My April horoscope warned me that I would have to pay special attention to my health and schedule any appointments that I may have neglected. When I read it, the dentist was the first thing that came to mine but I would find out soon enough that I had developed a condition that would change my current life path. I went through a mental checklist of the standard medical appointments I should cover. After chatting with a friend I realized I was actually more on top of my health and more informed about my care than other people my age. With the help of new medical graduate Veronica Esmero, I have put together a quick guide for annual health care: who you need to see, what you need to keep top of mind, and where to go for extra resources… if you don’t have a direct line to a nurse. [Happy Nurses Week!]
A friend and I were talking about people’s different thresholds of “busy.” She has a full-time office job and teaches fitness classes 3 to 4 days a week. A colleague of mine has a full-time job, teaches an extracurricular class once a week, oh, and has a husband and four kids to care for. I attest my own desire to fill my days to my early training in elementary school. My mom had my sisters and me in after-school activities galore—from ballet to swimming, speed reading (an excuse for me to spend more time at the library) to student council. Once I left school for the real world, I felt the need to continue being “involved”… I became my high school alumni association’s class representative, joined my sorority’s alumni chapter and took on a leadership role, then found other ways to use my marketing knowledge by joining my sister’s company’s team part time and decided to get back into writing by launching The Single Diaries with Jen.
The only sure thing is that we have 24 hours in a day and, when you have an inflexible office job, you have to wake up at a certain time every morning. For someone like me who can stay up all night, it is a challenge to stay committed to a bedtime when I can find other things I want to do but didn’t have time to earlier in the day (write or edit a post, read a book, watch Melrose Place). There were evenings when after work I thought I could do it all: run off to an early barre class, stop by a book club meeting, then finish editing a post scheduled to go up the next day. Other days I had to make sacrifices. Instead of organizing a boozy brunch (one of my favorite pastimes), I committed to a Saturday work session at a local cafe.
Jen recently wrote about taking up a side hustle, which is great in the years after college when making money needs to be your priority to pay for student loans and to get your feet off the ground. In those years, most of us need to work a traditional full-time job to learn the value of a paycheck and to garner experience to build our resume. A side hustle is a way for you to find your passion and develop the skills you need to make your dreams a reality. But what happens when your full-time job and your side hustle leave you with little to no free time?
I daydream about the day I can stay at four-star hotels, sharing a king bed with only one other person. At this point in our lives, the majority of us packs Vegas hotel rooms to the brim and crashes on our friends’ couches when we visit new cities. We all know how tiring it can be to live in a popular city and entertain out-of-town visitors. Regardless, it can be easy to forget our manners when the tables are turned. Here are some easy ways to be a gracious houseguest and guarantee an invitation to return.
Yoga Teacher Megan D’Amico presents six yoga poses to awaken your body, begin your day, and welcome spring
Change your morning routine, and you will change your life. Just because you’re not like your “gym-rat” co-worker who is on mile five while you’re pressing snooze for the third time doesn’t mean you should give up an active morning routine altogether. Even adding something as simple as three minutes of conscious breathing can make a world of difference.
When we sleep, our muscles are in rest and recovery mode. They go cold because they are not being used, which explains why most of us wake up stiff and sore. Getting up like this and continuing on your day would be like microwaving a frozen Hot Pocket for 30 seconds… all kinds of wrong.
Instead, we should be actively waking up our bodies by doing postures that stretch and activate the muscles, circulate our blood and pump oxygen to our brains. By accelerating the natural wake-up process, you kick those morning blues to the curb and allow yourself to function at full capacity at the very start of your day.
When you first awaken, resist the urge to hit the snooze button. This simple decision sets the tone for the rest of your day. Take 3 huge inhales through the nose, exhaling through the mouth. Reach your hands above your head and stretch as far as you can, pulling your lower body and upper body away from each other, and begin your morning routine.
The Single Diaries’ list of essentials and top tips for Coachella newbies (and experts who want to brush-up)
PHOTO: Courtney Mitchell.
In just a couple weeks I will head to Indio with thousands of the wristband-clad from all walks of life for my very first Coachella experience. I’m lucky I’ll have uber veteran Colleen by my side to show me the ropes, but if this is your first time as well don’t fret… The Single Diaries has your back. I chatted with my girlfriends who’ve frolicked Coachella Valley more than a few times and gathered top tips (including ways to save money) and an essentials packing list to help you plan your weekend more efficiently. If you’re camping, we have a special must-read section just for you. With our Coachella prep guide, there won’t be nobody dope as you… You’ll be just as fresh as the veterans dancing without a care in the Sahara Tent.
