A couple weeks ago I read this blog post from the Positivity Blog (Henrik
Edberg), I recognized the value of his list. Henrik has over 59,000 (yes
59,000) followers and here’s the reason I look forward to his tips and
strategies: they work. So if you have five minutes, check out Henrik’s
post on 10 ways to decrease your stress this summer. I think you will find at least a couple suggestions
that you can use to make this a great summer for you and your family. http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2015/06/10/least-stressful-summer/
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Sunday, June 21, 2015
4 Ways to Handle Stress
The American Heart Association gives
us great advice on healthy ways to handle stress:
1.
Self-talk which is positive instead
of negative will help us deal with stress.
What do you say to yourself when you are stressed? Have you ever considered whether you are
making yourself feel worse by talking negatively? For example, instead of saying a negative
such as “I hate it when this happens.”
Say something positive to yourself, like, “I’ve dealt with this
before. I can do this today also.“
2.
Emergency practices which decrease
your stress such as: “Count
to 10 before you speak. Take three to
five deep breaths. Walk away from the
stressful situation, and say you’ll handle it later. Go for a walk. Don’t be afraid to say “I’m sorry” if you
made a mistake. Set your watch five to
10 minutes ahead to avoid the stress of being late, Break down big problems
into smaller parts. For example, answer
one letter or phone call per day, instead of dealing with everything at
once. Drive in the slow lane or avoid
busy roads to help you stay calm while driving. Smell a rose, hug a loved one
or smile at your neighbor.”
3.
Find pleasure. Add things to your life that give you
joy. Try to add one activity which gives
you pleasure every day.
4.
Relax. Learn how to meditate, pray, practice yoga
and any other activity that you enjoy which gives you time to quiet your mind
and relax.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Do you wish for a good night's sleep?
Do you find yourself tossing and
turning, frustrated because you are still wide awake? Many people struggle with sleep issues.
Medical experts recognize that lack of sleep contributes to obesity,
diabetes and poor immune system function. http://sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/SleepWakeCycle.pdf
What can a person do to get more
sleep?
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF)
gives 10 tips to promote healthy sleep
1.
Schedule bedtime, even on weekends
to keep your body on a schedule.
2.
Form a bedtime routine which helps
you wind down for sleep. (We personally find watching a favorite TV comedy helps us wind down.)
3.
Nap early in the day, because
afternoon naps may interfere with a good night’s sleep.
4.
Add exercise into your day.
5.
Make your bedroom comfortable. This NSF recommendation includes a cool (60
to 67 degree temperature) quiet environment.
6.
Consider your mattress and
pillows. Are they comfortable? If they
are older than 9-10 years (lifespan of many quality mattresses), you may want
to replace them.
7.
Turn down the lights in the evening
so your body’s circadian rhythms can wind down to sleep.
8.
Skip the alcohol, cigarettes and
heavy meals at night. Allow yourself 3
hours after a meal before bedtime.
9.
Slow down the last hour of the
evening so your body can relax and prepare for sleep.
10.
When you can’t sleep and your mind
is spinning, leave your bedroom and relax until you become sleepy. Sometimes it’s best to write down/type the
thoughts and ideas in your head so you can relax. http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-tools-tips/healthy-sleep-tips
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Tick check
Last spring, hubby and I were
working in our flower beds. After wards
we went into the house for showers and a quiet evening. We did our tick check
and found a tiny tick on the back side of my right ear lobe. He wasn’t attached yet but unfortunately he
bit me. It took months for that sore
place to heal. I really hate ticks and
now I think of that experience every time I look at my flowers. The good news is I did not catch any of the
10 diseases (viruses,germs and parasites) that ticks carry.
How
can we protect ourselves and loved ones from tick bites?
Ticks live in moist, humid places so
grassy places and woods are their habitat.
However, remember that deer and animals can carry ticks into your
yard. Since we treat our yard routinely,
I think the deer who often walk through our yard at night left that hungry tick
behind to chew on me.
According to the CDC website, we can
protect ourselves by using DEET repellent on our skin and permethrin products
which kill ticks on our boots, clothing and camping gear. (Don’t use permethrin on skin). For details on how to properly use these
products, check out http://www.cdc.gov/Features/StopTicks/
Tick
Check
After last year’s experience of
finding the tick, we will continue this habit. As you come in, check your clothing for
ticks. Shower as soon as you can. A shower within 2 hours is recommended as one
way to find and wash away any unattached ticks.
Physically look and check for ticks.
If you are doing this tick check on yourself, use a mirror to examine
hard-to-see areas. Body areas that you
should check include: under the arms,
between legs, in and around your hair, inside belly button, at the waist, backs
of knees –and don’t forget your ears.
What
if you find a tick?
If you find a tick attached, the CDC
recommends, “grasping with tweezers, as close to the skin as possible, and
pulling it straight out.” http://www.cdc.gov/Features/StopTicks/
Other
preventive actions
Treat your yard to create “tick-safe
zones”. More information about
this topic can be found at http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/special_features/tickhandbook.pdf
Discourage deer (My personal opinion
is good luck on this one. When our
subdivision was built on original farm land that deer wandered through, that’s
probably not going to change.) The suggested actions involve removing plants
that deer like to feed on and constructing physical barriers to keep deer
out.
Protect your family pets (which also
protects your family) http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/on_pets.html
If you do get tick bit, watch the
wound carefully and seek medical help if a fever or rash develops. More information can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/Features/StopTicks/
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