What Happens If You Try Saying 'Let Them' For a Whole Month?
Sarah Lang trials Mel Robbins 'Let Them' theory; we find out where we've been going wrong with our iron supplement and Meg Mansell shares her sleep routine...
Kia Ora, Capsule Community! Welcome to your Sunday Substack.
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What We’re Thinking About This Week…
Mõrena!
My [it’s Alice here this week, Hiiii!] great hope for you right now is that you - and your family - are well.
I mean, that’s always my hope obviously, but especially so this week as it seems everyone I know is either unwell, has been unwell this week or has someone in their household under the weather (🙋♀️ we have had one of my least favourite combos - my husband, eldest and I all sick, while the toddler is well and full of beans yaaaay). It seems winter really has arrived. I hope you’ve escaped it - and if not, I hope your bout of it is swift!
It meant we sadly had to do our whānau Matariki dinner a day late - but, better late than never. Last year, after speaking to Qiane Matata-Sipu (Te Waiohua ki te Ahiwaru me te Ākitai, Waikato, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pikiao, Cook Islands) we really made our family dinner a much bigger focus of the day and an opportunity to really reconnect.
We spent time in nature, we put out candles - we made crafts to decorate the table - and then, as we ate, we took turns taking questions out of a hat (that I’d written earlier in the day). They were questions all about reflecting, connecting and thinking about our wellbeing - things like ‘what’s been your favourite moment in the last 12 months?’ ‘what’s your favourite activity to do as a whānau?’ ‘What’s an activity you’d like to try this winter that we could do as a whānau?’ ‘What is your favourite thing about winter?’
Honestly, it was such a lovely way to connect. The kids loved it, we loved it and I learned a new thing or two about the people I know and love the most. Our three-year-old could join the conversation (kind of!) this year, so we’ve got a few new family adventures to tick off our list this winter together. And it’s not too late - as Qiane says, Matariki isn’t just a day, it’s a season, so if you didn’t end up marking Matariki on Friday, tonight’s still a great night to connect!
Now, I’ll let you get cosy and get on with reading some of our best stories of the week - Sarah has written a great piece about trialling Mel Robbin’s ‘Let Them’ theory and Vivien’s put together a beautiful, inspiring video interview with a young women who has Tourette’s Syndrome. Kelly’s given us all the details about her recent wedding, and I had a chat to Dr Libby about iron supplements (and discovered at least three things I’ve been doing wrong when taking them, that means I’ve likely just been pouring my money down the drain). During our bouts of family sickness I’ve put in some serious TV watching time - and have SO many recommendations for you. No matter how you’re feeling, there’s hopefully something perfect in there for you.
Have a lovely Sunday! x
P.S. A VERY happy birthday to our wonderful co-founder Emma Clifton who celebrated her b-day on Friday! We hope this new decade brings you much joy, adventure and happiness.
Are You Taking Your Iron Supplement… Wrong? Here’s 5 Things Dr Libby Wants You to Know About Taking One
Is there a best time to take an iron supplement? Are there foods, drinks and other supplements that can interfere with its absorption? The answer is YES YES YES. Taking an iron supplement can do wonders for your health – but only if we actually take it correctly. To celebrate Dr Libby’s new book, Fix Iron First, we sat down with the best-selling author to understand how to take our iron supplement in order for it to actually work, and be most effective.
Could an iron supplement – or altering your diet to more iron-rich foods – be the answer to your health woes? Dr Libby has certainly given us a lot of food for thought in her latest book, Fix Iron First. The tagline under the title of the book reads: ‘The ONE Thing That Changes Everything’, and you won’t have to get too far into the book before you’ll find yourself nodding along in agreement or having an ‘aha’ moment, when thinking about your own (or your family members’!) health concerns.
Many of us already take an iron supplement – but, if you’re someone who diligently takes yours every day, yet wonders if it’s actually doing you any good, it may come down to how you’re taking it.
Yip, it turns out there’s a couple of things you definitely want to avoid eating or drinking anywhere near the time of your iron supplement – and there’s also a best time of the day to take it.
Here’s five things, straight from Dr Libby, that you should know about taking your iron supplement…
‘For One Month I Trialled the ‘Let Them’ and ‘Let Me’ Concepts. Here’s the Surprising Thing That Happened…’
By now you have likely heard the words ‘Let Them’ being touted as the new way to live a more stress-free life. Writer Sarah Lang tried it for one month. Who knew that four little words could change so much?
I’m not much of a self-help-book person, but I kept hearing about The Let Them Theory by American author Mel Robbins, and a friend recommended it. So I decided to find out more. Is it as passive as it sounds, or is it empowering?
Or is it overhyped? The subtitle is “a life-changing tool that millions of people can’t stop talking about”, and TBH I’m always somewhat sceptical about such claims. At the same time, I felt totally open to trying the approach. I decided to test the theory over a month to see if, and how much, it helped me.
First, some background about Mel. At 41, she found herself $800,000 in debt, unemployed, watching her husband’s business crumble. She felt lost. Sometimes unable even to get up, but “I began counting backward 5-4-3-2-1 anytime there was something I needed to do but I didn’t feel motivated to do it”. What followed was a viral TEDx Talk about the ‘5 Second Rule’, keynote-speaker invitations, therapists recommending it, and her book The 5 Second Rule.
Next came another bestseller, The High 5 Habit; the shortest synopsis is high-five yourself in the mirror to help overcome negative self-talk. Mel also started…
‘I Used to Have Six-Hour Tic Attacks’: How Tourette’s Can Be SUCH A DISABLING Disorder
What exactly is Tourette’s? And what are tics?! WHY do we know so little about it? This Tourette’s Awareness Month, Capsule journalist Vivien Beduya spoke to 21-year-old Charlotte Shores who lives with Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) and generously shares her story with us. Her TS was once so disabling, to a point her tics would physically hurt her. Watch the interview on Youtube now.
Charlotte Shores was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at 16 and would have six-hour tic attacks where she’d punch herself – leaving bruises all around her body.
“When Tourette’s really kicked in, my life stopped… I couldn’t live life like that, like when you are punching yourself for hours and hours every single day,” says the now 21-year-old.
The severity of her tics back then meant that she couldn’t finish high school.
TWENTY TWENTY THRIVE: We Are BUSY Women – How to Make the Most of Your Time On the Go and On the Move (So, Pretty Much ALL Your Time?)
Capsule x Samsung
Look, we are very aware that some of the last few years have been… suboptimal at best. And yes, sure, there are things going on in the world right now that make you want to reach for the stress wine you keep hidden in the pantry behind the wholemeal flour.
But here at Capsule, we know there are many things that we cannot control and that focusing on those only makes us feel crazier. So, for this year, we’ve decided that we are instead going to focus on the things we CAN to help us achieve our ultimate goal – simple, unfiltered happiness and contentment (IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK).
So here is TWENTY TWENTY THRIVE. We’ve joined up with our pals at Samsung to bring you stories of pure joy and happiness, interspersed with actually helpful advice and tips on how to make this the best year yet. We’ll be focusing on themes like connection, health and self-care with real stories and real experts offering their sage advice and knowledge and, in true Capsule form, we’ll be (over)sharing our own experiences along the way.
Ok so if you read my last Twenty Twenty Thrive piece, you’ll remember how I was chatting about how it can feel very lonely when you work from home and you have nobody, except for a few sad-looking house plants and the builders across the fence, to keep you company (and trust me, the builders are rubbish workmates – all noise, no substance but SO many cans of Monster!?).
So, to combat that, I’ve been making it a mission to get out of the house more, working from cafes, friends’ dining room tables, even sometimes the beach on cloudy days when I can see my laptop screen (so much sand though…). That’s meant that I’m much more on-the-go than I used to be, and I’ve again plunged into the world of commuting, sitting in peak hour traffic and taking public transport to get around the city (I’m literally writing some of this story while I’m waiting for a bus while listening to my ‘chill and happy’ playlist on my Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro (*look at that sponsor plug, thank you Samsung!*.)
I’m one of those dicks who hasn’t had to do the…
Looking For Something to Binge Watch This Long Weekend? We’ve Got You Covered. Here’s 8 Shows For Whatever Mood You’re In…
Looking for a good new TV show to watch – or binge through – this long weekend? If you need some quality time with your couch and remote this weekend, we’ve got just the show for you…
Whether you’re in the mood for a good cry, something comforting, something gritty and dark, something to turn your brain off – or something else entirely, we’ve got eight suggestions that hopefully will hit the spot just right!
You’re looking for: Something cozy & comforting… starring midlife A-list stars
We recommend: The Four Seasons
As we’ve covered off in Capsule a fair bit of late, we are big fans of the rise of more TV shows, movies – even influencers – who are in mid-life. While yes, I’ll still watch Twilight if it’s on TV, it’s so much more fun to see women – and men – who are closer to my age being depicted (even better if they are played by someone close to my age).
The Four Seasons brings together an all-star cast, who are refreshingly, not all 20-something. They’re in a slightly different life-stage to me (they’re in their mid-50s with college aged kids, while I’m in my early 40s with young kids), but it’s so nice to see the different dynamics, challenges and joys of being 50 plus.
You’re looking for: A good gritty Brit crime/detective series… set in a grey looking Scotland
We recommend: Department Q
I was a bit ho-hum about watching this series, and now – I’m halfway through and am considering not sleeping tonight to power through the rest of the series. It’s fantastic.
The first episode has a great little twist in it, so I’m loathe to tell you too much about it in case I ruin the ‘oh, whoa!’ moment for you.
Hungry for More?
Here’s what we’ve read and loved this week. Check out some of this week's best stories from the web:
Gaza: Open letter to the Heads of States of the European Union Doctors Without Borders
What Scarlett Johansson Wants: AI Boundaries, Respect for Blockbusters—and Revenge on Michael Che Vanity Fair
Is the “manopause” real? The Economist
That’s it from us this week! Thanks for reading - we look forward to catching up with you again next week. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts on any of these posts today (or any others!) feel free to leave a message in the comments and we can have a chat!
Have a good week!
x The Capsule Team: Alice, Kelly, Vivien & Sarah