Sunday, June 28, 2020
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Friday, June 26, 2020
Thursday, June 25, 2020
BLOG 273 OVERWORKED
BLOG 273 OVERWORKED
Americans seem to have a lot of excuses when it comes to
prioritizing their health. The U.S. has dictated a full time works schedule to
consist of 40 hours per 7-day week, consisting of 8 hours per day. Most people
use this time Monday through Friday, having weekends off. However, the U.S.
does not have any exact laws setting the maximum work length for each week. As
a result, 85.8% of males and 66.5% of females work more than 40 hours per week.
Statistics are showing that Americans work 137 more hours per year than the
Japanese, 260 more than the British, and 499 more than the French.
Following
this trend of overworking, the U.S. also does not have a federal law requiring paid
sick leave days. There are also not any laws about mandated annual leave.
Therefore, the very people that are issuing pay checks are making the decisions
about how to compensate time spent at work. With money and profit at the heart
of the issue, it is no wonder people are working more hours.
It is easy for outsiders to merely say to work less hours. In
doing so, that can translate to less money, which leads to more stress and
lower quality of life. The problem is that when work is taking up a person’s
schedule, almost entirely, there is little time for family and loved ones,
spending time enjoying hobbies, unwinding, being social, and then of
course....exercising. High stress and sedentary work life do to make a healthy
combination. Somehow the mentality of work first has led to being intimidated
to ask for time off to raise a child, to take a vacation, to have a couple
hours off during the week, etc.
The statistics show that Americans are hard working. The
average person is working 47 hours, not just 40. Some places of employment also
require a 9-hour day because the 1 hour lunch does not count. That adds to
additional time away from home and for self. Americans are starting to get a
reputation for being chained to their desks. Some people even work through
their lunches. Many just eat at their desks. Some just skip lunch altogether. In
Spain, Greece, and other countries, lunch hour is a lose term and last as
long as desired or needed. In Sweden, workers take a fika, which is a coffee
break for all employees to socialize. There are actually laws in France that
require workers to ignore emails and calls after work hours.
So much time at work is now a reflection of American’s
waistlines, stress, mental health, and family relations. Most children grow up
in a home with both working parents and if they both are gone for extended
hours, that means there is less interaction. The cycle continues, and yet
people have to pay their bills and taxes. How does the rest of the world have
this figured out and make their health and work life balanced? We have yet to
find the balance but need to restore our priorities or else the health
consequences will continue to rise.
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Thursday, June 18, 2020
BLOG 272 OVEREATING
BLOG 272 OVEREATING
We are all too familiar with that feeling of being stuffed.
For some it’s a rare occasion, but for others each meal can present the chance
to eat and eat until overeating strikes again. We might do this at the end of a
long day. It’s a holiday so why not? Or maybe when home alone all inhibition
lets loose. Then we feel frustrated with ourselves for letting this stomachache
happen….once again. The truth is that right out of the gate we are nurtured
with food. We eat to live, but somewhere along the lines living to eat can
become the lifestyle. We have an emotional connection to food outside of just nutritional
purposes.
Yet, the act of eating can get out of control. It can become
a coping mechanism for negative emotions. Some people think about food all the time.
We might laugh and joke after eating large quantities at Thanksgiving, but some
people feel ashamed and guilty after far too many of their meals. For some
people, overeating can just be a mindless habit. The duration of the movie
requires snacking and then pretty soon the box is gone and the entire liter of
soda.
Some people who overeat might have an actual eating disorder
such as binge eating disorder (BED). This is characterized by eating large
quantities of food in a short period of time. A person with BED might do this
at least once per week for the course of 3 months or longer. Eating is
associated with feelings of stress, loneliness, and then guilt and regret after
eating so much. To be clear, not all people who overeating have binge eating
disorder. For some people it’s just a love of food, while others might suffer
from negative body image. Sometime dieting gone astray can lead to overeating.
Feelings of deprivation lead to a desire for foods that were off limits and the
more the better. The foods that were forbidden become more and more attractive.
The composition of foods can make them addictive in nature.
High fat, high sugar, and high salt foods taste to please us. The brain senses
the euphoric feeling much like drug use. Then the person become dependent of
these foods as they crave their comfort and satisfaction. The difference is
that no one can cut food “cold-turkey”. We are faced with eating each and every
single day, more than once. The act of eating can become an addiction too.
If there’s strong ties to deep emotional problems and food
seems to be the solution, then seeking help is important. A person needs to
determine their triggers, especially those that transpire negative body image. A
counselor can certainly help. Food should also not be constantly deprived or labeled
as “good” or “bad”. Tuning into hunger cues is important. Understanding the why
of the overeating leads to a better solution. A change of scenery can help
change the environment you put yourself in during eating. Don’t be on autopilot
and let the habit carry on and on. There is a lot more to life then chewing,
but we have to find a healthy relationship with food in order to be healthy
mentally and physically.
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Monday, June 15, 2020
Saturday, June 13, 2020
Friday, June 12, 2020
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
BLOG 271 COMPARISON COMPLEX
BLOG 271 COMPARISON COMPLEX
Getting stuck in a hole of comparing yourself to others can wreak
havoc on self-esteem. Confidence in question leads to poor self-worth. In
today’s social media imaged filled culture, one can find themselves lost
scrolling, clicking, and then thinking about how they shape up to what they
see. For example, when it comes to fitness, you can tell yourself from that
start that your goal isn’t about the weight loss numbers. Then you look at a
feed of so many before and after photos, only to find yourself wondering why
your results don’t add up the same. At work, you compare your performance to
others so that you feel productive or purposeful. In school, you become
competitive with grades. At restaurants, you look around to see what others
have ordered. Parents compare themselves to others. They question whether their
child should have a cell phone or not because their friend’s child is the same
age and has one.
We can become so busy worrying about others, we loose sight
of ourselves. We start to blame others for our own actions. When we have done
the best job that we can there is no need to compare to anyone else. You have
to be proud of yourself, otherwise you never live up to what you expect. That
leads to depression and a downward path to negative thoughts. You actually
limit yourself when you compare yourself to others because you are basing your
potential on someone else’s.
All of this means that it may be time for a social media
detox. It many be time to water your own grass and not worry about your
neighbor’s. Don’t resist the past and accept where you are and aspire for where
you want to be. Life might have been messy or bumpy, but the straight and
narrow path doesn’t necessarily equate to happiness. Lack of adventure doesn’t
mean success. You are writing your own movie, and the ending isn’t fixed. There
is more to come, so play out the scenes how you want to see them. Be grateful
instead of always wanting more. Maybe you aren’t meant to have more. Don’t let
fear guide you. Comparison is a form of fear. It is not being confident in your
own self to be strong on your own, no matter where that leaves you in the line-up.
It is okay to be inspired by others, but don’t compare yourself to their aspirations.
You are you. You have to be nice to yourself and learn to ignore the bully in
your head. It’s time to be happy and to be free from comparison. So let those
scores go, you are the winner of your own life.
Monday, June 8, 2020
Sunday, June 7, 2020
Saturday, June 6, 2020
Friday, June 5, 2020
Thursday, June 4, 2020
BLOG 270 SHINGLES
BLOG 270 SHINGLES
Shingles is a painful virus. The pre-requisite is having had
chicken pocks first, even if it was decades before. This is because they come
from the same virus called varicella roster. Chickenpox causes itchy blisters
that can spread on the body, typically in the chest and back areas. On the
other hand, shingles is a rash that causes a shooting, painful, sensation. The
rash usually stick to one location or side of the body. When the virus first
enters the body as chickenpox, after running its course, it retreats to nerve
tissues located near the spinal cord and brain just makes its home there. Then
for almost no reason doctors can understand, the virus wakes itself up again. That
is when shingles occurs which is also called herpes zoster. Doctors do know
that a weakened immune system is of course more vulnerable to virus waking
itself up.
Others heightened risks for shingles include trauma, stress,
have cancer, HIV, or take medications that lower the immune system over time
(such as steroids). The mystery is that these possible causes are not always
true for everyone.
Going to see a doctor is pertinent especially if the person
feels a tingling feeling under their skin, an upset stomach, fever, chills,
and/or headache coupled with raised dots on the body. The area of the skin will
feel like a stabbing pain and eventually the redness turns into blisters. Within
7 to 10 days the blisters do dry out and pain lessens. Shingles cannot be entirely
cured, but the painful symptoms and longevity of the blisters can be reduced.
Shingles is contagious to those who have never had
chickenpox or the vaccine for it. A person is contagious until the blisters
have dried out and crusted over. Pregnant women, infants, and those with weak
immune systems are susceptible.
Currently there are 2 vaccines available for shingles. These
include Shingrix and Zostavax. Shingrix is actually considered 90% effective,
so it is the preferred option. The CDC does recommend people over the age of 50
get this vaccination, even if they have had shingles before.
Shooting pain should be kept away. Anyone who has had the
Chickenpox should be aware of possible triggers and any symptoms associated
with shingles. As we always intend to, keeping stress at bay is important. Be
aware of germs and germ filled environments. Your body and immune system
appreciate self-care. Don’t let the virus in and vaccination becomes very
important.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
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