The holiday season is filled with love and joy, but also, quite often, stress and anxiety. On the one hand, you spend tons of time with family, attend numerous events, and exchange gifts. On the other hand, you spend tons of time with family, attend numerous … you see where this is going.Add in the fact that it’s cold and flu season, and by Jan. 1, it’d be shocking if you weren’t completely exhausted. But with a little extra intention toward taking care of your body and mind, it’s possible to both enjoy the festivities and minimize fatigue.Emergency physician Leana Wen offered CNN some insight on how to do that — check out her advice. — Rebekah, Ally, and Natalie
Featured Story
The Transformative Power of a Life Review, Whether You’re 25 or 75
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The end of year lends itself to a lot of reviewing. We tend to look back at the past 12 months and quantitatively evaluate them: I visited this many state parks, I binged this many TV shows. But now is also as good a time as any to look back at your life as a whole, whether you’re 25 or 75. A life review offers the opportunity to reflect on your past experiences, accomplishments, and challenges, from childhood to the present day, and integrate them into who you are today — and who you want to be going forward. Plus, Jane Fonda has publicly touted the practice’s power, so there’s that. Click below to learn more about life reviews, including how to conduct your own.
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Drownings Have Dropped Nearly 40% Since 2000 — And Most Cases Are Preventable
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Keeping kids safe can be an overwhelming topic — but in terms of water safety, it can also be surprisingly simple, according to a new drowning prevention report from the World Health Organization. The organization surveyed 139 countries to understand the matter better and found that, while drownings have decreased by 38% since 2000, they are still a leading cause of death for children across the globe. It’s a troubling reality, but one that could change with the help of surefire, low-tech solutions. “The vast majority of drowning deaths are preventable,” Caroline Lukaszyk, a technical officer for injury prevention at the WHO, told NPR. “And this is another thing that’s really quite amazing: The recommendations for drowning prevention are cost-effective. They’re scalable. They can be implemented in all types of settings.” The many promising solutions include using empty soda bottles as flotation devices, keeping life jackets handy, teaching children self-rescue swimming skills, checking weather reports, and prioritizing adult supervision. “It’s not rocket science, it’s not high-tech. It is very much community-based and community-driven solutions,” Lukaszyk said.
Culture
Congrats, Gukesh! Indian Teen Is Officially the Youngest Chess Champion in History
World chess champion is an extraordinary title very few can say they’ve held — and 18-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju is officially the youngest person on the list. The Indian teenager made history at the 2024 FIDE World Championship in Singapore earlier this month when he took on reigning champion Ding Liren and came out on top after a nail-biting match. When his victory was confirmed, the room erupted with cheers, and thousands of miles away, fans back in India celebrated the moment with hugs, high-fives, and applause. As for Dommaraju, he was overcome with tears of joy. “I probably got so emotional because I did not really expect to win that position,” he told reporters, per Reuters. Although Dommaraju already had an impressive chess resume going into the match, he was considered somewhat of an underdog at the beginning of the tournament. “It’s a proud moment for chess, a proud moment for India … and for me, a very personal moment of pride,” he said. Watch the emotional final minutes of the game.
Humanity
Make New Friends, But Keep the Old: How Friendships Change as We Age
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You need but watch one episode of Golden Girls to understand the value of close friendships in older age. Indeed, research has found that age is an important factor in how people choose to socialize. “As people age, their perspective on the future changes — they have less time to live, essentially,” psychologist Katherine Fiori explained to the BBC. “Their priorities shift, and they tend to be focused on socioemotional goals.” Those shifting priorities lead many older adults to tighten their social circles until only the closest ties remain, hence the outlet’s assertion that “later life can be a golden age for friendship.” Young people tend to focus on building new relationships, rather than deepening existing ones, and that contrast with their elders is a phenomenon called the socioemotional selectivity theory. Still, there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to friendships and aging — digital technology has allowed older people to stay in touch with loved ones like never before, perceptions of old age are becoming more positive, and there’s been an increased focus on the importance of friends in addition to family in recent decades. Read more about the changing landscape of friendships across generations.
Sunday Selections
Deep Dives
When Harry Met Sally posed the question: Can men and women just be friends? Thirty-five years later, here’s the consensus
Your favorite apple variety might be among the over 2,000 grown at an “apple library” in the U.K.
Kids have been mailing letters to Santa for more than a century — and the U.S. Postal Service takes it very seriously
From tarot cards to weather forecasting and fashion trend analysis, humans have long been interested in predicting the future — so much so that the affinity gave rise to the field of futurology, a social science that picked up steam in the mid-20th century. In this book, historian Glenn Adamson looks back at how this form of soothsaying took hold in the U.S. and explores the inherent value in imagining tomorrow, whether or not our visions pan out.
With its timeless themes of justice, vengeance, hope, and love, it’s no surprise that The Count of Monte Cristo continues to enthrall readers nearly 200 years after its publication. But a familiarity with the book isn’t required to appreciate the latest adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ sweeping novel. This fast-paced French film follows protagonist Edmond Dantes as he seeks revenge on the people responsible for having him arrested on his wedding day and wrongfully imprisoned for 14 years. Catch it in theaters now.
This Week in History
Radio City Music Hall Opens in Manhattan
December 27, 1932
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With a marquee the length of an entire city block, Radio City Music Hall is the largest indoor theater in the world and has welcomed more than 300 million guests — so it’s no wonder the art-deco institution is dubbed the Showplace of the Nation. Everything about Radio City is larger than life, from the 25,000-plus lights adorning its main hall to its massive Wurlitzer organ that’s housed in 11 separate rooms. Located in Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center, the venue was intended as a “palace for the people,” a place where ordinary citizens could experience extraordinary glitz, glamour, and entertainment. Thousands turned up for the grand opening in 1932, featuring a performance by the now-iconic Radio City Rockettes — who kicked off the annual Radio City Christmas Spectacular the following year. See photos over the decades.
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