Photo: Alistair Berg/Getty Images

Because I write about distraction and how to avoid it, I often get asked the question Arent distractions sometimes a good thing? Dont we all need some distraction in our lives?

Nope!

Distractions are always bad. Period. Diversions, on the other hand, can be good. This isnt just hair-splitting: The two concepts are fundamentally different, and if you want to use your time productively, you need to understand the important distinction between them.

As I explain in my book Indistractable, distraction is an action that pulls you away from what you intended to do.

Distraction prevents you from living out your values and becoming the person you want to become. Its the opposite of traction, actions that move you toward what you really want.

In contrast, diversion is a refocusing of attention. Diversions can be healthy: There are situations in life when the best thing you can do is to refocus your attention, especially when youre turning away from suffering you cant control.

Heres one of my favorite examples of a helpful diversion: Children are notoriously anxious before surgery, and their levels of preoperative anxiety are known to reduce the effectiveness of anesthesia and increase recovery times. But sedative medications arent generally a good idea for kids, so physicians need alternatives to keep them calm.

In a 2006 study, one group of children was given anti-anxiety medication before surgery, another group played handheld video games, and a third control group was given no medication and no video games before surgery. The kids in the video-game group were the only ones to show a decrease in anxiety before surgery. Amazingly, they also required less anesthesia during the procedure and suffered from fewer medication side effects after surgery.

The video games proved effective, researchers believed, because they diverted the childrens attention from uncertainty and fear. The engaging nature of the video game helped children focus away from the inevitable discomfort of their situation and toward the challenge of the game.

The same technique works on adults, too, as shown in burn patient research. Burn patients are typically given large doses of medications to help them through the excruciating pain of cleaning their wounds. But scientists at the University of Washington, Seattle, designed a virtual reality game that diverted patients attention and immersed them in a different set of circumstances. The researchers found that patients who played the game during wound cleaning felt up to 50% less pain. In fact, playing the virtual reality game was more effective at reducing pain than using medication. Thats a healthy diversion.

The game was still traction, not distraction, because it was exactly what the patients wanted to do with their time and attention. They were simply diverting their focus away from suffering they couldnt otherwise control.

So, beyond painful medical scenarios, when exactly is diversion a good idea?

Heres a rule of thumb: When the suffering youre experiencing is outside your control and unreasonable for you to escape.

You cant reasonably expect someone whos undergoing burn treatment to be 100% zen. Similarly, you cant reasonably expect a young child to be totally quiet and relaxed on a five-hour flight. Theyre going to suffer some boredom, and that suffering (depending on their age) may be outside of their control. In those times, something like an iPad can be a great diversion.

This is why, even though Im a proponent of raising indistractable kids, when I take my daughter on a very long road trip or flight, she can spend more time watching movies and shows. Thats not a distraction from something she ought to be doing; its a perfectly healthy diversion from an uncomfortable situation thats outside of her control.

On the other hand, I dont support letting the iPad become an iNanny at the dinner table, where a gadget would be a distraction from family time. Distractions are never good.

Diversions, however, can be a great tool for enduring pain or discomfort. By understanding the distinction, youre empowering yourself to use diversions in a healthy way while avoiding wasting time on unhealthy distractions.

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A Better Time Management Strategy: Understand the Difference Between Distraction and Diversion | Forge - Forge

Mary Fish does not deserve to die in prison. It will not benefit her or anyone else. On the contrary, making the sixty-eight-year-old Native American woman finish out the eight remaining years of her 2002 sentence at a state prison in Oklahoma will rob her of the chance shes earned to contribute positively to society.

Law, in her issue-by-issue approach, writes about the invisibility of incarcerated women and trans people, even as the rate of incarceration for women has grown since 1980 at twice the rate of men.

Fish, whose story was told in the December/January issue of The Progressive by freelance writer Victoria Law, has stopped using drugs and alcohol and taken part in self-help groups and other prison programs. Her health history includes high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, all of which put her at a higher risk from COVID-19. Shes a little old lady, for crying out loud.

Yet, even if the current push to reform the nations prison system advances, Fish may not see a reprieve. Thats because Fish, like nearly half the 1.5 million people in U.S. state and federal prisons, has committed violent offenses, which in her case tied back to her abuse of drugs and alcohol. And this, writes Law in her ironically titled new book, Prisons Make Us Safer, leaves her excluded from the narrative that mass incarceration is driven by nonviolent drug offenses, which in fact make up just 22 percent of the whole. She urges policymakers to move past pronouncements about nonviolent drug offenders to include the more complicated and nuanced scenarios involving violence.

Law also torpedoes the demonstrably false beliefs that prisons promote rehabilitation; that the threat of incarceration serves as a deterrent; that stiff sentences reduce the incidence of murder and sexual assault; that smaller prison populations mean higher crime rates; and that publishing the names of sex offenders on public registries enhances public safety.

The author of an earlier book titled Resistance Behind Bars, Law goes after prison myths on principle, even challenging commonly held assumptions such as seeing privately run prisons and immigration detention centers as a main driver of mass incarceration. In reality, she writes, privately run prisons incarcerate [only] between 8 and 8.5 percent of the U.S. prison population.

Law, in her issue-by-issue approach, writes about the invisibility of incarcerated women and trans people, even as the rate of incarceration for women has grown since 1980 at twice the rate of men. She recounts how policing and imprisonment became tools for incapacitating communities before they could organize and demand social change. She stresses the role of race in mass incarceration, including that all but eleven of the more than 2,000 people federally charged for crack cocaine over a three-year period were Black, and none were white. She points out that the tortuous conditions within jails and prisons often exacerbateif not causemental health issues.

Worst of all, Law argues, mass incarceration robs victims as well as offenders of approaches that can help bring closure and a start to reconciliation. Instead of encouraging offenders to take responsibility, prisons simply act as warehouses, removing people from societyand from any chance of trying to make amends.

Law identifies better approaches, from education programs that cut recidivism rates almost in half, to deferment programs for young offenders like the Common Justice initiative established in New York City in 2008, to restorative justice programs, to calls for the abolition of prison altogether.

The problem with prison policy isnt that we dont know what works and what doesnt but that people who have other agendas dont care. As Law puts it, The criminal legal system isnt broken. Its functioning as intendedas a form of surveillance, control, and punishment and as a way to conceal rather than address societys problems.

This urgent and useful book makes a compelling case for making a break from that past.

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The Truth About Prisons - Progressive.org - Progressive.org

What to Know

Do you wake up every morning feeling like a fierce queen?

Some days its tough, an eighth-grade girl said in response to the question on a Washington, D.C., confidence coach's podcast.

The days that I have confidence, I use it to the best of my ability. I fight with it. I strengthen it. I make it big. And the days that I dont, I kind of fake it til I make it, the 14-year-old named Bella said.Her family opted to withhold her last name to protect her privacy.

Confidence coach Dina Scippa works to help women and girls "embrace the fundamental belief that they are enough, she said. Her company, Enough Labs, is named after that goal.

My vision is for girls to embrace how enough they already are. You have no idea how enough you already are, she said during Womens History Month.

Scippa, 39, offers one-on-one and group coaching sessions, workshops and retreats, both in-person and online. She launched her company last year on the H Street Corridor of Northeast D.C.

Scippa is one of many coaches and writers working to boost the confidence of women and girls. A look at the publishing world alone suggests theres a big market for the guidance; the self-help books Untamed, by Glennon Doyle, and You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, by Jen Sincero, are bestsellers.

Dina Scippa (Credit: Courtesy of Dina Scippa)

Research suggests that many girls confidence takes a nosedive at as early as age eight. In their 2018 book The Confidence Code for Girls, writers Katty Kay, JillEllyn Riley and Claire Shipman found that girls confidence drops by 30% from ages 8 to 14, with a particularly steep drop starting at age twelve.

The writers and a polling firm asked a diverse group of more than 1,300 girls across the country, How confident are you? Some boys reported lower confidence at the same age, but not to the same extent.

I feel like everybody is so smart and pretty, and Im just this ugly girl without friends, one teen girl told the authors. I feel that if I acted like my true self, that no one would like me, another said.

Scippas tween and teen clients report self-doubt, pressure to please others and a compulsion to be perfect, she said. Many girls are completely disconnected to what makes them happy, she said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made some of these feelings worse and separated girls from friends and activities that give them a sense of identity.

Scippa, whos trained as a youth coach, said her own confidence plunged at age 10 or eleven. She didnt feel attractive or like she fit in, and those feelings as they do for many people carried into adulthood. Her turning point came in her late 20s, as she worked as a gender equality specialist on international development projects.

I saw the impact I was having on girls around me, she said.

1) Identify and squash negative thought patterns. The more energy you give a thought or idea, the more it grows. Youre not far behind; youre right where you need to be.

2) Motivate with courage, not fear. Imagine what courage would look like.

3) Help a girl connect with what makes her happy. Find it and youll help her thrive.

Scippa said shes hopeful about girls future when she sees individual girls start to accept themselves as they are.

Your smile should be big and you should walk so fearlessly

Bella, the 14-year-old girl on Scippas podcast, said she started to compare herself to other girls when she was about 9 years old.

Things start coming up. Dress sizes become a thing. Bikinis become a thing. And suddenly its, Is my stomach too big? Is my hair too long? Am I too tall? Am I too short? All of these thoughts just start flooding in, she said.

Lately, though, her perspective has changed.

Nothing should matter except who you are, and the only thing that you should worry how big it is is the size of your smile. Your smile should be big and you should walk so fearlessly, she said.

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Girls' Confidence Plummets at as Young as 8. Here's How to Help Them or Yourself - NBC4 Washington

Last July, Maddie Fantle left digital marketing agency Direct Agents with the goal of starting her own direct-to-consumer brand. In her role as an associate director of creative and marketing at Direct Agents, 28-year-old Fantle had worked with DTC brand founders and entrepreneurs, many of whom were also in their late twenties, and that served as inspiration to her.

For Fantle, becoming an entrepreneur was a long-time goal that was accelerated by the pandemic. Hearing from other entrepreneurs and working with brand founders to help them accomplish their goals made Fantle reevaluate her own and ultimately led her to take the leap to leave the agency and bring her own brand to the market. By January of 2021, Fantle did just that with a DTC skin-care brand, Maes Face, putting her savings as well as funding from a friends and family round of financing into building the brand.

I wanted to become an entrepreneur and build something like they built, said Fantle, adding working from home amid the pandemic made her reevaluate her goals. No matter when you start a business, theres a type of risk associated with it. In my case, it was during a pandemic people thought I was crazy.

Maes Face now has four employees and sells four colorful vegan face masks; Fantle is intentionally starting small with one type of product, but hopes to grow into a larger wellness beauty brand in the coming years and aims to produce a new product within the next six months.

Fantle is one of a number of agency execs looking to go from working with brands to become a brand founder. Former DTC creative shop Gin Lane famously pivoted to become Pattern, a DTC brand holding company. As previously reported by Digiday, former Huge CEO Aaron Shapiro is using his agency chops to bolster a DTC life insurance start-up, Dayforward. And performance marketing shops have also been wading into the DTC space, building their own brands while continuing to work with them.

We have all learned how precious and short our lives can be and thats part of why I believe there is going to be a talent drain this summer and into fall, said Christie Cordes, a talent recruiter for ad agencies, of the impact of the pandemic and why agency talent may be eyeing creating their own brands. The agencies who drive mass content work and productivity based on lowest price are fighting their way in a race to the bottom.

The pivot from DTC agency to DTC founder may also be due to agency employees close ties with those brands. Ive observed that DTC brands have a more intimate relationship dynamic with their agencies than, say, Fortune 500 brands have with their AORs, said Michael Miraflor, independent consultant at Third City Advisory. Theres more of an understanding of the business model, the levers to pull from a performance media perspective, and how it all works together with brand building.

Miraflor continued: Also its known that some DTC agencies have retainer/ equity relationships with the brands they help launch and grow, so theres more of an entrepreneurial bent in general that I think gives DTC [agency] executives a base of knowledge and confidence to launch their own brands.

While Fantle had a passion for skin care her college roommates made fun of her use of avocado and manuka honey on her face she took a data-driven approach to brand creation. The truth is I thought of the consumer first, and then I compared it with things I do like, said Fantle, adding that the popularity of self-care and selfies with Gen-Z and millennials led her to create Maes Face. You can have interests, but that doesnt always translate to a business.

As for marketing, Fantle spent the first month building up an audience for the brand on Facebook and Instagram organically. Since then, the brand has started to use paid advertising Fantle declined to share marketing budget figures primarily on Facebook and Instagram. However, with the privacy changes and iOS 14 update looming, Fantle plans to diversify that spending to other channels like TikTok shortly.

Were still in our learning period, said Fantle, adding that the brand is only in month three of existence.

Original post:
People thought I was crazy: Working with DTC brands inspired former agency exec to found a skin-care brand mid-pandemic - Glossy

Image Courtesy of Womens Health

By Maisy Sullivan

As college students, the vast majority of us have the tendency to get stuck in a monotonous everyday routine. We wake up every morning, wishing for just a few more minutes of sleep. We attend classes, do homework, and lounge around at every opportunity that presents itself. For myself at least, those repetitive, lackluster days cause me to regret not being more productive.

I have observed a variety of methods that help me feel fulfilled on the days that I feel inspired to get more done. Our lifestyles as bustling young adults have a necessity for self-help. Though most of the suggestions I have to offer are simple and unembellished, they can make a genuine difference in mood and productivity.

The first lifestyle tip is: make your bed when you wake up. It is such an innocent and seemingly empty act, but it provokes more small actions that will improve ones lifestyle significantly. It can even improve the tone for the day.

Seal William H. McCraven, a retired U.S. Navy Admiral SEAL, says in a commencement speech, If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.

This speech was about changing the world, but using the mundane action of making your bed inspires others to start small, since sometimes a paramount goal can be hard to imagine when everyday life seems difficult to accomplish.

Beyond just making your bed, organization in general is essential to a productive day. A clean space is a solid motivator to get tasks done. Organization does not mean shoving clutter in random drawers or stuffing clothes under the bed. It means sorting through the clutter, getting rid of useless items, and finding designated spots for all belongings. That way, everything is easy to locate, giving you less to worry about when the time for productivity comes.

After everything around you is clean, focus on yourself. Look at your own state of mind and the condition of your body. Take a bath. Relax for a little while, push aside an hour for self care so you can emerge rejuvenated to finish your day fruitfully. Play some music, do a face mask, pick out an outfit that makes you feel confident. Even if you dont want to take an entire hour for yourself, at least shower so that you feel your best in order to do your best.

On the topic of the self, after your day winds down, it is important to reflect on the positives and negatives of the day. If that means journaling, then write. If that means sitting in silence, close your eyes and meditate, pray, or just think. If that means planning for the next day, make a to-do list of what needs to be completed.

Regardless, find what needs to change, and remember that for the future. Find what has benefitted you during your day, and be sure to repeat it. Reflection is subjective, and not every method works for every person. Figuring out what works best for you uniquely is how you succeed and make your lifestyle extraordinary.

Daily life doesnt have to be all work because, for obvious reasons, that would cause major stress. I asked some friends what self-help methods they use in times of stress and anxiety.

Sophomore Ava Pisauro said she likes to play guitar. She went on to explain that activities that distract the mind without forcing active deliberation can help to calm racing thoughts after a taxing day.

Playing the guitar, free writing, physical activity, art and many more activities dont require the same stressors that writing emails, doing homework, or interacting with others require. The former of the mentioned pastimes require more pleasant, serene manners of thinking. As explained, these lifestyle suggestions are completely subjective, and not all of them will work for each and every person. The moral of the self-help conversation is that every single human needs to take care of themselves, and these are just a few manageable suggestions to brighten your mood and ability to be productive.

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Did You Make Your Bed Today? Tips for Productivity and a Better Mood - Catholic University of America The Tower

TRAVERSE CITY There is a hub of hope in Traverse City a centrifuge of care that separates compassion from conflict designed to embrace healthcare workers overwhelmed with personal grief brought on by professional duties.

Michaels Place provides a breath of resuscitation to those doctors, nurses and other frontline workers whove been suffocated by such griefs; griefs that have become exponentially magnified during the year-long COVID-19 pandemic.

Two years ago licensed Master Social Worker Melissa Fournier, former director of the Professional Grief Program at Michaels Place, enlisted the help of retired local physician Dr. Bill Smith, along with other community professionals including local physicians, clinicians, and educators, to establish the, to offer peer support tailored to meet the needs of the workplace served, including consultation on how to establish professional grief programs in a workplace or community bereavement center.

Carly Batcha has served as a critical care nurse for Munson Health Care for over seven years in the Cardiothoracic Surgical Intensive Care Unit.

Her work in the COVID-19 ICU stoked an appreciation for the professional grief program.

The past year has been filled with feelings of fear, anxiety, anger, resentment, exhaustion both physical and emotional but also of hope and appreciation, said Batcha. Ive been fortunate to attend some narrative medicine workshops over Zoom, facilitated by Melissa from Michaels Place. These workshops have been really helpful in connecting with other Munson employees and finding an outlet to work through some of the loss weve experienced.

Im optimistic that as more people receive the vaccine, the better our chances of avoiding another wave and eventually, the pandemic, coming to an end. The saying is true that you dont know what you have until its gone, and maybe part of what has made being a nurse during this pandemic so challenging was losing the ability to do the things like spending time with friends and family, that we have always relied on to fill us back up after a long week.

The stress of not only being a person living through the upheaval of our normal lives but also staring down the worst of it every day we would come to work, said Batcha. The silver lining has been how much the staff from all departments and all specialties have supported one another and bonded. The community sending cards, care packages and meals is something Ill always be grateful for.

Fournier said the board of directors and leadership at Michaels Place worked hard to create an organizational culture that supports its workers with their own professional and vicarious grief.

Our leadership recognizes the emotional toll that exposure to continuous loss takes, especially during these very uncertain times, and encourages employees to take needed time off, talk openly about the challenges this work brings up, and engage in self-care as much as possible while supporting opportunities to do so, she said.

Smith, now a board member at Michaels Place, expressed concern about the lack of support in place for healthcare workers.

Long before our current pandemic, there had often been an unspoken burden placed on healthcare workers faced with daily grief associated with their jobs, and very few resources in place to help process this as they move on to the next patient in the next room, said Smith.

Sadly, this pandemic will only magnify the needs of healthcare professionals as they attempt to process and heal from such terrible loss.

According to an article published by the journal of Occupational Medicine, healthcare professionals working in Intensive Care Units during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic reported symptoms consistent with a probable diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, severe depression or anxiety or problem drinking, and nearly one in seven reported thoughts of self-harm.

Fournier, who today is establishing an independent clinical social work practice while continuing to partner with Michaels Place in serving the bereaved, said while many healthcare workers know the importance of self-care, the aim at Michaels Place is to help create communities of care within healthcare systems and support organizations in caring for their healthcare workers.

Workers need a safe space to deal with the challenging emotions that arise, without judgment or concern as to whether their natural feelings in response to high levels of loss make them somehow less competent to care for patients, said Fournier. We offer that space.

Some indicators of professional grief include irritability, anger, and blame which could be observable to others. Healthcare workers may be experiencing an internal sense of guilt, helplessness, and cynicism, and may feel burdened by the thought of going to work each day. Some may give so much of their energy to work that they come home and have little left for family.

Pam Jones-Robinson, marketing and volunteer coordinator at Michaels Place, also cited the ongoing COVID-19 crisis as the reason workers have become overwhelmed with the seemingly never-ending revolving door of patients.

As you can imagine, during the pandemic, the stress, isolation, and anxiety of those grieving has been at a heightened state, and as a result, Michaels Place has seen a substantial increase in individuals reaching out for grief support services, said Jones-Robinson.

What we are also witnessing, both locally and internationally, is a greater level of grief and burden on our healthcare workers.

Batcha recalls when the unit she was working in last spring was converted to treat COVID patients.

Looking back, I dont think any of us would have guessed that almost a year later we would still be dealing with the pandemic on such a large scale, she said. The past few weeks Ive felt like letting out a breath Ive been holding. This fall was the most difficult when the healthcare system had 80-plus patients hospitalized, compared to now with 20-30. Im hoping that we can avoid any more surges.

Working in critical care Ive seen my share of very sick patients, and experienced the unique feelings of grief and loss from having my patients die, but COVID has been different. There were weeks where it felt despite all we did, patients kept dying every single shift. Sometimes multiple patients a day, they were just so very sick.

To add insult, this was happening around the holidays and bearing witness to last conversations happening over the phone or Facetime, was uniquely heartbreaking, Batcha said. We, of course, had others who got better and went home, but at the time it felt like the losses far exceeded our win.

About the same time Fournier helped develop the Professional Grief Program, she initiated an international call for submissions from healthcare workers for stories and poems of their experiences of professional grief.

Using these submissions, she co-edited The Healers Burden: Stories and Poems of Professional Grief, (www.healersburden.com) published in 2020 by The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.

When founding the Professional Grief Program and working on The Healers Burden, I never would have imagined that the launch of both a professional grief program and book would coincide with a devastating pandemic, said Fournier.

It has become apparent that focused attention on the emotional needs of healthcare professionals on the frontlines, the daily despair they encounter, and the grief they experience has never been more necessary.

Our goal is to provide support to those working in high loss environments and to create a shift in how professional grief is handled within organizational systems, she said. Being raised by a mother who was an ICU nurse and having spent a significant time in my career as a hospice social worker and bereavement counselor, I became acutely aware of griefs toll on those working in high loss environments.

Link:
Hub of Hope: Michael's Place embraces healthcare workers overwhelmed with grief - Traverse City Record Eagle

If you have a prolapsed uterus, it means your uterus has slipped out of place and is pushing into your vagina. This happens when pelvic muscles and connective tissue become too weak to support your pelvic organs.

You may not have any symptoms with a mild prolapse. But as the uterus slips, it can push into the vagina. In severe cases, the uterus can bulge out of the vaginal opening.

A prolapsed uterus can cause a variety of symptoms affecting the vagina, lower abdomen, and lower back, such as:

Pelvic floor exercises can ease symptoms and sometimes reverse a mild case, but severe cases may call for additional treatment.

Discover the right way to do pelvic exercises for a prolapsed uterus and which exercises to avoid.

Research shows that pelvic floor muscle exercises can reduce organ prolapse and ease symptoms. Pelvic floor exercises, also called Kegel exercises, are known to help strengthen muscles and provide support for pelvic organs.

Its harder to find your pelvic floor muscles than, say, your biceps, because they dont show.

Start by choosing your position:

Do your pelvic floor exercises 3 times a day. Increase your hold time by 1 second a day until you reach 10 seconds.

As your comfort level grows, youll find that Kegels can become second nature and you can do them when standing or walking. This exercise will help with muscle strength and endurance.

You can also do a quick version to improve pelvic muscle reaction time, which will help if you have pain or leakage when you sneeze, cough, or laugh:

If you have trouble remembering to do Kegels, there are Kegel trainers and apps that can send you reminders and keep you motivated.

Heavy exertion can aggravate uterine prolapse. Your doctor can recommend exercises based on the severity of your prolapse. Discuss your overall exercise routine before doing activities that involve:

Because you have a prolapsed uterus, your doctor may refer you to a physical therapist. Pelvic floor therapy can be tailored to your needs and the therapist can monitor your progress.

Biofeedback can be incorporated into your routine to make sure the correct muscles are contracting as you exercise. This will help you get the most out of your efforts.

There are a few self-care measures that may improve symptoms or prevent them from getting worse. These include:

Uterine prolapse doesnt always require medical intervention. But if it does, the treatment you choose depends on factors such as:

A vaginal pessary is a rubber or silicone ring-shaped device used to support pelvic organs. They come in many shapes and sizes, so your doctor can help you find a good fit.

Youll also learn how to insert it and remove it safely, as well as how to keep it clean. These devices can be used as short- or long-term treatment.

Surgical options include:

The uterus can slip when pelvic muscles and connective tissue weaken and can no longer provide adequate support. There are several reasons this might happen, including:

Over time, the severity of the prolapse can get worse.

You cant control everything that can contribute to a prolapsed uterus. But research shows that pelvic floor muscle training can help reduce prolapse symptoms. It can also help prevent further prolapse in people who already have prolapse. Making a habit out of Kegels is a good idea.

Other ways to help lower the chances of pelvic organ prolapse are:

If you have a mild prolapse, you might not have any symptoms. But see your healthcare professional if you have:

Its important to get a diagnosis because uterine prolapse symptoms are similar to those of bladder, rectum, and vaginal vault prolapse. It could also be that several organs are slipping out of place.

Your doctor will likely begin with pelvic and rectal exams. Imaging tests may be needed to help make the diagnosis, which will guide the next steps.

A prolapsed uterus has moved out of place and is pushing into the vagina. This can cause symptoms such as painful sex, general discomfort, and a feeling of heaviness in the vagina.

In some cases, its possible to ease symptoms or reverse a mild uterine prolapse by doing pelvic muscle exercises, along with other self-care measures. Prolapsed uterus doesnt always require other treatment. But in severe cases, use of a vaginal pessary can provide the necessary support. There are a few surgical options as well.

Pelvic muscle exercises may also help prevent organ prolapse, so consider making Kegels part of your daily routine. If you have symptoms of uterine prolapse, see a healthcare professional to find out for sure.

View post:
Prolapsed Uterus Exercise: What to Do and Not Do - Healthline

Bill Meade performing in the he March 2020 performance of Roadside Theaters play The Future of Letcher County at the Arch Social Club in Baltimore.

Dudley Cocke and Ben Fink

In a Kentucky coalfield county that twice gave Trump 79% of its vote, volunteer fire chief Bill Meade is known as a particularly outspoken Trump supporter. When we invited him to meet with grassroots leaders at the oldest African American social organization in Baltimore, some people got nervous. But when Bill walked in the front door and saw the Narcan the same medicine he and his fellow firefighters use to treat opioid overdoses back home he knew he was on friendly ground. His hosts seemed to feel the same: after watching him perform in an original play about his neighbors struggle to survive the collapse of the coal industry, one of them commented: We didnt know white people had those problems, too.

As we enter a dangerous moment in our national life, where a new president will try to bring us back together even as many of our communities are falling apart, these are the kind of connections we need. Weve been part of making them happen on a small scale in communities across the country. With the right investment, they could be happening everywhere.

The key to our approach is recognizing that every community has its own centers of power, like Bills volunteer firehouse in East Kentucky and the Arch Social Club in West Baltimore. These are organizations of, by, and for their communities: the local businesses, cultural centers, churches, and other spots where neighbors gather to support the place they live and the people they love. We partner with these organizations and their grassroots leaders to create opportunities for their community to celebrate its inherent spiritual, intellectual, and emotional genius.

See the article here:
Cocke and Fink: Community organizations work best - Roanoke Times

Once the confetti has been thrown and "Auld Lang Syne" has been belted out a few times, the new year serves as a great time to refresh your goals or create a whole new set of them. But if you're in need of a little extra motivation as you work on your new you for the new year, not to worry: We've rounded up some of the best self-help and motivational books so you can power through 2021.

Whether you're trying to shed a few pounds or land the job of your dreams, you're sure to find a welcome dose of motivation in the books ahead.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, Patch may earn a small commission.

In her New York Times bestselling book, Glennon Doyle urges readers to trust their inner voice and leave others' expectations at the door. In addition to accolades from the New York Times, "Untamed" has also received rave reviews from The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan and O: The Oprah Magazine.

Buy It Here

"The Self-Care Prescription" encourages readers to rid themselves of unwanted anxiety, stress and other negative thoughts by finding balance and purpose in relationships, work and life. Flipping through the pages of this self-help book will leave readers equipped with self-care 101, a full-spectrum plan and the best life strategies.

Buy It Here

With training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, David Goggins is well-versed in self-discipline. And in "Can't Hurt Me," the endurance athlete-turned-author doles out stories on self-discipline, mental toughness and hard work.

Buy It Here

An Instagram guru with well over half a million followers, Vex King brings nothing but positive vibes to "Good Vibes, Good Life." In his 300-page work, King stresses the importance of changing the way you think, feel, speak and act in order to change the world.

Buy It Here

Another New York Times bestseller, "Get Out of Your Head" challenges readers to quite literally get out of their heads to break away from the destructive thoughts that sometimes live there. In her book, Jennie Allen details the ways in which she fought her way through toxic thinking.

Buy It Here

"Atomic Habits" is one motivational read that benefits from the expertise of James Clear, an actual expert on habit formation. Clear uses his know-how to teach readers ways to overcome lack of motivation, make time for new habits and more.

Buy It Here

"The Four Agreements" uniquely calls upon ancient Toltec wisdom to help readers attain enlightenment and freedom. A staple in the self-help realm, Don Miguel Ruiz's work has received praise from the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra.

Buy It Here

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BURIED IN TREASURES WORKSHOP - A Group to Address Hoarding Behavior

The Buried in Treasures Workshop is about more than clutter...

Overcoming challenges Increasing motivation Reducing acquiring Prioritizing and celebrating choices

Self-Help & Empowerment For Finders and Keepers

Is clutter getting in the way of how you want to live your life?Are you feeling overwhelmed with too many possessions?Are you embarrassed to have people over?

This program offers a 16-week course that is based on the book Buried In Treasures. Join us for this group created by and for people who are ready to live a less - cluttered life!

The Buried in Treasures group is for people who would like to learn tips on how to de-clutter and stop over-acquiring with people who know what its like. Each week we will have a discussion around a specific skill, followed by the completion of challenging and rewarding exercises. Individual progress, challenges, successes, and goals are also monitored throughout the sixteen weeks.

Participants are expected to commit to attending all the sessions as well as to participate actively.

A Buried in Treasures Group is forming at:

**** a VIRTUAL CLASS is forming....

>>> next class starts mid-February 2021 - EARLY REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

**** Registration is required (must be enrolled by 2/3/21)

Please email for more information. There is a fee for the class.

Sessions start: ASK FOR NEXT CLASS STARTING DATE/TIME >>> a WAITING LIST has been started - Register Today !

This group offers a judgment-free environment for people ready to make a change in their life.

Registration required. Call or email for more information.

(440) 666 9326 or

**** Virtual Class available Conference Style by phone and/or computer - call /email for Starting Date / Time

*** ANYONE - ANYWHERE can join the Virtual Class

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Hoarding workshop - there is HELP available | Missoula, MT - Patch.com