DID YOU KNOW?

DID YOU KNOW SCHEDULES CAN GIVE YOU MORE TIME IN THE SUMMER?

    The summer is upon us, and with the longer days of light and plentiful sun, most people will want to spend more time outdoors having fun and less time doing chores, errands, and inside work. With just a few lifestyle changes, you and your family and friends can save several hours each week for fun, or you may even get to enjoy a couple of days of free time on the weekends. Here are a few helpful suggestions for organizing your life, freeing more time, and even saving money that can increase your enjoyment of the summer.

1. Organizing Your Shopping and Errands. Allow yourself only one day a week to do your errands and grocery shopping. Have a list of where you need to go, the items you need to purchase, and plan to have an organized approach that travels a route where you will use the least amount of time and gas, and one that saves grocery shopping to the last. Do the smaller errands, such as getting gas for the car or dropping off dry cleaning, during the week on your way to or from work or school. This saves time, money, and effort.

    

2. Purchase With Coupons or At Sales. Read the local papers and mailed flyers to see what is on sale at which stores. Organize your purchases in a list identifying the items and stores, and use coupons, sales, and discounts. Leave your coupons and sales items in your car so they will be handy when needed. Organize your coupons in envelopes marked “groceries”, “dry cleaners”, etc.

    

3. Do Not Take Children Shopping. Only take the children shopping when you are purchasing items for them, for example shoes or sneakers. You will take at least twice as much time, and assuredly spend more money, if you have children with you on a shopping trip. They see things they want you to buy for them, they are thirsty and hungry, they want to go into different shops, they are bored, etc.

    

4. Organize At Night. Put everything out at night that you need the next morning. Make sure to put everything in convenient places, for example next to the door where you exit. A few minutes spent organizing at night will save much more time than searching for necessities the next morning.

    

5. Make A Schedule and Keep To The Schedule. Use a schedule for you and any others living with you. Let everyone know your schedule so you will not be disturbed at important times, such as during meals. Have predictable times for meals, sleeping and waking, exercise, lessons, etc. If you stick to a predetermined schedule, then it is much easier to follow and this saves time.

    

6. Do Daily Chores. Much time and effort can be saved by doing one load of laundry per day instead of seven or eight loads of laundry on the weekends. If you schedule one house cleaning chore per night, then there is no need to spend an entire day cleaning the house during your free time. Chores can be regularly scheduled and shared if there are others in your home.
7. Purchase in Bulk. If you have regular items that you purchase and some storage space, then you can save money, time, and effort by buying in bulk at discount stores. Check the local newspapers and flyers to comparison shop before you determine where to go for bulk items.

    

8. Cook For More Than One Meal. Save time by cooking with a couple of meals in mind. If you make a baked chicken, then take the rest of the chicken leftovers and make chicken enchiladas or a chicken pot pie. You can also take the leftovers and freeze them to be used for another meal later. Creatively using leftovers and cooking large quantities can save both time and money.

    

    

By the way, these helpful lifestyle suggestions will work in the winter, too!

THE HIGH PRICE OF ANXIETY

    Everyone experiences some form of anxiety on a daily basis. There is the anxiety that comes from being late for an appointment, not getting to the Post Office before it closes, or getting cut off by another car in traffic. Some of the acute forms of anxiety come from the loss of a loved one, losing your job, or finding out that you have a life-threatening illness. In all experiences of anxiety, the human body has cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral reactions. Anxiety is the human organism’s normal reaction to stress, and in most cases, anxiety can help people to avoid doing dangerous activities or to cope with difficult situations.

    What is the biological foundation of anxiety? The start of all anxiety is in the brain and is activated when the individual is confronted with unpleasant and potentially harmful stimuli. The neural pathways in the brain stimulate the amygdale and hippocampus, and then stress hormones are released. In this fashion, anxiety is a protective factor for humans by being an “early warning system” for danger or potential harm.

    Most of the common symptoms of anxiety are experienced as physical, including heart palpitations, fatigue, nausea, chest pain, dilated pupils, breathing problems, headaches, stomach aches, and insomnia, to name just a few. Since anxiety has an “alert function” for humans, those people experiencing anxiety have a concomitant rise in heart rate and blood pressure, increase in bodily sweating, and increased blood flow to the major muscle groups which can cause trembling and shaking of the body and extremities.

    There are also emotional symptoms of anxiety which are often experienced alongside of the physical experiences. These emotional components can include panic attacks, feelings of apprehension, dread, tension, irritability, negative thinking patterns, restlessness, and a loss of the ability to concentrate or think rationally. On an unconscious level, the emotional aspects of anxiety can be experienced as insomnia, nightmares, or the feelings of believing death is imminent.

The many types of anxiety are documented in the DSM-TRIV, or the diagnostic manual of psychiatric disorders. Some of the more frequent types of anxieties include social, stranger, test-taking, public speaking, existential, somatic, etc. With all of the natural causes of anxiety, the forms of anxiety that stay within an individual over time are referred to as Trait anxiety. There are several anxiety measurements and scales used by psychologists and psychiatrists to diagnosis anxiety, and these ask questions regarding the psychological, physical, and behavioral symptoms.

Although moist anxiety goes away after the mitigating factors cease, anxiety that persists over time can be physically and emotionally debilitating for people. Billions of dollars are spent annually on anti-anxiety medications. In addition to anti-anxiety medications, there are some natural treatments that can help many people in their battles with anxiety. Cognitive, reality, and behavioral therapies have been proven effective with many anxiety patients. Stress reduction practices, such as meditation and biofeedback, have also proved effective in treating the symptoms of anxiety. For some people, herbal remedies, such as St. John’s Wort or kava tea, and exercise can be effective in the treatment of mild anxiety.

It is always prudent to first try the natural remedies, therapeutic approaches with a licensed therapist, and relaxation methods of anxiety treatment before going on anti-anxiety medication. If medication is needed, this should be done under the direction of a certified and licensed psychiatrist with frequent check-ups and coordinated psychotherapy. Complete freedom from anxiety would not be good for any person, but the ability to not feel anxiety when it isn’t needed for an alert function is the goal for those suffering from anxiety. Since most anxiety starts in one’s mind, that is the place of treatment. Being more relaxed about the events in one’s life, and having a positive perspective on daily living are perhaps the best treatments for most forms of anxiety.

SUN CARE AND HEALTHY PREVENTION HABITS

    Now that the weather is turning warmer, and the sunny days are longer, many people will want to spend more time outdoors. The warmth of the sun, the newly blooming flowers, and the ability to be outside for several hours is alluring to most people. Although a little sun is a great source of Vitamin D for bodies, the stress that sun causes for skin can be very damaging. At the very least, sun exposure causes skin to dry and wrinkle, and at the worst, sun can cause skin cancer. None of us want to relinquish our time outdoors, but precaution can help to develop healthy skin care habits.

Here are some helpful tips for preventing dry skin and for exercising skin care while in the sun.

1. Wear a sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or more every time you are in the sun. Use a skin moisturizer with a SPF of 15 or more, and for those who wear make-up, choose brands with a SPF of 15 or more. For prolonged outdoor activities, use a sunscreen of 60 or more. Remember to reapply all sunscreen every two hours for the maximum benefit.

    

2. Cover your body when in the sun, during outdoor activities, and even on cloudy days. The sun’s rays penetrate clouds, and you still need covering and sunscreen. Wear a hat every time you are in the sun, and for prolonged periods, wear clothing with SPF in the materials.

    

3. Wear sunglasses every day during all seasons for protection of the eyes from sun damage. The most protective sunglasses are polarized and have UV protection. Never look directly at the sun as this may cause severe damage to the eyes.

    

4. Stay away from tanning parlors and prolonged outdoor tanning as these both lead to damaged skin, dehydrated skin, wrinkles, and possibly skin cancer. If you need to look tanned, opt for artificial tanning products, and spray tans. You also have the choice to be comfortable in natural skin without a tan.

    

5. Seek shade whenever possible or provide your own shade with an umbrella, tent, or other device if necessary. Being in the shade will keep you cooler, enable you to stay outside longer, and give your skin a natural protection from the sun. However, you will still need sunscreen even if you are in the shade.

    

Know the environmental risks around you, such as higher altitude, geographical proximity to the equator, and urban environments. Each of these factors allows your body to have less protection from the sun’s damaging rays. As global warming becomes more prevalent, every area on the globe will have increased sun exposure.

THOUGHTS ON MOTHER’S DAY

    It is Mother’s Day this coming weekend, and I want to tell all the mothers that I wish them the very best for their special day, and for the rest of the year. For those who are not mothers, but wish to do something special for their Moms on Mother’s Day, I have a few suggestions. Since the economy is volatile, many people cannot spend a great deal this year on expensive presents. However, remember what our Moms taught us—it isn’t the present, it is the thoughtfulness that counts. Here are a couple of suggestions for Mother’s Day presents that are cost effective and BIG on thoughtfulness.

1. Make a homemade card for your Mom. Use colored paper, paper doilies, maybe even family pictures, and make it personal and sentimental.

    

2. Make a photo album of special family pictures from this year. You can make a digital photo album online using sources like Snapfish.

    

3. Pick some wild flowers and put them in a pretty vase. Add a ribbon or two to make them look special.

    

4. Make breakfast for your Mom and serve it in bed. It beats the lines at and price tags of brunch.

    

5. Take Mom on a family outing, such as for a picnic, to a nature preserve, or on a hike. Bring her favorite foods and a blanket to sit on for the picnic. Being outside in nature is beautiful, calming, and a good time for you both to bond.

    

6. Bake a cake, cookies, muffins, or cupcakes for Mom. The homemade versions will cost little, but they will be highly appreciated for the effort.

    

7. Do some housework or a chore for your Mom. Come to the house prepared to clean, plant shrubs, wash her car, or be the handyman/ handywoman.

    

8. Bring Mom some meals in plastic containers that she can put into the freezer for times when she doesn’t want to cook. Every time she eats one of the meals, she will be thinking good thoughts about you.

    

9. Give Mom a disposable camera, then take her on a ride and let her take the pictures. You can have them developed for her later.

    

10. Make a funny family video that she can keep. The laughs will keep her happy for longer than just one day.

Most importantly, tell your Mom that you love her, give her a big hug and some kisses, tell her ways she has helped you throughout the years, and let her know how important she is in your life. These are the very best ways to show your Mom how much you love her, and this kind of love is always free. Happy Mother’s Day!