Don’t let yourself get too...

• TIRED
• HUNGRY
• ANGRY
• WORRIED

Parents have so much to think about during the day that it’s hard to know what to concentrate on. This acronym makes it easy to keep track of your own health and that of your family.

TIRED – sleep is perhaps the most important thing you can do for your health. When we sleep, our bodies repair and strengthen. Many American adults and teens are sleep-deprived. Most studies show that children need about 8 hours of sleep, while teens need 9.5 hours of sleep. If your family isn’t getting the right amount, you are setting yourselves up for lingering and debilitating illnesses, including depression and anxiety.

HUNGRY – When we don’t pay attention to our eating and mealtimes, we tend to choose and serve food that isn’t as healthy as we need. Sure fast food restaurants are lowering their prices, but we have to wonder what’s in a sandwich that only cost $2.99? Planning ahead and even cooking ahead will ensure that you are providing your family with the healthiest choices.

ANGRY - Anger, resentment and blame are wasted thought patterns that sap our hearts and keep us focused on unhappiness and self-pity. It’s ok to take stock of a situation and react appropriately but RE-enacting the scene over and over teaches your body to expect those thoughts and chemical shifts. That’s like teaching your body to expect illness. Not a great idea. Find a friend or professional that you can talk to if anger or resentment is a problem. Angry thoughts are poisonous to the thinker NOT to the person you’re thinking about!

WORRIED – Anxiety and stress are vicious circles – the more stress you experience, the more your body is weakened. The more your body is weakened the more stress you experience. Talking out frustrations is good but writing it out is better! We can’t solve our problems with a worrying mind. When we talk, we may get some good advice but our worries may stay with us. When we write, we stimulate other parts of our brains so that we have more support and problem-solving ability at our disposal. Others pray, meditate or exercise in order to calm the nervous system. These are also great solutions.