Risk factors for bowel cancer

According to Blue H.E.L.P, a nonprofit that works to reduce the stigma around mental health issues in law enforcement, 239 officers died by suicide in 2019 and 173 died by suicide in 2020. A white paper commissioned by the Ruderman Foundation revealed that first responders, including policemen and firefighters, are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. In 2017, there were at least 103 firefighter suicides and 140 police officer suicides. In contrast, 93 firefighters and 129 police officers died in the line of duty. … [Read more...] about What First Responders Teach Us about Cumulative Stress

In sum, in the US happiness is often framed in terms of neoliberal consumer capitalism and efficiency; "feeling good" itself can all too easily become both commodity and goal. I believe this trap is what is often responsible for negative experiences with mindfulness because it can lead to a happiness trap of sorts that can invalidate any meaning in mindfulness practice beyond hedonic pursuit. This is not how mindfulness was intended to be practiced. Ultimately, mindfulness is more about caring for others, perceiving the way things are accurately, and getting better at feeling instead of a goal of individually feeling better. … [Read more...] about The Problem with Mindfulness

Second, put an active recovery protocol into place. Body work, restorative yoga, Tai Chi, long walks in the woods (what people have begun calling, much to my chagrin, “nature-bathing”), Epsom salt baths, saunas, and hot tub soaks are the traditional methods. My personal preference is an infrared sauna. I try to do three sessions a week, forty-five minutes each. In the sauna, I split my time between reading a book and practicing mindfulness. Saunas lower cortisol. When coupled to the stress reduction produced by mindfulness, this one-two punch hyper-accelerates recovery. … [Read more...] about How to Recover from Burnout

The dangers associated with alcohol as a parenting coping tool are more serious than society’s painted pictures. It is nearly impossible to scroll through social media without seeing memes of “mothers little helper” and an image of a wine bottle. Of course, parenting is challenging, and some days, you may feel defeated, exhausted, and emotionally run down; however, turning to alcohol as a consistent coping tool not only is dangerous to your mental and physical health but it can impair your parenting skills and send the wrong idea to your child. Our children grow up watching our every move. They repeat what we say, mirror our actions, and pick up any subtle behaviors, even when we think they are not watching. Children are sponges, so when we reach for that glass of wine to take the edge off, our children see us. We are subconsciously telling our children that we need alcohol to cope, and we must self-medicate to tolerate them.  … [Read more...] about The Dangers of Mommy Needs Wine: Alcohol and Motherhood

One of the consequences of a false self that Jasta discussed during our conversation is emotional suppression, whereby we feel that we have to avoid our negative feelings to present our false self. This can be a pivotal moment for people that leads them away from being authentic. When we feel anger, sadness, loneliness, and emptiness, and feel forced by ourselves or others to hide those emotions, it can be harmful emotionally and physically. For example, one study of 625 participants aged 14-19 years who were seeking emergency room services were evaluated on measures of adverse life events, coping strategies, and suicidal ideation and attempts. The results indicated that adverse life events were more likely to engage in emotional suppression, which in turn increased the risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts. This suggested that emotional suppression in the face of adversity may be harmful, increasing the risk of suicidality. … [Read more...] about A Conversation About The False Self With Jamey Jasta