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      in lifestyle and culture

      Mastercard introduces Lasting Legacy Book celebrating 25 Trailblazing Women

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      Lifestyle

      by Ruman Baig
      3 hours ago

      Inspirational stories of women who are artists, scientists, political figures, entrepreneurs and businesswomen from across the globe have been featured in the new Mastercard Lasting Legacy book.
      Shedding light on the journeys of some of the world’s most inspiring female leaders in arts, sports, politics, hospitality, financial services and beyond – Mastercard’s coffee-table book honours 25 powerful women to Celebrate 25 Years of Priceless. Unveiled during women’s month 2023, the book times perfectly with the 25th anniversary of Mastercard’s renowned Priceless platform, which has been helping people to connect people with their passions for a quarter of a century.

      Mastercard Lasting Legacy Book
      Mastercard aims at creating a more equitable world for all – this particular project is all about celebrating the role of women in society and arming them with equal opportunities. By recognising the efforts of all these influential women, the idea behind the book is to inspire readers to take charge of their own lives and communities. The aim is to lessen the gender gap and generate an environment that is more inclusive.
      Amongst the prestigious names featured in this book, here are a notable few – Her Excellency Dr. Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Global Digital Magnate, Vice Chairwoman of Emaar Development Board & Former Founding Director General of Smart Dubai; Nona Gaprindashvili, Chess Legend; Sarah Baydoun, Founder and Creative Director of Sarah’s Bag; Dr. Maya Morsy, President, Egypt’s National Council for Women and adventurer Raha Moharrak.
      “This book has been a true labor of love for us, and a testament to the women who are driving progress and uplifting communities around the world. It is our hope that the stories in ‘Lasting Legacy’ will encourage readers, regardless of their gender, to pursue their passions and make a positive impact on society, to inspire generations to come,” shared. Beatrice Cornacchia, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard.
      The book will be available from 14 March 2023, and be available online, across libraries, universities, schools, and on BooksArabia.com.
      For more information and to read the full interviews, visit here. More

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      in health and weelbeing

      This Self-Help Book Is Going Viral–Here Are the 6 Takeaways That Changed My Life

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      If you read one book in your life, make it The Myth of Normal. That’s what I started telling people after I devoured the 500+ page book in under a week. The author, Gabor Maté, is a Canadian physician who specializes in covering addiction, stress, and childhood development. He’s written multiple bestselling books on these topics, but his new title has even captured the attention of the TikTok universe. So what’s so special about this book?
      In The Myth of Normal, Gabor Maté addresses society’s newfound obsession with wellness, but then questions whether we as a society are, in fact, well. Because while it’s easy to spend money on the latest health trends, are they actually helping us become healthier? This book goes on a journey breaking down what we get wrong about wellness and how different factors, such as trauma, society, childhood development, and addiction, all play a role in our overall health. I’ve read a lot of health and wellness books, but I walked away from this book with what felt like never-before-heard insights on how to live a healthier life. In case you don’t want to read all 500 pages, I broke down my biggest takeaways below.

      1. Be your own health advocate
      In the book, Dr. Maté discusses western medical practices and how there can be a “power hierarchy that casts physicians as the exalted experts and patients as the passive recipients of care.” Doctors are experts in their fields for a reason, and we seek specialists out for answers as to why our bodies are sick, but it’s important to remember that no one knows your body better than you do. Doctors are busy people with a full roster of patients, and sometimes all we get is 15 minutes to explain our concerns, which (more often than not) isn’t enough time to consider and discuss all the different factors that may be leading to your symptoms. In my own diagnosis of interstitial cystitis, it took multiple visits to different doctors and many rounds of tests before I was diagnosed, which probably could have been done sooner if I had been a better advocate for my body. The lesson I took away here is that you have to feel comfortable with your diagnosis and care, your body relies on you to speak up for it, and there’s never any harm in seeking a second opinion.

      2. Prioritize healthy relationships
      I’m sure we can all think of someone in our lives who has left us feeling drained, bad about ourselves, or unhappy. On the other hand, there are people in our lives who bring us joy, make us laugh, and lift us up. News flash: Both types of people affect our health. Dr. Maté shares how our emotions have a direct impact on our nervous system, which is especially true for intimate relationships and what’s known as interpersonal biology. Translation: The closer we are to someone, the more our physiology interacts with theirs.
      One study showed that married people have lower rates of mortality than their age-matched single contemporaries. However, unhappily married people were worse off in well-being than unmarried people, according to another study shared. Now should we all be running off to get married for better health? Probably not. What this study brings to light is the effect of positive relationships. It shows why we should prioritize the people in our lives who make us feel good and find ways to let go of the ones who don’t or no longer serve our well-being. 

      3. Learn to regulate your emotions
      No one likes to feel pain if we can help it. For this reason, we often learn to repress emotions or block them out with coping mechanisms, such as work, watching TV, or eating our favorite foods. If you’re like me, you were never taught as a kid how to process emotions in a healthy way. Sadly, it’s just not something that was on the school curriculum. Fortunately, it’s becoming more widely understood that regulating emotions is healthy. Even anger can lead to blind rage or resentment when suppressed. Instead of burying our emotions and carrying them around with us, releasing them through practices such as journaling, therapy, or talking to a trusted friend can help us build a new pathway to better health (both emotional and physical). 

      4. Mental health is equally as important as physical health
      The idea that the mind and body are connected is nothing new. However, Dr. Maté points out that society still tends to separate the two. How often does your doctor ask about your childhood traumas, your relationship with your parents, your degree of loneliness, your job satisfaction, and how you feel about yourself when you go in for a check-up? It’s most often believed that you see your therapist for those issues and your doctor only has to do with the body, even though the body and mind are directly linked and directly impact one another. This new study of science is called psychoneuroimmunology, and it maps the pathways of mind-body unity. Taking care of our mental health can often be put on the back burner, but learning to prioritize it in the same way we do our physical health is beneficial to the body as a whole.

      5. Live authentically 
      Dr. Maté defines authenticity as “the quality of being true to oneself, and the capacity to shape one’s own life from a deep knowledge of that self.” In other words, as long as we are consistently expressing our emotions and feel safe when we do, we are living an authentic life. But we struggle to live an authentic life when we choose to repress our emotions and do so often enough that it becomes unrecognizable.
      This book sheds light on how stress, including the stress of self-suppression, may disturb our physiology, including the immune system. If we are repressing our true feelings and emotions, we’re disarming our bodies’ ability to protect us from stress. If you are someone who feels like they struggle to live authentically, working with the help of a professional  like a therapist to pinpoint those moments can be an extremely helpful way to a path of authentic living. 

      6. Find healthy ways to manage stress
      Believe it or not, stress is actually a vital part of our survival, but there are two types of stress: acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is what happens when we feel an immediate threat, maybe when walking home alone at night with a stranger lurking close by. It’s healthy to feel that sort of stress as it alerts the body to keep us safe. But unrelieved stress is ongoing, and unless we find ways to relieve that stress, it can lead to depression, chronic inflammation in the body, an unhealthy immune system, and many other ailments. 
      A 2012 study from Harvard Medical School showed that women with a high job strain were 67% more likely to experience a heart attack than women in less stressful jobs. Dr. Maté has written a whole other book on the effects of stress on the body entitled, “When The Body Says No: The Hidden Cost of Stress,” which emphasizes how if we don’t find healthy ways to manage chronic stress, it can lead to more serious health concerns. Some healthy ways to deal with stress can include exercise, meditation, therapy, connecting with your community, and unwinding with hobbies that bring you joy. 

      7 Hacks I Learned From Atomic Habits That Changed My Life More

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      15 Books To Read if You Want To Take Your Career to the Next Level

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      Maybe one of your new year’s resolutions for 2023 is to make some big moves in terms of your career, whether it be getting that big promotion you know you deserve, applying for that dream job you’ve always wanted, or even completely changing career paths. Whatever it may be, we love to see it! But, it’s no secret that achieving major career goals is not an easy feat. Don’t worry, it’s totally normal to feel a little overwhelmed in the process. No matter how tough it gets, everything you’re hoping and working for is 100% achievable–especially with some guidance from fellow badass working women to help you along the way.
      So many women, particularly women of color, feel isolated when it comes to excelling in the workplace. But even if you’re not finding a support system in your own office or personal network, there are so many successful women out there that want to see you thrive, and are here to tell you everything they wish they knew when they were in your shoes. If you’re in need of tools that actually work, advice, or words of encouragement to navigate your journey, these guides and memoirs written by women of all different professions and backgrounds are exactly what you’ve been looking for. We leaned on the experts at Goodreads to bring you the best of the best here as you work to take your career to the next level.

      Marshall Goldsmith & Sally Helgesen
      How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job
      Business expert Marshall Goldsmith partnered with his longtime colleague and women’s leadership expert, Sally Helgesen, to create this invaluable handbook for women trying to take the next step in their careers. They know that for women in particular, the same skills and habits that made you successful early in your career could actually be holding you back as you move towards the next stage of your working life, as women oftentimes struggle with habits like reluctance to claim your achievements and the “disease to please”. This book will help you identify specific behaviors that keep you from living to your full potential (no matter what stage you are in your career) and help you identify what needs to change to help you get to where you want to go in the future.

      Playing Big: Find Your Voice, Your Mission, Your Message
      Renowned women’s leadership expert Tara Mohr saw how women were “playing small” in their lives and careers, were frustrated by it, and wanted to “play bigger.” So, she’s taken it upon herself to devise a proven way to achieve your dreams by “playing big” from the inside out. In her tell-all guide, Mohr provides real, practical tools to help rid you of self-doubt, become less attached to praise and criticism, unlearn “good girl” habits, and begin taking bold actions. While not all women aspire to end up in the corner office, every woman aspires to be something. This book isn’t just for corporate women, as it offers tools that help every woman play bigger—whether you’re an executive, volunteer, artist, or anything in between.

      Lauren McGoodwin
      Power Moves: How Women Can Pivot, Reboot, and Build a Career of Purpose
      With this invaluable book, founder of Career Contessa Lauren McGoodwin provides an invaluable career resource for women feeling stuck or unfulfilled by combining actionable advice, learning tools to make impactful life changes, and an in-depth discussion of how to build a meaningful career on your own terms. Drawing on the insights and lessons developed in her own career journey, she offers an essential handbook that helps professional women truly feel understood, so that they can bypass perfection and planning and instead head straight to evolving through addressing young professionals’ main concerns such as career transitions, growth, and how to secure a “dream job” (or more so, how to abandon that elusive idea).

      Deborah Liu
      Take Back Your Power: 10 New Rules for Women at Work
      As a woman in Silicon Valley who worked her way to the top of the corporate ladder, Deborah Liu knows firsthand the challenges and obstacles in the workplace that keep the deck stacked against women—and now knows how to overcome them. For every woman who grew up competing on the uneven playing field, and was told that you’re too aggressive, assertive, dramatic, or emotional, this book is the battle cry you need in order to thrive within the system that exists today. This powerful guide presents both hard data and Liu’s personal experiences from twenty years as a leader in the male-dominated tech industry to help you find your voice, debunk the negative connotations of “power”, and become a great leader without losing yourself in the process—reminding you that even though you can’t make the world fair, you can take your power back.

      Susanne Tedrick
      Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators
      Contrary to popular belief, tech careers are diverse and fun—and they go far beyond just coding. This book will show you that today’s tech careers are incredibly dynamic, and you’ll learn how your soft skills—communication, public speaking, networking—can genuinely help you succeed while also learning how to overcome the obstacles that often prevent women of color from pursuing and staying in tech careers. Guiding you through the process of cultivating strong relationships and building a network that will get you where you want to be, you’ll learn to identify a strong, knowledgeable support system that you can rely on for guidance, which is a crucial step in getting young women of color into tech careers. With practical advice and inspiring stories, you’ll develop both the right tools and the right mindset to set you on the path to success you deserve.

      Daniela Pierre-Bravo
      The Other: How to Own Your Power at Work as a Woman of Color
      You know that feeling of not belonging when you have so much to say at a work meeting? Being the “the other” at work leads to an unyielding need to fit in. This false feeling of inadequacy in traditional workplaces causes you to adapt and develop “a keep your head down” mentality in order to keep the job that you’ve worked so hard to get in the first place. Like many other women of color, immigrants, and children of immigrants, Daniela-Pierre Bravo became an expert shape-shifter in order to make her way around professional environments. Even once she reached the highest success points of her career, she always felt she had to prove her worth as “the other”. Through sharing her journey, this book helps you recognize your power through your own eyes instead of the traditional white gaze in the workplace, and drives you to reshape the way you think about career advancement without losing your sense of identity, and how to use your differences as an advantage.

      Deepa Purushothaman
      The First, the Few, the Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America
      Women of color comprise one of the fastest-growing segments in the corporate workforce, yet are very often underrepresented. For too long, corporate structures and cultural conditioning have instilled in our society that in order to “fit in” and be successful, you must hide or change who you are. As a former senior partner at a large global services firm, Deepa Purushothaman experienced these feelings of isolation and burnout. She met with other women of color across industries and cultural backgrounds, eager to hear about their unique and shared experiences. In doing so, she came to understand collective both setbacks and the true path forward in achieving your goals. In this deeply personal call to action for women of color to find power from within, you learn to fully realize your own strengths, build collective power, create cultures where belonging is never conditional, and rework corporations to be genuinely inclusive to all.

      Octavia Goredema
      Prep, Push, Pivot: Essential Career Strategies for Underrepresented Women
      This wonderfully written book provides an indispensable career coaching guide for underrepresented women in the workplace. Whether you’re looking for a new job, dealing with losing one, pivoting into something new, or returning from time out of the workforce, you’re able to learn something valuable from these strategies to help you advance when you need it the most. Divided into three parts of preparation, pushing forward, and pivotal professional milestones, the overwhelming aspects of taking charge of your career a broken down into understandable, achievable steps to help you find your voice in the most authentic way possible at any stage of your career. Understanding your worth in a workplace that pushes you down is not an easy feat, and Octavia Goredema is here to help you successfully move forward through it all.

      Linda Babcock, Brenda Peyser, Lise Vesterlund, & Laurie Weingart
      The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work
      The No Club started when four women crushed by endless to-do lists banded together to get their work lives under control. Even with their most resilient efforts, they noticed that they very much still trailed behind male colleagues. So, they vowed to say no to requests that pulled them away from the work that mattered most to their careers. This book reveals how their personal journey and subsequent groundbreaking research show that women everywhere are unfairly burdened with non-promotable work, a huge problem we can and must solve. This empowering manifesto walks you through how to change your workload, encourages women to make savvy decisions about the work they take on, and also highlights how organizations can reassess how they assign and reward work to level the playing field. With hard data, personal anecdotes from women of all backgrounds, and innovative advice from the authors’ consulting Fortune 500 companies, this book will forever change the conversation about how we advance women’s careers and achieve equity in the 21st century.

      Julia Boorstin
      When Women Lead: What They Achieve, Why They Succeed, and How We Can Learn from Them
      Julia Boorstin was 13 years old when her mother told her that by the time she grew up, women could be just as powerful as men. A decade later, working at a top business publication and seeing the lack of women in positions of leadership, she simply assumed her mom had been wrong. But over the following two decades as a TV reporter interviewing and studying thousands of executives, she realized that a world of gender equity shouldn’t be a long shot. She found that women she spoke with who thrived in their work environments shared key commonalities that made them uniquely equipped to lead and grow businesses, and were also highly adaptive to change, deeply empathetic in their management style, and much more likely to integrate diverse points of view into their business strategies. Now, Boorstin brings together the stories of over sixty of those female CEOs and leaders to provide a radical blueprint for the future of business, and our world as a whole.

      Julie Zhuo
      The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You
      After you celebrate the shiny new title of getting promoted to manager, the truth hits you hard: you don’t really know what you’re actually doing. That’s how Julie Zhuo felt when she became a rookie manager at the age of 25 as she stared at a long list of logistics and faced a thousand questions and uncertainties. How was she supposed to spin teamwork into value? What was the secret to leading with confidence in new and unexpected situations? But now that she’s managed dozens of teams of different sizes and styles, she’s learned the biggest lesson of all: great managers are made, not born. Zhuo creates a modern field guide packed with everyday examples and transformative insights regarding building trust, losing faith, and even how to get through an awkward interview. No matter what stage of your career you’re in, this is the handbook to read if you’re looking to be the kind of manager you always wish you had.

      Cecilia Muñoz
      More than Ready: Be Strong and Be You . . . and Other Lessons for Women of Color on the Rise
      Women of color are becoming more visible and more powerful than ever, achieving higher levels of success and blazing new paths for future generations in historically white dominated areas. As the first Latinx to direct national domestic policy issues, Cecilia Muñoz knows the difficulties of getting ahead without having anyone that came before her to follow. In this inspiring book, she offers readers lessons from the challenges she faced and the victories she achieved in the White House, with advice like elevating empathy in the workplace, turning losses into gains, and staying true to yourself. Filled with tons of insights about working through fear and overcoming injustices, you are given the tactical tools women of color need to reach unprecedented levels of power and success without compromising your authentic self.

      Elaine Welteroth
      More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are
      Throughout her life, Elaine Welteroth has climbed the ranks of media and fashion, eventually becoming the revolutionary editor who infused social consciousness into the pages of Teen Vogue. In her incredible memoir-manifesto, the groundbreaking journalist unpacks lessons of race, identity, and success through her own journey, from navigating her way as a fiery child to finding herself on the frontlines of the movement for the next generation of change makers. As a young boss and often the only Black woman in the room, she’s fed up of the world telling her she’s not enough, so she’s learned to rely on herself—and is now here to share how you can do it, too.

      Fran Hauser
      Embrace the Work, Love Your Career: A Guided Workbook for Realizing Your Career Goals with Clarity, Intention, and Confidence
      In this workbook for women who want to get more out of their careers, you’re given a combination of accessible advice, time-tested strategies, creative prompts, and thoughtful exercises that’ll help you both fall in love with your work and design a career action plan grounded in confidence and intentionality. Pulling from her own personal experiences working at some of the biggest publications and corporations around, author Fran Hauser centers her main points of guidance around knowing your value, building your dream team, creating time and space for yourself, and more—all coming together to ultimately help you realize and reach your full potential.

      Emilie Aries
      Bossed Up: A Grown Woman’s Guide to Getting Your Sh*t Together
      Young women today face an uncertain job market, the pressure to succeed at all costs, and a fear of burning out. However, the landscape is changing, and women are taking a role in shaping our careers and lives while also investing more into our community of support. In this candid, refreshing guide for young women, Emilie Aries shows you how to own your power, know your worth, and design your career (and life) accordingly. Honing in on important concepts such as breaking free of the “martyrdom mindset”, developing self-advocacy skills, and how to actually (and healthily) avoid burn out, this book will show you how to craft a happy, healthy, and sustainable career path you’ll love.

       

      I’ve Read Over 100 Finance Books—Here Are the Most Important Things I’ve Learned More

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      in lifestyle and culture

      Everything to know about the upcoming Emirates LitFest 15th anniversary

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      Lifestyle

      by Team Emirates Woman
      37 mins ago

      If you consider yourself a bookworm or have an interest in pop culture then read on.
      One of the most anticipated events of the year is returning to Dubai to celebrate its 15th anniversary in the Emirates. Set to start on Wednesday, February 1 to 6, 2023, the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature will bring speakers, novelists and inspiring entrepreneurs to share their stories in the UAE.
      The theme this year is titled Old Friends and guests can expect everything from live music and poetry performances out amongst the Dubai desert to film screenings, workshops, quiz nights, and dinner events celebrating some of the biggest names in literature. No matter what your interest is, there’s something for everyone!

      From Legendary actor Brian Cox, Jeffrey Archer, Ben Miller and plant-based dinner curated by Top Chef Arabia Judge Bobby Quin and a panel discussion with TV stylist, Alexandra Schulman this year will all be present at the thriving hub of Emirates Litfest. A celebration of female empowerment will also be in place, bringing together key women of the UAE and discussing issues pertaining to women today and the obstacles faced when climbing the ladder.
      For the little ones, comedians and authors David Walliams and Ben Miller join forces for the first time ever on the LitFest stage as they discuss their books and writing for a young, fun-loving audience.
      We can also look forward to the signature Desert Stanzas event which transports visitors out to the desert dunes of Dubai desert to experience a night of poetry and unforgettable performances under the stars while serving up the best in Emirati cuisine and menus inspired by Kahlil Gibran’s famous poetry.
      LitFest will be held at the InterContinental Hotel in Festival City and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library in Jaddaf for six days.  
      Tickets start at AED25 and have different price points depending on the event type and the seating category. Festival goers can buy individual event tickets, or invest in a Festival pass that would allow them to attend as many general sessions as they want on a specific day or even during the whole Festival weekend and are available here

      For more information visit: emirateslitfest.com
      – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
      Images: Supplied, feature image: Reese Witherspoon Instagram More

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      12 books to add to your literary bucket list

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      Lifestyle

      by Sarah Joseph
      1 hour ago

      VIEW GALLERY/ 12 IMAGES
      There’s nothing like finding comfort within the pages of a new book.
      From insights into the fashion industry to autobiographies of empowered women who’ve rewritten the rules for everyone in society, there’s a book out there for everyone.
      As pathways into an unknown world, books until today, continue to be the best medium for gaining knowledge and cultivating an informative perspective on different subjects.
      So, whether you’re looking to unwind over the weekend or simply enlighten your mind with life-changing stories, Emirates Woman has curated the ultimate reading guide for all.
      – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
      Images: Supplied & Feature Image: Instagram @marylawlesslee More

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      in health and weelbeing

      14 Books Every Woman In Their 20s Needs To Read

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      I gotta be honest— as someone who’s about to turn 22, graduate college, and start life in the big and scary “real world”, I’m scared as hell. For as long as I can remember, I’ve listened to countless songs (“Nothing New” by T. Swift, “Ribs” by Lorde…if you know, you know), watched what feels like hundreds of movies and TV shows, and had a lot of conversations that all revolve around the same gist: your 20’s really are…well, somethin’ else. However, I’ve decided I don’t want to jump into this decade blindly accepting that it’ll be a sh*tshow—and I think a lot of gals in my boat are feeling the same way. 
      Lucky for us, there is no shortage of books to read that are here to help take this “figuring it out” era by the horns. Covering everything from friendships, self confidence, finance, sex, love, and literally everything in between, here are some must reads to make these daunting years be more a bit more fun and at least a little less dysfunctional.

      Michelle Andrews & Zara McDonald
      The Space Between
      If your 20’s are known for anything, it’s that weird gap between being a teenager and being a, like, real adult. While it’s wildly confusing, kind of lonely, and sometimes embarrassing, there’s also a whole lot of magic to be found in the chaos. Michelle Andrews and Zara McDonald, creators of the award-winning pop culture podcast Shameless, are two of the many twenty-something women just trying to make sense of it all. They don’t have all the answers. but they do know that mapping out our place in the world is a little bit easier when we do it together. Filled with comforting wit and brutal honesty, these are their personal stories from heartbreak and mental health challenges to overcoming career setbacks and letting go of fear—but there’s a good chance you’ll find pieces of yourself in there, too.

      Elif Batuman
      The Idiot
      Contrary to popular belief, not every must-read needs to be a non-fiction, self-help moment. In ‘The Idiot’, Selin, the daughter of Turkish immigrants, arrives for her freshman year at Harvard and signs up for classes in subjects she has never heard of, befriends her charismatic and worldly Serbian classmate, Svetlana, and, almost by accident, begins corresponding with Ivan, an older mathematics student from Hungary. Selin may have barely spoken to Ivan, but with each email they exchange, the act of writing seems to take on new and increasingly mysterious meanings. For Selin, this is a journey further inside herself: a coming to grips with the confusion of a first love, and with the growing consciousness that she may be bound to become a writer, even though that’s not what she’s envisioned for herself at all.

      Dolly Alderton
      Everything I Know About Love
      I think the cover of this book truly says it all. When it comes to the trials and triumphs of becoming an adult, journalist Dolly Alderton has seen and tried it all. In this memoir, she vividly recounts falling in love, finding a job, getting drunk, getting dumped, realizing that Ivan from the corner shop might just be the only reliable man in her life, and that no one can ever compare to her best girlfriends. This incredibly funny and occasionally heartbreaking book is everything we’ve ever needed regarding bad dates, good friends and—above all else— realizing that you are enough through all of the terrifying yet hopeful uncertainty.

      A Lonely Girl Is A Dangerous Thing
      Growing up is always hard, but especially when so many think you’re a washed-up has-been at twenty-two. Jena Chung, who was once a violin prodigy, is now a selfish, badly-behaved, full blown sex addict. Her professional life comprises of rehearsals, concerts, and relentless practice; her personal life is spent managing family demands, those of her creative friends, and obviously, lots of sex. But then, she meets Mark– and he sweeps her off her feet. Not only that, she gets the perfect internship with the New York Philharmonic at the same time. Thinking that she finally has the life she’s been dreaming of, everything is brought to a halt when Trump is elected and everything about New York, and herself, changes at the drop of a hat. Jena comes to learn that there are many different ways to live and love and that no one has the how-to guide for any of it–we’re all just trying to become the people we hope to be.

      Natasha Lunn
      Conversations on Love
      Love, while beautiful in all its forms, is really f’ing hard to comprehend and navigate. After years of feeling that love was always out of reach, journalist Natasha Lunn set out to understand how relationships work and evolve over a lifetime. She turned to having intimate conversations with authors and experts to learn about their experiences, as well as drawing on her own, asking how we find love, how we sustain it, and how we survive when we lose it. And we’re not just talking romantic— this richly layered novel covers the loneliness of loss, the psychology of being alone, parenthood, and more.

      Kiley Reid
      Such A Fun Age
      Alix is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living, with her confidence-driven brand, showing other women how to do the same. So, she’s taken aback when her babysitter, Emira, is confronted while watching Alix’s toddler one night, walking the aisles of their local supermarket. The store’s security guard, seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year-old Briar. Emira is furious and humiliated as it’s caught on video by bystanders, and Alix wants to do everything to make things right. As Emira has no clue what to do with her life, and the video brings forth some baggage from Alix’s past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know about themselves and one another. It flawlessly explores the stickiness of transactional relationships, what it means to make someone family, and the complicated reality of being a grown up through a story surrounding race and privilege.

      Alice Finn
      Smart Women Love Money
      One rude awakening of my twenties thus far is that I don’t know how to “be good” with money to save my life. If I only buy two $7 iced lattes in a week instead of five, that’s a win. However, this book takes the conversation beyond saving money and budgeting and introduces us to the power of investing. Drawing on more than twenty years of experience as a successful wealth management adviser, Alice Finn shares five simple and proven strategies for a woman at any stage of their life, whether starting a career, staying home and raising children, or heading up a major corporation. She also provides the tools you need to achieve long-term success no matter what the markets are doing or what the headlines say. So even in the face of uncertainty, you’ll know how to thrive, earn, save, and grow your bag.

      Tara Schuster
      Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies
      There’s no rock bottom quite like drunk calling your therapist, and Tara Schuster can attest to that herself. By the time she was in her late twenties, Tara was a rising TV executive who had made a name for herself in the industry. By all appearances, she had mastered being an adult. But beneath that shiny image of success, she was a chronically anxious, self-medicating mess whose road to adulthood had been paved with depression, anxiety, and shame. In this story of Tara essentially re-parenting herself through simple daily rituals, she shares insight and advice she wishes she’d received in her early twenties: words that are candid, practical, and hilarious, while still teaching the importance of self-love and acceptance.

      Bianca Sparacino
      The Strength In Our Scars
      The process of healing is one that is indescribably hard to work through, but this book gives insight that can make each step of the way feel a bit more manageable. It tackles the gut-wrenching but relatable experiences of moving on and self-love through beautifully written poetry, prose, and compassionate encouragement you would expect only from someone who relates to the exact situation you’re going through. Ultimately, it comes together to show us that the things in our lives that leave scars do not destroy you—they are moments in which we survived, and in that is a sense of hope.

      Michelle Zauner
      Crying in H Mart
      As we grow, it can sometimes be easy to lose touch with where we came from. Michelle Zauner shares her story of growing up as one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon, and how that planted the seed for a need to forge her own identity. She touches on her struggles with her mother’s particular, high expectations of her and on a painful adolescence, yet also on the pureness of bonding with her mother and grandmother during those same years. As she grew up, moving away for college, finding work in the restaurant industry, and performing gigs with her fledgling band led her Korean heritage to feel ever more distant, even though she felt like she was finally discovering the life she wanted to live. However, after receiving news of her mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis while in her mid 20’s, Michelle had a reckoning with her identity and reclaimed the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her.

      Mary Ann Sieghart
      The Authority Gap
      As many women enter the “real world” workforce in their early 20’s, being underestimated, under-appreciated, and underpaid is sadly a universal experience most of us will face, especially in male-dominated fields. Despite all of the progress we’ve made toward equality, we still fail, more often than we might realize, to take women as seriously as men. In this fascinating book, journalist Mary Ann Sieghart provides a startling perspective on the gender bias at work in our everyday lives and reflected in the world around us, whether in pop culture, media, school classrooms, or politics. With precision and insight, Sieghart gathers from a variety of disciplines—including psychology, political science, and sociology—and talks to pioneering women from a wide range of backgrounds to explore how gender bias intersects with race and class biases. Through her conversations and other findings, she offers insights on how to counteract systemic sexism and ways to narrow this toxic authority gap.

      Florence Given
      Women Don’t Owe You Pretty
      Say it with me: we don’t owe men sh*t, especially being pretty. Exploring all progressive corners of the feminist conversation from insecurity projection and refusing to find comfort in other women’s flaws, to deciding whether to date or dump them, all the way through to unpacking the male gaze and how it shapes our identity, this book really does not miss a beat. It’s an accessible leap into feminism for people at all stages of their journey who are seeking to reshape and transform the way they view themselves. In a world that tells women we’re either not enough or doing way too much, its time we stop directing our anger and insecurities onto ourselves, and start fighting back to reshape the structures of our toxic patriarchal society.

      Brianna Wiest
      101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think
      This was actually the first self-help type of book I ever personally read, and I’m not being dramatic when I tell you that it quite literally changed my outlook on life. It’s been almost two years since then, and to this day, I still go back and read over some select essays when I feel like I need to. This compilation of Brianna Wiest’s published work features pieces on why you should pursue purpose over passion, embrace negative thinking, see the wisdom in daily routine, and become aware of the cognitive biases that are creating the way you see your life. You’ll find pieces of wisdom you’ve been waiting to hear for years, and even better—ones you had no clue you needed but are so grateful you found.

      Aminatou Sow & Ann Friedman
      Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close
      While figuring out self-love and romance are definitely the big themes of your 20’s, the importance of genuine friendship cannot be forgotten. A close friendship is one of the most influential relationships a human life can contain, but for all the cutesy sentiments surrounding friendship, most people don’t talk much about what it really takes to stay close for the long haul. Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman tell the story of their equally messy and life-affirming “big friendship” in this honest and hilarious book that documents their first decade in one another’s lives through all of the joys and pitfalls.An inspiring testament to the power of society’s most underappreciated relationship, this book invites you to think about how your own bonds are formed, challenged, and preserved, and when it’s time to fight for them or let them go.

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      The Best Books, Podcasts, and Social Media Accounts for a More Inclusive Wellness Journey

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      Wellness has come a long way. While the industry has been criticized for being largely consumption-led (gadgets and wellness apparel, while fun to stockpile our virtual shopping carts with, market an aspirational image of “health”), we’ve thankfully begun to shift our idea of what wellness really means—and, in turn, what it looks like.
      While wellness is our individual physical, mental, and emotional health, it’s also community health. A holistic, inclusive view of wellness requires that we acknowledge the social, economic, and environmental disparities that allow some people access while keeping others out. And while one of the best ways to transform an industry and create a more inclusive world is action, alongside that is the role education plays in informing our worldview. Thankfully, in this era of seemingly-infinite content mediums available at our fingertips, ending body shaming, illuminating wealth’s role in the shaping of green spaces, and amplifying the voices of WOC throughout the wellness community and beyond has become all the more accessible.
      In celebration of the many folks doing the work of investigating these issues and educating all of us Everygirls out there, I rounded up my favorite podcasts, social media accounts, and books that not only inform and entertain but also are sure to fuel your fight for a more inclusive and equitable wellness world.

      In this article

      Podcasts to listen to

      Maintenance Phase
      If you ever come to me for a podcast rec (please do), this will, without fail, be the first one I enthusiastically share. I’ve gotten my friends, coworkers, family members, and even my partner to listen, and they can all attest: The addiction is real. Hosted by writer Aubrey Gordon (the once-anonymous author behind the SELF Magazine column “Your Fat Friend”) and journalist Michael Hobbes, the pair breaks down and exposes the “junk” science behind the dominating wellness trends (re: fads) of our day.
      A few seconds into your first episode and you’ll quickly discover that this is one of the most hilarious and well-researched podcasts available for download. Gordon and Hobbes take a discerning look at topics such as BMI, the keto diet, and plenty of diet book deep-dives. Each episode is conducted through the lens of wellness inclusivity, revealing telling looks at how marginalized groups are kept from these privileged approaches to health.

      Balanced Black Girl
      It was a year or so ago that I officially considered myself done with the misleading idea of balance. Everywhere I turned, social media told me that “balance” meant religiously keeping up with your 10-step skincare routine, waking up at 6 a.m. every day for a workout, and swearing off caffeine for life. Thankfully, folks like Les, the founder and host of the Balanced Black Girl, have spoken up and introduced a new understanding of balance—one that aligns with whatever the word means to you.
      Les has experience as a personal trainer and nutrition coach and can speak to the transformative impact of a sustainable approach to wellness. Trust me: This is more than a podcast. It’s an inclusive community and safe space that’s accepting of anyone who wants to ignite their wellness journey.

      I Weigh
      While social media often comes with a host of negative connotations and critiques, it can’t be denied that when a powerful, game-changing idea enters the chat, social media can amplify it in an instant. That’s exactly the case for Jameela Jamil, whose first post on the account @i_weigh went viral thanks to its radical valuation of women’s worth (hint: it’s not the number on the scale).
      Jamil promotes a critical look at the wellness industry and encourages us to adopt a gentler, more inclusive approach. Episodes discuss everything from sexism to navigating the acting world in the face of rampant ableism to the current abortion crisis. The conversations are vulnerable and enlightening. If you’re looking for a healthy dose of empowerment, subscribe now.

      She’s All Fat
      Described as “The podcast for fat activism, radical self-love, and chill vibes ONLY,” She’s All Fat was created to fill the need for a show that spoke to the intersections of fat visibility and the female, queer, and people of color experience. I’m always inspired by projects and initiatives that arise from a lack of representation, and She’s All Fat is definitely it. Even if you don’t exist in a larger body, it’s important that all shapes, sizes, colors, and backgrounds educate ourselves on how fatness has historically been treated in our culture, so that we can shift the script on the anti-fat bias.

      How to Love Your Body
      As someone a ways into her journey of eating disorder recovery, I know very well how an “interest” in wellness can quickly devolve into a full-on obsession. And though I’m doing the work to unwind the diet culture-influenced ideas of what health should look like, I’m always grateful for people who make me feel less alone in this process of unlearning. Enter: How to Love Your Body. The hosts break down key topics in the realm of self-love and acceptance, and they also provide actionable steps for how to adopt a “Health At Every Size” mindset. If you’re ready to dismantle the diet industry and gain a sense of belonging in an appearance-centric world, you’ll find your community here.

      Explorations
      Inspired by the belief that “humanizing people who are different from us is the beginning of connection and empathy,” Lola Ayodele created Explorations to reveal and shed light on the unique narratives that guide our lives. Each episode includes elements of relatability, while also illuminating the stories we couldn’t possibly know the details of ourselves. Start with the third episode, “Being Yourself,” for a roadmap on owning your authenticity and honoring that of others.

      Body Stuff with Jen Gunter
      As a self-described life-long learner, I’m always diving deep into the depths of TED’s many varied opportunities to explore new ideas. Dr. Jen Gunter recorded this podcast with the team from TED Audio Collective, so you already know you’re in for a treat. Similar to Maintenance Phase, this podcast jumps into the science behind some of the world’s biggest wellness trends. If you’re looking for a way to sift through the TikTok trends and get to the evidence and research-backed truths, press play. 

      Social media accounts to follow

      @thenutritiontea
      Like many of us on the ‘gram, I first caught wind of Shana Minei Spence’s work when it went viral at the beginning of the pandemic. And I’ll admit, when I came across her posts, I had no idea that some dietitians take a non-diet approach to their work (oh, how the times have changed). Her mostly text-based posts and Reels not only educate her 222K+ followers, but her work also aims to make nutrition less restrictive and more realistic. She often speaks to the emotions tied to what we eat, and how by developing a healthier relationship with the foods on our plate–we can experience true, whole-body health once and for all.

      @olivianoceda
      It wouldn’t be a hyperbole to write that I am truly, passionately OBSESSED with everything Olivia Noceda posts. She’s the sort of influencer whose gentle approach to wellness inspires how I want to spend each and every day. While the motivational “that girl” videos have, IMO, run their course, Olivia’s accessible recipes and easy-to-adopt routines inspire me to create opportunities for more joy and authenticity in my day. Her work is a reminder that while wellness can look like buying into the buzzy brands and trying each and every trend, it can also simply be about finding what works for you and letting that guide your way.

      @selfcareisapriority
      The handle says it all. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way to understanding self-care as not an indulgence but as a necessary practice for existing in an increasingly stressful world. Their posts offer relatable reminders that your productivity doesn’t define you, change is inevitable, and taking breaks is essential to thriving. If you want an account that tells you exactly what you need to hear, this is it.

      @emotions_therapy
      I’m here for any and all accounts that remind me that my worth has nothing to do with my physical appearance and that the time we put into our mental health is the most important work we’ll ever do. This account is a kaleidoscopic array of motivational and joy-inducing affirmations and is also the source of many of my wellness epiphanies. While the advice still stands to take regular breaks from your phone, you have my permission to scroll this page for hours.

      @beauty_redefined
      I only recently discovered this account, but my feed is all the better because of it. Twins Lexie and Lindsay (who both boast a Ph.D.) promote a critical look at how our appearance-obsessed culture has led to women seeing their bodies as the primary determinant of happiness and value. And while the body positivity movement has done a lot to rewrite this narrative, Lexie and Lindsay are adamant about getting to the root of the problem. My feelings, frustrations, and concerns about how women and girls are perceived in the world are validated and transformed with every post that comes across my screen. Lexie and Lindsay offer an important reminder that women are not—and have never been—the problem. 

      Books to read

      Aubrey Gordon
      What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat
      I can’t write about “Maintenance Phase” without highlighting Aubrey Gordon’s brilliant debut book. This book is the first that I’ve come across that not only illustrates the emotional and physical harm our cultural values of thinness have put on people in larger bodies, but it also reveals actionable ways we can shift our collective mindset and actively work toward supporting fat justice. Gordon’s writing brings awareness to how anti-fatness shows up in our everyday lives and points readers’ attention to the many ways our social systems fail fat people. 

      Alice Wong
      Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century
      When it comes to understanding the experience of individuals living with a disability, first-person reflections offer the most authentic accounts. This collection of original pieces ranges from blog posts to congressional testimonies (and every medium in between). While the stories reveal the bias and prejudice disabled folks often face, it’s adamant about celebrating the triumphs and multi-dimensional complexities of the disabled experience. Disability Visibility is a testament to the innovation, hope, and joy that comes with honoring our differences.

      Bessel van der Kolk M.D
      The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
      This is the book that literally everyone recommended before I finally got my hands on a copy. Though it was first published almost a decade ago, the wisdom, science, and revelations offered on each page endures. Trauma exists in many diverse ways, but regardless of the experience, its impact takes root in both the body and the mind, having an effect on everything from our ability to experience pleasure to our willingness to trust others. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, an expert on trauma, dives into the scientific developments and treatments that support recovery and healing. Personally, this book offered me a new way to process trauma and encouraged empathy for others’ stories. 

      Blair Imani
      Read This to Get Smarter: about Race, Class, Gender, Disability & More
      What does it mean to be socially conscious? In the pages of Read This to Get Smarter, historian, educator, and author, Blair Imani, dives deep into this question, all the while revealing the role that education, awareness, and understanding all play in shaping a more equitable world. As I was reading the book, I appreciated how accessible the content is—the book makes no assumptions about how much you do or don’t know. It takes the intimidation out of diving into topics like intersectionality, gender, disability, and more, supporting you with the language to have the challenging but culture-shifting conversations we need to be a part of.

      Meghan O’Rourke
      The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness
      Esquire said it best when it called The Invisible Kingdom, “a rigorous work of scholarship and a radical act of empathy.” The best books do exactly that: educate while also engaging you in an emotional experience. And often, that’s the root of our ability to connect with others. Chronic illness and autoimmune disease have gained more visibility with the rise of social media, but still, little is understood about the nuances and specifics of the countless diseases that often go undiagnosed. And because many of these conditions present few symptoms, their obscurity is only perpetuated. Meghan O’Rourke’s research sheds new light on this health crisis, giving a voice to the populations and groups whose experiences are often underreported and underrepresented. 

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      7 Hacks I Learned From ‘Atomic Habits’ That Changed My Life—and Will Change Yours Too

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      You may have come across Atomic Habits while scrolling through #BookTok or browsing Barnes & Noble looking for your next self-help read. After all, it’s been a consistent bestseller since its release in 2018. And as a book lover with a passion for books that cater to bettering oneself, I had to give this one a go. I am happy to say it lived up to the hype–I walked away with tangible tools to create better habits that I now stick with while letting go of old ones holding me back.
      Habits make up our everyday life, some as simple as brushing your teeth each morning or setting an alarm before you go to bed each night. These habits require little thought or energy and are ingrained into our routines. Starting a new habit is not always easy as keeping up with old ones, so it’s important to have the motivation and a good system in place to be able to stick with it. Atomic Habits breaks down a foolproof way to not only make sure you stick to your habits but also choose the right ones, and it even reverses theories to help break the bad ones too. So if you’re looking to build better habits, read on for the hacks that changed my life.

      James Clear
      Atomic Habits
      An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

      1. Improve by 1 percent every day
      Let’s say you want to lose weight. Your goal is to go to the gym every day and eat a healthier diet. At first, that may seem daunting, which is why the best way to start is to start small. Maybe it’s as simple as putting on your running shoes and walking outside for 10 minutes (it may not seem like much, but over time it adds up!) or adding leafy greens to one meal per day. Eventually, you can work up to 30 minutes or a workout at the gym and eat delicious, healthy foods for every meal, but focusing on the end goal will be overwhelming instead of helpful. “Breakthrough moments are often the result of many previous actions, which build up the potential required to unleash a major change,” James Clear explains in the book. Oftentimes, we look at athletes or successful business leaders and wonder how they got to where they are and how they accomplished so much. The answer is that they started small and never stopped. 

      2. Start habit stacking
      The easiest way to introduce a new habit into your daily routine is to implement it with other habits you already have. Habit stacking is a formula for ensuring that your new habits don’t fall to the wayside. For example, if you want to create the habit of meditating each morning but find yourself forgetting or not having the time, the best way to fix this is by inserting it with another habit. If your morning routine consists of waking up, brushing your teeth, and pouring a cup of coffee, insert “meditate for five minutes” before you have your coffee. Set the intention, say it aloud, and then insert the new habit into your routine. Sometimes when and where you choose to execute a habit can make a big difference. 

      3. Be aware of your environment
      We are both victims and architects of our environments—AKA the home we live in and where we go to work and exercise. All of these different spaces can affect our habits for better or worse. If every night before you go to sleep you lie in bed and watch TV, over time your bed will be associated as a place where you watch TV. Working from the comfort of your bed may sound nice but can be much more difficult if your bed is already associated with a place of rest. Once we understand the relationships we have with the spaces we occupy, we can use that knowledge to help form better habits and break unproductive ones. As Clear said, “It is easier to associate a new habit with a new context than to build a new habit in the face of competing cues.” It’s no wonder working from home can be more difficult if you don’t have a designated space to do so.

      4. Use the “Two-Minute Rule”
      Clear’s two-minute rule states that when you start a new habit, it shouldn’t take longer than two minutes to complete. The idea is to scale down a habit so that it is more attractive and you are more likely to continue repeating the habit. If the goal is to write a book, start by writing one sentence each day. If you want to read more before bed each night, start by reading one page. If you want to work out more, start with jumping jacks for two minutes, or if you want to have a meditation practice, set the timer for two minutes–you get the idea. The more the process is ritualized, the easier it will be to continue. You have to start small before you move on to bigger and better habits.

      5. Try a commitment device or accountability partner
      We all start off with the best of intentions when we decide to form a new habit, but then life gets in the way and it becomes easy to forget why we wanted to start the habit in the first place. This is where a commitment device or accountability partner comes in. A commitment device is a choice made in the present to help control your actions in the future. For example, if you want to stop buying coffee every day, you can decide to leave your wallet at home to reduce temptation. Another version of this is an accountability buddy: someone who can help keep you accountable for your actions, understands your commitment, and can check in on you (read: a friend, partner, family member, coworker, coach, etc.). We value the opinions of those around us, which is exactly why an accountability partner can work to help build better habits.

      6. Make the habit satisfying
      It’s a cardinal rule in life that we repeat actions that are satisfying: eating ice cream on a hot summer day, consistently working out and releasing endorphins, or online shopping and receiving a package in the mail. We return to these actions over and over again because we remember how satisfying they were. The same tactic is effective when forming a new habit. There’s a reason why you book your next workout class right after you finish one and then a couple of days later debate whether to go. Providing immediate reinforcement tells the brain to keep going back to an activity, whereas delayed satisfaction is not as effective. In other words, when you’re starting a new habit, make sure it’s enjoyable so it will last.

      7. Reflect on your habits and progress
      Habits are great tools to help us accomplish our goals, but as we evolve and complete certain goals or set new ones, it’s important to look back and assess our habits and progress. If you set out to write a book and haven’t finished one chapter, maybe the habits you set are not working and need to be changed. Our habits should be our motivators and keep us engaged in our goals. They should be something we look forward to doing. Taking the time to reflect on our habits (both the good and bad) is a great way to make sure we are constantly challenging ourselves to do better.

      James Clear
      Atomic Habits
      An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

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