Real Simple的January/February 2024目录

NO, REALLY. How are you feeling? It seems like everyone’s taking this question more seriously lately, and answering more honestly. Tough professional athletes like Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles, and Michael Oher are candid about their struggles and how therapy has helped them. Celebrities like Drew Barrymore, Gabrielle Union, and Kristen Bell use psych-speak in interviews the way Bradley Cooper switches to French. Social media scaled the trend (as it does). Influencers gonna influence, and there they are on Instagram and TikTok, urging us to “do the work,” plumb our traumas, and “hold space” for others’ pain. We’re encouraged to ground and reframe and set boundaries. To really feel our feelings. And many of us are taking this to heart: About one in five Americans have received mental care (including…

When someone puts on a new roll of toilet paper, unasked, installed correctly in the “over” position. KATHERINE BARNES DUNCAN PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA Holding hands and real hugs. Not just patting someone on the back—a genuine hug! @SWBURNS324 Quotes from The Office. My sister and I can insert them so seamlessly into conversations, it’s almost like our secret language—or, I should say, our secret love language. VICTORIA BANKSYPSILANTI, MICHIGAN I love to read! So if I’m reading and you sit beside me and let me read without disturbing me, it means you love me and just want to be close. UNAE BALL REISTERSTOWN, MARYLAND Mixtapes. @THESTARLITSKY When someone says, “I don’t know how you do it all!” (I know, I know. I’m in therapy.) SARA WINTERHALTER HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, NEW YORK Cut fruit.…

IT’S A SAFE BET that olive oil—the cooking fat of choice for most food personalities, not to mention our own food team—is a mainstay in your kitchen. Recipes default to it as a healthier option in home cooking, and its greenish bottles are ubiquitous on grocery shelves. Yet despite its popularity, an air of mystery (and plenty of misinformation) surrounds it. We asked experts to set the record straight so we can all glug, drizzle, and dip with confidence. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Is Indeed the Best EVOO is made from nearly perfect olives picked fresh from the tree, explain Skyler Mapes and Giuseppe Morisani, authors of The Olive Oil Enthusiast and makers of Exau Olive Oil. “They’re mechanically milled without any chemicals or heat, also known as being cold-pressed,”…

THERE’S NO DENYING that the unconditional love from a four-legged friend makes us happy. We’re all pretty much aligned on that: Almost 90% of dog and cat owners said their pets have a positive impact on their mental health, according to a recent poll by the American Psychiatric Association. “I’m an absolute believer that my life has been made richer through my experience with animals,” says Hal Herzog, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at Western Carolina University, who studies animal behavior. Herzog adds that, while we can be sure our pets brighten our days, he and his colleagues are still studying the science behind how they do it. Sticking with the theme of this issue, we looked into the available research and broke down some ways our animals make us…

BIG OL’ CALENDAR It’s a vibrant calendar and a giant art installation! You could hang one month at a time, but when all 12 sheets are up together, your obligations appear more fun than daunting, and who wouldn’t prefer that? Each month comes undated, so you can put the cal to work year in and year out. Just laminate the pages and write with dry-erase markers to reuse. ADORABLE AGENDA Stay on top of the important stuff with this 96-page agenda with week, month, and year views, plus goal sheets and to-do lists. PRETTY TASK MANAGER Jot till you drop! This monogrammed leather cutie can be refilled with a fresh insert of lined pages. NIFTY NOTEBOOK Handwrite your notes (or annotate digital documents) right on the paperlike screen, then…

Why is it that when you need a restaurant recommendation, you can read pages of online reviews, but when you’re in the market for a therapist, you’re mostly on your own? Your mental well-being is waaay more important than good pizza, so we gathered answers to some of therapy seekers’ common questions. What If I Can’t Afford It? Even if your therapist doesn’t take insurance, your plan may reimburse a portion of the fee, and some therapists will negotiate lower rates if you pay out of pocket. Alternatively, your company’s employee assistance program may provide free short-term therapy. You can also look into university psychology departments; some offer sessions with therapists in training. Or check out the nonprofit Open Path Psychotherapy Collective, which connects patients in need with therapists…

ACTIVE TIME 15 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 3 HOURS, 15 MINUTES SERVES 2 4 oz. cream cheese, softened½ cup heavy cream¼ cup confectioners’ sugar1 Tbsp. bourbon or dark rum6 ladyfingers (from a 7-oz. pkg., such as Savoiardi), halved crosswise½ cup brewed espresso or strong coffee, cooled1 cup fresh raspberries, divided, plus more for topping1 oz. bittersweet chocolate (from a 3-oz. bar) BEAT cream cheese in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add heavy cream, sugar, and bourbon; beat on high speed until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. DIP 6 ladyfinger halves in espresso for 5 seconds, turning to coat. In each of 2 (12-ounce) straight-sided glasses, place 3 pieces in an even layer. Top with ¼ cup raspberries. Spoon about ⅓…

JUST AS YOU winterize your wardrobe (come here, cozy cashmere), dermatologists recommend winterizing your skin-care routine. You can stave off irritated skin, a flaky scalp, and brittle nails by making a few tweaks, says Lesley Clark-Loeser, MD, a derm at Precision Skin Institute in Davie, Florida. Not feeling too dry just yet? Being proactive helps you avoid responding to winter skin in crisis mode, she adds. Here’s your action plan. Your Head In the winter, your scalp tends to produce less oil, which might lead you to wash your hair more infrequently. The downside? “When you shampoo less, sebum sits on the skin and can cause inflammation,” says Clark-Loeser, who suggests applying a scalp mask weekly to help lift up sebum and nourish the skin with healthy ingredients. One…

YOU MIGHT ASSUME that a financial planner’s secret weapon is some kind of advanced stock market tracker or in-depth budgeting spreadsheet. For Saundra Davis, it’s a throw pillow emblazoned with words including “jealousy,” “anxiety,” and “gratitude.” As a certified financial behavior specialist and the executive director of Sage Financial Solutions in San Francisco, she starts every new client meeting by asking what the person sitting across from her wants to talk about, as well as how they feel about their current circumstances and money in general. The pillow is a prompt. A growing number of financial planners are going deep to address their clients’ finances and feelings. They’re getting certified as financial behavior specialists (like Davis), which requires taking continuing education courses on behavioral finance, or as financial therapists, which…

For someone who’s been in the public eye a looong time, Jessica Alba remains a bit of a mystery, somehow both wide open and very private. You have a sense of who she is: An accomplished actor since her teens, she got her major break in 2003’s hit dance-a-thon Honey. You’ve certainly caught a few of her films since—there were a couple of Sin City movies, some visits to the Marvel Universe, umpteen rom-coms. These days, you mostly know her as the founder and public face of The Honest Company, which she launched and grew into the baby-beauty-home-health juggernaut it is today. (This before every celeb was doing it, no disrespect to Gwyneth, Kate Hudson, the Kardashians, etc.) But who is she behind all that? And, because this is…

RECIPES FOR REAL LIFE Supersweet, seedless, and snackable, these big guys (around 10 ounces each) have a gigantic fan club. Originally bred in Japan, they’re now grown in California and available January through April. At about $4 a pound, they aren’t cheap, but they’re so worth it. SHOP Look for shiny fruit free of significant discoloration (a little is OK). And remember: The baggier the skin, the easier it is to peel. STORE Keep them loose in the fridge for up to a month. EAT While you could certainly add segments to a salad, Sumos are winter treasures. Meaning: Your best bet is to eat them on their own.…

ACTIVE TIME 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 35 MINUTES SERVES 6 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil1 lb. 85% lean ground beef2 15-oz. cans no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes4 oz. cream cheese1 1-oz. envelope taco seasoning mix (about ¼ cup)½ tsp. kosher salt6 oz. Colby Jack or cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1½ cups), divided1½ cups tortilla chips, broken into pieces, plus more for dipping (optional)Chopped fresh cilantro and/or thinly sliced jalapeños, for topping (optional) PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add beef and break into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook, undisturbed, until bottom side is browned, about 3 minutes. Stir and cook until beef is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, reserving 1 tablespoon…

1 GYM BUDDIES Made from recycled water bottles, these ultra-absorbent machine-washable towels have removable magnets, so you can hang them on the bike or treadmill. 2 NOISE MAKER Sleep soundly no matter where you are thanks to this cute, portable, battery-powered machine with seven soothing sounds and a built-in night-light. One charge lasts 48 hours. 3 HOME SPA This easy-to-install aromatherapy device from the folks at Kohler comes with essential-oil-diffusing pods that inject mood-lifting scents into your shower stream (without making your hair greasy). 4 SUPER SCRUBBERS These stunning dish brushes sit upright on their magnetic stand for fuss-free grabbing. Choose from four finishes, and when the bristles are worn, just replace the heads! 5 PATCHED UP Attention, parents who hate to sew: This bag is made of hook-and-loop fabric that lets kids stick on…

1 DEW OVER Some oils leave me greasier than a strip of bacon. But this moringa blend melts in like a dream, and I get smoother, shinier skin that’s hydrated and even a little more taut. 2 STATIC STOPPER My hair becomes unacceptably staticky from winter hats. This spray is the antidote, preventing flyaways and making my ends look freshly trimmed (even when they’re not). 3 THREE-IN-ONE WIZARD This tube is a real overachiever. It’s an amazing mascara, a liquid liner, and a cat-eye tool that stamps well-defined wings every single time. 4 EYE CANDY In six finishes (pearl, matte, etc.) and 99 shades, these squares have busted me out of my shadow rut. Plus, the powder never creases on my oily lids. 5 COMPLEXION CLEARER When pimples pop up, I use this gentle gel…

USE Aluminum Foil & Baking Soda TO Revive Splotchy Stainless Steel Are there patches of burned oil on your once shiny pans? We have a fix! Add two tablespoons of baking soda and a few drops of water to the pan, making a paste. Then ball up a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil (like Reynolds Wrap Grill Foil) and rub it over the surface. The baking soda absorbs the yuck and triggers a chemical reaction that transfers the markings from the pan to the foil. Repeat as needed. USE Lemon & Salt TO Refresh Wood Cutting Boards Keep your maple—or cherry or walnut—cutting board off the chopping block. Tackle lingering stains and odors once a month by sprinkling a few pinches of coarse salt across the surface and rubbing with…

HERE’S THE THING about goals: They need to be SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant (i.e., meaningful), and time-based. This clever acronym was first developed in 1981 by a business executive and is now used by various experts (financial planners, therapists, personal trainers, and more) as a guidepost to set and reach objectives. To see why it works, let’s consider the very common New Year’s resolution that goes “This year, I will be healthier.” It’s a fine aspiration. It’s not SMART, though, because it’s vague and difficult to track. A measurable goal that you can break down into smaller, tangible milestones is much easier to reach, says Winnie Yu, a doctor of physical therapy and a certified strength and conditioning specialist at Bespoke Physical Therapy in New York City. And being…

BEFORE THE SPRING of 2018, I didn’t consider myself an anxious person. I spent a decent amount of time thinking about death (both mine and other people’s), regularly worried about how to protect my children from kidnappers, and avoided high places lest I inexplicably lose control of my faculties and tumble off the edge. But I wasn’t anxious, I would have assured you. Picturing horrible outcomes was necessary in order to plan ahead, and a good mom is nothing if not prepared. My cavernous purse held the evidence: not only snacks and sunscreen but an entire mini pharmacy, a pair of tweezers, and one of those tools that break car windows in case of an emergency. Nothing to see here! But in 2018, on an unremarkable cool, breezy evening,…