Lower Back Pain Is a Big Problem for Both Men and Women

When you experience lower back pain, you may have a variety of symptoms. Some people will feel like they have a muscle ache or that the muscle in one area of the back is tender.

But other people may have pain that feels like something is burning beneath their skin. Common in both of these symptoms is that physical movement can make the pain worse.

You’ll find that you start limiting yourself physically. Or, it might cause you pain to stand, so you sit more often, which can actually worsen back pain due to the increased inactivity.

Lower bBack pain is common for both men and women. Between 50 to 70% of both sexes will, at some point in their life, have to deal with back pain. This type of pain isn’t just limited to adults, either.

Kids and teens can also have problems that cause pain in the back. There are certain physical conditions that can be labeled as the underlying cause of back pain if it’s not something like an injured muscle.

For example, in women, endometriosis can cause lower back pain. Men usually experience back pain due to a ligament strain from lifting more than they should or lifting in such a way that their back muscles are unsupported.

Regardless of what causes the pain for women or men, there are consequences when it does happen. When you’re in pain, it can make physical activity worse, so it can lead to missing days or weeks of work, which also means lost wages, causing stress in your life.... 

If you have a job that’s sedentary, just the act of sitting can be too uncomfortable. Studies have shown that between 80 to 90% of people who suffer from back pain end up missing a significant number of work days.

Dealing with lower back pain can lead to depression. One study showed that depression is four times more likely to occur when people struggle with back pain. This is because of the way the pain affects all areas of their lives.

For example, having this type of pain can make sleeping uncomfortable or even cause insomnia. This affects your mood because you’re exhausted from the lack of sleep. You may have issues with cognitive function and feel anxious as well.

When lower back pain is an issue, you can struggle from a lack of mobility. This can keep you housebound and limit the amount of interaction you would normally have with other people.

This lack of interaction leads to isolation, which can cause depression or deepen it. If you’re used to being able to take care of your own needs or those of your family members, being unable to do so can also cause depression.

How a Grateful Attitude Makes You Happy

Research shows that practicing gratitude boosts energy, inspires optimism, and encourages getting out of your comfort zone, and creates more social interactions that combine to create a happier and more satisfying life.

Inspires Positivity

When you stop and reflect on the things that you are grateful for, you stop anger, negativity, and stress in its tracks. When you focus on things that make you happy, you naturally relax your brain and release chemicals that make you feel better. A better mood allows you to perform at your best and make more responsible choices.

Improves Relationships

As you stop and reflect, you highlight moments in your life you never want to take for granted. In turn, increasing your relationships, and you take the time to only focus on them and nothing else.

Leads to A Healthier Life

Reducing and preventing stress leads to a longer and healthier life. Daily high levels of cortisol can lead to many mental and physical health problems that can hinder your ability to do the things that make you happy. Being grateful can act as an instant stress reliever as you highlight the things that bring you value and happiness.

Increases Your Self-Worth

When you think about the things you are most grateful for, It gives you a chance to experience the bigger picture and gain a new perspective about yourself and your abilities. It allows you to highlight your accomplishments to feel a sense of pride, growing your self-esteem and confidence, allowing you to continue growing your skills and try new things to grow.

Improves Ability to Handle Challenges

A grateful attitude gives you the skills and knowledge necessary to deal with or cope with irritation or difficult situations. It allows you to work better with others and be more patient as you understand and focus on the bigger picture. For example, focusing on how grateful you are to have a job you love can make it easier to deal with annoying coworkers.

To practice gratitude, start each morning by reflecting on one simple thing you are thankful for. Simply ask yourself, “What brings me the most happiness?” and reflect on all the reasons why.

Always say “thank you” when others help you, no matter how small. It’s incredible how good it makes you feel, but it also helps them too. When you return the favor and spread kindness, it always ensures that those around you feel valued, increasing your gratitude, releasing those good hormones, and ultimately making you feel happier.

Why Do You Need a Mental Health Routine?

A daily mental health routine is one where you are able to focus on yourself, practice some self-care, and reduce stress while also working on that work-life balance. It might sound like a lot and it is, but if you stick to a routine, it will turn into daily healthy habits you don’t even have to think twice about.

Here are some of the top reasons you should consider creating a mental health routine.


It Helps Keep Your Anxiety Low

If you have an anxiety disorder, your routine is not going to cure it, but it can definitely help with those feelings of anxiety that pop up from your own bad habits. The routine you have each day can either help or hurt you, but often it does both. You might think that jumping on social media first thing in the morning is helping you get it out of the way before work, but this is probably increasing your anxiety and stress.

With a mental health routine, you can create a healthier morning routine that gives your mind a break and lets you wake up slowly without all that social media noise.


Manage Your Daily Stress

In addition to helping with anxiety, having a mental health routine can also reduce your stress. Just think of how much stress you add to your day simply by not getting everything done, not being aware of what you need to do, or having a poor work-life balance. This is even more important if you work from home, but any profession needs some structure.

With your daily routine, it is not just about your morning routine, but the different habits you have throughout the day. From choosing to eat lunch outside instead of in your office to fitting in some exercise, you can add these little habits that are good for your mental health and reduce stress at the same time.


Build Strong, Healthy Habits

With a mental health routine you commit to every day, it includes healthy habits that aren’t just good for your mind, but your body as well. It is not uncommon to add healthy habits that are amazing for your overall wellness. For example, many people have started adding yoga or morning stretching to their wakeup routine. This reduces stress and anxiety, helps you get a healthy start to the day without too much intensity, and also helps improve your physical health as well.

There are many issues that are stressful in life. Your job. Relationships. Money. But the state of your health can also play a role in how much stress you have to face each day, and chronic health problems can easily lead to chronic stress.

It’s a horrible cycle for some diseases, where the stress worsens the disease itself, which then causes more stress. Take diabetes, for instance. Stress is known to be problematic for blood sugar numbers, and just managing the disease itself is stressful.

This isn’t the kind of health issue that you deal with once and it’s over, like chicken pox, for example. This is something you’re burdened with day after day, at all hours. It affects what you eat, how you sleep, what kind of mood you’re in, and more.

The stress toll that diabetes and other diseases take on you can be exhausting. Some other health issues cause chronic stress, too. Cancer is a terrifying disease that can sometimes be terminal.

But even for non-terminal health conditions, such as chronic back or knee pain, the stress of dealing with it can be immense. Chronic pain is something that never lets up. Even with a disease like diabetes, you’ll have times when you’re not thinking about the condition itself.

But chronic pain never gives you a moment’s peace. There are all sorts of health conditions that create different types of stress. Thyroid disease not only can be tiring and limiting, but it also might cause you to lose your hair.

This embarrassing condition can be very stressful for both men and women alike. They not only have to stress about managing the disease itself, but also the side effects it causes.

Whenever you’re plagued with some sort of health condition that creates stress for you, you’ll need to learn how to embrace a positive outlook and manage the stress whenever you need it most with a variety of techniques.

You can use deep breathing, visualization, positive affirmations, coloring, journaling, painting, meditation, yoga or a whole host of other options to help you manage your emotions.

Sometimes, it may not even be your health that’s creating the stress, but the health of someone you love. A spouse, parent or child might have a condition where you’re frightened or being the caregiver, and this requires you to manage your stress during some of the most heartbreaking times in your life. 

Warning Signs That You Are Headed for Burnout

People often say they have “burnout” just to describe any feeling of being stressed, overwhelmed, r overworked. But the term is often used too generally, whereas real burnout is an actual state of complete emotional and mental exhaustion.

If you don’t get help for your burnout, it can lead to a lot of negative consequences in your personal and professional life, and make it much harder to get out of. Here are some warning signs that you might be facing burnout.


It is Getting Harder to Complete Simple Tasks

When you complete the same task several times, you know approximately how long it takes you to complete and how difficult it is. But when you suddenly take 2-3 times longer to finish that same task or you can’t seem to focus long enough to ever get it done, that is definitely a warning sign that something is wrong.

Don’t ignore these moments when it is hard to do even the simplest of things, that you used to breeze right through. It can be a sign that something else is going on.


You Have Severe Mood or Behavioral Changes

There are many reasons to have mood shifts or behavioral changes, like stress and anxiety, but burnout can also be added to this list. You should never ignore changes with your mood, attitude, or behaviors. Maybe you are falling back into unhealthy habits and it is becoming a crutch for dealing with your negative motions, or you are getting irritable and angry at your loved ones at the drop of a hat. Sometimes, when you face burnout, the stress can overpower your logical thinking and it becomes harder to keep your cool.


Increase in Mental Health Problems

When you have burnout or overwhelm, you might notice that your other mental health disorders are also getting worse, like anxiety. Never ignore mental illnesses that seem to be getting worse, whether you are getting them treated or not.


Lack of Energy or Severe Fatigue

Have you noticed that it takes all your energy just to take a shower or get in your car to run simple errands? Among other things, this could also be a warning sign of burnout. If you have ruled out physical reasons for the fatigue or energy loss, it is time to consider your mental health and see if you might leading toward burnout.


No Interest in Social Activities

You might also find that you don’t have much interest in anything you used to enjoy. This can apply to relaxing at night and watching TV, reading, spending time with friends, or creative projects.

Keep in mind this can also be a warning sign for depression, and many people experience both depression and burnout at the same time. 

Popular Herbal Supplements Consumers Demand

Some herbal supplements are bestsellers because consumers have discovered that they work to treat what ails them. One of these is St. John’s Wort. This supplement has long been in demand, thanks to the properties it contains that help relieve the symptoms of depression.
The ingredients can boost a person’s mood, thanks to the hypericin and hyperforin in the supplement. But it can also be used to help treat the symptoms that go along with menopause.

For example, it can be taken to lessen the effects of hot flashes that occur. Ginseng is another supplement that’s in demand, and that’s because it delivers many benefits to the body.

It works to give the immune system a boost. You’re less likely to come down with a common cold when using this supplement. And if you do catch a cold, you’ll likely bounce back faster than you did in the past.

It also works to ease fatigue and to give a boost of energy. It’s an antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress and lowers inflammation in the body. This supplement can also work to benefit those who have diabetes.

It works to boost insulin production and can help stabilize blood sugar levels. In addition to lowering blood sugar levels, it can also work to lower high blood pressure. This is something that can be extremely helpful in a situation where you or someone you love can’t get access to your blood pressure medications...

Knowledge Is Power When It Comes to Your Health

When it comes to your health, you can’t afford to leave anything up to chance. The more you know about what it is that your body needs and how to treat ailments, the better off you are.

Studies have shown that people who are proactive and understand how to help their own health have higher survival rates than those who leave everything up to chance or who trust without knowing what they’re putting into their bodies.

Knowledge is power when it comes to your health. That doesn’t mean that you should ignore or replace traditional care. It means that you need to have the option of knowing what natural tools or resources you can use in the event you have to rely on yourself.

With today’s world, it’s being proven more and more that knowing how to take care of your own health is the right thing to do. If you need help, be your first line of defense. Plus, when you know what to do, it’s empowering.

You’re less likely to panic during a survival situation. In an emergency situation when you need treatment but don’t have access to a doctor or medication, you need to know quick remedies using what you have on hand - or remedies that you can locate yourself...

How the Global Pandemic Has Created a Chronic Stress Crisis

Most people have never lived through a frightening event like the pandemic of 2020. This was one where life as we know it changed, and more than a year later, things still aren’t back to normal.

People lost their jobs, relationships crumbled, they had their health put at risk, or lost loved ones to the virus. Finances were ruined and businesses had to close. It’s no wonder the mental health of men and women has suffered so greatly during this tumultuous time.

For each person, there would be a factor they could pinpoint as to what the biggest stress was regarding the pandemic. Some would say it’s the claustrophobia they feel at being locked down for months on end.

Other would say it’s the lack of human interaction they now have. They no longer get to chat with coworkers in person, their kids don’t have playmates to interact with, and they can’t even visit their grandparents or other loved one when they need it the most.

Financial stress has been a big stressor, even with small government stimulus funds that really didn’t do much to assist the average household. If they were business owners, being forced to close for months could be devastating – and they also had to watch their staff suffer the loss, too.

While many have suffered greatly during the pandemic from stress, others have thrived. The isolation has made them reconsider their priorities. They’ve been forced to engage in down time, pick up stress-relieving hobbies and learn more self-sufficiency.

Though some turned to destructive habits, like drinking, using drugs, or overeating, others used this time to better themselves. They began doing at home workouts to improve their bodies.

They started doing things like puzzles, painting, participating in volunteer duties like dropping off goods to nursing homes or making dog toys for shelter pets. The global pandemic has caused a lot of suffering.

That can’t be denied. It hasn’t ended, either. There are still businesses shut down. Still regulations on social gathering. But you have the ability to determine how you handle the stress of this situation.

You can either face it head on with active solutions or allow it to steamroll you and usher in a wealth of problems that will only worsen what you’re going through. Use this time to help yourself and your loved ones better manage the stress life throws at you. 

The Art of Enjoying Life

For most people, life is about finding and maintaining happiness. This can include many different things, depending on who you ask. For many, this can be a difficult thing to figure out and prevents them from truly enjoying their life. To learn the art of enjoying life, you must do things to discover it yourself because you can't feel joy if you don't know what makes you joyful.

Define Your Happiness

While happiness does have a concrete definition in the Oxford English Dictionary as good luck or fortune in success and prosperity, if you ask different people, their answers will vary. That is because happiness is up to the individual. Only you can create happiness for yourself because you're the only one who knows what makes you truly happy.

Only Say What You Mean

In other words, don't say yes to something if you genuinely don't want to do it. If you continue to live someone else's life to make them happy, you won't enjoy life. However, if you truly benefit from making others happy, then that is a great reason. Just be sure you are honest with yourself. If you don't feel happy and are frustrated while doing anything, don't waste your time by continuing. If you are not happy, what is the point of doing it?

Be Healthy and Active

Give your body the nutrients and physical activity it needs. Poor diet and exercise can lead to many health problems over time, only making your life harder. Adopting a whole foods diet and moving around at least 30 minutes a day is all your need to live a long life. You don't need to be perfect, but a healthy lifestyle is essential to enjoy life thoroughly.

Know Your Likes and Dislikes

If you are struggling with enjoying life, you are likely struggling with identifying yourself and finding your sense of purpose. To combat this, create a list of your likes and dislikes. Think of your achievements and the things you enjoy doing. What activities or questions do your friends and family always ask you about?

As you list your likes and dislikes, take special notice of the ones that interest you the most and further educate yourself on the topic. When you have a sense of purpose and direction in life, you feel fulfilled, satisfied, and happy. When you know what you like, it motivates you to get up each day and do your very best.

Remember to let go of perfection. Life won't be perfect and will always change, which is what makes it so beautiful. Always be willing to learn and try new things and go after what makes you happy to unlock the art of enjoying life.

Find a Creative Outlet to Deal with Anxiety

Having a creative outlet benefits you in a number of ways, both with anxiety and just your general mood and outlook on life. Creative activities often have a calming effect on the body and mind. And don’t worry – you don’t need to be artistic or have a special skill for this to benefit you and help with your anxiety.


Something You Used to Enjoy Doing as a Kid

If you aren’t quite sure how to start, an easy way to transition into finding a creative outlet is thinking about what you enjoyed doing as a kid. Think of it first as a broad generalization, like drawing, painting, playing music, dancing, really anything that used that creative part of your brain. From there, you can then figure out the specifics. Maybe you liked learning new forms of art rather than sticking to one thing, you enjoyed writing poetry or short stories, or loved coloring.

Anything you enjoyed as a kid could be a sign of what you might enjoy as an adult, even if it’s slightly different. Take it to the next level and give it a try right now. You will reduce your stress and your anxiety will suddenly be a lot easier to manage.


Meditate Through Music and Dance

People often think of being creative as having to be artistic and create something like art or crafts, but music and dance can also be part of the creative arts. Music and dance both get you into a type of meditative state. Not one where you are sitting in a quiet room with your eyes closed, but where all your thoughts float away into the melody. From listening to music during your daily self-care routine to dancing it out in your living room, it is definitely worth exploring if you have anxiety.


Learn Something New

This is also a great time to learn something new, whether it is a form of art you have always been curious about, or taking a photography class to brush up on your skills. Make a list of the different creative activities you have been curious about. Maybe you have a fancy camera but you don’t know about all the settings, or you have always wanted to try making pottery or ceramics. There are classes online and in person for just about anything, so let your imagination run wild.


Being Creative Doesn’t Require Being Artistic

Don’t shy away from finding a creative outlet just because you aren’t artistic. First of all, art is subjective, so what you personally love might not be what someone else loves and vice versa. And most people who create things that other deem appealing practiced a lot at it. But when it comes to anxiety, you aren’t trying to be perfect. You are simply finding a hobby or activity that uses a different part of your brain, helps distract you, and gives you something to do just for you.