An Earth Week Wrap-Up
Kevin DudleyWe recognized Earth Week this week with blogs on sustainability, biking to work, intellectual wellness and recycling.
Let’s recap what we wrote about:
Health and Wellness
Intellectual
Intellectual wellness and Earth Day have a lot in common
Kevin DudleyBy Michael Ebinger
WSU Spokane
What can a desire to learn and practice more about intellectual wellness and celebrating Earth Day have in common? I thought about that for a lot of time in March and stumbled on the easy answer: quite a bit.
How Mindfulness Reduces Stress
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By: Tracy L. Skaer, Pharm.D., Professor of Pharmacotherapy
College of Pharmacy, Washington State University
Jon-Kabat-Zinn describes mindfulness as, “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, nonjudgmentally to the unfolding experience moment by moment.” Mindfulness has been found to reduce stress as well as gradually building inner strength to ensure that future stressful situations have less impact on our physical and emotional well-being.
Mindfulness reduces stress by: » More …
Can We Control Stress?
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By: Naomi Chaytor, PhD, ABPP, Associate Professor
Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University
Dr. Chaytor is a clinical psychologist with expertise in brain-behavior relationships (how our brains take in our world and produce emotions, thinking and other behavior). She was a practicing clinical neuropsychologist at UW Medicine for 11 years working with patients with neurological illness and injury. She conducted evaluations of patients in order to better understand the cognitive and emotional consequences of brain changes and help them return to work, school or home. She also did short-term problem focused psychotherapy helping patients adjust to their illness or injury. » More …
How introverts can coexist with extroverts
hayden.thrasherBy: Michael Ebinger, PhD, MBA, Director of Innovation WSU
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time.”
This quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald came to mind during my last bicycle commute to campus on a chilly November morning. It summarizes a dichotomy that many of us work with: how do introverts succeed in an extrovert’s world? Resolving this question creates many opportunities to refine and grow intellectually. » More …
Tips for managing stress
Kevin DudleyBy Tracy Skaer, WSU College of Pharmacy
There are two categories of stress: eustress and distress. Eustress is the beneficial type that helps motivate our lives and keep us happy, connected, active, challenged, motivated and productive. However, when stress becomes intolerable and/or manageable then detrimental distress becomes apparent. Distress leads to several negative outcomes including poor decision making, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, increases in blood pressure, indigestion, hyperventilation, reduced or increased appetite, substance abuse, and poor coping skills.
The Basics: Six Essential Nutrients
hayden.thrasherWellness Wednesday Tip – With the New Year comes a fresh start and the opportunity to add new healthy habits. Try focusing on goals that add something to your life instead of focusing on what needs to be removed. What you choose to focus on can make or break the long term success of your goals
Sometimes how we frame or see a goal can be the deciding factor in how well we accomplish it. An example of how to apply this thinking is “I will fill my daily meals with more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains” VS “I will stop eating that bag of chips” Focusing on the positive addition will elicit healthful habits instead of short lived change. Write your goals down and place them somewhere you will frequently be reminded of them like your planner, phone or bathroom mirror.
Enhancing the survival mindset
hayden.thrasherDo you live life with the mindset of, “that won’t happen to me”? Sergeant Shawn Kendall of the Spokane Police Department will be at WSU Spokane on Jan. 20 to talk about preparing your mind so you are ready during a critical incident.
Staying sane in the brain
Kevin DudleyWellness Wednesday Tip: “Go get some fresh air” is often said to encourage people to clear their minds. Whether it’s said harshly or not, it’s good advice. Keeping our minds and intellect healthy sometimes requires us to clear the clutter from our minds and “get some fresh air.” Whether that “air” is actual air, or comes in the form of a book, a movie or a song, “getting fresh air” now and then is a good way to keep our minds healthy.
Logging Off: Technology and Sleep
hayden.thrasherBy: Michael Winser, Registered Polysomnographic Technologist, WSU Spokane Sleep and Performance Research Center
In a world where technology keeps us always logged on, it has become harder and harder to log off. In 2011, the National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America poll found that most people (86%) are using technology like mobile phones, computers and TVs every single night in the hour before bed. While we may feel more productive or more in touch by using technology before going to sleep, we might be setting ourselves up for being less productive and more out of touch the following day.