Personal Change

It's Up to You

admin — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:36:18 -0500

Lots of us have been there. Stuck in a job that gets us down. You know the feeling. You dread Mondays. You watch the clock, praying for the workday to be over. This can be a recipe for misery. On average, Americans spend 80 percent of their waking hours at work. That's way too much time to be unhappy. Every job has its challenges. Everyone has bad days at work. But if you find yourself screaming, "I hate this job!" once too often, it's time to change your life a little—or a lot.

Work the Blues Out

mcherkezian — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:21:21 -0600

We all know that hitting the gym can help you lose weight and gain muscle, but did you know that it can actually make you happier? Light to moderate aerobic exercise can improve your mood for two to four hours following the activity, according to Indiana University psychologist and researcher Jack Raglin, who offers the following tips to make sure you're working off the blues along with those calories:

Being Happy Equals Healthy?

batch — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:05:06 -0600

There may now be a healthy advantage for people who always look on the bright side of life.

A new study published in the European Heart Journal suggests that happiness may improve a person's heart health.

Dr. Karina Davidson, who is a Herbert Irving associate professor of medicine and psychiatry from Columbia University Medical Center, led the study and examined the emotional well-being and overall health of 1,739 men and women over a 10-year period.

Career Joy Later in Life

batch — Thu, 14 May 2009 04:05:11 -0500

Changing careers later in life, whether voluntarily or because of a job loss, is never easy—but the good news is that it may very well make you happier.

New research from the AARP suggests that older workers are finding balance and contentment when they transition into a new career.

The group followed more than 1,700 people over 50 for 14 years and found that 27 percent switched jobs and employers.

Minute Vacations

mcherkezian — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:31:13 -0600

I stopped at the foot of the stairs and set down the vacuum.

I’d been running up and down, getting a bedroom ready for guests. The phone had rung nonstop, the breakfast dishes were still on the table and none of this was getting that writing assignment done.

It was time for a minute vacation. I stuck a CD into the player, dropped into a chair, put my head back and let Gregorian chant transport me for a moment to an unhurried world.

Listen to Music

mcherkezian — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:42:38 -0600

The inaudible voice on the loudspeaker crackled and mumbled something no one understood. We didn't have to. The fifteen-minute wait on the platform was clear enough: Our train was delayed.

Fresh mobs of commuters piled into the already packed subway station as we all stretched our necks to look down the dark, empty tunnel. I looked at my watch and screamed silently: Come on! Let's go! I wished I could yell at the top of my lungs and relieve the stress that was building up. You're making me late!

Rest

mcherkezian — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:53:53 -0600

My daughter Maria and I decided to take a weekend getaway to Tucson, Arizona, while the guys in the family were away on a Boy Scout backpacking trip.

Dance

mcherkezian — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:03:43 -0600

At a small dinner party recently, I found myself listening intently to the beautiful music coming from the entertainment center. Our hosts explained that they had satellite radio.

How to Create a Positive Frame of Mind

admin — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:17:08 -0600

I feel very blue today," I said to my husband.

"It's the rain," he replied matter-of-factly.

It wasn't. I had no real reason to be down, but I felt as if the light had been switched off in my life. My mother always said, "Keep your bad moods to yourself." So I put on a smile when I got to the office, and went to check my schedule with a colleague.

The Parrots of January

admin — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 08:32:00 -0600

The 7th of January and already the excitement of starting a new year had faded. All that seemed to remain of Christmas? A brittle, dried-up balsam tree in a corner of my living room. I took down the ornaments, unraveled the strings of lights and unhooked the star from the top. I pulled the cardboard storage boxes out of the closet and got to work. Yes, the holiday season was over, and I had a serious case of wintertime blues.