Avoiding Holiday Burnout

By Jill Johnson, LMT

The demands of an over-scheduled life, especially during the busy the holiday season, can leave you feeling overwhelmed and drained. The loss of energy and commitment, coupled with exhaustion and frustration, can be the first sign that burnout is settling in.

However, some research is starting to show that regular exercise can help prevent burnout. According to a recent study by researchers at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel, people who exercise at least 150 minutes per week were significantly less likely to experience job burnout than their underactive counterparts, and those who exercised closer to 240 minutes a week showed little to no signs of job burnout.

This should come as no surprise, considering we’ve known for years that exercise can help relieve symptoms of stress. Feel like 150 minutes is time you don’t have? Consider setting aside smaller daily goals. In addition to massage therapy, try squeezing in these mood-boosting activities.

  

Get Out and Recharge

• Take a brisk walk: After a long meeting or period of sitting still, go stretch your legs. A quick walk or jog around the block can do wonders. Keeping a quick pace will raise your heart rate and help you clear your head. 

With busy work schedules, getting outside every day might not be possible for you. However, there are many things you can do at your desk. Consider integrating a few of these exercises into your routine and see how your endorphins soar.

Lower Body Exercises

• Jump squats (10 reps): Only perform this exercise if you have a good amount of space. Bend your knees into a half-squat with your arms behind you, then jump up, swinging your arms overhead, and back to start.
• Side lunge (10 per side): Step out to one side, point toes forward and bend one knee while keeping other leg straight. Push back up.
• Knee lift (20 reps): Bend arms at the elbow. Raise one knee while simultaneously straightening your arms so that your arms are down when your foot is up.
• Hamstring curl (20 reps): Similar to the knee lifts, start with your arms bent, then bend one leg behind you while letting your hands fall to your side.
• Leg extension (16 per side): Sit straight up with your abs pulled in. Extend the right leg until it’s level with hip. Hold for 2 seconds, lower and repeat.
• Inner thigh (16 reps): Place a rolled towel, water bottle or an empty cup between the knees as you sit straight up with the abs tucked in. Squeeze the bottle or cup, release halfway and squeeze again.

Chair Exercises

• Chair squat (16 reps): While sitting, lift yourself up until your hips are just hovering over the chair, use your arms for balance. Hold for 2 to 3 seconds, stand all the way up and repeat.
• Dips (16 reps): Use a stable chair (without wheels) and place your hands next to your hips. Move your hips forward so that they are in front of the chair. Bend your elbows, lowering your body until they are at 90 degrees. Push back up to start and repeat.

Upper Body Exercises

• Bicep curl (12 per side): Hold water bottle in right hand and, with abs pulled in and a straight back, curl bottle toward shoulder, repeat.
• Desk push-up (15–20 reps): Place hands on edge of desk, shoulder width apart, legs out behind you. Keeping your body flat, lower your chest toward your desk and push back up to start.

Ab Exercises

• Side bends (10 reps): Hold a water bottle in both hands and stretch it up overhead keeping your arms straight. Gently bend toward the left as far as you can, contracting the abs. Come back to center and repeat to the right (bending to the right and left is one rep).
• Ab twists (10 reps): Hold a water bottle at chest level and, keeping the knees and hips pushed forward, gently twist to the left as far as you can, contracting the abs. Twist back to center and then to the right (twisting to the right and left is one rep).
• Forearm plank: Lie on your stomach on the floor, and spread your legs hip-width apart. Flex your feet and tuck your toes under, pressing the balls of your feet into the floor as if you’re going into push-up position. Position yourself on your forearms with your hands balled into fists or clasped together. Pull in your abdominals and keep your black flat. Hold as long as you can.
• Don't let shorter days and over-scheduled weekends keep you from being active this winter. Schedule exercise when and where you can, and be sure you are integrating massage therapy into your regular health routine. Stave off burnout before it has the chance to affect your motivation and commitment to a well-balanced life.

Source: This article was excerpted from mtj® (Massage Therapy Journal®) Winter 2012. Subscribe to read the entire article.

Please share this with your friends and family.  Help them de-stress this holiday season.

The Gift of Massage for the Holidays!

Show your friends and family you have a stake in their health and wellness by giving them the gift of massage. There's no better time of year to treat those on your nice list to a massage, a proven stress reliever.

Pre-paid gift cards are available for massage with Jill Johnson, LMT

in the amounts of $10, $60, and $90

Stop and Smell the Roses

By Jess Albright, LGPC

With all of the new and fancy technology we have these days there is instantaneous access to limitless information.  With the same technology we also make ourselves accessible 24/7 to the latest and greatest news as well as to the world.  Everything is constantly go, go, go.  But what about all the small joys in life that we have become too busy to enjoy?  What about all the little things we simply overlook anymore?  

I’m here to propose that you stop and take the time to see, feel, hear, taste, and smell all of the beautiful things around you.  Free yourself from the constant bombardment of updates.  Take some time to enjoy the simple joys that life holds.  It’s really quite liberating!  But you don’t have to take my word for it.  Here is a list of 30 fun and simple things to do (one for each day of the month) that you can try for yourself.  Kids, parents, adults alike – don’t hold back.  Everyone can gain from stopping to smell the roses! 

• Dance/play in the rain (Don’t forget to splash in the puddles too!)
• Go for a walk outside and take in all the surrounding sights, smells, and sounds (Yes, that’s right, leave your iPod at home)
• Rake up a big pile of leaves and jump into it (Remember how much fun that was as a kid?)
• Walk in the grass with your bare feet and let the blades tickle your toes (Unless of course you are allergic to grass…)
• Write a letter to your best friend (You know the kind that you put in an envelope and requires a stamp.)
• Lay on a blanket at night and star gaze (Can you find the Big Dipper?  Where’s Orion’s belt?)
• Volunteer to return an elderly person’s cart at the grocery store (A smile on his/her face can put one on yours as well)
• Wear a really silly pair of underwear (Nobody knows except you!)
• Find a clear spot and watch the sunset (I’d say sunrise, but who wants to get up that early!)
• Go to the nearest playground and swing on the swings (If you close your eyes, it feels like you’re flying!)
• Build a fort in your living room (Cardboard boxes, sheets – whatever it takes!)
• Eat your favorite cereal from when you were a kid (Yum…Lucky Charms are so delicious!)
• Play your favorite board game from when you were a kid (Hungry, Hungry, Hippos anyone?)
• Bake and eat homemade cookies (And don’t forget the glass of milk!)
• Go to the nearest body of water and skip rocks (I got 3 skips.  Can you beat that?)
• Put a puzzle together (I always say that life is like a giant puzzle…)
• Have a paper airplane distance competition (Remember the old trick of adding a paperclip to the nose?)
• Climb a tree, take in your surroundings, and be one with your thoughts (Don’t go too high!)
• Give people unexpected compliments and watch them smile (Smiles are contagious, so be ready for one to appear on your face too!)
• Have a pillow fight (Body pillows really get the job done!)
• Listen to your favorite rock music and jam out on the air guitar (Dude, you rock!)
• Draw on the driveway/sidewalk with chalk (Hopscotch anyone?)
• Speak with an accent for the day (Good day, mate!)
• Go outside and blow bubbles (Can you catch one in your hand?  Can you catch it on the end of the wand?)
• Finger paint (Don’t have paint?  Try using chocolate pudding—it’s fun and delicious!)
• Buy some bubble gum and have a bubble blowing contest (Gum stuck in your hair?  Don’t forget the old peanut butter trick!)
• Buy a package of Jelly Belly jellybeans, blindly pop them in your mouth, and try to identify the flavor (Watch out for the jalapeno flavored ones!  Yuck!)
• Make pancakes.  Better yet, make them into shapes (Snowmen and Mickey Mouse are always crowd pleasers!)
• Color in a coloring book (Who says you have to stay in the lines?)
• Make up your own list of 30 fun things to do (Let your creativity soar!)

Updates to Meditation Programs offered by Pam McDonald at the Healing Circles Wellness Center

This fall Pam McDonald, LCSW-C, is expanding her meditation offerings to include weekly meditation groups at Healing Circles! 

Pam will continue to offer her 30-day meditation coaching program to assist beginners in getting started with a meditation practice. Pam will guide you to discover and experience meditations that fit your needs and lifestyle. The meditation coaching package includes:

• Weekly, 50-minute meditation practice and coaching sessions at Healing Circles
• 4 digitally recorded meditations to keep your practice going
• Daily emails delivered Monday through Friday to inspire and strengthen your practice
• Personalized coaching and instruction to fit your needs

Dates: NEW! This program is now offered on an ongoing basis. You may sign up at any time and begin when it fits your schedule.  

Meditation practice times: Meditation coaching participants will meet with Pam for her meditation practice sessions on Wednesdays from 6:00-6:50 p.m.

Location: Healing Circles Wellness Center, 10 N. Jefferson Street, Suite 203, Frederick, MD 21701

Cost: Receive 30 days of supportive meditation coaching for only $100.

In addition, Pam is now offering her open meditation group every Wednesday evening. These mid-week meditation gatherings are a great way to learn and experience the benefits of meditation through an informal format with a guided meditation.

Format: At each gathering, Pam shares a short inspirational reading followed by a guided meditation. Questions and comments are welcome after the meditation. 

Location: Healing Circles Wellness Center, 10 N. Jefferson Street, Suite 203, Frederick, MD 21701

Meditation schedule: Every Wednesday evening from 6-6:50 p.m. (Exceptions: No meetings on Wednesday, November 27 and Wednesday, December 25).

Cost: By donation (suggested donation: $10.00)                  

RSVP’s appreciated. For more information, please call Pam at 301-712-9015, x1022 or email at pam@therapywithpam.com. On the web: therapywithpam.com

Sensational Kids Preschool Playgroup

Ages: 3-4 Years

Thursdays 9:30-10:15

Beginning October 17th for 6 weeks

Located at Healing Circles Wellness Center

10 N Jefferson Street, Suite 203

Frederick, MD  21701

$125.00 - only 4 spots available

Play is how kids learn.  This group will focus on building a strong foundation that supports success in everyday activities.  Each day will begin with gross motor play accompanied by sensory exploration, imaginative interaction, and games to build self-regulation, ending with fine motor play to enhance your preschooler's pre-writing skills.  Most of all, no diagnosis is needed.  The group will be FUN - using the Occupation of Play to foster development.

To Register:

Call 301-712-9015, Ext 1028

or

Click here to sign-up through Paypal

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month

Parents Advised On How to Detect Communication Disorders in Their Children

Although more than 5 million children in the United States have a speech, language, and hearing disorder, parents are often uninformed and unsure about what to do when they suspect their child may have a communication disorder. This May, and every May since 1927, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has used the May is Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM) celebration to provide parents with information about communication disorders to help ensure that they do not seriously affect their children's ability to learn, socialize with others, and be successful in school.

Speech and language problems can occur at any time in a child's life. They can be caused by accidental injury, illness, or inherited by birth. Child speech and language problems include:

§  Stuttering

§  Articulation problems ("wabbit" instead of "rabbit")

§  Language disorders such as the slow development of vocabulary, concepts, and grammar.

§  Voice disorders (nasal, breathy, or hoarse voice and speech that is too high or low)

Parents who suspect their child has a communication disorder should see an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist. These professionals identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders.  Fortunately, most children with speech, language, and hearing problems can be helped.  Even if the problem cannot be eliminated, a speech language pathologist can teach the child strategies to help them cope with their communication disorders, or provide them with the appropriate technology. By promoting Better Hearing and Speech Month, I hope parents will learn about communication disorders, what they can do to help their children, and how speech-language pathologists can help with their child's communication disorders.

Hearing loss, like speech and language problems, can have a negative impact on a child's social and academic development. Communication disorders like hearing loss in children can occur at birth or as a child grows older due to chronic ear infections or exposure to noise. The earlier hearing loss occurs in a child's life, the more serious the effects have on the child's development.

Typical signs of a hearing loss in children include:

§  Inconsistently responding to sound

§  Delayed language and speech development

§  Unclear speech

§  Sound is turned up on electronic equipment (radio, TV, CD player, etc.)

§  Does not follow directions

§  Often says "Huh?"

§  Does not respond when called

§  Frequently misunderstands what is said and wants things repeated

As a first step, people who think their child is displaying many of these warning signs and think they may have hearing loss or other hearing disorders should see a certified audiologist. These professionals specialize in preventing, identifying, assessing, and treating hearing disorders. Also, they provide treatment for hearing loss including fitting hearing aids and other assistive listening devices, and they can teach children with hearing loss how to concentrate on hearing all sounds.

ASHA (American Speech Language Hearing Association) recommends that children at risk for hearing loss, such as those who suffer from chronic ear infections or in cases where there is a family history of hearing loss, be screened by a certified audiologist as frequently as needed to ensure they are hearing well. Otherwise, for children ages 5-18, hearing screenings should occur on initial entry into school and annually in kindergarten through 3rd grade as well as in the 7th and 11th grades.  ASHA maintains an online directory of audiology programs that may be accessed at http://www.asha.org/findpro/ .

Laura A. Michie, M.Ed. M.A., CCC-SLP is an ASHA certified speech language pathologist at Healing Circles Wellness Center.  She identifies, assesses, and treats speech and language problems including swallowing disorders.  To find out more about the services that Laura provides, contact her at LauraMichieSLP@comcast.net, 301-471-3169, www.frederick-slp.com.

About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 166,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. 

www.asha.org

10 Tips for Surviving Allergy Season

1) Use a neti pot.  A neti is a nasal irrigation vessel that looks like a genie lamp.  It uses a sea salt solution that washes away allergens from the sinuses and soothes the sinus tissue.  Many allergy sufferers swear by their neti pots.  It should be done every day for those with chronic allergies and sinus issues.  Keeping your neti pot in the shower helps to make it a part of your routine.  Make sure you use bottled water in your neti and not tap water!  The salt is sold in packets as pharmaceutical grade salt.  Sometimes it is helpful to add some anti-microbial herbs into your neti solution if you are prone to sinus infections.

2)  Certain foods can stimulate the inflammatory immune response (aka allergies).  Avoiding these foods as much as possible can have an impact on your degree of symptoms:  sugar, alcohol, dairy, wheat, orange juice, processed foods.  These can all stimulate more mucous production and irritation of the sinuses.  

3)  Certain foods have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body.  Try to incorporate more of these foods: lemons, blueberries, onions, garlic, green leafy vegetables (kale, collards, broccoli, spinach, etc.), avocado, cayenne and chili pepper, ginger, turmeric

4) If you tend to have sinus congestion, pressure, and headache, sinus steams with essential oils can be incredibly helpful.  Many chronic sinus issues are fungal rather than bacterial, and essential oils have activity against both.  The steam vapor carries the oils into the sinuses.  Pour boiling hot water into a bowl and drop a few drops of eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, or sage essential oil into the water.  Cover your head with a towel and inhale deeply, closing your eyes.  Do this until you are tired of it or the steam dissipates.  If sinus pressure is an ongoing issue, try doing sinus steams every day or every other day to loosen the congestion.  

5) Try taking freeze dried stinging nettles in capsule form or nettle leaf tea.  You can also eat the young spring tops of the nettle plant as food. Nettles contain compounds that reduce the inflammatory histamine response in seasonal allergies or hay fever.  They also contain many nutritive vitamins and minerals that nourish the body.

6)  For that irritating post-nasal drip sore throat and cough, try drinking fresh squeezed lemon in water, or 1 T apple cider vinegar in water throughout the day.  These things help the body to clear pollens and mucus from the body and soothe the tissues.  Licorice tea can also be helpful for soothing the throat.

7)  Using raw local honey and pollen is said to be helpful for prevention of allergy symptoms.  The idea is that by eating the pollens you introduce them as food to the body, so the body doesn't overreact to them when they are encountered through the nasal passages.  This method works best if you start with small amounts a couple of months before allergy season begins.

8)  Make sure you are taking probiotics or eating fermented foods (sauerkraut, yogurt, kimchi) to help balance your immune system.   Probiotics help to "educate" the immune system to that it is more accurate in its reactions.  This is also a long term strategy that is helpful for all kinds of allergies, autoimmune disorders, and gastrointestinal health.

9) Try taking quercetin on an empty stomach, 500mg 2-3 times per day.  Quercetin is an anti-inflammatory bioflavonoid in the vitamin C family that can help prevent mucus production.

10) Turmeric root is another herb that can be helpful for seasonal allergies.  It is highly anti-inflammatory, and aids the liver in processing histamines and clearing toxins from the body.  

Here is a recipe for a yummy tasting allergy tea.  This recipe is kid and husband approved!  It makes a great berry flavored iced tea.  These herbs can all be found in the bulk herb department at the Common Market.  The parts give you the proportions for one full dose (measured in grams), and you can multiply out for however much you want to make:

Nettle leaf            2 parts

Lemon Balm         2 parts

Elderberry             2 parts

Calendula flower    1 part

Licorice root         .5 part

Hibiscus              .5-1 part

8g, steeped in hot water for 10-15min.  Strain and drink, or add honey and cool in fridge for iced tea.  

 Susan Hirsch can be contacted at 301-712-9015 ext. 1016, or www.growingwisdomherbals.com

and www.growingwisdomgardens.blogspot.com

What Does Acupuncture Do?

Acupuncture is new to Healing Circles Wellness Center. Maybe it’s new to you, too. Maybe you are curious and don’t know much about acupuncture. If you are like a lot of people I’ve spoken with, you may be wondering, “What does acupuncture do?”

Our bodies, like everything in the universe, are made up of matter and energy. As modern science is continuing to unravel, there is a continuous relationship between matter and energy--matter becoming energy, energy becoming matter, all the time!

Developed over 4,000 years ago in China, acupuncture corrects imbalances in the energy of the body. This energy is called Qi (pronounced “chee”). They found that by correcting the flow of Qi, they were able to help people heal on a physical, mental-emotional, and spiritual level. Over the course of many centuries, pathways of energy in the body were mapped out and studied. In English, we call these pathways Meridians. When we are feeling great, the pathways of energy in our bodies are in constant graceful motion. These Meridians weave together into a beautiful tapestry bringing life and awareness to every part of our being. When we are stressed out, our energy is locked up in ways that cause us to feel exhausted, hyperactive, overly-emotional, or in pain.

Along these Meridians, there are points where the energy flowing within can be touched. These are the acupuncture points. At these points, your body holds an awareness of a particular energetic movement, one single movement in the dance of energy that is who you are at your best. By inserting a very fine acupuncture needle, we are able to unblock that energy, giving the body a gentle reminder of how to do the dance of life more gracefully.

Acupuncture has the ability to return your body to a “no stress” way of being -- free and easy and you at your best. You have the ability to learn how keep your body in this stress-free state. Acupuncture reminds you what it is like to feel good in your body and lets you escape the cycle of stress and exhaustion so that you can choose how you respond to the stressful events in your life.

 Liz Robinson is an Acupuncturist and just joined Healing Circles Wellness Center. She can be contacted at 301-712-9015 ext. 1046, or acu.wellness.liz@gmail.com.