To work or not to work: That is the question for many moms. Or is it? The implication of a new University of Michigan study is that, when it comes to the well-being of her children, the kind of job a woman has may be just as important as whether or not she works at all.
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When my dad retired at 55—the age I am now—he had a solid pension plan and the kind of comprehensive healthcare coverage workers today only dream about.
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When “natural” happiness withers under the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, it’s nice to know we can just make some more.
Making happiness may not be as easy as whipping up a batch of double chocolate brownies, but psychologist Dan Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness, says that we humans have the capacity to manufacture happiness, and that “synthetic” happiness is indistinguishable from “natural” happiness.
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When I think about resilience, I think of Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, who held her family together through death, homelessness, unemployment, and hunger. I think of Ishmael Beah, who lost his humanity as a child soldier in Sierra Leone’s civil war but later regained it, wrote a memoir, and now serves as an advocate for the rehabilitation of child soldiers. And I think of my friends Ann and Jim. Within a span of 18 months, they separated and reconciled, she learned she had cancer and underwent treatment, and he lost his job.
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Photo credit: Jeffrey Coolidge/Iconica/Getty Images
Been a little cranky lately? Can’t focus? Not sleeping well? Unable to resist the Double Chocolate Toffee Crunch stashed in the bottom of the freezer?
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Photo credit: ColorBlind Images/Iconica/Getty Images
Not many college students make it to graduation without pulling at least one all-nighter. The fact that burning the midnight oil these days means long hours on the computer poses a growing health risk on campus.
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Illustration credit: Marina Sagona
What do I know about the Web? Does it connect me and my office at home to anything meaningful? Does it weigh a package so that I don’t have to schlep down to the post office for the right postage? Does it ask me how I’m feeling and wish me a good day? Does it explain a sunrise or keep me in touch with my brothers hundreds of miles away? Well, yes and no.
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Illustration credit: Nigel Buchanan
Couples are getting more creative in structuring their lives to support their careers, their families, and their personal needs. Although challenging, it is possible to find fulfillment with a little bit of creativity. And maybe some compromise.
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