When you live in a coastal area, preparing early for potential hurricanes is a must. Storms can develop quickly, leaving little time to figure out where you'll be safe or which items to pack if you have to evacuate. And health care necessities, such as medications or medical equipment, are often overlooked in the scramble.
"People might bring their diabetes medication but forget their blood sugar monitor, or bring their hearing aids but forget extra batteries for them," says Dr. Scott Goldberg, medical director of emergency preparedness at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a longtime member of a FEMA task force that responds to hurricane-damaged areas.
Here's some insight on what to expect this hurricane season, and how to prioritize health care in your hurricane kit.
This year's hurricane predictions underscore the urgency to start preparations now.
Forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service expect above-normal activity for the 2024 hurricane season (which lasts until November 30).
Meteorologists anticipate 17 to 25 storms with winds of 39 mph or higher, including eight to 13 hurricanes — four to seven of which could be major hurricanes with 111 mph winds or higher.
Preparing for the possibility of big storms is a major undertaking. Long before ferocious winds and torrential rains arrive, you must gather hurricane supplies, figure out how to secure your home, and determine where to go if you need to evacuate (especially if you live in a flood zone). Contact the emergency management department at your city or county for shelter information.
If you'll need help evacuating due to a medical condition, or if you'll need medical assistance at a shelter, find out if your county or city has a special needs registry like this one in Florida. Signing up will enable first responders to notify you about storms and transport you to a special shelter that has medical staff, hospital cots, and possibly oxygen tanks.
While a shelter provides a safe place to ride out a storm, including bathrooms, water, and basic meals, it's up to you to bring everything else. It's essential to pack medical equipment and sufficient medications and health supplies.
"It's natural to just grab the prescription medications in your medicine cabinet, but what if it's only a two-day supply? It might be a while before you can get a refill. We recommend at least a 14-day or 30-day supply of every prescription," Dr. Goldberg says. "Talk to your doctor about the possibility of getting an extra refill to keep on standby for your go bag."
Other health-related items you'll want to pack include:
In some ways, you can think of shelter living like camping. You'll need lots of basic supplies to get through it, including:
In addition to supplies, bring important documents such as:
"Store these documents on a flash drive. Also make photocopies of them, which are easiest for doctors to consult in an emergency setting. Place them in a plastic zip-top bag to keep them dry," Dr. Goldberg advises.
Start today. Gather as many go-bag supplies as you can, including the bags. A small suitcase, backpack, or duffel bag for each person in your family will work well.
And try not to put off these important preparations. "Hurricanes are major stressors. You might be worried, sleep deprived, fatigued, and emotional," Dr. Goldberg says. "All of that will make it hard to think clearly. You'll do yourself and your family a favor by having discussions now and getting started on your hurricane plan."
[enclosures] => Array ( ) [categories] => Array ( ) [uid] => a1e45a030040bea55d6e72f4cc4355de697dd917 ) [1] => Array ( [uri] => https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/5-great-tips-for-sustainable-summer-living-202406283054 [title] => 5 great tips for sustainable summer living [timestamp] => 1719525600 [author] => [content] =>Sustainable living treads lightly on natural resources and follows a rethink, reuse, repurpose mantra to minimize waste.
Big and small wallet-friendly tips can help you save money and befriend our planet this summer, says Dr. Wynne Armand, a primary care physician at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, and associate director of the Mass General Center for the Environment and Health. Here are five great tips to get you started.
Refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and only then recycle is a well-laid out sustainability strategy promoted online by the Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub. Do you really want or need a shiny new object? Where can you share tasks or tools? What could you swap, give away, or buy used? How could you slim down your recycling stream?
Give yourself permission to start here: Nobody is perfect. We all have preferences and sustainability blind spots, fumbles, and "sorry, just no" feelings. Start where you are and add on when you can.
Summer heat can endanger your health, and paring back on energy use isn't always possible or wise. Still, it may be possible to:
A sharp eye for energy savings may help pare down bills, too.
Saving resources is a worthy goal, but not at the expense of staying safe and healthy when summer temperatures spike.
Sharing circles can help you expand a wardrobe, tool shed, or taste in foods — all while building community.
Editor's note: Health inequities have long been an issue for people in the LGBTQ+ community. We're pleased to share a post from our colleagues in Corporate Learning at Harvard Medical School focusing on solutions that health care leaders can champion.
Health care business professionals can improve patient outcomes and reduce health inequities by championing the health care needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual, and two-spirit (LGBTQIA2+) community. These issues are an important priority for health care professionals year-round, not just during Pride Month.
Research shows that the LGBTQIA2+ community faces disproportionate adverse health conditions due to health inequities. It's important for those working in the health care industry to be aware of the challenges the LGBTQIA2+ community faces to help make systemic changes and improve health outcomes.
The LGBTQIA2+ community — which is less likely to trust the health care system — is a rising part of the population. The 2022 national Gallup survey shows that at least 20% of Gen Z identifies as LGBTQIA2+. This includes our coworkers, customers, and clients, says Dr. Alex Keuroghlian, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and faculty advisor for LGBT and Allies at Harvard Medical School (LAHMS).
"LGBTQIA2+ people experience pervasive stigma and discrimination, as well as numerous adverse social determinants of health, all of which negatively impact health outcomes," says Dr. Keuroghlian. "Health care professionals, organizations, and governmental agencies need to intentionally provide clinical care and design health systems and policies, in a manner that is culturally responsive and improves health outcomes for LGBTQIA2+ people."
Due to the politicized nature of these issues, health care providers around the world, including in several U.S. states, face limitations and backlash when providing gender-affirming care. In some places, Dr. Keuroghlian says, "legal restrictions on access to gender-affirming care create challenges for clinicians to deliver this care and for transgender and gender diverse people to safely receive it."
Everyone in health care — including health care business professionals — can work to improve health outcomes and decrease inequities. "It is critical for all businesses to offer welcoming, inclusive, and affirming work environments and service delivery for LGBTQIA2+ people," Dr. Keuroghlian says.
With thoughtful action, health care business professionals can contribute to greater health equity for these underserved individuals. Some ways to do so include:
1. Take an active interest in better understanding the needs and perspectives of the LGBTQIA2+ community.
Conducting research, including surveys and consumer focus groups, is a good way to help better understand specific health needs and priorities. "This community has historically been excluded from studies and research that would be very helpful in understanding their needs and their challenges," says Dr. Enrique Caballero, an endocrinologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the faculty director of International Innovation Programs in the HMS Office for External Education. "We need to get to know the population better."
2. Prioritize inclusive language.
Whether you are involved directly in care delivery or other aspects of health care, pay attention to the words you use — for both customers and employees. Gendered language in job postings, informational or marketing materials, and even casual conversation can be off-putting. That means lost opportunities for organizations and LGBTQIA2+ individuals. Slight shifts in language and conscious efforts like adding pronouns to your email signature speak volumes.
3. Train staff to be community allies.
Gaining awareness of our unconscious biases and making shifts in our everyday language doesn't happen overnight. Health care industry businesses can help their staff be better allies to the LGBTQIA2+ community by providing access to workshops delivered by community members.
"No one becomes fully competent after one conversation, lecture, or video," Dr. Caballero says. "It's a lifelong process in which we all learn how to be more respectful, inclusive, and to embrace diversity."
4. Support companies and community organizations that focus on LGBTQIA2+ health.
Show, don't tell. Making financial contributions to organizations already on the ground and working with this population demonstrates that you aren't just concerned about the bottom line. You are truly dedicated to helping the LGBTQ+ population access good health care.
5. Hire LGBTQIA2+ staff.
The best way to ensure your company is prioritizing health equity is by having a diverse group at the decision-making table. It is crucial to have employees that represent the diversity of your customer base — not only diversity in gender expression and sexuality, but also diversity in race, ethnicity, age, ability, and beyond.
"Part of our obligation is to really open the doors for everybody," Dr. Caballero says. "Talent is not exclusive to a particular group, and I think that is important to embrace as an organization."
6. Include LGBTQIA2+ representation in all communications.
Diverse representation is key. Make a pointed effort to include same-sex couples, non-traditional family units, and transgender and non-binary individuals in all kinds of communications, participating in everyday activities.
7. Acknowledge any missteps.
On an institutional level, company acknowledgments can go a long way in rebuilding trust with the LGBTQIA2+ community. Within the organization, it's valuable to encourage ongoing communication about company culture.
"All organizations should have a system in place for people to provide feedback on how things are going and to report anything that they want to call the leadership team's attention to," Dr. Caballero says. "Having a system that truly listens to members of the organization — and being sure that follow-up action is taken — is very important."
8. Make action consistent beyond Pride Month.
Embracing the LGBTQIA2+ community consistently and with commitment all year long "is truly an opportunity for everyone," Dr. Caballero says. "This is not good just for the members of the community, but for everybody that works in a place that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion."
Industry professionals turn to HMS for custom corporate learning programs, including on topics like LGBTQIA2+ health, that leave a lasting impact on participants. To provide these programs, HMS leverages faculty expertise from throughout the School and the entire Harvard University community to share with health care teams. To learn about HMS Corporate Learning custom programs, read about the approach or hear from clients themselves.
[enclosures] => Array ( ) [categories] => Array ( ) [uid] => e6f7ed26821a602cd6d21704a9d79954c869f9fd ) [3] => Array ( [uri] => https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/one-surprising-effect-of-wildfires-itchy-irritated-skin-202406243052 [title] => One surprising effect of wildfires: itchy, irritated skin [timestamp] => 1719180000 [author] => [content] =>Are you finding yourself with itchy, irritated skin that you can't stop scratching? Or have you wondered why your child's eczema is suddenly worse and so hard to control? Mounting evidence suggests that wildfires, which are increasing in intensity and frequency, contribute to skin problems, including eczema flares.
Eczema is a common chronic skin condition that affects about one in 10 people in the US. Its hallmarks are inflamed and dry, itchy patches of skin.
Atopic dermatitis is the most common type of eczema. It can run in families, often beginning in childhood. Typically, in the northern hemisphere, it grows worse during the winter season when the weather is cold and drying. Now some experts are seeing that pattern change. At Massachusetts General Hospital, for example, one dermatologist noted an unusual spike last summer in patients with flare-ups of eczema.
In 2023, Canada experienced more than 6,000 wildfires that burned over 16 million hectares of land — an area larger than the entire state of Georgia. While far away from the devastation, the smoke reached across the US and more than 2,000 miles to Europe. Poor air quality from these distant wildfires caused eye and throat irritation and difficulty breathing.
In Boston, Dr. Arianne Shadi Kourosh, a dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, also began to notice skin symptoms. Normally the dermatology clinics would see fewer than 20 people during a summer month for eczema, including atopic dermatitis. Suddenly that jumped to 160.
Looking back at summer month records from the last four years, her research showed that the number of visits for these skin complaints tracked with the severity of air pollution. These findings are consistent with other research noting an uptick in eczema flares and psoriasis flares associated with wildfire pollution. But why?
Researchers theorize that airborne pollutants might set off a cascade of effects within the body by activating an oxidative stress pathway. This damages the skin barrier and prompts an inflammatory response. This cascade also may play a role in the development of eczema.
Air pollutants in wildfire smoke may harm multiple organs — not just your heart and lungs, but also our skin, it seems. So, when outdoor air quality is bad due to wildfires, limiting your exposure can help reduce health risks. While we can say the same for industrial air pollution, wildfire pollution is likely worse due to its additional toxic particles.
Picture this: you're with friends in an unfamiliar forest using only a map and a compass to guide you to an upcoming checkpoint. There are no cell phones or GPS gadgets to help, just good old brainpower fueled by a sense of adventure as you wind through leafy trees and dappled sunlight.
This is not an excursion to a campsite or a treasure hunt. It's a navigation sport called orienteering — a fun way to get outside, exercise, and maybe even help fight cognitive decline, according to a 2023 study.
Orienteering combines map and compass reading with exercise. Competitors ("orienteers") race against a clock to reach checkpoints in outdoor settings that can range from city parks to remote areas with mountains, lakes, rivers, or snowy fields.
"You can go out in a group or on your own. You get a very detailed map and navigate your way to checkpoints that record your time electronically," says Clinton Morse, national communications manager with Orienteering USA, the national governing body for the sport in the United States.
Because orienteers are racing the clock, they might run on trails, hike up hills, or scramble around boulders. That's for foot-orienteering events. There are also orienteering events with courses geared for mountain biking, cross-country skiing, or canoeing.
A small 2023 study published online in PLoS One found a potential link between orienteering and sharp thinking skills.
Researchers asked 158 healthy people, ages 18 to 87, about their health, activities, navigation abilities, and memory. About half of the participants had varying levels of orienteering experience. The other participants were physically active but weren't orienteers.
Compared with study participants who didn't engage in orienteering, those who were orienteers reported
The study was observational — that is, not a true experiment — and thus didn't prove that orienteering boosted people's thinking skills. But the link might be plausible.
"Aerobic exercise releases chemicals in the brain that foster the growth of new brain cells. And when you use a map and connect it to landmarks, you stimulate growth between brain cells," says Dr. Andrew Budson, lecturer in neurology at Harvard Medical School and chief of cognitive and behavioral neurology at VA Boston Healthcare System.
There are about 70 orienteering clubs across the United States, and many more around the world (the sport is extremely popular in Europe). To find an orienteering event in your area, use the club finder tool offered by Orienteering USA.
People of all ages and athletic levels can take part, because orienteering courses vary from local parks to wilderness experiences. Costs are about $7 to $10 per person for local events, or $25 to $40 per person for national events, plus any travel and lodging expenses.
To make orienteering easy at first, Morse suggests going with a group and taking things slowly on a short novice course. "You don't have to race," he says. "Some people do this recreationally to enjoy the challenge of completing a course at their own pace."
The trickiest part is learning to read the map. Morse's advice:
Tips for safe and enjoyable orienteering events:
Once you learn the basics of orienteering, you can make it more physically challenging (and a better workout) by going faster and trying to beat your previous times, or by signing up for a more advanced course that's longer and requires more exertion and speed.
And no matter which event you take part in, enjoy the adventure. "You're not just following a path, you're solving puzzles while being immersed in nature," Morse says. "It's a great way to experience the outdoors."
[enclosures] => Array ( ) [categories] => Array ( ) [uid] => 7e57168c138f4c454bfe97b1e95c10e9e05791aa ) [5] => Array ( [uri] => https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/health-care-should-improve-your-health-right-202406203050 [title] => Health care should improve your health, right? [timestamp] => 1718834400 [author] => [content] =>It's undeniable: modern medicine offers ever-expanding ways to heal and prevent disease. But it's also true that health care can cause harm. One analysis found that about 6% of health care encounters caused preventable harm, leading to thousands of deaths each year. And it's not just errors that cause trouble. Highly skilled health care providers can cause harm even when they do everything right.
So, how can you reduce your chances of being harmed? Understanding what you can do to lessen the possibility of harm and what's beyond your control are good first steps.
Fortunately, it remains a central tenet of medical care. Yet our health care system is complex and fragmented. Each year new medications are added to an ever-growing list, and people live longer with more chronic medical conditions than happened in the past. So in one sense, the successes of modern medical care may contribute to the high rate of health care–related harm.
These harms are often due to our complicated system of health care rather than one individual's mistake. Harm due to substandard or negligent care is known as medical malpractice. Both health care providers and health care systems have important roles to play in preventing harm to patients.
An enormous volume of scientific research teaches the best ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease. Yet people can react to treatments in completely unpredictable ways.
For example, a common and standard antibiotic treatment (think penicillin) can cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction. Fortunately this is rare, but unless you or your doctor know to avoid it due to past side effects, there's always a small chance of a severe reaction.
Often less dramatic — yet also unpreventable — harms are:
Preventable harms can be dramatically reduced. They're often due to mistakes that can be caught and corrected. Frequently, it takes a combination of things to go wrong for harm to occur.
The "Swiss cheese model" is often applied here: imagine you're a fly trying to travel through several chunks of Swiss cheese. (I know it's an odd scenario, but stick with me here.) It's impossible to fly through the cheese unless the holes line up just so.
Frequently in health care, several factors must line up for an error to sneak through — for example, giving a hospitalized patient a medication to which they are allergic. For that to happen, the wrong drug has to get past the prescribing doctor, the computerized ordering system, the hospital pharmacist, the nurse giving the medication, and the patient. That's a lot of layers, so most often an error like this will be caught.
Where do you fit in? In these three scenarios, here's what you can do to avoid preventable harms.
The problem: Taking medicines you no longer need or more medicines than necessary.
It might not seem like a big deal to keep taking a medicine if it isn't causing any problems. But all medicines can cause side effects that you'd do better to avoid if you can safely stop taking it or reduce the dose. Plus, harmful interactions can occur if another medicine is added to your list.
What you can do: Make sure you know why you need to take each of your medicines. Ask the providers who prescribe each medicine if it is still necessary to take it or if the dose can be safely reduced. Reducing a dose may reduce the risk of side effects and the likelihood of a harmful interaction.
The problem: Taking the wrong medicine or the wrong dose.
What you can do: At your doctors' visits, take notes or bring a friend or family member to help you remember medicine instructions. Ask whether you can record the medication instructions your doctor gives you. Take a photo of the instructions you're given in case you lose the written version. Double-check details of your medicine list with your pharmacist. And ask questions if you're unsure about the medicines recommended to you.
The problem: Wrong site surgery.
Despite efforts to make this a "never error," surgery on the wrong part of the body still happens.
What you can do: Make sure you and your surgeon agree on what part of your body and which side requires surgery. Most surgeons now mark the site with a special pen before surgery and ask you to confirm the site by adding your initials. (The ink doesn't come off easily with skin cleaners applied prior to surgery).
Some of these tips require time or resources that aren't available to everyone: you might not be able to bring another person with you to medical visits or have a recording device. But asking questions — and getting answers you understand — should be routine.
When the topic of health care–related harm comes up, malpractice may be the first thing you think about. Yet, the approximately 10,000 malpractice payments made each year in the US likely represent only a small portion of all harm related to health care.
There are several reasons for this, including:
It's an unfortunate reality that some harms due to health care are inevitable. But there are steps you can take to avoid preventable harm and lessen the chances that the person harmed is you.
[enclosures] => Array ( ) [categories] => Array ( ) [uid] => 84fc75f3482e8aacbf068c1e2a40e62892e354d6 ) [6] => Array ( [uri] => https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ultra-processed-foods-just-say-no-202406173051 [title] => Ultra-processed foods? Just say no [timestamp] => 1718575200 [author] => [content] =>Americans love their ultra-processed foods, whether they come as cereal (like Cap'n Crunch, a favorite of mine as a kid), snack foods (like Cheetos), entr'es (like hot dogs), or desserts (like Twinkies). Sure, loading your plate with vegetables, fruits, fish, healthful oils, and grains in a Mediterranean-style diet boosts heart and brain health. But if you also eat some ultra-processed foods, is that bad for your brain health?
A new study appears to deliver resounding yes: eating ultra-processed foods is linked to a greater risk of cognitive impairment and strokes.
This well-designed observational study examined data from the REGARDS (REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke) project, a longitudinal study of non-Hispanic Black and white Americans ages 45 years and older. Study participants were initially enrolled between 2003 and 2007 and were given a number of questionnaires evaluating health, diet, exercise, body mass index, education, income, alcohol use, mood, and other factors. In addition, tests of memory and language were administered at regular intervals.
To examine the risk of stroke and cognitive impairment, data from 20,243 and 14,175 participants, respectively, were found usable based on the quality of the information from the questionnaires and tests. Approximately one-third of the sample identified as Black and the majority of the remaining two-thirds identified as white.
Study participants who reported following a healthy diet (like a Mediterranean, DASH, or MIND diet) and consumed minimal ultra-processed foods appeared to maintain better brain health compared to those who followed similar healthy diets but had more ultra-processed foods.
Here are some biologically plausible reasons:
Avoid processed foods, which can include chips and other snack foods, industrial breads and pastries, packaged sweets and candy, sugar-sweetened and diet sodas, instant noodles and soups, ready-to-eat meals and frozen dinners, and processed meats such as hot dogs and bologna. Eat unprocessed or minimally processed foods, which — when combined with a healthy Mediterranean menu of foods — include fish, olive oil, avocados, whole fruits and vegetables, nuts and beans, and whole grains.
[enclosures] => Array ( ) [categories] => Array ( ) [uid] => 336c078a3933cba43652dadf142e074fd7d1abc4 ) [7] => Array ( [uri] => https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-cicadas-are-here-hows-your-appetite-202406143048 [title] => The cicadas are here: How's your appetite? [timestamp] => 1718316000 [author] => [content] =>You've probably heard the news: Cicadas are coming. Or — wait — they're already here.
And are they ever! Due to an unusual overlap of the lifecycles of two types (or broods) of cicadas, trillions of cicadas are expected to emerge in the US by the end of June, especially in the Midwest.
If you'd like to see where they've already arrived, track them here. And if you're wondering if this cicada-palooza could help with grocery bills, read on to decide for yourself how appealing and how safe snacking on cicadas is for you. The pros and cons could change your outlook on the impending swarm.
Don't worry, cicadas are largely harmless to humans. In fact, their appearance is welcome in places where people routinely snack on them as a low-cost source of calories and protein.
Estimates suggest up to two billion people regularly eat insects, especially in South and Central America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Cicadas, when available, are among the most popular. And if you thought no one in the US eats cicadas, check out this video from a May 2024 baseball game.
For plenty of people, cicadas aren't the food of choice. Some people can't get past the idea of eating insects as food. That's understandable: after all, the culture in which we are raised has a powerful influence on what we consider acceptable in our diets. Something some Americans might find off-putting (such as eating snakes) is common in China and Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, people outside the US find aspects of the typical Western diet unappealing (such as root beer, peanut butter and jelly, and processed cheese).
But some people shouldn't eat cicadas because it could be dangerous for them.
Eating cicadas is common in many parts of the world because they are
In years when cicadas emerge, recipes for dishes containing cicadas emerge as well.
Then again, there are several good reasons to avoid making cicadas a part of your diet, including these:
But there is one more very important entry on this list: people with a shellfish allergy should not eat cicadas. Odd, right?
Cicadas are biologically related to lobsters, shrimp, crabs, and other shellfish. So if you're allergic to shellfish, you might also be allergic to cicadas. A particular protein called tropomyosin is responsible for the allergy. It's found in shellfish as well as in many insects, including cicadas.
The allergic reaction occurs after eating the cicada. Just being around them or handling them won't trigger a reaction.
Among people with a shellfish allergy, developing a reaction after eating cicadas could be a bigger problem than it seems: up to 10% of people have shellfish allergies and, as noted, insect consumption is common worldwide.
Walking your dog after the emergence of cicadas can be a new and exciting experience for you and your pet! Dogs may chase after cicadas and eat them. Cats might, too, if given the chance. That can be a problem if your pet eats too many, as some will experience stomach upset or other digestive problems.
While the insects are considered harmless to dogs, the American Kennel Club says it's best to steer them away from cicadas once they've eaten a few.
While insect-related allergic reactions (think bee stings) and infections (like Lyme disease) are well known, the insect-food-allergy connection is a more recent discovery.
One recently recognized condition is the alpha-gal syndrome, in which a person bitten by certain ticks develops an allergy to meat. The name comes from a sugar called galactose-α-1,3-galactose (or alpha-gal) found in many types of meat including beef, lamb, pork, and rabbit. According to the CDC, up to 450,000 people in the US may have developed this condition since 2010.
There aren't many rigorous studies of the overlap of insects and food allergies, so there are probably others awaiting discovery.
When it comes to eating cicadas, I'll pass. It's not because of the risks. I've never had a problem with shellfish, and for most people the health risks of eating cicadas seem quite small. It's just unappealing to me, and I'm not a particularly adventurous eater.
But let's go easy on those who do enjoy snacking on cicadas. Insects offer a good source of calories and protein. Just because eating them seems unusual in the US doesn't make it wrong.
So, if you like to eat cicadas and have no shellfish allergy or other reason to avoid them, go for it! This may be a very good summer for you.
[enclosures] => Array ( ) [categories] => Array ( ) [uid] => 675a898cfba70c439b4e4af47f9078f9d44c431d ) [8] => Array ( [uri] => https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/life-can-be-challenging-build-your-own-resilience-plan-202406123049 [title] => Life can be challenging: Build your own resilience plan [timestamp] => 1718143200 [author] => [content] =>Nantucket, a beautiful, 14-mile-long island off the coast of Massachusetts, has a 40-point resiliency plan to help withstand the buffeting seas surrounding it as climate change takes a toll. Perhaps we can all benefit from creating individual resilience plans to help handle the big and small issues that erode our sense of well-being. But what is resilience and how do you cultivate it?
Resilience is a psychological response that helps you adapt to life's difficulties and seek a path forward through challenges.
"It's a flexible mindset that helps you adapt, think critically, and stay focused on your values and what matters most," says Luana Marques, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
While everyone has the ability to be resilient, your capacity for resilience can take a beating over time from chronic stress, perhaps from financial instability or staying in a job you dislike. The longer you're in that situation, the harder it becomes to cope with it.
Fortunately, it's possible to cultivate resilience. To do so, it helps to exercise resiliency skills as often as possible, even for minor stressors. Marques recommends the following strategies.
In stressful situations, try to balance out your thoughts by adopting a broader perspective. "This will help you stop using the emotional part of your brain and start using the thinking part of your brain. For example, if you're asking for a raise and your brain says you won't get it, think about the things you've done in your job that are worthy of a raise. You'll slow down the emotional response and shift your mindset from anxious to action," Marques says.
"When you're anxious, stressed, or burned out, you tend to avoid things that make you uncomfortable. That can make you feel stuck," Marques says. "What you need to do is get out of your comfort zone and take a step toward the thing you want, in spite of fear."
For example: If you're afraid of giving a presentation, create a PowerPoint and practice it with colleagues. If you're having conflict at home, don't walk away from your partner — schedule time to talk about what's making you upset.
"Stress happens when your actions are not aligned with your values — the things that matter most to you or bring you joy. For example, you might feel stressed if you care most about your family but can't be there for dinner, or care most about your health but drink a lot," Marques says.
She suggests that you identify your top three values and make sure your daily actions align with them. If being with family is one of the three, make your time with them a priority — perhaps find a way to join them for a daily meal. If you get joy from a clean house, make daily tidying a priority.
Practice the shift, approach, and align strategies throughout the week. "One trick I use is looking at my calendar on Sunday and checking if my actions for the week are aligned with my values. If they aren't, I try to change things around," Marques says.
It's also important to live as healthy a lifestyle as possible, which will help keep your brain functioning at its best.
Healthy lifestyle habits include:
Even the best athletes have coaches, and you might benefit from resilience training.
Consider taking an online course, such as this one developed by Luana Marques. Or maybe turn to a therapist online or in person for help. Look for someone who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy, which guides you to redirect negative thoughts to positive or productive ones.
Just don't put off building resilience. Practicing as you face day-to-day stresses will help you learn skills to help navigate when dark clouds roll in and seas get rough.
[enclosures] => Array ( ) [categories] => Array ( ) [uid] => 2c671d94dd117dcaf3a790fa42b3ecd368f2f10f ) [9] => Array ( [uri] => https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/bugs-are-biting-safety-precautions-for-children-196912312566 [title] => Bugs are biting: Safety precautions for children [timestamp] => 1690581600 [author] => [content] =>If you spend time outdoors — which we all should do, for all sorts of reasons — you are likely to encounter biting bugs. Most of the time the bites are just a nuisance. But besides the fact that sometimes they can be painful or itchy, bug bites can lead to illness — like Lyme disease from ticks, or Zika, malaria, or West Nile disease from mosquitoes. So preventing bites is a good idea for all of us, and certainly for children.
Before talking about insect repellents, it's important to remember that there are simple and effective precautions, nearly all of which don't involve any chemicals. For example:
Insect repellents can be very useful. Some are more effective than others, and some can have side effects, so it's important to do your homework. The Environmental Protection Agency has a great interactive tool that can help you choose the best repellent for your particular situation.
The most effective repellent is DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). It works against both mosquitoes and ticks, and is definitely the go-to repellent if you really want or need to prevent bites. The higher the concentration, the longer it lasts: 10% will give you about two hours of coverage, while 30% can protect you for about five hours. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends not using more than 30% on kids, and not using any repellents on infants less than 2 months old.
The most common side effect is skin irritation, and if you ingest it (you never know with little kids) it can lead to nausea and vomiting. Eye irritation is possible, which is why you should never spray any repellent directly to the face, but rather put it on your hands and then carefully apply to the face. In very rare cases, like one in every 100 million users, DEET can lead to brain problems such as seizures if used in high doses. This is an incredibly rare side effect, and not something that should stop you from using it, especially if you are in an area with a lot of ticks, or an area with lots of disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Here are some alternatives with minimal to no side effects (eye irritation most common; avoid as noted above):
Whatever you use, follow label directions and be sure that you are careful as you apply it to all exposed skin. It's best to spray in an open area — and spray clothing too. Pump bottles and wipes with insect repellent may help you apply products carefully. Try to choose the best product for your situation so that you can apply it just once; the EPA tool is great for that. Don't forget sunscreen; apply that first so your skin can absorb it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has more information about applying insect repellent on children and preventing bites from mosquitoes and ticks.
Also visit the Harvard Health Publishing Lyme Wellness Initiative to learn about preventing –– or living with –– Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.
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