Mind/Body

Remember to Breathe

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One of our new members over in the Reconnection Club recently posted an introduction in which she said she was reminding herself to breathe.

There was a time in my life when such a thing would have struck me as bizarre; isn’t breathing automatic? Why would anyone need to remember to do it?

But the more I learn about breathing, the more I come to understand that not all breathing is automatic

Survival breathing is what we do automatically; its only job is to keep us alive. Read More

Why You DON’T Need to Stay Positive

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Young boy select between positive and negative expressionsMy old doctor’s office handed out a brochure called 7 Tips for Healthy Living. One of those tips was “Keep a positive mental outlook.”

I like that they linked physical and emotional health, but I’m not sure they got the details quite right.

We’ve all heard of people who bring joy to everyone around them with their sunny outlook, yet succumb to cancer in the prime of their lives.

And there’s also the cliche about mean old people who are “too ornery to die.” Read More

Fat On the Inside

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Russian doll inside othersNo one has ever called me fat.

A boy named Howard called me “bean pole” and “Mother Goose legs” in the 5th grade. I was skinny and my legs were long, in case the Mother Goose reference confused you.

(It still confuses me. I thought Mother Goose was an old woman who was not particularly tall. Tell me if I’m wrong.)

But I’ve never been called fat. Not even once. Unlike millions of other people, I bear no scars from fat-bashing bigots. Read More

Facing a Scary Diagnosis

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man with head in hands“You have cancer.”

Nobody wants to hear those words, but this year over 1.5 million people in the U.S. will become members of a club none of us wants to join.

Being diagnosed with cancer, Parkinson’s, ALS, or any other dreaded condition can knock you to your knees.

The emotional impact can’t be overstated.

Kenya McCullum writes about how to navigate the emotional landscape of a frightening diagnosis.

It’s worth a read if you or someone you know is facing a serious illness. Read More