Serendipity

Today is Serendipity Day.  What is that you might say?

Merriam-Webster defines serendipity as “the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for”.

You’ll find that serendipity is a positive thing, never negative.  The day encourages all of us to look for the beautiful things around you, things you might not ordinarily notice.

A common phrase comes to me, “time to stop and smell the roses!”  If you do, you’re bound to have  some unexpected good fortune.

You might not know that the word serendipity just came to be in the 1700’s.  An English author read a Persian novel called, “The Three Princes of Serendip.”  

The story was set in Sri Lanka (called Serindip) and had three princes travel the world after being banished.  The trio had many serendipitous encounters with unexpected revelations. 

Thus the word serendipity came into play.

On this day the point really is for you to be positive and look for unexpected things in your day. You may be on a walk and you have a chance meeting with an old friend.  Perhaps you are out and about and see the most beautiful garden that you never noticed. 

The organizers of the day really want each of us to be open to and enlightened by any new experiences or encounters.  

Private Home Health Care knows that life is full of the unexpected and the way that we approach and handle these can have a very positive and happy outcome for each of us. 

#serendipityday

End of Summer Blues

It’s the middle of August and perhaps it’s starting to feel like the days of summer are coming to a close.  How does that make you feel?

Early on the days are warmer and the nights are longer and it feels like a whole new world ahead.  

You may go camping.  That visit you planned to visit friends and family might come off.  If you are a gardener new plants go in to add color.  You might spend a few hours weeding or the new birds out and about may catch your eye.

The summertime is great for enjoying sunny days either by swimming in the ocean or a lake, by taking a nice walk or sitting at a cafe having coffee and watching the world go by.

For those of us in New England the seasons are part of the joy of being a New Englander.  We look forward to some seasons more than others but we have four seasons to enjoy each year.

If you are beginning to feel like the summer is slipping away, try not to dwell on it.  Try and enjoy the remaining days and make the most of them.  You could be surprised at how long warm days stick around.  Remember too that it will come back again.

Private Home Health Care has tried to have a fun-filled summer and to appreciate each day.  We hope that you can do the same thing and enjoy the summer as long as we have it.

World Conservation Day

Today is a special day to think about our world and how you and I can contribute to keeping it healthy for all of us .

As of July 16, 2023 there are an estimated 8 billion people across this glorious world.  That’s a lot of people who use the earth’s resources.

Not everyone in some countries are able to help but you and I who are in better positions here in the United States can do little things to help.

It’s likely that you already are practicing some of the simple ways to conserve.

• Recycling and reusing materials
• Turning off lights when you aren’t in the room
• Car pooling or using public transportation
• Having a digital footprint rather than using paper to print

You may find events in your town or city today that are meant to spread the word on conservation.  Join an event in person or online and see if there are any other suggestions that you feel comfortable adding to your daily routines.

If you like to read books you might choose one by people who are famous conservationists.  People like John Muir, Theordore Roosevelt, David Attenborough and Jane Goodall.

Private Home Health Care supports conservation. We believe it’s important for all of us to contribute as best we can to keeping our world’s resources available to all. 

#WorldConservationDay

Anti-Boredom

Is July a good month to try and keep away boredom?  Some people seem to think so since they dedicated this month to finding fun experiences.

You and I have our routines. We usually get up at the same time, go about our day, eating and maybe working, then we go to bed.  You can definitely feel in a rut at times.

Getting in a rut can put you in a bad place mentally and bring you down.  Not a great state of mind.

This month, and for the rest of the summer, see if you can try something different. Go on a trip to discover new things in your neighborhood, your town or your state.

Do you have any passions that you’d like to explore?  Are you creative?  Try a new hobby. Have a sense of adventure and do something new.  Try to get out of your comfort zone.

Art exhibits, musical festivals or interactive workshops are some ways that communities look to bring fun and inspiration to your life.  Check out the events around you, grab a sibling or some friends and enjoy.

Private Home Health Care hopes that you can seize a day and plan an adventure, big or small.  If you live in the northeast our summers pass by much too quickly.  

We hope you have great fun and smile!

#NationalAntiBoredomMonth

Cousins

Cousins are those relatives that you might see once in a while or often.  You might see them at family events or perhaps you visit each other’s houses over the years. Strong bonds can be built with this family member.

Often a relationship begins with your cousin when you are very young.  Your parents’ brothers and sisters might have children who add on to the family.  

When your families get together it’s natural that children would play with each other and that’s when relationships begin. The relationship grows as you age.  It can be dependent on family ties which are hopefully positive.

Due to those family ties a cousin is someone to play with when a lot of adults are around.  At family gatherings, it’s someone you can talk to or play with.  A cousin your age might be someone who has the same skills at a pick up family baseball game that you do.

A summer family vacation at the beach or pool adds to the camaraderie. You might go on an adventure or find ways to get in trouble together.  That definitely creates close bonds.

Over the years the experiences grow, the stories accumulate and the bonds get stronger.  You might even find that a cousin might be a better listener than a sibling at certain times.

As the years go on and lives get busier, it might get more difficult to make plans.  Hopefully there are traditional family gatherings, during the summer or around the holidays for time to catch up.  Private Home Health Care believes that family relationships are important to our mental health and well being. We hope you can reach out or visit with a cousin soon.

Loneliness and Social Isolation

In 2019, the National Institute of Aging, NIA, began conducting research studies on the two areas of loneliness and social isolation.  

Private Home Health Care believes this research is informative today.

The initial study asked:  are loneliness and social isolation two different processes that therefore affect health differently or is it that loneliness leads to social isolation that then affects health?

The late Dr. John Cacioppo, Ph.D found that living alone, social isolation, is an objective physical separation from other people. Loneliness is more of a distressed feeling of being isolated from people and is subjective.

You could feel lonely when surrounded by a group of people and vice versa when you are alone you might not feel lonely. The continued feeling of loneliness can lead to social isolation and additionally affect your health.

As an elderly person you are particularly at risk. Your loneliness can lead to an increase in cognitive decline, depression and heart disease.

According to the NIA approximately 28% of the US population or 13.8 million people are living alone.  Many of these people do not feel lonely or isolated.  Why? 

People who are engaged with others in meaningful and productive activities tend to live longer.  These give you a sense of purpose and help to boost your mood. Your overall well being and your cognitive functions are maintained.

Do you admit that you are lonely?  Here are a few suggestions to help.

Remind yourself you are not alone.

Be realistic and persevere.

Write down positive memories.

Smile.

Make a note of all the things you are grateful for.

Volunteer.

Get a pet or spend time with someone else’s.

Join a club or take a class.

Pick up the phone.  Talk to friends and family.

National Ice Cream Month

July is set aside as National Ice Cream Month.  You and I may think that makes sense because we may get hit with the urge to eat ice cream during warm summer months.

What kind of ice cream do you like?  Vanilla, chocolate, cookie dough, mint chocolate chip?  The list of flavors has become very long!

As I began to ponder my favorite flavor I started to wonder about ice cream.  How long has it been around and how has it evolved?

Historical facts

Did you know that King Tang of Shang in China was responsible for one of the first versions of ice cream? Back in 200 BC he had about 94 “ice men” create a cold dessert of buffalo milk, flour and camphor.

What about the Romans you ask?  The Romans were known to send slaves high up into the mountains to collect snow to flavor with fruits and juices.

Charles I of England was executed in 1649.  Do you think that’s because he paid his chef to keep his ice cream recipe a secret?

Modern days

In 1904 at the St. Louis World Fair, a Syrian vendor trying to help a neighbor who had run out of bowls, created a waffle cone with his batter.  What a great idea!

Do you have ice cream trucks that visit your neighborhood?  The first one started in 1920 by a man named Harry Burt.  I can hear the tune now!

You know July as the official Ice Cream Month because Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation back in 1984. The proclamation read, “Ice cream is a nutritious and wholesome food, …”. “It enjoys a reputation as the perfect dessert and snack food.” 

Hmmmm . . .

Private Home Health Care loves ice cream during the summer.  Likewise we enjoy it in moderation. If you are like the average American and eat 4 gallons a year you might think about scaling back to be more healthy. 🙂

World Listening Day

Tomorrow is World Listening Day, a fairly recent day to encourage all of us to take time to stop and listen to what is around us.

Have you tried to just stop and listen?  There are so many different sounds in the world outside, especially in the summer.

The creators of the day want us to try to become a better listener.  Listening is important for all of us to communicate with each other.  You and I speak to each other often but are we truly listening?

The focus of each year’s World Listening Day changes.  Consequently this year’s focus is listening to the world outside your window.  When you listen you explore the interactions between us as humans and nature.  

The official name for this listening to nature is “acoustic ecology.”  Do you want to try using acoustic ecology tomorrow?  You might be surprised at what you hear.

Have you ever tried listening to bird calls?  You can have fun listening to the sounds and learn to identify the bird.  You can discover how it flies and where it lives.

We at Private Home Health Care have been noticing the sounds of many birds around us.  We’ve begun to learn the sounds of chickadees, robins, cardinals, and cat birds. We have even seen Cooper Hawks in our backyard. Amazing.

No matter where you live there are sounds outside your window. You may hear birds, airplanes overhead, children playing outside, and maybe street cleaners all in your neighborhood. Once you stop and listen, the sounds come alive.

Tomorrow we hope you try and take the time to listen to the sounds outside around you.  Additionally, you might try listening to the people in your life too.  You could be very surprised!

#WorldListeningDay

Today is Global Forgiveness Day.

Forgiveness.  Not always an easy thing to do.  

Sometimes you have little offenses that have happened to you.  Other times the offense feels gigantic.  Do you feel you are able to forgive either transgression?

The day began in British Columbia, Canada with a goal of encouraging forgiveness.  In many ways it appears that by forgiving it benefits your overall health.

Holding off on forgiving can cause you a lot of anger and frustration.  You might not even be aware of the stress that swirls around it.  Too much stress can cause you health issues.  You might feel depressed or overwhelmed at times.

The Mayo Clinic defines forgiveness as “letting go of grudges and bitterness when someone you care about hurts you.”

I’m sure at some point each of us has been hurt at some point.  It’s a very human experience.  It’s not always easy to forgive.  Many families have strained relationships based on hurts and an inability to forgive.

You may even find that at times you get frustrated with yourself.  Did you also forgive yourself after?

On this day there are some suggestions on how to work towards being more forgiving  . . .

• Try to practice forgiving someone.
• Share your feelings and experiences on forgiving with a friend or on social media. 
• If you find that someone forgives you, try to be accepting.

Private Home Health Care knows that forgiving can be difficult and at times feels impossible.  The following quote from Alexander Pope in the 18th century may help, “To Err is Human, to Forgive Divine.”

​​#GlobalForgivenessDay

Getting Back Into Our Routines

Private Home Health Care enjoyed the 4th of July holiday.  The festivities were fun and time with family and friends was awesome. Now what’s next?

After the holidays we can feel a bit unsettled.  We may have had company at our house, a block party or outside activities.  Our normal routines went out the window as they should have.

Now that the party’s over, how do you and I get back into our routines and the more normal pace of our lives?

First, go easy on yourself.  You cannot control everything so think about the areas you can control and focus on those.

Next, do not forget to take care of yourself.  Try not to beat yourself up on things that may have slipped through the cracks.  Did not get the bedroom or garage cleaned out?  Acknowledge it and then move on or take care of it now.

Check your self-talk.  Is it positive or are you reviewing what you had planned that did not get completed?  Try to be positive in your thoughts.  It helps keep the stress level in check.

Reassess your priorities.  Do they still make sense or do you need to make some changes? What’s done is done.  Do you still need it to be done?

You and I can find comfort in following our usual patterns.  It gives a rhythm to our lives. 

Schedule your positive habits back into your daily life if you need to because it can help you to feel like you are being productive.

Our lives can feel so fleeting at times, especially as we age.  It’s important to make sure we try to help ourselves by controlling and managing the areas open to us.  Be sure to take good care of yourself.

#routines

#selfcare