bed rot and learn (about why things are the way they are)
#5SmartReads - December 2, 2024
#5SmartReads is a Webby-honored weekly news digest that amplifies underreported news and underrepresented perspectives. My goal is to help you stay informed without being overwhelmed, and to embrace nuance and reflection over picking a side.
I’m offering 50% off the annual subscription for a limited time - if you haven’t upgraded your subscription, please do!
Exhausted? Try 'Bed-Rotting' and 'Therapeutic Laziness.' ()
I’m not at all surprised that exhaustion is an anticipated trend for 2025 (with the ‘Great Exhaustion’ expected in 2026).
These trends will drive what brands will create and how retailers will market the latest - clothes, beauty, home products. And for once, I’m already ahead of this trend (working from home means I’m usually wearing this).
What
does so well is connecting the dots between current events, generations, and the retail industry to make sense of seemingly unrelated things:“It’s just hard to imagine, in the thick of a worsening gender divide, an overwhelming demand for sex appeal, opulence, and exuberance from the fashion and beauty industries. Amid so much uncertainty and gloom, it’s also hard to imagine women having the same bandwidth for “wellness,” which has been commodified into countless luxury goods and practices that often require immense effort and privilege to implement.”
I’m here for bed rotting and therapeutic laziness - and to participate in these trends with the things I already own.
I’ll be wearing the pretty pajama sets, opening that jar of body butter that’s remain untouched, and spritzing my bed with one of the many sprays I bought and forgot about. I’m going to rotate through my robe collection, with intention and throughout the year.
I have my monthly plan to help me stay well. But I am going to indulge in doing nothing, with all the things I saved for ‘one day.’
That day is today.
What’s the Difference Between the FDA and the USDA? (Eater)
Few things make me madder and sadder than people railing on the FDA - especially when they don’t understand what the agency does.
Don’t get me wrong - there’s a lot more the agency can be doing, especially on the food side and in approving new sunscreen filters (I see you,
). That doesn’t discount the hard work from thousands of scientists who care deeply about the safety and efficacy of the things we ingest and apply.The respect I have for the FDA extends to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), who ensures we have “a safe, sufficient, and nutritious food supply” and oversees the vital SNAP benefits program.
This article does a great job of explaining the role of each agency, the areas where their responsibilities overlap, and how they oversee the safety of the types of food we eat.
If we really care about Making America Healthier Again, it starts with increasing funding and staffing to these two agencies (the reverse is more likely, as we saw looser inspection requirements at food factories and farms and a spike in food recalls as a result).
#5SmartReads is all about helping you feel smarter this week.
If you want to feel better but feel overwhelmed on what to do, check out this month’s plan (mindfulness practices, workouts, meals, and more):
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to hitha to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.