Emotional Wellness

In my most recent series of articles I'm discussing our brains role in forming habits - especially the habit of drinking alcohol. Let's dive in to today's topic!

Why do we give in to our desire for alcohol?

We discussed desire in a previous article. You can read it here. Remember, desire isn't involuntary. It’s learned, and you taught yourself. You’ve increased that desire so much that it seems involuntary.

Now, you may be feeling competing desires. Your thinking, rational brain says, “I want…

There's a healing art that is so simple it seems to come from nothing. There are no prescription medicines, no diets, no exercise routines, and no special equipment.  We need only our hands and our awareness to tap into the energetic source of healing power.

The Art of Jin Shin (also know as Jin Shin Jyutsu) facilitates the flow of energy in the body. It is based on the premise that the cause of all illness – mental, emotional, and physical – is a blockage in the flow of energy. This blocka…

Do you realize that your brain is designed to help you survive? This sounds like a good thing doesn’t it? And it is, but it can sometimes also cause some problems.

Your Brain is Rigged for Survival

Our brains provide us rewards when we do things that perpetuate our survival. These things include:

• Eating
• Seeking Shelter
• Sex

When we first do these things, the brain releases a little dopamine and this feels great! We get a reward, so to speak. Our brains use that as a feedback loop. When …

In my last article I discussed desire and how it is a learned behavior. You can read it here. Today I'm going to discuss how emotions play a role in habit creation.

Our emotions are created by what we think - so the emotion of desire is created by a thought. Staying on the topic of drinking alcohol - our desire for alcohol is created by a thought. So, what are the thoughts we have that create our desire for alcohol?

One of the most powerful thoughts we have is, “I want that.” It seems like suc…

As a culture, we drink alcohol. It's a normal part of life. As a matter of fact, in some social circles you have to make excuses for NOT drinking!

The first question you're asked when you are seated at a fine restaurant is "What can I get you to drink?"

Beer and wine commercials are everywhere on TV.

There are wine tastings everywhere these days...and they're lots of fun!

There's alcohol at almost every sporting event!

Why? What is it about alcohol that we have come to embrace in our societ…

Did you know that wild animals don't have the same stress-related illnesses that we humans have? Why is that? 

It's mostly due to the nature of the human brain. We can ruminate about our past and fret about the future. Psychoneuroimmunology (the study of how the mind influences the immune system), has shown that what we think IS our reality - whether it's real or not!

We were designed to experience acute stress - stressors that are short in nature and infrequent. When we are in danger, our ama…

From worldwide pandemics to difficult relationships, our world is filled with circumstances that cause stress. 

A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that dealing with persistent, long-term stress (like that from a toxic work environment or from caring for an elderly parent) can actually change the expression of your genes, leading to an increase in inflammation that can bring on a variety of health issues.

Learning how to cope with stress in a …

Over time, having too many stress hormones in your system is linked with increased inflammation - this is not a good thing!

What can you do about it?

Most of us have never learned how to cope with stress. Many of us just try to ignore it, but that's one of the worst ways to deal with it. Ignoring your feelings of stress can keep your stress hormones elevated, and soon, feeling stressed can become your body's new normal.

The good news is you can take back control by learning some techniques th…

Stress is sneaky. Sometimes you don’t even know that you’re feeling it until you turn your head and your neck hurts, or you feel a tension headache coming on. 

The truth is, some stress is normal (and even good) … but chronic stress can do a real number on your body. 

It can wreak havoc on your hormones, making you gain weight (especially unhealthy belly fat). 

And it can also take a major toll on your health, paving the way for illness and disease.

It's never been a big secret that stress c…

Hope your day got off to a smooth start – especially because I want to talk to you about STRESS. We’re heading into a busy time of year with new schedules, etc. and I know a lot of you are feeling some pressure …

… and I also know a lot of you think you should just toughen up and “push through it”.

Spoiler alert: You can’t do it. That’s because stress isn’t all “in your mind.” It’s also in your body.

Your stress response system is a primal reaction... it’s hardwired into your system to …