BIG NEWS

Emerging trends in the wellness world do not bode well for the human race

It's rough out there, guys. We're officially a world that needs sleep vacations, sound baths, and hay bathing, according to trend forecasting company WGSN. We're living in an age of anxiety, and the lengths to which people are going to escape it are extreme. And weird.

WTF are those things?

Exactly what they sound like, for the most part: Sleep vacations are trips where the destination is a sound-proofed hotel room with blackout curtains. Sound baths use singing bowls and vibrations to "release energy blockages." And hay bathing is when you get wrapped up in fermented hay laced with herbs and essential oils because—and this is 100 percent true—farmers used to sleep on hay back in the day, and since they supposedly woke up energized and with less muscle pain, the logic is that you will too.

It's funny and it's sad

Funny for obvious reasons, sad because the wellness industry is officially capitalizing on our desperate, sleep-deprived brains. And because we're at a place where a good night's sleep isn't a given—it's a premium.

Fashionista, Well+Good

STUDY UP

Just five healthy habits can add 12-14 years to your life

Five of the most fundamental healthy habits: eating a healthy diet, exercising daily, only consuming alcohol in moderation, maintaining a normal weight, and not smoking. You've heard them all before, but what's new is this: Embracing all five, even at age 50 or later, can add more than a decade to your life.

It only goes down from there

If you can commit to four out of five healthy habits, your projected life expectancy will drop by a few years. Three, a few years more. Women with zero of these habits live an average of 14 years fewer than women with all five, and men with zero live an average of 12 years fewer than men with all five.

Sure, it's common sense. But putting a number on it puts everything into perspective, don't ya think?

New York Times, AHA Circulation

Try this

Don't know about you, but our workouts have been kinda meh lately. Easy (and tasty) solution: green tea. Sip it before your next gym session—the antioxidants increase your body's ability to burn fat as fuel, which means a nice endurance boost for you. Greatist

A mug that'll keep your coffee hot... forever

I like my coffee the way a '90s stand-up comic claims to like his women: scorching hot. Or, as I've recently discovered, exactly 140 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that is not normally sustainable in a regular mug. But the Ember Temperature-Controlled Mug keeps it at that exact temperature for hours.

There's really only one downside

Unless it's sitting on its coaster, the Ember only has about an hour of temperature-controlling functionality, which means it's not great if you move around a lot. I work at a desk, so this isn't really a downside for me, except that it reminds me how tethered I am to said desk.

Otherwise, it's a fantastic device I’m grateful to own and that has completely put an end to my pouring half-drunk, cold cups of coffee down the sink.

--Jess Novak, senior editor, lifestyle and beauty

BUY IT

Like school that comes to you

You're a smart person, but that doesn't mean you can't get smarter. The Mission Daily podcast delivers news that matters with insights to make you healthier, wealthier, and wiser.. Sign up

HERE'S THE REST

If you hear "Laurel," you're right. (But if you hear "Yanny," your ears are fresher 👂) AsapSCIENCE

Chronic pain? Fighting with your partner will make it worse. Talk therapy could make it much, much better 🙏 Oxford Academic, Vox

If you're unfocused at work, a couple deep breaths will probably help you concentrate 🌬 Well+Good

There's actual meaning behind all that goo-goo ga-ga baby talk 🐣 NPR

Starting this summer, Amazon Prime members will get a discount at Whole Foods 💃 CNN Money

Hey! Wondering what you just read? Well Now is Greatist's new roundup of all the health stories you were too busy to read this week. Sign up here to make sure you keep getting it.