Northern Reflections on Health

God’s goodness dispels the darkness

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God's goodness dispels darknessMy article published in the Christian Science Monitor:

In my late 30s, my mother and my mother-in-law, both cherished people in my life, passed away within days of each other. I reeled from grief and felt a darkness overwhelm me. I felt orphaned – bereft of the unconditional love that both these women had expressed toward me.

But I love the Bible, and I knew that it challenges us to look outside the human sense of things and to have faith in God and His role in our lives – that is, to understand God as the source of all good. I’ve also learned that this divine goodness is the truth of our experience, in which happiness and health are our normal condition.Continue Reading

Unimpressed by the press

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unimpressed by the mediaThe 24-hour news cycle makes it tough to get away from the multi-media frenzy that feeds non-stop it seems, on political pundits’ opinions or the latest global health hazard. And confusion can abound now between what is true and not – adding new lexicon such as “alternative facts”!

Add to that turmoil our current cloudy and cold days; and, mental health experts warn that all this can have significant effects on our mental and physical well-being.

While I’ve read helpful tips from mental health advocates that include taking breaks from the barrage of news to look for good headlines, I’ve found it important to reach out and help others who may feel vulnerable in the midst of this tumult.

Christian reformer Mary Baker Eddy recognized how the media of the day could influence our health. Continue Reading

A better solution to depression than a walk in the park

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Walk in SnowWant a way to combat depression that doesn’t cost a cent?

Step outside!  At least, that’s how some fields of science are describing the healing power of nature, a new discipline known as forest medicine or “green healing.”

Research reveals that some of the most effective strategies for depression and stress require little expenditure other than time, and are as easy to access as a walk in the park. Stimuli such as nature sounds and pine scents – coined as “ecotherapy” – reportedly decrease anxiety and depression, improve self-esteem and social connection. And, for some patients can result in a decrease in medication usage.
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Women’s health: Break free from the grip of depression

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Explore the role our thinking plays in our health.
Explore the role our thinking plays in our health.

Depression, or a bad case of the ‘blues’, is most commonly diagnosed in women. And antidepressant drugs are a growing billion-dollar market in Canada with two-thirds of a variety of such pills consumed by women.

According to a survey by the National Institute of Mental Health, more than one-half of women believe that it’s ‘normal’ to be depressed – that everyone feels the blues (some more severely than others) at one time or another.

Such widespread public opinion might influence us to buy into this thinking about our health.

But, it doesn’t have to.Continue Reading