A Woman’s Heart Health

Chicago resident Susan Bennett was 40 years old when she gave birth to her second child, a son. One night when Ben was three weeks old, she nursed him and put him back into his bassinet. When Ben started crying a few minutes later, she tried to get up, but fell back on the bed […]

Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxiety

Are you tired of struggling with fear? Is worry wearing you out? Anxiety got you by the throat? Jennifer Jill Schwirzer offers hope and explains how building your faith will shrink your fears. A friend once told me she rejected the Bible. “All that stuff about Creation, the Flood, the Red Sea—it’s so outrageous.” Ironically, […]

Seven Ways to Boost Your Energy Level

Forget about getting ahead in life: you feel as if you’re running just to catch up! If you don’t have the energy to do what you want to do—or even the energy to do what you have to do—try these seven strategies to feel more invigorated. 1. Plan How many times have you come home […]

Unresolved Stress: Calm Behind The Storm

Scott had recently turned 45 years of age and was the owner of a prosperous retail business he had spent the past 20 years building. Then, seemingly without warning, Scott sold his retail business and the night before their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary informed his wife that he wanted to live as a single man.

Read more about Unresolved Stress: Calm Behind The Storm

The Grace of Gardening

You know the drill. From the moment the alarm clock sounds, you’re rushing at warp speed. Get up. Get the kids up. Grab a shower. Get the kids ready for school. Rifle through the cupboards for a cereal breakfast. Scoop the car keys. Grab the kids’ sack lunches, backpacks, homework, and you’re out the door. Whew! Before you’ve even begun the day, you’re frazzled, disconnected, and out of sync. Were we meant to live like this? Dr. Eva Shaw, Ph. D. author of Shovel It: Nature’s Health Plan, doesn’t think so.

Blame our breakneck pace on the Industrial Revolution, the need for a two-income household or just the velocity of modern times. Wherever the blame lies, sometimes it can seem like we need a dose of therapy just to cope. But before you send your fingers walking through the yellow pages for a psychologist or group therapist, take a look at your thumb. Even if it’s not green, you can benefit from a bit of garden therapy.
Read more about The Grace of Gardening

Healthy Gardening

Do you give your yard a lick and a promise once a month purely out of respect for the neighbors? Do you enjoy gardening, but seldom take time to dig in the dirt? Maybe you need a new perspective on gardening to motivate you.

Gardening affords you access to the fresh air and exercise you need. It’s a wonderful, creative outlet. To many people, gardening is also therapeutic. One friend says, “When I’m angry or upset about something, I go out and pull weeds. When I’m depressed or sad, I putter with the plants. To me, gardening is comforting, and I always leave my garden feeling better.”

Mary is a cancer patient and an avid gardener. She says, “My garden is my therapy. It’s constant renewal. Working in my garden or just walking through it after work slows me down and helps me to refocus my thoughts.”

Read more about Healthy Gardening