Long ago, summer vacations were instituted for young people who were needed, by their family, for working on the farm, in the fields, or in the kitchen.  You know, places where few young people can be found spending their summers today.

Even today, for high school and college students summer vacations still serve a purpose.   A lot of kids use the summer months to work to save money for college.  But for the younger grades, the only purpose I can think of is convenience for family vacations.

The drawback to taking a few months off for summer vacation is that young brains tend to forget a lot of what they’ve learned.

According to Psychology Today.com:

University of Missouri psychologist Harris Cooper finds that children typically forget between one and three months’ worth of schooling during the summer. Math and spelling skills suffer the most, while reading is least affected by the break.

Now would be a great time to spend an extra hour each night with your little Einstein in the making.  Buy a few scholastic workbooks (you can find a great selection in the book section of just about any store and an even better selection at Teacher Supply Stores).  Even if your Eistein isn’t so little, extra mental activity is always a good idea.

Of course, the best thing to do is to stock up on these workbooks before the summer months and require a certain number of pages to be worked each week. Since most schools are already back in full swing, it’s too late for that.  Not to fret, though, you can still make up for lost time by grabbing workbooks and setting aside a little time each evening for a month or two.  Some parents and grandparents would balk at the idea thinking that it wouldn’t be a very ”kind” or “fair” thing to do to the child. (What they’re really saying is that it won’t make them very popular with the young person.)  But you and I know that it would be the most kind and fair thing to do for the child.  It could make a huge difference in their upcoming school year - give them a little edge (and that’s always nice to have.)

You really wouldn’t even HAVE to buy workbooks.  Plain, old-fashioned pencil and paper will do just fine.  Come up with 10-20 problems for them to work through each night and give little spelling quizzes.  The benefit with workbooks would be this:  You’d know the problems were age-appropriate.  However, if you’ve been following thier school work, you should have a pretty good idea what they should and shouldn’t know.  If in doubt, get out their papers and books from the previous year. 

Believe me, when they “get” problems that their peers are struggling with, you’ll gain that popularity back and then some. 

A really cool bonus is that you’ll be giving your own mind a nice little workout each night.  If the child is really young, you probably aren’t going to benefit from revisiting math or spelling on their level (unless your math skills are as loatesome as mine!), but when we challenge ourselves to explain something to someone else in a language they understand, we push ourselves outside of our own comfort zone - and that’s always a good thing to do, mentally.

As if we needed another benefit, let’s not forget the sweetness of extra quality time with some of our favorite people on earth!

Make each moment count double,

~ Joi

If I told you to draw a picture of a boy giving a girl a present, how would you draw it? Think about it for a second - picture where you’d place each, the giver and the receiver. Heck, even sketch a little picture if you’re feeling particularly artsy.

Don’t scroll down for the why’s, when’s, who’s, or what’s until you have a clear picture of what your picture would look like.

I thought this was pretty cute. In the always entertaining INSIGHTS section of the June 2008 issue of Psychology Today, there was an article called “Reading, Writing, and Rembrandt.” The author, Matthew Hutson posed the same question you read above. I grabbed pen and paper and sketched out the little scene. I put the boy on the right and the girl on the left (just like I arranged the couple above on paintbrush - don’t laugh!).

The interesting thing is what the article goes on to say:

Ask an adult to draw a boy giving a girl a gift and he’ll probably draw the boy on the left. Try it in the Middle East, and the boy will be on the right…. How we perceive and imagine the world is influenced by the direction we learn to read and write. Typically sentences list subject before object, so most Westerners automatically envision actions happening left to right, and the more powerful party situated to the left.

See? There’s the rub, your’s truly was bassakwards. Apparently, in the scenario given, I see the girl as the main star of the show - even though it’s our hero who’s making the grand gesture.

Since everything that comes from a Psychological standpoint fascinates me, I thought this article was very interesting. Then again, I find everything about Psychology Today mesmerizing. When we were first married, my young husband collected Conan the Barbarian comic books (I’ll bet he’d love to have them as collector’s items today!). He was so cute when he’d buy a new one, grab a Ginger Ale and hit the sofa. He and the comic book entered a whole other world! It’s the same with me when I grab a fresh new issue of Psychology Today. I’ve been known to start reading articles while in line at the register!

If you’re on this blog, you obviously share an interst in mental fitness, self help, and self awareness. If you’ve never “met” Psychology Today, introduce yourself on your next trip to the store. You’ll probably get as hooked as I am.

Make each moment count double and quit laughing at my little people - your joke about Rogaine just wasn’t cool,
~Joi

We adults make many and varied mistakes, you’ve got to give us that.  But one of the worst mistakes we make is when we get too comfortable and overly content with our knowledge.  When we stop challenging ourselves, mentally, we stop growing mentally.  That, as you can imagine, doesn’t lead anywhere worth going.

I’m not suggesting that we have to enroll in college classes.  In fact, the bulk of my own education hasn’t been acquired anywhere near a classroom.  What I’m suggesting is this:  Each day, go out of your way to learn at least one thing that you didn’t know the day before.  It’s as simple as that.   You could “tackle” a new subject each week (or month, depending upon the depth of the subject).

For example, when I was homeschooling our 3 daughters, we had our regular subjects each day.  But for the last hour of the school day, we had what we called “Unit Studies,” where we dove into subjects that varied by the week.  One of the funnest things we did, at the beginning of each school year, was to come up with the different subjects we’d be covering in our Unit Studies. 

The subjects (some weekly/some monthly) below are a few of the ones I recall off the top of my head:

• The Underground Railroad
• Tigers
• Mary Todd Lincoln
• Madagascar
• Cleopatra
• Bach
• Beethoven
• African Elephants
• Sharks  (I timed it to coincide with Discovery Channel’s always amazing Shark Week. Yay, me.)
• The Renaissance
• Vincent Van Gogh
• The US Government
• Shakespeare
• The Bronte Sisters
• Eagles
• Thomas Jefferson
• Dinosaurs
• Snakes
• Harriet Tubman
• Polar Bears

Etc… etc… etc…

Subjects such as these would make wonderful “Unit Studies” for all of us to pursue.  If we took a different subject each week and nightly  read online articles and/or library books about our subject - within a year, we’d be experts on over 50 different subjects! 

I know I don’t have to tell you how much our brains would love all that stimulation.  Quite frankly, it’d make us more rounded, much more interesting people as well.

You can use the subjects above, or round up some of your own that interest you. Listed below are my favorite educational websites. They’re the perfect place to find subjects AND informative articles.

My Favorite Online Educational Websites

• National Geographic
• Discovery Channel
• MSN Encarta
• History.com
• Algebra Help (I need all I can get)
• Extreme Science
• Science at NASA
• Smithsonian Education
• Animal Planet

Of course, you can also Google your subject and act accordingly. The main thing is to just get started and, then, to keep it up once you do.  Have fun with it.  Your brain is going to love every educational moment.

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

I’m not sure why, exactly, but when the weather lowers its thermostat and autumn begins to push summer off the horizon, many people come down with a nasty case of the blues.  The older generation often refers to this time of year as a “lonely time.”  I’m not sure if the reasons boil down to young people going back to school, less sunshine, or neither or both - but the reasons aren’t nearly as important as putting a smile back on life’s face.

The problem is, most people, when they’re down, tend to stay down.  Literally.  They’ll hit the couch or maybe even the bed and figuratively pull the covers up around their ears.  While it sounds pretty cozy, it’s the worst possible thing to do when you’re out of sorts, emotionally.  If you’re sick or tired, going to bed’s a brillaint option, but if you’re down in the dumps, it seals your fate.

One of the best things you can do when the blues hit is to hit them back with activity.  Activity actually works, not only on the lightest shade of “blues,” but on mild to moderate depression as well. 

It’s not clear just how exercise improves depression. It seems to raise the levels of chemicals in the brain that elevate mood.   Even endorphins, natural pain killers, rise with sustained physical activity!

There’s more to it than just a rise in feel good chemicals, though.  Exercise makes you feel as though you are in control of your life.  When you regularly exercise, you realize that you’re taking active steps in improving your health and appearance.  This realization, alone, has been proven to make people feel better about themselves.

You should look for an aerobic activity that’ll raise your pulse for at least 30 minutes a day. If you’re just beginning to exercise, for the first few days, you should start out fairly easy - just exert yourself until you feel tired.  Then, move toward the stage where you exercise until you’ve worked up a sweat.  That’s when those feel good chemicals will start to buzz all around you!

Try to get at least 30 minutes of activity at least 4 days a week.  If you can do more, all the better.

Most importantly, choose an activity you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, you probably won’t keep it up very long. You want to engage yourself in an activity that you love so much you actually look forward to doing it.  For me, I love walking and yoga.  If I know I’m going to do one or the other at a particular time, I look forward to it all day.

A really, really great idea would be to start TODAY.  Why not hit the pavement now???   If you’re nowhere near the doldrums, don’t let that stop you.  Think of it as a preventive measure:  If you start getting more activity right now, maybe you’ll be able to avoid the blues altogether.

Wouldn’t that put you ahead of the game?!

Make each move count double,
~ Joi

Photo Credit: Photo Everywhere

We’re all familiar with the first signs of dementia: Memory loss and confusion. Sadly, when they begin to show up, the onset of dementia is underway. New research suggests that there are earlier…. physical signs that may signal trouble.

These findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, suggest a link between the brain’s health and physical fitness. In a study involving more than 2,200 adults (aged 65 and older), difficulty walking and balance problems were early indicators of future dementia. Oddly enough, having a poor handgrip was another, later, sign of developing dementia.

“Maybe this will be another motivator to either keep people active or motivate them to become active if they’re not,” said the study’s co-author Dr. Eric B. Larson, director of the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle.

As experts point out, today most cases of dementia are caught after the disease has greatly progressed. The sooner dementia can be diagnosed, the more can be done to, hopefully, avert its course or (at least) lessen its damage.

Dementia’s path can cover a lot of ground. Some people experience trouble finding the right words when speaking while others find their abilities to perform certain tasks, such as preparing a meal, next to impossible. Alzheimer’s disease is actually a type of dementia (the most common type), affects an estimated 4.5 million Americans.

Experts tell us that people who exercise are less likely to get dementia. Some argue that this could mean that people who exercise are simply “different” in other ways than those who don’t.

Personally? The proven benefits of exercise are more than enough reason to become as physically active as possible. If there’s even the possibility that our brains will benefit as much as our bodies, I’d say we should, literally, jump at the opportunity! Besides, I believe exercise DOES have a huge impact on our minds. After all, when we exercise, we increase the amount of oxygen that goes to all of our body - that can only be good, right?!

Okay, let’s make up our minds to start getting more exercise - starting today! If we make it a point to be more physically active everyday for the rest of our lives, we’ll be setting ourselves up for success.

Simply adding more steps to your daily life will add up a lot more than you may realize. If you, daily, incorporate the following suggestions into your routine(s), you’ll increase your activity level and reap the benefits:

• Park further from the front door when you go to the store.
• Once inside the store, take the longest possible route to reach your destination.
• When putting away laundry, don’t take a stack to each room. Instead, take one item at a time.  Be obnoxious about it!  If you can stretch the chore to 15 minutes or more, you’ve accomplished a lot more steps than you normally would have.
• After each meal, make a habit of taking a 10 minute walk around your yard.  If you have outdoor pets, they’ll start looking forward to these visits.  You’ll notice them watching the door for you.  It’s always nice to be wanted, right?!

Tackle extra activity in 10 minute chunks if necessary.  Taking three 10 minute activity breaks during the day will bring about the same benefits as one 30 minute activity break. 

The trick is to DAILY set your sights on more steps, more action, more movement.  Move your body as though your life depends upon it.  I know I don’t have to tell you this, but it does.

Make each step count double!

~ Joi

Click HERE for one of the most entertaining and addictive brain games you’ll ever enjoy. It’s a Fit Brain Game and it really gives your brain a workout.  Don’t let its innocent appearance fool you, these games can get tricky.

After you pull yourself away from this particular brain game, click HERE for a lot more.  Try to give your mind a workout each and every single day.  It loves to be challenged and will reward you by rising to meet the challenge.  Don’t forget, even when you can’t solve a particular puzzle, you’re still getting an amazing mental workout simply by trying.

Have fun and make each moment count double!
~ Joi

You know how you can have a love/hate relationship with horror movies? You absolutely love them, yet you hate the way they make you jumpy for days… well, more like, nights… afterward?!

That’s kind of the way I am about books that are as hauntingly emotional as Surviving Ben’s Suicide, by C. Comfort Shields. I think I’m especially affected by books like this because I’m ridiculously emphatic - I honestly feel what others are going through. It makes for quite an emotion-filled life!

The love feelings stem from a love for good, emotional writing - which this is. I also LOVE when an individual takes their own experiences and attempts to help others who may face similar situations.

The hate? I hate for anyone to have to suffer to this degree. The thought of these individuals going through what they went through sticks with you. It’s helped, of course, by the knowledge that Comfort has turned out to be a stronger person, probably because of her tragic past. It also helps to know that she’s reaching out to others who, without her, would be isolated.

Surviving Ben’s Suicide is more of a journey than anything else. When the author, Comfort Shields, was just a freshman in college (far, far too young to find herself in the middle of a tragedy), she met and fell in love with a fellow student, Ben (too young to have the starring role). It wasn’t long before young Comfort saw signs of poor Ben’s mental imbalances. He did certain things, didn’t do certain things, said certain things, didn’t say certain things, and often left “Comfort” needing just that.

The story of what went on even BEFORE Ben’s suicide broke my heart. How unspeakably helpless one has to feel when they want desperately to help their loved one but the resources just aren’t there. Mental illnesses are FINALLY getting the attention they deserve and need. Today, everyone knows that a mental illness carries no more shame than being diabetic. One needs treatment just as much as the other. But, there was a time in the past when no one…absolutely no one…. wanted to confront their mental illness, let alone own up to it. Thanks be to God that the medical community and countless brave sufferers have shone the light on mental illnesses, but my heart breaks for the people who had to deal with these demons in the dark.

The darkness was, understandably, too much for Ben. He took the only way out he could find.

Comfort was unable to find the resources she needed to heal following Ben’s death. She had to fight her way through helplessness, grief, and even (without any justification) guilt. Years after the loss, she has written this book, Surviving Ben’s Suicide, to help people who find themselves in this situation.

I hope, with all my heart, that she’s able to connect with people who are NOW where she was THEN, I believe she could be a great help to them. Even more, I hope that people with “Bens” in their own life will read this book and find help before they need the book for a whole other reason.

I applaud the author for “revisiting” her heartache in an effor to reach out to others. It’s never any fun to reopen old wounds and renew the pain. But if even one person is helped, I know Comfort Shields would say it was more than worth it.

Useful Links:

Comfort Shileds’ Website

Surviving Ben’s Suicide (blog)

Surviving Ben’s Suicide

Buy at AllPosters.com

The term clinical depression finds its way into too many conversations these days. One has a sense that a catastrophe has occurred in the psychic landscape. - Leonard Cohen

Depression is rage spread thin. - George Santayana

Depression is nourished by a lifetime of ungrieved and unforgiven hurts. - Penelope Sweet

Remember sadness is always temporary. This, too, shall pass. - Chuck T. Falcon

Depression is the inability to construct a future. - Rollo May

Just as despair can come to one only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings. - Elie Weisel

Concern should drive us into action, not depression. - Karen Horney

I cry a lot. My emotions are very close to my surface. I don’t want to hold anything in so it it festers and turns into pus - a pustule of emotion that explodes into a festering cesspool of depression. - Nicolas Cage

If I had not been already been meditating, I would certainly have had to start. I’ve treated my own depression for many years with exercise and meditation, and I’ve found that to be a tremendous help. - Judy Collins

Trials give you strength, sorrows give understanding and wisdom. - Chuck T. Falcon

Just like other illnesses, depression can be treated so that people can live happy, active lives. - Tom Bosley

For me being depressed means you can spend all day in bed, and still not get a good night’s rest. - Unknown

Good humor is a tonic for mind and body. It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens human burdens. It is the direct route to serenity and contentment. - Greenville Kleiser

A lot of what passes for depression these days is nothing more than a body saying that it needs work. - Geoffrey Norman

That’s the thing about depression: A human being can survive almost anything, as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that it’s impossible to ever see the end. The fog is like a cage without a key. - Elizabeth Wurtzel

Depression is a prison where you are both the suffering prisoner and the cruel jailer. - Dorothy Rowe

If depression is creeping up and must be faced, learn something about the nature of the beast: You may escape without a mauling. - Dr. R. W. Shepherd

In a strange way, I had fallen in love with my depression. Dr. Sterling was right about that. I loved it because I thought it was all I had. I thought depression was the part of my character that made me worthwhile. I thought so little of myself, felt that I had such scant offerings to give to the world, that the one thing that justified my existence at all was my agony. - Elizabeth Wurtzel

Hope is grief’s best music. - Anonymous

Depression is a treatable medical illness like cancer and heart disease. - Judith Peacock

Fall seven times, stand up eight. - Japanese proverb

I’m a strong believer in affirmations and motivational quotes. I have quotes written on everything but my cats. My husband and I were having lunch in a restaurant on Kentucky Lake a few days ago when I saw a quote hanging near the register. I grabbed a pen and copied it on a napkin. Ironically, enough, it fits very well with the topic we’re focusing on this week: Depression. It’s the quote you see in the yellow box below.

“Better keep yourself clean and bright, you’re the window through which you must see the world.” - George Bernard Shaw

My shelves are filled with motivational and inspirational writings and quotes, from the pens and lips of the most brilliant men and women to ever live. I have volumes of biographies, historical textbooks, encyclopedias, novels, etc. Yet one of the most profound, genuinely true, and beautiful quotes I’ve ever read was hanging by a register in a bayside grill.

The lesson this quote teaches and the sermon it preaches is powerfully simplistic. If we want our world to be more beautiful, we have to do something about the way we look at it. It’s like having a dirty kitchen window. The world outside isn’t the problem - the trees are as green as they ever were, the birds are as colorfully beautiful as ever, and the sky? Still blue.

But if the window is dirty, the outside world looks gray and unattractive. Action…proactive efforts… have to be made to clean the window. Once clean, the beauty of the world will, literally, come shining through.

These efforts may include meditation, prayer, exercise, talking it out with a family member or friend, walking in the fresh air (But not during the hottest part of the day, please!), gardening, taking up a great new hobby, adopting a pet or showering yours with more attention, watching an uplifting movie or television show, etc. Keep in mind, also, that if the suggestions above, or similar efforts, don’t make a difference in your condition - you may need medication, even if it’s just for a short period of time.

If that’s what it takes for you to be able to see the world as the beautiful place that it is (the one you remember it as) rather than the gray, dismal space that it’s become - it’s more than worth it. You have NOTHING to be ashamed of. Clinical Depression is a physical illness just like diabetes, asthma, heart disease, etc. If you had any of those, you wouldn’t hesitate to go to the doctor, right? Of course not! After all, going to the doctor would make you feel better, no eed suffering when you don’t have to. Heck it might even save your life.

You can say the same exact things about going to the doctor for depression. After all, going to the doctor would make you feel better, no eed suffering when you don’t have to. Heck it might even save your life.

Make each day count double,
~Joi

We all ready know about the physical benefits of eating tuna and other fatty fish. They provide an anti-inflammatory effect and have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Our hearts rejoice everytime we order fish! Studies are showing that our brains throw a little party of their own when we dine on salmon and tuna.

Researchers tell us that fatty fish may prevent memory loss in addition to reducing the risk of stroke.

Studies show that people who eat baked or broiled - not fried (ouch, that one stings) - fish high in omega-3 fatty acids have been found to be less likely to have “silent” brain lesions that can cause memory loss and dementia and are linked to a higher risk of stroke.

“Previous findings have shown that fish and fish oil can help prevent stroke, but this is one of the only studies that looks at fish’s effect on silent brain (lesions) in healthy, older people,” Jyrki Virtanen, who led the study, said in a statement.

Eating just one serving per week of fatty fish leads to a 13 percent reduced risk of having silent brain lesions.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in tuna, salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and in other foods such as walnuts.

As luck would have it, my absolute favorite way to eat fish (fried) doesn’t quite get the job done. I do love when my husband grills fish, though. It’s actually the only way I can tolerate salmon (unless it’s salmon patties).

While eating tuna and other types of fish seems to help protect against memory loss and stroke, these results were not found in people who regularly ate fried fish,” Virtanen said.

Make each moment count double,
~Joi

In the same way that when most of us say we’re “starving,” we’re simply hungry - many people say they’re depressed when they’re simply feeling down. Generally, it’s a feeling that’s the result of something that has happened in their life, and when enough time passes, the feelings will heal.  While feeling sad is a horrible feeling that we wouldn’t wish on anyone, we know that better days and sweeter emotions are around the corner. 

However, for those who ARE depressed, better days and sweeter emotions are positively unthinkable.  A depressed individual honestly can’t even phantom smiling again, let alone laughing.

So, how do know which category you fall into?  Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do I feel sad every day for most of the day?
2. Have I lost interest in things that once delighted me?
3. Am I sleeping either much more or much less than I once did?
4. Am I restless?  Do I have trouble sitting still or shutting my mind off?
5. Do I feel tired and lethargic most of the time?
6. Do I feel worthless? Does it seem to me that I don’t serve a purpose to anyone or anything?
7. Do I feel like I’ve been abandoned by everyone?
8. Am I having trouble making decisions?
9. Am I either eating more than usual or less than usual?  Is my weight up or down?
10. If someone asked me if I liked myself, would my answer be NO?

Another symptom of depression is so fundamentally important that I didn’t want to list it above.  It deserves its own paragraph, because I can’t emphasize it enough. If you EVER have thoughts of suicide or thoughts of hurting yourself in any way - get to a doctor as soon as possible.  Whether it’s 4:00 in the morning or 12:00 at night, emergency rooms are always open!  People want very much to help you, please let them.  Never do anything to yourself or your body that you wouldn’t want done to someone you love.

Look back over the symptoms again.  If you answered “Yes” to 2 or 3 questions, you may be experiencing a “mild” form of depression.  If you can “pin” these feelings to a particular event, chances are good that what you need is time.  Don’t feel guilty for feeling down and don’t make the mistake of allowing these temporary feelings to identify you.  You are a vibrant and happy person who is simply feeling down at the moment.

If you answered “Yes” to 5 or more questions - you are a vibrant and happy person who probably needs help finding that person once more.  The thing many people don’t realize is that doctors can help with depression.  But you have to go!  And you have to keep going when they tell you to - if medications are involved, you have to work with your doctor to make sure your dosage is where it needs to be.

Never, ever try to doctor yourself.  No good ever comes from that.

If you have been thinking about suicide, or hurting yourself in any way - please see a doctor immediately.  Your world doesn’t have to stay dark, there are plenty of wonderful people who can help you find the light again.

If you are on the “mild” end of depression or if you are simply feeling blue, begin (as in RIGHT NOW!) looking for ways to make you feel better. The next post will contain a long list of ideas for you to pull from - from meditating to exercising, you’ll find so much to do you won’t have time to feel anything but busy!

Make each moment count double,
~Joi