Here are a few precautions you can take going back to work and how to ask for accommodations to protect yourself. To make wearing a mask all day more comfortable, I add a drop of cloves essential oil. It helps me breathe better. Additionally, cloves are used in some ancient cultures as a way of protecting against viruses and a reminder of our boundaries. More practically speaking, invest in your own cleaning supplies, from wipes to sprays to antibacterial cleaning solutions....

If your parents and/or your partner’s parents are still alive, chances are you’re having conversations about what happens after the birth of your baby. And when parents are becoming grandparents for the first time, the intensity is generally heightened. Complex shifts are underway as children become parents and parents become grandparents. As you birth yourself into parenthood, huge tectonic shifts occur in the bedrock of your relationship with your parents. Your relationship with each other has developed over years and decades—solidifying your roles as parent and child....

What did I say? Was it the trance of bliss or…the kink? It was consensual, of course, but I had crossed some sort of invisible line. I wondered: “How come blow jobs are OK to discuss, but a spanking is too hard-core for conscious folks? Couldn’t conscious spanking exist? And where is safe to talk about real sex if not with people we love?” In order to heal, we must actually start talking about it—the good, the bad, and the ugly—in safe places and with people we trust....

Rough sex can be really fun if you’re looking to spice things up with some role play and explore new things. Sometimes when a person has a Type-A personality or has a lot of power in their daily lives (i.e. The Boss), they like to be more submissive and let her partner take control in the bedroom. This is perfectly normal. And yes, rough sex, when you’re doing it for the right reasons in the right way, can deepen your connection to your partner....

After years of being told to toughen up and learning that doctors were dismissive of common symptoms such as dry skin, constipation, fatigue, and muscle and joint pain, I started to believe that I was just weak. The truth was I was suffering from an autoimmune disease which wasn’t diagnosed until 2005 when I was 25 years old. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autoimmune diseases affect approximately 8% of the population, 78% of whom are women....

On the other hand, small daily changes can make a significant difference in our lives, especially when they are about our mental health. One small mental change can spill over to everything and make it easier for you to keep your other resolutions. Clearly, the experience of stress and its effects are becoming more severe. Chronic stress puts us at risk for serious mental health disorders including depression1, anxiety2, and neurological disorders such as dementia3....

Oily scalp, heat damage, and/or otherwise sensitive strands are exactly why good hairstylists encourage less hair washing and more dry styling. The less washing it endures, the fewer oils it has to make. Slowly but surely, the natural oils in your hair achieve a balance, allowing your strands to be nourished, shaped, and styled. It’s a win-win. I’m also interested in learning how to let my hair dry naturally. If you’re a recovering heat-styler too, you understand....