We tend to think of noise as something we hear. Traffic. Television. Conversations in the background. But there is another kind of noise that follows us all day. Notifications. Scrolling. Mental checklists. Constant input that never really stops. Even in quiet rooms, the mind is rarely still. This kind of ongoing stimulation may feel normal, … Read more
We all need hugs every single day. As you’ll see from this article, human contact is vital for physical and emotional survival. Babies who are not cuddled, hugged and nurtured will not grow. They eventually may develop lifelong emotional problems or even die. Many years ago, we lived in Africa, where mothers routinely bundle their … Read more
There is a quiet belief many people carry that they rarely say out loud. “I’m lazy.”“I have no discipline.”“Other people can handle life. Why can’t I?” You stare at simple tasks and feel nothing move inside. Emails sit unanswered. Dishes pile up. Projects you care about stay untouched. You are not even enjoying resting, yet … Read more
It’s that time of year. The holidays are over, the decorations packed away for another year, presents unwrapped and half of them returned. The party laughter has faded, the credit card bills are coming in and the world outside is gray and cold. So January makes you feel a little blue as the long winter … Read more
Life today often moves at a speed that leaves us feeling disconnected and worn out. Our routines revolve around screens, schedules, and deadlines instead of the natural flow of the world around us. But what if the secret to balance has been right outside our window all along? Living with the seasons invites us to … Read more
Mood Magic: 7 Everyday Things That Secretly Mess With Your Emotions Have you ever woken up in a decent mood, only to feel irritated or unmotivated by lunchtime for no clear reason? It is easy to blame stress, lack of sleep, or a bad day at work, but often the truth is more subtle. Your … Read more
How many e-mails do you get a day? How much time to you spend online other than for actual work? I’m sure you are getting an inkling about where I’m going with this: Online time clutters up your day and contributes to stress. Stress is an underlying cause of many physical ailments and it’s something … Read more
When I was growing up, school always started in early September, followed by a “Clean Up, Paint Up, Fix Up” week in which we and our families were urged to clean out unneeded “stuff,” and give our homes and yards a tune-up and face lift. Maybe that’s why my mind always turns to de-cluttering and … Read more
Make time for friends—real life ones, not the re-runs of the television show! More and more, science is proving what we woman have known forever: close friendships can help you live longer, better and wiser. In fact, some recent research suggests that building and maintaining social networks can add 30 years to your life. So … Read more
Do you have any personal rituals? You may think that’s an odd question and you’d deny any such thing, but let’s try a few I use on for size: In fact, on Sunday mornings at 8:40 a.m. is the Sacred Moment: When NPR’s Puzzler comes on the radio. No one is to talk to me … Read more