Health & Wellness

Staying Home and Making Ends Meet

admin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:35:48 -0600

I could hardly bear to leave after dropping off my two-month-old daughter, Courtney, at a friend's house that first day back at work, but my six weeks of maternity leave were over. "I'll be by at lunchtime to feed her," I promised, and took comfort in that.

When I returned at noon, Courtney was crying. My heart sank. I scooped her up in my arms and we snuggled contentedly while I fed her, but after what seemed only a few minutes I looked at my watch and it was time to go.

Tired of Feeling Tired?

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 10:16:00 -0600

"I wish I had more energy." Have you caught yourself saying that? We have, so we checked in with energy coach and author Jon Gordon.

Time Out

jnalewicki — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:35:51 -0600

The living room was large and open, the main room of the house, with a kitchen and dining area off to the side, no doors except the one to the master bedroom.

The Making of a Caregiver

admin — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:44:00 -0600

My days in retirement had started to blur together. Oh, they were pleasant enough-summer days spent lolling away up at our lake house, puttering on the boat, visiting with our kids and grandkids. But lately I'd felt this grinding sameness. I was growing bored. And to think I'd looked forward to retirement.

Findings: Say Goodbye to Worry

jbloustein — Fri, 22 May 2009 13:47:36 -0500

I’ve always been a worrier.

When I was little, we had a ceramic ashtray on our coffee table decorated with a picture of a tidy little house with a red roof, white picket fence and these words: “Don’t worry. It may never happen.”

Oh, but I did. Worry, that is. About everything. A lot.

Change Demon One: Fear

jbloustein — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:56:59 -0500

It's natural to be fearful of change. Whenever change happens, you are being asked to deal, yet again, with the uncertainty of a new future. Just when you get used to the way things are, change rears its head and throws you off balance.

This is true even for those wonderful changes we have been dreaming about and hoping for all our lives, like finally getting married, having a child, or getting that new job or promotion.

The Power of Hope

admin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 13:18:46 -0600

Gazing at my haggard visage in the bedroom mirror that morning in 1991, I didn't know which was worse—the way I felt or the way I looked.

In a sense they were one and the same, each a reflection of the other. I had just undergone a punishing round of chemotherapy following a double mastectomy for breast cancer, and doctors had warned me that I would probably have to undergo a second round.

I looked decades older than my 33 years. My skin sagged and my face was ashen. Dark circles shadowed my sunken eyes.

Wanted: Positive Person

admin — Mon, 01 May 2006 12:20:00 -0500

What are employers looking for? Someone with skills, and just as important, a positive attitude.

Yet few experiences are more emotionally draining than searching for a job. It ranks right up there with divorce among what psychologists call "negative life events." How do you keep an upbeat outlook in the face of the anxiety, frustration and rejection that are often a part of job hunting?

Angels on the Move

admin — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 10:35:00 -0600

I had anxiously awaited—but dreaded—returning home to Slidell, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina.

When the storm hit, I evacuated to my sister's house to the north in Mandeville. The first day residents were allowed back, I drove to my house anticipating the worst; still, I couldn't have been more unprepared. My beautiful yard was a mess of uprooted trees and debris; the salt water had burned the grass a sickly brown. My lovely white picket fence lay on its side, and shingles from my roof littered the ground like fallen leaves.

Tuning Out The Chaos

admin — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:24:00 -0500

Remember what was life was like without the internet, e-mail, digital cable, cell phones and PDAs? Me neither. Every day it seems there's more to watch, more to read, more to know, just to keep up. Add a daily double latte (make that a triple) and it's no wonder so many of us experience sensory overload and find it hard to wind down at day's end. Constant stimulation makes you lose touch with who you are and what you really need. Try these simple tips to help tame the turmoil: