NewCleRadio

Before I begin my day I have to get something off my chest – How Can We Have an Imbecile (per the dictionary, “a person affected with moderate intellectual disability,” a fool, an idiot) be a world leader as POTUS. Yes, I am talking about Donald Trump! I am not holding back because he is so ignorant when it comes to ‘reality’ and he has a following of minions that claim they want change (and climate change is not real!) and only this so-called IMBECILE can provide that for them. My question is other than promises what has he changed for you? He has not made America GREAT? He has, however, made the USA a laughing stock in the world as we know it! My momma once told me not to trust the snake oil salesman and that is DJT.

Donald only chooses to listen to people who agree with him, and he believes that is what makes him smart. However, agreeing with another person without knowing what you are agreeing too is dangerous. Did you ever go to your parents and tell them you wanted to do something because your friends were doing it and their response was; if your friends jump off a bridge, would you? (My answer would be no because I am fearful of bridges – what would or was your answer?)
Yesterday DJT claimed Joe Biden is unfit to be President (the pot calling the Kettle Black.) He wants Biden to be checked out physically and mentally – excuse Mr. Imbecile, a majority of people (including your family member, your niece) claim you are unfit! Why don’t you get checked out and we can compare the results? All mr. donald trump does is ridicule people.

Healthy boundaries have always been an important part of self-care, but in these weird, pandemic days of sheltering-in-place, many of us may be feeling uneasy about the boundaries we are having to maintain just to stay safe.

That’s how I felt this week as we celebrated my sister’s birthday and her talents at an opening for her most recent artwork. As we maintained our physical distancing, the time came for my two sisters and me to take a picture together, and it was heartbreaking. All I wanted to do was give both of my sisters a big hug, but I couldn’t.

We understood that our physical distancing would help keep us healthy, but as I say about so many things when it comes to self-care, it was hard.

Even in so-called normal times, maintaining healthy boundaries can be hard. But it’s a necessity for self-care, whether they’re mental, physical, or emotional boundaries. According to PsychCentral.com, mental boundaries apply to our thoughts, values, and opinions; physical boundaries pertain to our personal space, privacy, and body; and emotional boundaries involve separating our emotions from someone else’s. Healthy boundaries can protect you from feeling guilty for someone else’s negative feelings or problems, or from taking others’ comments personally.

Here are some ways to set and maintain healthy boundaries:

• Examine your current boundaries (or lack of boundaries) with significant people in your life.
• Say “no” to something you don’t want to do or that makes you uncomfortable. You don’t have to explain or justify the “no.”
• Use “I” language. Talk about how you feel, not how someone else is making you feel. Say, “I need a few minutes alone after work,” instead of saying, “You have to stop bothering me as soon as I get home from work.”
• You may need to set consequences if the other person is unwilling to respect the boundary, but you must be willing to follow through, or the boundary is useless.
• Recognize not only your own boundaries but also the boundaries of others, and strive to respect and honor those boundaries.

Now more than ever, no one should judge us about the boundaries we set to make us comfortable. We need to be respectful of each other and the boundaries that keep all of us healthy – you, me, and those we love.

Caring together,

Kristi Horner
Founder and Executive Director
Courage to Caregivers

Please click on this link and absorb her wisdom https://medium.com/@barbarrose/age-is-a-billion-dollar-business-c3e01b7e3751

Barbar is 83 and wants to be a Movie Star – I, Karen Moss Hale, am 70, and I want to have the Number 1 Podcast with Barbara Rose Brooker https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-rant-with-barbara-rose-brooker_1

We’re on to a new theme this month – relationships – and our first topic is connections. Unfortunately, social distancing is getting all of the publicity these days. But while physical distancing remains important during this pandemic, maintaining our social connections is also important, especially for caregivers.

Connecting with others is a basic human need that is hardwired within us from birth. As caregivers, we gain a lot from our social connections, including emotional support, respite care, and a sounding board for our concerns, just to name a few of the benefits. As this article notes, connecting is one of Mental Health America’s 10 tools that can help you feel stronger and more hopeful. Research shows that feeling socially connected can increase happiness, improve health, and lead to a longer life.

Gideon Rosenblatt notes that connections are different from relationships. Connections, or points of contact, can take many forms. They typically involve some kind of action and are usually time-constrained. Relationships are about the experience of connecting with someone over an extended period of time. “One way to think of connections is as a kind of handshake between two parties,” he says.

Sometimes, a connection can take the form of a heart-to-heart, spill-it-all talk. Other times, just a laugh-out-loud e-mail can do wonders. Spending time connecting with others in pleasurable activities can be a welcome release from our daily worries.

And we can all learn something from our connections. During the past four years, as we’ve launched Courage to Caregivers, I’ve met some extraordinary people along the way, and every one of them has helped me better understand the unique challenges of caregivers. I’ve also learned how to listen better and how to be a better human.

That’s why it’s so important that we continue to connect while we also continue our physical distancing. I like to think of this time as an opportunity to strengthen our social solidarity. We need all of the solidarity we can get right now, and that goes not only for caregivers but also for those we love who are living with mental illness.

In the spirit of solidarity, if you’re looking for a new way to come together and expand your connections, consider joining one of our programs at Courage to Caregivers in our new virtual format. We’d love to support you and have you join our community.

Kristi Horner
Founder and Executive Director
Courage to Caregivers

https://thenexters.org/

The big holiday is upon us, and if you’re like me, you’re not going anywhere. Our friends’ Fourth of July parties have all been canceled down here in Texas, so I will be hanging out with the fam, playing card games, and shooting off our own fireworks. So not exactly quiet. Happy Fourth to all!

Here are 4 bits of news from the NextTribe offices:

1. We learned about the 4 pillars of the “house of health” through menopause and beyond during our Nutrafol-sponsored Embrace the Change talk on fitness, energy and sleep.
Read all about it here.

2. A lot of us have been embracing our gray, out of necessity, during the pandemic. We say don’t hide away your gray, strut it. Win prizes and recognition by posting photos with hashtags: #NextTribe and #HoorayforGray.
Details here. 
(Members are eligible to win bigger prizes.)

3. We’re setting up our summer virtual events. The first one is on July 16th with Erica Heller, editor of One Last Lunch and yes, Joseph Heller’s daughter, and Muffie Meyer, a director, and editor of Grey Gardens.
Details here. 

4. I’m very proud that so many truly accomplished women are being considered for the VP slot on the Democratic ticket. Which one do you think will make the best candidate?

Stay safe all, and wear a mask if you’re out and about.

–Jeannie Ralston

Sunday – June 21, 2020
I think it was my paternal grandfather, Abe, who first laid this simple piece of folk wisdom on me, “If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, most likely…”.  Navel contemplators may have a burning passion to delve deeper into the spiritual or philosophical possibilities of that perception, but I’m pretty sure, most of the time, the feathery creatures, attempting to look adorably hungry to the strangers disregarding the “Do Not Feed the Ducks” sign, are ducks.  Ergo, racists are racist, liars lie, thieves steal, politicians spin, guns kill, bullies abuse and everyone poops.  At this unique moment in time, at the confluence of pandemic and racial unrest and mad king despotism in the White House, most of us are experiencing a moment of widespread clarity where it may just be possible to clean our very messy and disingenuous slate, if only we take this opportunity to stop trying to reimagine the obvious.  It is better to be at peace than at war.  It is better not to harm the life-sustaining nature of our planet.  It’s cool to be kind.  We can, should, must do better while abiding zero tolerance for inept, corrupt, ill-thinking public servants at every level of governance.  We are all created equal and everyone’s life is better when life is better for everyone.  Certainly, BLACK LIVES MATTER! Equally, blackened hearts DO NOT!  Quack

When you believe that #Black Lives Matter – you share your story – https://womensenews.org/2020/06/a-gift-for-my-racist-father-a-biracial-nephew

Now more than ever, we all need to take time to recharge. This week’s topic – sleep – is the body’s natural way of recharging our emotional, mental, and physical batteries every night.

Yet, studies show that one-third of American adults don’t get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Just getting to sleep is an issue for many people. And physical problems, environmental disturbances, or emotional concerns can often interrupt a good night’s sleep.

I’ve had plenty of issues with sleep, and I’ve found that having a consistent routine around sleep hygiene has made a huge difference. Here are some things I do to help me get to sleep:

• Get plenty of exercise during the day. My goal is to get 3,000 to 10,000 steps a day.
• Turn off all technology at least one hour before bedtime … my goal is two to three hours before bedtime … and no TV in the bedroom!
• Limit caffeine. I’ve tried this in many ways, and no caffeine after my morning coffee works best for me.
• Don’t eat after 8 p.m. Did you know that some foods (citrus, spicy, fatty, and heavy) can disrupt your sleep? I’ve set a goal to “close” the kitchen after dinner.
• Control the lighting and temperature. I’ve removed just about all the ambient lighting in the bedroom and turned down the thermostat a notch. Did you know that cooler temperatures help you sleep better?
• Once I’ve checked the above boxes and tucked myself in to bed at night, I say a prayer of gratitude for all the good in my day.

Another way to improve sleep quality is to focus on your breathing. One thing we’ve heard over and over again from the participants in our breathing meditation classes is that they get their best night’s sleep of the week after the classes! That’s because of the great work of our facilitators – Polly, Sarah, and Cathy.

Here are some breathing techniques that have helped me:

• 2:1 Breathing – There are different variations of this, but in all of them, the exhale is twice as long as the inhale. For example, breathe in for a count of four, then exhale for a count of eight. Or try a five count for the inhale and a ten count for the exhale. Just be sure the ratio is 2:1. This stimulates the relaxation response and prepares the body for sleep.
• 4-7-8 Breathing – This is the same as above, but with the added step of retaining the breath for seven counts before you exhale.

I can tell you from experience that if I wake up at night, focusing on my breath instead of whatever is repeating through my head can help me get back to sleep.

Maybe it can help you, too. Consider joining us for a breathing meditation class soon. We’d love to have you!

Kristi Horner
Founder and Executive Director
Courage to Caregivers