Dog Days of Summer
HHH. That's how those of us on the east coast like to describe summer—hazy, hot, and humid. And this summer is no different. It used to be that August was the truly dreadful summer month (and why NYC seems to empty out as residents flee for cooler climes) but man, June and July have been hot. And humid. And hazy.
How about some good reads, podcasts, and shows to watch for your beach days? Well, since you asked...
What I’ve Written
Stress. We all know that stress is bad for you, right? But what if there were wearables that could track your mental health and alert you that it’s time to reign in your stress? Well, there are and I took at look at the science behind them for the August issue of Outside magazine.
And since it’s that time of year—picnics and BBQs and alfresco dining—here’s your primer on how to avoid food borne illness.
What I’ve Been Reading
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han: Since it’s been a really busy and stressful phase of work, my brain has been craving fluff. And this YA series totally hit the mark. Plus, Netflix is making the first book into a movie that’s debuting laster this summer.
As USA Swimming Grapples With Sexual Abuse, Athletes Cite Lack Of Female Coaches (NPR)
I mean —> “There are very few female swim coaches at the elite level. It wasn't until 2012 that a woman — Teri McKeever, who coached at the University of California for more than 25 years — was appointed to serve as coach of the U.S. Olympic women's team. In a speech McKeever gave four years ago, she spoke about how long it took for women to break that barrier. ‘Swimming started at the Olympics for women in 1912,’ she said. ‘I had the great honor in 2012 to be the head coach as we went into in London. So 100 years.'"A Pro Runner’s Eating Disorder Struggle Isn’t Over—and That’s Why She’s Sharing Her Story Now (Runner’s World): We often hear stories about people’s struggles with eating disorders after the fact, after they’ve worked through issues and can present a neatly packaged story, which is why Hannah Fields’ story is so important—because she’s still in the thick of it.
Lifting Weights Helps Ease Anxiety and Depression (Outside): I never would have thought that lifting weights would help lift me out of a blue mood. I always relied on running or yoga when I felt anxious or depressed, but when I found myself in a very down phase this past winter, lifting weights was the one thing that made me feel lighter. This article dives into some of the reasons why.
Sacred Native American Sites Are Not Your Playgrounds (Outside): “Some of the places most sought after by recreationists are also culturally, spiritually or economically vital to tribes. We need to honor that.”
How to Get Your Intuition Back (When It’s Hijacked by Life) (NY Times): Is losing your gut instinct just part of midlife? Because, whoa, I feel like my intuition is non-existent. This piece offers up an interesting reason why that might be the case.
What I’ve Been Listening to and Watching
Helen Rosner on Longform: For those interested in the craft of writing, Helen shares some gems in this podcast. Plus, as the former editor at Eater (she now writes for the New Yorker), she shares a lot of great advice for what works (and doesn’t work) in food writing and in personal essay writing.
Bryan Fogel on Longform: OK, I’ve been on a bit of a Longform binge (so many great episodes lately). This one with Bryan Fogel was a great behind-the-scenes look at the Oscar-winning documentary Icarus (Fogel was in front of and behind the camera.) If you haven’t watched Icarus, I highly recommend it. Initially, Fogel wanted to create the “Super Size Me” of the doping world but quickly, it turned into a much (MUCH) bigger story.
Michael Gervais’ conversation with Olympic swimmer Conor Dwyer on the Finding Mastery podcast: I have to admit, I always thought of Conor Dwyer as Ryan Lochte’s lackey. I didn’t know much of his story, like how he was a late bloomer and couldn’t get any college coach to give him the time of day. As a parent, this episode gave me a lot to think about in terms of raising resilient kids.
Ali Wong"s Hard Knock Wife on Netflix: OMG. I was literally crying from laughing so hard.
Where Joy Hides and How to Find It (TED): This was a really interesting TED talk from Ingrid Fetell Lee about our obsession with happiness and how what we actually might really be searching for is joy.
Did I miss something? Reply to this email or tweet me a link!
P.S. I'd love to hear what you think and if you have any suggestions. If you have any ideas, hit me up!
Thanks for subscribing! If you know someone else who might enjoy this newsletter, send them this link to subscribe please! You can find an archive of previous newsletters here.
_________________
www.christinemyu.com
Instagram
Twitter