To your health
Wednesday, Oct. 28 — This Sunday at 2 a.m., clocks turn back to standard time. While the time change adds an extra hour of sleep that day, it can also negatively impact mood, sleep, and energy levels. In this week’s feature story, I dive into why the time change feels like jet lag, even if you love standard time (🙋🏼♀️).
I’ve also got the scoop on a new community soccer field for kids, a second vending machine from Long Story Books, and a roundup of Halloween-themed wellness events.
Here’s some more health and wellness news from the last week:
💊 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published new clinical guidelines for managing certain menopause symptoms. But consumers are still struggling to find estrogen patches.
☀️ Results from a phase 3 trial show a personalized mRNA vaccine from Moderna and Merck, paired with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda, lowers the risk of melanoma returning after surgery for high-risk patients.
🚧 The Atlanta Beltline just broke ground on Northwest Trail Segment 2A, a 0.3-mile section that connects to the completed Northside Trail and Northwest Connector Trail.
🏃🏻♀️ Atlanta’s Laura Britt will run the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon Nov. 1 with Team Inspire to support survivors of domestic violence.
💪🏼 Strength training is gaining popularity among women, and The New York Times reports on how women-only gyms are making a comeback (paywalled). You can also read my story on community-minded fitness centers emerging around Atlanta.
📣 The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are unionizing, putting workplace health and safety for professional cheerleaders in the spotlight.
Georgia plans to spend more than $12 million in federal funding to equip rural emergency rooms to handle childbirth, as rural hospitals close their labor and delivery units. Some doctors warn ERs cannot replace access to maternity wards.
🕔 The clocks go back Sunday. It will be dark at 5:30 p.m., and by Tuesday, everyone in your house will be a slightly different person. That is not your imagination. Intown Psychology, Midtown. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Tips for Adjusting to Fall Time Change
⏰ Daylight saving time officially ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks revert to standard time. But despite gaining an extra hour of sleep this weekend, that time shift can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, affecting your overall mood and sleep quality.
People often notice falling back more because it coincides with colder weather and earlier sunsets, which can be challenging for those with seasonal affective disorder or anxiety.
🍂 Read my story for more on how the time change impacts our bodies.
Early application deadlines land around Nov. 1. In a lot of houses, this week is the worst of it.
SPONSORED BY INTOWN PSYCHOLOGY
💭 The application belongs to your teenager. The anxiety belongs to you, and there is nowhere to put it.
Asking how it is going is not a neutral question. They hear the whole thing in it. You cannot do it for them, and you can see exactly how.
🧠 Intown Psychology works with teens and young adults in Atlanta. Free consultation.
New StationSoccer Field Opens
MARTA and Soccer in the Streets officially celebrated the grand opening of the newest StationSoccer field at H.E. Holmes Station last week.
The launch comes a decade after the partners unveiled the world’s first transit-station pitch at Five Points Station.
The new space will provide the surrounding communities with direct access to athletic programming for local families and youth ahead of the 2027 StationSoccer season.
Find out more about the program here.
Arthritis Foundation Debuts Renovated Headquarters
🏢 The Arthritis Foundation unveiled its renovated national headquarters in Midtown Atlanta, a project the organization says reaffirms its commitment to the city it has called home for nearly 50 years.
The redesign of the foundation’s nearly 30,000-square-foot headquarters at 1355 Peachtree St. adds a media production studio, updated meeting and collaboration spaces, and multimedia features intended to help the organization reach patients, caregivers, supporters, and partners nationwide.
➡️ Read more about the renovation here.
The Short List
🍫 As a long-distance runner, I never travel anywhere without snacks. I just added Atlanta-based brand ILA’s new plant-based energy bars to my rotation. Available in chocolate and peanut flavors (sold!), the bars are made with pea- and hemp-based protein and natural sweeteners like dates.
💡 I love crisp fall days, but I don’t love the lack of sunlight. This portable, Vitamin L light therapy lamp is a fixture on my office desk during the darker months.
📚 Long Story Books installed a vending machine at Westside Provisions District last weekend. Stock up on titles from authors like Emily St. John Mandel and Aisha Muharrar for a cozy fall read or your next book club.
🪑 Nobody is lying on a couch. Your child will not be asked to explain their feelings to a stranger for an hour. Mostly, we talk. Intown Psychology, Midtown. SPONSOR MESSAGE
The Rundown
🥂 SkinCeuticals SkinLab in Midtown is hosting a Halloween-themed evening with tarot card readings, cocktails, giveaways, and more on Oct. 30 at 5 p.m.
👟 Lace up for the free Breast Cancer Color Run Oct. 31 at 8 a.m. at Morehouse School of Medicine. Halloween costumes are encouraged for the 2-mile run followed by a community health fair with free screenings.
🎃 Don’t miss Magic Mat Pilates: Halloween Sculpt Edition on Oct. 31 at 11 a.m. at Aatma Dance Studio in Chamblee.
🧴 “Trick or Treat” Your Skin on Oct. 31 at noon at Kiehl’s Atlanta Lenox Mall. The event includes a complimentary skincare analysis, giveaways, and gifts with purchase.
🔮 Join Atlanta E. Collective for All ATL Souls Hallowed Night, an evening with tarot readings, oracle panels, and more on Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. at Little Five Points Community Center.
💜 Author Suzy McNamara will sign copies of her memoir, “The Silkworm, the Magician, and the Sister Tree,” Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. at Prelude Bookstore in Dunwoody to kick off National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.
✈️ The Mayor’s 5K on the 5th Runway has been rescheduled for Nov. 7 after being postponed due to weather.
