Balance and moderation in life is key

Beach meditation

Life can be stressful, even more so around the holidays

A few tips to help you destress:

1. Go for a short walk outside. Just being in nature can help provide a natural calming effect.

2. Call a friend - keeping up connections with those we love helps us keep on track.

3. Do something you love! Make time to read or paint or bake - whatever gives you joy.

4. Unplug! Put down your phone or tablet and really connect with those around you, even if it is in a long line at the store.

Natasha Blount 11/17/24 Natasha Blount 11/17/24

Mental Health is Health

Mental health is health. Depression, anxiety, etc. do not discriminate.

Amy Hott 1/19/24 Amy Hott 1/19/24

Playing Nurse is no Joke

Last week was a rough time in our house.

My husband had his long-awaited rotator cuff surgery, and I went down hard with a pretty relentless cold that turned into a seemingly never-ending sinus infection.

Amy Hott 12/15/23 Amy Hott 12/15/23

Stress: One of the Biggest Challenges of the Holiday Season

The Holiday season can be such a fun, enjoyable time. Filled with laughter, cookies, and lots of great memories.

But it can also be a time filled with stress, anxiety, and sometimes sadness for so many people. Even those of us who usually do not suffer from anxiety can find ourselves stressed and short-fused.

Amy Hott 3/17/23 Amy Hott 3/17/23

A Cabin in the Woods : Finding Your Happy Place

I just spent a long weekend with my husband in a lovely cabin in the woods next to the Shenandoah River.

I could feel my stress slowly slide away as the weekend progressed.

Amy Hott 12/30/22 Amy Hott 12/30/22

New Year, New You: Is that really a thing?

It’s that time of year again – the time of New year’s resolutions.

We are always trying to switch things up and fix that one thing we feel will make us a better person. Maybe it’s getting to the gym more regularly (or at all), losing those last 10 pounds, or being a better friend. It’s not a bad thing to strive to be your better self. But you don’t want to set yourself up for failure either.

Amy Hott 10/27/22 Amy Hott 10/27/22

Persimmon butter

It’s persimmon season and I love persimmon! I am also lucky that several of my husbands coworker’s grow them and are happy to share. This year I got several bags of them so it was time to figure out something to do with them other than snacking on them.

Amy Hott 9/20/22 Amy Hott 9/20/22

Grain Free granola

Who doesn’t like granola? Try this easy homemade recipe

Amy Hott 8/31/22 Amy Hott 8/31/22

Thought about my motivation, now what?

So, you’ve thought about why you want to make the change, what’s next? Next is realistically making a plan that you can stick with – Step 2

Amy Hott 8/15/22 Amy Hott 8/15/22

Why is it so hard to stick with my fitness goals?

Why can’t I stick with my diet/fitness routine/meditation goal/organization plans (insert your current frustration here!)?

We all go through this. Seems like it should be simple right? Just make a plan and stick to it. But we all know it’s not simple. Just look around at all the self-help books and the treadmill in your bedroom currently serving as a clothes rack for examples.