THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE EASIER AND HEALTHIER – PART 3

Do you smoke cigarettes? You know it’s bad for your health. Maybe you should stop, but it isn’t so easy. Smoking helps you relax. Maybe it keeps you focused. Cigarettes help you keep the weight off. You might be addicted to nicotine. There are many reasons that keep people from stopping this habit. If you want to quit, try a little self hypnosis. Start and end every day as follows: Hold a cigarette in front of your face and look at it. Say loud enough to hear yourself: “I do not like cigarettes.” Say it over and over. Nobody needs to hear except you. Really concentrate on this meditation. Over time, you will lose the taste and even dislike smoking.

Another idea: Start smoking cheap cigars. Inhale them. Your body will not like that. 

Learn to play a musical instrument. It will expand your brain activity and help prevent deterioration therein. Just have fun with it. At the same time, concentrate on this activity without distraction. You’re not trying to be invited to play at Carnegie Hall. 

Clean your ears daily with a bulb syringe or by letting shower water spray directly into the ear for 2 seconds. FIrst, have your doctor confirm that your tympanic membrane (eardrum) is intact and healthy.

We have apps on our phones for everything nowadays. They certainly make life easier. But something gets lost when life is too easy. Replace the app with your own mental effort. After all, use it or lose it. A good example is a shopping or grocery app, which records your preferences and lays it all out for you. Sit down and create your own list from your own thoughts, including knowing what you need and what you want. 

Stretch your knees and hips as you strengthen your balancing function. While walking, slow down and concentrate on the following exercise. WIth each step, lift up a knee, and then set it down. Alternately raise one knee up high, then the other. Slowly. Hold your hands out to the side for stability. Lift each knee 10 times.  Besides the musculoskeletal benefits, it is conditioning your balance skills. If you feel unstable, do not do this. You might practice by standing next to a wall and holding on with one hand.

Keep a small packet of meat tenderizer (bromelain or papain) in a small sealed plastic bag when you walk in the park. If you or somebody gets a bee sting, moisten a small amount of the powder and place it on the sting. The pain will improve within seconds. This works less well with wasp or hornet stings, but you can still try. It’s fun to help a child who may just have had a bee sting.

Young and old people get achy. Soak your body or foot or hand in epsom salts daily for about 10 minutes to relieve the discomfort. You should feel some relief within 2 weeks of regular soaking. 

Irrigate your nose daily with pure saline nose spray. This can mitigate allergy symptoms and help to prevent sinus infections.