Managing Chronic Insomnia

 

Chronic insomnia is a common problem for many with its prevalence increasing with age. Chronic insomnia lasts for three months or more. Not all insomnia are the same. The problem may be hard to falling asleep (sleep onset),  struggle with asleep nightlong (sleep maintenance), or both.

Are you facing challenges of sleeping pattern changes or losing sleep quality? Each long night can be very frustrating, with an exhausting day to follow. Not sleeping well, not feeling well, naturally. How much sleep do we need and what happens if we sleep too little or too much? go to Sleep Well to learn more. 

Chronic insomnia can be effectively managed with a combination of cognitive behavior modifications,  sleep hygiene, lifestyle changes, and self-care practice. Sleeping aids are also optional.

To see common causes of chronic insomnia, sleep stages and physiology , the sequence of sleep stages, and practical self-care actions for better sleep, visit Chronic Insomnia Management. 

If you are suffering chronic insomnia, take action today; don’t put it off. Feel free to contact QualityLifeForum@outlook.com  for support. Health coaching can help you achieving your personal health goals.

Simplifying life for healthy aging

 

Simplifying life for healthy aging

At certain age, somewhere around mid-life, you found that your life is loaded and you can hardly drag on. Everything in your life takes up space and resources, that is for all the things you own, everything you do, and each person or event you spend time with, all at a cost to you. As your journey goes on with everything accumulates, its overwhelming.

You start thinking more about well being and desire to simplify life, which is also a form of self-care that improves mind, body, and mood for healthy life style. Simplifying your life will give you more freedom and enjoyment. It will allow you more space mentally and physically, and spend time with what you want to do. Downsizing is a turning point decision. If you have done it, you sure feel lighter, make sure to set up clutter control rules and not to build it up again. If you are not ready for it yet, don’t rush for this big decision; but start a spring clean-up now to see for yourself how much better you feel when you let go of things you no longer need.

To get prepared and learn more, go to https://www.qualitylifeforum.net/less-is-more.html

Less is more - The less you own, the less you have, and the less time you invest into things you don't want to do, the simpler life becomes. Slow down, set your mind and body peacefully, to enjoy your simplified day. When things are simple, life is more.

Are You fully-Vaccinated?

 

At the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines are now rolling out fast in the US. The more people being vaccinated, the sooner to end this pandemic. Every American will be eligible for a vaccine very soon and hope all shall be protected.

If you have been vaccinated, be proud for your contributions in herd immunity - the point at which enough people are immune to the virus that it can no longer spread. People are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 ≥2 weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or ≥2 weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson (J&J)/Janssen). 

CDC issued an interim public health recommendation for fully vaccinated people on March 8, 2021 and more updates are expected for post-vaccination guidance.  Some few key points to be aware:

1. Are fully-vaccinated people safe not to wear a mask?  Yes and no. Socializing between fully vaccinated people in private settings like homes are considered safe without a mask. However, fully vaccinated people engaging in social activities in public settings like gyms, offices, restaurants and stores must take proper precautions. Regardless of vaccination status, requirement for wearing a face mask, practice social distance, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces remain unchanged.

2. Quarantine and testing may not be required for fully vaccinated people if they exposed to the virus, unless symptoms appear.

3. Can a fully-vaccinated person to be infected and/or infecting others with the virus? Vaccines have been approved by the FDA for emergency use based on their efficacy and safety. Knowing the efficacy is not 100%, it is still possible to be infected or re-infected with COVID 19 after fully-vaccinated. The risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in fully vaccinated people cannot be completely eliminated as long as there is continued community transmission of the virus. Vaccinated people could potentially still get COVID-19. Promising data have been seen that vaccines significantly reduce transmission, but not fully. However, Getting COVID after vaccination is really rare—and likely to be more mild. You can have strong confidence that the vaccine will protect you from critically ill, which makes a life or death difference. According to CDC, current data suggests that fully vaccinated people don’t carry COVID-19 and confirms over 90% vaccine efficacy from both clinical trial and real-world population. 

4. How long is the post-vaccine protection? This is still to be determined. CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available. A recent large study [N = 46,000] found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is "highly effective" with 91.3 percent vaccine efficacy against symptomatic COVID seven days to at least six months after the second dose. Experts are working to learn more about both natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity. 

To learn more about practical aspect, go to https://www.qualitylifeforum.net/are-you-fully-vaccinated.html

At the First Pandemic Anniversary

After one year of pandemic, we have learned good lessons in public health. Scientists are learning as much as possible about the impact of vaccination on transmission of the virus, including newly emerging variants globally. Data from countries that have successfully vaccinated large population will lead with more new findings from ongoing researches. The good news is that although the COVID 19 variants are concerning, human immune system may find ways to defend against new variants. Studies indicate that vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies in higher amounts than is typically made in a COVID 19 infection. While the vaccine roll out is making good progress, it’s hopeful to return to normal life, with the coronavirus being part of our normal life. The bottom line is we do our part to prevent virus transmission and infection, protecting ourselves and our community.

Make a Self-Care Plan for Your Golden Years

 

Make a Self-Care Plan for Your Golden Years

What is self-care? It is conscious acts in order to promote personal health. A self-care plan is created to improve your overall well-being and maintain your health in the long term.  Create more time for yourself and make the most of it. Self-care plan must be transformed into actions. When it comes to self-care, it's the little things that add up and make a difference in the long run. Make the little things work by starting small.

A self-care plan covers the four key areas of life in physical, emotional, spiritual and psycho-social. Financial and professional domains can be included as well. Plan your self-care in a way that honors yourself fully and also to be practical. It's imperative that each domain in your life are given separate space and with a whole attention. Self-care can’t be one-size-fits-all, but customized to personal needs based on life stages. Reassess your life and making updates to enrich your golden years.

Physical Self-Care

Let’s start small from the basics and focus on physical care to begin. Eventually, other dimensions can be built on one module at a time. The first step in making your self-care plan is to create a list of the things based on your personal value and need as part of your day-to-day life, also include the things beyond daily basis, but enjoyable or satisfying. For a sample break down check list, go to https://www.qualitylifeforum.net/make-a-self-care-plan-for-your-golden-years.html

Boundaries

Set and honor boundaries is an important aspect of your self-care plan. Boundaries are essential to a healthy life. Having healthy boundaries means “knowing and understanding what your limits are”. Boundaries are the invisible lines that define what you will and will not tolerate from yourself and others. You will need to make up these rules based on your needs. Define your limits and learn to say “no” to negative influences, such as conquer cravings and indulgence.  

Commit to action and consistency

Action is what counts and consistency is key. While the plan is not complicated, but surprisingly to see how many individuals neglect, forget, or refuse to prioritize and allocate time specifically for self-care.

1. Self-care plan must be transformed into actions. When it comes to self-care, it's the little things that add up and make a difference in the long run. Create more time for yourself and make the most of it. Make the little things work by starting small. For example, if you can’t do an hour for workout, break it down to 30 minutes short sessions or 15 minutes quick variation exercise for cardio, strength, flexibility, balance. By the end of the day, your fitness target of one hour a day is still achievable. 

2. You have made a self-care plan. Act now and carry it out consistently. Most things are ineffective if they are not done consistently. It won't work for you unless you stick with it. Make yourself accountable. 

Support

You don’t have to be alone and support is essential for success. Whether it’s a support group, church, counseling, coaching or good friends. Consider seeking support from resources is also beneficial. Be sure to set boundaries and stay away from negative influences, use trustworthy resources and engage with healthy friends/social media environment. 

Everyone faces challenges, and letting them build up can lead to burnout and stress. Make self-care a priority. For serious individuals, coaching and counseling makes up an important part of self-care. Working through personalized self-care plan with a professional can keep you motivated for goal achievement and help  you to deal with boundaries as well as setbacks. If you feel overwhelmed for any reason, health coaching provides a space to explore coping strategies and talk through anything on your mind. Contact Qualitylifeforum@outlook.com for a free call to start your self-care plan.

Pandemic Winter Blues

 

The winter is cold and depressing. The bad news chills your heart – The COVID 19 infection and death toll hits a new record high in January, with new strains quickly spreading, you are worried about the risks for going out even just for buying food. Frustrations from the slow rolling out of vaccines as well as concerns for vaccine safety,  you are busy searching availability and new safety updates. Your routine medical and dental care are past due but you have been putting it off, you have canceled all your travel and social events for a year now…… There are too many upsetting news lately – political riots, violence, depressed economy, unemployment, life is more challenging and stressful……

Fear for COVID 19 is realistic. It’s been a year and it has not been easy for everyone. By now, everyone may know someone became the victim or lost life in the pandemic. With the winter surge and the new strain mutation, the global crisis over shadows us. The most common places (80%) of COVID transmissions happens in these common places in our daily life – restaurants/cafes, bars, hotels, parties, and houses of worship. Don’t go even they are open. The two high risk factors are crowds and indoors. Avoid crowds and large gatherings. People needed to adjust to a new normal to reduce the risk of spreading the disease from everyday activities. Each one of us are to do our part in preventing virus transmission.

Anxiety, depression and mood imbalances are skyrocketed amid the pandemic. For many people, the pandemic means our social networks and support systems become disconnected, which may impact pre-existing accountability structures, such as gym workout/classes, regular health care visits, or haircut/beauty solon appointments. With disruptions in these networks, many are less motivated to keep up with optimal eating habits,  fitness routine, even personal grooming. Be aware of symptoms of depression — even in people who have never been diagnosed before — which can include low mood, lack of interest in enjoyable activities, changes in appetite or sleep and fatigue. Loneliness is commonly associated with depression and also can be a chronic disease of its own. Many people have strong lonely feelings during quarantine and from social distancing. You don’t feel like doing much, as loneliness is demotivating.

Illnesses are in when your immune system weakens. It is clinically evident that stress induce many central nervous system and hormonal changes psychologically and physiologically.  Body will not lie to you and you feel the pain. Negative emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, anxiety, hostile, insecure, often involves or lead to health issues. The physical symptoms are real, but you may not realize or believe where they came from.

Don’t let negative emotions overwhelm you. Maintain your peaceful heart and positive mind, even in the dark winter nights. To learn strategies dealing with pandemic winter blues, go to https://www.qualitylifeforum.net/pandemic-winter-blues.html

Have questions or thoughts to share? Contact qualitylifeforum@outlook.com.

Need more help for loneliness breakthrough? Go to https://www.qualitylifeforum.net/loneliness-breakthrough.html  for personalized health coaching support.

New Year Brings New Hope

Happy New Year! You survived the darkness of pandemic and the new year is bringing us new hope. Under the shadow of the COVID 19 pandemic, more than 83.4 M infected and 1.82 M lives lost globally with the highest infection rate (19.9M)/death toll (344K) in the US, as of 12/31/2020. The past year was marked by illness, pain, stress, fear, sadness, isolation, depressed economy, which impacted all of us. We are living through an unprecedented period and for better or worse, learned some important lessons from this historical experience.

Lessons Learned From the COVID 19 Pandemic

• Prevention is better than cure – wear a face mask, washing hands, social distancing and avoid crowds prevent the virus spread. Don’t underestimate these simple things we can do to support our health care system and stop the pandemic. Practicing good hygiene will help you prevent a lot of diseases and not necessarily only coronavirus.
• Public Health is everyone’s humanitarian responsibility. Every life matters. Your action matters to the people around you. Make yourself accountable for protect yourself, your family, and your community.
• Aging population is vulnerable. The risk for severe illness with COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at highest risk. Older people face significant risk of developing severe illness if they contract the disease due to physiological changes that come with ageing and potential underlying health conditions. While you can ‘t change your age, you can change your unhealthy mindset and behavior to improve your immune system and promote well-being.
• Money can buy medicine but not health. Health is never a guarantee, even for those who are young. Value self-care; nurture your body and mind with healthy fuels.
• Appreciation - Time with loved ones should not be taken for granted. Take time to appreciate the extra moments with those you care about most, and remember fondly the time you had with those you’ve lost. Appreciate time at home, even during quarantine. New challenges come every day, but each challenge is an opportunity to grow stronger.

The new year begin with the continued pandemic and hope from the emerging coronavirus vaccine. It has been tough for survival, and more challenging for healthy aging. The good news is that vaccines are now rolling out and hope this is the beginning of ending the pandemic. 

“Should I go for it?” Are you undecided?

To learn more about the Vaccine facts, efficacy and safety, go to https://www.qualitylifeforum.net/hew-year-brings-new-hope.html

The Bottom Line

The COVID-19 vaccine is one of the most powerful tools we have to stop the pandemic. Getting it — along with wearing masks, hand washing and social distancing — is the best way to protect you, your family, and your friends from COVID-19.

Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools available. Vaccines work with your immune system so your body will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed. Other actions, such as covering your mouth and nose with a mask, hand washing and staying at least 6 feet away from others, help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others. Together, COVID-19 vaccination and following CDC’s recommendations will offer the best protection from COVID-19 for yourself and others.

 

Invest In Yourself

 

It’s end of the year 2020. The pandemic made it tough, survival is a great accomplishment.

You are making life investments every year. Investment is not only for your wealth, but more important in your health, which is more than just absent of illness. Where should you invest in?

1.      ​Nurture Your Mind and Body Nurturing both your mind and body allows you to have more to give now and in the future — more energy, more knowledge, more compassion, more ideas, greater strength, physical and mental endurance.

2.      Care for your body. Your body is like a well-oiled machine. If you care for it in the way that you might maintain an expensive car, it will perform marvelously and last for a very long time.

3.      Be your own boss: Your future is largely determined by your willingness and ability to invest in yourself now. Human body require maintenance by ourselves. Self-care is not selfish. Selfishness is an anxious focus on the self. Take self-care promote personal growth, such as to sustain family and social relationships that bring us connection and meaning, get quality sleep to rest tired body, and spend good time on personal enjoyment.

4.      Find healthy comfort items. One of the most important ways you can invest in yourself is to comfort your mind and body in healthy ways. Your habit can make or break it.

5.      Making Intelligent Investments in Your Health. To learn more, go to  https://www.qualitylifeforum.net/invest-in-yourself.html.

6.      Invest a health coach: It’s worth it in the long run and save you from the costs of trial and error.  A health coach can assist you in putting all of these strategies into action. A coach is your partner and resource on your wellness journey, to help you achieving your best potential in healthy aging.

The best resource that you have right now for making a contribution to the world is YOU. When that resource is depleted, your most valuable asset is damaged. When neglect investing in your bodies, minds, or spirits, you derail life train to the best potential future. Investing in yourself means making small, continual improvements that enable you to do more, be more, grow more, and love more. These investments can lead to immediate opportunities and long-term positive change. They can help you earn more money, discover the future you always wanted, follow your dreams, and uncover hobbies that fill you with joy. Make yourself accountable for self-improvement and be a healthy happy person. Your happiness matters; happiness is a choice. A healthy mindset and body is the baseline for a happy life.

Follow https://www.qualitylifeforum.net and benefit from health coaching for your health investment.