Mere days into 2021 and we’re trying to process … horror. On January 6th, the president of the United States incited a mob of domestic terrorists to storm the Capitol, with the intention of stopping the certification of Joe Biden’s election win … and worse.
If 2020 was the Year of Relentless Heartbreak, what will 2021 be? I’m hoping it will be the year of justice. The year of confronting our country’s white supremacist past and the ways that past — still horrifically part of our present — poisons our society. The year of making substantive changes to ensure our democracy survives, and thrives.
Lately, the only way I can get to sleep is with this breathing technique (preceded, on occasion, with a glass of bourbon, or a lorazepam). It’s easy to learn and it’s surprisingly soothing. Let me know if you find it helpful.
Quick Anxiety-Reducing Technique You Can Do Anywhere
Since 2020 has become the Year of Relentless Heartbreak, I wanted to share a quick anxiety-reducing technique that helps keep my stress levels from going through the roof: Box Breathing. I hope it helps you too.
Self-care can make an enormous difference in being able to handle the recurring drumbeat of horrible news without disintegrating into a puddle of tears. I can’t count how many times I’ve used Box Breathing in the past few months – literally cannot tell you the number. It’s wonderfully grounding and calming.
Box Breathing (sometimes called Square Breathing because of its four equal sides) is done by athletes, yoga practitioners, health practitioners, soldiers and everyday people to keep themselves calm and focused. Want to learn how?
Read moreNew Year’s Resolutions Don’t Have To Be An Exercise In Frustration
We’ve all heard the crack about how gyms (and their upscale siblings, “Fitness Centers”) make a fortune because of people who – with the best of intentions – sign up, but then give up. Most of us have fallen into the trap of setting sky-high New Year’s resolutions, only to find they’re too much to bear/impossible to fulfill. But New Years’ resolutions don’t have to be an exercise in frustration.
Read moreWhy (and How) You Need to Wash Your Water Bottles – Yes, Every Night!
YOU KNOW THOSE REUSABLE WATER BOTTLES you drink from throughout the day? (You *are* drinking water throughout the day, right?) Here's why – and how – you want to wash them every night: Each time you drink from them, bacteria go into the bottle. (Eww) And they breed if you don't wash the bottle. (double Eww – triple Eww in flu season) SIMPLE SOLUTION: When you get home…
Read moreCracking The Hard-Boiled Egg Code
I’ve tried more methods of hard-boiling eggs than I can count. Every single one has worked … for a while. BUT, to my surprise and delight, I think I’ve finally, once and for all, cracked the hard-boiled egg code (pun intended).
I’ve used this method consistently for the past few months and have gotten consistently excellent results. (I will not say “eggcelent”, I will not say “eggcelent”, I will not say “eggcelent”. Okay, I will.)
Part of the secret is to keep the water at a boil the entire time you’re cooking the eggs, which helps prevent the albumin (the thin membrane that drives you crazy when you try to peel off the shell) from sticking to the egg. The process is surprisingly easy once you know how.
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