Healthy Happy Loving Life: Some Mistakes Can Be Corrected

Tags

apologizing, choices, energy, Feng Shui, Guilt, mistakes, stress, Stress Management

© 2022 Kebba Buckley Button.  World Rights Reserved.

-Image by megapixl

From the time we were very young, we have understood the power of “OOPS!”  Sometimes tiny children, who otherwise only know the word “NO”, have caught onto the idea of “OOPS!”, the thing that is a mistake.  Sometimes the glass of juice is knocked over.  Sometimes the cat goes in the garbage can.  Sometimes candy gets melded with a small toy, and the toy can’t operate right now, with all that sticky goodness all over it.  We parent types spin around fast when we hear a tiny voice saying “OOPS!” or even “UH_OH!”  Those are our clues to come running and fix the mistake.

However, for adults, we may sometimes make mistakes we don’t even realize are mistakes.  I will share two of mine now.  Fortunately, I realized they were mistakes!

I was visiting my mother in Denver, while she had some serious surgery.  I was treating her with energy healing, ahead of and after the surgery, to shorten the recovery time–which worked!  I was staying in her house, for a week, while she was in the hospital 3 minutes away.  MISTAKE #1:  I realized Mom had a magazine photo cutout, taped to her bedroom wall, slightly rumpled, of polar bears relaxing together.  I thought it would look so much nicer in a frame.  So out of love and good intentions, I purchased a frame and put the relaxing polar bears in it (as below- original photographer unknown).  I then found what I thought was a great spot, and I placed the framed photo there.  I was so pleased!

But when Mom came home, and I proudly showed her my gift of love, she said, “but before, they were right where I could see them every morning when I woke up.  They lifted my day.”  OOPS!  Fortunately, I was able to not only apologize and explain myself, but to correct this mistake.  And after Mom passed, the Estate gave me the polar bears. Now they are in my bedroom, and I see them, with love, when I wake up each morning.

During that same week of Mom’s surgery, I made MISTAKE #2, which revolved around furniture.  Sometimes, you cannot repair a mistake, but you can apologize.  Mom’s house was very clean and neat.  I knew it was going on the market soon.  So, being familiar with Feng Shui, I began absent-mindedly adjusting the positions of the living room chairs.  They had been placed to roughly form a social square, but at strange angles.  I started correcting them to face in the 8 Feng Shui Directions, and I got into a snarl.  I got to a point where two lamps could no longer be plugged in, so there was no local lighting in that area.  OH maybe that’s why the arrangement had been done the way it had?  And there were a couple of other problems I created with my well-meaning, helpful efforts.  I tried to put the furniture back and simply could not restore the strange angles.  OOPS!  I did the best I could, but I felt terribly guilty.  I was due back at the hospital, and I confessed all to Mom, saying I was out of line and I was SO SORRY.  I was astonished that she waved her hand casually and said, “oh, that’s fine—don’t worry about it.”  She really was unconcerned.  Whew!

By the way, I did a clearly Good Thing that week.  I found the correct color paint in the basement and repainted a wall that somehow was only half painted.  Score 1 for helpfulness!

So when you make a mistake, do you admit it and try to fix it?  And apologize?  If you don’t do these things, you’ll feel guilty.  And guilt depresses the parasympathetic nervous system for hours after one guilty thought!  So handle it as well as you can, for both good relationships and good health.  And that will be you, ever more Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

In my daily series this month, I hope to strongly convince you that positive living is the way to be, and that it results in greater health and happiness and joy.  Plus, it’s more fun!  And that would be me and you, shaping our lives anew, ever more Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

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Kebba Buckley Button is a stress/energy management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life.  She has a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within:  Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine.  The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office.   They are also available in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the Franciscan Renewal Center bookstore and at the bookstore at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church. Or simply email us to order:  kebba@kebba.com .  Thank you!

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Beat Stress With Laughs

Tags

Beat stress, choices, energy, Feeling energized, joy, Laughing, laughing at stress, laughs, stress, Stress Management

© 2022 Kebba Buckley Button.  World Rights Reserved.

Photographer unknown

One of the funniest and most endearing videos rippling around the Internet currently is a tiny movie about the tiniest black pig (“Kingsford the Piglet Goes for a Swim”).  The piglet is smaller than a woman’s foot, jet black, eager, and passionate to be included with his humans.  Watch this video once, and you’ll feel so charmed, you’ll have to watch it again.  The piglet’s antics make you laugh.  Another video is YouTube’s “Dancing Bulldog”, in which a small bulldog is evidently boogeying to some fun music.  Of all the videos I have seen in recent months, I laughed the hardest at “Silent Monks Hallelujah Chorus”, in which cards are held up to encourage the audience to sing along.  Impish variations surprise and make you laugh.  What videos or movies have made you laugh?

-Image by megapixl

Laughter feels good!  It makes you relax, from your muscles to your skin to your attitude. Laughing very hard can cause you to clutch your spasming abdomen, gasp for breath, drool a bit, and wipe your teary eyes.  A good, hearty laugh can make you feel refreshed, even totally rested.  And there are medical benefits: higher DHEA, improved immune function (fewer allergies and illnesses with regular laughter) and better blood vessel function leading to better blood pressure than when you are stressed.  However, researchers say the medical benefits are hard to measure.  Rather, it is easier to observe the social benefits of laughter: it is both symptomatic of happy relationships and contagious, creating more social connection and happiness (Robert Provine, Laughter:  A Scientific Investigation, Penguin Books, 2001).  Women laugh about a quarter more than men.  Those who say they laugh a lot also tend to be in good health.  Laughter therapy is used for cancer patients, who find it helps their quality of life.  Laughter can increase the release of endorphins, the anti-stress brain chemicals that can lessen pain and stiffness.

Laughter is a part of our makeup.  Babies start laughing when they are as young as 10 weeks.  And adults are immediately drawn in, trying to see what they can do to get the baby to laugh again.  Watch a normally calm parent of a 3-month-old, making faces and tickling the baby, producing any noise or gesture that will make the little one laugh.  The urge to get a laugh is right up there with the urge to laugh.

Yet there can be a poignant edge to humor—a place where discomfort can be portrayed in a way that makes us laugh and discharge that discomfort.  A popular expression is, “You have to laugh to keep from crying!” Folk wisdom advises us to shrug off or laugh off our troubles.  Comedienne Ellen Degeneres made her early career describing uncomfortable events from everyday life, in a comical way, with a mournful look.  She delivered her vignettes in ways that made people laugh, and laugh, and laugh.  In recent years, she has had a top-rated television show, Ellen, many endorsements and guest host opportunities, and an estimated income of $45 million per year.  People can relate to her humor.  She makes them laugh, and this has built her success.  People need to laugh at their troubles.

Not long ago, Dr. Phil McGraw ran a show about comedians who transformed terrible personal pain into comedy.  The episode of Dr. Phil highlighted two comedians, Darrell Hammond and Chris Titus.  Each overcame horrific backgrounds to become well-known and successful in comedy.  Darrell Hammond is now the author of a book, God, If You’re Not Up There, I’m F***ed.  His humor has helped many to laugh at their troubles and take a lighter view.   Chris Titus knows humor can literally be lifesaving:  a fan who was about to kill himself accidentally sat on his TV controller, and the TV popped on to a Chris Titus performance.  The fan began to laugh and changed his mind about killing himself.

What makes you laugh until you cry?  Do that more! And that will be you, ever more Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

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Kebba Buckley Button is a stress/energy management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life.  She has a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within:  Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine.  The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office.   They are also available in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the Franciscan Renewal Center bookstore and at the bookstore at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church. Or simply email us to order:  kebba@kebba.com .  Thank you!

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

 

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Natural Help for Allergy Stress

Tags

allergies, allergy, Allergy stress, Feeling energized, Health, Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, stress, Stress Management, The life you want, UpBeat Living

© Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM.  World Rights Reserved.

Peak allergy season is upon us, in many parts of the country, and the misery of allergy stress is keeping sufferers from enjoying life.  Sniffles, congestion, headaches, sore throats, raspy voices, brain fog, fatigue, and even nausea are all symptoms people are having this week.  For those who want to track the density of pollen in their area, websites like Pollen.com can send out a daily email alert, with a rating of 0 to 12, and the types of pollens that are high that day.  Today, my city, Phoenix, rings in at a whopping 10.6.

Everyone knows there are over-the-counter antihistamines of several different types.  If you have been taking one, and it isn’t working while a particular pollen is high, you may want to try another type.  Also, there is now a different type of medication for allergy, an antileukotreine, that may work better for you.  A popular prescription brand is Singulair, with the generic name Montelukast.  Check with your doctor about symptoms and possible interactions with other drugs you may be taking.

But wait!  This column is usually about natural solutions!  Yes, and these tend to be low-cost and pleasant, with quick- and also extended relief.  Here are some you may want to try.

1. Rinse your sinuses with salt water. You can purchase a pot with a pointed end through which to sniff or snort the salt water.  It might be called a neti pot.  Be sure to follow the instructions on keeping the pot clean.  You can also put warm water and a pinch of salt in a small bowl, and simply sniff or snort the salt water.  Hold your head back or down, and hold your nostrils, to get the salt water into your sinuses.  Blow the water and possibly mucus out and repeat several times; you may also want to gargle with the leftover salt water.  There are packets of salt available to add to your warm water.
2. Stay inside and be sure your air system filter has been changed. You can also run room-size air filter units ($39 to $450); park one near your work area.  Some types are silent, and some make a humming or whirring sound.  Some require purchased replacement filters, and some simply have a contact plate inside to wipe clean.  Play around with different models, to find the best type for you and your budget.
3. Outside, filter what you breathe. Wear a mask if you like, and have a fresh air filter installed in your car. There is probably also an “air recirculate” setting on your air conditioner or heater.  Use that to limit the amount of fresh air coming in.
4. Vacuum and dust. Allergens such as dust can make your seasonal allergies worse.  Use a water-bath vacuum if you have one, and use a damp cloth for dusting.
5. Try a salt lamp. Salt lamps favorably change the ions in the room, and they are said to purify the air.  Until more research is done, think of salt lamps as pleasant glowy things that offer a comforting, soft light, and may be beneficial to your health.  These are available in white or amber, in natural mineral shapes and as spheres,  from golf-ball size to bowling-ball size.  My office has an 8” round salt lamp in each room, with embedded dimmer switches; found online, they were about $35 each.
6. Wash and dry your hair every night. Yes!  Your hair efficiently picks up odors, smoke, dust, and pollens, during the day.  Then, when you lie down to sleep, you are breathing a special concentration of the very irritants that are causing your allergy stress.  So wash that hair every night.
7. Put a small, fresh towel across your pillow every night. Especially if nightly hair washing doesn’t work for your lifestyle, at least you can give yourself a clean surface to sleep on every night.  In the morning, throw that little towel in the wash and launder it on HOT with natural detergent.  Dry it on HOT.  You can also use a bath towel you have folded into a pillow size and shape.
8. Do yoga or chikung (Chinese yoga) to increase breath. Ask your yoga- or chikung teacher, or try these exercises:  in yoga, do Suryanamaskar, the Salutation to the Sun.  In chikung, do the Northwest Exercise.
9. Take Vitamin C and its friends. Vitamin C increases breath and strengthens your blood vessels.  Some Vitamin C supplements are available with other helpful vitamins, minerals or herbs that may reduce your allergy symptoms.  The two most popular are Emergen-C and Airborne.
10. Elevate your head when sleeping. If you are very congested, despite your best efforts, sleep on a wedge pillow or simply add an extra pillow.  As always, experiment to make it the most comfortable.
11. See your doctor. If your throat feels raw, or your nasal discharge is white or green, it may be time to let your doctor check for strep and its friends.  Infections are even less fun than allergies!

Have fun experimenting with a few, or all, of these natural helps.  Remember, what relieves your allergy stress may or may not work for your friend or your relative.  Hopefully, you’ll be much more comfortable after using these tips, and you’ll be able to enjoy your life during pollen season.  And that’s you,  Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

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Kebba Buckley Button is a stress management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life.  She has a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within:  Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine.  The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office.   They are also available in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the Franciscan Renewal Center bookstore and at the bookstore at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church. Or simply email us to order:  kebba@kebba.com .  Thank you!

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Be a Piece of Peace in Our Time

Tags

at choice, Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, peace, Peace in our time, peace within, stress, Stress Management, UpBeat Living

© 2022 Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM.  World Rights Reserved.

Our beautiful Planet of 7.9 billion souls intensely needs peace in our time.  Many of us have that forefront in our hearts and minds today, as we think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Dr. King committed his life to social justice, and he literally gave his life for his beliefs.

Our World now has large civil wars, mass migrations, religious persecutions, mass shootings, urban crime, police attacking innocents, extensive cybercrime, and a lot of people stressed enough to blow up any second.  It is clear we need some peace, some balance, and some harmony. My stubborn heart believes we can achieve peace in our time.  So how can we get there?

Does this resonate for you:  No one would make war if everyone were happy, had enough water, sanitation, food, income, education, and community connection.  To get to that enoughness, we all can help, in 3 areas:  social justice, personal peace within, and prayer:

Social justice.  Do what you can to make a difference. Take bags to the food bank, and volunteer to pack food backpacks for “food insecure” children.  Spend 3 Saturdays with your church’s Habitat for Humanity team.  Speak kindly. Wait for the other car to pull out of its parking space.  When someone drops something, pick it up for them.  If someone appears to be in financial need, pull money from your pocket, hand it to them, and say, “I think you dropped this.”  Donate to local and international NGOs (Non-Government Organizations), including favorite ministries, that have programs for feeding, clothing, housing, educating, and even rescuing youth from prostitution and child marriages.  Give to NGOs that work to save habitat and environment, as creature habitats are being lost to cheap-food farming in a number of countries.  Healthy habitat one place means healthy land-sea-air Planet-wide.  Support legislation that helps correct social wrongs, support voting rights, and build strong communities.  Find out what your church’s Faith in Action programs are up to, and help a little as you can.

Peace Within.  With so many people so stressed out today, and with so many social issues hurting large numbers, it is crucial to stay as grounded and clear as you can, even joyful and grateful.  Be peaceful as you drive to the store or walk through the shops.  This is a major way you can help the Planet, and it’s a skill set.  Study positive ideas and books (such as Inspirations for Peace Within: Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire), explore your faith, and keep returning to positive languaging and beliefs.  Learn to meditate, taking classes and increasing your personal peace-maintaining skills.  The more Peace Within you cultivate, the better your relationships will be, and the better able you will be to do what you can to help bring forth peace in our time.

Mahatma Gandhi said,

If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. … We need not wait to see what others do.

Prayer.  Pray often.  Maintain your hope. Go to your peace within and go to your house of worship.  Read meditative and prayer-rich writings.  Perhaps collect your own group of positive prayers that you read to yourself every morning and evening, along with your meditation practice.  Visualize peace.  Practice knowing that you are the soul of peace.  Know that peace is in your heart, which overflows to help others be peaceful.  Pray for the least peaceful people and leaders you know: they are actually broken-hearted.  Pray for anyone and any creature who is suffering anywhere.  Pray for those who don’t realize there is any reason to pray.  Pray for all the good people of the Planet who are saving lives and encouraging people and animals.  Pray gratitude for every lovely and good thing that you can think of.

While Gandhi probably never actually said “Be the change you wish to see”, you can certainly say, “Be the peace you would like to see.” Be a little individual hub of peace in our time.  Throw your arms around your life and find yourself Loving Life^sm!

And that would be you, increasingly Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

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Kebba Buckley Button is a stress management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life.  She has a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within:  Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine.  The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office.   Email us to order:  kebba@kebba.com .

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: A Story in One Image

Tags

at choice, Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, peace, Peace Day, stress, Stress Management, UpBeat Living

© 2022 Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM.  World Rights Reserved.

Image by Peter Jordan

This image of 200 people was taken on Peace Day 2013, at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, Arizona.  I am the fourth person from the left, just behind the child.  [I give programs at the Center from time to time.] The figures in brown robes are Franciscan Friars who live at the Franciscan Renewal Center.  We gathered to make our statement of HOPE for the Planet.  We hope.  We pray.  We join hearts with anyone anywhere who wants peace and good for the Planet.

What would your statement for the Planet be? In what ways can you make your statement?

And that would be you, increasingly Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

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Kebba Buckley Button is a stress management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life.  She has a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within:  Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine.  The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office.   To email us, kebba@kebba.com .

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Sociopaths, Narcissists, Victimizers Oh My!

Tags

Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, narcissists, Sociopaths, stress, Stress Management, UpBeat Living, victimizers

© 2022 Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM.  World Rights Reserved.

As you know, my professional practice is all about you feeling your best and enjoying your life to the max.  In every article, I emphasize the UP beat of life, the positive, the high notes, and the choice for better moods and attitudes.  For years I called this brand “Upbeat Living”, with its offshoot, “Upbeat Spiritual Living”.  I believe that most people are just going about their day, and if their shopping cart happens to bump yours, it’s an accident.

Unfortunately, difficult people seem to have come out of the proverbial woodwork in recent years.  And many of them think nice, sincere people are very funny beings who will make a wonderful victim.  Like the figure above, they have many tools to “reasonably” manipulate others to get what they want.  So today I encourage you to accept that there are nasty victimizers you will run into.  I encourage you to recognize them as quickly as possible and steer your way out of their sphere, as quickly as you can.

I was reminded of this important subject by a vivid memory sequence that came in like a dream, just as I was waking up, a few days ago.  I worked in a famous-brand women’s boutique, for fun and for the massive discount, a number of years ago.  I worked there part-time for about a year.  One of the sales staff, who we’ll call “Elaine”, would stare at the other staff members—all female and stylish–as though studying them.  Elaine was less-than-stylish and had deep lines in her face.  At Christmastime, the staff had a party at a manager’s home.  Elaine somehow positioned herself as “Santa”, and she wanted each staff member to come sit in her lap to receive their company gift.  For me, this was offscale weird behavior that said Elaine was getting a sexual kick out of the scene she had brilliantly constructed.  Why did the managers not see this was totally manipulative and inappropriate behavior?  Why did they not stop it?  I wanted to just slip out, but I had brought food in a pan that I really wanted to get back.  [Today, I never take a dish I can’t walk away from.] I never sat in Elaine’s lap, and she knew I was onto her.

I checked off the Christmas party experience.  Then, several weeks later, Elaine pulled a masterful move at the shop.  She, I, and two managers were in the middle of the shop floor planning something about the merchandise layout.  We agreed on what each of us was going to do next, broke the huddle, turned our eyes in our 4 different directions, and:  Elaine ran both hands down my hips, like lightening!  (Now, do you think she was attracted to females?)  She had successfully fondled me, right in front of everyone, the second their focus shifted, and how would anyone believe me?  I will leave the narrative there and simply say, despite my taking appropriate action, it still gags me to think of that woman. She knew she was doing things others didn’t want, and others’ feelings were of no consequence to her; or she loved their discomfort.  Nasty person? Sociopath?  Narcissist?  It doesn’t matter.  Accept who they are and stay clear of them.  Build your toolkit to protect yourself.  Act casual.  If you’re leaving them, do not threaten; just make your plan and leave without warning.

I have a course I have developed, on Dealing with Difficult People.  However, it does not cover the extreme types who either don’t care about others’ pain or who actually love others’ pain.   Over the years, I have collected some favorite resources that may help you in dealing with the extreme personalities. There are now many books, articles, newsletters, and organizations available to help you understand and cope.  Here are a few:

• Book, Nasty Men, 1993, by Jay Carter
• Larger book, Nasty People, 1989, by Jay Carter
• Book, The Sociopath Next Door, 2006, by Martha Stout
• Book, You’re Not Crazy—It’s Your Mother, 2012, by Danu Morrigan
• E-newsletter, DONM [Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers] Guidebook to Healing and Thriving. Find Danu Morrigan on Facebook, or email danu@daughtersofnarcissisticmothers.com .
• Article, 17 Steps to Leaving An Abusive Relationship With a Narcissist, by Lindsay Dodgson, https://www.insider.com/how-to-leave-a-narcissist-in-14-steps-2018-10

I wish you all the best in your journey, developing your toolkit to deal with the extreme people you may have to deal with.  And that will be you, increasingly Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

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Kebba Buckley Button is a stress management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life.  She has a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within:  Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine.  The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office.   To email us, kebba@kebba.com .

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Getting The Sleep You Need

Tags

Acidosis, cortisol, Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, pain, sleep, Sleep Stress, stress, Stress Management, Too much news, UpBeat Living, weight loss, Yoga

© 2022 Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM.  World Rights Reserved.

Image by Megapixl

Could you have sleep stress? Many people are either too stressed to sleep well or reacting more strongly to stress sources because they aren’t getting enough sleep. Poor sleep or the wrong amount can make you cranky and cause you to gain weight! It’s true: good sleep combats the stress hormone, cortisol, which can cause us to gain weight.

How much sleep is right for you? 7-8 hours is typical, but experiment: some people only need 5 or 6 hours a night. A client of mine recently realized that was her only problem with a “sleep disorder” : she needed to stop trying to sleep 7 hours!  Also, as women go through menopause, it’s normal to be wakeful at odd hours. People over 60 often need a different amount of sleep, either more or less. Naps can be very refreshing for some. Try different patterns to find out what works for you. And lying quietly, restfully, is 80% as restful as the deepest sleep. So if you’re not sleeping when you should be, relax and try reading a novel that makes you feel good.

John Steinbeck said:

It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.

There are a number of causes for poor sleep. Some are: clutter in the room causing energy disruption, electronics left on and giving off EMF, clutter under the bed causing bad dreams, dust in the room or linens, stressful thoughts, neighbor noise, pain, acidosis, hormone fluctuations, overeating, undereating, and intake of sugar or alcohol before bedtime.

Simple solutions may take care of your sleep disruption. Do what you can to address the causes above. If one of your issues is the busy brain that won’t stop working the issues, put a paper and pen, or an iPad or equivalent, on your bedside table. When stressed thoughts or to-do’s race around your mind, take a minute to write down your stressful thought/s, then release that issue to be dealt with in the morning. Get a tap-control lamp so you can most easily turn it on and off.

Popular solutions will not necessarily be for everyone. Most people think they should take a sleeping pill. Discuss those options with your doctor. Meanwhile, try taking valerian capsules, or drinking a milky drink, chamomile tea, or mint tea. The popular OTC solution is diphenhydramine (Benadryl), which makes you tired and also covers allergic sleep disruption. If you have pain as well, you can try the PM version of your analgesic, which probably contains diphenhydramine.  There is also an aerosol homeopathic, available in most health food stores: Rescue Sleep.  And unlike diphenhydramine, it won’t make you tired in the morning.

Try these helps that few people think of. Ask yourself if your mattress is too firm or too soft; go shopping for a new one if you need to. Make sure your bedclothes were laundered today or within the last few days (clears the dust, allergens, odors, and energy). Have the room cool. Set a routine and run it in the same time frame every day, as your body loves homeostasis. Turn off the TV and especially the news, an hour ahead. Do mild exercise, like slow yoga stretches, for 20 minutes.  Five minutes will help!  Just before going to sleep, read something irrelevant and irreverent, a novel, or calming inspirational material from your faith background.

The Dalai Lama has said:

Sleep is the best meditation.

To beat sleep stress, you don’t need to adjust all these factors in one day, or even one week. Tweak a couple of items each day until you get the combination that gives you truly refreshing sleep. When you’re waking up refreshed, optimistic, and ready for the day.

And that will be you, increasingly Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

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Kebba Buckley Button is a stress management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life.  She has a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within:  Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine.  The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office.   To email us, kebba@kebba.com .

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

 

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Less News for Better Mood

Tags

effective living strategies, Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, stress, Stress Management, The life you want, Too much news

© 2021 Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM.  World Rights Reserved. http://www.kebba.com

Image of blenny by Megapixl 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some days, it’s easy to get too much news.  Local news tells us how many people had pandemic issues, home invasions, drive-by shootings, violent attacks, house fires and financial violence by fraud.  National news tells us how bad the backgrounds of key candidates are, how bad pandemic issues are, how many lost their homes in natural disasters, and how unbalanced the national budget is.  International news tells us countless stories of unrest, pandemic, famine, oppression, and war in many countries.  How do you feel after taking in a half hour of this?  Probably not joyful and energized.  Don’t you feel stressed, concerned, possibly discouraged?

According to 2020 stats, the average American watches about 3.2 hours of TV per day.  Twenty-two percent are regularly watching cable news and 35% never watch cable news.  More people are watching streaming news services.  Or simply tuning out.

So how much bad news are you taking in?  And how stressed is it making you feel?  Dr. Andrew Weil is a famed integrative medical doctor and author.  He recommends, for overall stress reduction, that we all take a “media break” or “news fast” as much as possible, for week.  Dr. Weil says research shows that emotional content of news can bring moods down and increase sadness and depression.  Why not try a news fast, and find out how you feel?

You can also use good news to lift your spirits and metabolism.  I once got a cluster example of this effect.  On August 11, 2011, the Arizona Republic ran a 3-sentence news item, enticingly entitled “Navy Destroyer is Now Serving as Artificial Reef”.  I got very excited about this.  I love good news, and here was a story of both repurposing a giant structure and helping the world’s degrading reefs and related biosystems.  My face broke into a huge smile, my head bent closer to the paper, and my heart was racing.  The article reported the 563-foot destroyer was now sunk “in a spot in the Del-Jersey-Land reef created by Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey.”  (Hey, if you were the Navy, where would you store a huge ship that could no longer serve afloat?) Since I spent my public school years in Delaware, I was pleasantly jolted to hear there was now a tri-state effort to rebuild the reefs and protect the coasts.  I copied the whole 3-sentence article into email and sent it to my mother and my sister, who also spent a lot of time in Delaware.

There ensued a merry exchange.  My sister started searching “artificial reef photos” and came up with some extremely beautiful scenes.  [You can put “artificial reef photos” in your favorite search bar and see some stunning examples.]  I kept thinking about the metal-eating bacteria that are breaking down the Titanic hull.  Experts have said we need to study the Titanic now, while it still exists.  Following the search links, we discovered that a creature called a “soap fish” now makes its home in one reef, in what was once the barrel of a military tank’s gun.  We also discovered there are reef-loving fish called “tasselated blennies”.  [See a colorful blenny above.]

While you may not find this particular item fascinating, how did you feel while reading it?  Did you feel different than you felt when reading about the last airline disaster or the Pandemic?  Were you aware of feeling pleased, or even less stressed?

If too much news is stressing you out, why not try reducing the amount you take in?  If you love the morning newspaper, why not try reading the entertainment news and comics first, then only scanning the headlines?  Notice your stress level going down and your happiness level going up.   The news will wait.  Your life doesn’t have to.  Go on a news diet, and you will increasingly find yourself being more Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!  You have only your discomforts to lose, and I would love to help you on your journey.

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Kebba Buckley Button is a stress management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life.  She has a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within:  Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine.  The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office.   To email us, kebba@kebba.com .

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Trees Don’t Judge

Tags

effective living strategies, Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, stress, Stress Management, The life you want, who we are called to be, who we are meant to be, who we really are, your true nature

© 2021 Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM.  World Rights Reserved. http://www.kebba.com

Image by Megapixl

Life is easier in many ways, as we gradually realize more and more who we really are.  As we grow, we can step more and more into who we are meant to be, even who we are called to be.  If you are trying to narrow the field of possibilities, to realize your true nature, it may help to look first at what doesn’t work for you.  For example, my voice can’t sustain notes.  I am clearly not called to sing.  That means I will never be a rock star!  But my speaking voice is good, and I speak well.  I am definitely called to be a speaker, inspirer, uplifter.  If you are working this question of your “who-ness”, it may help you to spend quiet time with your notes, perhaps meditating in your large chair, or in a natural setting.  Counselors have interest tests they can administer for you, but you may not need those.  Simply begin noticing and jotting notes on what catches your interest, and what generates joy for you.

Now, while you are exploring your true nature, you may get a lot of feedback from others.  As you have no doubt noticed, humans have opinions about everything!  And they are busy sharing their opinions, about everything each of us does or says or is.  In my life as a manager in science/technical organizations, I was amazed by the amount of gossip and presuming.  Recently, I found this amazing poem on the Internet.  I tracked down the poet, Becky Hemsley, and obtained her gracious permission to use the poem.  Becky lives in Leicester, UK, but you can get her book of poetry from Amazon.  Look for “Talking to the Wild.” Now, see if this sounds familiar:

She sat at the back and they said she was shy,
She led from the front and they hated her pride,
They asked her advice and then questioned her guidance,
They branded her loud, then were shocked by her silence,
When she shared no ambition they said it was sad,
So she told them her dreams and they said she was mad,
They told her they’d listen, then covered their ears,
And gave her a hug while they laughed at her fears,
And she listened to all of it thinking she should,
Be the girl they told her to be best as she could,
But one day she asked what was best for herself,
Instead of trying to please everyone else,
So she walked to the forest and stood with the trees,
She heard the wind whisper and dance with the leaves,
She spoke to the willow, the elm and the pine,
And she told them what she’d been told time after time,
She told them she felt she was never enough,
She was either too little or far far too much,
Too loud or too quiet, too fierce or too weak,
Too wise or too foolish, too bold or too meek,
Then she found a small clearing surrounded by firs,
And she stopped…and she heard what the trees said to her,
And she sat there for hours not wanting to leave,
For the forest said nothing, it just let her breathe.

So always remember, as you walk your personal path, that humans love to have opinions.  But the trees don’t judge.  Your meditation chair doesn’t judge.  Your journal doesn’t judge.  So pursue your true self and your true path anyway!  And you will increasingly find yourself being more Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!  You have only your discomforts to lose, and I would love to help you on your journey.

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Kebba Buckley Button is a stress management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life.  She has a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within:  Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine.  The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office.   To email us, kebba@kebba.com .

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Time For Your Use

Tags

Balance, effective living strategies, energy medicine, Energy Transformation Sessions, Healthy Happy Loving Life, holistic coaching, holistic health, Kebba Buckley Button, stress, Stress Management, The life you want

© 2021 Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM.  World Rights Reserved. http://www.kebba.com

Image from Megapixl

Yesterday, I argued that:  Health and happiness allow us to embrace Life, step into The Flow, and begin to live joyfully and powerfully.  And I want that for you also, in abundance, for 2022 and always, increasingly!  So when will you step into it?  Let’s talk about time.

Einstein proved that time does not move at a steady rate.  However, we know from experience that time chunks along, whether you are paying attention or not.  People say, “Time marches on.”  People say, “Time waits for no man.” You can ignore time and its movement, but it still moves along, and the next thing you know, it’s March.  Or June.  And your life is exactly the same as it was.  Why would that be?  It would happen because you did not make actual changes for the New Year 2022.

A quote attributed to Einstein goes:  Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.  If we want Life to look different, in March or any other month later this year, let’s make some changes to get some shift.  Put in the positive, what qualities do you want in yourself and your life in 2022?  Do you want better memory, a cleaner kitchen, more income, a better singing voice, or perhaps kinder friends?  Then what needs to change for you to have those qualities in your life, now and moving forward?  Number them and start with the steps to get Number One moving.

You already know what to do about some of the shifts you want.  The other shifts– a coach can help– I can help.  Once you have identified the steps you need in order to get those shifts, you need to START.  I once saw a powerful interview with Margaret Thatcher, then the Prime Minister of the UK.  She was asked how she stayed married, raised twins, served in Parliament, and finally served as Prime Minister, all with power and grace.  She blinked very slightly, then said, “Well, there are 24 hours in a day, and if you think about it, you can do quite a lot with them.”

So when should you start with your shifts?  How about NOW?  Yes!  And you will increasingly find yourself being more Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!  And keep me posted on your progress.  You have only your discomforts to lose, and I would love to help you on your journey.

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Kebba Buckley Button is a stress management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life.  She has university degrees, a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within:  Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine.  The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office.   To email us, kebba@kebba.com .

Books by Kebba Buckley Button