When we strive to practice gratitude, it’s often viewed from an internal lens. Whether it’s through journaling or meditation, these feelings of appreciation have been shown to boost overall well-being1 and may even relieve stress2. While self-expressions of gratitude are essential, extending that gratitude to others can also go a long way. With nearly a year of isolation behind us and a continued call for social distancing in 2021, finding ways to show support for others remains critical....

Gratitude is “the practice of making space for appreciation,” licensed psychologist Snehal Kumar, Ph.D., tells mbg. This could be an appreciation for the people and things in your life, the experiences you’ve had, or the experiences you’ve yet to have, but gratitude can also (and should) be rooted in an appreciation of the self, Kumar explains. So what happens when you do something about it? Here’s a list of all the various benefits of practicing and expressing gratitude on a regular basis, according to the experts and scientific research: These findings suggest that when you’re in the thick of a stressful situation, if you are able to refocus your attention and energy on things that you are grateful for in the moment, you can calm both the mind and body, therefore reducing the physical and mental symptoms of stress....

In your 20s, skin elasticity begins to decline as the levels of the structural proteins1 that make it up—namely, collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycans—drop. According to board-certified holistic dermatologist Gary Goldfaden, M.D., this is because “the amount of new collagen that your skin produces declines while the rate of its destruction increases.” He adds that this rate of decline intensifies upon menopause. The good news is that there are many ways to naturally mitigate this process holistically....

This diamond-shaped group of internal muscles work together to support our pelvic organs, including the vagina, uterus, bladder, and bowels. If the pelvic floor muscles are weak, these organs can literally fall out of place, known as prolapse. Weak pelvic floor muscles are also associated with urinary and bowel incontinence (for instance, leaking every time you sneeze), lower back and pelvic floor pain, discomfort during penetrative sex for vulva owners, and constipation....

“A great way to understand the energetic value of a number is by putting it in context to other numbers,” Richardson tells mbg. The number one, for example, represents initiation and new beginnings, while the number nine represents endings and completion. She notes that the more times you see two repeating, the more that energy is amplified (i.e., 22 versus 222 versus 2222). “222 is known as an angel number, offering intuitive guidance, and people with a life path number of two [in numerology] are thought to be intuitive and sensitive,” she adds....

No one else can push our buttons in quite the same way. A partner usually brings out aspects of ourselves that we struggle with. When this happens, it is an invitation to do some deep introspection and work on yourself. This means taking accountability for our own flaws. It’s been said that every argument has three sides: his, hers, and the truth. (This is also applicable to fights between people of all genders, of course!...

Stretching has never been more important, and I can’t emphasize enough the need to make time for it. This series of stretches can be done in less than 10 minutes, and your body will thank you. All you need is a towel or yoga strap. Complete stretches 1-3 on one side, then repeat on the other side before moving on to stretches 4 and 5. If you can straighten your leg or get close to straight without your pelvis lifting off the mat, extend your right leg down onto the mat....