Keeping it Together: It took a lot of courage, but I finally made a big change

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Keeping it Together

WISDOM AND TIPS FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT US

Saturday, July 24

A hairdresser wearing a mask gives a client a haircut.

Keeping it Together: It took a lot of courage, but I made a big change

Even though I was nervous, I was ready to try something new. And thanks to my friends' encouragement, I'm so glad that I did.

I did something seemingly banal this weekend that was actually really exciting: I got my hair cut.

It may not seem like a huge deal, but for me it was.

I hadn't set foot in a salon for years – not just because of the pandemic. Instead, I became accustomed to giving my long hair simple trims at home to keep it healthy. (Apologies to any hairdressers reading this and cringing).

But now I wanted to try something new: a professional cut by an actual hair stylist.

Not only was I nervous for a new experience post-pandemic, but I was also apprehensive because I was planning to go shorter than usual. But after encouragement from friends, I was ready for the chop.

Turns out, after all my worrying about whether the appointment would be awkward (I'm still getting used to small talk again, OK?) or whether it would look horrible, I ended up loving my new look.

The stylist made me feel comfortable, and it was a much-needed change.

I know many people are getting their hair styled for the first time in a long time thanks to COVID-19, so I'm sure many can relate to the feeling of finally treating yourself to a little pampering.

Coffee health myths, debunked

Ahh, coffee. It's what you drink to get your day started or to keep you going in the slump of the afternoon.

No matter why you drink coffee (or even if you don't), you've definitely heard some myths about it: Does drinking it lead to long-term weight loss? Is it true that drinking coffee will shorten your lifespan? Is it really unhealthy?

My colleague Sudiksha Kochi spoke to experts to help unravel some of the mysteries.

Does drinking coffee leads to weight loss?

According to Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietician at Mayo Clinic, caffeine is a stimulant that increases metabolism in the body. She says that caffeine alone, however, does not contribute to long-term weight loss as there are other factors to take into consideration, including healthy diet and exercise.

To learn more about coffee facts and myths, click here.

This March 29, 2018 file photo shows steamed milk floating atop a cup of coffee at a cafe in Los Angeles.

Richard Vogel, AP

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