Waking Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed

Almost everyone has probably heard that expression before. You feel grumpy or are having a bad day and someone says, “What’s wrong with you? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?” Although it doesn’t really matter which side of bed we crawl out of in the morning, you can always tell when it’s going to be one of those days. Is it simply our mindset or a sixth sense when we awaken and can almost feel that gray cloud hovering above our heads, warning us that today will not be a good day? As you stumble … Continue reading →

How to Say No

As I mentioned earlier, I’m feeling bad about having said no to a few commitments this week. I love my friends, and enjoy helping them, and don’t like to feel like I’m letting them down. But sometimes, you just have to say no. Sometimes you’re over-committed, sometimes it’s just something you don’t want to do, sometimes you just can’t fit it into your schedule. Still, all those reasons don’t necessarily make it any easier to say no — especially when it’s a friend doing the asking. Here are some tips to help make it a little easier to say no. … Continue reading →

Saying No Can Be Good for Your Health (and Sanity)

I hate saying no. It makes me feel bad. It makes me feel guilty. It makes me feel like I’m letting someone down. To the recipient of the no, it’s probably not that big a deal. They find someone else to ask, and maybe that someone else says yes. Or they find out that they didn’t really need help after all, and get it done without help. My schedule is getting a little crazy this week. I’ve had plans for this Friday for a few weeks now, but suddenly I’ve been asked for my time on Thursday and Saturday, too. … Continue reading →

Stress and Sickness

A recent article in PARADE Magazine asked if stress can make a person sick. The answer? Yes. More importantly, stress can mess with your normal defenses. In the short term, a little stress can actually be beneficial. Stress can trigger that good old “fight or flight” response, releasing adrenaline into your system to increase strength and stamina. But your body wasn’t designed to function at full alert for long periods of time. Chronic or long-term stress can be bad for you in a number of ways. Stress and your head… as in headaches. With all the “fight or flight” chemicals … Continue reading →

Worrying About Losing Your Job is Bad For Your Health

Are you worried about losing your job? You’re certainly not alone. But a new study says that worrying about losing your job can be worse for your health than being unemployed. Researchers from the University of Michigan, the University of California, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development took a look at data from some long-term studies on American workers. The two studies — one done during the 1980s and one during the 1990s — interviewed workers about physical and mental health. People who were persistently worried about losing their jobs reported … Continue reading →

Bodyworks: Physically Calming Yourself

Yesterday, we took a look at how anger works in the body — what it does to your hormones, your body language, your heart rate, and more. Anger isn’t just a mental state; it has an impact on the whole body. Calming down can be a whole body process, too. The instinctive reaction to anger is aggression. Anger is one way the body and mind respond to threats — like yesterday’s example of the reckless driver. If someone cuts you off in traffic, you may get mad because they have endangered your life. Maybe that anger makes you drive a … Continue reading →

Bodyworks: the Physical Side of Anger

Some people have a shorter fuse than others. Some people seem to spend most of the time ticked off about something. Anger is a normal, healthy emotional state — but it also has a physical impact on the body. Anger can change the body in many different ways: Heart rate can increase Blood pressure can rise Facial expression and body language can change — the face may get flushed, the jaw may clench, the arms may raise. Hormone levels change Perspiration can increase Blood flow to the hands may increase in preparation to fight Researchers have observed a pattern of … Continue reading →

Fight Feelings of Hopelessness with Activity

Feeling hopeless? Maybe you’ve got the economy on your mind. Maybe it’s the crummy job market in your area, or worries about losing your job. We live in stressful times! New research from Kuopio University Hospital in Finland shows that an active lifestyle may help improve your outlook on life. Researchers interviewed nearly 2500 men between the ages of 42 and 60. Participants were asked about their mood and physical activity levels and were tested for physical fitness. The more active the men in the study were, the less likely they were to experience feelings of hopelessness. The more vigorous … Continue reading →

Stress and Teens

Teenagers are under a lot of stress. I’m more than a decade out of my teens and can still remember worrying about grades, going off to college, choosing a major, keeping in touch with my friends, leaving home, and a hundred other things. Kids and adults share a lot of the same sources of stress — moving, the death of a family member, family financial problems, dealing with peers. But teens also have some unique sources of stress, including: Changes in their bodies The transition between childhood and adulthood Overloading on extra-curricular activities Figuring out what comes after high school … Continue reading →

Moms-to-Be: Work Stress Can Be Harmful to Your Baby

A Dutch study published in the American Journal of Public Health took a look at work stress in the first trimester of pregnancy — and the impact it can have on an unborn child. More than eight thousand pregnant women participated in a survey focused on employment and working conditions — they were asked about the number of hours worked per week and their stress levels (among other things). More that seven thousand women continued in the study, and were in contact with researchers again after giving birth to report the weight of the newborns. The results? Women who worked … Continue reading →