Don't Let Frankenstorm Turn You Into Jack Nicholson

Many of us are hunkered down as "Frankenstorm" lunges toward the East Coast.  Sure, every news outlet and emergency preparedness office has told us what to buy, what to do.  But what about our peace of mind? Contained in close quarters with a droning wind outside and limited options, how to make sure we don't turn into Jack Nicholson's character from The Shining?

Five quick tips to keep yourself grounded and your family safe (Even from you!)

1) Turn off the Tv/Radio/Livestream.  Yea, we get it.  There's a bad storm. But endless catastrophic reports stimulates our amygdala  triggering floods of cortisol through our bodies and making us feel unsafe and out of control.  You wanna know about the weather?  Look out the window.  (Just don't press your nose against the glass.)  (Sign up for text based emergency notifications such as this one so key info will reach you.)

2) B-R-E-A-T-H-E.  Can't control the weather?  Focus on what you CAN control: your breathing  Long slow deep breathes will calm and reassure you. It tells you're brain everything is ok.

3) Stretch.  Stress triggers the "Fight or Flight' syndrome.  But we can't fight the storm and, once the weather turns fierce, flight is not an option. So, stuck inside?  Turn that adrenalin into action. Cast off the energy in a healthy way.  Lift some hand weights. (no weights? use those canned goods you stocked up on.)  Stretch.  Do some floor exercises. Take your laundry off the the treadmill or elliptical  and do a couple of sets before the power goes out.

4)  Laugh.  Laughter discharges energy in a good way.  Tell jokes or funny stories. Put your underwear on your head.  Or just point and laugh at the folk you're with.

5)  The Power of Touch. Re-set yourself.  Feeling overwhelmed?  A wet cloth against your forehead or neck will soothe you..  Self massage your temples or hands.  Cuddle.  Reassuring touch allays our fear.

Stay safe.  Stay dry. This too shall pass.  Additional tips on how to stay sane during a natural disaster  here.

Scar? What Scar? Barcelona's Éric Abidal Bounces Back

Barcelona football (soccer) standout Éric Abidal had a liver transplant in April after already missing part of the 2011 season for surgery to remove a tumor. Bouncing back from any transplant requires grit: imagine the titanium discipline it takes to return to professional athletics.

One Foot in Front of the Other

"Honestly, I was never down about it. I never really got the 'Why mes?' "   -- Lisa Sudo

Mark Moran / The Citizens' Voice 

4 years after she was  paralyzed from the chest down, Lisa Sudo steps out with a robotic aid.  Journalist  Bob Kalinowski,  (with his special knack for ferreting out the inspiring) tells her story here: "I kind of think that I was put in this position to give people inspiration and show them that there is hope and it pays off to never give up." 

Wag Your Tail Like a Three Legged Dog!

credit: Yarbrough Photography
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Did you hit the gym today?  Work out at home?  Wish you had?  Our culture is obsessed with physical perfection.  The hard-bodied selves of our dreams are unstoppable,  in control, ready for anything.  And physical health is irreplaceable.

Less scrutiny is given to our mental muscles, our fortitude.  Yet it's our resilience which really makes us powerful, able to weather hardships, the adversity life inevitably brings.

And no one is more resilient than a 3 legged dog. Three legged dogs don't mope around on their doggie beds, seized by 'what ifs' and blaming the cancer or plotting revenge against the son of a gun whose car hit him.  No,  3 legged dogs chase balls,  chase tail, and wonder what's for dinner.

"Never give in--never, never, never, never."

-- Winston Churchill

KAPOW! Use Your Strengths to Knock Out Stress

Good news! Folk who "use their strengths to do what they do best have higher self-confidence, hope, altruism, wellbeing, and productivity."  

The bad news?  Most of us don't get a chance to "do what (we) do best throughout the day "   Gallup says they've studied human strength for more than 50 years.  Their most recent poll shows  we spend too little time doing what we're good at.