When stress hits, our bodies respond. The reaction is fast—we adapt without making a conscious decision most of the time. We are hard-wired for survival, so knowing when chronic stress has taken hold of you is critical.

Do you know the symptoms and what to do when healthy stress turns to burnout and chronic stress?

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

You put on your own oxygen mask before helping others.

We hear that lesson reiterated often by airlines. But in practice—when a parent thinks their child needs help—what is their gut instinct?

Self-care for parents is a challenging issue, and yet parents need self-care to be their best self. Balancing work and home life with a career, socializing, financial issues, a marriage or relationship, and raising kids makes being a parent a difficult juggling act.

How can parents find time for their own wellness amidst the hustle?

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Have you ever been stumped when it came to finding your mother something special for Mother's Day?

Mother's Day is a day when we remember our mothers and their impact on our lives. Each year, a tradition unfolds as we dedicate a day to our mothers. Yet, the flower industry is the one that gets the most attention. If you want to give a different and unique gift this year, try essential oils.

Estimated reading: 3 minutes

Every parent is unique; every child is unique. All parents love their children, and all children love their parents—no matter how imperfectly.

But do we truly take stock as parents of how we are imprinting our children through our daily interactions? Are we deliberately teaching them emotional intelligence skills to be resilient when life knocks them around? Or are we too overwhelmed with our lives and families?

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Are you a people pleaser?

I sure was!

Growing up, I majored in pleasing others. I honestly believed as a child and young adult that if people didn’t need me, they wouldn’t want me. So I worked at being indispensable. My pleaser habit was so deeply rooted that I didn’t know I was giving up myself on a regular basis, in every relationship at home and work. And whoa!—the havoc it wrecked in my marriage!

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

This was not advice. This was instruction. “Take care” was right there on page 5, just after the Table of Contents and Mission Statement.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

In our very active and full lives, it is so easy to get caught up in the daily demands of our work or interests and sacrifice love. With the added challenge of technology addiction, couples can be living more like roommates than lovers. Many struggling couples ask me, "Can you fall out of love?" or tell me that they've fallen out of love.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

No way around it: Being a parent is a tough job. And some parenting days are much tougher than others, so you might find yourself yelling unexpectedly, then regret it. Every parent reaches their limit.Our parenting know-how and emotional maturity are challenged every day. Of course, we also experience immense shared joy and a sense of fulfillment, but our children's needs change continually. Every time you think you've got the job figured out, your child shifts to a new developmental stage, far different from the one before. Learning how to redirect children's behavior is crucial for every [...]

Life before kids is such sweet sorrow; I used to take care of myself and exercise, up with the dawn for a refreshing run along the seashore. When my boy was born, I was up with the dawn running back and forth changing diapers. So ended the days of the refreshing oceanside runs.

Then a few months later when he was six months old, I had an epiphany: he wakes up early, I wake up early, why not sit him in the stroller and restart my sorely missed morning exercise routine? The fresh sea breeze was healthy for the both of us, and ever since I've found that we were both in a better mood after our [...]