It all comes down to two key efforts: conflict management and avoiding external threats. Why do some relationships go the distances, and others flame out? You could listen to 1,000 songs written on heartbreak and love—one of my current faves is Chris Stapleton’s “Nobody to Blame,”...
Read MoreHow to identify the symptoms and navigate your way through burnout. There’s a difference between a period of bad days, which we’ve all encountered, and serious burnout. Burnout is something that creeps up on you. Imagine a leak in your bathroom pipe that has been dripping...
Read MoreHabits are key to achieving your goals—but only if you don’t get tired of them, research suggests. Along the Pacific Crest Trail, hikers who set out to complete the entire 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada are especially vulnerable to quitting at two points:...
Read MoreFor optimal health, make regular sleep patterns a habit. Getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night can be challenging enough. Kids come pussyfooting in and wake us up at 2 a.m. Or we stay up too late binge-watching TV, or...
Read MoreSometimes life hits us over the head, leaving us dazed. That sense of inertia and confusion is common during times of major transition. According to the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, developed in the late 1960s, the biggest life stressors are consistent among us: death...
Read MoreYou’re taking a morning walk with your best friend around a pristine lake, when suddenly an alligator lunges out of the water. The two of you leap onto the nearest tree and begin to frantically climb its branches. You turn to your friend in panic—but...
Read MoreUnderstanding this science allows us to make dietary choices that effectively send our bodies into repair and longevity mode. Last week, I discussed the new science regarding reduced protein consumption. This week, we’re going to look at the rationale behind it. Some 2 billion years ago, the first...
Read MoreI spent last week away from home, work, studio, email, and Facebook in the city of my youth, Montreal. I remember it well, but only this past week did I really notice something strange: It is really hard to get a cup of coffee to...
Read MoreBy engaging children’s imagination and natural compassion we can help them live a simpler, more mindful life. Despite giving up so much when becoming parents, we ironically enter a whole new world of stuff—some necessary, but most not so much. With each child, the...
Read MoreLong-term benefits of a regular exercise habit. When we go out for a walk, bring ourselves to the yoga mat, or jump in the pool for some laps, we feel rather immediately what movement does for us. We feel our breath change, our hearts beating, and...
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