PaperCity Editors’ Guide to Wellness Wonders
Little Indulgences and Restorative Rituals To Improve Your Quality of Life
BY Melissa Smrekar //Little Indulgences and Restorative Rituals To Improve Your Quality of Life
We know, we know. The term “wellness” borders on omnipresent in 2026. However, aren’t we all trying to take better care of ourselves? At PaperCity, our team of editors loves to dish on the latest in luxury. Last month, we doled out our favorite recommendations for haute hibernation. This month, we’re focusing on the little indulgences and rituals that fill our cups with a wide-ranging view of what “wellness” means to each of us.
Georgie Miller
Managing Director, Content Strategy & Operations
For me, the definition of wellness depends on my mood each day, but one thing I know for certain is that wellness is relaxation. I recently discovered a decadent way to unwind with Therabody’s SmartGoggles 2.0. These futuristic goggles literally melt tension away by massaging your eyes and temples while applying gentle pressure to your face, combined with soothing vibrations. I’ve been using them before bed, and they truly transport me to wellness land.
Speaking of sleep, native Texan and nightgown genius Clare Adams Levy just launched Nighty, a pretty line of classic and crisp yet super soft cotton nightgowns with sweet embroidered details. Slide into her DMs to order from the inaugural collection before they sell out.
So many of my wellness discoveries lately have come from Houston-based Holistic Nutritionist and Functional Wellness Practitioner Paige Matthews, whose wise guidance on her Instagram has quietly shifted my routine, from a full supplements revamp to blue light blocking glasses I wear each evening, with an infrared sauna sitting on my wishlist.
Melissa Smrekar
Digital Executive Editor, Dallas
Growing up in the 1990s, I don’t think I ever drank water. Sure, a sip or two from the water fountain between classes, but that was it. Children today must be the most well-hydrated generation in the history of mankind. In this water-bottle-required culture, I roll my eyes that there’s always a cup-du-jour that’s trending upward (H/T to “The Stanley). In an effort to, like, actually drink water, I recently ordered a new water bottle that I find superior to any other H2O vehicle on the market. The 32-ounce Owala FreeSip stainless steel water bottle with a “kickflip” is perfect. I like everything about it, but I especially like that it’s leak-proof and dishwasher safe. *drinks water once*
I named my surly 16-year-old Maine Coon after Gwyneth Paltrow, so could I really present a wellness roundup without a little Goop? In any optimistic Q1 of a new year, I’m dry brushing. I own the Ultimate Dry Brush from Goop, and I use it before showering to sweep away dead skin cells, revealing my glowing skin beneath. The trick is to brush in the direction towards your heart. Gwyneth said so.
The Allen
Everyone’s hair is falling out, right? We’re all in this together, so I finally bit the bullet and signed up for a recurring monthly subscription of Nutrafol hair growth supplements. I committed to gagging down four pills per day for the next six months after I saw my friend’s newly thick and lustrous ponytail. This is 40.
Megan Ziots
Digital Editorial Director, Dallas + Fort Worth
Any time anxiety starts to take over, I open my Headspace app and put on a meditation. I might not even get through the entire 10 minutes — they range from three to 20 minutes, but 10 is most approachable to me — but something about founder Andy Puddicombe’s voice and the intention to meditate immediately calms me down. In one of the most anxiety-inducing times of my life, the Managing Anxiety course (where you complete one lesson per day) gave me back the routine and skills I needed to pull myself together. If you’re struggling with anxiety, I highly recommend it as the place to start. There are so many other aspects of the app as well, like sleep stories, podcasts, sound baths, and even one-minute videos that teach you how to breathe again (which may sound silly, but I have used them many times).
I was introduced to the HydroPeptide Hydro-Lock Sleep Mask while boosting my skincare routine for my wedding in the fall. You put it on before bed, and overnight, it restores hydration while encouraging cell turnover and providing nutrients to smooth out skin. I usually keep my skincare simple — wash, moisturize, exfoliate when I remember to every few months. I’ve never been a face mask gal, as it feels like so much of a process, but this “pillow-proof” mask is the easiest thing in the world. And it works!
In 2021, I got bad plantar fasciitis — I blame the obsessive running trend during Covid — and had to give my feet a long break from playing tennis, jogging, and even walking more than a mile at once. So I got into yoga. Sometimes I still don’t have the patience for it, which was always my biggest qualm about getting into the zen exercise, and I don’t do it as often (the plantar went away!), but I still love my mat even if it’s just for midday stretches now. The Liforme Classic Yoga Mat changed my relationship with yoga because it helped me get better. It’s tacky with the brand’s GripForMe material and features AlignForMe posture alignment design, which is super helpful for beginners. I like how whenever I lay it out in front of me (whether in a studio or at home), I feel present. Maybe because it’s a relaxing olive green color, or maybe it’s the higher price tag than a Lululemon or Gaiam that makes me feel committed to it. Anyway, it makes me feel better.
Billy Fong
Editor in Chief, PaperCity Magazine
Likely, most of my colleagues will chime in similarly— relaxation is key to my wellness routine. In fact, given my schedule (I live by my iPhone’s calendar), I actually put in “REST ALL DAY” on certain dates. For those prescheduled drawbridge, solo days, I light a candle. My two favorites are currently Blue Print’s “Noon” and Klyde Warren Park and Niven Morgan’s “Park 214” scents. I always need a good book for those days and will be reading Gene Pressman’s They All Came To Barney’s next, and, on the recommendation of a friend, Fragments Of A Decent Man by Christopher Parent.
Something that also makes me “well’er” is a great facial. Right now, I’m favoring Dr. Barbara Sturm, Toska Spa, and Alexis Karavas Badami (Dallas’ Who’s Who all go and sit in Alexis’ chair before a big event).
Finally, a great night’s sleep is what keeps me glowing and gliding from event to event to event in the busy spring and fall social seasons. Beyond my Pima cotton pajamas from Brooks Brothers, I adore Leontine Linens bedding. They’re perfect for my required nine hours a night… and they are pretty to boot.
