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Health

Why people are longing for the old Scottish habit of 'hurkle-durkling' to finally get good rest

You might have already hurkle-durkled this week.

Representative Image from Canva

Wondering where she got that rested glow? She hurkle-durkled.

Hurkle-durkle might be the silliest word ever, but it could be the missing step in your self-care. Hurkle-durkling simply means to linger in bed long past the time when you “should” already be up. It’s a Scottish term dating back to the 1800s—-originally having more to do with sitting in a crouching position either for warmth or secrecy, but eventually taking on a more relaxed and positive connotation.

It’s a word that only the biggest etymology enthusiast would know, had it not been plucked from obscurity thanks to TikTok. The viral trend seems to have started with actress Kira Kosarin sharing it as her “word of the day,” joking that “I do be hurkling, and I do be durkling and once I’ve hurkled my last durkle in a given morning I will get up, but I’m a big fan of a hurkle-durkle."

Kosarin’s clip prompted others to share videos of themselves enjoying a good hurkle-durkling, blissfully wrapped in their sheets, basking in the sunlight, leisurely reading, etc.

One woman hailing from Scotland even joked, “[The Scottish] knew it was so critical to well-being they made a whole term about it. So no I’m not being lazy or wasting my life. I’m practicing an ancestral right of passage. I’m connecting with my culture and heritage.”

At this point you might be thinking, wait, isn’t this just bed-rotting?

Bed-rotting, another TikTok trend about lying in bed, and hurkle-durkling are similar, but have very different contexts. Bed-rotting has more to do with symptoms of burnout and fatigue, whereas hurkle-durkling is a bit more hygge, if you will. It’s seen as a pleasurable activity meant to promote rest for overall well being. Plus a hurkle-durkle has an end in sight, whereas bedrotting can take up an entire weekend, or longer.

And now matter how silly hurkle-durkle sounds, it could be seriously good for us. Research has shown that sleeping in, even a couple days a week, reduce the chances of a heart attack or stroke by 63%, especially for folks who get less than 6 hours of sleep through the rest of the week. (So, everyone, basically). Not only that, but getting those few extra minutes of shut-eye from hitting the snooze can help increase alertness and boost our mood.

Really, as with any self care practice, balance is key. Experts warn against staying in bed as an everyday practice or to avoid responsibilities an uncomfortable feelings, especially as too much inactivity can worsen feelings of depression. But when done mindfully and moderately, it can be the rejuvenation we long for, that so many of us don’t grant ourselves.

In fact, Kristin Wilson, a licensed professional counselor and chief experience officer, told Yahoo Life that perhaps so many people are leaning into silly, catchy terms like hurkle-durkle because they make rest and self-care, activities many Americans "are hesitant to celebrate and fully embrace,” more accessible.

"Sometimes our bodies just need a break, and we don’t want to feel guilty about taking time to rest," she explained. "Giving this behavior a clever social media name can make it feel more socially acceptable and when it trends and becomes popular, it normalizes the need for relaxation within the community of followers."

So with that, show yourself some love with a little hurkle-durkle. It’s fun to say, and oh so important to do.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Health

One simple breathing exercise could be all you need to enjoy a good night's sleep

The doctor backed hack just might cut through all the hype.

Canva

Who doesn't want to get better sleep these days?

For many of us, those elusive zzz’s keep getting harder and harder to catch. Hence why everywhere you look there seem to be new “hacks” for getting a good night's sleep—especially on TikTok, where “sleepy girl mocktails” currently reign supreme.

But unlike most viral elixir recipes, this trick for falling asleep fast is actually doctor approved.

Dr. Kunal Sood, who is a TikTok celebrity in his own right with 2.2 millions followers, revealed that finally getting some long awaited shuteye might come down to a super simple breathing exercise.

In a clip posted to his page, Dr. Sood breaks down what’s known as resonance frequency breathing, which involves slowing your breathing down to around 3-7 breaths per minute.

This type of breathing is accomplished by “inhaling and exhaling for a count of five,” Dr. Sood explains, adding that this activity “activates the parasympathetic nervous system,” which helps us relax enough to fall asleep.

The doctor also stated that “there is even research which shows that practicing resonance frequency breathing can reduce your anxiety and improve your cognitive performance,”a claim upheld by The National Institutes of Health which states: “Self-training in resonance breathing lowers stress, blood pressure and improves mood.”

Resonance frequency breathing is very similar to the popular 4-7-8 breathing technique, where you inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. Both seem to uphold the concept that breath can be the key to our relaxation, thanks to the physiological processes it conjures up.

Research has shown that different emotional states are linked with different forms of breathing, and that following the breathing patterns associated with those emotions causes you to actually feel the corresponding emotion. Breathing in a relaxed way therefore sends a signal to the brain saying that it’s time to relax. Though you could you either resonance breathing as described by Dr. Sood, or 4-7-8 breathing, or some other variation, a good rule of thumb is to lengthen your exhales, as that’s when your heart rate slows down.

Breathing can be a helpful tool in a variety of anxiety inducing situations.

Canva

We all know that getting good sleep is vital for our wellbeing, and while it might seem like we need to go to extremes or buy whatever’s trending on the subject, it’s nice to know that oftentimes our body is already well equipped to help us. Sometimes, it really is as easy as taking a breath.

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Motherhood

Give the gift of relaxation to moms this holiday season

Both her and Santa deserve a mental break.

Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash

Moms don't have to be hard to shop for. Here are gifts she'll love.

True

Every year, moms put on their elf hats and become Santa's helpers. They shop for and wrap the family's presents, cook the holiday meal, organize the crafts and even set out cookies for the big guy. They're so busy making the holiday season magical for their family that oftentimes they don't get any time to rest.

So this year, we've carefully selected five items for mom that you can grab without braving the cold and crowds. These gifts are sure to be just what Santa's helper needs to rejuvenate after the festivities. Plus, 10% of sales made through this gift guide will be donated to the organizations The Magnolia Mother's Trust and the SeekHer Foundation, to help even more moms this holiday season.

1. Baloo Weighted Blanket

It's hard to go wrong with a weighted blanket. They can help with anxiety and sleep because the pressure from the blanket helps to calm your heart rate and slow your breathing. Baloo’s weighted blankets come in several sizes, including a throw blanket so mom can cuddle up on the couch. Plus Baloo donates a portion of its proceeds to Pajama Program, a nonprofit that provides books, sleep health education and caring connections to kids facing adversity.

2. Conscious Step Scented Candles

Conscious Step scented candles are amazing! They smell fantastic and support multiple causes, so if mom has a cause that's near to her heart, you can grab a candle that supports it. The candle Starry Seas supports Oceana, the largest advocacy organization focused on oceans, while the candle Love and Limes helps to support The Trevor Project, an organization that offers a lifeline to LGBTQ youth.

3. Mindsight Breathing Buddha

This little guy is so cute and the perfect gift for a mom trying to get relief from the stress and anxiety of the holidays (or any days). The Mindsight Breathing Buddha helps with mindfulness by serving as a guide for open-eyed meditation—when the belly is green you inhale, purple you hold and blue you exhale—making meditation much less complicated and easy to do between cookie decorating parties. Plus it doubles as a great natural sleep aid, to help mom wind down after a day filled with demanding kids (and partners).

4. Wearwell Cozy Moccasin Slippers

Why, hello warm feet. Kids may not know, but spouses certainly do—mom’s feet are notoriously always cold and are generally warmed up on the back or legs of their unsuspecting partner. You can do mom a solid by making sure her toes stay toasty with these super comfortable and stylish Wearwell Cozy Moccasins.

5. Burt's Bees Calming Night Cream

Who doesn't love a good moisturizer that serves a double purpose? This Burt's Bees Calming Night Cream is perfect for moms with sensitive skin, plus it will help her get some quality rest after long winter days. It's made with aloe and rice milk for amazing hydration while mom sleeps.

Upworthy has earned revenue through a partnership and/or may earn a portion of sales revenue from purchases made through links on our site.

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Family

A guilt-free, doctor-approved guide to indulging when you need it.

Seriously. Doctor's orders.

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Self-care is a term for the things we do for ourselves to manage stress and to maintain or improve our health.

But we're diverse people from all walks of life, so self-care naturally means something different to each of us. In recent years, the self-care conversation has attracted everyone from fitness trainers to spiritual coaches to activists.

But what might an actual health expert have to say about self-care?

Meet Stuart. That's short for Dr. Stuart Lustig, M.D., M.P.H.

Lustig harvests greens from his backyard garden on a sunny day in San Francisco, California. Photo by Maz Ali/Upworthy.

Lustig is a psychiatrist for children and adults and supports doctors all over the country. Self-care, as you might guess, comes up in his work pretty frequently, for all sorts of reasons and for both patients and health care professionals. Over the years, he's stood by one piece of advice when it comes to self-care and stress management: "Have a PLAN for yourself."

PLAN is an acronym representing the most basic components of a sound self-care strategy.

P is for a period of time.

Image via iStock.

"It should be regularly planned time that's yours alone to do what you want with it," he says. On most nights, for example, Lustig knows he can count on at least 30 minutes of relaxation once his kid's tucked in and his wife starts her own self-care rituals.

L is for a location.

Image via iStock.

Think of it as your "happy place." Have a few locations in mind that put you at ease and that are easily accessible and reliably there for you, whether it's your bedroom, your favorite café, your gym or yoga studio, or the nature trail just beyond your fence. One of Lustig's go-to places is his backyard, amid the beauty and abundance of his garden.

A is for an activity.

Lustig also happens to be a beast on the piano. Photo by Maz Ali/Upworthy.

"When we ask people, 'What's your activity?' we'll get responses like, 'brushing my teeth,'" he says. "Sure, that's good hygiene, but it's not long enough, and we kind of have to do that. Or we hear things like, 'going on vacation.' But how often can you do that?" Instead, he says, choose activities you want to do and that you can integrate into your regular schedule. As for Lustig, he finds escape in the intricacies of classical compositions right from his piano bench.

N is for the name of someone you can count on.

Image via iStock.

"For some people, it’s their mother or their best friend. For some, it’s a therapist," Lustig says. The idea is to have that someone who will listen to what you’re going through, empathize with you, and share with you in that moment to help relieve stress.

How will you know if your self-care practices are actually working?

According to Lustig, to commit to better self-care is to acknowledge that you deserve time to yourself, to accept that it's OK to indulge a little — so long as it doesn't engender too much guilt — and to "turn off" the parts of your brain that are overworked.

Image via iStock.

If you're doing self-care well, you'll feel it. Your stress will become more manageable. You'll tackle the tasks and challenges of your day with greater ease. And you may even begin to feel better physically.

"When we’re stressed mentally, we have a lot of physical problems as a result," he says. "We have more headaches, we have more ulcers, we have more back and joint pain, and we go in for all sorts of other things."

Mental stress also triggers behaviors that can make matters worse, like eating more unhealthy foods or retreating into extended periods of inactivity. "As a result, your cholesterol goes up, your blood sugar goes up, and so on," he says.

Cigna's Go. Know. Take Control.℠ preventive health campaign educates people about their four health numbers: blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and body mass index. Images by Cigna.

Self-care has the potential to make the world a better place — one person, one family, one community at a time.

"When we’re in a good space, we do a better job of communicating and understanding each others' perspectives," Lustig says, channeling his own experience as a husband and father. "When it’s been a long day and we’re exhausted, we are not terribly empathic."

Image via iStock.

"When we feel we have everything we need for ourselves, we’re more generous and willing to share what we have more openly and lovingly," he adds.

He then closed with a final doctorly reminder to take good care: "Get your needs met — your physical needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs, cultural needs, community needs, all of it — and we’ll all be much better off.”

relaxation

Concave molded sleep mask

Portable blackout shades

Non-digital, non-ticking alarm clock

White noise maker

Noise-canceling ear plugs

Orthopedic knee pillow

Cooling mattress pad

Weighted blanket

Magnesium oil blend spray

Good night essential oil

RELATED: 30 things people don't realize you're doing because of your depression

RELATED: Kristen Bell advises those with depression: 'Don't be fooled' by Instagram

relaxation

You might have already hurkle-durkled this week.

Ah, the beauty in winding down.

The doctor backed hack just might cut through all the hype.

Both her and Santa deserve a mental break.

1. Baloo Weighted Blanket

2. Conscious Step Scented Candles

3. Mindsight Breathing Buddha

4. Wearwell Cozy Moccasin Slippers

5. Burt's Bees Calming Night Cream

Concave molded sleep mask

Portable blackout shades

Non-digital, non-ticking alarm clock

White noise maker

Noise-canceling ear plugs

Orthopedic knee pillow

Cooling mattress pad

Weighted blanket

Magnesium oil blend spray

Good night essential oil

Seriously. Doctor's orders.

Self-care is a term for the things we do for ourselves to manage stress and to maintain or improve our health.

PLAN is an acronym representing the most basic components of a sound self-care strategy.

How will you know if your self-care practices are actually working?

Self-care has the potential to make the world a better place — one person, one family, one community at a time.