“And if the night runs over, and if the day won’t last. And if your way should falter, along this stony pass. It’s just a moment this time will pass.”
U2, Stuck in a Moment
Simple Solutions for Seasonal Home Maintenance
It is commonly suggested to change your smoke alarm batteries when we change the clocks to either Spring Forward or Fall Backward. But what other home maintenance tasks should you be doing and when? Download our free Seasonal Home Maintenance Checklist to help you keep your home healthy, safe and in good repair year-round.
For other helpful tools please visit our Printable Resources page.
Inspired
Why You Should Reduce Your Salt Intake
Eating well for a healthy heart requires you to monitor your intake of salt. Sodium can lead to high blood pressure and water retention, both of which can lead to heart disease. Learn more about how reducing sodium intake can help lower blood pressure and more in the following care of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal.
McMaster Optimal Aging Portal: Does salt really affect blood pressure?
Inspired
“A year from now you may wish you had started today.”
Karen Lamb
Cognition and Aging – Use it or Lose it
Our brains are made of billions of neurons, which interact with each other to complete specific tasks. Signals are sent from one neuron to another along neural pathways, and these determine our thoughts, emotions, insights, and so much more. Each task relies on a different neural pathway, so the pathway for reading a book is different than the pathway for putting on our shirt. The more we use a pathway, the stronger the connection becomes.
These neurons have the ability to physically change themselves when faced with new and difficult experiences. This ability is called neuroplasticity. As we are exposed to new areas, tasks, information or experiences, neural pathways are formed and existing ones are reshaped. This will continue throughout our entire lives as we learn. As we have experienced through practicing a musical instrument, memorizing our shopping list, or recalling a friend’s phone number, if we consciously focus and train our brains in a certain area, they will become faster and more efficient at performing those tasks.
So, how can we use this knowledge to try and combat age-related cognitive decline? Check out our latest episode of OT-V: Cognition and Aging – Keeping the Mind Sharp to learn some proven strategies.
Laughter Therapy
Weekly Mind Bender
Solve the following:
1. Cry all the way to the bank
2. The stakes are high
3. That’s too bad
4. Eyes in the back of my head
5. Miniskirt
6. All in All
Inspired
Take a look at this beautiful post care of Upworthy.com sharing stories and photographs of terminally ill people living out their final wishes.
Upworthy.com: 7 powerful photographs of terminally ill patients living out their final wishes
13 Reasons Why NOT to Watch
The new Netflix series 13 Reasons Why has become a popular topic of conversation for both adults and youth, both online and in person. Many kids will watch this before their parents even know that they have. Yet, parents beware because the content in this is apparently both graphic and at times, disturbing. In fact, the content is so concerning that school boards and even the Canadian Mental Health Association have issued statements cautioning viewers of this series: CMHA National Statement Responding to Netflix Series: 13 Reasons Why.
Personally, I take no pleasure in watching gory or graphic content of rape and suicide and do not see the value in sensationalizing this for the youth of today. However, others argue that this series aims to deter suicide by showing how disturbing this can be. At the least, know what your children are watching and heed the warnings. Mental Health and Suicide are very sensitive topics – not to be taken lightly.