Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Stress is a common part of modern life. Stay-At-Home laws and suggestions add to that as many people are using to going out as often as needed or wanted.  

Here are some tips on how to manage during the Stay-At-Home period mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic:

  

•  Keep a normal workday and weekend schedule.
• Avoid the temptation to go to sleep and/or wake up later than you normally did.
• Create a daily schedule you can reasonably maintain. Do expect too much or plan too little. Start with 3-5 things and then progress as you feel comfortable.

• Do set aside a specific time when you can be alone and listen to relaxing music. These are some of my favorite Meditation videos.
• Manifest Meditation Music: Miracles Do Happen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O5dt83d1yU
• Relax Med: 3 HOURS Relaxing Music "Evening Meditation" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZbuj3RJcjI
• Hour Deep Sleep Music: Delta Waves, Relaxing Music #163 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m563iyJ2N4

•  Do set aside a specific time to do stretches and weight-bearing exercises.

 

 

• Insomnia? If you have trouble going to sleep, you can try guided mediation as well as the meditation music above.

Sources:

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https://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon/491466 

 

Series – Losing Our Moral Compass (Pushing & Shoving)

In the Our Daily Bread daily devotion for March 6, 2013, Joe Stowell observes “Life is a lot like “bumper cars” at an amusement park.” In describing the typical playground response of push and push back harder, he hits home with many negative experiences I’ve had since moving to Maryland. The latest one was this Sunday at the Flower Hill Giant.
 

Even after twenty years of living here, I still do not understand what is “wrong” with these people. And, what they do is “wrong” when it involves their failure to yield the right-of-way by shoving their shopping cart into the other person’s. This is not the first time or even the first time this year I was hit by one of these loony’s.

 
Where did their physically violent and grossly inappropriate response come from? Why didn’t their mothers teach them to “wait their turn”? And when it's not their turn, then they need to wait, not shove the other person!

I don’t know the answers to my questions but as a Christian, Mr. Stowell reminds me that God wants me to forgive them as he has forgiven me. Why? Because “When you get bumped in life, bumping back only escalates matters and in the end everyone suffers damage.”

One lady at my church made this insightful remark “it’s another forgiveness opportunity.” Barb, I am still trying. Amen.

Maryland Question 7: Why I Vote "No" to More Casinos.

There have been 100s of ads and newspaper articles about Maryland's Question 7 to approve another casino. Every major area newspaper says adding another casino will be bad for Maryland.

The casinos are spending millions ($24M per one article) on ads that could better be used to feed the homeless, the hungry, and the unemployed.

The Maryland-casino supporters want you to think that casinos are great because "some" money "might" go to Maryland education. They want you to think these will be "good" jobs. They want you to think it's a "fight" between West Virginia and Maryland.

All these proposals are crap, plain and simple.

Even after 20 years living here, I still find it hard to believe folks just do NOT know right from wrong. Gambling was, isn't, and never will be a good thing. Gambling is not a form of entertainment. While there are a few people who play for fun, most gamblers have addictive-leaning personalities, if not an actual addiction.

At my nail salon a month ago, one manicurist mentioned her mom only plays cards for nickels and dimes. I asked her how much a day does her mom lose and the manicurist said $5. While that doesn't sound like a lot, $5 a day is $150 a month. When I pointed that out, everyone in the shop was shocked.

Let's talk about what kind of jobs casinos offer. These days, employers get away with too much just by shouting "jobs" in a way similar to shouting "Fire" in a crowded theater. Watch which jobs you run to. You may be heading into the flames, not away from them. Casino ads say the average salary is $55,000. If you have 2000 employees, the CEO can make hundreds of thousands of dollars while the rest of the casino workers make only $20,000. Did you read the fine print? It notes that this salary includes benefits (i.e., no moeny directly in your pocket) and tips! How much in tips do you get from losers/ Remember, casinos are a business and they can't stay in business if players win too much or too often.

It is also true that the casino doesn't have to hire Marylanders. (They will have to bring people in from other places to at least train the locals.)

We are finally getting details on these 12,000 jobs: hotel staff, restaurant employees, some accountants and engineers. Do you like cleaning toilets? How about busing tables? What about being a bouncer? That's what the bulk of the casino jobs are. I am not an accountant or engineer so those few positions won't work for my masters degree in research.

And, have you ever provided customer support? How well do you deal with people who are drunk, people who yell because they are losing, or people who lost all of their money and have no way to get home? What if somone asks you to help them cheat? This is what it's really like to work at a casino per friends of mine who lived outside Los Vegas for decades.

The goal to provide for education from something I consider immoral is like covering candy with yogurt - some of it is good for you but most of it isn't. Today's Washington Examiner has an article about how DC agencies fail to follow Watchdog’s advice. There is no guarantee that the money will be spent the way you intended. If you want money to go to a specific place, then send it there yourself.

And since when are we at "war" with West Virginia? Aren't casinos already catering to your dark side if they want to get you to engage in an imaginary fight?

How should you vote?

"Against the Additional Forms and Expansion of Commercial Gaming"

See more: http://washingtonexaminer.com/letters-to-the-editor-sept.-28-2012/article/2509233
See more: http://improvemaryland.blogspot.com/2012/09/why-ill-vote-no-for-maryland-question-7.html

 

Updated 10/07/2012

PEPCO Feedback: Facebook Option

I can't believe PEPCO's arrogance in earning billions in profits and still asking for more money.

Here's an easy way to make a comment on Facebook using local channel TV 9, USA:

Series - Losing Our Moral Compass (Maryland Man Kills Caged Kitten)

When I grew up, my grandmother taught us to be kind to animals. If you were to ask me today, I think she loved them more than us. Either way, it sickens me to no end when I read/hear about animal cruelty.

A few weeks ago, someone shot a puppy in its own back yard. Today we read about Justin Michael Beall who admitted to killing a caged kitten.

The real outrage is that it's only a misdemeanor. Where is our humanity if that's all he's going to get?

See story at:

http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/190454/158/Md-Man-Pleads-Guilty-To-Killing-Caged-Kitten

What is your Go To "cry" song?

Last night, Rob Carson from Mix 107.3 posed the question “what is your Go To cry song?”

I didn’t know all the songs the listeners mentioned but it did take me back to a time, as they say, long ago in a galaxy far, far away. It was the ‘70s (1970s for you youngens) and my fiancé’ dumped me. Rocker Meatloaf just released the hit “Two out of three ain’t bad” and it fit our situation to a tee. I cried for a week and lost six pounds. Until this day, whenever I hear that song on the oldie stations, a little tear appears.

What is your Go To “cry” song?