Skip Menu

The Little Things Count: Don't Let Your Emotional Well Run Dry

Imagine your emotions as a well. Sometimes the water level practically overflows, finding you in contentment and healthy psychological functioning. At other times, there might be a drop in the water level, leaving you feeling edgy and out of sorts. Times when the well is parched hurt the most—the times of unhealthy psychological functioning such as burnout, exhaustion or depression.
You should expect changing water levels, moods that shift and emotions that aren’t perfect—that’s part of the human experience. But don’t let your well run dry. Make little changes in your daily life to help you monitor the level of your emotional well and to replenish it.
Why little changes?
Wells don’t dry up overnight, nor are you likely to go to bed feeling fine and wake up deeply immersed in clinical depression. Little by little, without restoring rains, water levels decline. Barring sudden tragedies and catastrophic circumstances, this is true of your emotions. Little daily nuisances and frustrations evaporate your healthy emotional level, one drop at a time. It makes sense, then, to focus on:

- small daily stressors under your control, or at least subject to your attitude
- small daily changes that can restore you emotionally

Learn what’s drying up your well
Take a close look at your normal routine. Must you jolt out of bed in the morning in a panic after hitting the snooze button several times? One adjustment you could make is to go to bed a little earlier, allowing you to rise a bit earlier and giving you more time for the demands of your morning.

[Read More]

Families Taking Charge: Deciding Which Bills to Pay First

What do you do if your current income just isn’t enough to pay monthly expenses and debts? Putting your bills in a stack and paying them until the money runs out won’t work. You have a legal obligation to pay all of your creditors. Not paying bills will affect your credit report and credit score. It can even involve court action. Not paying some bills may have greater consequences than not paying other bills.

When your income is reduced, your spending habits must change. The sooner you change, the more likely your financial problems can be lessened.

Take charge by setting priorities to make sure the basic needs of your family are met. Thinking ahead can minimize the legal and economic risks when you can’t pay all your bills.

Who Gets Paid First
First, you need to know what your debts and monthly expenses are. Use the Setting Spending Priorities Fact Sheet in this series to determine this information. Then use the Bill Payment Worksheet on the next page to summarize what you owe.

Leave columns blank that don’t apply. “Balance Due” is for things like car loans which you are paying off over a period of time. It is the amount left to pay on the loan. Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the rate of interest you pay on loans and credit card accounts. Look for the APR on monthly billing statements or in the papers you signed to get the loan. The higher the APR, the more interest you are paying on your debt.

Don’t forget payments made quarterly, semi-annually or annually. This includes things like insurance and taxes. Use your Monthly Spending Plan and Occasional and Seasonal Expense Worksheet from “Setting Spending Priorities” to be sure you’ve included all payments.

[Read More]

American Diabetes Month

“Diabetes is a serious disease that leads to potentially life-threatening complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputation.” (www.Diabetes.org)

We spoke to Diabetes Educator Cindy Barden to obtain a little more information on diabetes.

Who is at risk for Diabetes?
There are two separate types of diabetes.
Type 1:
o Caused by the combination of genetics and an unknown factor. (Nothing has been definitively found about the identity of the unknown factor)
o Is an autoimmune condition
o Insulin is not produced by Type 1 Diabetics

Type 2:
o Typically caused by the combination of genetics and lifestyle factors such as weight and activity level
o Less insulin is produced and in some cases a person with type 2 diabetes may also be insulin resistant
o Ethnicity and age can also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. African Americans and Hispanics have proportionately more people with diabetes. Age can also increase a person’s risk of diabetes; however a growing number of type 2 cases are being reported in children.

How can Diabetes Risk be Minimized?
Type 2:
o Lose Weight; achieve a healthy body weight
o Exercise; activity can go a long way to help
o Eat well

[Read More]

Senior Living: Embrace a New Lifestyle
Kelsey Chambliss
Work/Life Resources Business Intern

Many people view senior living facilities as lonely, depressing places. However, these facilities can be surprisingly positive and encouraging. It’s all a matter of choosing the right place. The purpose of moving into a senior living facility is to make life easier and ensure that proper care is provided to the senior. These facilities may allow seniors to relax for the first time in years. Residents no longer need to worry about the hassles of maintaining a household. Instead, they can spend their time mingling with other seniors and engaging in enjoyable facility activities of their choice. Think of it as college for seniors, only without the schoolwork.

With a growing senior population, more elder care options are becoming available. Every situation is different, and the appropriate living situation depends on the person. There are a few questions to consider when making this decision:

1. Is a senior living facility the right choice for me?
2. What level of care is necessary?
3. How do I go about choosing a facility in my area?
4. After the choice has been made- What now?

[Read More]