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Start Journal Writing: 10 Benefits of a Reliable and Trustworthy Friend
“Journal writing is a voyage to the interior.”—Christina Baldwin Are you a family caregiver? If so, how does caring for an ill loved one make you feel? Do you feel lonely? Do you feel fearful and uncertain? Do you feel grief, which is the opposite of joy? You are on an emotional rollercoaster. Caring for an ailing loved one can be overwhelming, thoroughly exhausting—stressful, and rewarding. Meet Doug: “I do not complain. I am a caregiver to both my wife, Ann, age seventy-three, and my dad, Walter, age ninety-four, and I consider it an honor and privilege to serve them both. “My wife had had a collapsed lung and had…
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Relaxation Techniques to Promote Overall Well-Being
“Slow down, and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you.”—John DePaola Hey! Pick out your most comfortable chair. Sit down, loosen your waistband, slip out of your shoes, and close your eyes. Now imagine your feet dangling in calm, clear, blue mountain water. Smell the sweet aroma of nearby flowers. Hear the happy songs of carefree birds. Feel the stimulation of fresh mountain air. For a few minutes, shut out all other thoughts as much as possible and meditate with this peaceful scene in mind. Feel better? More relaxed? Who of us does not need to relax? Learning to relax is essential for both your physical and…
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Emotional Healing: 6 Easy Ways to Get Rid of Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs)
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”—Willie Nelson What Are Thoughts? A thought is “an idea or opinion produced by thinking or occurs suddenly in the mind.”—Oxford English Dictionary Brain function produces thoughts, but beyond this fact, neuroscientists do not know where they come from. How the brain works as it relates to the creation of thoughts is still a fascinating topic of scientific discussion. But we all have thoughts. Every day and throughout the day, we constantly think, whether it be a thought, an idea, a memory, an event, an opinion, or a belief about ourselves and the world around us. These thoughts…
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Can Cannabis Treat Common Health Conditions?
“The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.”—Carl Sagan Note: Cannabis, Marijuana, Weed, Pot, and Dope all refer to the same substance. Anna grew up in New Mexico in a good family environment. At 16 in 1976, Anna met a few boys from a nearby school who smoked marijuana (pot). Marijuana was easy to buy because many people trafficked cannabis from Mexico. At first, the boys’ strange behavior repulsed Anna. But Jennifer, one of Anna’s girlfriends, was attracted to one of the boys who…
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Midlife Women: The Most Effective Ways to Dominate Co-Occurring Stressors Today
“God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.”—Voltaire For a violinist to make music, the strings on his instrument must be taut—but only to a degree. If they are too tight, they will snap. But if the strings are too loose, they will produce no sound. The proper amount of tension lies somewhere between the two extremes. It is like stress. Too much can be harmful. But what about no stress at all? While the prospect of no stress might sound appealing, you need pressure—at least to a degree. For instance, imagine crossing a street and suddenly noticing…
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Techniques to Reduce Stress & Anxiety: 7 Tips to Implement Self-Care
“If you don’t think your anxiety, depression, sadness, and stress impact your physical health, think again. All these emotions trigger chemical reactions in your body which can lead to inflammation and a weakened immune system. Learn how to cope, sweet friend. There will always be dark days.”—Kris Carr Meet Tammy, a stressed-out family caregiver: “My husband had three strokes within three months. I had to drive him from the hospital to a nursing home for rehab each time it happened. “I wanted to cry because the nursing homes were awful. “I felt such rage because I had spent eighteen years dealing with my husband, and not one relative offered to…
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Your Illustrious Gray Hair: A Crown of Beauty
“I love to see old women. I love wrinkles. I love gray hair.”—Alber Elbaz (Israeli fashion designer) Seven-year-old Erica jumped, skipped, twirled, and laughed as she stormed into her grandmother’s house. She had just returned from Disneyland with her mom, dad, and other grandparents, grandad Bill, and grandma Alice. “Did you have a good time?” her grandmother asked. “Yes!” exclaimed Erica. “What did you ride?” her grandmother wanted to know. “We rode Space Mountain, Mad Tea Party, California Screamin’, and a bunch of other things! But grandma Alice didn’t ride anything,” said Erica. “Well, why not?” asked her grandmother. “Because grandma Alice has gray hair!” squealed Erica. Yes, Erica thought…
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22 Ways You Can Use Mindfulness to Have Better Health Today, Tomorrow, and Into Your Future
Not long ago, I met a woman named Bea. Bea felt so negatively about her home situation and caring for her ill husband of 44 years that she admitted to despising her husband and being tempted to leave him to fend for himself. Thankfully, she never went through with it and decided to stay. But what was happening to Bea’s health and well-being in the meantime? Bea felt shattered and hopeless. Because Bea had prolonged feelings of helplessness, she was losing her self-confidence and feeling stressed. Bea also experienced headaches, stomachaches, and anxiousness. Bea felt sure she was approaching burnout as she had little energy and difficulty completing simple, everyday…
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What You Can Do About Loneliness
“Solitude is not the same as loneliness. Solitude is a solitary boat floating in a sea of possible companions.”—Robert Fulghum Carrie, a full-time caregiver to her ailing 70-year-old husband, felt lonely. She said: “I’ve been in a dark hole for quite a while. Sometimes, I believe everyone around me would be better off if I were dead. My friends can no longer visit; my few remaining relatives don’t seem to care. I often feel dead inside. “I can’t help it. I know I sound selfish, but I’ve spent more than twenty years with caregiving duties for one relative after another, and now my husband. When will it end? “I can’t…