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Holiday Happiness Helpers

Six Ways to Bring On Joy

by James Baraz

To truly enjoy the holidays, try these simple, research-based practices to maintain a healthy state of mind.

1 Set an intention to enjoy the holidays. By making the conscious decision to be open to true well-being and  happiness, we’ll be more likely to have our “antenna” up, so we’re alert to uplifting moments.

2 Savor moments of well-being. Beyond being grateful for feeling good, savor how the experience registers in body, mind and spirit for a period of 15 or 30 seconds. The longer we hold an emotionally stimulating experience in our awareness, the more neural connections form in our brains to strengthen it in memory.

3 Take a break to regain focus. If we are feeling overwhelmed by everything on the to-do list, remember to take a few deep breaths. Then take a break and enjoy a cup of tea or a hot bath. Try some yoga or exercise. Leave the holiday activity mode for a bit and just relax.

4 Practice gratitude. Rather than take good fortune for granted, consciously reflect upon all the blessings apparent in each day. When we directly express appreciation to loved ones and friends while we’re with them, everyone feels the joy of the loving connection.

5 Practice generosity. Neuroscience research shows that performing an altruistic act lights up the same pleasure centers in the brain as food and sex. When an impulse to be generous arises, act on it and notice the expansive feeling that blesses us when we share.

6 Play and have fun. The holidays allow us to let ourselves feel like we did when we were kids. Be around children if possible. Tune into and take delight in their enthusiasm. Singing or dancing is an excellent way to move out of our head and open our heart to the joy within.

Remember that happiness is contagious: If we’re happy, we increase the odds that close friends and family will be happy, too.

James Baraz is a co-founding teacher of the Spirit Rock Meditation Center, in Woodacre, CA, and co-author of Awakening Joy: 10 Steps That Will Put You on the Road to Real Happiness and Awakening Joy for Kids: A Hands-On Guide for Grown-Ups to Nourish Themselves and Raise Mindful, Happy Children. Connect at AwakeningJoy.info.

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Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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