Louise Hart said: Self-esteem is as important to our well-being as legs are to a table. It is essential for physical and mental health and for happiness.
Self-esteem is as important to our well-being as legs are to a table. It is essential for physical and mental health and for happiness.
Louise Hart
Happy Bench Monday
May 10th, 2020 or the 2nd Sunday of May is Mother’s Day, an annual celebrating honoring all mothers around the world.
Enjoy the honey dew of slumber. Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, quote
The average amount of sleep we need is 8 hours; that is, one third in a 24-hour period. But most of us, including me, push the limit of waking hours depriving us of that good-health-promoting slumber time.
It’s so ironic for me to think that I am freely given one third of that daily 24-hour period to doze off and yet, I lie wide awake on bed worrying… Why do you think bears hibernate – just to dream of honey fields??! Get to your cave and recharge . . . please! But, of course, you’ll say, “we’ll I’m not a bear.”
Neuroscientist Russell Foster cited three reasons why via TED:
After a whole day of activities, sleep is your avenue to restore used up energy. Some parts of the brain, including specific genes, are more active when sleeping.
Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together. Thomas Dekker quote
We turn off our tv, computer and other electronic gadgets to conserve energy. Similarly, we turn off our thoughts by hitting the sack. Foster shared that about 110 calories per night is saved.
Never waste any time you can spend sleeping. Frank H. Knight quote
Studies suggest that blood circulation is regulated and long-term memory is consolidated through the last two stages of sleep…
The Non-REM (or No Rapid Eye Movement stage of) sleep is believed to be associated with transferring your declarative memory from short-term to long-term memory storage in the cortex. This happens about 3 hours after you drifted into sleep.
REM sleep, the final stage on the other hand, helps in consolidating your procedural memory. (1)
In other words, depending on what was learned and when you slept, sleep aids in stabilizing that memory – promoting both quantitative and qualitative changes in brain activity. (2) While slow wave sleep or SWS consolidates your newly acquired math equation even within 2 hours of dozing off, deep REM sleep will make you remember your piano scale when you wake up the next day. (3)
Quoting Foster: “After you try to learn a task, and you sleep-deprive individuals, the ability to learn that task is smashed… Our ability to come up with novel solutions to complex problems is hugely enhanced by night of sleep.” (4)
Synapse is the passing of information between neurons in our brain. The changes in connection caused by synapses is called synaptic plasticity.
Synaptic plasticity, which is particularly important to memory and learning, is boosted during sleep. (5) Studies have shown that sleep establishes active consolidation of memories – “stimulating the idea that forming long-term memories represents a general function of sleep.” (6)
If you’re going to do something tonight that you’ll be sorry for tomorrow morning, sleep late. Henny Youngman
Youngman, above, has hinted us that there will be ill effects for not going to bed at the right time. I so agree because it makes me feel hungry that I end up raiding my fridge. Plus, knowing that I didn’t hop onto my “sleep train” right away, I get stressed thinking what time it’s coming back to pick me up. It usually comes around past midnight or somewhere close to dawn. (pitiful sigh)
Studies also suggest “that sleep and mental illness aren’t simply associated, they are physically linked.” Sleep disruption could be an early warning sign of schizophrenia (as schizophrenic patients seem confused between the right timing for sleep and wakefulness). Sleep then becomes the doorway to begin therapy before the real onset of such mental illness. (7)
Now, let me end this article the way Foster cleverly ended his TED talk – by quoting…
Sleep is God. Go Worship. Jim Butcher quote
References:
May 6th is National Nurses Day, celebrated annually since 1978 and formally recognized in 1982 by the American Nurses Association Board of Directors and President Reagan.
May 6th is National Nurses Day, a yearly celebration since New Jersey Governor Brendon Byrne declared it in 1978. Red Bank resident, Edward Scanlan, recognized and promoted this event by adding it to Chase’s calendar of annual events.
In 1982, the American Nurses Association (ANA) Board of Directors and United States Congress formally acknowledged May 6th as National Recognition Day for Nurses. President Ronald Reagan signed its proclamation.
The ANA Board of Directors also recognized National Nurses Day as the beginning of National Nurses Week ending in May 12th – this end-day being International Nurses Day and birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing.
On a Wednesday, within the nurse-day week, National Student Nurses Day is also celebrated annually.
Reference:
National Nurses Week History. Retrieved April 12, 2020 from https://www.nursingworld.org/education-events/national-nurses-week/history/.
Steve Job said: Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
Steve Jobs
Happy Bench Monday
We should take care of our mental health as we take care of our bodies. Thanks for the reminder!
Did you know that 1 in 5 Americans experience a Mental Health Condition. Every American is affected and or impacted through their friends & family. YOU can do something to help!
First things first…STOP THE STIGMA! Mental Illnesses come in many different forms. Allow the person to be seen for who they really are & NOT the illness.
This topic in particular hits very close to home. I am passionate about being an advocate for those who feel they don’t have a voice by bringing awareness & tearing down the walls that stigma creates.
I hope you’ll join me in becoming an advocate for Mental Health. Let’s replace the Stigma with Hope. 💚 #gogreenformentalhealth #mayismentalhealthawarenessmonth
XoXo 💋
Mamas Open Heart ♥️
Paula Abdul said: I can’t wait to be back on the dance floor. I feel really good about it.
I can’t wait to be back on the dance floor. I feel really good about it.
Paula Abdul
April 29th: Happy World Dance Day
This write-up is a great reminder to stay mentally fit, not just in May but also through the years to come. Good job!
As one knows, exercise can help improve your mental health. Mental and physical health are connected, with you feeling great after a good workout. There are many exercises you can do to improve your physical health, but there are some exercises that focus on your mental health as well. These come in the form of actual physical exercises, and sometimes they’re more mental ones.
Let’s look at a few of them…
If you are physically unfit, it can take a bit for you to build up your ability to go on a nice jog, but the more you do it, the better you become, and eventually, you can run for hours. Running is therapeutic for…
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These 8 great tips to improve mental health is suitable for those with mild depression. Per original author, Renard’s World, these may uplift their spirits. However, if you have severe depression, please seek help from a mental health professional.
These are great tips! Although I try to avoid coffee ☕️ for the meantime. I understand its health benefits. It sure is great to get out in the sun and then reconnect with someone. 🍻
It’s almost May – mental health month. Time to read more about this as it is as important as body health. Thanks for the reminder! 😊
Sugar, especially refined white sugar which has been processed, inflates waistlines and contributes to obesity. But, while some studies have shown that sugar may have a detrimental effect on the mood, not a whole lot of research has been done on sugar’s effects on mental health.
In a past post, Good, Good, Good Nutrition, part II: Foods to Avoid When Managing Bipolar Disorder, we covered how sugar can cause wild mood swings in bipolar patients. And how obesity can make some bipolar medications ineffective, especially if the weight is gained around the middle. But there are other ways sugar harms mental health.
Let’s dig in.
The addictive properties of sugar have been studied in recent years, though the research is still controversial. But anyone who’s craving a chocolate fix can understand how additive sugar is. Sugar and actual drugs both flood the brain with dopamine, a feel-good…
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References:
April 25th, 2020, or the last Saturday in April is National Sense of Smell Day. Sponsored by the Sense of Smell Institute, this annual event is held in children’s museums and science centers to highlight the importance of olfaction – that which pertains to the olfactory nerve inside the nose.
Earth laughs in flowers.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Happy Bench Monday Earth Day! 🌏
April 19th is National Garlic Day. This is a perfect re-blog!
This is great info… Garlic, I like. 😀
Garlic is one of my top three healthiest things that you should use daily, along with green tea and lemon juice.
If your parents were as health-conscious as mine, you’ve probably been told how garlic is a basically cure for everything. Is garlic really that good for you? Let’s find out.
Garlic is actually a part of the onion family, along with leeks and shallots. There are usually 10-20 cloves per head of garlic.
The father of medicine was a big fan of the medicinal properties of this bulb, and he wasn’t on his own. In fact, many ancient civilizations recorded the health benefits of garlic. These include Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome and China. Was it garlic that gave them the power to conquer the world?
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Pablo Picasso said: Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.
March 15th is World Art Day. Happy International Day of Art!
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.
Pablo Picasso
Happy Bench Monday Art Day!
Terri Guillemets said: Give your stress wings and let it fly away.
Give your stress wings and let it fly away.
Terri Guillemets
April is both Poetry and Hope Awareness month. This is awesome and just perfect to re-blog!
Scars won’t keep our hope in the darkness,
instead our words will live
within our poetry,
encouraging us,
strengthening us
each and every day.
Poetry and Image © Copyright 2019, ancient skies
Oh, this is a must-read book 🤓📘 and a must-reblog write-up 😊💻
Title: 365 Ways to Beat Stress
Author: Adam Gordon
Type: Personal Development
Genre: Nonfiction
Publisher: Watkins Publishing
Date published: February 19th 2019
Format: digital
Page Count: 224
Rating: 5/5
With a different technique or tip for each day of the year, no other book offers such a wide range of ways to release stress and anxiety, all set in an attractive illustrated design that will make dipping in for inspiration a joy. All the practices are effective yet also easy to follow, even if you have never tried them before, and range from energy techniques such as simple shiatsu, to quick stress fixes such as visualizing a blue bubble, to methods of life simplification such as avoiding a news overload and rationing your evenings out, to inspiring visualizations such as imagining yourself as the sky or as a lotus floating on water. There is…
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This is so true. Avoiding people who are negative releases you from tension and stress. You have to be around those with positive vibes.
Nice write-up! 😊
There are only two ways to live your Life :
Next time you are stressed…. Take a step back, sit down, take a deep breath – inhale, relax yourself and Smile.
Remember who you are and why you are here. You are never given anything in the world that you can’t handle. Be strong. Be flexible. Love yourself and love others. Always remember to just keep moving forward.
Don’t cry over the past, it is gone. Don’t stress about the future, it hasn’t arrived. Live in the present and make it as much beautiful as you can.. Don’t let the sadness of your past and the fear of your future ruin the happiness of your present…
Life is too short to stress yourself with people who don’t even deserve to be an…
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Love this letter! 😃
If there is anything I want removed from my life, it is (too much) stress and all things negatively affecting our health.
Dear Stress….
Come Let’s break up
Our showy illusionary barriers
Let’s go fly a mystical kite
Spreading love in magical embraces
To skies that pour healing light
Dear Stress….
Let go of imaginary fears
Speak sweetly from your Soul
Every beautiful struggling Heart
Will dance with nectar’s of Joy
Welcoming ecstasy with open arms
Dear Stress….
Give up so called jealousies
Dive deeper in oceanic waves
Throw away worries as ripples’
Clothe yourself in pearls of peace
Propel the boat as my Guide
Dear Stress….
Let’s go for a reckless drive
Dancing to the beauty of who you are
Where the wind becomes music
Movement becomes an ethereal ballet
And smiles that turn to laughter and joy…………….
Ashton Eaton said: My key to dealing with stress is simple – just stay cool and stay focused.
My key to dealing with stress is simple: just stay cool and stay focused.
Ashton Eaton
Happy Bench Monday
February 1st, 2019 is National Wear Red Day, a non-official holiday annually celebrated on the first Friday of the American Heart Month.
National Wear-Red Friday, sometimes called Go Red Day, was created to raise awareness of the no. 1 killer of American women – heart disease. This is to remind and motivate everyone, not just ladies but also gentlemen, to take action in protecting themselves from such cardiovascular disease, as well as stroke.
In 2002, the Red Dress® was created and became the trademark of The Heart Truth®, a national campaign on women’s risk to heart disease sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), in partnership with many national and community organizations. It is the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness.
Nothing attracts attention like a red dress.
Laura Bush
Come join the NHLBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), HHS Office on Women’s Health and many other groups in the U.S. flash their reds on February’s very first Friday.
References:
About The Heart Truth. (2016, March 17). Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/hearttruth/about/index.htm.
National Wear Red Day. (2016, March). Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/hearttruth/events/wear-red.htm.
Wear Red And Give. (2019, February 1). Retrieved from https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/get-involved/give/wear-red-and-give.
February 4th is Thank Your Mailman, Postman or Mail Crarrier Day. Go ahead and do so on this day. 🤓
February 4th is Thank Your Mailman, Postman or Mail Crarrier Day. Go ahead and do so on this day.
But for today, Happy Bench Monday! 🤓
Love And Memories by Of A Revolution was inspired by The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – a movie about erasing one’s memory… 🎵 Love me faster than the devil. Run me straight into the ground. Drown in deep inside your water . . . your sound… 🎶
Love And Memories is a song by American rock band, Of A Revolution. O.A.R. lead singer, Marc Roberge, said it was inspired by The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – a movie about two ex-lovers, Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet), who underwent a process to literally erase their memories of each other. (1)
I thought about how frustrating that is, if someone’s trying to intentionally erase you from their memory, how painful that could be. But in the end, it’s really impossible; and that’s the lesson of the movie. Obviously, it’s impossible to get rid of something that changes you.
Marc Roberge on The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind movie (1)
Lovely, you’re always lovely;
A vision, you were the one.
Now, I am stuck inside a memory;
You forgot about our destiny.
You buried me, didn’t you?You’re always floating,
A vapor that I couldn’t see.
Here I am stuck inside a yesterday;
Everything has given way.
You fell from me, didn’t you?Maybe I am a crowded mind;
I watch your eyes glaze over.
Stare down at the floor;
You were amazing to me;
I was amazing to you,
But here we go again.(Didn’t you) love me faster than the devil?
O.A.R., Love And Memories
Run me straight into the ground.
Drown in deep inside your water;
Drown in deep inside your sound.
Lyrics by Glen Ballard & Marc Roberge
References:
(1) Love And Memories by O.A.R. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21, 2018, from https://www.songfacts.com/facts/oar/love-and-memories.
Memory, an interesting topic in psychology and neuroscience, is continually being explored through brain-related studies. Here are 11 fascinating things about it…
Memory is one of the most fascinating topics in Psychology and neuroscience. There are many cognitive experiments that studied the brain – its function and capacity – in order to protect it from deterioration or memory loss.
Here are 11 interesting things to know about the human memory.
Hello, January! Behold! A new day and a new year beckons. Yet another list of forgotten but resurrected resolutions are again in vogue.
Maria Sharapova said: I want to be different. If everyone is wearing black, I want to be wearing red.
Happy Bench Monday!
Our January 1st to-do list is sometimes only an ideal – like a fad or a fashion statement. The perfect model catwalks but later becomes off-balanced and loses her track even before the month ends.
LanceLonie, Editorial Note ( 2 of 7 ) : New Year’s Resolution A Musical Instrument
Lancelonie said: We have come to a point where pronouncing or showing off our resolutions seems enough. Enough to Pinterest or share with our little social-media-based word. Enough to just say, “my new year resolution” with hashtags, #newyear and #selfie, on our Facebook, Instagram and other profiles. Whether it catches on like a craze or totally disappears like a failed trend, it is irrelevant.
We are in a world where sharing our new year resolutions seems enough for Pinterest and other social media. Just as long as we hashtag those with #newyear and #selfie on Facebook, Instagram and other profiles, it doesn’t matter if those go viral or not.
LanceLonie, Editorial Note ( 3 of 7 ) : New Year’s Resolution A Musical Instrument
January 26th is National Spouse’s Day. On this day, make it extra special for your partner and you!
January 26th is National Spouse’s Day. Go ahead and give your partner some very special treatment on this day. 🤗
Love is not just looking at each other. It’s looking in the same direction.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars
Lancelonie said: A New Year’s resolution is much like learning a musical instrument. There is a period of initial zeal and excitement as it is a personal challenge.
A New Year’s resolution is much like learning a musical instrument. There is a period of initial zeal and excitement as it is a personal challenge.
LanceLonie, Editorial Note ( 4 of 7 ) : New Year’s Resolution A Musical Instrument
![Dear Stress [poem]](https://lancelonie.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/bb990cda-f3a8-4012-abcb-91e805793424.jpeg?w=1200)
I call her Mnimi 