Burnout Is On The Rise: Heres How To Avoid It From finding therapeutic relief through hobbies outside of work, to getting a full nights sleep, here are some strategies workers can use to avoid burnout.

A recent survey from FlexJobs and Mental Health America has found that three-quarters of workers have experienced burnout at work, and 40% of them say theyve experienced burnout specifically during the coronavirus pandemic.

Considering that as many as 37% of employees reported working longer hours since the pandemic started, the rise in burnout isnt too surprising.

Add to the longer hours the stress and anxiety that many are currently facing for a variety of reasons: fear of losing their jobs, uncertainty because of the pandemic, increased workload as many companies have laid off employees, the struggle of physical distancing, and getting used to working from home, and youve got a perfect recipe for burnout.

While burnout is a big problem in and out of itself, its not the only problem. More worrying is the fact that only 21% of employees stated that they were able to have open, productive conversations with HR about solutions to their burnout.

This means that almost 80% of employees are not getting the support they need from their employers to cope with burnout and work-related stress.

This is particularly alarming considering that workers mental health has significantly declined since the onset of the pandemic. According to the survey report, prior to the pandemic, just 5% of employed workers and 7% of unemployed workers said their mental health was poor or very poor. Now, 18% of employed and 27% of unemployed workers say they are struggling with mental health issues.

In times when organizations should be lending support to employees, the reality is far from the ideal. The survey found that 56% of employees would go so far as to say that their HR departments did not encourage conversations about burnout.

Mental health as a whole is suffering since the start of the pandemic, but stress is of particular concern to workers. Of employed workers, 42% say their stress levels are currently high or very high, while 47% of those who are unemployed report high stress levels.

Top employee stressors include:

Why should this matter to employers?

Simple. Because mental health and work are intertwined.

For better or for worse, the work environment has a direct impact on mental and emotional health. More than three-quarters (76%) of respondents agree that workplace stress affects their mental health, leading to depression or anxiety, and 17% strongly agree.

Moreover, if organizations want their employees to perform their best and reach their full potential, they need to make sure that they are supporting them in the ways they need it the most.

Currently, that means providing mental health support.

According to the survey, the top ways employers can support mental health of their employees include:

Survey respondents also reported that they would be interested in participating in virtual mental health solutions if these are offered through their workplace:

Below are some strategies that can help you prevent burnout.

Exercise has been proven to be great for our physical health, but also our emotional and mental health.

You dont need to spend hours at the gym or have an intense workout in order to reap the benefits of exercise. Sometimes something as simple as a walk or a few stretching exercises can do the trick. Whats important is that you find some activity that you enjoy and that you stick with it.

It can be hard to set boundaries when youre working from home, especially today as experts continue to advise that people physically distance themselves.

But setting boundaries is key in order to prevent burnout. Otherwise you will find yourself working lingerie hours and having a harder time unplugging from work.

Some ways to create boundaries include:

Studies have found that there is a direct link between stress and lack of sleep. Not only does stress make it harder for people to sleep, but lack of sleep can worsen stress. Its quite the vicious circle.

To prevent burnout, you need to make sure that youre getting some quality shut eye every night. Below are some tips that can help you get a better nights sleep:

Considering how many people are struggling with physical distancing and how many are increasingly feeling lonely, reaching out to those close to you should be part of your weekly routine.

Sometimes the best therapy we can get is talking to those close to us; even if you dont talk about whats stressing or bothering you, simply having a friendly voice and a nice conversation can go a long way in boosting our mood.

When working from home, it can be really hard to turn off our work mindset. This is why its important that you find and engage with activities that you enjoy outside of your work.

Whether you enjoy cooking, reading, coloring, cleaning, organizing, ceramics, etc., the goal is for you to immerse yourself in an activity that you fully enjoy and that provides some therapeutic relief.

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Cecilia Amador de San Jos, Senior Associate Editor of Allwork.Space, is based from wherever her laptop is. She enjoys traveling and visiting new flexible workspaces. If you'd like Ceci to check out your workspace, feel free to reach out to her at [emailprotected] (and send a plane ticket). View all posts by Cecilia Amador de San Jos

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Burnout Is On The Rise: Here's How To Avoid It - Allwork.Space

Cheryl Lawson is known for her long, curly, red hair.

But she is planning to shave it all off for the charity Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide.

The 33-year-old from Scawthorpe, said: My sister's fiance Pete committed suicide on May 21 of this year.

Cheryl want to raise at least 1,000 and raise awareness about mental illness.

Some days he could cope but others were difficult.

Cheryl says that Pete Sims, 34, of Cusworth was an outgoing and joyful man.

He was often described as the life of the party and was a great father to son Edwin.

Pete Sims, aged 34 from Cusworth.

He had struggled for years and gone through so much, Cheryl said.

I know that he would be 100 per cent behind it.

She has wanted to do a head shave for many years but has waited for the right cause which means something personal to her.

Cheryl is known for her long, curly, red hair. All of which she is shaving off to raise money for charity.

Cheryl has so far raised 850 and is planning on doing the big shave when she reaches 1,000.

She said: Im looking forward to shaving it off because I have so much hair and it will be nice to be able to wake up in the morning and not have to tame it.

My hair is how a lot of people recognise me so I thought it would be symbolic to take that away.

When people struggle with mental illness that is sometimes the only thing people can see about them.

Cheryl wants to start more conversations in Doncaster about mental illness and how its treated in our town.

There is a shut up and put up attitude in our town, she continued.

Lockdown has put a lot of extra stress on people and I truly believe that we need to talk and change attitudes around mental health.

If you want to donate to Cheryls head shave you can do here.

Continued here:
Doncaster woman to shave head to raise money for bereavement charity - Doncaster Free Press

BY RICHARD CAWLEY richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Matt Smith is looking to impress this season and that has nothing to do with putting himself in the shop window.

The striker, 31, was top-scorer for Millwall last season with 14 goals and will look to nail down a starting spot again under Gary Rowett when the Championship resumes on September 12.

Smith is due to be a free agent at the end of June but says that doesnt change the way he will approach the 2020-21 campaign.

The big frontman signed a two-year deal when he arrived from QPR in July 2019.

This is probably uncharted territory for me, said Smith. Other than when I moved to Leeds I have never found myself in my final year of a contract.

But it doesnt change my attitude one bit. My approach will always be the same to give everything I can and have the most productive season as possible.

Im not one to sit back, relax and think everything is okay. Im the type of person who wants to keep pushing and do better and better every season. The target is always to have the best season Ive ever had.

Smith is coming off his most prolific goal return in English footballs second tier. He netted eight times in his final season at QPR and bagged 11 for them in 2017-18. While he ended the 2014-15 season with 19 goals, 13 of those came during a productive loan at then League One outfit Bristol City.

Rowett has already said one area that damaged Millwalls top-six prospects is that they didnt score between 65 and 70 goals. Only six clubs netted fewer than Millwalls tally of 57.

The Lions chief did not pin those attacking shortcomings just on his attackers. But Smith is happy to question himself.

While people might be told to contribute from other areas, ultimately it is the job of myself and the other strikers. I look at myself could I have scored more and helped the team out?

While we were very resilient and kept a lot of clean sheets, we didnt score enough goals. That is my job to do that. As a collective we fell a bit short.

I could have got a couple at QPR [in the penultimate fixture] which could have changed the game. Middlesbrough at the start of the season was a catastrophe for me I could have had a hat-trick.

Against Luton I couldve got us the win but had a big miss with a header. You do think about those scenarios but there are probably one or two that go for you, so it balances itself out. But Im never satisfied. You cant let complacency start to creep in.

Rowett has moved to strengthen the striking department with Troy Parrott arriving on loan.

Millwall were so often 4-4-2 under previous boss Neil Harris who was a long-term admirer of Smith but quite often Rowett has employed one out-and-out centre-forward in a 4-2-3-1 or 5-2-3 formation.

There are a wealth of attacking players at the top end of the pitch vying for attacking spots, said Smith.

Ultimately Im hoping I can force my way in and be that person.

Goals dont necessarily guarantee you starting, as weve seen. It is not just delivering the best goal return as a forward its that you can be best for the team and the style of play. Ive always believed I operate better with a strike partner, so seeing the likes of Troy and everyone else we have got makes my eyes light up.

But I also realise that two strikers is becoming less and less fashionable these days.

Hopefully I can be the main man not only deliver goals but also be a platform and catalyst for the team to perform.

Parrott, 18, has arrived with a lofty reputation he has already been capped at senior level by the Republic of Ireland and featured in the Premier League last season under both Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho.

The Lions put out a video last week of the youngster showing a ruthless streak in shooting drills.

Everyone has been really, really impressed with him, said Smith. For an 18-year-old he carries himself as a mature adult.

Hes very much got a mans body for such a young lad. In training he has shown he has got a good footballing brain. He has got some great attributes hes strong, he can turn and he can finish.

On the face of it, it looks a really savvy move and acquisition for the team. Hopefully he scores us a lot of goals. He has come here looking to get experience and game time under his belt Im sure he will do that from what Ive seen of him so far. To be so sought after by other teams and a manager like Mourinho speaks volumes.

Millwall are back in the swing of pre-season training, with minimal downtime. The domestic fixture schedule was rejigged due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

I enjoy getting down to the games that stuff that matters most, said Smith. This is my 10th pre-season and it is never my finest hour to get a condensed version of it was music to my ears.

I dont tend to shine in this period, so the sooner its over the better.

For big guys like myself you get a little exposed and all these youngsters are running rings around you. But at the same time it is as important, if not more, for the big lads to be in peak physical condition going into the games, because it takes a little longer to get up to speed.

When you have several weeks off you feel a bit rusty but this time its felt like wed not been away. I made the most of the limited time off. I managed to get away with my fiance for a couple of weeks in the south of France.

It was brilliant as much for a mental break than a physical one. We were off for the lockdown period but you were always mentally switched on to come back.

So to have that mental respite and not think about football was welcome. Its been a very challenging year for people and were no different as footballers.

Forests end-of-season slump opened the door for Swansea to snatch the final play-off place.

Millwall finished eighth, two points behind the Welsh club.

Smith said: You look back to the QPR and Middlesbrough games which were the two we really let ourselves down in, it makes you think what if?. After the Huddersfield game it showed that we were just a win away.

The league table doesnt lie. It showcases how you perform over the entire campaign and thats what matters.

Whilst it feels like it was down to two games, it really wasnt.

We felt very gutted that we fell just short at the very end. Its something well be looking to rectify going into this season.

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Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has encouraged everyone in the country who can afford to do so to buy a newspaper, and told the Downing Street press briefing recently: A free country needs a free press, and the newspapers of our country are under significant financial pressure.

So if you have enjoyed reading this story, and if you can afford to do so, we would be so grateful if you can buy our newspaper or make a donation, which will allow us to continue to bring stories like this one to you both in print and online.

Read more from the original source:
Millwall striker Matt Smith on his contract situation, why pre-season is never his finest hour, Troy Parrott + looking to be a first-choice in attack...

Limpe reflects on her fitness journey in quarantine.

Even before the pandemic hit, staying at home everyday always left me feeling restless. I am the type of person who needs to be out and about doing something productive, whether its finishing errands, meeting with friends or simply walking in the park. So, aware that I would be spending countless monotonous days at home in this new normal, I knew I had to redirect my energy somewhere else. Thats why I turned to working out and learning yoga.

Aside from some research, nonprofit and internship work, I have spent the majority of my time in quarantine exercising, usually seven times a week if my body can handle it. It isnt as if I havent exercised before. In fact, I would say that I exercised pretty consistently even before quarantine; however, I didn't have a regimen in place, and studies and extracurriculars would often get in the way of making substantial fitness progress.

Always known as the short girl with the fast metabolism, l was never really conscious about my appearance until I saw the effects of the dreaded Freshman 15 after my first semester at Hopkins. Realistically, I know it did not affect me as terribly as I envisioned it in my head, but it still made me more conscious about what I ate and how I was working out.

With extra time on my hands and still reeling from the effects of the Freshman 15, I began my fitness journey in quarantine strong. I was exercising everyday and even completed an isolated 10k with my cousins for coronavirus patients. However, with extra time at home in quarantine, my mind would unwittingly wander into the dreaded area of insecurities. Knowing the amount of effort I was putting into staying fit, and seeing photos of the body I aspired to have, soon became very damaging. On many occasions, I had to stop myself from obsessing over the most effective workouts and falling into the dangerous mindset that I needed to eat less or skip meals in order to tone my body.

Deep down, I knew that I had made my core and arms stronger, and I just needed to focus on what I had already accomplished instead of what I was still lacking. Maybe I would never be able to return to my pre-college weight, but did I really want to give up my current healthier lifestyle to backtrack into my malnourished self?

Alongside the physical effort of completing various workout programs, it took a lot of mental effort to start focusing on developing a healthy mindset alongside a healthy body. I attribute part of the process to the materials I learned in my Abnormal Psychology class. Because I was aware of some of the bad habits of a potential eating disorder, I was able to recognize them in my own life and during discussions with friends about shared health issues. From there, I used this knowledge to turn my negative thoughts into positive fuel to make me more conscious about reforming my life for the better. I began by reading countless blogs and watching YouTube videos by verified nutritionists to learn how to eat and work out right.

Of course, it was not a straightforward path. There were still times when my mind would unconsciously drift back to my negative thoughts even after I began making changes to my lifestyle. To counter this, I found foods and exercises that I genuinely enjoyed, so that I would look forward to the changes I was making to my diet and exercise rather than be left dreaming of the desserts I was missing. Transforming my attitude was definitely not an easy thing to do, and I especially do not want to minimize any of the challenges and distress that those diagnosed with an eating disorder go through. I acknowledge that I am lucky enough to have access to resources to educate myself on these topics.

The first step I had to do was determine my own personal goals, which were to tone, get stronger and to plan the right course of action. Rather than obsessing over how much I was eating, I instead redirected my attention toward the kinds of food I was eating. Of course, if your goal is to lose weight, the amount of food you eat does matter. But, in my case, I incorporated more protein and vegetables in my diet to proportionate these food groups with the amount of carbs I ate.

I also had to stop the nasty habit of hating on myself whenever I ate a lot of sweets or carbs (my weakness!), especially during the weekly lunches with my extended family on Sundays, designated as my cheat day. I learned that prohibiting myself from satisfying my cravings only made me want them more. Learning about achieving food freedom not only made me happier but also taught me to listen to my body to control food rather than let food control me.

Most importantly, I learned to focus on myself. The path to fitness is different for everybody, and there are various factors that you need to take into account including genetics, current lifestyle and body type that will affect how quickly or slowly you are able to reach your goals. Chloe Ting and Pamela Reif have seemed to become household names over quarantine, but maybe their workout plans just arent for you.

Dancing, high-intensity interval training workouts, yoga, weight training there are so many options worth exploring! You may draw inspiration from all the fitness queens out there but constantly comparing yourself to others is a fruitless pursuit that may only lead to more self-doubt and negativity. In fact, you can take everything I have said here with a grain of salt if you think that it isnt applicable to your lifestyle. And that is completely okay, as long as you are able to decide on the path that will be most beneficial to you and your goals.

Eat right, listen to your body and focus on your OWN development. These are the three big lessons I have learned while working on my fitness in quarantine. I am still, by no means, the strongest or fittest person out there, but I know that I have definitely improved personally. I am now able to eat healthier and live happier, mindful of how much stronger mentally and physically I have become over the past few months. What used to be a chore has now become a stress reliever for me. I finish my daily workouts pumped with endorphins and filled with a much more positive outlook about a future beyond this pandemic.

See the original post:
Exercising toward a healthy mind - Johns Hopkins News-Letter

Many UFC fighters are trying to climb to the top of their weight classes. One of the fastest ways to do this is by signing up for the UFCs own reality TV show, The Ultimate Fighter.Unsurprisingly, many athletes whove competed on the show have become champs. Lets look at the 10 fighters who went on to win UFC titles.

Forrest Griffin was the first winner of The Ultimate Fighter. While his career after the show wasnt spectacular, he did end up winning the light heavyweight belt at UFC 86. Griffin has since retired to work for the UFC in other areas.

RELATED: Fighting Gave Tito Ortiz Something His Drug-Addicted Parents Never Could

Rashad Evans won the second season of the show, and after Griffin won his title, Evans was given a title shot against him. Evans knocked Griffin out and won the title, but unfortunately for Evans, Lyoto Machida knocked him out in his very next fight. Evans has also retired and he now works for the UFC in other areas too.

Serra won the fourth season of the show, and surprisingly, when he was given a title shot against Georges St. Pierre, Serra knocked St. Pierre out. That said, Serras reign was short-lived, as he had a rematch with St. Pierre, and St. Pierre won that one. Serra is retired as well, and he runs a successful gym in New York.

RELATED: The Most Powerful UFC Fighters With Shredded Bodies

When the UFC was creating the womens strawweight division, it needed to crown a champ. So, thats what season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter was for, and Carla Esparza won it all and became the first womens strawweight champ. That said, she lost her first title defense against Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

For season 26 of the show, the UFC did something similar for the womens flyweight division, which it had just created. Nicco Montano won this season and became the first womens flyweight champ. However, she never defended her belt, and she was eventually stripped of it.

T.J. Dillashaw competed in season 14 of the show, and despite getting knocked out in the finals, he got a UFC contract. Eventually, he became a UFC champ not once, but twice. He defended his belt many times, but he also tested positive for using performance-enhancing drugs, and this ultimately tainted his reputation.

RELATED: 5 NFL Players Who Turned Into UFC Fighters

Michael Bisping won the third season of the show, but he didnt win a title until almost 10 years later. However, his long career has earned him a lot of money. Since then, hes retired from fighting and hes now a commentator for the UFC.

Robert Whittaker competed in The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes, which was a spinoff pitting Australian fighters against British ones. Whittaker won in his weight class, and eventually, hed beat Yoel Romero to win the middleweight belt.

Romero was a scary fighter who many people in the division didnt want to fight. However, Whittaker beat Romero not once, but twice. That said, Whittaker lost his belt in his next title fight when he fought Israel Adesanya.

Rose Namajunas competed in season 20 of the show. The strawweight fighter lost to Esparza for the belt. However, a few years later, she got a title shot against Jedrzejczyk, whod dominated the division. Surprisingly, Namajunas knocked her out and beat her again in the rematch. Namajunas later got knocked out by Jessica Andrade. Recently she avenged that loss by beating Andrade.

Kamaru Usman won the 21st season of the show, and hes been undefeated ever since. He beat Tyron Woodley to win the belt and, more recently, he knocked Colby Covington out, and then he completely dominated Jorge Masvidal. It remains to be seen who, if anyone, can beat him in his weight class.

See more here:
The 10 Ultimate Fighters Who Have Won UFC Titles - Sportscasting

45% mothers of autistic children suffer from depression

There are some disorders in society for which none could be blamed. Autism is such a disorder. Mothers of the autistic children have to suffer the most and their suffering and pain never end. Such an incident happened in the life of Saleha Aktar (not real name).

Saleha married Sumon (not real name) after love. However, none of the two families accepted the marriage at first. After three years of the marriage, both the families accepted them when their first child Rehan was born. And then, the life of the couple was going through happiness.

When Rehan was 18-month-old, Saleha came to know that her son is not a normal child. After visiting the capitals Sir Salimullah Mitford Hospital, Dhaka Children Hospital, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital, she was informed that her son was autistic. Salehas husband abandoned her when he came to know it and then she [Saleha] was forced to leave her father-in-laws house.

Saleha fell into a huge trouble with her autistic child, and in this way she passed eight years. The nine and a half years old Rehan is now studying at the autistic school of BSMMU Institute of Paediatric Neurodisorder and Autism (IPNA). Saleha takes her child to the school five days a week from her Tikatuli residence and returns home after closing of the school by a rickshaw.

When this reporter talked to Saleha at IPNA, she informed that not only did her husband leave her, other members of the family also behaved badly with her. The neighbours avoid her son, make jokes at his expense, and ridicule him. It did not happen only with Salehas family, a joint research conducted by International

Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) and the governments Communicable Diseases Control Programme, shows that the mothers of one-third autistic children receive negative behaviour from the family and neighbours.

Research findings

According to the research, almost half of the mothers of the autistic children suffer from mental disorders. Scientist and head researcher of the icddr,bs Communicable Disease Wing Alia Nahid said its the most regrettable matter that though many mothers of the autistic children suffer from physical and mental disorders, they dont go to doctors or cannot go.

According to medical scientists, autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder.

Due to this problem the children cannot communicate and develop social relationships. They do the same work or behaviour time and again.

The national mental health survey published recently shows that nearly 7% of children aged between seven and 17 are autistic. This disorder is noticed more in urban than rural areas and the number is higher among the boys than the girl children.

There are nearly 100 specialized schools for autistic children in Dhaka city. The icddr,b has conducted a research on mothers of 388 children of six specialized schools. The average age of those mothers is 39, and 77% of them do not work anywhere except home.

Five percent of these mothers were abandoned by husbands, while two percent are widows. The average age of the children was 11 years and seven months when the survey was conducted from May to December in 2015. However, the main limitation of the research was it didnt highlight the problems of the rural mothers.

The research shows that 41% mothers look after their autistic children on their own, while domestic helps, husbands, other children and members of the family and in some cases neighbours help 59% mothers.

One-third of the mothers alleged that the neighbours show negative attitude towards the autistic children. Many call them mad, while many are scared by seeing such children.

Aparna Das Gupta resides in the capitals Green Road. Her 21-year-old son Anindyas autism was detected when he was four. After her sons identification of autism, Aparna Das was harassed by her family members, close relatives, and the neighbours.

Wiping away her tears, she said with a smiley face: I used to sit beside my son at the classroom after taking permission of the school authorities. There was no objection from other children. But after a few months I was ousted from the classroom due to objections from other guardians.

Aparna Das continued: The society is still not aware of the problems of autistic children.

Mothers blamed for giving birth to autistic children

IPNA Director Prof Shaheen Akhtar said all of the family feels pressure if any of their child is autistic. The society blames the mother for giving birth to an autistic child. The mother leaves her job to take care of her child, while the family of many people breaks for such a problem.

The mother clings to her child, but she cannot sleep adequately as she has to face huge pressure. As a result, the mother suffers from various physical disorders.

Usually, 6.7% of adults suffer from depression. But the research shows that the rate is 45% among the mothers of autistic children.

Sixty percent of mothers said they are suffering from various diseases including diabetes. The conclusion of the research said these mothers need social support.

This support could be extended at home or the school of the children. However, there is no such a program for the mothers, while the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, the Primary and Mass Education Ministry, the Women and Children Affairs Ministry, and the Social Welfare Ministry are involved in the health and education of the autistic children.

Line Director of the program, HM Enayet Hossain, said the research clearly shows that separate support is required for such mothers.

Saleha said she needs support badly. She said when her husband left her she started boutique work after going to her mothers family.

I cannot do my work smoothly as I cant go anywhere leaving my son alone. Besides, I cant take my son to a physiotherapist and manage a teacher for him, she said.

Besides, Im struggling to manage the house rent and fare of a rickshaw there is nothing anywhere for the mothers like us, Saleha lamented leaving a long breath.

Read the rest here:
Mothers of autistic children facing countless adversities - Dhaka Tribune

In legal documents obtained by Deadline, PBS ordered an investigation into Tavis Smiley's conduct while employed with the network after they received numerous complaints about his behavior and activities. The host of Tavis Smileyreportedly engaged in inappropriate conduct with multiple women, including guests that were on his show. According to NBC News, one guest from 2008 and 2009 alleged that she had a sexual relationship with Smiley. She claimed that, while it was consensual, she "uncomfortably went with [sexual contact]" with him because "women are put in a bad position when their boss hits on them." She told the investigator that she was not asked to return to the show.

In the end, Smiley was fired in 2017. In March 2020, he was ordered to pay PBS nearly $1.5 million for breaching their "morality clause." The network's lawyer, Grace Speights, explained how the host's position on the show and in the company created a challenging dynamic for women. "You can't have a consensual relationship between a manager and a subordinate because of the power dynamic," she said (via Variety). "It's never consensual because that manager has power over all aspects of that person's employment."

And then, in August 2020,a judge upped the amount to $2.6 million (via Deadline). In a statement from his reps, Smiley said, "I look forward to my day in court February 10, which I have finally been granted, after 2 years of fighting."

Read this article:
TV show hosts that treat their guests like trash - Nicki Swift

Wednesday, 26 August 2020 23:20 Last Updated: Wednesday, 26 August 2020 23:29 Published: Wednesday, 26 August 2020 23:20 Wendy MacMillan Hits: 422

What a long, strange trip its been. Yes, it most certainly has and the words of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead have never rang more true. It began in March when our schools closed, followed quickly by a full-blown lockdown, and right as we started to feel confident about re-opening, hurricane force winds wreaked havoc in our community and beyond ...Life, to say the very least, has felt like a roller coaster. Through all the ups and downs, the one thing that seems to have remained constant is a great sense of uncertainty.

Not that any of us needs an explanation of just how uncertain times are, but take for example my sister who lives in a small town in Northern California. After much back and forth and months of planning by their district, last week my sister sent her son to school for his first day of in-person learning. By the end of that day however, the county closed all the schools because of a rising number of Covid cases in the area. This week, after she rearranged their home and schedules for virtual learning, my sister was informed that they needed to evacuate their house because of encroaching wildfires. After packing up and heading out for a few days, she is now safely back home and considers herself incredibly blessed, especially while so many others are in a far worse place.

I couldnt help but wonder, how is my sister managing to stay so positive in such a topsy turvy world? In her words, These times call for flexibility...and gratitude for the things that matter most. Indeed they do. But for some of us, remaining flexible and grateful in the face of stressful situations, is easier said than done. For many, a flexible state of mind is something that may need to be cultivated and practiced. So how does one go about cultivating flexibility? Read on for a few quick suggestions to start us on the right path.

One avenue to a more flexible attitude is through incorporating mindfulness into our daily schedules. Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, defines Mindfulness as paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. By practicing mindfulness we learn to focus on what is happening in the present moment rather than forming expectations of things to come or worrying about situations that took place in the past. In turn, mindfulness makes it easier for us to focus on, and adapt to the current state of affairs. Daily practice of mindfulness also helps to strengthen the part of our brain called the amygdala which is responsible for our Fight or Flight response. When we strengthen this area of our brains we are able to put a pause between the stimulus of a situation and our reaction to it. In other words, rather than reacting angrily when we hear bad news, mindfulness training helps us pause and choose how to respond rather than react with the Fight or Flight response our amygdalas encourage us to do. Moreover, practicing mindfulness helps us strengthen segments of our brain that allow us to choose to remain flexible and adapt to ever-changing circumstances. For more information about mindfulness and for some easy exercises to try today, please click here.

Another way to gain flexibility is to regularly challenge ourselves to see things from another perspective. Whether it is working to understand another persons point of view or trying to understand all the varying circumstances that led up to a particular situation. For instance, when we take a moment to contemplate why a person is behaving in a certain way rather than judging their behavior or reacting to their behavior, we begin to break down our own mental barriers and preconceived notions. When we begin to open our minds and our hearts, we can more readily adapt to ever changing conditions. Even if we are still upset by a given situation, trying to understand other perspectives, can help us soften our own rigid thinking and thus create space for more flexibility.

One last suggestion to encourage flexibility is to try practicing gratitude on a daily basis. As I have written about in another article for Scarsdale10583, gratitude is strongly linked to mental health and life satisfaction. But even more than that, when we look for things to be grateful for rather than focus on the negatives or the things that upset us, we begin to realize that no matter what life throws our way, there are always things to be thankful for. From giving thanks before meals to journaling about your daily blessings before bed, the great thing about this practice is that there are just so many ways to be grateful!

So as the topsy turvy world and all the uncertainty continues to whirl around us, maybe a little mindfulness, considering other perspectives, and practicing gratitude will help us to remain flexible, adaptable and to, as Mr. Garcia would say, Just keep on truckin."

Wendy MacMillan is a former teacher and a proud mom of two children. While her background is in psychology and education, Wendy was recently trained in mindfulness at Mindfulschools.org. She has long been passionate about wellness, and as an active member of the Scarsdale PTA, Wendy helped to bring mindfulness to her children's elementary school. In addition, Wendy helped establish and is an acting member of the school's Wellness Committee. For more information about mindfulness check out this site: mindfulschools.org or Watch the video of Jon Kabat-Zinn explaining what mindfulness is ... or contact Wendy MacMillan at wendymacmillan@gmail.com.

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The Only Constant Is Our Great Sense of Uncertainty - Scarsdale10583.com

IF you visit Penang City Park in George Town on Sunday mornings, you will see an enthusiastic group dancing and gyrating to music.

Led by aerobics instructor Jeorge Subramaniam, 72, the sessions were initially conducted four times a week at both the park and New World Park before the movement control order (MCO) was imposed in March.

Now, the sessions are held only at Penang City Park (formerly known as Youth Park).

We decided that the Covid-19 pandemic should not dampen our spirits and we continued our sessions when the time is right.

However, we have only about 100 regulars now due to the strict standard operating procedures that we need to follow, he said.

Jeorge, who is also Penang Fitness Association president, said those who attended his sessions had been doing aerobics for years, adding that he had coached thousands of people over the last three decades.

He has been teaching the exercise moves since 1992.

To mark National Day this year, there will be a small celebration with the singing of patriotic songs and waving of flags on Aug 30.

About 100 people will also be taking part in a marching aerobics session, with full compliance of the SOP.

It will be held at Penang City Parks open air theatre at 8am, he added.

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In rhythm with a healthy nation - The Star Online

Diabetes is a common condition that affects more than four million people in the UK, and 90 percent of all cases are caused by type 2 diabetes. You could lower your risk of high blood sugar if you regularly go cycling, it's been claimed.

Type 2 diabetes could be caused by the body not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the body not reacting to insulin.

Without enough of the hormone, the body struggles to convert sugar in the blood into usable energy.

It's crucial that if you think you may have diabetes, you speak to a doctor as soon as possible.

Making some changes to your daily workout routine is one of the easiest ways to manage your blood sugar levels.

READ MORE: Diabetes type 2 warning - high blood sugar signs in your vision

It's crucial that diabetes patients remain physically active, according to medical website Diabetes.co.uk.

Aerobic activity is the best type of exercise for high blood sugar, it said.

Cycling is the ideal workout for diabetes patients, as it raises your heart rate, while also making your sweat.

Everyone should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week.

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"People with diabetes are encouraged to exercise regularly for better blood sugar control and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases," it said.

"The reason for this is that muscles which are working use more glucose than those that are resting.

"Aerobic activity at moderate intensity basically means exercising at a level that raises your heart rate and makes you sweat.

"This includes a multitude of sports, for example; fast-paced walking, light jogging, bike riding, rowing, [and] water aerobics."

But, there are some precautions that diabetes patients must take before exercise, however.

It's crucial that you drink plenty of water before and after your workout.

You should also carry a fast-acting carbohydrate food, in case your blood sugar levels drop too low.

Diabetes patients are also more at risk of foot problems, so it's very important to regularly check your feet for signs of friction.

Many people may have diabetes without even knowing it, because the signs and symptoms dont necessarily make you feel unwell.

Common diabetes symptoms include having cuts or wounds that take longer to heal, having an unquenchable thirst, and passing more urine than normal.

You should speak to a doctor if youre worried about the warning signs or symptoms of diabetes, or if you think you may be at risk.

Diagnosing the condition early is very important, because patients are more at risk of some deadly complications, including heart disease and strokes.

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Diabetes type 2: The easy exercise to avoid high blood sugar symptoms - are you at risk? - Express