Travel is the power to change our world. Whether we physically travel or mentally explore our options, putting ourselves in another location is the goal of traveling. Either method can be used as a tool for change. Kobe Bryant stated in a 2010 interview during the NBA finals – “Your sad, bad feelings can be used as an energy tool for your motivation to move you forward in life. Learn to focus them to achieve what you want.” (L.A. Lakers,…..
This is a season for change not only in earth’s color scheme but the nourishing power of regrowth. Gardner’s till the ground with intention and might just as the moon cycles through phases of its equinox as though both are preparing for the birth of equal division of day and night. Earth’s sun gives equal attention to the power of growing and serenity of sleeping as though the divided courtesy reminds us to ready ourselves for the upcoming hibernation of…..
In our busy, hectic days do we often take a chance to reflect upon something that is free, good for our health, can’t be bought, available to everyone and doesn’t depend on a time schedule? Some evening if you have a few extra minutes around sundown stop and look up into the sky.
Whatever the situation, we’re intrigued by eye contact. Eye contact increases our pulse rate, decreases our dishonesty factor (we lie less often), increases our adherence to rules and norms and helps us to attend to subtle social cues. In this Covid-19-world there’s a vast array of rapidly changing information. If we attend to relevant information we’re better able to assess our environment and make appropriate personal decisions. We’ve all been there, albeit for just a brief moment, as we unexpectedly…..
American Nurse, a journal of the American Nurses Association, (June 2020 Vol. 15. 6, p 21) introduces us to the words of Florence Nightingale: “No amount of medical knowledge will lessen the accountability for nurses to do what nurses do; that is, manage the environment to promote positive life processes.” This includes the 24-hour, 7-day-a-week nature of the work, which affects nurses’ health and well-being, including nutrition, particularly when working night shift according to an article by Sharon Tucker, PhD,…..
Estimates vary, but experts suggest that more than 5.5 million Americans, most of them age 65 or older, may have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s (NIH fact sheet 6/17/2020), (www.nih.gov). Combining more healthy lifestyle behaviors was associated with a substantially lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease in a study that included data from nearly 3,000 research participants. Those who adhered to four or all of the five specified healthy behaviors were found to have a 60% lower risk of Alzheimer’s. The behaviors…..
Accurately estimating biological age has tremendous value according to Adam Alonzi’s recent article entitled “Gauge Your Age: Epigenetics and the Future of Medicine.” Smoking, drinking, stress, chronic infection, and major depression can all measurably accelerate the aging process as gauged by the epigenetic clock (Gao,2016; Gassen, 2017; Horvath, 2015; Rosen, 2018; Han; 2018). Fear of transmitting, or acquiring, the virus that causes COVID-19 even if you or the other person is asymptomatic has been a strong driver of widespread compliance…..
Flowers can be a selfless gift of love and appreciation, a thought of kindness and outreach or of sorrow and reparation. Roses carry their own special quality of thought and class. Receiving roses whether they be red, white, pink, coral or deep, flaming intense purple all have a story to tell. Throughout life occasions occur where roses seem to fit. Roses are the thorny, crowning, blooming, delicate flower in the garden. Roses may be my favorite – take a moment…..
Spending the day enjoying Jackson Square in historic New Orleans, Louisiana offers gaudy and decadent entertainment along with intelligent enrichment. New Orleans is a city of intense contrasts. Luxury automobiles speed down cobblestone streets while gaunt-looking carriage horses pull tourist-filled wooden street carts down asphalt boulevards. Scantily-clad beauties prance casually across the portico of historic churches while greasy, dirty, poorly-clad, unshaven men loiter on street corners that are briefly visited by smartly-tailored bride grooms walking to their wedding ceremony. The…..
I seem to have my thoughts in two worlds: healthcare and writing. In reviewing my paperwork I uncovered an outline compiled for a presentation. It’s relevant to both composition and our current battle with COVID-19. I’m naive, But I Can Learn Writing About it is The Easy Part Block Out The ‘White Noise’ Organize Advertise Every Day – Write Something Learn From People Who Are Successful Accept Objective Feedback With an Open Mind We may be NAIVE about not only…..
Communication can be verbal or non-verbal – broadcast or silent. The backbone of our information exchange is words. We use words to impart love, hate, fear, intensity, and an untold variety of human emotions. During this time of intensity maybe we should make an effort to use our words to receive information in a calm manner and disseminate knowledge with intelligent instruction.
Families and communities are built and sustained by people working together toward a common goal. During this current COVID-19 epidemic it is vitally important we all take a moment to remember that our children and youth are watching us the adults of our community. Children listen to not only the words that we use but the tone and texture of our words. Even young babies can tell if a word is spoken in love or hate, fear or anger. A…..
Scott Kelly floated around space in the International Space Station for a year and was obviously different from Mark Kelly, his identical twin – he was taller. (Science Oct 28, 2017) The brothers pioneered a NASA Twins Study which compared Mark’s grounded lifestyle with Scott’s spaceflight journey. The scientists discovered an increase in Scott’s methylation rate – a process that turns gene activity on and off. “There are over 50,000 genes in the human genome, and when floating in zero…..
Everyone is sequestered during this time of uncertainty. We as humans are helping each other in many ways to weather the unpredictable future. Using all of the parameters of social distancing and medical awareness we can offer helping hands to our fellow man. We can carry groceries to someone who can’t grocery shop for themselves. Using our nimble hands to clean house for a person who has arthritis is a kind gesture. Helping an elderly person with gardening by carrying…..
National Nurses Day is designated to fall on the birthday of Florence Nightingale, whose birthday was May 12, 1820, and she is looked to as the foundational philosopher of modern nursing (Costco Connection May/2020). National Nurses Week begins May 6 with National Nurses Day and culminates with International Nurses Day on May 12. This is the most appropriate time to say thank you to not only nurses but all healthcare personnel for their tireless dedication at keeping us all safe…..
Walk – to move on foot at a natural unhurried gait. According to Merriam- Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus many other words accompany this small word – pace, trek, amble, saunter, stroll, wander, hobble, mince, tiptoe, swagger, lumber, shuffle, prance, nip, trip, etc,. So, whether you saunter, amble, or swagger when you take your daily walk during this quarantine time it’s important that you spend some time looking at the area that you walk through. There may be springtime flowers blooming…..
“Credentials are a form of communication. We’ve all seen multiple streams of initials after nurses’ names.” This was written by Jennifer Mensik, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC, FAAN in an article What’s the Right Way to List Your Nursing Credentials? (Nurse.com West 2018). On today’s front lines of battling coronavirus COVID-19, the fight requires all ‘hands on deck.’ Using our medical resources is paramount in combating COVID-19. Obviously, it’s the use of all medical personnel that’s going to help ensure that some…..
According to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), “Moral distress is “knowing the right thing to do but being in a situation in which it is nearly impossible to do it.” Nurses are fighting under moral distress on the front lines caring for patients dealing with COVID-19. State, local, and federal health officials are continuously monitoring and responding to an on-going outbreak of Coronavirus Disease. Cases have been identified globally, including within the United States. COVID-19 spreads person-to-person among…..
Our Brain Power (Brin Powr) has incredible potential unless it isn’t working to its full capacity. According to WebMD.com your brain uses 20% of our body’s oxygen and calories. This idea aligns with the fact that there are 86 billion nerve cells in the brain. A brain impulse travels from one nerve cell to another at 268 mph – faster than a race car. Our brain can hold 1 petabyte of memory which is about the same storage capacity as…..
Elizabeth Scott, Ph.D., who co-directs the Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community at Simmons University in Boston, reminds us that we can’t necessarily control what we touch or who else touched it but we can look after our own hands. Other than frequent hand washing, wearing a mask and social distancing, smart, safe grocery shopping may be an additional, effective prevention strategy against COVID-19. Certain foods, especially fruits that contain abundant bioactive compounds, are shown to modify…..
The national news reports a field hospital in New York’s Central Park. Battle conditions exist and we must be prepared to meet the invader, head-on. I look at health issues from a nursing point of view and often get frustrated when the health solutions I see aren’t occurring within the system I occupy. When this happens I get aggravated. This aggravation comes from working for 35 years within the nursing profession. Control is an illusion, especially in a rapidly changing…..
A powerful weapon against germs is in the palm of our hands when we use soap and water correctly to wash our hands. An article by WebMD (March 6, 2020) reminds us that we can’t necessarily control what we touch or who else touches it but we can look after our own hands. Correct handwashing hits germs on two fronts: physically removing germs and viruses from our hands and then it bursts open any outer coating the agent may have……
This is a period of decision making not only for the world and our country but each of us, personally. Often our decisions are subjective – based on how we feel. Sometimes our decisions are objective – based on proved scientific research. Usually, it’s a combination of both feelings and facts. So, as we are embroiled in a pandemic world of coronavirus COVID-19, opportunities present for all of us to reflect on personal choices. Information is available to keep us…..
According to health organizations, emerging viral infections are a major threat to global public health. COVID-19, which appeared in December in Wuhan, China and spread quickly around the world, is actually a type of coronavirus (CoV) – one that is similar to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, all which attack the respiratory system and derive from animal origin. (A Look Into the Epigenetice of a Coronavirus Infection – March 10, 2020). Since these new viruses are able to mutate quickly in humans…..
A recent article in the Feb/March issue of the AARP magazine describes Georgiette Morgan-Thomas a dynamic 71-year-old woman who sees a need and fills it. When Georgiette can’t find a particular hat that she likes because the manufacturer has shut down their shop she decides to buy the shop and put all the employees back to work, learning the ropes as she goes. Georgiette’s motto seems to be: “This is what happens when you’re not afraid.” According to the National…..
YOU, seems like such a small word – much like IT, or IS, or TO, or IN, or OUT. However, when you examine the word from different directions, YOU can assume many meanings. People use this small word when they are annoyed with someone; “you no good …” Terms of endearment often contain the word; “Oh darling, I love you so dear.” Sarcasm enters the scene when proper etiquette is used inappropriately; “You want to do what”? Songs and melodies…..
Reading a review of the award-winning children’s book Runaway Smile and imaging the ants “windsurfing across a bowl of milk during the windy season” brought a smile to my face. Valentine’s Day gave you an opportunity to express your love, appreciation and tender feelings for others. Receiving gifts on this loving occasion generally brings a smile to your face. When you feel happy you release endorphins, neurotransmitters, which have a positive effect on your health. Smiling makes you feel happy……
The Arthritis Foundation has some ‘Heart Healthy‘ tips for Valentine’s Day. Healthy and Delicious Valentine Treat Cooking breakfast in bed for your valentine or maybe breakfast for dinner? Look no further than delicious and healthy fluffy flax pancakes. Top with a fruit compote for a decadent and delicious Valentine’s Day treat for you and a special someone. Cupid and Arthritis: Real Talk on Relationships When you have arthritis, romance may be the last thing on your mind. But research shows…..
HELLO, AFFECTION, DESIRE Meeting and greeting is how it began, for a girl named Joyce and a boy named Van. Waiting and searching each one’s soul tentatively wondering if they should risk adventure and seek out the goal. Life experiences taught them to wait… Like checking out the water before you jump in the lake. If only this time the feeling would grow, maybe the heart would truly know. They learned together what things seem to flow…..