There’s a soft, effortless luxury to the Italian way of living — slow mornings, warm light, and small rituals that make everyday life feel more intentional. When everything starts to move too quickly, and your mind feels overwhelmed, what you need isn’t a dramatic reset but a gentle shift in how you begin and end your days. That’s where Italian slow-living habits come in, offering a soothing yet refined approach to creating mental clarity.
Italy’s place among the world’s happiest countries speaks to a culture that values balance, beauty, and presence above all else. These habits reflect that same spirit: simple, elegant rituals designed to ground your mind, soften your days, and bring a touch of quiet luxury into your routine — no passport required.
5 Italian Habits to Love
1. Sprezzatura – Making something look effortless This habit embodies the elegant tranquility Italians carry even in the most challenging moments. Sprezzatura is the art of moving calmly, confidently, and with intention. Originating in the sixteenth century from Baldassare Castiglione’s The Courtier, it describes a carelessness that hides all effort, making everything appear natural and effortless. In practice, it’s about transforming challenges from a place of ease, learning from the process instead of struggling through it.
2. Piano Piano – Little by little It is practically a synonym for patience; The famous “pian pianito” that we have all heard when we start something new, a course, a project, or a different stage. It is about advancing step by step, without haste and without wanting to master everything in a single day. Because there’s nothing more overwhelming than trying to learn everything, wanting to do it perfectly, and being the best version of yourself in just a moment. This habit reminds us that things well done need calm, apart from enjoying the process, celebrating small daily achievements, and waiting for the results from a comfortable place, knowing that they are already yours by decree.
3. Anni, Amori e Bicchieri di Vino – The years, the loves, and the glasses of wine are never counted Life isn’t about tallying age, past loves, or possessions. This habit invites living lightly, without unnecessary ties or worries, and embracing every moment with joy. Age is just a number, and it’s never too late to reinvent yourself or pursue what matters most. And yes — every celebration is better with a good glass of wine in hand.
4. Il Dolce Far Niente – The Sweetness of Doing Nothing This habit is all about stepping away from the rush and letting yourself simply be. Italians embrace il dolce far niente as a natural part of their day — not as a reward after endless work, but as an essential moment to recharge. It’s where the mind can breathe, creativity can bloom, and ideas can feel fresh and clear. There’s no “right” way to practice it; it happens while strolling along the coast, watching the sky, or simply savoring the quiet of a slow afternoon.
5. La Vita è Bella – Life is Beautiful Existing is already a gift, and this habit reminds us to notice it. La vita è bella encourages finding beauty in every detail, practicing gratitude and kindness, and cherishing both small and significant moments. Especially in uncertain times, it’s a conscious choice to see joy, cultivate positivity, and gradually create the life you want — one mindful moment at a time.
Bonus: Mangiare con Gioia – Eating with Joy Food is more than just nourishment; it’s a ritual of pleasure, connection, and presence. Italians approach every meal with gratitude and attention, savoring the flavors, textures, and company around them. This habit invites you to slow down, enjoy each bite, and treat mealtime as a mindful, joyful experience — turning everyday routines into moments of delight and connection.
We’ve been seeing this baby yellow, tropical-looking mocktail sweeping TikTok and Instagram with some pretty delectable claims.
It helps:
boost immunity
clear up skin
improve digestion
decrease bloat
And the list goes on.
But when we saw AN ENTIRE LEMON, peel and all, go into the blender, our first thought was “That can’t be good.” Pithy, bitter—that’s what we anticipated.
We were wrong.
It’s super creamy, delicious, and hardly sour at all, let alone bitter. It tastes like a treat, and we are down for it anytime.
Make it yourself with the recipe below:
Advertisements
Creamy Lemon Olive Oil Elixir
RECIPE TYPE: Beverage
DIETARY INFO: Vegan, Gluten-free
SERVING SIZE: 3
TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 whole lemon, including peel (Make sure to scrub it clean.) 2 tablespoons high-quality olive oil 2 tablespoons honey (Raw is great. Since this recipe doesn’t involve heat, the good stuff is preserved!) 1 small knob of ginger (about an inch, peeled) 3 cups of water
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend on high until completely incorporated. It should have a slushie consistency and a pale-yellow color. 2. Strain contents into a jar using a fine mesh sieve to separate the thicker pulp. You can save the pulp for a baking project later or discard. 3. Drink a cup or so of the strained liquid, and reserve the rest in the fridge for another time!
Show us how you recreate (or modify) this delicious recipe and use hashtag #BeautyLeeBarpalate for a chance to be featured on our social.
jumped at testing out @Jen Jones | plantbased recipes for lymphatic boost and digestive push! so creamy and delicous. not too sweet, not too tart! perfect to sip on and so nutritious. i saw a comment suggesting frozen lemons for a frosted elixir, def going to try next batch! . . . #wellness#lemonoliveoildrink#diyrecipe
Someone reached out to me last week to tell me the impact I was having on their life and their mothers life, who is fighting cancer. WOW!!! Just by following my recipes, her mom has been feeling better! This is amazing! I choke up because their are so many people struggling witu their health. You are not alone. Stay strong ❤️ if I can just put a smile on your face and lift your spirits in any way…I am living my purpose 🙏🏽. Recipe: 3 cups filtered water, 1 organic lemon, 2 tbsp evoo, 2 tbsp honey (optional) ginger (optional) ceylon cinnamon #lemonoliveoildrink#constipationrelief#lymphatichealth
Whether you watch The Kardashians or you’re one of her 261 million IG followers, you know Kendall Jenner is no stranger to the spotlight but also to the wellness scene. IV therapy, cold plunges, meditation sound bowls, and journaling are a few wellness practices she religiously stands by. If that doesn’t convince you of her self-proclaimed health obsession, her state-of-the-art room dedicated to all thing’s wellness will. Complete with a hyperbaric chamber, red light therapy bed, and oxygen therapy machine, it’s every wellness girl’s dream (major envy). Gadgets and gizmos aside, Kendall has open dialogues with the media and on social media about her mental health and struggles with anxiety.
Advertisements
Thanks to her recent interview with Jay Shetty on his podcast, On Purpose with Jay Shetty, we got the 411 on her self-work and steadfast wellness rituals. Read on for how she stays in tune with her highest self. Spoiler alert: They are practices you will not find on Hulu or Instagram, and we can all benefit from them.
In Kendall’s work with her therapist, she focuses on living in her higher goddess, AKA her higher self. What does that look like? Words of affirmation, reassuring yourself of who you are, and recognizing everything else is just noise. “Sometimes it feels weird to say good things about yourself, but I’ve also learned a lot about talking to myself and a lot about looking in the mirror and being like, ‘You’re great. You’re gorgeous. You’re amazing. You’re loyal. You’re positive.’”
Advertisements
Admittedly, Kendall falls victim to false narratives. Like us all, she has moments she struggles to stay true to who she is and her purpose. “If your happiness depends on the actions of others, you’re at [the] mercy of things that you can’t control,” she stated. Kendall emphasized holding your happiness and not letting anyone else affect it. If you know yourself and the people important in your life know your true self, nothing else should matter. When Shetty asked Kendall, “What’s something you used to value but you don’t value anymore?” Her answer? Validation.
Set aside alone time
It’s no secret that Kendall is surrounded by a large family and famous friends (hey, Hailey Bieber) in addition to her entourage. But she told Shetty that since she was a kid, the Scorpio in her enjoyed being by herself. “I went through a phase where I felt like I had to be around people,” shared Kendall. “I think I live a very social life, and my job is very social, so I was kind of conditioned to want to be around people a lot. And then, as the pandemic came around, you’re not around as many people anymore. Now I’m just re-enjoying being by myself, which is cool.”
At the end of the day, Kendall craves a simple routine. Her perfect day consists of riding her horses, taking a cold plunge, laying out, and journaling. Taking a cue from Kendall, give yourself space and step away when needed. Additionally, be comfortable in your own company. Sometimes the best remedy for a bad day is journaling (yes, it bears repeating), taking a solo walk outside, meditating, or picking up a new hobby.
Let’s face it: We all experience burnout, celeb or not. Kendall expressed there was a long period she was overworked, felt overwhelmed, and said “yes” to every opportunity—to the point where she was unhappy (anyone else relates?). Eventually, she learned to prioritize herself. She realized her well-being was necessary to show up better in her personal and professional life. So, she took a step back in her career to reconnect with her higher self: “I got to that point, and I just knew I had to do it…” Kendall explained. “It was just such an unbelievable sensation that I had where I knew that if I do this, I’m going to be better for everyone. And I’m going to be better for myself, which means I’m going to be better for the people around me.”
Advertisements
Learn to recognize the signs of burnout (think: fatigue, feeling apathetic with your work, changes to your sleep patterns). Then, enforce work-life boundaries to care for your mental health and restore a healthy balance. Maybe that means being upfront and communicating with your boss or taking time off. Or, it’s just saying “no” to taking on more projects or a meeting invite scheduled during your lunch break. Ultimately, your mental and physical health should be your number one priority (I know that’s sometimes easier said than done).
Stay grounded in your relationships
When it comes to her family and friends, Kendall told Shetty that honesty and communication are her core values in maintaining healthy relationships. “I find it important to not feel like you’re on top of each other when you have your family around or your friends around,” she said. “It’s OK to sometimes, even if you’re at a family dinner, run to the bathroom and just being like, ‘Let me just take a couple of breaths because this is getting overwhelming.’”
Kendall shared that she’s prone to anxiety and can take things too seriously. When she feels inundated with family circumstances or stress, she recognizes her feelings: “I’m allowed to feel this way; it’s valid. I’m just going to take a deep breath, and I’m not going to react, and then I’m going to go back out there, and I’m going to be fine.” Try being in Kendall’s shoes (wouldn’t that be fun?) and pause whenever you feel overwhelmed. Give yourself a safe space to express your feelings through journaling, speaking to a mental health professional, or practicing deep breathing.
After coming across a viral TikTok trend encouraging viewers to stop negative self-talk by picturing their younger selves, Kendall’s therapist suggested she put a spin on it and find a photo of herself as a child to put on her bathroom mirror. Take a glance at her Instagram, and you’ll see the Polaroid of young Kendall. It serves as a daily reminder that anything negative that she says about herself, she’s saying to that beaming, hair bow-wearing younger version of herself. “If I’m ever looking in the mirror and being negative toward myself, I always look right over to her, and I’m like, ‘She’s dope, and I love her,’” Kendall laughed.
Bottom line: Practice self-love and find tactics that work for you. If you’re not sure where to start, try exercising mindfulness, putting yourself and your needs first, or simply making yourself a healthy meal. Regardless of your method, keep being kind to yourself, just as you would your 5-year-old self or BFF.
We think it’s safe to say we’ve probably all had a crush on Blake Lively at some point. From her Gossip Girl days to Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (our personal favorite) or slaying red carpet looks and being adorably funny with husband Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively seems to epitomize a happy and healthy life. Blake looks like the confident and cool girl we all want to be. So how does she do it? Upon further research (AKA looking through all of her interviews we could find online), it turns out, that Blake has eight healthy habits she always sticks to, and since we aspire to be just as happy and healthy as her, we tried them all.
Advertisements
Limit alcohol
Blake likes a party just as much as the rest of us, but she chooses to enjoy them without alcohol. “I don’t like the effects of alcohol, but I like being a part of it,” she said in a recent interview with People Magazine. “I like being social. I like people coming together.” This is perhaps what led her to create her new line of non-alcoholic mixers, Betty Buzz. We usually like to end our Fridays with a glass of wine and dinner with friends, but we also spend some Fridays in bed with Netflix and tea, so we get where she’s coming from.
Our takeaway from Blake’s rule was that no matter the activity, you can still have fun whether alcohol is a part of it or not. We spent last week Friday at a friend’s birthday drinking kombucha. We had so much fun and woke up feeling refreshed and great (which wouldn’t have happened had we opted for a glass of wine instead). Let’s be real: Alcohol can lead to some not-so-great mornings (hangxiety anyone?). Blake’s way of life has made us rethink alcohol and consider opting for a Betty Buzz once in a while. If you’re interested in limiting alcohol or just more mindful drinking, click here.
This has magnesium and balancing adaptogens meant to lift the mood in lieu of alcohol.
Never skip breakfast
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and Blake agrees. Her trainer Don Saladino told Cosmo that her usual breakfast is a couple of eggs cooked in coconut oil with maybe some vegetables. He also emphasized the importance of starting the day with protein and balancing sugar levels. This week, we tried to incorporate some protein into every breakfast, whether it was eggs, a protein shake, or almond butter on toast. We found that just by adding some form of protein, we felt fuller for longer and didn’t have the crash that usually comes with a sugary morning start. Safe to say, we’ll be sticking to this rule for a while.
In an interview with Cosmo, Saladino revealed that Blake starts every day with a large glass of water. It may seem like an easy habit, but most of us don’t drink enough water throughout the day. After dehydrating our bodies while sleeping, a glass of water is a great way to get things moving. Staying hydrated has always been something some of us struggled with, especially first thing in the morning; adding another thing to our morning to-do list just seemed overwhelming. But while channeling our inner Blake, we added a few hacks to make it easier: we filled up our water bottle the night before and left it on our bedside table (to make it as easy as possible in the morning) and opted for a water bottle instead of a glass (so we could take it with us when we are running out the door). Starting the day with hydration was a struggle for some of us, but by the end of the week, we did see the difference. We were less tired, and our skin looked more glowy and hydrated.
This extra-big water bottle is the perfect tool to encourage you to drink water throughout the day
Prioritize exercise
There’s a reason Blake is such good friends with her trainer instead of just a client: She spends four to five days a week in the gym! While her workout regimen has changed over the years, she has always kept it consistent. Saladino told E! News that some days, Blake trains for an hour, and other days, just for 20 to 30 minutes (celebrities—their schedules are all over the place!). But our biggest takeaway was that Blake maintained consistency: No matter how much time she had, she always fit in movement.
We value incorporating some movement into our daily routine, but unfortunately, hitting the gym four to five times a week was unrealistic for some of us. Instead, we developed a consistent schedule that worked for each of our lives, which meant yoga class every Tuesday, an at-home workout twice a week, and maybe dance class on the weekend. But being Blake for a week taught us that it didn’t matter if we had an hour for a yoga class or 15 minutes for a walk on the beach: The goal is just to move consistently.
Advertisements
Eat a balanced diet (and never count calories!)
According to Saladino, Blake’s diet is a healthy balance of proteins, vegetables, fruits, slow-burning starches like sweet potato, and healthy fats like avocado, coconut oil, and grass-fed butter. And the best part: She’s not tracking her calories or in a strict calorie deficit like you might hear from other celebs. “I don’t think putting someone into a caloric deficit is the right thing to do,” Saladino told Cosmo. “This is why a lot of coaches and people are unsuccessful.” A well-balanced diet is also something we try to incorporate into our weekly routine, so this rule was already practiced. While not every day is the same, planning out our Sunday grocery shopping in advance is always helpful. Trying out new recipes and incorporating the same ingredients into multiple meals also adds variety and reduces the cost we are spending on food too. This is one healthy habit we will be sticking to.
Make room for fun
If you browse through Blake’s Instagram, it’s a combination of gorgeous fashion looks, her family and friends, and, of course, delicious baked goods. Blake has a passion for baking and a strong sweet tooth (we can relate), and so while she sticks to a healthy routine, she still makes time for “fun.” Blake follows an 80/20 rule. This means she eats clean 80% of the time, leaving 20% for indulgences. While it seems tangible, keeping our indulgences to 20% was tough for us. While we try to save indulgences for the weekend, we are big snackers (and love mid-week candy here and there because sometimes, you need to!).
Instead of sticking to a strict 80/20 rule for the sake of becoming Blake Lively, we decided to look into each time we were craving sweets during the week and assess why. Were we bored, stressed, or needing comfort? Or does our body need this right now? If the answer was yes to the latter question, then we indulged. But we noticed that most of the time, we were just bored, and it wouldn’t satisfy us. By the end of the week, we discovered it was easier to limit indulgences because we were more conscious about why we craved them in the first place. But maybe it was more 75/25 than 80/20—we are only humans, after all.
Advertisements
Keep skincare simple
Long before it became a TikTok sensation, Blake was using the affordable skincare brand CeraVe because she also understands the value of good drugstore buys, just like the rest of us. In an interview with People magazine, the star shared a list of her makeup and skincare go-to’s, which included many affordable options, including a Burt’s Bees Chapstick. While she may choose to splurge on a serum, Blake also realizes that not every item in your bathroom cabinet has to be expensive to be effective.
As someone (Lee) who has extremely dry and hormonal skin, it took a while to find the right products for my skin. I was guilty of splurging on expensive creams and toners, only to realize less is always more. Now, I opt for an all-natural cleanser, natural face oils for moisturizer, and a lightweight sunscreen. Blake’s skincare mindset is one I already live by, and while it took many years of experimentation before I got there, I realized everyone’s skin is different, and what works for you may not work for someone else.
There’s no such thing as “perfection” in your exercise routine
As a mom of three who travels often and always seems to be on the go, it’s impressive how Blake fits in a sweat almost every day. But sometimes, she isn’t able to stick to her schedule, and she knows that’s OK. “This isn’t about coming in and stepping on the gas and going as hard as you can every workout. That’s the biggest mistake that people make,” Saladino told E! News. “The reality is, it’s never going to be a perfect scenario, right? There are always going to be things getting in your way. That’s just life. Just get in there and move.”
Advertisements
This rule was one of our favorites. Sometimes, there can be a lot of pressure on working out—like you need to be doing an hour, burning a certain number of calories, or going at a certain intensity for it to be effective, but that’s not true. This “rule” took all the pressure off of us on the days when we didn’t have a workout planned. One time, we walked to the grocery store instead of driving. On our lunch breaks, we would opt for a 10-minute yoga stretch. Simply adding a little bit of movement into the days when we weren’t feeling up to a 60-minute workout gave us more energy and took all the pressure and guilt away.
beautyleebar.org 