June 29, 2020 08:30 ET | Source: World High Life Plc

NEW YORK, NY, June 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World High Lifes (OTCQB: WRHLF) wholly owned subsidiary, Love Hemp, is embracing the idea, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. In early 2020, COVID-19 turned into a global pandemic, and in an instant, created a tough environment for both businesses and consumers alike. Tony Calamita, the CEO of Love Hemp, a London-based CBD company playing a leadership role in the development of the United Kingdoms (UK) leading range of trusted CBD products, accepted the challenge and has capitalized on these tough times with a dramatic surge in online sales.

While the world began to lock down and shelter-in-place, Calamitas team got creative by dedicating all of Love Hemps resources and team to building upon their advanced e-commerce platformsrealizing that the major retail path would be beyond their control during the pandemic. As a result, consumers began to engage with the company in an unprecedented fashion, and Love Hemp, with its multiple e-commerce platforms, has accelerated its online brand strategy months ahead of planned targets.

And Love Hemps strategy and execution has worked to perfection.

World High Life announced that Love Hemps online sales in May 2020 eclipsed online sales figures from January 2020 by an astounding 107%. These numbers come on the heels of month-over-month growth every single month since January. The year 2020, while dismal for many businesses across the globe, has been a breakout campaign for Love Hempa company that expects the jump in sales during the pandemic to lead to longer-term gainsall while putting World High Life and its efforts to grow an investment portfolio in the legal medicinal cannabis, hemp and CBD industries, on the map as a serious competitor in these industries.

Brands, like Love Hemp, that have enjoyed a surge in online sales have most likely also enjoyed a rush of first-time customers giving them a monumental opportunity to differentiate themselves from other brands with what is a captive audience experiencing new innovative products as theyre rolled out among the already-popular choices.

Love Hemp already has over 80 products, including oils, sprays, edibles, cosmetics, and vapes, and has around 1,200 retail listings. Combined, these products have positioned the company as one of the UKs leading CBD and hemp product suppliers, but the company isnt stopping there because as Love Hemps CEO points out, the company is always expanding its product line to meet the demands of its growing customer base.

Love Hemp has always been passionate about creating a leading range of trusted CBD products. Over the past few years, we have seen the demand for CBD products soar in the UK as more and more people become aware of its benefits to well-being. Tony Calamita continued, New product development is at the heart of our businesswe were the first functional spring water in Europe to be infused with CBD. Oils, sprays, vapes, chocolate, jelly domes, and beauty products, including the first CBD-infused face masks and body salves, have all followed.

One such product that illustrates Love Hemps desire to meet consumer demand is Love Hemp Immune. The company successfully pushed this product to market well ahead of schedule to meet the needs of consumers. It is an innovative product that truly confronts the current times were all living in, so Calamita and his team made it a priority to launch it sooner rather than later. Love Hemp Immune is made with the highest quality ingredients, including a combination of CBD, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Bilberry extract. It contains all of the essential supplements that support a healthy immune system, and the company says its available in both a 100 ml atomizer spray, as well as, in capsule form.

Calamita said of the early release, We were due to launch Love Hemp Immune in the Winter of 2020, but we have worked around the clock to get it to consumers soonerand moved forward the launch by six monthslaunching it in April 2020 instead. Boosting our immune systems has rarely felt more urgent than now, and Love Hemp Immune contains the perfect combination of beneficial ingredients that will help boost the bodys natural defenses.

Last month World High Life announced that Love Hemp is achieving its plans of growth and brand expansion with a host of notable highlights, including:

Brightfield Group, the leading consumer insights and market intelligence firm for the CBD and cannabis industries said of weathering the pandemic, Smaller brands often rely on small or local retailers to distribute the bulk of their products. In the current environment, mass shuttering of retailers is likely to deal a death blow to many of the smaller brands in the market. This could actually work in favor of many of the larger brands, who are better positioned to weather the storm and be able to support a robust e-comm strategy. If they can keep the lights on over the next few months, they may be competing in a much less crowded field once we emerge from the crisis.

Love Hemp, however, is unlike many smaller brands and has proven that it is an exception to the rule as it is not only weathering these tough times but thriving in them. The companys success is likely due to the infrastructure it already had in place to prosper in times like these.

Love Hemp has its own wholesale production business with LH Botanicals, which is the UKs biggest seed-to-shelf premium CBD supplier. It provides a complete range of CBD products for wholesale, bulk, and white label and it works with brands to formulate and develop their own finished products. Additionally, Love Hemp has its own secondary online retailer, and it has already secured shelf space in pharmacies and with leading retailers, and the company has a team that is constantly thinking outside-the-box to develop new products and negotiate shelf space with some of the UKs largest retailers.

Brightfield Group released new consumer research in mid-March 2020 that indicated, anxiety rated as the highest ailment among CBD users with depression and insomnia following close behind. But, interestingly, Brightfield Group found that self-care products have become a popular topic on social media. With much of the world in quarantine or slowly emerging from it right now, Brightfield Group says, many are turning to self-care indulgences to keep themselves sane and even just pass the time, which is likely to help boost some CBD self-care products during quarantine time.

Love Hemp is in a position to offer products that can help with what is ailing each of these groups. First, all of the companys products have certified CBD concentration and are certified to be 100% THC free. Globally there is growing awareness about the possible health benefits of CBD oil, including for anxiety relief, as an anti-seizure solution, for pain relief, as a neuroprotective, etc., and Love Hemp even offers self-care products.

Brightfield Group has estimated significant growth over the next four years in the European market. The firms research expects 400% growth in Europes legal cannabis market by the end of 2023, and with Love Hemp situated in the UK and succeeding, it is in an ideal position to capture a large share of that growing European market. Read about World High Life/Love Hemps planned brand expansion in other global CBD markets: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/06/15/2048074/0/en/World-High-Life-Subsidiary-Continues-Massive-Sales-Growth-in-the-UK-CBD-Market-with-Eye-to-Future-Brand-Expansion.html

To learn more about World High Life visit: https://www.worldhighlife.uk

To learn more about Love Hemp visit: https://love-hemp.com

Or to ask questions directly, call their toll-free number in North America: 1 (888) 616-WRHLF (9745)

About World High Life

World High Life PLC is an investment company with a strategic focus to invest in and/or acquire companies operating in the CBD wellness and medicinal cannabis industry. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Love Hemp Ltd., is one of the UK's leading CBD and Hemp product suppliers and has more than 40 product lines, comprising oils, sprays and vapes, and a variety of edible and water-based CBD products. Love Hemp has established relationships with over 1,200 stores in the UK, including leading brands such as Ocado, Holland & Barrett, and WH Smith.

About Stock Market Media Group

Stock Market Media Group is a news & media content development IR firm offering a platform for corporate stories to unfold in the media with press releases, research reports, corporate videos, radio-style CEO interviews, and feature news articles.

This article was written based on publicly available information. Stock Market Media Group may, from time to time, include our own opinions about the companies, their business, markets, and opportunities in our articles. Any opinions we may offer about any of the companies we write about are solely our own and are made in reliance upon our rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and are provided solely for the general opinionated discussion of our readers. Our opinions should not be considered to be complete, precise, accurate, or current investment advice, or construed or interpreted as research. Any investment decisions you may make concerning any of the securities we write about are solely your responsibility based on your own due diligence. Our publications are provided only as an informational aid, and as a starting point for doing additional independent research. We encourage you to invest carefully and read the investor information available at the web site of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov, where you can also find all of World High Lifes filings and disclosures. We also recommend, as a general rule, that before investing in any securities, you consult with a professional financial planner or advisor, and you should conduct a complete and independent investigation before investing in any security after prudent consideration of all pertinent risks. We are not a registered broker, dealer, analyst, or advisor. We hold no investment licenses and may not sell, offer to sell, or offer to buy any security. Our publications about World High Life are not a recommendation to buy or sell a security.

Should Stock Market Media Group and its management own shares in the profiled company, they may benefit from any increase in the share price of the profiled companies and hold the right to sell the shares bought at any given time including shortly after the release of the companys profile. Section 17(b) of the 1933 Securities and Exchange Act requires publishers who distribute information about publicly traded securities for compensation, to disclose who paid them, the amount, and the type of payment. Under the Securities Act of 1933, Section 17(b), Stock Market Media Group discloses that it was remunerated one-thousand, two hundred dollars paid for by a third party (three-thousand, six hundred dollars total to date) via bank wire, to produce content related to World High Life.

Stock Market Media Group and its management do not own any shares in World High Life and never accepts compensation in free-trading shares for its marketing services of the company being profiled, however third parties that have compensated Stock Market Media Group may hold free-trading shares of the company being profiled and could very well be selling, holding or buying shares of the companys stock at the same time the content is being disseminated to potential investors; this should be viewed as a definite conflict of interest and as such, the reader should take this into consideration.

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In the beauty industry, they call it the Caroline effect. Skin-care influencer Caroline Hirons is so powerful that she can bring a product back from near death. Legend has it that in 2013, Clinique was about to discontinue its Take the Day Off Balm. But after Hirons gave a wholehearted recommendation of it on her site, the boost acted like defibrillator paddles and saved the product from entering the product graveyard. (Clinique even provided an official statement about the incident.) Hirons has done the same for other beloved products, among them Biologique P-50 and Pixi Glow Tonic.

On the beauty boards and on YouTube, Hirons comes across as a wisecracking straight-talker who isnt afraid to cut through the jargon and deliver the truth, scattered with a few F-bombs. Her first book out this week is called SkinCARE: The Ultimate No-Nonsense Guide. It answers basic questions like how much product you should use, with helpful cheat sheets devoted to eye cream and other skin-care categories. Theres also a section called Get Into the Sea filled with products Hirons considers a complete waste of space and time. Among them: face wipes (Hironss public enemy No. 1), sheet masks (wipes with holes cut out for eyes), and foaming cleansers (No part of your body should squeak).

The Cut caught up with Hirons to talk about beauty routines during COVID-19, how she thinks Black Lives Matter will affect the beauty industry, and whether skin care is, ultimately, kind of a scam.

How has the pandemic affected the way youve thought about skin care and beauty? It hasnt changed anything for me. For other people, I think its made them sit up and take care of their skin a bit more. Ive heard that many peoples skin is changing. Most people have gone one of two ways. Theyre either dry, dehydrated, flaky, or theyre breaking out.

I am just doing what I always do. If people are avoiding wipes and doing something properly, then thats good. People who are active in the skin care community have been loving it. Its a great time to soup up the actives, retinoids, without having to worry about downtime.

A few years ago, an article went viral suggesting that skin care was a scam. What did you think of the piece and the premise? I saw that. I was not happy. I read that and thought, Shes either blessed with great genes, is the most cynical person on earth, or both. If anything, it got me a few more followers because I became a safe place for people who not only need skin care but enjoy using it.

Ive always said that people should feel like the healthiest version of themselves. I hate the term anti-aging. Surely thats a bonus to life, getting older. You need to talk to someone you trust about skin care. Everyone comes at it with a different angle at a different time of their life. Theres not one product that will make you a skin-care believer its much more nuanced than that. If youre jaded about skin care, what was your previous bad experience? And just like any industry, theres good and bad. Whats up with your skin genetically? Are you going through menopause or puberty? Everyone has a different story.

When I meet someone I say, Tell me what youre using and what you want from this. Its not about my agenda. My agenda is to help them get the skin they want. If they say, I want everything firmed up and dont want to look a day over 30, then I say, Well, you may need a needle. Considering we all have the same skin, its all different.

What motivates you to have a skin-care routine, personally? Is it because its your job? I dont do it because its my job. Its been ingrained in me since I was a teen. Ive been doing it almost 40 years. This job happened because I took care of my skin and went down that road. I dont need motivation to do it. Its an integral part of my everyday self-care.

Why do you see skin care as self-care? I think of vanity and self-care as different things. Its not vain if you take care of yourself. Its fundamental. Youre not vain when you eat dinner. Washing your hair and face and rear end is not vanity. Its self-care. Vanity comes into it if you are obsessive about things about yourself that you want to change. It ties into self-acceptance when people grow up hatingcertain parts of their body or themselves.

Why not take care of your skin? If you need encouragement to proceed with self-care, theres a bigger issue besides that you dont feel like cleansing. Your skin and hygiene are some of the first things you neglect when youre not well. For example, I have quite a few readers in the North Corridor who have Lyme disease. They tell me that they dont have the energy, and they cant do anything. They ask me, Whats the bare minimum I can do?

Do you see skin care as health? Theres a certain element of health. But its no different from my two cats licking themselves. Its self-care; its related to their health. Theyre all kind of intertwined. Is brushing your teeth vain? Its just grooming, and humans have been doing it for centuries. Before there were toothbrushes and toothpaste, there were sticks. Men get away with calling it grooming, but when its women, theres negativity.

Ive been doing Instagram Lives all during lockdown. Ive done it with gray roots in a bun. My lashes fell off in week two. My nails fell off who knows when. Beauty is prone to a lot of judgment because people like to judge women. Some reports seem to suggest that its the sole responsibility of the beauty industry to reduce plastic, as if plastic bottles and straws dont exist. Again, because its women.

Face wipes, however, are a whole other argument. Theyre created for laziness. Theyre destroying the planet. What you wont get from me is making women feel guilty for taking care of themselves.

What effect do you think Black Lives Matter will have on the beauty industry? Im 50, so Ive seen uprisings. Things then quickly went back to normal. The fact that LOral apologized publicly to Munroe Bergdorf is great and long overdue. Over here in the U.K., Boots was called out by a Black woman who noticed that all the Caucasian hair care was on a shelf, and all the Black hair care was security-tagged. Little things like that chip away it suggests that youre a thief or you cant be trusted because of your skin color. Im hoping were turning a corner we dont have to visit again. I hope it doesnt once again just become the way we operate because the beauty industry is run by middle-aged white men.

My daughters generation will see hopefully more change. They wont have to go through what I went through coming up the ranks. Like when you tell people youre pregnant and they ask you, Are you keeping it? emphasis on it. Well, no Brian, if I wasnt keeping it, would I be telling you? Now I look back and think, Oh God, we put up with so much crap.

In the long term, the vision has to be that we support more independent businesses, and Black-owned businesses. These businesses also need financial aid so that we can lift them out of the trials that white people have put them in. We need to think about how we can fix this. Once COVID-19 has ended and we have some sense of normality, it will be key to see who is still left standing and has honored what theyve said theyre going to do.

When you recommend a product, is it based on the merits of the product only? Or do you take other things into account, like the companys values and their political stances? It had always been product first. So if the product is great, then I think about the brand. There are a couple of brands I dont talk about because I have personal history with them and I wont give them the oxygen. The main thing my readers ask about is animal testing and then whether a product is vegan.

In my autumn and winter skin-care kits, we will be doing a shout-out to smaller Black-owned businesses. We may have to help them financially, as a lot of these brands may not be used to making the quantity needed for these kits. Were looking at ways we can support business while still doing ours, and extending it into, yes, they have to be ethical. If LOral hadnt apologized to Munroe, it would have been a different situation.

It depends on the politics, and its nuanced. One of the Lauders has donated millions to Trump. If you were to say, Right, we are boycotting Lauder, youre also boycotting the biggest employer of Black people in our industry. No one employs more nonwhite people than M.A.C. If you boycott Lauder, the knockdown effect is not supporting Black makeup artists.

Lauder does a lot of things very well. Lets face it, they are a massively privileged family. The way they counter it is with charity donations and breast-cancer awareness, and the people I know in management and head-office roles there are very happy. They do employ a lot of people who arent white. It all depends on whats important to you. Every person will have to vote with their own dollar.

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Talking to the Most Powerful Woman in Skin Care - The Cut

Charles Richard Webb was born on June 9, 1939, in San Francisco, and grew up in Pasadena, Calif. His father, Dr. Richard Webb, was a heart specialist, part of a wealthy social circle like the one Charles would skewer in The Graduate. (Charles described his relationship with his father as reasonably bad.) His mother, Janet Farrington Webb, was, he said, a socialite and an avid reader from whom he was always looking for crumbs of approval. He said The Graduate was an attempt to win her favor; it went decidedly wrong.

A younger brother, Sidney Farrington Webb, became a doctor in Las Cruces, N.M.

Charles went to boarding school and then to Williams College in Massachusetts, where he earned a degree in American history and literature in 1961. He said his schools had been chosen for him on the basis of how it looked. A mediocre student, he nonetheless managed to win a two-year writing fellowship, which he used to write The Graduate.

While at Williams, he met Ms. Rudd, a Bennington College student. She was a former debutante from a family of teachers with a bohemian streak her brother was the avant-garde jazz trombonist Roswell Rudd and they both rejected the bourgeois worlds of their families. Their first date, they told interviewers, was in a cemetery.

Their romance, and her mothers disapproval of him, became the basis for The Graduate. The inspiration for the character Mrs. Robinson, who seduces young Benjamin, may have come from one of his parents friends, whom he accidentally saw naked.

Reviewing the book in The Times, Orville Prescott called it a fictional failure but favorably compared its protagonist to Holden Caulfield of The Catcher in the Rye.

With its mumbling ennui and conversations that do not connect, the novel captured the moment just before the repressed Eisenhower era blossomed into the Technicolor 1960s. The characters are not idealistic; theyre groping for ideals, their flight from their parents values and lifestyles more solitary than collective. In the last pages, Benjamin and Elaine are alone on a bus, shaken, heading into a future that is opaque to them. Hello darkness, my old friend.

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Charles Webb, Elusive Author of The Graduate, Dies at 81 - The New York Times

Nii Lante Wallace-Davies and Sharon Harris, both head of business developmentof Ieso Digital Health, provide some insight into the current state of peoples mental health in the UK and what tools can be used to help manage it.

Over the past few months, the world as we once knew it has altered dramatically. It has been a time of change for everyone and, after many weeks of confinement at home, the extraordinary times we now live in will be taking their toll on many peoples mental health. However, as lockdown measures ease and people come to terms with this newmality, the transition period we are now in maybe the time when people will need mental healthcare the most.

Continuity and quality of mental health services has never been more crucial and, as a key priority for the NHS, IAPT has been working hard to keep mental healthcare services up, running and available during these uncertain times. During the COVID-19 crisis, many healthcare providers have put contingency plans and measures in place to support the remain open directive, including:

While many mental health services are still available and running as usual (albeit online) across much of the UK, in April and May mental health referrals to services appeared to experience a 30-60% drop off which is surprising during a collective crisis such as COVID-19. In recent weeks, referrals have begun to pick up again, but they are still not at pre-COVID-19 levels compared to the months prior the pandemic. This decrease in referrals could be for a number of reasons:

The signs of delayed onset mental health issues

A recent report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which surveyed 1300 mental health doctors across the UK, also found that 45% of experts experienced a fall in routine appointments during the COVID-19 lockdown, with psychiatrists worried about a looming mental health crisis from problems stored up during lockdown.A report on the early warning signs of a mental health tsunami published by JMIR publications, also documented similar observations after speaking to multiple digital platform providers including the Ieso team.Its initial data indicated the onset of a mental health crisis and fears of a surge in demand as lockdown restrictions ease. The JMIR study also highlighted the complexity of, and change in mental health concerns witnessed by digital providers, notably the increased presentation of anxiety and loneliness, and a recurring observation that demand for digital support has risen.

At Ieso, we have interpreted our own mental health data in much the same way and expect a surge in the number of patients in need of treatment due to the delayed onset of symptoms. Initially we saw a significant increase in online CBT referrals in the weeks leading up to and just after lockdown started - an 84% usage increase in fact compared to the same period last year. This suggested that NHS mental health services had turned to digital delivery to help cope with demand and were sending more people our way. However, this surge soon saw a drop in health-seeking behaviour, suggesting the delayed onset response that has been observed in other critical incidents over time.

COVID-19 role in mental health difficulties today

The patterns of change in referral numbers, and particularly referral pathways (i.e. service vs self-referrals) are often complex and dynamic, and can be difficult to interpret or accurately predict what will happen next. However, Ieso has been observing the language used within therapy sessions and, while this is preliminary analysis on data collected, we have found a significant increase in worries about viruses including Coronavirus and COVID-19. With 20% to 30% of patients now mentioning COVID-19 in therapy, this does not necessarily indicate that patients are having mental health difficulties caused by the current crisis, but it does suggest that the current crisis is playing a substantial role in mental health difficulties for patients in therapy, and raises concerns about the long-term impact of the crisis on the mental health of the population.

This compares to approximately 40% of worries about family, and 5% of worries about finance, which seems to have remained stable during this period (April 2020).

A unique mental health situation

The COVID19 situation is pretty unique when compared to other modern times crisis. The virus has not been over a discrete point in time but instead prolonged over several weeks and months. It has caused trauma exposure at a global scale and at various levels with compounding sets of triggers for mental health conditions. On top of this, there is a lack of ability for people suffering from anxiety and depression to return to anything that remotely resembles normal life, which is usually the primary path to recovery.

We also expect that people may not be able to address the difficulties they are currently experiencing with their mental health due to other factors going on in their lives. However, as more people start to acknowledge symptoms due to factors such as isolation, family or financial distress or pressures, we believe they will start to seek help. Milder symptoms are usually detected in people in the immediate aftermath of a trauma, which become more severe with time. By intervening early we find that exposed individuals have better clinical outcomes. For those that dont seek help we suspect this will lead to a rebound effect, where mental health difficulties increase as lockdown measures are lifted but life does not necessarily go back to normal.

Measures to move patients through treatment and prepare for a rise in mental healthcare cases

When this surge will hit no one really knows, but with generally lower numbers of referrals overall, we are seeing some healthcare service providers using the technology, time and budget they have to start to clear their waiting lists in preparation for any future disruption to healthcare services. Also, some NHS Trusts are taking steps to enhance their digital efforts further, by adopting services like Iesos online CBT, which can introduce more capacity and supplement NHS teams when workforces maybe depleted.

Ieso has already been helping with waiting list reduction programmes to clear pathways ready for the impending and expected surge in mental health cases. Keeping digital services up and running, and continuing to move people through treatment during a mental healthcare crisis is critical, particularly if healthcare professionals or therapists are re-prioritised to deliver frontline critical care or taken ill.

Digital services such as Iesos also offer patients the added benefit of flexibility and choice in terms of the time and location they receive therapy so outside normal working hours and at home if they prefer. By utilising these more modern forms of digital communications, service providers can deliver much needed end-to-end care more immediately in times of emergency or crisis, meaning more people can get the treatment they need. People can seek treatment, continue to engage, and can also remain in touch if they need additional support, particularly as circumstances continue to change.

Digital therapy is the new business as usual

As the NHS Trust re-models for the expected newmality and an increase in demand for mental health services, healthcare providers recognise that digital as a delivery method for therapy is here to stay. Digital delivery methods provide more flexibility for both therapists and patients, who are becoming more comfortable with these treatment platforms. GPs are also seeing the benefits in referring to online services to get people into treatment faster. With terms being used across the industry, such as going back to better, NHS Trusts are starting to invest more in tools like Iesos online CBT to enable remote and more flexible access to therapy for all. Digital delivery will be more embedded into working practice generally, and so for the most part, many NHS Trusts are being pragmatic and flexible in their approach and seeing digital as business as usual until we all have more clarity on what will happen next.

As digital delivery methods become newmailty in mental healthcare, we will continue to closely monitor the state of the UKs mental health, and report back findings.

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Monitoring mental health in the UK through a digital lens - Med-Tech Innovation

Now doesn't feel like the right time to worry about personal productivity, and yet we all have things we need to get done. But with the world in a state of pandemic; unemployment skyrocketing; and mass protests against police violence and systemic racism deserving our attention, time, energy, and emotions, we're all experiencing more stress than ever. When we're overstressed, we can't get things donewhich leads to more stress. We all have the capacity to handle some stress, of course, but like a muscle, it gets exhausted when it works to hard for too long, we need to help it recover. That's easier said than done, and, for many of us, it may require prioritizing self-care in a way we never have before.

Imagine that we keep resiliency to stress, as a resource, in a bucket. When things are going well, our bucket is full. As we encounter stress, whether in the form of problems in our personal lives or projects at work, we use our resources to combat the stress. The more stress, the more resources we use. Over time, the supply in our bucket dips.

Thankfully, we get breaks from some of our stressors, often in the form of free time and weekends. Those breaks allow the bucket to refill. We go on vacation, our bucket refills. We ask someone to watch the kids for a night, the bucket gets topped up. Even routine breaks during a workday help. As long as we have sufficient breaks from stressors, the bucket occasionally refills, which allows us to remain reasonably well equipped to function in the world and take on new problems as they arise.

Even in the best of times, when the resiliency bucket runs low and we start to run out of resources, we can't handle new problems, and more importantly, we don't handle existing problems very well either. As everyone knows from experience, when we get hit with too much stress at once, everything becomes more difficult to manage.

Right now, we're all working from buckets that are much lower than what we're used to. Some sources of stress, like COVID-19 and all its health and economic complications, are new and (mostly) unexpected. Other stressors, like the protests against police violence are not only new forms of stress in themselves, but also remind white people that that black people face persistent long-term stressors that white people don't. Repeatedly watching the shocking footage of people being murdered or other images of police violence causes a further escalation of stress.

With all these compounded stressors, even regular daily troubles can seem unbearable. Some of us who have never experienced an empty bucket are struggling, and those whose resilience was depleted to start with feel helpless and adrift. We all have to think about our strategies for dealing with stress much more purposefully than ever before.

If you're hoping to be highly productive right now, I invite you to take an inventory of your resources and stressors to decide whether it's worth your while. If you don't have enough resiliency to combat all the stressors coming your way, adding a stressful new productivity goal isn't going to help. You might decide that you're simply going to be getting less done for a little while and cut yourself a break. Look instead at where you might be able to get away with doing less, and talk to the people who will be affected, whether it's your job, your friends, or your family.

Keep in mind that if our bucket runs empty, we are not effective people in the world. We don't do a good job of helping our families or one another and we don't do much good for ourselves. So we have to find a way to refill our resiliency bucket. One research paper that analyzed how people recover from work-related stress points to three options: relaxation, control, and mastery.

Relaxation is pretty straightforward. Do something that relaxes you. Make sure you do it in such a way that you actually take a break from stressors. You've probably heard people talk about self-care in terms of treating yourself to something you enjoy. Have a glass of wine. Soak your feet in the tub. However, the trick is to do it in a way that gives you a break from stress. If you pour a glass of wine while looking at police violence on TV or social media, that's not getting you away from any of your stressors. It's similar to the idea that taking a proper lunch break at work means not eating in front of your email inbox.

Mastery means developing a skill, and it can be completely unrelated to your professional work. It's easiest to picture mastery as a hobby, such as making art, practicing a musical instrument, or playing a sport. The main idea is that you're engaging in a skill you enjoy and working to get better at it, which is how it's different from relaxation. The hobby or skill doesn't have to be clear cut, either. It can be something like telling jokes or redecorating your home, as long as you're actively trying to get better at it. If you feel like you don't have a skill to master, sites such as MasterClass and Skillshare can help you explore new areas and ideas.

Control has to do with having agency over your time. If you spend most of your free time taking care of others, no matter whether they're children, adults, or seniors, you may not have really chosen to do that. Even with care responsibilities, though, you might be able to exercise some control. For example, choosing to read a book to or listen to music with the people you give care to is a small way to have some decision-making power.

Regardless of our stress levels, many of us still need to do some kind of work or chore that requires focus. It might be to keep our income. It might be to organize social or political movements. There's still important work to be done. So what can you do when you're too stressed to focus?

Let's look at a few possible strategies. Keep in mind, though, that if your resource bucket runs empty, you won't be able to focus. Try to refill your bucket, even if it's just a little bit, before you try to tackle something difficult.

Time Blocking is exactly what it sounds like: blocking off time in your calendar and dedicating it to certain tasks. People use this technique to dedicate long, unbroken stretches of time to a task or activity. It's useful for tasks that require a state of flow, such as writing at length, reading long reports, or creating a presentation.

To use this technique, write a daily agenda using 15-minute increments (or more). Focus on scheduling your most important tasks in a few uninterrupted blocks. For example, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., I will work on Project X. From 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., I'll take a break and make sure my kids have what they need. Then from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., I'll finish Project X. Don't schedule your entire day down the minute.

Because life is more hectic than usual, I recommend leaving fairly big gaps between your blocks so you can take care of problems that arise. The goal is to protect the time you need to focus, and you can't do that if you don't leave some wiggle room.

The Pomodoro Technique comes from a book of the same name. The idea is to work intently for a fixed number of minutes, usually 20 to 25, and then take a short break. The name of the technique comes from the tomato-shaped kitchen timer (pomodoro is Italian for tomato) that author Francesco Cirillo used to time his work period and breaks when he invented the method.

The Pomodoro Technique is useful for work that can be done in spurts. It's not good if you need to get into a deep flow state to accomplish your task. You'll need a timer and notepad, which can be physical or digital.

Start by setting your timer for 20 to 25 minutes. Work intently on your task. If a thought interrupts you, jot it down in your notepad quickly and forget about it for now. Do not stop working until the timer rings. When it does, reset it for three to five minutes, and take a break. In the traditional method, you would repeat this process three or four more times, and then take a longer break. There are plenty of browser plug-ins that help you use the Pomodoro Technique. I happen to like StrictWorkflow. It puts a timer in your window that counts down the minutes in red when you're in a focus session and green when you're on a break.

In the current climate, when stress is high and resilience is low, it might be effective enough to simply set a timer for 20 minutes and try to focus on only one thing for that time. Don't worry as much much about timing your breaks or jumping back into the repetition.

Keep Unusual Hours. If there's something you desperately need to get done and you're having difficulty making time for it, try working during unusual hours. It might be very early in the morning, late at night, or while your family eats dinner. I don't recommend using this method long term; if you did, those hours would no longer be "unusual," right? That said, if you need to get something done and you have the opportunity to wake up at 5:00 a.m. two days in a row to bang it out, it's worth trying.

In normal times, there's a similar technique of working in unusual locations. Some people find it easy to concentrate when they're in a public place, such as a cafe or even on airplanes and trains. You don't have to book a flight to finish your big project, however, as you can replicate the same experience by going somewhere with similar elements, like background chatter and no access to Wi-Fi. With COVID-19, being in alternate locations is tough or impossible. So use time instead of location to shake up your routine.

Without a doubt, we're living in a time of deep suffering. Acknowledging and honoring your unique hardships, as well as those of people around you, may help you process and understand just how low you're running on resiliency as a resource.

The first step needs to be taking care of yourself. To do that, do anything you can to reduce or at least get a break from some of your stressors. Even small actions, like ordering groceries or meal kits instead of going to the store, can alleviate a little bit of stress. And when the stress load starts to lighten, we have a chance to refill that resource bucket.

Secondly, when you do need to focus and get work done, try using a technique to help you set aside time and make progress. And keep in mind that it's OK if you aren't as productive now as you were a year ago. We're in conditions that make it nearly impossible. Be patient with yourself and try to take everything one moment at a time.

Read more:
It's Time to Put Self-Care Before Productivity - PCMag

Timothy K Mtonga (61) and family: Timothy K Mtonga (61) and his wife Christine (54) with grandchildren Memory (10), Agnes (6), Diless (8) and Issac, nine months, in southern Zambia.

The initiative between QUB and Self Help Africa is designed to provide a low-cost response to the heightened resistance of goats in Malawi to de-worming anti-microbial treatments.

The work by Professor Eric Morgan and his research team at QUB, in collaboration with Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Malawi has developed a five-point test that Community Animal Health workers can use to estimate the level of worm infestation in goats.

Regular deworming of animals in Malawi has led to a resistance in herds to the treatments. However, rural poor farmers often cannot access or afford the testing that is recommended to determine levels of resistance.

The team at QUB is testing for signs of scouring, nasal discharge, bottle jaw, body condition and anaemia, with their results determining whether it is cost effective to treat the animal with de-wormer, or with plants that are known to possess anthelmintic properties.

The project is cataloguing and testing plants that farmers already use as natural de-wormers and testing other plants that may be de-wormers. As well as reducing the risks of resistance to de-wormers and costs, if successful the research will help build natural immunity to worms within flocks. A related project is using remote sensing and rainfall data to determine when the risks of goats picking up worms from pastures is at its highest.

Denny Elliott, Head of Northern Ireland Self Help Africa, said: This collaboration for Self Help Africa with Queens University Belfast is helping the poorest of farmers to protect their livestock and secure their livelihoods for the short term by providing them with this test that they would otherwise not be able to afford.

We are also working with Queens and a number of other institutions in the UK and Africa to field test an app with our farmers which is being created to analyse rainfall and determine high risk periods of worm infestation so farmers will therefore only need to treat their animals during this time.

Although we have been faced with an unimaginable challenge during the pandemic, collaborations are invaluable as we look beyond 2020 and Self Help Africa is also facilitating a Phd project blending traditional and new animal health solutions funded by the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy which supports agro-pastoral livelihoods under climate change.

Eric Morgan, Professor in Veterinary Parasitology at QUB, said: Smallholder farmers in Africa face high losses from worm infections in goats, which impact productivity and animal welfare. Chemical treatments are often unaffordable, and are not needed by all animals, while plants available locally can also support animal health and nutrition for free. By working with Self-Help Africa and farmers in Malawi, we can identify problems in individual animals and focus limited resources on those, to support health, production and livelihoods. Healthy livestock have never been more important for people to fall back on in these uncertain times.

If you would like to make a donation or find out more about Self Help Africa and how you can help, visit http://www.selfhelpafrica.org

Read more:
Queens University Belfast and Self Help Africa in Malawi collaboration project - Farming Life

When the novel coronavirus pandemic hit, the Inland Empire Community Foundation jumped into action doing what it does best: helping organizations and people throughout the IE in need of assistance.

The IECF expects to present about $450,000 in grants to local nonprofits assisting those most seriously affected by the pandemic as well as aid groups that need to continue operating.

One of the foundations first efforts was the COVID-19 Resilience Fund, with recent grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 for such nonprofits. Among them, that top amount was awarded to Angel View, which assists disabled children and adults in Riverside County through a variety of programs including group homes and support for families caring for disabled kids at home.

Based in the Coachella Valley, Angel Views award has been a blessing, said Executive Director Patti Park. The grant was especially well-timed because the nonprofits 21 Inland Empire retail stores, through which it receives funding, were forced to close on March 20. The stores reopened May 23.

It got crazy busy for the case managers trying to help families in a new way, Park said.

Grant funds are helping case managers assist disabled children through the Angel View Outreach program, which provides essential support and services at no cost to families; and with mileage reimbursement when families need to take their kids for treatment at Loma Linda University Childrens Hospital.

The San Bernardino-based Child Care Resources Center also received $20,000. Director James Moses said that since the pandemic began, requests for assistance from his organization have more than tripled. Grant funds are being used to buy, box and distribute fresh food and personal care items weekly to low-income families from CCRC facilities in San Bernardino and Victorville.

This has a great impact on our families, he said. One, it provides them with healthy and nutritious foods they might not normally be able to purchase on their own if money is tight fresh food and vegetables, beans and rice, and dry goods. Also soap and laundry detergent.

We are seeing more and more requests for these items, especially self-care items, Moses continued, adding that childcare providers need more cleaning supplies to keep their facilities safe.

Most local childcare providers, especially family based providers, remained open to serve the children of essential workers, and while the revenues are down, costs remain high, Moses said.

The Inland Empire Community Foundation administers the Brouse Scholarship Program, which was awarded to these women in 1965 and continues helping students to this day. (Photo courtesy Inland Empire Community Foundation)

In 1941, local civic leader and banker Charles Brouse established the Riverside Distribution Committee, the precursor to todays Inland Empire Community Foundation. (Photo courtesy Inland Empire Community Foundation)

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Michelle Decker, IECF president and CEO (Photo courtesy Inland Empire Community Foundation)

Molly Adams bequeathed more than $4 million in real estate to what is now the Inland Empire Community Foundation to establish the Molly Adams Endowed Scholarship Fund, which benefits disabled youth who are pursuing a college education. (Photo courtesy Inland Empire Community Foundation)

Founded in 1941, the IECF is the oldest and largest community foundation serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It helps individuals, families and businesses, partners with donors, and invests and administers more than $100 million in charitable assets, said Michelle Decker, the president and CEO.

Previously called The Community Foundation, that more generic name was changed this year to add Inland Empire.

This was a chance for people in the IE to see they had their own foundation, Decker said. When the pandemic hit, we saw it through the lens of a disaster. Opening the COVID-19 Resilience Fund was a chance for us to say, Here we are, we are going to have to take care of each other, right here and right now.

Fast facts: Inland Empire Community Foundation

Information: http://www.iegives.org

Editors note: A version of this story appeared in the summer 2020 issue of Riverside Magazine.

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Inland Empire Community Foundation has a history of helping in the region - Press-Enterprise

Sada Jones anxiously paces inside her apartment every time she catches a glimpse of her buildings maintenance workers through a damaged glass patio door half boarded up with scrap wood that she says her landlord refuses to repair.

Jones, 23, a hotel cook, has been unable to make rent payments on her New Orleans-area apartment since being furloughed on March 19 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, she alleges, her landlord began using aggressive tactics to force her out, including cutting off her utilities and sending maintenance workers to demand she leave.

Im scared because I dont want to move with the situation thats going on with COVID, but I also dont want to live in these conditions, she said. Im constantly anxious and paranoid about what theyll do next. I dont feel safe.

Despite efforts by many jurisdictions to halt evictions either through formal moratoriums or court closures, some landlords have taken matters into their own hands with illegal self-help evictions and have been harassing and intimidating tenants like Jones who are unable to pay rent many because of pandemic-related job loss in an effort to get them out.

These tenants, many who are waiting on unemployment or stimulus checks, are put in the precarious situation of having to endure hostility or leave their homes in the midst of a public health crisis.

Amanda Golob, managing attorney of the housing law unit at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services in New Orleans, said her office has seen several abusive tactics from landlords, including changing locks, cutting utilities, refusing to make essential repairs and constant harassment via phone calls and text messages: They are creating an environment that forces the tenant to leave on their own.

Similar incidences of self-help evictions, which are a violation of the law in most jurisdictions, have been reported by housing organizations across the country since the onset of the pandemic.

Nearly 30 percent of respondents to a survey by the National Fair Housing Alliance said they've experienced an increase in fair housing complaints, incidences or calls since mid-March, when most states went into COVID-19 lockdowns.

Complaints could become more prevalent as the backlog of evictions builds and landlords' frustrations mount, housing experts said.

We have seen both prior to pandemic and during pandemic some landlords will resort to intimidation or other tactics to push their tenants out. It is certainly possible that given the increasing economic pressure that both families and landlords are under that that could increase, said Alieza Durana, a writer and spokeswoman for the Eviction Lab at Princeton University.

Jones said her landlord's hostile tactics began a few weeks after she missed her April payment. Claiming she broke her lease and surrendered her key, her landlord sent maintenance workers into her apartment to demand she leave immediately, she said. Jones, who still had her key, refuted the claim and refused to go.

A few days later, he cut off various utilities, she said: disconnecting her air conditioning cables as temperatures began to soar and turning off power in parts of her apartment, including the kitchen. She no longer has a working stove.

Jones used her March rent money to stock up on two weeks of food and essentials at the start of the pandemic. Whatever was left from her savings was used for food in April and May, she said, leaving her nothing for housing costs.

I had to make a decision. Either I pay the rent or I buy food, so I chose what I immediately needed at the time, which was food, she said.

Meanwhile, a broken sliding glass door vandalized in February has been untouched despite her repeated requests to have it fixed.

Regardless of any lease violations, the landlord still has an obligation to make her unit livable, said Hannah Adams, a legal aid attorney with Southeast Louisiana Legal Services who is representing Jones.

When NBC News emailed Jones' landlord, Joshua Bruno, to ask about her allegations specifically that he refused to fix the broken door, cut off some utilities to the apartment and had staff intimidate Jones Bruno responded with more than a dozen points, calling the allegations "false," claiming Jones was "trespassing" and that there was an "open police investigation into her breaking back into her apartment."

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Jones and attorneys with Southeast Louisiana Legal Services say Bruno's accusations are baseless and false. Adams said she has repeatedly requested police reports, video or any other documentation regarding a police investigation into an alleged break in and has received nothing from Bruno.

While self-help evictions are outlawed in Louisiana, Bruno is also barred from evicting tenants under the federal Cares Act, Adams said. The law, which was enacted to aid individuals and businesses harmed by the pandemic, prohibits landlords who receive federal loans or assistance including Bruno, who has a Fannie Mae loan on the property from initiating eviction proceedings until July 25.

Jones is not alone in her allegations against Bruno. Other renters living in Brunos units also claim they've been subjected to self-help tactics after losing jobs amid the pandemic (Bruno has maintained that his actions were appropriate and that his company follows state and federal laws).

When Arkansas resident Milton Light wasnt able to pay his rent, his landlord unleashed several aggressive tactics to get him to leave so she could get another tenant in as soon as possible, he said.

Light, 34, lost his full-time job as a coiled tubing operator because of the pandemic on April 3.

His hours had already been cut by the end of March when he let his landlord, Genai Walker-Macklin, know that he wouldn't be able to make rent the following month. It was then that she told him he had to be out by April 5, he said.

She began showing the home to other potential renters.

When Light pushed back saying she cannot bully him out of his lease which ends in the summer, she began using every trick in the book against him, he said.

According to court documents filed by Light, she changed the locks on the property, called his utility companies to have his gas and electric shut off and even tried to have his vehicle towed from his home.

When that didnt work, she filed a complaint with the Arkansas Department of Human Services alleging that his home was unsafe for his four young children, he said. She also began harassing Lights ex-wife with whom he shares custody of his children, Light claims.

According to a police report seen by NBC News, the landlord also had movers show up to forcibly remove his things from the home until authorities stopped her.

Shes taking these actions to try and force him out of his home without a court giving her an order to do so, said Frank Jenner, an attorney with the Center for Arkansas Legal Services who is representing Light. You cant take action until the court authorizes a particular action.

Walker-Macklin filed a civil eviction lawsuit on April 30, and Light responded with a counterclaim alleging an illegal eviction and asking for a preliminary injunction that would prohibit any further efforts to remove him from the property without a court order. The case is still pending.

Light's landlord did not return several calls from NBC News requesting comment, and her attorney declined to comment because of pending litigation.

Arkansas is one of the statesthat has not had any kind of mandated moratorium on evictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic and instead left it to individual courts to handle.

While data isn't yet available on renters facing self-help evictions during the pandemic, one can intuit who is more likely to be targeted, said Lisa Rice, president of the National Fair Housing Alliance. I think it is fair to guesstimate that it is those vulnerable populations who are disproportionately subject to these forms of abusive evictions when there isnt a pandemic," Rice said.

Evictions generally affect people with less income stability disproportionately people of color and single-women households, she said. They may be less empowered to push back.

The tactics can sadly be effective, she added, especially for those who feel intimidated and don't feel safe in their home.

Cobbling together first and last month's rent is a huge obstacle for many tenants, and if you're strapped for cash like so many are right now, the idea of engaging with your landlord or going to court can be overwhelming, said Durana of Eviction Lab.

In addition, when you do go to court there is an increased risk that it could go on your record," Durana said. "It could put you in a position in which you then have trouble finding future housing.

For many families, it's easier to avoid the court process entirely even though they may have a right to stay and the harassment is illegal and unfounded.

Everyone has a breaking point, Durana said.

To help counter self-help evictions, housing advocates are pushing to extend eviction moratoriums, expand relief to renters and raise the bar to filing evictions so there are more legitimate reasons to initiate the process.

Several jurisdictions, including Minnesota and Washington, D.C., have already started to aggressively prosecute cases of predatory landlord behavior.

Being pushed out of your home is problematic at any point, but especially during a pandemic, said Shamus Roller, executive director of the National Housing Law Project.

The last thing we want right now is people going around looking for an apartment to rent. That involves travel, interacting with strangers, enclosed spaces and all of the other activities associated with moving, he said. And those are the challenges for someone that can find and afford a new place. For other people that get evicted, it means doubling up with another family or homelessness, which come with huge health ramifications.

Jones plans on staying put for now.

While April rent will be covered by a rental assistance program for tenants affected by the pandemic, she said she is trying to work with her landlord to pay back March and May once she starts earning again.

I want to pay and Ill pay as soon as I can, but I cant give you something I don't have, she said.

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Some landlords are using harassment, threats to force out tenants during COVID-19 crisis - NBC News

Wellness June 15, 2020 10:52 AM ByKristen Fischer Parade @kristenfischer More by Kristen

Theres no doubt about it: 2020 has been one of the strangest, most anxiety-inducing years weve ever seen. If youre finding yourself in a tangle of anxious thoughts or experiencing some of the physical symptoms associated with anxiety, know that youre not alonemany of us are right there with you.

That being said, theres quite a bit you can do about anxiety, from speaking with a mental health professional (always a good idea!) to getting regular exercise and trying your best to get enough sleep.

Another idea? Start meditating. Studies show that meditation is correlated with lower levels of anxiety, so why not get started today? Here are15 of our favorite meditations specifically aimed at taming anxiety.

This meditation is all about acknowledging feelings and feeling peaceful at the same timea tool many of us need to learn how to feel difficult emotions yet stay calm. Its one part relaxation, one part cognitive behavioral therapy, all in one short video.

BuzzFeeds Goodful channel put together this 10-minute meditation that encourages you to anchor yourself through breathwork and release unwanted feelings. Its not so much about clearing your mind, but learning to think of a situation more objectively. He ends it with silence and soothing music.

This meditation is from the creators of the mobile app, Calm. It guides you through a basic meditation to help your mind unwind as you become more aware of your body. The video is a calming mountain lake that provides some visual relaxation as well.

Instead of trying to calm your mind by forcing you to breathe and clear your thoughts, you can simply listen to this meditation and in turn, alleviate anxiety. The meditation, brought to you by the late Dr. Wayne Dyer, an authority on self-care,features affirmations that can help your mind fixate on positive messages.

Ideal for beginners, this 15-minute meditation with YouTube yoga sensation Adriene Mishler will give you just what you need to unwind. Learn how to practice breathing and, in doing so, watch your anxiety diminish.

A calm mind is a health mindand this meditation will help provide you with theinner peace you need, if only for about 10 minutes. Theres not a lot of talk in this guided meditation. Instead, the soothing background music does the trick to melt your worries away.

Related: 10 Ways Meditation Can Fix Your Life

Kristin Lothman, a mind-body counselor with Mayo Clinics Department of Integrative Medicine and Health, provides a meditation example for coping with anxiety related to COVID-19. The video features her guiding you through the meditation, so dont expect any delta wave music or trippy graphics, but it certainly gives beginners the foundation to start a solid meditation practice, or just help you unwind from stressCOVID-related or not.

If youre in the mood for a quick way to manage anxietyor in the midst of a panic attack and need to calm downthis meditation is great. The voice is soothing, and the video includes mesmerizing visuals reminiscent of watching a lava lamp.

John Kabat-Zinn is a leader in mindfulness meditation. This one provides a simple guided exercise to help you scan your body. In mentally doing so, it provides almost-instant relaxation as well as the chance to become more present in your body.

Related: How Jon Kabat-Zinn Brought Mindfulness Meditation to the Masses

Slow down and let your mind know that it can stop working. This session aims to help you clear your mind, which allows you to release anxiety and then reap all the benefits of meditation.

Related:100 Benefits of Meditation

Sometimes you dont have to know how to clear your mind to experience all the positive benefits of meditation. This meditation uses binaural beats, which are different frequencies that play in your ears to create a relaxing effect.

Jay Shetty is a former monk with an infectious personality who can help you relax just by listening to him. This is the first episode of his 20-day live meditation series.

Gabrielle Bernstein, the famed self-help guru, put together this upbeat affirmation meditation that features a video with positive images including the narratives text.

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This 14-minute meditation is led by Deepak Chopra, an alternative medicine advocate, who guides you through a brief meditation focused on repeating some chants for relaxation. The relaxing visuals are definitely enough to help you unwind as you listen.

Celebrity interviews, recipes and health tips delivered to yourinbox.

Not only will this guided meditation help you relax and alleviate anxiety, it will also uplift you. The story helps build better body awareness, which is how to improve your ability to quickly slip into meditation and get the most from it.

Next, get familiar with how to start adaily meditation practice.

Read more:
Meditation for Anxiety: Guided Meditations for Anxiety And More - Parade

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Ambush Makeover is back virtually! She may not be surprising guests in the plaza for a fashionable makeover, but TODAY lifestyle contributor Jill Martin is sharing self-care tips anyone can use at home for a DIY makeover.

Martin asked TODAY staffers about their stay-at-home struggles and provided some easy solutions that would upgrade their routine. Some battled a lack of sleep and needed a way to catch some zs while others wanted to achieve a perfect manicure at home. No matter the issue, Martin used her shopping insight to give them a quick fix from home.

Read on to learn how to get an Ambush Makeover from the comfort of home with the help of a few Martin-approved self-care products.

Graphics researcher C Thambundit misses getting her nails done with her sister. Instead of waiting for a professional manicure, Martin recommended an all-inclusive nail kit.

"It's (like) a gel manicure at home but it comes off with regular polish remover, and you don't have to put your hands under the lights," said Martin.

The Dazzle Dry Nail System is a four-part kit that includes a nail primer, a base coat, a topcoat and a shine-enhancing "Revive" treatment. Simply pair it with your favorite nail polish for gel-like results that last for up to 14 days.

Martin experimented with the kit in the past and recommends warming the base coat in a bowl of hot water before applying to avoid a cloudy finish.

Final verdict: We love them so much! Were already looking at other colors to buy, said Thambundit.

When executive producer Joanne LaMarca Mathisen started working from home she realized she was lacking sleep, causing a prominent appearance of lines and wrinkles on her face.

To combat the tired look, Martin provided her with silicone anti-wrinkle patches. "My sister-in-law Kara actually uses them and loves them, she noted.

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Sio makes medical-grade silicone patches that adhere to skin with a flexible adhesive. Designed to instantly flatten and smooth skin, the brand claims patches can minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in just a few hours. The "eyelift" patches target the eye area to diminish the look of crows feet while infusing skin with hydration.

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The beauty of Sio patches is that they can be used overnight or during the day. Each patch can also be used up to 15 times and gradually supports the skins ability to retain moisture. The patches come with a handy, reusable pouch for easy travel.

In addition to the patches, Martin also recommended the brand's Cryo System which includes a moisturizing serum and a skin-toning tool. The unique tool massages skin and provides a cooling effect that the brand says helps reduce redness and puffiness.

"It woke my face up in the morning, said Mathisen of her experience using the system. I felt like it really helped me feel refreshed."

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Get a daily roundup of items that will make your life easier, healthier and more stylish.

Producer Sarah Clagett wasn't able to visit the salon for her regular waxing appointment, she asked Martin for a product that would help her achieve smooth legs.

The bestselling kit contains everything you need to complete a salon-worthy wax from the comfort of your own home. "They give you the stick; there are no strips, it's really easy," said Martin of her recommendation.

For the best results, Martin recommends putting the wax-filled cup in the microwave and heating the formula in 30-second increments. After a temperature test, apply to the hair, wait for it to dry and remove the wax in one brisk pull. The steps may seem simple but Martin notes that reading the instructions carefully is a vital step in the process.

Newswriter Patricia Luchsinger asked Martin what she could use to spruce up her roots from home.

Martin didnt have to think twice when she handed this product to Luchsinger. Its one of her favorites because it comes in multiple forms including a powder, a pen and a spray.

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It isnt permanent, but this spray is designed to cover fading roots while extending the life of color between salon visits. Martin also used it at home saying this got me through a month and a half.

"I finished powdering my roots and I think it's an improvement. For something that's a temporary fix I think it's pretty good, said Luchsinger.

Researcher Sean Hickey has been staying at his parents' house for three months and his sleep schedule is off. He said he gets tired in the middle of the day and consistently wakes up in the middle of the night. Martin sent him a helpful bundle of sleep essentials including essential oil, a weighted eye mask and a weighted blanket.

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Lavender has relaxing properties that may promote sleep and Martin uses the DoTerra Lavender Essential Oil to get a good nights rest. She recommends putting a few drops into the palm of your hand and rubbing it together which allows it to soak in.

This weighted eye pillow is designed to provide a calming effect, and that's just what Hickey got.

I had a great nights rest, he raved. It smells like lavender too so it kind of keeps that scent of lavender throughout the night.

"It almost feels like a hug," said Martin when describing the Terapedic Reversible Weighted blanket. It comes in five sizes from eight pounds to 25 pounds and is finished with a soft, fuzzy fabric.

Weighted blankets can help stimulate serotonin leading to better sleep, which may be why Hickey experienced a restful night after sleeping with one. Its filled with tiny glass beads that are evenly distributed across the blanket for equal pressure throughout the night.

Producer Angela Tonini tried the Nails Inc hand and foot mask for an at-home spa treatment. Martin also recommended a nourishing cuticle and nail oil for soft, nourished skin.

Looking for a solution for dehydrated soles? Featuring a combination of green tea, ginkgo leaf, peppermint and sweet almond extract, the mask is formulated to leave skin feeling super smooth.

The Thirsty Hands Hand mask is formulated with a blend of shea butter, plant extracts and vitamin E, which helps hydrate dry and cracked hands. Simply apply it to clean hands and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes for a quick boost of hydration.

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With only a couple of drops, this repair oil will revive cracked cuticles and brittle nails with continued use. Just massage it into the nail bed twice a week for the best results.

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12 self-care products to give your routine a makeover - TODAY