Newsroom

• Building better romantic relationships
• Resolving family and work conflicts
• Improving nonverbal communication

• Recognizing learning disorders in kids
• Helping a child with learning disabilities

You probably have fond memories of when you first met your loved one. Everything seemed new and exciting, and you likely spent hours together just talking or coming up with new, exciting things to try. However, as time goes by, many couples are sidetracked by children, demanding jobs, and other obligations that make it harder to give your romantic relationship the attention it needs.

For love and relationships to thrive, it continually takes work, commitment, and a willingness to adapt and change as a team. You can think of romantic relationships as an investment. The more you put in, the more you get back.

Knowing the basic principles of lasting relationships can help keep a healthy relationship strong, or help repair trust and love in a relationship that’s on the rocks.

Conflict is a normal and necessary part of any healthy relationship, whether it’s a relationship with your romantic partner, another family member, a friend at school, or a colleague at work. However, the way you choose to handle these conflicts can make the difference between harming a relationship or making it stronger.

By learning the skills you need for successful conflict resolution, you can face disagreements at home and work with confidence and keep your relationships healthy and growing.

When you interact with others, much of the messages you send are nonverbal. The gestures you make, the way you sit, your tone of voice, and how much eye contact you make, for example, can tell the other person whether or not you care, if you’re being truthful, and how well you’re listening. Get these nonverbal signals wrong, however, and no matter what you say, you’ll likely generate tension, mistrust, and confusion.

By understanding how to recognize and use body language and other nonverbal communication tools, you’ll be able to better connect with others, express what you really mean, navigate challenging situations, and build stronger relationships at home and work.

Every kid has trouble with homework from time to time, but if your child consistently struggles at school with reading out loud, writing an essay, tackling a math problem, reasoning, or listening, it might indicate a learning disorder.

Kids with learning disorders aren’t lazy or dumb. They simply receive and process information differently, which can lead to trouble with learning new information and skills, and putting them to use. In some cases, these children are misdiagnosed as having ADHD, so if your child is experiencing difficulties at school it’s important to understand the typical signs of the different types of learning disorders.

With the right support and training, children with learning disorders can tackle the obstacles they face in the classroom and thrive in all areas of life.

It’s understandable as a parent of a child diagnosed with a learning disability to worry about the challenges your child is facing at school. While no parent can “cure” the learning disability, you can give your child the social and emotional tools he or she needs to work through challenges.

And by instilling your child with a strong sense of self-worth, confidence, and the determination to keep going even when things are tough, there is no reason why he or she will not be able to thrive at school and beyond.

• Making healthy eating easier
• Understanding binge eating

• Easy exercise tips
• Reducing stress at work

Most of us know what we should be eating to improve our health and slim our waistlines. More fruit, vegetables, and healthy grains. Less sweets, processed foods, and high-convenience, low-nutrition meals. Simple right? So why isn’t it easier to eat healthfully every day?

Healthy eating habits are just that—habits. Many of us have learned unhealthy habits over the years, and it takes time and effort to make the change.

Healthy eating begins with learning how to “eat smart”—it’s not just what you eat, but how you eat. Read on to learn how to transform your eating habits and enjoy more energy and better mental and physical health.

Almost everyone overeats from time to time— taking an extra helping at Thanksgiving dinner, for example, or downing dozens of cookies during a late-night study session. But if overeating is a regular and uncontrollable habit, you may be suffering from binge eating disorder.

Binge eaters use food to cope with stress and other negative emotions, but their compulsive overeating just makes them feel worse.

Binge eating disorder is more common than bulimia and anorexia and affects a significant number of men as well as women. Binge eating disorder is treatable, however, and with the right help and support, you can learn to control your binge eating.

Think exercise is just for the young, the fit, or the weight obsessed? There are many reasons, beyond a toned physique, why you should make exercise a regular part of your life. Sure, exercise improves your health and helps control weight, but it has even greater benefits for your energy, mood, and brainpower. And reaping those benefits may be easier than you think.

You don’t have to be a gym rat or a fitness fanatic to start boosting your energy, well-being, and happiness through exercise. No matter your age, health limitations, or fitness levels, there are many simple—even enjoyable—ways to add more physical activity to your life.

In this difficult economy, many of us are finding it harder than ever to cope with stress in the workplace. Regardless of occupation, seniority, or salary level, we’re spending more and more of our work days feeling frazzled and out of control, instead of alert and relaxed.

While some stress is a normal part of the workplace, excessive stress can interfere with your productivity and reduce your physical and emotional health.

Finding ways to manage workplace stress is not about making huge changes to every aspect of your work life or rethinking career ambitions. Rather, stress management requires focus on the one thing that’s always within your control: you.

• Career success — in a bad economy
• Improving emotional health

• Understanding autism

Our jobs are much more than just the way we make a living. They give us structure, purpose, and meaning. They influence how we see ourselves, as well as the way others see us. They even impact on our health—which is why it’s so important to be involved in work that you find fulfilling. Although it may seem like the business world has its own unique requirements, the same strategies and skills that lead to happiness in your personal life will help you succeed on the job and find a fulfilling career.

Even in this tough economy, there are steps you can take to set yourself up for success, change your work environment for the better, and find a career that you love.

People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their emotions and their behavior. They are able to handle life’s inevitable challenges, build strong relationships, and lead productive, fulfilling lives. When bad things happen, they’re able to bounce back and move on. Unfortunately, too many people take their mental and emotional health for granted – focusing on it only when they develop problems.

But just as it requires effort to build or maintain physical health, so it is with mental and emotional health. The more time and energy you invest in your emotional health, the stronger it will be. The good news is that there are many things you can do to boost your mood, build resilience, and get more enjoyment out of life.

No parent is ever prepared to hear that a child is anything other than happy and healthy, and a diagnosis of autism can be particularly frightening. You may be unsure about how to best help your child or confused by conflicting treatment advice. Or you may have been told that autism is an incurable, lifelong condition, leaving you concerned that nothing you do will make a difference. But the truth is that there are many things you can do to help a child with autism manage symptoms, overcome challenges, and get the most of life.

You can make a difference by learning all you can about autism spectrum disorders and getting your child the right treatment.

• Is it normal kid behavior or ADHD?
• How to break the worry habit

• Recipes for fast, healthy, and delicious meals
• Putting a stop to snoring

When many people think of attention deficit disorder, they picture an out-of-control kid in constant motion, bouncing off the walls and disrupting everyone around. But this is not the only possible picture.
Some children with ADD/ADHD are hyperactive, while others sit quietly—with their attention miles away. Some put too much focus on a task and have trouble shifting it to something else. Others are only mildly inattentive, but overly impulsive.

It’s important to know what ADHD looks like in children—in all its variations—since it can lead to problems at home, school, and beyond. But it’s not always easy to distinguish between attention deficit disorder and normal “kid behavior.” Learning about the common signs and symptoms of ADHD can help you figure out whether your child is just acting his or her age or if there may be a deeper problem.

Worrying can be helpful when it spurs you to take action and solve a problem. But if you’re preoccupied with “what ifs” and worst-case scenarios, worry becomes a problem of its own.

Unrelenting doubts and fears are paralyzing, not motivating or productive. They sap your emotional energy, send your anxiety levels soaring, and interfere with your day-to-day life—all this with no positive payoff! The good news is that chronic worrying is a mental habit you can learn how to break. You can train your brain to stay calm and collected and to look at life from a more positive perspective.

In today's busy world, the prospect of planning and preparing home-cooked meals can seem daunting. It seems so much easier to heat up a microwave dinner, order takeout, eat snacks on the run, or get a quick fix at the drive-through. But the convenience comes with a price—namely, that of your health (not to mention your wallet).

Packaged and processed foods are typically loaded with all kinds of unhealthy ingredients while containing little in the way of the nutrients you need to look and feel your best.The good news is that healthy home cooking doesn’t have to be an arduous task. You don’t have to spend all day slaving away in the kitchen to enjoy delicious, nutritious food. Read on for quick and easy recipes for all of your meals and timesaving tips for the kitchen.

Just about everyone snores occasionally, but if snoring happens frequently it can affect the quantity and quality of your sleep and that of other family members. Poor sleep can lead to daytime fatigue, irritability, and increased health problems. If your snoring keeps your partner awake, it can also create major relationship problems. Thankfully, sleeping in separate bedrooms doesn’t have to be the remedy for your snoring.

There are so many bizarre anti-snoring devices available on the market that finding the right solution can seem like an overwhelming task. Unfortunately, many of these unusual devices simply don’t work. There are, however, plenty of proven techniques that can help you to stop snoring. Not every remedy is right for every person, though, so it may require some patience, some lifestyle changes, and a willingness to experiment with different solutions to finally put a stop to your snoring.

• Learning how to communicate better
• Stop hurting yourself: How to overcome cutting

• Facing your phobias and fears
• Tips for divorced parents

As simple as communication seems, many of us experience difficulties connecting successfully with others. All too often, what we’re really trying to say gets lost in a flood of misread signals and emotional static—a situation that’s frustrating and confusing for everyone involved. The key is to understand the emotions behind the words, rather than focusing solely on exchanging information.

Do you ever hurt yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed? If so, you’re not alone. For many people, self-harm is a way of coping with problems. It may help you express feelings you can’t put into words, distract you from your life, or release emotional pain. Afterwards, you probably feel better—at least for a little while. But then the painful feelings return, and you feel the urge to get relief by hurting yourself again.

Almost everyone has an irrational fear or two. Some get nervous at the thought of needles. Others shriek at the sight of a mouse. Still others get woozy when they look down from tall buildings. For most people, these fears are minor. But for some, these fears are so severe that they cause tremendous anxiety and interfere with normal day-to-day life.

Joint custody arrangements can be exhausting and infuriating—especially after an acrimonious split. It can be exceedingly difficult to get past the history of hurts and built-up resentment you may have with your ex. Making shared decisions, seeing one another at drop-offs, or just speaking to someone you’d rather just forget about can seem like impossible tasks.

• Depression in men
• Social anxiety
• Breaking free of chronic anxiety

• Simple exercises to help you relax
• Helping a child with ADHD

Depression is not a sign of emotional weakness or failing of masculinity. It is a treatable health condition that affects millions of men of all ages and backgrounds, as well as those who care about them—spouses, partners, friends, and family.

Unfortunately, male depression is often overlooked. Men are more likely to deny their feelings, hide them from themselves and others, or try to mask them with other behaviors.

If you, your husband, son, or other male loved one is suffering from depression, the first step to recovery is to understand there’s no reason for any man to feel ashamed. It’s also important to learn about what depression looks like in men—which is often quite different than in women.

Many people get nervous or self-conscious on occasion, like when giving a speech or interviewing for a new job. But social anxiety, or social phobia, is more than just shyness or occasional nerves.

With social anxiety disorder, your fear of embarrassing yourself is intense—so intense, in fact, that you may go to great lengths to avoid situations that would trigger it. But no matter how painfully shy you may be and no matter how bad the butterflies, you can learn to be more comfortable in social situations and reclaim your life.

Do you worry excessively about things that are unlikely to happen, or feel tense and anxious all day long with no real reason? Everyone gets anxious sometimes, but if your worries and fears are so constant that they interfere with your ability to function and relax, you may have generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is mentally and physically exhausting. It drains your mental energy, keeps you from sleeping and unwinding, and wears your body out. But you don’t have to live it. You can break free from the grip of chronic worrying and learn to calm down your anxious mind.

A variety of relaxation techniques can help you achieve the relaxation response, a state of deep rest that counteracts the negative effects of stress. When practiced regularly, these activities lead to a reduction in everyday stress levels, anxiety, and muscle tension and an improvement in mood, energy level, and focus.

Life with a child with ADD/ADHD can be frustrating and overwhelming, but as a parent there is actually a lot you can do. The symptoms of ADD/ADHD can be controlled and reduced. You have the power to help your child meet his or her daily challenges and channel his or her energy into positive arenas—and at the same time bring greater calm and order to your family home.

Children with ADD/ADHD can and do succeed. The earlier and more consistently you address your child’s problems, the more likely their success.

We’ve been getting positive feedback from readers about our emotional skill-building toolkit. They tell us that it’s helping them overcome stress, anxiety, and depression and experience more control in their lives.

Our readers have also given us some good suggestions, which we’ve incorporated. Our hope is that these changes will make it easier for you to use the toolkit and get the most out of it.

Most of us have experienced the delight that comes with playing or snuggling with a furry friend. But did you know that a pet is also good for your mental and physical health?

Studies show that pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression and become overwhelmed by stress. Pets can even protect you from heart disease and other medical problems.

Of course, pet ownership also comes with many responsibilities, and should not be undertaken lightly. To best enjoy a healthy, nurturing relationship with a pet—and experience the many therapeutic benefits a domestic animal can offer—it’s important to choose a pet that’s right for your lifestyle.

Pets enrich our lives and provide us with companionship, emotional support, and unconditional love. Given the intense bond most of us share with our animals, it’s natural to feel devastated by feelings of grief and sadness when a pet dies. You may also feel shocked, confused, angry, or have trouble sleeping or difficulty focusing.

While there is no right or wrong way to grieve, there are healthy ways to cope with the pain. Some people may not understand the depth of feeling you had for your pet, but you should never feel guilty or ashamed about grieving for an animal friend. The key to coping is to accept your feelings and embrace the emotions you feel.

Bullying affects many of us, kids and adults alike, and can leave anyone feeling hurt, angry, frightened, depressed, or overwhelmed. Technology and cyber-bullying has made the problem even more widespread.

While bullying is very common, it isn’t normal behavior and should not be tolerated. By learning about why some kids bully and why others are bullied, you can help yourself or a loved one deal with bullying and cyber-bullying, and develop the resilience and self-confidence to succeed academically and socially.

Maintaining a healthy weight can be tough—and losing weight, even tougher. Many of us have tried and failed to lose weight before.  Fad diets and “quick-fix” plans sound tempting, but ultimately fail. For most of us, traditional diets just don’t work—at least not in the long term.

Thankfully, there are plenty of small but powerful, changes you can make to your diet that can help you shed those unwanted pounds—and keep them off. The key is to create a plan that provides plenty of enjoyable choices, avoid common dieting pitfalls, and learn how to develop a healthier, more satisfying relationship with food.

For years we’ve heard about the benefits of a low-fat diet. We’ve been told that reducing the amount of fat we eat is the key to losing weight, managing cholesterol, and preventing health problems. However, research shows that it’s not just the amount of fat you eat that’s important; it’s the types of fat as well.

Bad fats increase your cholesterol and your risk of certain diseases, while good fats have the opposite effect, protecting your heart and supporting overall health. In fact, good fats—such as omega-3 fats—are absolutely essential not only to your physical health but your emotional well-being as well.

We all have our own reasons for wanting to stay mentally sharp. Perhaps you’re a student preparing for final exams, a working professional with a busy schedule, or a senior looking to preserve and enhance your grey matter as you age. Whatever your reasons, there are a number of steps you can take to improve your memory and mental performance.

Coupled with healthy lifestyle changes, our tips and exercises can help you discover ways of improving your memory, sharpening your mind, and boosting your brain power.

We’ve long been told that there’s little we can do to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, besides waiting for a magic cure. Thankfully, we now know that the truth is far more encouraging.

New research reveals that lifestyle factors play a significant role in protecting your brain as you age. You can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias by eating right, exercising, staying mentally and socially active, and keeping stress in check. You may even be able to prevent the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease entirely and slow down, or even reverse, the deterioration of aging.

Schizophrenia has long been one of the most challenging mental health disorders. When you can’t think clearly and are unable to distinguish between what’s real and unreal, it can be difficult to organize your behavior and relate to other people in a meaningful way.

Now more than ever, though, there is plenty of hope for those suffering with schizophrenia. More and more people are able to take charge of their symptoms, gain greater independence, and successfully lead happy, fulfilling lives. The keys are to:

Busy families cook less and eat out more; fast food is cheap, plentiful, and loaded with fat and calories; kids spend less time running around outside and more time sitting in front of computer and TV screens. The result? An increasing number of kids today are battling weight problems. With that comes the risk of developing serious health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and asthma, as well as the potential for low self-esteem and depression.

More and more remarriages include children from previous relationships. When these families blend to create stepfamilies, a variety of different problems often arise.  The children may resist the changes they face and as parents you may become frustrated that the new family doesn’t function as smoothly as your previous one.

Laying the foundations for a blended family can help alleviate many of these growing pains and ensure your new family lives together successfully:

Helping your kids cope with the stress, sadness, and confusion that accompanies a parental divorce can be difficult for everyone involved. After all, this is a painful and stressful time for you as a parent as well. Such a transitional time can’t be without some measure of unhappiness but with patience, reassurance, and lots of unconditional love, you can successfully navigate this unsettling time—and help your kids emerge from it feeling confident and strong. To make this happen, you’ll need to take care of yourself—and work as peacefully as possible with your ex.

When uncomfortable and painful curative treatment for a terminal illness is no longer effective, you or a loved one may benefit more from having the symptoms treated instead. Hospice and palliative care can improve the quality of remaining life so patients can enjoy time with family and friends and experience a natural, pain-free death.

It can be tough to know what to say or do when someone you care about is grieving. It’s common to feel helpless, awkward, or unsure. You may be afraid of intruding, saying the wrong thing, or making the person feel even worse. Or maybe you feel there’s little you can do to make things better.

After a significant loss, you may experience all kinds of difficult and surprising emotions, such as shock, anger, and guilt.  Sometimes it may feel like the sadness will never let up.

While these feelings can be frightening and overwhelming, they are normal reactions to loss. Accepting them as part of the grieving process and allowing yourself to feel what you feel is necessary for healing.

If you’ve gone through a traumatic experience, you may be struggling with upsetting emotions, frightening memories, or a sense of constant danger that you just can’t kick. Or you may feel numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people.

After a traumatic experience, it’s normal to feel frightened, sad, anxious, and disconnected. Usually, as time passes, the upset fades and you start to enjoy life again. But sometimes the trauma you experienced is so overwhelming that you find that you can’t move on. You feel stuck with painful memories that don’t fade and a constant sense of danger.