Basic HTML Version
SUMMER
2012
maskmatters.org
89
mom’s agenda
empower
WHERE ARE
YOU ON YOUR
TO DO LIST?
Looking for other
ways to spend your
“me-time?” Here are
a few fun and easy
suggestions:
●
Take up a new
interest or hobby
●
Discover the joy
of cooking
●
Put your green
thumb to good use
out in the garden
●
Go for a long
drive through the
countryside
●
Take a leisurely
stroll through the
neighborhood
●
Get a good
workout with a new
exercise routine
●
Get crafty with
a do-it-yourself
project
●
Jot down your
thoughts and ideas
in your favorite
journal
●
Knit or sew a
new outfit or fashion
accessory
Me, MYself and i
looking forWard to
flYing solo todaY!
Spending time alone—if done
right—can be good for us.
Research shows that even
the most socially motivated
people should regularly take
time to themselves to improve
focus and creative thinking,
and that alone time is an
important component of a
well-functioning social life.
If we want to get the most
out of the time we spend with
people, we should make sure
we’re spending enough of
it away from them. Just as
regular exercise and healthy
eating make our minds and
bodies work better, so can
being alone.
the great outdoors
stoP and sMell the
roses With a relaXing
nature hike.
In a study by Awen Grove, an
organization that bridges the
connection between people and
nature, spending time outdoors
has proven therapeutic and
restorative benefits. Natural
surroundings can be a catalyst for
exploring personal fears, facing
challenges, and decreasing or
eliminating self- or culturally-
imposed limitations. This is
especially important in societies
where the pressures on women to
do all things perfectly can be too
great. Nature can provide women
a foundation from which they can
regain their sense of identity,
while also providing spiritual
peace, and feelings of connection
and empowerment.
MusiC to MY ears
Create a neW
PlaYlist for kiCking
baCk and relaXing.
While listening to music has
positive health benefits (it’s
been shown to reduce blood
pressure and decrease stress),
it is also good for the brain.
Music has been shown to
greatly enhance brain function,
help reduce depression and
lower stress. In addition,
musical training has a
profound impact on skills such
as speech, language, memory
and attention. Learning music
or playing difficult pieces is
considered excellent ways to
keep brain in top shape.
girl tiMe
Plan a lovelY lunCh
or fun night out With
the girls.
Studies have shown that the
power of female friendships
has a significant impact
on our overall health and
well-being. In a 2006 study
of nearly 3,000 women with
breast cancer, women with
a group of close female
friends were four times more
likely to survive than women
who did not. Other studies
have shown that women who
aren’t connected to other
women often miss out on
opportunities to be involved
in the community, empathize
with other women and share
the benefits of laughter and a
heart-felt hug.
get a little
shut-eYe
fit in a 20-Minute PoWer
naP this afternoon.
According to Dr. Sara Mednick,
author of “Take a Nap! Change
Your Life,” a 15- to 20-minute
nap can reap great benefits.
“You reset the system and
get a burst of alertness and
increased motor performance,”
she says. “That’s what most
people really need to stave off
sleepiness and get an energy
boost.” A 20-minute power
nap is good for alertness
and motor learning skills
like typing and playing the
piano, while longer naps help
boost memory and enhance
creativity. Fitting a nap into
your everyday schedule also
reduces stress.
all booked uP
stoP bY the
bookstore to stoCk uP
on suMMer reads.
While there’s no question
reading helps you gain
knowledge and learn skills
to solve problems, it also
helps keep your memory
sharp and improves your
learning capacity. Reading
helps to cope with stress and
anxiety, relaxes the mind,
and is an excellent brain
tool. It helps people develop
important life skills, aids in
self improvement, positive
life changes and all around
well being.
date night
sChedule a sPeCial night
out With the husband.
When all the pressures of life
compete for time and energy,
when do married couples
actually have time for each
other? Committing to date
nights might be a challenge,
but according to experts,
people who value their marriage
should do it. For couples, a
date builds friendship and helps
them reconnect emotionally.
Relationship experts say that
when couples have kids, their
focus often revolves around
the children, rather than each
other. Having regular date nights
is a way to build the marital
relationship intentionally.
PoWer of PraYer
take a MoMent
to ConneCt With a
higher PoWer.
Studies have shown that
people who use their religion
or spirituality to cope with
life experience benefits to
their health and well-being.
In fact, according to a study
from the University of Florida
in Gainesville and Wayne
State University in Detroit,
older adults use prayer more
than any other alternative
therapy for health. Research
has also shown that prayer
and spirituality have been
linked to better health, less
hypertension and stress
(even during difficult times),
positive feelings, decreased
depression, greater
psychological well-being,
and improved ability to
handle stress.
soothe
bodY & soul
sPoil Yourself
With a MuCh-needed
Massage todaY!
Massage is the perfect
remedy for body and soul.
Studies show that massage
aids in stress relief, managing
anxiety and depression, easing
pain and stiffness, controlling
blood pressure control, and
boosting immunity. Massage
can also help improve
physical appearance, says
Kimara Ahnert, a New York
City-based makeup artist.
“Massage increases blood
flow, which plumps up slack
skin, encourages lymphatic
drainage (the shuttling of
toxins out and away from cells
so that more nutrients can
travel in), and adds vitality
to a dull complexion and
lackluster hair,” she says.
88
maskmatters.org
SUMMER
2012
saY ohMMM…
start the daY
With a Morning
Meditation session.
Research shows that anxiety,
depression and irritability
can decrease by meditating
regularly. It has also been
linked to improved memory
and reaction times, and
increased mental and physical
stamina. When it comes to
physical health benefits,
studies have also found
that meditation reduces key
indicators of chronic stress,
including hypertension, and
is effective in reducing the
impact of serious conditions,
such as chronic pain and
cancer. It can even help
bolster the immune system,
thus helping fight off colds,
flu and other diseases.