I Can Do It With A Broken Heart—And A Playlist
Why music is my nervous system’s co-pilot, plus a *big* week across the wellness world.
One of my favorite ways to relax at the end of a long day is watching something short while I make dinner. Lately, I’ve been into season two of The Rehearsal—the Nathan Fielder HBO show that blends documentary, absurdity, and personal narrative in a way that’s difficult to describe succinctly, but totally addictive. Without giving too much away, this season explores the dynamic between pilots and co-pilots—extra timely given all of the recent drama around the FAA and commercial flights.
I just finished the third episode, titled “Pilot’s Code.” It centers around Captain Sully, the pilot who famously landed a plane on the Hudson River in 2009. The theory? (Avert your eyes for the next sentence if you plan to watch because of a spoiler.) That he was listening to the song “Bring Me to Life” by the band Evanescence for the 23 seconds before impact with the water.
The episode is hilariously cringe but also quite moving. It got me thinking about the impact music has on memory, mood, and even performance.
I’m the opposite of a musical prodigy—though my dad and three siblings are in that neighborhood. I dutifully took piano and violin lessons (often in soccer shinguards) while I growing up, but lacked any raw talent. Still, I’ve never minded; I don’t need perfect pitch to feel the gut-punch of great music. I often share what I’m listening to in my IG Stories because this isn’t background noise to me—it’s how I move about the world.
Songs crack me open. They give me permission to explore something I’ve been holding at arm’s length. They replace mental fog with flashes of clarity. When tears are lodged painfully in my chest—like sludge or a stone—a string of lyrics, the swell of a chorus, or an intense beat drop helps big feelings move through me. And just as powerfully, the right song at the right time inspires me to express joy as a full-body, dance-on-the-subway-platform experience. Music reminds me to take up space. Loudly. To lean in. Fully.
I’ve experienced emotional releases around minute 3:47, lost in another dimension with my AirPods and whatever truth the melody revealed. Sometimes I let Apple Music choose a theme and guide me, but more often I pick a self-made playlist. In a world that demands so much and can be so overwhelming, music comforts: It’s safe here. I understand, completely. It’s hard. It’s awesome! Feel it. Let it go. Then come back to center.
When my energy flatlines, I turn to my “Girl Power” playlist. If my heart is racing and I need grounding—before moderating a panel, a talk I’m giving, or a hard conversation—I’ll press play on something rhythmic and slow-tempo. I’m constantly collecting new songs and humming them in my head and my heart…the instrumental magic discovered during Savasana at the end of a hot yoga class, the one that brought me to tears during a scene in a film, the I-thought-you’d-love-this shares from friends.
I have playlists for writing, roadtrips, even seasons. At the gym, I cue up my “Anthems” banger to hype myself through reps in a tough set. And then I unabashedly dance while sipping water during my rest breaks.
I recently worked through a particularly difficult time with a playlist that I named ”Taylor Faves,” listening to the songs “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” and “The Man” on repeat (I am who I am!). The “Chapter 2.0” playlist I carefully crafted in early January—and continue adding to—has helped me feel more confident and clear-eyed on a daily basis this year. Music is my nervous system’s co-pilot.
We talk a lot about rituals and routines in wellness. Music is one of mine. It doesn’t just soundtrack my life—it sets the tone for how I show up.
And with that, pop in your earbuds, cue up a song you love, and please enjoy this week’s health and fitness news roundup….
Across The Wellness World…
So major. The FDA approves the first at-home wand alternative to the Pap smear, a doctor’s office procedure that women everywhere agree is…brutal. Bravo to the Teal Health team.
Last week’s New York Times Well Festival delivered a luminary lineup, like Dr. Peter Attia, who’s opening a longevity center in NYC.
Oura ring continues to make moves, including investing in metabolic health with new "meals” and “glucose” features.
Whoop debuted its 5.0 device, which has enhanced sleep tracking and blood pressure monitoring thanks to both new hardware and software. CNET and some other roadtesters are fans. But over on social, legacy users are a wee bit frustrated.
Sweetgreen’s first-ever slowdown (rather than lift) in April caught my eye. When the popular salad chain starts missing its spring greens, you know something’s off. We have hit peak-wellness season, second only to January. My guess: consumers are grappling with the tariff uncertainty.
Athletes embraced the Met Gala last Monday night. Simone Biles, Gabby Thomas, Eileen Gu, Sha’Carri Richardson, Serena Williams and more delivered strength in style. Venus Williams rocked a dark green Lacoste polo situation with a jewel-encrusted collar. Lee at The Sweat Lookbook has a thorough recap.
Sleep = brain fuel. Neuroscientist Dr. Christin Glorioso breaks down the connection between deep sleep, memory, and cognitive resilience. A solid Substack read for my fellow sleep maximalists.
On the heels of the (wildly misleading) “GLP-1” Lemme gummies, the Kardashian’s debuted a “sexual-libido-enhancing” Play gummy this week. It’s cherry flavored.
Casey Johnston’s new book, A Physical Education, is part memoir, part historical retrospective on our collective journey from toning to swole-ing, part call to lift heavy things as a path to liberation from diet culture. My copy is en route.
The New Yorker’s Lauren Michele Jackson’s weaves her own lifting story into her review of Johnston’s book. And over at Elle, Bonnie Tsui unpacks 2025’s cultural moment around women defining physical strength on their own terms.
My friend Rachel Krupa, wellness PR wunderkind plus the founder of (healthier) snacking mecca The Goods Mart, teamed up with research firm Highlight for a trend report on the state of snacking.
Daily Beast explores the quiet surge of steroid use among young men, and how it intersects with online extremism. Prepare for a dark, but important, read.
Hospitality brand One&Only recently announced a new Montana location…and next up is Hudson Valley. I’ve been known to waste (let’s reframe: enjoy) an hour Zillow-ing dreamy homes in the area. If you’re also Hudson Valley curious, New York Mag and Travel + Leisure have both published solid hotel roundups.
How long can a bad edible trip last? According to GQ: way too long. The piece is less scare story, more PSA—spotlighting the risks for people prone to anxiety, and the murky, still-unregulated world of THC dosing.
A well-played marketing stunt: LASIK offers free surgery to officials who’ve made questionable calls. And umpires are accepting.
Could we soon stall the onset of menopause? Forever? Should we even? National Geographic investigates the latest scientific breakthroughs.
Vox picks up Dr. Vonda Wright’s “every woman should be able to do 11 push-ups” quote from her appearance on the Mel Robbins podcast for a broader take on how wellness influencers often turn small data points into sweeping health advice.
LPGA superstar Michelle Wie is investing in women’s sports media brand Togethxer, per Front Office Sports.
~HALFTIME~
In Japanese, the word for that relaxed state of well-being one feels following a sauna or dip in a hot spring is totonou. Cool name for a wellness club, maybe?
The Dear Media network got the NYT treatment, and the spotlight reinforced the power of building women-first podcasts and platforms in a male-dominated industry.
WSJ reports on the rise of “super shoes” that are technically illegal for elite runners, but fair game for weekend warriors chasing long-distance personal bests.
Vox launched a new podcast called “Birds Eye View” about women’s basketball hosted by WNBA icon (and Togethxr co-founder) Sue Bird. High-five to Sue or whoever thought of that title.
Could American-grown sorghum become the next quinoa? It already has two times more protein than the go-to grain, now it needs better branding.
While everyone fixates on macros, nutrition app Alma quietly adds micronutrient tracking and goal-based “bundles” like heart-, bone-, and immune-health, per founder Rami Alhamad’s LinkedIn.
The boutique fitness studio boom continues. Copenhagen-based Nordic Strong glides into Sag Harbor this summer before opening a brick-and-mortar space in Flatiron this fall. Classes happen on a “patented resistance machine” and each one focuses on cardio, strength, or Pilates. It looks fun…and hard.
Protein powder, but make it a popcorn topper. Khloe Kardashian’s new Khloud snack purportedly packs 7g of protein per serving.
My friend Dr. Gabrielle Lyon appeared on Good Morning America to talk protein over the weekend. I’m psyched to see linear TV going there.
New Balance debuts a May Grey Days campaign, celebrating the brand’s OG hue. The capsule is rad, and if you’re like me, you now want to buy a pair of retro NB 574s.
Align, one of Lululemon’s most popular leggings—designed to make you feel like you’re wearing…nothing—is available without a front seam. It’s called No Line and I love them.
Gymshark hosted a popup at Hyrox’s London race in the tailoring shop Londrette. Post-race, athletes brought their finish-line patches across the street, where the apparel brand stitched them onto hoodies. Very cool idea, honestly.
Did I blush when I read Vox’s trend piece about the rise of people filming themselves in the gym? Nah, I flexed. :)
Microdosing, for your skin? Katie Berohn investigates—think Botox, Accutane, filler, etc.—for ELLE.
The Global Wellness Institute launches a podcast on Wednesday called “The Wellness Roundtable: Longevity” hosted by Well+Good co-founder Alexia Brue.
Liz, Live!
I’ll be live on Substack this Wednesday at 12pm EST in conversation with my friend and one-time colleague, Emily Abbate, host of The Hurdle podcast and author of The Weekly Hurdle. We’ll talk healthier, happier mornings + lots more.
This Friday at noon EST, I’ll host a (free) webinar with Dr. Holly Lofton for Alloy, the telemedicine platform for women in midlife. We’ll get into all things body composition, weight care, lifestyle and prescription options through the lens of midlife females.
Megan Margulies wrote about her experience at the Canyon Ranch M/Power peri/meno retreat for Good Housekeeping. She quoted me a couple times; thank you Megan!
Smart title great read.
A great read and a beautifully articulated testament to the power of music!