Happy Friday!!!
Hope your week is wrapping up well.
It’s been freaking beautiful here in Raleigh, although the mornings have been a tad chilly.
Truthfully, it hasn’t been that bad at all.
I’m just a big baby when it comes to cold weather.
Regardless, the afternoons have been warm and sunny and I’ve been loving it.
Work was steady, with enough going on to keep me occupied but not so much that I’ve been stressed.
Training has been going quite well, and I’ve been enjoying a shorter drive since switching to a different gym.
Less time waiting on equipment hasn’t hurt too much, either.
It wouldn’t be honest of me to say that I still have a home gym on my mind, but that’s a big purchase I haven’t quite been able to justify yet.
I had an Anatomy & Physiology exam on Tuesday and absolutely crushed it.
Considering the time I’ve put into that class, that’s the outcome I typically aim for, but I never expect it.
My attention is much more focused on the process of understanding the material than the test score.
Of course, the two generally go hand in hand :-)
Speaking of classes, I also registered for next semester’s courses.
I’ll be taking the second semester of A&P and the first semester of General Chemistry.
There are quite a few classes that I’ve got my eye on.
However, I’ve been enjoying A&P a ton and would like to wrap it up.
Also, Gen. Chem. is a prerequisite for many of the classes I’d like to eventually take.
So, I’ll just have to be patient and work to appreciate each step as they come.
I don’t have too much planned for this weekend, and that’s totally cool with me.
There will likely be a lot of reading, writing, studying, PlayStation, and relaxing.
Saturday, I suspect, will involve a trip to a nearby brewery or bar, as they usually do.
Whatever you get into this weekend, I hope it fills your cup.
I appreciate you.
Here are this week's most excellent resources for a most excellent life…
Experiences of Self-Criticism and Self-Compassion in People Diagnosed With Cancer: A Multimethod Qualitative Study, Austin et al.
"All participants were able to describe ways of being self-critical as well as being self-compassionate post-diagnosis, often reporting being self-critical in some areas (e.g., about lashing out at others) and being self-compassionate in other areas (e.g., by taking rest)."
Childhood exercise predicts response inhibition in later life via changes in brain connectivity and structure, Ishihara et al.
"...participation in exercise during childhood positively predicts response inhibition later in life and that this association can be moderated by changes in neuronal circuitry..."
Social cognition in refugee children: an experimental cross-sectional study of emotional processing with Syrian families in Turkish communities, Gredeback et al.
"A 4% reduction of mothers' PTS was equivalent to 1 year of development in children, even when controlling for parents’ traumatic experiences. Making a small investment in increased mental health of refugee mothers might have a positive impact on the lives of their children."
"...massage manipulation combined with core strength training in the treatment of CNLBP can effectively alleviate patients' pain and waist dysfunction, enhance dynamic and static muscle endurance, and have significant short-term and long-term effects..."
Effect of a Chronic Intake of the Natural Sweeteners Xylitol and Erythritol on Glucose Absorption in Humans with Obesity, Bordier et al.
“…our results show that a chronic intake of the natural sweeteners xylitol and erythritol does not affect intestinal glucose absorption in humans with obesity.”
Increased Frequency of Eating Eggs in Infancy Associated with Decreased Egg Allergy Later On, American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
“We found that children who hadn’t had egg introduced by 12 months were more likely to have egg allergy at 6 years.”
“Compared to non-resistance movement, the resistance movement caused an obvious response in the cerebral cortex.”
“Changing from a habitual Western diet to a MedDiet was associated with increased insecticide, organophosphate, and pyrethroid exposure, whereas organic food consumption reduced exposure to all groups of synthetic chemical pesticides.”
Manufactured deliciousness: Why you can’t stop overeating (plus 3 strategies to get control)., Jennifer Broxterman, MSc, RD, PN1
“Your body and brain are responding exactly as they’re supposed to.”
The obvious takeaway is that we need to quit working out and drink more coffee (JK, the paper actually includes a reasonable potential explanation for the positive association between exercise and cancer).
Mindfulness-Based Approaches for COVID-19 Mental Health in Working from Home, Vione et al.
"...although a suggestion for compassion and mindfulness interventions might not be considered original, its value cannot be neglected."
I’ll leave you with this...
There may not be a clear path forward.
Pick the best option based on what you know.
If things go well, practice humility.
After all, you weren't sure.
If things go poorly, practice self-compassion.
Remember that you did what you could.
Either way, learn from it and move on.
You've got this.