Brave~Hoda Kotb’s new inspiring video with Sara Bareilles and Cindi Lauper

28 September, 2014 by Leave a Comment

 sept28

I happened to catch The Today show this week and Hoda had a story that just made my heart melt. Cancer is very close to her heart since she’s dealt with it, so she decided she wanted to make a video to raise money and awareness for cancer. She had the idea to mix Cindi Lauper and Sara Bareilles that will make your heart melt. I just had to share it, so here it is:

If you’d like to donate to pediatric cancer research, you can go to Crowdrise.com/hoda. Having two friends whose children have pediatric cancer makes me realize just how close it is. It can happen to anyone, but even though they may be suffering now, Christ has already overcome the battle for them. The family I wrote about a few posts back illustrates that so well. They have taken every opportunity to let the light of Christ in spite of, through, and beyond cancer. God is always in control. We live in a sinful world, and sometimes we must suffer, but Jesus is right beside us holding our hand through every step of the way.

Josiah, the friend of Trevor’s who is battling leukemia (click here to read what I wrote of his story) and his family have been amazing how they have used his battle with leukemia to witness to those who don’t know Christ. They have been one of the bravest families I’ve seen struggling through this disease and give it to God at the same time.

[Tweet ” “So parents and children alike, where any disease is involved, we must be BRAVE.””](Feel free to tweet!)

T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(This is a photo of Josiah’s friends with their orange bracelets on in support of Josiah. Printed on them is John 11:14.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Chronic Illness, Fighting Your Fears, Handling Stress, Have an Eternal Perspective, Living in Faith, The Power of Prayer, Worship Through Music Tagged With: , , , , , ,

101 (+1) Ways to Cope with Stress

13 June, 2014 by 3 Comments

First let me say that I didn’t come up with this list. I found it in a local advertisement for a hospital. But we do stay way too stressed out and this list holds some practical, simple ways to make your life less crazy. But in writing this post I have to say that NOT HAVING A BLOG would help me cope with stress! Just trying to format these posts makes me crazy sometimes! Somebody, somewhere, sometime must have prayed for me to have more patience. They better hope I don’t find out who they are 😉

  1. Get up 18 minutes early
  2. Prepare for the morning the night before
  3. Avoid tight fitting clothes
  4. Avoid relying on chemical aids (I can attest personally to this one—Trouble with a capital T!
  5. Set appointments ahead
  6. Don’t rely on your memory…write it down
  7. Practice preventative maintenance
  8. Make duplicate keys
  9. Say “no” more often
  10. Set priorities in your life
  11. Avoid negative people (Some days this means I can’t look in the mirror)
  12. Use time wisely
  13. Simplify meal times (“Kids, go jump in the car”)
  14. Always make copies of important papers (and then remember where you put them)
  15. Anticipate your need
  16. Repair anything that doesn’t work properly (In my house this means call a handyman, or we’ll end up paying more in the long run)
  17. Ask for help with the jobs you don’t like (Or just don’t do them)
  18. Break large tasks into small portions
  19. Look at challenges differently
  20. Unclutter your life (That one alone would cure my stress)
  21. Smile
  22. Prepare for rain
  23. Tickle a baby
  24. Pet a friendly dog or cat (or one of the horses (ahem—great danes) that live in my house)
  25. Don’t know all the answers (No matter how badly I want to)
  26. Look for the silver lining
  27. Say something nice to someone (especially your significant other…we neglect them all too often)
  28. Teach a kid to fly a kite (right after you teach yourself!)
  29. Walk in the rain
  30. Schedule play time into every day
  31. Take a bubble bath (I’m especially good at that one!)
  32. Be aware of the decisions you make
  33. Believe in yourself
  34. Stop saying negative things to yourself
  35. Visualize yourself winning
  36. Develop your sense of humor
  37. Stop thinking tomorrow will be a better day
  38. Have goals for yourself
  39. Dance a jig
  40. Say hello to a stranger
  41. Ask a friend for a hug
  42. Look up at the stars
  43. Practice breathing slowly
  44. Learn to whistle a tune (Or just watch Andy Griffith)
  45. Read a poem
  46. Listen to a symphony
  47. Watch a ballet
  48. Read a story curled up in bed
  49. Do a brand new thing
  50. Stop a bad habit
  51. Buy yourself a flower
  52. Take stock of your achievements
  53. Find support from others
  54. Ask someone to be your “vent” partner (I got one of those just this week!)
  55. Do it today
  56. Work at being cheerful and optomistic
  57. Put safety first
  58. Do everything in moderation
  59. Pay attention to your appearance
  60. Strive for excellence not perfection (I needed this one a LONG time ago)
  61. Stretch your limits a little each day
  62. Look at a work of art
  63. Hum a tune
  64. Maintain your weight
  65. Plant a tree
  66. Feed the bird
  67. Practice grace under pressure
  68. Stand up and stretch
  69. Always have a plan “B”
  70. Learn a new doodle
  71. Memorize a joke
  72. Be responsible for you feelings
  73. Learn to meet your own needs
  74. Become a better listener
  75. Know your limitations and let others know them too
  76. Tell someone to have a good day in pig latin
  77. Throw a paper airplane
  78. Exercise every day
  79. Learn the words to a new song
  80. Get to work early
  81. Clean out a closet
  82. Play patty-cake with a toddler
  83. Go on a picnic
  84. Take a different route to work
  85. Leave work early  (with permission, of course)
  86. Put air freshener in your car
  87. Watch a movie and eat popcorn
  88. Write a note to a far-away friend
  89. Go to a ball game and scream
  90. Cook a meal and eat it by candlelight
  91. Recognize the importance of unconditional love
  92. Remember that stress is an attitude
  93. Keep a journal
  94. Practice a gigantic smile (but don’t creep people out!)
  95. Remember you always have options
  96. Have a support network of people, place, and things
  97. Stop trying to “fix” other people
  98. Get enough sleep (which I need to go do right now!)
  99. Talk less and listen more
  100. Freely praise other people
  101. Relax and take one day at a time…you have the rest of your life to live
  102. And I MUST add one more…PRAY, PRAY, and PRAY some more!

SIGNATUREFORBLOG1

Filed Under: Handling Stress, Simplify Your Life Tagged With: , , , ,

God-Sized Dreams~When God says, “Come here for just a minute…”

16 April, 2013 by 8 Comments

I’m linking up with Holly Gerth at God-Sized Dreams today and this prompt really whalloped me over the head, so I decided to make it today’s prescription.

april16rx

 

Could someone maybe have shared that little tidbit of information with me 10 years ago when I had my first grand-mal seizure? 

I probably wouldn’t have listened anyway. I was too wrapped up in my own little pity party to hear what anyone else was trying to tell me…including God.

When I had the very first seizure and had to stop driving, I remember having the thought, “Okay God. I have no idea what’s going on but maybe you want David and I to spend more time together. Only one driver in the family will certainly  increase some together time.” So I went with it. Briefly.

It wasn’t long before I got impatient (which is nothing like me Wink,) and started searching not for the why this happened, but how to fix me. So instead of being alone with God, I brought in doctors, nutritionists, books, medicine, friends, chiropractors, needles (the acupuncture kind)…anything or anyone I thought would “fix” me. I’m sure the pharmacist in me (you know, the science nerd) wanted to know the answer—the cure. For seven years I searched for that cure. Then, in the midst of all that great fixing I was doing, I ended up hooked on narcotics. What a genius.

So all of this could have been avoided if I’d just let God “pull me aside for a bit?” UUGGGHHHH!  I hope not. We do need to be still and listen. We do need to soak up the wisdom He as for us in his word. We do need to talk to Him…constantly. But sometimes, He needs to teach us more. And I think God was preparing me for one of his God-Sized Dreams, it just took me a few years to hear what he was trying to tell me.

As a pharmacist, I was essentially a drug dealer. Just legal. 

Pain pills. Sleeping pills. Mood-stabelizing pills. Anti-anxiety pills. Antipsychotics. Amphetamines. So many addictive medications people are so desperate for. Sure I could tell them how to take them, the side effects, cautions, interactions…but no matter how much information I could give them, I had absolutely no understanding of the desperate, lonely place they were in. Their personal prison of drugs. Sure, they are prescription drugs, so our society accepts them as the norm. No one realizes the havoc they wreak internally and externally.

Yes, I’d say God pulled me aside for a bit. Seven years of a bit. But WOW, I never would have guessed the plan and purpose He had for me. Once I finally listened and heard, He healed me of it all…overnight. The good-old-fashioned-miracle kinda healing. My hubby, my kids, my parents, my in-laws, my friends…they all saw it. And God made it evident. No question about it. I was healed.

The paradigm shift God gave me during those seven years gave me a whole new perspective on people. God calls us to…

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 

(Matthew 22: 37-40)

Love God. Love People. That’s it. 

He doesn’t exclude drug addicts, sex offenders, homosexuals…no one. Do we have to love what they do? No. God just calls us to love them. Not their stereotype. Not their addiction. Not their appearance.

And I have to add how incredibly freeing it is to realize we are not the judge, God is. 

So if something happens that interrupts your life, on matter how big or how small, seek God. See if He’s trying to pull you aside for a bit. Maybe if you listen a little better than I did it won’t take seven years! Wink But however long it takes, trust me. It’s worth it.

SIGNATUREFORBLOG

Filed Under: Handling Stress, Living in Faith, Your Relationship with God

Seven Important “P” Words That Can Make or Break You

1 April, 2013 by 6 Comments

 april12013

1. Peace~Claim it; God has already given it to us.

I have said these things to you, than in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33 ESV)

2. Procrastination~Stop it; We always regret it when we procrastinate. Why do we do it even though we know better?

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. (Proverbs 13:4 ESV)

3. Perseverance~stand strong through the struggle, and you will be rewarded.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12 ESV)

4. Priorities~God first. Always. If you seek Him first, everything else will fall into place.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

5. Peculiar~God chose us. He wants us to be different, to stand out. So that our peculiar manner will reveal his light.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. (1 Peter 2:9 KJV)

6. Phobia~When God is for us, who can be against us? If we believe in a holy and righteous God who is the creator of the world, then we should know he’s got it all under control. Nothing to fear.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9 ESV)

7. Pupik~ It’s yiddish for “bellybutton.” If you didn’t have one you’d be an alien! Wink

SIGNATUREFORBLOG

Filed Under: Handling Stress, How to be Happy, Living with Purpose

Thought #10: Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

10 January, 2013 by 2 Comments

Okay. So I set up this series of posts before Christmas, and of course these last few I’ve written at the last minute (It’s just after midnight on the 10th).  And right now, I don’t feel very qualified to write a post about being overwhelmed, because I am so overwhelmed right now!

Not really about important things, just things that seem urgent—like taking down my real Christmas tree that is still standing (well, actually kind of falling apart at this point).

And my house is a wreck. How is it that just two weeks ago, everything was clean and decorated and uncluttered and pretty, and now it looks like a tornado hit it? My word for 2013 is SIMPLIFY. If it’s clutter, or even closely resembles clutter, it’s out the door. (I say that so easily now, but I agonize over every little thing I get rid of. What’s the deal with that? I always feel better when it’s gone.)

And the laundry. UUGGHHHH! If Adam and Even hadn’t eaten that stupid fruit and realized they were naked, there would be no such thing as laundry!

And as we speak my hubby is in the kitchen/office tearing it apart even more looking for a piece of notebook paper he wrote some very important financial information on, and now it’s nowhere to be found. 

And Miranda is going through some relationship stuff…normal for an 18-year-old but I tend to go through it with her emotionally.

And Trevor has bronchitis and has missed two days of school and has two projects due plus a paper not to mention the homework and classwork he’s missed.

And Marlee got her cast off but is anxious about using her arm and is sad about having to miss her gymnastics meet this weekend.

Have I whined enough yet? Do all of my run-on sentences reveal my stress? And yet most of this stuff really doesn’t matter. A week from now I won’t be worried about any of it.

What  a way to end this New Years series, huh?

I know worrying doesn’t do any good. Lots of energy would serve me well right now, but worrying won’t help any of this a bit.

I’m so beyond blessed with my family and my life I have no reason to whine, so please forgive me for the pity party and thank you for actually reading this far! The thing is, God has it all under control. None of this stuff on my mind right now matters one bit in eternity. Sometimes I  just need reminding. I’m almost to ashamed to voice my trivial little issues here when there are so many people with real problems. But if I’m being honest, this is it right now.

Now that I’ve “voiced” all of my issues, I’m going to attempt to let them all go when I hit the “publish” button on this post. Tomorrow I”ll get up and take them one step at a time.

“Don’t worry, be happy,” right? God’s got this! 

SIGNATUREFORBLOG

Filed Under: Handling Stress, How to be Happy, Ten Thoughts for a Happy, God-centered Life Tagged With: , ,

“Change your thoughts and you change your world”~Norman Vincent Peale

31 December, 2012 by 22 Comments

 

One of the first non-fiction books I ever read was The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. I was in my first year of college at Clemson University, and I was hopelessly homesick. My mom put everything into my hands she could to help me through that first semester at Clemson, and that book was part of the package.

It’s a shame wisdom comes with age, but I’m sure it’s all part of God’s plan. That’s one of those questions I’ll ask Him someday.  From that first year at Clemson, through pharmacy school at USC, marriage, three children, too many funerals to count, seven years of grand-mal seizures and migraine headaches and addiction to narcotics, God has instilled much wisdom. My hubby has always said, “Hindsight is 20/20” and he is so right. Even after all of the struggles of life I’ve survived, I still need reminders to help remember what’s important in life.

I’ve always said I wish I could write on the inside of my eyelids, so I’d get a subliminal message every time I blink. So for the first ten days of the new year, I thought I’d share some of those “eyelid reminders” with you and remind myself in the process.

So join me for the next ten days for some “celestial” wisdom (celestial meaning “heavenly,” of course)…thoughts to renew your mind and so that you might be transformed to live a happy, God-centered life.

P.S. Sign up for your prescriptions to come right to your email so you don’t miss any 😉

As a bonus start to a blessed new year, here’s a free printable for your fridge, mirror, or wherever you might need a little reminder and join along with me as we go through these thought for the first ten days of 2013. SmileI’m thinking my bathroom mirror…enjoy!

Click here to download the free PDF printable: Click here to download your “Ten Thoughts” Printable 🙂

Ten LIfe-Changing Thoughts for a Happy 2013

 

Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, Freedom in Christ, Handling Stress, Have an Eternal Perspective, How to be Happy, Living with Purpose, Marriage Menders, Parenting Tips, Real Relationships, Simplify Your Life, Ten Thoughts for a Happy, God-centered Life, Your Relationship with God

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Laughter really is the best medicine

20 October, 2012 by 6 Comments
 
With winter approaching, many people are affected by seasonal affective disorder and fight the wintertime blues. Since my busy life has made it difficult for me to post lately, I thought I’d repost my series of practical tips to get those happy hormones in your brain working to create a happier you this winter. Enjoy!
As a pharmacist, a patient, and a child of God who’s had to be “parented” quite a lot over the last eight years, I have learned many practical solutions to insomnia, depression, anxiety, and addiction. I’ve also learned that these four issues often go hand in hand, and are directly related to the chemicals in our brain. The pharmacist in me sought a medical solution–pills. And as most of you know, pills just made things worse.
Throughout this year, I’m going to share small, easy changes you can make in your life that will make for a happier you. All of these tidbits of information are based in both scientific fact and scripture. Medicine and faith really can walk hand in hand when God is your first and foremost physician. I’ll try to keep it simple as far as the “sciency” stuff goes, but a little knowledge about the brain really helps understand why these solutions work.
Most of you have probably heard about the hormone we have called serotonin, right? It’s that almighty chemical the media flooded us with information about when Prozac was first introduced. There is another hormone in your brain called cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that really kicks in we we are under high stress, afraid, in a hurry, etc. It’s the one that helps us with our “fight or flight” mechanism. Remember that term from high school biology? Well, these two hormones do not coexist well. When Cortisol is high, like when you are worried or stressed, Serotonin is low. And vice versa. 
I’m here to tell you that you don’t need Prozac or one of it’s relatives to help. There are numerous small changes you can make in your lifestyle that have been clinically proven to increase the serotonin levels in your brain. 
Today I want to tell you about laughter aerobics. “What?” Yes, laughter aerobics. This has got to be one of the silliest things I’d ever heard of, but it really exists. Laughter aerobics is a class where people basically sit in a circle and one person is appointed to begin laughing. Fake, real, goofy…it doesn’t matter. They just have to laugh. In turn, everyone else starts laughing too. The great thing is, you don’t have to go to an aerobics class! In the evening, after your work day is complete, do some laughter aerobics with your family. Your kids will think you’re nuts, but that’s all part of the fun! I promise you will end your day with a happy note, your cortisol levels will decrease, your serotonin levels will increase, and as a bonus, you will sleep better.
To top it off, science is not the only confirmation that laughter will make you happier. Read the prescription verse for today. From this verse comes the quote we’ve all heard, “laughter is the best medicine.” 
So tonight, begin your new year by making this small change. Spend just five minutes with your family playing laugh aerobics. I promise you won’t regret it and what do you have to lose?
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, God's Pharmacy, Handling Stress, How to be Happy, Making Changes, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , , , ,

Are you on OVERLOAD?

16 January, 2012 by Leave a Comment



As usual, our pastor, Perry, was speaking directly to me this morning…in more ways than one.


I am, as we all are, on overload. I was strangely thankful that I didn’t get to sit beside David this morning in our service because my side would be bruised from all of the elbowing. My toes, however, are flat from Perry stepping all over them.

But as I listened to Perry preach this morning, I was amazed that every point he made from a biblical perspective directly corresponds to the blog series I’ve been posting on “Tips to a Happier You in 2012.”  I’ve attached a link to his sermon here so you can watch it if you’d like, but I’m going to give you the main points he made, and then show you how it’s not only destructive to us spiritually, but also emotionally and physically.


Perry’s sermon on OVERLOAD


Overload = Demands exceed Resources

Solution: Margin

Margin = Space between our Load and our Limits

Here are areas where we all need margin: 

1. Emotional Life 

I have no peace! I have no quiet! I have no rest! And trouble keeps coming! Job 3:26 (GW)

How many of us always feel stressed out or at a high level of frustration? Everything is okay as long as our day goes according to plan, but if one thing goes wrong, we lose it. There are so many things that play with our emotions, but we shouldn’t let them. We must determine the things, activities, and people in our life that are the most important and give our emotional energy to them. There are many conditions in life that we can control, and many that we cannot control. Those that we can control may deserve some of our emotional energy, but those we cannot control, we need to give over to God. We all know what the Bible says about worry; so don’t waste your emotional energy there. 

Now, what happens physically when we are stressed emotionally? Our cortisol level increases (the hormone that sends our body into “fight or flight” mode) and our serotonin level decreases (the hormone that keeps us happy…the Prozac hormone). So, being overloaded emotionally contributes to depression, anxiety, and insomnia. 

Increased cortisol = frustration, stress, and insomnia
and
Increased cortisol = decreased serotonin = depression

2. Physical Energy

Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in trouble; my eyes are tired from so much crying; I am completely worn out. Psalm 31:9 (GNT)

It sounds crazy, I know, but exercise will give you more energy. Have you ever lain around in your pajamas til noon and then you’re exhausted all day? I’ve done it enough for everyone. No matter how bad I sleep or how tired I feel when I wake up, I always have more energy if I get up in the morning and get out of the house. 

Exhaustion can seem like a viscous cycle. When you’re tired and sleep in, thinking that will help, you are just useless all day. Then, when you try to go to bed, you can’t sleep, because you didn’t do anything all day! I will explain further in an upcoming blog post, but in a nutshell, here’s why exercise is important: When you begin exercising, your body releases cortisol (the “fight or flight” hormone) because it perceives the exercise as stress. As you build up your endurance, it takes a much greater intensity of exercise (stress) to release the cortisol. 

Decreased cortisol = less stress = better sleep = increased serotonin = happy

3. Time

I had no time to care for myself. Song of Solomon 1:6 (GNT)

We must prioritize our time. When Perry asked the question, “What do you need more of?” The first answer shouted out was “time.” The amount of hours in a day is one thing that no one can change. Instead of get more time, we must spend our time wisely. We have to decide what is important to us and spend our time there. I can’t comment on time without bringing in the whole social media thing, but believe me; I’m stepping on my own toes there! 

Doing things with our time that brings us pleasure has been proven to increase serotonin levels. Playing music or knitting…doing things with our hands and repetitive actions with our brains…increases serotonin levels. Completing something gives us a sense of accomplishment which also increases…you guessed it…our serotonin levels. 


4. Finances

He who loves money shall never have enough. The foolishness of thinking that wealth brings happiness! The more you have, the more you spend, right up to the limits of your income. So what is the advantage of wealth–except perhaps to watch it as it runs through your fingers! Ecclesiastes 5:10 (TLB)

Wealth does not bring happiness. I can personally attest to that one. When I was so sick and depressed, our business was doing great and we even built a dream house. But happiness did not truly come until God showed me His infinite mercy and grace, and I realized that He is in control. 

Physically, money can affect your brain in several ways, though somewhat indirectly. When we strive so hard to make lots of money, we are usually stressed, and we end up buying more stuff to take care of.

stress = increased cortisol = decreased serotonin = depression

In another respect, however, we can use money to our advantage…by giving it away. It has been proven that doing things for other people has a direct effect our brains by increasing our serotonin level. 


Overload is not a good thing. God gives us much instruction and warning in His word that shows us exactly that. We must create wider margins so we are not in danger of overload, and therefore are not a step away from endangering ourselves to depression, anxiety, and insomnia. 

I hope you are enjoying my blog series “Tips to a Happier You in 2012.” If you are, be sure and sign up to have your prescriptions delivered to your inbox so you don’t miss any!
From my heart,
Celeste

 

Filed Under: Handling Stress, How to be Happy, Living with Purpose, Making Changes, Simplify Your Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Your Handiwork

9 January, 2012 by 1 Comment

Has anyone tried Laughter Aerobics, my first tip to a happier you? (Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Laughter Aerobics) Well, here’s my next tip to a happier you: 

Work with your hands…“Handiwork.”
I realize this really doesn’t make much sense, but it is another thing we can do that will naturally increase the serotonin in our brain. When we do repetitive, coordinating movement with our hands, the amount of serotonin in our brain will increase. The ideas are limitless–scrap booking, knitting, origami, playing guitar, pottery, jewelry making, carpentry–after all, Jesus was a carpenter.
Here’s why: 

Handiwork increases contentment~When you are working with your hands doing something that requires a little thought (but not stressful thought), your mind doesn’t have time to worry about the past or the future, but instead settles on the thoughts of the moment you are in helping you be content. 
Handiwork decreases pain~As a pharmacist, I’ve seen patient after patient who suffers from depression also be diagnosed with fibromyalgia. When serotonin is low, your threshold to pain is low. Any repetitive movement you do with your hands has been shown to directly increase the levels of serotonin in your brain, not only increasing your mood, but also increasing your threshold to pain. Also, pain is perceived in your brain. Your brain cannot concentrate on two things at the same time, so when you’re concentrating on what you’re doing with your hands, your brain literally cannot interpret pain signals and your pain will decrease. 
Handiwork may help overcome addiction~Have you ever known someone who has a knitting or crochet project in their hands every time they sit down to relax–every time their mind might be idle? Often these hobbies like knitting, crochet, or cross-stitching become addictive. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. Through research (and through my own learned personal experiences) it has been found that the tendency toward addiction has a genetic component. Being “addicted” to knitting may work to keep another addiction from surfacing. And in turn, addiction to knitting might help someone overcome another addiction by keeping that idle mind occupied so whatever addiction is will not be at the forefront of his or her mind. 
Handiwork increases productivity~Someone who is depressed typically lives in a hopeless state. They have a hard time setting goals, because they truly cannot motivate themselves enough to accomplish them. They feel unproductive and worthless. Picking up and easy “handiwork” hobby like knitting can be such an easy thing to do to begin to transform a depressed mind into one that wants to learn, set goals, and even do something for someone else. When I was so sick, in and out of the hospital, someone knitted me a prayer blanket. As she made the blanket, she prayed over it, blessing her and me both! 
Handiwork helps you relax~Remember I taught you about the hormone, cortisol, in the Laughter Aerobics Post? Well, it comes into play here as well. When you work with your hands in any movement that is repetitive and requires a little coordination, it causes relaxation and your cortisol level decreases, therefore allowing your serotonin levels to increase, therefore creating a happier you! 



Get those hands busy!


From my heart,

Celeste
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, Handling Stress, How to be Happy, Making Changes, Overcoming Addiction, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Laughter Aerobics

2 January, 2012 by 10 Comments
As a pharmacist, a patient, and a child of God who’s had to be “parented” quite a lot over the last eight years, I have learned many practical solutions to insomnia, depression, anxiety, and addiction. I’ve also learned that these four issues often go hand in hand, and are directly related to the chemicals in our brain. The pharmacist in me sought a medical solution–pills. And as most of you know, pills just made things worse.
Throughout this year, I’m going to share small, easy changes you can make in your life that will make for a happier you. All of these tidbits of information are based in both scientific fact and scripture. Medicine and faith really can walk hand in hand when God is your first and foremost physician. I’ll try to keep it simple as far as the “sciency” stuff goes, but a little knowledge about the brain really helps understand why these solutions work.
Most of you have probably heard about the hormone we have called serotonin, right? It’s that almighty chemical the media flooded us with information about when Prozac was first introduced. There is another hormone in your brain called cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that really kicks in we we are under high stress, afraid, in a hurry, etc. It’s the one that helps us with our “fight or flight” mechanism. Remember that term from high school biology? Well, these two hormones do not coexist well. When Cortisol is high, like when you are worried or stressed, Serotonin is low. And vice versa. 
I’m here to tell you that you don’t need Prozac or one of it’s relatives to help. There are numerous small changes you can make in your lifestyle that have been clinically proven to increase the serotonin levels in your brain. 
Today I want to tell you about laughter aerobics. “What?” Yes, laughter aerobics. This has got to be one of the silliest things I’d ever heard of, but it really exists. Laughter aerobics is a class where people basically sit in a circle and one person is appointed to begin laughing. Fake, real, goofy…it doesn’t matter. They just have to laugh. In turn, everyone else starts laughing too. The great thing is, you don’t have to go to an aerobics class! In the evening, after your work day is complete, do some laughter aerobics with your family. Your kids will think you’re nuts, but that’s all part of the fun! I promise you will end your day with a happy note, your cortisol levels will decrease, your serotonin levels will increase, and as a bonus, you will sleep better.
To top it off, science is not the only confirmation that laughter will make you happier. Read the prescription verse for today. From this verse comes the quote we’ve all heard, “laughter is the best medicine.” 
So tonight, begin your new year by making this small change. Spend just five minutes with your family playing laugh aerobics. I promise you won’t regret it and what do you have to lose?
From my heart, 
Celeste
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, Handling Stress, How to be Happy, Making Changes, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , ,

What I learned from Rudy Giuliani…

6 September, 2011 by Leave a Comment
A few weeks ago, David and I went to a big motivation seminar held in downtown Greenville. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Rudy Giuliani spoke about something that’s
fascinating and frustrating to me these days…the “almighty” internet. 
With the invention of the internet, we have “knowledge” at our fingertips and it travels faster than we are capable of dealing with. Computer knowledge is necessary to live in this century. It’s here, and it’s here to stay. The problem is, however, that we have stopped thinking for ourselves. We are becoming a manipulated society. 
One of the problems I have with this computer generation is how we are becoming so accustomed to immediate gratification. With health issues, it is frustrating because as patients, we punch in our symptoms on the keyboard and the computer generates a list of possibilities. Within an hour or so, we have diagnosed ourselves! Let me give you an example of a pharmacist “friend” of mine…
She was seven months pregnant, had an eight-year-old and four-year-old also, and a husband who happened to be out of town. After work, she went to retrieve her children, and her mom commented about a “bump” on her forehead. She had thought it was just a weird zit! In a panic, her mom said, “You call the dermatologist in the morning and you tell him you have to be seen immediately! That looks exactly like what Nita’s daughter had and it was melanoma!” 
Well, since she was a pharmacist, she knew to just look it up on the computer and she would see it was nothing. SO…after getting the kids to bed, she finally sat down at the computer around midnight. By 1:00 a.m. she was convinced that she was dying of melanoma and would be leaving her husband with three kids to raise alone. That made for one long, sleepless night. 
Anybody had a similar experience? I’m sure you’ve realized that that “friend” was me. As a pharmacist, I should have known better! The sad thing is I have gone to the computer more than once for my need for immediate gratification, and more than once I’ve come to the wrong conclusion.
To keep us thinking for ourselves and not relying on Sir Google, Mr. Giuliani suggested five things we must do to keep our minds active and maintain our ability to think independently:
1) Read books–have a basis to make your own decisions. Don’t just read other people’s opinions about what they’ve read. 
2) Listen–to other people. Seek advice from people you look up to and believe in. You can become a leader by learning from other successful people. 
3) Take notes–never stop writing. Write your thoughts, goals, lists…keep the parts of your mind active that make you an individual.
4) Take five minutes every day to just STOP–relax, pray, stop your world for a few minutes.
5) Most importantly, we must care and love other people. The computer tends to isolate and disconnect us from people. Sure we have Facebook and email, and they are great ways to communicate. But they don’t allow us to see the heart of people or minister to their needs. 
Coming from the person in charge of NYC when the twin towers were hit on 9/11/2001, I wanted to listen.  The Rudy Giuliani I watched handle that chaos and tragedy obviously had standards and values in place that helped him. While he relied on computers and statistics to help New York recover from that tragedy, it was his willingness to listen to people one on one and his compassion for them that made the difference in those months after September 2001. He prayed and asked God’s guidance in knowing the right steps to take. He relied on his heavenly father for wisdom and instruction. While it was one of the toughest times our country has endured, I consider Rudy Giuliani a man of great character and principal, and someone to learn from. 
I thought his “five things” were very interesting. I find myself doing all of those things these days, though I would have never put them together in a list on thinking independently. I realized, though, that during my seven years of depression, I didn’t want to do any of those things. I didn’t want to read books to because I just wanted to mindlessly watch television so I didn’t have to think about my world. I got to a point where I didn’t want to seek advice of others because I was convinced it was hopeless. I never thought writing things down would help me, although I’d been told to try it more than once. I prayed, but it was selfish prayer. I was too busy being self-absorbed in my own pity party to worry about anyone else long enough to actually do something that required effort. 
I wonder now how much sooner I could have overcome the depression if I had made the items on this list a priority? Hmmm…
From my heart, 
Celeste
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Handling Stress, How to be Happy, Living in Faith, Making Changes, The Power of Prayer, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,