Welcome to The Well Edit — a curated weekly newsletter to help you feel better, live smarter, and build a life you love. Was this sent to you? Subscribe now so you don't miss the next one!

sponsored by Rootine - science-backed supplements for cortisol, sleep, and focus

Weekly Insight: Posture 🔗 Health

I kept seeing viral posture videos everywhere.

Making all kinds of crazy claims.

Like:

Poor posture (i.e. rounded shoulders, forward head, slouching) can impact everything from hormones to the shape of your face.

Admittedly, my posture isn’t great.

Especially after dealing with chronic whiplash and neck/back pain from a car accident in my 20s.

So I had to dig in.

And what I found was 🤯

It turns out, posture isn’t just about looking confident.

Or avoiding back pain.

It’s about how you age, how you feel, and how your body functions daily.

Here’s what the science says poor posture can do over time:

Compress your neck and jawline, subtly altering facial structure (forward head posture literally changes your cervical spine angle)
Disrupt lymphatic drainage, leading to puffiness and dull skin
Reduce lung capacity, which promotes shallow breathing and activates the sympathetic (stress) response
Keep your nervous system in a state of tension, making it harder to relax and recover
Raise cortisol, your primary stress hormone, due to constant low-grade physical stress and protective body mechanics

Most of us are dealing with this every single day.

Hunched over laptops. Slouched at our desks. Scrolling on our phones.

It’s become a modern default, but it’s not without consequences.

Your posture sends a signal to your brain about whether you’re safe.

When you’re collapsed forward, it can trick your nervous system into thinking there’s a threat.

That keeps you in fight-or-flight, even if your life feels “fine.”

The good news?

Fixing posture doesn’t require a new gadget or a 60-minute workout.

Simple daily resets can completely change how your body feels and functions.

I’m starting my own posture reset journey this month! (posted about it here!)

My physical therapist already has me doing a few exercises for my neck and shoulders and I’m adding in some simpler, posture-focused ones too.

Want to join me? 👇

🏆Your Well Challenge

A real-life mini challenge - something simple to try this week!

Try a quick posture reset daily this week.

You can do it while you’re walking, waiting for your coffee, or making dinner. It takes under 3 minutes and can:

✔ Loosen tight shoulders

✔ Activate your postural muscles

✔ Calm your nervous system

Here’s the flow:

✅ 10 shoulder rolls – big, slow circles to open the chest

✅ 10 shoulder rotations – elbows at 90°, rotate arms back like you’re squeezing an invisible ball between your shoulder blades

✅ 10 rotation pulses – arms in goalpost position, gently twist side to side to engage the mid-back

That’s it.

No equipment. No fancy setup. Just intentional movement that adds up.

Try it once a day this week and notice what changes — less tension? Better breathing? A more lifted face in the mirror?

And hit reply, I’d love to hear how it’s working for you!

🤍 The Social Edit

What I’ve been sharing on social this week — in case you missed it.

8 silent signs your stress is slowly wrecking your health
simple habits I used to balance my cortisol and drop 52 lbs
Wellness propaganda i'm not falling for (love the trend!)

🔥 My Hot Take

My POV on wellness trends, what’s hype, and the business behind it all.

Cold plunging is having a moment - but will it last?

Like a lot of current wellness trends, it started in the tech-bro longevity culture.

Think Huberman, Attia, and the Silicon Valley dopamine hackers.

Then it went mainstream thanks to companies like Plunge and the rise of high-end recovery centers that pair cold plunges with saunas, IV drips, and red light therapy.

And don’t get me wrong, I like a cold plunge.

It’s really f*ing hard. But it feels incredible after.

(Especially when guided by a breathwork coach who knows what they’re doing.)

But here’s the problem:

Women jumped into the trend without considering how it actually impacts our bodies.

Yes, Cold plunging has a range of benefits:

Increases dopamine and endorphins
Reduces inflammation
Boosts circulation and metabolic health
Trains mental resilience

But that’s only one side of the story.

Cold exposure is also a stressor.

It spikes cortisol, activates the sympathetic nervous system, and challenges your body’s ability to adapt.

This can be powerful if you’re already in balance.

But what if your stress bucket is already overflowing?

That’s where it gets tricky.

What works for a high-testosterone male biohacker with a recovery team and no kids might not work for a woman juggling work, family, and adrenal fatigue.

Especially women 35-55 when they are in their peak cortisol imbalance years while also dealing with hormone fluctuations.

Cold plunging isn't bad. But it isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution either.

Especially for women, it requires more nuance and more awareness of your body’s state.

I still do it.

But I’m intentional.

I skip it during the luteal phase, when my body is naturally more sensitive to stress.

I don’t do it every day. And I always check in with how I feel afterward.

So will cold plunging stick around?

Yes, but it’s evolving.

What started as a biohacker badge of honor is becoming more mainstream and more nuanced.

We’ll see less of the “plunge every morning at 5am” hustle culture…

And more personalized, cycle-aware, intentional use, especially for women.