EDITORS NOTE: While some clubs have informed The Union of meeting cancellations due to COVID-19 concerns, we did not hear from them all. Please call ahead to confirm future meeting times and/or cancellations. We encourage club members to inform us of any future cancellations.

The Union publishes Club News each Saturday. To share the latest from your western Nevada County club or organization, email readers@theunion.com. Unfortunately only a small fraction of club submissions are published in the print version of The Union due to space constraints. To see the complete list of clubs, visit http://www.TheUnion.com, scroll down to the bottom and click on announcements.

Nevada County Travel Club

Hello fellow travelers. Well, these are certainly difficult times. I personally have had two of my trips cancelled so I sympathize with those of you who are also missing out on a much anticipated adventure. The following trips are still available for the fall: Greece, Autumn in Vermont, Philadelphia/Amish Country, England, Scotland, Wales, Great Trains & Grand Canyon and Treasures of the East Coast (a cruise). Not sure about traveling this year? We have four new trips planned for 2021 and members are already signing up for the following adventures: French Riviera, Southern Charm, Highlights of the Amalfi Coast, and the Danube River cruise. For more information on our club, call Judi Foy, public relations, at 530-432-3393

Gold Country Community Services

We continue to provide meals to seniors in our community. For those aged 60 and over, take-home meals are available at our Congregate Caf (Nevada City Senior Apartments, 478 Old Tunnel Rd., Grass Valley) each Tuesday. Meals on Wheels also delivers the same day to homebound seniors. To sign up for these vital programs, phone 530-273-4961. For further details, visit http://www.goldcountryservices.org.

The Nevada County Amateur Radio Club

We normally hold monthly meetings at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at the Salvation Army facility at 10725 Alta Street in Grass Valley. But due to the coronavirus there will be no monthly face-to-face meetings until further notice. However, non-ham members as well as persons interested in becoming ham radio operators or learning more about ham radio can go to our clubs website at http://www.NCARC.org for the latest information on when future club face-to-face meetings will take place and when testing will be available for people wanting to become ham radio operators.

Gold Country Kiwanis

As with all Nevada County, Gold Country Kiwanis is staying-at-home to keep everyone safe. Our upcoming events of Childrens Festival, generally held in July at Pioneer Park and our Back to School Shopping event at Kmart, set for August, are cancelled this year. GC Kiwanis has been keeping in touch with each other via social media and email and cant wait to get back together to continue serving the children in our community. Please stay safe.

Early Risers Toastmasters

We held our first Zoom meeting on Tuesday April 7. Fourteen members were able to join in. Early Risers Toastmasters usually meets every Tuesday at 6:30 a.m., upstairs at Humpty Dumptys. However, during the sheltering-in-place orders, we are meeting on Zoom. For more information call 530-273-9777 or visit https://toastmastersnevadacounty.org/, or Early Risers Toastmasters on Facebook.

Gold Country Square Dance Club

Following the guidelines set forth by our elected officials, the Goldancers Square Dance club will not be dancing for an undetermined time. We hope to be dancing again when everyone is healthy and it is safe to do so. Check our website at http://www.Goldancers.com to determine when we are dancing again.

Grass Roots Genealogy Group

Our May meeting is cancelled, please call the number below to be placed on our email list. GRGG is an informal gathering of people interested in learning and sharing about how to do family history research. Meeting time is first Wednesday of every month from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the LDS (Mormon) church, 615 Hollow Way, Nevada City. Call Susan at 530-271-1311 for more information.

Soroptimist International of Grass Valley

We have postponed A Day for Women because of the concern for our communitys health. We will decide about rescheduling for Fall or next spring when we all have a better idea of what life will be like. After a very successful retreat, we have changed our structure from committees to hands on Project Teams. Members will be able to choose areas of interest and participate as possible in various projects to benefit the community, allowing for flexibility of time for our members. We will continue holding our meetings through technology and will plan to respond to community need as we can. If you have a passion for women and children and would like to make a difference, please let us know at http://www.sigv.org. Our new structure may just fit your desire for service without a huge time commitment of time.

Gold Country Fly Fishers

In accordance with the directives from state and federal agencies, all GCFF activities are suspended until further notice. The board of GCFF believes it prudent, due to public health and safety concerns of our members, for the GCFF to cancel all gatherings for at least 30 days. Gatherings include the monthly general meeting as well as face to face gatherings of the board, of committees and fishouts. Check our website at http://www.goldcountryff.org for more information about our programs. We will be posting program and meeting information when our activities resume.

Health Care for All CA

Wishing all of you a safe journey through these rough times. We held our board of directors meeting via Zoom, and when we are on the other side of this pandemic, please join us to work harder than ever to make health care a human right. Our chapter is very busy working to pass Single Payer healthcare in California and nationally. According to the study published Feb. 15, 2020 in the Lancet Health Policy Journal from Yale University, Although health care expenditure per capita is higher in the USA than in any other country, more than 37 million Americans do not have health insurance, and 41 million more have inadequate access to care. A universal system, such as that proposed in the Medicare for All Act, has the potential to transform the availability and efficiency of American health-care services. We calculate that a single-payer, universal health-care system is likely to lead to a savings in national health-care expenditure, equivalent to more than $450 billion annually. The entire system could be funded with less financial outlay than is incurred by employers and households paying for health-care premiums combined with existing government allocations. Furthermore, we estimate that ensuring health-care access for all Americans would save more than 68,000 lives every year. Help us make this happen.

The PEO Gold Country Reciprocity Bureau

Our board (GCRB) cancelled the Founders Day luncheon, which was originally scheduled for March 21 at Sierra Pines Methodist Church in Grass Valley. This precaution was taken due to the COVID-19 virus. Apologies to all, but safety and well being was the first concern. Also the officers training slated for this month was cancelled.

Newcomers Club of Nevada County

We are a very welcoming club for those new to the area, newly retired, or have lived in the area for many years and looking for something new and interesting. Our meetings are generally held on the fourth Wednesday of the month at the Alta Sierra Country Club. These meetings feature a delicious lunch and an informative and entertaining program. For more information call Ann at 530-432-9954 or visit us at http://www.newcomersnc.org and Facebook.

Sierra Nevada Canoe and Kayak Club (SNCKC)

This group of flat water kayakers and a few canoe enthusiasts meet almost every fourth Thursday at Seamans Lodge in Pioneer Park (427 Nimrod Street) in Nevada City. They meet at another location for the May picnic, self-rescue training in August, Lake Natoma potluck lunch paddle in November and holiday party in December. Meeting time is 6 or 6:30 p.m., depending on whether there is a potluck that night or not. Check out our website at http://www.mysnckc.org for details of the current months meeting, trips list, coaches corner, and much more information. Our monthly programs entertain, educate and give members and guests the opportunity to socialize and share knowledge of places, equipment and paddle skills to enhance their water adventures. Weather permitting we have several local one-day paddles each month. From April through October we also usually have a several-day car camping paddle trip each month. There are some activities that will probably appeal to you and your boat. We welcome those who love the sport of paddling. If thats you, then please join us. For more info email us at snckc@att.net. See you on the water!

Golden Empire Sams RV Club

Is the only road your RV has recently seen, your driveway? If so, show it some love and join us for one of our camp outs. We are the Golden Empire Sams RV club, a group of RV enthusiast from the Grass Valley/Auburn area. For more information check out our website at http://www.Goldenempiresams.org.

Pet Loss Support Group

Pets are more than companions, they are beloved members of a family. Find the support and understanding you need with others who share the loss of a loved pet. For anyone grieving the loss of a dear pet, please join us from 2 to 3 p.m. every third Tuesday of the month at Hospice of the Foothills, 11270 Rough and Ready Hwy. For more information, please call 530-272-5739.

Gra-Neva Ford Model A Club

Ah-Oooogah! That is the sound of a vintage 1928-1931 Ford Model A automobiles horn. Our club is actively touring about and having fun! If you have one of these fine vehicles, and are not one of our members, you are missing out! We are a local bunch of friendly and welcoming people, who invite you to join us at our meeting as a guest, and to possibly consider becoming a new member. We meet at 7 p.m. monthly, January through October, on the fourth Thursday of each month, at the Nevada City Elks Lodge, 518 Hwy. #49. We are currently making plans for this coming May to celebrate our 60th anniversary in Nevada County, as one of the longest-standing Model A clubs in the world! Our activities include touring on this areas beautiful back roads, parades, maintenance of our cars, and enjoying good camaraderie at all our gatherings. Membership does not require ownership of a Model A, just an interest in the automobile. For questions, or further information, call 530-274-7079, or browse our website at http://www.granevaas.com.

Pinochle Players

Do you enjoy playing cards? We play Pinochle from noon to 4 p.m. every Tuesday and Saturday in Grass Valley. If you are interested, please call Rochelle Chapdelaine at 530-205-9452.

Nevada County Republican Women Federated (NCRWF)

Meetings are held the third Wednesday of the month September through June. Reservations are required. For more information about meetings, call Judy at 530-271-5794. Information about membership can be answered by calling 530-263-6733. For more information about NCRWF please email us at NCRWF@reagan.com or visit the website at http://www.nevadacountyrwf.org.

Golden Empire Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers Auxiliary

We are in need of more members. The Auxiliary first started at the County Hospital in Nevada City and came to Grass Valley Convalescent Hospital with the first administrator when the County Hospital closed and Golden Empire opened its doors. The Auxiliary provides many services. Catholic services are offered every week, ceramics are made every week by both members for sale and residents, as therapy. Non-denominal chapel services are provided every week. Visitation is done by members and more visitors are always needed. Some residents are from out of the area and have no one to visit them. The Auxiliary makes favors for the food trays of those who must eat in their room and assists with the dressing and grooming for a formal ball held for the residents every April. They host an Ice Cream Social with live music every June and provide pies for the residents Thanksgiving Dinner, usually held before Thanksgiving for residents and their families. In December the Auxiliary provides homemade cookies, small gifts for the residents before Christmas and more. There are never too many people to help provide our services. The Auxiliary meets at 10:30 a.m. on the third Thursday of every month, except July and August, in the dining room of the Center. If you are interested in joining this group you can contact membership Chairman Barbara Ford at 530-273-6084 for more information and a membership application, or come to the next meeting.

Soroptimist International of the Sierra Foothills

If you want to learn more about our club and see how we help our community thrive, come join us. Our meetings are the first, second and third Thursdays of every month at Tofanellis Gold Country Bistro in Grass Valley. We want you and your talents! It would be our pleasure to have you join us in our efforts to support nonprofit organizations that improve the lives of women and children in our community. For more information visit us at http://www.sierrasoroptimist.org, or visit our Facebook page. If you would like to feature your garden in our 2021 Garden Tour please email us at sisfgardentour@gmail.com.

Sierra Wine and Grape Growers Association

If you are interested in growing grapes, starting a vineyard, making wine, wine tasting or learning about wine in general, please join us for cheese and crackers at our meeting and bring a bottle of your favorite wine for all to taste. You do not have to be a grape grower or winemaker to join our group! We have interesting speakers, a summer picnic, a holiday party, and we provide a yearly scholarship to local students. For more information about SWGGA, visit https://swgga.org. Wed love to have you join us.

Grass Valley Moose Lodge #2317

We are an international organization of men and women, dedicated to caring for young and old, bringing our community closer together and celebrating life. We are for children in need from throughout the world at Mooseheart Child City and School, just west of Chicago. We provide for seniors at Moosehaven, our 72 acre retirement community in Orange Park, Florida along the St. Johns River. We provide over $90 million worth of community service activities annually throughout the USA. We have fun doing so and develop lifelong bonds. We will have birthday celebrations, and dinners on some Saturdays, as well as our monthly Monday and Wednesday, Thursday, night dinners, and our great Friday night dinner specials with karaoke after dinner. Check our website, and calendar. We also have a place for clubs and social gatherings. Come in and make new friends. Please come join us as a guest. We are located at Grass Valley Moose Lodge, 15694 Allison Rd. in Grass Valley. For more information call the lodge at 530-273-1070 or email lodge2217@mooseunits.org.

Nevada County Astronomers

NC Astronomers meet at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month in the community room at Madelyn Helling library. All are welcome. For more information, visit http://www.ncastronomers.org.

Gold Country Welcome Club

Did you receive a new sewing machine as a present and now you are wondering what to do with it? Perhaps our club can help with that. Our members have formed sewing groups and quilting groups to get together on a regular basis and share ideas and to work on individual projects. If this might be of interest to you, visit our website at http://www.gcwelcome.com to learn more about the possibilities that our club has to offer.

Citizens Against False Accusations

Child abuse is a very serious matter, but so are false allegations of child abuse which has the potential to destroy an innocent persons reputation and land them in prison for decades. Citizens Against False Accusations was formed to help those falsely accused of heinous crimes against children. False allegations, over the past years, have become close to an epidemic. In many cases, a false accusation of molesting is made by a child in a heated divorce or custody matter. This specific problem has gotten so out-of-hand in the country that it has been given a name; the S.A.I.D. Syndrome (Sexual Allegations in Divorce). Citizens Against False Accusations provide support and information about what best to do when a person has been falsely accused. The meeting is free to the public. For more information, call 916-216-0995 or email gvcenss@aol.com.

American Association of University Women (AAUW)

AAUW membership is open to individuals with an associate, baccalaureate or higher degree from a qualified educational institution. For individuals interested in participating in branch interest groups and other activities, but who have not had the opportunity to complete a degree, the Nevada County Branch offers Friends of AAUW membership. For more than 75 years, the AAUW Nevada County Branch has been striving to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. For more information, visit http://www.nevadacounty-ca.aauw.net or call 530-470-9395.

Hot Breakfast Club

The First Baptist Church is offering a free hot breakfast to Nevada Union High School students on the first Wednesday of each month throughout the academic year. Food is served from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. along with drinks and fun. The church is located at 1866 Ridge Rd., across from NUHS. In addition to a hot breakfast, which often includes pancakes, breakfast burritos or French toast, a selection of doughnuts, cereals, coffee, tea and juice will always be available. This is drop-in event for high school students before school is sponsored by First Baptist Church in partnership with Campus Life. All are students are welcome.

Nevada County Democratic Womens Club

Join us on the first Saturday of each month for breakfast. Check-in and socializing begins at 9:30 a.m. Breakfast and meeting at 10 a.m. at Trolley Junction Restaurant at the Northern Queen Inn, 400 Railroad Ave. Nevada City. Cost is $15 for full buffet breakfast, coffee and juice. Non-members and guests always welcome. RSVP at nevcodwc@gmail.com.

Family History Center

Nevada Citys Family History Center has expanded their hours. The Center will be open from noon to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, noon to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursdays. The center offers free access to Ancestry.com, Find My Past, Fold3, Geneanet, My Heritage, Newspapers.com and Paper Trail. Volunteers are on site to assist with your research. In addition, on the third Tuesday of each month the Family History Center hosts a Family History Workshop from 10 a.m. to noon. Each month this workshop presents a topic related to genealogical research and related subjects. Parents with pre-school age children may find our Thursday hours more convenient for research and assistance. There will be activities available for children during Thursday research hours so parents can focus on research. Nevada City Family History Center is located at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 615 Hollow Way in Nevada City. The entrance is located at the back of the building where there is free parking and level access.

Gold Country Italian American Club

Do you enjoy good fellowship? Good food? Bingo? Then join us at our luncheon on the third Tuesday of the month. We meet at 11:30 a.m. the Alta Sierra Country Club. For more information, call Don at 530-271-7491.

Social Hour at the Library

The Madelyn Helling Library is now hosting a monthly Social Hour. The library loves to introduce newcomers to everything Nevada County has to offer. Just gone through a big life change and looking for new friends? Just want to get out of the house? Come to the librarys Social Hour! Each month, on the first Thursday of the month, the Social Hour program will have games, crafts, and snacks! Come meet new people and hopefully make some new friends. A future date is June 4, depending on shelter-in-place orders. Attendance is free and no registration is required! For more information, visit the Events Calendar at http://www.mynevadacounty.com/library or call 530-265-7050.

Grass Valley Al-Anon

Is your life affected by someone elses drinking? The Grass Valley Al-anon meetings have relocated to 1721 E. Main Street, Suite 1B. Please review our meeting schedule by clicking on the link below. Newcomers are welcome to all meetings; and the Monday morning sessions are specific to people new to 12-step meetings. If you want/need support, we are here for you! For more information, visit https://al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/find-an-al-anon-meeting/ or https://al-anon.org/newcomers/self-quiz/adult-grew-up-with-alcoholic-quiz/.

Nevada Citys Evangeline Chapter 9, Order of the Eastern Star (OES)

OES is the worlds largest organization that admits both women and men to membership. The fraternal order supports friendship and fellowship among its members and philanthropy in the community, including a scholarship program along with cancer and heart research charities statewide. Locally we contribute regularly to the KARE Crisis Nursery and the Interfaith Food Ministry and just recently made and donated over 100 Port Pals given to Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital and the Grass Valley Dialysis Center to be provided to their cancer patients with chemo ports.

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly)

For those interested in joining TOPS, our club meets at 10 a.m. on Friday mornings. Check-in is between 8 and 9:30 a.m. at the Salvation Army, 10725 Alta St. in Grass Valley. Everyone is welcome. Fore more information, call Sharon Rodriguez at 530-575-9325.

The Nevada-Placer Chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

We are devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, at place of worship, and in our communities. We work to educate families about gun violence prevention and to help create and support public policy, legislation and regulations for sensible gun laws at the state and national levels. We seek to reduce firearm injury and death by keeping weapons out of dangerous hands. Contact bradynevadaplacer@gmail.com for more information.

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)

Our local Captain John Oldham Chapter meets the fourth Monday each month. We are a nonprofit, non-political, volunteer womens service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing Americas future through better education for children. Members can be any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background who can prove lineal descent from a patriot who supported the cause of independence in the Revolutionary War. Locally we promote patriotism, history, conservation and education with community projects and through chapter donations. For instance, our local Community Classroom Committee connects DAR with area schools by volunteering in classrooms, providing school supplies and helping teachers wherever there is a need. For further information on our monthly luncheon meetings or for membership, please call Emily Boling at 530 273-6140.

Jewel Heart Norcal Study Group

We will now be meeting evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday. We are starting a study of The Foundation of Perfections, which is a practical guide of stages on the path to full enlightenment. The Foundation of Perfections is a Buddhist text that offers intimate access to the material through explanation, group discussions, and meditation. The group will use Gelek Rimpoches text by the same name as a guide. All are welcome Buddhist background or affiliation is not required. Meetings are held at a members house in downtown Grass Valley. For more information and location please contact Joe at 530-263-8508 or email jbreault51@gmail.com. Jewel Heart Norcal is affiliated with Jewel Heart International. For more information visit http://www.jewelheart.org.

P.E.O. Sisterhood

Since its inception in 1869, P.E.O., Philanthropic Educational Organization, has helped more than 109,000 women pursue educational goals by providing almost $345 million in grants, scholarships, awards and loans and the stewardship of Cottey College. Through membership, the P.E.O. Sisterhood has brought together nearly a half a million women in the United States and Canada who are passionate about helping women advance through education, while supporting and motivating them. What started with a bond of friendship among seven women in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, is now one of the oldest womens organizations in North America with close to 6,000 chapters. To learn more about P.E.O., visit http://www.peointernational.org.

Kentucky Flat 4-H Club

The mission of 4-H is to engage youth in reaching their fullest potential while advancing in the field of youth development. Our club would like to invite all those interested or those who would like to learn more about 4-H to join us at our next community club meeting. Our club consist of Primary, age 5 to 8 years old, Junior, Intermediate and Senior members, age 9 to 19. We meet on the second Monday of each month at the Kentucky Flat Community Center, 13281 Newtown Rd in Nevada City. We offer a wide range of projects for our members. For more information, contact leaders Jeff Tynan and Teresa Toledo-Larios at kentuckyflat4h@gmail.com.

National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), Grass Valley Chapter 1335

All federal employees and retirees and their spouses are invited to join NARFE. It is a non-partisan, non-profit organization founded 97 years ago to protect the earned benefits of federal employees and retirees. Members meet the second Thursday each month at Margaritas restaurant on Plaza Drive in the Glenbrook Basin, except for July and August. Social time is 11:15 a.m., lunch to follow and then our speaker. A short business meeting follows. Local chapter meetings serve as an opportunity for federal employees and retirees to socialize, receive timely updates on policy actions affecting the federal community, and hear programs of general interest or of value to members. Reservations for lunch are not required. For more information on the luncheon or program, please call chapter president Larry Kinkor, 530-265-6477.

Banner Community Guild

We are dedicated to promoting, supporting and advocating for our community, regenerative farms, local economy, cultural diversity, education, the arts, and a variety of charitable causes. Membership in the Guild is open to women and men, people of color and people of diverse beliefs. We are an organization that listens intently to the myriad of voices in our community in order to nurture an organization that is inviting to all. Our motto is Neighbors helping neighbors. Monthly meetings are held at the Guild Hall at 12629 McCourtney Rd. in Grass Valley on the third Thursday of every month with a potluck at 5:30 and meeting beginning at 6 p.m. All meetings are open to the public and membership is encouraged. For membership information, rental of the Guild Hall including two large rooms and a completely equipped kitchen. For upcoming events and more, go to http://www.bannerguild.org. A Flea Market is held on the second Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendor sites are available for $10 no reservation required. For more info about the Flea Market call 530-277-4310. Coming soon: a Tool Lending Library! Stay tuned about this and other additional developments at the Banner Guild.

SIRs (Sons in Retirement Branch 55 Grass Valley-Nevada City)

Renew old friendships and make new friends through our monthly luncheons and organized activities. Activities are base on members interest; wine testing, bocce ball, pool, bowling, golf, fishing, and many more. We invite men of ALL ages that are semi-retired or retired looking to meet new friends and participate in fun activities. We are a 501-(c) 4 nonprofit mens organization that has been established for over 60 years. We meet for lunch the third Tuesday of every month at the Grass Valley Moose Lodge (non affiliated host) located at 15694 Allison Ranch Rd. Lunch is at noon. Come early for happy hour and billiards/pool. Come alone or bring a guest. Joining is free and there are no dues. Come join us, no reservation necessary. (Cost of lunch includes main course and desert)

Come check us out! For further information if needed, Call the Big SIR at 530-271-5679. More information about SIRs can be found at http://www.sirinc.org.

Child Loss Support Group

Anyone who has had a child die in their family is invited to contact Shari Homan, who is in the process of establishing a local chapter of The Compassionate Friends. The national nonprofit is a self help bereavement support organization for families that have experienced the death of a child. To complete the application process Homan is seeking three to four volunteers who are a parent, grandparent or adult sibling to act as a steering committee to help manage the formation of a Nevada County Chapter. If interested please contact Homan at Shari.homan@yahoo.com. To learn more about The Compassionate Friends, visit http://www.compassionatefriends.org.

The Craft Guild of Nevada County

Join crafters interested in sharing their crafts with others in selling handmade items locally. Meetings are at 6 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month except for Feb., April, June, July and December. We meet at the Earle Jameson Education Building at 112 Nevada City Hwy. Check out our blog at http://www.craftguildnevadacounty.blogspot.com.

Dementia Support Group

Cascades of Grass Valley, a senior living community located at 415 Sierra College Drive in Grass Valley, will be hosting a monthly support group for family and caregivers of those with dementia to help provide proven techniques to care, connection and understanding. Meetings will be held on the third Friday of each month from 2 to 3 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

Caring for a loved one with memory loss can be challenging and difficult, but with support and the care of others who are going through similar experiences, it can become easier. At Cascades of Grass Valley, we want to provide an environment that fosters engagement and connection and welcome you to join our Dementia Support Group. Take some time to rest and recharge with others who understand your journey, ask questions, share your story, give and receive support and learn care techniques from local experts on memory loss. Meetings are free and open to the public. Please call Brianna Phillips or Pepsi Pittman at 530-272-8002 to for more information or to RSVP.

American Contract Bridge League Duplicate Bridge Games

Come join the friendly folks who play duplicate bridge. We have games every week Mon., Tues. Wed. and Fri. at the Golden Empire Grange in Grass Valley (for info call Bruce at 530-477-9586 and for partnerships on Mon. email Bill Jones at bill8jones@yahoo.com. Thursdays at Eskaton in Grass Valley (Harvey, 530-477-5107) and Mon. and Wed. at Lake Wildwood in Penn Valley (Jim, 530-432-5593). If you need any other information or you are interested in learning how to play bridge, you can contact Bruce Lester at 530-477-9586. For information and a class concerning the duplicate game, email Bill Jones at bill8jones@yahoo.com. Our games are not only competitive and sanctioned ACBL games, but we always serve delicious coffee/tea and refreshments.

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous?

S.L.A.A., is a fellowship based on the 12 step program of Alcoholics Anonymous. This self-help fellowship is open to people of any age or sexual preference. Members include those who suffer from a compulsive need for sex, those with a desperate attachment to one person, and those who have a compulsive need to avoid sexual or emotional attachments. What all members have in common is an obsessive/compulsive pattern, either sexual or emotional (or both), in which relationships or activities have become increasingly destructive to all areas of their lives career, family, and sense of self-respect. Meetings are open to any person who believes he or she has this problem and wants to find help in recovering. More information, including Nevada County meetings, may be had by calling the phone number for the Sacramento Regional Information number 916-552-1442, or by going to the S.L.A.A.s international website: https://slaafws.org/ (S.L.A.A. Fellowship Wide Services).

The Tapestry Network of Nevada County

We have just celebrated our 7th anniversary in Nevada County. This Christian business networking chapter serves Nevada Countys local nonprofits while promoting each other in business. Part of our recent growth is the expansion, adding a Christian Bookstore in our downtown Grass Valley location. Their store includes Christian jewelry as well as books from local authors. The organization showcases authors as guest speakers and will have book signings along with the regular book sales of office hours Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Our monthly fundraisers normally take place on the second Thursday of each month. The Tapestry Network is open to all women in the marketplace. Details may be found on their Facebook page: The Tapestry Network of Nevada County BAM. Or email melisa@m3mall.biz.

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Club News, May 16, 2020 | TheUnion.com - The Union of Grass Valley

Wellness

Emotions will vary widely based on how this pandemic has affected you personally. Local therapists offer advice on how to manage feelings of grief.

Photo illustration by Amanda Lucidi

During the past couple months, Ive heard many times that the feelings of the pandemic are sort of like riding a roller coaster. Everyone is experiencing a wide range of emotionssome days youre at the peak, sometimes youre in the valley, and sometimes it feels like youre getting emotional whiplash. Were all clinging to a shaking safety bar on a very scary ride we never agreed to board, with very unclear rules and regulations.

Our emotions also vary widely, based on how this pandemic has affected us personally. Collectively, were all experiencing some type of grief or mourning for the way our lives used to be. The point isnt to throw our hands (and emotions) in the air and laugh. The point is to learn to sit on the ride and feel all the feels until the ride becomes more like a steady stroll or a calm drift. But thats easier said than done, so we reached out to local therapists for tips on how to cultivate your own emotional safety bar.

Janna Koretz, a psychologist and the founder of Azimuth Psychological, says these are the five stages of grief you may be feeling right now:

Obviously, the desirable stage is acceptance. Sort of like after a bad breakup, you just want to get to the point where seeing their name, or thinking about them, doesnt bring up such intense feelings anymore. Simply bringing awareness to what youre feeling and being able to name which stage of grief youre in will help you to process what is going on and work through it to get to the point of acceptance. Spend some time journaling, talking to a trusted friend or family member, or meditating/exercisingto really hone in on what youre feeling.

Unfortunately, there is no time limit to grief, Koretz says, and there is no logical order to the stages. It can be constant for any length of time or wax and wane over weeks, months, and years, she adds. Coming back to those trusted methods of self-management like journaling, counseling, or meditating to get to the bottom of what youre feeling is helpful. If youre feeling worried or anxious about the future, or that youre not getting over things quick enough, Lisa Lewis, psychologist and Northeastern professor, says to focus on the details of what is making you worried or anxious and pinpoint how you can take specific action. Sometimes taking action is the best antidote to feelings of grief, but she also says its simply okay to let things go or put worries to the side for now.

The nurse who is working overtime at Brigham and Womens Hospital is probably in a different stage of grief than a single person working from home with their dog, Koretz explains. Similarly, a married man who has been laid off with two kids to care for is probably experiencing something different as well. The feelings of loss for our daily lives are pretty immense. Nothing is quite the same, and thats a lot to process. Remember this when a loved one has an emotional outburst or a stranger criticizes your social distancing measures. Sometimes peoples reactions are simply a reflection of what theyre going through on the inside. Show them, and yourself, some grace.

Youve all heard this message before while getting ready to take off on in an airplane. Never has it been more accurate for daily life now. Not only do we have to put our own mask on before we help others put theirs on, but similarly, we need to take care of ourselves (physically, mentally, and spiritually) before we can fully help others as well. You cant offer people water if there is nothing left in the cup, Koretz says. Its important to remember, she adds, that taking care of others and yourself are not mutually exclusive activities.

The only way we can be there for those around us fully is by continuously self-evaluating. It becomes obvious when we need to take space when we feel burned out, exhausted, apathetic, lethargic, or irritable, Koretz says. Its important to recognize when weve hit these walls, but it becomes even more important to take preventative self-care measures to prevent hitting those walls in the first place.

A good way to prevent burning ourselves out is to look at our daily routine and recognize which activities are draining us and which are filling us back up, and make changes where necessary. Processing feelings of grief, depending on the severity, can sometimes feel like a full-time job. No matter the severity, it is draining to do that, and when life gets small, its normal to feel depleted, Lewis explains. Its a good sign when you can identify this change in energy and finding any way to conserve energy can help, she says. It might require a bit of energy to add the activity, but if it adds more than it takes away, thats a net gain!

It all comes back to the age-old adage: We have to make the most of what weve got. We still have control over some positive things in our lives, Koretz says. Focus on those. Depression is normal, especially during a time like this, but it helps to look for silver linings, brighter horizons, and happy moments and hold on to them for hope. Like all things, this too shall pass. If depression persists, though, and you cant seem to recognize happy moments anymore, Lewis recommends reaching out to talk to a family or friend, or call a support hotline. We rounded up these free mental health resources as a good place to start.

While we may not be jetting off to Caribbean islands this summer, attending concerts, or watching fireworks, we can still get creative and find things we enjoy. They may not be on the very top of our usual summer to-do list, but they can still be fun, and we may surprise ourselves with how much joy these new activities can bring us, Koretz says. Whether thats being outside, running through a sprinkler, or planting a garden, we can all take solace in being fully present. Personally, I like to have a two-minute dance party every day. Theres nothing quite like getting out of my feels and into my body. It always feels goodand I know I could use more moments like that.

See more here:
Eight Ways to Cope with Feelings of Grief During the COVID Pandemic - bostonmagazine.com

I participated this week in a virtual Battle of the Books, hosted by my local bookstore and moderated by James Mustich, the author of 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die. The premise: Persuade the audience to vote for a book that Jim should have included on his list but didnt. The format: Five contestants get four minutes each to make the case for a book of their choosing, from how-to (a cookbook, a feng shui decorating book) to fiction (Jos Saramagos Blindness, Anton Myrers Once an Eagle) to my pick The Journals of John Cheever, which I consider his crowning achievement.

Long story short, I didnt win. The audience, unimpeachably, went for Blindness instead. But I had a great time, and the event made me realize anew how much the pleasure of reading is enhanced by this part the social part, the part after the reading, where we talk about what we love and why, and why you should love it too. Forget 1,000 books. Here are 10 you could read right now, from Lydia Millets slyly apocalyptic new novel to Lauren Sandlers immersive profile of a homeless mother to Judith Warners fraught but entertaining study of the hazards of middle school. Read them all; just make sure you save some time for Saramago, and Cheever, before you die.

Gregory Cowles Senior Editor, Books Twitter: @GregoryCowles

FIGURE IT OUT: Essays, by Wayne Koestenbaum. (Soft Skull, $16.95.) In his latest collection, the polymathic poet and essayist Wayne Koestenbaum documents flirtations with beautiful strangers, the purchase of a new pair of glasses and swimming alongside Nicole Kidman at a local pool. He also writes smitten elegies to his influences, including Adrienne Rich, Susan Sontag and Montaigne. The chief charges against Koestenbaum are frivolity, prurience and self-indulgence, our critic Parul Sehgal writes. To which hed respond, Id hazard, with a cheery: Guilty! His great and singular appeal is this fealty to his own desire and imagination. If his excesses irk, it might be useful to wonder where and how you acquired your limits in the first place figure it out, as the title enjoins.

REDHEAD BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, by Anne Tyler. (Knopf, $26.95.) Micah Mortimer is a classic Tyler protagonist: He lives in Baltimore, he knows how to cook a few things, hes set in his ways until his girlfriend faces eviction and a stranger claims to be his son. What happens next is also classic Tyler, visceral and moving. Tyler has every gift a great novelist needs: intent observation, empathy and language both direct and surprising, Amy Bloom writes in her review. She has unembarrassed goodness as well. In this time of snark, preening, sub-tweeting and the showy torment of characters, we could use more Tyler.

A CHILDRENS BIBLE, by Lydia Millet. (Norton, $25.95.) This superb novel begins as a generational comedy a pack of kids and their middle-aged parents coexist in a summer share and turns steadily darker, as climate collapse and societal breakdown encroach. But Millets light touch never falters; in this time of great upheaval, she implies, our foundational myths take on new meaning and hope. Its not a history, not a tract or a jeremiad; the truth it bears is not going to overwrite the future, Jonathan Dee writes in his review. Its a tale in which whoever or whatever comes after us might recognize, however imperfectly, a certain continuity: an exotic but still decodable shred of evidence from the lost world that is the world we are living in right now.

AND THEIR CHILDREN AFTER THEM, by Nicolas Mathieu. Translated by William Rodarmor. (Other Press, paper, $17.99.) Mathieus coming-of-age novel won Frances top literary prize, the Goncourt, in 2018, just as the Yellow Vest protests took hold. Its depictions of a community crushed by deindustrialization help explain populist rage against economic elites. As suffused with local color as this book is, parallels with left-behind swaths of America (and England, and many other places, too) stand out on every page, Thomas Chatterton Williams writes in his review. But there is also that other, mysterious appeal in which a story resonates in ways that even the most devastating sociology and journalism cannot. And that is what will keep me thinking of these unremarkable characters in this made-up town for a very long time.

HOW MUCH OF THESE HILLS IS GOLD, by C Pam Zhang. (Riverhead, $26.) Zhangs mesmerizing tale of two Chinese-American siblings crossing the West during the gold rush, with their fathers corpse in tow, unfolds in a landscape of desolation and struggle that recalls Steinbeck and Faulkner, and in a voice that is all her own. Our reviewer, Martha Southgate, calls it an aching book, full of myths of Zhangs making (including tigers that roam the Western hills) as well as joys, as well as sorrows. Its violent and surprising and musical. Like Lucy and Sam, the novel wanders down byways and takes detours and chances. By journeys end, youre enriched and enlightened by the lives you have witnessed.

THIS IS ALL I GOT: A New Mothers Search for Home, by Lauren Sandler. (Random House, $27.) In 2015, Sandler was volunteering at a homeless shelter when she met Camila, a pregnant resident who was determined to find a permanent, safe place to raise her child. This book charts her path through red tape, educational challenges, family crises and moments of joy amid unimaginable struggle. Our reviewer, Alex Kotlowitz, calls it a riveting book and a remarkable feat of reporting. It is, he adds, a testament to the bigness of the small story, to the power of intimate narratives to speak to something much larger. Sandler wisely lets Camilas story stand on its own without lecturing us. Not to sound clichd, but we walk in Camilas shoes. We come to understand what Sandler recognized early on: If Camila cant navigate the dearth of housing, how can others?

AND THEN THEY STOPPED TALKING TO ME: Making Sense of Middle School, by Judith Warner. (Crown, $27.) Part sociology, part memoir, part self-help, this entertaining guide to the education systems most notorious institution aims to explain why trauma and humiliation figure so prominently in our associations with junior high. Warner knows of what she speaks, Shannon Hale writes in her review. Not only is the book well researched, but she also gets personal with her tales of middle school woe both as a former student and as a parent. It is the caregivers of current middle schoolers who might gain the most solace and insight from this book, those who find that shepherding children through what was once called junior high brings back their own trauma in unexpectedly painful ways.

KIM JIYOUNG, BORN 1982, by Cho Nam-Joo. Translated by Jamie Chang. (Liveright, $20.) A sensation when it appeared in South Korea in 2016, this novel recounts, in the dispassionate language of a case history, the descent into madness of a young wife and mother a Korean Everywoman whose plight illuminates the effects of a sexist society. This novel is about the banality of the evil that is systemic misogyny, Euny Hong writes in her review. Perhaps the novels international exposure will force South Korea to have another reckoning with what it plans to do about its biggest elephant in the room.

ST. IVO, by Joanna Hershon. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $26.95.) After years of estrangement, two once-close couples reconnect during a weekend in an upstate farmhouse. Secrets simmer and the absence of a beloved daughter introduces an element of mystery to this taut, thoughtful novel. Though it moves at a harrowing pace, this is not a traditional thriller, Danya Kukafka writes in her review. The friction resides, innovatively, in the agony of interpersonal misunderstandings, the awkwardness of old friends now strangers trapped together for a period of days.

WHAT WE CARRY, by Maya Shanbhag Lang. (Dial, $27.) Langs memoir of her relationship with her mother explores female identity, generational disconnect and the power of story. What happens when a mother refuses to help a daughter? Lang asks hard questions and presents moving answers. The shined-up, mythical stories our mothers tell us about their own beginnings are meant to bolster us, perhaps; but here, in exquisitely precise prose, Lang makes an argument that honesty is whats truly empowering, Mary Beth Keane writes, reviewing the book alongside two other mother-daughter narratives. In the closing chapters, we see a relationship between mother and daughter that feels new and tentative because life changes so much every few years, bringing out unseen sides to each of them.

The rest is here:
10 New Books We Recommend This Week - The New York Times

(CNN) When McDonalds restaurants reopen, customers should expect stickers on the floor encouraging social distancing and the closure of self-serve beverage bars. Workers wearing masks might check in with a thumbs up, or kindly ask you to move away from others.

The chain, which is preparing to reopen its locations globally as some US states loosen stay-at-home orderes, recently sent out a detailed instruction manual to franchise operators in the United States. The 59-page document, which was obtained by CNN Business, outlines the minimum sanitation and social-distancing requirements each must meet before opening its dining rooms. The contents of the manual were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Franchisees, which operate over 90% of all McDonalds world-wide, will have to pay for their own supplies, the document said.

The playbook also details how to keep the restaurants clean and make sure customers see the efforts. It spells out how to keep customers six feet away from each other, and mandate the use of some personal protective equipment.

Workers must clean and sanitize tables after each use and restrooms every 30 minutes. McDonalds recommends using a tracking sheet to document the cleanings. Employees have to wash their hands every hour. Restaurants dont have to turn on their touch-screen kiosks, but if they do, those screens and key pads have to be cleaned after every use.

The instruction manual outlines ways for restaurant operators to keep customers apart: They must close off some tables and seating areas and use floor stickers to mark out clearly recognizable paths that will keep customers six feet away from each other while waiting in line. The stickers should also help keep people six feet away from tables. The restaurants must also keep PlayPlaces closed and disable any interactive games.

Theyll also have to close self-serve beverage bars.

Thats both on recommendation from an epidemiologist, and because of how self-service bars may make customers feel.

Brand perception is another concern, the guide notes, and how this would/could play out in the minds of the customers given heightened perceptions around hygiene and safety as they see other customers not take precautions.

Instead, employees must pour drinks out for customers, preferably using fountains usually designated for the drive-thru.

The guidance also mandates the use of personal protective equipment for employees.

Workers have to wear face masks or face coverings, and all employees who handle food or service have to wear gloves.

Customers arent required to wear masks, but masks should be available to them upon request in municipalities where face coverings are required. Protective panels have to be installed at drive-thru windows and counters where orders are taken.

The playbook also gives employees guidelines on how to talk to people who might be wondering why McDonalds is opening its dining areas at all.

Workers can say, We are all in this together and this team has come together in so many amazing ways over the last few months. If someone refuses to social distance, they can try I apologize for any inconvenience, but to help keep everyone safe, wed like all our guests to maintain a safe distance of 6 feet from each other and our staff. McDonalds highly recommends workers use a thumbs up to check back in with customers who are eating at tables.

A woman was arrested last week on suspicion of shooting a fast-food worker and injuring others after they told her to leave a McDonalds restaurant in Oklahoma City, according to police.

Excerpt from:
McDonald's is going to look drastically different when it opens - East Idaho News

Executive Summary

At MIT Sloan School of Managements delta v accelerator 84 entrepreneurs participated in a first-of-its-kind, exploratory self-awareness program. By the end of the program, 88% of the participants (up from 21%) had independently established their own regular, weekly meditation or mindfulness practice; 53% of participants were more frequently utilizing a deliberate tool or technique to work through stress; and 40% were more aware of their emotions. While in previous years, accelerator participants valued their startups above all else, in this cohort, they not only valued their own well-being, but they more often offered and accepted help. They demonstrated that they didnt have to be harried and constantly stressed to show their passion for their startups.

Entrepreneurs are so passionate about what they are creating and often, so fearful of letting their team and investors down that they will do almost anything to realize their startups potential. Stories of sacrifice abound in founder blogs and startup post-mortems, with entrepreneurs forgoing sleep, friendships, family relationships, exercise, and good nutrition for their startups. This startup-above-all-else approach can lead to chronic stress, which wreaks havoc on entrepreneurs physical and mental health. A UCSF study found that entrepreneurs may already be prone to mental health conditions more than the general population, and in our personal experience, anxiety, self-doubt, depression, and loneliness are rampant among entrepreneurs.

What if compromising yourself for your startup isnt necessary for success? And further, what if its possible to teach entrepreneurs to work through the stresses of entrepreneurship more effectively, so they dont compound into chronic issues?

At MIT Sloan School of Managements delta v accelerator this past year, we took a step toward answering that question, creating a first-of-its-kind, exploratory self-awareness program to help 84 founders and their team members prioritize their individual well-being while building their businesses and measuring the results. By the end of the program, 93% of our cohort felt that self-awareness practice can help entrepreneurs create more successful businesses. More than anything, it gave our team a neutral, common language to build our relationships and culture, said a participant.

In developing the program, we knew that recommending particular self-care strategies creating a wind-down routine before bed, eating well, or taking breaks, for example would not be enough to shift the ingrained view that outsized stress and sacrifice is necessary for entrepreneurship, or to convince entrepreneurs to spend any of their extremely limited time on something other than their startups.

Instead, we (the authors) designed a test program to help accelerator participants develop greater self-awareness. We hypothesized that if entrepreneurs understood more about the mechanics of themselves their thoughts, feelings, and automatic physical and emotional responses they could make better personal choices in the face of the everyday stresses of entrepreneurship. Participants were taught a simple framework for building self-awareness:

Our framework is an expanded form of mindfulness defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn as paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally. To practice the framework, participants were taught mindfulness meditation, which has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety and help regulate emotion, among many other benefits. They also learned short mindfulness practices that they could integrate into their lives. In addition, we conducted small, peer group sessions, where we discussed key choices entrepreneurs face. Participants could use these sessions to vent and get feedback and perspective in a confidential setting. The small group meetings were mandatory, and everything else was optional.

To measure the impact of this methodology on our student entrepreneurs, we surveyed them before and after the delta v program, with 60 participants responding. The results were significant.

By the end of the program, 88% of the participants had independently established their own regular, weekly meditation or mindfulness practice. Before the program, 65% had never meditated, and only 21% were regularly practicing meditation or mindfulness. We didnt require that they start their own practice. We simply presented the research-backed benefits and showed them how it was possible to integrate it into their already-packed day. They decided that it was worth their time, and that they didnt have to view it as one more thing on their to-do list. While some participants chose to meditate regularly, others chose, for example, to make their morning subway commute into a mindfulness practice, taking five minutes (from stop A to stop B, for example) to pay attention to what they were hearing, seeing, and experiencing. As thoughts or feelings arose, they would label them, and go right back to focusing on their environment.

We also found that their practice was paying off and creating behavioral change. After the program, 53% of participants were more frequently utilizing a deliberate tool or technique to work through stress, and 40% were more aware of their emotions. These entrepreneurs were making active, moment-to-moment choices to change their habitual responses to stressful situations.

Finally, participants became more aware of themselves by sharing their challenges with each other. One third of the participants, via an open-ended question, said they found particular value in the learning, camaraderie, and openness they experienced in their peer groups. I became more open to sharing inner challenges with others, one entrepreneur said. Listening to perspectives and stories of colleagues in the cohort helped me be wiser about how I can approach complicated [issues] with higher confidence.

Self-awareness isnt a magic bullet. The program didnt alleviate stress completely. In a post-program survey just a few days before Demo Day, when they would pitch their startups to more than 1,000 people, 40% of our participants were experiencing more difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep than they were at the beginning of the accelerator. Incredibly though, and in contrast with previous delta v cohorts, they were making the active choice to sleep.

The culture of delta v changed. While in previous years, members valued their startups above all else, in this cohort, they not only valued their own well-being, but they more often offered and accepted help. They demonstrated that they didnt have to be harried and constantly stressed to show their passion for their startups.

Will the startups in this delta v cohort be more or less successful than cohorts before them? We cant say, yet. As we continue the program, we will build on our data set and track our participants. But we think that the additional tools the program provided will help them in their entrepreneurial efforts now and over the long-term. Rather than a state of being, self-awareness is a habit to be practiced over and over again. The 12 weeks of the accelerator gave entrepreneurs the chance to practice what they were learning, see the consequences play out over time, and integrate their learnings into their startups. We feel confident they will continue to do so as they build their companies outside of delta v.

We believe that integrating self-awareness into the entrepreneurial ecosystem entrepreneur by entrepreneur will lead to healthier startup cultures. This benefit wont just accrue to founders, in our estimation, but will create a ripple effect and extend to their team members, their stakeholders, and their customers, resulting in healthier and more successful businesses.

Read the original:
Passion for Your Startup Doesn't Have to Mean Constant Stress - Harvard Business Review

Right now, we are in the midst of a powerful wind. As a community, as a nation, and as a world, we have been hit by a virus named COVID-19.

When I think of a picture to go along with this quote, the movie 'The Perfect Storm' comes to mind. Granted, it wasnt a sailboat, but a much larger boat, and yet it was faced with the challenge of staying afloat as the great storm crashed into them. Right now, as humans, we are experiencing a great storm that has disrupted our lives. This virus has changed everything about how we function; from how we shop for necessities to how we educate our children. We know we cannot direct the wind, so how do we adjust our sails? Here are some tips on things you can do in your life to help during this time.

Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, there is nothing easy or normal about what we are experiencing. As humans, we were born for social connection. Our ancestors lived and traveled in tribes and this served an important purpose: survival. At this time in our lives, it becomes important to figure out new ways to create social connections. Technology offers many ways to connect, ranging from a phone call to apps such as Marco Polo or Zoom where you can send videos or have live group chats. Moving away from technology and using other resources, you can mail a letter or card to someone you care about. This could be a great opportunity to teach a new generation the excitement of going to the mailbox and finding a card or letter from a loved one. There are creative ways of creating social connection while practicing social distancing.

On Easter Sunday, I heard cars honking outside, and I went to my window and saw a parade of Easter well- wishers driving down my road, honking and waving. There are ways to build connections while maintaining social distancing, it just takes some creativity.

Self-care is a term that has become mainstreamed today but is often misunderstood. Self- care is any activity we do on purpose to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Although its a simple concept in theory, its something we often overlook. Good self-care is key to improving our mood and reducing anxiety. Its also key to a good relationship with oneself and others.

Self-care means examining the different components of our lives: spiritual, physical, mental, psychological, and social, and exploring areas lacking attention. Its recognizing the importance of all components and finding ways we can work to improve what we are giving to each of them. It means figuring out how to give the world the best of you instead of whats left of you. Some examples of self-care could include setting aside time in your day to take a breathing break, going for a walk outside, or taking a hot bath. Self-care is finding what works for you.

Believe it or not, there has been extensive research completed on the Science of Happiness. There is a whole movement called Positive Psychology that is devoted to this. By and large, much of the research comes back to one main skill that can be strengthened to improve overall happiness and life satisfaction. And that is gratitude.

One might be thinking: We are amid a pandemic, what is there to be thankful for? But the answer is there are many things to be grateful for, but it might be harder to find them right now. But once you get in the practice of finding these things, it becomes much easier. A great way to start or end each day is by stopping and reflecting on three good things. This activity is simple, but research shows that ending each day consistently reflecting on or writing down three good things has a positive impact on our mood for the next week and even month! This is a great dinner time activity, especially for those with younger kids. Ask everyone around the table to share three good things that happened during the day. It stimulates conversation and helps instill gratitude into our daily lives.

During this new and challenging time in our lives, we are all feeling an onslaught of emotions. We are actively engaged in grieving life as we knew it, along with significant events and in some cases, loss of life. It is important we find ways to feel and metabolize these emotions. Research has shown that a great way to do this is by using words to get these emotions from inside our head to outside of our bodies.

Journaling and talking to a trusted peer are two ways to do this. Sometimes people are intimidated by the thought of journaling ; feeling like they need to write things properly or fill up an entire page. This is not so; there are no rules in journaling! This experience is about writing what you think and feel, whether it is incomplete sentences filled with words, a poem, or even a drawing. Do what feels comfortable to you.

Given the challenge of social distancing, it may be more of a challenge to connect with a trusted peer. Again, I encourage you to explore new ways of doing this. In addition to peer support, mental health professionals continue to work during this time. Many are available via telehealth and this offers a way of receiving counseling while maintaining social distancing. This means you could be in your home and be seen by a professional.

Research has shown exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function. However, people often respond negatively to the word exercise. It can feel like a chore; one more thing to knock off your list. But here is another way of looking at it: movement. Try to increase your movement a little each day.

I am reading a book about explorers of Antarctica, and they have a saying: 11 more steps. This comes from the experience of previous explorers who they discovered would have survived their adventures across Antarctica if they had just gone 11 more steps each day. Perhaps look at your life and small ways to incorporate increases in movement perhaps just 11 more steps.

With workout centers being closed, there are numerous offerings on the internet of free exercise classes that can be done at home using household items as equipment. However, if that feels overwhelming, keep it simple and focus on increasing your movement.

In closing, I encourage you to find ways to adjust your sails as we weather this storm together. It is important to remind ourselves we are all in this together, and as a society we are experiencing the same emotional roller coaster. No one has been through this before and no one has all the answers. This is a time to practice grace with each other and ourselves.

Mithun is a Behavioral Health Home Integration Specialist at Lakewood Health System in Staples.

Read the original:
Mithun: The need to adjust our sails in uncertain times - Wadena Pioneer Journal

Looking back on their years as Mountain Hawks, seniors share their advice with younger and incoming students to make the most of their experiences at Lehigh.

As a Gryphon for first-year students, Alanna Lynch, 20, said she often sees incoming freshmen expecting to meet their friends in their classes, but she said for most students, this isnt the case.

Alanna Lynch, 20

She said students shouldnt be afraid to go out of their comfort zones and get involved with different clubs they are passionate about. That is where students end up meeting a lot of their friends, Lynch said.

This is probably the four years of your life that you have the most opportunities to get involved in something different, said Rhiannon Accetta, 20. You might as well take advantage of trying something new.

Anne Chabak, 20, said she knows its hard for students when they first get to campus, but she believes it is worth it.

Chabak said she got more involved her sophomore year, joining a sorority and a club sports team, which allowed her to make more friends than she did her first year.

Christopher Pineda, 20, said he recommends getting involved on campus early. He joined Engineers Without Borders his first year and stayed with the group throughout his time at Lehigh.

I enjoyed their way of thinking and how they saw the world, so I stayed with that group throughout the years, Pineda said. And honestly, that selling point of a good club or organization that youve been a part of is really good for job recruiters.

Lynch said when first adjusting to college, its normal for students to feel homesick. She is from Franklin, Massachusetts, and said she was especially homesick her freshman year.

If students are ever feeling homesick, Lynch said they should talk to other people because they are not alone.

Developing a strong support system during the first few months on campus is important, Lynch said.

One thing Lynch said she regrets is not making a greater effort to keep her freshman year friends as she got older and more involved on campus.

Rhiannon Accetta, 20

Even though some may think they have established all of their friends by senior year, it is likely easier to build new friendships and connections senior year, Accetta said. She said she believes she made most of her friends at the end of her Lehigh experience.

Everybody on campus is a familiar face, Accetta said. We all have such a connection to each other because weve been at Lehigh for so long. You can relate to anybody that you meet on campus in some way.

Getting involved in organizations around campus is also a great chance to meet upperclassmen who can give academic advice, Chabak said.

With registration for the fall semester, younger students have been reaching out to Chabak with questions about classes and professors.

I think thats very beneficial because theres no use in making the same mistakes twice, Chabak said. Making friends and asking those questions is just going to help you in the long run.

Accetta and Lynch both said for academics, students should take advantage of office hours and build relationships with their professors.

In high school, Accetta said she didnt need to study as much, but when she arrived at Lehigh as a bioengineering major, she found herself overwhelmed.

Underclassmen should not be afraid to reach out to friends in their classes for help and also their professors, Accetta said.

Lynch, a biology major with a minor in health, medicine and society, said she always advises her residents to attend office hours. When professors see students making an effort, they are more likely to help them out, she said.

Anne Chabak, 20

Although they might be intimidating, every professor Ive ever had has always been so willing to make time outside of class for you, Accetta said. They want to see you succeed. They dont want you to be struggling and trying to figure it out yourself.

Chabak, a double major in finance and marketing, said she wishes she had taken advantage of academic planning and her advisors during her earlier years to fully plan out her academics and schedule.

Going into her junior year, Chabak said she realized she had more room in her schedule than she anticipated, which is when she added marketing as her second major.

I also totally couldve just snuck in a minor in something, but I just never explored it because I was too focused on figuring out my major, Chabak said.

Pineda, an electrical engineer major, is going on to work in sales engineering after graduating. To help with time management, he advises students to plan out a calendar with time slots set aside to do certain things.

I know freshman year, I definitely didnt do that, and I kept on forgetting about assignments or having to do them late and making up excuses, Pineda said. As soon as I got a calendar and got everything in place, I started doing significantly better in school.

Chris Pineida, 20

Lynch said she wishes she found a better balance between learning and self-care during her time at Lehigh. She kept academics first for the majority of her college career, but advises younger students to enjoy everything college has to offer while staying focused on academics.

Lynch said losing her second semester of senior year made her realize there were a lot of things she wishes she had done, so students should appreciate their time at Lehigh.

She said she wishes she had given up a few Friday and Saturday nights studying in the library to hang out with her friends. She said she also wishes she walked up to the Bethlehem Star.

Chabaks biggest regret is not taking advantage of Lehighs study abroad opportunities. She said she had plans to go abroad during the spring semester of her junior year, but was apprehensive because she had never left the country before and backed out at the last minute.

Its such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and now I have a job lined up after graduation, Chabak said. I dont know if Im ever going to have that time to take off to really go immerse myself in another culture.

Four years seems like a long time, but losing her final seven weeks at Lehigh made it feel like it went by too fast, Accetta said.

Accetta said she will remember memories from the first semester of her freshman year for the rest of her life.

Pineda said it was really nice to have people around to share and talk through ideas with. Students should really appreciate all the people they meet and the time they spend with each other, he said.

There are a lot of diverse people in the Lehigh community, Lynch said. If you stay in your own little bubble, you wont get the full Lehigh experience.

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Seniors give valuable college advice - The Brown and White

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SALT LAKE CITY Its easy to forget or neglect our own basic self-care needs during times of stress. However, its during these times of increased stress, difficulty and uncertainty that we need to stay connected with ourselves and care for ourselves the most.

Thats when we most need to move our bodies, get enough sleep, not skip meals, reprioritize, scale back, allow for rest, reassess expectations and protect our boundaries. Its not the time to put these things on the back burner.

With that said, I want to offer suggestions for how to get back to the basics of self-care. Id even call these basic "hygiene" routines things that could be equated with brushing your teeth and taking a shower. These are self-care essentials that will make sure your basic needs are being met.

Youll feel better physically, mentally and emotionally if you are eating regularly and adequately. While it might be easy to forget, put it off or question the importance, I promise that you will feel more resilient to all that life is throwing at you if your body and your brain are well-fueled.

Anticipate hunger every two to four hours, depending on the size of your last meal or snack. A meal will likely keep you full for close to three to four hours, while a snack will probably be closer to two hours. Choose three to five food groups for meals and two to three food groups for snacks.

Think through a typical day starting with breakfast. What time do you usually get hungry? From there, think about what time to anticipate being hungry for lunch. If youre going longer than three or four hours between breakfast and lunch, you may want to plan for a snack. And so on throughout the day.

Stress and anxiety can often overwhelm you and decrease appetite or make hunger and fullness cues feel less reliable. But just because you dont feel hungry or dont have an appetite doesnt mean you dont need to eat. If your emotions are causing eating patterns to become irregular and inadequate, you may want to establish a flexible structure for yourself to make sure you are eating in predictable ways. This can help you avoid chaotic and haphazard eating patterns.

Its often because you arent eating regularly and adequately that your hunger/fullness cues and appetite feel unreliable or muted. When you are eating adequately and at regular intervals, your body can actually communicate its needs more effectively.

Physical activity will look differently for everyone. As such, basic hygiene for exercise would be to find a way to move your body each day in a way that you enjoy. It doesnt need to be a certain amount or a certain intensity, just enough for you to gain the mental, emotional and physical benefits of physical activity.

This might mean taking a walk, playing with your kids, gardening, stretching, a favorite exercise video, online class or anything else that would feel refreshing to you. Anything "counts"!

Instead of exercising to manipulate your body or to compensate for what you ate, look at it as an opportunity to connect to your body and support its overall well-being. That will make it more enjoyable and rewarding for you and youre more likely to be consistent with it when done with positive intentions.

Just like youll want to establish predictability and rhythm with food, basic hygiene would encourage you to do the same with sleep.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, current sleep recommendations are as follows:

Commit or recommit to getting in bed at a time that allows for the full recommended amount of sleep. You may need a little time before to start winding down and preparing for a good nights sleep.

While its not necessary to do more than whats essential during stressful times, it is wise to make sure your basic needs are being met. Prioritizing consistent nutrition, enjoyable movement and adequate sleep will allow you to support your health and wellbeing and increase your mental, emotional and physical resiliency during difficult times.

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Stressed out? Try improving these 3 areas of self-care - KSL.com

From International Relations perspective, there can be three suggested levels of analysis; individual, state and system level of analysis, to examine political, economic and social changes and their possible implications in the international system. The definitions of words fear, chaos and anarchy are driven from Safires political dictionary to develop a shared perspective. The term security appears ubiquitous and all the verbiage devoted to Covid-19 leads some people to postulate that the military jingoism had thwarted welfare budgets across the globe, but the non-traditional security paradigm will now rule the international system the very thought is simply chimeric.

There is no greater fear than losing a life. National leaders and policy makers will surely combat any possible challenge or threat to thousands of lives of citizens, irrespective of cast, color, creed, gender or class. The fear has made questionable social norms, beliefs, taboos and even religion. Fear of Covid-19 threat is looming powerfully without physical appearance and prevails around everything you eat, drink and touch. Survival against fear has become national moto. Nation-states in return have suspended all national activities from every walk of life by declaring it as a challenge to national security.

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Politically, fear has profound significance at the state level of analysis. Because the political leaders are supposed to take bold decisions rather than noble lies to protect their Kallipolis state. Threats to any sector of multifaceted concept of security are dealt with iron hands by political leaders. National security advisors think beyond the box against the dark shadows of fear, either it demands them to sacrifice their ideological rigidity, challenge religious belief, break social norms, and switch economic paradigms or prioritize state over individuals. Chaos at system level demands statism at state level to combat any type of anarchy through self-help rather collective efforts. Covid-19 is truly testing the credibility, vision and decision making for political leaders at state level rather than system level.

Previously fear of global threat used to bring centuries or decades old political rivals on the diplomatic table but covid-19 has put leadership around the globe in quarantine within their national boundaries.

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Economics is considered the strongest muscle of nation-states to cater multifaceted national security challenges in 21stcentury as extolled by Copenhagen school of thought in security studies. Covid-19 has devastated national economies in the first round of its outburst. It hasnt only endangered the survivability but generated mass chaos of alarming speculations of the great economic depression of the century. National policies everywhere are relying on national economic capacities, and pushing governments, institutions and individuals towards statism. In this situation, rising anarchy at system level is compelling nations-states to hold economic reigns centrally by capitalist and liberal economies to restrain their nations from falling in the realm of Marxism and its variants. Realist question here, if it is not a self-help to encounter multifaceted security then what?

The social dynamics of fear is a threat to social values, practices, customs, norms, traditions, lifestyle and freedom of practicing religious gatherings. Failure of all heuristic methods to curb fear of COVID-19 have further aggravated chaos at least partially in the social sphere of national life. Nation-States are designing policies to fight against Covid-19 by promoting their cultural identity. As Covid-19 has arch hold everywhere in the world so a large number of nation-states are believing in self-help rather than cry of collective help.

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Today, when individuals are locked down by national governments across the globe. It is military or paramilitary forces that are marching in all corners of countriesaround world. The responsibility and reliability is more increased from protecting national borders to public properties. Therefore, standards of statism have modernized at this time and engaging national militaries with more technologists and medical doctors to break any possible anarchy with self- help is the order of the day.

Mr. Zulqarnain is an associate lecturer at University of Gujrat and Doctoral candidate of International Relations & Political Science at Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad.

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Can self-help and statism prove effective against COVID-19, fear, chaos and anarchy? - The Nation

Executive Summary

Most of us are not on the overtaxed frontlines of the healthcare battle, but all of us can be first responders to the need for emotional support. Almost everyone needs connection to others and the opportunity to give and get support right now. So, how can you shore up your mental health and deepen your own emotional reservoir? The author offers four suggestions: 1) Start with self-care.We cant share with others a resource that we lack ourselves. 2) Ask for help when you need it. If you dont ask for that support, the need for it will be revealed in ways that dont serve you. 3) Ask others How are you? Take time to listen to their full answer and walk through your personal rollercoaster ride. 4)Look for the positive and say it aloud.Express appreciation, give compliments, and call out triumphs, no matter how small. If you see something good, speak up.

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As businesses and schools are shuttered, economic uncertainty encroaches, and a pandemic rages worldwide, there is plenty of anxiety to go around. Were watching our healthcare system be pushed to its limits, but the grief and trauma were seeing presages a second wave of need: Before long, our mental healthcare system is going to be stretched to the breaking point as well. As physical distancing continues, we need to make sure that we help alleviate the isolation, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and other mental health impacts that will result, driving a potentially system-overwhelming curve of their own. And now is the time to head off this second crisis.

Most of us are not on the overtaxed frontlines of the healthcare battle, but all of us can be first responders to the need for emotional support. The need exists in every industry and economic sector, among physically healthy people as well as those who are sick or whose loved ones are sick. There are needs in our families, extended families, congregations, and communities, as well as within our network of professional associations. Almost everyone needs connection to others and the opportunity to give and get support in the abnormal new normal of deep uncertainty and the fearful specter of a pandemic.

As executive coaches, we think a lot about how to maximize mental health resources thats a big part of what we do every day. So, how can you shore up your mental health and deepen your own emotional reservoir? Here are some suggestions:

We cant share with others a resource that we lack ourselves. The critical starting point is to take our own mental health temperature. How am I doing? What will help me combat anxiety? Am I drinking, eating, or sleeping, or crying too much? What do I need to do to stay connected?

Follow up with a plan. Begin with keeping to your normal routine as much as possible. Take a shower early in the day. Brush your teeth. Put on clothes that you feel good in. One of the best ways to manage through chaos is to anchor yourself in routine. Schedule regular exercise, which has well-documented mental health benefits. Try taking up a regular meditation, if you havent already there truly is no time like the present. Scheduling when you read or watch the news can help keep your consumption measured. If it triggers adverse emotions and bogs you down, skip it for a while, or only consume enough to be current on your local developments. Do not follow the stock market every day, unless youre thrilled by emotional roller coasters.

Next, think of ways to be mentally engaged either through work or activities such as crossword or jigsaw puzzles, games, reading, or writing. Start a journal or blog. Self-reflection will allow you to make meaning of what is happening. Use technology to remain connected with family and friends. If possible, pursue your hobbies. One of our colleagues Julie Carrier rides her bike around her neighborhood each day, waving and saying hello to as many people as possible (from a safe distance). This not only gives her fresh air and a change of scenery but an opportunity to be with people.

Caregivers, parents, coaches, therapists, and even you need help. We all do right now. Dont hesitate to seek and ask for it. In many cases we can find the support we need from partners, parents, children, friends, and others close to us. There are professional resources to access if necessary, but again, if we can get adequate help elsewhere, we will conserve those resources for those who cant. You are going to need support. If you dont ask for that support, the need for it will be revealed in ways that dont serve you. Speaking from experience, either your resent-o-meter will spike, or you will find yourself holding grudges, being unkind and ungenerous in unexpected moments often to the people who you most care about.

The flip side of this is making yourself available to others who need help. While its important to keep your own emotional state in mind, remember that practicing self-care doesnt mean being self-centered. One of the best ways to lift your mood is to encourage, support, and love others. During the last few weeks we have seen countless acts of people stepping up and answering the call to serve: a Costco run for an elderly neighbor, a medium-size business offering more favorable terms to a small business client to increase their cash flow (which resulted in them keeping their staff), donations to local charities to get PPE to local healthcare workers, and the list goes on.

Most mornings, when we hop on a Zoom call with business partners, we dive into the most pressing issues of the day. It is easy to jump straight to the to-dos and brush off the How are you? with a casual Im fine. On routine days, this is often a pro forma question, but theres nothing routine about these days. This is the question that helps us take the mental health temperature of others, which means we really listen to the answer, even though that may not be our habit. Everyone is grieving. Everyone is experiencing trauma and needs other people to talk to. We need to feel heard.

When youre talking to friends, colleagues, whomever, take time to listen to their full answer and walk through your personal COVID-19 rollercoaster ride. You dont need to ride the emotional rollercoaster with your colleagues, but it is important to listen to how their ride is going. Be willing to wait for people to be honest. Be comfortable in silence if someone searches for words or has to collect their emotions. We are all overtaxed.

We may usually be a little sparing with praise. Maybe we think that someone who criticizes us is smarter than we are, or that praising others feels like an acknowledgment that we are inferior, so we demur. The temptation to withhold support can increase when we are experiencing feelings of scarcity, which can foster competitiveness and even enmity. Now is not that time. Now is the time to have the courage to be enthusiastic. Express appreciation, give compliments, and call out triumphs, no matter how small. If you see something good, speak up.

Big wins may be in short supply, but everyone continues to need positive feedback. With work associates, encourage your subordinates, peers, bosses, and also rivals, competitors, past partners. If you admire someone, tell them (and if you think they could not possibly need support from you right now, youre likely wrong).

We still have a long, hard path to get through this pandemic. But doing our best to manage the toll it takes on our mental and emotional health will make it easier to ride out the coming ups and downs. Weve made great strides in recent years addressing mental health in the workplace and more generally. We need people on the frontlines rescuing the physically afflicted, but the emotional aspect will affect everyone. All of us need emotional first responders. Take good care of yourself. Because we need you.

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To Take Care of Others, Start by Taking Care of Yourself - Harvard Business Review