Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Mind and Body

My Wish for Moms

Just in time for Mother’s Day this year, supermodel Chrissy Teigen launched the #MyWishForMoms campaign to bring awareness to postpartum depression and anxiety and to help break the stigma surrounding these conditions. While 1 in every 7 moms experience postpartum depression each year, only 15% receive treatment. Perhaps this is because our culture views giving […]

WRITTEN BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County

REVIEWED BY: Whitney Gherman, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Marion County

SOURCES:

  • Allegheny Health Network (2019). The 4th Trimester: Time to Take Care of Mom. https://www.mywishformoms.org/postpartum-resource/
  • MedlinePlus (2019). Postpartum Depression. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007215.htm
  • TODAY Parenting Team (2018). Stay at Home Mom Depression. https://community.today.com/parentingteam/post/stay-at-home-mom-depression
  • Zillman, C. (2018). Childcare Costs More Than College Tuition in 28 U.S. States. Fortune. http://fortune.com/2018/10/22/childcare-costs-per-year-us/

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Yes, now you have that song stuck in your head, you’re welcome. As I hum the song, I can’t help but to smile and to reflect on things that make me happy. To give the definition of happiness may seem silly, since most of us understand what it is, but according to positive psychology researcher […]

WRITTEN BY: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.416@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Joseph Maiorano, PhD, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Harrison County, maiorano.2@osu.edu

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://pixabay.com/photos/family-sea-vacation-beach-summer-2432568/
  • https://pixabay.com/photos/african-african-american-afro-3797905/

SOURCES:

  • Greater Good Magazine. Happiness Defined: What is Happiness? Found on 4/10/19 at https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/happiness/definition
  • Greater Good Magazine. Happiness Defined: Why Practice It? Retrieved on 4/10/19 from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/happiness/definition#why-practice-happiness
  • Harmon, M. (2019). How to "buy" happiness and better health. Found at https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/money/harmon-416osu-edu/how-to-buy-happiness-and-better-health/
  • Harvard Men's Health Watch. (2017). The pursuit of happiness. Retrieved on 4/10/19 from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-pursuit-of-happiness
  • Ho, L. (2019). How to Be Happy: Why Pursuing Happiness Will Make You Unhappy https://www.lifehack.org/610387/why-its-impossible-to-be-consistently-happy
  • Kloppers, M. 10 Things To Stop Caring About If You Want To Be Happier. Found on 4/10/19 at https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/ten-things-stop-caring-about-you-want-happier.html
  • Locke, R. (2018). 10 Scientifically Proven Ways To Stay Happy All The Time. Retrieved from https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-scientifically-proven-ways-stay-happy-all-the-time.html
  • National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI). Mental Health Conditions. Retrieved on 4/10/19 from: https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions
  • Suttie, J. (2019). How Understanding Evolution Can Help Us to Be Happy. Greater Good Magazine. Found at https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_understanding_evolution_can_help_us_to_be_happy

Love Thine Own Self

Many times when we talk about relationships we focus on those relationships we have with other people.  I think it is important to develop and maintain healthy relationships with friends, family, co-workers, etc.   I also believe having a healthy, positive, and loving relationship with yourself is crucial.  The type of relationship you have with yourself […]

WRITTEN BY: Lorissa Dunfee, Ohio State University Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences, Belmont County

REVIEWED BY: Shannon Carter, Ohio State University Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences, Fairfield County

SOURCES:

  • "Building Trust." California State University, Stanislaus. 2014.
  • Stephen, Asha, "Creating Healthy Relationships." Be Well Blog, University of Oregon. 2017.

Gratitude? Can it affect overall health?

According to Cambridge Dictionary, gratitude is defined as “a strong feeling of appreciation to someone or something for what the person has done to help you”.  The holiday season lends itself to expressing gratitude, probably more so than any other time during the year. One regular practice my family engages in over Thanksgiving is going […]

WRITTEN BY: Lorrissa Dunfee, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Belmont County

REVIEWED BY: Amanda Bohlen, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Washington County

SOURCES:

  • Definition of "gratitude" - English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/gratitude#dataset-cacd
  • Ducharme, J. (2017, November 20). 7 Surprising Health Benefits of Gratitude. Retrieved from http://time.com/5026174/health-benefits-of-gratitude/
  • Gratitude Practice Explained. (2015, November 23). Retrieved from http://ei.yale.edu/what-is-gratitude/

Mind Your Meals this Holiday Season

With fall in full swing and Thanksgiving just a few days away, many of us are faced with lots of opportunities to eat. Though the many celebrations and festivities of the season can be a great time to catch up with family and friends, these might also tempt us to overindulge. The gatherings and special […]

WRITTEN BY: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.417@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Joseph Maiorano, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Harrison County, maiorano.2@osu.edu

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • American Heart Association, Mindful Eating Infographic. Retrieved from: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/mental-health-and-wellbeing/mindful-eating-infographic

SOURCES:

  • Nelson, J. (2017). Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat, Diabetes Spectrum. American Diabetes Association, Retrieved from: http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/30/3/171
  • Harvard Health Publishing (2016). 8 steps to mindful eating. Retrieved from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/8-steps-to-mindful-eating
  • Mindful Eating. Retrieved from: https://smokefree.gov/stay-smokefree-good/eat-healthy/mindful-eating
  • Dugas, Julia (2017). Mindful Eating Checklist: How To Master Mindful Eating, Food Insight. Retrieved from: https://www.foodinsight.org/mindful-eating-checklist-flavors-meditation

Scars of Beauty

The Japanese art of Kintsugi (“golden joinery”) treats the necessary repair of a broken piece of ceramic pottery as an opportunity to honor the history of the piece. Instead of trying to mask the repairs by creating nearly invisible cracks, the shards of a broken piece of pottery are reattached using a special lacquer mixed […]

WRITTEN BY: Kathy Michelich, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Warren County

REVIEWED BY: Melanie Hart, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Greene County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://d1ielco78gv5pf.cloudfront.net/assets/clear-495a83e08fc8e5d7569efe6339a1228ee08292fa1f2bee8e0be6532990cb3852.gif

SOURCES:

  • Mayo Clinic (2018) Cancer survivors: Managing your emotions after cancer treatment - Get to know the emotions that are common for cancer survivors and how to manage your feelings. Find out what's normal and what indicates you should consider getting help at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/cancer-survivor/art-20047129
  • Doyle, J.S. Psychology Today (2015) Resilience, Growth & Kintsukuroi
  • You are better than you think you areat: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/luminous-things/201510/resilience-growth-kintsukuroi

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