How To Give Yourself Emotional Care After A Disaster

Without warning, life can come with some pretty intense disaster situations. The pandemic aside, there are many things that can happen to people through their lives which bring them to a dark place.

Whether you suffer a house fire, a weather disaster, a car accident, or something else, there are ways you can get through these times. The following tips should be used to care for yourself emotionally after a disaster or traumatic experience.

1. Take good care of your body – Do your best to eat healthy, get some exercise, and try to sleep as much as you’re able to. Eating healthy will keep your body and mind more stable. Eating poorly can increase mental health problems and increase emotional instability. If you suffer from high anxiety, avoid caffeine if you can and make sure to get exercise. You are less likely to suffer panic attacks when you’re eating right, getting exercise, and sleeping well.

2. Connect with other people – Reach out to friends, family, or whoever you feel comfortable talking to. Keep your relationships healthy throughout life to maintain a strong system of support and help when you need it most. Relationships with others are your main defense when life throws a disaster your way.

3. Give yourself breaks – Let yourself stop and cry when you need it. Strong feelings will come and go, but keep breathing. Focus your attention on doing activities you enjoy. If you feel you are going too deep in depression, reach out for help.

4. Keep informed – If you need to know more details about the disaster that you were hit by, stay informed. When watching the news, be aware there could be some rumors or misinformation going around about it. Use critical thinking and rational thought when watching or listening to the news. Seek out official and reliable sources from experts.

5. Avoid too much news – As much as you want to stay informed, you don’t want to become swamped and overwhelmed with the news. It is important to take breaks from the news because you need an emotional break from it. Ask someone you trust to keep you informed so you can avoid getting too upset.

6. Get help – There are many different options for you to get help during a traumatic event or disaster. If you are suffering panic attacks, severe depression, numbness, difficulty making decisions, or increased drug or alcohol use, contact someone right away. Some options are to call your family doctor, call the local emergency room, call the police, or search online for phone numbers you can call for help in your circumstance. Reach out to a friend or family member and ask them to help you find more help.

During some of the most difficult times in our lives, it is hard to see the light. Hopefully these tips will help you get through and come out on top.

5 Tips For Pain Management Without Drugs

Pain serves a purpose in the human body most of the time. However, pain can be an unfortunate and unwelcome part of our daily lives. It is meant to signal to you that something is going wrong in the body and should be checked out. It can be sharp, burning, dull, or radiating.

Many people feel pain in their abdomen, pelvis, back, and chest. Many people get joint pain, headache pain, or muscle aches all over. Acute pain is sudden, but it can be diagnosed and treated. Chronic pain lasts for much longer, can last a lifetime, and can cause other severe health issues.

Wherever you experience pain, there are some things you can try to feel better.

The following 5 tips can help you reduce pain naturally:

1. Massage therapy – Can help by releasing tension, toxins and pain from the soft tissues of the body. Relaxation and stress reduction are essential to decreasing pain. There are many types of massage, so contact a massage center or therapist today.

2. Meditation – This technique works by getting you to focus your attention entirely on something other than your pain. Some things that meditation focuses on are your breathing words, phrases, or objects. Yoga helps you keep your mind on your body and position as you stretch and bend in ways you’re not used to. Sometimes, people use objects such as hula hoops to keep their mind off things.

3. Biofeedback – Electronic devices that measure your body functions (heart rate and breathing) is critical to helping you learn your body’s habits and responses. Biofeedback can measure how much tension is being held in your muscles, or how high your heart rate goes when you are feeling anxious. This will help you know when it is most important to relax and soothe your mind. This type of therapy can control pain in the back as well as chronic headaches.

4. Surgery – If your severe pain is coming from an injury or issue from inside your body, surgery may help. Depending on your cause and level of pain, you may or may not want to use this method for pain management. Ask your doctor what they think if they haven’t discussed it with you already.

5. Psychotherapy – Many people are unaware of how much mental health affects their entire body’s health and pain levels. Therapy uses listening, counseling, discussion and talk to treat disorders of the mind and behaviors. This method will teach you skills to cope with hard life struggles. Coping with difficult circumstances is important to reducing pain levels. You’ll also learn to avoid or reduce negative thought patterns which can make pain worse.

If you live with pain, try some of these helpful tips. There is no shame in taking medication when you absolutely need it. However, some non-drug options should definitely be explored.

The Health Benefits Of Acupuncture

You may have heard of acupuncture, but how much do you know about it? Asian countries including China have been using it for many thousands of years. Acupuncture stimulates certain points of the body using thin needles that go into the skin. It helps change the functions of the body.

Research shows that it can reduce post-surgery and post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting. Although the researchers aren’t exactly sure how it works, it may activate the body’s painkiller chemicals. It also may improve your body’s regulation of blood flow and blood pressure. It can be used to manage stress as well. This may be a good idea for you if you do not like taking drugs for the conditions listed below.

Below is a list of the things that acupuncture can help with:

  • Nausea and vomiting after surgeries and chemotherapy
  • Tooth and dental pain
  • Migraines, tension headaches, and other head pain
  • Pain from going through childbirth
  • Lower back pain
  • Pain in your neck
  • Cramps during your menstrual cycle
  • Some respiratory disorders and allergy issues

Below is a list of possible risks with using acupuncture:

  • Soreness
  • Pain during insertion of needles
  • Mild bleeding
  • Bruising
  • Stimulation of early labor in pregnant women
  • Interference with pacemakers

You should avoid acupuncture if you are taking blood thinners and have a bleeding disorder. You should also avoid if you have a pacemaker or are pregnant. If you are not a fan of needles and it may cause you to pass out, you may want to avoid it as well. However, acupuncture has very few side effects associated with it.

If you think that you can handle the above risks and the possible pain, you should try acupuncture. It may not sound like much fun, but there is a good reason why it has been around for so long. The benefits may surprise you, so look into it.

How To Stay Healthy While Traveling

Vacations are wonderful and healing for the soul and body. Some people are not so lucky and the traveling required to go on vacation can cause health problems they don’t expect to get. The best part is that most of these things can be prevented with proper thinking and planning.

Read below to find out what you may need to do while you are traveling to help yourself prevent any issues.

  • Decreasing humidity levels in the airplane you are traveling in can cause dry noses and throats which can decrease your body’s ability to fight germs and illness. Be sure to stay hydrated through your flight and use a saline spray.
  • High traffic areas with high numbers of people can put you at risk for catching the flu, a cold, Covid, or other infectious diseases. Wash your hands very often and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as well.
  • If not flying on a plane you may be at risk for a weakened immune system from drinking alcohol, staying up all night, or exhaustion from too much walking. To prevent this stick as close as you can to your typical daily routine when at home.
  • If you have jet lag or you feel exhausted take some time to rest at your vacation spot. Take a nap at the hotel or where you are staying. If you do too much at once you might end up getting sick and ruining the rest of your time.
  • When packing put your medications on the absolute priority list. Do not leave your home unless you are convinced you have your medications with you and inside your carry-on bag.
  • If you are traveling out of the country notify your doctor at least 6-8 weeks prior so you can get any necessary vaccines you’ll need. Foreign countries have a variety of contagious diseases sometimes and you should protect yourself.
  • Traveling often causes constipation due to the change in time zones and changes in your typical schedule of using the bathroom. If you are having a hard time you can take some precautions. Stay as hydrated as possible for a few days before you leave for vacation and do not eat heavy cheesy foods that may back you up. Try some stool softeners, eat prunes, eat something with fiber, eat some fruits, or try a mild laxative. Whatever usually helps you go is what you should try.

Hopefully this list of suggestions will help prepare you for an enjoyable and perfect vacation you will never forget. Take care of yourself wherever you go.

How Much Exercise Do You Need?

Exercising is one of the most important things you can do for your health and the benefits are amazing. Being fit and preventing chronic diseases makes it easy to be motivated. You may not know how much is too much exercise. You may also wonder if you are doing too little exercise.

Keep reading to learn more about how long and intense your workout should be.

How much exercise is generally recommended:

Adults should get approximately an hour and a half of moderate exercise or an hour and 15 minutes of high intensity activity per week. For example, an hour and a half of walking at a quick speed or running for an hour and 15 minutes. Moderate activity means you can talk a little bit while doing it and vigorous intensity means you won’t be able to speak without stopping to take a breath. Remember this recommendation of time spent working out is for the week, not for each day. It is wise to spread out your activity through the week, rather than squeezing it all into a couple of days.

If you do not have time to exercise for more than 10 minutes at a time some days that is OK. You can split up your time exercising into sections of 10 or more minutes. Try to find at least 10-15 minutes to spend on each thing to get the maximum benefit.

It is a good idea to include strengthening exercise in your workout twice per week. Many people get out and do fun things for exercise, but totally forget to work on their strength. Some examples include weight lifting, exercise band resistance, push-ups, or leg-lifts. Pay close attention that you are evenly working out most of your muscles and not just a few. Include the hips, back, legs, stomach, chest, arms, and shoulders. Do these exercises for each muscle section about 8 to 12 times per exercise session to get the best results.

Children and teens should get one hour or more of moderate intensity exercise per day. Younger people have an easier time exercising often and for longer periods of time. Most public schools will include their exercise needs, but it may be good for them to do activities outside of school as well. Some examples are going to dance class after school or joining a soccer team.

Seniors and elderly individuals should ask their doctor about how much and how long they should be doing physical activity.

In conclusion it is important to know how long you should be active no matter your age. Finding time for working out is essential to your well-being. Good luck out there.