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What Helps with Menopause: Strategies for Managing Symptoms and Promoting Well-Being
“In the end, the real wisdom of menopause may be in questioning how fun or even sane this chore wheel called modern life actually is.”—Sandra Tsing Lo The sun shone gently through the half-closed shutters. Outside, a bird was singing cheerfully. It was a beautiful morning indeed. Yet somehow, this morning seemed different for the woman still lying in bed. She lay staring up at the ceiling with a sad look. For some unexplainable reason, she felt that she wanted to cry. She heard her husband’s footsteps as he came whistling down the hall. But even that seems to grate on her nerves. “Time to get up,” he called cheerfully.…
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8 Ways to Work Through Unhappiness
“The greatest happiness is to know the source of unhappiness.”—Fyodor Dostoevsky Meet Sarah: “I hate my life. I’m not suicidal; I just hate my life. Before, it was just the kids who kept me busy by flying around the house during the day and crashing into one thing or another. Now that my husband is disabled and bedridden, I feel even worse.” Yes, Sarah admits she is unhappy—miserable with her present circumstances. Unfortunately, Sarah can do little about her situation as her husband’s illness and needs require 24/7 care and are outside her control. So, what can Sarah do to feel less sad and miserable? Working through unhappiness can be…
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7 Toxic Habits You Need to Quit Right Now
“Don’t let toxic people sabotage your happiness, ruin your positive attitude, contaminate your mind or destroy your self-confidence. Instead, surround yourself with generous, positive, and nurturing people who will lift you up.”—Farshad Asl Habits are not active choices you make. “A settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.”—Oxford Languages Dictionary “A usual way of behaving; something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way.”—Encyclopedia Britannica Dictionary Thus, habits are automatic responses without thinking about them. Some habits are labeled “good” because they benefit us somehow. We view other practices as “bad” or “toxic” because they harm oneself or others and…
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How to Accept Aging Gracefully
“Do not regret growing old. It’s a privilege denied to many.”—Unknown Wow! Where did the time go?? NO ONE wants to get old. If we had our choice, we would likely combine the wisdom of age with the vitality of youth. Ponce de Leon had that in mind when seeking the “Fountain of Youth” in Florida centuries ago. Yet, here we are. If you are a woman aged 55+ reading this article, you understand precisely what I mean about getting older. The aging process affects everyone. It is inescapable. It begins almost imperceptibly—a little ache here, a little wrinkle there, and a few gray hairs—but eventually, it engulfs a person…
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9 Ways to Boost Your Mood Instantly
“Happiness depends upon ourselves.”—Aristotle What is “mood”? “A temporary state of mind or feeling.”—Oxford English Dictionary Many scientists have linked food and mood. For instance, according to PubMed MD: “A number of nutrients and other active substances in foods are thought to have a direct impact on mood.” Further: “It is well known that unhealthy eating patterns can cause mood swings. Blood sugar fluctuates and nutritional imbalances are often to blame. Without a steady source of fuel from foods we eat, our mind and bodies don’t function well.” (Source: MentalHealthFirstaid.org) If you are a mature woman, you may not have noticed that you sometimes have low energy and irritability. Suppose…
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Body Art and Older Women
“I am a canvas of my experiences, my story is etched in lines and shading, and you can read it on my arms, my legs, my shoulders, and my stomach.”—Kat Von D (Note: In this article, tattoos and body art refer to the same thing.) Body art or tattoos are everywhere—so it seems. Rock stars, sports figures, fashion models, and movie stars flaunt them, proudly displaying tattoos on their shoulders, backs, hands, waists, and ankles. Why so popular? Body art is a form of self-expression, and it is something many older women are embracing. The Ancient Art of Tattooing Tattooing is a practice previously used. A 2022 article in the…
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How to Increase Energy in the Human Body
“Every cell in my body vibrates with positive energy.”—OutOfStress.com Physically, humans are frail. A dwarf, he is in muscular power when compared to gorillas, bears, elephants, whales, and a host of other creatures. The ‘strength of a bull’ is proverbial. For example, lowly insects, spiders, and ants can lift fantastic loads in ratio to their own body weights. For instance, environmental scientists observed that an ant suspended by its hind feet could hold in its jaws a dead weight measuring 1,100 times the weight of its own body. For a 150-pound man to equal this phenomenal feat, he would, while hanging high in the air by his feet, must hold…
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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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Create a Deliberate Positive Emotional State
“The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful.”—Dalai Lama You are in no way a slave to your negative emotions. You can change them. You can create a positive emotional state. Tina’s Story: Tina, a teacher, was raised by an alcoholic mother. For years Tina suffered from feelings of guilt and insecurity. Then she decided to come to grips with the problem. What did she do? “First, I worked to identify the thoughts that caused negative emotions. Whenever these thoughts would surface, I would rethink them rationally and objectively. “Then, I would work on making positive 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…