Over the past year, all of us have been stuck in “survival mode” to one degree or another. This manifests in different ways, ranging from hoarding toilet paper and experiencing stress dreams, or just “getting through” the workday to make it to the end of the week.

Did you know that humans fear public speaking more than death? If they were given the choice, I’m sure they’d pick public speaking over death but the fear persists nonetheless. The root of this fear comes down to anxiety and fear of judgment.

Summer is in full swing. Although the 4th of July is behind us, it’s tough to avoid the allure of lazy summer days spent eating BBQ and hamburgers with all the fixings. Every season comes with its challenges in terms of health and wellness. Summer, however, is in the unique position of providing us with some of the best opportunities to be mindful and healthy.

We have a cultural obsession with productivity. When we look at the statistics, we see that a record 768 million U.S. vacation days went unused in 2018. More than half of Americans don’t take all of their days of paid vacation. There are many layers as to why this is the case, but for most Americans, it boils down to either the burden of travel expenses or worrying about work.

Decades of research have demonstrated the power of optimism. Most of us are wired to be optimists, and that’s a good thing. Optimists are demonstrably more healthy and live longer. They have a lower risk for cardiovascular disease. Their survival and recovery rates are better.

Summer is upon us. With travel back open for the majority of the United States, you might be planning a much-needed beach vacation to ease the stress of the last year. Even if you’re staying put, you need to listen to what I’m talking about today: Suncare.

I don’t know about your city, but here in Memphis, it has been hot. We’re looking at days of upper-80s and low-90s with substantial humidity to make it all feel very, very sticky. Some days in the south it feels like you’re breathing soup when you step outside.

Leaders, if you think times are changing, you’re wrong — they’ve already changed. While COVID-19 changed over working lives in dramatic ways, the trends that emerged were indicative of a direction the world was already heading in. The traditional workday is dead. The truth of the matter is that the 9-to-5 workweek is on its way out.

You trained. You pushed. You crossed the finish line. Running all 26.2 miles of a marathon is a great accomplishment, whether it’s your first run or your hundredth. Now that it’s over, you can relax. Right?

Treadmills have somewhat of a bad reputation. That reputation isn’t new, even though the recent Peloton treadmill recall due to multiple injuries and a child’s death sparked the latest controversy over the machines.

With pandemic restrictions easing across the country, many of us are wondering if we’re about to truly return to “normal.” I think it’s safe to say that society is going to feel the impact of the pandemic for a long, long time. Even if we leave masks and social distancing behind some time in the future, the trauma of living through a global pandemic is sure to make a lasting mark.

With over 100 million Americans on the road to full COVID-19 vaccination, we’re likely to see a more robust return to in-office operations. Many Americans have grown accustomed to the conveniences and challenges of working from home. Our office spaces almost seem stopped in time, relics of the past.

Leadership is a tough gig. No matter who you are, you’re going to encounter tough conversations. It just seems to happen more often in leadership! Challenging conversations can bring out the worst in us. It’s all-to-easy to lose our cool and give in to frustration and anger.

There’s no doubt about it: the pandemic has been a headache for everyone. Both Forbes and The Washington Post report that occurrences of headaches and migraines spiked in 2020. Headache specialists are reporting an increase in the number of cases, as well as intensity and frequency of headaches and migraines among patients.

Throughout the last year, our healthy habits have likely been slipping. Stay-at-home orders left us sitting around inside. Stress had us eating our feelings. Working from home cut down how much we move. If you’re looking to get back into shape with healthy eating habits and exercise, you’re not alone!

None of us enjoy conflict. With that said, it’s inevitable. We will be and often are around people we don’t entirely get along with. Even if you do get along, mistakes and misunderstandings can be a source of conflict, too.

There was once a time when we might have romanticized the idea of working from home. After all, what sounds terrible about missing out on your commute, staying in comfortable clothes all day, and added flexibility to your schedule? The truth is, particularly for those of us still working from home almost a year after the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, working from home has lost its charm.

For many of us, working from home is not ideal. Over the past year, we’ve set up makeshift home offices and settled into a (hopefully) temporary at-home work routine. Unfortunately, our home environment is not always conducive to getting work done efficiently.

Spring is nearly upon us. Here in the South, Spring comes a little early every year. Or rather, spring allergens do. Already, we’re seeing that tell-tale dusting of yellow on our cars! The typical allergy season kicks in at the end of February and early March, first with tree pollen. Grass pollen hits around May and lasts until mid-July, give or take.

Spring is here! It’s you’re anything like me, you’re enjoying watching the trees bud out, the warmer temperatures, and the longer evenings. This is the time of year when we think about new beginnings, refreshing, and resetting. I think the “urge” to start fresh might even be stronger than that of the new year.