Body & Mind

Life can get messy sometimes. Really messy. That dream job you interviewed for may not have panned out, you may feel like you’re barely afloat where finances are concerned, your friendships could be in serious need of resuscitation, your family may be driving you berserk, and your relationship with your SO–once seemingly indestructible–could be falling apart at a rate faster than you can patch it up. Let’s all just let out a collective, heavy sigh for the ongoing disequilibrium life delivers on the regular.

The truth is that you won’t likely find a quick fix to some of the more difficult curveballs hurled your way. Ultimately, you’ve got to get right to the source of the matter and work it out like you would a knot in your back. That takes time, of course, but there are things you can do meanwhile that can actually improve your overall sense of happiness and inner serenity. And no, we’re not talking about a shopping spree or pedicure (which, OK, may temporarily placate you).

Tidying Up Your Space, Literally

Even if you’ve convinced yourself that you’re able to live amidst clutter — that you even thrive in the chaos — you’ll still benefit from cleaning up your space. And by space, we mean every physical area in which you spend any time at all. That includes your office cubicle, your car (should you own one), and, of course, your home.

Tiny NYC apartments are particularly susceptible to clutter, especially if you’ve got roommates and especially if you’re busy, which is likely the case. Think about the clutter in those spaces. Maybe it’s dog hair, cat hair, dirty dishes, disheveled laundry (both clean and dirty) piled on the floor and furniture, last week’s leftovers in the fridge collecting mold, mail you’ve been meaning to open for weeks, clogged shower drains, wet and musty towels, bedsheets that haven’t been washed in ages, spider guts smeared against the wall that you failed to clean up post-freakout, dresser drawers full of makeup or notes or junk… you get the picture. Doesn’t the thought of it all overwhelm you? Living in it may be affecting you more than you realize, even if you’ve only got a few of the aforementioned dirties to deal with.

Turns out, unkempt quarters and accumulating clutter can negatively impact you. The solution, then, it seems, is to remove it from your life. You may not be able to take full control over your career forecast or friendships at this point, but you can certainly take control of the tangible clutter you’re dealing with.

Gretchen Rubin, author of “The Happiness Project” and “Happier at Home” — both instant New York Times bestsellers — says that even the smallest adjustments or actions can made a difference in your mood. For example, making the bed, reducing excess of anything (cups, vases, shirts, shoes, ketchup packets), and clearing even one shelf or organizing one drawer are all ways you can increase your overall happiness.

If you’re unsure of where to start, especially if you want to tidy your home from bathroom to entryway, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, is a good go-to. It’s another best selling book, this one by Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo. It “takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again.”

Purge Your Belongings, Lift the Weight

Don’t just stop at tidying, either. Purge, baby, purge. Even if you consider yourself a sentimentalist, a wee hoarder, a collector, just try to cast aside that, “What if I need it?” mentality and let go.

A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t used or worn something in six months, and you don’t see yourself doing so in the next six months, toss it in the donate bin. It may be hard to part with items you’ve been sitting on (perhaps literally) for years, but getting rid of them can be incredibly satisfying in the end.

As a personal aside, I’ll tell you that whenever I’m going through a particularly difficult issue or major life change, which seems to come about once every couple of years, I’ll seriously purge. The process feels like an emotional cleansing of my soul, allowing me to start anew. I literally feel a weight lifted off of me. When my space is clean, when I’ve dropped off that bag at the local thrift store, and when I come back home and sit in a clean, less densely-decorated and stuffed room, I feel accomplished and, somehow, freer.

And a bonus you may not consider: There’s money to be made on those items collecting dust. Maybe it’s an old cell phone that’s worth a Benjamin or two, or it’s a pile of clothing you could send off to a website such as ThredUp, Tradesy, eBay or PoshMark, or maybe you could list an item or two on Craigslist or a selling app, such as OfferUp, Close5 or Gone.

Tell us — when’s the last time you purged your belongings? When’s the last time you dedicated an entire weekend to cleaning and purging and tidying?

By Wendy Rose Gould

Many of us turn to drugs just to get by in our day to day lives. That might seem like an extreme statement, but think about it. Whether it’s coffee, ‘5 Hour Energy’ drinks or sleeping pills, nearly all of us put various natural and unnatural substances in our body on a regular basis just so we can function. And of course there’s a whole bunch of people who are reliant on alcohol and more serious drugs too.

Life is just too hectic these days, and everywhere we turn we seem to run into problems. If you’re a single professional then you’re likely to burn yourself out at work and possibly become detached and depressed as a result. If you have a family to support then for most people the stress levels are magnified tenfold. So we turn to drugs and other remedies in a vain attempt to counteract the negative effects of our modern lifestyles.

That brings us to the big question on everyone’s lips: What else are we supposed to do about it? Well, we all know that miracle cures for our problems simply don’t exist. But there are healthy, natural ways to relieve stress and regain control of your life, and these can have a knock on effect on your family and your working life too, without the cost and the side effects of drink, drugs and other bad habits.

To cut to the chase, we have recently discovered a particularly interesting way to beat those blues away. It’s a simple, fun lifestyle choice that can benefit you whether you’re single or attached, employed or jobless. Get a dog!

Yes, we know, you probably immediately thought of the negatives when you read those three words – cleaning up poop, buying dog food, house training, barking at night and so forth. But recent studies show that dogs really do brighten up our lives by triggering the release of “feel good” hormones such as oxytocin in our brains and bodies.

Oxytocin is most associated with social bonding. For instance it plays a role in creating the unbreakable bond between a mother and her baby. A similar thing can happen with you and your dog, believe it or not – and you may experience an oxytocin rush when you look into his or her puppy dog eyes.

Here’s the kicker: our oxytocin levels are said to double when we pet our dogs. So it’s not surprising then that there are a whole bunch of health benefits associated with showing your doggy some affection. Among these benefits are:

• A boost to your immune system
• A lowering of stress levels
• An increase in healing and recovery times
• Less pain, such as headaches

So there you have it. If you don’t already have a dog, perhaps think about adopting one from a shelter and giving him or her a good home. This will make you feel good about yourself right away – you saved a puppy!

And if you do have a dog, start giving him or her a little more daily attention. The dog will love you for it, and you will grow to love your dog more too. Encourage your partner and family to do the same and you’ll have a much happier household on your hands in no time at all!

Everyone knows that if you are seriously trying to lose weight, it’s about lifestyle changes not restricting certain foods for a small period of time. Choosing healthy snacks all the time, getting to the gym, giving up your Wednesday night show in lieu of yoga class and walking to a different neighborhood when you go to dinner. But if you need a kick start, here are the fasts that I think most people can actually do.

My nutritionist recently suggested the best way to kick off my weight loss goal for Hamptons’ season is with a fast. For me to survive a fast, it better be a fast fast. Three days max! Then I’ll move into my lifestyle changes. Here are her suggestions:

Blueprint Cleanse. The BluePrint Cleanse Renovation is the beginner cleanse and great for someone who needs a mini cleanse or needs a push to kick off their spring healthy eating. The 3 day cleanse comes complete with six juices – a mixture of fruits and veggies with emphasis on the fruits. To safely go on and off eat just fruits and vegetables a day before and a day after. (Note: BluePrint also has a cleanse with food option, for those less inclined.)

Three Day Juice Cleanse. This is less regimented than the BluePrint Cleanse as you get to choose your own juices. Juices that are acidic, like tomato and orange, are banned from the list. Veggie juices shouldn’t be often combined with fruit juices. Only apples can be added to fruit juices. Juices should be homemade or FDA approved organic.

Fruits and Veggies. If you hate veggies, get over it. Eating just fruits and veggies for a few days is great for you and will shrink your stomach enough to get you off to a good start with your weight loss. Choose seasonal veggies and veggies you don’t normally eat, etc. It is a great way to kick off your food lifestyle makeover.

And finally, use the quiet time during your cleanse to examine what keeps you from changing your habits. Does your social life revolve around going out to eat? If so, choose a yoga class, a concert, an art exhibit or something else to go and do. This is New York after all. For more info on changing your food lifestyle visit livstrong.com.

Emma Dinzebach

New Yorker’s know the wave of relief they feel when they see their favorite bodega scored a B+ in Sanitary Inspection. Most of the time we don’t consider the letters as most nice restaurants and over 30% of all city restaurants score “A” averages. But what about that little sushi place you order from on Wednesday nights or the quesedilla you rely on to cure your hangover. What does that B+ mean?

The inspection procedure, according to nyc.gov is an unannounced visit to restaurants, retail bakeries and “take outs” conducted by Public Health Sanitarians who have college degrees in health sciences. Sanitarians spend most of their time observing the food workers practices including (via their website) “the manner in which they receive and store foods, how they process foods, and the temperatures at which they cook, hold, and reheat foods.” Then they get out their red pens and grade – A,B,C. Inspection frequency increases depending on grade, and establishments receiving a B or C have one chance to improve food safety procedures before they are required to post their grade. (Some violations are as small as dented cans or leaking faucet.) B and C restaurants do not pose health threats to their patrons. Those restaurants are shut down. “A” students receive their letters to post on the spot. 

By July, all restaurants – yes, even Per Se – will be required to display cards upon entrance. By requiring the grades to be posted, New York anticipates a marked increase in restaurants following near-impeccable food safety and sanitation rules. When L.A. implemented grade posting, the number of restaurants meeting the highest food safety standards rose from 40% to 80%. So it’s only slightly gross to eat at 20% of L.A. restaurants. From one New Yorker to another, we aren’t there yet, but we are on our way.

Emma Dinzebach