STAY FIT

A week ago, a friend of mine invited me to a group workout tracking app and I love it. This app, Strava, requires minimal workout detail input so using it is a breeze, and having a bit of peer pressure from friends isn’t too bad when you need the motivation to do one more set. When any of us don’t meet the weekly requirements of workouts,  we donate money to a charity of our choice multiplied by the number of infractions. For example, if I miss two of my four 30 minute workouts, I have to donate two times the amount I would normally donate. Friends and the risk of many more donations than I should be doing are great motivators to get back on the track.

@jesse_delbarrio, Consortium Fellow and UCLA MBA Candidate

TREAT YOURSELF

Going through health scares in the last few years, self-care was my savior. Practicing meditation, having self-compassion, and taking care of my body through exercise and spa rituals are what helped me through these times. As 2020 ended and 2021 started off uncertain, I am grateful I have been able to provide people with these same tools for self-care I utilized by founding Brooke Blaze. We promote using non-toxic products for the body and home–such as our organic Castile soaps, shower steamers, linen sprays, and other luxury beauty and wellness products–and provide support and coaching for those who could use self-care in their own lives. 

@anikaray_, Founder & CEO of Brooke Blaze

WATCH

Living in isolation has been a rather confusing experience for me. There's the “If a tree falls in the forest…" saying, and I've had similar thoughts in navigating my queerness and trans identity. How can queerness exist in the absence of others? I've found myself leaning back into fashion to feel affirmed. There's a web series that I've been binging called GoGanzi, which has South Korean high school students competing to be recognized as the next generation of stylists. Aside from taking a lot of notes on the fashion, it's also been exciting to see the show represent queer identities, which have been historically shunned in South Korea. 

@joonyoungpark, Cultural Strategist