Stop Saying That One Day You Will “start Meditating” and Actually Do It.
When we last collected our staff’s weekly updates , our editors were busy with email batching, meal preparation, spring cleaning, and scheduling additional downtime.
This week we are experimenting with a new way of drinking caffeine, letting bots choose our clothes, switch to better mobile phone plans, and finally delve into meditation.
What updates have you made this week? Let us know in the comments.
(Finally) get into the habit of meditation
I have known for a long time that meditation is good for me, but in fact it did not lead me to meditation. Even interviews with meditation experts Sharon Salzberg , Mark Epstein, and Daniel Goleman on The Renewal failed to get me to do it. Where should I start? Did I have to sit in the lotus position? What if it’s too hard for me to get it right? What if I, I don’t know, am out of my mind? Finally, though, I read this article by our own Nick Douglas which had some helpful tips from the editor of the Redditor on how to get started. It sounded practical and, well, simple, so I started. And what do you know? Now I meditate daily. I can’t believe it took me so long.
Alice Bradley, Associate Editor
Pass your wardrobe selection to the bot
This week I let a Facebook messenger bot named Epitom pick my clothes. You answer a few questions about what kind of things you have in your closet, and every morning you are sent ideas on how to combine them, illustrated with pictures of gorgeous Instagrammers dressed in the same thing. It inspires me to think creatively about what I already have, like oh yes, I have a scarf that I could wear that way! Bonus: it adapts the suggestions to your weather forecast.
Beth Squarecki, health editor
Be in line for podcasts
I finally listened to the Five Women episode in American Life , and it’s such an in-depth look at how the #MeToo moment affects different women. I appreciated the fact that he was focused on their prospects and travel, and not on the man. Also, on Wednesday I stumbled upon this Twitter thread (about the “gaze” image in romantic movies) and it was very gratifying.
alisia adamchik, staff writer
Strategic accessory equipment
I don’t like wearing jewelry at all, so I often forgot to put on a wedding ring when leaving the house. I really felt guilty, but since I never wore a ring, it was distracting and uncomfortable for me. So I went out and bought a cheap watch and a couple of bracelets to look at. Now I am less distracted by my ring, and I remember to put it on before leaving.
Adam Powers, video producer
Your mailbox color code within an inch of its lifespan
This week I decided to finally check out my naughty Gmail inbox. I have created many different filters for the various emails I receive daily (or semi-frequently) that now automatically categorize, tag, and colorize them. It’s amazing, and my inbox looks a little less intimidating apart from the Promotions tab. You are next.
David Murphy, Senior Technical Editor
Add more food to your morning coffee
An attentive reader may recall that I recently decided to stop pretending to someday stop drinking coffee. Well that’s still true, but now with TWIST. To make it less harsh on the stomach and also squeeze some nutrients into the process, I started mixing my morning coffee with coconut oil, collagen powder, and occasionally adding vanilla extract. It’s creamy, delicious and gives me tons of energy – I’ve felt better every day since I started doing this.
Virginia K. Smith, Editor-in-Chief