Social media. Shopping. Procrastination. More shopping.
There are many ways to get that satisfying ping of dopamine, but not all of them are healthy.
What is Dopamine?Dopamine, a neurotransmitter made in your brain, stars as the “reward center” and orchestrates memory, movement, motivation, mood, attention, and more. When you experience pleasure—food, sex, check off a to-do—your brain releases dopamine in large amounts, creating oh-so-good feelings, which motivate you to repeat a specific behavior.
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Think of it like this:
When you eat something super sugary like a donut, your blood sugar levels spike quickly and then crash. Activities can act as the dopamine equivalent of eating a donut by causing dopamine to rapidly increase and then plummet just as fast.
Repeatedly experiencing these highs and lows can lead to addiction, depression, and anxiety.
Ofc, there’s a time and place for some “dopamine donuts,” but it’s important to focus on healthy dopamine hits. These highs come from doing things that cause dopamine to rise slowly and remain elevated for some time.
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How to hack a healthier dopamine high:
Eat foods high in dopamine building blocks, like chicken and avocados.
Meditate: New research has found that the improved mental and physical health benefits that meditation brings maybe thanks to increased dopamine levels in the brain. One study in particular found a 65% increase in dopamine production in its participants after meditating for one hour, compared with resting quietly.
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First, there was quiet quitting, then came quiet luxury. The next iteration of the “quiet” trend taking over TikTok is the quiet life. As the antidote to the hustle culture, the quiet life embodies slowing down and romanticizing the simple things in your every day. What’s not to love? According to the 83.2 million views of #quietlife, absolutely nothing. Ahead, I give the rundown of what the quiet life looks like and how to live it effortlessly (“effortlessly” being the operative word). Your first order of business? Ditch the go-go-go routine in favor of hygge vibes and small moments of pleasure.
Whether it’s a TikTok of a calming morning routine, low-key activities like journaling, knitting, and cuddling your pet, or a quiet evening spent solo and sans phone that you’ve come across on your FYP, the “quiet life” centers around taking it slow AF and savoring the present. There are no packed to-do lists or schedules with back-to-back meetings and plans to keep up. The quiet life encourages getting off the hamster wheel of life and letting go of the pressure to always be doing something or achieving more. Instead, insert the warm, fuzzy feel and embrace doing less, reconnecting with yourself, and hitting reset.
As hard or uncomfortable as it may be to shut off social expectations, distractions (we all could use a dopamine detox), and your mind, settling into a quiet life can do your mind and body some good. According to Psychology Today, slowing down lowers stress and blood pressure, enhances decision-making and other cognitive functions, and restores emotional equilibrium. “In allowing ourselves to experience the present–rather than rushing toward the future–we become more attentive to what is happening around and within us, and to savor it,” wrote Susan Avery Stewart, Ph.D. What’s more, a study published in Brain Structure and Function found that two hours of silence each day could foster the growth of new cells in the hippocampus (good for improved memory, emotional regulation, and learning ability).
Add “quiet” practices to your life instead of replacing routines
There’s no right or wrong way to practice the quiet life, and it doesn’t mean always saying “no” to the more stimulating pleasures of life such as happy hour, social media, or TV. Instead, it means striking the right balance between your favorite quiet life pastimes and unplugging that works for you. Translation: Intersperse responding to emails, Netflix binges, and scrolling with taking a stroll, going on a date with yourself to your local coffee shop, or entering your cottage-core era (think: painting, baking, and flower-picking).
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Identify what boundaries you need to set
Not sure where to start? Self-reflect on why the quiet life is appealing to you. Are you riddled with anxiety? Do you feel the need to go harder, better, faster? Are you in the habit of multitasking—whether it be eating with the TV on, listening to a podcast while walking, or posting threads as you prepare dinner? Then, decide what boundaries you want to set. Maybe that looks like having a meal out on your balcony and leaving your phone inside or taking a break from social media on the weekends and filling the time you’d otherwise be doom-scrolling with a chill hobby like reading or developing your green thumb. Whatever floats your boat, lean into and romanticize it.
Be more mindful in your everyday
If there’s one main takeaway from living a quiet life, it’s being more mindful of your actions, sensations, thoughts, and feelings. The best part? When we are mindful, we become the drivers of our own lives. Instead of just going through the motions (hi, hustle culture), we are intentional in our decision-making and can fully appreciate the gentle moments.
Whether or not you’re lucky enough to witness Queen Bey in all her resplendent glory IRL on her Renaissance tour, you probably know the music and fashion mogul exudes a certain je ne sais quoi. While she makes “having it all”—a beautiful family, rewarding career (rather, empire)—look ***Flawless, it hasn’t come without sacrifice. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Beyoncé revealed that she’s been guilty of putting her work above her self-care. “I think like many women, I have felt the pressure of being the backbone of my family and my company and didn’t realize how much that takes a toll on my mental and physical well-being,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. “I have not always made myself a priority.”
But in the same interview, which was published before Beyoncé’s 40th birthday, she alluded to “a renaissance emerging.” And, sure enough, it has—both in her music and self-care practices. Ahead, the positive rituals she’s drawn from past generations and put her spin on. Spoiler: They’re all sure to be Bey Hive-approved.
Life on tour is grueling—riding on a bus for hours, giving it all on stage, living out of a suitcase—so you know it disrupted Bey’s beauty sleep. “I’ve personally struggled with insomnia from touring for more than half of my life,” she disclosed. Beyoncé’s go-to remedy for her insomnia is CBD. “I discovered CBD on my last tour, and I’ve experienced its benefits for soreness and inflammation,” she described. “It helped with my restless nights and the agitation that comes from not being able to fall asleep.”
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While there’s not a one-size-fits-all sleep solution, Tom Greenspan, a sleep expert, sleep science coach, and Co-Founder at VS Mattress, expressed that the supplement does help the mind and body relax: “CBD for sleep may be more beneficial for those with anxiety issues or insomnia, due to its calming and anti-inflammatory effects.” If you’ve tried taking a relaxing soak, cutting off your caffeine habit at 3 p.m., and resisting the urge to TikTok the night away (a feat in and of itself) to no avail, ask your doctor about using CBD as a method to relax the body before bed.
Honey is a healing superfood.
Queen Bey has added beekeeper to her already impressive resume, tending to her very own colony of bees—and I’m not talking about her loyal fanbase. “I found healing properties in honey that benefit me and my children,” she expressed to Harper’s Bazaar. “And now I’m building a hemp and a honey farm. I’ve even got hives on my roof! And I’m so happy that my daughters will have the example of those rituals from me.” With phytochemical, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, honey isa natural therapeutic agent with many health perks: It can promote wound and burn healing, boost immunity, improve digestive issues, soothe a sore throat and cough, and enhance brain health. Just make sure you opt for raw or manuka honey so you’re getting the real thing (AKA the ingredient that has all the health benefits) rather than a processed version with added sugar.
Thanks to diet culture, we often use physical appearance to determine our health and we can easily neglect what our bodies need. And celebrities, including Beyoncé, are not immune to it. Once subjecting herself to a“no bread, no carbs, no sugar, no dairy, no meat, no fish, no alcohol” diet before her tours, she vowed never to push herself that far again. “In the past, I spent too much time on diets, with the misconception that self-care meant exercising and being overly conscious of my body,” Beyoncé voiced to Harper’s Bazaar. “My health, the way I feel when I wake up in the morning, my peace of mind, the number of times I smile, what I’m feeding my mind and my body—those are the things I’ve been focusing on.”
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She continued, “I’m learning to break the cycle of poor health and neglect, focusing my energy on my body and taking note of the subtle signs that it gives me. Your body tells you everything you need to know, but I’ve had to learn to listen.” The lesson to be learned: Tune out engrained rules diet culture has taught us, and listen to, honor, and fuel your body accordingly.
Boundaries are your right, not a luxury.
Celeb or not, establishing healthy boundaries to build a solid foundation for healthy relationships with yourself and others should be a priority in becoming the highest, most authentic, and happiest version of yourself. “Throughout my career, I’ve been intentional about setting boundaries between my stage persona and my personal life,” Beyoncé shared with Harper’s Bazaar. “I’ve fought to protect my sanity and my privacy because the quality of my life depended on it. A lot of who I am is reserved for the people I love and trust.”
Take a cue from Bey and take the time to reflect on your needs and limits in your friendships, romantic relationships, work, etc., create rules to meet them, and remember why each boundary you’ve introduced or would like to introduce is important to you. While it may be uncomfortable and take practice following through on your boundaries, you’re a better friend, partner, and co-worker when you advocate for yourself. No matter what context a boundary is set in, it is your right to feel safe, valued, and respected.
Celebrating powerful women is not just a theme of her record-breaking music (Alexa, play “Who Run The World (Girls)”); it’s an essential self-care practice. In the Harper’s Bazaarinterview, Beyoncé recalls the power of the female community that she’s felt throughout her life, always gravitating toward “strong, grounded women:” “I’ve surrounded myself with honest people who I admire, who have their own lives and dreams and are not dependent on me. People I can grow and learn from and vice versa.”
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We’re quick to define wellness within the confines of food, exercise, supplements, and routines. But yourcommunity and connections also play a critical role in your health and well-being. Dozens of studies have shown that people who have social support from family, friends, and their community are happier, have fewer health problems, and live longer. Meaningful connection also provides key components to your mental well-being: a sense of belonging, support, and purpose. All the superfoods, vegetables, and gym sessions in the world won’t matter if you don’t have a community to love, support, and laugh with you. Blasting a Beyoncé song here and there to boost your mood wouldn’t hurt either.
It’s a Barbie world and we’re just living in it, or at least we can pretend to live out our childhood dreams thanks to Margot Robbie (who didn’t want to live in Barbie’s Dreamhouse?!). ICYMI, Robbie is bringing the iconic Mattel doll to life in the much-anticipated Barbie movie. As Barbie, she can fly down the stairs and walk on water, but behind the plastic-fantastic, jet-setting lifestyle, pink ‘fits, and glam, the actress keeps it real–albeit rigorous at times–with her IRL wellness routine. Keep reading for the lowdown on Margot Robbie’s workout and nutrition preferences. Hint: Her sweat sessions include Hot Skatin’ Barbie energy (think: neon rollerblades, leotard, bike shorts, visor, protective gear, and all).
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Before we dive in, remember that a celebrity’s wellness routine is likely very different from any of ours; they have money and resources to make a healthy lifestyle feel easier, and pressures such as looking a certain way for a movie role. But celebrity or not, all of our wellness routines should look different because everybody is different, and “healthy” means something different to everyone. Take anything that interests or inspires you from this A-List movie star’s wellness routine, and leave whatever doesn’t.
Barbie’s famous gams aren’t going to tone themselves—Robbie put in the (hard) work to transform into the life-size figurine, and the movie’s trailers and BTS pics are proof. Her workout MO? Rollerblading. That’s right, it’s not just on screen that Robbie takes to the streets in her skates. According to her interview with Vogue, she likes to lace up even in her real life (she “hates to break”–she’s that hardcore). ICYWW, she took up roller-skating after her ice-skating stint as Tonya Harding in I, Tonya. To prove my point, she even conducted her Vogue interview while rollerblading. Before you knock the nostalgic activity, consider this: Based on a study by the University of Massachusetts, roller-skating causes less than 50% of the impact shock to your joints than running does, making it a low-impact cardio workout you don’t want to sleep on.
Aside from skating, Robbie doesn’t shy away from weights, namely intense leg and butt workouts (think: back squats, front squats, leg presses, and deadlifts). She further proves she’s a badass by finishing off her weight-lifting sessions with a jog, jumping rope, jump squats, and mountain climbers. Then, there are her upper body and core workouts that include military presses, push-ups, planks-to-push-ups, pull-ups, and chest presses. As demanding as her workout routine is, Robbie gives her body breaks by alternating between the gym and lighter “activity” days such as Pilates, and ballet.
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Nutrition
Robbie’s idea of balance carries into how she nourishes her body, making sure there’s room for all foods–including indulgences–in her diet. She admittedly “can’t just have a salad every day and half a glass of wine every second day.” To drive the point home, Robbie continued her conversation with Vogue between bites of avocado toast, grilled Halloumi cheese, and Australian-style bacon (extra crispy), and they hit up her favorite ice cream shop, Salt & Straw, post-rollerblading. If you can’t tell already, she has a sweet tooth and knows it’s OK to indulge it. “Chocolate, waffles, and fries are the main food groups that make up my diet,” she expressed to Emirates Woman.
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However, a typical day of eating when she’s preparing for a role might look like porridge and a green smoothie for breakfast, tuna steak and sweet potato for lunch, and lemon chicken and brown rice for dinner. In her every day, Robbie has a major sweet tooth and knows foods you love are part of a balanced diet, but she prioritizesprotein-rich meals when prepping for roles like Barbe.
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