Am I At The Age of Aging?
How do you know when you’re old? Is it a state of mind? A physical condition? How can we get the most out of life at any age? Continue reading Am I At The Age of Aging?
Category: Health and Wellbeing
8 Useful Tips to Cope with the Next Heat Wave
We hear more and more speaking about heat waves. But what exactly is a heat wave? A heat wave occurs when there is a period of 3-6 consecutive days (short heat wave) or at least 7 consecutive days (long heat wave) with an average daily temperature greater than a standard deviation (calculated over the period 1981-2010 or if available 1991-2020) compared to the average “normal” … Continue reading 8 Useful Tips to Cope with the Next Heat Wave
Climate Anxiety
Several decades of inaction in the face of climate change have led many to new forms of anxiety, including me. Continue reading Climate Anxiety
How to Slow Down the Ageing of Your Brain with 3 Actions
Like the whole human body, the brain also regresses with ageing. At birth, each human being has 100 billion neurons. At 25, your brain is at its best. Then, it gradually begins to regress and, as we age, some neurons become defective, in particular those located at the level of memory, attention and awareness of what surrounds us. This ageing process should not be regarded as a … Continue reading How to Slow Down the Ageing of Your Brain with 3 Actions
Let’s Talk and Think about Skin Color
Note: A version of this post was published earlier. As America gears up for the 2024 presidential campaign, a variety of Republican contenders, chief among them Ron DeSantis, are doing their absolute best to dethrone the Grand Poohbah, otherwise known as “The Donald,” the man who gives lie to the statement “It can’t happen here.” To achieve this difficult task, these campaigners are going … Continue reading Let’s Talk and Think about Skin Color
Repost: What Vladimir Putin’s War Has Taught Me
Before I get into the body of this piece, I’d like to say that the conflict in Ukraine is especially interesting and tragic because I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Poland during the mid-nineties, not long after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin Wall. I was sent to Rzeczpospolita Polska—I still remember quite a lot of Polish—to … Continue reading Repost: What Vladimir Putin’s War Has Taught Me
If You Can’t Go Away On Vacation This Summer Try These 10 Ideas
Summer is here and vacation time is approaching. While it is obvious that going away is very important for physical and mental health, it is not so obvious that everyone can leave and some of us will have to spend their vacation at home. But a rest period is also useful without being able to travel. When we work, we wait for the weekend impatiently, … Continue reading If You Can’t Go Away On Vacation This Summer Try These 10 Ideas
How and Why Yoga Helps You Maintain Body and Mind Balance
On June 21, the International Yoga Day was celebrated. Over the last few years, this very old practice has become the subject of scientific studies. Positive effects on the brain such as anti-stress and antidepressant effects have begun to be measured. Millions of people practice yoga regularly and research began thanks to its spectacular spread. Postures (asanas) are increasingly known among different people and age groups. … Continue reading How and Why Yoga Helps You Maintain Body and Mind Balance
A Sad Day, a Happy Day
Exactly one week ago, on Saturday morning, my wife and I got into the backseat of my father and stepmother’s car, in Georgetown, Texas, pulled out of their garage, and headed eastward, to make the hour-long trip to the small town of Rockdale, Texas, population 5,323. Our goal was to attend a memorial service to commemorate the life of my uncle, a man I’d always … Continue reading A Sad Day, a Happy Day
Turn Out The Lights
Remember the fireflies?
Where are they?
Remember starry nights?
Can you see them from your house? Continue reading Turn Out The Lights
Repost: Others
Life is like a great meandering stroll through a vast wilderness of ever-changing scenery. Such a long tramp is bound to change us, so it’s highly likely we’ll undergo one transformation after another as we travel. I was an only child during the earliest stages of my “journey.” I spent the first few years of my life living in a quiet, rural setting where neighbors … Continue reading Repost: Others
My Session With Depression
When I finally picked up the phone and made the call, I got an answering machine. I waited for the beep, and said something that included the phrase “I need some help”. It was early spring, about 17 years ago. Continue reading My Session With Depression
What If
What if I were completely at peace with who I am? What if I were completely at peace with my past? What if I were fully present? What if I showed up for life as it stands? What if I didn’t want anything different? What if the things that scare me motivated me? What if I embraced fear and uncertainty? What if I didn’t take … Continue reading What If
Five Tips to Start a Day Anxiety-Free
If you have been lucky enough not to have suffered from anxiety disorders, you may not understand what it means to be in such a situation of psychological distress. But If you are anxious, in the morning you can experience symptoms like It’s not easy, nevertheless let’s try to understand what causes morning anxiety and look for some solutions. Try with the making space technique or same … Continue reading Five Tips to Start a Day Anxiety-Free
Repost: Can Happiness Be Cultivated?
I’ve been writing about happiness recently. This is the third (and final) installment in a series of pieces on this subject. The first installment can be found here and second one, here. While prepping myself to write this, I began to think of analogies. Can happiness be cultivated in the same way a farmer prepares for a good harvest? Think about it; a bumper crop doesn’t just happen … Continue reading Repost: Can Happiness Be Cultivated?
I Was Happy During Covid?
I hate saying it. It sounds terrible. And yet… Continue reading I Was Happy During Covid?
Why You Should Set Your Well-Being As Your First Priority
Our well-being should be our priority. But nowadays we are so busy that we tend to prioritize in a reverse order. By doing so we can seriously compromise our quality of life and our physical, mental and emotional health. According to the international classification of diseases, burn-out is considered to be a work-related phenomenon but this is not the only cause. With the increasing cost of living and the … Continue reading Why You Should Set Your Well-Being As Your First Priority
May 7 – World Laughter Day – Why We Should Celebrate It
World Laughter Day is celebrated every year on the first Sunday of May, with the aim of promoting the value of laughing and the benefits it brings to people’s physical and mental health. The World Laughter Day was established in 1998 by the Indian doctor Madan Kataria, founder of the Laughter Yoga movement, which aims to spread the practice of laughing as a therapeutic tool. … Continue reading May 7 – World Laughter Day – Why We Should Celebrate It
I Wish You Well, Omar
A few days ago, I had a Zoom meeting with Omar, my nephew by marriage. It’s been a while since I last mentioned that I married an Egyptian woman—a truly beautiful person named Azza—a little more than twelve years ago, back when I was living in Cairo, Egypt, and teaching at the American University in Cairo. Omar is Azza’s sister’s son. He’s in his early … Continue reading I Wish You Well, Omar
Three Ways to Better Manage Stress Daily – Mindfulness, Sophrology, Self-hypnosis
To better manage stress, the regular practice of mindfulness, sophrology or self-hypnosis can be of great help. These disciplines can also be useful in addition to medical follow-up in case of burn-out or depression. Mindfulness – focusing on the present moment Mindfulness can be defined as the gym of the mind that consists of intentionally paying attention to what you are experiencing / doing in … Continue reading Three Ways to Better Manage Stress Daily – Mindfulness, Sophrology, Self-hypnosis