Jennifer S White

I used to feel selfish for unrolling my yoga mat and doing 20 minutes of core work, with the children playing around me. Sometimes, I still do. Mostly, I know I'm a better mother for taking care of myself -- my own needs, my own body, my own mind.

Purestock via Getty Images

There are family obligations at the holidays, but not every obligation need be met, especially if they cause sadness, resentment, or regret. Whether or not you have someone in your life struggling with mental illness, you're only as helpful as you are healthy yourself.

Creatas Images via Getty Images

Cancer thrives on despair, not gratitude, which is why I want to throw my gratitude in its evil face. Cancer is a murky river that can suck you down, drown you. Is there room for gratitude in this kind of relentless darkness? I think there is.

Maridav via Getty Images

I have compiled a list of six simple things you can do to make the holidays easier on yourself, or a loved one who is dealing with overstimulation.

Mark Hunt via Getty Images

It's a big part of who I am and I take pride in it, so feeling free to mention it at work makes me more comfortable and, ultimately, a better employee.

Tom Merton via Getty Images

Love is about connection, and a strong connection requires three things: emotional honesty, a lack of judgment and an open heart. Here are six ways you can put love back into your holidays.

Voyagerix via Getty Images

So what on earth does it mean to "eat healthy?" There are many different camps that have opposing viewpoints as to what constitutes "healthy eating." Some people have jumped on the "I eat only organic" bandwagon, whereas others are fixated on the concept of "clean eating," and still others promote the "low carb" diet with an almost religious zeal.

Doug Menuez via Getty Images

My sister is a heroin addict and I'm mad. I'm mad that this is a disease that never goes away. I'm mad that we have already made funeral arrangements just incase. I'm mad at the possibility of my nephew growing up without a mother. My sister is a heroin addict and I'm sad.

Matt Uffalussy

My wife and I were not patients at Planned Parenthood while we sought to build our family. But it is the kind of services that Planned Parenthood provides -- and legislation that Planned Parenthood helps lobby for  -- that allowed us to have our child safely and healthy.

nito100 via Getty Images

In 2015, the lifespan of a person living with HIV is approximately the same as someone not living with HIV, an impossibility in the early days of the epidemic. But we should also resolve to be part of the generation that stops this virus in all populations. The time to act is now.

Getty

You keep trying because you don't wish to be dying of cancer. You live with it and you live despite it. Your fight for the soul that must stay not die, bit by bit, inside the body that betrayed you so cruelly. You live as if you are, alive wholly and completely until the day that you truly die.

olgna via Getty Images

Now that you've got the facts and options for sprucing up your boring breakfast routine, there is no excuse to skip the most important meal of the day!

Carlos Sanchez Pereyra via Getty Images

Cocoa is very rich in antioxidants -- flavonoids and flavonols in particular. Our skin suffers ultraviolet damage from exposure to the elements, leading to photo aging, and antioxidants can potentially mitigate those effects.

Jupiterimages via Getty Images

In addition to being on the lookout for the salt shaker icons (if you live in NYC), here are six things we can all do to reduce or salt consumption.

iconics/a.collectionRF via Getty Images

He must have felt alone his final days in that dark room. I don't think anyone close to him truly knew what he was going through. They were too busy trying to hide the truth.

Annabelle Breakey via Getty Images

After the initial adjustment of the first week, I was no longer walking to the vending machine or my corner store for my 3pm must-have-sweets-now break. It was honestly awesome to not feel that need.

Tom Young via Getty Images

With the holidays coming up, it's important to know what actions will help and harm you in maintaining your sobriety. Whether you've recently stopped drinking or have been sober for many years, these five tips are crucial to surviving the holidays sober.