Negative attitudes towards ageing and death could spoil the full enjoyment of your later years. It’s time to confront the taboos and look for the positives… wrinkles and all!

In our culture, youth – having perfect, wrinkle-free skin, being cool, and fashionable – is celebrated. Absorbing these cultural messages can lead us to feel worried, stressed, or sad about ageing. As soon as we see the first blemish, we may start trying to fix it. We may colour our hair, or do whatever we can to hide the signs for as long as possible. Yet, no matter what we do, deep down we all know that growing older is inevitable.

Negative attitudes towards age are common in Western societies. The World Values Survey, analysed by the World Health Organisation, looked at attitudes towards the elderly in all age groups, and found that the lowest levels of respect were reported in high income countries.

We may have subconscious negative beliefs about ageing that are not only hurtful to others, but can impact our own wellbeing, too. Research published in The Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences found that people with a negative view towards ageing report lower levels of life satisfaction. They are also more likely to be hospitalised or to die young.

What can we learn from cultures that do value the elderly? Ancient civilisations, like the pagans, worshipped a triple goddess. They recognised three different life stages of women – the maiden, the mother and the crone. The crone was the last stage, after menopause. The crone represents wisdom and counsel, valuable skills that are of huge benefit to the young.

According to therapist Dr Linda E Savage, author of Reclaiming Goddess Sexuality, the crone years are a time of “giving back to society the cumulative wisdom of the years. Many women have an urge to speak out, to organise others. It is often crone energy that leads to changes being made in society. As the crone woman moves further into her life path, she feels the urge to teach others and to cultivate her passions. It can be the most productive time in women’s lives.”

Another more positive impression of the elderly is found in Native American cultures. Older generations are respected, and known as the ‘wisdom keepers’. It is typical for elders to receive people’s full attention when they speak. Wrinkles and stretch marks are seen as signs of wisdom, rather than flaws.

As people get older, they may experience a slowing down, a reassessment of values and ways of living. However, this doesn’t mean that they lose their usefulness as human beings. Far from it. With more time to focus on what matters, people can hone their purpose, and spend time doing what brings them joy.

In the book Our Wisdom Years: Growing Older with Joy, Fulfilment, Resilience and No Regrets, psychologist Charles Garfield tells how a hip injury forced him to slow down and reassess his values. After a lifetime of achievement and constant busy-ness, his injury allowed him more time for reflection. Garfield considers the later years of life to be ones in which the elderly can listen to their calling – something they’ve always wanted to do, but

Moist Double Chocolate Fudge Zucchini Bread Recipe

Double the chocolate means double the YES! This double chocolate fudge zucchini bread recipe is so rich and moist! You’re going to love it!

Last year I made double chocolate zucchini muffins which totally became a crowd favorite, and for that I am grateful, but we also received so many questions about making it into bread, I decided to throw this recipe out there as well.

And I totally get it! Sometimes a gorgeous loaf is more appropriate for an occasion than muffins. So it’s good to have a recipe for both options!

Ingredients for Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe

Here is a list of the ingredients you will need to make double chocolate zucchini bread:

• Flour – just good ol’ all purpose will do here
• Dutch Process Cocoa Powder – the first half of the double chocolate
• Baking Soda – helps with leavening
• Baking Powder – helps with leavening making it fluffy
• Salt – needs to be in all baked goods to enhance the sweetness
• Vegetable Oil – makes the bread so moist
• Sour Cream – hello moist bread!
• Eggs – provide structure to the bread and work with the flour to give the bread its height
• Vanilla Extract – flavor
• Sugar – all the sweetness
• Zucchini – the key to keep this bread moist
• Mini Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips – the second half of the double chocolate and they make the loaf look so pretty

The measurements for each ingredient is listed in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Being at one with the world around us, and harnessing the power of the outdoors, has countless wellbeing benefits. So, why not make the most of this natural resource when supporting your mental health? Here, we’re exploring nature therapy, and exactly what you can expect from it

When you imagine a therapy session, what do you see? A calm office interior, or a quiet consulting room? While this may indeed be the typical set up for counselling, many therapists are now offering alternative environments to support their clients. And stepping outside of these traditional expectations, enables professionals to bring the human/nature connection into the present.

Nature therapy – also known as walking therapy, wilderness therapy, and eco-therapy – is the practice of being outside surrounded by nature. This can be in any open space, whether that be in a garden, a park, or the countryside, and is usually facilitated by a therapist who will be there to support and help the growth of the client.

Of course, this concept is nothing new, although it is now gaining more popularity. Nature and the natural world is a wonderful resource, which has always been available to us, and it offers us the opportunity for a connection to enable us to gain clarity, create perspective, feel inner calm, and to aid growth and healing.

Trees, plants, animals, birds, the elements, and not forgetting the cycle of the seasons – all of these can be our teachers. They can mirror our feelings, and offer us the opportunity to increase our self-awareness.

Try nature therapy for yourself

Take a moment today to step outside – if you have a garden, you could head there, or to a local park if there’s one nearby. Even if this isn’t possible, simply being outside in the fresh air can be a good starting point. Once outside, close your eyes and take several deep breaths.

Focus on listening to the sounds around you, and feel your body relaxing and responding to your breath.

By removing ourselves from the confines and brick boundaries of a building, and instead transporting ourselves outside into an open space and filling our lungs with fresh air, we can immediately feel the benefit and a sense of wellbeing.

With various activities available such as walking, observing, and meditating, we are able to involve all of our senses, which then helps us to develop our connection to the natural world that surrounds us – of which we are an intricate part of. Often this is something we forget, or indeed we believe our busy lifestyles do not allow for.

The next time you are out, perhaps for a walk or just sitting on a bench, you can make a conscious effort to notice the beauty of nature by listening to a bird sing, or maybe touch the trunk of an ancient tree; both these experiences connect our emotional attachment to that which surrounds us in nature.

This experience of connection may be further explained by studies that have been done using fMRI

The United States will have a new, easier-to-remember, nationwide suicide prevention lifeline from July 16 2022

First launched in December 2004, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has offered support to millions of Americans seeking support and guidance during times of crisis. In 2021, Lifeline received 3.6 million calls, chats, and texts. From Saturday July 16, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will be transitioning from its old 10-digit number (1-800-273-TALK (8255)) to the new three-digit Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 988.

What is changing (and why now?)

The change to Lifeline’s number is part of President Biden’s comprehensive strategy to address the nation’s mental health crisis. Identified as a top priority, since January 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration has invested $432 million (up from $24 million previously) to scale crisis centre capacity and provide specialist services, such as a sub-network for Spanish language speakers. This has helped support the transition to 988 and to ensure that all Americans can access help and support during a mental health crisis.

The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act was signed into law after the passage of bipartisan legislation in 2020. This authorised 988 as the new, shorter number for suicide and mental health crisis. By July 16 2022 at the latest, all telephone and text providers in the US and five major US territories are required to activate 988.

Secretary Becerra commented: “988 is more than a number, it is a message: we’re there for you. Through this and other actions, we are treating mental health as a priority and putting crisis care in reach for more Americans. There is still much work to do. But what matters is that we’re launching. We are looking to every governor and every state in the nation to do their part to make this a long-term success.”

FCC staff first proposed 988 in August 2019 as part of a report to Congress. FCC Chairwoman, Jessica Rosenworcel, said: “All across our country, people are hurting. They need help. The good news is that getting that help just got a lot easier. 988 will be available nationwide for individuals in crisis, and their loved ones, to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline more easily. This cross-government effort has been years in the making and comes at a crucial point to help address the mental health crisis in our country, especially for our young people.”

Those seeking to get through to the Veterans Crisis Line can now dial 988, then press 1.

Following the 3.6 mill

Hi friends! Happy Friday! The weekend is heeeeere and the Pilot and I are off to Miraval. BLESS IT. Cell phone access is limited, but I’ll definitely share sneak peeks and some of the fun (and delicious eats) on IG stories when I get a chance.

What do you have going on this weekend? Liv has a show later this weekend, and we’re meeting up with friends for swimming and dinner. It’s the usual summer fun around here and I’m soaking it up since the kids start school so early here in AZ. We’re headed to Hawaii in a couple of weeks to cap off the summer, and unlike our previous family vacations, I haven’t planned much at all to do while we’re in Oahu (Waikiki area).

(Pic from a milkshake date with these cuties a few days ago)

I’m just excited to be there and I think the kids are pumped to spend every day at the beach. I booked the Paradise Cove luau – so many were sold out – so if you have feedback or tips on that luau (or if you hated it and we should cancel lol), please let me know!

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

We had family visit this past week (the Pilot’s mom, dad, sis, + our niece and nephew) and that was definitely a huge a highlight. We took them to some of our fave Tucson spots, ate the best Mexican food,

and we had everyone over for a cookout and swimming. We had 20 people over and the Pilot smoked a giant brisket, two whole chickens, and we also had cheesy potatoes, chopped salad, ceviche, chips, fresh sourdough, fruit salad, asparagus, salmon, s’mores and dump cake for dessert. It was pretty legendary. 🙂

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