Tag: Sleep

Top Ten Ways to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

The holidays are a special and memorable time of year when you get to spend time with friends and family. You get to eat good food, play fun games, and share love and gifts with one another. All of these holiday activities may be put on hold if you get sick over the holidays, and that wouldn’t be fun! Here are my top ten ways to stay healthy during the holidays.

10. Always wear your jacket and stay warm when you’re outside. This is a lesson I learned the hard way. Even if you feel like it’s warm enough outside, or your if you think what you’re wearing will keep you warm, you’re probably wrong. The weather can change at any moment and it’s better to be prepared with a nice, cozy jacket than have nothing at all.

9. Drink Emergen-C if you feel like you may be getting sick. Emergen-C is a powder that you add to a drink, in case you didn’t know. It contains vitamin C and it’s very important to get lots of vitamin C in your body if you feel like you’re getting sick. It comes in many flavors, tastes good, and helps you feel better or stay healthy.

8. Exercise. Exercising helps your body stay strong. When you sweat, your body gets rid of substances it doesn’t need like salts and toxins. Exercising is good for your body in general.

7. Don’t touch your face with your hands. The easiest way for bad bacteria or a virus to enter your system is through your nose or mouth. To prevent yourself from getting sick, do your best not to touch your face after being around someone sick or dealing with something dirty.

6. Get a proper amount of sleep. Sleep gives your body time to relax and heal. If you feel like you’re catching a cold or the flu, sleep is a good way to let your body rest and get better.

5. On top of Emergen-C, stay hydrated. Drinking lots of water or other liquids allows your body to function properly and flush out anything bad if needed. Chamomile tea with honey is great for when you feel like you may be getting sick, or just want a soothing drink before bed. The honey is good for your throat and chamomile aids in fighting infection and works as an anti-inflammatory.

4. Eat raspberry and cranberry jam. This has been a remedy that works well in my family. To prevent ourselves from getting sick, my mom makes jam that contains raspberries, cranberries, and honey and we eat it by itself or with pancakes. It can be a little sour but in my opinion, it’s yummy and helps me stay healthy.

3. Walk in fresh air. Going for a walk to get fresh air is not only refreshing and relaxing, but it’s really good for your body. This is a good way to cope with stress and it also helps your body feel good inside and out.

2. Don’t share drinks or personal items like Chapstick with other people. This should be common knowledge, but just in case you haven’t heard it before, here it goes. Sharing drinks is a really good way to spread illness or disease and it can range from a small canker sore to a major, life-threatening disease. Some people believe that sharing personal items and drinks isn’t that big of a deal. Even if you know the person really well, it’s better to be safe than sorry, know what you’re using or drinking, and bring your own things.

1. Wash your hands. Germs are all over the place all the time, but during the winter, it seems like there are even more germs because a lot of people get sick. In order to protect yourself from getting sick, wash your hands after using the restroom, work, school, sports practice, or whatever you do. You’re washing away bad germs when you wash your hands and preventing yourself from getting sick. Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer is another way to keep your hands clean. There are many different kinds of hand sanitizer that all work well, so find whatever kind you like and go with it.

Make sure to bundle up, stay hydrated, exercise, be aware of your surroundings, get a good amount of sleep, go for walks to get fresh air, avoid sharing drinks and things like Chapstick, and wash your hands to stay healthy this holiday season. To those of you with finals this week, I wish you the best of luck. 12 days ’til Christmas!

December 13, 2015
Top Ten Ways to Recover From Surgery

On Sept. 16th I had surgery on my ankle to create a groove for my peroneal tendons and repair my retinaculum which is the connective tissue that holds the peroneal tendons in place. My tendons actually weren’t torn but they were believed to be, so that was good news! The retinaculum was extremely stretched out though, so the doctor had to cut it and then sew it back together. I just wanted to let you know that in no way am I a doctor or professional in the medical field, all of these tips were created and based off of personal experience. Recovering from surgery can be a hard thing to do, so here are my top ten ways to recover from surgery.

10. Keep yourself occupied. Watch TV, play games, read a book, talk to people, and do whatever you can to keep your mind off of pain and the surgery. You’ll be in a much better mood this way.

9. Sleep. Sleep does wonders for your mind and body. It gives your body time to relax and heal.

8. Check on your blood circulation often. This tip applies mostly to people who are having surgery and will be in bed or unable to move a lot for a few days after. Move your legs around, massage yourself or have someone help you, stretch, and get up, IF YOU CAN. Please don’t hurt yourself when you do this. By doing this, you’re keeping your blood moving and preventing blood clots.

7. Take time off from work or school to recover. You should definitely not go to work or school a for a few days after surgery. You might be in pain and/or have very little energy and you don’t want to put yourself in an uncomfortable situation at work or school. Take all the time you need to feel good enough to return to work or school. It’ll still be there when you return.

6. Stay positive. It can be really hard to have a good attitude when you’re in pain, but keep a smile on your face and think about good things and you’ll feel better and help your body heal faster.

5. Eat food. Right after surgery, you might feel slightly nauseous because of the anesthesia; this varies from person to person. Make sure to take it easy on the food at first, maybe some soup or a smoothie. After a few hours or after the nausea goes away, eat whatever you want.

4. Drink lots of water. Drinking a lot of water will keep you hydrated and flush out all of the medication and anesthesia.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Right after surgery, you’re in absolutely NO condition to do things all by yourself. Just let your friends or family know what you need and they should be supportive and willing to help you.

2. Relax. This tip goes along with #10 and whether you’re lying down, sitting, or even sleeping, do whatever makes you feel comfortable. Relaxation helps ease the pain and keeps your mind off of the surgery.

1. Follow the doctor’s orders! This one should be a no-brainer, but for some people this tip can be hard to follow. Please do what your doctor tells you to do! Stay on top of ice, elevation, medication, go to post-op appointments, and whatever else you have to do. It’ll make you heal faster and feel better.

Ice and elevation 😉

I hope my top ten ways to recover from surgery have been helpful or will be helpful to you in the future. 🙂 To those of you who have had surgery or are going to have surgery, I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery!

September 27, 2015
Top Ten Summer Activities

Summer break is here for most people and school is out until August. Woohoo! Summer is a great time to get out and travel, spend time with family and friends, and also catch up on your beauty sleep. Here are the top ten summer activities, in my opinion:

10. Sleep. Summer is a wonderful time to catch on sleep. After long nights of studying and homework, sleeping can make you feel more relaxed and refreshed for when you do other things over the break. Just make sure you don’t sleep the summer break away!

9. Read. Most people would say, “Wait, what?! You read over the summer? That’s school related, why would you ever do that?”. I think that reading is a good way to spend time and relax in the sun or cool shade. Reading can improve your vocabulary and you’ll still know some things when you do head back to school.

8. Coming in as the 8th best thing to do during the summer, grow a garden. This is a good thing to do as a family and the end result is usually very healthy and yummy. Growing a garden is fun, a good excuse to be outside, builds responsibility, and is definitely worth it.

7. Start a blog. At the beginning of last summer, I started a blog and it ended up being one of the more enjoyable things I did since I couldn’t play sports or be super active. Writing a blog is really fun, improves your writing skills, and is a great way to make memories. I also think it’s cool to tell friends and family to check out your website, so that’s a fun bonus. You can build a blog through WordPress, GoDaddy, and other websites. Most blog sites have to paid for but there are sites that are free. Do what works best for you.

6. Hike. Hiking is a wonderful way to be out with nature, get fresh air, and get exercise. National parks, mountains, and even trails near your house work just fine.

5. Making the middle of the list, play volleyball. Whether it’s sand, grass, or indoor, spend time on the volleyball court. It’s a good way to prepare for high school season and club season. Sand and grass tournaments are super fun and really good for your indoor game. If you can’t get into any camps or clinics, grab a ball and at least go hit on the wall or with your friends.

4. Swim. Need a fun way to keep cool? Swimming is the way to do that. In Colorado we have places like The Bay, local recreation centers, and Water World. Water World is probably my favorite. It has so many fun rides and an awesome wave pool. I highly recommend it.

3. Travel. Whether it’s around the state, out of state, or out of the country, get out of your house and travel! This is a fun way to make memories, get good pictures, and learn something about a new area.

2. At number two, play tennis. Tennis is an outdoor sport that anyone can play. Depending on your skill level you can just hit around with friends, join a club, play in tournaments, and enjoy the sport. Tennis is another good excuse to be outside in the wonderful warm weather. Just make sure you pack your sunscreen and water. The courts can get pretty hot!

1. And the number one summer activity is, spend time with family and friends! This seems to make top ten lists quite a bit, and it should! Family and friends and super important and deserve your time, care, and attention. Spend a lot of time together doing whatever and make memories.

Be outside, have fun, and to those who are still in school, good luck with the final days and to those who are starting summer break, enjoy!

June 7, 2015
Some Ways to Relax

People these days are always so busy getting to dance class or going to a meeting and they rarely make time for themselves. They stress out and get headaches and none of that kind of stuff is ever fun, right? Here are some ways to relax that I’ve found helpful.

1. Get out and exercise. Going for a run or a walk around the park can help you clear your head. I’ve found playing sports to also help me relax because it helps me think about others things and have fun.

2. Go to a spa and get your nails done. For the ladies, this is always something super relaxing. Most spas offer massages and massages help soothe tired muscles and rejuvenate the skin. Plus, you get to show off your fancy fingers to your friends after you get them done. Haha. For the guys, they can also go to the spa and the people there will offer massages and feet treatment.

3. Sleep. Taking a nap or getting a good night’s sleep can do amazing things for your mind and body. Sleeping is a good way to give your brain some time to rest and start fresh.

4. Draw or paint. A lot of artsy people relax by doodling or painting a picture. By showing your creative side, you are expressing your feelings and emotions.

5. Spend time with your family and friends. Hanging out with the people you love is another way to relax. Talk about your day or whatever is stressing you out and most of the time, this can help you relax.

6. Watch a movie. Just like many of the other ideas above, watching a movie can clear your head. You can go into a different world for at least an hour and a half and come out a relaxed, happy person. (I guess you could come out of the movie with a different feeling but that depends on the movie.

Make sure to make time for relaxation. It’s important to make time for yourself and let your body rest. You’re not limited to just these few things so do what works for you, whenever and wherever. Enjoy! 🙂

January 18, 2015
Top Ten Ways to Prepare for Finals

Top Ten Ways to Prepare for Finals

Finals week is here! For a lot of students this can be the most stressful week of the first semester. Here are the top ten ways to prepare for finals:

10. Be organized with your school materials. Have your class materials organized so that when you go to study, you aren’t scrambling through your backpack and folders. I do my best to color code my folders with my notebooks so that when finals come around, I know exactly which notebook goes with which folder.

9. Dress appropriately on finals days. It has been proved that when you dress up nicely for a test, you do better than when you wear just a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. It gets your mind in the mood that you are doing something important and it tells your brain that the test really matters. You don’t have to come to school wearing a full on tuxedo or a business dress but you want to dress nice and comfortable.

8. Eat a healthy breakfast. You want to be well nourished when you take a test, especially a final. This helps your body function properly and helps you think clearly when you take a test.

7. Coming in at number seven, I would highly suggest checking your grade daily, about a week prior to finals. By doing this, you are keeping a close eye on your grade and you know exactly what grade you have going into the final. Additionally, know what grade you need to get on the final to keep your grade or boost it. I suggest the app, Exam Calculator. You just plug in your grade, the grade you want, and then the weight of the final.

6. Communicate with your teachers. At least a week or two before finals, talk to your teachers about your grade and see if there is anything that can be made up or turned in if it is missing. This not only shows your teachers that you care, but it also helps you study and prepare for finals in advance.

5. Stick to your normal routine. If you’re the type of person that always comes home from school, takes a nap, and then stays up doing homework or studying, stick to it. If you’re the type of person the drinks coffee every morning, then stick to it. If you try to adjust your normal routine by suddenly going to bed later or drinking coffee in the morning, you are mentally psyching yourself out. You are confusing your brain and you just won’t perform as well on the finals.

4. Relax during the test. During the test, let your knowledge take over. Since the first day of school you have been learning and preparing for the final in one way or another. Believe in your education and trust that you know what you’re doing. If you don’t pay attention in class and if you don’t study, then I would be worried. Good luck in that case!

3. Pace yourself. There are always time limits for finals so make sure to keep an eye on the time. You want to make sure you finish the test in a comfortable amount of time.

2. Get plenty of sleep. Sleeping is a good time to rest your body. Also, by getting a good amount of sleep, you feel fresh and ready to tackle your tests. For teenagers, it is recommended to get about 9-10 hours of sleep a night.

1. Study! Unless you’re a super genius and you memorize everything the minute you see it, you should study for your finals! How would you expect to do well if you don’t prepare for the test? Studying boosts your confidence in the materials and helps you keep good time on the test.

Good luck to everyone this week! I hope these tips help you succeed during finals!

December 14, 2014
A Few Things To Do on a Road Trip

This past Thanksgiving weekend, my family and I traveled 400 miles by car from Colorado to New Mexico. It can be hard to find something to do and stay entertained. Here are a few things to do on a road trip.

1. Take a nap. Sleeping in the car can be uncomfortable but it is very good for you. It can definitely help pass time and when you arrive at your destination, you’ll feel rested.

2. Watch movies. Prepare movies that you can watch to make the trip feel shorter. For this, you will need a car DVD player or an iPad or tablet that you can watch movies on.

3. Play a game, like the obstacle game. To play the obstacle game, you need to two people, your imaginations, some paper, and two different colored writing utensils. The objective is to stop your opponent from beating you to your goal. To do this, you create obstacles for them to overcome and they do the same for you. You can’t kill off their character and you can’t repeat an obstacle or way of escaping an obstacle. After that, anything else is fair game. This is a wonderful way to pass the time and in the end, you have pretty funny story to share.

4. Read a book. Reading a book is always an awesome way to eat up time, especially on a long road trip. Make sure you have several books handy, in case you finish the one you’re reading or you just want to read a different one. Just make sure you don’t get carsick!

5. Spend time talking to your friends or family in the car. Talk to them about all kinds of things. Just make sure to keep your mind off of the long journey ahead. By doing this, you don’t focus on the long amount of time you still have left in the car. Spending time in the car on a long road trip is a good time for family bonding so make the most of it!

To sum things up, here are a few things you can do on a road trip. These are just a few things off the tip of the iceberg, so explore with many other ideas to entertain yourself for the time-consuming journey. Have a safe trip and have fun!

November 30, 2014
Top Ten Tips for Going Back to School

School just started for most kids, including my sister and I. Going back to school is a big change from the relaxing days of summer. It can be a bit stressful, nerve racking, and even exciting. There are many good things that can be learned or used as tips to comfortably move back into school. Here are my top ten tips for going back to school.

10. About a week before school starts, start going to bed earlier and waking up earlier. This way, when the first day of school rolls around, you won’t wake up extremely tired. Going to bed at about 9 to 9:30 PM and then waking up at 6:30 AM allows for plenty of rest and then time to get ready for your first day. This is what works best for my sister and I, but go with what works best for you.

9. Get all of your school supplies before school starts or get them as soon as your teachers tell you what you need. Doing this helps you come prepared and makes you feel more comfortable, knowing that you have all of the stuff you need.

8. Don’t be afraid. This applies mostly when going to a new school. I moved to a big, new high school and going in, it was a little overwhelming. I just had to pull myself together and after that everything was okay.

7. Wear something nice on the first day. When I say this, I don’t mean that you should wear a fancy dress or a suit and tie. This just means that you should dress in something that looks cute and is comfortable to wear.

6. Make a new friend or two. Making a few friends can help ease your troubles about school. They might be able to help you around and keep you company. If you’re new to a school this can be super important because making friends can help you feel less lonely.

5. Get to know your teachers. Getting to know your teachers is important so that you aren’t strangers. This will also help you be more comfortable in their classes.

4. Get involved in your school. This could be drama club, sports, NJHS or NHS, student council, and so on. By getting involved, you can stay busy and show your school spirit.

3. Know where your classes all are. This is especially important for the first day. Knowing where your classes are eliminates time where you frantically searching for each class.

2. Create a schedule and calendar for the year. By doing this, you are preparing you and your family for days that you don’t have school, breaks, and school activities. You can plan your days, weeks, months, etc.

1. Be organized! Staying organized can mean a lot of things. It could mean creating a system for your locker, using folders, using your planner, turning your homework/projects in on time, and keeping your backpack clean. You’ll always know where you belongings are and you’ll do better in school by staying organized.

I really hope this tips help you have a good first day of school and also a great school year! You can also find your own ways to be successful in school. Do your best, stay organized, and have fun!

August 24, 2014