Tis the Season for Stress

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your family and friends last week. Hopefully you have finished all the turkey leftovers and now you are beginning to think about preparing for the Christmas season.

Your family most likely has created many traditions that you look forward to each year. Decorating your home, attending programs that your children perform in, sending Christmas cards, baking favorite recipes and gathering gifts. Most likely just thinking about how you are going to work all these extra events into your already busy schedule is exhausting for you. I thought I might share some ways to cut back on the demands for your time so that you can still enjoy this joyous holiday.

First make sure that when you are decorating the home and tree that all family members are present to help. You can designate tasks for everyone which lightens the load and stress of the work. Also everyone can take ownership to their part of the experience to carry on the traditions. Then have everyone write their own Christmas cards. It will become more meaningful to them and it developes a skill of writing that is becoming a lost art. When baking your favorite holiday treats pick one a week to bake and then freeze what you will need for your special event. That will leave the most time consuming and expensive which is the shopping for gifts. You might consider limiting your children or family members to three gifts each. Just as Jesus received from the wisemen on that first wonderous Christmas. Your family could also draw names or make their gifts. Set a dollar amount or decide on a theme to make it fun and creative. The holiday becomes materialistic only if you allow it.

So consider these thoughts to make your Christmas less stressful and get back to the real meaning of Christmas.

Peace and Grace
Gina

Thanksgiving is a Time for Reflection

This week families will be traveling so that they can be with extended family members to celebrate Thanksgiving. Families will share memories of loved ones who are no longer on this earth and remember the blessings they gave while they were with us. Families will also make new memories with family members and carry on the traditions that were passed down through the generations.

For other individuals, holidays are a time of sadness and isolation. Their family members are dispersed across the states and it is too far to travel to be with them. Some individuals are newly divorced and experiencing the pain of discarding old traditions and attempting to make new ones. Unfortunately, there is also the senior citizen who is left alone due to neglect or loss of loved ones.

During this holiday season try to reflect on the blessings you have received this year and extend a hand to someone that may be alone this Thanksgiving. It is a gift that can never have a price tag. The only cost is sharing a little of your time.

Happy Thanksgiving

Gina

A Broken Heart Can Harm Your Health

Researchers have discovered that depression can trigger a heart attack or stroke when under emotional duress. Which means that there's important reasons why we must nurse our broken heart back to a healthy one.

Individuals who reported mild to moderate depressive symptoms like loss of sleep and lack of appetite showed more signs of artery thickness compared to their more emotionally balanced peers. If your depression is mild, an increase in physical activity will help to increase your endorphins naturally. Also other healthy habits of eating right, avoiding alcohol, getting enough sleep and reducing your stress will also balance your system.

There is no quick fix to depression and if you are experiencing depressive symptoms for two weeks or more you should seek the counsel of a professional to discuss your treatment options.

Take care,
Gina

Resolving Snoring Issues for Children Help Behaviors

Our time of sleep is so important in restoring our physical and mental well-being. For our children, it is also an important time for growth and development for their young bodies. Studies are reporting, that six months after children have had surgery for sleep disordered breathing, experienced a clinically significant improvement with oppositional behavior, inattention, and hyperactivity. The University of Kansas reports that the children had maintained the behavior changes for up to three years after the surgery. "While you cannot say the adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy directly translate into behavioral change, it does so through improving sleep, Dr. Wei said. "Quality of sleep and everything about sleep in a child can significantly influence their daytime behavior."

If your child is struggling to breathe while sleeping, you will want to discuss this issue with their doctor to review what options that you have for your child. Research the pros and cons of the surgery to determine if this is an option you would want to consider.

Sweet dreams,

Gina

Special Need Child

When your child enters school, the teacher will often identify some concerns noted in behaviors or learning style needs that your child may be displaying. At a parent-teacher conference the teacher will most likely give specific data to support any concerns that are addressed. This is not unusual and you will want to be supportive of your child and the teacher. One way would be to research the problem with at least three resources, to learn more about the concern. Then find a specialist in your area that is working with children that have that special need. The specialist should be able to give you several suggestions for home and school on how to support your child during this stressful time.

It is important to remember that all children will learn and develope at their own rate. You will most likely feel discouraged when your child is compared to other children and their accomplishments. You might want to join a support group of parents that have children with special needs and schedule play dates with them to learn more about coping with the disorder.

You might also want to read my books:

Learning with Matthew: A Caregiver's Guide to Problem-Solving School Issues with Their Child

Creating a Therapeutic Classroom: A Teacher's Guide to Meeting the Needs of All Students in the Classroom

Both books provide helpful suggestions to parents and teachers on how to support the special needs child at home and school. Go to tatepublishing.com, barnesandnoble.com, amazonbooks.com or walmartbooks.com to find my books.

Have a great school year!
Gina

Memories Are Strengthened When Feeling Stress

A new study released from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York reports that our emotions help the brain decide which memories to seal in and which ones to discard. Memories are thought to form with the strengthening of connections between neurons. These connections rely on receptors to send and receive our brain data.

When we are under emotional duress there is an increase in the hormone norepinephrine in the brain. This chemical change in the brain is thought to cause strengthened connections in the memory regions of the brain. When we are experiencing the highs and lows of life our brain is thought to increase the production of norepinephrine which strengthens the connection in our memory regions of the brain. Too much of norepinephrine is thought to cause a lapse in our memory.

Emotions are what makes us human. When we celebrate or mourn our losses the brain will record the event as we perceive it to take place. Unfortunately our memory is not always accurate and can often mislead us. Understanding that helps us to place the right perspective to the experiences that we have.

Best wishes,

Gina

Family Therapy is Effective in Fighting Eating Disorders

Dr. Grange from the University of Chicago has completed the first study in the United States on evaluating the treatment of eating disorders. His team found that family-based treatment for anorexia nervosa and bulimia were more effective than solo psychotherapy in helping teens.

The family-based therapy consisted of three phases: in the first phase the patient and their parents met weekly with the goal of helping parents stop their children from engaging in unhealthy weight control behaviors. The family then moves to the second phase of returning control over eating issues, back to the adolescent. The third phase the family meets with the therapist monthly to discuss how eating disorders affect the developmental proces of the adolescent.

Eating disorders can be extremely harmful to the physical and emotional well-being of your child. If you notice any warning signs of bingeing, purging or just refusal to eat contact a mental health professional that has experience with treating this disorder. Do not be afraid to find help for your child. It could save his or her life.

Best wishes,

Gina