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How My Drive to Succeed Led to Crippling Anxiety (And How I Got My Life Back)

Source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/MIaplnRG1E0/

“The only way out is through.” ~Robert Frost

The suffocating pressure from being obsessively focused on achievement and improvement led to escalating stress and anxiety over the years, but I ignored my feelings and kept attacking my goals.

Over time it became darker and heavier. It became crippling. It forced me to put a stop to almost everything in my life.

I’m a type A personality driven by a need for accomplishment. When I was in elementary school, I did my homework immediately after getting home even though my mom begged me to take a break. In high school, I regularly stayed up past midnight working on homework and scholarship applications.

This need to succeed brought many gifts. I succeeded in school, work, and sports. My methods to achieve my goals were consistently reinforced by positive results.

But this “success” came with a price that took a toll on my mental health. The only way I knew to succeed was through uncompromisingly high expectations and an unrelenting work ethic. When things didn’t go right, I was hard on myself and doubled down on my efforts.

The journey to reclaim my life from anxiety took six months that felt like …

Source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/MIaplnRG1E0/

“The only way out is through.” ~Robert Frost

The suffocating pressure from being obsessively focused on achievement and improvement led to escalating stress and anxiety over the years, but I ignored my feelings and kept attacking my goals.

Over time it became darker and heavier. It became crippling. It forced me to put a stop to almost everything in my life.

I’m a type A personality driven by a need for accomplishment. When I was in elementary school, I did my homework immediately after getting home even though my mom begged me to take a break. In high school, I regularly stayed up past midnight working on homework and scholarship applications.

This need to succeed brought many gifts. I succeeded in school, work, and sports. My methods to achieve my goals were consistently reinforced by positive results.

But this “success” came with a price that took a toll on my mental health. The only way I knew to succeed was through uncompromisingly high expectations and an unrelenting work ethic. When things didn’t go right, I was hard on myself and doubled down on my efforts.

The journey to reclaim my life from anxiety took six months that felt like …

Lead Detected In Baby Food Samples. Pediatricians Say There's No Safe Level

Source http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/06/15/533103892/lead-detected-in-baby-food-samples-pediatricians-say-theres-no-safe-level?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

Twenty percent of baby food samples were found to contain lead, according to a report from the Environmental Defense Fund. The report did not name brand names.

Twenty percent of baby food samples were found to contain lead, according to a report from the Environmental Defense Fund. Pediatricians say there’s no safe lead level. FDA is reviewing its policy.

(Image credit: Wiktory/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Source http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/06/15/533103892/lead-detected-in-baby-food-samples-pediatricians-say-theres-no-safe-level?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

Twenty percent of baby food samples were found to contain lead, according to a report from the Environmental Defense Fund. The report did not name brand names.

Twenty percent of baby food samples were found to contain lead, according to a report from the Environmental Defense Fund. Pediatricians say there’s no safe lead level. FDA is reviewing its policy.

(Image credit: Wiktory/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A Proud Father with Alzheimer’s Walks His Daughter Down the Aisle

Source: http://blog.alz.org/a-proud-father-with-alzheimers-walks-his-daughter-down-the-aisle/

The fact that my dad even knows who Matt is feels quite incredible. My dad was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease 11 years ago, and my husband Matt came into our lives just three years ago.

What makes my heart soar is how they’ve become best buddies. My dad still lives at home with my mom, his soulmate turned full-time caregiver. While he cannot be left alone, dress himself, buckle his seatbelt, or even open the door, when Matt is around, his former self shines through. The two are downright squirrely together!

When Matt and I got engaged, we decided to have a small ceremony, because we were worried about how my dad would handle a large crowd. While wedding planning, Matt’s only requests included a canoe full of beer and a food truck parked in the driveway.  Th…

Source: http://blog.alz.org/a-proud-father-with-alzheimers-walks-his-daughter-down-the-aisle/

The fact that my dad even knows who Matt is feels quite incredible. My dad was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease 11 years ago, and my husband Matt came into our lives just three years ago.

What makes my heart soar is how they’ve become best buddies. My dad still lives at home with my mom, his soulmate turned full-time caregiver. While he cannot be left alone, dress himself, buckle his seatbelt, or even open the door, when Matt is around, his former self shines through. The two are downright squirrely together!

When Matt and I got engaged, we decided to have a small ceremony, because we were worried about how my dad would handle a large crowd. While wedding planning, Matt’s only requests included a canoe full of beer and a food truck parked in the driveway.  Th…

Are You Really Listening? 4 Ways to Understand and Connect with People

Source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/3kyQl8ptRCg/

“The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.” ~Ralph G. Nichols

My partner and I were in our first few months of a long-distance relationship. This was a new stage for us and it meant altering our communication practices. Instead of sharing meals and museum exhibits, we had weekly emails and Skype chats.

Every week, I would pour my heart into long, detailed emails to him. I would describe everything that I had done and thought over the past few days.

On Skype I would do the same. Excited to tell him about my life, I would recount all of my recent experiences.

On one such Skype call, my partner paused the conversation with a long and frustrated silence.

“What?” I asked.

He said, “You just told me all about you, but you didn’t respond to anything I said.”

His reaction surprised me. Weren’t we taking turns talking about our lives? Wasn’t that how a long-distance call was supposed to go?

Around the same time, I received a letter from a friend who lived across the country. We had been writing to each other for several years. I had recently sent her a letter telling her about my new job a…

Source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/3kyQl8ptRCg/

“The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.” ~Ralph G. Nichols

My partner and I were in our first few months of a long-distance relationship. This was a new stage for us and it meant altering our communication practices. Instead of sharing meals and museum exhibits, we had weekly emails and Skype chats.

Every week, I would pour my heart into long, detailed emails to him. I would describe everything that I had done and thought over the past few days.

On Skype I would do the same. Excited to tell him about my life, I would recount all of my recent experiences.

On one such Skype call, my partner paused the conversation with a long and frustrated silence.

“What?” I asked.

He said, “You just told me all about you, but you didn’t respond to anything I said.”

His reaction surprised me. Weren’t we taking turns talking about our lives? Wasn’t that how a long-distance call was supposed to go?

Around the same time, I received a letter from a friend who lived across the country. We had been writing to each other for several years. I had recently sent her a letter telling her about my new job a…

Broccoli Extract Shows Promise for Type 2 Diabetes

Source: http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20170614/broccoli-extract-shows-promise-for-type-2-diabetes?src=RSS_PUBLIC

But supplement only seems to help a certain group of people with the disease

Source: http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20170614/broccoli-extract-shows-promise-for-type-2-diabetes?src=RSS_PUBLIC

But supplement only seems to help a certain group of people with the disease

The art and science of your beautiful brain.

Source: http://yourbrainhealth.com.au/art-science-beautiful-brain/

 

Self Reflected in violets. The entire Self Reflected microetching under violet and white light (photo by Greg Dunn and Will Drinker)

 

This is the most advanced artistic visualisation of the brain in the world.

Dr Greg Dunn is an artist and neuroscientist and together with Dr Brian Edwards (artist and physicist) he created Self Reflected.

 

“Self Reflected was created to remind us that the most marvellous machine in the known universe is at the core of our being.”

The work bridges the connection between the macroscopic brain and the behaviour of neurons through a technique called reflective microetching.

These i…

Source: http://yourbrainhealth.com.au/art-science-beautiful-brain/

 

Self Reflected in violets. The entire Self Reflected microetching under violet and white light (photo by Greg Dunn and Will Drinker)

 

This is the most advanced artistic visualisation of the brain in the world.

Dr Greg Dunn is an artist and neuroscientist and together with Dr Brian Edwards (artist and physicist) he created Self Reflected.

 

“Self Reflected was created to remind us that the most marvellous machine in the known universe is at the core of our being.”

The work bridges the connection between the macroscopic brain and the behaviour of neurons through a technique called reflective microetching.

These i…

The Miscarriage: Why My Heart Feels Full In Spite of My Loss

Source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/4pdSj2g_Fp0/

“Suddenly you’re ripped into being alive. And life is pain, and life is suffering, and life is horror, but my god you’re alive and it’s spectacular.” ~Joseph Campbell

They say all feelings have a beginning, a middle, and an end.

The truth is that I’m still in the middle part, but I felt like it was time to share this story with you—not just for me, but for all women who have faced this and for all women who have made a plan and then surrendered as the plan changed.

Two months ago, I had a miscarriage.

The pregnancy was a little bit of a surprise. We’d been talking about it, but weren’t “trying.” (Sidenote: I got off birth control pills years ago when I quit drinking alcohol—best decision of my life, but that’s a different story.)

Over the years, I really learned my body and I’d been able to sync up with my cycle, except for this one time a few months ago when I miscounted the days. Whoops.

I took a pregnancy test. Two lines. I took three more pregnancies tests. All four said the same thing: two lines = pregnant.

Were we excited? Were we scared? Do we celebrate? Did we just mess up our entire lives? Do we move? Do I cancel my work trips in the fal…

Source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/4pdSj2g_Fp0/

“Suddenly you’re ripped into being alive. And life is pain, and life is suffering, and life is horror, but my god you’re alive and it’s spectacular.” ~Joseph Campbell

They say all feelings have a beginning, a middle, and an end.

The truth is that I’m still in the middle part, but I felt like it was time to share this story with you—not just for me, but for all women who have faced this and for all women who have made a plan and then surrendered as the plan changed.

Two months ago, I had a miscarriage.

The pregnancy was a little bit of a surprise. We’d been talking about it, but weren’t “trying.” (Sidenote: I got off birth control pills years ago when I quit drinking alcohol—best decision of my life, but that’s a different story.)

Over the years, I really learned my body and I’d been able to sync up with my cycle, except for this one time a few months ago when I miscounted the days. Whoops.

I took a pregnancy test. Two lines. I took three more pregnancies tests. All four said the same thing: two lines = pregnant.

Were we excited? Were we scared? Do we celebrate? Did we just mess up our entire lives? Do we move? Do I cancel my work trips in the fal…

Even Moderate Drinking May Harm Brain Function

Source: https://womensbrainhealth.org/think-it-over/even-moderate-drinking-may-harm-brain-function

by Traci Pedersen for Psych Central: Alcohol consumption, even in moderation, is linked to a greater risk of adverse brain outcomes and a more severe decline in cognition, according to a new U.K. study published in the journal The BMJ…….

Source: https://womensbrainhealth.org/think-it-over/even-moderate-drinking-may-harm-brain-function

by Traci Pedersen for Psych Central: Alcohol consumption, even in moderation, is linked to a greater risk of adverse brain outcomes and a more severe decline in cognition, according to a new U.K. study published in the journal The BMJ…….

“Real Women” Don’t Fit in a One-Size-Fits-All Mold

Source http://www.niashanks.com/real-women-one-size-fits-all-mold/

real-women-dont-fit-one-size-fits-all-mold-imgAny attempt to cram women into a one-size-fits-all mold or label us via a “real women do/have/are …” statement is futile.

And stupid. And degrading.

You’ve seen many of them:

  • Real women have curves
  • Real women have muscle
  • Real women are skinny
  • Real women lift weights
  • Real women do cardio
  • Real women don’t fart … they fluff
  • Real women wear dresses

I disdain such “real women” statements. Even though some were intended to be inspiring and inclusive, they’re exclusive by their very definition. Take the popular “real woman have curves” mantra as an example. I get why it started — it was a body-positive mantra that declared you don’t have to be thin and have a thigh gap to be beautiful. And that’s true.

But what about the woman who shall forever remain curveless because of her narrow hips and small breasts? When she hears that she may think, So I’m not a real woman because of my lack of curves?

One group’s “real women” mantra is another group’s failure for not fitting the mold. Let’s not forget its cousin declaration that does the same thing: X is the new Y (at least, until Z i…

Source http://www.niashanks.com/real-women-one-size-fits-all-mold/

real-women-dont-fit-one-size-fits-all-mold-imgAny attempt to cram women into a one-size-fits-all mold or label us via a “real women do/have/are …” statement is futile.

And stupid. And degrading.

You’ve seen many of them:

  • Real women have curves
  • Real women have muscle
  • Real women are skinny
  • Real women lift weights
  • Real women do cardio
  • Real women don’t fart … they fluff
  • Real women wear dresses

I disdain such “real women” statements. Even though some were intended to be inspiring and inclusive, they’re exclusive by their very definition. Take the popular “real woman have curves” mantra as an example. I get why it started — it was a body-positive mantra that declared you don’t have to be thin and have a thigh gap to be beautiful. And that’s true.

But what about the woman who shall forever remain curveless because of her narrow hips and small breasts? When she hears that she may think, So I’m not a real woman because of my lack of curves?

One group’s “real women” mantra is another group’s failure for not fitting the mold. Let’s not forget its cousin declaration that does the same thing: X is the new Y (at least, until Z i…

Fill Up on Fiber

Source http://refineryfitnesspdx.com/fill-up-on-fiber/

Fiber is the indigestible part of plants that travels through our digestive system, absorbing water along the way and easing bowel movements.  Fiber is filled with cellulose, lignin, and pectin, substances which are difficult for  digestive enzymes to break down.  There are two types of fiber:  soluble and insoluble.  Soluble fiber absorbs water as it makes its way through the digestive system turning into a gelatinous mass.  Insoluble fiber does not absorb water and changes little as it moves through the digestive system, making it important for moving bulk through the digestive system and keeping you regular.  Foods high in insoluble fiber include vegetables – especially dark green leafy ones, root vegetable skins, fruit skins, whole wheat products, wheat bran, corn bran, nuts, and seeds.

Soluble fiber helps you feel full longer and helps regulate sugar absorption, preventing wild sugar swings.  Soluble fiber also helps reduce the absorption of cholesterol by the body.  Good sources of soluble fiber include chia seeds, oatmeal, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach, kidney beans, pinto beans, zucchini, apples, oranges, grapefruit, grapes, prunes, and whole-grains bread.

Psyllium husk, oat, oat brans, and flax seed are excellent additions…

Source http://refineryfitnesspdx.com/fill-up-on-fiber/

Fiber is the indigestible part of plants that travels through our digestive system, absorbing water along the way and easing bowel movements.  Fiber is filled with cellulose, lignin, and pectin, substances which are difficult for  digestive enzymes to break down.  There are two types of fiber:  soluble and insoluble.  Soluble fiber absorbs water as it makes its way through the digestive system turning into a gelatinous mass.  Insoluble fiber does not absorb water and changes little as it moves through the digestive system, making it important for moving bulk through the digestive system and keeping you regular.  Foods high in insoluble fiber include vegetables – especially dark green leafy ones, root vegetable skins, fruit skins, whole wheat products, wheat bran, corn bran, nuts, and seeds.

Soluble fiber helps you feel full longer and helps regulate sugar absorption, preventing wild sugar swings.  Soluble fiber also helps reduce the absorption of cholesterol by the body.  Good sources of soluble fiber include chia seeds, oatmeal, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach, kidney beans, pinto beans, zucchini, apples, oranges, grapefruit, grapes, prunes, and whole-grains bread.

Psyllium husk, oat, oat brans, and flax seed are excellent additions…

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