Sleep. It can be tricky at the best of times, but it's been even harder over the past few months. That's why we chose it as our theme this month after it was revealed that almost two thirds of people have been sleeping worse since March. We decided we wanted to dive deep into this topic as it’s one of the most important factors to consider when it comes to our health, affecting us both physically and mentally. With books, TV shows, and more, we've found some amazing advice. We love sharing our finds with the Innermost community, so without further ado here’s what we got up to in July.
Reading...
The Week
“Forget news bias. The Week provides you with the world’s news and current affairs from the past 7 days, and presents different publications’ versions of this side by side so you can form your own opinions as fairly as possible.” - Robyn
How To Get Over A Boy by Chidera Eggerue
“Despite the title, this book is more of a journey of self-love. It teaches you how to change your mindset in regard to dating and how to set healthy boundaries. Eggerue has a great way of explaining things and hyping you up so you realise just how badass you are. I've learnt so many tips and tricks already.” - Cassandra
The Noma Guide to Fermentation by David Zilber and René Redzepi
“The days of simple sourdough are long behind me thanks to this incredible book from Copenhagen restaurant Noma, often ranked the best restaurant in the world. Noma have put heart and soul into their culinary experimentation and research, and it shows on every page of this amazing how-to book. Lacto-fermented blueberries anyone?” - Catherine
Calm: The Magic of Sleep: A Bedside Companion by Michael Acton Smith
“From the CEO of top sleeping app Calm, this book is the ultimate pre-bed read for when you're struggling to doze off and can't find your earphones for white noise or rain sounds.” - Caitlin
Watching...
Little Fires Everywhere
“This eight-part series starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington is absolutely phenomenal. Based on the novel of the same name, the plot follows the lives of two mothers from different socioeconomic backgrounds whose fates and lives become accidentally intertwined. Expect big drama.” - Robyn
ASMR videos
“I know what you’re thinking. ASMR is weird. But once you get used to it, it can actually be extremely relaxing, especially just before bed. ASMR has become a massive YouTube subculture recently, and there are tons of videos geared towards stress reduction, relaxation, anxiety reduction and more.” - Shiv
Solfeggio Frequency videos
“I’ve been loving this WFH hack. These videos are associated with meditation and they’re reputed to be the original frequencies used by the Gregorian Monks when they chanted in unison. 417Hz helps me focus while 528HZ is great for sleep.” - Cassandra
Disclosure
“This super informative documentary on Netflix from Laverne Cox explores trans representation in the media and film, calling for higher visibility in the industry and beyond. It’s both educational and inspiring.” - Catherine
I May Destroy You
“Written and directed by the incredible Michaela Coel, this story follows a young writer trying to piece together fragmented memories in the aftermath of sexual assault, inspired by Coel’s own real-life experiences. Funny, raw, thought-provoking - one of the best series I've seen in a long time.” - Caitlin
Doing...
Bedtime stretching
“Sitting at a desk all day working doesn’t do your body a world of good. Before I go to bed I’ll try and stretch for about 20 minutes. It helps me feel nice and relaxed before going to sleep. There are tutorials aplenty on both YouTube and Instagram.” - Robyn
Yoga Nidra
“This month we did a Team Innermost Yoga Nidra session with Kanan from @kananyogabliss. Yoga nidra or ‘yogic sleep’ is a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping induced by a guided meditation. It’s a great way to relieve stress and relax after a busy day.” - Shiv
Dancing
“I’ve just recently moved into a house with my old uni pals. As ex-dancers, it was inevitable we’d form our own dance troop sooner or later. We've been learning famous dance routines in our kitchen and it's been the most fun I've had in a while. TikTok here we come!” - Cassandra
Run Club
“Joining a [socially distanced] running club has helped me get my dwindling lockdown motivation back on track. It’s also a great way to meet new people and find some cool new routes. Kudos to them for getting me to do an uphill sprint session too, which I'd never have done of my own accord!” - Catherine
DIY Guess Who
“Four months into lockdown and I'm sure we're all sick of sitting behind screens (14 hours a day was my most recent screen time update. The horror). We saw this trend on Tik Tok where people make their own Guess Who boards using mutual friends and family, so we thought we'd give it a try. Hilarious and a good way to fight weekend boredom while many places are still closed.” - Caitlin
That's all for July, but if you can't wait til August and want to see what we got up to last month in June, check it out here.
