Wellness Wednesday Issue #181

🎭 Harassment training your team won’t tune out: a cinematic, real-world approach that earns SHRM and HRCI credit.

🎧 The world’s most relaxing song may cut anxiety by 65%.

💼 Menopause symptoms cost women an average of 15 workdays a year, and more experts are calling for menopause leave.

👑 The leadership shift women need, and why “more training” isn’t the answer.

Mid-year reviews are one of the most important conversations you’ll have as a manager, and one of the easiest to fumble. Praising someone sounds simple until it comes out flat, and hard feedback never gets less awkward.

The difference between feedback that lands and feedback that doesn’t is specificity: vague praise doesn’t motivate anyone, and vague criticism doesn’t change a thing. What people need, either way, is honest feedback tied to their actual performance. Here are the scripts for both.

Scripts for positive feedback

When they’re doing a solid, consistent job:

Say this: “I want to take a moment to genuinely acknowledge the work you’ve been putting in this half. You’ve been consistent, reliable, and I can always count on you to deliver. That kind of steady performance is what makes a team work, and I don’t want it to go unnoticed.”

When they’re going above and beyond their role:

Say this: “Something I’ve really noticed this half is that you’ve been operating beyond the scope of your role. [Specific example] isn’t something anyone asked you to do, and you did it anyway and did it well. That’s the kind of initiative that gets people noticed, and I want you to know I see it.”

When they’re leading their team, culture, or direct reports well:

Say this: “One of the things I’ve been most impressed by this half is how you’ve been showing up as a leader. The way you’ve handled [specific situation], supported your team through [challenge], and maintained [culture or standard] tells me a lot about the kind of leader you’re becoming. The team is lucky to have you.”

When the feedback is hard

A few things to keep in mind before you deliver difficult feedback: stick to performance and behavior, and come with specific examples. Give the person room to respond. These conversations should be a dialogue.

When they need to improve in a specific area:

Say this: “I want to talk about something I think is holding you back, and I’m bringing it up because I believe you can address it. When it comes to [specific area], I’ve noticed [specific observation]. I don’t think it reflects your best work, and I think with some focus here you can get to where you need to be. Here’s what I’d like to see going forward: [specific expectation].”

When they’re going to be put on a performance improvement plan:

Say this: “This is a conversation I want to have with you directly and honestly. Based on what I’ve observed over the past [timeframe], specifically [examples], we’ve reached a point where I need to put a formal improvement plan in place. This isn’t a decision I made lightly, and it’s not a signal that I’ve given up on you. It’s a structured way for us to get clear on expectations, give you the support you need, and track progress together. I want to walk you through what that looks like and give you space to ask questions.”

When a top performer has slipped into mediocrity:

Say this: “I want to have an honest conversation with you because I respect you and I think you deserve directness. Earlier this year, and honestly over the past [timeframe], your work has shifted. The [quality, output, engagement] that I came to associate with you has dipped, and I’ve noticed. I’m not saying this to be critical. I’m saying it because I know what you’re capable of and I want to understand what’s changed. What’s going on, and what do you need to get back to where you were?”

A note on how to close every review

Whether the feedback was glowing or genuinely hard, end every review the same way: with a clear path forward and an open door.

Say this: “Before we wrap up, I want to make sure you leave this conversation knowing exactly where you stand, what I’m proud of, what I’m asking you to work on, and that I’m in your corner either way. What questions do you have for me?”

The best reviews, positive or negative, leave people feeling like they know where they stand and like their manager actually gives a damn. The scripts are a starting point. What makes them land is meaning what you say.

Nobody hired you to chase down hoodie sizes. Somehow you’re the one managing a spreadsheet of shirt preferences, shipping addresses, and “wait, did we already send this?” notes.

Swag.com makes employee gifting feel a lot less manual. You order, store, and send branded gifts from one platform, so once a kit is built you can send it again and again without starting over.

Use it for:

• Onboarding kits that feel polished from Day 1

• Promotions and milestones that deserve more than a Slack shoutout
• Event swag that doesn’t take over your office
• Client and manager gifts that feel thoughtful, not rushed

The best swag is the stuff people actually want, sent without the logistical spiral.

👉 Build your first Swag.com kit.

It started on a content-planning call. Botox came up, and a thirty-second aside turned into the whole team comparing notes for twenty minutes. We’re part Gen Z and part Millennial, and as we’re all getting a little older, the same questions kept surfacing: what do we actually need to do? What’s even available? What’s everyone doing out there?

Thania’s side

I’ve been dabbling in Botox since I was about 34, and have since gotten into anti-aging and making my skin look and feel good. My first Botox treatment was to treat the 11’s. I once had filler in my laugh lines but never needed it again after I started focusing on inner health (hydration, nutrition) and topical skincare. I also suffer from dark circles. I’ve had PRP injections there before and saw some improvement, but never did the protocol properly. Then I had SkinVive done, which injects hyaluronic acid into the skin to help plump it. I had eczema scarring from my youth + weight loss, and my skin felt like it was losing collagen and starting to wrinkle in a weird way. It made a real difference in how my skin looked and felt.

So this year in 2026, I’m focusing on maintaining my Botox (11s, my TMJ/masseter), the dark circles, and skin texture. And Joanna, who has never had Botox or anything done, came with me to my appointment to see how it’s done and to get a consult.

Joanna’s side

I’m turning 37 in August, and I’d genuinely never thought about getting Botox or filler. I was just going off the old wise saying, “Asian don’t raisin”, and figured genetics had me covered.

What got me curious wasn’t a wrinkle, it was my cheeks. I was a big-cheek kid, and as I’ve lost some of that collagen I went from “yay, my face looks slimmer!” to “wait, I actually miss the plump.” Grass, meet greener side.

The nudge was an influencer I follow, an Asian woman turning 40 this year who looks incredible and is open about getting Botox, specifically, in her masseter. That’s the one I walked in curious about.

The first thing the provider asked threw me off a bit: “What’s bugging you about your face?” My honest answer was “nothing” (working on that self-esteem, thank you). But when I actually scrolled through photos, the thing that nagged me was a little dimpling from the lost cheek volume. I knew I didn’t want filler (the thing that actually adds the volume back, I’ve since learned), so she suggested a few units at the bridge of my nose instead, for the way the skin pulls there, plus the masseter.

On pain: I’ve had electrolysis on my upper lip, and that was far worse. These were honestly nothing. The bridge of my nose stung a touch more than the jaw.

The masseter had a bonus reason I liked: my dentist flagged years ago that my back teeth looked like I’d been grinding, and masseter Botox is supposed to help with that.

What sold me in the moment: she wasn’t pushy, and Thania already knew and trusted her, which made “okay, let’s just do it” feel easy instead of reckless.

And now? We wait. Botox isn’t instant, and the masseter especially takes a few weeks to show, so the real before-and-after is still loading. We’ll report back.

If you’ve been Botox-curious yourself, check out the full guide: what it actually does, where it goes, how long it lasts, and whether it’s safe.

Joanna (TA Co-Founder) & Thania (TA Sr. Content Mgr)

P.S. Hit reply and ask us anything about our experience. We’ll tell you 💉.

When you get a cut, your white blood cells flood it with hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a germ fighter your body makes on its own. Curativa Bay figured out how to stabilize that exact molecule and put it in a bottle.

What you get is hospital-grade protection up to 80 times stronger than bleach, with none of the harsh chemicals or fumes. It’s organic, non-toxic, and gentle enough to mist on your face.

The Wellness Bundle puts HOCl everywhere germs get in:

• a Skin Spray that calms redness and breakouts
• a Nose Cleanser for your sinuses (your first real line of defense)
• and an EPA-approved Disinfectant that kills 99.999% of viruses and bacteria on any surface.

👉 Explore the Wellness Bundle. Use code ASSIST for 20% off.

☕️ Ethiopia. Peru. Roasted after you order. Real coffee, real flavor. Father’s Day: 1st bag free.

🍷 Joanna found the Kiko Milano lippie that survives a full glass of wine, stain-free.

💨 Yes, the Dyson is worth it, and this one senses when it’s too close to your scalp.

🌷 Gardening gloves that are thorn-proof and somehow still adorable.

 Upcoming Events

• TODAY 6/17 @ 11AM PT: Co-working Session (SGS Only* | Join the waitlist)
• Thurs 6/18 @ 4PM PT: Craft Night (SGS Only* | Join the waitlist)
• Tues 6/23 @ 7PM PT: Virtual Happy Hour (SGS Only* | Join the waitlist)

* Smart Girl Society is our private community for women who want deeper conversations, accountability, and tools that actually make life easier. Join the waitlist to get in the next round.

👩‍🍳 Recipe of the Week: Whipped Creamy Feta.

😋 Have a recipe you love? Share it here.

 Browse our job board here.

Have more feedback? 💌 Reply to this email and tell us.

✨ P.S. Want more inspiration and positivity to kick off your week? Sign up for our Motivational Monday texts (U.S. only).