Jessica’s Friday Five: 73,000 people wore a light sensor for a week

Hi Reader,

Yesterday, I was waiting for my breakfast to cook in the air fryer and decided to start voting while I waited (my ballot is 6 pages long where I live!). Over the day, I finally made it through the whole thing. If you have a ballot at home where you live that needs your attention this weekend, I wish you the best making the decisions you need to make!

Let's get to your Friday Five, shall we?

1. New iPhone feature: So many folks get anxious when I share the tip to turn off most notifications on their phone. But the research is clear that all those pings are seriously harming our mental health and productivity. So this newer feature helps find a balance - you can set certain apps to have their notifications pop up in batches at certain times of the day (like lunchtime or after work). That way you’ll still get them, but not constantly throughout the day. Here's a good explanation, and go here to see a screenshot of how I set up my own notifications.​
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2. Make your bedroom darker: Is there any light getting into your bedroom at night? Maybe it's the phone charger, the standby light on a TV, or a streetlight coming through a gap in the curtains. A study in the European Heart Journal had 73,000+ adults wear a wrist sensor that measured the light around them for a week, then followed them for 8-10 years. People with the most light at night had a 33% higher risk of stroke and higher rates of heart problems. And the "most light" group wasn't sleeping with the lamp on. They averaged about 34 minutes a night above a very dim level, roughly what a streetlight leaking around the curtains gives off. The fixes are cheap and easy: a small piece of tape over those little glowing lights, blackout curtains, or a sleep mask. Here's an article with a few more ideas for making your room darker. It inspired me to get some light-blocking stickers for our bedrooms.
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3. Losing a friend to suicide: I thought this piece from my friend Parker was such a meaningful read. He writes essays to his kids as they grow up (his daughter Hana is a college student now, and my favorite pair of earrings were made by her a handful of years ago when she was in high school), and this one is his reflections and wisdom about the pain of losing someone when they die by suicide.
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4. Cold and flu basket: Someone's gonna get the sniffles in the next handful of months in your home, most likely. Let's hope it's not more than that, but it's better to be prepared. We have a "cold and flu" bin in our bathroom closet with all the related supplies, and it's so nice to just pull it out when needed. I've got a blog with tips for what to put in your cold and flu basket/bin/bag, and don't miss the link at the bottom to a printable to slip into the bin that reminds you what to do when you're sick (because sometimes the smart version of you goes out the window when your head is pounding and you can't breathe through your nose, you know what I mean?). Print it now, and Future You will be deeply grateful and probably get well faster.
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5. Workshop Thursday, Oct 22: I'll show you how I'm using AI in my work and home. I've done a terrible job sharing this upcoming workshop, but it's been a strongly requested topic from my Society members, so we're doing it! I'm gonna share my screen and walk you through a handful of ways I’m actually using AI in my work: my calendar, my inbox, my spreadsheets, and a few automations that either weren’t possible before or used to need expensive software. I'll also share places I've decided I definitely won't use AI in my work, and why (like writing Friday Five, which I won't let AI take off my plate because it's my favorite task of the week!). All the details here - Society members come for free (join here if you'd like - it's $27 a month), or you can buy a one-off ticket (also $27). I'll get the replay to everyone afterward as well.

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Last Friday's Most-Clicked Link: The free mini photo shoots (pay just for the photos you like after the fact).