Sleep Deprivation

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Positively Alyssa

Sleep is crucial for our overall health and well-being. We do not realize how active our brain is while we sleep as it carries out numerous vital functions. Sleep is imperative to every process in the body. The benefits of sleep include, but are not limited to keeping yourself healthy, possibly helping prevent cancer, reducing stress and inflammation, you will feel more alert, enhancing memory, may help you to lose weight and many more things that are beneficial.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated one in three adults does not get enough sleep. The suggested hours of sleep vastly range depending on an individual’s age, but they do advise adults to get at least seven hours of sleep each night.

Understandably, intermittent disturbances may be an inconvenience, and this does happen to all of us. However, even with that said, it is critical to understand an ongoing lack of quality sleep can create issues with performance at work or school, and the ability to function in daily life and cause the quality of life to deteriorate drastically.

When people fail to get enough sleep, they may face dangerous consequences. Sleep deprivation is what occurs when people are consistently lacking sleep or have a reduction in quality sleep. The following are the different types of sleep deprivation:

Acute Sleep Deprivation- Refers to not sleeping or a reduction in the normal total sleep time, typically lasting one or two days.

Chronic Sleep Deprivation- Also referred to as insufficient sleep syndrome. This is when the person is getting insufficient sleep or experiences sleeplessness over an extended period.

Chronic Sleep Deficiency or Insufficient Sleep- Describes poor sleep that occurs due to sleep fragmentation or other disruptions for an extended period.

Several effects are detrimental to long-term sleep deprivation, which I will explain in the rest of this post. The following are not in any specific order or severity.

Hypertension is an increased blood pressure, which is said to be linked to when you get less than 5-6 hours of sleep per night. As I stated at the beginning of this post, sleep helps to carry out vital functions, including regulating the body’s hormones causing stress. The lack of rest intensifies the effects of stress on the body. An increase in blood pressure, higher than normal heart rate, and inflammation puts unnecessary strains on the heart.

Heart attack and stroke because sleep deprivation increases the risk of fatal cardiovascular issues. Doctors and researchers suggest that because lack of sleep can disrupt parts of the brain controlling the circulatory system or cause inflammation can allow for the development of blood clots.

Sleeping as much as five hours is not enough and research suggests that sleep deprivation may disrupt the body’s ability to process glucose cells. These cells are utilized for fuel and certain amounts of insulin produced by the body. Sleep deprivation is considered a consequential risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.

When people do not get a good night’s sleep, they tend to feel irritable. Long-term sleep deprivation is linked to clinical depression and loss of motivation. People who battle with depression typically have irregular sleep schedules. Our sleep cycles and regulation of moods are regulated by a hormone called “melatonin”.

Both anxiety and panic attacks are common reactions when battling with chronic sleep deficiency. People may display lower tolerance for mild stressors that would normally not cause any irrational reactions.

Even after one night of restless sleep, we can experience mental fog, fatigue, short tempers, and lack of focus. When our brain is unable to get adequate rest for an extended period, mental abilities can be drastically impaired. Logically, we know we need proper sleep to keep a sharp mind, concentrate, and learn. Lack of sleep may impact our problem-solving skills and the ability to regulate our emotions and make rational decisions. Sleep deprivation can also create problems with balance, reflexes, and motor skills, which can easily result in injury or car accidents when they “try” to drive.

A more serious, extreme, and long-term lack of sleep can cause numerous psychiatric disturbances. There have been some people that suffered from prolonged periods of sleep deprivation that reported symptoms that included disorientation, paranoia, and hallucinations. These symptoms can be upsetting, confusing, and terrifying for the person and those around them.

I am not a medical professional, but this is something I have been a witness to and was forced to research on because it can be scary and a little frustrating. If you or someone you know has experienced this, there is help from educated medical professionals. Going too long without sleep is extremely dangerous and very important. I can say from personal experience that watching someone battling with sleep deprivation can appear to be frightening.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you had an amazing weekend that was filled with nothing but happiness. I hope you found the information in this post useful for you or someone you know. Allow me to reiterate that I am NOT a medical professional so nothing in this post is medical advice. I look forward to reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Chronic Pain & Sleep

Posted on October 9, 2021 by Positively Alyssa

Chronic pain can be challenging to live with, especially when relief from the pain is rare. Pain can make falling asleep and staying asleep feel almost impossible. Unfortunately, the vicious cycle of pain and lack of good quality sleep can cause an individual’s overall health and wellbeing to worsen.

There are numerous causes of chronic pain, but there are also many causes for increased pain at night. Of course, some causes for pain are well known, but not all the causes are as well known. The increased pain at night is like clockwork and gets increasingly worse around the same time every night. For anyone living with pain, you are not alone. It may be helpful to understand some of the reasons for the worsening of pain at night and possible ways to counteract the pain.

1. Body position can play a major factor in increased pain at night. Laying down to sleep causes your body weight to put pressure on your nerves that do not occur when you are upright during the day.

It might take time but trying to find another body position at night that does not increase pain is important. This is going to be different for each person depending on the cause of their pain. If the pain is knee pain, it could help to try a pillow between your knees at night to reduce the pressure on your knees. The type of mattress you have might be too soft or too hard and a different mattress may help.

2. Many people sleep better in cooler temperatures and struggle when it is too warm. Depending on the root cause of the pain, cooler temperatures can worsen pain no matter what time of day it is.

Experiment with different temperatures until you find the temperature that works the best for you. Finding the perfect temperature for your sleep may be difficult, but keeping a journal of your quality of sleep, your pain levels, and the temperature in the room is a good way to start.

3. At night we are more aware of the pain and less distracted by our daily responsibilities, such as work or school. This does not mean the pain is not real because the pain is very real, but during the night there is not anything to occupy our mind which allows us to focus more and notice the pain.

4. Hormone levels in our body contribute to how well we sleep. When we prepare ourselves for sleep, hormone levels, metabolism, and other biochemical process adjust. Hormone changes can increase pain creating a battle for sleep. Cortisol is a type of hormone that has anti-inflammatory effects. Cortisol levels decrease halfway through the sleep cycle that allows us to rest, but this can also heighten some forms of pain.

5. The timing and dosage of medication that helps control pain during the day start to wear off too soon. For some their biochemistry and symptoms may require a different dosage and or medication at night. Talking to your pain management doctor to determine the best course of action can help with the ability to sleep better.

It is crucial to establish and maintain a sleep routine that helps prepare your body for rest. During the day we are all over-stimulated and reducing this issue can help tremendously. Turning off any stimuli, such as the TV and other screens 1-2 hours before bed may help your mind and body relax. Practicing other things that may help you relax such as reading a book or taking a warm bath. Other things that may help your mind relax are meditation or deep breathing exercises as these can lower your stress and help reduce pain.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you will find the information I have shared helpful. Even though I understand how challenging sleep is with chronic pain, there are ways to work around this and get a better night sleep. I am looking forward to reading your comments, which I will respond to as quickly as I can. I hope you are having a relaxing and safe weekend! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Multiple Sclerosis Triggers and Ways To Avoid Them

Posted on March 27, 2021 by Positively Alyssa

Multiple Sclerosis can be a challenging illness to live with, but there are often ways to manage the difficulties. Many things can trigger symptoms, but there are also ways to avoid many of these triggers. It takes time to understand what exactly triggers your symptoms and then to discover the best way to avoid them. Just like each person experiences MS differently, each person will have different triggers and ways to combat those triggers. Of course, please remember that I am not a doctor or medical professional, I am just another person living with MS, and have researched the topic. Today, I am going to share 10 triggers and ways to avoid these triggers.

1. Stress: We all experience stress in our life but having a chronic condition like Multiple Sclerosis can create an entirely new source of stress. Other types of stress can be a result of work, personal relationships, or financial struggles. Too much stress for anyone can cause difficult times, but too much stress for someone with MS can contribute to the worsening of symptoms.

Ways to avoid stress might include finding a relaxing, stress-reducing activity that takes your mind off stress. This activity is anything you find enjoyable because this is for YOU and YOUR health. A few things that may appeal to you are yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises. These practices can help you to relax and obliterate risks for causing symptoms to worsen.

2. Heat: Any form of heat whether it be from the sun, sauna or, a hot tub can be too extreme for people with Multiple Sclerosis. This can often time lead to an exacerbation of symptoms. From my own experience, heat is the enemy which is difficult because I love the beach. I think my saving grace at the beach is the ocean breeze!

It is not always easy to avoid the heat, especially where I live in the south. The best way to avoid this is to keep your house cool and purchase extra fans. Also, on days when there is extreme heat avoid direct sunlight, wear light loose clothing, and stay in the shade as much as possible. Steer clear of saunas, hot tubs, and those hot yoga studios.

3. Childbirth: Many women with MS experience a relapse after giving birth. As a matter of fact, 20-40% of women endure a relapse in the period of time after giving birth. Thankfully, my husband and I do not have children, so I have not experienced this issue. Of course, no one can prevent a relapse after childbirth, but this would be a time to take some steps to reduce how severe the impact is. During the immediate days after childbirth, lean on family and friends to assist with your new bundle of joy so you may get rest and take care of yourself. This can help your body recover more effectively.

4. Becoming Sick: Certain types of infection can cause a relapse and MS can create certain types of other infections. Infection such as the flu or even something as simple as the common cold may cause MS symptoms to worsen.

Avoiding sickness can be challenging, especially with COVID spreading like wildfire. Even with the numerous challenges involved with avoiding getting sick, living a healthy lifestyle can help with preventing infections and other illnesses. It is also helpful to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds multiple times a day and distance yourself from anyone that is sick, especially if you are experiencing a relapse.

5. Some Vaccines: While most vaccines are safe and recommended for those with Multiple Sclerosis, certain vaccines contain live pathogens, which can create the risk of exacerbating symptoms. If you are experiencing a relapse or taking certain medications, consult with your neurologist before getting any vaccines because it might be in your best interest to postpone the vaccine. Your doctor will know the best way to handle this and will advise you regarding vaccines.

I will be completely honest with y’all with the medication I take for MS, Gilenya, I was advised years ago to not get vaccines. Of course, that was 20 years ago and so many changes with medications with additional research. I had always been leery of getting anything and it was not due to the needles, I just feared for negative interactions. However, my current neurologist told me things with the Gilenya had changed over the years and the only vaccines that were not safe were the ones that were live vaccines, and I was able to get the COVID vaccine and I can get the flu vaccine if I decide I want it. My neurologist did highly recommend I get the flu vaccine, but I am not in any rush to do this!

6. Vitamin D Deficiency: At least one study discovered that people with lower vitamin D levels have an increased risk of relapse than someone with adequate vitamin D levels. It has been suggested that Vitamin D can protect against developing MS, but even more research that revealed Vitamin D affects the disease as it is needed.

The best way to prevent the issue of Vitamin D deficiency is to make sure your doctor regularly checking your Vitamin D levels. There are supplements available, some foods have high amounts of Vitamin D, and safe sun exposure can help increase and maintain your levels. However, while supplements may seem safe and legit, it is best to discuss any supplements with your doctor before beginning them to ensure there are not any negative interactions and they will provide suitable results.

7. Inadequate Amount of Sleep: Sleep has an important role in our overall health. The body utilizes sleep to repair the brain and restore other areas that have been damaged. When we do not get sufficient sleep, our body does not get the necessary time to rest and rejuvenate. Too much fatigue can trigger symptoms and/or make symptoms worsen. With muscle spasms, pain, and tingling, MS can make sleep rather troublesome.

Considering how vital sleep is for our health, it is crucial to discuss sleep issues with your doctor. Bring the issue to your doctor’s attention can help determine if any other conditions causing the sleep struggles.

8. Poor Diet: A well-balanced and healthy diet, along with regular exercise can be beneficial for avoiding relapses and/or reduces Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. A diet considering of processed foods will not supply your body with the nutrition that is required.

To avoid developing a poor diet habit, working with a dietitian to discover the best healthy eating plan you can carry on with could be extremely helpful. Although, research is not clear as to the best diet is for people with MS, eating healthy foods can have a positive impact on everyone’s health. Concentrate on good sources of protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates is one of the best ideas.

9. Certain Medications & Stopping Medications Too Soon: The truth is some medications that can make symptoms worse. Your neurologist will need to monitor all medications you are taking to ensure there are no interactions that can trigger symptoms to worsen. Even though some medications can have negative side effects, this does not mean you should stop any abruptly. You should always consult with your neurologist before starting or stopping all medications as to not increase your risk of a relapse.

The 10th Trigger Can Be Pushing Yourself Too Far & Too Hard: As already stated, fatigue is a common symptom for those living with Multiple Sclerosis. With that said, if you have MS and continuously push yourself to go with too little sleep and/or overwork yourself physically and/or emotionally, you might face ramifications. The combination of overexertion and fatigue can trigger a relapse or make a relapse last longer.

The best way to avoid a relapse due to pushing yourself too hard is, be easier on yourself or at least listen to the cues your body is telling you. Start slowing down when you become tired. Rest as much as possible when you can. Understand that pushing yourself to exhaustion, the recovery will take that much longer. It is important to know that our body does know when it has had enough and when it needs to rest and take a break!

I hope the information provided in this post will be beneficial whether you have MS or another chronic condition. Living with any chronic condition can be complex and I am only way too familiar with Multiple Sclerosis, and with March being Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, I wanted to be able to share as much useful information as I could.

Thank you for visiting my site today! I hope you have a nice and safe weekend! I am looking forward to reading your comments and I promise to respond as quickly as I possibly can! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Motivational Monday

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Positively Alyssa

~Let Us Begin This Week With All Positive Thoughts~

Happy Monday y’all! I hope you had a nice, relaxing, and safe weekend, and you are ready to begin this new week. My weekend was uneventful which is a great way to spend the weekend or at least it is for me. The only bad part of the weekend was I could hardly sleep but 2 hours on Friday night, so Saturday I was exhausted. The crazier thing was, there was no reason for me not to sleep Friday night. Normally, when I have sleepless nights I am worried about something or stressed and I do not think I was, at least not consciously.

As our week begins and the weekend has ended I always feel we might need a little motivation to get us started in the best way possible. I try to share quotes that I enjoy, but do hope the one I am sharing today will serve you with the motivation and inspiration you need. Most of us think of Jim Carey as a comedian, but he can be insightful like this quote indicates. Of course, I hope your week begins well and continues to improve with each day that passes. I am looking forward to reading your comments and promise to respond as quickly as I can, which will probably be when I am out of work.

As y’all know March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month and I am planning to do a few more posts about MS. I have my virtual appointment with my neurologist tomorrow afternoon and I am hoping we will be discussing the MRI I had several weeks ago. In the past, I was always nervous about hearing the results, but I did read the report and it looked to me as a good report with no terrible changes. I guess I will hear what the neurologist says and I will keep y’all informed.

Thank you for visiting my site today! I hope you have a great and safe day will very little unnecessary stress. I have learned over the years that most things I stress over are not as important as I think they are and should just let go of these things. I cannot say I always let go of things, but I am trying. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

4 Helpful Tips

Posted on March 14, 2021 by Positively Alyssa

Ways to have a good day after a bad night’s sleep

There is so much focus on getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night to be more productive and feel most energized. This tends to make people center their attention only on the night but is just as important to consider what we can do during the day to help us get a good and restful night’s sleep.

One common mistake people make after a bad night’s sleep is to take it easy or rest up. Often our energy level feels like it is a limited resource, and we try to reserve it, but this is not the best idea. We can increase our energy and reduce fatigue by doing more, instead of less. Now allow me to explain further with 4 simple key areas.

Continue with your full schedule

Whether you have work, school, or both do not call in sick and/or cancel appointments. Maintaining the same schedule, you had planned when you anticipated sleeping well can serve as a benefit. Your typical schedule might keep you busy enough so you do not have time to think about how tired you are. Another benefit is the next time you lay your head down to fall asleep, you will not have to stress about how you are going to deal with a bad night of sleep because you know you can deal with it the best way possible by staying busy.

Avoid low energy people

When it comes to other people, your first thought might be avoiding high-energy people because you are feeling so low energy. Of course, I know right now with COVID we are not around many people, but it is possible that spending time with others that make you feel more energized and alive will increase your energy. Whether it is due to COVID or you are more introverted, find just one friend or family member you enjoy spending time with, but do this safely. This might assist you in reducing moodiness and make your mood better.

Maintain confidence in your body and relax your mind

Throughout the day, do not dwell on how you are going to catch up on sleep. Understanding that our body can adjust to most situations and will help us sleep more soundly and restful when necessary. Our body is more resilient than we give it credit for and it knows how to take care of itself. Going to bed earlier than normal or taking naps will create problems with our internal clock and we will have more issues in the long run, which is why it is crucial to maintain our normal schedule. We need to trust our body to get the sleep we required and wasting time watching the clock and calculating the amount of sleep we will get only generates stress and irritation, which will make sleep nearly impossible.

Do not rely on caffeine or coffee

Natural methods for increasing energy are much better for our body. We should always try to avoid caffeine pills and energy drinks because they are only a short-term fix, but the crash and/or other negative side effects can be awful, and we will wish we did not consume anything. The benefits you can get from sunlight, talking with friends, or exercise, even just a short walk may be a lot more powerful for the long-term.

Over the years, I have dealt with sleep problems and mainly because my mind is always on overdrive. The nights that I struggled with sleep and then the next day felt exhausted with hardly any energy, but I did always push through the day. Normally, I can handle a lack of sleep well for a couple of days because I do trust that my body knows when it has had enough.

Something I have done without for over one year is caffeine. In the past when I was low energy due to a bad night’s sleep, I would consume a great amount of caffeine. Honestly, to me, the crash from caffeine is worst than the tired feeling because it can produce awful headaches and I already endure these so I do not need any additional headaches.

I hope you found the information I have provided helpful! I would, of course, love to know what you thought or if this was how you normally handle a bad night’s sleep. I hope you had a lovely, relaxing, and safe weekend! Daylight savings tends to throw my internal clock off, so I am still awfully tired today. I guess it is a good thing I have a day to get used to the time change before another week begins tomorrow or it would be a long week! Thank you for taking the time to read this post! I hope the rest of your weekend goes well! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

BUSY Week….

Posted on November 22, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

~Last Week Was Super Busy~

Let me start first by saying that I am sorry for my late responses to comments and missing both Inspirational Wednesday and Let It Go Friday last week. Honestly, last week was insanely busy and I worked a ridiculous amount of hours so I was tired. Actually, to say that I was tired is an understatement, I was beyond exhausted. I ended up working 56 hours last week and even though I do not have to leave my house to go to work, the week was painfully long!

My goal for the weekend was to recuperate from the long hours I worked last week, but it Sunday now and I still feel like I was hit by an 18 wheeler that also backed over me for the fun of it. The funny thing is, even though I am exhausted and hurt more than usual I do not regret the hours I worked and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Something that I find frustrating but also interesting is how fast the weather changes and the horrendous ways it can make me feel. It does not matter if the changes are from summer to winter or winter to spring or even spring to summer, my body does not adjust well or fast to the changes. The truth of the matter is, I do not handle cold temperatures well because the cold makes me tense up, which causes much more pain.

I do believe that the stress from work, life, and health, along with lack of sleep is causing high levels of pain. This is why I am behind on responding to comments and even missed two of my normal posts. I am hoping to get back to normal this week and maybe work a normal number of hours.

Now that I have told y’all about how insane last week was for me, how was your week? I hope you are taking care of yourself and of course, staying safe. I know I have said this many times before, but COVID is still terrifying to me. The new cases of COVID in the city I live in, is on a steady increase. I do not know why I can’t understand why people are still not taking this virus seriously. It doesn’t take a genius to look at the numbers and see they are increasing drastically. It also does not take a genius to understand what needs to be done to keep better control of these cases. If there is something I am not smart enough to understand, please enlighten me.

Thank you so much for visiting my site today. Also, thank you for understanding why I have been delayed in responding and missing my posts. I am begging you to do everything you can to stay safe and avoid COVID. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Let It Go Friday!

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

HAPPY FRIDAY!

I hope y’all had a lovely week! Are you ready for your weekend? Do you have any plans? Like always I have no plans at all. Honestly, after working all week I am looking forward to having no plans. I have no where I have to be and no time that I am required to wake up! Of course, even though I do not have to get up at a certain time, I still will not sleep in because I tend to just wake up at the same time every single day. This can be a little frustrating because at the end of the week, I really need to be able to catch up on sleep at least some!

We all have those times during the week when we might be feelings little frustrated with work, home, traffic, etc. With our weekend beginning tomorrow, today is a great day to let go of any of those feelings so we have a better chance to enjoy the weekend. Weekends are already short enough, so there is no point carrying unpleasant emotions into it and losing out on anything great! I hope the quote I am sharing with y’all today will help you to let go of any negative emotions and help you enjoy the weekend to the best of your abilities. I would love the chance to read your thoughts on this quote and I promise to respond as quickly as possible!

Thank you for visiting my site today! I hope you have a great day and your weekend is everything you want it to be. Please just remember to stay safe by practicing all safety protocols. I know I say this to y’all in every post, but it is because I care and do not want anything bad to happen to you! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Ways to get something positive out of confinement & social distancing

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

There is a very good chance I lost count of how many days we have been under what feels like home lockdown and social distancing due to COVID-19 pandemic. So many of us are in areas where those that are in charge have implemented a “Stay at home” order, which means do not leave your house unless it is necessary. Never in a million years could I have imagined people are being advised to not go to work, school, or even church due to risks of the spread of COVID-19.

I cannot just sit around the house doing nothing. It is challenging for me to not be productive or be able to go to the grocery store. Considering how much I detest grocery shopping, I should be thankful for the fact going to the grocery store is not an option for me. I hate being told what I can and can’t do and I might have some very mild control issues. (I know my husband would be laughing about this right now, so I am not showing him!)

To keep what sanity I do have and remain in a good mindset, I have been thinking of things to pass the time and how to view home confinement as a positive thing. I am going to share some ideas I have thought of and encourage you to let me know what you thought of this information and share any ideas you have to get through all this mess.

Remember when you were a child and how much fun you had putting a jigsaw puzzle together. Enjoy while you reminisce about the excitement you experience when you completed your masterpiece.
Have a little fun and give yourself a manicure and pedicure. It might not be as great as when someone else does it for you, but your nails and toes will be pretty.
Choose an interesting podcast to listen to. There are millions of podcasts to listen to and there’s bound to be something you will enthrall. The link I am sharing will take you to many different podcasts you can check out. https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/saving-and-budgeting/articles/best-personal-finance-podcasts-to-listen-to
Teach yourself a foreign language. There are many apps you can download, which will be very helpful for learning a new language. The link I have shared will take you to a list of great websites that will help you learn whatever language you desire. https://www.lingualift.com/blog/best-language-learning-apps/
Write a letter to a friend or family member to let them know you are thinking about them. Or, think about a time when someone did something nice for you and even went out of their way to help you. Write this person a warmhearted letter acknowledging what they did and why you are appreciative. This caring letter will make the other person surprised and overjoyed.
Over the years have you accumulated insane amounts of Tupperware? I will tell you that I have accumulated a lot! Organizing where your Tupperware is store by size and matching the lids, which will serve you well in several aspects. One, being organizing will help the massive clutter. It is true performing something like this, will give your mind a break from the COVID-19 stress.
Now is a great time to go through your closet and determine what you will wear again and those you will never wear. Many of these items could be given away to help someone in critical need. We are now helping someone else and clearing space I nm closet I know this will sound crazy, but that’s okay! I enjoy organizing my closet and tend to have it in order by color, like from light to dark A little insane, right?
We all have at least one drawer where we throw things because they do not have a designated home. Going through this drawer and either throwing things away or putting them where they need to be will help with decluttering our mind.
Knitting and crocheting can be very relaxing. If you do not know how to either crochet or knit, watch a few YouTube videos to learn how!
Coloring is no longer for kids only. There are many great adult coloring books available and if you do not have one coloring page, pictures are available online to print and then color!
Maybe it is just me, but I have a ton of makeup I have not used in years and really need to let some products out of the house. We can go through our makeup drawer and decide which products will not be used anymore and ones that will continue being used.
As silly as this may sound, reorganize your dresser drawers. You know there is at least one thing you can’t even remember the last time you wore or used, so it might be time for donating!
Discover new music! YouTube offers many music videos for a wide range of songs. Any type of music you enjoy, you can watch the video, plus Pandora and Spotify will give you more great music to uncover.
Do something silly, like attempt writing with your non-dominated hand and laugh at how awful it looks. You can try training yourself to write with your non-dominate hand which might be frustrating, but could be interesting!
This is a great time to catch up on the sleep we have been deprived of. We can enjoy the time we do not have anywhere to be and there is no rushing around.

Thank you so much for visiting my site today. I hope the information I have provided will be beneficial to you while we are in difficult times. I am excited to read what you think about my ideas and even more excited to read your suggestions. Of course, we do not know how long we will be in this situation, but we can make the most of a difficult time by working together. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Ways to care for your mental health during a pandemic

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

On March 11, 2020, both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic due to the coronavirus. The coronavirus has affected 192 countries and territories worldwide and 1 International conveyance, the Diamond Princess Cruise ship. It has steadily been causing vast amounts of turmoil in most households around the world.

Only to add the apprehension things have occurred, no one ever thought they would see in their lifetime. Starting with sporting event cancellations, school closings, mass shortages of personal protective equipment in hospitals, delaying elective surgeries, borders closing to International travelers, malls with either adjusted hours or closing altogether, restaurants only offering take-out, grocery store’s shelves are pretty much empty, employers being forced to allow employees to work from home if the work permits or laying employees off because they can’t afford them, and I am sure there is more that I didn’t remember.

Even though it will not be easy, we all need to find ways to calm our overactive anxiety and feelings of distress. First, how many times do you check for updates regarding the coronavirus? Second question, how many news outlets, whether it is TV or online news sources? It may help your anxiety and stress levels if you try limiting the number of times you check for updates, such as no more than 2 times a day and NEVER right before bed. It is also very important to choose a credible news outlet for your source. It could provide you additional security to have at least two trustworthy sites because it will allow you to fact check the information.

No matter where we live, we are all in this together and will be until things start to improve. Not to sound negative, but things will probably get even worse before they begin to get better. It is critical to listen to and rely on trustworthy news outlets and actual public health experts. It doesn’t matter who the politician is, they did not dedicate their lives to healthcare.

What does your body go through when stress and anxiety reach extremely high levels? What exactly is causing you the most worry? What do you fear the most right now? Is there anything you can do to make what you are worried about easier or end altogether? Allow your mind the time and honesty to answer these questions. Maybe this will distract you some and provide you clarity of your feelings.

The unfortunate truth is we have no control of this virus, but we do have control of what we do and how we cope with major situations. I am going to share some ideas that may provide distractions to relieve your anxious mind.

Connect with family and friends via video chat, phone calls, emails, and social media.
Yoga- If you have not practiced yoga before and want to start, now might be a good time because learning and trying new things could be enjoyable and a healthy distraction.
Meditation- If you have never meditated before, that’s okay because there are numerous apps available that are easy to follow, such as https://www.headspace.com/ and https://www.calm.com/. You could also visit Bella’s website https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/. Bella has many posts about meditation that are absolutely amazing and helpful.
Controlled breathing, which is called square breathing. Imagine your breath traveling along a square. Inhale up the first side of the square, count to 3, and exhale. Do this on all sides of the square!
Read a good book
Watch a comedy
Eat familiar foods that you enjoy
Free yourself from stress by coloring
Form a calming atmosphere with sweet aromas
Get out your knitting, crocheting, sewing or any other creative craft you enjoy
Take a warm bubble bath to drown your stress away
Contemplate with your journal. If you do not have a journal, it might help you to start one now
Pour yourself a warm cup of tea
Refresh yourself and skin with a facial mask
Get a deck of cards, puzzle or board game out to play

We do not really know how long we will continue being in monumental amounts of turbulence. We realize there is so much we do not have control over, such as how long we will be dealing with this pandemic, how many people will suffer because of it, or how our communities will be affected. None of this is easy to accept or even understand, but there are several ways we can reduce our personal risks of obtaining the virus.

Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or hand sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol
Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, and mouth in particular
Even if you do not feel sick, stay home as much as you can
Avoid crowds and gathering with more than 10 people
Avoid all non-essential shopping and travel
Keep 6 feet of distance between yourself and others when out
To help support your immune system, get plenty of sleep
Follow ALL recommendation from health establishments

While we remain in distressing time we need to not forget to care for our body and spirit. The following ideas are ways we can tend to our self-care while we deal with disturbances caused by the coronavirus

Be kind to yourself:

If you’re experiencing depression and or anxiety, go easy on yourself and know you are not alone

Maintain a routine as much as you can:

Even though you might be confined to your house, continue your normal sleep, meals, and work schedule

Make time for the activities you enjoy:

Read that book you’ve been meaning to start, play games you find enjoyable, cook something, and create something or anything else to occupy your mind from the stress you have been feeling

If possible get out in nature:

Sunshine and fresh can be beneficial for our mental and physical health. Whatever you do, obey the restrictions that have been put in place, keep your distance from people you may encounter, and avoid crowds

Find ways to exercise:

Of course, all gyms and exercise classes will be closed, but you can find alternative ways to exercise. Staying active will help relieve stress, anxiety, and even manage our moods. Get creative with what you are able to do without equipment, such as using your own bodyweight to exercise

Avoid self-medicating:

Be cautious about using alcohol or other substances to control your anxiety and depression

Thank you for taking the time to visit my site today. I hope the information provided will be beneficial for you and your family. Times are anything but easy right now, but hopefully things will start improving very soon. I hope you have a great afternoon and you are feeling the best you can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

How to not feel trapped by life

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

We are all in the pursuit of happiness for our life. We must try to discover what we truly want from the life we are living. We can easily begin to feel trapped by our aspirations, triumphs, failures, and responsibilities. We can inflict these on ourselves or they may be imposed on us by outside forces.

Our ultimate goal needs to be to not feel trapped in life because there are so many pathways for a joyful, prosperous life that there isn’t a good reason to not aspire for something healthier.

It is crucial to create your own journey and not view something as better but focus on making things healthier. This can enable us to free our mind from feeling trapped in our life. Below are ways we might be able to get to that free point.

Live below your means

There is so much marketing that encourages consumers to buy new products. They promote these new products as better and those they will make people happy, which isn’t true.

This creates the thoughts we need to make more money so we can buy bigger houses, newer cars, up to date brand name clothes, or the most current electronics, even though the one bought last year still works.

Living below our means gives us the freedom to not be a slave to a job that makes us miserable. The advertisements that are created to grab our interests need to be ignored because most of those products are not needed. Balancing our needs with wants is important to acknowledge.

Accept responsibility for your choices and actions

We are the only one that can save ourselves from the decisions we have made. There are too many people that spend their time complaining about how awful they think their life is, instead of putting the effort into making the changes we need. There are times bad things happen to a person that can’t be avoided. When this does happen, we need to accept what occurred and move on the best we can.

The truth is, many only want to blame everyone and everything else for their hard times in life, but they fail to look in the mirror for the blame. It is important to look in the mirror because often times there is no one else that can fix our problems.

Strive for a healthier lifestyle

Living an unhealthy lifestyle will negatively influence our quality of thoughts, emotions, and life.

Easy choices like cutting back on unhealthy foods, trying to get a little more regular exercise, and the proper amount of sleep each night can drastically improve our mentality and perspectives. A healthier lifestyle can depend on the foundation of sleep. The deeper stages of sleep are when our brain produces the chemicals to maintain our mood and balance throughout the day. Both our moods and emotions will suffer if we don’t get enough sleep.

Food and drinks provide our minds with the nourishment we need and offer us our energy throughout the day. The simple changes we can make to drink less sugary and caffeinated beverages and more water can provide mental and physical health benefits.

Embrace change when it is the only option

Growth and change are things that can’t be avoided if we are living a positive and meaningful life. We will make changes to our views; work on our mental and emotional health, which may show us we have outgrown some situations and or people.

Outgrowing certain situations may be challenging. Outgrowing some of our friends and even our family will be much more difficult. During this time we need to analyze the situations and people to determine which are meaningful to our life. If you view some people are toxic because of their actions, they will only continue dragging us down.

Some people actually prefer to stay stagnant in their life because it is comfortable and they do care to make changes for a healthier life. We need to try embracing changes and enjoy the amazing opportunities that will free us from feeling trapped.

Learn to say “NO”

Adapting to the ability to say “no” can be difficult, but it is an important skill to learn. There will never be a time when something isn’t going on or someone else doesn’t need something or even when another responsibility doesn’t come up. If we don’t learn to say “no” we will always be caught up with something and may even be taken advantage of by someone who doesn’t expect to hear us say no.

The ability to say no could keep us from feeling trapped by too many responsibilities.

Do more things that make us happy

This might not be something we think about because of many different reasons that make sense to us. As long as what makes us happy isn’t harming anyone else, there is nothing wrong with it. We all know that people enjoy judging others for how they live, but they really do not matter at the end of the day.

We all have the right to discover happiness and do what makes us happy. Dedicating time to what brings us happiness is necessary for self-care.

The normal day-to-day life can have a great deal of negativity and repetition. There are times when the repetition can lead us to believe we are bored with our life, which can make us feel trapped. This is the main reason for doing things that bring us joy is so important.

Add spontaneity and creativity to your life

Human beings are not designed for an inflexible immutable schedule of things we must do. Often the feelings of being trapped are more thought of being trapped due to the monotony of life.

Working a normal job, bills to pay, and other responsibilities can get too routine. We all need excitement, creativity, and spontaneity in our life. Whatever we do doesn’t need to be expensive, it can simply be a walk in the park or a short scenic drive. We can even do something creative that can be displayed around the house or given to a friend or family member.

Seek help from a professional

There are many reasons a person may feel trapped and not all will be easy to figure out. The reasons could lead to depression or other mental health issues.

It might not be easy admitting the need to talk to a professional, but it might be worth it. Talking to a professional could help get past the feelings of being trapped.

Our life doesn’t need to feel like it is a chore because it has so much more to offer. If we can learn to replace our negative emotions with healthier thoughts and habits, we can allow ourselves a more fulfilling life.

Thank you for stopping by my site today! I hope what I have shared will be beneficial to helping you do what you need, so you can have the happiest life possible. I do look forward to reading what you thought about this information and I will respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!