 For almost two years, we’ve been inundated with stories around the “quarantine 15.” Harmful messaging masked as well-meaning advice has told us how to address weight gain from the pandemic, including the “healthy” steps to take to get rid of it before re-entering the world.
But there’s a far more under-discussed issue that’s been occurring during the COVID era ― it just may not appear that way because of our culture’s preconceived notions of what’s “healthy” and “unhealthy.” Reporter Colleen Travers spoke with experts about the smart wellness habit that can secretly mess with your mental health and what you should do to fix it. Remember that health is holistic; physical appearance never tells the whole story. Our minds matter just as much as our bodies, and what goes on inside is equally as vital as what’s happening outside. The sooner we all embrace that, the healthier we all will actually be.
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You Oughta Know  More and more places, like restaurants and event venues, are requiring proof of COVID vaccination as a way to create a safer environment for people. Does this mean it’s OK to ditch your face mask? Reporter Julia Ries spoke with experts on what they are personally doing when it comes to masking indoors, plus some factors to consider for yourself.
A Minute And Change Got a spare minute? Use it to change your life. Our “A Minute And Change” series will help you become happier, healthier and more productive by doing one thing a little differently. This week’s tip comes from time management coach Anna Dearmon Kornick on how setting aside blocks of “social media scroll time” can actually make you better at time management:
So many of my clients are guilty of sitting down at their desks and having their [personal] phone right next to them. And if a webpage is taking too long to load or they have a few seconds where they are just still, they have this compulsion to just reach for their phone and go into this almost zombie autopilot mode where you tap-tap over to those apps you use the most. For me, it’s always Instagram. And that can end up becoming a five-, seven-, 10-minute block of wasted time … When you know that you have your little guilty pleasure phone indulgence scheduled, it makes you less likely to pick up your phone randomly in the middle of a project.
Crushing On This 'Gram 
Before You Go... Read this story on how sexual assault survivors manage anxiety around pap smears by reporter Ashley Broadwater. The procedure can trigger a lot of physical and emotional pain, but this advice will help reduce the harm as much as possible.
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