heights in the way that they take care of themselves.”—Brigitte Zeitlin

A final thought for 2022

Just as these wellness leaders reflect on 2022, it can be a reminder to check in with yourself, take note of where you are, and set an intention for where you’d like to be in another 365 days. This time of year can be fun, heartbreaking, stressful, relaxing, and everything in between. Remember, the start of a new year is nothing more than an opportunity to continue to be gentle with yourself, and embrace the change to come.

To get more than a taste of what these wellness leaders had to say about their 2022 experiences, check out the newest episode of The Well+Good Podcast here. 

That’s the subject of the latest episode of The Well+Good Podcast, in which our editors (including yours truly) reveal the biggest trends on the horizon for the future of health, from the drugstore to the doctor’s office to the nebulous world of virtual reality.

Listen to the full episode here:

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that the pandemic sent shockwaves through our entire health ecosystem. As the dust has settled, one clear side effect has emerged: Our stress and anxiety levels are through the roof. In turn, 2023 will bring the rise of mental fitness, “which is this idea that you can work on your mental health proactively just like you do your physical body,” says Well+Good deputy editor Samantha Leal in the episode. New digital platforms designed around that goal offer opportunities to strengthen your mental health before you’re in crisis mode, whether through self-guided therapy-based classes, support circles for niche communities, or live-streamed meditation and journaling sessions.

Expanding access to mental-health support is central to the above launches, given the fact that therapy sessions (even virtual and group-based ones) typically have a high barrier to entry, whether financial, time-based, or emotional. In a similar way, the influx of virtual reality in health care will open up a world of new options in 2023 for people failed by the current health system or solutions—such as those suffering from treatment-resistant mental illness or chronic pain. New programs are tapping the immersive settings possible with VR headsets to provide next-level mindfulness sessions, exposure therapy, and even biofeedback training that can help trick the brain into perceiving less pain or distress.

Elsewhere in the health industry, new and forthcoming drugstore launches will make it easier for more people to manage common conditions in ways that align with their bodies and values in 2023. In particular, a suite of brand and product launches in the tampon space aim to make menstruating a less terrible experience by improving the design, function, and eco-friendliness of the product (which, in case you were wondering, hasn’t seen much if any innovation since its invention nearly a century ago by a male physician).

And over on the OTC drug aisle, a host of new products for cough, cold, pain, and indigestion are taking a page from the wellness playbook with stripped-down formulations. The latest launches feature tried-and-true actives (like ibuprofen from Advil or calcium carbonate from TUMS), but either remove or swap out all the artificial binders, flavors, and dyes, as well as common allergens like gluten that typically coexist with the actives. The result? More available OTC medications on the market, specifically for people who either can’t or don’t feel comfortable consuming the additives used in their legacy counterparts.

Indeed, “more” is the common thread linking all of our 2023 forecasts in the health space: We’re seeing the health-care industry expand to offer more options for more communities of people to solve for more health concerns not fully addressed by the existing paradigm. “I feel like if we’ve learned anything over the past couple years, it’s that there are so many gaps in our health-care system, and so many people are left feeling sick or lost or confused,” says Well+Good VP of content Abbey Stone, in the episode. “And now, there’s so much to look forward to in terms of filling those gaps.”

To learn more about our reporting on the trends driving the future of health in 2023 and beyond, listen to the full podcast episode here.

That’s what’s up for discussion in this week’s installment of the Well+Good Podcast, where our fitness reporters and editors (including yours truly) give the scoop on what 2023 is going to hold for movement and exercise.

Fitness underwent massive shifts during the pandemic, including the move to at-home workouts, the closure of gyms and studios, and a shift to more sedentary lifestyles. After dozens of conversations with trainers, business owners, fitness aficionados, fitness tech industry leaders and analysts, and more, we think 2023 is going to be a turning point. We’re reaching into the pre-pandemic years for the things that we missed, and moving into the future for more movement types and tools that better serve our bodies.

The major ways this is manifesting is in our exercise habits and technology. Industry data shows that people are returning to in-person fitness, and that seeking community is a big motivator for opting to work out in the gym or the studio. As the CEO of Barry’s, Joey Gonzalez, told me when we spoke over the phone recently, “We’re back, baby!”

So the state of the in-person fitness industry is where our discussion begins. Next, we talk about how we’re getting exercise, and the “buzzword”—and very important concept—that no one will be able to ignore in 2023: mobility. Working from home has made so many of us crave some lubrication for our creaky joints and out-of-whack spines, and that’s led to an explosion in mobility-focused workouts. Finally, the way we’re tracking our fitness and health is evolving from simply counting our steps and following our heart rates on our smart watches to learning more about other factors like sleep and metabolism gathered on trackers worn on other parts of the body.

The idea driving it all: Connectedness. Whether it’s to the people we’re doing yoga next to in the studio, or to the needs and fluctuations of our own physicality, we’ll be strengthening the bonds that build strong bodies and communities in 2023.

To hear more about what the future of fitness is going to look like, you can listen to the full podcast below.

To create the episode, Well+Good’s director of creative development Ella Dove and director of podcast Taylor Camille listened back to hours of audio, culling the top eight soundbites that really stuck with them. “Trust us when we say that putting together this episode was a labor of love and laughs,” says Dove. “And how appropriate is it that such a special episode marks our 90th episode since launch.” (As we head toward the major milestone that is our 100th episode, we’re also asking for your ideas on how to best mark the occasion in the new year; please send us an email at podcasts@wellandgood.com to share your thoughts.)

Listen to the full episode here:

Of all the best W+G podcast moments in 2022, one really resonated with both Dove and Camille—and that was the conversation on “main character energy” led by clinical psychologist Ramani Durvasula, PhD, and social media influencer Raeann Langas. The term, which rose to social-media fame in 2021, came under fire this year as a glorification of narcissism, even prompting the rise of an oppositional term, “side character energy” (or what we called “supporting character energy”). So, naturally, we asked the experts to break down the real differences between “main character energy”—at least, as it’s being used on social media—and full-fledged narcissism.

“It’s very easy to say that everyone on social media [promoting themselves] is narcissistic, but it’s not so simple,” says Dr. Durvasula. “There are plenty of people who spend lots of time on social media who are also deeply empathetic toward others in real life.”

Overall, the key distinction between someone embracing healthy “main character energy” and someone acting with narcissistic tendencies is about not losing sight of others, says Langas. “Do advocate for yourself for that raise that you really want, but also acknowledge that you are part of a bigger team,” she says, as an example. “Do walk into a pool party thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I look so sexy,’ but don’t bring other people down in the process.”

Clarifying the real meaning of a contentious or stigmatized term was at the root of a few other podcast highlights from 2022—namely, the series of episodes with self-identifying women in wellness covering the different facets of feminism, and the episode on pleasure in all its forms. For the former, “we reflected [with our guests] on what the word feminism really means and how our understanding of the gender binary, intersectionality, and feminism, femininity, and womanhood can be complicated but always evolving,” says Dove. And for the latter, we rewrote the script on sex and pleasure with the help of sexuality doula Ev’Yan Whitney and sexologist Alexandra Fine, co-founder and CEO of sexual pleasure tool company Dame.

“Pleasure is really about feeling good in our own bodies,” says Whitney, in the episode, encouraging listeners to think about “the things that make you feel good, that bring you joy, that delight your senses, that help your body soften.” It’s these things, she says, that make up the definition of pleasure.

A few of the other best podcast moments of 2022 include conversations on all things coffee and caffeine with neuroscientist Caroline Leaf, PhD, and on what we can learn from looking at and talking about our poop (goodbye, #poopshaming) with registered dietitian Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD—two topics that you all seem to think are the sh*t.

To hear all of our favorite podcast soundbites of the year, listen to the full podcast episode here.

Yet, as eating most of our at home became the norm throughout the pandemic, research has found that most folks want to continue feasting on home-cooked meals. In fact, nearly 90 percent of millennials have been cooking meals for themselves in 2022. But as the holiday season is officially upon us and days are getting increasingly jam-packed, figuring out what and how to get dinner on the table without cutting into your sacred nighttime relaxation ritual or putting your stress levels over the edge is definitely top of mind.

In the most recent episode of The Well+Good Podcast, Einat Admony, chef and owner of Balaboosta in New York City, and Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN, owner of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition and author of Eating from Our Roots (which comes out January 2023), shared their go-to tips for making easy and nutritious meals at home after a busy day, which is especially useful advice for well, immediately if not sooner.

Listen to the full episode:

5 easy cooking tips for when you really don’t feel like cooking at all

1. Have prepped meals ready to go in the fridge

According to chef Admony, quick meals don’t have to mean that you cut corners on flavor or nutrition, which is why he partnered with Cook Unity, a subscription-based food company that delivers chef-crafted meals right to your doorstep. “My kids come from school around between three to four, and most of the time, my husband and I are not there yet,” she says. “So, if they’re really hungry, they take one of these packs, and they can heat it up in the microwave—no problem.” This is one way Admony makes sure her family always has quick and easy access to flavorful, delicious meals without spending too much time in the kitchen.

2. Cook in large batches

After a long shift at the restaurant, Admony says many chefs can feel too tired to cook (that is, more than they already spent all day doing) once they get home. A simple solution she recommends is batch cooking to mitigate the stress of weeknight meal prep after an exhausting day. “Once a week, [I recommend] cooking five different things and freezing them or putting them in packaging,” Admony says. To best preserve the food and avoid spoilage, she says a vacuum sealer and some bags are all you need, plus this method will take up less space in your freezer (by removing all the excess air trapped in food-safe storage bags).

3. Sneak nutritious ingredients into every meal

To make cooking at home as nourishing as possible, Admony sneaks veggies into just about every meal she makes for her family. “My kids always said that they hate zucchini—but do you know how many zucchinis they have had in their food without even knowing?” she muses. This is a simple (slash genius) way to make sure you and your family are eating plenty of nutrients on the regular.

4. Make sure the meals you plan to make fit your lifestyle needs

According to Feller, it’s important to consider your lifestyle needs when deciding what to make at home. “I always take finances, access, someone’s work conditions, their family—just the whole picture—into consideration when we’re thinking about how to best stock that pantry,” Feller says. The best way to approach nutrition is to start by understanding that it’s never going to be one-size-fits-all—our bodies, lifestyles, cultures, flavor preferences, and more are always going to be incredibly different, and knowing this will help set us up for success. As we all work to balance the many aspects of our busy lives, striking a good balance between these personal factors can help make cooking at home as practical, efficient, and nutritious as possible.

5. Stock up on a solid variety of foods

To ensure your meals are as versatile and offer as much nutritional value as possible, Feller says it’s important to stock up on a wide variety of foods. “Shop the entire store. And when I say the entire store, I’m talking about the perimeter, the center aisles, and the frozen section. I’m talking about everything. And that’s really how you build a pantry that’s got plenty of variety and also takes into consideration those days when you’re like: I needed dinner that’s done in seven minutes flat,” Feller says.

To learn more about how to make cooking at home stress-free, efficient, and filled with nutrients, plus what dishes lend themselves to batch cooking and sneaky veggies, listen to the full podcast episode here. (Bonus: Both experts share their must-have ingredients on their grocery shopping lists.)

Whether you cook or not, grief experts confirm that preparing dishes that loved ones used to make for us can play a crucial role in processing grief. To better understand the science, we spoke with a few professionals to learn how cooking can help us heal from loss. And in this week’s episode of the Well+Good Podcast, we had a conversation with Frankie Gaw, author of the new cookbook First Generation: Recipes from My Taiwanese-American Home and Susan Krauss Whitbourne, PhD, psychology professor Emerita at University of Massachusetts, Amherst to talk about the profound healing power of food and cooking.

Listen to the full episode:

Taste, memory, and keeping loved ones alive through our meals

Cooking is a sensory experience, involving touch, taste, sight, smell, and hearing.  Of all the senses, though, “the sense most strongly tied with memory is olfactory,” aka our sense of smell, says Peggy Loo, PhD, a licensed psychologist and director of Manhattan Therapy Collective based in New York. When we cook, we activate the hippocampus and amygdala, which are parts of the brain involved in memory and emotional processing.

Research shows that human olfaction can cue emotional aspects of our memory, most of which comes from the first decade of our life. “This is why certain smells can elicit visceral reactions and evoke memories from long ago,” says Shavaun McGinty, MA, LPC, CT, a licensed professional counselor and certified grief counselor at the Peacemaker Center in Dowingtown, Pennsylvania. This process is what some experts refer to as the “Proust phenomenon”—at the beginning of Proust’s novel, Swann’s Way, he details a scenario in which the taste and smell of a madeleine cookie dipped in a cup of tea brings back a character’s long-forgotten memory in detail.

What’s more, cooking helps us grieve is by minimizing the fear of forgetting our loved ones, whether it’s “their voice, their laugh, or that one facial expression they had when they were about to sneeze,” says Dr. Loo. “Knowing that our sense of smell is powerfully tied to memories means that you can access them when cooking dishes we associated with our loved one.”

By following recipes that our loved ones used to make for us or recreating dishes we once shared with friends and family, we keep the memory of a loved one or passed experience alive. In a way, the aromas and scents of the meal help us travel back in time—whether that means apples and cinnamon from your mother’s apple pie or in my case, the steaming broth from hot pot. Cooking is what keeps us connected to loved ones after they’re gone. 

When we lose that special someone in our life, it’s also not uncommon to feel like we lost a piece of ourselves, including our cultural identity. However, cooking can be a way to honor cultural ties, or the passing on of something you had with a loved one, explains Dr. Loo.

Like Zauner, I, too, grew up Asian in America and lost a loved one: my gong gong (grandfather in Cantonese), who immigrated to the United States in the mid-1950s to start a better life. When he passed away from a heart attack in 2002, not only did my family fall apart (he was the glue that held us together), I felt like I lost a large part of my Chinese identity.

A chef, my gong gong cooked for a living and for family, but his death meant that Cantonese dishes—stir-fried clams in black bean sauce, garlic-infused green beans, and steamed fish with ginger and scallions—were no longer served at the dinner table. Though his death occurred when I was just six years old, I’ve come to realize that I felt the gravity of it most in college, where I grappled with feeding myself and realizing that I couldn’t cook traditional Chinese food. I didn’t learn any of my gong gong’s recipes, and he was the only one in my family who knew them. I felt ashamed and disconnected to my identity. However, I found solace in the aisles of Asian grocery stores, picking and reminiscing foods and snacks he used to make for me, and learning recipes online. And in making a bold attempt to cook a version of my gong gong’s Cantonese food at home, I felt more connected to him and my culture.

Grief looks differently for everyone, but cooking is the glue that binds us closer together. “It can be helpful to plan intentional pockets of space for your grief—like the one you might have cooking a meal from beginning to end,” Dr. Loo says.

Whether you’ve lost a parent, sibling, grandparent, or friend, cooking is the driver that reconnects us, grounds us, and helps us heal.

To learn more about how food and cooking can help us heal from loss and process emotion, listen to the full podcast episode here. 

In this week’s episode of the Well+Good Podcast, we’re having a conversation with fashion psychologist Shakaila Forbes-Bell, MA, and wardrobe stylist Sophie Strauss to talk about the profoundly positive power of dressing up in all its forms.

Listen to the full episode:

Our outfit choices have the potential to shift more than just our moods. “We know from research and studies that clothes have the power to shape the way people think about you, the way you think about yourself, the identity you lean into, the way you feel about your body, and the way you think in general,” says Forbes-Bell. “Why not utilize all of these powers so that you can increase your well-being and just feel better in general—and also inadvertently become more sustainable?”

Fashion choices we can be indicators of how we’re feeling inside (whether we like it or not). “The way you dress can communicate how you’re feeling that day, how you wanna be perceived that day, without ever having to tell anybody,” says Strauss, who refers to herself as a “stylist for regular people.”

Even if artistic self-expression doesn’t top your priority list, designating time to thoughtfully dress yourself is an ingenious way to reclaim some power in your daily life.

To learn more about how our clothing choices can impact our attitudes, relationships, and the world we live in, listen to the full podcast episode here. 

Consisting of the same active ingredient as many morning-after pills already on the market (1.5mg of levonorgestrel, an FDA-approved synthetic progestin), Julie launched in September 2022 in 4,500 Walmart stores, as well as on walmart.com and juliecare.co for $42. Its price point makes it more expensive than generic options, which start as low as $11, but cheaper than most brand-name competitors, which clock in around $50. Its true innovation, though, is in its packaging, both literally and in terms of the work that the brand is doing to destigmatize shopping for emergency contraception in the first place.

“So many people are buying emergency contraception every day, and they’re experiencing this terrible customer journey,” says Amanda Johnson, the co-creator of Mented Cosmetics who co-founded Julie with Julie Schott and Brian Bordainick, co-founders of skin-care brand Starface. “You wake up, you realize that you need it, so you Google it and try to cobble together the information you find, or you go immediately to the drugstore, and then there’s this walk of shame. It’s like, ‘Everybody knows that my plans failed, and the pharmacist is judging me and the cashier is judging me, and I can’t wait to get to the car and take this pill already.’”

To hear more about Julie from Johnson herself, listen to this episode of The Well+Good Podcast:

How the process of buying Julie was designed to remove shame and confusion

“We really thought about the customer journey and asked ourselves, ‘What are the places we can make it easier?’” says Johnson of Julie’s intention to soften the often high-stress pathway to purchasing emergency contraception. “Our internal motto is, ‘We can’t make EC fun, but we can make it suck less.’”

“We set out to give you a package that’s as beautiful as anything else in personal care to help remove the shame you might feel in picking up something that looks so clinical.” —Amanda Johnson, Julie co-founder

To do just that, the Julie co-founders first reimagined the look and feel of the product on the shelf. “We set out to give you a package that’s as beautiful as anything else in personal care that you might pick up—a package that will help remove the shame you might feel in picking up something that looks so clinical,” says Johnson. “We thought, ‘What if it actually looked friendly?’ Because what you really need at that moment is a friend.”

Even the name of the product was chosen to capture that low-stakes, friendly ethos. Rather than reminding you that you’ve been forced to turn to a plan B, for example, the name “Julie” is meant to be reminiscent of a “big sister or a cool aunt,” says Johnson. “Maybe she went to medical school, maybe she’s a nurse, maybe she’s just been around the block. In any case, she’s someone who just gets it and is really approachable.”

To that end, Johnson is also working to free Julie contraception from plastic lockboxes and pharmacy counters in as many Walmart locations as possible, though she caveats that certain stores may still put guardrails around it largely because “it’s a high-theft product,” she says. To be clear, however, you do not need a prescription, ID, or to be of a certain age to purchase Julie (or any emergency contraception) in any of the 50 states, no matter how it’s sold.

Once in hand, Julie is designed to shorten the time it takes you to make an informed decision about whether to buy it. A QR code on the package links to its website, which was built with an in-store customer in mind, says Johnson. It clearly lists answers to key questions about the product (e.g., what it does, who should take it, and when) that you might need to know while standing in the aisle.

How Julie is working to strip emergency contraception of its stigma beyond the aisle

In addition to improving the in-store experience, providing education around EC is core to Julie’s brand intention. Largely, that’s because misinformation surrounding EC is rampant, and the stigma of taking it can keep people from seeking out correct information in the first place. For these reasons, Julie has tapped its medical board of woman-identifying physicians to help create content that demystifies the pill, both on its site and across social media, so that it’s freely accessible and most likely to reach anyone who may need it.

“What emergency contraception does is help prevent pregnancy when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex,” says Johnson. (Specifically, the pill stops or delays ovulation and therefore does not and cannot interfere with any existing pregnancy.) “We’re focused on telling that simple narrative in all of the ways that people are going to process and hear it,” she says.

“We have to be there digitally for the generations that we’re serving in a way that is palatable, shareable, and creates a real sense of edu-tainment.” —Johnson

With most Julie consumers being millennials or members of Generation Z who interact with social media, that content will include TikTok campaigns about EC helmed by influencers and celebrities. “We have to be there digitally for the generations that we’re serving in a way that is palatable, shareable, and creates a real sense of edu-tainment,” says Johnson. “It’s not just education, but how do we make it interesting? How do we make you sit through the full Reel or TikTok, so you actually walk away with the information you need? That’s the goal.”

While social media is certainly not the only appropriate domain for sexual-health advice, the reality is, it’s a destination where people are either looking for it or willing to take it in. And this kind of approachable content around such a historically shame-shrouded topic as contraception can democratize access to information that people need in order to make informed choices for their bodies.

Understanding that many people who come across this information on social media and are in need of contraception may not be able to afford or access Julie, the brand has also launched a one-for-one donation initiative (one box sold equates to one box donated)—and just announced the first batch donation of 200,000 boxes, reflecting both sales since launch in the fall of 2022 and additional donations from Julie investors. These will be shipped directly to Julie’s 20+ partners, which include mobile clinics, domestic-violence shelters, and other community organizations nationwide, many of which operate in contraceptive deserts.

The reason why has as much to do with the product as it does the moment we’re living through. “Especially in certain states, right now, EC is the last line of defense before you might have to make a very difficult decision,” says Johnson, “and if we can help it, we’d rather people not have to do that.”

To learn more about the inspiration behind Julie and the role that the company aims to play within the reproductive-health landscape, listen to the full podcast episode here.

Ready to join the (podcast) conversation? At Well+Good, we spend our days talking to and learning from the most interesting people. Sign up to make sure you don’t miss out on an episode!

That can make following a sage piece of advice difficult: “Eat before you’re hungry. Drink before you’re thirsty.”

It’s an adage that long-distance runner and youth coach Kamilah Journét likes to follow on her runs, so she can keep focused on the experience, and not the physical constraints of her body.

“The main time I find myself fueling during an effort is when I’m out on the trails,” Journét says. “I’m typically less time- and pace-focused and hence focus more on the activity itself. The main rule I follow is: Drink before you’re thirsty and eat before you’re hungry. Within reason.”

But how are you supposed to know when that sweet spot “before” time is? It all comes down to practice.

“When you get into the rhythm of doing those longer runs, especially if you’re training for something like a half marathon or a full marathon, you are gonna have to find a routine and what works best for you specifically,” Traci Copeland, a Nike running coach, says.

So, for example, on a run, do you notice yourself getting hungry around the two hour mark? Make a mental note of that, and next time, try having a mid-run snack around an hour and 45 minutes in.

Our body sends us signals, such as headaches, muscle cramps, and stomach rumbles, to tell us when we’re hungry or thirsty. But they can be easy to ignore or misinterpret. If you’re working to get more in tune, Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD, CDN, CSCS, a certified intuitive eating counselor, suggests making a note of where you fall on the “hunger scale” she developed before and after meals, which you can find here.

Just like with training for fueling a run, you can train to fuel your life, too.

To learn more about how runners nourish their bodies before, during, and after their runs, give a listen to this week’s Well+Good Podcast.

That philosophy is what she brings to her students now as a yoga teacher, and is part of her advice for people who may be new to yoga, or just starting it up again.

“When I realized that this is a practice in the sense that every day, your body, your mind, and even the sides, the left and the right side, are going to be different, everything changed,” Tabilo says.

On this week’s episode of The Well+Good Podcast, Tabilo shares the story of how she came to yoga, and why she didn’t immediately feel it was for her because she lives in a larger body. But when she realized that she could vary the poses in a way that suited her, it opened up a whole new world of movement.

She’s not the only one to approach physical activity in this way. The inclusive fitness space is working to make modifications a central component of physical activity, not an afterthought.

“I don’t walk, and my body is really different than most, but there are minute little differences in everyone’s bodies that I think we should all take inventory of and be proud of,” Alana Nichols, a Paralympic athlete who is paralyzed below her mid-thighs, previously told Well+Good. “It’s important to modify [workouts] to honor those experiences.”

Tabilo actually prefers the word “variations” to “modifications,” because she doesn’t think there should be one primary way of doing things.

“You are in charge of your practice in the sense that you can decide to do a variation,” Tabilo says. “When you decide to honor your mind and your body with a variation, you are finding your power.”

You can hear more of Tabilo’s story and advice for approaching yoga with a beginner’s mind by listening to the full episode now.

“I got almost golf ball-sized blisters on my arches,” Torres says. “I just wrecked my feet.”

But the experience helped her come to a realization. Maybe we were thinking about the way we size running shoes totally wrong. One way that Torres came to this revelation was by considering a different garment: the bra. She thinks that bras and footwear *should* have a lot in common.

“Bras are really a performance product, and we size them in a way that takes into account that there’s more than one measurement that matters,” Torres says. “But running shoes just have this one fit model, essentially.”

Flash forward to the present, and now Torres is the founder and CEO of a new running shoe company, Hilma, that’s based around giving customers a personalized-fit shoe. So custom that when it launches this fall (starting with women’s fits), shoe styles will come in 45 different sizes.

How will customers find the right shoe? Hilma has developed fit prediction technology, and shopping will include an online consultation that takes your personal preferences and your foot shape into account. Like a bra, there will be more than one measurement that matters, which Torres hopes will serve her ultimate goal of allowing everyone who wants to run to get out there and have fun.

Torres joined us on the Well+Good Podcast to discuss her running journey from novice to ultra-marathoner and her professional trajectory from start-up employee to company founder. This episode is part of our month-long celebration of runners, called the United States of Running, which features 5K and 10K training plans that just about anyone can do. Learn more about why your footwear is a feminist issue by listening to the full episode.