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Creating a culture of compassion is harder than ever yet more necessary. And in a world that feels distant, small acts of kindness can bring us closer. Demonstrating to children how to be compassionate is a life lesson we all need them to learn. Consider small acts of kindness you can do together. For example, is there an older neighbor who needs her walk shoveled? Is there a toy you could purchase together to give to a child in need?...

With astonishing regularity, I’ll get messages from co-workers saying they found a new favorite hand wash they simply cannot live without now. And all of these capital-G Great washes have a few things in common: They offer a moment of pause with an enriching sensorial experience and use hydrating, nurturing ingredients to help keep skin hydrated despite an increased washing schedule. Ambre Soir Artisanal Liquid Hand Wash, Bastide ($35) Foaming Hand Soap, Eczema Honey Co....

Well, not exactly. Take a longer look at your secure style: If you’re noticing more breakage than usual—say, frequent flyaways at your hairline or strands that seem shorter than the rest—you may be causing some physical stress to your hair. It’s a delicate dance: You want your strands held snug, but you don’t want them wrapped so tight that they face physical damage. Of course, achieving that balance requires looser styles and gentle hair maintenance—but the accessories you use matter just as much....

Here are the most important characteristics of a healthy relationship: RELATED: How Lack Of Communication Can Sneakily Ruin Relationships Likewise, you will sometimes feel hurt throughout a relationship because we’re all humans who make mistakes. The key is to forgive quickly, let go of grudges, and start over each day. Yes, this is easier said than done, but forgiveness is crucial to the long-term health of the relationship. You have to let go of trespasses and also be willing to ask for forgiveness....

We dug into the research—and tapped into some health experts—to find out. While it’s impossible to put an exact number on how many folks have suboptimal gut balance or GI needs, it’s safe to say that a large number of people are affected. And thanks to a reliance on processed foods, low-fiber diets, and increasing stress levels, the number is only increasing. Since taking a daily probiotic is completely safe for most people (although you may experience some initial side effects), according to integrative physician Bindiya Gandhi, M....

According to the National Sleep Foundation, “good” sleep quality means falling asleep within about 30 minutes, staying sound asleep throughout the night (with a maximum of one mid-sleep wake-up), and being able to drift back to sleep within 20 minutes of that one awakening. Just like light, noise can quickly disrupt the sleep experience. While sound machines can help drown out loud appliances or car horns and provide meditation and background noise, those who are easily disturbed by sounds like traffic, pets or partners might benefit from headphones....

Studies show that medical-grade cold laser therapy devices can be a great addition to a pain treatment plan when used correctly and consistently1. These handheld devices are by no means a one-and-done solution for pain (or a replacement for your medical appointments), but they can help you feel more like yourself—if even temporarily. To learn more about the science behind these devices and how they mitigate pain, we spoke with experts and researched the options available right now....

I always encourage taking advantage of every new destination you visit, but not every trip requires a new identity or loss of identity, either. I am RK whether I’m in NYC, at a work event in Austin, or hanging out in Italy, and it all starts with preparation. Graduating with a Bachelor’s in Dance and Business Minor from Dean College, Kennedy is currently a Wilhelmina fitness model. You can find her working with Nike, Reebok, Under Armour, and has been featured in Runner’s World, Fitness, Self, and Health magazine just to name a few....

“For any athlete, rest and recovery are extremely important features of high performance, and getting a good quality sleep is vital for that to happen,” confirms Kirstie Griffiths, D.C., chiropractor and yoga teacher. Research backs this up too, showing that sleep is one of the most important recovery tools for athletes1, both physically and mentally2. That’s why it’s critical for every kind of athlete to have a mattress that fits their needs and creates a restful recovery environment....

There are different types of friends we may have in our lives, each of which plays a distinct role and may benefit our lives in different ways. “We can think about different types of friendships in terms of how much intimacy we want, how much depth we want,” explains Marisa G. Franco, Ph.D., a psychologist, professor at the University of Maryland, and New York Times bestselling author of Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make—And—Keep Friends....

Let us introduce you to the coolest step in any skin care routine and at-home spa treatment: cryo ice globes. They fall into the family of facial massage tools but offer different benefits from others, like gua sha and jade rollers, to name a few. The main difference is the shape and the fact that they’re designed to be used cold. Studies have shown that facial massage benefits the skin1 both right after use and over time with continued use....

Hormone imbalances tend to have vague symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose the problem and determine the root cause. By testing your hormone levels, you’ll begin to discover how even a slightly abnormal level can contribute to how you feel. At-home hormone testing allows consumers to take their health into their own hands. With this attainable option, test kits are purchased online, administered in your own home, and sent directly to a lab for results....

While fruit and dairy provide natural sources of sugar, I’m talking about added sweeteners here. Wherever you look in the grocery store or restaurants, sugar and sugar substitutes are added to just about everything—it’s in nut butter, condiments, kombucha, crackers, popcorn, and most everything else that comes in a package. These ingredients go by many names, even super-healthy-sounding euphemisms, so it can be hard to even recognize sugar in all its varying forms....

A healthy circadian rhythm will reset every 24 hours or so, but everybody’s is a little different. This is part of the reason some people are naturally night owls, while others prefer to wake up early in the morning. If you want to improve your sleep, working with your natural circadian rhythm is key. And that means keeping your sleep-wake schedule as regular as possible. “Getting up at the same time every day is sort of like the superhero of sleep advice....

Exhausting, right? As a clinical psychology researcher and co-founder of a mental well-being company, I regularly see the impact of our productivity-obsessed, achievement-driven culture on mental health. And, while it sounds counterintuitive, this type of overwhelming exhaustion isn’t necessarily fixed by sleeping or lounging around. From a scientific point of view, rejuvenation—not rest—is the foundation of fighting burnout. For the most part, we’re taught to cope with burnout by doing the former: stopping everything to focus on rest....

With the kitchen being the hot spot of any household, it’s a hub for a lot of waste. Nothing shows that quite like the recycling bin. For us, the major culprit of waste is single-use packaging, and, more specifically, sparkling water bottles. Luckily, SodaStream lets us indulge our sparkling water obsession without the excessive waste that comes with it. Devon’s first book, Earth Women, is coming soon. To learn more, join the mailing list, and receive updates, head to www....

“While the third house, which lies across from the ninth on the zodiacal wheel, is all about knowledge and information, this one is about wisdom, intuition, and the big picture,” the twins explain, adding this house also reveals how we “take risks and venture to various parts of the world, our minds, and our beings.” According to astrologer Molly Pennington, Ph.D., the ninth house is also sometimes called the “House of God” in traditional, Hellenistic astrology, because of its relation to beliefs, faith, and philosophy....

As someone who avoids caffeine, I’ve become an herbal tea connoisseur. I’ve used them to crush my anxiety and eliminate my allergies: And now I’ve found a hormone-balancing blend that I can’t stop drinking. Let’s break that down. I’m on board with chamomile, which has been shown in a number of studies to help reduce stress, which would balance cortisol levels, counteracting the frenetic energy that makes up much of the modern woman’s life....

That said, not everyone suffers from a daily onslaught of chronic stress, and caffeine tends to affect each individual differently. So it becomes an individual issue that we have to decipher for ourselves and with the help of our trusted health care providers. For me, eliminating coffee was a godsend because the amount of caffeine was pumping into my body daily, coupled with chronic high stress levels and a variety of other destructive habits, left my body in a perpetual state of fight or flight....

But one fact that has (for the most part) stayed true across the board is that after a workout, your body needs protein ASAP. So what happens when you don’t eat protein after you work out? Are you destined to deteriorate? How will your body react? I decided to ask Jaime Schehr, N.D., R.D., a nationally recognized expert in integrative medicine and nutrition, what she recommends to her patients and what risks you run by delaying your post-workout protein....