The hottest Wellbeing Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Health & Wellness Topics

The Barefoot Edition

Why is this interesting? • 482 implied HN points • 17 Jun 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Fitness Nutrition Mental health Physical therapy Wellbeing
  1. Running barefoot can help you feel the ground better and improve your natural running form. This connection can reduce the chances of getting hurt.
  2. Proprioception, or your body's awareness of its position and movement, is enhanced when you run without bulky shoes. With less padding, you get better feedback from the ground.
  3. Even though many places don't allow running barefoot, it's possible to find ways to get that natural feel for your feet, like running on grass or sand when you can.

Want to Be Happier? Use These Five Charts to Improve Your Life.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2796 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Personal Growth Wellbeing Happiness
  1. Happiness comes from many types of wealth, not just money. You should focus on time, social connections, mental well-being, and physical health too.
  2. Reflect on the time you have left with loved ones. Understanding this can help you prioritize your time and who you spend it with.
  3. There's always something more to chase in life, like a bigger boat. Instead of striving for what society tells you to want, figure out what truly matters to you.

Beyond toxic positivity

Granted • 16412 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Emotions Resilience Wellbeing
  1. In tough times, merely promoting positivity doesn't help people cope; it's important to acknowledge and support them through their pain.
  2. Strength comes from being genuinely supported, not from pretending everything is always okay.
  3. It's essential to strike a balance between recognizing difficult emotions and maintaining a sense of hope for the future.

Mental Bric-a-Brac

Disaffected Newsletter • 839 implied HN points • 08 Aug 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Healthcare Customer Service Mental health Wellbeing Community
  1. Good customer service should be recognized and praised, just like bad service is often complained about. It's important to share positive experiences.
  2. A personal connection with service staff can make a big difference, like when a pharmacist helps save money on medications and explains the options available.
  3. Observing changes in other countries can evoke a sense of concern and hope for their future. There's often a personal connection felt even from afar.

Bro time matters

Of Boys and Men • 290 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Gender Studies Isolation Wellbeing
  1. Men benefit from spending time with each other, and male friendships are important for their well-being. It's good for men to have their own spaces to hang out and connect.
  2. Women generally have more favorable views about all-female gatherings compared to all-male ones. This shows a difference in how people view the positivity of gender-specific social groups.
  3. While some worry that men can encourage bad behavior when together, the truth is that male friendships can help reduce isolation and support better mental health.
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Level up: Week 2

Running Probably • 99 implied HN points • 11 Oct 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Fitness Wellbeing Training Nutrition Mindfulness
  1. Running by feel is important. Instead of always checking your watch, pay attention to how your body feels during the run.
  2. Finding the right time to run makes it easier to stick to your routine. Try different times to see when you feel best running.
  3. Adding variety to your running routes keeps things interesting. Explore new paths and take note of your surroundings to make each run fun.

‘It’s about changing minds. I want to make choosing bhangra ‘normal’ for everyone.’

NN Journal • 139 implied HN points • 05 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Dance Tradition Community Fitness Wellbeing Inclusivity
  1. Bhangra is a fun and energetic dance from Punjab that is great exercise. It has traditional roots but now mixes with popular music and fitness classes.
  2. Everyone is welcome to join Bhangra classes, no matter their background or skill level. The focus is on inclusivity and making dance enjoyable for everyone.
  3. Dancing Bhangra can help improve mental health and build confidence. It's not just about physical activity; it also provides a break from everyday stress.

Mental Health is Health 🧠

Are You Okay? • 1737 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Wellbeing Therapy Medication Awareness
  1. Mental health is a crucial aspect of overall health, affecting our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, as well as our physical health. It is not just about happiness but about acknowledging and working on our fears, moods, habits, and relationships.
  2. Being aware of our mental health, accepting the things we cannot change, and taking action over the things we can control are important steps in managing mental health.
  3. Addressing mental health issues is a nuanced process that may involve a combination of medication, therapy, lifestyle changes, and self-discovery. It requires a holistic approach considering bio-psycho-social elements.

You Can't Trust Any Part Of This Dystopia If You Want Health And Sanity

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1685 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Society Wellbeing Health Dystopia Consciousness
  1. Be mindful of what you consume - from food to media - in a society driven by profit over wellbeing.
  2. Exercise caution and selectivity with what you let into your life and body, such as pharmaceuticals and products, in a profit-centered society.
  3. In a civilization filled with toxicity, prioritize critical examination to maintain health and sanity.

How to Care For Your Body with Kindness & Respect

Are You Okay? • 978 implied HN points • 04 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Body Acceptance Self-care Mental health Physical health Wellbeing
  1. Body acceptance is the starting point for caring for your body - it allows you to be realistic and kind to yourself instead of idealistic and critical.
  2. Focus on nourishing foods, enjoyable movement, and rejecting perfectionism in order to care for your body with kindness and respect.
  3. Reduce social media consumption to improve mental health and avoid comparing yourself to idealized images.

An Antidote for Wound Collecting

The Dose • 589 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Self-Improvement Wellbeing Therapy Parenting
  1. Focusing on strengths over fragility can help us grow and feel better.
  2. Creating an identity around victimhood can lead to rumination, lack of empathy, and a constant need for recognition of suffering.
  3. Reframing our life story as a hero's journey can increase well-being, resilience, and help us see obstacles as challenges to overcome.

Improve your focus, productivity and mood by recreating the sun

Metabolic Repair • 19 implied HN points • 21 Aug 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Productivity Wellbeing
  1. Bright lighting can help you focus and feel more alert. If your workspace is too dark, try adding more light to boost your mood and productivity.
  2. Sunlight has a specific lighting quality, so using bright, focused lights can mimic that effect. Using movie spotlights is a great way to simulate sunlight indoors.
  3. The best setup involves placing a strong light behind you to mimic the sun's position. This will help light up your workspace without glaring on your screens.

The Profound Pleasure of Physical Tasks

The Analog Family • 319 implied HN points • 16 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Crafting Construction Wellbeing Human experience
  1. Doing physical tasks can bring a lot of joy. It often feels satisfying to work with your hands and see real results from your efforts.
  2. Many people feel tired or unfulfilled after long periods of only using screens. Engaging in hands-on activities can help us feel more connected to ourselves and the world around us.
  3. There is a real need to create and use our hands. Participating in craft or physical hobbies can boost our emotional well-being and give us a sense of achievement.

A victim of the cult of optimization and productivity

Pinch of Dirt • 176 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Fitness Self-care Mental health Wellbeing Physical activity
  1. Questioning the need for constant productivity and optimization is important for self-reflection.
  2. Physical activities like running can be enjoyable and beneficial when connected to personal goals beyond changing body size.
  3. Consistent habits like yoga can be maintained through daily practice, but it's also important to allow for flexibility and rest.

Are social media bad for mental health? It's the wrong question.

An Educated Guess • 174 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Epidemiology Social media Public Health Wellbeing
  1. The impact of social media on mental health is a complex issue that cannot be simplified to a dose-response relationship.
  2. The understanding of social media's effect on mental health can benefit from incorporating different epidemiological paradigms like sanitation, infection, chronic disease, and eco-epidemiology.
  3. Social media is not just a risk factor but an environment that plays a crucial role in shaping various behaviors and experiences, especially for young people.

The creative imperative

Erifili • 159 implied HN points • 03 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Creativity Personal Growth Self-awareness Wellbeing
  1. Everyone has some level of creativity within them, it's just a matter of prioritizing and nurturing it.
  2. Engaging in creative expression, like writing or art, is crucial for personal growth, self-awareness, and emotional catharsis.
  3. Being intentional about making time for creative expression is essential for overall wellbeing, self-discovery, and personal fulfillment.

The Big Lie About Success

The Leadership Lab • 118 implied HN points • 14 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Wellbeing Happiness Strengths Self-Improvement Motivation
  1. Success does not guarantee enduring happiness - beware of the Arrival Fallacy that assumes achieving a goal will bring lasting joy.
  2. Believing in the Arrival Fallacy can lead to a constant feeling of something missing, as true happiness requires a different mindset than just striving for success.
  3. Use the Arrival Fallacy as a short-term motivator, but focus on developing contentment and happiness for long-term well-being.

Cultivating A New Aging Narrative

Creative Destruction • 9 implied HN points • 29 Nov 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Aging Lifestyle Mental health Self-care Wellbeing
  1. We should shift our focus from trying to avoid aging to embracing life as we get older. This change in mindset can lead to a more positive and fulfilling experience of aging.
  2. There are practical examples and approaches that can help us see aging in a new, more inspiring light. These can motivate us to live fully as we age.
  3. It's important to challenge the cultural obsession with anti-aging by promoting a narrative that values living well, rather than just looking young. This can create a healthier perspective on aging.

Can AI Help Us With Our Mental Health Issues?

Bojan’s Newsletter • 78 implied HN points • 16 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health AI Therapy Technology Wellbeing
  1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people change their mental perspective to overcome psychological problems like depression and anxiety.
  2. CBT is well-researched but requires frequent and prolonged use, which can be challenging to sustain.
  3. Generative AI could assist in mental health by creating realistic conversation partners to track and improve mental health states.

ex_fatfast review: Massive fuckarounditis, briefly dipped <230lbs

Experimental Fat Loss • 106 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Weight Loss Diet Fitness Wellbeing
  1. Eating only salad led to gaining 12lbs in 12 hours due to high salt and low nutritional content.
  2. Experimenting with different foods like sour cream and tomato soup highlighted the importance of satiation vs. satiety.
  3. Avoid 'fuckarounditis' by sticking to a consistent plan instead of constantly trying new things.

I'm Confused About Sugar

The Heart Attack Diet • 59 implied HN points • 06 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Diet Wellbeing Fitness
  1. People in history had terrible dental health due to sugar, which was driven by British people's desire for cheap sugar, leading to dental problems and health issues.
  2. Tooth decay might not have always been a problem caused by sugar, which raises questions about ancestral populations' exposure to sugar and the evolution of taste preferences.
  3. The idea that sugar causes tooth decay and people like the taste of sugar might not align over evolutionary timescales, leading to a need for further exploration and explanations.

How you work is how you eat

10x your mind • 59 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Mental health Physical health Wellbeing Self-care
  1. The type of food you crave after a task reflects how enjoyable or boring the task was - more boring tasks lead to craving unhealthy foods.
  2. Mental energy is vital for self-control and decision-making, and the brain consumes significant energy, influencing food choices.
  3. Engaging in interesting and challenging work situations can lead to a 'flow' state where creativity and productivity thrive without the need for self-control.

Tiling the universe and 'simple' theories of wellbeing plus an update on my life

Philosophy bear • 107 implied HN points • 16 Jun 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics Wellbeing Narrative
  1. Well-being theories based solely on desire satisfaction or pleasure may not fully capture what makes a life 'good'.
  2. Comparing universes with simple lives to complex lives highlights the importance of diversity, continuity, and relationships for overall well-being.
  3. Considering well-being as forming a coherent and positive narrative could provide a richer perspective than solely focusing on desire satisfaction or pleasure.

Choline

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 139 implied HN points • 27 Jun 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Wellbeing
  1. Choline plays a critical role in assisting B12 and folate, supporting fat digestion, and contributing to memory and attention.
  2. Choline helps clear the liver of fat and supports cell membranes.
  3. This post by Chris Masterjohn focuses on the importance of choline for various bodily functions.

Mom Test: Weeks Two and Three

The Heart Attack Diet • 39 implied HN points • 10 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Weight Wellbeing
  1. The individual experienced tiredness which was possibly caused by consuming cherries with high sulphite content. This led to slight hot flashes and adjustments in medication.
  2. Despite feeling overfed due to increased carbohydrate intake, weight gain was observed. This challenges the idea of homeostasis fixing itself as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) clear from the system.
  3. The person plans to monitor weight changes over a week to draw conclusions about the observed weight gain and its relationship to diet changes.

Bite-Sized Self-Care Challenge Day 30

QUALITY BOSS • 19 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care Fitness Mental health Physical health Wellbeing
  1. It's important to take care of our fingers since they do a lot of work, especially if we type a lot. Stretching can help keep them flexible and reduce tension.
  2. Today's self-care challenge focuses on finger stretches. These include pressing fingers back away from the palm and rotating fists, which can feel really good.
  3. This self-care journey is about discovering new ways to take care of ourselves. It's nice to reflect on what we've learned throughout this 30-day challenge.