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Guest Post: Self Care Ideas for New Moms

August 16, 2019 By Aria Leave a Comment

Guest Post: Self Care Ideas for New Moms

Self-Care Ideas for New Moms

by

Emily Graham |  Mighty Moms

As a new mom, most of your focus is probably on your baby. However, it’s also important to take time for yourself. Self-care has become increasingly popular over the past years. It isn’t as simple as just taking a relaxing bubble bath or applying a face mask. As this Psychology Today article explains, “Truly adopting self-care is a lifestyle change.” By ensuring you are as healthy and happy as can be, you are giving your child the best mom possible. Get started by adopting the below self-care suggestions.

Get Your Rest

If you don’t get enough sleep, you aren’t alone: One in three Americans don’t snooze enough at night. When you have a new baby crying for attention, it gets even more difficult to fit in the recommended seven hours. Switch off nights with your partner for handling baby’s needs. Without sufficient sleep, your brain doesn’t function as well, impeding your ability to pay attention, make decisions, and think creatively. Your physical health may also suffer as well; according to Live Science, ongoing sleep deficiency has been connected to serious illnesses like an increased risk of heart disease.

If you have trouble drifting off at night, reexamine your bedroom environment. Create a cozy space with plenty of plush pillows and lush sheets. This article from the Better Sleep Council has a comprehensive list of tips, such as getting a white noise machine and ensuring your room is at the optimal temperature for sleeping (65 degrees Fahrenheit).

Break a Sweat

Exercise boosts endorphins, the feel-good hormones that keep you smiling. With post-pregnancy hormones in full swing, this is a must. Breaking a sweat regularly also improves your circulatory function and alleviates stress. It’s also a positive step toward shedding the baby weight and getting in shape.

If you are not big on exercise, consider a low-impact option like yoga. This is easy on the joints while building strength and flexibility. Research has also shown that people who practice yoga a minimum of three times each week tend to have lower blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure can lead to cardiovascular problems like heart attack.

When looking for a yoga studio in your area, consider your personal needs. Are you a beginner, or do you already have some previous experience? Do you have old injuries that might limit your activity? Are you interested in “hot yoga”? Modern studios offer a diversity of options, even including postnatal yoga for new moms.

Invest in Your Appearance

When you feel good about the way you look, you feel good about yourself in general. As a mom, you don’t always have time to get glammed up. One easy way to cut down on your beauty routine while looking great is to get eyelash extensions. They eliminate the need for eye makeup and allow you to look fresh-faced from the second you wake up.

However, keep in mind that if not applied correctly, eyelash extensions can do damage. Only trust an experienced professional. Unhygienic standards may cause infections of the cornea and swollen eyelids. Check out this Allure article to find out how to make your extensions last; tips include everything from sleeping on your back to combing them. It’s also a good idea to read reviews and recommendations about extensions before selecting a brand.

There are many other small ways to invest in your appearance and boost self-confidence. If you usually wear muted tones, for instance, try incorporating bright colors into your outfits to stand out and improve your mood. Look here for some more easy ideas, such as improving your posture and installing flattering lighting at home.

Be Patient

Start by implementing the above self-care tips gradually. If you don’t exercise at all right now, for example, begin by going just twice per week and then gradually ramp up the frequency. Give your mind and body time to adapt as you incorporate self-care into your motherhood journey. This isn’t about quick fixes but about creating a lasting lifestyle.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

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Featured Guest Post: How to Take an Affordable Family Trip Without Seriously Stressing Out

July 21, 2019 By Aria Leave a Comment

Featured Guest Post: How to Take an Affordable Family Trip Without Seriously Stressing Out

 


Guest Post by 
Leslie Campos  of Wellparents

 

For many people, the thought of taking a trip can elicit feelings of excitement. For many parents, however, planning a family trip can cause feelings of anxiety and stress as well. The packing, prepping and the paying are all enough to drive even the most sane parent crazy. If you tend to stress out when it’s time to travel with your family, there are a few budget-friendly tips and tricks you can use to calm yourself down and focus your energies back on having fun!

 

Stock Some Travel-Friendly Supplies for You and Your Little Ones

You know you need a fully stocked diaper bag with travel essentials for the baby, but make sure you stow a few affordable and helpful items for yourself as well. Kindred Bravely suggests picking up some extra hair ties, bottles of hand sanitizer and an extra top, so you will be prepared for anything your travels (or your baby) throw at you. To get the best prices, search for deals on the items you need. Since finding healthy food can be tricky and expensive while traveling, you may also want to pack some cheap healthy snacks for you and your little ones. Options that are good for you, and that travel well, include dried fruits, trail mix, granola, and even cheese or yogurt. While most of these snacks can be easily transported in the car, if you plan on flying, you will want to keep TSA restrictions in mind for any liquids or prohibited food items. While peanut butter and soft cheeses can make for great car snacks, they are not allowed through security.

 

Schedule Some Alone Time for Yourself During Your Family Vacation

 Taking some time for yourself, even while traveling with kids, is beneficial for your health. Doing so can be practical, too, but you will want to make sure your kids are in good hands while you take your time out. Thankfully, doing so can be as simple as finding babysitters online that are dependable and trustworthy, to give you peace of mind. Give yourself enough time to interview candidates and even run background checks, so you know you can trust your sitter. Once you have a sitter all lined up, you can get back to the fun of deciding what to do with your free time. Some ideas include scheduling a spa day for yourself or even planning a budget-friendly date night with your partner. Do your homework online before, so you can score deals on tickets, activities and restaurants.

 

Create an Itinerary for Your Family Trip, But Don’t Overschedule Your Time

As a parent, you know that schedules and plans can be a real lifesaver. You can save yourself a lot of headaches by planning and scheduling your trip as well. There are even travel apps that take the work out of creating plans, schedules and budgets for your vacations. Even if you use these apps, though, you don’t want to pack every last minute of your family travels with planned activities. Sure, activities can keep kids happy, but without a nap or some social media time, even the most well-behaved kids (or adults, for that matter) are bound to have a meltdown. So, factor in a few hours for everyone to relax and rest back at the hotel. You can allow children to use screens during this time if you’d like, but know that a screen-free trip is also possible. Just be sure to bring some inexpensive travel games and activities that will help prevent your family from getting bored. This is a useful trick for times in your hotel room or vacation rental, but can also be helpful for preventing problems during road trips and longer flights.

                                

Traveling with kids shouldn’t cause you tension. You can use the tips above to save yourself some money and stress when planning family vacations. Then, you can focus on making meaningful memories with your family instead!

 

Photo Credit: Unsplash

 

 

 

Filed Under: Health And Wellness, Uncategorized Tagged With: children, family, parenting, stress, vacation

“The Great Way is not difficult for those not attached to preferences…”

July 17, 2019 By Aria Leave a Comment

Hsin-hsin Ming: Verses on the Faith-Mind

By Seng-ts’an, Third Chinese Patriarch

Translated By Richard B. Clarke


The Great Way is not difficult
for those not attached to preferences.
When not attached to love or hate,
all is clear and undisguised.
Separate by the smallest amount, however,
and you are as far from it as heaven is from earth.

If you wish to know the truth,
then hold to no opinions for or against anything.
To set up what you like against what you dislike
is the disease of the mind.

When the fundamental nature of things is not recognized
the mind’s essential peace is disturbed to no avail.
The Way is perfect as vast space is perfect,
where nothing is lacking and nothing is in excess.

Indeed, it is due to our grasping and rejecting
that we do not know the true nature of things.
Live neither in the entanglements of outer things,
nor in ideas or feelings of emptiness.
Be serene and at one with things
and erroneous views will disappear by themselves.

When you try to stop activity to achieve quietude,
your very effort fills you with activity.
As long as you remain attached to one extreme or another
you will never know Oneness.
Those who do not live in the Single Way
cannot be free in either activity or quietude, in assertion or denial.

Deny the reality of things
and you miss their reality;
assert the emptiness of things
and you miss their reality.
The more you talk and think about it
the further you wander from the truth.
So cease attachment to talking and thinking,
and there is nothing you will not be able to know.

To return to the root is to find the essence,
but to pursue appearances or “enlightenment” is to miss the source.
To awaken even for a moment
is to go beyond appearance and emptiness.

Changes that seem to occur in the empty world
we make real only because of our ignorance.

Do not seek for the truth;
Only cease to cherish opinions.

Do not remain in a dualistic state;
avoid such easy habits carefully.
If you attach even to a trace
of this and that, of right and wrong,
the Mind-essence will be lost in confusion.
Although all dualities arise from the One,
do not be attached even to ideas of this One.

When the mind exists undisturbed in the Way,
there is no objection to anything in the world;
and when there is no objection to anything,
things cease to be— in the old way.
When no discriminating attachment arises,
the old mind ceases to exist.
Let go of things as separate existences
and mind too vanishes.
Likewise when the thinking subject vanishes
so too do the objects created by mind.

The arising of other gives rise to self;
giving rise to self generates others.
Know these seeming two as facets
of the One Fundamental Reality.
In this Emptiness, these two are really one—
and each contains all phenomena.
If not comparing, nor attached to “refined” and “vulgar”—
you will not fall into judgment and opinion.

The Great Way is embracing and spacious—
to live in it is neither easy nor difficult.
Those who rely on limited views are fearful and irresolute:
The faster they hurry, the slower they go.
To have a narrow mind,
and to be attached to getting enlightenment
is to lose one’s center and go astray.
When one is free from attachment,
all things are as they are,
and there is neither coming nor going.

When in harmony with the nature of things, your own fundamental nature,
and you will walk freely and undisturbed.
However, when mind is in bondage, the truth is hidden,
and everything is murky and unclear,
and the burdensome practice of judging
brings annoyance and weariness.
What benefit can be derived
from attachment to distinctions and separations?

If you wish to move in the One Way,
do not dislike the worlds of senses and ideas.
Indeed, to embrace them fully
is identical with true Enlightenment.
The wise person attaches to no goals
but the foolish person fetters himself or herself.
There is one Dharma, without differentiation.
Distinctions arise from the clinging needs of the ignorant.
To seek Mind with the discriminating mind
is the greatest of mistakes.

Rest and unrest derive from illusion;
with enlightenment, attachment to liking and disliking ceases.
All dualities come from ignorant inference.
They are like dreams, phantoms, hallucinations—
it is foolish to try to grasp them.
Gain and loss, right and wrong; finally abandon all such thoughts at once.

If the eye never sleeps,
all dreams will naturally cease.
If the mind makes no discriminations,
the ten thousand things
are as they are, of single essence.
To realize the mystery of this One-essence
is to be released from all entanglements.
When all things are seen without differentiation,
the One Self-essence is everywhere revealed.
No comparisons or analogies are possible
in this causeless, relationless state of just this One.

When movement stops, there is no movement—
and when no movement, there is no stopping.
When such dualities cease to exist
Oneness itself cannot exist.
To this ultimate state
no law or description applies.

For the Realized mind at one with the Way
all self-centered striving ceases.
Doubts and irresolutions vanish
and the Truth is confirmed in you.
With a single stroke you are freed from bondage;
nothing clings to you and you hold to nothing.
All is empty, clear, self-illuminating,
with no need to exert the mind.
Here, thinking, feeling, understanding, and imagination
are of no value.
In this world “as it really is”
there is neither self nor other-than-self.

To know this Reality directly
is possible only through practicing non-duality.
When you live this non-separation,
all things manifest the One, and nothing is excluded.
Whoever comes to enlightenment, no matter when or where,
Realizes personally this fundamental Source.

This Dharma-truth has nothing to do with big or small, with time and space.
Here a single thought is as ten thousand years.
Not here, not there—
but everywhere always right before your eyes.
Infinitely large and infinitely small: no difference,
for definitions are irrelevant
and no boundaries can be discerned.
So likewise with “existence” and “non-existence.”

Don’t waste your time in arguments and discussion
attempting to grasp the ungraspable.

Each thing reveals the One,
the One manifests as all things.
To live in this Realization
is not to worry about perfection or non-perfection.
To put your trust in the Heart-Mind is to live without separation,
and in this non-duality you are one with your Life-Source.

Words! Words!
The Way is beyond language,
for in it there is no yesterday,

no tomorrow

no today.


Imagine Being Here

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Longer Exhalations Are an Easy Way to Hack Your Vagus Nerve (repost from Psychology Today)

June 13, 2019 By Aria Leave a Comment

Article take-away  – take long, slow, deep breaths. Emphasize a longer exhale than inhale. 

I love it when ancient practices and modern science resonate…. long story short – yogic breathing has scientific roots. My favorite quote from this article:

“It’s reassuring to have fresh research corroborate that each of us can trigger a “relaxation response” (Benson et al., 1975) simply by focusing on the inhalation-to-exhalation ratio of our breathing and consciously extending the length of each exhale while doing breathing exercises as we go about our day-to-day lives.”

Longer Exhalations Are an Easy Way to Hack Your Vagus Nerve

Respiratory vagus nerve stimulation (rVNS) counteracts fight-or-flight stress.

Christopher Bergland

repost: Psychology Today

Sebastian Kaulitzki/Shutterstock
Vagus nerve in yellow.
Source: Sebastian Kaulitzki/Shutterstock

Two years ago, I published a nine-part series, “The Vagus Nerve Survival Guide to Combat Fight-or-Flight Urges.” The genesis came from an “Aha!” moment when I noticed a pattern of diverse scientific literature published by researchers correlating unexpected lifestyle factors (e.g., positive social connections (Kok et al., 2013), narrative expressive writing(Bourassa et al., 2017), and self-distancing (Grossman et al., 2016)) with improved heart rate variability (HRV).

This post is a follow-up to “Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises and Your Vagus Nerve,” from that earlier series of posts. I’m excited to update what was primarily speculation a few years ago with some new scientific literature (Gerritsen & Band, 2018 and De Couck et al., 2019). These studies corroborate that longer exhalations are an easy way to hack the vagus nerve, combat fight-or-flight stress responses, and improve HRV.

What is HRV? Heart rate variability represents the healthy fluctuation in beat-to-beat intervals of a human or animal’s heart rate. During the inhalation phase of a breathing cycle, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) facilitates a brief acceleration of heart rate; during exhalation, the vagus nerve secretes a transmitter substance (ACh) which causes deceleration within beat-to-beat intervals via the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).

HRV is used to index the robustness of someone’s vagus nerve responses and vagal tone (VT). Higher HRV is associated with stronger vagus nerve function, lower chronic stress levels, better overall health, and improved cognition.

Although clinical research on HRV doesn’t always discuss the vagus nerve, it’s well established that HRV is an effective way to index vagal tone and gauge the robustness of someone’s physiological ability to counteract SNS-driven fight-or-flight stress responses.

Nota bene: I grew up in a household with a neuroscientist father, Richard Bergland (1932-2007), who was also the author of The Fabric of Mind. My dad idolized Nobel-prize winner Otto Loewi (1873-1961), who discovered the first neurotransmitter (acetylcholine), which is the chief neurotransmitter of the PNS. What we now refer to as acetylcholine or ACh was originally coined “vagusstoff” (German for “vagus substance”) by Loewi around 1921.

In a simple but elegant experiment on frogs (that came to Loewi as aEureka! moment in a dream), he found that a tranquilizing substance squirted directly out of the vagus nerve onto the heart, which caused a frog’s heart rate to slow down immediately. (See, “How Does ‘Vagusstoff’ Calm Us Down?“)

 Wikipedia/Creative Commons
Diagram of the frog heart preparation used by Otto Loewi. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) slows heart rate while accelerator (sympathetic nervous system) nerve stimulation speeds up heart rate.
Source: Wikipedia/Creative Commons

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As a tennis player, my father used the same breathing techniques he used in his neurosurgery operating room to stay calm. He taught me the basics of how to use deep, slow breathing techniques to hack the vagus nerve and slow down my heart rate, just like a frog in Loewi’s lab.

Dad kept his neuroscience lessons on the tennis court simple. He’d say, “If you want to maintain grace under pressure, visualize squirting some vagusstoff into your nervous system by taking a deep breath—with a big inhale and a long, slow exhale—as you bounce the ball four times before every serve.”

Without going into too much detail, my father taught me that by increasing the duration of my exhale after taking a deep breath, I could trigger my vagus nerve to squirt out some stress-busting “vagusstoff” on demand. This “stuff” was like a self-made tranquilizer that would relax my nerves and help me avoid choking or double-faulting during match points.

Later, as a student at Hampshire College, I practiced yoga regularly and was guided by an instructor who also emphasized the importance of focusing on the inhalation/exhalation ratio during yogic breathing exercises. Although he didn’t mention anything to do with neurobiology or psychophysiology, it was clear that many of my instructor’s breathing techniques emphasized longer exhalations, just like my father had taught me.

Based solely on life experience, I saw a parallel and had a hunch that these centuries-old methods of shifting the inhalation/exhalation ratio that often had long-winded Sanskrit names such as “bhastrika pranayama” were ancient vagal maneuvers unwittingly designed to hack the vagus nerve long before Otto Loewi discovered vagusstoff.

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It’s reassuring to have fresh research corroborate that each of us can trigger a “relaxation response” (Benson et al., 1975) simply by focusing on the inhalation-to-exhalation ratio of our breathing and consciously extending the length of each exhale while doing breathing exercises as we go about our day-to-day lives.

Wellcome Library/Public Domain
Early anatomical drawing of the “wandering” vagus nerve.
Source: Wellcome Library/Public Domain

New Research Identifies Multiple Benefits of Longer Exhalations 

In 2018, Roderik Gerritsen and Guido Bandof Leiden University in the Netherlands published a detailed theoretical review, “Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity,” in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. This review presents a wide range of studies that illustrate how slower respiration rates and longer exhalations phasically and tonically stimulate the vagus nerve. Using diaphragmatic breathing techniques to kickstart the calming “rest and digest” influence of the parasympathetic nervous system is referred to as respiratory vagus nerve stimulation (rVNS). (For more on traditional VNS and non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) see here, here, here, and here.)

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Throughout their paper, Gerritsen and Band explain how the latest research on rVNS fits into a historical timeline of other techniques used to harness runaway fight-or-flight stress responses and calm the autonomic nervous system. The authors write:

“The breathing techniques used in contemplative activities (e.g., meditation, yoga, tai chi) include, but are not restricted to, slowing down respiration cycles, shifting to longer exhalations compared to inhalations, shifting the main locus of respiration from the thorax to the abdomen (diaphragmatic breathing), or paying attention to “natural” breathing. Especially slow and deep breathing with emphasis on long exhalation is dominant across traditions, including zen and vipassana—though there are a few practices stimulating faster respiration patterns (i.e., the yoga technique “breath of fire”). The [vagus] nerve, as a proponent of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), is the prime candidate in explaining the effects of contemplative practices on health, mental health and cognition.

Frequently adopting these respiration patterns (slowed and with longer exhalations) can explain a significant part of the efficacy found within contemplative activity practice. Though contemplative activities are diverse, they have shown a similar pattern of beneficial effects on health, mental health, and cognition: mostly in stress-related conditions and performance. This pattern can be explained by these controlled breathing exercises.

Clearly, these functions all move the system towards the rest-and-digest mode of operation and away from fight-or-flight. Not only does [the] vagus nerve control heart rate and slow deep breathing; slow respiration rates with extended exhalation could also activate the PNS by vagus nerve afferent function in the airways. This is a form of respiratory biofeedback. Slow breathing techniques with long exhalation will signal a state of relaxation by the vagus nerve, resulting in more VN activity and further relaxation. Though VN involvement can explain the effects on health and mental health, the link with cognition is less clear. One of the links between respiration and cognition is HRV.”

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Another recent study (De Couck et al., 2019) published this month, “How Breathing Can Help You Make Better Decisions: Two Studies on the Effects of Breathing Patterns on Heart Rate Variability and Decision-Making in Business Cases,” reports that just two minutes of deep breathing with longer exhalation engages the vagus nerve, increases HRV, and improves decision-making. These findings were published in the May issue of the International Journal of Psychophysiology.

This two-pronged study was conducted by researchers from Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium. The first arm of this study found that both slow deep “symmetric” breathing patterns (with an equal ratio of inhaling/exhalation timing) and skewed “vagus nerve” breathing patterns (with a longer exhalation than inhalation) significantly increased HRV.

WikiVisual/Creative Commons
Source: WikiVisual/Creative Commons

The second arm of this study asked one group of participants to perform two minutes of skewed vagus nerve breathing before taking a 30-minute decision-making test. The control group watched a video and did not focus on breathing patterns. Notably, participants in the group who focused on breathing patterns with longer exhalations for two minutes reported lower levels of stress and provided a significantly higher percentage of correct answers to business-related test questions than controls. The authors conclude, “These studies show that brief vagal breathing patterns reliably increase HRV and improve decision-making.”

A myriad of breathing patterns can improve HRV. That said, based on the latest research, practicing rVNS breathing via longer exhalations for just two minutes appears to be an easy way to hack the vagus nerve and calm one’s nervous system.

One gadget-free way to track the timing of your inhalation-to-exhalation breathing cycles per minute is to use a 4:8 ratio of four-second inhalations and eight-second exhalations. This breathing cycle takes 12 seconds which equates to five inhalation/exhalation cycles per minute. Based on road-tested outcomes, I really like the 4:8 ratio because it’s easy to use my right hand to count up to five with each digit and use the fingers on my left hand like an abacus to keep track of each one-minute cycle.

Anytime you want to hack your vagus nerve to reduce stress or improve decision-making, a simple self-talk script could be: “I’m stressing out. In order to calm down so I can perform better on this decision-making task, I’m going to take two minutes (right now!) to do 10 rounds of vagus nerve breathing based on a 4:8 inhalation-to-exhalation ratio.”

During the four-second inhalation phase, I’d recommend breathing in through your nose—as you relax the back of your eyes and visualize filling up your lower diaphragm with oxygen—and slowly count to four. Then, I’d recommend exhaling through pursed lips (as if you’re blowing out lots of candles on a birthday cake) as you slowly count to eight.

Remember: If you’re feeling especially stressed out, you can increase your rVNS breathing time to five minutes or a total of 25 twelve-second 4:8 breathing cycles. Repeat as needed.

References

Roderik J. S. Gerritsen and Guido P. H. Band. “Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (First published online: October 9, 2018) DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00397

Marijke De Couck, Ralf Caers, Liza Musch, Johanna Fliegauf, Antonio Giangreco, and Yori Gidron. “How Breathing Can Help You Make Better Decisions: Two Studies on the Effects of Breathing Patterns on Heart Rate Variability and Decision-Making in Business Cases.” International Journal of Psychophysiology (First published online: March 1, 2019) DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.02.011

Kyle J. Bourassa, John J.B. Allen, Matthias R. Mehl, and David A. Sbarra. “The Impact of Narrative Expressive Writing on Heart Rate, Heart Rate Variability, and Blood Pressure Following Marital Separation.” Psychosomatic Medicine (First published: May 8, 2017) DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000475

Bethany E. Kok, Kimberly A. Coffey, Michael A. Cohn, Lahnna I. Catalino, Tanya Vacharkulksemsuk, Sara B. Algoe, Mary Brantley, and Barbara L. Fredrickson. “How Positive Emotions Build Physical Health: Perceived Positive Social Connections Account for the Upward Spiral Between Positive Emotions and Vagal Tone.” Psychological Science (First published: May 6, 2013) DOI: 10.1177/0956797612470827

Igor Grossmann, Baljinder K. Sahdra, and Joseph Ciarrochi. “A Heart and A Mind: Self-distancing Facilitates the Association Between Heart Rate Variability and Wise Reasoning.” Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience (First published: April 8, 2016) DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00068

Alli N McCoy and Yong Siang Tan. “Otto Loewi (1873–1961): Dreamer and Nobel Laureate” Singapore Medical Journal (First published: January 2014) DOI: 10.11622/smedj.2014002

Herbert Benson, Martha M. Greenwood, and Helen Klemchuk. “The Relaxation Response: Psychophysiologic Aspects and Clinical Applications” The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine (First published: March 1, 1975) DOI: 10.2190/376W-E4MT-QM6Q-H0UM

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About the Author

Christopher Bergland is a world-class endurance athlete, coach, author, and political activist.

In Print:
The Athlete’s Way: Sweat and the Biology of Bliss
Online:
www.theathletesway.com
 
 
View Author Profile

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Guest Post: 5 Steps New Parents Should Take to Protect Their Family’s Financial Life

June 6, 2019 By Aria Leave a Comment

Guest Post: 5 Steps New Parents Should Take  to Protect Their Family’s Financial Life

 

5 Steps New Parents Should Take  to Protect Their Family’s Financial Life

by

Sara Bailey

Who will take care of your children if you pass away? If you die, will your family be able to keep a roof over their heads? These are just a couple of the important questions you need to answer once you start a family. If you have children and you haven’t taken care of the following five matters, don’t wait—start preparing today.

1. Increase Your Emergency Savings

With a baby in the picture, you’re more likely to encounter unexpected bills. Whether your child falls ill, your air conditioning stops working, or the family car breaks down, you’ll want to have cash to solve the problem quickly and without debt. Build up your emergency fund to at least three months of living expenses (more if you’re a single-income household or self-employed).

2. Plan for Childcare Costs

The cost of daycare rivals that of college tuition. If you’re a two-parent household, calculate whether you can afford to live on a single income until your child is older. Other options include changing work schedules so one parent is always home or accepting a part-time job that permits working from home. If childcare is a must, shop around for a good deal, use a Dependent Care Account to get a tax break on childcare costs, and take advantage of the childcare tax credit. Care.com suggests additional ways to save on childcare.

3. Write or Update Your Will

Everyone ought to have a will, but parents need to have a will. A will not only distributes your assets in the event of your death, it also appoints guardians for minor children and creates trusts to ensure children are cared for. If you have a lot of assets, you’ll want to work with a lawyer when writing your will. However, if you have few assets and just want to ensure your children are protected, you can use an online service to create your will.

4. Buy Life Insurance

Even if you don’t have a lot of assets, you can still provide for your children if you die while with a life insurance policy. If you’re a stay-at-home parent, you still need life insurance so the surviving parent can afford childcare in your absence. When you’re young and healthy, life insurance policies are cheap: According to CreditDonkey, “the average 35-year-old pays only $159 per year for a $250,000, 20-year term policy.” However, paying more may pay off: If you opt for a whole or universal policy, or convert a convertible term policy before it runs out, you can accrue cash value and sell the policy to free up money for retirement. While regular-term policies have lower premiums, your investment is lost once the term expires. Make sure you understand the pros and cons of different policy types before buying.

5. Plan for Your Funeral

In the unfortunate event that you pass away unexpectedly, your family will likely be too grief-stricken to plan the details of a funeral service, let alone pay for it. You can relieve this burden by pre-planning funeral expenses. There are several ways to do this. You can create a joint account or payable-on-death bank account, purchase a final expense insurance policy, or buy a pre-need plan with a funeral home in your community. Each option has its pros and cons, so do your research before choosing.

 

You plan on always being there for your children, but life doesn’t always go as planned. As unpleasant as it may be to discuss worst-case scenarios, handling these matters is a big part of providing for your family. If you’ve recently welcomed a bundle of joy or you’re planning to start your family, make sure these items are on your to-do list.

Article by Sara Bailey

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Guest Post: Six Simple Solutions to Help You Save Money on Pregnancy Prep

April 9, 2019 By Aria Leave a Comment

Guest Post: Six Simple Solutions to Help You Save Money on Pregnancy Prep

 

Photo via Pexels

 

6 Simple Solutions to Help You Save Money on Pregnancy Prep

by

Emily Graham

 

Pregnancy is exciting and terrifying, but it may also be financially troubling. Having a baby can set you back thousands of dollars in the first year alone. Making sure you’re prepared to handle the expenses that come with pregnancy, labor, and baby care can be somewhat overwhelming. Fortunately, pregnancy is the perfect time to learn how to budget, cut costs on necessities, and put money aside for emergencies.

 

1. Start with a Realistic Budget

 

Before buying anything, write up a budget. You can use this cost calculator from BabyCenter to determine how much you should expect to spend during your newborn’s first year. Creating a budget will help you cut the costs of supplies you don’t need, such as a fancy changing table or tiny newborn clothing. Remember to leave room in your budget to contribute to a savings account — this money will tide you over while off work. Also, create a separate budget for your regular monthly expenses to determine what you can afford while you’re on maternity/paternity leave.

 

2. Buy Your Clothing Online

 

Maternity clothes are expensive. If the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on temporary-use clothes sounds like a waste of money, consider secondhand clothing or shop for new items online. You’ll find the best deals on maternity wear from large retail stores like Macys. Plus, if you shop online, you’re likely to find a Macys coupon code to stretch your dollars a little bit further.

 

The same goes for your post-pregnancy clothes. For that phase when your body hasn’t quite returned to its original shape, you may need to find a few items that are stretchier and more comfortable than your usual clothes. Maternity bras and nursing bras, in particular, are essential for providing sturdy support easy breastfeeding access. You can easily find a selection of affordable, quality nursing bras online, and oftentimes discounts are available when you buy several at once.

 

3. Shop for Second-Hand Baby Gear

 

When it’s time to buy baby supplies, start by looking at secondhand options. Check out consignment shops and ask your friends and family members for hand-me-downs. This is a great way to save money on baby clothes, toys, cloth diapers, and a high chair. However, avoid used items that may pose a safety or sanitary risk, such as crib mattresses. Safety standards for cribs, car seats, strollers, and infant carries change frequently, so plan to buy brand new models.

 

4. Set up a Baby Gift Registry

 

Why spend money on things when you can get them for free? Regardless of whether a friend throws you a baby shower, go ahead and set up a baby gift registry. That way, your friends and family can browse through a list of items you want instead of guessing at what you might need. Just be sure to ask for practical items you will actually use. Check out this baby registry breakdown from Today’s Parent if you need help choosing a store.

 

5. Shop Around for a Hospital

 

While supplies for baby and mom can be pricey, your hospital bills might take the cake for the greatest pregnancy expense. Start by reviewing your insurance coverage. Determine which procedures are covered from pregnancy to birth and beyond, and find out whether you’ll have to pay copays or deductibles for these medical services. It’s also smart to shop around for a hospital since birth and cesarean rates vary widely among local hospitals. Fortunately, hospitals are now required to post their price lists, so you’ll have an easier time finding one that fits your budget. Just be sure to confirm with your OB/GYN that she has privileges at the hospital(s) your considering.

 

6. Cook Pre-Made Dinners

 

One final piece of prep work you can do to save money — and stress — is to stock your freezer with pre-cooked meals. This will keep you from buying takeout when you’re too busy with your newborn. While it may mean a lot of work right now, these meals will be a blessing down the road. These recipes from The Family Freezer are an excellent place to start.

 

Saving money from pregnancy to delivery and beyond will be a huge stress-reliever for you and your partner. You shouldn’t have to worry about paying the bills or affording diapers when there’s an exciting bundle of joy in your life. Banish financial stress by being prepared. Start budgeting and cutting costs today!

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Thank you, Emily Graham, of Mighty Moms for writing and sharing your guest post with us!

Filed Under: Birth Consulting, Prenatal Yoga, Uncategorized

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