International Women’s Day typically provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the challenges faced by women.
Whether the role is mothering, caregiving, paid professional work or a combination thereof, prioritizing the competing demands women contend with can feel relentless. One woman described it as “hurtling through life as if it were an out-of-body experience.”
I am not one for declaring new year’s resolutions, however, I find January can be a good time for reflecting and reconnecting with oneself.
During adolescence and early in our adult lives many people struggle with understanding who they are. Then as we move through various life stages, we revisit ourselves to find new ways of being comfortable in our own skin.
Our VALUES define the things we prize the very most in life. They are the ideals that guide us everyday. A value you hold cannot be taken away from you.
A Values System is formed through family and childhood experiences, the folklore of our culture, societal pressures and peer groups, religious education, formal schooling, and people of influence in our life.
A values system can be sorted under two categories: intrinsic or extrinsic:
Intent is capable of profoundly affecting all aspects of our lives.
A common description for intention is a mental state in which an individual commits themselves to a course of action. A familiar understanding is a goal driven by the resolve to achieve a particular result. A personal example is creating a plan to declutter my kitchen pantry before the end of August.
Having just declared that I must confess to realizing for some time now that I am at a life stage where intention no longer can be about pushing myself to accomplish something that needs doing.
Resilience is defined as the process of adapting well in the face of trauma or tragedy, threats, or other significant sources of stress (Southwick et al., 2014).
Mental health issues, including chronic stress, burnout, depression, and anxiety, have risen alarmingly since the onset of Covid-19.
Thankfully, techniques can be learned that will manage, and reverse chronic stress and burnout, as well as mitigate depression and anxiety.
Anxiety, incivility, and intolerance seem to be rampant these days. In addition to being a threat to our physical health, Covid 19 is undermining our mental health as it creates the perfect storm for impairing positive human relationships. The following article explores this idea from a psychological perspective.
A sister is always there when you need her the most. Regardless of the calamity a sister will rise to the challenge, setting aside her own needs to make yours the priority.
There seems to be some instinctual link that goes with a sister’s ability to help one comprehend the situation in a better way. That deep understanding, perhaps linked by early life and shared environment, appears to be exactly what is needed to make things feel right again.
This is my birthday month which typically motivates me to reflect on life and lessons learned. I believe everyday life is the very best school, especially when we heed our learning and implement change as needed to increase satisfaction and joy.
Acknowledging Mental Health Week May 3 - 9, 2021
The incredible state of uncertainty foisted on us by the Covid Pandemic is taking an enormous toll on our mental health. In a 2020 worldwide survey, Gallup Research found that roughly seven in 10 people are struggling or suffering in their lives.
Female connections are essential for women’s health and wellbeing. The research about how men and women respond differently to stress reminds us of this fact:
“Although “fight-or-flight” may characterize the primary physiological response to stress for both
males and females…behaviourally, females' responses are more marked by a pattern of
"tend-and-befriend." Tending involves nurturant activities designed to protect the self and