Posts Tagged With ‘ healthy ’

It should have been a simple event. There should have been no stress, just relaxed fun with a group I enjoy spending time with. On deck was a small (35-40 person) supper staffed by a seasoned group of volunteers. Planning meetings were perfunctory; supply lists were drawn up, assignments were selected, and with one week out, everything was on track. I arrive on schedule on the event day, expecting the kitchen to be in full swing with meal prep. Instead, I realized that my right-hand person (the one writing up the lists of assignments during our planning session) had utterly dropped the ball. We... Continue Reading

What Is It About Giving As my little saga of the burst water pipe dries out, I’m happy to report much less drama. The insurance company has sent an adjuster, my contractor has promised to make time to stop by, and with temperatures in a normal range for February in Maine, all appear manageable. Amid my burst-pipe kerfuffle (I’ve wanted to use that word for months), I have thought over and over again how fortunate I am that this (cue the insurance company, general contractor, tradespeople…etc.) is the extent of drama in my life. Scan the headlines. The world isn’t a pretty sight. Wars, international... Continue Reading

Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) Webinars Chronic cough is a common condition that affects approximately 10% of the general population worldwide. It is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical attention and referral to a specialist. Individuals with chronic cough often cough hundreds of times a day.  This is associated with substantial impairment in physical, social, and psychological quality of life, including urinary incontinence, chest pains, headaches, anxiety, and frustration.  In the November 2022 CLSA webinar, Dr. Imran Satia, an Assistant Professor of Respiratory... Continue Reading

Adults, who have returned to their parent’s home for any length of time for any possible reason, may resonate with this little story. On the surface, it’s simple, but the current of its implications runs deep. I was a fat kid. No getting around that. Eating my feelings was my standard approach to life going back as far as I can remember. Eventually, I ballooned to over 250 lbs. In high school, this meant I was the target of endless bullying. Desperation drove me to seek help from our family doctor, and a regime was proposed, which I grasped like a person drowning clings to a life preserver. I... Continue Reading

The funeral would start in about an hour. We need to leave the house in 10 minutes. Dad, moving toward the garage in his walker, announces that the toilet in his bathroom is overflowing. I sprint into action. Ten towels are needed to sop up the water sloshed onto the floor before I reach behind the tank and shut off the valve. Water spreads like syrup on pancakes, and my knees are wet from kneeling to turn off the flow. As torrential rain falls outside, the family makes its way to the cars in the garage and driveway. The stress in Dad’s voice has reached a panic level as he struggles to navigate... Continue Reading

A New Year, A Little Confusion, and Some Positive Intelligence Big questions and some confusion as the new year lifts off. It’s Monday morning, 02 January 2023, and I’m writing this before joining my family to watch the Rose Parade, something we look forward to every year. Before leaving the guest bedroom at the family home in Northern California, I took a few minutes to read a chapter in Stephen Mitchell’s new version of “Tao Te Ching,” which has become my carry-it-everywhere book these past months. I read a chapter, or sometimes, a line or two, every morning and spend the rest of the... Continue Reading

What Are the Benefits of Mental Fitness? ‍ Mental fitness is coping with stress, thinking positively, and responding effectively to challenging situations. It’s also known as emotional intelligence or resilience. Mental fitness has many benefits. It can reduce your risk of developing depression and anxiety, improve your self-awareness and help you make better decisions. It will also make you more confident, which can positively affect other areas of your life. Here are some ways that strong mental fitness will benefit you in the long run. Better quality of life If you have high mental fitness,... Continue Reading

Ever heard the axiom “if you want something done, ask a busy person”? My experience says it’s true. Busy people know how to manage their time and, when asked, can often squeeze one more thing into an already busy schedule. I have discovered something similar in my coaching work that is often equally true. People who know the pain of setbacks and failures are often the ones who step up fastest up to help those less fortunate. Why that is, I do not know. But I can tell you from my own life, at my darkest times, the only thing that brought relief from my pain was serving hot meals at a soup... Continue Reading