Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Cry it out to improve your health

How many times have you been told you have to keep it together? Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons told us “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” Miranda Lambert tells us to “Hide your crazy… and never let them see you cry,” and let’s not forget Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own, telling us “There’s […]

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

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

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash

REFERENCES:

  • Cleveland Eye Clinic. (2020). Three Types of Tears. https://www.clevelandeyeclinic.com/2019/07/16/three-types-of-tears/
  • Govender, S. (2020). Is Crying Good for You? https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/is-crying-good-for-you
  • Newhouse, L. (2021). Is Crying Good for You? Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Medical School. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-crying-good-for-you-2021030122020
  • Sollitto, M. (2020). Go Ahead, Have a Good Cry: 5 Reasons Why It’s Good for You. https://www.agingcare.com/articles/reasons-why-crying-is-good-for-your-health-146022.htm
  • Tindle, J. & Tadi, P. (2020). Neuroanatomy, Parasympathetic Nervous System. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553141/
  • Penn Medicine. (2016). Why You Should Cry – 5 Reasons to Let it All Out. https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2016/november/health-benefits-of-crying
  • UPMC. (nd). 8 Negative Effects of Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure. https://www.upmc.com/services/south-central-pa/heart-vascular/conditions-services/high-blood-pressure
  • University of Illinois. (2020). Experiencing and Expressing Emotion. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. https://counselingcenter.illinois.edu/brochures/experiencing-and-expressing-emotion

Create “New” Family Traditions in 2021

If you are reading this message, I am successful in attracting your attention in today’s world of constant change and distractions.  Perhaps the word that attracted you was “new”, family or traditions.  I used this oxymoron to produce a special effect that highlights our ability to make planned changes.   As we move into 2021 let […]

WRITTEN BY: Margaret Jenkins

REVIEWED BY: Marie Economos

SOURCES:

  • https://u.osu.edu/extensionclermont/2021/01/04/turn-your-resolutions-into-real-solutions/
  • https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5242 Stress Coping Strategies
  • https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5809 Aging

REFERENCES:

  • Jordan, Joelle D. The Evolution of the American Family, http://hdl.handle.net/2148/58, 2006
  • https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5243 Mindfulness Practice
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, (2020) Your Money Your Goals. https://consumerfinance.gov/practitioner-resources/your-money-your-goal

Lessons from a Flopped Pie

Usually, we can anticipate certain life events and traditions every year like celebrating at birthday parties, or joining cookouts in the summer, or hosting gatherings for holidays. Because of Covid-19, this year has not followed typical expectations. When families experience significant unexpected events, they are called nonnormative transitions or unanticipated transitions.  Examples include job loss, […]

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

REVIEWED BY: Laura Stanton, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Warren County and Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Perry County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Patrice Powers-Barker

SOURCES:

  • Brinkman, P. (2016). Eating Healthy During Stressful Times. Ohio State University. https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5244
  • Eva, A. (2017). Why we should embrace mistakes in school. Greater Good Magazine. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_we_should_embrace_mistakes_in_school
  • Heer, C. & Rini, J. (2016). Stress Coping Methods. Ohio State University. https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5242
  • Leonard, J. & Cofer, J., (2020). Pumpkins: Not Just for Jack-O-Lanterns and Pies. NC Cooperative Extension. https://randolph.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/10/pumpkins-not-just-for-jack-o-lanterns-and-pies/
  • Lindberg, E. (2019). Practicing gratitude can have profound health benefits, USC experts say. University of Southern California. https://news.usc.edu/163123/gratitude-health-research-thanksgiving-usc-experts/
  • McGinnis, D. (2018). Resilience, Life Events, and Well-Being During Midlife: Examining Resilience Subgroups. Journal of Adult Development. 25(3): 198–221. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6105201/
  • Mindfulness Practices. Wexner Medical Center. Ohio State University. https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/integrative-complementary-medicine/resources/mindfulness-practices
  • Myers-Walls, J. & Willis Hepp, B.(2019). Overview and Introduction. NCFR Report: Nonnormative Transitions. Winter 2019. https://www.ncfr.org/ncfr-report/winter-2019
  • Powers-Barker, P. (2015). Spilt Milk – To Cry or Not to Cry. Live Smart Ohio. Ohio State University. https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/mind-and-body/powers-barker-1osu-edu/spilt-milk-to-cry-or-not-to-cry/
  • Tonseth, C. (2018), Anticipated and Unanticipated Transitions as Triggers for Adult Learning. Creative Education. 9(2). https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=82379

Good-bye Clutter!

Research has shown that there is a downside to living and working with too much clutter. It can cause emotional stress, conflict between household members, and distraction. Clutter can waste time and money. It can affect indoor air quality and increase accidental falls and trip hazards! On a positive note, there is also research that […]

Express your Stress- Tips to tame your stress

Stress is a normal part of life and affects everyone.  We encounter stress in our surroundings, our body, and our thoughts.  Nevertheless, not all stress is bad. We experience stress when we take a test or have a job interview, which can motivate people. Stress also happens when you find yourself in a dangerous situation, […]

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

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

SOURCES:

  • • 5 Things You Should Know About Stress – National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/index.shtml
  • • 7 Strange Things Stress Can Do to Your Body – The Cleveland Clinic https://health.clevelandclinic.org/7-strange-things-stress-can-body
  • • 10 Ways to Celebrate National Stress Awareness Month - https://www.beliefnet.com/wellness/galleries/10-ways-to-celebrate-national-stress-awareness-month.aspx#ZY3aw2MzLkTIJQsl.99
  • • Find Your Own Healthy Way to De-Stress – The Ohio State University https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/mind-and-body/hite-143osu-edu/find-your-own-healthy-way-to-de-stress/
  • • Stress management – The May Clinic - https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relievers/art-20047257

Social Media Mania or Madness?

With summer here and most schools out of session, many youth are left to fend for themselves during the day while their parents or caregivers are at work. My husband calls it “the summer of sloth” at our house, because our kids sit around and play on their phones and computers or watch television for […]

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

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

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://pixabay.com/photos/snapchat-social-media-smartphone-2480959/
  • https://pixabay.com/photos/texting-mobile-phones-hands-two-1490691/

SOURCES:

  • American Academy of Pediatrics, (2018). Children and Media Tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Found at: https://edubirdie.org/articles/children-and-media-tips/
  • Anderson, M. (2018). A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of Cyberbullying. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from: https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/09/27/a-majority-of-teens-have-experienced-some-form-of-cyberbullying/
  • Digital Responsibility, (2019). Health and Technology. Found at: http://www.digitalresponsibility.org/health-and-technology
  • Hurley, K. (2019). Digital Self-Harm: Why Are Teens Cyber Bullying Themselves? Remedy Health Media, LLC. Found at: https://www.psycom.net/digital-self-harm
  • Jiang, J. (2018). How Teens and Parents Navigate Screen Time and Device Distractions. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from: https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/08/22/how-teens-and-parents-navigate-screen-time-and-device-distractions/
  • Lobb, J. (2016). Time for a Technology Break? Live Healthy Live Well Blog. Retrieved from: https://livehealthyosu.com/tag/digital-detoxing/
  • Mir, E. and Novas, C. (2019). Social Media and Adolescents’ and Young Adults’ Mental Health. National Center for Health Research. Found at: http://www.center4research.org/social-media-affects-mental-health/
  • Shafer, L., (2017). Social Media and Teen Anxiety. Harvard Graduate School of Education. Retrieved from: https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/12/social-media-and-teen-anxiety
  • U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2018) Health Risks of an Inactive Lifestyle. MedlinePlus. Found at: https://medlineplus.gov/healthrisksofaninactivelifestyle.html

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