This summer has been my “season of not staying put,” as my family likes to call it. Without even realizing it, I have somehow planned a trip every weekend and booked over a dozen flights—and it’s only August. I’ve flown from California to Copenhagen and everywhere in between, and while it’s been so much fun to travel, quite frankly, I’m exhausted. Flying takes a toll on my health, but I’ve curated a routine that has kept my wellness in check all summer long (*knocks on wood*). My carry-on is stocked with digestive aids, immune support, hydration essentials, and sleep accessories that make red eyes more manageable. I’m certainly no wellness expert, but I swear the following items have been complete lifesavers. Keep scrolling to shop for the products I can’t travel without.
This vitamin C supplement was made with travel in mind. It contains anti-viral properties, immune boosters, and stress-relieving adaptogens for the ideal on-the-go concoction.
I’m the type of traveler who needs daily movement (we can sit still when we home) but not necessarily two hours in the gym. Jump ropes are an easy thing to pack for a quick cardio burst.
The greatest hack of all is adding a couple spoonful of chia seeds to a glass of water and mixing it with the Liquid IV packets above. You get a hydration and digestion boost (if you get what I’m saying).
The first thing I do when I get back to my house after a red eye is throw on this frozen mask. It looks crazy but feels amazing and de-puffs instantly.
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.
For those as deeply entrenched in the world of beauty and wellness as we are, the magical (read: scientific) powers of infrared are well known.
While healing light (and heat) frequencies such as infrared may not be breaking news, they can be challenging to understand. Infrared is available in convenient personal products designed for targeted healing—like one of our most prized possessions, our heat healer belt.
However, if we don’t have access to these things, the sun provides natural infrared as well.
No, not that scalding, summer, mid-afternoon, hot-hot heat.
We’re talking about the glorious and ephemeral sunrise. The spectrum of light emitted by the early morning is near-infrared, or NIR. This light, though gentle and diffused, can penetrate our skin and eyes in a good way.
Looking at the sunrise first thing in the morning instead of our cellphones contrived blue light sets us up for a great night of sleep that evening and a bright-eyed, go-get-em morning the following day.
That’s because this particular type of light helps us produce melatonin in the mitochondria that lead to rest at the appropriate time, and we get better quality sleep, to boot. That means better memory retention, clearer skin, boosted immunity, brighter moods … and so many other benefits that accompany clocking those valuable, regenerative Zs.
Not to mention, melatonin hasantioxidant effects, which can boost cellular energy and slow aging.
It’s also beneficial for our brains in other ways. Recent studies show that the NIR light of a sunrise can improve neurodegenerative processes, boost brain metabolism, and calm brain inflammation.
Yeah. Imagine what could happen when you don’t snooze your alarm 11 times. Consider us reformed as morning people.
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