Women’s Health JULY 2019 | 15
ASKING FOR
A FRIENDI CAN’T STAND
MY COLLEAGUE.
HOW DO I
MAINTAIN MY
SANITY AT
WORK?
Oh, colleagues. Like
friends, only you
don’t get to choose
them, you can’t bail
on catch-ups and
a pass-agg tone will
have implications
beyond the WhatsApp
spin-off group. Our
condolences that
you’ve found yourself
in close quarters with
someone who induces
a cortisol spike akin
to being told to ‘cheer
up, love’ by a stranger.
But short of requesting
your P45 or filing an
urgent case for
flexible working for
reasons relating to
your blood pressure,
you’ll need to apply
creative solutions to
this work problem. If
wearing headphones
all day marks you out
as Lily-no-mates, try
pausing for up to 15
seconds – as though
deep in thought –
before responding to
any of their queries.
This will either create
the impression that
you’re super self-
absorbed, or will make
you too irritating to
engage with. If you
want to go nuclear,
hit them with a few
intimate questions.
Genitals and toilet
habits are both fertile
ground. Or, you know,
get to know them. As
the old adage goes:
annoying colleagues
are just friends you
haven’t made yet.Superfood haircare:
wacky or worth it?
(^) Superfoods are
so-called because
of their nutritional
make-up, and the
term has started
cropping up on
haircare products,
with shampoos
and conditioners
boasting ingredients
such as avocado or
walnuts. So does
that mean what’s
good for your insides
is also good for your
hair? ‘Nutrients
such as zinc help to
encourage healthy
skin-cell turnover
and regulate sebum
oil production,’ says
Anabel Kingsley,
trichologist at Philip
Kingsley. All good
things for a healthy
scalp and hair. But
shampoos and
conditioners aren’t
really well-suited
to depositing
ingredients into
the roots of the hair;
They’re more able to
affect the condition
and appearance
of the lengths.
‘Ingredients can
only be devised to
have an external
effect, such as
enhancing shine
or making hair
easier to comb,’
says Lisa Gilbey
of The Institute of
Trichologists. ‘Nut
or avocado oils in
conditioner create
moisture on the
hair shaft, making
combing easier
when wet. Other
ingredients smooth
the hair’s external
cuticle layer,
making hair appear
shinier.’ It means
that superfood hair
products will only
deliver aesthetic
benefits (read: a
shiny pony) – they
won’t have the
power to enhance
your mop from the
inside out. So, if you
want an impact that
lasts beyond your
next wash, save the
matcha for your
latte, not your locks.
I can’t read books
any more. Has my
phone ruined my
attention span?
(^) Scrolling to reach the end
of the internet? Spoiler alert:
you can’t. But is the attempt
destroying your ability to do
just about anything else? ‘The
idea of an average attention
span is something of a myth,’
says Dr Gemma Briggs, senior
lecturer in psychology at The
Open University. ‘How you
allocate your attention to a task
depends on many things, such
as what the task is and what
your priorities are at the time.’
It means that trying to digest
Tolstoy’s symbolism while the
‘Dank Memes’ thread is popping
off is a legit challenge. ‘Having
your phone close to hand might
make you more distractible,
but spending time looking at
it won’t wreck your ability to
pay attention generally.’ Feel
like your concentration used
to be better? You’re probably
recalling a time when phones
were for calls and SMS. If you’re
addicted to your smartphone,
it’s because it’s designed to keep
you interested; from scroll-to-
refresh to push notifications.
In fact, a 2017 study found
that the mere presence of one
will reduce working memory
and problem-solving skills.
Want to get past page four of
War And Peace? Leave your
phone in another room.
ASK WH
Scrub
or grub?