I would bet that you have a makeup bag and that bag contains all kinds of makeup, many of which are years old or have never been opened.  But did you know that cosmetics may be detrimental to your health?  Some of those unexplained symptoms, such as running nose, puffy eyes, or rashes may be a result of the makeup.  We don’t often think about how important our skin is, but it is the largest organ!  And, it does absorb ingredients. 

So how long should you keep cosmetics?  The standard of the cosmetic industry is 3 years from the date of manufacture.

I don’t know about you, but a good night’s sleep has been harder to achieve as I’ve gotten older.  And, after menopause, geez!  I have found a few things that have helped me better a better night’s sleep and may just help you as well.

1.        Develop a pattern and stick with it.  It is better to have a consistent time to go to sleep and wake up than to be different every night.  Your body will become accustomed to the schedule and it will be easier to fall asleep.

 

It’s that time of year when we begin to think about the new year and starting anew.  Many people choose to set new year’s resolutions.  Are you one of them?  Are you also one of them who has set the same resolution each year with the same outcome…failure?  So, how can you really break that cycle and bring success upon yourself?  Let’s get started.

1.     Prioritize what it is that you want to change in the coming year.  List all the changes and prioritize them from most important to less importance (because they all are important, right?

 

What is journaling?  Journaling, according to Susan Borkin, author ofThe Healing Power of Writing: A Therapist’s Guide to Using Journaling with Clients, is any type of writing or related expressive process used for the purposes of psychological healing or growth.

Remember when you were a young girl, you may have had a diary.   Your “dear diary” captured events and emotions in your life.  Now, as an adult, things happen, circumstances change, and those things are either good, bad, or ugly.

October is Breast Cancer awareness month.  One in eight women will experience breast cancer in their lifetime.  We, as women, take much better care of our hair and face than we do our breasts.  And yet, this part of our anatomy is extremely vital to life, in nursing our children, as well as our self-image, as dictated by cultural mores.  So, what can you do to take care of your breasts?

1)       It is important to know your body.  What is normal and what is not normal?

My husband and I recently came back from a vacation to Colorado where the air was fresh and clean and the outdoors was invigorating.  Our location had no television, radio, or phone.  For 5 days we were media free.  I admit the first day was a bit unsettling, but after that was quite liberating.  I found myself focusing on my health, actually paying attention to the world around me, and meeting and actually engaging in conversations with complete strangers.  My husband and I found each other again.

Today I’d like to talk a little bit about the news.  I am first going to digress a little bit.  I am of the boomer generation.  When I grew up in the 50’s, television was new.  Yes, that’s true.  Our family had a black and white TV first, and then a color TV.  We had only a handful of stations to choose from.  Back to the stone age, I am afraid.  Local, state, and world news was presented to the public twice a day, one the 6 0’clock news or the 10 o’clock news.

Attitude

 

Today I’d like to talk a little bit about attitude.  I recently watched the HBO special on John McCain’s life.  I was struck by the amazing positive attitude that he held while enduring horrific conditions and torture in the Hanoi Hilton.  Regardless of your political views, his fortitude and strength through all the adversity is admirable.

No matter who you are, life is not always a bowl of cherries.  We all have lessons to learn, disappointments, tragedy, and hardships throughout our lives.

Another year is closing in on us and the New Year is around the corner.  One of the most common resolutions for the new year is to lose weight.  Millions of people make it a priority…… year, after year.  The failure rate is high.  Change is difficult and habits are even harder to break.

It is time to reflect on your “why”, the reason for your resolution.  Are you committed?  On a scale of 1-10, how committed are you to making changes?   On a scale of 1-10, do you feel you are capable of making those changes.