Women’s History Month Offers Opportunity To Look Back & Plan Ahead

When Women’s History Month rolls around every March, we only have one question: Will a month be enough time to tell all the stories, and honor all the legends? The answer (as always) is no, but it’s a great chance to up our game in many different ways.

First, a little background: The first Women’s History Month began in 1981, when Congress asked the president to proclaim the week beginning March 7 as Women’s History Week.  By 1987, it had grown to a full month, and since 1995 the president has made an official proclamation. The goal is to “celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields,” according to recent versions of this annual statement.

A good idea knows no borders, and soon International Women’s Day was up and running as well. It’s marked on March 8th every year, and focuses on celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women while also sending a very important message by calling attention to (and action on) accelerating gender parity. This year’s theme is Choose to Challenge, because as organizers put it, “a challenged world is an alert world, and from challenge comes change.” 

Use the #ChoosetoChallenge hashtag on Twitter to see what women are up to all around the world this month! (And show your solidarity by wearing purple, green and white, the colors of International Women’s Day. Purple is for justice and dignity, green represents hope and white stands for purity (which may seem a little outdated, but keep in mind that the colors originated from the England’s Women’s Social and Political Union — in 1908!)

As a certified Woman Owned Business (WOB), we are always ready to link arms with other women, in business and in life, to celebrate our achievements, work toward equality in every area of life, and raise money and awareness for female-focused charities of all kinds. The WOB program is an initiative from WEConnect International and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), a major non-profit organization dedicated to helping women-owned businesses thrive. As they put it, “We believe diversity promotes innovation, opens doors, and creates partnerships that fuel the economy.”

This Women’s History Month comes after one of the most challenging years in memory for women business owners. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit women-owned businesses hard, so let’s take a moment to make a plan and help them, and all the small businesses in our communities. Mark your calendars for March 17, which is Buy Women Owned Day. Not sure where to start? Here’s a gift guide. And you can also keep up with all that’s happening with the #BuyWomenOwned hashtag. 

And as always, thanks to all of you for the hard you work you’re doing all day, every day!

Love Your Heart, Love Yourself: Tips for Heart Health in 2021

 Each February, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) marks American Heart Month by raising awareness about heart health along with urging Americans to reduce their risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease.

In honor of Heart Awareness Month, (NHLBI) asks for help to spread the word about risk factors and how to live a heart-healthy lifestyle. We’re honored to be a platform for such important information.

Did you know heart disease is a leading cause of death in both women and men in the United States? That’s a scary but very real fact. When you dig further, it’s certainly a wake-up call.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one person dies every 36 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease. Paying attention now?

You can start creating a healthy life for you and your family to avoid being a statistic. 

That change starts NOW:

• Exercise

• Healthy Diet

• Healthy Living

It’s time to focus on your cardiovascular health. Your lifestyle choices filter down to those around you, including your children. As a role model, they will learn what living a healthy lifestyle means. Kids are never too young to learn healthy habits and while chicken nuggets and fries are part of growing up, there are so many other options out there. Kids that are exposed to healthy eating habits grow up to be adults with healthy eating habits. 

Maintaining heart health as a family is a fun way to bond and create memories. Spending time together and enjoying one another will create a less stressful environment, which will lower your risk of heart disease.

• Take walks as a family

• Explore nature

• Track all your steps and see who has the most

• Reconnect and talk about what’s going on in everyone’s life 

• Cook healthy meals together

• Give each family member a task

• Promotes learning, whether it’s relating to colors for the younger kids or measurements for the older kids 

• Replaces fast food trips

• Make healthy choices together

• Teaches accountability

• Provides support 

• Leads to confidence 

When’s the last time you’ve had your annual checkup? This is a vital step to understanding your current state of health. You may uncover something unexpected that when caught early enough, can be treated. Again, it also shows your children what it means to take care of yourself. 

Health has been at the forefront of our minds over the past year. COVID-19 has created more awareness of how fragile we really are. Harvard Medical School tells us pre-existing heart conditions and poor metabolic health increase the risk of severe COVID-19. 

Now, more than ever, the importance of maintaining a healthy body is essential in our current environment. While the vaccine is making its rounds across the world, COVID is far from over. It’s never too late to start making alterations in your life. Do it for yourself. Do it for your loved ones.

February is about taking care of our hearts emotionally and physically. Valentine’s Day is a time to share our love with our spouses, partners, relatives, friends, and pets. Believe it or not, love promotes heart health: 

• Love reduces stress which lowers blood pressure

• Flooding the body with love-creating hormones is amazing for the nervous system and, by association, the heart

• Writing love letters releases chemicals in the brain which reduces cholesterol

Heart Awareness Month is in February, Heart Awareness Day and National Wear Red Day is February 5th, and Valentines Day, as you know, is February 14th. While these are reminders to keep your heart healthy by taking care of your body and your mind, every day should be a day to celebrate your heart.

What color represents all of these special observances? Red, of course. Dress in red as a family this year on February 5th to help spread awareness about heart disease. Now’s the time to wear your heart on your sleeve. Pun intended. 

The heart is one of the body’s most crucial organs. It pumps oxygen and nutrient-rich blood throughout your body to sustain life. Many of us take our hearts for granted, however, the statistics don’t lie. Live a healthy lifestyle, teach, guide, and be a positive example for others, and avoid being a statistic.

National Public Health Week & World Health Day: Get plugged in!

Good health takes work, and a healthy community takes everyone pitching in to make it happen. That’s why National Public Health Week, April 2-8, is a big deal and deserving of our attention.

It’s pretty simple: The American Public Health Association wants to create the healthiest nation possible and do so by promoting the role of a strong public health system. This year’s theme, Healthiest Nation 2030, showcases the goal of making the United States the world’s healthiest nation in one generation.

In addition, toward advocating for access to insurance and healthcare, the APHA also encourages study into the underlying cause of poor health and disease risk. That means looking at hunger, low wages, a lack of nutritious food and other community issues that bar many people from having optimal health.

These are big problems, and they require big solutions. But they also require each of us to do something, in our own way, to help tackle access to healthcare and other basic needs that will make our overall society a better one. Want to plug in? Join Generation Public Health now.

And as a part of that, we also want to call attention to World Health Day on April 7, a day to celebrate all the hard work of the World Health Organization to help improve lives all around the planet. The first World Health Day was held in 1950, marking the WHO’s founding and drawing everyone’s attention to the importance of global health. Good health — it’s global!

National Autism Awareness Month a chance to learn about a complex condition

Autism is talked about more now than ever before, but how much do we know about this complex neuro behavioral condition? Thanks to World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, a part of  National Autism Awareness Month and World Autism Month, we have the chance every April to learn more.

Those with autism are often referred to as “being on the spectrum,” or as having autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, because the condition can affect someone to varying degrees. The most common indicators are impairments in social interaction, and language and communication skills. Sometimes rigid, repetitive behaviors also are present. For an example of an adult with ASD, you can watch ABC’s The Good Doctor.

The Autism Society began its awareness month nearly 25 years ago in an effort to promote awareness and inclusion, but also self-determination so that those with ASD can achieve the highest possible quality of life. That means we need to be aware of their needs and accept and appreciate their unique gifts which sometimes have trouble coming across due to communication challenges.

Here are a couple of ways we can pitch in, or if we have a family or friend on the spectrum, engage and support:

The Autism Awareness Puzzle Ribbon is a way to honor and assist the one in every 68 children in America who show an autism prevalence. A shirt pin, a magnet — there are lots of ways to show that you care, you understand, and you want to be a part of their solution. Click here to learn more.

Many families don’t go out to the movies because they have a member with ASD — and what’s a normal night out for most people is an unbearable sensory overload for that person. The Autism Society is working with AMC Theatres to bring Sensory Friendly Films each month, an opportunity to have the lights less dim, and the sound less loud.

Lastly, donate to the Autism Society. They have more than 100 nationwide affiliates, a national resource database, contact center and are working very day to raise awareness about autism and showcase the issues faced by individuals with ASD and their families.

National Cancer Prevention Month offers opportunities for education and awareness

Did you know that more than half of all cancers diagnosed in the United States might have been preventable? They are linked to smoking, obesity, lack of exercise and excessive exposure to the sun.

It doesn’t have to be this way, and it shouldn’t. That’s why National Cancer Prevention Month is so important. This is the time to stop smoking (or better yet, never start), take a look at diet and exercise and make changes where needed, and buy that sunscreen we keep saying we’ll apply when sitting poolside, or even doing yard work.

The American Cancer Society has all kinds of helpful information about cancer, and steps that can help reduce your risk.  One big thing you can do is see what tests you might need to look into, based on your age, gender and ethnicity. That includes colonoscopies, mammograms and other easy to schedule exams that will give you peace of mind, as well as hopefully catch any problems early.

Putting an end to cancer is still a ways away, but research is ongoing and comprehensive. If we do our part, we can cut down on the number of cancer cases in the meantime. For instance, the American Institute for Cancer Research estimates that one-third of the most common cancers in the United States could be prevented by eating healthier, exercising and keeping excess weight off. The AICR says that’s an estimated 374,000 cancer cases that would never happen.

That’s a number we can all get behind. So, for February, take one step toward preventing cancer. Maybe that’s just eating more fruits and vegetables, or maybe it’s finally using that gym membership you got during the holidays, or scheduling that long-overdue physical. Take the first step and be the change in your own life when it comes to stopping or preventing cancer.

Cardiac care is front and center during American Heart Month

A longer, healthier life is everyone’s goal, and there’s no better starting point for a personal wellness program than good heart care.

That’s been the core message of the American Heart Association (AHA), as well as its American Heart Month, an awareness effort that began back in February 1964. (Want to read the presidential proclamation? Here you go.) At that time, more than half the deaths in America were caused by cardiovascular disease, and heart disease and stroke remain the leading global cause of death — more than 17.3 million each year, according to the AHA.

The statistics are sobering:

• 220.8 people out of 100,000 die from cardiovascular disease

• one person dies of a heart attack, or has a stroke, every 40 seconds or about 2,200 deaths per day

• stroke accounts for one out of every 20 deaths in the United States

But enough of the bad news — heart disease is preventable. How? By making healthy choices, which can even be easy ones:

• Season food with spices instead of salt.

• Get in some physical activity every day, even if it’s just a short walk.

• Make sure you see your doctor for a regular, annual physical.

Want to get the word out? The AHA has lots of ways you can spread the news about heart health. There’s information for use in newsletters, and it’s never a bad idea to send out a tweet or post to social media about American Heart Month so more people become aware.

Heart disease is a killer, and we can help stop it. Be part of the solution for yourself, your friends and family, and your community. 

Healthcare doesn’t take a holiday: Avoiding seasonal workplace stress

When someone goes into a healthcare career, whether that’s doctor or nurse, PT or OT tech, or any of the many other options, they do it because they want to help people. They’re willing to give up a lot, but often don’t realize that being home for the holidays may be on the list of sacrifices.

People don’t get sick, or need surgery, on a schedule. It’s a 24/7 business, and that’s why the holidays can be challenging not just for patients and their families, but also those who provide the high-quality care those people need and deserve. Here are a few ways to integrate the holiday season into your workplace, so that you don’t miss out on all the fun, and also to create a cheerier atmosphere for the people you’re serving.

Plan ahead. Assume that you may be working at least some holiday hours, and so organize family gatherings around those dates. Many people will visit relatives, or have far-flung relations come to them, several days ahead so that they do get to enjoy their company. Bonus: Traveling earlier in December, or even after Jan. 1, can be cheaper and less frantic.

Blend your families. If you're able, invite family members to visit you at work. And be sure to create some kind of event for your coworkers, as in many cases they are as close as your “real” relatives. That might come in the form of a potluck, or a gift swap.

Be mindful of emotions. As hard as it might be for you to be separated from parents, spouses, children or significant others, it’s even tougher for patients. Many of them have developed health issues during their own family gatherings, and are upset and nervous. A calm, empathetic approach will help them feel better, and make you feel good as well.

Don’t neglect worship. Many special religious services are held during the holidays, and missing those is tough. Speak to the hospital’s chapel or pastoral staff, and see if they are planning any interdenominational offerings that you could attend before or after work, or even on a break.

Keep in mind that with so much else in life, acceptance is the answer. Holidays will always be a time of juggling responsibilities for healthcare workers, and a little advance legwork and flexibility means that they can be as enjoyable and meaningful as they are for people in other professions.