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Keeping it Together | WISDOM AND TIPS FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT US | Tuesday, August 31 | | |
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| I've always been a night owl. It's easy for me to stay up late and mornings always seem to come too soon. |
| But unfortunately, that's not how the world works, and I want to be more refreshed during the day. |
| So in an effort to get myself on a better sleep schedule and make mornings a little easier, I've decided to give myself a challenge: go to sleep between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. every night for a month. |
| While the jury is still out on exactly how many days it takes to form a long-lasting habit, I figure 30 days is a good place to start. |
| Before this challenge, I tried to be in bed at a decent time, but that wasn't always when I'd be falling asleep. I'd sometimes watch TV or scroll on my phone, which kept me up late for no good reason. |
| So now I'm trying to get in bed even earlier – without my phone. This way I can avoid the blue light of screens before bed, which can affect your sleep cycle. |
| Are there any healthy habits you're trying to work on before the end of the year? Let me know by sending us an email and your response may even be featured in a future newsletter! |
| Here's to forming healthy habits! |
Looking to improve your mood and sleep better? |
| If you're like me and trying to get better sleep, Daryl Austin says baths can be a helpful tool. Here's what experts say: |
| Multiple studies have addressed the benefits of bathing in warm water – pain relief among them. While doctors frequently recommend heat therapy, such as heating pads, to relieve pain, those methods may not penetrate muscles as deeply as the hydrotherapy method of soaking in hot water. And experts say there are a host of other benefits to baths that many people do not realize. |
| William Robiner, a professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota's Medical School, says hot water helps relax the muscles surrounding damaged nerves, disks or vertebrae . "When the body's temperature is raised, the dilation of blood vessels increases blood to the muscles in those areas," he says, adding "flowing water in whirlpools and hot tubs can also mimic massage pressure," providing additional relief. |
| Baths have also been proven to relieve stress. Stress levels reduce as hot water increases body temperature, thereby calming the nervous system, releasing endorphins such as dopamine and serotonin ("happy hormones"), and improving circulation, says Veena Graff, an assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. |
| To read the full story, click here. |
 | | An oatmeal bath is a great way to soothe and calm irritated skin. | | Getty Images / Sanny11 | |
Today's reads |
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 | | For a limited time, Krispy Kreme is giving away two free doughnuts to vaccinated customers. | | Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corp. | |
Today's pet |
| Meet Dixie Belle Stokes. |
 | | Dixie knows how to wear her mask properly! | | Submitted photo | |
| Dixie's human says the pup is telling everyone to "mask up ya'll so we can all be safer!" |
| Thanks for reading! Remember you can send pet photos, coping tips and anything else to our email. I'm also still curious about what you're most looking forward to this fall? Let me know by sending us an email and your response may even be featured in a future newsletter! |
| Wishing you all the best, |
| Sara Moniuszko |
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