Are you reading this on your smartphone? Or is it within reach as your eyes move over the computer screen? It takes nothing more than a quick glance around any populated coffee shop, office, or park to see how media frenzied our world has become. From smartphones that badger us with a steady stream of notifications to robotically checking our email every few minutes and scrolling through hypnotic Instagram feeds, we’re flooded.
The issue? Technology dependence has become the new norm. With various studies suggesting how this dependence is linked to myriad negative outcomes (such as insomnia, reduced empathy, heightened anxiety, and struggling relationships), the call for a “break” has become increasingly popular.
We’ve all sat around with our girlfriends and chatted about the latest and greatest detoxes. From fruit fasting to charcoal elixirs, any bodily ailment seems to have a fix. Many of us, though, need the type of detox that goes beyond fruits and veggies (though we love those too!) to shift our relationship with this hectic digital age and cleanse the soul a bit.
So, what exactly does it mean to embark on a digital detox? Well, it’s essentially an escape. Whether it takes the form of a heart-opening, tech-free weekend at Camp Grounded or simply an easy day at home with your phone hiding in a desk drawer, it’s a chance to refrain from using electronic devices and disconnect from the digital chaos.
A detox offers an opportunity to reduce stress and re-center yourself in the present moment. One study has even taken the benefits a step further to demonstrate how parting from our beloved devices can improve posture in a way that opens our chakras to greater energy, deepen friendships with meaningful conversations, encourage childlike creativity and spontaneity, strengthen short- and long-term memory, and enhance the restfulness of sleep.
Yeah, it’s that good.
The key factor behind many individuals’ decision to detox is their diminished presence. Instead of finding joy in the passing moment, our thoughts race to posting pictures, perfecting status updates, and answering texts and emails the moment we receive them. The question then becomes, “Is this good for us, and how can we reset ourselves?”
Enter the digital detox.
This can be done anywhere, any time, and for any length of time. If you’re looking for a true physical escape, perhaps one of Digital Detox’s getaways is just what you need. But if a less extreme option—one that you can commit to this weekend—is more your style, here are a few tips to help us find the middle ground we’re all searching for.
Disable push notifications. Instead of hopping on each social media platform as soon as you see the banner on your phone (and watching a half hour fly by), create scheduled blocks of time to check each app. Think of this as taking some of the power back by deciding when and where to invest your energy.
Buffer your bedtime. Turn your devices off an hour before hitting the sheets, and refrain from checking for the latest posts until 30 minutes after you wake up. The former rests on the concept of proper sleep hygiene and eliminating the negative effects of blue light. This light has been shown to suppress melatonin levels in the body, contributing to greater feelings of restlessness. Instead, opt for reading, candlelit journaling, or restorative yoga in your aromatherapy-filled abode.
Each morning, remind yourself that you are setting the tone for how the rest of your day goes. In a matter of minutes, your subconscious has decided your mood and started directing your flow. Instead of hopping onto the most tempting app, take some time to decide what you want to feel and how you would like your day to look. Stretch, turn on your happy music, drink a tall glass of water, and jot down a quick gratitude list. See what happens.
Build your tolerance. If disconnecting for an entire day sounds impossible, start with an easy 30 minutes. Establish boundaries and leave your phone out of the mix when it’s simply adding unnecessary distraction. Leave it in another room when you’re eating with loved ones, listening to your partner debrief you on their “you-wouldn’t-believe” type of day, or curling up with Brené Brown’s latest book and your favorite glass of red.
When you’ve mastered 30 minutes, set your next intention to a 45-minute break. Pretty soon you may just find yourself blocking off an entire weekend for your next technology-free retreat.
In a world that expects us to be constantly reaching for our phones, be the one who pulls her hand back to her heart.
Tag: organic
Coffee is delicious, and, if you’re like me, an absolutely necessary part of your daily routine.
The caffeine in coffee that helps you get going in the morning is also a powerful antioxidant that can help protect against certain diseases. Additionally, caffeine constricts blood vessels, so when coffee (either brewed coffee or coffee grounds) is applied topically, it can help your skin appear firmer and brighter.
But coffee is so much more than its caffeine content. Coffee is acidic, which means it’s great for the garden, and the grit of coffee grounds makes a great natural cleaner. Brewed coffee and coffee grounds can be turned into anything from clothing dye to furniture polish (yes, really).
So, before you dump your leftover coffee (or grounds!), try some of these creative ways to recycle whatever’s left after you’ve had your daily fix.
For leftover brewed coffee:
1. Replace water or milk with coffee in overnight oats.
Need a double shot of caffeine to get you going in the morning? Then you’ll love this overnight oats recipe that uses leftover coffee. If you prefer warm oatmeal in the morning, simply replace half the water or milk you normally use with coffee for extra flavor and a little bit of caffeine.
2. Make coffee cubes.
Freeze your leftover brewed coffee in ice cube trays. They make perfect bite-sized treats on hot days, and they’re also great to throw into cold brew because they won’t dilute the coffee like regular ice cubes do.
3. Bye-bye, coffee stains!
Spilled coffee down the front of your favorite button-down? Instead of tossing your shirt, dye it using brewed coffee. Here’s a handy how-to guide for dying textiles using coffee or tea.
4. Cover up those dents and dings.
There’s no need to buy expensive products to treat scratches on wood furniture when you have coffee on hand. For darker woods, coffee can be used as a stain to mask scratches on the wood’s surface. Simply brew a strong cup, and use a cotton ball or Q-tip to dab coffee on the scratch. Let it dry completely before applying another coat so you can make sure the colors match.
5. Unleash your inner artist.
Depending on the blend and brew strength, coffee can actually be a variety of shades, which makes it the perfect medium for watercolor painting. DIY your own masterpiece using this Design Sponge tutorial.
For coffee grounds:
6. Help your garden grow.
Coffee grounds are highly acidic, and they can be used with crushed egg shells to fertilize the soil of plants that like acidic soil, like tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers. Here’s a complete list of plants that love acidic soils and will enjoy your coffee almost as much as you do. An added bonus is that the acidity of coffee grounds can keep some pests out of the garden. Mixed with orange peels, coffee grounds give off a scent that most garden pests hate.
7. Get glowing skin.
There are a ton of skin scrubs that use coffee grounds as a base, but my favorite way to use coffee grounds is as a scrub to temporarily mask pesky pockets of cellulite. The caffeine in grounds energizes your skin and increases blood flow to fill in those little dimples.
8. Destroy medication.
If you can’t find a drug take-back location, you can safely dispose of medications by mixing them in a plastic bag with used coffee grounds and water before tossing the whole bag. Don’t pour the contents of the bag onto the ground or down your sink because those dissolved medications can still leach into the soil and water. Instead, zip, toss, and let the coffee do the work of breaking down the medications.
9. Beat the stink.
If your refrigerator is smelling less than fresh, simply place a bowl of used coffee grounds in the back of the fridge overnight. The coffee grounds are similar to baking soda and will soak up most stinky smells. Simply remove in the morning, and if you have a garbage disposal, toss the grounds in there and grind them up to keep your sink smelling fresh as well.
10. Set the mood with coffee candles.
My husband hates coffee but loves the way it smells (he’s so weird). He can enjoy the scent of a fresh bag of coffee anytime with these DIY coffee ground candles. Not only do they smell delicious, but they look extra fancy too.
Imagine telling someone you have a disease only for them to roll their eyes or tell you that you’re imaging things. Welcome to the life of the hundreds of thousands of American women living with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Officially dubbed myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is one of those diseases that’s long befuddled the medical community. There’s no known cause, and doctors can’t just run a blood test that confirms you have CFS. Even the symptoms—from fatigue that makes day-to-day activities difficult to muscle aches, headaches, and joint pain—are often associated with other diseases, making chronic fatigue that much harder to diagnose.
Even more frustrating if you have ME? The internet is rife with articles that further the myth that CFS is all in a patient’s head rather than a very real and very serious illness.
Currently 1 million Americans have been diagnosed with CFS, and women lead the pack in terms of diagnoses—we’re two to four times more likely to have ME.
So why the debate?
Although the term has only recently made its way into the mainstream, the medical community has been seeing chronic fatigue crop up in patients for decades. In the 1800s and even into the 1900s, it was often written off as a “nervous exhaustion.” Female patients, in particular, were pooh-poohed as the weaker sex and their symptoms considered signs of weakness.
Sexism (and skepticism) about the condition is hardly a thing of the past. It’s only been in recent years that scientists have made serious headway in ME studies, enough to begin to quiet the detractors who call the disease psychosomatic.
That myth that was blown wide open by doctors in Australia in early 2017 when researchers at Griffith University’s National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases found a dysfunctional cell receptor in the immune system they say is to blame for ME. Another win for people with this condition came in March 2017, when researchers at Stanford University published their own study that showed the immune cells of ME sufferers don’t recover as well as those of healthy individuals.
With the National Institutes of Health doubling funding for ME research in 2017, the debate over whether the disease is real seems to be finally rounding the bend into “believe them” territory.
What does ME do?
Of course, if you have ME, there is no question the disease is real.
Sufferers experience a drastic decline in their ability to do activities that were normal before the illness. And when they do try to exert the same sort of energy they exerted pre-ME—taking on tasks as simple as going to the mall—they’re often hit by post-exertional malaise (PEM), a crashing of the body that can keep them housebound for days or even weeks.
The official symptoms to look for, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, include:
- Feeling extremely exhausted for more than 24 hours after physical or mental exercise
- Not feeling refreshed after sleeping or having trouble sleeping
- Having a hard time concentrating or problems with attention and memory
- Feeling dizzy or faint when sitting up or standing (due to a drop in blood pressure)
- Muscle pain or aches
- Pain or aches in joints without swelling or redness
- Headaches of a new type, pattern, or strength
- Tender lymph nodes in the neck or under the arm
- Sore throat that is constant or goes away and comes back often
Why women?
Although men can and do suffer from chronic fatigue, ME diagnoses in women are far more common than they are in men. And women with ME tend to have more severe symptoms than men with the disease. A woman’s risk of having both chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia concurrently is nearly double that of a man. Issues such as widespread pain, muscle spasms, dizziness, sexual dysfunction, Raynaud’s phenomenon, morning stiffness, and drug and metal allergies are all less likely to show up in men with the disease than they are in women.
But like the still-elusive cause for the condition, the reason that it’s more prevalent in women remains a mystery. Unfortunately, gender studies researchers say women are often blamed for bringing the condition on themselves as they’re blamed for being both too high strung and too weak.
What can you do?
Only a medical professional can diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome. Typically fatigue symptoms must have begun at least six months prior to diagnosis, and a patient will have to have at least four other symptoms from the list to get a diagnosis. Because the symptoms also crop up with other diseases, the diagnosis process may take time, as doctors have to rule out other diseases and conditions.
If your physician determines you do have ME, be aware there is no cure, but there are medicines that can be used to alleviate many of the symptoms.
We all want to raise the kid who says please and thank you and picks up the fast food cup some jerk dropped just a foot from the garbage can—aka the kid who is not that cup-dropping jerk.
But how do you raise a gracious child? When the average 11-year-old is walking around with a $600 smartphone in their hands and the word “entitlement” is thrown around like it’s going out of style, instilling gratitude in your kids can feel like climbing a mountain.
But before you throw up your hands, here are a few practical tips to consider.
What’s the big deal, anyway?
It’s pretty obvious that gratitude is a part of being a good human being. Teaching our kids to appreciate the things they have and the people around them—helping them be kind to other humans and the earth—is part of raising good citizens who will give back to the world at large as adults.
But we’re not just doing it for the world. Teaching gratitude benefits our kids themselves, too.
Scientists have found ample evidence that being gracious actually helps make us healthier people, both physically and mentally. Researchers at the University of Manchester in England, for example, found that adults who wrote in a gratitude journal fell asleep faster and stayed asleep longer than those who skipped the practice. Better sleep isn’t all they can get out of the deal. Researchers in Taiwan looked at gratitude in athletes back in 2013 and they found a correlation between athletes’ gratitude and boosted self-esteem.
So how do we get our kids sleeping better, feeling better about themselves, and geared up to grow into the philanthropic nice guys and girls we want to be around?
1. Give/Save/Spend
Whether it’s birthday cash from Grandma or $5 they picked up dog-sitting for the neighbors, kids love having their own money. Teaching them early on that money isn’t just for spending can help them not only learn wise money-management skills but also offer up some lessons in gratitude.
Begin the practice of having them split their money three ways: Some can be spent, some can be saved, and some should be set aside to give to a local charity of their choosing. It doesn’t have to be much (that $5 for dog-sitting won’t go that far anyway!), but even small donations that come from the heart instill a message that goes both ways.
To help keep it going, create a give/save/spend jar for their separate sums, or buy a cool piggy bank with different slots for the money.
2. Talk the talk.
Giving money (and food, clothes, and toys) to charity is a wonderful thing. Lives can be changed by donations. But anyone who spends time volunteering will tell you that physically getting out there and doing something tangible for a charity they support offers something mere donations don’t: A chance to see the fruits of your labor.
Take the kids to the local animal shelter to cuddle some cats who don’t get a lot of love. Tackle a messy roadside with garbage bags and gloves. Swing by the homeless shelter and ask if they need help dicing potatoes or serving soup. Your kids won’t just make a difference; they’ll get to see why giving back matters.
3. Make it a game.
You don’t need to drag kids to the thankful mountain. Bring the mountain to them with games that sneak lessons on gratitude into the fun. Do they love playing Uno? Make whoever throws down a wild card say the name of one person they’re thankful for. Are they fans of hopscotch? Each time they land on an odd number, they have to offer up one place they’re thankful for. You know your kids best, and you can help ensure that their creativity, gratitude, and love of play unite.
4. Practice what you preach.
As their role models, it’s on us not just to remind kids to show appreciation and kindness but to do it ourselves. Think of how many times you said “Mama” until they finally associated the sounds with you: the person. Now consider how many times you will have to say “please” and “thank you” before it sinks in. You’re welcome!
5. Write it down.
It’s not always easy to appreciate the people we live with, especially when they’re hogging the bathroom in the morning or eating the last of the cereal. Creating a family kindness ritual can change that. Ask everyone in your household to write kind notes for Mom and Dad, siblings, kiddos, and even spouses on Post-its and have them stick their notes of gratitude up in surprising places. If your kids are too young to write, you can do it for them. Not only will the act of writing their grateful thoughts down require your child to think about the good in others, but finding a surprising place to post the note (and knowing they might find some for themselves, too) will keep the giving and receiving of gratitude fun.
Until a few years ago, the only time you probably drank sparkling water was if it had some kind of alcohol in it. Now, however, sparkling water is being used for so much more than vodka sodas. People who want a fizzy treat are skipping the soda and reaching for bubbly water. In fact, you’ve probably been offered (or opt for) sparkling water on the regular.
Sparkling water has become so popular that big names in the beverage business are taking note. In October 2017, the Coca-Cola Company announced that it struck a deal to manufacture and distribute Topo Chico, a sparkling water brand that is extremely popular in the Southwest. Coca-Cola paid a whopping $220 million for the rights to sell Topo Chico, sending a clear message that the company knows the demand for sparkling water is on the rise.
Coca-Cola isn’t alone. A Yahoo report from July predicted that sparkling water consumption would rise 20 percent during 2017. So what’s fueling the obsession with sparkling water?
Here are some of the secrets behind those bubbles.
What is sparkling water anyway?
There are a few different options when it comes to carbonated water, which can be confusing. Seltzer water is plain water that is infused with carbon dioxide. Club soda is water with mineral ingredients that is also carbonated with carbon dioxide. Sparkling mineral water contains naturally occurring minerals like salt and sulfur. Gases from those minerals can make the water naturally bubbly or it can be kicked up a notch with added carbon dioxide. Flavored options usually rely on specific natural ingredients that ensure they remain free from calories.
Does sparkling water have health benefits?
Sparkling water, unlike sodas and other carbonated beverages, is flavored with natural ingredients and has no added sugar, so its biggest health benefit is that it will quench your craving for a fizzy drink without any extra calories.
However, there may be additional health benefits to drinking sparkling water. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that drinking sodium-rich carbonated water can reduce the risk of cardiovascular issues in postmenopausal women. Another study from the Journal of the Korean Academy of Nursing found that sparkling water reduced constipation in elderly bedridden patients.
See? The bubbles that are lighting up your life (guilt free) might also be helping your heart and gut.
So which one should you try first?
Over the last few years, as more companies promote themselves using social media, some sparkling water brands have become household names. Here are a few of the top sellers:
- LaCroix: Arguably one the most popular sparkling water brands, LaCroix has tropical-inspired flavors that have no calories and no artificial sweeteners.
- Topo Chico: This Mexican mineral water, which was just acquired by Coca-Cola, has reportedly been consumed for its health benefits dating back to ancient times. Even after Coca-Cola takes over, it will still be bottled at its original source.
- San Pellegrino: One of the original sparkling water giants, San Pellegrino now offers fresh, fruity flavors that you will love.
Now and then most of us want a sip of something other than plain old H2O, and sparkling water is the perfect way to satisfy your craving while staying on track with your health goals.
Your hormone balance is an interconnected web that affects your whole body. Everything from genetics, stress levels, to diet can play a role in your unique hormone balance. Because hormones are interconnected, if one hormone is out of whack, it can affect your whole body in different ways. Feeling sluggish, run down, or somehow off? Find out what you need to know about hormone imbalance.
1. Low Libido
Having a low sex drive should be taken seriously whether you are sexually active or not. And if you are partnered up, it affects both of you. If you have a pretty good idea of your regular sex drive, a lowered libido will be noticeable—and hormone imbalance could be to blame.
The hormones at play are dopamine, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, serotonin, and prolactin. But libido isn’t all about hormones, it’s also a mental process that can be affected by stress.
Focusing on stress relief to increase libido is a healthy place to start. Try our favorite stress-relief techniques and see what a huge difference it can make.
2. Changes in Mood or Depression
Mental health is a complicated and deeply personal issue. If you notice you’re feeling down more often, it could be due to mental stress affecting a multitude of hormones.
To balance things back out, it’s important to focus on self-care. Practicing yoga may be able to reduce the impact of stress. Plus, it’s great exercise that releases endorphins that lift your mood. You can also try incorporating more ginseng in your diet and lowering your sugar intake.
3. Fatigue
Needing a cup of [linkbuilder id=”3696″ text=”coffee in the morning”] may feel pretty standard. But if you’re so fatigued that you are having a hard time getting out of bed or you can’t do as much during the day, something is off. Having an underactive thyroid may be your cause of fatigue. An imbalance in your estrogen and progesterone levels could also be a cause.
Try increasing your intake of Ashwagandha, an adaptogenic herb that has been proven to affect the thyroid and progesterone levels. This can help to level things out without that third cup of coffee.
4. Changes in Hair Health
Having a long, lush, healthy mop of hair isn’t just style goals, it can also be an indicator of hormonal health. Keep in mind your hair grows out from the root, so if you’re seeing dull ends it may just mean that you’re due for a trim. If your hair growth slows, your roots are becoming brittle, or you’re experiencing more hair loss than usual (keep in mind, some hair shedding every day is normal) your hormones may be imbalanced. The major hormones at play are androgens (such as testosterone) or the problem could be related to a thyroid imbalance.
Safely increasing testosterone levels can help with female hair loss. You can boost testosterone with high-intensity workouts. Plus, you get those feel-good endorphins going on! You can also try a daily scalp massage to relax and promote thicker hair.
When You Should See a Doctor
Having hormone imbalance isn’t something to ignore. If you notice a very sudden change (as in overnight) or if making different lifestyle choices does not fix a more gradual issue, it is important to see a doctor. Every one of the above symptoms could be an indicator of a more serious health problem that should be treated with the help of a doctor.
Hormone-related disorders include many different thyroid diseases, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), adrenal disorders, and more.
Getting your hormones back in balance can be the key to feeling (and looking) great. A few simple steps to relieve stress, improve your diet, and build an exercise routine can make a big difference in your hormone balance.
’Tis the season of stress. Stress affects your whole body mentally and physically, and it can even show up on your skin. If you’ve noticed a major glow down (or you routinely have that holiday skin freak-out) you could have stressed skin.
There are many causes of stressed skin. It could be the sudden shift to cold winter temps drying out your skin, lack of sleep, change in diet (with one too many extra office cookies), and, of course, stress itself.
Stressed skin can look different for everyone. We all handle stress differently, and there are so many different factors at play that nobody will have the exact same response. Generally, stressed skin often looks dull, flaky, and dry; it can feel tight; and you could get a sudden acne breakout or even an eczema flare-up. We know: It’s a really cute holiday look.
To sort out your stressed skin, you need to take a two-pronged approach: taking care of your physical and mental health and working on your glow-getting skincare routine.
Alleviating the source of stress is going to do wonders, whether it’s a big work assignment, party-planning stress, or just feeling run down.
This isn’t always in your control, though (or may take some time), so penciling in some self-care is critical. Bunker yourself at home, drink a big glass of water, do some stress-relieving yoga, eat a healthy meal, put on your favorite cozy pajamas, and get a good night’s sleep.
You probably won’t see an overnight difference in your skin, so repeat as necessary.
What may just give you an overnight change in your skin is focusing on a mellow, hydrating skincare routine. Use only gentle skincare, so no harsh acne-fighting cleansers that will dry out skin and no abrasive physical exfoliants. Be kind to your stressed skin! Instead use oils and moisturizers, and maybe use a washcloth to exfoliate if your skin is flaky. Just don’t scrub so hard that you give yourself rug burn.
You can also relax with a face mask night. Try a DIY honey mask; it’s sticky but so worth it. Honey is a humectant (it draws water into the skin) and can be soothing for stressed-out skin. Apply a thin layer of honey over your face, avoiding your eyes and hair, and let it sit on the skin for 10 to 20 minutes. Then rinse off with water to reveal your smooth skin.
For next year (or if you’re here before seeing stressed skin, good on ya!) focus on prevention. Be sure to practice self-care during stressful times. Carving out an hour on the weekend to prepare healthy meals for the week—or doing just 20 minutes of yoga a day—can work wonders.
Focus on eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, chia seeds, or walnuts. Try this yummy salmon salad recipe, and sub the pecans for walnuts to get even more omega-3s out of the deal. Also, keep hydration in mind by drinking lots of water or herbal tea and using hydrating skincare.
Taking care of stressed skin really forces you to take care of your whole being. A panicked mind and a body filled with sugars are a disaster for your skin without a proper skincare routine. Be good to your body and mind and your skin will follow.
Back in 2004, when my doctor told me I should get a new vaccine that protected against human papillomavirus (HPV), I didn’t take it seriously. Let’s just say that I, much like Liz Lemon, was a late bloomer, so I didn’t think I needed the vaccine.
Fast forward to 2017, when I found out I had a persistent strain of HPV and needed to have a colposcopy to examine some suspicious cervical cells.
Even though my doctor reassured me that I most likely did not have cervical cancer, I had a meltdown anyway. I immediately called my husband and told him that if I died, he was not allowed to remarry the hot nanny he’d inevitably hire to help raise our son.
I maybe—okay definitely—overreacted.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease, and almost all sexually active adults will contract HPV at some point in their life.
Most adults with healthy immune systems are able to clear the infection naturally; they may never even know they had HPV in the first place.
For a few lucky individuals like me, though, HPV infection doesn’t go away on its own.
If you’ve been diagnosed with persistent HPV, don’t freak out. By taking a few preventive measures, you can manage your HPV infection and make sure the “C” word never even has a chance to develop.
“The best way to protect your health (and your cervix) is to maintain your routine GYN care,” says Jaime Knopman, MD, co-founder of Truly, MD and director of fertility preservation at CCRM NY. “Don’t become a stranger to your gynecologist! Surveillance, in the form of Pap smears, colposcopy, and biopsies, at regular intervals can detect cervical abnormalities.”
The Dreaded “C” Word: Colposcopy
If you had an abnormal Pap test, your doctor will probably recommend a colposcopy to investigate the cells in question. If you’ve never had a colposcopy before, you’re in for a real treat.
Just kidding.
Because I’ve had persistent HPV for a couple of years, I’ve been lucky enough to have several colposcopies. You can expect discomfort similar to that felt during a Pap test, as the doctor will have to insert a speculum to see the cervix better.
During the exam, your doctor looks through a magnifying lens at your cervix to detect any abnormal cells that may need to be biopsied. Having your gynecologist nose-deep in your lady parts isn’t fun, but colposcopies are critical to early detection of precancerous cervical cells and cancer prevention.
If your doctor sees suspicious cells, they may take a cervical biopsy. It sounds scary, but you probably won’t even notice the biopsy being taken. Sometimes you’ll feel a little pinch (kind of like the pinch you feel when getting a vaccine) as the biopsied cells are removed.
The Other “C” Word
If your biopsy results are positive, don’t freak out. I repeat: Do not freak out. Positive biopsy results after a colposcopy do not mean you have cancer.
“Unlike other cancers, cervical cancer moves slow—very very slow!” Knopman says. “In fact it can take 10 years for a cervical dysplasia to become a cervical cancer.”
Most likely, a positive biopsy will show that you have cervical dysplasia, which, say it with me, is not cancer. Cervical dysplasia just means abnormal cells were found on the cervix; it is categorized in three stages: CIN I, II, or III.
With CIN I, your doctor will usually recommend a watch-and-wait approach with no immediate treatment because dysplasia will often clear up on its own. For CIN II or III, the abnormal cells are considered precancerous but are not cancer (I can’t stress this enough) and will probably require treatment.
Fortunately, treatment for CIN II or III is pretty simple. Most likely you’ll undergo a cryotherapy procedure, where liquid nitrogen is used to blast the cells off the cervix, or a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), in which a small electrical loop of wire is used to remove abnormal cells.
Both are easily done in your OB-GYN’s office, so no need for a hospital visit! You might experience some period-like cramping and spotting, but nothing that a couple of ibuprofen can’t handle.
The moral of this story, Knopman says, is not meant to scare women with persistent HPV. Her advice?
“Keep going and getting checked out! If we can catch things early we can prevent them from being serious.”
When my husband and I decided we were ready to make our family of two a family of three, I was thrilled. I had been waiting my whole life to be a mom. As I gleefully threw away my remaining birth control, I was confident that I would be pregnant in no time. After all, my mom, aunts, and grandmothers never had any trouble in that department.
When I didn’t get pregnant immediately, I got worried instead. As a young woman, I had spent lots of time and energy preventing unwanted pregnancy, which seemed like an ever-present risk. I assumed that once I actually wanted to be pregnant, it would be a cinch.
As the months went by, my stress around trying to conceive (TTC) grew. In addition to tracking my cycles and taking advantage of peak fertility times, I eventually added another practice to my TTC repertoire: meditation. I would sit in my office in a rocker that would be perfect for baby, holding a set of tiny pajamas that I had already purchased. I was trying to let go of the stress of TTC and to focus positive energy on the family I desperately wanted.
I can’t say whether the meditation helped increase my fertility, but it certainly helped calm my mind during those stressful months. In fact, it was so calming that after I did conceive, I continued my practice. It helped me cope with the discomfort of later pregnancy and then the sleep deprivation–related stress of early motherhood.
Whether they are actively trying for a baby, planning for the future, or struggling with infertility, many people wonder whether meditation can increase their chances of fertility.
What We Know About Meditation
Meditation has steadily grown in popularity in the West, and studies show that it can reduce stress. Since stress wreaks havoc on our health, it’s fairly safe to say that meditation has some healthy benefits. This 2004 study from the Journal of Psychosomatic Research found that meditation helped people cope with both clinical and non-clinical issues.
Meditation and Fertility
Unfortunately there hasn’t been much research specifically looking at how stress can affect fertility or how medication may affect a couple’s ability to conceive. However, studies have found that meditation and mindfulness have had a positive impact on couples dealing with the very stressful experience of infertility.
A 2007 study published in Best Practice & Research: Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology showed that measures designed to reduce stress (which meditation does) can have “beneficial effects for infertility patients.” However, authors went on to say that more research needs to be done on stress levels and fertility.
A 2013 study published in the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology concluded that mindfulness-based treatment can be helpful for women experiencing fertility-related distress, although it did not measure whether women who used mindfulness were more likely to get pregnant.
What the Experts Know
Although science has yet to provide proof of meditation increasing women’s chances of fertility, some fertility clinics offer meditation tracks for their clients. There are also companies that sell guided meditations specifically designed to boost fertility and help people cope with the stress of trying to conceive.
Although I can’t say for certain that meditation increased my fertility, I can say without a doubt that it made the process of trying to conceive much more pleasant, and there’s certainly no harm in that!
A few years ago, my New Year’s resolution was to keep a gratitude journal, writing five things that I was thankful for each day. I was excited to see how the practice would change my outlook. After all, studies like this one from the journal Psychiatry show that there is an association between practicing gratitude and having a general sense of wellness. If taking a little extra time to give thanks could help me feel better, I figured it was a great way to start a new year.
The practice started off strong but soon became difficult. I found myself listing the same things over and over again—my husband, my travels, my parents. While that’s fine (after all, we probably all agree that family is among the things we’re most grateful for), I realized that I was jotting down items without really taking the time to appreciate what they meant in my life or think about why I was truly thankful for them.
Actually taking the time to feel gratitude—rather than just writing down things you’re thankful for without really considering why—is instrumental to reaping the benefits of a gratitude practice.
So, what is gratitude?
Gratitude is a big concept that can be hard to define. Because of that, it’s good to start with a basic definition, like this one from the same Psychiatry study:
“Gratitude is the appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful to oneself; it is a general state of thankfulness and/or appreciation.”
The key to having a gratitude practice is to use those feelings of appreciation to change your outlook on the world.
“For most of us, it’s easier and more common to adopt a negative mindset over a positive one,” says Michelle Cederberg, a life coach who is trained in psychology. Being positive takes a lot of work, and gratitude can make it a bit easier.
“We actually have to practice being positive, but it’s dead easy to complain about the weather or politics or your bank account or the state of the economy,” Cederberg says. “It’s important to practice gratitude so you don’t get sucked into the negativity trap with everyone around you.”
Does gratitude have health benefits?
We already mentioned that there’s a scientifically proven correlation between gratitude and a general sense of wellness. Another study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology shows that gratitude can help people with mental health diagnoses heal. Practicing gratitude also helps people feel more valued and socially connected.
“Practicing gratitude is one tool that has been shown in both ancient philosophy and scientific research to support our well-being,” says Ellie Cobb, a holistic psychologist. “Gratitude has been linked with both physical and mental health benefits,” she adds, noting that it can contribute to improved sleep, better relationships, and stronger immune systems.
“Cultivating a gratitude practice can be immensely impactful for our well-being and functioning overall,” she says.
It’s clear that having a gratitude practice is important, so we asked six wellness experts how they incorporate gratitude into their lives. Here’s what they had to say:
1. Have an “awesome jar.”
Cederberg regularly writes down things she’s grateful for in the morning, but she also keeps an “awesome jar” on her desk at work. When something great happens—like nailing a client presentation—she writes it down on a piece of paper and deposits the slip in the jar.
“I get the moment of gratitude when I do that, and I get to look at my jar of accomplishments fill up and remind myself of the fact that good stuff happens in small steps,” she says. “If I’m having a tough day I can reach in the jar and get a reminder of the good stuff.”
2. Walk that way.
Sherrell Moore-Tucker, a yoga teacher and wellness professional, says that walking is her gratitude practice.
“Walking, especially outside, reminds me of my power to physically, emotionally, and spiritually move from one state to another,” she says. “Walking is symbolic of so many things and for me that is powerful.”
Plus, walking is something we often take for granted, but it’s an ability not everyone has. “I am able to do that, and for that I am grateful.”
3. Do more of what makes you happy.
“My gratitude practice is to identify the things in my life that truly make me happy, and then figure out how to incorporate more of that into my life,” says Amira Freidson, founder of Namaste Kid.
“Allow yourself to be surrounded with the things that truly make you happy, whether it’s a quiet cup of coffee every morning, breakfast with a friend, a good book, or anything else.”
4. Turn to social media.
Ralph Esposito, a naturopathic physician and acupuncturist, is posting something he is grateful for on Instagram every day for 100 days. He’s about one-third of the way through the project and has already noticed a difference.
“My mood is significantly improved and I find myself waking up and going to bed in a better mood,” he says. “I am now focusing on the good in life and being grateful for the little things has made me a better physician, as I can sympathize with my patients better.”
Plus, publicly proclaiming his gratitude helps keep him on track with his practice.
“The best way to incorporate gratitude into my life is to keep myself accountable to others through social media,” he says.
5. Change your outlook.
When yoga teacher Stephannie Weikert finds herself getting frustrated, she interrupts that negative pattern with gratitude.
“I say to myself (or sometimes aloud), ‘I’m so grateful for this moment. There’s something important happening within me, and I’m open to learning about myself and how I can grow as a person,’” she explains.
“This simple practice is empowering and allows you to benefit from life’s challenges instead of feeling powerless.”
6. Remind yourself of what you have.
Each morning and every night Melody Pourmoradi, a life coach, takes time to think about things she has that bring her happiness.
“Gratitude puts us in a position of having instead of wanting,” she says. “We often get caught up in this idea of not having enough and not being enough. Operating from a place of gratitude cuts through our lack mentality and reminds us that we live in a world of abundance and possibility, transforming what we once thought was not enough into ample.”
Whether you start getting outside more, writing things down, or just focusing on the positives in your life, start your gratitude practice today!