News & Events
Much of our work involves measuring the difference others make. Getting involved and making our own difference is also an important part of who we are as individuals and as an organization.
This can be a stressful time for many, so today we are focusing on ways to take a step back and reconnect with the body and mind.
Meditation & Mindfulness
When someone meditates, their body’s relaxation response helps decrease metabolism, lowers blood pressure, and improves heart rate, breathing, and brain waves. The muscles are relieved of tension and tightness as the body receives a quiet message to relax. Mindfulness, on the other hand, is the quality of being present and fully engaged with whatever we’re doing at the moment — free from distraction or judgment, and aware of our thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them. Identified benefits of mindfulness are decreased stress, enhanced ability to deal with illness, facilitation of recovery, decrease depressive symptoms, and improve health in general.
If you are interested in trying meditation or mindfulness, a couple free apps and listening can be found at:
https://www.headspace.com/covid-19
https://psychcentral.com/blog/1-minute-mindfulness-exercises/
https://www.aurahealth.io/blog/fighting-mental-health-crisis-from-coronavirus
https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/mindful-meditations
https://blog.calm.com/take-a-deep-breath
Yoga
Yoga isn’t just for people who can touch their toes or want to meditate. Different practices can focus on relaxation, strength, or flexibility. Common benefits of yoga include better posture, attention to your breathing, reduced stress, and lower blood pressure.
Some apps are offering free use for a limited time or below is a link to a popular YouTube channel.
https://portal.dailyburn.com/?property=yoga
https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
These skills and practices aren’t just for adults either! Try one alone or with your family or friends.
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Cannabis withdrawal syndrome was prevalent among regular cannabis users, according to new study findings.
The findings highlighted that clinicians must be aware of the high prevalence of cannabis withdrawal syndrome to counsel patients and support those reducing their use of the substance.
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Since many of us don’t have our ergonomic office chairs at home, our other set-ups might be starting to wear on our bodies. The following are a few activities to keep in mind to help you feel better and, hopefully, be more productive.
Get up from your work spot every 30 minutes, or at least every hour. Even a quick loop around the house helps. Staying sedentary makes our muscles tighter and more uncomfortable. Getting up also helps ease eye strain from looking at the computer all day.
Stretching works wonders. This can be a longer practice, like yoga, or even just doing the following stretches a couple times a day.
- Put your chin down to your chest and then look up to the ceiling.
- Slowly turn your head to the left, then turn your head to the right.
- Put your left ear to your left shoulder, then your right ear to your right shoulder.
- Interlink your fingers in front of you and stretch forwards.
- Interlink your fingers behind your back and stretch backwards.
Maintain hobbies that keep you moving. For example, knitting is good for arthritis and keeping dexterity of movement (but note that if you haven’t knitted for some time, start slowly to prevent aggravating some symptoms). Other hobbies that help you to move are baking, making music, restoring furniture, making origami, sewing, and many crafting activities.
For those who enjoy exercise classes, YMCA 360 is offering free, online group exercise classes like Boot Camp, Barre, Yoga and low impact programs for seniors. Many other companies have also switched to online services you can try for free via streaming services and wellness apps. Plus, several fitness coaches have taken to social media to share their classes.
We hope you try some of these activities to make your working from home time more enjoyable!
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Mixed within coronavirus news, we wanted to highlight some of the positive new stories of the week.
This week:
- World Health Day was celebrated on Tuesday and we saw global support for our healthcare workers.
- Episode two of Some Good News, hosted by John Krasinski, came out this week. This week he planned an awesome video call including the cast of Hamilton singing one of their most famous songs - Watch here
- San Diego teens from a local robotics team created and donated 400 face shields to health care workers - Read here
- Basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, known for wearing goggles during his career, donated 900 pairs of safety goggles to health care workers at Scripps Health - Read here
- Local companies, artists, and residents are making masks to donate to healthcare workers and others who need the protective cover.
If you’re looking for more of this positive content, check out the Good News Network Upworthy, and Good News from Today.
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The precarious intersection of the COVID-19 national health emergency and the concurrent epidemic of drug overdose deaths is outlined in the Annals of Internal Medicine this week by Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Volkow discusses how the serious health risks of COVID-19 pose unique challenges to people who smoke or vape, are already struggling with substance use disorders (SUD), or are in recovery from addiction.
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