Month: June 2019

Sleep Hack: How To Turn Your Bedroom into a Sleep Zone

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Make The Bedroom a Sleep Zone

A quiet, dark, and cool environment can help promote sound slumber. Why do you think bats congregate in caves for their daytime sleep? To achieve such an environment, lower the volume of outside noise with earplugs or a “white noise” appliance. Use heavy curtains, blackout shades, or an eye mask to block light, a powerful cue that tells the brain that it’s time to wake up. Keep the temperature comfortably cool—between 60 and 75°F—and the room well ventilated. And make sure your bedroom is equipped with a comfortable mattress and pillows. (Remember that most mattresses wear out after ten years).

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Stress Hack: Humor Is Your Friend

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Find an alternative, funny image to focus on every time you start worrying. In a classic study of thought suppression, participants who were instructed not to think about a white bear ironically couldn’t stop themselves from thinking about a white bear. But, when given an alternative image, they could focus on that instead. My favorite image is a bright pink elephant on roller skates. When you start to worry or ruminate, think of your elephant!

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Longevity Tip: Want to Live Longer? Try Happiness

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Make Being Happy a Priority

Feeling happy can significantly increase your longevity. In fact, happier individuals had a 3.7% reduction in early death over a 5-year study period . A study of 180 Catholic nuns analyzed their self-reported levels of happiness when they first entered the monastery and later compared these levels to their longevity. Those who felt happiest at 22 years of age were 2.5 times more likely to still be alive six decades later. Finally, a review of 35 studies showed that happy people may live up to 18% longer than their less happy counterparts.

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Health Hack: You Can Do It! Turn the Corners Up & Smile

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Turn That Frown Upside Down

You might notice that people more often gravitate to those with a sunnier disposition. However, the actual act of smiling emits serotonin (the happy hormone) and creates a, stimulating, positive environment. While frowning creates negative energy and drives people away.

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Writer’s Wisdom: Writing With Passion

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Write as if your words were a fire bringing warmth to a freezing cold room. Waste no words, just provide heat. ~ Sir Tim Smit

Dreams ~ Langston Hughes

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Dreams
 
 Langston Hughes

 Hold fast to dreams
 For if dreams die
 Life is a broken-winged bird
 That cannot fly.
 Hold fast to dreams
 For when dreams go
 Life is a barren field
 Frozen with snow. 

Today’s Reflection: Trouble’s Lessons

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There are moments when troubles enter our lives and we can do nothing to avoid them. But they are there for a reason. Only when we have overcome them will we understand why they were there. ~ Paulo Coehlo

Sleep Hack: 4th of 4 Reasons For Sleeping Problems

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Underlying Conditions

Many chronic health problems can throw a monkey wrench into a sound sleep. These are some of the most common in older age:

Anxiety or depression. Worries or a depressed mood may make it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Enlarged prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH). The urge to empty the bladder wakes men with BPH throughout the night.

Chronic pain. It’s hard to stay asleep when you’re hurting. “And it’s a two-way street. Sleep deprivation worsens next-day pain,” Dr. Bertisch says.

Neuropathy. Tingling, numbness, or pain in the hands and feet can cause frequent waking.

Sleep apnea. Loud snoring and brief awakenings during the night may be signs you have sleep apnea, which causes brief pauses in breathing at night and leads to daytime sleepiness.

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Stress Hack: Pop the Bubbles

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Picture your worries as bubbles popping in the air, or as leaves floating down a stream. This is a mindfulness technique that can give you some distance from your worries.

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Longevity Tip: Family History Doesn’t Have to Determine Your History

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What determines how healthy you will be as you get older?

The changes you’ll go through as you get older depend on a number of things. One is your family history (genetics). If your family members have diseases or ongoing (chronic) health problems like high blood pressure or diabetes, then you may have a greater chance of having those problems yourself. But just because your risk is higher, it doesn’t mean you will definitely have the same problems. In fact, the lifestyle choices you make can help reduce your chances of getting illnesses that run in your family. And even if you do get a family illness, choosing to be physically active, to eat healthy foods, and to learn how to deal with stress can keep the illness from destroying your ability to enjoy your golden years.

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