Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Blogger Highlight-Smirk Pretty

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Smirk Pretty.

Smirk Pretty

 I design rich, active learning environments and facilitate conversations that draw on the collaborative capacity of people and teams. My diverse approaches are grounded in reflective practice as we come together to articulate our purpose and the values driving us. I seek to cultivate the relationship-oriented leadership skills of students and teams, engage questions about our shared future, and create opportunities to put innovative ideas to work. With a commitment to mentoring emerging leaders, my current focus is on improving educational equity and drawing voices from the margins to the center of every critical conversation.

Her blog is very unique and you will want to see her site.  

Melinda

Looking for the Light

 

Celebrate Life · Fun · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Just Pondering

Bella Grace Field Guide by Stampington

Happiness looks like?

Happiness feels like:

Happiness sounds like:

Happiness smells like:

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

23 Small Things to Improve Your Wellness — Guest Blogger Olive Tree Saints

Small changes can really add up when it comes to wellness. Here are 23 small things you can do this year to improve your wellness.

23 Small Things to Improve Your Wellness — Olive Tree Saints
Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Mental Health

13 Ways To Ensure Your Children Are Happy & Healthy

When you find out you are going to become a parent it can be very daunting. You never know what to expect or what type of child you are going to have. Every child will have a unique personality and it is up to you as the parent to nurture this. There is a whole ongoing debate still to this day about whether it is down to nature vs nurture. You may be wondering how you can encourage your children to be happy and healthy. There are so many stories in the media regarding this but it can send a lot of mixed messages. The best thing you can do is follow your gut instinct as a parent, this will never steer you in the wrong direction. Take a look below to find out some helpful tips and tricks on how to ensure your children are happy and healthy. 

Photo by Yan Krukov on Pexels.com

Focus On Diet

One of the most important things you will hear professionals talking about is children’s diets. A healthy balanced diet is paramount for your child’s development. Letting them constantly eat junk food and fizzy drinks is not only bad for their physical health but their mental health as well. If you have a busy lifestyle and it is easier to grab and go then how about pre-making some healthy homemade meals that you can simply take out of the freezer in the evenings? Children should also be enjoying five pieces of fruit or veg a day. This will give them the added vitamins and minerals their body needs to function and thrive. 

Get Them Outside

Physical activity is also important for your children. Without running around they will turn into couch potatoes. These days with so much tech floating around it can almost seem impossible to get the children to leave the house. If you find something they are interested in doing, such as going to the park then they will be more than happy to go for a run-around. Better yet, you could get some of their school or nursery friends together and they can all have fun at the park while you chat with the other moms. 

Supplements

If you feel your children don’t have a healthy diet and they are in need of some extra help then you can get them a child supplement or multivitamin to take daily. These will contain the necessary amounts of vitamins and nutrients that your children are potentially missing out on. A lot of children aren’t keen on eating vegetables or fruits so a multivitamin will provide them with the goodness they are missing. The good thing about children’s multivitamins is that they come in gummy bear form with a variety of flavors. Can’t get them to eat veg but you can get them to eat a gummy bear!

Hydration 

It can be incredibly difficult to get your child to drink water. They get to a certain age and decide they no longer like it. However, seeing as more than 60% of their little bodies are made up of water, it is essential they are replacing what is lost through the day. You don’t want your child experiencing signs and symptoms of dehydration. They will present with lethargy, moodiness, and a headache. Encourage your children to drink water by investing in some cool water bottles, they will want to show these off at school. Quite a lot of schools have a water-only policy in place meaning you can’t supply them with juice for school. Children should be aiming to drink around six glasses of water a day to stay hydrated and healthy. 

Protect From Bad Habits

When you have children you want to protect them their whole life. However, quite a lot of parents forget that smoking and drinking around their children is a terrible habit. It is one that they will pick up on rather quickly and you don’t want them to copy you. If you do want to smoke then this should be done outside of the house, in the garden perhaps. That way you are not exposing your children to secondhand smoke which can lead to childhood illnesses and complications with their immune systems. 

Talk To Your Children

Something else to think about is how important it is to talk to your children. When they are babies they learn how to communicate by copying the adults around them. Don’t stop talking to your children just because they can hold their own conversations with others. If your children come to you with any sort of problem or they simply just want to tell you about their day then ensure you are listening. Children can tell when they have your full attention by your body language and what you are saying to them. Talking and listening to your children ensures they know they are able to approach you at all times in case of a problem they cannot solve. 

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Seek Professional Help

As children get older they are far more susceptible to feeling the effects of their hormones. They are also more at risk of mental health conditions than younger children. If you notice your children feeling down or being sad a lot of the time then speak to them and see if they will tell you what the problem is. If they don’t and you want to get your children the help they deserve then you could seek out a counselor or look up Second Nature Utah reviews for more therapeutic programs. If your child has additional needs then this puts them at a greater risk of developing mental health conditions. Bipolar disorder in children is becoming increasingly common. 

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is so important for children, depending on the age they need around eight to thirteen hours of sleep each night. If they are not getting this then they can be grouchy and irritable for the rest of the day. If your child is still young enough for naps then make sure you are encouraging this. It will give them a little recharge so they can get through the rest of the day without any hiccups. If your children are struggling to get to sleep then think of ways you can help with this. You may decide to do some light meditation with them to help them drift off to sleep naturally. 

Check-Ups

Children will rarely be called for check-ups as doctors just assume that you will take them in if there are any problems. Babies and young children will be called for developmental checks, you should go to these as they will highlight any potential developmental delays your child might have. You should also register your child at a dentist and the opticians, you never know when you may need to attend an appointment there. You can check out the best ones in your area by doing a quick internet search or asking other moms for recommendations. 

Read With Your Child

Reading is something that a lot of adults enjoy doing but you can guarantee they didn’t all enjoy it as a child. Learning to read can be tricky but in the end, it will be so rewarding. Watching your child grow and develop is one of the best things about being a parent. You can encourage their love of books by reading with them from a young age. It can be common to read a book with your child at bedtime as part of their nightly routines. Reading will give your child a steady foundation for continuing this learning when they start school. 

Take Away The Tech

Children need a break from technology every so often, it is bad for their brain and their vision to be staring at a pad or tablet all day. If your child is tech dependent then it may be necessary to put a temporary ban on technology to prove to them they can live without it. It will be a struggle the first couple of days but it will be worth it and a great lesson to teach. You can put strict timings in place for screen time. If your children struggle with time then you can even set an egg timer as a visual so they know how long they have left. 

Support With School

There is nothing better that you can do as a parent than support your children with their school work. If they come home and need a helping hand with some homework or a school project then it should be all hands on deck. Your children have come to you for help as they deem you capable and knowledgeable. Don’t let them down by being too busy to help when they need it most. If you don’t understand what to do then you can always do a quick internet search to see if someone else explains it better than the sheet of paper. 

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We hope you enjoyed reading this article and that it gave you some helpful advice on ensuring your children are happy and healthy. Remember, children are just small humans. They all have feelings and it is okay to not be okay sometimes. You need to teach your children the importance of this, if they are having an off day then this is alright. 

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Book Review I Can’t Have That I Have Allergies by Katie Kinsella

 I want to give a special thanks to Managing Editor Soraya Nair for sending me I Can’t Have That I Have Allergies by Katie Kinsella for review. 

Blurb

All the animals in the woodland are headed to a party – that is, except Hedgehog, who can’t attend because of his food allergies. But one of his kind friends, Deer, decides to learn more about his condition, and she comes up with a plan so that Hedgehog can safely celebrate, too!

I Can’t Have That, I Have Allergies is a sensitively written story by a mother whose daughter has life-threatening allergies. It will enlighten those unfamiliar with the severity of such allergies, and it will help children who suffer from them to know that they aren’t alone.

My Thoughts

Have you missed school on a special day? You were probably sad that you could not participate in the fun. The Hedgehog has a similar story, he has severe allergies which limit what he can eat. It’s not fun going to a birthday party and not being able to eat cake.

As each of the Hedgehog’s friends stop in on the way to a birthday party, he explains why he can’t go to the party. His friends go on their way but they have a big surprise for him. They cared so much for their friend, they contacted his mother to get a list of what he can’t eat and they made a cake he could. They show up at Hedgehog’s house and have a big Birthday party which allows the Hedgehog to have fun and not worry about what he can or can’t eat. 

The book does an excellent job of describing Allergies children can understand. I think the bigger picture is when Hedgehog share’s with his friends why he can’t go, they didn’t abandon him, they embraced him instead. It’s important for kids to know they can talk about their problems instead of keeping everything in.

For every parent who has a child with Allergies of any kind, this is the perfect book to show if you share what is going on with your friends they will have your back.

Trigger Publishing

TriggerHub.org is the first mental health organization of its kind. We are bringing mental health recovery and balance to millions of people worldwide through the power of our books.

We have built a first-class resource of curated books produced and published in-house to create a unique collection of mental health recovery titles unrivaled in quality and selection. We work with experts, psychologists, doctors, and coaches to produce our books, but we also work with real people looking to share their stories to reach out to others and provide hope, understanding, and compassion. These brave authors also aim to raise awareness of mental health’s “human” face and its impact on everyday lives. 

Melinda

Looking for the Light

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Book Review The A-Z Self-Care Guide For Kids By Dr. Alexandra Barnett

I want to thank Trigger Publishing Editor Andrea Marchiano for sharing The A-Z Self-Care For Kids by Dr. Alexandra Barnett. One thing I’ve learned from reviewing children’s books is what a great resource they are for parents and children alike. It’s a great way to teach, and sharing stories will help your children relate.

TriggerHub.org is the first mental health organization of its kind. We are bringing mental health recovery and balance to millions of people worldwide through the power of our books.

We have built a first-class resource of curated books produced and published in-house to create a unique collection of mental health recovery titles unrivaled in quality and selection. We work with experts, psychologists, doctors, and coaches to produce our books, but we also work with real people looking to share their stories to reach out to others and provide hope, understanding, and compassion. These brave authors also aim to raise awareness of mental health’s “human” face and its impact on everyday lives. 

Melinda

Looking for the Light

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Deep Thoughts

In this fast-paced social media world, it can be difficult to find the time to look within or back in time. I hope you find these quotes and questions interesting. So glad you stopped by today!

How do you wish to be remembered?

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Blogger Highlight-That Scared Little Girl

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, That Scared Little Girl.

That Scared Little Girl

…where stories find healing

This site is the heart cry of a girl who longs to be seen and heard. In the spirit of finding healing and wholeness, she aches for her stories to be heard. Oh how she wishes someone had seen her as a girl.

This is the site where her stories will be told. A safe place. A tell-all of sorts. Things you don’t read in your informational or self-help books. The stories that make you uncomfortable.

The things she wishes people had known.

Check her out!

Melinda

Looking for the Light

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

My 2022 Book Reviews

Overcome

How Do You Feel

Understanding Human Nature

The Packing List

My Mind Won’t Shut Up

Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health At Work

Love Interrupted

Mind Over Mountain

Life After Care

Talk

365 Quotes to Accelerate Your Career and Find Balance in Life

Degloved: Every Scar Tells A Story

Amie’s Party

Monkey Mind

Me, Myself and Ana

This is Mandy

I hope you enjoyed each book as much as I did.

Melinda

Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

How to Navigate a Marriage Breakup With Kids

If your marriage has broken down and you have children together, it can be a complex situation to navigate; still, it is not impossible, and there are some skillful ways to make the process easier and more pleasant for everyone. Read on to find out how to avoid arguing with your ex-partner, how to hire a quality divorce lawyer, and how to manage your emotions on the way.  

Photo by samer daboul on Pexels.com

Key Takeaways: Marriage Breakup 

  • Learn to avoid talking about the past and triggering past trauma that you both have
  • Understand when to argue your case and stand your ground and when to walk away 
  • Work closely with your children to help them manage their emotions and move on 
  • Learning how to understand your ex-partner can help to resolve any difficult emotions 
  • It’s helpful to maintain a healthy emotional and physical distance from your partner

Don’t talk about the past 

You and your ex-partner have a lot of history; chances are you have spent many years together before the divorce, and you know your personalities, reactions, and thought processes pretty well. But when it comes to divorce, it’s a good idea to let go of the past and treat the new arrangements independently. Learn to respect your ex-partner’s decisions and life choices. 

Because you understand a lot about your ex-partner, you can predict their behavior, lifestyle choices, and decision-making, especially when it comes to the children. At the same time, they will understand your patterns and weak points. There is a tendency to bring up the past and use it as leverage, but it is not a healthy dynamic. Avoid these issues with quality divorce lawyers.  

Know when to argue 

Arguments are unavoidable, even after divorce. When you have children involved in a family breakup, there is a lot to organize on a daily basis, even when you are not on the best of terms. Of course, this can lead to arguments and fallout that only serve to make the situation harder.   

Some battles are worth fighting, while others are worth avoiding; over time, you will learn to recognize the difference between them and when to stand your ground. If you find yourself reacting or overreacting, don’t beat yourself up; instead, forgive yourself and learn for next time.  

Learn to stand your ground 

It’s important to stand your ground on some issues. If you have made an arrangement with your ex-partner about looking after the kids or attending an event and they let you down, you don’t want it to happen again. In this case, you are within your rights to stand your ground and insist that you resolve a pattern of behavior that could become an issue in your future life situation

If the issue is a one-off and unlikely to happen repeatedly, there’s no point in starting a fight or falling out over it; you can simply let it go. There are good and bad ways to stand your ground; what you don’t want to do is to become reactive and defensive; instead, imagine you have a strong back and a soft front – a bit like a turtle -, and you can stand your ground successfully.     

Talk with your children 

The innocent party in any divorce is the children, who have their own lives and emotions to manage and navigate; the difficulty is that children don’t have the same experience and resources to manage emotions that adults do. Make sure your children have lots of support.

Talk to your children about the situation and make sure they know that it has nothing to do with them and they are still loved by both parents. Give them plenty of opportunities to ask questions and consider offering them some outside support so that they can talk openly to a third party. 

Avoid the legal entanglements

When it comes to a family breakup with children, legal entanglements are highly likely, chances are there will be a custody battle of some kind involved, and you will all have to go to court.

Instead of hiring an expensive lawyer and going to court, which will cost money and time, you could talk to your partner amicably and come to some arrangement that will keep everyone happy. Chances are there will be some debates and fallouts, but remember, the welfare of the children is the most important aspect of any child custody arrangement in or out of a courtroom.  

Practice forgiving your ex 

You and your partner have decided to divorce, and even if there is a clear-cut reason for this, it’s never totally one party’s fault. Chances are there are failures and grievances on both sides, so there is plenty of room for understanding and forgiveness. Forgiving someone is often possible. 

Forgiving someone is the step you need to make to move on with your life and resolve a lot of the bitterness and suffering that has accumulated over the years. Remember, forgiving someone that has hurt you is a way to bring more peace, joy, and love into your new lifestyle.   

Try to understand your ex 

Forgiving your ex-partner might seem difficult, but it is much easier when you know how to understand them and other people in general. We spend so much of our lives inhabiting our personal world that it can be hard to see things from someone else’s point of view; this is why clashes and disagreements happen on such a regular basis between family and friends.  

Attending court can be difficult and stressful for everyone, and it can be expensive for parents; if possible, find a way to avoid these legal entanglements and come to an arrangement outside. 

Understanding is the pathway to compassion and a more harmonious way of life; it’s the best way to overcome the hardships of a relationship breakup and move on with your life, allowing your ex-partner to move on with theirs. When it’s an ex-partner, there is an even better opportunity to understand their point of view because you know them and their needs.   

Try not to get defensive 

If your ex-partner is talking to you or pushes your buttons, your natural reaction might be defensiveness leading to an argument of a fallout. When you feel like you are becoming defensive, it’s time to recognize that and step back. A feeling of defensiveness will lead to a better understanding of yourself and your triggers, which can be useful for self-improvement

Maintain a healthy distance 

If you have some children to think about, it can be tempting to live close to your ex-partner for logistics and convenience, but this is a double-edged sword because it makes it more difficult for you both to move on with your lives. If you have responsibilities and arrangements, find a way to maintain a healthy distance from your ex-partner by living in a nearby town and traveling more. 

Learn to manage jealousy 

Jealousy is inevitable following a family breakup; there might be some jealousy around who the children gravitate towards, and there could also be jealousy around how your ex-partner is moving on with their life. Either way, jealousy is simply an emotion that can be managed and transformed into something more positive using skillful attention and attitudes of mindfulness.   

Focus on Financial Planning

When you are navigating a marriage breakup, you know that your financial situation is about to change. While certainly, a divorce can put a strain on your personal finances, it is important to act with a clear mind and set clear financial goals that will protect the entire family during rainy days. 

For example, you may start an emergency or college fund, and use reliable PHP Agency reviews to understand whether a life insurance policy is something you should consider. If you are unsure, working with a financial advisor can help you make the best decisions for your situation. 

Final Thoughts 

A family breakup is never easy, but there are good and bad ways of working with the processes to ensure the situation is resolved in a helpful and progressive way. Using the advice in the article, you can ensure that your family remains amicable and happy in the short and long term. 

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

It’s 2023, Now What?

I start out the New Year with high expectations tempered with grace. My Chronic Illnesses may slow me down some days but I won’t let them break me. This is where grace comes in, if I’m not able to work towards my goals today, I have tomorrow. It’s important to give others grace too.

Photo by Damir. on Pexels.com

Many of you know already that I don’t believe in Resolutions, they are dreams and dreams don’t come true. Instead of Resolutions make goals along with a plan on what you need to get them completed. Resolutions are like believing in the Easter Bunny.

If you want to move your life forward, you need goals and beyond goals is the meat of how are you going to get things done. I work to keep the number of goals to 10-15. This is a workable number to throw yourself into to make your life better.

I’m so glad you stopped by today and look forward to seeing you throughout 2023.

Here’s to tomorrow!

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Blogger Highlight-Psychologistmimi

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Psychologistmimi.

psychologistmimi

FOOD, ROAD TRIPS & NOTES FROM THE NON-PROFIT UNDERGROUND

I am a New Yorker, who has lived throughout the United States and abroad,  but my New Yorker wit (AKA snark; bite) and sensibilities always stay with me.

I appreciate the blogging world’s community circle and strive to answer every comment and like; as well as visiting the blog of every follower.

All the world is my television and life is a highway and I like to provide commentary on it. Cheers

 I love this blog, stop by and say hello.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

 

Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Let’s Talk About Suicide

When I heard the sad news that Stephen Laurel Boss “tWitch” died by suicide it didn’t seem real. The guy with the biggest smile, always helping others, a loving father of two children, and a large network of friends. Stephen had several projects lined up for 2023. He is not the picture of what you think a suicidal person looks like. 

That’s the point. 

Photo by Criativithy on Pexels.com

If you want to see what suicide looks like, look at the person next to you. There is no way to know what a person is going thru. We all have mental health needs throughout our life, if we don’t have crises large and small we aren’t living. 

There is a line between needing temporary mental help support ( Situational Depression) and having a Mental Illness. An example of Situational Depression could be losing you’re job, a bad break-up and let’s not forget those who’ve lost a love one. 

A Mental Illness is an imbalance of the brain, and we still have so much to learn about the brain. I have found Mental Illness make sure you have a good support system with friends, family, Psychiatrist, and Therapist. I believe the right Psychiatrist and Therapist can change your life, I’ve been with my Psychiatrist and Therapist for 30 years, and they are lifesavers. Good medication management is essential, being non-compliant with your medication, can throw you unbalanced.  

If you run into me, You would see I am happy to see you, I would chat it up at dinner, life is only going up. Finances are good, and thinking about my husband’s retirement. All good. 

When our paths cross again, you will see the same happy person. Only this time I’m having a crisis but you can’t see it.

If I were dealing with a severe dark depression, my mind would be ruminating on all the issues repeatedly amplifying the anxiety. The more you think about something you convince yourself that the problems can’t be solved, and there’s no light in the tunnel, the worse your crisis will become. This is when I tell my husband it’s time to call my doctor or meet him at Psychiatric Hospital.

I could see you a third time, be that face you saw at lunch, everything looks fine, not giving you any indication of a problem, and then kill myself an hour later. You never know and you’re not guilty. 

Show kindness to others, and remember no matter what the package looks like doesn’t mean that is what’s inside. If someone looks off their game, have a chat about what’s going on and what you’ve noticed. Try to keep it casual, maybe open up with something generic. Then gently say what you’ve noticed changes in their personality and how can you help. Say how can I help, not what can I do to help. If they put you off, keep an eye on them and keep trying to help. If think they are a danger to themselves, harm to others, or suicidal. Be more aggressive and get them to the hospital if nothing else. 

I will be brutally honest, if someone is determined to commit suicide, they will. Hopefully, with encouragement, from friends or family members you can get help before they hit “there’s nowhere to go”.

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Blogger Highlight-Invisible Pain

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Invisible Pain.

Invisible Pain

LIVING WITH CHRONIC HEADACHE AND OTHER PAIN FOR WAY TOO LONG

In 1997 I survived an horrific car accident. In “The beginning” you can read more details about that. Ever since that day I’ve been in chronic pain. The most debilitating pain I have is a 24/7 headache. I haven’t experienced a minute awake without pain in my head since 1997. I have several other body parts that ache constantly as well, and the most frustrating part, is the fact that I can’t find relief. The doctors and specialists are at loss. I’m just dealing with it all without medication, or any other forms of pain relief.
I’m still trying to find a doctor who’s willing to figure out this mystery that I am.
In this blog I write random thoughts, experiences, and complaints. Feel free to comment and share your story with me if you please. You can also e-mail me directly at invisiblepainblog@gmail.com
Thank you for reading!
Sincerely,

Vanessa

Her site is the best of both worlds, great writing and photography. 

Melinda

Looking for the Light

 

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health · Survivor

Documenting Long Complex Journey With Lyme Disease- Journal Entry One

I was reminded today that I had Lyme and thought I would share with you the first post I wrote in 2014.

It’s been a long time since this first Lyme blog, I found it interesting and naive. I hope you enjoy reading. If you’re at the beginning of your Lyme journey. I’m always here for you. M

Scheduling probiotics, medicine, and supplements is a challenge. With probiotics, you have to wait before eating or taking meds, then juggle what goes on an empty stomach with food. Can’t forget the shot to the stomach three days a week. Adjusting the new meds has not been fun, I’ve been stoned out of my mind the bulk of the day, then a massive headache moves in, and then time to get stoned again before bed with the headache.

My gripe is it’s not being stoned, it’s brain fog with the floor moving under your feet. David has to take me to appointments since I can’t drive. I’m a sight to see, a woman, stoned out of her mind trying to maneuver a cane while walking.

I had my first appointment with a new Cardiologist yesterday, he has Lyme Disease experience with a specialty in blood flow. He is one of three doctors who will manage my Lyme journey. The RN performed an EKG, and then his Assistant reviewed my medical history, asking what seemed like 1000 questions.

The doctor is next, we talk about how Lyme can affect blood flow in the heart and the entire body. The general exam with discussion on the test he has ordered. I left wearing a Holter Monitor which comes off at 2:45 PM today. I push a button on a small device and put it up to my chest anytime I feel dizzy, have cardiac pain, trouble breathing, etc, etc.

I leave with the schedule of tests for next week which takes 3 1/2 hours when to pick up medicine for tests and the great news is to show up fasting. A couple of tests I’ve done it multiple times due to my heart condition. The Tilt Test is what it sounds like, the table moves to a head-down position for 30 minutes. The test is more frightening than giving me a shot. They may see a panic attack instead, that’s a lot of time without control and no way to escape.

Echo Cardiogram

Q Sweat Test-Study of Sudomotor response assisting in the diagnosis of small fiber neuropathy

Tilt Table with Trans Cranial Doppler monitors mean blood flow velocity

Tilt Table with ANSAR-Determines how well the Autonomic Nervous System is functioning

Tilt Table with BIOZ-Determines the heart’s ability to deliver blood to the body

Tilt Table with QST-Assesses sensory neuropathy

Metabolic Stress Test

Lipid Profile

I have blood work from last week to complete, 20 plus vials get me as excited until she says the stool sample requires freezing! I’m now 1 hour 45 minutes before the monitor comes off. The time for a shot and a handful of pills. Are we having fun yet?

My heart and soul go out to those struggling with Lyme, it’s a long complicated journey. I know you’re strong enough to fight the virus in your body, though it may not feel like it today.

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Does Driving Cause You Anxiety?

Most people find that driving can at least be quite stressful from time to time. But if you generally have anxiety, then it’s highly likely that driving is one situation where your anxiety is quite profound. This is true of a lot of people, and you shouldn’t feel bad about it if it is true for you too. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to approach driving better and handle the anxiety better, so that’s something that you should think about here. Here are some of the things you can do about it if driving tends to make you anxious.

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Pexels.com

Keep On Top Of Repairs

You will probably generally feel a lot less anxious if you make a point of keeping on top of the repairs that your car needs. There are a lot of these kinds of repairs that might crop up every now and then, and it’s vital that you are going to be aware of these. You might need a windshield repair in order to avoid it cracking further, or your brakes might need replacing, or anything in between. As long as you get these done as soon as possible, you won’t have to worry about them as you drive.

Know The Signs Of A Panic Attack

For those with quite severe anxiety, panic attacks can often be something they need to think about and be aware of. After all, having a panic attack while driving could be quite dangerous. It will be important to make sure that you pull over as soon as you safely can if you are having a panic attack, and that will be easier to do if you know when one is coming. So make sure you know the signs of a panic attack and that you can identify it as early as possible.

Get Further Training

Very often, being practiced and prepared is something that can help with anxiety in any given situation. You’ll find that this is certainly true of driving anxiety too. If you want to keep your anxiety to a minimum while driving, then you are definitely going to want to get all the training your can. Beyond the normal driving lessons, there are also always further lessons that you are able to get, which can help you to feel so much more confident on the roads. That is something that you can always pursue, no matter how long you have been driving.

Credit – CCO License

Deal With Your Anxiety In Other Situations

It’s all related: if you can improve your anxiety generally, then you are going to find that it helps with your driving anxiety too. So make sure that you are thinking about how you might improve your anxiety in other situations because that is something that you’ll certainly want to think about doing. That could make a world of difference to how your driving experience goes, and you’ll probably feel better on the roads in no time if you can do this. That could be the most important thing here.

Invest in Car Coverage

One of the best things you can do to make sure that you will be less anxious when driving is to invest in proper car coverage. It might be a good idea to get some liability auto insurance as well as breakdown cover and more, depending on your circumstances. If you are unsure about what car coverage would be best for you, contact Cars Protection Plus. They can help you find the best coverage for you. Being prepared for anything can be a great way to ease the stress of driving. 

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Blogger Highlight-The Rebel Chic

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, The Rebel Chic.

The Rebel Chic

Live life. Take pictures. Drink good tea.

 Hi! My name is Cristina. I’m in my 30’s and currently working part time in the health sector in Bergen Norway. I grew up in the Philippines and moved to Norway when I was 19 years old. During my free time, I would go out and explore nature in the nearby areas alone or with friends and spend time with family. I’ve always dreamed of conquering each and every mountains of Norway and take photos of the fjords and fill my memory jar with life experiences and teachings. At the same time share my struggles in life and how I cope with them so that I could also in a small way help those who are on the same boat as me.

Check out her fun-filled adventures. 

Melinda

Looking for the Light

 

Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

How To Keep The Stress Out Of Driving

If you are keen for life to be as stress-free as possible, there are so many ways in which you might be able to do that. One way is to take a look at some of the kinds of areas of life that do tend to be most stressful, and then think about what you can do to make them less so. Driving is one such area that you might want to consider, and it’s something that is definitely going to be important to focus on trying to improve.

Photo by picjumbo.com on Pexels.com

Let’s look now at some of the steps you can take to ensure that you are keeping the stress out of driving. As long as you have thought about the following, you should find that this is much easier and more straightforward, so let’s look right now.

Develop Some Mindfulness

One thing that can certainly help here is to simply make sure you have a good degree of mindfulness in the first place. The more mindfulness you have, the easier it will be to keep your head on when stressful things happen on the road, so it’s really vital that you are thinking about this. If nothing else, it will empower you with the ability to make better choices, which is obviously always going to be worth your while.

So spend a few minutes a day in mindfulness practice, and you’ll soon find that this translates over to your driving too. It’s amazing how much this can help, and it is worth thinking about.

Credit – CCO License

Learn Your Vehicle

There are many things you can and should learn about your own vehicle, and doing so will help you to keep the stress out of the driving experience, simply for the fact that you will know all there is to know about it. So how can you learn some of the things you should ideally know about your own car? One way is to seek out the repair and owner’s manual, where you will find lots of useful information that can be a huge help here. Sometimes just having the Avalanche parts catalog can help you when something goes wrong, for instance.

You also learn about your vehicle by driving it, and by working on it, especially when things go wrong, so that is something that you might want to think about too. The more you learn about your vehicle, the less stressful you are generally going to find it, so this is a really important thing to bear in mind.

Take Deep Breaths

Very often, taking deep breaths makes a huge difference to how you feel while driving, so it’s a really good idea to make sure that you are remembering this. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that help the most in life, and this is a perfect example of that. You can just take some deep breaths, and allow the stress to leave your body, and in that instance, you are going to find that you feel so much better right away.

Again, this is going to be easier if you have practiced it outside of driving, so a few minutes a day of deep breathing can really help. You might be surprised that practicing something like that can make a difference, but it really does, and it’s going to help you out a great deal while driving, especially when something stressful crops up.

Credit – CCO License

Keep The Costs Down

There are many costs associated with driving too, which is one of the main stressors that the experience provides. So it’s a really good idea to make sure that you are keeping these costs as low as you can. That can be approached in quite a few ways, but the important thing is that you are doing something about them as much as possible. You might want to look at how you drive to ensure that you are not using more fuel than necessary, for instance, along with keeping repairs to a minimum by keeping on top of the car’s maintenance.

These can make a huge difference to how much your car costs, and over time you’ll find you spend a lot less this way. The amount of stress reduction you’ll experience because of that can be quite profound.

As you can see, there are a few main ways to keep the stress out of driving, so it’s definitely important to make sure you are doing so as best as you can. It will help make the experience so much better.

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

I’m Taking A Sick Day

I’m dealing with with my heart issue which is aggravated by a new medication I take for my salivary glands.

Too tired, so dizzy and have no blance.

See you tomorrow.

Melinda

Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

December Awareness Days

 

International Animal Rights Day 10th

Human Rights Day 10th

Wright Brothers Day 17th

Christmas Day 25th

Kwanzaa 26th-Jan 1st.

New Year’s Eve 31st

Hanukkah (1st day)

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Deep Thoughts

In this fast-paced social media world, it can be difficult to find the time to look within or back in time. I hope you find these quotes and questions interesting. So glad you stopped by today!

Continue reading “Deep Thoughts”
Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Blogger Highlight-Sara Flower Kjeldsen Writes

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Sare Flower Kjelden.

Sara Flower Kjeldsen Writes

Story writer. Book blogger. Tea lover.

My name is Sara and I’m a multi-genre Canadian author who has written 16 stories. Aside from that, I love to blog about lifestyle, indie publishing, and also share photos from my nature walks. I hope you enjoy my blog! My aim is to inspire and entertain. 

❤

 

 Sara is a prolific writer and has written 16 books. She has so much to offer on her blog, you must check it out.

 

Melinda

Looking for the Light

Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

How To Deal With The Early Warning Signs That You Are Unhappy In Life

Are you unhappy with your life? Do you feel stuck in a rut and don’t know how to get out? If so, read on for tips on detecting early warning signs that you are unhappy in life. By recognizing these warning signs early on, you can take steps to address the problem and get your life back on track. So what are these warning signs? Read on to find out!

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

Recognize The Early Warning Signs

Being unhappy with life can creep up on anyone. It can be hard to deal with the early warning signs that you are unhappy in life, but it is essential to recognize them so you can take steps to improve your situation. Some early warning signs that you may be unhappy include feeling overwhelmed or hopeless, isolating yourself from friends and family, experiencing drastic changes in weight or Sleep patterns, or engaging in risky behaviors. If you are experiencing any of these warning signs, you must reach out for help. Many resources are available to help you get back on track, including psychological counseling, therapy, support groups, and hotlines. Addressing the early warning signs of unhappiness can help you get back on track and improve your quality of life.

Identify What Is Making You Unhappy

Unhappiness is a normal emotion that everyone feels at times. However, it may be time to take action when unhappiness persists and begins to interfere with your life. Several early warning signs indicate you are unhappy in life, including withdrawing from friends and activities, feeling hopeless or helpless, sleeping too much or too little, experiencing changes in appetite, and having difficulty concentrating. If you are experiencing any of these signs, it is essential to take steps to address the root cause of your unhappiness. Otherwise, your unhappiness will only continue to grow. You can regain control of your life and happiness by taking action to improve your circumstances.

Take Steps To Change Your Situation

If you are unhappy with your job, you might start searching for a new position. If your relationship is the source of dissatisfaction, you might consider seeking counseling or spending more time with friends and family. Whatever the cause of your unhappiness, there are reasonable steps you can take to improve your situation. Take action before things reach a breaking point. By paying attention to the early warning signs, you can make changes that will enhance your overall happiness and sense of well-being.

Stay Positive, And Don’t Give Up On Yourself

It is crucial to remember to stay positive and don’t give up on yourself. It’s easy to get caught up in negative thinking, but it’s important to remember that you have the power to change your life for the better. So if you’re feeling down, take some time for yourself and do something that makes you happy. Once you start taking steps to improve your life, you’ll be surprised at how much better you’ll feel.

In Conclusion

If you’re unhappy with your current situation, pay attention to the early warning signs. Address them head-on and make a change. It may be scary, but living a happy and fulfilling life is worth it. And if you need help making those changes, resources are available to assist you. Don’t wait until it’s too late – move today towards a better tomorrow.

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

Blogger Highlight-A Visual Journey

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, A Visual Journey.

A visual journey

Relax! Let your eyes wander and quiet your mind with some visual therapy. A picture is always more than you can see. You will also find my own illustrations, animations and sometimes short stories. You never know what you will find so make sure to come back.

 I love getting her posts, she is so creative.

Melinda

Looking for the Light