The menu changed every year, but the food was always delicious. Favorite
summer treat: The day before the convention started, we would have dinner at the Spaghetti Factory so I could eat their complimentary spumoni. Current binge-watch recommendation: Enjoying “Widow’s Bay” on Apple+. It’s a horror comedy that feels like the characters of “Parks and Recreation” in a Stephen King-like setting. MARY RIVERA ABRAMS Favorite summer treat: A refreshing gin and tonic type cocktail. Song of the summer: I love an old Beach Boys song, “California Girls.” Favorite beach or day trip spot: Sunsets on any of our Pinellas beaches. Favorite summer restaurant/patio spot: Rumba on Gulf to Bay. Dream vacation destination: Hawaii. Current binge-watch recommendation: “Man on Fire,” which is on Netflix. One thing on your summer bucket list: Weekend trips in our new Honda Goldwing. BECKY JORDAN Favorite summer treat: Strawberry ice cream, and those Spongebob popsicles with the gumball googly eyes that always look like they’re halfway melted. Song of the summer: “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga. Favorite beach or day trip spot: Museums! Especially The Dali, or The Ringling Museum, and Ca’ d’Zan in Sarasota. Favorite summer restaurant/patio spot: Noble Crust; or Bulla for tapas. Dream vacation destination: The Shire in New Zealand. Current binge-watch recommendation: For a top-tier sci-fi action drama, watch “Andor”! For a lighter, feel-good comedy, try “The Good Place.” One thing on your summer bucket list: Find the best Cuban sandwich in Tampa Bay. Sara at the Shakespeare’s Corner Shoppe for Afternoon Tea in San Diego!
You know that feeling when your brain starts planning for every worst-case scenario before you’ve even finished breakfast? Or when you lie down at night and your thoughts suddenly remember every bill, test, and “what if” all at once? If so, you aren’t alone, but there’s a counterintuitive trick that may help with that kind of mental spinning. Therapists suggest that people schedule “worry time.” The approach comes from cognitive-behavioral therapy and is used as a practical way to keep stress from running the show. The idea is straightforward: Once a day, for a short block of time, you sit down and let your mind bring up the stuff you keep circling. During the rest of the day, instead of wrestling with every new “what if,” you write a note about your worries and set it aside for later. Little by little, your worries start showing up more during that set time and less when you are trying to work, relax, or sleep. To get started, pick a block of time, about 15–30 minutes. It could be right before dinner or before you watch a show, but early evenings are often best. Scheduling the block then gives you enough time to accumulate your worries during the day, but also leaves you with time afterward to decompress and relax. It’s also helpful to set a timer and pick an uncomfortable spot to sit so you aren’t tempted to stay longer than the allotted time. When worry time starts, go through every item on your list and ask yourself, “Is there anything I can actually do about this?” If the answer is yes, write down what it is and how you can work toward it. Otherwise, practice letting the worry go and move on to the next one. The goal of all this isn’t to ignore real problems. It’s ultimately about freeing mental space so you can be more present and productive during the day and less likely to experience the harmful effects of stress. Train Your Brain With ‘Worry Time’ A SIMPLE HABIT TO CALM STRESS
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