Tag: Lifestyle

Summer Desk Essentials That Will Elevate Your Workday

Published on by Lee1 Comment

When summertime rolls around, working from home can either feel like the biggest blessing or a total drag. The advantages of it—like zero commute or the ability to wear what you want without getting any disapproving looks from coworkers—can be especially teasing when the warm weather hits. It’s easy to become irritable when you’d rather be at a rooftop bar or lounging on the beach, or if your skin’s sticking to your desk chair and you just can’t cool off.

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No one wants to work in a space that makes them feel uninspired, which is why one key part of staying motivated while working from home during the summer is having a nice, enticing setup.

Make this your most productive summer yet with these summer desk essentials. From small summer skincare necessities to cute accessories, fans, and more, these essentials will elevate your desk setup and make working from home feel like a breeze.

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ETSY | WELLTHREADEDUS

coffee mason glass

Iced Coffee Glass With Straw Lid

Coffee lovers can rejoice this summer: The days of watered-down iced coffee at your desk are no more. This super cute glass has a daisy floral design, a bamboo lid, and a glass straw to keep your coffee cold and prevent spillage or melted ice.

16-ounce and 20-ounce sizes available

PAPIER

daily planner

Daily Planner

Summer is the perfect opportunity to reset your career goals, start new habits, pick back up on any resolutions you made in January but haven’t stuck to, and find new ways to stay productive. This undated planner is perfect because even if you skip a week (starting new habits is hard, we know), you can pick back up anytime.

6+ color options available

RIFLE PAPER CO.

Amalfi del Mar Candle

Daydreaming of an Italian Girl summer vacation? Us too. Bring those vibes right to your desk with this lemon- and eucalyptus-infused candle.

CONBOLA

Bladeless Desk Fan

A desk fan, but make it sleek. This foldable and portable desk fan is battery-powered and comes with its own USB charging cable and remote control. Plus, it’s super quiet and comes in 3 colors.

COOLA

Refreshing Face Mist

Keep your skin cool, hydrated, and fresh this summer by keeping this facial spray nearby. Mist this onto your face or neck whenever you’re in need of a pick-me-up. Bonus: keeping this on your desk and using it throughout the day will protect your skin from blue light and environmental damage.

OWALA

Insulated Water Bottle

Move over Stanley, there’s a new internet-favorite water bottle in town. If you want to stay hydrated this summer, this insulated stainless steel tumbler from Owala is the only tool you need.

MIND READER

foot massager

Ergonomic Foot Rest and Massager

Summer footwear, while undeniably cute, doesn’t always offer the best support for feet. Get ahead of any foot pain or pain caused from sitting in a chair for prolonged periods of time with this ergonomic foot rest under your desk. Use simply for comfort and to relieve stress on your body or as a foot massager to relieve any pain.

MOOAS

timer

Time Management Cube Timer

Struggling to get things done at work when the only place you want to be is on your patio enjoying a refreshing cocktail? Warm weather calling your name as you stare at spreadsheets all day? Maximize your productivity this summer and hone in on your time management skills with the help of this cube Pomodoro timer.

5 colors available

EQUILIBRIA

Daily Drops

There’s no getting around it: Summer is busy. Whether it’s your work life or your personal one, there’s a lot going on, and staying focused and stress-free can be a challenge. In those times, turn to Equilibria’s Daily Drops for a targeted dose of CBD to help keep you centered, calm, and productive. Primp tip: Putting a few drops in your morning coffee or water is an amazing way to include CBD in your work routine.

YOLIDAS

portable neck fan

Portable Neck Fan

Say goodbye to overheating at your desk with this lightweight and comfortable accessory.

5 colors available

KOSAS

Oil Plumping Treatment Gloss

Get rid of dry, chapped lips this summer with this lip oil from Kosas. Plus, a quick swipe of this is all you need to look put together for your virtual meetings throughout the day.

3 shades available

RUSSELL+HAZEL

Undated Desk Calendar

Summer is a notoriously busy time, so keep track of all your upcoming events, appointments, vacations, or deadlines with this desk calendar.

GOPLUS

foldable treadmill

2-In-1 Folding Treadmill

Finding the time to go to the gym or get in a quick workout can be a challenge during the summer with everything else going on. Turn to this 2-in-1 folding treadmill for help. It’s light, portable, and can be used by itself or placed under your desk, so you can work on your fitness while making moves in your career.

Shay Mitchell Just Dropped the Best Advice for Dealing With Relationship Anxiety

Published on by Lee1 Comment

Clingy, co-dependent, controlling? Not Shay Mitchell. We love Shay for a lot of reasons—her style, wellness routine, and travel bag brand BÉIS, to name a few—but it’s her recent advice for dealing with relationship anxiety that has made us fall in love with her even more than we ever thought was possible. In an interview that Shay did with Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast, she was asked how she can trust her longtime boyfriend and father of two kids, Matte Babel, traveling with Drake, going to parties, and being around other women while she is at home with their kids, and Shay’s honest and relatable response was so profound that the clip garnered 8.5 million views and counting on TikTok.

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Acting as a PSA to women everywhere, Shay Mitchell’s solution for dealing with relationship anxiety comes down to self-love, independence, and knowing your worth. We’re breaking down exactly how Shay implements this mindset into her own life and relationship and offering even more advice for how you can adopt it too.

What is relationship anxiety?

While it might sound self-explanatory, let’s first break down exactly what relationship anxiety is and where it stems from. According to Healthline, it refers to the feelings of worry, insecurity, and doubt that can pop up in a relationship, even if everything is going relatively well. You might wonder what your partner is doing when you’re not around, doubt their feelings for you, second guess their commitment to you and more. These feelings and thoughts usually stem from personal insecurities, past relationship experiences, attachment styles, or a lack of trust and communication.

The good news is that experiencing relationship anxiety is extremely common (even in the healthiest relationships); however, feelings of worry, insecurity, and doubt can start to make people spiral out of control, causing distress, sleepless nights, and ultimately affecting someone’s well-being as well as the well-being of their relationship. If you have ever experienced this or are experiencing it now, Shay’s advice is exactly what you need to hear.

Shay Mitchell’s advice for relationship anxiety

Let’s make one thing clear: Even though we consider Shay a total queen who can do no wrong, even she is not immune to experiencing relationship anxiety. She mentioned in the interview that she too has lost sleep worrying about her relationships in the past and that it can be hard even now because she does truly care. She goes on to say that if anything were to happen with her and her boyfriend, she would deal with it then, but for the sake of her happiness and the happiness of her partner, she says “I can’t live my life worrying about what he’s doing,” and to that, we say amen sister.

Shay adds that “when you truly love somebody, you want them to live their happiest life”—even if it’s not with you. You have to understand that you can’t control everyone around you—the only thing you can do is what’s best for you. So, if you are dealing with relationship anxiety, playing some variation of this Shay Mitchell quote in your head on repeat will help you tenfold: “If you can take him from me, then he’s yours.”

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Why this advice can help relieve relationship anxiety

One of the main reasons why Shay can confidently navigate through her relationship without relationship anxiety is because she truly does believe that what’s meant to will be. She mentioned that when she used to worry about her past relationships, it got to the point where she would have to ask herself what would happen if something went wrong. She decided that her mindset would be “I’ll be OK, I’ll keep it moving,” adding that if that’s the case, it wasn’t meant to be.

If you have an anxious attachment style, this can be a hard lesson to learn, but once you accept that sleepless nights aren’t going to change anything, you’ll be less stressed, worried, and doubtful. “We’re going to do what we’re going to do,” according to Shay, so you can’t worry about something before it happens. She added that instead of spending time worrying about our partners, we should be spending time bettering ourselves. This will allow us to feel more confident in our independence, which will in turn help us feel more confident in ourselves and whatever the outcome of our relationship is.

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How to implement Shay Mitchell’s advice in your relationship

If you are feeling like you are in a constant state of anxiety, worrying about what your partner is doing, how they feel about you, and if your relationship is going to last, Shay says that “you need to be in love with yourself more.” She added that “you shouldn’t be feeling that way in a healthy relationship, and if you are, then maybe it isn’t the right one.”

Start by accepting that whatever is going to happen will happen whether it’s for better or for worse in your relationship. You can’t drain your happiness trying to control the outcome or lose track of the valuable time that you could be focusing on yourself or spending genuine quality time with friends and family. Move forward by putting trust in your partner and truly wanting what is best for yourself and them as individuals first. That will reveal whether or not you and your partner will be together for the long haul or if there is something better waiting for both of you on the other side.

Inside Halle Bailey’s Fitness Routine and Nutrition Plan (Spoiler: It’s Motivating AF)

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Playing the IRL Princess Ariel may come across as all glitz and glamour, but don’t let the girl who seems to have everything—you know, gadgets and gizmos a-plenty—fool you. Actress and singer Halle Bailey went through intense “mermaid training” to gear up for (and make a splash in) her starring role in the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. Thanks to her interview on Live With Kelly and Mark and her trainer’s conversation with Women’s Health, we got the BTS inside scoop on just how Bailey transformed into the mythical creature—abs, shimmering tail, and all. It doesn’t hurt that Bailey was primed to become the Disney icon—she was in her fitness girlie era long before she had to take on her strenuous merfolk regimen (if you follow her on IG, you already knew that). Ahead, all the details I gleaned from her workout and diet routine to dip your toes into (pun intended) yourself—no fin required. 

Her Fitness Routine

With a 4 a.m. gym start time, followed by stunt work, then hours either suspended in a harness and wires simulating swimming motions or submerged in a water tank, it’s no wonder Bailey told Kelly and Mark she was in the “best shape of [her] life” while filming the movie. According to Women’s Health, Bailey enlisted the help of London-based personal trainer Sana Shirvani to get her in tip-top, half-human, half-sea-creature shape. It turns out “swimming” in the air (gracefully, no less) and pretending not to have human legs takes major core, back, neck, glute, and hamstring strength, so Shirvani had Bailey on a program of full-body strength and conditioning workouts 5-6 times a week to get her “stronger, fit, and agile.” 

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“While the neck muscles are often overlooked in traditional strength training programs, they play a crucial role in providing stability, supporting good posture, and reducing the risk of neck-related injuries,” explained Shirvani in her interview with Women’s Health. “We used a variation of neck isometrics and resistance-based methods, which involve applying resistance without actually moving the neck.” In one of Shirvani’s IG posts, you can see Bailey slaying goblet squats, back extensions, battle ropes, box jumps, hip thrusts, medicine ball slams, and various core exercises (think: weighted side planks and isometric holds). According to an interview with Insider, Shirvani implemented progressive overload (read: gradually increasing the weight or the number of reps) in all of Bailey’s exercises. But she doesn’t just stick to weights and cardio for her sweat sessions—Bailey also mixes it up with hot yoga to decompress while getting a solid workout in. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRmwujHMzQx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Her Nutrition Plan

Bailey has her workout routine on lock, and how she nourishes her body is no different. Bailey follows a vegan diet, and Shirvani helped her focus on eating whole foods and protein to help her build strength and recover from training. That doesn’t mean Bailey shies away from her favorite foods. Her go-to vegan eats? Avocado toast, rice, and bread, which she shared during BuzzFeed’s Sister Test (ICYMI, Halle is part of the Grammy-nominated, R&B sister duo Chloe x Halle). She’s also not one to pass up on (vegan) pizza and hot dogs (case in point: her TikTok below).

@hallebailey

im so deliriously jetlagged & hungryyy lol watch me rate these vegan hotdogs ❤️#fyp

♬ original sound – halle

As for her plant-based sweet treats of choice? Cheesecake or pancakes from Crossroads Kitchen, doughnuts from Sage Vegan Bistro, and homemade gluten-free sugar cookies (a girl after my own heart). And, finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the sisters’ DIY, vegan-friendly smoothie—made of almond milk, raspberries, blueberries, apple, agave nectar, ice, and vegan protein powder—which they whipped up on MTV’s Fresh Out Live and enjoyed in champagne glasses. We’ll cheer for that!  

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRAFk0RMo4R/

Dismissing Red Flags Ruined My Life For Years— Here’s How I Now Spot Red Flags Like a Pro:

Published on by Lee1 Comment

For years, I spent hurting in relationships, workplaces, and friendships by putting up with toxic people. It caused me a lot of pain because I felt lonely and unfulfilled. One day, I had enough and left my toxic relationship and began my healing journey. During it, I learned that toxic people all have the same traits that can be identified in the very beginning.

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Here are the 5 most comment red flags I look for:

  • Disrespect: If the other person is consistently disrespectful or inconsiderate of your feelings, boundaries, or needs, this is a red flag. This may include things like talking down to you, belittling your ideas, or ignoring your requests.
  • Dishonesty: If the other person is not being honest with you, this is a red flag. This may include things like lying, withholding information, or gaslighting (manipulating you into doubting your perception of reality).
  • Controlling behavior: If the other person is trying to control you or your actions, this is a red flag. This may include things like telling you what to wear, who to spend time with, or how to spend your money.
  • Lack of accountability: If the other person is not willing to take responsibility for their actions or their mistakes, this is a red flag. This may include things like blaming others, making excuses, or denying wrongdoing.
  • Negativity: If the other person is consistently negative or critical, this is a red flag. This may include things like complaining, blaming, or being pessimistic.

By paying attention to these red flags, you can protect yourself from unhealthy or toxic relationships, friendships, or work environments. If you notice any of these red flags, it is important to trust your instincts and take action to protect yourself.

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Why people dismiss red flags:

  1. Denial: People may ignore red flags in others because they do not want to believe that there is a problem or that something is wrong. This can be especially common when the red flags are related to difficult or unpleasant topics, such as addiction or abuse.
  2. Lack of awareness: People may not recognize red flags in others because they do not have enough information or knowledge about the situation. For example, they may not know the signs of a certain mental health condition or they may not be aware of the warning signs of a toxic relationship.
  3. Wishful thinking: People may ignore red flags in others because they are hoping that the problem will go away or that things will get better on their own. This can be especially common when the red flags are related to someone they care about, such as a friend or family member.
  4. Fear: People may ignore red flags in others because they are afraid of the consequences of acknowledging the problem or taking action. This can be especially common when the red flags are related to something intimidating or uncertain, such as a difficult conversation or a potential confrontation.
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How to recognize red flags:

  1. Pay attention to your instincts. If you have a gut feeling that something is not right in a relationship, friendship, or workplace, pay attention to this feeling. Your instincts are often based on unconscious cues and observations, and they can be a valuable source of information.
  2. Notice patterns of behavior. Look for patterns of behavior that are concerning or that do not align with your values or expectations. For example, if someone is consistently disrespectful, unreliable, or dishonest, this may be a red flag.
  3. Pay attention to how you feel. Notice how you feel when you are around the person or in the workplace. If you consistently feel anxious, uncomfortable, or drained, this may be a red flag.
  4. Look for warning signs of abuse or manipulation. Be aware of warning signs of abuse or manipulation, such as controlling behavior, jealousy, or verbal or physical aggression. If you notice these behaviors, this is a red flag and you should seek help and support.
  5. Write down what you feel. If you are unsure at the moment, write it down and check back on it later if it comes up again or ask someone what they think. This also ensures you don’t forget what you noticed.
  6. Seek advice from others. If you are unsure about whether something is a red flag, consider seeking advice from others who are close to you or who have more experience in the situation. They may be able to provide a different perspective or valuable insights.
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Red flags are warning signs that indicate potential problems or issues in a relationship, friendship, or workplace. These red flags can be subtle or overt, and they can be difficult to spot, especially if you are not looking for them. But you be cautious about protecting your energy because that is the most valuable thing you have. The people around you have a profound impact on your well-being and success.