Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Mind and Body

LOL-Laugh Out Loud… for your heart!

I have been reading a lot about the benefits of laughter. One surprising benefit of laughter is a healthier heart! Laughter affects your nervous system, boosting your serotonin, dopamine, and endorphin levels,  but also it can be a great workout for the immune, lymph, and cardiovascular systems. When you laugh, your heart rate increases and […]

WRITTEN BY: Dr. Roseanne Scammahorn, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Darke County, Scammahorn.5@osu.edu

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

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Photo by Silvia Cosimini from FreeImages

REFERENCES:

  • Abram, T. (2018). Laughter has serious benefits. Michigan State University - https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/laughter_has_serious_benefits
  • Edmonds, M. (2019, June 16). What is laughter therapy? https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/laughter-therapy.htm
  • Henry Ford LiveWell. (2019). How Laughter Benefits your Heart Health. https://www.henryford.com/blog/2019/03/how-laughter-benefits-heart-health#:~:text=When%20you%20laugh%2C%20your%20heart,of%20a%20heart%20disease%20diagnosis.
  • University of California San Francisco. (n.d.). Laughter Yoga. https://osher.ucsf.edu/public-classes/laughter-yoga
  • The University of St. Augustine. (2019). How laughter can relieve stress and Ideas to laugh it off. https://www.usa.edu/blog/how-laughter-can-relieve-stress/

What Mindfulness App Should I Try?

The research on mindfulness apps is very new. One 2018 article stated, “research began in earnest only about four years ago.” At best, the research on mindfulness apps is new and therefore limited. At worst, there have been examples of some apps making, “health claims with no research to back up their programs.” Because the […]

WRITTEN BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Lucas County

REVIEWED BY: Shannon Carter, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Fairfield County

REFERENCES:

  • Clarke, J., Draper, S. (2020). Intermittent mindfulness practice can be beneficial, and daily practice can be harmful. An in depth, mixed methods study of the “Calm” app's (mostly positive) effects. Internet Interventions, Volume 19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2019.100293
  • Finding and Evaluating Online Resources (2020). National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 09/16/20 from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/finding-and-evaluating-online-resources
  • Flett, J., Hayne, H., Riordan, B., Thompson, L. & Conner, T. (2018). Mobile mindfulness meditation: A randomised controlled trial of the effect of two popular apps on mental health. Mindfulness. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-018-1050-9
  • Hendricks, D., Lavery, M., Bouillon, L., & Gotfried, R. (2020). Evaluating the effectiveness of a mindfulness app among academic advisors. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science volume 5, pages149–155(2020)
  • Huberty, J., Vranceanu, A., Carney, C., Breus, M., Gordon, M., & Puzia, M., (2019). Characteristics and usage patterns among 12,151 paid subscribers of the Calm Meditation App: Cross-Sectional survey. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, https://mhealth.jmir.org/2019/11/e15648
  • Let Me Google That: Finding Valid Health and Wellness Information Online (2019). Clemson Cooperative Extension. https://hgic.clemson.edu/hot-topic/let-me-google-that-finding-valid-health-and-wellness-information-online/
  • Mani, M., Kavanagh, Hides, L.,& Stoyanov, S. (2015). Review and evaluation of mindfulness-based iPhone apps. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2015 Jul-Sep; 3(3): e82. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4705029/
  • Newman, K. (2018). Do mindfulness apps work? Research on mindfulness is limited, but here’s what we know so far. Greater Good Magazine, Berkeley, University of California. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/do_mindfulness_apps_work
  • Powers-Barker, P. (2016). Introduction to Mindfulness, Ohio State University Extension Factsheet. https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5243
  • Tlalka, S. (2016). The trouble with mindfulness apps: When your favorite mindfulness app says it’s based in science, check twice. Few actually are. Greater Good Magazine, Berkeley, University of California. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_trouble_with_mindfulness_apps

Gardening as a Self-Care Practice

Self-care can be as basic as daily routines like brushing your teeth or staying hydrated by drinking enough water. While it might be easy to list daily tasks that support personal care such as eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising, and connecting with others, it is not uncommon that stressful times can upset a self-care […]

WRITTEN BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Lucas County

REVIEWED BY: Roseanne E. Scammahorn, PhD, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Darke County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Powers-Barker, P. (2020)
  • Stone, A. (2019)

SOURCES:

  • Dockrill, P. (2016). Just looking at photos of nature could be enough to lower your work stress levels. Science Alert. Retrieved 06/16/20 from https://www.sciencealert.com/just-looking-at-photos-of-nature-could-be-enough-to-lower-your-work-stress-levels
  • Elrer, E. (2019). Will you give me some tips on how to propagate houseplants from cuttings? A Question of the Week. University of New Hampshire Extension. Retrieved 06/15/20 from https://extension.unh.edu/blog/will-you-give-me-some-tips-how-propagate-houseplants-cuttings
  • Ensle, K. (2012) Mindful eating for better health. Rutgers, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Retrieved 06/15/20 https://njaes.rutgers.edu/sshw/message/message.php?p=Health&m=221
  • Jo, H. Song, C., and Miyazaki, Y. (2019). Physiological benefits of viewing nature: A systematic review of indoor experiments. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 16 (23): 4739. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6926748/
  • Kennelly, S. (2012). A scientific reason to stop and smell the roses: A new study suggests people are happier when they take time to appreciate the good things in life. Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkley. Retrieved 06/16/20 from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/a_scientific_reason_to_stop_and_smell_the_roses
  • Pollinator Week: Pollinators, Plants, People, Planet. (2020). Pollinator Partnership. Retrieved 06/15/20 from https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator-week
  • Powers-Barker, P. (2017). Infused Water with Ohio Local Foods, Ohio State University Extension, Retrieved 06/15/20 from https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5363
  • Roudabush, C. (2020). Self-Care for Youth and Families. South Dakota State University Extension. Retrieved 06/15/20 from https://extension.sdstate.edu/self-care-youth-and-families
  • Schmidgall, V. (2018). Mindful Monday: Try the “Five Senses” Mindfulness Exercise, Physical, Wellness Tips & Wellness Articles. University of Vermont Medical Center. Retrieved 06/15/20 from https://medcenterblog.uvmhealth.org/wellness/physical/mindfulness-mindful-monday-exercise/

Mindfulness in Childbirth

I gave birth for the first time in August. Being a first-time mom, I was nervous and anxious about childbirth. Our hospital offered a course about childbirth that my husband and I attended. They covered topics like when to know when you are in labor, the stages of labor, what things to expect, strategies for […]

WRITTEN BY: Katie Schlagheck, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ottawa & Sandusky Counties

REVIEWED BY: Bridget Britton, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Carroll County

Self-care for the Caregiver

Caregivers often have self-imposed expectations, pressuring them to feel they should be able to handle every situation that they encounter with little or no support or assistance. There is this tremendous pressure to “do it all,” taking care of children and aging parents while maintaining a career and the home. Instead of having a sense […]

WRITTEN BY: Dr. Roseanne Scammahorn, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Darke County, Scammahorn.5@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Kellie Lemly, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Champaign County, lemly.2@osu.edu

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • sarcifilippo from Pixabay

SOURCES:

  • The Caregiver Toolbox: Guide to Independent Living - http://www.coaaa.org/cms/images/docs/guides/COAAA_Caregiver_Toolbox.pdf
  • 10 Tips for Family Caregivers - https://caregiveraction.org/resources/10-tips-family-caregivers
  • Care Community - https://caregiveraction.org/forum
  • Defining The Help You Need - https://caregiveraction.org/defining-help-you-need
  • Depression - https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml
  • Strategies for Coping with Caregiver Stress - https://www.agingcare.com/articles/strategies-for-coping-with-caregiver-stress-135916.htm

REFERENCES:

  • Area Agency of Aging (2018). The Caregiver Toolbox: Guide to Independent Living. Retrieved February 6, 2020, from http://www.coaaa.org/cms/images/docs/guides/COAAA_Caregiver_Toolbox.pdf
  • Aging In Place (February 2020). Caregiver Burnout. Retrieved February 6, 2020, from https://www.aginginplace.org/caregiver-burnout/
  • Caregiver Action Network. (2020). 10 Tips for Family Caregivers. Retrieved February 6, 2020, from https://caregiveraction.org/resources/10-tips-family-caregivers
  • Caregiver Action Network. (2020). Care Community. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://caregiveraction.org/forum
  • Caregiver Action Network. (2020). Defining The Help You Need. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://caregiveraction.org/defining-help-you-need
  • Caregiver Action Network. (2020). RESPITE: Time Out for Caregivers. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://caregiveraction.org/respite-time-out-caregivers-part-1
  • National Institute of Mental Health, (2018). Depression. Retrieved on April 17, 2020, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml
  • Sollitto, M. (October 2019). Strategies for Coping with Caregiver Stress. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.agingcare.com/articles/strategies-for-coping-with-caregiver-stress-135916.htm
  • Smith, M. (October 2019). Caregiver Stress and Burnout. Retrieved February 6, 2020, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/caregiver-stress-and-burnout.htm

Noises Off: The Benefit of Silence

Our lives today are full of noise and ever-present distractions and sounds. Noise is among the most pervasive pollutants today and has been identified as a public health threat by the World Health Organization (WHO). Noise can be annoying, distracting, painful, and harmful. Noise adversely affects millions of people and can contribute to elevated levels […]

WRITTEN BY: Laura Stanton, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Warren County.

REVIEWED BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Lucas County.

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Macro photo of tree by Pixabay
  • Trail photo by PhotoMIX Ltd. from Pexels

SOURCES:

  • Beaumont, A. (2017, April 21). 10 reasons why silence really is golden. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/handy-hints-humans/201704/10-reasons-why-silence-really-is-golden
  • Bernardi, L., Porta, C., and Sleight, P. (2006). Cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory changes induced by different types of music in musicians and non-musicians: the importance of silence. Heart; 92(4):445-52.
  • Bronzaft, A.L. (1996). Top of the class. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
  • Brox, J. (2019). Silence: a social history of one of the least understood elements of our lives. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
  • Kirste I., Nicola Z., Kronenberg G., Walker T. L., Liu R. C., and Kempermann G. (2015). Is silence golden? Effects of auditory stimuli and their absence on adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Brain Structure and Function, 220 (2), 1221–1228.
  • Noise Pollution Clearinghouse. Retrieved from https://www.nonoise.org/aboutno.htm
  • World Health Organization. (2011). Burden of disease from environmental noise - Quantification of healthy life years lost in Europe. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/e94888.pdf?ua=1

Need Assistance?

If you are having issues logging into the site, need assistance with updates, or need to request an alternate format please send an email to the EHE Service Desk at servicedesk@ehe.osu.edu stating the nature of your issue and we will assist you. Thank you.

Follow us!

Are you a Live Smart Ohio Author? Log in here!