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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

Palo-Santo-Candles

Living in Gratitude

by Hannah Adamson

“I don’t want to do my homework,” “Ugh, my room is messy,” “I don’t like the way I look today.” These types of complaints somehow manage to creep their way into our lives. At school, sometimes it seems that we are listing complaints more than actually communicating. Yes, life can be challenging sometimes, but it should not be the focal point of our perspective.

The homework I need to do means that I am fortunate enough to have an education. The room that needs cleaning means that I have a safe place to sleep every night. The reflection I see means I have the gift of sight to see every day. We have to make the conscious decision to appreciate our lives, especially when it comes to the tasks we may not like doing. Changing your perspective to one of appreciation can help make the little daily challenges more manageable.

A bad day? Chances are it was not completely bad. Many times, negative moments and challenges interrupt a normal day; they do not usually last the whole day. It is our perception that can either manipulate these moments into larger problems or relieve us of the stress they cause. Instead of focusing on the one bad hour of the day where you were embarrassed, hurt, stressed or annoyed, recognize all the good parts of your day. The friend that complimented your outfit. The food you had to eat. The person that you vent to about your not-so-good moments. Even if you cannot think of anything like this, the point is that you had a day: you woke up and you lived.

It is so easy to get caught up in the things that bother us. Focusing on negativity can become a habit, integrated into our daily routine. Changing your perspective, while maybe not so easy, can ease the burden of life’s more difficult moments. By altering the way we view each day, we can recognize and appreciate the positivity within our lives.

Hannah Adamson is a senior in high school. She practices meditation and takes ThetaHealing courses with Reshma Shah in Westfield, New Jersey.

Teen Voices
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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