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Stressed Out? The Simple Science Behind Stress

Posted on June 18, 2022November 25, 2023 by Alison Jones

Stress that is left unchecked can lead to a wide range of mental and physical health problems. We all know stress can contribute to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and headaches, but did you know that stress has also been linked to diabetes, and some studies even suggest a possible link to cancer? Let’s take a brief look at some of the science behind stress.

What is Stress Anyway?

In a nutshell, stress is a physical, mental, or emotional reaction to change. This often occurs when we believe a situation is “too much” and is endangering our well-being. At the heart of all stress is the feeling of a loss of personal control – even if the change is a positive one. Continue reading “Stressed Out? The Simple Science Behind Stress” →

Living Out of an Abundance of Abundance

Posted on August 21, 2021August 22, 2021 by Alison Jones

We’ve all heard the phrase “out of an abundance of caution.” Lately, out of an abundance of caution, we’ve worn masks, closed schools, socially distanced, reduced capacity, locked ourselves down.

I’m not here to debate the necessity of any of this. I’m here to pose a question:

Are you living your life out of an abundance of caution?

Were you essentially wearing a mask and hiding indoors before COVID ever hit? Out of an abundance of caution, have you decided that unseen and safe are better than seen and exposed?

This isn’t about common sense safety – wearing a seatbelt, locking a door – or sound decision-making – weighing pros and cons, doing research, vetting an idea. And I’m not talking about personal preferences, like whether to skydive (no, thank you) or invest in high-risk stocks.

Keep reading!

The Magic of Beginnings (All Year Long)

Posted on January 31, 2021November 25, 2023 by Alison Jones

There’s something magical about beginnings. They represent a clean slate and the opportunity to begin something new. Wrapped up in beginnings is the promise of happiness, growth, adventure. The blank canvas stretched out before us is exhilarating. Life is the canvas, and we are its artist. There is only hope, potential, and whatever we dare to dream.

For many of us, each new year marks this kind of beginning. We commit to new goals and a new way of being. Whether it’s a new career, fitness routine, financial strategy, or way of looking at ourselves or others, we see the beginning as an opportunity to move forward and to leave behind what limits us. We face the future with optimism and a can-do spirit.

But before long, the newness gives way to the sameness of the days that follow. It’s not easy holding on to that magical feeling. Days blend into weeks, weeks into months, months into years. Things that weren’t part of the plan pop up and throw us off course. As time goes on, we often find that we are sitting in the middle of the canvas…and we’re not even sure if we’re the artist anymore.

Is it possible we need to change the way we look at beginnings?

Keep reading!

Have you Dropped your Ice Cream Cone? Rediscovering Joy

Posted on October 17, 2020November 25, 2023 by Alison Jones

Picture this: a young girl in a pretty pink dress, ribbons in hair, twirling delightedly. She is with her mom and sisters on an outing to the mall. Her mom has just bought her an ice cream cone. This is a special treat. She keeps twirling, ice cream cone in hand. At this moment, she hasn’t a care in the world. She feels pure joy.

Until the ice cream goes flying off her cone.

No more ice cream – and no more twirling. She is distraught and quickly learns that she shouldn’t have been twirling with ice cream in her hand in the first place.

Obviously.

As life goes on, she tries to be more careful. So many “rules.” She tries to follow the rules. But it’s not easy keeping track of them. More ice cream drops. Eventually she stops twirling altogether.

She edits, she pleases, she is oh so careful.

Can you relate to this girl? Although the girl with ice cream was me at 7 or 8, I think there’s a little of this girl in each of us.

Keep reading!

Time Management: Five Simple Tricks to Multiply Your Time

Posted on September 12, 2020November 25, 2023 by Alison Jones

Do you find yourself wishing you had more hours in the day? Or maybe you struggle to follow through on your good intentions because you feel so pressed for time?

If so, I can relate. I’ve been there. As in, much of my life.

I think time management is one of the greatest challenges in our daily lives, and also something that provides great joy and freedom – once we get a grip on it. As Harvey Mackay once said:

“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.”

Keep reading!