To your health
Wednesday, Sept. 9 — Welcome back! I hope you had a nice long weekend.
🍂 It’s officially Princess Diana weather, and I couldn’t be happier. Here are some transitional pieces from local makers I’m eyeing this season: this Long Story Books cropped sweatshirt, these Ann Mashburn lug sole loafers, and this Glad & Young Winona tote.
📱 Are phone-free events the next wellness trend? Earlier this summer, Phoebe Bridgers announced a phone-free arena tour. Last week, local restaurant 7th House launched phone-free Fridays, with no phones allowed in the bar and main dining room on the first Friday of every month. Singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine also joined the phone-free club for a recent London concert preview of her new album, “Angel.” Do you have a scoop on other phone-free events in Atlanta? Email me at laura@roughdraftatlanta.com.
🎾 At this year’s U.S. Open, influencers have come under fire for filming content at inappropriate times and disrupting play. It’s an issue not only impacting sports, but restaurants, fitness studios, and, well, anywhere someone can whip out a phone and make themselves the main character. Mashable’s story about the U.S. Open’s influencer problem — and who’s to blame — is a great read.
🚲 Last week, I reported on how e-bikes and safer streets are changing how Atlantans get around. This week, Rough Draft Executive Editor Collin Kelley reported on the Beltline’s recommendations for a $3.5 billion light rail plan.
🎣 The male loneliness epidemic has been a hot topic lately. Former University of Alabama football player Jennings Hester’s nonprofit, Fishing the Good Fight, is tackling (pun intended) the issue head on. The organization offers fly fishing retreats, group therapy sessions, and other events to help support men’s mental health. You’ll find more on this story below.
Be well!
✨ Laura
🎒 “One more day home won’t hurt.” On any single morning, that’s true. The problem is it’s never a single morning. Jeremy Salzman, Psy.D., on how school avoidance builds and what actually helps. Intown Psychology, Free consultation. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Fishing the Good Fight Supports Men Facing Mental Health Challenges
🎣 Atlanta native and former University of Alabama inside linebacker Jennings Hester always struggled with his mental health.
When a series of injuries forced him to quit the game, he lost his sense of community and purpose. Hester finally sought treatment for his mental health. He started taking medication and working with a therapist. In addition to these traditional methods, he also discovered that fly fishing helped calm his mind and give him that sense of community he had when playing football.
In 2019, Hester founded Fishing the Good Fight, a nonprofit dedicated to providing mental health support for men. The organization recently launched a Georgia chapter offering fly fishing retreats, in-person group therapy sessions, and other support programs.
🐟 Read more in my story about how Fishing the Good Fight supports men facing mental health challenges.
A confident school year starts now
SPONSORED BY INTOWN PSYCHOLOGY
🎒 School refusal almost never starts with refusing school: it starts with a stomachache, then a slow morning, then one day home. The day home works. That relief is the lesson. It teaches the brain that staying home was right, so tomorrow the pull is stronger.
If you have already let some days go, you have not broken anything. Nearly every parent does. Try partial instead of perfect. In the building, even late, even for one class. Keep the pediatrician in the loop.
➞ Contact Jeremy Salzman, Psy.D. Intown Psychology, for a free consultation.
Atlanta Beltline Will Break Ground on Northwest Trail Segment Sept. 10
🚲 The Atlanta Beltline is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony for Northwest Trail – Segment 3B tomorrow at 11 a.m. at the Atlanta Technology Center. The event will mark the start of construction on the nearly one-mile segment that will include a new pedestrian bridge over Northside Drive, according to a press release.
With 16.7 miles of the 22-mile trail now open, the final segment of the 1.2-mile Northwest Trail moves the Beltline closer to its goal of completing its northern corridor by 2030.
🚴🏼 Check out Collin’s story about the new Beltline segment.
🎒 “One more day home won’t hurt.” On any single morning, that’s true. The problem is it’s never a single morning. Jeremy Salzman, Psy.D., on how school avoidance builds and what actually helps. Intown Psychology, Free consultation. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Blue Light Damage Comes from the Sun, Digital Devices. Here’s How to Protect Your Eyes.
☀️ Blue light exposure, more than any other wavelength, can damage the eyes and vision over time, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.
Researchers tested 60 young adults in the vision experiment. Participants viewed adjustable blue, green, yellow, red, and broadband light sources and indicated when they could distinguish two separate points of light.
This story comes to Rough Draft Atlanta through a reporting partnership with GPB News.
🕶️ Learn how to protect your eyes from the sun, LED light, and other hazards.
The Short List
🟢 I’m generally not into the superhero genre, but I recently started watching “Lanterns” on HBO Max. Kyle Chandler (aka Coach Taylor from “Friday Night Lights”) and Aaron Pierre star as two intergalactic cops investigating murder in small-town Nebraska. The witty, buddy comedy vibe balances out the show’s darker elements. It also stars one of my favorite actresses, Kelly Macdonald.
🧖🏼♀️ Is there anything more luxurious than burying yourself under a pile of blankets and throwing on a soothing sheet mask? I’m a fan of these Biodance Hydro Cera-nol masks, which are calming and hydrating without irritating my skin.
😴 Speaking of blankets, I love this Bearaby weighted blanket. It’s 100% cotton and machine-washable — and I’ve never slept better.
Book It
🔔 Sound baths are booming right now. On Friday, Sept. 11, Nobu Hotel Atlanta is hosting two outdoor sound baths at 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. You have the option of floating in the pool or relaxing on dry land to the soothing sounds of gongs, singing bowls, and other instruments.
The Rundown
Don’t miss the Atlanta Humane Society’s puppy yoga class on Sept. 12.
Register for {sacred} thread’s new moon and journaling class on Sept. 12.
🩺 Mount Calvary Baptist Church is hosting a free community health fair on Sept. 12.
Craft a lantern for the annual Beltline Lantern Parade at a free, drop-in workshop on Sept. 13 at the Lee + White food hall.
