Four Lessons From Your Anxious Brain
Pandemic life has saddled us with lots of conflicting emotions. Here’s how to cope with feelings of uncertainty and make a fresh start.
Credit.Nathalie Lees
Feeling unsettled? Anxious? Overwhelmed? Welcome to the summer of 2021.
I asked thousands of New York Times readers of all ages to share how they’re feeling right now. The most common answers revealed the mixed feelings of the past 14 months: unsettled, anxious, overwhelmed, frazzled, tired, hopeful, optimistic, stressful, exhausted, excited.
Some readers said just one word was not enough to describe how they’re feeling.
“Bored, anxious, hopeful all at once. Is there a word for that?” asked one reader.
Parentsâ Diet and Exercise Habits, Even Before Birth, May Contribute to Childâs Well-Being
Physical activity during pregnancy might have long-lasting benefits for a childâs health, new research suggests.
Credit.Getty Images
April 28, 2021Updated 8:59 a.m. ET
The lifestyles of soon-to-be mothers and fathers could shape the health of their unborn offspring in lasting ways, according to a surprising new animal study of exercise, diet, genetics and parenthood.
The study found that rodent parents-to-be that fatten on a greasy diet before mating produce offspring with sky-high later risks for metabolic problems. But if the mothers stay active during their pregnancies, those risks disappear.
Our Virtual Pandemic Year
Credit.Brenna Murphy to receive it weekdays.
The pandemic, which officially hit the one-year mark on Thursday, showed how much we need technology but also that it’s probably not the solution to our biggest challenges.
Here are three things that I’ve learned in the past 12 months: Technology showed its utility by helping people and businesses manage through a crisis. Our increasingly digital lives have also created new problems that will be hard to fix. And the most important things have nothing to do with technology.
Let’s talk about each of these.
First, I am grateful that technology helped many millions of us muddle through work, school and family life. It also kept us informed when little seemed to make sense.
Welcome to the Graveyard of New Yearâs Resolutions
It seems a long time since we pledged to drink less, eat better, exercise more, cut spending and stop doom-scrolling. Be gentle on yourself: Itâs been a tough month.
You could work out. We’re not stopping you.Credit.Eva Marie Uzcategui/Agence France-Presse Getty Images
Jan. 24, 2021
Dry January in 2021 was supposed to usher in a healthier new year and bid farewell to a horrible 2020 â and the drinking that came with it for many of us.
People set other resolutions, too â less doom-scrolling on social media, more workouts, more walks in the sublime beauty of nature. Maybe a little meditation and an end to binge-watching. But 2021 has barely started, and it has already sorely tested our noble aspirations.