A new mantra of mine slash question I ask myself when I’m not sure what to do is— ‘What would be the kind thing?’ I mean this in regards to myself, although it goes without saying that it’s also good to do kind things for others! However I find that many of us would never dream of being as mean to others as we are to ourselves.
I sometimes have decision fatigue, especially later in the day, for relatively simple things. For example, last week I was really tired and hungry after work and worried I was coming down with something. Also, I was flying to Atlanta the next day and didn’t want to get sick. Also, I had a yoga class booked right after work that I was looking forward to and had paid for! I considered canceling on the class, which would do a few things— it would allow me to actually have dinner instead of a lame snack too close to class and then a very late dinner, it would allow me to walk my dog instead of pushing that for later, and basically it would give me back more than the hour of the yoga class- it would make my life easier. I felt bad about canceling because yoga would give me exercise and also inner peace and I’d already paid for it (yes, I overthink things), but when I asked what would be the kind thing it became crystal clear. Getting dinner, walking my dog, and having a very early night would be the kind thing!
A small reminder re doing the kind thing for yourself is that you're allowed to mute or unfollow someone who makes you feel bad on social media— even if they’ve done nothing wrong! If they’re a friend mute them, otherwise unfollow them with impunity!
Sometimes it’s hard to tune into what we need. I’ve heard this as a criticism of the Oura ring, a wearable health tracker that monitors your sleep, heart rate, recovery time, body temperature, and detects illness through said hear trate/ temperature. You should be able to tune into your body and know if you’re tired or didn’t get enough sleep— you don’t need a ring to tell you that!
But what if you do? I’ve had the Oura ring for a year and a half, here are my honest thoughts (only because they’re not paying me, if they do I will send an amended review that’s 100% positive!)
She’s happy because she’s wearing an Oura ring and it matches her other rings!
I really like it. I have worn it daily for more than a year and a half except when the battery has died and I haven’t been able to charge it. I’ve been able to improve my sleep because I have clear data of what actually makes me sleep better— things that are perhaps quite obvious, but different things work for different people. I sleep noticeably better if I meditate before bed or take my CBD/melatonin sleep gummy from Charlotte’s Web. My sleep is noticeably worse if I drink alcohol. Sometimes I don’t get a ton of sleep, but I sleep deeply and I feel OK. Eating close to bedtime might in fact impair my sleep, which is a real drag. None of these are crazy discoveries, but they’re good info!
I find it really useful when I wake up groggy to see that I actually got a decent amount of sleep. This reminds me that it’s going to be okay and that I’m just having a slow start. Also, if I consistently feel tired but I’m sleeping really well I know there’s something else going on.
The ring’s data also helps me rest when something is off with my body. The time I had Covid it made it incredibly clear that I was sick and that it was something significant before I tested, which was useful. Everyone deals with health anxiety differently (if you have it at all!), but I like having the information .
The integration with the app Natural Cycles is particularly useful, it tracks a woman’s cycle and can predict ovulation and period dates, which can be used for birth control (they say they’re 93% effective with typical use and 98% effective with perfect use) or help with fertility. There are clear body temperature patterns during your cycle, but this way you don’t have to take your own temperature. It’s especially great for those getting off hormonal birth control or who want to feel more in touch with their bodies. There is a separate small subscription fee.
Not to brag, but this is my Oura ring today as I write this. Crown!
To be honest I don’t totally understand HRV (heart rate variability) and how that relates to recovery and working out, but if you’re into it that is a plus!
The ring’s cost ranges from $299-$549 depending on style and metal finish. I’m honestly surprised at how expensive the different finishes get, I have the gold in the original style and I believe I paid around $250. I do like the gold and understand why you would pay more for silver or gold because I like to leave it on all the time — it has been mistaken for nice jewelry. I would never wear an ugly wearable, sorry! They occasionally have sales or discount codes, especially around Cyber Monday. If you decide to buy one and can’t find an amazing discount I can send you a link for $40 off (there isn’t a way to share it in the newsletter). Membership to all the app features is $5.99/ month after the first month.
One of my biggest complaints is that I now have to charge it once every three days or so. That is not a big deal because it’s only for about ten minutes, but in the beginning it was more like every 7-10 days, and I’ve heard that people who have the new one can sometimes go a couple of weeks! I would like to never worry about taking my ring off. My other minor complaint is that it sometimes takes a couple of minutes to load my data, or takes a while to connect, especially with the Natural Cycles add on. I would guess that these things are resolved in the new ring, and also that if you keep the same ring for a couple of years it might start having these issues.
TLDR I’m a fan, but it’s pricey. That’s all for now.
love you mean it,
alex