Collective Anxiety: Is anxiety a new normal for our times?

Anxiety. It’s something I feel more often these days, especially as the year winds down. When I look around, I know I’m not alone. There’s a heaviness, a collective sigh.

Nearly 1 in 5 adults report experiencing mental health issues each year – a stat that’s practically asking us to take up group therapy as a new hobby. Since 2000, rates of anxiety and depression have surged by nearly 50%, with younger generations leading the trend as modern stressors push more people toward seeking support. And yet, I try to remind myself that there’s humor and hope woven into the fabric of even the most anxious times. I thought I’d share a few reasons that seem to be stirring this modern-day anxiety cocktail – and maybe offer a laugh or two along the way.

Family Life’s Seasonal Demands
This time of year, it’s like life cranks up the volume on responsibilities. School events, family gatherings, holiday planning – the sheer number of moving parts makes my head spin. I wonder, do other parents also lie awake at night, ticking off to-do lists? Somehow, the calendar keeps shrinking, and the pressure only grows. It’s like life’s holding a stopwatch and saying, “You’re behind!” I’ve learned to laugh at the absurdity of it all. We’re all human, doing the best we can.

Economic Uncertainty and AI’s Rise
Ah, the economy. Just the word can send a jolt of stress through the system. Housing prices skyrocket, inflation wobbles like a tightrope walker, and we’re left asking, “What does the future hold?” Add artificial intelligence to the mix, and suddenly, everything feels even murkier. Will AI take our jobs or save them? The uncertainty can be daunting. But I’ve noticed something: we’re all quietly adapting, asking tough questions, and sharing ideas. And that, I think, is a powerful thing.

The Political Landscape
Political news is… a lot these days. Maybe that’s an understatement. From heated debates to policy changes, the tension is palpable. Sometimes I catch myself shaking my head, wondering how we got here. And yet, I also see people becoming more engaged, determined to make a difference. It’s heartening to know that I’m not the only one caring deeply, even if I feel anxious about the path we’re on.

Global Warming and the Planet’s Future
Climate anxiety is real. It’s hard not to feel the weight of it when I hear about wildfires, hurricanes, melting glaciers. I want a safe, thriving world for the next generation, and the uncertainty is difficult. But I also see incredible people out there making a change. Scientists, activists, everyday folks choosing eco-friendly options. It reminds me that small actions matter, and there’s a bit of hope mixed in with the worry.

Living with Anxiety – And Laughing Anyway
Yes, these are heavy times. And yes, there’s a lot to worry about. But there’s also a strength in knowing that I’m not facing this alone. We’re all anxious about something, and yet here we are – talking, laughing, doing what we can. I’ve found that some days, a little humor goes a long way. A wry laugh with a friend or a quiet moment to appreciate the absurdity of it all reminds me: we’re in this together.

Maybe that’s the real secret. Anxiety may linger, but so does hope. So does community. Distrust may be palpable, but love triumphs. We’re all living through challenging times, but together, we’re braver than we think. Perhaps more than ever, we need to look out for each other, offer a caring word, a helping hand, and remind one another that we’re not alone.

5 Reasons You’re Feeling Overwhelmed (and what you can do about it now)!

Feeling overwhelmed is more than just a personal struggle—it’s something many are grappling with, especially with today’s political and economic rollercoaster. Stress is at an all-time high, and whether it’s inflation, never-ending notifications, or uncertainty about the future, it’s important to remember that it’s okay to feel this way. Here’s why you might be feeling overwhelmed:

Financial Stress: Let’s face it, with rising inflation and economic instability, it feels like the price of everything is soaring while our paychecks barely stretch. Whether it’s keeping up with bills, groceries, or gas, it’s no wonder money worries are a top reason for sleepless nights. It’s okay to be stressed when it seems like your bank account is stuck in the same cycle.
Digital Overload: If you’re like me, you probably feel tethered to your phone or computer, with work emails, news alerts, and social media pinging constantly. The constant barrage of information is mentally draining, and this digital “always-on” culture has made it harder than ever to disconnect. Remember, it’s okay to log off—give your brain a break!
Work Burnout: We’ve all felt like the hamster on the wheel, especially with today’s blurred lines between work and home. Deadlines, excessive workloads, and constant pressure are taking a toll. When it feels like there’s no escape, it’s no wonder burnout is becoming a national crisis.
Family and Life Responsibilities: Juggling kids, relationships, health, and everything in between can feel like running a marathon with no finish line. And with the state of the world, it’s even more difficult to manage. It’s okay to admit you’re overwhelmed and to ask for help—nobody has to carry it all alone.
Uncertainty About the Future: Whether it’s worrying about job security, global events, or just not knowing what’s next, the unpredictability of life can be anxiety-inducing. The world feels more unpredictable than ever, and that uncertainty can weigh heavy. But remember, you’re not alone, and it’s okay to not have all the answers right now.

Why It’s Okay to Feel This Way
With the state of the economy, politics, and the personal pressures we face every day, feeling overwhelmed is almost expected. Acknowledging these feelings is the first step to managing them. Take a breath—it’s okay to not be okay.

Mindfulness and meditation might sound like the magic bullet for stress, but let’s be real—it’s no walk in the park. Building a consistent meditation practice can be tough. You won’t magically float into zen after day one, and sitting still with your thoughts is harder than it seems. But here’s the thing: once you push through the initial mental chaos, it’s totally worth it. Over time, you’ll train your mind to stop spiraling, handle stress better, and find calm in the chaos. It’s like a mental workout—hard at first, but the long-term results are pure gold. Stick with it, and your future self will thank you!

And hey, if you’ve got a secret stress-busting tip or method, I’d love to hear it! Let’s swap ideas—because we’re all in this together.

The Skinny on Collagen Banking: Why You Need to Start Now

5 Ways You Should Be Collagen Banking Right Now (and Why It’s Never Too Early or Too Late)

You’ve probably heard the buzz around collagen banking, but what does it mean?

Simply put, collagen banking is the idea of boosting your body’s collagen reserves early on to maintain youthful skin, joints, and overall health for longer. Collagen is a structural protein that gives your skin elasticity, strengthens bones, and keeps your joints flexible. However, we naturally lose collagen as we age, with factors like UV exposure, pollution, and even stress speeding up that decline.

The good news? You can start “banking” collagen at any age—whether you’re in your 20s, 40s, or beyond! Here’s why you should start now, turbocharged with five effective ways to do it.

Why Do We Lose Collagen?

Starting in our mid-20s, our collagen production drops by about 1% each year. By the time we’re in our 30s and 40s, external factors like sun exposure, poor diet, smoking, and even stress cause collagen breakdown to accelerate. This results in wrinkles, joint stiffness, and less skin elasticity.

5 Ways to Turbocharge Your Collagen Banking

Eat Collagen-Boosting Foods
Foods rich in vitamin C, zinc, and amino acids help your body naturally produce more collagen. Think citrus fruits, bone broth, and leafy greens—these are the gold mines for your collagen savings account!
Use Topical Retinoids
Retinoids stimulate collagen production by speeding up cell turnover and reducing wrinkles. Incorporate a high-quality retinoid or retinol cream into your skincare routine to give your skin a collagen kickstart.
Add Collagen Supplements
Hydrolyzed collagen supplements are proven to boost skin elasticity and hydration while reducing wrinkles. It’s like a fast deposit to your collagen bank, keeping your skin plump from the inside out!
- Disclaimer: While collagen supplements are widely promoted by celebrities and experts alike, it’s important to note that some research still questions their effectiveness. Further studies are needed to fully confirm their long-term benefits.
Prioritize Sun Protection
Sunscreen is your skin’s best friend! UV rays are one of the biggest collagen destroyers, so wearing SPF daily can protect and preserve your collagen levels for the long haul.
Try Collagen-Boosting Treatments
Consider professional treatments like microneedling, laser therapy, or radiofrequency. These methods can help stimulate collagen production under the skin’s surface. They add a hefty deposit to your collagen reserves. Also having an excellent skin care hygiene and DIY treatments help!

It’s Never Too Early—or Too Late

Whether you’re trying to prevent collagen loss in your 20s or reverse its effects later in life, collagen banking is for everyone. Start today, and future you will thank you for it! Even older individuals can benefit from collagen supplements because the skin is remarkably responsive to improvements in collagen levels. As we age, the body produces less collagen, leading to visible signs of aging like wrinkles and sagging skin. However, the skin still has a natural ability to regenerate. The skin’s turnover process continues throughout life. Therefore, older and younger adults can experience noticeable results from collagen supplementation.

Even though some might argue that the jury is out on collagen, I’m a huge fan of keeping my routine simple yet effective. My personal favorite? Morning green smoothies! I whip up a blend of green apples, blueberries, strawberries, and mixed greens, topped off with a dollop of yogurt and a splash of coconut water. Oh, and here’s the kicker: I sneak in a scoop of Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides into my smoothie (and yes, into my coffee too!). I firmly believe that these small actions go a long way—just like my daily goal of 7,000 steps. It may not be marathon training, but it definitely keeps me feeling on top of my game!

Or, if you’ve got a favorite wellness habit of your own, I’d love to hear about it! Your skin, joints, and morning energy will definitely thank you for it! Let’s share and keep the good vibes going!

5 Ways Nature Can Transform Your Mental Health

Why Getting Outside in Nature is the Ultimate Mood Booster

Feeling a bit drained or stuck in a routine? One of the best ways to shake off the stress is to step outside and let nature work its magic! Here’s why spending time outdoors isn’t just good for your body, but also your soul—and why it’ll leave you feeling like a new person (or at least one who smiles more often!):

Fresh Air = Fresh Mind: Ever notice how a deep breath of fresh air makes everything feel just a little bit better? That’s because it clears your mind like nothing else. It’s like hitting a mental “refresh” button—no Wi-Fi needed!
Nature’s Vitamin D Party: Sunshine does wonders for your mood. It’s like nature’s free happy pill! Spend some time in the sun, and you’ll be glowing (figuratively and literally) from all that vitamin D goodness.
Goodbye, Stress—Hello, Trees! Just being around trees, flowers, or even a patch of grass can lower your stress levels. The best part? You don’t have to do much—just sit back, enjoy the view, and let the greenery do its calming thing.
Adventure is Everywhere: Whether you’re hiking a mountain or just wandering through a park, nature is full of surprises. Maybe you’ll spot a cool bird, stumble upon a hidden trail, or—who knows—finally discover how to relax without your phone!
It’s Free Therapy! Let’s face it: Nature listens. Got something on your mind? Tell it to the trees! They won’t interrupt, judge, or charge you by the hour. Sometimes, all you need is a good walk and some quiet time to get a fresh perspective.

So, next time life feels a bit overwhelming, skip the couch and head outside. Nature is waiting to boost your mood, brighten your day, and remind you that the best things in life really are free!

Review on Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis

Sometime early this year, I decided to start a completely new exercise routine that I had been hearing raving reviews for; Tracy Anderson Method.

It all started with an innocent if at all a bit vain google search that read like “Body Metamorphosis”. As you can expect Tracy Anderson’s Metamorphosis popped up in the top 3 search results.

Tracy Anderson’s method is broken down in 4 DVD’s (1 dance video and 3 Muscular structure workouts). You even get to choose the Method based on your body type: omnicentric, abcentric, hipcentric or glutecentric. I decided to choose Omnicentric because I honestly could not figure out which body type I am… *gulp* 😦

I started the routine like I start almost everything; full gusto…The DVD’s come with a small pamphlet of food plan with menu items that would fill your appetite if you were a bird …a sparrow to be precise! It also comes with a pamphlet to track your progress (which I actually loved).

Tracy wants you to do 30 minutes of her dance routine followed by 30 minutes of the Transform DVD. Each Transform DVD has 3 unique workouts and is supposed to be completed in 30 days after which you move on to the next DVD and so forth. Here is my honest unequivocal review of her method.

Pros:

1) Dance Cardio: I really enjoyed the dance DVD the first few weeks. The first time I tried it I absolutely loved it. I was jumping around like a little girl in my living room and all the movement got my blood pumping and my mood elevated. The choreography is fun although difficult to follow at first, but Tracy does mention that if you cannot follow along you can freestyle it. I always believe that any exercise is better than no exercise and had no issues with free styling a large part of her moves. In the end, I was sweating like a dog and felt really happy almost euphoric.

2) Any exercise is better than no exercise. This is also true for Tracy’s method. Tracy wants you to get a combination of cardio and body transforming muscle conditioning exercises on a daily basis (6 days a week) in order to make the change happen. In that, it is pretty effective. Both the 30-minute dance and 30-minute muscular workouts got me sweating and my muscles exhausted. Her workouts are constantly changing which causes sufficient muscle confusion so you do not plateau and continue seeing results.

3) Muscular Transformation exercises are really good. This is not your typical High-Intensity Jillian Michael workout. These moves are mostly stationary done either standing or on your hands and knees. The focus is on intensity, repetition and muscle confusion. In just 30 days of working out to her routines, I did notice a definite muscle conditioning and my arms and legs felt stronger and looked more toned.

Cons:

1) Dance Routine: Now for the cons. While I loved her dance routine the first 2-3 weeks, I started to tire off within a month of the same dance routine. The idea of using the same routine for an additional 2 months was really wearing on me. I even tried muting her audio and playing my own numbers, but I do enjoy variety. Also by the 3rd week my knees were really starting to buckle and hurt and I needed a break.

2) Muscle definition Transform 2 DVD. Tracy is the queen of creating hard to follow exercises and really does not provide sufficient instructions during the routines. What’s more each week her workouts got not only harder but I feel: quicker and jerkier. What I mean is that she does not give you enough time to move from one sequence to the next, and I almost always ended up jerking my neck and back. I really did not enjoy her Transform DVD 2 and for a couple more weeks went back to her Transform 1.

3) Diet Plan: I cannot speak enough on how dangerous, amateur and irresponsible her meal plan is. The fact that I tried to follow it for a couple weeks is something I am really not proud of. To start with I was not doing her workout to lose weight but to tone up. Her meal plan assumes that you are either a sparrow or you are working out to lose tons of weight. The truth is even if you are trying to lose weight, if you are exercising as much as she wants you to, it is essential to give your body wholesome nutrition so it can sustain the new and strenuous exercise routine. Her meal plan clearly lacks detailed research. I felt it was loosely put together without making sure that you get a good combination of proteins, minerals, carbs and fat required to sustain a healthy body. In just 2 weeks of following her meal plan I lost 4 pounds (which I did not need to) but I also lost tons of hair (which I definitely did not want to). I have since thrown away her diet plan and continued eating a balanced diet consisting of plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Overview: Even though I only lasted on Tracy’s method for a Month and a half in all honesty her workout cannot be completely dissed. Her muscle-conditioning routines are good and you do feel the burn in a very short time. I would have continued with Tracy Anderson’s workouts if the moves weren’t too fast, jerky and complicated for me to follow. I am taking a break from her workouts and am instead doing Piloxing by Viveca Jenson which I absolutely love and will soon do a review of. In all honesty if you are able to follow Tracy’s moves you will see results but be prepared to be really patient and expect little instructions during the program.

Reboot

Have you ever experienced random issues with your PC? What do you do when it starts to run slow, frequently hangs up or simply refuses to respond to any amount of angry keyboard knocking? You probably reboot your system. Infact rebooting your machine is the first rule of troubleshooting.

Bizarre as this may sound, the human body is a lot like a PC where multiple functions are being processed at the same time in a well orchestrated manner. However, years of abuse will cause the body to become toxic causing the well calibrated human machinery to finally slow down and shut. Dr. Mark Hyman in his blog http://drhyman.com/blog states, “When our detoxification system is overwhelmed, it gets overloaded. That’s when we start developing symptoms and getting sick”. So the answer is simple; reboot your body like you would a machine, correct?

Now this is where the human body differs substantially from a computer; a simple “restart” button just won’t do the trick. After all, it took us years of misuse and bad habit to get us here. Ridding our body of toxins and disease will require a paradigm shift. It will require a lifestyle change.

Getting out of a rut requires slow yet consistent efforts. Start with making one small change a day; for e.g. pledge to avoid all kinds of sugars for the day, or eat only fruits and vegetables, drink 12 glasses of water, exercise 5 days a week, avoid alcohol and so forth. Whatever the case may be, make the effort to make one small change, and then stick with it. According to an old adage, “Birds of the same feather flock together”. Habits are like birds. One bad habit will attract more of its kind as will a good one.

Here is my pledge. I pledge to eat small meals constituting fruits and salads with healthier snack options. So now over to you; which habit will you be sacrificing or adopting?