Thursday, April 2

HEALTH

No Comments
SLEEP

Can’t sleep? Here’s what to do

There are ways to minimize agitated nights of tossing and turning. For many individuals, anxious nights are commonplace. Often, life’s pressures mount mentally when physical bodies are at rest. There are ways to minimize agitated nights of tossing and turning. Psychologytoday.com’s strategies include: ‒ Write it down. A to-do list, whether necessary for work or personal life, when written down wreaks less havoc on the mind. Plus, anxiety can be heightened by simply trying to remember all that needs to be accomplished. Writing items on a piece of paper or making a list on a smartphone alleviates some mental pressure. ‒ Focus on something positive or inspirational that can be taken care of the next day or in the future; write that down as well. ‒ Pray, meditate, count blessings, reminisce....
Read More
Solutions to overcome FOMO (fear of missing out)
No Comments
MENTAL HEALTH

Solutions to overcome FOMO (fear of missing out)

FOMO contributes to a person’s dissatisfaction with their own social lives FOMO is a pervasive modern anxiety perpetuated by social media. Noah Webster, in his first “American Dictionary of the English Language” published in 1828, had no reason to include the word. Yet in 2003, MySpace launched and was followed by Facebook in 2004. Thousands of people began sharing posts of daily life. Before 2004 closed, FOMO was a real word defined in the dictionary that still bears Webster’s name as “fear of not being included in something (such as an interesting or enjoyable activity) that others are experiencing.” In an April 2018 report, businessinsider.com expounded ”... FOMO contributes to a person’s dissatisfaction with their own social lives ... It triggers negative feelings like boredom and lon...
Read More
Kakeibo: A new, old-school way of budgeting
No Comments
SELF-CARE

Kakeibo: A new, old-school way of budgeting

Currently “kakeibo” — pronounced kah-keh-boh — has captured America’s attention as a money-saving method. Customary practices ancient and new in Japan continually influence America’s cultural trends. “Hara hachi bun me” is a Confucian philosophy of eating until 80 percent full. “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo has motivated many to clean their homes. And, “ikigai” focuses on the reason for being — touted by some as the secret to a happy life. Currently “kakeibo” — pronounced kah-keh-boh — has captured America’s attention as a money-saving method. In November, Penguin Publishing Group released “Kakeibo: The Japanese Art of Saving Money” by Fumiko Chiba. The book was published and released a year earlier in Europe and t...
Read More
Sunburn do’s and don’ts
No Comments
SELF-CARE

Sunburn do’s and don’ts

Individuals who “cook” themselves, as the character Kramer so famously declared in an episode of “Seinfeld,” can get relief. Sunburns can happen any time of the year, but during hotter summer months, when the sun’s rays hit the Earth at a steeper angle, chances increase for the painful condition. Individuals who “cook” themselves, as the character Kramer so famously declared in an episode of “Seinfeld,” can get relief. However, suffering Kramers often choose the wrong methods to alleviate sunburns. Men’s Health shared “5 Surprising Things That Will Make Your Sunburn Even Worse”: 1. Failure to hydrate. Drink at least eight glasses of water. (Avoid alcohol when sunburned; healthline.com in May pointed out that alcohol is a diuretic, causing the body to remove fluids from the blood through ...
Read More
Flesh-eating bacteria making headlines, but cases are ‘rare’
No Comments
SELF-CARE

Flesh-eating bacteria making headlines, but cases are ‘rare’

Touted prominently this summer is news and educational information about current Eastern coastal algae blooms and flesh-eating bacteria. Many beaches have been closed due to high risk of infection or death. Ecowatch.com in June shared: “Vibrio vulnificus is an ‘opportunistic pathogen’ ... The bacteria thrive in warm salty and brackish waters and enter humans either through breaks in the skin or after being consumed with raw seafood. Up to one-third of people with vibrio vulnificus will die from the infection, which can cause a flesh-eating and commonly fatal bacteria known as necrotizing fasciitis.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists necrotizing fasciitis as rare, but also notes that 700 to 1,200 cases are diagnosed annually in the United States. Those with immune-comp...
Read More
No Comments
SLEEP

Can’t sleep? You probably need to make these changes.

Brain research has shown how relevant sleep is to health, so it’s more important than ever to get a good night’s sleep. In the bedroom, that means not just decorating in calming colors but also minimizing stressors and optimizing conditions for a restful night. We asked some experts for advice and products to achieve that. Minimize noise A key obstacle to uninterrupted sleep is noise. To reduce it, Brooklyn-based architect and designer Adam Meshberg, founder of Meshberg Group, recommends soundproofing the walls — building an additional thin wall in front of the original, adding a layer of QuietRock sheetrock, or sealing any cracks or gaps within the walls. To a lesser extent, wallcoverings can also absorb sound, he says, though a padded wallcovering will do more than a simple wallpaper. C...
Read More
How to build self-confidence
No Comments
SELF-CARE

How to build self-confidence

In the workplace, low self-confidence often results in lower wages, less productivity and few risks. Books with the words “self-confidence” in their titles fill retail and home bookshelves. Yet, many individuals still lack basic confidence essential for work, play and relationships. A 2017 NBC News report indicated: “On the world stage, Americans tend to get labeled as confident, cocky and entitled — but that’s an over-generalization that only applies to a fraction of professionals.” In the workplace, low self-confidence often results in lower wages, less productivity and few risks. At home and in social and recreational settings, a low view of oneself can affect intimacy, community involvement, interactions with one’s own children and more. Entrepreneur magazine in February offered tips...
Read More
Overwhelmed? 8 ways to alleviate that feeling
No Comments
MENTAL HEALTH

Overwhelmed? 8 ways to alleviate that feeling

Feeling overwhelmed leads to poor productivity, stress, emotional upheaval and, according to Psychcentral.com, anger, helplessness and panic attacks Suffocation is an analogy equated often with the feeling of being overwhelmed. No wonder it can be so paralyzing. Feeling overwhelmed leads to poor productivity, stress, emotional upheaval and, according to Psychcentral.com, anger, helplessness and panic attacks, with possible symptoms of rapid heartbeat, sweating, chest pain and shortness of breath. People become overwhelmed for a range of reasons, such as the birth of a child, death of a loved one, a move, a job change, having overnight visitors and more. Psychcentral.com’s strategies to help alleviate feeling overwhelmed include: ‒ Accept the anxiety and, “Think of acceptance as riding ou...
Read More
Postpartum depression: Signs to look for in women and men
No Comments
MENTAL HEALTH

Postpartum depression: Signs to look for in women and men

Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that can affect women after childbirth In the Victorian era, it was known as melancholia. However, modernity recognizes the feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety and exhaustion accompanying the birth of a child as postpartum depression. Yet, while such entities as the National Institute of Mental Health maintain, “Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that can affect women after childbirth,” Medical Life Science and an increasing number of health-related experts also refer to the condition as paternal postnatal depression because new fathers can be affected. In May, psycom.net reported around 1 in 10 men experiences PPND after the birth of a child. For women, the condition is often the result of a quick drop in hormones (estrogen and progestero...
Read More
How Southern Communities Tackle Summertime Food Scarcity
No Comments
NUTRITION

How Southern Communities Tackle Summertime Food Scarcity

Without free and reduced school lunch programs during the summer, many children go hungry. Local organizations and churches are stepping up to help to narrow the food gap. Jasmine Caston’s weekdays begin before the sun rises. A single mother of two daughters, Caston works full time and goes to school. Every day is a juggling act. To be sure it goes well, she and her children need to be out of the house no later than 6:20 a.m. Nine months of the year, this isn’t a big problem. The girls are in school. But summertime? That’s a different story. A mythology surrounding school’s summer vacation days is that they’re fun and restorative for children and their families. But this mythology has rarely applied to low-income families of color, especially across the American South, whe...
Read More