Emotional Health

USING A STRESS MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST TO SURVIVE THE HOLIDAYS

The funny thing about stress management is that when people are under stress, they genuinely believe there is no time to be healthy, or relax. Yet, a simple 15 minute time investment or an adjustment in attitude is sometimes all it takes to keep it together, and even improve the experience. Interestingly, as little time as there seems to be in a busy, hectic schedule, people seem to find time “managing stress” in ways that actually drain them more, such as taking a cigarette break, having a drink, watching mindless TV, emotional eating or ranting/complaining on the phone or through...

Self-Care: An Inner Revolution

"For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe we will end up being kind. If we shame ourselves, we believe we end up loving ourselves. It has never been true, not for a moment, that shame leads to love. Only love leads to love." Geneen Roth Remember that day that didn’t have enough hours?.. when you rushed, pushed, tried to squeeze as much in as possible, worked overtime, had to eat on the go, judged your body/hair/look of exhaustion when you passed a mirror, ignored...

What is Success?

Have you ever watched any of the TED Talks? Search out TED Talks online (or on Netflix) and you’ll find a wide assortment of videos of talks on a wide range of topics by amazing speakers. They run from 10-25 minutes long and I think are worth a regular visit to see what you can learn about, be inspired for, and change your perception. I’m going to run a series of reviews and recommendations for TED Talks and will start with one from John Wooden and his thoughts on success. Because you might like to learn why you he’s a good person to...

How to Deal With Workplace Stress

According to the 2011 Buffett National Wellness Survey, the top health concern cited by employers with respect to the establishment of employee wellness programs was workplace stress. I recently had a conversation with a patient about stress. He lives a stressful life and has for a long time. His work is stressful, but he does it because he enjoys it. Because the stress has been affecting his health, the question is whether the job is worth it. Upon further discussion, I learned that he can do the same work pretty much anywhere. That’s one of the benefits of computers, cell phones, email,...

Mid-Life and Mood Swings

Unfortunately, temper tantrums and mood swings aren’t just for toddlers and 14-year-old girls anymore. If you are a lady lucky enough to be encountering perimenopause or menopause, these emotional rollercoasters may have become part of your daily life. But what can you do about them? For some women, it can be easy to let menopausal emotions wreak havoc on interpersonal relationships, while others try to fight any emotion tooth and nail. Read on for simple, natural tips for managing menopause and its wacky moods. Take Up Yoga Yoga is widely touted for its ability to center the mind and improve the body’s health....

Taming Your Saboteurs

Have you met your saboteurs? I’m not talking about the spouse who brings home your favourite dessert to celebrate your sticking to a meal plan, or the friend who compliments your weight training achievements with “you’re really getting cut – does it bother you that people will start to think you look like a man?” The saboteurs I’m thinking of live even closer to home, in your own psyche. They sometimes act up just when things start going your way, and sometimes wait until you’re getting close to reaching a goal you’ve been striving for before they pounce. When I’m working with...

The Healing Power of Conversation

Everybody has a story and it’s our stories that define who we are as people. Many of us may think our stories are not interesting or relevant enough to share with others, but this is a huge fallacy. Each person possesses within them a treasure trove of personal experience and stories rich in lessons I’m sure. Think about it. When someone passes away how do we remember them? We go back in time and tell stories of what life was like with them. It’s our stories--whether or good or bad--which in the end, gives our lives context and meaning. As a writer,...

Payday: Learning to Accept Financial Uncertainty

With change being the only certainty in life, one would imagine that humans would adapt and become comfortable in this state of constant reformation. But, no; instead we anticipate that the bad moments are going to last forever, and we try to stop time when we find a warm spot in which to rest. Learning to accept uncertainty is a Buddhist teaching, but there’s no need to climb a mountain in order to challenge oneself with this lesson. In fact, there’s a very real-life ritual we go through every month that shows us quite quickly how we lack in this area....

Increase Your Energy Tip #2: Clean, Tidy and Let Go!

Ever noticed how you rarely really feel like cleaning? But when you do, you always feel better? I sure do! What I’ve also noticed is that when something is bothering me or I am trying to figure something out in my life - say how to resolve a conflict with someone, or find a creative solution to a problem - cleaning helps. There is something about the state of mind I get into when I clean. Cleaning requires enough focus to keep my mind engaged, but not so much that I can’t think about other things. I find it a meditative...

Radical Acceptance: Accepting What is, Both in Yoga and Life

Derived from Buddhist philosophy, “radical acceptance” is the life-changing practice of simply accepting what is. You might think this to be an obvious approach – of course you have to accept what is, or you might think this approach sounds too passive to be effective. Well, despite its apparent obviousness, radical acceptance is practiced less often than one might expect; and rather than being viewed as passive, radical acceptance is simply the only approach which is not futile in nature. Before you can cultivate effective strategies with which to change your present circumstances, you must first accept what is. Accepting what...