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Science Reveals Why You Feel Happy When You Hear Your Favorite Song

March 5, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Do you feel instantly happy the moment you hear the first bars of your favorite song?

According to a 2019 Gallup poll that examined the emotional state of people in America, over 55 percent of the U.S. population reported experiencing some degree of stress in their daily life. And this was roughly 20 percent higher than the global average of 35 percent. While any form of stress can take a toll on your mental health, chronic stress can impact your physical health.

That being said, it is worth pointing out that American teens and adults struggle with chronic stress more than ever. To help clarify the difference between low-level and chronic stress, we should take a look at them individually. In short, people experiencing low-level or mild forms of stress in their lives may find themselves having to contend with:

bouts of anxiety
depression
fatigue
insomnia

Those who have chronic stress in their lives are struggling with the same symptoms; however, they are also dealing with physiological changes that can potentially jeopardize their health as well.

How Does Chronic Stress Affect Your Physical Health?

Now that we understand some of the fundamental differences between low-level and chronic stress let’s take an even deeper dive into chronic stress. Furthermore, let’s look at how it can potentially affect one’s physical health.

First and foremost, whether we are talking about low-level or chronic stress. Note that the two “stresses” are not dissimilar. Indeed, they both are a byproduct of the body’s reaction to what it perceives as being a harmful or difficult situation. To further put this into perspective, when we encounter difficult times in our lives, both the brain and body will enter into what is known as “fight or flight” mode.

This “fight or flight” mode triggers feelings of panic or distress that typically motivates us to find ways to overcome those difficult times in our lives. However, in some cases, we might choose to run away from such problems. And in doing so, we allow them to consume us to the point where stress, depression, and anxiety begins to wreak havoc on our lives. From a physical standpoint, the longer we remain in this “fight or flight” mode, the more likely we are to fall victim to physiological changes that can impact our health. Several studies show that individuals who are dealing with prolonged chronic stress will usually experience the following physical symptoms.

Physical symptoms of stress:

Muscle tightness
Elevated blood pressure
An increase in heart rate
Faster breathing

Along with these symptoms, those who do not take steps to resolve the chronic stress in their lives will also experience an increase in cortisol, a stress hormone that can increase blood glucose levels in the bloodstream. This increase in cortisol and blood glucose levels can have a profound impact on the body, insomuch that it can potentially suppress the digestive system and alter immune system responses. What’s more, excessive cortisol, when brought on by prolonged chronic stress, can negatively affect the reproductive system and disrupt the body’s natural growth processes.

Chronic Stress Causes Additional Health Problems

The combination of elevated cortisol levels and prolonged chronic stress, according to AARP, can also give way to the following:

Stomach problems
Cardiovascular disease
Sleep dysfunction
Slower healing times
Weight gain
Becoming increasingly susceptible to the common cold
Back, neck, and shoulder pain

How Does Low-level and Chronic Stress Impact Your Mental Health?

From a psychological standpoint, both low-level and chronic stress can significantly impact one’s mental health if not corrected. According to a study published by BMJ, a peer-reviewed medical journal, more than 800,000 people around the world commit suicide every single year. Friends and family members often later believe that stress played a role in their decision to take their own life. Some of the stressful events cited by those family members and friends included the following:

Conflicts with co-workers
Family problems
Job loss
Problematic romantic relationships
Financial problems
Legal troubles

It should be noted that these same problems also contributed to suicidal ideations among those who chose not to let stress push them into taking their own life.

How to Cope With Low-level and Chronic Stress

Having spent a great deal of time detailing the physical and psychological toll that stress can take on one’s life, let’s take a moment to address how to reduce and maybe even eliminate it from our lives entirely. There is a plurality of things that can make day-to-day living stressful. However, there are many ways to go about reducing stress, and they all can go a long way toward keeping us physically and mentally healthy, some of which include meditation, exercise, journaling, and getting enough sleep. Of course, some of these strategies might work better for some than others. Therefore, you will want to try several different approaches until you find one that works best for you.

Can music help melt away stress?

In discussing ways to reduce or eliminate stress naturally, listening to music should be part of that conversation. According to a study published by the University of Nevada, Reno, one of the oldest public research universities in America, the right song can do much more than entice you to dance, tap your feet, or bob your head. The study found that a good song, measuring about 60 beats per minute, synchronizes the brain to the beat’s tempo. And this synchronization eventually leads to the development of alpha brainwaves, which are frequencies measuring between 8 to 14 hertz per second. According to scientists and researchers involved in the study, when high-stressed individuals listened to their favorite song that met these specific criteria, they became noticeably relaxed. Beyond that, they experienced a significant drop in their stress and anxiety levels.

What Songs Should You Liston to if You Have Low-level or Chronic Stress?

When it comes to listening to music to ease low-level and chronic stress, you can put your favorite song or even an instrumental on repeat as either will help melt stress away. After all, the healing power of music, particularly when it comes to stress relief, has a lot more to do with the beat than the actual lyrics of the song. The same study published by the University of Nevada, Reno revealed the following type of music, with or without lyrics, were highly effective in relaxing the mind and tamping down feelings of stress:

Native American music
Celtic music

The study also found that Indian music, especially the kind with drum, flute, or stringed-instrument sounds, was quite effective in calming the mind and resolving stress. And the power of music did not stop there. The same researchers and scientists involved in this highly sophisticated study also pointed to jazz as another viable option for those seeking to ease stress by listening to music.

As with any other form of music, jazz can be an ear-pleasing mix of soothing melodies that make up a good song or a stand-alone instrumental. However, jazz music that contains atmospheric sounds, such as light rain or wind, is more relaxing among those who listened to it to cope with the stress in their lives. The same was also true among those who listened to this particular type of jazz to resolve feelings of anxiety.

Can the Wrong Song Choice Intensify Your Feelings of Stress?

Unfortunately, music can sometimes be a double-edged sword when it comes to helping to reduce or eliminate stress from one’s life. Listening to the right music can quickly bring you out of a depressive state, banish feelings of anxiety, and even melt away stress.

However, the wrong music can intensify all of these feelings and make you worse. For example, if your romance ended, and you hear a sad love song on the radio, you could end up feeling even more depressed. Conversely, if you hear an uplifting song about love, you will feel more optimistic. You might also believe that another relationship lies around the corner.

The same applies to feelings of stress. Certain types of music might push you deeper into “fight or flight” mode. Unfortunately, that could increase tension and cause you to feel panic-stricken. Ideally, it would be best to seek out the expertise of a music therapist who can advise you on the type of music that will work best for you.

In short, a music therapist completed an approved music therapy program. Therefore, they hold a license to plan, organize, and prescribe music therapy activities. Additionally, they help patients come up with a playlist of songs. All of these activities can positively influence patients’ psychological or behavioral state. And yes, outcomes include reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.

Science reveals how songs have a positive impact on the brain.

Final Thoughts: Your Favorite Song is Medicine for Your Soul

In summary, turn on some music when you feel weighed down by stress, anxiety, or depression. Finding a good song on the playlist on your smartphone is worth its weight in gold.

13 Low Carb Snack Options for Parents on the Go

March 5, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Snacking. It seems like we humans are continually putting something in our mouths. When you are on the go all the time, you may feel as though you are eating something almost every second. But your wellness often boils down to choosing the right snacks for your low carb diet.

Whether you’re driving carpool, taking your little ballerina to a recital, or cheering on the sidelines of a soccer game, parents on the go share a problem. That is, they tend to put the kids first and neglect their own diet goals.

But here is the good news. Snacking is a normal part of a healthy diet. You have to know how to snack, and you have to understand what consists of a tasty, healthy, nutritional snack. Poor choices in meals will not provide you with enough energy, and can even make you a little, well, fluffy.

Most adults over thirty remember the government’s promotion of the Food Pyramid. It has evolved a lot over recent years, and now it is called “My Plate.” The changes were made so that less emphasis was made on servings and more on portions. Snacks are included but are required to remain within the portion control size recommended.

Furthermore, for those who carry their weight in the middle, or for those with pre-diabetes or diabetes, low carb snacks are highly recommended. That is not the most natural thing in the world to do if you are always on the run. However, if you plan ahead and create some low carb snacks on the weekend, you should be good to go for the rest of the week. Here are suggestions low carb snacks that are easy to make and are really good for you too.

Sweet Low Carb Snacks

1 – Strawberries, Sliced or whole

Strawberries, surprisingly, are the perfect low carb snack. They do not require a lot of prep work either. Trim the leaves and stems, wash the berries, and then put them in a little snack travel container.

They fit right into your “My Plate” meal guide since two fruits are recommended daily. One cup of fresh strawberries with a little artificial sweetener to taste is between eleven and thirteen grams of carbs, depending on whether you pack the whole berries or slice them. Other low carb snackable berries include raspberries at six carbs for a cup and blackberries at eight carbs per cup.

2 – Apple Slices

With all the sweetness apples have, you would think they would be off-limits. They are not. They contain between six and ten grams of carbs for one whole sliced apple, which is on par with the berries mentioned above.

Low Carb Veggie Snacks

3 – Wax Beans

If you love the snap, crunch, and taste of yellow and green wax beans, buy some from a farmer’s market when they are in season. Wash them thoroughly, and turn them into one-inch crunch sticks. The mix of yellow and green makes for an attractive low carb snack at eight carbs for a cup.

4 – Pepper Strips

When you want a very colorful and enticing low carb snack, bell peppers cut in strips are a great option. You can buy a three-pack of these peppers in the grocery store. The pack contains one red, one yellow, and one orange or one green pepper. Core the peppers, slice them into vertical strips, mix the pieces in a bowl to get a variety of colors together, then portion out by a single cup (or four pieces of each color). Your rainbow snack is only four carbs for each one-cup serving.

5 – Baby Carrots

Sure, you could spend an hour chopping larger carrots into sticks or bite-size rounds, but it is just far simpler to buy a bag of baby carrots. These miniature carrots have a slightly sweeter and more pleasant taste than their bigger family members. Three ounces, or a quarter cup of baby carrots, has about seven grams of carbs.

This three-ounce serving also counts as one serving/portion of vegetables on your My Plate. Carrots of any orangey kind contain two key nutrients your body needs, too. Beta carotene and vitamin A are essential to eye health, lung health, and possibly cognition function in older adults. This low carb snack works for the DASH diet too.

6 – Celery Sticks and High-Fat, Low Carb Ranch Dressing for Keto

So many people love their ranch dressing. So many more love celery sticks and peanut butter, but peanut butter is off the low carb snack menu. Substitute a high healthy fat, low carb version of ranch dressing for the peanut butter and try your zero-carb celery sticks that way. Kids love this easily portable and quick dipping/dippable snack too.

7 – Lettuce and Lunchmeat Rolls

Lettuce, especially romaine and iceberg, are very low carb snacks. When you use the large leaves in place of bread (which is a high carb), then you can create lunchmeat rollups. Lay a lettuce or even kale leaf flat. Place a single slice of lunchmeat over the top of that. Roll it up and tuck it with a toothpick. Lunchmeat with no preservatives has zero to two carbs a slice, and the lettuce or kale is zero.

Crunchy Low Carb Substitutes for High Carb Chips

8 – Low Carb Nuts

Yes, there are low carb snack nuts! While peanuts and peanut butter are off the menu for a little while, you can enjoy other snack nuts. Brazil nuts have the least amount of carbs, followed by pecans, macadamias, and walnuts. If you cannot eat nuts without a little salt, buy the lightly salted ones to avoid excess sodium in your diet.

9 – Cheese Sticks or Curds

Cheese sticks, such as mozzarella/string cheese, and cheese curds, such as the very fresh ones sold in Midwest grocery stores, are low in carbs, too. You still have to portion out what you eat, but cheese sticks that are wrapped individually make it very easy. If you are lucky enough to try cheese curds, a quarter cup is all you need to satisfy that craving for a mildly salty, cheesy, and squeaky snack.

10 – Kale Chips

If you are a lover of potato chips, a low carb replacement option is kale chips. At first, these might not sound that appetizing, but once you taste them, you can get into it. There are a few different flavors on the market, too, so you will not miss your potato chips at all.

High Protein, Low Carb Options for the Athletic Types

11 – Cubed Snack Meat

As long as you pick a low sodium version with no nitrates or nitrites, cubed snack meat can be a delicious snack. A lot of grocery stores now sell cubed meats such as ham, turkey, and chicken. These all contain zero carbs, plus they are pure protein, perfect for post-workout snacks, or for the kids when they finish sports practices.

12 – Sashimi

Sushi is generally not a low carb food because of rice and nori paper. However, a type of sushi, sashimi, is low carb because there is no rice or nori involved. It is generally just raw fish or partially cooked fish. Kids who want to be chic and eat sushi can have sashimi as a low carb option instead, and you can enjoy it too. Just keep it in a cooler when you transport it around with you.

13 – Canned Meat

Canned meat, like chicken and tuna, now also come in easy to carry single serving pouches. To market these canned and pouched meats, clever companies have added several different flavors and seasonings to appeal to a more massive crowd. All you and the kids need is a fork or spoon, and you can eat it straight out of the pouch or can without having to put it on a high carb bread, cracker, or chip food.

Are you starting a ketogenic diet? Here are tips on avoiding the dreaded keto flu.

Final Thoughts on Low Carb Snack Options for Parents on the Go

Low carb snacks fit in well with most diets and dietary needs. These snacks should be high in protein so that your muscles (and your kids’ muscles) do not lose volume to the lack of carbs. Healthy fats, and plenty of these healthy fats, are acceptable, but you still have to eat them in small quantities.

Snacking is built into any healthy lifestyle. When done right, snacking can help you maintain a healthy metabolism all day long and avoid eating junk food. It can also help you avoid consuming mass quantities of food when you forget to eat a meal and find yourself utterly ravenous.

Low carb snacks are especially good at maintaining blood sugar levels. They still provide enough fuel for the body calorie-wise without spiking the blood sugar. In fact, it has been proven that healthy snacking can prevent diabetes, or at the very least, slow the progression toward Type 2 diabetes in adults. Low carb snacks substituted for the high carb, high sugar snacks kids often eat will help prevent diabetes in them, too.

Chickenpox: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

March 5, 2020 by Sarah Barkley

For many, getting chickenpox was a normal part of childhood. For the most part, it was harmless, but it can cause life-threatening illnesses and other conditions.

Chickenpox is highly contagious, and it was once a common occurrence in children. Fortunately, chickenpox doesn’t occur as often today, making it less understood amongst the general population.

Although this viral infection isn’t as common as it once was, it still affects between 100,000 and 200,000 people each year in the United States. Of those cases, nearly 9,000 patients require treatment at a hospital.

Most people who do get this virus will generally develop a lifeline immunity to it. Rarely do people contract this viral infection twice in their lifetime. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, explains:

“Immunity following varicella infection is considered to be long-lasting and second cases of varicella are thought to be rare. However, second cases may occur more commonly among immunocompetent persons than previously considered.”

Knowing the chickenpox symptoms and causes can help you prevent yourself or your family from exposure. If you have already been exposed, try to avoid others until you know you haven’t caught the infection.

What is Chickenpox?

Chickenpox is a viral infection caused by Varicella zoster that appears as small blisters full of fluid that cause a rash. The rash with red blisters often covers the whole body, and blisters can form on the bottom of the feet and inside of the mouth. It is contagious for about two days before symptoms begin and until all blisters have crusted over.

This viral infection is more dangerous for children under two and over the age of ten. Adults that experience it tend to have worse symptoms than any age of children. Typically, if someone has had chickenpox once in their lives, they won’t likely contract it again.

The blisters change throughout the virus. First, pink or red papules appear for a few days. Then, small blisters develop for about 24 hours before breaking open and leaking.

Once the blisters have all leaked, the blisters appear as crusts and scabs. These scabs can take several days to heal. It is important to note that the rash stages can overlap so, you can have bumps, blisters, and scabs at once.

What Are the Symptoms of Chickenpox?

Aside from the well-known symptom of chickenpox blisters, or an itchy rash of vesicles, the other chickenpox symptoms include:

fever
loss of appetite
headache
tiredness or fatigue
a general feeling of being unwell
body aches

What Causes Chickenpox?

The chickenpox virus is caused by the varicella-zoster virus and spreads from person to person via airborne respiratory droplets. These droplets tend to spread through sneezes and coughs but can also spread from kissing or sharing a drink. If saliva droplets have gotten on someone’s hand, you can catch it from handshakes or touching a contaminated surface too.

Additionally, if any fluid or particles from the blisters come into contact with a surface, it could also cause contamination. This virus is highly contagious, and being in close contact typically always results in contracting it.

Who Is at Risk for Getting Chickenpox?

While anyone can get chickenpox, the following people have a higher risk:

Those Who Have Never Had It: If you haven’t had chickenpox before, you are at risk of contracting it. People who have had it experience immunity, but in rare cases, the virus can occur a second time.
Children Under the Age of Two: Since babies under two don’t have the strongest immune system. They have a higher chance of contracting the virus. The symptoms tend to be worse for children at this age range, and complications are more common.
People that Spend Lots of Time Around Children: The more time someone spends around kids, the higher their risk of getting chickenpox is. Those that work at schools or daycares have an increased chance, as do parents and caregivers.
Those With Weakened Immune Systems: Conditions like HIV or chemotherapy treatments weaken the immune system. With a weakened immune system, the risk of contracting chickenpox increases.
People that Take Certain Medications: Medications such as steroids can increase the risk of catching this virus.
Newborns With Mothers Who Have It: Newborn babies have a high risk of contracting chickenpox if their mothers were diagnosed with it during pregnancy. Even if the mom is diagnosed weeks after the birth, the baby is still at risk because it is contagious before symptoms begin.

What Are the Complications Associated with Chickenpox?

Many complications from chickenpox can occur, including the following:

Reye’s Syndrome: When a young child’s fever is treated with aspirin, it can cause Reye’s syndrome. This rare syndrome can then cause encephalitis, which is brain inflammation.
Toxic Shock Syndrome: The blisters that characterize this virus are itchy, but itching can cause toxic shock syndrome. When bacteria are under the person’s fingernails, they can get into the wound and contaminate it. Frequent hand washing can help prevent toxic shock syndrome, but avoiding itching is best.
Infections: When someone has this virus, they are also at risk of a skin infection or disease. When infection occurs, the person will likely experience a high fever and pain or redness in the affected area. The infected blisters or sores will also seep yellow fluid or pus.
Issues for a Newborn Baby: If a pregnant mother is diagnosed with chickenpox, the baby will likely have some problems at birth. They could have a low birth weight or limb abnormalities if the mom had the virus early in her pregnancy. The complications can be life-threatening for a newborn baby.
Shingles: The virus can remain dormant in your nerve cells for years afterward. They can then resurface and appear in the form of shingles, which are clusters of painful blisters. Shingles typically occur in people between 50 and 60, and it is painful to even after the blisters disappear.

How Is Chickenpox Treated?

The only way to treat chickenpox is to treat the symptoms. You can do that in the following ways:

Preventing Complications Caused by Scratching: Complications from scratching the blisters and scabs are painful and uncomfortable. You can prevent these complications by not scratching, which is sometimes hard to do. Trim fingernails and wash hands with soap often to avoid issues when you do find yourself scratching.
Oatmeal Baths: A warm bath with oatmeal can help soothe the itchy feeling from the sores. Don’t add scented soaps or oils to the water because that can worsen the symptoms.
Calamine Lotion: This lotion can help heal the blisters and reduce the itchy discomfort. It dries the blisters out and soothes the skin quickly. After a bath or shower, slater the calamine lotion onto dry skin, and reapply whenever you need to.
Wet Compresses: A wet compress will keep the skin cool and decrease itching. Apply the compress anytime symptoms flare up, and you find yourself wanting to scratch.
Eat Cold, Soft, and Bland Foods: If there are blisters in the mouth, eating and drinking can be difficult and painful. Eating acidic or salty foods will increase the discomfort, so opt for foods that won’t worsen the symptoms.
Wear Loose Clothing: Fabric can aggravate your symptoms, making the itching sensation worse and more uncomfortable. Plus, tight clothing can be painful on your blisters. Choose loose clothing and to avoid further irritation.
Drink Plenty of Water: Staying hydrated will help you fight off the virus quicker. Plus, it will help your wounds heal faster too. Keep water with you throughout the day and take sips of it even when you do not feel thirsty.

How Is Chickenpox Prevented?

You should that your family practices frequent and thorough handwashing. Since this virus can be contracted via surface exposure, handwashing is essential for prevention.

If one person in your home has the virus, try to keep them away from everyone else. Find them a space in the house with access to a bathroom, and tell the rest of the household to stay away.

You should also always try to stop the spread of chickenpox. If you or your child has the virus, avoiding public areas, schools, or daycare is essential. You don’t want to expose anyone else to this condition, so try your best to protect the public.

Final Thoughts on Chickenpox: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

Knowing the symptoms and causes of chickenpox can help you identify the virus quickly. Once you know that it is chickenpox, finding a relieving treatment option is essential. If you don’t have it already, understanding how to prevent it can make all the difference.

Chickenpox clears up and heals on its own, but you can find ways to relieve the symptoms. While chickenpox isn’t typically deadly, it can lead to life-threatening conditions. Understanding the virus can help protect you and your family.

12 Quotes of Comfort for your Time of Bereavement

March 5, 2020 by Power of Positivity

A wise woman once said, “As surely as we are born into life, one day, we will leave it.” The older we grow, the more likely we are to experience the loss of a loved one. That bereavement period is a tough time.

For although no one wants to consider the notion, we are all likely to experience the loss of a parent, grandparents, spouse or life partner, and any siblings or cousins we might consider close family members.

While we must all experience loss, we can take comfort in the fact that others before us have experienced the same crushing feeling. We can be comforted, especially when studying some important quotes that remind us that although our loved one is no longer on earth, we can cherish the memories we do have. Our lives may be missing an important loved one, but our lives are better for their being here.

12 Quotes to Help Heal Pain During Bereavement

1 – “We bereaved are not alone. We belong to the largest company in all the world – the company of those who have known suffering.” – C.S. Lewis

Often, when we experience a loss, we may feel overwhelming loneliness. However, renowned author C.S. Lewis reminds us that we are not alone in our bereavement. There are others who experience loss, and one way to deal with that loss is to seek out the comfort of others. This is especially true when we seek out the solace of those who are also members of the company who have lost a loved one.

2 – “Though lovers be lost, love shall not. And death shall have no dominion.” -Dylan Thomas

Although our loves ones may no longer be physically present with us, the love we have for them is eternal. Death cannot kill the love we have for one another. We can take great comfort in knowing that love lives forever, even when our physical bodies no longer exist.

3 – “To weep is to make less the depth of grief.” -William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s work is relevant even today, and it is evident in this quote. Shakespeare reminds those of us grieving that it is healthy to mourn the loss of a loved one. Bereavement is a sign of the great love we have for others.

Grief is a normal reaction to the loss of a loved one. While many feel that crying is a sign of weakness, it is not – and the Bard recognized this fact! In fact, it is healthy to cry because of our losses.

4 – “When those you love die, the best you can do is honor their spirit for as long as you live.” -Patrick Swayze

We may remember the late Patrick Swayze from his role in “Dirty Dancing” or “Ghost,” but the actor was also quite wise.

When our loved ones die, one of the greatest honors we can give them is to keep their memories alive. You may find creating a social media post on the loved one’s birthday or on the anniversary of his or her death rather therapeutic. You’ll be honoring your loved one and ensuring that others do not forget how special your loved one is.

5 – “Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them.” – Leo Tolstoy

Are you hurting due to bereavement? Tolstoy says that is the mark of a strong person’s love for another.

Yes, when our loved ones pass, we are deeply hurt. However, we should take great comfort in knowing that, first, our great sorrow is due to a deep love for that person. Next, we should take comfort in knowing that this strength will help us learn to cope with our loss.

We don’t forget our loved one, nor do we forget the love we had for that person. However, time helps us to learn how to cope with the loss. It is healthy to grieve over the loss of a parent, friend, or spouse. However, we must be strong enough not to allow ourselves to stay in a state of grief forever. We must learn how to deal with that grief in a healthy way and learn how to live a “new” normal life after loss.

6 – “The risk of love is loss, and the price of any loss is grief. But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love.” -Hilary Stanton Zunin

An adage says that it is better to have lost love than to have never loved at all. The same can be said for the loss of a loved one. Our loved ones make our lives richer. Yes, the price we pay for allowing this richness in our lives is the loss of our loved ones at some point. However, we can honor the memory of those who go on before us, and we can hold on to our memories as a way of healing from our own grief.

7 – “Grief is not a disorder, a disease, or a sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical, and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure for grief is to grieve.” -Earl A Grollman

Grief is actually a healthy reaction to the loss of a loved one. Grief is actually something that honors the lost loved one. It is a sign of deep love. It is a sign of deep love. Grieving is healthy, as long as we do not continuously dwell on the loss.

8 – “Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life.” -Anne Roiphe

When we speak of not continuously dwelling on the loss, at some point, we must begin to pick up the pieces after the loss of a loved one and make a new life. Let’s reiterate. This does not mean we are to forget our deceased loved ones! However, we must move toward a life without that person. We learn a “new” normal. We can tell stories of that lost loved one. We can hang pictures. We share the lost loved one’s history with younger generations. However, we must learn how to cope with the loss of that person.

It is often said that our loved ones would never want us to grieve ourselves to the point of becoming ill ourselves. This is true. We must learn how to honor the memory of our loved one without allowing ourselves to fall into an overwhelming depression after the loss. It is healthy to miss a lost loved one, but not to allow our own physical illness because of a loss.

9 – “If you love, you will grieve, and that’s just given.” -Kay Redfield Jamison

Certainly, part of loving someone eventually has to give that person up. We humans are never guaranteed life from one day to the next. We may outlive our spouses, our parents, our siblings, and, in some instances, our children. Because this is a given, we must learn how to grieve in a healthy way.

Scientists reveal what happens to the soul after death.

10 – “Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life’s search for love and wisdom.” –Rumi

Grief can often teach us a variety of lessons. One of these lessons is often compassion. As one previous quote stated, we are in a large company when we consider all those who experience loss. We can use the compassion we learn from going through a loss to comfort someone else. Often, this is why we experience hard times – so that we can minister to others in their time of need. We can use bereavement to make ourselves useful to those around us.

11 – “Grief is the price we pay for love.” –Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen speaks wisely. And what a true statement it is, but so well worth it. Bereavement comes for a season in our lives, but its purpose is to help us grow.

12 – “What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” -Helen Keller

We never truly lose the ones we love as long as we keep their memories alive. We grow from every relationship we have, and when we lose loved ones, we learn how to deal with loss. Bereavement is a natural part of life.

We should allow ourselves to love even at the risk of losing that loved one, as it is an inevitable part of life. We grow from our experiences, both negative and positive.

Final Thoughts on Working Through Your Bereavement Period

Grief is a daily process. Work through the tears, but keep the memories alive. This is a part of the healthy process of healing after a bereavement. In time, you will remember the best times of your life fondly. Cherish every single precious memory of your love one. The loss will never pass, but the sting may ease over time.

20 Funny Quotes for Parents Raising Tweens and Teens

March 4, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Parenting is hard right from the beginning, but parenting tweens and teens is unique in its way. Some days are harder than others. But you have to learn to laugh and find humor in all of the moments. These funny quotes for parents raising tweens and teens can help make this stage of life more enjoyable.

These funny quotes about parenting tweens and teens will not only make you laugh, but they will also remind you that you aren’t alone. Every parent struggles while raising teens, not just you.

Through all of the ups and downs, teens are a joy for parents. Just like with any stage of parenting, however, it comes with unique instances that only other parents of teens will understand.

20 Funny Quotes for Parents Who Are Bravely Raising Tweens and Teens

1. “When you’re a teenager, ‘No’ is a complete sentence.”

– Author unknown

Think about the number of times your teen has responded with that single word. It’s probably been enough for you to dread that sound, but your teen likely sees nothing wrong with it.

2. “Whatever emotional state you’re in while you’re parenting conveys more to your child than the content of what you’re doing with them, no matter how perfect your intervention looks “on paper.” In other words, to paraphrase Marshall McLuhan, “your emotional state is the message.”

Michael Y. Simon in the book The Approximate Parent: Discovering the Strategies that Work for Your Teenager

This is only funny because it’s something that parents forget while in the moment. You may find yourself feeling angry while asking your teen or tween why they are mad. It may be hard to admit that your teenager’s emotions reflect your own.

3. “Nobody ever feels they’re doing well with teenagers, he said. I think that’s kind of the point of them.”

-Written in the book After You by Jojo Moyes

Teens sure are unpredictable, but that is half the fun of raising them. As long as you are teaching them to be respectful and responsible, you’re on the right track. There’s no parenting handbook and all parents are figuring it out as they go.

4. “Sometimes I’m left with the distinct feeling that I am outnumbered by my only child.”

? Colleen Ferrary Bader

At this age, kids are full of life and energy. Add in the drama, emotions and everything else that comes with adolescence, and you’ll definitely feel outnumbered.

5. “Let me give you some advice here: People who want to have the sex talk with you will act the same way as people who want to murder you. First, they get you in their car, so they’re in control and you can’t escape. Then they drive you someplace in the middle of nowhere.”

? Flynn Meaney, The Boy Recession

This funny quote for parents is sure to make you laugh. There have been many times when this scene has played out on movies and in books.

Plus, in real life, this is the way many parents go about handling frank talks with their kids. For some reason, it’s always easier to talk while riding in the car together.

6. “I didn’t bring you up to speak as if your mouth were filled with sewage.”

? Diane Samuels, Kindertransport: A Drama

Some of the things that teens say are bad enough to make you cringe. You know that they know better, yet they may just do it anyway.

7. “If all else fails, try to get some sleep…whether you realize it or not, getting enough sleep can make it easier to solve problems, control your emotions, and cope with change.”

? Beverly K. Bachel in the book What Do You Really Want?: How to Set a Goal and Go for It!

This quote may be intended for the teenager, but it applies to the parents, too. As mentioned before, parenting teenagers can be challenging. All of your work to hold it together and show your teen how to be responsible in hard situations can take a toll on you, as well.

If you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed, you have to admit that you can effectively parent that way. Or, maybe you’ve just had enough and need to take a break before you freak out, too. Either way, sleeping it off will give you a little reset before heading back into the parenting game.

8. “Pearl glanced over her shoulder, in the universal reaction of all teenagers confronted by their parents in a public place.”

? Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere

Too often, teens are embarrassed to be seen with their parents in public. This is even worse when they weren’t expecting it. If you ever have to confront your teen in public, you’ll likely notice them glance over their shoulder.

9. “The young always have the same problem – how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another.”

– Quentin Crisp

Unfortunately for parents, this is all too true. Life would be easier for everyone if it was reversed and the adolescents chose to copy their parents instead.

10. “Welcome to being the parent of a teenager. Prepare for large amounts of eye-rolling, emotional outbursts, and thoughts of running away. And that’s just the parents!”

– Author unknown

Think back to the quote about going to sleep when necessary. This is the time for that. As the parent of a tween or teen, you’ll experience these feelings often, so just imagine how often your child is experiencing them.

11. “Teenagers. Everything is so apocalyptic.”

-Kami Garcia in Beautiful Creatures

The drama that comes along with adolescence is a bit excessive. It’s no wonder their emotions are all over the place when the seemingly endless drama is so intense. At times, it may seem like the scene is over things that will likely never happen.

12. “Adolescence is perhaps nature’s way of preparing parents to welcome the empty nest.”

– Author unknown

Once children reach this age, they’ll want to be out of the house more and more all the time. As the quote explains, maybe this stage of their life is merely preparing you for what’s to come.

13. “The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the tires.”

– Dorothy Parker

Let’s face it. A pleasant atmosphere is not enough to keep children at home all the time. They’re going to want to go out with friends and get away from home. Now, if you want to keep them at home, you may have to take more drastic measures.

14. “Adolescence is a period of rapid changes. Between the ages of 12 and 17, for example, a parent ages as much as 20 years.”

– Unknown author

Between the drama and the one-word answers, parents are spent at the end of each day. This will cause impossibly fast aging during that short number of years.

15. “Imagination is something that sits up with dad and mom the first time their teenager stays out late.”

– Anonymous

Think about how often you behave as if you are mad, but you are feeling some other type of emotion deep down inside. This is what it is like for parents the first time their teen missing curfew or asks permission to stay out a little later.

The parents’ imaginations run wild, causing anxiety, stress, and maybe even fear. Then, if the child indeed did miss curfew, this turns into anger and frustration. It’s a reminder that imagination isn’t left in childhood.

16. “Adolescence is the age at which children stop asking questions because they know all the answers.”

– Author unknown

If this were true, they wouldn’t make nearly as many mistakes as they do. Unfortunately, their so-called knowledge leads them to learn lessons the hard way.

17. “Bribes are the glue that kept the teenagers and parents connected for generations.”

– Gayle Forman

This quote may be one of the funniest because it is so true. Bribes seem to work on every age group, honestly.

18. “Mother Nature is providential. She gives us twelve years to develop a love for our children before turning them into teenagers.”

– William Galvin

That long-developed love is what gives parents the little bit of patience they do have during those difficult years.

19. “When your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.”

– Nora Ephron

Teens can seem so grumpy all the time, and it may leave their parents wondering what they did to offend the child. Get a dog so that you don’t spend too much time wondering if everyone in the house hates you.

20. “The best substitute for experience is being 16.”

– Raymond Duncan

Teenagers think they know everything, and the young age of 16 seems to be the peak of that knowledge.

Final Thoughts On Funny Quotes for Parents Dare to Raise Tweens and Teens

Parenting tweens and teens is a difficult task, but it is so worth all of the stress. Parents know deep down that having teenagers is a blessing, but it is so easy to get caught up in the negative aspects. Between the drama, emotions, and bad attitude, parents need a little laughter in their lives. These funny quotes for parents raising tweens and teens should help brighten the day.

Scientists Explain How Gratitude Changes Your Brain to Be Happier

March 4, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Our society seems centered around this idea that we never have enough. We must always strive for more, accumulate more, buy more, and BE more. However, this type of thinking leads to disappointment after a while. That’s because after chasing happiness, we eventually realize it evades us. The solution to this problem lies in gratitude. After all, being grateful for what we have means we don’t need to keep chasing material items or people to satisfy us.

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – Anonymous

The happiest people on Earth express gratitude daily for what they have. They are thankful for the Source of life, friends, family, or coworkers. We’re constantly bombarded with ads on TV and social media telling us our lives will improve if we buy this skincare product or this course to make us more money. Sure, those things might make you happier in the short-term. But, ultimately, long-term happiness comes from within.

Now, science proves that gratitude physically changes your brain. We’ll go over various ways that gratitude improves your health below.

Here’s how gratitude changes your brain to be happier:

In the past, most research studies about gratitude focused on well-functioning people. However, two professors from Indiana University wanted to see how gratitude could influence the brains of those who struggle from various mental disorders.

They did a study involving nearly 300 adults consisting of mostly college students who were in counseling for mental health. The participants reported having poor mental health at the time of the study. Furthermore, the researchers recruited them just before their first counseling session. Most people seeking counseling at this university struggled with issues such as depression and anxiety.

The professors divided the students into three groups. All of them went to counseling services, but only the first group was told to write a letter of gratitude to another person every week for three weeks. The second group was instructed to write about their deepest thoughts and feelings surrounding negative experiences. The third group didn’t journal at all.

Here are suggestions on how to show appreciation when you need to the most.

The results?

Compared with the second and third groups, the first group who wrote gratitude letters reported much better mental health after their writing exercises ended. This study proves that gratitude letters can help everyone, even those who struggle with severe mental illnesses. In fact, it seems from this study that practicing gratitude, along with counseling services, supports more than psychological help alone.

So, how does gratitude impact the mind and body?

The professors had a few insights on the psychological benefits of gratitude.

1 – Gratitude helps us move past toxic emotions

First, the researchers studied the words used by participants in both of the writing groups so they could understand how gratitude letter writing impacted mental health. They compared the percentage of positive emotions words, negative emotion words, and “we” words (first-person plural words) that participants used in their letters. The professors weren’t surprised to find that the participants in the gratitude letter group used more positive words and more “we” words than the other group.

However, the people who used more positive and “we” words didn’t necessarily have better mental health later on. Only when they used fewer negative words did participants report having improved mental health after the writing exercises ended. In fact, the lack of negative emotion words made the most significant difference in the mental health of those in the gratitude letter writing group. This explained the mental health gap between the negative emotion group and the gratitude letter group.

This suggests that the gratitude letter exercise helps people focus on positive experiences and gratitude toward others, which can help keep the mind from ruminating on past negative experiences with people. When you’re not focused on negative emotions and experiences, it makes it easier to focus on the abundance of positive emotions, you can feel just by shifting your perspective.

2 – Even if you keep it to yourself, gratitude still helps

The professors told the participants in the study that they didn’t have to send their letters to the intended recipients. Only 23% of the participants ended up sending them, but everyone in the group reported having better mental health. This shows that just the act of writing out the letter boosted the mental health of the participants, even if they didn’t intend to send the message.

This shows that you can still feel gratitude even if you don’t communicate it to another person.

You might not send the letter. Just writing out your blessings can help shift your focus away from negative thinking and refresh your mind. However, hearing the other person’s reaction when they read the letter can help both you and the recipient’s mental health, so if you want to try this out yourself, we encourage you to send the letter.

3 – You won’t feel the benefits right away

In the study, researchers found that the participants didn’t report the benefits of the gratitude letters right away. Instead, the gains accumulated over time. Although the three groups had about the same mental health one week after the conclusion of the study, individuals in the gratitude group reported better mental health than the others four weeks after the writing activities, and an even more significant difference 12 weeks after the end of the writing exercises.

These results show how something positive that we experience or engage in, no matter how small, can affect us even weeks afterward. This happens with exercise, healthy eating, meditation, and other healthy habits. Indeed, we typically don’t see the benefits at first but notice them gradually over time.

The researchers don’t know why this positive effect occurred weeks after the experiment. They think that perhaps the participants discussed the gratitude writing exercise with counselors or other people in their lives, which reinforced the positive feelings that the activity promoted.

4 – Gratitude physically changes the brain

This is perhaps the most important finding from the study. Three months after the counseling sessions began, the professors took some of the people from the gratitude writing group and some from the group that didn’t do any writing. They wanted to know if their brains looked any different due to the gratitude exercise (or lack thereof).

They measured their brain activity using an fMRI scanner while participants from each group did a “pay it forward” task. In the exercise, a benefactor regularly gave the participants a small amount of money. This benefactor asked that the participants only pay it forward if they felt grateful. Our participants then decided what percentage of the money, if any, they would donate to a worthy cause. A fun fact: the professors in the study actually did donate the proceeds to a charity.

From the authors of the study:

“We wanted to distinguish donations motivated by gratitude from donations driven by other motivations, like feelings of guilt or obligation. So we asked the participants to rate how grateful they felt toward the benefactor, and how much they wanted to help each charitable cause, as well as how guilty they would feel if they didn’t help. We also gave them questionnaires to measure how grateful they are in their lives in general.

We found that across the participants when people felt more grateful, their brain activity was distinct from brain activity related to guilt and the desire to help a cause. More specifically, we found that when people who are generally more grateful gave more money to a cause, they showed greater neural sensitivity in the medial prefrontal cortex, a brain area associated with learning and decision making. This suggests that people who are more grateful are also more attentive to how they express gratitude.

Most interestingly, when we compared those who wrote the gratitude letters with those who didn’t, the gratitude letter writers showed greater activation in the medial prefrontal cortex when they experienced gratitude in the fMRI scanner. This is striking as this effect was found three months after the letter writing began. This indicates that simply expressing gratitude may have lasting effects on the brain. While not conclusive, this finding suggests that practicing gratitude may help train the brain to be more sensitive to the experience of gratitude down the line, and this could contribute to improved mental health over time.”

You’ll feel more grateful than ever if you volunteer for a local homeless or animal shelter.

Final thoughts about how gratitude changes the brain

As you can see, gratitude offers many benefits to the mind and body. Not only does it help one focus on more positive feelings. It also helps us avoid the pitfalls of rumination over the past. Additionally, it also physically changes the brain. People who show more gratitude have higher neural sensitivity in the area of the brain associated with learning and decision making. Over time, practicing gratitude becomes more habitual than forced, and it can help you feel more warmth and love toward others.

So, if you’re feeling down about life or your circumstances, simply make a gratitude list. Or, write a letter to someone impacts your life significantly. We guarantee you’ll start to feel better in no time!

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