Personal Improvement

Sometimes it takes a visitor to notice the interesting places in your hometown. University Circle is a good example. How many times have you driven past the Cultural Gardens, Wade Oval and other University Circle highlights, giving little more than a glance at them? They deserve more. Now there's a way to give them their proper due. ...

COVID-19 has forced many of us to spend more time than usual with our significant others — A LOT more time. If your home life isn't all unicorns and rainbows, you've got a lot of company. A doctor has advice for constructive squabbling. ...

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, causing about one in four male deaths. In Ohio, men are 61 percent more likely to die from the disease than women. If you knew that you could prevent it, would you try? The American Heart Association says that 80 percent of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, is preventable. While 82 percent of men say they are trying to stay healthy to care for family members who rely upon them, only 50 percent engage in preventative care. You can improve that percentage this Father's Day. ...

Volunteers have sent more than 100,000 letters, a record 11,000 in April. With nursing homes and similar places under lockdown because of COVID-19 restrictions, isolation and loneliness have increased exponentially. So has participation in the program. ...

A joke making the rounds these days is that the most useless purchase of 2020 was a daily planner. For the past three months, our lives have been in an uncomfortable holding pattern of dashed expectations, deferred dreams and blank calendars. If you or a loved one fell victim to the coronavirus, the stress was multiplied tenfold. There's a restlessness these days that persists as society tiptoes back to "pandemic normal." Even if you've not lost a loved one to the virus, what many of us are experiencing is grief. Our mental health expert explains pandemic grief and how to cope. She reminds us that we have control over our thoughts, if not our world or what's happening (or not) around us. ...

Before the shutdown, we were too busy with work and dined out frequently, but we’ve now found ourselves cooking at home more than ever. It’s helpful that social media has live cooking demos that provide the confidence and inspiration to whip up a delicious meal enjoyed with family. ...

Online order hassles, masks, crack-of-dawn store hours, lousy selections. Wouldn’t it be nice to get food from your back yard instead of a grocery store? Like Victory Gardens during World War II, Pandemic Plots promise to be the go-to hobby this summer. Grab a shovel and get started. ...

It’s been a productive few months, by pandemic standards. Aside from stumbling around with Zoom — the video conferencing app — I’ve tackled several projects: pitching failed hair products jammed under the bathroom sink; trimming hair from my golden retriever’s feet and matching plastic lids with bowls. I also sorted insurance statements and moved winter clothes to a back closet.  ...