I will buy this rise and a host of other pandemic-induced stresses ticking up Straight up saints podcast shirt, self-care, as we are constantly reminded, is now a necessity, not an indulgence. Trouble is, the ever-growing number of approaches—via apps, books, and downloads offering pathways to health, wealth, and happiness—is only adding to our to-do lists and feelings of overwhelm. Whether instructing us to invest barefoot, think like a monk, or date like a bitch, these myriad routes to self-improvement threaten to make our lives more complicated and wearisome, not calmer and more mindful. To declutter my own headspace and help quell the angst of the challenging reality we’re living in, I decided to focus on two very simple concepts: meditate every day and laugh more.