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What You Should Do If You Get Bitten By a Spider (Infographic)

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As we approach the time when we all begin to unpack Christmas decorations, it’s a great time to remind you to look out for spiders! Four or five years ago, I was unpacking Christmas decorations from the garage and I noticed a cool looking spider – kind of a different color from the ones you see.

Fortunately, I have always had a system in place where I unpack boxes and containers outside, then bring the decorations inside, one at a time. I’m paranoid about spiders and mice, and this particular time, it turned out to prove to be helpful. When I took a closer look, I saw the telltale “violin” on the spider’s back and knew it was a very dangerous brown recluse.

Needless to say, he wasn’t invited in the house.

Always be extra careful when unpacking boxes (even totes – mice sometimes chew small holes in these.. holes big enough for spiders to crawl through). Whether you keep your boxes in closets, garages, building, storage units, or attics – there is simply no place you can keep them that makes it’s 100 percent safe from spiders.

So be careful!

Needless to say, spiders are a danger year round and getting bit by one can mean anything from an itchy, sore spot for a few days to antibiotics ore even a stay in the hospital… or worse.  Never take a spider bite for granted.

Below is information for what you should do if you ever ARE bitten by a spider.

Spider Bites

Know what spider bites look like, what symptoms to watch out for and what you should do if you are bitten.

 


Anxiety, Stress and Back pain: A Self Help Guide

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by Hayden

Back pain can be bothersome and is common among many people. Can stress cause back pain and stomach pain? If you suffer from back pain, anxiety and distress could be the cause of your pain. Pain from stress is one of the reasons why most individuals enduring back-related problems seek help. But it’s not that anxiety results in backache; however, it may provoke some behaviors which later lead to back problems.

Check out different stress back pain relief ways:

  1. ADHD testing

The first step to discovering that you have a problem is through testing. Like any other disorder, mental disorders can be challenging to diagnose. But with the right tools and accurate diagnosis, an anxiety disorder can be identified. Though this may take some time, it’s a great way of determining the presence of anxiety disorder in children, teenagers, and adults.

 

  1. Therapy and coaching

Therapy plays a significant role in the management of stress and anxiety symptoms. It assists you in discovering your feelings and stress-causing behaviors. Therapy also supports you to concentrate on the aspects of your life that you’d like to change. This way, you better understand yourself and the people around you.

 

With therapy, it becomes easier to get assistance or come up with ways of dealing with your situation. An excellent method of dealing with anxiety and stress is home-based outpatient occupational therapy. Occupational therapy can support you to recover from an injury that might be causing you back and body pain or your kid who has issues with social settings.

 

  1. Social skills groups

Group counseling is vital for improving the way you relate with others as well as your self-esteem. It also assists kids to stay calm in stressful situations, and this enhances their communication skills. This way, kids can reduce stress; boost their frustration tolerance, thus leading a less stressful and healthier relationships.

 

  1. Educational forums

By enrolling in stress-related courses, you gain lots of information on how to deal with your situation. By so doing, you’re better placed to understand the cause of your stress, manage stressful situations, organize your activities better, and plan your time appropriately. This way, you get peace of mind and stay in control of your day to day activities.

 

  1. Massage

Massage is associated with many benefits. Massage lessens stress, eases muscle pain, and elicits feelings of calmness and relaxation. Also, massage relieves tensions, boosts blood circulation, and is suitable for back pain relief.

 

  1. Aerobic exercises

Exercising is essential for stress back pain relief. Unless the pain hinders you from moving, walk around, and do a few activities that can stimulate your back muscles. But, be mindful not to injure yourself as you exercise. The type of activities you choose should improve but not worsen your case. These are, for instance, brisk walking, swimming, cycling, and jogging.

 

  1. Stretching

Stretching is crucial for emotional stress and back pain, it keeps your muscles stretched, and this hinders more pain. Also, your muscles become more mobile, and this lowers the possibility of sharp pain.

 

  1. Watch your diet

To deal with anxiety stress, you need to watch what you consume. Take a balanced diet and ensure that your food contains lots of whole grains, nuts, lean meats, fruits, and vegetables. Stay away from caffeinated drinks and alcohol, for they can worsen your condition. Tobacco or cigarette smoke is also harmful. Lastly, avoid sugary foods like; cakes, candies, white bread, and chips.

 

Conclusion

There are various ways of dealing with anxiety, stress, and back pain. To alleviate such symptoms, you need to understand the best ways of stress back pain relief. So, join social skills groups, go for testing, participate in educational forums and watch yourself live a happier

Does Lack of Sleep Increase Chances of Diabetes?

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Bo and Adam Sleeping

 

by Hayden

Adequate sleep is essential for a healthy body. It reinvigorates your mind and relaxes your body. If you lack enough sleep, you’re likely to be irritable and lethargic; this can also lead to more stress and increased appetite. We are all aware that obesity and craving for sweet foods can increase your risk of diabetes.

Regrettably, most people suffer sleep deprivation due to lack of the right mattress.  However, by acquiring smart beds from Eight Sleep, you can be guaranteed of comfortable, good night sleep.

Can lack of sleep cause diabetes? Read on to find out:

  1. Lack of sleep affects your hormone levels. Skimping on sleep drives your hormone levels out of control. If you always lack sleep, your body discharges less insulin after you eat, leading to secretion of more stress hormones like cortisol. Cortisol makes you stay awake but tougher for insulin to do its job efficiently. As a result, you have too much glucose in your bloodstream, which intensifies your risk for acquiring type 2 diabetes.
  2. Lack of sleep impairs the functioning of your pancreas When you lack adequate sleep, the ability of your pancreas to deliver insulin is adversely affected, and this results in diabetes. More so, lack of sleep leads to a decrease in slow-wave or deep sleep which is the most restorative stage of sleep. Deep sleep plays a critical role in sustaining proper insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control.
  3. Lack of sleep results in insulin resistance.Sleep deprivation boosts resistance to insulin, and this heightens the risk of developing diabetes. There’s sufficient evidence to show that sleep deprivation could cause a pre-diabetic state. The body’s response to sleep deprivation can, in most cases resemble insulin resistance which is a symptom of diabetes.
  4. Lack of sleep leads to a craving for sweet foods.Your body is programmed to do most of the critical mending of the immune system during sleep. So, when you suffer disrupted sleep, you interrupt the cycle, and this affects your immune system as well as it’s the ability to fight infections.More so, if you lack sleep, your appetite levels increase, and you crave for starchy and sugary foods. Indulging in such cravings or overeating wreaks havoc in your insulin, blood sugar levels, and your weight, all which are risk factors for diabetes. If you lack sleep, you’re likely to feel sluggish and fatigued. And this makes you less inclined to exercise. Remember, working out helps in weight management and control of blood sugar.
  5. Lack of sleep increases the risk of obesity.How does lack of sleep increase your risk of obesity? Sleep deprivation affects your metabolism and makes your body store extra carbohydrates which can lead to weight gain. We all know that obesity is a risk factor for diabetes. More so, when you lack adequate sleep, the cardiac rhythm of the body is disrupted, resulting in abnormal hormonal changes that lead to diabetes.
  6. There’s a relationship between sleep and diabetes type 2. There’s a link between blood sugar and sleep. When your blood sugar is out of control, having a good night sleep becomes a problem. High blood sugar will prompt the kidneys to try to discharge it by urinating frequently, and this will make you not sleep well. Lack of sleep also increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

Bottom line

 Family history, what you consume, and your weight can all affect your risk of developing diabetes. More so, your sleeping habits play a significant role, and lack of sleep is a risk factor for diabetes. Therefore, get adequate sleep daily for better health and lessen your risk of diabetes.

Sleep On It

 

 

Science Behind Human and Dog Bond

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Quote About Dogs

 

by Hayden

The chemistry between dogs and humans is one that has existed over the years. Many people love dogs, and dogs love them. Pet owners go all out to take care of their dogs because of the bond of love that exists between them. In the same way, dogs are very loyal to their owners and fight tooth and nail to protect them. 

Can the strong bond between dogs and humans be explained? Science has an explanation for why things happen the way you do. In the same way, we can explore the science behind the bonding of these two creatures as is in this article:

Use of eye contact

Dogs make eye contact during bonding. Like with human beings, eye contact with another party is the first way to establish a strong bond with them. When dogs want to bond with humans, they maintain eye contact. This is especially so when they are taking instructions and accepting compliments eye contact is the best way to measure whether or not your dog attends to you when you speak. 

Studies have been conducted around this logic. It has been proven by researchers in Azabu University, Japan that when a dog establishes eye contact with his owner, that moment allows for the generation of oxytocin, which is mostly known as the “love hormone”. This is the same hormonal response in human beings that bonds us to babies, even at a very young age.

The power of touch

Human beings are best known to appreciate and acknowledge the power of touch. In the same way, dogs are sensitive to a touch of affection. When human pets a dog, the dog responds with signs of affection. This can be through licking the person, wagging the tail, or jumping up and down around the person.

You can best experience this when you are grooming your pet. After using the best dog shampoo to wash him, the whole process of drying your dog and brushing his fur can instill feelings of love. Notice also how much dogs love to be petted, even by children. 

Social creatures

The reality of both of these species is that they are social creatures. This makes the relationship between a dog and a human mutually beneficial, as both are working to make a new friend and share the love with a different party. In that case, it is easier for a dog and a human to form a relationship than it is for a human and a cow.

Dogs are outgoing

Humans may be outgoing, but not all of them. With dogs, it is not the case. Most dogs, if not all of them, are outgoing by nature. They exist best where they can be active, walk and play around. Given that humans are the most entertaining of such behaviors, it is easy for dogs to form strong bonds with humans. For example, it is like a dog to run out and greet their owners when they walk into their homes. Since human beings also enjoy the warm welcome, the bond is automatically formed. 

Dogs are adaptive to different personalities

Much as a dog gets its personality from the genes, a lot of how a dog behaves has to do with their owners. A great way to observe this is to take a sample of a similar breed of dog raised by different owners. While both are dogs, their personalities will be a lot similar to their owners. In this case, it is easy for dogs and humans to form relationships.

Summary

Evidently, the symbiotic relationship between dogs and human beings has significantly affected both species. As more people become dog owners, and rescue groups gang up to help stray dogs, the bond is yet to grow stronger in the years to come.

Quote About Relaxation

How Good Are Your Problem Solving Skills? Flowchart That Shows What Kind of Problem Solver You Are!

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We all approach problems and problem solving differently – a lot of which has to do with our temperament, personality, and even upbringing. I’m a STRONG believer in the psychology behind birth-order, so I’m certain that comes into play as well. I mean, if I (an only child) can own up to what’s said about my kind, anyone can own up to anything!

Plot twist: Yes, we drift toward the spoiled lane. 😛

The flowchart below will tell you, not only what kind of problem solver you are but will also give you advice on becoming an EVEN better problem solver based upon your predisposition. I am an “intuitive” problem solver – and I would have bet you anything that was exactly where I’d land!

How Good Are Your Problem-Solving Skills?

How Good Are Your Problem-Solving Skills?, courtesy of CashNetUSA

 

Speaking of the Psychology of Birth Order… the following book is a fascinating read!


The Birth Order Book: Why You Are the Way You Are