Laughter is the best medicine

That expression is one that we have heard again and again. Hippo was stressing to the rest of the coffee group that laughter and having fun was extremely important  to body and brain health. Seahorse said that his stress level decreases dramatically after one of our parties. Hippo mentioned that parts of our brains that use the "feel good" chemical called dopamine  are stimulated by humour . Aurora was mentioning that socializing  may have a protective effect on our brains because it is a form of mental exercise. Not only does interacting with people stimulate our brain but it can also keep each of us sharp.  Unshelved stated that dealing with people can be challenging but he feels that his blood pressure is lower after his volunteering at the library. Alveus piped up with a tidbits of information she had read about socializing with another person at least 10 minutes a day would be just as effective as a traditional kinds  of mental exercises in boosting memory and performance intellectually and also people that chum in groups are less likely to experience cognitive decline. So that is certainly a relief for the coffee group but Hippo reminded us that it is a continuous combination of many different facets of healthy living that must be pursued daily.

Halloween

Halloween is not celebrated in all countries and regions of the world. In some countries of the world Christian attitudes are quite diverse towards Halloween. However in many countries around the world it is celebrated in many traditional ways.
Halloween parties, games such as apple bobbing, trick or treating, or haunted attractions and telling of ghost stories are done at this time of the month of October. In Ireland the baking of a barmbrack (light fruitcake) into which coins or other charms were placed in it before baking and if you found a ring then you would find your true love in the ensuing year. Trick or treating resembles the late medieval practice of souling, when the poor folk went door to door begging for food.
I have gathered a list of halloween treats that are relatively common.
Barbrack(Ireland) and bonfire toffee (Great Britain), candy apples (United Kingdom and Ireland) ,caramel corn, colcannon (Ireland) , Novelty candy, Pumpkin pie and breads, Roasted pumpkin seeds, candy corn,
roasted sweet corn and soul cakes.
Happy Halloween !

Laughter tips

For a week or so , keep track of how many times a day that you laugh. Seek out some humour in somewhat serious situations. Try and do a lighthearted thing for someone each day. Do you consciously smile at people? Try and surround yourself with a flower or plants -as Emerson wrote"The earth laughs in flowers." Wear a funny hat to express your change of attitude. Find playful ways to lighten up conflict with your friends. Go for a walk with someone. Practice hanging out over a cup of coffee. When others laugh, laugh also. Be creative with fun. Wear a smile , it will draw you closer to laughter. Give yourself permission to laugh at anything you need to. Maybe try something a little non conforming now and again.

Above all, make sure you have a fun filled time.

If you think that you have a sleep deprivation disorder.........

Types of disorders that people experience-
1. Insomnia
2. Narcolepsy
3. Night tremors
4. REM sleep  disorder
5. Restless limbs syndrome
6. Sleep apnea
7. Sleep walking
8. Snoring
9. Teeth grinding-bruxism
Most provinces and large cities will have sleep clinics -they will be able to do a clinical consultation,either inhome or in a overnight sleep lab, whichever is appropriate for the client and or condition.In AB. there are two major cities where there are sleep clinics.
In our coffee group alone we have 3 of the above conditions amongst all of us: so if you have a disorder you are not alone.

What signs do you experience on a sleepless night?

Maybe you are having to tolerate some of these signs:
1  feeeling somewhat irritable
2. difficult to stay awake during day
3. looking tired
4. lack of concentration
5. finding that you have drink several caffeinated beverages each day
6. reactions are very slow

If you answered "yes" to one of these signs -you just may have a sleep deprivation problem.

So try and figure out why some of these things are occurring most days-after a poor night's sleep-ask yourself "Is it due to stress", or some other issue?

Can't get to sleep at night?

Hints to help you fall asleep.

1. Lights off
2. Picture a scene
3. Breathing-be conscious of your breathing by counting breaths
4. Self dialog
5. Body awareness-start flexing toes, etc.
6. Daily review of your accomplishments
7. Plan ahead
8. Visualize a goal
9. Count sheep

Enjoy your sleep!

Sleep-do you get enough sleep?

Crucial to proper brain function is adequate sleep. Deprivation of sleep will reduce your mental performance. Lack of one night's sleep is just like having a legally intoxicating  blood alcohol level.
If you do not get sufficient sleep it can increase your risk of high blood pressure and diabetes which are threats to the brain. The onset of other health conditions can be hastened such as obesity and memory loss.
The amount of plasticity( nerve cell connections) in the brain depends on the amount of deep sleep that a person has experienced. They can detect this by indications of  large slow brain waves. Tomorrow, we will talk about what to do if you experience problems to do with sleep deprivation.