In Greek mythology there is a deity named Atlas.  Most people know Atlas as the deity responsible for bearing the entire Earth on his shoulders.  What most people don’t know is that Atlas assumed that fate as a punishment, not a responsibility.  Most artistic renderings of this myth demonstrate that Atlas is not enjoying his task of bearing the entire world on his shoulders.

Sometimes it may feel like we can relate to Atlas.  We may figuratively feel like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders.  We often call this emotion “stress.”

Medical science has demonstrated that emotional stress can have a damaging effect on the body.  Stress can lead to ulcers, high blood pressure, loss of sleep, overeating or even addictions.  The connection between the emotional and the physical is too strong to ignore.

Like Atlas experienced, stress often comes from feeling like the entire world is weighing down on us.  Mortgage payments, deadlines, family issues and a struggling economy can cause us to become wrapped up in issues that we have no solution for. continue reading »

When it comes to our emotions, sometimes health is hard to gauge.  Our emotions are abstract and at times difficult to understand.  Unlike physical health, it’s difficult to tell just how emotionally healthy someone really is.

For my purposes in this column, I will be using two standards to determine emotional health: continue reading »