Health

Sleep Soundly – How to Beat Insomnia

October 16, 2018 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that causes suffers to experience trouble when falling asleep, or staying asleep. According to the Sleep Health Foundation, one in three people suffer from this disorder in some degree. More commonly, insomnia is seen in elderly people, and is twice as likely to affect women than men. This may be due to increased rates of anxiety and depression in women, which can be associated with insomnia. Though the disorder affects sleep, the effects last throughout the day with suffers often unable to focus on tasks. It is important to recognise insomnia, and work towards overcoming it. Here are three things that may assist with your sleep, and lead you to having a better night’s rest.

Get Comfortable.

The first and perhaps most important aspect of sleep is the environment around you. According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, the bedroom environment can have significant effects on sleep quality and quantity. Assess your sleeping situation, and consider if it can be improved. Light has a large impact on sleep, so ensure that the room is sufficiently dark during times of rest. Temperature is also a huge factor, with the optimum level unique to each person.

Finally, your mattress and pillows will ultimately determine the position in which you sleep. Ensure that your pillows are supportive, and your mattress free of any lumps. You may have to purchase some upgrades, perhaps splurging on a memory foam mattress or some expensive pillows; since we spend one third of our lives asleep, it is a worthwhile purchase!

Stay Active.

While this point may scare some people away, it is no secret that staying active can significantly improve your ability to fall asleep at night. This has been scientifically proven, with many contributing factors discovered, including lowering of stress levels and regulation of body temperature. Taking care to participate in regular exercise, therefore, is a way to assist with any sleeping issues you may have. This exercise does not have to be in a sweaty gym, or running 10km a day (although if this is your thing, enjoy!), and can simply consist of a morning or afternoon walk.

Dancing, swimming or even rollerskating are all other options to consider, so don’t be afraid to get creative with staying active. Participating in a sport is a great way to stay consistent in your exercise routine. The Department of Health and Human Services has some great information about this, so check out their website if you’re interested.

Have a Routine.

This may not be possible for everyone, especially those who do shift work, but having a sleeping schedule can help program your body to know when it’s time to sleep. For one week, try going to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning. See how you feel, and if it has made an improvement then incorporate a sleep schedule into your everyday life. If you do not see any changes, consider adopting one of the other tips mentioned, or see a healthcare professional.

There we have it, three ways to get a better nights sleep! Try them all, or pick one or two and assess your progress. Remember, if you have suffered from insomnia and these tips have not shown any improvement, consult your doctor. Your sleep is very important, and any struggles should be recognised and addressed. Good Luck.

7 Mental Health Benefits of Flowers You Didn’t Know

April 24, 2018 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

If you’ve been under the burden of stress and anxiety and don’t know why or how to help yourself, perhaps you should think out of the box and order some flowers for yourself. Few people know the immediate positive impacts flowers have on our minds, so it’s well worth considering. Given below are seven leading psychological benefits that flowers have on us, so don’t pooh-pooh the idea. Instead, go ahead and try it.

Flowers’ fragrances can be stress-busters: Floral fragrances or aromatherapy is the science of using flower oils and essential oils f you’ve never heard about aromatherapy, here is a quick intro to the topic. This kind of therapy is basically a practice of using flower oils, including essential oils, for physical and psychological well-being. It’s been scientifically proven that oils of some flowers can provide significant health benefits if used correctly and safely. It is believed that the oils of such flowers as rose, jasmine, lavender, and chamomile are especially good for the task.
Flowers boost memory and concentration: When flowers oxygenate the air, our brain cells are boosted so that we are more energized and alert. It really doesn’t matter which flowers you choose, but according to experts, it’s better to use bamboo or succulents to get these effects. For one, these are fast-growing plants but they also need the minimal care. And the most overriding benefit for our minds is that they supercharge our brains.

It’s not uncommon for people to lose their train of thoughts or not know why they’ve entered a particular room or what they wanted from their cupboards. Instead of worrying about being subjected to such experiences, it would help vastly if you have plants in your home as this would boost your memory and concentration. When plants oxygenate the air, your brain cells get an extra boost and you feel better than before. Choose a long-lasting plant or go in for a mix of bamboo and easy care succulents. These plants need to be watered just once a week, they grow quickly and they energize your brain immensely.

Flowers are mood-uppers: To know the connection between mental health and flowers, notice the effect on you when you are gifted a bunch of them. Your mood improves immediately and you feel happy suddenly. According to studies, flowers also give you an extra boost of creative solutions and ideas. By having flowers near you when you’re blue, you can experience a better mood, which can help you cope better with your problems, and perhaps find solutions to them too.
Flowers relieve anxiety: For some people, anxiety is a part of life. Anxiety dogs their every step–whether it is family tensions or work stresses. But there’s an easy way out. All you need do is to buy flowers or grow them and have them in your midst. The colours and fragrance of flowers can help you get rid of anxiety and bring tranquillity into your life.
Flowers reduce depression: Few people know that the link between one’s satisfaction level and flowers is extremely important, but a Rutgers University study proved this. By having flowers around you in your home, your happiness increases, your depression vanishes and you are less anxious. Flowers also help enhance your emotional connect with your family and friends. At work, you’re more energetic and productive and your problem-solving skills and creativity are at an all-time high

1. Flowers stimulate the brain: Research proves that those who grow flowers or have them in vases at home did much better in memory tests than others. When flowers are placed on employees’ desks, it is known to stimulate them mentally and help them concentrate better and be more productive. According to studies, flowers play a great role in easing depression and anxiety and enhance compassion towards others, including animals.
2. Flowers help you relax: When people are generally stressed, they often turn to gardening. Why? Because, watching something come to life right before you can be cathartic and often, floral scents reduce stress and help you relax. Try this with a sprig of rosemary and watch your tension melting away.

Other flowers that have a calming effect on you include violets that calm the nerves and mind; daffodils stimulates the nervous system and aids memory; orange marigold is known to make you optimistic, and blue hydrangea can bring you the peace and calm you want in your life.

Conclusion: One of life’s miracles is that beautiful flowers have a beneficial effect on one’s mind and body. And the glorious truth is that they aren’t just effective but non-toxic and do not have any side effects. Now that you know this great truth, appreciate flowers as gifts of Nature and benefit from all that flowers can do for your peace of mind and better productivity, among other things.

The Question of Quality – 6 Things to Look For in a Community Care Provider

January 16, 2018 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Community care is aged care that is provided to you or your aged loved ones within the comfort of their own home. It is a common alternative to residential care, and allows an individual to retain a good measure of independence and control over their own life, while receiving assistance in the areas that they need.

With that said, choosing a care provider can be tricky, especially with so many to filter through. Let’s take some of the stress away from that decision by exploring six different things to look for in a community care provider.

The Level of Support Offered

Not all community care providers offer the same level of assistance with daily living. For example, some may come to clean the home, change the sheets and do some gardening – things that can get difficult with age. Others may come and bring meals, or cook for you, or perform minor maintenance activities around the house.

Others yet may do all of the above. Check in with some different providers and see what level of support they offer you, and see if they can tailor a package that’s right for you or your loved one.

Cost of Community Care

This is an important factor, as you want to be able to afford the best without breaking the bank. Ask some different providers for an outline of the expected costs of community care. It may be worth sketching out a rough budget of your income and expenses and seeing what you can afford. Did you know that the government offers subsidies for community care? This can make it more affordable than you think.

Attitude of Staff

This is really important. Working with aging people requires a great deal of tolerance, patience, compassion, kindness and acceptance. The last thing you want is someone without these attributes providing care for you or your loved one.

Ask to meet with some of the care staff before you choose a community care provider, ask them some questions and try to ascertain their attitude prior to picking a provider.

Allied Health Professionals?

Check in with the providers to see if they offer Allied Health professionals in their community care packages. These are highly qualified physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other specialists that can provide a great level of assistance for those who are aging. Not every provider will have them on the books, and keep in mind that you may incur additional expenses for these individuals.

Frequency of Visits

This is another important aspect of community care. How often are they able to visit you or your loved one? Ideally you will want to work out a schedule that is right for you, and enables you or your relative to live in relative independence for as long as possible before transitioning to residential care.

Do They Offer Social Support?

You may not realise it, but social connections are incredibly important as we age. Social interaction has a range of positive physical and mental health benefits, and the sad thing is that we often do less of it the older we get.

Some aged providers offer a simple drop-in service, where a friendly staff member can come and have a cuppa and a chat. See if the providers you’re investigating offer something like this.

To Sum it Up

So, work out a budget and check how much different community care providers cost, keeping in mind government subsidies. See what the level of support and frequency of visits are, and check to see if social support is provided. Finally, see if Allied Health staff can come to you for extra specialised care and always remember to get a feeling for the attitude of the staff.

Cardio Considerations – 6 Benefits of Kettlebell Training

November 20, 2017 by Painter Mommy 2 Comments

The Russians have given a lot to the world and have always been leaders in gymnastics and powerlifting. Kettlebells are a great tool for developing overall, functional strength and cardiovascular endurance. Try doing four sets of lap pulldowns versus kettlebell swings and you’ll notice a big difference.

There are plenty of benefits to using kettlebells, so begin incorporating them into your weekly workout routine.

Compact Equipment

The best thing about kettlebells is that you can get a complete full body workout combining resistance training with cardio. With a Kettlebell Set that can be stored in the corner of a room, you can do a variety of exercises, and work your entire body. But be sure to get the right form for some of the harder exercises.

Combine Your Strength and Cardio Workouts

Functional training is the best route to overall fitness. Depending on your goals, using kettlebells can be one of the best and fastest ways to achieve optimum fitness and physique. Kettlebells activate the use of stabilisers, enhancing mobility and the exercises increase coordination and motor skills.

It’s possible to lift weights in a traditional resistance program and not break a sweat, but after a kettlebell workout your entire body will know it has been pushed.

It Can Be Easier On Joints

Given that you’ve warmed up properly, using Kettlebells can be easier on your joints given the flow of the exercises. Rather than lifting, pulling or pressing dead weights repetitively, kettlebells incorporate a range of continuous motion that is more natural for the body.

Most Kettlebell workouts also incorporate full body exercises, so you’re getting a great workout while not necessarily only targeting one specific muscle group. Your core muscles, and legs will be activated for much of what you do as well.

Burn More Calories

If you’re time poor, which most city-livers are these days, then a 20-30 minute kettlebell workout can give you the same caloric burn as an hour or more of jogging. Combining your resistance training with your cardio, you can kill two birds with one stone and get in and out of the gym (or your home or office) faster and back to work, knowing that you’ve had a good workout.

Increase Your Flexibility

We should all be stretching and doing yoga regularly to stay and increase our flexibility. Training with kettlebells can also aid in developing your flexibility and your range of motion. But be sure to warm up properly, don’t jump into these exercises that push your range of motion with cold muscles.

Improve Your Awareness of Your Body

As you develop your range of motion, coordination and motor skills, you are also developing a better sense of the body you live in. Exercising can be mindless – just look at all those people on the treadmill – but when using Kettlebells you need to be focused and in tune with what you are doing.

This improved awareness will carry over into other aspects of your life and/or sport. Just as yoga and pilates improves your mind and body connection, so too can Kettlebell exercises and functional training.

Get someone to show you how to use them to begin with, the last thing you want is a stupid injury from not knowing what you’re doing that sets you back. Do a couple of group training sessions or book in with a personal trainer for a few sessions to get your technique and movement down and to learn some basic exercises.

Most gyms offer some free PT sessions with membership so make the most of them and learn how to use kettlebells. The rest you can do from the privacy of your own home, office or in the gym.

Image From: https://www.onnit.com/academy/kettlebell-cardio-for-cardio-haters/

5 Natural Remedies to Cure a Kid’s Earache

March 2, 2015 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post…

An earache can sound like serious business for a parent: their kid’s in pain and while the cause may be something benign like Otitis (either of the middle ear or the outer ear), it still looks worrying. When a child complains of pain inside their ear, either because of a swelling of the eardrum (Myringitis), a cold, an infection, allergies, eardrum blisters, or injury, it’s time to look for remedies quick. Sure, a lot of ear infections that occur in children aged 2 or older will go away without the need for treatment – but what can a parent do in order to alleviate the pain caused by the earache in question. There’s always the option of calling a doctor or using pain relievers, but if those solutions are not accessible to you, or you would simply like to avoid them for whatever reason, we’ve got a handful of natural earache remedies for you to try out. No doctor needed! Bear in mind that if the pain persists, you are best advised to seek out professional medical advice.

Tip #1: Warmth + R&R

Since a lot of ear infections don’t necessarily require medical attention, one of the best ways to handle an earache is to simply encourage your child to rest. If you can get them to lie quietly in bed while you read them a story, color a picture book, or play a video game with them, that’s great. Do your best to engage the child in quiet, relaxing playtime activities. It’s generally not recommended to allow your child to go outside during bouts of ear pain, especially if the weather is cold. Furthermore, try to avoid or postpone travel at this time, most of all by pain. High altitudes may aggravate earaches caused by ear infections. In all of the above scenarios, whether they entail travel or rest and relaxation at home, it’s a good idea to apply a warm cloth to your child’s ear. The heat may help reduce the intensity of the pain and you can use anything from a washcloth to a blankie, a heating pad, a favorite toy, or a towel. Just make sure to have a replacement at hand when the first thing you’ve used has gone cold.

Tip #2: Help those ears feel better

Here are a few ‘tricks’ that have been tested by healthcare providers in soothing and/or alleviating pain caused by an earache:

Let gravity work its magic. Since most earaches are caused by inflammations, which, in turn, create pressure via an accumulation of fluid against the eardrum, gravity can help reduce some of that pressure. Try to get your kid to lie on one side while in bed, with the ear that hurts facing toward the ceiling. Some of the accumulated fluid and/or mucous might drain away from the eardrum.
Wiggle those ears. This tip especially works with kids who often get earaches because of chronic sinusitis and a stuffy nose. Pinch the lobe of the ear that hurts between your index finger and thumb and lightly tug at it. If you do this right, the Eustachian tube which has become clogged might pop open and have the fluid drained right out of it. Alternatively, you can encourage the child to yawn or swallow, much like they would when their ears need to be ‘popped’ when flying.

Tip #3: The important link between the ear and the nose

As mentioned above, sometimes kids can get an earache as a direct consequence of sinusitis. If it’s not that serious or a chronic ailment, if it’s simply a cold, try to get them to blow their nose. That, of course, may not be possible if it’s really stuffy, but you can always help them by squirting a drop or two of saline solution up one of their nostrils. As mentioned in the first tip, if only one nostril is clogged, try to get them to lie on one side, with the stuffy nose hole to the ceiling.

Tip #4: Sometimes you don’t need antibiotics

Sometimes an earache is as painful as to warrant the use of over-the-counter painkillers, or even prescription analgesics, antibiotics, and eardrops. But this is not always the case. When you can safely rule out the possibility of an ear infection, try to drip a drop or two of olive or vegetable oil into your kid’s painful ear. Since this is not always an easy task to complete, try to do this as they are about to go to sleep, or even after they’ve fallen asleep. Have them lie down as soon as you’ve applied the drops, as you don’t want them leaking oil all over the sheets. It’s a good idea to slightly warm up the oil before applying it – just make absolutely sure the temperature is appropriate.

Tip #5: Nature’s miracles

If your child can tolerate any of the following solutions, with all their funny tastes and strong scents, then consider using them:

Ginger. It’s a great natural painkiller, which can also alleviate inflammation. Pour a few drops of ginger juice into the afflicted ear, or apply a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger root rubbed with ¼ cup of sesame oil and lightly heated around the ear with the ache.
Basil leaves. Crush a handful of fresh basil leaves and pour a couple of drops into the aching ear.
Onion or garlic. Both are great antiseptics and can substantially reduce an inflammation inside the ear.