Wellness Archives - Serendipity Mommy

3 Things to Know When Someone You Care Is Facing Cancer

December 2, 2020 by Mandy

It’s not easy when you learn that someone you know – a friend, colleague, or loved one dear to your heart – has cancer. And it’s not easy to let go of general beliefs that cancer can lead to death in most cases. Some of the stories that we hear or read on the news have been ingrained in us. People often pick up impressions about dealing with cancer patients from such stories, movies, and the internet.

Fortunately, you can do yourself a big favour by looking at the scientific facts. Not all cancers lead to death, and in the majority of cases, the physical and emotional toll it takes on the person can be reduced to a significant level through knowledge and patience.

1. Expect Physical Changes

Cancer affects not only the inside organs but the physical appearance of the person as well. Those are the side effects of either cancer itself or the treatment that one undergoes, such as chemotherapy and medications. So obviously, expect the person with cancer to have:

Weight loss or gain
Appetite loss or gain
Tiredness
Hair loss
Changes in smell or taste
Disfigurement
Changes in skin colour
Insomnia
Lack of interest in work or hobbies

And so on.

2. Expect Emotional Turmoil

Every person eventually develops his or her own way of coping with cancer. Sometimes the affected person may resort to conflicts for little or no reason. The next thing, he or she will develop a habit of staying silent and get all bottled up and tensed. The person’s emotions may change every day, even every hour. In fact, cancer doctors inform us that the person’s fluctuating hormones – as a direct result of cancer – can shape their emotions and memory.

The alternative: Expect this to be normal. Understand that some amount of conflict is the new way for the person with cancer to talk or express how they feel. This shouldn’t be a serious matter if you educate yourself and be prepared to face such changes. Knowing the ways in which people with cancer deal with emotional turmoils differently will lead you to change perspective, try a new way of communicating, and move on.

In essence, there are no true behavioural patterns about cancer patients that fit all of the people. Expect that the person will have good days and bad days, and learning to live with this uncertainty is the first step towards a cure. Over time, you will be able to adjust with these emotions and to the new reality in your life.

3. Expect Improvements and New Coping Mechanisms

People with cancer develop new ways to cope with their disease. Paul, for example, has always believed that stress or worrying is a precursor to more serious side effects of his thyroid cancer. So he found a new passion and is now a guitar player for a popular music band. His cancer went into remission because he believed that any amount of stress couldn’t be good for the health.

Some people with cancer use humour or alternate lifestyle to find relief from this illness’s serious nature. Additionally, work can bring a great sense of importance in a person’s life. A person with cancer can not only boost their self-worth through work but focus more on their skills and ability rather than the illness itself. All of these coping mechanisms can enable one to meet issues head-on without fear. Their passion and interest in something can become opportunities to delve more deeply into their own feelings, concerns, and needs.

5 Mistakes Busy Moms Can’t Afford to Make

November 7, 2020 by Mandy

Mistakes can happen when you have a busy life. As a mom, there are a few mistakes you can’t afford to make, but if you know them in advance, it may help you avoid them. The following are five mistakes to consider.

1. The Diet Mistake

A mistake most busy moms make with their children deals with their diet. Moms don’t always have time to cook, and this puts them in a bind. Some parents go to a fast food place to make sure their kids have a full belly, but most fast food options don’t offer the nutrition kids need. There are food services that deliver healthy meals if you don’t have the time. You can also do all of your cooking on the weekend and freeze everything for later. It might be a good idea to talk to a dietitian to ensure you are providing nutrient-rich meals to your family.

2. License Problems

Busy moms could make mistakes with their license. Some moms have so much on their plates that they have to speed from one place to another. Excessive speeding could cause your license to get suspended. Some busy moms forget to pay their car insurance, which can result in having a license suspended for no insurance coverage. Your car is your livelihood, so download an app to warn you if you’re going too fast and automate your insurance payment. Most companies offer a discount for automating payments.

3. Not Spending Enough Time

Quality time is precious to your children, but busy moms sometimes find it challenging to meet this need. The best thing you can do is rework your schedule to create these moments with your kids. Try to be honest and direct during those fleeting moments of the day when you talk to your children. Don’t let things like smartphones and tablets get in the way. Engage with your kids or just start talking so that they learn more about your ideas. Your kids are listening to you even if you don’t think so.

4. Splitting Adulting

Busy moms might split adulting with their children, especially if one of their kids is especially mature. Your children are still kids and can’t do the things you can. Children shouldn’t take care of siblings all the time, prepare all the meals, discipline younger siblings, and do other tasks that are usually an adult’s responsibility. This doesn’t mean your kids can’t help out sometimes or have chores, but it’s not wise to overwhelm your child with responsibilities.

5. Neglecting Financial Education

Kids learn a lot at school, but there are a few subjects schools don’t cover like finances. You can’t afford to overlook the importance of financial education for your children. Just because you don’t have the time to teach them doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it. Online financial education can help your kids learn about money management. You can also download apps for them and offer an allowance or pay them to do some chores that might make your life easier as a busy mom.

Being a busy mom comes with its own set of challenges, but you can overcome them with planning and preparation. With a little planning and the right information, you can ensure your kids get the best of you.

Best dry eye sleep mask to keep the dryness under control

November 4, 2020 by Mandy

Dry eyes are not very pleasant for anybody. They cause irritation, itching, and gritty feel that cause a lot of distraction the whole day. The itching can get worse as the day passes; it can get more painful. If you have suffered from dry eyes, you may have noticed that the dryness increases throughout the day, and it reaches its peak at night. It is best to cure your eyes at night to prevent dryness in the eyes. One of the best remedies to cure dry eyes is a dry eye sleep mask that helps bring back moisture over time.

Dry eyes can be so painful that it may stop you from going on an outing or meeting your friends. There may be different causes for the dryness in your eyes, and there are other masks to cure it. Let us look at the significant reasons and some of the best dry eye masks to help you with the problem.

There may be varied causes to recur dry eyes. A common factor for the same involves the decreased formation of tears, low quality of tears, and tear evaporation. Your cornea needs moisture over every blink, and when there is not enough moisture in your eyes, it leads to the dried cornea. A heated dry eye mask helps to bring back the water in your cornea and removes dryness.

Dry eyes are also a result of metabolic disorders that majorly happen in adult females. One other dry eye disorder is called ‘nocturnal lagophthalmos.’ It occurs when you are not entirely able to close your eyes during sleep. Facial palsy, lid deformity, or incomplete healing from eyelid surgery can be significant reasons causing dry eye. There are other health and environmental factors associated with dry eyes. But you can cure it all with an electric heated dry eye mask. Dry eye masks can help limit the irritation in your eyes while reducing the symptoms of dry eyes. Eye masks are the low-cost way out to get rid of dryness. At night, they prevent your eyes from light exposure and blocking the external light.

Here’s a round-up of the dry eye masks for quick results:

● Silk dry eye mask

A silk sleep mask helps prevent your eyes from getting dry in the first place. Not only does it block the entrance of external light, but it also protects your eyes from air conditioning and fans. The silk dry eye mask is among the most preferred because of its silk texture that is soothing for the skin and its results.

● Electric heated dry eye mask

The electric heated dry eye mask is one of the popular ones to relieve insomnia, dry eyes, and blepharitis. These come with in-built thermal protection that prevents overheating. You can choose the temperature levels and time limit so that it works for you accordingly. It covers all the surfaces around your eyes and gives huge relief while sleeping. It is perfect for a long time and even a short break.

Dry eye sleep masks do not only help with the dryness and improved moisture, but it is an excellent remedy for better sleep, eye comfort, and tear formation. They are also environment-friendly, washable, and breathable.

Neurofeedback for Kids

October 31, 2020 by Mandy

As a parent, you want your child will succeed in life. If he or she suffers from a brain-based problem or disorder, daily functioning becomes more difficult not only for him or her but also for the family.

These brain-based issues consist of anxiety, behavioral problems, depression, and learning disabilities. As a result, parents often strive to find the best cure to ensure that their children can succeed. Success within the developmental years of their youth is crucial.

Neurofeedback is said to improve your child’s focus if they have been appropriately diagnosed and if your child will have a therapist who promotes improvement. It addresses the foundations of learning in which a balanced and organized brain can process and remember information more accessible.

Studies show that it has improved mental performance, and the ability to pay attention will result in better learning and behavioral issues, enhancing social interactions.

What is Neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback therapy, also known as EEG Feedback, which is a reward-based brain training type of biofeedback. It is a non-pharmacological non-invasive procedure wherein the surface electrodes will record neural activity on the scalp using the data being supplied to the patient through a mechanical stimuli presentation.

After the neurotherapist assesses the amount of theta and beta waves created during an eyes-open “resting” or “baseline” period, they will put the primary training goals, also known as the thresholds. For the child to be urged during training, he must maintain the amplitude of his theta waves beneath the threshold while keeping beta waves beyond the threshold.

Neurofeedback has been efficient for curing ADHD and anxiety in children and adolescents who suffer from this disorder. Using this therapy for anxiety relief and ADHD can considerably support long-term improvements for these children.

The improvements from neurofeedback therapy have been proven to be comparable to medication but not including the undesirable side effects.

How does Neurofeedback Works?

Neurofeedback is, in essence, similar to playing a video game; however, the child’s brain is the controller instead of their fingers. The brain waves are assessed through an EEG as the child intermingles with the game.

Brain waves are the electrical impulses created when your nerve cell are communicating with each other. This electrical activity creates patterns within the brain that influence different states of your mind like relaxation, focus, concentration, sleep, and productivity, to call a couple of.

When the treatment works, children with ADHD connect their brain waves properly by learning how to control them. That stimulates the motivation to participate and rehabilitates their brain simultaneously; it improves their focus and attention. Moreover, memories are created for how they succeeded and are used in everyday life.

Neurofeedback is not thought a cure but instead a method of managing or regulating how the brain works to function more healthily. It is achieved by frequent training sessions employing a computerized neurofeedback program that teaches your central nervous system to restructure and control brainwave frequencies. Neurofeedback evaluates your brain and provides information regarding the areas of dysfunction that causes symptoms so that they can be treated precisely. Various neurofeedback methods and equipment are used for various sorts of neurological problems.

In controlled studies using the type of training program that I described, significant, sustained improvement of core ADHD symptoms has been consistently noted. The amount of progress seems equivalent to stimulant medication, and benefits have been discovered to last anywhere from six months to two years after the last treatment session.

A course of neurofeedback treatment can take 30 to 45 sessions, with sessions occurring one to three times per week. It takes 15 to twenty sessions before parents and teachers begin to ascertain signs of improvement. Approximately fifty to 75 percent of children treated for ADHD with neurofeedback demonstrate significant progress.

Neurofeedback provides immediate information to an individual on the state of their brain function. More simply, with certain limitations, the brain can be trained to produce the desired effect. Unhealthy brain wave patterns, such as those associated with ADD/ADHD, can be changed. And those changes are likely to be long term and possibly permanent.

What to Look for in a Neurofeedback Therapist

Licensed mental health professionals are trained to use neurofeedback equipment and programs to deliver neurofeedback services in their private practices and clinics. Furthermore, find someone with the educational background and relevant experience, and look for a therapist with whom you feel comfortable personal discussing issues, who displays an understanding of your particular case, and who can clearly explain the neurofeedback process, its potential benefits, and its limitations using was that you and your child will understand.

Why is it worth the Risk for some Parents?

More and more parents are now considering neurofeedback for their kids because the positive effects are still pronounced 18 months after completing treatment.

For parents with children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), neurofeedback signifies a thrilling new option for treatment with medication. Potent psycho-stimulant drugs such as Ritalin have side effects and do not alter the fundamental causes of the condition. Neurofeedback therapy aims to change the main symptoms by re-training the brain.

Neurofeedback technology has been scientifically proven to be an efficient treatment for the primary symptoms of ADD/ADHD.

When parents participate in brain training, their children will have better experiences, and everyone sees the benefits faster.

The results of neurofeedback vary among people since it is a natural process, and people change in various ways at different speeds. Some may have effects from the first session, and others may take a month before they feel positive changes.

However, it has been proven that neurofeedback outcomes persist in being stable for the long-term, as neurofeedback essentially deals with the underlying issues in the brain’s self-regulation.

Unlike a medication, which only handles symptoms, when you stop taking it, your problems return, sometimes worse than before.

Testimonials from Parents who are exploring safe and effective support systems to help their children with school performance progressively turn to neurofeedback as they continue to reap the benefits. As a secure and non-invasive sort of brain training, neurofeedback increases in popularity with families to raised deal with emotional fitness and resiliency in children.

Mom’s Guide to Holding It All Together Amid a Pandemic

October 29, 2020 by Mandy

Let’s face it. Moms have always had it rough, but this year has tested your willpower like never before. There’s the fear of you or your children contracting the coronavirus, the stress of your shrinking budget, the overwhelm of having a full house, and the pressures of an uncertain future that weigh heavily on your mind. Try as you may to be the rock your family depends on, the physical and emotional tensions are starting to show.

You’re tired all the time, you feel pulled in a million different directions, there’s always something that needs your attention, and once again, the things that once brought you happiness have been put on the back burner. Of course, you love your family. You also realize that these are trying times that are beyond your control. You want to be there for them, but the more you dedicate to their well-being, the less you have to invest in yourself.

Maintaining Your Sanity

Chances are, most women feel this way. The undue amount of pressure resulting from the current pandemic has been trying, to say the least. While it’s easy to put yourself at the bottom of the priority list, continuing this way will eventually cause more problems than it’s worth. To be quite honest, you’ll become so physically and emotionally overwhelmed that you won’t be able to be there for your family.

If you’re going to get yourself and your family through this, you must learn how to find balance, peace, and happiness, despite what’s going on in the world. This mini-guide will serve as a great starting point.

It’s Beyond Your Control

You have to remember that none of this is your fault or within your control. The pandemic, mass unemployment, economic crisis, distance learning, food shortages, natural disasters, and civil unrest aren’t your doing. There’s also nothing you can do to single-handedly change it. So, don’t make the mistake of trying to put everything you or your family is going through on your shoulders. Once you realize it’s beyond your control, you’ll feel an immense amount of relief.

You Can’t Do It All

The second point to keep in mind is that you cannot be all things to everyone. Not only are you one person, but you’re not superhuman. Piling all the responsibilities on your plate leaves minimal time to take care of your own needs and, ultimately, your family’s needs. It’s okay to admit that you can’t do it all.

Look over your list of daily tasks and compare it to the hours in a day. If you’re not able to schedule any time for nutritious meals, exercise, your career, passions, interests, and at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep, then you’re doing too much. Evaluate your list and eliminate unnecessary things. Then, talk with your partner, older children, and extended-family about assisting you with other tasks to lighten your load.

Put Self-Care on Overdrive

Your family indeed needs you, but you also need yourself. If you’re going to maintain your sanity during the pandemic, you must be a priority. While your busy schedule might prevent you from dedicating as much time to yourself as you’d like, there are ways to adjust. Put self-care into overdrive by finding small things to boost your mood throughout the day.

You could learn how to make strong coffee and indulge in a fresh cup each morning before waking the kids up. Why not take the first hour of each day to exercise, shower, and complete your skincare routine? If there’s something small that you’d like, treat yourself on occasion. When is the last time you’ve been out with your girlfriends? Schedule a virtual lunch or watch party and catch up.

No one expected this year to turn out the way it did. Though the pandemic has resulted in a lot of stress, tackling it on your own will only fail. The best way to survive these uncertain times is to remember it’s not your fault, you’re not built to do it all, and that you have to remain a priority.