“After every stressful situation, we become a little older,” said Hans Selye, the father of modern stress theory. “Stressing out” is what happens when we don’t handle stress in a healthy way. Stress and aging are closely related and the more stress you have, the faster your body will age. So, how do we handle […]
stress management
Matters of the Heart
February often has us focus on feelings associated with the heart. Flowers, commercialized romance and chocolate may fill our minds. But these aren’t the only matters of the heart that we should be thinking about, as February is also the time of year we bring awareness to heart health. Heart disease is the number one […]
The Real Cause of Stress Isn’t What You Think
When I realized National Stress Awareness month coincided with International Guitar Month, I had to laugh. It just so happens that my husband is a collector of guitars…many guitars. Before we married, I remember making the acquaintance of the 3 or 4 beautiful instruments he owned – acoustic and electric. They were pristine, resonant and […]
7 Keys to a Healthy Heart
My father died of heart disease in his late 60s. He lived what he considered “a very good life,” but his lifestyle wasn’t exactly ideal for his heart. He smoked. He drank. He ate as he wished and always with gusto. He rarely exercised. When I think of the triple bypass and the valve replacement […]
Finding Sanctuary in Unexpected Places
Of all the places to experience the power of meditation, the Exhibit Hall at the annual meeting of America’s Health Insurance Plans (an industry trade group) would probably not be near the top of the list. Yet there I was in Nashville this past June as a Stress Management Specialist for the Ornish Healthways Program […]
Agita Away: Staying Sane – and Resilient – Over the Holidays (and After!)
Agita – an Italian word that means extreme aggravation. It’s also the feeling that washed over me upon learning this fact. I’ve used the term my whole life, considering it as Yiddish as oy, vey! There’s a Jewish equivalent, of course – tsuris – but that totally wrecks the alliteration and gives me…well, agita. So […]