Wellness

Eating disorders often appear to revolve around food, weight, and body image. But modern neurosciences has revealed that these disorders often involve a more complex and even more sinister…

Pilates is a discipline, not just exercise, that is centered on controlled movement, breath, posture, and core strength. It emphasizes awareness — being fully present in your body, aligning your movements, and strengthening from the inside out.

In Deep Work by Cal Newport, he emphasizes the importance of entering a state of “deep work,” free from distractions of shallow work such as social media, email, and messaging, a period of time where the mind is fully focused and clear. I find that the easiest way for me to enter deep work is to start writing things down. Otherwise known as journaling.

In a world driven by convenience, junk food has become a staple of modern life. From late-night snacks to quick meals between obligations, ultra-processed foods offer comfort, speed, and affordability. Yet beneath their appeal lies a complex web of biological and psychological consequences that impact not only the body—but also the mind.

Modern life is growing in complexity, and with it are our stress levels. With the constant attack of stimuli and tasks on our todo lists, as well as relationships and career goals and financial issues to juggle, we can quickly feel overwhelmed by the daily life.

I recently got Steam again, which is a game store filled with interesting, inexpensive games to play on PC or MacBook. I’m not a heavy gamer, but I’ve been wanting to find new ways to destress and alleviate negative feelings. I was browsing on Youtube and found some videos on top “cozy” games that help you unwind and destress, so I decided to give it a try.

Hygge, pronounce “hoo-gah”, is a Danish concept that describes a feeling of coziness, comfort, and contentment that comes from enjoying life’s simple pleasures. It’s less about materialism and more about creating an atmosphere of warmth and cherishing meaningful moments with loved ones, or alone. Think of curling on the couch with a blanket and a book on a rainy day, sipping tea after lighting up a scented candle, having a slow dinner with close friends, or feeling safe and at peace in your bed as you are watching Netflix. Hygge is the art of slowing down, being present, and finding joy in simplicity.

About a year ago, I discovered the wonders of brown butter.Brown butter, or beurre noisette in French, is simply butter that has been melted and cooked until the milk solids turn golden brown. The process unlocks a deep nutty aroma (similar to toasted hazelnuts) that transforms ordinary butter into a gourmet ingredient. It has a nutty, rich, caramelized flavor that pairs well with the bitter, earthy, aromatic taste of matcha.Here is a recipe for brown butter matcha white chocolate chip cookies that will be sure to elevate your palate.

I got into skincare a couple of years ago, having developed an interest in Korean skincare. One of my friends had a blog where she reviewed and rated Korean skincare products, and that got me hooked. Before I knew it, I was obsessively googling and looking up skincare products on YesStyle and Amazon, not to mention Sephora and Ulta Beauty. I was really interested in the science behind skincare, having double majored in biology and chemistry in college. I’d like to explain the science behind the various steps of skincare routines and share some skincare products I’ve been loving as well.

I recently started running again at the gym after renewing my gym membership. My plan was to run for 1 hour without stopping, after months of not running. Ultimately I ran for 45 minutes at a pace of 4 miles per hour. A slow pace, but it got the job done. Afterwards, I had runner’s high for a solid amount of time, and I hadn’t felt that happy for a long time.

One of my favorite pastimes is browsing for sandwich recipes on Pinterest. A good sandwich is comforting, filling, and satisfying. Here are 7 recipes for amazing sandwiches that will satisfy your lunch-time yearnings.

Let’s talk about hobbies! I think hobbies are so important in investing in your interests and spending time with yourself. They’re good for your mental and physical health, and instead of…

The ancients knew something we have forgotten: the body and the soul move together.

Rest is not laziness. It is the ground from which everything else grows.

Proverbs 31 describes a woman who is able to do many things. Women need to take care of themselves, put God first through Bible study and prayer and worship, work and engage in hobbies, organize their time well and plan daily, and manage their relationships. Here are 20 habits that women should be doing to prioritize their well being and their life.

Ok, so recently I decided to cave into (or RE-cave) my coffee addiction. It started in high school when I started using my mom’s prized coffee maker for sleepless all-nighters spent doing calc homework and studying for the SAT’s. I didn’t spend a dime on Starbuck’s frappuchinos unlike the school newspaper nerds or my favorite student council president. But my favorite coffee back then was Starbuck’s ground coffee, and I never looked back since.

I’ve been meditating since I was a kid. Forced to live in a Buddhist monastery by my Spartan father, I had to meditate for hours. Meditation helped me gain focus, concentration, and discipline. Without it, I would have still been the hyperactive, restless kid with the attention span of a goldfish.

I’ve been doing yoga since 2019. There are a ton of benefits to yoga, and I’ve recently started signing up for yoga classes again. Previously I was doing it off of Youtube and constructing my own yoga routine that I do every day. Yoga’s really calming and keeps me grounded in my body and well as tones the body and stretches the muscles. I highly recommend yoga to anyone wanting to relieve stress and be more grounded in their bodies. It helps with anxiety as well as reduces stress and increases breathwork.

I recently FINALLY got a classpass membership. I don’t know why it took me this long to get on the classpass bandwagon, but I’m glad I finally did. I took a boxing class yesterday and enjoyed the experience. I had to buy boxing gloves and wrapping tape at the front desk, but then I felt like such a legit warrior after wrapping my tape on my knuckles. The class was mostly free-style with some demonstrations and sparring, which was fine with me, I mostly needed the boxing for stress relief. There are so many benefits to boxing, which I wanted to stipulate here.

You know I’m obsessed with routines. I used to watch Youtube videos of morning and evening routines. There's something so comforting about seeing people get ready for work and wind down after work. Routines and rituals also take a load off your mind because you don't have to be making decisions -- it just becomes a habit for you, and you can escape decision fatigue.

In a previous post, I talked about the ideal morning routine. I’ve been reading a lot of productivity books and trying to adjust my morning routine to accommodate my work schedule. I started getting up at 5am because I needed more time in the mornings before heading to work, since I have to get to work by 9am and transit is notoriously a time-killer. I chug a couple cups of coffee to optimize my energy levels, and so far, it's been working. I have enough energy to last me to 10pm at night, when I usually go to sleep. I also have enough energy to work out after work. I like to run at the gym instead of outside now because I just feel it's more efficient. Optimally, I would like to run in the mornings, but I feel it takes a huge chunk of time and makes my mornings feel somewhat cramped. But the point of the morning routine is to be productive and optimize your day.

I started running regularly since January 2023 and haven’t looked back since.It was really tough getting into running. I used to run sporadically around my neighborhood, but I would give up on making it a habit because of physical exhaustion and inability to keep myself accountable. But after I started taking multi-vitamins and supplements and started eating better, my physical form improved. In January 2023, I decided to brute force myself into running. I ran 1 mile a day for 5 days a week every week for 1 month. My time ranged from 9 minutes a mile to 12 minutes a mile. I was more focused on getting my legs adjusted to running than improving my speed or distance. After 1 month, I got major shin splints. I also didn’t know that stretching was necessary before and after running, so I incurred some running injuries, mainly around my hip. I walked strangely for a month or two before getting back into running.

I recently looked up Andrew Huberman’s morning routine, because not only is he the most talked about “neuroscience expert” due to his scintillating Youtube videos and verbose podcasts, but his morning routine is espoused by many to optimize your day. I found similarities between his morning routine and mine, with some key differences.Mornings are hard. Especially if you’re not a morning person. But is there really such thing as “morning person” and “night owl”? Sure, our biological clocks run a huge part of our lives, and our physiology and biochemistry affect our productivity and routines. But for Christians, “with God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26).