The Intake
Katie Stone on creative burnout, sauna rituals, and listening to your gut.
Editor’s Letter
I know how much you can learn from an intake. The right questions, asked well, tell you everything. So that's what this is. The Intake is my new interview series. I'm asking people I find genuinely interesting and would want to sit next to at dinner, to fill out a chart. Their habits, their health, their secrets to well-being.
Katie Stone is the perfect person to kick things off. She writes Plant Based, one of my favorite Substacks known for the series Into the Fridge (read my feature here if you missed it). She’s a Well being who gets it. You'll see.
Katie Stone
Katie Stone is a brand consultant, writer, and the creator of the best-selling wellness Substack, Plant Based. She’s worked with brands like Earthbar, Soft Services, west~bourne, Jolie, and Sakara, and her writing has been published in NYMag, Vogue, SSENSE, and WSJ. She lives in New York City where she can be found paying too much money for fancy health food and speed walking even on her aimless strolls.
CHIEF COMPLAINT
Tell me about something you were struggling with and finally figured out? Mental, physical, logistical.
I had a phase recently of creative malaise / writer’s block / disinterest in my work that I chalked up to burnout but couldn’t seem to fix. I’ve had waves of this before, but nothing as intense as it had been. It turned out to be a mix of a few things — underactive thyroid (per my labwork results), a disproportionate amount of consuming vs creating, and a lacking journaling / spirituality practice. When I started a) getting properly medicated b) setting firmer social media boundaries and c) getting into my gratitude practice (ugh I know), things started to flow again.
HISTORY
Name 3 small habits that have had the biggest impact on your well-being.
Warm beverage first thing in the morning. Really important for my digestion.
Spending time with people I love regularly. I work from home and for myself, so making sure I have quality time with my friends is essential.
Regular sauna-ing. I need the tech-free time and the sensation of purging things (sweat) from my body.
Tell us about a time you trusted your gut and it was right.
My first job out of college was at a big agency and I left after 3 days for another offer. I was so conflicted and felt so guilty, but I knew in my gut that I’d be so underutilized and honestly, miserable, at that first job. It was far and away the right choice — I started working for a boutique creative studio, met the best boss / business partner / mentor I could have asked for, and learned more than I would have in 10 years at that other agency.
DIET & LIFESTYLE
Call time. Do you set an alarm? If so, what time? Walk me through your morning, what happens before anyone else needs something from you?
I use a Hatch alarm clock which I love dearly. I was initially skeptical, given it’s a fairly expensive alarm clock, but after using it for about a year now, I’m converted. It wakes me up around 6:20 on the weekdays with a soothing jingle of sorts, emitting light to mimic a gradual sunrise. I’ll be honest, I’m doing one round of snoozing, but the Hatch is so effective / my body is so rhythmic that I never end up falling back asleep and I just lay there for a few extra minutes while my brain turns on.
When it’s officially time to get out of bed, I go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, and take my medication. I then have a quick bite—usually a mug of Brodo bone broth and some Brazil nuts—and do a little journaling/prayer of sorts before I get out the door and go to the gym. I’m pretty regimented about working out in the mornings, I think it’s crucial for my mental health. I actually just did a big morning routine deep dive here!
Breakfast. Yes or no, and if so what?
Yes, a must! I can’t stop eating this combo: scrambled eggs, sauteed kale, and roasted kabocha squash. I usually snack on a golden kiwi while I’m making it.
Lunch. What’s feeding you lately? Books, food, people, share all of it.
I’m pretty routine about having a salad at lunch. I love salad, I don’t care how annoying that sounds. New York has really been lacking in good salads IMO, so I’m beyond grateful to have Goop Kitchen here now.
Other stuff that’s feeding me: reading Murakami books, going to the movie theaters regularly, physical magazines, being with my friends / siblings who make me laugh really hard, and listening to music every single day. I feel so weird if I don’t listen to music.
Dinner. Dining in or eating out? 5pm or 8pm reservation? ? Who’s at your table and what are you eating and drinking?
Dining out! I’m a big fan of a 6:30 / 7pm dinner reservation. I’m probably eating something vaguely Japanese-inspired. Or, I’m trying a new restaurant. Usually on the table: lots of veggies, fish, rice. That’s perfect to me. A typical weeknight dinner is at Souen with my girlfriends, drinking tea and finishing it off with one of their freaky desserts.
Bedtime. Do you have a bedtime? Walk me through your evening routine.
If everything went according to plan, I’d be shutting off at around 9pm, washing up and getting into bed to read for a while. However, it’s currently 9pm as I’m writing this, which is truthfully more realistic.
I once heard someone describe their pre-bed routine as doing the “closing shift” and I’ve started to adopt that mindset. I take out the trash, wipe down the counters, and shut off all the tech. I do my skincare routine, brush my teeth, put on my Theraplush, and get into bed. There, I’ll journal a bit about my day and what I’m grateful for, and read a few pages of my book before I inevitably doze off.
CURRENT HABITS
What does your exercise routine look like and has it changed over the years?
I’m really strict about my exercise routine and I have been for a while. I think it’s the single most impactful thing I do for my mental health (aside from taking my SSRIs…lol). I wake up and work out nearly first thing every week day (and most weekend days). I used to be much more of a cardio fiend, and then I went through a big Pilates phase. Now, I’m a bit more balanced about the whole thing — walking is my primary source of fitness, and I mix in 2-3 days of strength training and a day or two of Pilates. If I’m really craving a run, I’ll go for it.
What do you eat with zero guilt? You know my philosophy. Indulge. Rest. Digest.
Dark chocolate!!!!
What’s always in your bag?
Lip balm, ginger sucking candies, lactaid, sunglasses.
REVIEW OF SYSTEMS
What’s on your nightstand? And what’s in it?
Theraplush lotion (currently loving the DedCool collab scent)
Supplements
A book (currently Kafka on the Shore by Murakami)
Journal / pen
Eye mask — I like the padded one from Bon Charge
A wellness purchase you were skeptical about and then completely converted by.
Manuka honey face masks. Game changer if you have dermatitis or any sort of inflamed skin.
The product you’d be devastated if they discontinued.
Something that reminds you the world is a soft place.
Walking through Prospect Park or Central Park on a warm weekend and seeing different groups of people coming together to picnic, play games, and just be with each other. I find it very moving…
SOCIAL HISTORY
Name a cool girl you want to be like:
Annoying answer: I just want to be more of the best, purest version of myself.
Less annoying answer: my very cool friends. Kat Chan, Rose Anderson, Mia Park, Ochuko Akpovbovbo
Something uncool that you think is actually cool:
Emphatically mouthing the words to the song you’re listening to while on a run in public.
Best gift you ever gave:
I pride myself on being a great gift giver but for some reason I can’t really think of a good example on the spot right now. A GREAT gift I gave (not sure if it’s the best) is a vintage Oasis t-shirt that I found after digging around on eBay.
Best gift you ever received:
…my college tuition.
RAPID FIRE
Your #1 secret to becoming a well being:
Listen to your gut. The answer is always inside you.
Favorite way to stay warm:
A big cozy sweatshirt! This hoodie is my current favorite.
The last thing that made you laugh out loud:
This idiotic reel.
What’s your burger order:
I’ll be honest, I only started re-introducing meat into my diet about a year ago, and I can’t say I’m up to speed on burger ordering. The best veggie burger in the world is at Gjusta in Venice, though. It’s chewy, flavorful, umami—none of that Impossible shit.
Guilty pleasure TV show:
I don’t think I really have a ‘guilty pleasure’ TV show, but it’s probably embarrassing how many times I’ve re-watched Girls at this point.
Favorite mug:
This speckled mug from O-M Ceramics that I drink my coffee out of every single day.
Thank you for being here! Well Being is my way of reaching those I may never see in the treatment room. A like or comment means the world and helps others find their way here too.
YAY!! Thank you so much for having me this was genuinely a ton of fun 🤍
"more of the best, purest version of myself" yes yes yes