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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Take Time to Balance

Apr 03, 2024 08:24AM ● By Jeaniesa Santiano

Staying in balance is more than a job—it is a mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual dedication. With only so much time in a day, it is a wonder we can achieve the tranquility that comes with true balance. On some days, I consider the monks in the hills, living a simple life, going about the tasks of their day while practicing silence. Well, it sounds like utopia.

We, on the other hand, live in a world of stress. Stress that we create from our thinking and perceptions; a stress-filled society that we often have invented. Then, if you are like me, you add to an already overfull pile by saying yes when no would have been just fine. Adding on more stress by stripping life of time. Time to rest, time to play, time to think, time to feel, time to wander.

On top of the personal stressors, there is also the news of the world stress bombarding us with sad, negative issues. Interject the social media trap, opinions, options, theories and blame, blame, and more blame. Avoiding stress, even sublevel stress seems next to impossible. 

So, how do I find balance? How do I counteract the everyday stressors that come our way. It seems to me that my solutions always turn to acceptance, understanding, adjusting and changing perspectives. To seek the time…no, to make the time for self-care.

My responsibility to my own life means I must recognize and decide what is good for me. To recognize that my sanity matters, and that balance brings a better me to the family, work world, etc. Self-care is a good decision I must make, and with no guilt. The guilt should stem from me not taking care of me, not the other way around. Making my mental, spiritual and physical health not just a priority but a necessity is simply a good decision. Time out is a good thing, and many times so needed.

On your daily ‘To Do’ list, include a time to balance—whatever that may mean to you. We are all worth it. Honoring self-worth, that I matter, that my life is important enough to acknowledge, that no matter who I am, I am worth taking the time to balance, center, breathe, to continue. I am worth loving and so are you.

Take time for you,

Joe Dunne, Publisher
In-Print, Inspiration, Wise Words publisher's letter April 2024
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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