Wellness Wednesday

We know that humor and poetry are good for mental health so here is another way to focus on your mental health. 

Dance has existed for thousands of years. Moving your body creatively is a popular way to express yourself and exercise. Up to 10 million Americans have danced at a studio or have taken a class. Even more just dance for fun at home or with friends.  

Just for fun....how many of these dance scenes can you recall as you play this 4:00 video: Dance Scenes From The Movies.

Benefits of dancing:

• Improve self-esteem. The amount that you respect and value yourself is your self-esteem. Showing yourself that you can learn and master new moves and skills through dance can improve your self-esteem and confidence.
• Help you meet new people. Social interaction between groups of people is important to your mental well-being. Talking and spending time with others improves your mood. It also makes you feel like you belong and eases loneliness.
• Improve your mood and attitude. Dancing can improve your mood while you learn, move, and perform.  Many people take dance classes because it can put them in a good mood.
• Ease depression and anxiety. Dance is an effective type of exercise that raises your heart rate and works your muscles. Exercise can help with symptoms of depression and anxiety by releasing certain chemicals in your brain. It also provides a way to escape repetitive negative thoughts and worries.
• Protect your memory. As we age, it gets harder to remember names, places, and other details. Learning new things, like different moves and styles of dance, sharpens your brain’s ability to remember these kinds of details.

Tips on Using Dance to Improve Your Mental Well-Being

You can dance almost anywhere! Try many different styles and settings to see what you like best. Whether you’re alone or with a group, making it up on the spot, or performing a routine, you can incorporate dance into your life.

Take a dance class. If you want to interact with others while you dance, consider enrolling in a virtual or in-person class. Health clubs, community centers, schools, and other organizations often offer studio dance classes for all experience levels.

Dance with yourself. Dancing can be just as fun by yourself as it is with others. Turn on a catchy song and move your body to the beat and sounds. When no one is watching, it can be easier to enjoy the experience and not worry about how you look.

Learn a routine. If you want to challenge yourself, go beyond your improvised dance moves. Try teaching yourself a dance routine that someone else created. You can download apps or watch videos that explain a routine step-by-step. You can also learn movements and sequences from watching a dance performance over and over.

Don’t be overly critical. Natural talent is not required! Dance because it feels good. Don’t let your worries about looking silly stop you from having fun. Even professional dancers make mistakes. They use them to learn and improve themselves, and so should you.

State of Michigan Proclamation IBS Awareness

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects the stomach and intestines, also called the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include cramping, belly pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea or constipation, or both. IBS occurs when the body's natural defense system mistakenly attacks healthy bowel cells. This causes inflammation (swelling) and other damage that does not go away on its own. IBS is an ongoing condition that needs long-term management.

Only a small number of people with IBS have severe symptoms. Some people can control their

Poetry can provide comfort and boost mood during periods of stress, trauma and grief. Its powerful combination of words, metaphor and meter help us better express ourselves and make sense of the world and our place in it. Plus reading, listening and writing poetry is accessible to everyone.

• Poetry can ease anxiety and depression

When loneliness creeps in or depression feels heavy, poetry can offer a gentle hand to guide you through. Reading, writing, and sharing poetry can help people cope with loneliness or isolation and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.

• Poetry is good for your health

Writing poetry has the power to decrease physiological stress indicators including muscle tension, perspiration levels, blood pressure, and heart rate. This means that when you pick up that pen to write, you're not just nurturing your mind – you're caring for your whole body.

• Poetry helps with emotional processing

Making sense of difficult emotions is something that almost everyone struggles with at some point. Poems offer an accessible and structured way to process complex feelings in a creative, gentle way that honors your unique experience.

• Poetry can connect you with others

One of poetry's greatest gifts might be its ability to remind us that we're not alone in our human experience. Poetry doesn't require perfection – it simply asks for honesty. Whether you're drawn to free verse that flows like conversation, structured forms that provide comforting boundaries, or somewhere in between, there's no wrong way to begin.

Don't worry that you don't have a polished final product, just be brave to putting your feelings into words.

Amanda Gorman, the 2017 National Youth Poet Laureate, spoke these words at the 2020 presidential inauguration from the dais of the United States Capitol.

1. How do you tell if a vampire is sick? Answer: See if he is coffin.
2. Can February March? Answer: No, but April May.
3. What did the tomato say to the other tomato during a race? Answer: Ketchup.
4. Why was the broom late for work? Answer: It over-swept.

Can you imagine a world without laughter?

Humor plays an essential role in our overall health. The ability to smile, laugh, and play is directly related to the way we express our personalities. It's one of our more redeeming qualities. The more we laugh at ourselves, the better suited we are for the world around us, too! Jokes and general silliness help to

March is National Kidney Month, to raise awareness about kidney health, the risks of kidney disease, and the importance of early detection and prevention. It's never too early to start learning about your kidney heath and taking action to keep your kidneys healthy.

The kidneys are vital organs that filter waste, excess fluids, and toxins from the blood while maintaining the body's overall balance of minerals. However, factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and a family history of kidney disease significantly increase the risk of developing kidney-related complications.

When the

Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, is an inflammation of the transparent membrane that lines the eyelid and eyeball. This membrane is called the conjunctiva. When small blood vessels in the conjunctiva become swollen and irritated, they're more visible. This is what causes the whites of the eyes to appear reddish or pink.

Pink eye is most often caused by a viral infection. It also can be caused by a bacterial infection, an allergic reaction or — in babies — an incompletely opened tear duct.

Viral conjunctivitis is the most common and contagious type of pink eye

Viral conjunctivitis usually

Whether you’re on edge or need a boost, even just one song can bring you back to a more even and healthy place. When it comes to your mental health, music can:‌‌

• Help you rest better
• Lift your mood
• Reduce stress

Music also has many physical benefits. It can

• Decrease cortisol levels
• Lower heart rate and blood pressure
• Motivate your body to move
• Create new neural connections and increase neuroplasticity

Express yourself with a beat. You don’t need to be a trained musician to make music. Anyone can grab a rhythm instrument like a drum or rain stick and create beats that are mournful, angry, joyful, or excited.

Write a song. The concept of songwriting can scare people away if they feel like the song won’t be “good.” Remember that when you use music therapeutically, it doesn’t matter what other people think of it. They never even have to hear it. If you feel stuck, start with a song that you already know. Let the melody inspire you to write lyrics that express how you feel. Sing it into your phone and play it back. Hearing your own feelings reflected back to you is an important part of healing through music.

Create a mood playlist. If you’re feeling down, anxious, or upset, find a track that expresses how you feel. Feel those emotions and let the lyrics resonate with you. Then, gradually shift your listening choices so that the music takes you into a happier or calmer place.

Music can lift your mood, so put on a happy tune if you are feeling blue. Uptempo music can give you energy. And if you combine music with an aerobic and social activity, you can receive the maximum health benefit from it. Participate in a Zumba class. Do jazz aerobics. Jump to the rhythms of rock & roll. Or, better yet, go dancing.

Performing music has its own benefits, too. It can help:

• Improve hand-eye coordination
• Develop motor skills
• Promote brain connectivity and enhance cognitive potential

Listening to the right kind of music can have profound, positive effects. But the wrong kind of music (or unpleasant sounds) can have some negative effects, too.

Music is extremely arousing, so it can sometimes be overstimulating if it’s too loud or too aggressive. Someone may also associate a song with a bad memory because it reminds them of something negative. So, you'll want to explore differ. ent musical genres or test out what kind of music works best for you. There may also be times when silence is needed. But at the end of the day, music will always be there to inspire you and bring a little rhythm to your life.

All year long, no matter where one lives, we are given numerous opportunities to get outside and play. But sometimes, life, responsibilities, and distractions keep us from spending time in the fresh air as much as we should. Being outdoors is not only for children; it's great for people of all ages. Being outside is a reminder to stretch our legs and expend some energy. Besides getting us off the sofa or away from the desk, it also gives us an opportunity to explore our neighborhoods. We know the seasons change, so what we were able to do outside last month will be different this month.

What should we spend time  outdoors? This 2 minute video explains: Benefits of Being Outdoors.

February is American Heart Month. So today's Wellness Wednesday is going to focus on choosing heart-healthy foods. Heart-healthy eating involves choosing certain foods, such as fruits and vegetables, while limiting others, such as saturated fats and added sugars.

One approach is the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan because it has been proven to lower high blood pressure and “bad” LDL cholesterol in the blood. The DASH eating plan requires no special foods and instead provides daily and weekly nutritional goals. This plan recommends:

• Eating vegetables, fruits, and whole

Few things are more uncomfortable than sudden sores in or around your mouth. Are they cold sores or canker sores? The two conditions may sound similar, but they differ in cause, appearance, and treatment. Understanding those differences helps you manage outbreaks effectively and know when to see a specialist.
 

This is a 2 minute video which explains the differences between the two mouth sores: Cleveland Clinic Canker Sore v. Cold Sore

Note: cold sores can be referred to as fever blisters.