How Mindfulness Empowers Us to Skillfully Engage in Difficult Conversations

By Cheryl Jones, Director of Mindfulness at Aetna As if the intensity of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic with its health and economic implications wasn’t enough, we now find ourselves in the midst of rising racial and political tensions. It feels as though our sanity and our humanity are at risk. I believe mindfulness (awareness that…

Is Stress Affecting Your Employees? Here’s How to Help

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Work-related stress is the leading workplace health problem. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently included “burnout” in its new edition of the International Classification of Diseases, describing it as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” And the…

Six Health Benefits of Raising Chickens

Raising chickens has almost an infinite number of benefits. These benefits range from simple companionship to self-sufficient food production.   Raising and keeping chickens even has several health benefits that can positively impact those with mental or physical disabilities. In fact, several universities such as the University of Minnesota are utilizing therapy chickens during exam…

5 Steps for Preventing Chronic Disease

How healthy are you? The National Health Council reports that at least 157 million Americans will be afflicted with a chronic disease by the end of this year – a trend due in part to our aging population. However, different lifestyle factors also influence the outcome of this statistic, revealing that all age groups are vulnerable to…

The Challenges for Physical Therapists During the COVID-19 Pandemic

For physical therapists throughout the nation, the spread of COVID-19 is raising questions and challenges that also confront the larger frontline healthcare community.   Should clinics temporarily close or should outpatient physical therapy be halted? What treatments should not be postponed? How can clinics determine the risks for patients and their staff? How can patients…