bettercareprovider

[bettercareprovider]

:)  More Behind the GIFs. 

[bettercareprovider]

I was just about to spiral into a bad panic attack, and my boyfriend goes "Stick an ice cube in your mouth." I'm not really sure where he got the idea, and I kinda laughed at it because I didn't see how it would help, but he was insistent. So I did it.

And now I'm on my second cube, because it worked.

[bettercareprovider]

Quick fix.

It is beneficial to make time for your own individual needs every day. Prioritizing self care may reduce your day to day stress, and will leave you with an elevated, positive sense of self.

Here is a list from my care matrix of self care tips you can integrate into your day. For optimal results, do not rush through this list. Taking time and effort with yourself is an essential part of care.

Here is a collection of things you can do in less than five minutes to reduce your stress;

Foods:

Green tea is a source of L-Theanine, a chemical that helps relieve anger.

Dark chocolate regulates cortisol, & stabilizes your metabolism.

Honey is a natural skin moisturizer, as well as an antibiotic. It also reduces inflammation in the brain, which in turn assists in fighting depression & anxiety. 

Mangos pack a compound called linalool that helps lower stress levels.

Gum, specifically chewing gum, reduces cortisol & anxiety levels.

Changing environment & socialization

Spend some quality time alone.

Go outside.

Organize your work or study area.

Talk to a friend.

Plan a vacation.

Relaxation

Meditate. There’s evidence that just two quick bouts of silent meditation per day can relieve stress and depression ( x, x, x )

Take a deep breath.

Progressive relaxation. Tense muscles in your body one at a time. Release, repeat.

Give yourself a hand massage. Use a thick, aloe or shea-based lotion & knead muscles to relieve tension in shoulders, neck, and/or scalp.

Invest in a stress ball.

Splash some cold water on your face & wrists.

Write in a journal.

Practice aromatherapy. Oils such as lavender, chamomille, mint, or eucalyptus can produce a calming effect.

Fitness

Yoga. Even chair yoga can reduce your stress levels. ( x ).

Stretch. This is especially beneficial to jobs that are largely sedentary, but everyone can benefit from a five minute pause to stretch regularly. 

Go for a walk.

I am constantly updating my care matrix. I require feedback to adequately provide up-to-date care. Are you satisfied with your care?

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[bettercareprovider]

You CANNOT serve from an empty vessel but go off I guess

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[bettercareprovider]

June 2019 Illustrations  ヽ(• ‿•)ノ

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Friendly reminder how to actually use band aids on fingertips because we see people doing it wrong all the time.

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The best sleeping positions when you are injured.

[bettercareprovider]

Summer Boosts

It is beneficial to make time for your own individual needs every day. Prioritizing self care may reduce your day to day stress, and will leave you with an elevated, positive sense of self.

Here is a list from my care matrix of self care tips you can integrate into your day. For optimal results, do not rush through this list. Taking time and effort with yourself is an essential part of care.

Summer is approaching soon. Below are some quick & not-so-quick tips to ensure a happy, healthy, & productive summer. 

Plan a vacation or a staycation.

A vacation could be something as elaborate as planning an excursion to a different continent to as simple as one to a different part of your city. The destination is less important than the act of taking time set deliberately aside to focus on you. 

Take special note of events offered in your city. Many communities offer music festivals, farmers’ markets, & other activities during the warmest months of the year. 

Create a list of activities you might like to do or try. Some examples; x, x, x

Websites such as Groupon offer discounts for events, as well.

Unplug.

If taking a physical trip of a vacation vacation is not in the cards or budget, take a vacation, instead, from technology. Limit the use of technology, such as smart phone, laptop or tablet, an hour or two before bed, if not restrict it entirely or abstain entirely for an entire 24 hour period. 

Replace this time with something you have been meaning to make time for, such as reading a chapter of a book, pre-preparing meals for the rest of the week, a beauty or self-care regimen, a fitness related activity, or meditation.

Channel your inner child.

Summer is also a time for nostalgia. In the middle of your busy work week, or in place of your lazy summer day, take a moment to be playful. Identify activities you enjoyed as a child, then make time for them. Discover your closest state park or biking trail. Take a picnic somewhere & meditate in the fresh air. Read a book under a tree. Go to a waterpark.

Spend time near water.

The sound of moving water is soothing, & often brings clarity. Go swimming to escape the heat. Rent a canoe or a kayak, or simply enjoy reading by a river, fish pond, or fountain.

Enjoy fresh food.

Many fruits & vegetables are in season during the summer. Challenge yourself to try something new or different every week. Visit a local farmer’s market, & become familiar with what your options may be, & surprise yourself. Use your extra hour you gain by unplugging to make a delicious meal, & connect with your inner child by taking it on a picnic.

Wake up earlier.

Getting up just 30 minutes earlier than you normally do can be rejuvenating, & is shown to increase productivity. Take the time to make breakfast, or go for a walk. Connect with your inner child during a morning bike ride, or meditate in the sun before it becomes too hot. 

And finally, step outside of your comfort zone.

Organize an office event, or a summer barbeque. Join a running or biking club, or a community pool.  Go camping for the first time, or hike a new trail. Only when you step outside of your comfort zone do you grow.

I am constantly updating my care matrix. I require feedback to adequately provide up-to-date care. Are you satisfied with your care?

[bettercareprovider]

self care is creating a life you don’t routinely have to escape from

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Self Care While Fasting

Disclaimer: I am not a trained medical professional, though I have extensive experience fasting. Do your research before fasting. First fast only with proper, experienced supervision. 

This post includes sections specifically tailored for those fasting during Ramadan, but info may be generally used & applied as well.

Ramadan 2019; May 5th - June 4th.

Fasting is a willing abstinence or reduction from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. There are various types of fasting this can include;

An absolute fast (dry fasting) - normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a period of 24 hours, or a number of days. 

Water fasting allows for consumption of water, only.

Other fasts may be partially restrictive, limiting only particular foods or substances. A fast may also be intermittent in nature. 

Not to be confused with starving, where one suffers from severe lack of nutrition, vitamins and minerals. During the period of the fast, the body burns adipose (fat reserves) for energy. Starvation happens when a body has no reserve fat fuels to burn & starts eating into its own muscles and organs instead.

Fasting is part of many religious observances around the world, and has also shown some signs of alleviating symptoms of depression.2

In the case of Ramadan; 

Ramadan isn't just about avoiding food and drink from dawn and dusk. Sexual intercourse is also abstained from.The idea is to use the month to cultivate self-discipline to be practiced for the rest of the year.

The Five Stages:

Stage 1: Daily food. Energy is derived from glucose in daily food consumption.

Stage 2: Glycogen from liver (Glycogenolysis) - Glycogen from the liver is converted via glycogenolysis after 4-8 hours of not consuming food. Typically lasts 12hr.

Stage 3: Glycogen from our muscles. Last typically 24-48hr before moving to ketosis.

Stage 4: Full Ketosis (Fasting) - Stage 4 occurs when the body realizes that it needs to stop wasting muscles, as it is needed for survival. It then switches to ketosis, where it burns fat from our adipose tissues, the fat reserve. Fat is converted into ketone which can be used for energy. There will still be muscle loss during full ketosis.

Stage 5: Starvation. This happens as long as there are no more fat reserves left — equivalent of less than 7% or 10% body fat for males and females respectively. 

One pound of fat is 3,500 calories.

Fitness & exercise during a Fast; 

During a fast, the body is burning away the waste in your fat cells, very different from when it’s burning from glucose. Trying to engage in physical activity, or even a normal routine, will result in muscle being burned to keep up with individual needs. Muscle is, after all, a more efficient fuel than fat. 

Rest, & limit the more physically challenging aspects of your regular routine.

Notes on the process;

Eventually, the body begins to adjust to its new eating and drinking pattern as higher levels of endorphins appear in the blood, making fasters more alert, happier, and giving an overall feeling of better mental health. 

Muslims who do choose to fast should avoid overly-greasy and deep-fried foods, instead opting for baking, grilling, and shallow frying their two meals a day. Breaking the fast at iftar with dates and sweet, milky drinks is common in many households. These provide an energy boost after the fasting day, which is often much needed.

It is also important to get in food from all the five major food groups, and this will provide an easier transition from using fat to burn energy as opposed to glucose.

Drinking plenty of water for rehydration will ensure the body is kept revitalized, reducing overindulgence. Ideally, drink 8-12oz of water thirty minutes prior to consuming food for this purpose.

        Ramadan Mubarak to all taking part this year.

I am constantly updating my care matrix. I require feedback to adequately provide up-to-date care. Are you satisfied with your care?

[bettercareprovider]

One day at a time. One foot in front of the each other. It’ll work out, you’ll make it through, you’ll be ok <3

love from the sad ghost club

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6 big reminders (for when you need them most):

1) your friends really love you. they wouldn’t talk to you or be around you if they didn’t. they chose you! you are in no way a burden to anybody. you’re really cool!   

2) the love in your heart is there for a reason, please don’t tuck it away. that push that you feel towards the good is there for a reason. love with all your might and that means to give some to yourself too.

3) good things take time. transition periods in life are real. and you’re going to be okay.

4) you’re doing the best you can with what you’ve got. forgive yourself and be gentle with yourself. this life thing is in no way easy and it’s kinda scary but you’re moving up at your own pace. 

5) did i mention that you’re going to be okay? nothing is as serious as it may feel. happiness is attainable. love is real. and you’re going to be just fine.

6) no one is the same person that they were a year ago. change comes fast. embrace it, move with it. sometimes the scariest steps are the most important. go with it, not against it.

i love you. i’m rooting for you. <3 

Keep reading

[bettercareprovider]

- Reminder to eat today if you’ve forgotten to

- Reminder to shower if you haven’t gotten around to it lately

- Reminder to take a breath, drink some water and to walk around outside

You will get where you’re trying to go, take care of yourself in the meantime.

[bettercareprovider]

Okay, I have a life hack for you.

Last week, I got attacked by the most painful and persistent hiccups of my life at work. My co-worker heard me hiccuping and said, absently, “Got the hiccups?” and I said miserably, “Yeah.” And she said, “Prove it.”

And I glared at her, because why the fuck should I prove anything to her? And I waited for the next hiccup, which would prove that she was a dick and that I was, indeed, suffering from hiccups. And… that hiccup never came. And she smirked and said, “My daughter calls me whenever she has hiccups and when I ask her to prove it, she never can.”

And that was weird. But later that night, I got hiccups AGAIN, so I said to my boyfriend, “I HAVE HICCUPS.” and he said “Yeah, you do.” And I said, “No, ask me to prove it.” And he gave me a look like I was a crazy person, and I hiccuped again and insisted he ask me to prove it and he did and BAM. I couldn’t do it!

And a few days LATER, I got the hiccups WHILE DRIVING ALONE, and I said, out loud, “DUDE, I have the hiccups.” And then, in another voice, “PROVE IT.” And bam. Couldn’t do it.

The moral of the story? Apparently hiccups are little shits who refuse to perform on command. 

There you go. Hiccup cure. I can’t promise it’ll work for everyone, but so far, it’s worked for me like six times.

You’re welcome.