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Read More about Navigating a chronic illness during the holidays
Navigating a chronic illness during the holidays

Navigating a chronic illness during the holidays

The holiday season is full of parties, gatherings, food, and drink — making it an ideal time to adopt healthier eating habits. Doing so can help you manage stress and avoid overeating, and will set you up for success in the new year.

Read More about Naps: Make the most of them and know when to stop them
Naps: Make the most of them and know when to stop them

Naps: Make the most of them and know when to stop them
As babies become toddlers, when they need to nap and for how long evolves, so parents and caregivers need to know how to handle the changes, as well as how to know when naps are no longer needed.
Read More about Making holiday shopping decisions quicker and with less stress
Making holiday shopping decisions quicker and with less stress

Making holiday shopping decisions quicker and with less stress

The holiday season often makes people feel stressed out over choosing gifts. Everyone wants to give a gift that the recipient will be excited about, but expectations and the fear of making the wrong choice undermine the thinking process. Can people get better at making decisions? Yes, but it requires accepting that there is no ideal choice, and approaching the process with the proper focus.

Read More about A single-session class offers chronic low back pain relief
A single-session class offers chronic low back pain relief

A single-session class offers chronic low back pain relief
A single two-hour pain management class may offer months-long relief from chronic low back pain compared with other approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy and back health education.
Read More about How much sleep keeps cognitive decline at bay?
How much sleep keeps cognitive decline at bay?

How much sleep keeps cognitive decline at bay?
Sleeping six hours or less is associated with impaired cognition, mostly in memory, as well as an increase in the protein that can form brain plaque. Sleeping nine hours or more is also linked to cognitive problems, especially in decision making.
Read More about Taking control
Taking control

Taking control
Uncertainty and feeling less in control, which has occurred for many during the pandemic, can heighten stress. The human brain has more difficulty assessing risk when elements outside its control are introduced. To make the situation more manageable, pare down, simplify what you can to avoid unnecessary decision making, prioritize your mental health, and don’t get stuck in gathering and analyzing information.
Read More about Exposure to traffic noise linked to higher dementia risk
Exposure to traffic noise linked to higher dementia risk

Exposure to traffic noise linked to higher dementia risk
A decade or more of high exposure to traffic noise may increase dementia risk.
Read More about Take a breather
Take a breather

Take a breather
Most breathing follows a smooth, steady rhythm, but sometimes normal breathing turns erratic. For example, when people are stressed or panicked, breathing gets shallow, making it feel as if it is hard to take in air. When the fight-or-flight response kicks in to confront perceived danger (real or imagined), breathing pace quickens to prepare the heart and muscles for a quick getaway. One way to manage these types of stressful breathing when they occur is to practice breathing exercises designed to help bring in more oxygen and slow the breathing rhythm.
Read More about Working out your brain
Working out your brain

Working out your brain
Cardio exercise has been convincingly linked to less cognitive decline and may even improve cognitive functioning. Research suggests it can strengthen the heart, promote arterial health, improve blood flow to the brain, fight inflammation, and increase key chemicals that promote new brain cell growth. The type of exercise does not matter, but cardio that is both physically challenging and offers mental stimulation is ideal.
Read More about Gifts that promote relaxation and resilience
Gifts that promote relaxation and resilience

Gifts that promote relaxation and resilience
An array of products that encourage people to relax can be good holiday gifts for friends and loved ones who need to reduce their stress levels. Suggestions include a year’s subscription to a meditation app; yoga props such as a mat, blocks, and straps; devices that enable self-massage of the upper body; and products that may foster sound sleep, such as a weighted blanket, a noise machine, and scented bath salts.
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