Homeopathy might seem like a new age trend, but this form of medicine has been used since the late 18th century and its popularity has been attributed to the German physician Dr. C. F. Samuel Hahnemann. Some believe that homeopathy has been around for much longer, since once of the first principles of this system of medicine is “like cures like”—similar to Hippocrates’s beliefs in 400 B.C.
Clutter creates a mess, and messes add to stress. To destress your mind, cull the clutter from your home—and it doesn’t have to be KonMari if you don’t like it.
We like to wistfully muse about our lives. To play with the concept of this—literally—self-contained unit of time. This line of thinking has been called introspection, reflection, egocentrism, existentialism…I spent a considerable amount of time inside this line of thinking when I was in school. Whenever I would share my thoughts with friends or classmates I’d inevitably get “whoa, that's so deep man” in reply, and not much else. This irked me to no end. Yet, their disinterest had meaning in and of itself. How was running on this proverbial hamster wheel at all relevant to daily life?
Traveling can be a popular and much-needed way to destress, especially as the days start to turn warmer in southern locales and spring breaks come around—but vacation time can conflict with those recently set New Year’s resolutions.
Last weekend, my husband and I made a list of recipes we wanted to enjoy during the week. We deciphered the ingredients, took the list to the grocery store, and picked up a week’s worth of groceries. From there, we washed, chopped, cooked, and baked egg muffins, brown rice and quinoa, roasted beets and sweet potatoes, crispy chickpeas, and vegetable soup.
Down to the cellular level, the way that we nourish (or fail to nourish) our bodies is often times looked to as the single most important determinant of most everything attached to health. Even in the womb, the mother’s diet influences the child’s development on a genetic level. Yet the time we spend performing the actual act of eating is quite finite: roughly one of our 24 hours…
Our four-legged friends feel tension and nervousness just like we do. And some of the same botanical allies that work for us may help them, too. Three of the most popular calming remedies for us bipeds are also safe for your pooch when she’s having an off day: chamomile, valerian, and passionflower.
When I’m sad and at a loss for what to do, I’ll often head to the high country outside of Durango, Colorado. If my energy is too low to wander in the woods, I may simply park in a pull-off to sit and “check in” with Twilight Peak or Engineer Mountain. Nothing like a giant rock that’s been there for tens of millions of years for a bit of perspective and support.
Oh, the illusionary and all too persuasive frequency of worry. I know this one well. I remember walking into the living room when I was eight years old and the news was on. The news channel was reporting on global warming. Here I was 8 years old, born onto a planet that was going to cook itself into a slow and painful death?! I was horrified. I didn’t sleep well for months. My stomach hurt. My thoughts were consumed and thus began my first episode of a lifelong relationship with worry, the all too disempowering frequency of “what if.”
I’ll start by stating the obvious. When struggling with panic attacks, the approach necessarily has to be a broad one encompassing a whole network of support: A good therapist is helpful, nutrient-dense foods, mindfulness practice, physical activity, reaching out to loved ones and such. Speaking from experience. Anxiety has been a life-long companion of sorts, but full-on panic attacks didn’t start until my early 30s. This was pre-herbalism for me so I went through a whole slew of “azepams,” each losing effect after a few weeks.