Tag: socializing

Winter! Hot Chocolate with Tiny Marshmallows

Cheryl Greenberg, Ed.D. - The Age CoachLeave a comment

A cup of hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows, soft music in the background and frost on the windows.

Sounds like a Hallmark winter!

But we need even more for a happy and healthy winter.

As the temperatures fall, it’s important to be intentional about navigating the season. The same activities that make us smile can also protect our bodies and brains.

  • Eat well: Hot chocolate warms the body. Stews and soups, full of vegetables and healthy broth, provide an easy recipe for strength, nutrition, and warmth.
  • Stay hydrated: Add herbal teas and some coffee for warmth and to help blood cells carry nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body and brain. Fluids have a positive impact on heart health, cognitive alertness, fighting infection…and so much more.
  • Be warm: Maintaining body heat becomes more difficult with age. Layer textured or silky t-shirts under a shirt, topped with a light sweater for inside and a jacket for outside. Thin layers close to the body reserve body heat.
  • Monitor safe travel: Check on the possibility of snow or ice. Plan ahead for someone to clear paths around your house or, better yet, to deliver what you need.
  • Exercise: Exercise is important for the health of the body and brain, but long walks, tennis and a pickup ball game may be out of the question. Winter is a good time, though, to go to the gym for classes to strengthen all parts of the body, challenge the brain, and socialize.
  • Complete a project: Gardening and outside repairs may not be fun in the cold, but you can pick up a project that has been on your mind: organizing photos, thinning out bookshelves, making decisions about household items you haven’t used in years.
  • Learn: What a fine time to settle in with books you have been meaning to read or to learn to play the guitar that is sitting in the corner. Classes at community centers and online offer seemingly unlimited choices for learning new information and skills.
  • And most importantly, socialize: Plan times for long coffees with friends, make regular phone calls, go to community events. Being with people you enjoy can lead to healthier bodies and brains.

Winter can be a “Hallmark moment” when we navigate the season with activities that make us smile.

Would you like to talk about new ways that you…or someone you are caring for… can stay active, healthy and “enjoying life’s hot chocolate”? Contact Dr. Cheryl Greenberg at TheAgeCoach@gmail.com.

Feeling a Little Discouraged by Virus Concerns? Sing a Song!

Cheryl Greenberg, Ed.D. - The Age CoachLeave a comment

“I don’t sing because I’m happy; I’m happy because I sing.” – William James

What a great thought! We are looking for ways to feel happy and engaged while still coping with pandemic concerns and rules. How about singing?

If music is not a big part of your life, consider this:

  • Singing familiar songs reduces stress: Breaking into song signals the brain to send hormones (endorphins) through your brain and body that make you feel more content and less stressed. And as researchers have shown, decreasing stress improves overall health and longevity!
  • Singing connects you to pleasant memories: Even people who have concerns about how well they remember find that songs from their childhood or their first love come back to them when they sing, with all the words and feelings they had when they were younger.
  • Singing improves brain function: When you sing, you use many parts of your brain and build new pathways between the cells in your brain. This improves your ability to remember and increases your brain’s “reserve” for remembering in the future.
  • Singing can increase social interactions: Singing in a choir or singing at home with family is not only fun but gives you a chance to build social connections. People who have close bonds with others are happier and healthier.
  • Music has a direct impact on mood and wellness; it has been shown to ease pain, shorten recovery time from illness, and lift feelings of anxiety and depression: How about singing out loud or listening to a favorite playlist?
  • And let’s add some movement to increase the benefits: Tapping your feet, swaying to the rhythm, or whirling around the room with your best version of Beyoncé or Mozart is terrific for the brain and body. Each time you move to music, challenging your brain to coordinate dance steps and melodies, you exercise your muscles, build cardiovascular health and improve your ability to  remember and think.

Singing, dancing  . . . music in general . . . are good for your health, enjoyable, and with the challenges of the pandemic, a particularly helpful way to reduce stress!

Dr. Cheryl Greenberg works as a coach, or guide, for seniors and their families as they consider and plan for changes in their lives. During the pandemic, she leads support groups to help folks stay engaged in creative ways. To join a group or coach with Cheryl, contact her at TheAgeCoach@gmail.com or 336-202-5669.

Staying Engaged during the Pandemic

Cheryl Greenberg, Ed.D. - The Age CoachLeave a comment

We are tired of COVID. We are bored with Zoom meetings and missing our friends and family. Days seem to repeat themselves and, as I hear often from coaching clients, we have more time on our hands, but we seem to be doing less.

It’s OK. We can handle this . . . and we should handle it.

After all, we know that staying actively engaged in work, play and social activities is very important to our mental and physical health and even to our ability to remember and problem solve.

So, what are some creative ways we can jump through the hoops of COVID caution for a while longer?

Congratulate Yourself for Your Successes

First, congratulate yourself for the creative ways you have already stayed active and connected to other people.

Noticing your flexibility and creativity is good for your self-esteem, which in turn increases the “healthy hormones” in your body and brain. You remember better, feel happier and are healthier when you have a sense of accomplishment.

Connect with Others

Many people report that they have adjusted to having less face-to-face time with family and friends and have learned to fly solo for work and entertainment.

However, Dr. Susan Pinker tells us that having regular social contact is incredibly important for our physical and mental health. People who are in regular contact with others have fewer health problems, remember better and even live longer!

So, let’s think of new ways to stay closely connected with others.

  • Invite friends to join you for a book group or a virtual tour of Europe.
  • Use an app, such as Netflix Plus, to watch an award winning movie with family members and discuss the film.
  • Schedule online problem solving meetings for work and volunteering.
  • Use a meeting platform to share your new baking (carpentry, gardening or decorating) skills with family. Invite them to work along with you while you give advice.

Commit to New Learning and Adventures

Create new activities that challenge you physically and mentally. This will perk you up, motivate you, get you involved. And, as Dr. Sanjay Gupta writes, novel activities encourage brains to form new cells and pathways; they improve memory and thinking!

  • Have you wanted to be an advocate for social justice, decreasing hunger, consumer rights? Reach out to local libraries, community centers, interfaith organizations to ask how you can help.
  • Have you always wanted to learn another language or build a computer? Find classes online through university emeritus programs, Shepherd’s Centers, art museums and libraries.
  • Local and national organizations need virtual volunteers. Contact VolunteerMatch.com or local organizations, such as the Volunteer Center of the Triad to match your interests with community needs.
  • Exercise is good for your body and brain . . . and can be done with others virtually. Try a fitness activity that is new and challenging, such as tai chi, yoga or strength training.

Most importantly, create your own connections and adventures for staying engaged during the pandemic. Share them with others and “jump through the hoop of COVID cautions” for a little while longer.

Conversations during this Unusual Time: Join In!

Cheryl Greenberg, Ed.D. - The Age CoachLeave a comment

I am so excited about that we now have two opportunities to support each other at this unusual time.

Consider joining the conversations. They are free, informal . . . and lovely ways to share and de-stress together!

Socializing with a Creative Touch: Ideas for Staying in Touch with Family and Friends
Wednesday through April 29 (and maybe longer!) at 3:00pm.
Zoom link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/730077770

We know that having regular, caring and stimulating social contact is essential for older adults’ (and everyone else’s!) physical and cognitive health, but right now, visiting isn’t possible for many.

Let’s share: What can children and other caring people do? How creative can you be? Come to share and make new friends!

So How Are You Feeling Today? A Chance to Release and Relax Mondays at 1:00pm, from April 20 through May 4:
Zoom link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77067866776

Several of us talked about the possibility of setting up a meeting where we could share some of our feelings of discomfort and concern and, at the same time, feel the support of the group.

Join the conversation. We will share and de-stress together!

It isn’t difficult to join: Click the link (above), select “Zoom Meeting”in the blue box, and then select the blinking blue arrow on the upper right side of the screen. You will be ready to share!

Of course, email or call me if you would like to talk 1:1.

Hope to see you at the meetings!

Cheryl