mental health

Few of us in North Carolina are immune to occasionally losing an hour to mindless scrolling on our phones and devices. After all, it's the nature of social media and the internet: an endless series of rabbit holes full of breaking news, TikTok videos, shopping, and Insta updates we didn't know we needed. But, for some, those technological time warps aren't just occasional, they're a daily, or even hourly, preoccupation. When does an innocuous pastime become a problematic addiction? And what do we do about it?
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Nobody likes to go to the doctor, especially when they aren't sick. But preventative healthcare is a huge piece of the long, healthy, and happy life puzzle. Annual wellness exams often include a general screening, vitals check, labs, and maintenance for chronic health conditions. In fact, it isn't uncommon that these annual exams identify early-stage diseases like cancer, concerning blood pressure and cholesterol levels, thyroid dysfunction, and a host of other common deficiencies and abnormalities. And, since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandated 100 percent coverage for preventative care, there's no excuse for missing your annual physical.
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Anymore, it's an expectation: New Year's Day rolls around and a laundry list of resolutions lies before us. Gym membership and self-help book sales skyrocket. The revelry of the holidays gives way to Dry January, "clean" meal planning, and the next best diet. Entrepreneurs recommit to the hustle. A growth mindset is on the tip of everyone's tongue. It seems that everyone is looking to fix, improve, and ascend the latter of some self-determined actualization or another.
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It's an invisible facet of the aging process, but more critically linked to maintaining health, functionality, and autonomy than perhaps all else: brain health. From infancy to adulthood, the brain is in a constant state of growth, forming more than a million new neural connections every second in the earliest years of life and achieving 90 percent of its adult volume by age 6.
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There's no getting around the fact that many jobs require desk time, and for many people, that means eight-plus hours a day just sitting. In an ideal world, a life complete with regular yoga practice, chiropractic adjustments, strength training, constitutionals, ideal nutrition, and relaxing massages might be the obvious solution. But few can support such luxuries. Still, adjustments must be made to the sedentary necessities of the grind if it's to continue, well, grinding. Here are a few simple solutions to the desk debacle:
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Remote work options, both fully and hybridized off-and-on site iterations have overtaken traditional office models, studies have shown that it can have adverse effects on some employees' mental health. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) conducted a comprehensive online survey in the spring of 2021 of 1,000 remote workers' self-reported mental health, and the majority reported negative impacts on their mental health. In fact, Since transitioning to a remote model; isolation and loneliness, in particular, were noted by nearly two-thirds of respondents.
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With spring comes cleaning, and with cleaning comes a fresh opportunity to take on tired interiors and welcome the light and liveliness that summer ushers forth.
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Heat-related illnesses are serious business. When left untreated, the symptoms of heat exhaustion can turn into heatstroke, which is life-threatening. During the prime summer months, this can be a big problem and one that can creep up on you, since the signs and symptoms of heatstroke can often look like something else. With normal summer temperatures slowly increasing around the globe, it's even more important to understand how heatstroke occurs and how you can prevent it.
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Not many of us will be sad to have 2020 behind us, and the good news is: It won't take much to make this year better than the last! The bad news? Many of us have abandoned our exercise routines, social engagements, and healthy habits just to cope with living through a global pandemic. As we launch into a new, and hopefully better year, here are 10 things you can do to get back on track.
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It's safe to say that, at this point, everyone around the globe is tired of the pandemic. So much so that there's now an official name for it: pandemic fatigue. Unfortunately, the end of this difficult episode unknown, which means we're going to have to live with the constraints of pandemic life and all of its negative impacts for much longer than we would like.
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Taking care of elderly parents? Here's how to keep them safe and stay sane. Having the opportunity to spend time with and give back to your elderly parents can be an unexpected gift. But as rewarding as it is, it can also be exhausting, frustrating, and dispiriting at times. Here are some ways to stay sane and enjoy time with your loved ones while you still have them.
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These days, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when many work and school remotely, much of our lives is spent online. And social media is not just for young people anymore, different platforms have become the norm for all ages. Sure, it has its perks, such as catching up with people whom you might not otherwise get to visit with, but it can also be harmful if not used properly. Here are some things you can do to protect yourself online, plus a few tips specifically for teens.
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What does it mean to age in a healthful way? Although it's different for each person, healthy aging is about maintaining a high quality of life at every stage, and cultivating habits that allow you to continue to enjoy your life and do the things you love to do. And while aging is inevitable, aging well is a choice.
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Summer is the time when the outdoors beckon. Research shows that spending time in nature can positively impact mental health, stress levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and many other conditions. But not all of us live close to the great outdoors, and some of us wouldn't call ourselves "outdoorsy," even if we do. Don't fret. You can still get the benefits of being outdoors, even if you live in a city or don't enjoy hiking.
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We all want to feed ourselves and our families fresh, healthy food, and summertime is when produce is the freshest. Summer farmer's markets are starting soon, and the produce on the shelves calls out for lighter summer meals. But when it comes to fruits and vegetables, not all choices are created equal. Many types of produce are grown with pesticides that can be harmful to humans, and some are more resistant. Here's how to make sure you're eating the healthiest produce around, no matter what your budget.
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A great doctor can make all the difference in your quality of life, and can even have serious consequences for your health. If you're between doctors or in the process of finding someone new (maybe you moved to a new town, or your previous doctor retired) it can be tough. Here's how to begin your search for a top-notch medical professional that you can trust.
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Stress is the body's natural response to a wide variety of pressures and demands. These can include normal, everyday stressors like workplace drama, relationship or money issues as well as major life events, like a death in the family, the loss of a job, or the diagnosis of a major illness. Sometimes, stress can be healthy and positive it helps us rise to an important challenge; other times, too much stress can wear us down, and cause physical and mental health problems, like poor sleep, depression, anxiety, chronic illness, or weight loss/gain.
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With Valentine's Day on the horizon, February is often known as the month on love. And when it comes to the high school years, that's when these feelings tend to bloom. Do you have teenagers who are starting to date? What are some steps you can take to educate them on dating safely? What kinds of rules should you set as a parent? These are common questions that parents have as their kids start to evolve into adults. Here are some things to consider...
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2017 was the year of bulletproof coffee, health tracking apps and devices, probiotics, mindfulness, golden lattes, Korean beauty products, and fancy sauerkraut. So what wild, innovative, strange, and fun things will we be doing, buying and consuming to stay fit, strong, and healthy in 2018? Here are just a few health, food, and fitness trends to watch for in the new year:
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A brand new year is on its way and, with it, a chance to make a fresh start. Let your smartphone be your guide as you tackle everything from weight loss to meditation to straight up happiness. Here are the top 10 apps that just may help coax you towards your best year ever.
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Sleep is one of the most important aspects of healthy living. The New York Times recently proclaimed that "sleep is the new status symbol," and recent studies have blamed a lack of sleep for everything from poor academic performance to weight gain to relationship problems. So how much sleep do you really need? Probably more than you're getting. The CDC recommends a minimum of 7 hours, even for adults. Children and teens need even more, so if you're a parent, be sure to help your child get to bed at a reasonable hour each night.
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Domestic violence affects men, women, families and communities, and its impacts are far-reaching. According to the National Coalition on Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime. In the U.S. alone, victims seeking help place more than 20,000 phone calls to domestic violence hotlines each day. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, offering a good time to bring this serious issue to light.
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The abuse of prescription and non-prescription opioids is a national epidemic, affecting individuals and families of all races, ages, and classes. According to the Center for Disease Control, overdose deaths related to prescription painkillers have quadrupled since 1999. Every single day, approximately 90 Americans die of overdose, making opioid abuse the number one cause of death by injury in the US. Opioids include prescription painkillers, like Vicodin and Hydrocodone, synthetic opioids, like Oxycodone, and the street drug heroin. Some of these drugs may initially be prescribed by a doctor for legitimate pain. But even under the care of a medical professional, opioid use can lead to dependence and addiction, causing the user to seek more drugs by any means necessary, despite negative consequences.
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Written about frequently in medical journals, Alzheimer's disease is one that's been widely studied, but is still an anomaly to many scientists. Since, June is Alzheimer's Awareness Month, it's a good time to look at what we do know, along with things one can do to prevent it.

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Let's face it, many of us get motivated to exercise because we want to regulate or lose weight. It's looked at like a chore, rather than a pleasure in many cases. However, know that there are many other benefits to regular exercise may up the motivation levels.
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