Pill Popping

A disturbing headline this morning - More Americans are taking prescription medications. In the article it stated that, “Americans buy much more medicine per person than any other country.” And Medco's data show “ that last year, 51 percent of American children and adults were taking one or more prescription drugs for a chronic condition, up from 50 percent the previous four years and 47 percent in 2001.”

Wow.

I can’t help but wonder, if people had the tools and framework in place to maintain a more balanced life and learned at a young age how to set healthy boundaries around their needs if the number of people taking prescription medicine would drop. My gut tells me yes. I will use this as my inspiration today as I continue to create a program for people to build a path to finding balance in their lives.

Here is to balance being fun and pill free.

Fun

That’s right. I’m having fun. More fun than I’ve had working in years. So much fun that I haven’t had time to blog – though it’s on my mind quite a bit – as I’m spending a lot of my time creating a program for companies to teach employees how to have better work life balance. I justify that it’s ok I haven’t posted in days because I’m still honoring the content and the reason why I left my job. I’d like to post more and I have no doubt that I will as I keep getting in my groove.

The groove is even more than it’s cracked up to be – better than I fantasized it those many days I felt chained to my desk not in control of future. Sure I’ve had some technology challenges and I had near meltdown over managing my time across 3 calendars -other than that – I’m learning where and when I like work – I see patterns emerging and my I swear my skin looks younger.

In the month since I left my corporate gig – there are some days I work more than others – some weekends I work and some I don’t – the work is getting done -it’s fun because it’s about the work not the politics. I’m doing more than “fitting in” softball games, afternoons playing the park and lunch dates with my sweetie – they are becoming part of my groove – that and working out late afternoon and staying in my yoga pants while I response to e-mail with dinner cooking on the stove.

Yup – balance is brining the fun back.

Stressed out Workers

I will let this article speak for its self.

“People under great stress release hormones and nerve chemicals that weaken the immune system, rendering them more susceptible to illness, said Dr. Esther Sternberg, who studies the effects of stress at the National Institute of Mental Health. Stress can also slow the body's ability to heal wounds, she said.”

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004372494_stressdiet25.html

I know it was from last week – ironic it has taken me this long to post huh?