Personal Medicine

In my “real life” (when I’m not writing a blog or researching eco-friendly living) I am a clinical social worker in the field of mental health.  I am asked frequently about how my profession affects me personally – is it depressing or difficult to see?  There are certainly days that are very hard, but I almost feel insensitive to say that I rarely feel down at work and I don’t think I ‘take my work home’ more than anyone else that is passionate about what they do.

However, this is not an accident.  When I am struggling to find balance in my life, I draw inspiration from Pat Deegan; a brilliant, brave woman who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager.  Deegan is now a successful, middle-aged woman who has learned to live a full, rich, well life (becoming a PhD in the process) and has written and researched about how to help others with mental health conditions recover.  I think her work, though, has much wider implications and I am particularly enamored with her concept of “Personal Medicine”. 

Personal Medicine* is a term that Pat coined to describe the things that we DO to feel well.  Personal Medicine tells us that wellness is not just about the things we take (medications, supplements, etc) but that wellness has to be something we put into action every day.  I love that the phrase includes the word “medicine”, because in the Western world, we revere medicine and if it is prescribed, we take it diligently and regularly.  What if we could be that faithful to the things we do that make us happy?  Wouldn’t we all feel better?

Personal Medicine does not have to be a two hour yoga class, though that’s wonderful.  Personal Medicine can be as small as reading for a few minutes during your lunch break (one of my favorites) or being fully present with a loved one even if it’s just for a few moments.  The point is that Personal Medicine must be something that we can do consistently, that makes us feel good and that we stick to as doggedly as if it was a prescription because, honestly, it should be.

I would definitely not be able to be effective at work, or anywhere else in my life, if I did not practice Personal Medicine.  I play with my dog, find something to laugh about, read when I can, go for walks, do yoga, watch Sex in the City reruns, listen to dorky podcasts, light candles that smell good, attempt DIY projects around my house, etc, etc.  I did all of these things before conceptualizing them as Personal Medicine, but that framework helps me to be more insistent that they are priorities in my life.

If you can, take a step back this holiday season and prescribe yourself some time to do something you love.  Why not do it now?  Go on – after all, it’s medicine. 

If you want to read more at Pat Deegan or Personal Medicine, take a look at the links below.
http://www.patdeegan.com/pat-deegan
http://www.patdeegan.com/commonground/tour/personal-medicine

*Personal Medicine should not be confused with “personalized medicine”, which is an area of medical science that pursues treatments for illness based on genetic codes and has gotten a lot of media attention recently.

Eco Bargain Hunting: Well-thee goes to Marshall's

It has always been a little baffling to me that the terms “green” or “eco-friendly” seem to be associated with “expensive”.  While there are certainly high end eco-companies out there, buying green does not need to break the bank and, in fact, when done right should save you money.  To help make this point, I took a field trip this week to Marshall’s to scour the shelves for eco-friendly products with the hopes of inspiring you to do some eco-bargain hunting of your own. I found far more products than I could post here and settled on providing a sampling of what was available. (I also may or may not have taken home some of these things.)

Paraben-free, organic and smells ridiculously good.  Nature’s Gate Shampoo and Conditioner ($4.99/regularly $7. 99).

Only the best for our furry companions.  All-natural cotton/earth friendly dye dog chew ($2.99/regularly $6.99)

There were a number of gems among Marshall’s small selection of non-perishable food items.  Organic Olive Oil selection ($4.99, $5.99 and $12.99 respectively/ regular prices not listed)

Did you know that non-stick coating on pans can be toxic? Eco Ceramica Non-stick pan ($12.99/regularly $24.99)

Beautiful bowls grown from sustainable wood.  Bamboo Bowl ($7.50/regularly $20.99)

Have a garden?  Have a neighbor that has a garden? Eco Kitchen Composter ($14.99/regularly $39.99)

Microfiber dish cloths make excellent cleaning tools and can be washed and washed and washed, making them a perfect example of how being green can save you some green.  Microfiber dish cloths ($4.99 and $3.99/ regularly $8.99 and $12.00)

I nearly cried when I realized my favorite travel coffee mug might be leaching toxins into my morning cup of sanity.  Thank goodness for non-leaching alternatives. Eco One Ceramic travel coffee mug (5.99/regularly $12.99)








The next time you hear someone complain that eco-friendly goods are too expensive, Well-thee encourages you to be an ambassador of bargains and set them straight.  And, in honor of bargains, if you recommend Well-thee to a friend on Facebook and let us know that you've done so, we'll enter you to win a sample kit of our favorite eco-friendly bargain item of all time:   Shaklee Basic H cleaning solution!

Well-thee's 5 Rules for Being Sane about Skincare

I cannot tell you how many Saturday afternoons I have wiled away in the isles of Sephora dreaming of a skincare regimen that would make me look like a poreless, more luminous version of myself.  I have bought countless products with these hopes in mind, and given that the cosmetics industry is a multi-billion dollar per year monster, I know I am not alone. 

In the last few years, I have developed a personal philosophy about skincare that has saved me a tremendous amount of money and time, not to mention preserving the most precious of all my resources: self esteem. 

1.    Skincare should be affordable.  I am not opposed to spending $20 on a good skincare product, it just better last at least several months.  In my mind, high quality means potent and a little should go a long way.  I also think there are a number of great drugstore brands and I don’t for a second believe that a product is necessarily better because it’s more expensive. 

2.    Skincare will never make you look like a different person.  Let’s just all take a second to breathe and make this our mantra. It will save us all a lot of money. 

3.    Skincare should be returnable.  I believe that if someone is selling you skincare that they stand behind, they should offer you a money-back guarantee.  If they don’t, that tells me they don’t have faith in what they are selling or that they are just too cheap to give you a refund if the product doesn’t suit you (or gives you an itchy rash).  I say don’t buy it unless they’ll buy it back. 

4.    Skincare should not contain things that might kill you.  There has been a lot of controversy lately about various ingredients in skin care that could be harmful.  One side says “X ingredient is definitely going to give you cancer!”  The other side says “there’s no causal evidence between X ingredient and cancer.”  These debates are likely to go on forever because the only parties conducting the research, for the most part, are cosmetics manufacturers.  My way of seeing through this mess is to buy products that help me minimize my use of such ingredients.  I use mostly paraben-free products, watch out for sodium lauryl sulfate and avoid deodorant with aluminum in it.  I try not to drive myself crazy about it, but I do try to be thoughtful. 

5.    Skincare is incomplete without SPF.  I’m sorry, but if you are alive and paying attention in 2010 and think you don’t need SPF, you are deluding yourself.  I believe in wearing SPF every single day of the year.  I accomplish this by using products that multi-task and by stepping up my protection if I’m going to be out in the sun intentionally.  Trust me, pale is hot. 

To help you in your quest for sane skincare I have included a list below of my favorite skincare products.  Feel free to add  a comment below if you have found a product worth sharing!

Alba Botanicals Very Emollient Body Lotion, Daily Shade Formula.  SPF 16, beautiful, silky lotion, paraben-free and not a noxious fragrance in sight. (Alba Botanicals)


Enfuselle Hydrating Moisture.  This is the only moisturizer I have ever found that manages to be oil free, non-comodogenic (won’t clog pores) and takes care of my skin when it’s dry and sensitive in the winter. This entire line is also paraben-free. (Enfuselle Skincare by Shaklee)

Elta MD Suncreens.  I love this line of sunscreens because it has offerings for every skin type with very good SPF (both UVB and UVA coverage). I use the UV Clear Spf 46 on my face every day and it has never caused breakouts or sensitivity and is paraben-free. (Elta MD Suncare)

For deodorants, I use Dove brand when it’s going to be really hot out or when I have a special occasion and can't risk being stinky.  They do contain aluminum, but do not contain parabens.  For other days, I use Tom’s of Maine that is free of anything scary and works pretty darn well.
(Dove Deoderant)
(Toms of Maine Deoderant)