Get your flu shot

 I had my flu shot the other day, and I hope you get yours soon or have already received it. I did have some minor side effects. I had a slight headache and some nausea for about one day. It is important to get the flu shot, especially if you are in my age bracket (over 65). Last year, according to the Health Officials we, in Canada had less than 100 cases of the flu. This they put down to the restrictions that were in place because of COVID. This year there are no or very few restrictions so people are afraid that the flu will be back with a vengeance.

According to the World Health OrganizationSeasonal influenza (or “flu”) is most often caused by type A or B influenza viruses. Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, cough (usually dry), headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat, and a runny nose. The cough can be severe and can last 2 or more weeks. Most people recover from fever and other symptoms within a week without requiring medical attention. However, influenza can cause severe illness or death in high-risk groups

Seasonal epidemics occur mainly during winter, from October to March in the northern hemisphere and April to September in the southern hemisphere. In tropical and subtropical countries, seasonal influenza can happen all year round. People most at risk for severe seasonal influenza are:

·       pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy

·       children younger than 5 years

·       people older than 65 years

·       people with chronic medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS, asthma, heart and lung diseases and diabetes

·       people with increased risk of exposure to influenza, which includes health care workers.

The best way to avoid getting the flu is to get the flu vaccine every year. Influenza viruses evolve constantly, and twice a year WHO makes recommendations to update the vaccine compositions. WHO recommends annual vaccination for high-risk groups including healthcare workers. People should ideally get vaccinated just before the influenza season begins for the most effective coverage, although getting vaccinated at any time during the influenza season can still help prevent flu infections.

If you have the flu, you should drink plenty of water and rest. Most people will recover within a week. Antiviral drugs for influenza can reduce severe complications and deaths although influenza viruses can develop resistance to the drugs. They are especially important for high-risk groups. Ideally these drugs need to be administered early (within 48 hours of onset of symptoms). Antibiotics are not effective against influenza viruses.

Influenza can spread quickly between people when an infected person coughs or sneezes, dispersing droplets of the virus into the air. It can be also spread by hands contaminated by the virus.

Precautionary measures should be taken to limit transmission. People should cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing, then throw it out and wash their hands thoroughly and regularly.

Setting financial boundaries

We are quickly approaching Christmas and after that, all of a sudden it will be the new year.

So, before the end of the year and holiday craziness ramps up, now is the perfect time to set some financial boundaries. Just like personal boundaries, financial boundaries can help you to prioritize your financial health and set you up for success.

Some examples of healthy financial boundaries you can create or enforce:

·       create a budget and a savings and investment plan centred around your financial goals

·       set clear limits on debt and lending

·       stick to a holiday spending plan

·       let go of any guilt and advocate for your financial health-with family and friends

·       communicate your boundaries and share your wisdom 

Parking lots

It is getting close to Christmas and many of us will be out and about, shopping and looking for gift ideas in our local shopping centers. Did you ever have this happen to you? I was out visiting students who were working in the community, and I was bringing along another teacher, who I was training to take over the job. I was moving on to a different position. I was somewhere in my late 40s, I drove from our school to the shopping center where the student was working, went into the underground parking and parked my car. We left the car, went to see the student, had a long conversation with the student’s employer and then went to lunch.

We finished lunch and when we went back to the garage, I could not remember where I parked my car. I asked the other teacher, and he could not remember. Neither of us had been paying attention so we had no idea where we had parked the car.

The parking lot was huge, so we started to try and second guess ourselves but were not successful. We started wandering through the lot trying to see my car. A security guard in a golf cart pulled up to us and asked us what the problem was, we explained we had lost the car. He laughed and said “Hop in, this happens to a lot of people. I will help you look.” About 10 minutes later we found the car.

We knew we were in the right garage, but that’s all, we were looking on the wrong level.

If we want to remember something, above all else we need to notice. And noticing requires two things: perception (seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling) and attention.

Now when I park, I pay attention or if I am in a big parking lot, I record on my phone, my location, by the signs in the parking lot for example Section Y row 12 stall 7. My memory cannot capture and retain everything, it can capture what I pay attention to, and since I can’t pay attention to everything, I remember some aspects of what is happening and not others. So, when you are parking pay attention to where you are parking.

Let’s consider an example that happens a lot to me. You’re out with friends or you are in a meeting with new people, someone introduces you to a number of new people or perhaps only one new person. Two minutes later, you’re still chatting with him, and you realize that you have no idea what his name is.

Or this happens: You bump into one of the people you were introduced to a few days later at the store. He says, “Hi, [Your Name]!” You recognize him, you know you met him, but you cannot recall his name. You say, “Hey, you!”

Paying attention requires conscious effort. If you want to remember something, you have to turn your brain on, wake up, become consciously aware and pay attention.

Getting enough sleep, meditating and a little caffeine are other powerful distraction fighters and can enhance your ability to establish long-term memories.

Because we remember what we pay attention to, we might want to be mindful about what we focus on. Optimists pay attention to positive experiences, so these events are consolidated into their memories. If you look for magic every day, if you pay attention to the moments of joy and awe, you can then capture these moments and consolidate them into memory. Over time, your life’s narrative will be populated with memories that make you smile.

If you want to improve your memory, try minimizing or removing things that distract you. Getting enough sleep, meditating and a little caffeine (not too much and none 12 hours before bed) are other powerful distraction fighters and can enhance your ability to pay attention and establish long-term memories.

So, the next time you can’t find your car, pause. And before you accuse your memory of failing, before you panic and worry that you have Alzheimer’s, think: Did I pay attention to where I parked my car, to begin with?

Decisions

 Did you ever have to make up your mind, goes the verse of a song by the Lovin’ Spoonful from their album, “Do you believe in Magic?” The song goes on

Did you ever have to make up your mind?

Pick up on one and leave the other one behind

It's not often easy, and not often kind

Did you ever have to make up your mind?

Choice is not easy and saying yes to one means saying no to another, and that is why we, as people do not like making choices. I read somewhere that deciding is stressful for most humans. That is perhaps why we sometimes procrastinate because our thinking is such that if we delay long enough, we will not have to decide, a decision will be made for us. I think it is another reason why we look to strong leaders; they allow us to abdicate making any decisions, we can just do what we are told, which makes life so much easier.

The song ends

Then you bet you'd better finally decide!

And say yes to one and let the other one ride

There's so many changes, and tears you must hide

Did you ever have to finally decide?

Tears you must hide. This line speaks to how hard it is to decide and the realization that there are consequences for your decision. The song speaks to a lover having to decide between two loves, but all decisions we make, have consequences and all of them involve saying yes to something and no to something else. I love that poets and songwriters can use words that speak to powerful subjects in a way that makes it simple to understand.