Erma Bombeck said, “Guilt: The gift that keeps on giving.” Unless you’re a person with high psychopathic tendencies, you know exactly what she’s talking about. Thief or Guardian? Guilt is a thief that steals your joy if you’re not careful. But it can also be a guardian that protects you from unnecessary hardship and unhappiness. …

Medicine and therapy are the most common treatments for mental health problems like anxiety and depression, but lifestyle choices are often overlooked.   Psychology Today says, “That’s a lamentable oversight because lifestyle changes—things as simple as nutrition and exercise—can have a significant impact on quality of life, for any of us, but especially for those dealing with issues…

People are stressed out; it doesn’t look like things are getting better anytime soon. Money and economics are the leading cause of stress. In fact, the stress and anxiety we’re facing is growing into a national health crisis. Americans are one of the most stressed out in the world, according to Stress.org 55% of Americans…

Life gets more stressful every day. It can be a million little things competing for our time or one huge thing we never saw coming. One minute everything is great, and the next minute our whole world is upside down.  Life isn’t easy. Of the many techniques to cope with stress, deep breathing is among…

Hot fluffy pancakes slathered with butter, drenched in mouth-watering maple syrup, with a few berries thrown in for nutritional penance to tame our guilt. Wow. We do love our carbohydrates, don’t we? Maybe pancakes aren’t your thing but everyone has their nutritional Kryptonite. Some people swear by carbs them. Others curse them, believing they’re downright…

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol is a significant cause of death in the U.S. More than 95,000 people die every year due to alcohol-related causes. Alcoholism is a disease referred to as alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, and alcohol use disorder.  Alcoholism is drinking so much alcohol that the body becomes addicted,…

There are over a billion Internet searches on “anxiety,” which, according to Psychiatry.org, says:  “Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and can be beneficial in some situations. It can alert us to dangers and help us prepare and pay attention. Anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of nervousness or anxiousness and involve excessive fear or anxiety.” Get…

Although the gym has just about everything you can imagine to get in the best shape of your life, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, despite easy access and affordable membership fees.  Some people are self-conscious and feel uncomfortable working out in front of people. For others, logistical issues such as transportation or travel time…

We hear a lot about “Metabolic syndrome” these days.  The metabolic process regulates many body functions that, in turn, determine your quality of health.  Metabolic Syndrome According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, “Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that together raise your risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other serious health problems. Metabolic…

There are days when life overwhelms you with a flood of emotions. Remorse, bitterness, frustration, helplessness, guilt, shame, and other feelings can take you to a very dark place really fast.  Insecurity and uncertainty rise within your soul, giving way to feelings of hopelessness and fear, causing you to feel a special kind of “aloneness.” …

Discipline is self-control. There are plenty of urges and forces that seek to control us today. But the most important control of all is self-control. Taking charge of your life, regardless of what’s happening around you or within you, exercising your freedom and power of choice to live YOUR life, not someone else’s, is the…

Please enjoy this week’s guest post written exclusively for Lifestyle Magazine by Sophia Emma on balancing work and life! The US comes in 13th on a list of countries with the worst work-life balance, according to a World Economic Forum article on the topic. One main reason behind this is that Americans work very long hours….