This Is What Happens To Your Brain When You’re In Back-To-Back Meetings

Posted on 09/12/2022 by Boris Clair

If you have ever felt like a full day of back-to-back meetings was draining your life force, you’re not alone.

Many of us dread a packed work calendar. Wasting too much time in meetings is a distraction preventing 67% of professionals from making more of an impact, according to a 2019 survey of nearly 2,000 people by organisational consultancy Korn Ferry.

But it’s not just that a high number of meetings can give us feelings of anxiety. There’s actually research that shows how attending too many — and seldom taking breaks — can cause our brains to work differently.

Study Finds Stress Levels Spiked Amid Back-To-Back Meetings

In 2021, researchers at Microsoft’s Human Factors Lab asked 14 people to take part in video calls while wearing electroencephalogram equipment that monitored electrical activity in their brains. On one Monday, some participants were given four half-hour meetings without breaks, while others had four half-hour meetings with a 10-minute break between each for meditation; then, on the following Monday, the two groups switched.

Among those who got no breaks, beta wave activity increased in the brain with each successive meeting, indicating heightened stress levels. In fact, just the anticipation of the next call caused a spike in beta activity during the transition period between meetings, researchers found.

In a Microsoft study last year, beta wave activity increased in the brains of people who had successive meetings with no breaks, indicating a rise in stress. Beta activity remained stable in those who took 10-minute breaks.

Meanwhile, the researchers also measured the difference in right and left alpha wave activity over frontal regions of the brain — known as frontal alpha asymmetry — which can indicate levels of mental engagement.

Participants who took breaks showed positive frontal alpha asymmetry, suggesting higher engagement during the meetings, while those without breaks had negative asymmetry, indicating that they were more mentally withdrawn.

When study participants had breaks between meetings, their brains showed signs of higher engagement.

“I’m not surprised that people who took breaks between meetings felt better. People who take breaks in general feel better,” said Laura Vanderkam, a time management expert and the author of “Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways To Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters.”

“We all take breaks one way or another; it’s just [that] many times they’re unconscious. By choosing when and how to take a break, you notice the break happening and reap the rejuvenation,” Vanderkam said.

One big caveat to Microsoft’s findings, of course, is that the sample size of participants was small. But the study aligns with a large body of other research suggesting that meeting overload causes unproductive, unhappy employees who feel like their schedule is ruling their life.

In a recent survey of 76 companies, for example, management researchers found that employee productivity more than doubled when meetings were reduced by 40%.

“This is largely because employees felt more empowered and autonomous,” the researchers wrote in March for Harvard Business Review. “Rather than a schedule being the boss, they owned their to-do lists and held themselves accountable, which consequently increased their satisfaction by 52%.”

Making The Most Of Breaks In Meeting Marathons

If you’re looking for ways to make your own breaks more impactful, try to resist scrolling on social media or reading your email, experts said.

“Many people check email between meetings as a form of a break, and I get that,” Vanderkam said. “But [it is] even better to batch email at some point in the day, or only do it between every other meeting, and use those little bits of time for something else that will add joy and meaning to your life, like a 10-minute walk outside.”

Holistic health coach and mindfulness teacher Rosie Acosta recommended a relaxation technique in which you breathe in for three seconds and out for six, repeating as necessary.

“You only need to do three to five cycles before your body starts to respond and release tension,” she said. “Most of us sit at computers a lot. So if you do sit, perhaps use this time to stand and stretch. The biggest way to reset is to shut down the distractions.”

And if you’re a manager, try setting your teams up for success by avoiding marathon meeting days and building in more breaks.

“To make 10-minute breaks work, it’s helpful for organisations to set a culture that meetings start at, say, the hour and end 10-15 minutes early,” Vanderkam said. “That allows for a break or a ‘passing period’ like in a high school for people who need to travel.”

The big takeaway? It’s better to take a short breather than to power through a slew of meetings, as even a few minutes can make a big difference in our stress levels and ability to focus.

“When we are laser-focused on a task, we tend to create tension in our body, we stop breathing, and we stay in that tension throughout the day,” Acosta said. “If we are able to take short breaks to either do some breathing or even just relaxing of your shoulders, it gives your body the space it needs to feel relaxed.”

‘My Wife Doesn’t Want Me To Go On Holiday Without Her’

Posted on 08/12/2022 by Boris Clair

You’re reading Love Stuck, where trained therapists answer your dating, sex and relationship dilemmas. You can submit a question here.

In a long-term relationship, you might start to feel like you’re doing everything with your partner. Concerts, parties, restaurants, trips, it can get to a point where you automatically bring your ‘other half’ everywhere.

Which is why some people in relationships try to regain their independence, like this week’s reader: Collin.

“I would like to travel with a friend of mine to Portugal for a surf trip without my wife,” Collin says. “She is having an issue with me going without her for various reasons. I am not sure how to navigate this issue in our 30-year marriage. We have not travelled independently much before.”

Collin doesn’t mention any issues with his wife, but he wants to have more solo experiences. Is this a problem?

Counselling Directory member Kim Lord doesn’t necessarily think so.

What would you say to this reader?

“Your decision to holiday without her may raise some insecurities in your wife, which she may not feel able to voice,” Lord says.

“This is not to suggest that your decision is wrong, or in some way harmful to her, but taking the time to gain some insight into why she has an issue would be helpful to you both.”

Lord adds that Collin has mentioned that he hasn’t done much independent travelling before, so after 30 years of marriage, a desire to travel without her may come as a surprise to his wife.

“Whilst we may like to believe that our partner will happily accept all our wishes with support and understanding, our actions can sometimes impact upon our partners’ feelings in a way we may not expect,” Lord adds.

“Your wife may feel a sense of rejection if you have always holidayed with her in the past, but this time have chosen to take a friend.”

Why might his wife have an issue with him travelling without her?

Counselling Directory member Georgina Smith asks Collin if there’s been a breach of trust, have the couple had to navigate infidelity? “If so, then it would be a big ask to request solo travel, depending on the circumstances and the couple’s timeline of difficulty,” Smith adds.

“Even if lack of trust is not an obvious issue, I would be encouraging the husband to explore those ‘various reasons’ with her and discuss together how he may provide reassurance around her insecure feelings around this trip.”

Counselling Directory member Victoria Jeffries believes that Collin’s wife is feeling insecure at the idea of him leaving her. “It could be she views this as some form of abandonment.”

“I would hazard a guess that this runs deeper with your wife; it may be that at some point in her life (most likely her childhood) she felt excluded or abandoned by those she loved, and therefore you taking a trip without her is triggering those feelings for her,” Jeffries adds.

“This may seem far-fetched (and possibly even unfair on her part), however it is not uncommon for painful feelings from the past to suddenly arise from seemingly ordinary circumstances such as a spouse simply wanting to take a surfing trip with a friend.”

What practical tips would you give this reader?

Smith encourages Collin’s wife to communicate all of her concerns and fears around this solo trip. ″Communicate and compromise on ‘ground rules’ – how often will the couple talk while he is away, what is acceptable behaviour like staying out til late and around the opposite sex for example,” Smith adds.

She also suggests making plans for another trip as a couple might help, so Collin can avoid the sense that his wife is ‘missing out’ and have a chance to reconnect. “Using empathy and good listening skills is key – try to understand the feelings behind her words. Having an issue with the trip will be about her feelings of discomfort, not just to be difficult.”

Jeffies also emphasises talking to his wife and exploring her concerns. “It may also be a good idea to explain why this trip is important to you (presuming it is),” she says. “It could be that your wife isn’t fully taking into consideration what this means for you.”

Love Stuck is for those who’ve hit a romantic wall, whether you’re single or have been coupled up for decades. With the help of trained sex and relationship therapists, HuffPost UK will help answer your dilemmas. Submit a question here.

Feeling Drained? You’re Probably Dealing With ‘Energy Leakage.’ Here’s What To Know.

Posted on 07/12/2022 by Boris Clair

When thinking about the ways you spend your energy, what comes to mind are likely the things that are commonly known as “draining” — work, commuting, running errands, the list goes on.

But there are smaller, everyday moments that can be just as depleting. Those are what Melissa Urban, the co-founder and CEO of Whole30 and New York Times bestselling author of “The Book of Boundaries: Set the Limits That Will Set You Free,” calls “energy leakages.”

According to Urban, energy leakage — while not a clinical phrase — is “the invisible ways that we spend energy throughout the day that leaves us feeling drained.”

She noted that “every interaction you have, whether you’re meeting your mum for lunch or replying to a social media comment … is an energetic exchange and sometimes those exchanges can leave you feeling really invigorated and positive and restored … but, in other times … you just feel depleted, you feel anxious, you feel overwhelmed, you feel frustrated.”

In other words, interactions that result in energy leakage are those interactions that consume “more energy than they’re giving back,” Urban said.

So, if you are dealing with a friend who always treats you like a therapist or are getting upset when scrolling through photos of an ex, you may be dealing with energy leakage.

Here are some unexpected ways you’re draining your energy and what to do about it.

Your phone and social media are huge sources of energy leakage.

According to Urban, your phone and social media are major culprits of energy leakage. “It feels effortless to just lie in bed and scroll and post or leave a comment or follow comments down the rabbit hole,” she said but “that is an energetic exchange.”

And, most of the time, you are not getting any energy back after looking at social media — especially when you’re comparing your life to someone else’s on Instagram, checking a toxic social media account or reading hateful comments.

Think about it: Do you ever feel better after social media stalking? Probably not.

Kids can be draining, too.

As wonderful as they are, kids can be a reason for energy leakage, too, Urban said.

“Kids are needy, they need things all the time, and they don’t have the processing for you to be like, ‘Dude, I need a minute,’” she said.

When kids need something, they need something. And that’s OK (you can’t exactly tell a 4-year-old to make their own dinner), but there are ways you may be adding to this energy leak.

You may be expending extra energy on your child (like many parents can’t help but do) — for example, frequently checking in with your child when they’re quietly playing, or asking if they need a snack or water when they’re content, Urban noted. In the end, you’re putting more pressure on yourself in this moment when, really, your child is just fine.

Beyond kids, specific people in your life can be ‘energy vampires.’

“I think everyone knows what it feels like to leave a conversation with that person who is an ‘energy vampire,’” Urban said. “You just feel like they sucked all the life out of you.”

These could be colleagues who constantly complain to you about work or family members who need a lot of support (but don’t give any support back).

There’s probably someone in your life who fits the “energy vampire” mould; signs include leaving an interaction completely depleted or exhausted.

Urban noted that this can be especially tough for those who have people-pleasing tendencies. You may feel like it’s extra hard to deal with energy vampires because they just take and take and take.

Staying angry about things that should be left in the past is another culprit.

How many times have you been cut off in traffic and let it ruin your entire afternoon?

This, Urban said, is another major driver of energy leakage: “That’s energy you are spending on something that isn’t even real anymore” — it happened in the past.

The same goes for holding grudges along with anything that puts our energy in the past or future, she noted, so things like rehearsing disaster and negative self-talk, too.

Certain people in your life may unknowingly drain your energy.

Energy leakage is related to a feeling of mindlessness.

Alayna L. Park, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, told HuffPost that the concept of energy leakage reminds her of mindlessness — the opposite of the popular practice known as mindfulness, which she defined as “paying attention to the present moment.”

Mindlessness is what Park describes as going on autopilot.

“Going on autopilot isn’t always going to drain your energy,” but a lot of the reasons we experience energy leakage — checking our phones, scrolling social media, agreeing to an event you don’t want to attend — happen because our minds are on autopilot, she added.

“We’re just kind of going through our day without always having an intention in mind,” Park said, and that can be particularly damaging when it comes to activities that exhaust you.

There are ways to help combat this feeling.

“If you know you’re about to do something that’s draining, [give] yourself a small reward afterward,” Park said. This way, you’ll have something to look forward to during a draining activity or interaction.

The reward doesn’t have to be huge. It can be something simple like going for a short walk after a meeting with someone who drains your energy or rewarding yourself with a piece of chocolate after going through a situation that led to a feeling of energy leakage.

Park also suggested setting a timer for activities that lead to energy leakage. For example, if you want to scroll social media but know it depletes your energy, you can set a time limit so you won’t just be endlessly scrolling.

Or, if there’s someone in your life who depletes your energy (and you still have to see them … like a colleague, for example) you can limit your meetings with this person to 30 minutes and remind yourself that “I can do anything for 30 minutes, even if it’s unpleasant,” Park added.

But, how much time you need to restore your energy will vary.

Urban said it’s important to know where you draw your energy from — if you’re introverted (meaning you recharge from time alone) or extroverted (you gain energy from spending time with other people) — in terms of handling your energy leakage.

If you don’t know if you’re an introvert or extrovert, “you can use Susan Cain’s super simple introvert-extrovert model,” to determine how you get your energy, Urban added.

“If you’re extroverted where being around other people makes you feel energised, you might need less quiet or alone time to restore energy leakage,” Urban said, “and you might want to choose to spend time specifically with the people who you know make you feel energised.”

For those who are introverted, you will likely need a lot more alone time to restore your energy, she noted.

Keep track of what makes you feel this way.

You may not know exactly what drains your energy, and that’s OK, Park said. If you notice you are dealing with this feeling of energy leakage at the end of every day, make a point to take note of your actions in the days to come.

To decipher what is making you feel this way, pay attention to your actions, emotions and physical sensation, she said.

When it comes to emotions, when we are on the path to feeling drained, “we might notice we’re a little more irritable than usual, or down or anxious,” Park said. Additionally, you may notice that your heart is racing or your face feels hot, she said.

Another major sign? If you’re going about your day and not doing necessary self-care tasks like working out or keeping your home in order, you may be dealing with energy leakage, too.

If any of this rings true, take a step back and think about the tasks or interactions in the day that could have led to this moment.

“An issue I see a lot it almost seems like this all or nothing — you’re fine and then you notice, ‘Oh, I’m really drained right now,’” Park said, “It can be helpful to catch before you hit the ‘I’m completely drained right now.’”

It’s important to set boundaries.

“Setting boundaries is a huge and important factor in energy leakage — you want to set boundaries with friends, family members, co-workers or co-parents who are overstepping your capacity,” Urban said.

This can include telling someone that certain topics are off-limits, that you don’t want to take part in gossip or that you will leave a conversation if it turns mean.

Boundaries look different for everyone and should address the need that your energy leakage is trying to show you — so if something makes you feel drained or anxious, you probably need to establish some boundaries.

While boundary-setting can be tough, setting boundaries is “immediately going to allow you to reclaim some of that energy,” Urban said.

Grocery Prices Have Finally Dipped – What Does That Mean For Christmas?

Posted on 07/12/2022 by Boris Clair

Grocery prices have finally fallen (slightly), but sadly your Christmas dinner still isn’t looking any cheaper.

According to new research from data insights company Kantar, the cost of the traditional Christmas dinner for four people has increased by 9.3% compared to last year, up to £31.

Shoppers will have to spend an additional £60 in December just to buy the same items as last year, too.

But – looking on the bright side – that’s still less than general food bills at the moment.

Groceries overall are 14.6% more expensive than they were 12 months ago (down from 14.7% inflation in October).

This is the first time there’s been any drop at all in price for 21 months, suggesting inflation may finally be easing.

Even so, Kantar has noted that the sale of mince pies and Christmas puddings have fallen year-on-year.

Presumably this is because consumers are cutting down on their seasonal purchases ahead of the official festive periods towards the end of the month.

Interestingly, the football World Cup has not inspired a sudden splurge either.

Take-home beer sales only increased 5% to £230 million – even then Kantar believes this is due to increased prices, rather than a rise in the number of purchases

Discount supermarkets, Aldi and Lidl, have both opened up new stores across the country in the last three months though. An extra 1.5 million households now shop at Aldi compared to 2021.

As head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, Fraser McKevitt, explained: “As we move into the busiest time of the year for supermarkets, there are signs that the pace of grocery price inflation is easing off slightly.”

But, he added that the research shows “just how much rising prices are impacting people at the tills and in their daily lives”.

December is still expected to be the largest ever month for take-home grocery sales as inflation and festive spending kick in.

Supermarkets are set to take more than £12 billion for the first time.

McKevitt added: “We’re seeing yet more evidence of the coping strategies shoppers are adopting to mitigate rising costs, and in particular own-label sales are growing at pace, now up 11.7% year on year.”

He said the cheapest value own-label lines have increased by 46.3% too – but people still want treats around this time of year, triggering the increase in premium own-label sales up by 6.1% to £461 million in November.

How To Successfully Secure Working From Home (Even If Your Boss Is A Dinosaur)

Posted on 06/12/2022 by Boris Clair

New government legislation allows employees the right to request flexible working from the time they start a new job. The move is being received well by unions, who advised minsters to do more in relation to making flexible working a norm.

Millions of Brits all over the UK are currently working flexibly, this includes people working from home, compressed hours, job sharing, flexitime and part-time and term-time only working.

The government announced on Monday that it would introduce legislation which will give employees the right to ask for flexible working arrangements as soon as they start a job. Previously, you could only make a request after 26 weeks.

Now, you can do it straight away. A request can be made every year and employers have up to three months to respond.

As well as helping those who want to work from home, the government said around 1.5 million low paid workers such as students, carers and gig economy employees would benefit from this legislation, because it would let those workers take on a second job if they desired.

Tray Durrant, executive director of PA recruiter, Bain and Gray, believes the new move will be a good thing for employees. “It will prompt discussion and iron out the working arrangements from day one, which can only be a good thing for both sides and ensure hybrid working arrangements are clear cut. It is already part of the dialogue for our candidates when looking for new roles,” Durrant says.

Though the move will be important for employees, some people shared that they’d feel uncomfortable asking for flexible working options in a job interview as they fear the response, according to a TUC survey.

However, Durrant thinks it’s important that this is covered during the interview process. “This should set the stage for the future working arrangements,” Durrant adds. “It’s crucial during any interview process that all elements are considered by both parties, and establishing the ground around flexible working arrangements would be anticipated by the employer.”

Equally, there are some who might feel anxious about approaching their current employer about the topic of flexible working. But Durrant says “whether or not someone is intimidated, communication is paramount”.

More than a quarter (26%) of businesses have reported an increase in questions regarding flexible working at interview stage. UK workers increasingly expect flexibility as a given, with some going so far as to say they’d be more likely to continue working for their employer if they were able to work overseas as part of their current job.

So, what’s the best way to make a WFH request?

“Employees need to think through the benefits of presenting their case for home working, which might be easier for some roles than others,” says Durrant. “Highlight clear tasks where the focus is individual and where undertaking these duties makes more makes more sense in an uninterrupted environment.”

Alison Blackler who is a mind coach understands that bringing up the topic of flexible working can be difficult if your manager isn’t keek on the idea. Blackler share’s three tips to when making a working from home request:

Prepare what you want to say, get as much factual information to present, for example, the length of time saved travelling and have the key pointers written down. This helps you get all your points over, keeps you on track and therefore reduces overwhelm and fluster.
Make sure that time has been planned into the managers diary and state what you want to talk about ‘flexible working’. Be brave and clear – being up front helps everyone with expectations. It is also tempting to try to ask casually, which can catch the manager off guard and therefore get an unwanted response. This also helps you prepare yourself for the conversation
Remember, these conversations usually go better than we imagine in our minds. We often dread them and make them into much bigger deals. Rehearsal also helps the mind so that it is not new and it is much easier.

This also goes for employees who feel pressured to work in the office, despite being offered hybrid working options. “If this becomes a problem for the employee, the individual should bring it up with their manager and ask for clear guidelines on the company policy and on their role,” Durrant shares.

“Again, communication is paramount to set parameters and ensure there is clarity around the role and the number of days in the office.”

Employees certainly want hybrid to stay – 15% of businesses are already receiving increased requests to work from anywhere, Totaljobs reported. Meanwhile 15% are getting questions about four-day working weeks.

Around 16% of companies have improved flexible working options in order to retain staff aged over 50, according to Totaljobs. And only 12% of companies citied “managing flexible working patterns” as one of the major challenges facing businesses in Q3 2022, suggesting most are getting used to the idea). Instead, cost of living (55%) and retaining staff (26%) were the principal concerns.

‘Chilled To The Bone’: What Jewish People Need You To Know About Kanye West

Posted on 06/12/2022 by Boris Clair

In some ways, a masked millionaire managing to even out-do conspiracy theorists by saying, ‘I love Hitler’ is so outright absurd, that it could be funny.

But when I watched Kanye West go on his latest antisemitic rant on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s podcast, in which he claimed to be a good person who just happened to love Hitler, I felt not only chilled but also utterly depressed. It is a scary time to be a Jew.

Jew hatred has become fashionable over the last few years. I’ve got used to seeing #Jews trending on Twitter all the time – never for a good reason.

Sometimes, the hatred is from the far left, who demonise us as Zionists (in their narrative, Zionists who are the puppet masters of politicians, have an obsession with money and like to kill children). And sometimes it is from the far right (who also claim Jews are the puppet masters of politicians, have an obsession with money and like to kill children).

We are fighting both, but right now Kanye – who legally changed his name to Ye last year – is at the centre of what is sometimes called the horseshoe effect – the idea that all the extremes meet in antisemitism. The problem isn’t that he is one man going on tirades but that he is an extremely influential man, who has twice as many Twitter followers as there are Jews in the entire world.

“I felt chilled to the bone when I saw a clip of what he was saying,” Lindi*, a 73-year-old Jewish grandmother from Leeds, tells me. “I feel frightened because a whole new tranche of people will be attracted by what he says. The world is a much smaller place than it used to be – ideas get quickly spread around.

“Just before he went on his rant, he was having dinner with Donald Trump who is a very powerful man hoping to become President again. The reach of people like this is huge. And it is no longer just about words – it is not just moaning about Jews at dinner parties – but actual physical attacks are happening.”

Last year antisemitic incidents reached a record high – up 34% – and of these 2,255 attacks, 176 were violent. We are one of the smallest minorities in the country, making up just 0.5% of the UK, but the victims of 23% of all religious assaults.

“One of the things that is worrying me is that he is turning two oppressed communities, who should be allies, against each other,” says Sam S*, 43, from London. “It feels like he’s trying to start a race war and it feels like the far right are encouraging it. I’m worried it’s not going to stop. It’s going to keep escalating.”

Some have put West’s rants down to mental health, as he’s previously spoken about his diagnosis of bipolar disorder. But many have contested the idea that mental illness could cause antisemitism.

“This isn’t just mental illness – what he is saying is the result of a deep ideology,” says Alex Hearn, 47, from London, who is an antisemitic activist and the director of Labour Against Antisemitism. “The things he has come out with are tropes going back hundreds of years; it is part of a deep conspiratorial belief system. They aren’t off-hand comments but the tip of an ideological iceberg.

“Some of it is far right, white supremacist, Nazi ideology and it merges in with a supersession ideology that Black people are ‘the real Jews’ and that the rest of us are just pretenders. It’s a mix of increasingly popular ideas.”

Alex Hearn (left) and Joseph Cohen (right)

Prior to Kanye’s latest outburst, he’d already threatened to go ‘death con three’ on Jewish people. Disturbingly, a group in Los Angeles were later photographed draping a banner reading “Kanye is right about the Jews” over a freeway overpass.

For all the Hollywood celebrities who condemed anti-semitism in the aftermath, there were others who repeated some of the rapper’s rhetoric.

Most notoriously, basketball star Kyrie Irving posted a link to a controversial Amazon documentary called ‘Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America’ which contains both Holocaust denial and the same idea being spread by Kanye – that African Americans are the ‘real Jews’. (He’s since apologised).

Last week, Amazon boss Andy Jassy refused to bow to pressure to remove the film from the streaming site, saying: “We have to allow access to these viewpoints, even if they are objectionable.”

Hearn believes this stance is potentially “more dangerous than what Kanye is saying”.

“What we are talking about is the normalisation of conspiratorial thinking about Jews in popular culture,” he adds.

What can we do about Kanye and his antisemitism? Jews are stuck in a bind. Speak up and we are whiny – some even accuse us of being racist. Attempt to close him down, and that is proof of our ‘power’. And yet, I can’t tell you how powerless I feel.

“It is this battle which is most painful to me as a Black British Jew.”

– Lara Monroe

For Black British Jews the situation is complicated and, perhaps, doubly painful. Before Kanye was attacking Jews, he was attacking his own people, says Lara Monroe, a 43-year-old from East London, who writes about her experience of being both Black British and Jewish.

“To divorce Kanye’s antisemitic comments from those he made towards his own Black community can miss the nub of what is going on,” she tells HuffPost UK. “When Kanye and Candace Owens were photographed together wearing an ‘All Lives Matter’ top that was a trigger that something deeper was coming.”

For her, it is particularly painful to see his attempts at starting a war between minorities when she encompasses both.

“Who wins when the relationship between the Black and Jewish communities is broken by the agents of chaos who consciously or unconsciously stir it? The white supremacists. It is this battle which is most painful to me as a Black British Jew.

“When someone like Kanye chooses to be one of those agents, both Black and Jewish people can either feed into this with anger, mistrust and accusations of lack of solidarity or we can do what works, by being alert to and disrupt any spark of supremacist language or behaviour.”

“We can see Kanye becoming radicalised as we watch.”

– Joseph Cohen

Within hours of the Alex Jones’s podcast broadcast, Kanye was temporarily suspended from Twitter. But activist Joseph Cohen, who is in his late 30s and from London, says the dangerous thing about stopping antisemites talking on the mainstream is that they head into more extreme spaces.

“We can see Kanye becoming radicalised as we watch,” he says. “At first it was just about a Jewish manager. Then it was ‘death con three on Jews’ and now it’s ‘I love Hitler’. One of the pluses of still being able to see what he says is that we can see the full extent of his radicalisation. It is almost impossible for anyone to defend him now. I do worry that if we don’t allow for free speech, we push them into the arms of the neo-Nazis, but as it is, Kanye is already in bed with them.”

Cohen, who investigates antisemitism for an organisation called Israel Advocacy Movement, raises concerns that Kayne is not only influencing white supremacists in America, but the far right in Britain too.

“The most powerful Black artist in the world has united with some of the most dangerous and violent white supremacists on the planet and the far right in this country – people like Tommy Robinson – are being inspired by it,” he claims.

“It was only recently that they were focused more on Muslim people and were even attempting to pretend they were friends of Jewish people. But now the far right is, once again, universally focused on Jews and Kanye is helping with that. People who never thought about Jews suddenly believe these tropes – these ancient tropes about us – because Kanye is saying them. And the hardest thing is, I don’t know what we can do about it.”

*Some interviewees chose not to share their surnames.

How To Pick A Workout Playlist That’ll Keep You Going For Longer

Posted on 05/12/2022 by Boris Clair

You’re reading Move, the nudge we need to get active, however makes us happiest and healthiest.

Music is a lot of things: it’s restorative, motivational, moving and educational. There are endless ways we use music to get through our days, whether listening to a sad song on repeat or hitting play on an upbeat tune.

According to Ronna Kaplan, a clinical supervisor and adjunct music therapy faculty at Cleveland State University, “music is positive in many ways for mental health, it can be used across the lifespan” for many different situations.

One of those ways is during exercise. It can be a crucial element in enhancing your workout. Here’s how.

Your body’s movement naturally matches a song’s rhythm, which can help you stick to a specific pace.

There’s a reason your foot starts tapping or your shoulders start moving as soon as a song comes on. According to Joy Allen, the chair of music therapy and director of the music and health institute at Berklee College of Music in Boston, this is because of rhythmic entrainment, which is an “unconscious reaction — that’s what we call the entrainment.”

“Our body’s going to [move] in time with that sound or that rhythm,” she says.

So, when it comes to exercise, your body automatically falls in line with the tempo of the music “because of the way that our brains are connected with rhythm,” Allen says.

When picking music for a workout, like when going for a walk or run, for example, you’ll want to choose a tempo that is close to your natural stride. “Go [with] what seems comfortable for you and play around with different songs,” she says.

You can use music to increase your pace, too.

If you’re looking for an added challenge, pick a song with a pace that is a little quicker than your average running or walking stride, this should help you move faster throughout your workout.

You can start with a song with a slower tempo and gradually increase your speed by picking songs with faster beats, which is ideal if you’re looking to improve your walking or running pace, according to Kaplan.

“It primes the person to an outside cue,” she says. It “helps your muscles activate in their walking pattern.”

Music can help distract you from boredom during a workout.

It’s motivating.

How often has someone walked into the gym, realised they forgot their headphones, and then had a not-so-great workout — or even left the gym altogether? Allen pointed out this is a common occurrence: There is a major reason why music is integral to so many people’s workouts.

The music you listen to during a workout helps with motivation, and there are several things behind that motivation.

First, you probably want to hear your favorite song on your exercise playlist, which may keep you going for longer. Second, if you put on music that’s unexpected (like if you put on reggaeton instead of your regular pop soundtrack), you will be interested in hearing what comes next in the song, which may also keep you moving longer than usual.

“If you’re always listening to the same stuff, sometimes that’s great [but] sometimes we have fatigue from it — we know what to expect and what’s coming, so it can be a little less motivating,” Allen says.

And music is distracting.

No one wants to focus on their tough workout as they’re in it. If anything, they want to not think about it. As you sing along to lyrics or are reminded of music-induced memories, songs let your mind wander throughout an exercise regimen, so you don’t have to stand (or sit) there and think about how hard your workout is.

Music keeps you from getting bored during a workout, too, which can happen when you’re doing something kind of mundane like walking on a treadmill, Allen noted. Music activates the brain by giving your mind something else to think about.

“It captures your attention… ‘oh, here’s something I’m listening to,’ so I’m not attending to what could be an uncomfortable experience with the exercise, it gives me something else to focus on,” Allen says.

You’ll reap even more benefits when you pick your music.

According to Kaplan, when someone chooses the music they’re listening to, they’ll have better results, whether working out or doing something like meditation.

A recent study led by the Department of Kinesiology at Samford University in Alabama stated, “if the music played over the speakers is not preferred by the individual giving effort, performance may suffer. Thus, coaches and athletes should consider individual music preferences when attempting to optimise performance and training.”

This further speaks to the motivation you feel when working out to music you enjoy.

Additionally, Kaplan says you might notice you’re in a better mood when working out to music you select, which may make you feel like you enjoyed your workout more. And that’s a win-win.

This may mean you’ll be more likely to work out again that week, which is a great way to hit your fitness goals.

Move celebrates exercise in all its forms, with accessible features encouraging you to add movement into your day – because it’s not just good for the body, but the mind, too. We get it: workouts can be a bit of a slog, but there are ways you can move more without dreading it. Whether you love hikes, bike rides, YouTube workouts or hula hoop routines, exercise should be something to enjoy.

We Love Oodie’s Super Soft Wearable Blankets, Especially When They’re On Sale

Posted on 04/12/2022 by Boris Clair

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

Picture this: it’s the Christmas break and you’ve finished work or studies for the holidays – or maybe just the weekend. It’s finally snowing (yep, we might get actually get a White Christmas this year) and you’re sprawled out at one end of the sofa enjoying a festive movie marathon with your BFF or partner curled up on the other, with no intention of moving for hours, unless it’s to dip your hand into a new chocolate selection box.

Perfection? Almost. There’s just one thing missing – an Oodie (or two).

If you’ve not heard of Oodie – aka “the world’s leading wearable blanket” – it’s the ultimate wardrobe must-have this winter. Ok, ok, so it might not be high fashion, but as our heating bills skyrocket, there’s a reason this brilliant hybrid of fleece, blanket, jumper and dressing gown is proving quite so popular.

Essentially, it’s a wearable hug, and perfect for anyone looking for a practical and comfy way to keep snug and warm this winter. And here’s the best part: Oodie is currently offering shoppers the chance to buy an Oodie for you and your favourite person – in the form of the discounted Oodie Twin Pack.

An Oodie comes in just one, oversized size – based on a 6XL – which not only makes for the ultimate comfort and coverage, but also super simple shopping.

It boasts an insulating sherpa fleece lining, as well as an ultra soft exterior of Toastyek flannel fleece, and it’s this magic combo that will give you the warm and fuzzies. This design also features a giant front pocket to protect your hands from the chill, not to mention store your valuables and snacks, and an all important hood to keep your head and neck protected from any draughts. It’s also cruelty free and machine washable, making light work of laundry day.

The Oodie is available in over 40 colourways, including a variety of patterns from foodie to pet prints, tie dye, even your starsign – as well as plain block colours if that’s more your thing.

Not all patterns are included in the deal, fyi, so do double check before you buy. But whether you wear your Oodie to run errands, on a duvet day, working from home, or on winter walks, it’s the one. And now’s your chance to buy two!

The Oodie Twin Pack has been reduced from £178 to just £98, meaning you’ll be spending just £44 per Oodie in this deal. A single Oodie usually retails for £89 (or £69 on sale) so you’re practically getting two for the price of one here.

What we also love about this bundle is that you can select two different Oodie designs – allowing you to mix or match depending on your vibe. Personally, we’re going for pizzas and koalas in our bundle, but that’s how we roll.

This two-pack discount has already been applied on site, but, to claim it, shoppers must enter the discount code “CUSTOM-TWIN” at the checkout.

The deal coincides with Oodie’s Holiday Sale, with select other items on site reduced by £25, as well as great deals on family bundles and six-pack sets if you want to co-ordinate your entire friendship group or family, including your pets. The Kid’s Oodie is also on sale for just £52 in the run up to Christmas!

Fans of the brand can also shop its weighted blanket to warm the cockles this season, as well as the Oodie Robe, pyjamas, hair wraps, slippers and more. As always, these deals won’t last forever, so move quickly to bag a bargain.

‘Better Off Hibernating’: What It’s Really Like To Live With Seasonal Depression

Posted on 04/12/2022 by Boris Clair

While many of us may catch a case of the winter blues as the days get shorter, an estimated 10 million adults in the US and 2 million in the UK live with seasonal affective disorder.

This mental health condition, also known as seasonal depression, lasts around four to five months on average. “The appropriately named SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, is considered a type of depression characterised by its seasonal nature,” Jeff Temple, a professor at University of Texas Medical Branch and a licensed psychologist, tells HuffPost.

Unsurprisingly, people living farther north with less sunlight and earlier sunsets are more likely to experience SAD, likely due to the lack of sunlight and much shorter days. However, that doesn’t mean people in warmer, sunnier climates aren’t affected. While seasonal depression is much more common during the winter months, some people may experience seasonal depression during summer or during the colder season because of the fewer daylight hours. Women experience it more frequently than men.

A common misconception is that SAD is less serious than major depressive disorder because it doesn’t last all year round. However, people with this mental health condition explained to HuffPost that the symptoms of SAD are very real, and can even be debilitating.

Here’s what they want you to know:

People with seasonal depression may struggle to do daily activities

Like those with major depressive disorder, people with SAD may experience a lack of motivation and a loss of interest in day-to-day activities.

“I have had SAD for about 12 years, but I didn’t recognize the pattern or be diagnosed until about five years ago,” Claire, an optometrist, tells HuffPost. (Claire, along with some others in this story, asked to keep her last name private so she could freely talk about her mental health condition.) “I am typically an early riser and consider myself a productive person. However, when SAD hits, I struggle to do even the smallest daily chores like doing the dishes or making dinner.”

Similarly, Rebecca, a grad student, says that she has a “difficult time keeping up with [her] self-care and workout routine during the winter months,” and finds it nearly impossible to “function at full capacity.”

People with SAD may also feel more isolated during the darker months

Moreover, staying socially and emotionally connected to loved ones can require much more effort when coping with seasonal depression.

“The most prominent SAD symptoms I experience are loneliness and apathy. I tend to become quite numb in the winter months, and feel emotionally separated from the people around me,” says Vera, a freelance illustrator. “During regular depressive episodes, I may be able to ‘mask’ for most basic social interactions, whereas in winter seasons it’s not even an option. I’m too wiped out to even show up or pretend.”

Seasonal depression can interrupt normal sleep cycles and lead to extreme fatigue

SAD and sleep disturbances go hand in hand. Chloé Perrin, a bartender, has found that her symptoms of seasonal depression often manifest as constant exhaustion, leading to hypersomnia. Simply put, hypersomnia is characterised by recurring episodes of sleepiness during the day, difficulty waking up in the morning, and feeling tired despite oversleeping.

“My family used to joke that every winter I’d hibernate, whereas my sleep is otherwise normal-to-low the rest of the year and during other episodes,” she says.

Bella Sutter, a dancer with seasonal depression, explains that “getting out of bed feels impossible and my mornings normally start late.”

“I feel as if I would be better off hibernating through the winter because seasonal depression makes me feel like I’m half asleep anyway,” she adds.

SAD can cause mood changes, sleep disruptions and more.

People with seasonal depression may experience changes related to appetite and eating habits

Not only does seasonal depression impact sleep, but this mental health condition can have a negative impact on a person’s eating habits. Researchers have found a marked correlation between SAD and higher rates of disordered eating, including behaviours such as binging, purging and restricting food intake.

For Anna Samanamú, a high school paraprofessional and graphic designer, symptoms of SAD began when she was a teenager. “My appetite becomes affected [with SAD], and I would prefer to sleep rather than eat,” she says. “Unfortunately, that led me to have issues such as anaemia and Vitamin D deficiency.”

Seasonal depression may worsen symptoms of other mental health conditions

According to Temple, “seasonal affective disorder has a bi-directional relationship with other mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder — meaning that people with one form are much more likely to develop or worsen the other.” Notably, SAD affects up to 20% of people with major depressive disorder, and 25% of people with bipolar disorder.

Rhiannon Bellia, who works in social services, has found that seasonal depression tends to exacerbate symptoms of other mental health conditions.

“My OCD gets a lot worse in the winter, it’s harder for me to focus and gauge time with my ADHD. With having autism, it’s also a bit harder for me to regulate sensory overwhelm,” Bellia says.

There are treatments for SAD

Temple explains that if symptoms such as losing interest in activities or feeling sad last “longer than a couple of weeks or [start] to interfere with your work, family, or relationships, then that’s a good sign that you may need some extra help.”

Fortunately, light therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy are proven to be effective treatments for people with SAD. The most beneficial at-home light therapy boxes provide light at 10,000 lux.

SAD is not simply feeling a little gloomy when the sun goes down; it is a serious mental health condition that can greatly impact every aspect of someone’s life.

“Please be kind to everyone who struggles with seasonal depression,” Samanamú says. “We are not lazy — sometimes there is just a disconnect from our minds and bodies. Many of us just need to take a little bit of time to become whole once again.”

Help and support:

Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.

This Is Officially The Cheapest Supermarket To Buy Christmas Dinner From In 2022

Posted on 01/12/2022 by Boris Clair

With the cost of living crisis in full swing and with no sign of it slowing down, many of us will be thinking about how to save on Christmas dinner this festive period.

Fortunately, the consumer watchdog Which? has done the hard work for us and looked at the cheapest supermarket to buy your Christmas dinner from this year.

The team have crunched the numbers, to find out how much 10 popular Yuletide foods cost at five of the biggest UK supermarkets – and you might be surprised by who has come out on top with the cheapest dinner.

Which? analysed the prices of 10 popular Christmas table items – including a frozen medium turkey crown and sides of sprouts, potatoes, parsnips, red cabbage, carrots, cranberry sauce, stuffing and a Christmas pudding – between November 26-28.

Out of the ‘big five’ supermarkets, Asda bagged the cheapest supermarket spot with a festive feast of 10 popular Christmas foods costing just £30.72.

Meanwhile Tesco came in second as the next-cheapest supermarket (£32.07).

Waitrose was the most expensive supermarket in the analysis at a less-than-merry £43, making it £12.28 more expensive than Asda for the same basket of items. Here’s the full list here:

Asda £30.72
Tesco £32.07
Sainsbury’s £35.57
Morrisons £37.21
Waitrose £43

But what about Lidl and Aldi, you may ask?

As Aldi and Lidl don’t stock quite the same range of items as other supermarkets, Which? didn’t include them in the full Christmas dinner analysis.

But in a smaller festive basket, they compared the prices of seven Christmas table favourites, including turkey, potatoes, parsnips and sprouts.

Aldi was the cheapest for their stocking-full of groceries at £22.30. It was neck and neck with rival Lidl, who came in just 14p more expensive on the same festive items.

When it comes to your centre-piece for the big day, Aldi and Lidl are the cheapest supermarkets for a frozen turkey crown this Christmas, costing £15.49 at both discounters. Asda is the cheapest of the bigger supermarkets at £16.50.

At Waitrose the equivalent turkey is nearly an eye-watering £10 more expensive than at Aldi and Lidl at £25.

Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor, said: “Soaring inflation will be a worry to many households celebrating Christmas this year and our price analysis shows a turkey crown could cost 26 per cent more than last year depending on where you shop.

“The good news is you can still save a packet on your festive lunch and we’ve found Aldi, Lidl and Asda all offer good value for your roast turkey and sprouts.”

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