The world seems to force our focus on always striving to be better, to achieve more, that if we aren’t perfect we are failures. If we are tired, we are encouraged to take something to help us push on; we are never given a chance to rest, to feel peace, to be still and renew our souls. Renee had discovered that there is great power to be had when we stop and realize that we are doing something of worth, that we are accomplishing good, that we are blessed and a blessing. As she focused for three minutes a day on gratitude, the three minutes carried over to the rest of her day. Her attitude changed, and her viewpoint on life changed. Instead of despair, she began to feel hope.
If I stub my toe, it hurts. If you stub your toe, it hurts. My pain is the same as your pain, right? Actually, no. Pain is, in fact, very different based on gender! During the 188th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Jennifer Kelly, Ph.D. discussed three differences between how men and women experience pain and how that can influence chronic pain. Also included are some great tips for reducing chronic pain!
Sometimes we are confronted with mystery illnesses, changing symptoms, and health challenges that just don’t seem to make sense. They don’t follow normal patterns, and they don’t stick to a known list of symptoms. The vagus nerve connects the brain, the spine, and the gut (as well as all other organs), carrying messages to and fro. More and more researchers are starting to wonder if it is the cause, or at least a partial cause, of these mysterious health challenges.
