I wanted to share something that I received from our local hospice agency. They send out information to grieving family members, and I though this information was appropriate as it can impact all of us…not just those of us who have lost loved ones. So here is their list for First Aid for Your Mental Health.

• TALK IT OUT – Find a level headed person you can trust
• ESCAPE FOR A WHILE – Find a spot of peace and quiet
• WORK OFF YOUR ANGER – Pitch into exercise or hobbies
• GIVE IN OCCASIONALLY – Admit that you can
• DO SOMETHING FOR OTHERS – It takes your mind off yourself
• GIVE YOURSELF A PAT ON THE BACK FOR THE THINGS YOU DO WELL – But do not try to be perfect
• GO EASY WITH THE CRITICISM – others have virtues too
• MAKE YOURSELF AVAILABLE – often others are only waiting for you to make the first move
• SCHEDULE YOUR RECREATION – essential to good physical and mental heatlh
• TELL SOMEONE YOU CARE
• BE ABLE TO LAUGH AT YOURSELF – AND SMILE, SMILE, SMILE

My favorite…escape for awhile. I love the forest and the ocean…both of which are in great abundance where I live. What about you? What is your favorite on this list? How do you take care of yourself?

Okay, so it’s not exactly about aging, but it is about health.  We all need down time, and here is a way you may be able to get it for free. 

Joanie Winberg is the found of the National Association of Divorce for Women. She has put together a cruise for women you are Single Again (through whatever means) in 2009. And here is the best part..you  (or a friend) can actually win your trip.  Hurry up and check it out…deadline for entry is November 15th.   Please let her know you saw it here!

The CDC released statistics today showing that 80% of Americans aged 12 and over have Depression.  The rates of depression are higher in women and baby boomers as well as African-Americans.

As a primary health care practitioner, these numbers don’t surprise me.  This is something that I see absolutely every day in my practice.  And just like the statistics, it is often women who are 40 and over.

While many women do come in to discuss their depression, there is still a significant amount of people that do not seek assistance from their providers.  There is still a stigma, even in 2008, but depression means you’re mentally ill.  While I had assumed that that myth was put to rest years ago, the study shows that it hasn’t.

Depression isn’t something that you can just pull yourself out of, it isn’t a character flaw, and it doesn’t mean that you’re crazy. It is a biochemical disorder affecting the brain’s neurotransmitters as far as we know it today.  It affects almost every aspect of health and well being.

There are many Depression rating scale’s available online – postpartum depression scales, geriatric depression scales, the Hamilton Rating Scale, the Zung Self Rating Depression Scale and others. One can easily search for these scales by entering “depression scale” into your favorite search engine.

Depression is treatable; you just have to see your provider.
 

I am excited to announce that I have joined the Panel of Experts for the Fresh Start after Divorce Community. A community designed to be a 24/7 Resource Center and a support system for women during and after divorce.

For more information on how to join the community, go to www.FreshStartAfterDivorce.com. Start your journey with renewed passion and clear direction.

In Korea, there is a trend to experience a “well death”. At some universities, students  experience a mock funeral by reading their wills and then are placed in coffins that are closed and sprinkled with dirt. 15 minutes later, they are opened and “reborn”.  The thought is that you will then experience life on a different level. In order to live well, you must die well. 

While I can see the logic behind it, I’m not sure we need to go to exactly those extremes.  Ideally, we should all live each day as if it were our last. None of us wants to reach the end of our lives and have regrets. But climb in a coffin? 

When I worked in hospice, one of the things I did with staff and volunteers was a guided meditation in which they experienced their own death. The first time I did it, I was struck at how different I thought it would be. It was certainly an eye opening and life changing exercise for me and many of the participants.  Something similar can be done can be done, which will most likely be as effective as climbing into a coffin.

Before doing all this though…why not start thinking about your life and what you want to accomplish before you die. Start making a list and check off each item. Live your life in a way you will not have any regrets. On the other hand, if you’d like to have a mock funeral & burial, I’m sure that can be arranged.

What do you think?

New research on vegetables and aging gives mothers another reason to say “I told you so.” It found that eating vegetables appears to help keep the brain young and may slow the mental decline sometimes associated with growing old.

On measures of mental sharpness, older people who ate more than two servings of vegetables daily appeared about five years younger at the end of the six-year study than those who ate few or no vegetables.

Study: Vegetables may keep brains young

By Stephanie Schupska University of Georgia
As female baby boomers crawl toward menopause and retirement, eating disorders among this age group have started to rise.

Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc., reports that some speculate the eating disorder increase in this group, born from 1946 until 1964, is because they’ve consistently considered image to be of major importance.

Connie Crawley, a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension expert, agrees. “Women of all ages are very conscious of their bodies and sometimes have a very negative opinion of their bodies,” she said. “Now that the baby boomers are aging, their body changes are really kind of hitting them harder than probably the previous generation. So now there are women who are becoming much more concerned about the normal changes in body fat distribution that come with age.”

Crawley is a UGA Extension nutrition and health specialist and a registered dietitian. She says many people focus on the physical symptoms of an eating disorder, but “the self-esteem issues, the coping skills, dealing with all the changes as one gets older,” are the real issues.

Read more…

Recent research is showing that those wonderful heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids that are found in fish, may indeed be helpful to our brains – especially in the areas of depression, schizophrenia, substance abuse and attention deficit.

While at this point, I would not recommend using Omega 3′s alone for your depression, it certainly cannot do you harm and will definitely  help our hearts.

(Research was perfromed at the University of Pittsburgh)

OlderWiserWomen presents:
How to Have a Clutter-Free, Stress-less Holiday Season with
Julie Bestry, Professional Organizer

Julie will offer tips for organizing your holidays to maximize serenity and minimize stress, including:

• selecting clutter-free holidays gifts that make the process easier and more fun for the giver and the recipient
• simplifying holiday planning and rituals to focus on what really matters
• saving your sanity by creating a simple system to get everything essential done and still have time to reflect on the meaning and joys of the season

Date: December 8, 2005
Time: 3pm Pacific/4pm Mountain/5pm Central/6pm Eastern
Cost: Zero
Replay: Yes, will be sent to those who have registered

Invite your friends to sign up too!

Register for this lively hour call long by sending a blank email to HolidayClass@OlderWiserWomen.com . You will receive an email back with date, time, phone number and your access code.

Looking forward to hearing you on the call!

Barbara C. Phillips, MN, NP
www.OlderWiserWomen.com
www.ActingYourAge.com

This is just another reason you will want to attend the free teleseminar on December 8th! Keep your eyes here for sign up information.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SUNDAY, Nov. 27 (HealthDay News) — The demands of the season are upon you. And all that socializing, present shopping, decorating and feast preparations can turn this time of year into a stress fest that can affect your health.
“If you are not careful, the holidays take an emotional toll on the body, ranging from increased blood pressure to weakening your immune system,” said Gina Kearney, a holistic nurse practitioner and site manager at the Integrative Care Center, affiliated with the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
Though it’s been widely known that stress can boost a person’s heart rate and reduce the ability to fight colds, a new study says that even cholesterol levels can be affected.

Continue reading….