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Snowshoeing is an excellent winter workout that can help burn calories, strengthen muscles and boost cardiovascular health. Explore the top 8 snowshoeing spots and experience this ultimate workout adventure! Significant Health Benefits: Exceptional cardiovascular workout – burn up to 1,000 calories per hour! Low-impact muscle building Endurance building Balance strengthening and agility Improves your sense of well-being by connecting to nature Prepping for Your Adventure There are some crucial details to think about when it comes to snowshoeing, especially if you are a beginner. Make sure to pick the right kind of footwear to go on top of your snowshoes; a pair of comfortable waterproof boots are a great choice and remember to wear lots of layers. Several local places rent snowshoes if you aren’t sure about spending money on a pair. Check out Bobos Ski and Board Patio or our local REI Co-Op. Check out REI’s Beginner’s Guide to Snowshoeing for reference. 8 Cool Snowshoeing Spots 1. Galena Creek Park Close to Reno, this beautiful, low-altitude park offers several trails. You’ll find various creeks and streams under cover of pristine ponderosa pines. From beginner to advanced, the differing trail systems provide a challenge for everyone! Head west on State Route 431 (Mt. Rose Highway) for about seven miles until you see the park sign on the right side of the highway. 2. Tahoe Meadows – Chickadee Ridge This local favorite not only gives fantastic views of Lake Tahoe but the best part? – friendly little chickadees will eat seeds right out of your hand! Be sure to pack plenty of sunflower birdseed, as that seems to be their favorite. From the trailhead parking lot, head southeast into the open meadow. Then follow the ridgeline to your right (southwest). Continue southwest up toward the top of the ridgeline to the west, and you’ll get to Chickadee Ridge in just under two miles. 3. Spooner Lake Trail The easy 2.5-mile loop around Spooner Lake is excellent for all skill levels. This alpine lake is surrounded by aspen trees which house varied bird species, so bring your binoculars! Dogs are allowed on a leash, and all-day parking is $10. 4. Kirkwood Ski Resort You’ll need a trail pass, but this South Lake Tahoe resort has various routes from beginner to advanced, with roughly 50 miles of terrain. Nighttime snowshoe treks during the full moon are also available throughout the winter. Kirkwood is located on Highway 88, close to Carson Pass. 5. Camp Richardson Heading north, you can find this well-established and favorite local snowshoeing spot. If you’re up for an adventure, you can trek up to Fallen Leaf Lake. It’s located off Highway 89 and near Fallen Leaf Road. 6. Dry Pond Loop This moderate, 6.5-mile loop near Washoe Valley has impressive views of Carson Valley, Washoe Lake, and the Mt. Rose Wilderness. If you like the sound of rushing water, most of the trail meanders along White’s Creek. This area is dog-friendly and kid-friendly, which makes it a family favorite. 7. Royal Gorge Soda Springs is home to this resort, which is well known for its cross-country skiing trails. Enjoy extensive trails leading deep into the trees with spectacular views. Find Royal Gorge from the Soda Springs exit on West Interstate 80. 8. Ash Canyon Creek Tucked away in the Carson Valley, these trails are filled with mountain bikes in the spring and provide excellent snowshoeing trails in the winter. Find it from Interstate 580 by taking the Highway 395 Business exit to Winnie Lane.

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Meet and get to know Patty Warren, our featured Sterling Silver Club member this fall. You may recognize her from the latest Senior Care Plus commercial on television, where she joins a coffee chat discussing the many benefits of being a Senior Care Plus member. She’s one of the kindest souls you’ll ever meet – and has a positive outlook on life that we should all strive for. Patty's Story Patty was born and raised in a small Kansas town called Baxter Springs, where she grew up with an older brother, an older sister and two younger sisters. She and her siblings all enjoyed playing sports like softball and basketball, in addition to playing instruments. Patty developed a love and passion for music at a young age that carried into her adulthood. “I wanted to be an opera singer,” said Patty. “I decided to go to college at Pittsburg State University in Kansas where I majored in vocal performance.” After college, Patty moved to Manhattan in New York City to audition to be an opera singer, but she soon realized it wasn’t what she wanted to do after all. She eventually decided to work in the brokerage industry.   After living and working in New York for three years, Patty moved back to Kansas where she later met the love of her life, Michael. “In 1992, I had put a dating ad in the local newspaper,” said Patty. “I received over 30 responses, and I went out on quite a few dates.” Then she had her first date with Michael, and the two of them quickly realized how much they liked each other. He asked her to marry him on Valentine’s Day in 1993, and they went on to get married in front of the Justice of the Peace on May 3, just a few months later. “We had a small wedding so that we could move into our first home together,” said Patty. A few years later in 1999, Patty and Michael moved to Arizona, where they lived for 22 years. Patty worked at Edward Jones Investments for 18 of those 22 years and loved her job and the people that she worked with. She retired in January 2021 during the pandemic, and three days later she and Michael moved to Sparks, Nevada.

Read More About Patty Warren A Woman of Strength and Resilience

Ensuring a healthier and more inclusive future for LGBTQIA+ children and teens is of utmost importance to health systems in our community, especially Renown. Supporting the physical and mental health of youth in this community is key to those efforts, especially as they face unique challenges in terms of identity acceptance and social integration.   Dr. Caroline Barangan, Adolescent Medicine Physician with Renown Children’s Pediatric Specialty Care, discusses what you as a parent, caregiver, friend or support system can do to be a safe space for children and teens who identify as LGBTQIA+. 1.  Create a Safe Space at Home The most important action you can take for your LGBTQIA+ teen or child is to accept and support them for who they are, regardless of how they identify. “Being a teenager is already difficult enough, especially within the LGBTQIA+ community, which puts them at risk of being stigmatized, rejected and targets for bullying,” said Dr. Barangan.  Your supportive words and actions can make a huge difference as a profound expression of love and understanding. Being patient and willing to learn are the foundations to a healthy and loving relationship with your LGBTQIA+ teen or child.  2.  Encourage Regular Check-Ups with a Primary Care Provider (PCP)  Establishing your child or teen with a PCP is not only important when an illness occurs but also for annual preventative visits and regular check-ups. “A primary care provider can screen for high-risk behaviors that would put a patient’s health in jeopardy, such as sexual experience, substance use, suicidality and self-harm,” said. Dr Barangan. “These screenings are an opportunity to provide the education and support these kids and teens need to stay healthy.”  One of the main concerns LGBTQIA+ youth often have is that they will experience judgment from their provider, or the PCP will disclose sensitive information, including their sexuality or gender identity to their parents, when they are not ready to do so. Dr. Barangan emphatically reminds us that this legally cannot happen. “If a patient asks me to keep something confidential, unless they disclose that they have plans to harm themselves or others, I am legally not allowed to share that information with anyone without their permission,” said Dr. Barangan.  3.  Locate Local Resources  Northern Nevada is home to a variety of resources for the LGBTQIA+ community at large, including youth members of this community. "Finding resources to help them develop in a positive way and provide them with the information they need, whether it be in school, the household, the community or through a medical or mental health provider, is incredibly important,” said Dr. Barangan.  Below is a list of local LGBTQIA+ community resources open to you and your children:  Our Center LGBTQIA+ Health Services at Northern Nevada HOPES Northern Nevada Pride Festival & Community Parade (happens every July in Reno) Sassabration (happens every September in Carson City) Lake Tahoe Pride (events and resources shared on Facebook)

Read More About 3 Ways to Foster the Wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ Kids and Teens

The back-to-school season is here, and ensuring your child's successful transition involves more than just school supplies and schedules. At Renown Children’s Hospital, and in collaboration with Nevada Pediatric Psychiatry Solutions, we understand the vital role that mental health plays in a child's overall well-being and academic performance. Below we'll guide you through essential tips for a smooth back-to-school experience, with a special focus on nurturing your child's mental health. How to Support Your Child’s Mental Health from Home Remember, the below strategies can be adapted to align with your child's personality, learning style and household dynamics. Flexibility and understanding are key in tailoring these tips to suit your child's unique needs. 1. Be Open to Communication: Recognize that effective communication is the cornerstone of understanding your child's feelings and concerns. Create a safe space where your child feels comfortable expressing their thoughts. Listen to learn, without judgment. Make it a point to validate their emotions and ensure they are heard. Encourage sharing experiences,worries, friends and challenges they may be facing. Having open conversations about sensitive topics opens the door for discussion and understanding. Make yourself available. 2. Establish a Routine: A consistent routine can offer a sense of stability and predictability for your child, and anticipation helps to decrease anxiety and establish a sense of control. Join forces and design a daily schedule that includes time for schoolwork, play, physical activity, meals and relaxation. Be flexible about the structure to allow room for last-minute changes including extra activities based on that day’s needs as well. Always add time for play and bonding. 3. Practice Compassion: Back-to-school can come with big emotions. Listening reflexively and acknowledging these feelings can help you and your child act positively on these big emotions. 4. Get Involved: Actively engage in your child's school life by participating in school events, meetings and discussions. Show interest in their educational journey, ask about their experiences and provide guidance when needed. Being present in their academic pursuits not only boosts their confidence but also strengthens the parent-child bond. 5. Use Positive Reinforcement: Celebrate your child's achievements, no matter how small they may seem. This allows for a sense of accomplishment and boosts self-esteem. Praise efforts, progress and perseverance, whether it's completing an assignment, making a new friend or overcoming a challenge. This positivity encourages a growth mindset and resilience. 6. Organize a Schoolwork Zone: Create a comfortable workspace at home dedicated to school-related tasks. Customize the area based on your child's preferences and needs. Having a designated space for studying and completing assignments promotes focus, reduces distractions and enhances their overall learning experience.

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Senior Care Plus is pleased to announce we are now a proud sponsor of Jam On It Pickleball, open to the community seven days a week at the Reno Sparks Convention Center. We’re excited to help promote this fun activity to our members, employees and the public. Pickleball has many wonderful health benefits – particularly for seniors. It’s a low-impact game that raises the heart rate, improves hand-eye coordination and increases mobility. In addition to the obvious physical benefits, pickleball is a great social activity. Getting out of the house and playing a fun, easy-to-learn game with others is a great way to make new friends while improving your physical and mental health!   Ralph Barbato, a Senior Care Plus member from Reno, is a huge fan of pickleball and all it has to offer. “Pickleball has made such a positive impact on my life. I love the physical and mental health benefits along with the social aspect – it’s a great way to meet new people and I’m excited to have it in our community,” said Ralph.

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Shining Brightly We all carry a light inside of us. Some people seem to have a constant glow while others flicker brightly here or there depending on what they’re doing or who they’re with. But for another select group, the light they embody is closer to a sunrise, illuminating and embracing everything and everyone it touches. Do you think that’s a bit heavy-handed or just a writer’s poetic exaggeration? Well, that’s because you haven’t met this issue’s featured Sterling Silver Club member, Tami, yet. But that’s about to change…  This Little Light of Mine  As an infant, Tami’s adoptive parents were drawn to her light, even though the couple had come to an orphanage in Washington state hoping to find an older child to add to their family.  “My parents always said that after seeing and holding me, they had to take me home,” Tami remembers and then smiles. “They also liked to tell the story of how they sold their prize baby bull, Johnny Apollo, to pay my adoption fees!”  Tami has fond memories of making mud pies and climbing trees as a child and feels privileged to have been raised by older parents.  “They both lived through the Great Depression and my dad proudly served in the U.S. Navy in World War ll,” says Tami. “I certainly attribute learning to love and give unconditionally through their humble ways. I had the honor of taking care of them both for about 10 years before their passing. When asked who my heroes are, though I have several, they are at the top of that list for sure.”  Today, Tami is married to her high school sweetheart, Richard. They’ve been together for 43 years and have five children – and 10 grandchildren – of their own.  Helping Others Through Darkness Tami started a highway construction business with her family in 2000, but focused 18 years of her career around her love of teaching, with seven years spent as Vice Principal of Academics at Reno Christian Academy. One of her greatest joys during that time was implementing Prime Time, a program that set aside special time for students who had experienced recent traumatic events. “I used puppets, sewing, crafts – any activity the students would respond to,” explains Tami. “But mostly, I listened.” And when one of her students shared, “I just want someone to listen to me for an hour today” – that’s what she did. “We sat on the sidewalk and ate Fudgsicles and giggled at the silliest things,” Tami recalls with some emotion. “And when we both left smiling, I was reminded that the most beautiful moments are when we are simply present with an open heart.”

Read More About Sterling Silver Shining Brightly Tami

Renaissance Don   The Sterling Silver Club is honored to have thousands of members who’ve led and continue to lead incredibly vibrant and diverse lives. And we’re absolutely thrilled when those members volunteer to share their stories and experiences so we can all appreciate and learn from them.   This issue’s featured member is no exception. From his love of cooking, travel and music to his drive to learn new languages, take on new hobbies and keep himself active and fit, Don is an aspiring Renaissance man who may already be deserving of the title.    Revolutionary Family Roots   Don’s father, who was born in Beijing, China, earned a master’s degree in metallurgical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and was working on his PhD there on a full scholarship from his home country when the Chinese Communist Revolution occurred. In order to stay in the United States and avoid potentially being thrown into prison by the new communist regime (a fate that befell some of his family members), his father married Don’s mother, who was a U.S. citizen and also a student at Berkeley. Together, they started a family.   “My father met my mother in a class and received his green card by marrying her,” says Don. “They proceeded to have six kids in nine years, I was number three. Dad never finished his PhD, but clearly earned what we like to call his “PSK” degree – Papa with Six Kids.”  Proud (of) Papa: Don’s father was a professor of metallurgy and a brilliant research scientist who was responsible for virtually every breakthrough in the development of titanium in the 1960s.

Read More About Meet Multifaceted Member Don Chang

A Gallery-Worthy Member Artistry usually refers to a person’s ability to express their unique creativity in powerful and surprising ways. But there is also an art to living your life in ways that celebrate who you are, your limitless potential, the people you love and the community you care about. So imagine our delight to discover a Sterling Silver Club member and artist whose artistry of life reaches far beyond gallery walls.  An Early Love of Art Born in Chicago, Illinois, Debbie arrived as the last of her parents’ three children and has two older siblings, Cynthia and Henry (a.k.a. Skip). As is usually the case, school played an important role in their shared childhood and Debbie remembers being drawn to art assignments in class from an early age.   “When I was a young girl, I loved working on various art projects at school,” she recalls. “I always found myself learning something new and then teaching it to everyone I knew.”  Later, Debbie would play violin in the school orchestra, join the swim team, and to continue to learn about art and its broader influence.  “I remember taking a class and learning about color theory,” recounts Debbie. “I was so impressed with how colors relate to one another and also discovered how primary and secondary colors can be used together to make everything from products and advertising to what we wear more pleasing to the eye.”  Expression-ism. “Art allows you to express yourself,” says Debbie. “And I’ve always been quite happy being expressive.” Though Debbie’s affinity for art was obvious, it wasn’t destined to be her career… at least initially.  After earning degrees in marketing and public relations at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois and George Williams College of Aurora University in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, respectively, Debbie began what turned out to be a career in technology.  In the Chicago area, she held positions as a systems analyst and computer programmer and a role in marketing and public relations for a computer software company. Then it was off to Los Angeles, California with her new husband, David, where she worked in sales and education for another software company.  The couple returned to Elmhurst, Illinois to start their family but eventually moved to and settled in Minden, Nevada where David had an insurance business for 23 years and their children grew to become the adults their grandparents dreamed of. “My mom and dad would be most proud of our children,” beams Debbie. “They (her parents) always hoped for the best for them and would be over the moon that they are doing what they want to do, two of them in the field of medicine.”  Debbie and David now live in Carson City, Nevada and their three children have established lives of their own. Jeffrey, the oldest, is a pastor and holds two master’s degrees. Rachael is an OB/GYN provider in Southern California and a graduate of University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med). And their youngest, John-Henry, is finishing up his medical training and will soon be a trauma surgeon.  Furry Family Members Debbie’s other “kids” are of the four-legged variety. “Mercedes and Bentley are really our luxury pugs,” she admits. “But are named after famous characters from books, not luxury cars.” She also says they are goofy, much-loved and simply melt the hearts of everyone they meet – “always!”

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How can you tell if a friend is in trouble or struggling with suicidal thoughts? And how can you support them in finding help? Are you feeling virtually exhausted? Life is always challenging, but the mental fallout of a global pandemic is real. Contributing to the loneliness epidemic is the shifting American lifestyle. More Americans live alone (28%) now than ever before, and fewer have kids. First, let’s acknowledge this is a time of anxiety and worry for everyone. Economic uncertainty, job transitions, grief, and loneliness are a perfect storm for mental stress. Even before the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic mental health was a concerning issue, now it is a relevant topic of crisis. Secondly, anyone can struggle with suicidal thoughts. Those suffering from drug addiction are especially vulnerable. In particular the U.S. is currently seeing a rise in drug overdoses by almost 18% due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, suicide is responsible for one U.S. death every 11 minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not to mention the millions who think about it, make a plan or attempt it. It is important to remember that suicidal thoughts, plans or intent must be helped immediately. Understanding Suicide Risk To clarify, depression is not a choice. No one wishes for endless days of feeling down, sleepless nights, and feeling as if you are in a dark tunnel. Currently, one in five Americans will experience a mental illness this year. This means one of your friends is struggling, right now. Specifically, consider this: When your body feels pain it talks to your mind. When your mind is suffering who does it talk to? So, how can you tell if a friend is in trouble? According to the National Institute of Mental Health be on the lookout for some depression clues below. Signs and Symptoms of Depression Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood Feelings of hopelessness, or pessimism Irritability Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities Decreased energy or fatigue Moving or talking more slowly Feeling restless or having trouble sitting still Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions Signs and Symptoms of Suicide Risk Expressing feelings of hopelessness or having no purpose Talking about feeling trapped or being in unbearable pain Talking about being a burden to others Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs Sleeping too little or too much Withdrawing or isolation Displaying extreme mood swings. Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself (Reference: Suicide Awareness Voices of Education) How to Help a Suicidal Friend It can feel awkward to approach the subject of suicide with a friend, but take any of the above warning signs seriously. Other ways you can help are by: Encouraging self-care and making sure they take care of basic needs Listen to their worries without judgement Ask them what they need from you, then follow through with action Let them know they are not a burden Don’t minimize or invalidate their feelings Point them to helpful resources Be their advocate and get them help If someone you know is in a life-threatening crisis situation, call 911 immediately. Suicide Risk Resources: National Suicide Prevention 24/7 Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Ayuda En Español: (Spanish National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) 1-800-628-9454 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME (or CONNECT) to 741741 to chat with a crisis counselor 24/7 free of charge. The National Alliance on Mental Health: 1-800-950-6264 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: (SAMHSA) 24/7 helpline 1-800-662-4357

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Renown’s Sterling Silver Club is honored to feature members of our club each season. We thank Mary and Dave for sharing their fun-loving story and all of our members for leading healthy, happy lives that inspire us all.     Rock On! Rhyolite almost sounds like a rock band, but it’s not (at least not one that we are aware of). It is a ghost town near the eastern boundary of Death Valley National Park, the most silica-rich of volcanic rock – and the magma-based spark for what has become a very special relationship of our featured Sterling Silver Club member couple, Mary and Dave.  “May I carry those for you?” Mary and Dave first met back in January of 2015 when they sat near each other at a financial seminar in Reno. Though friendly banter was exchanged at the time, contact information was not. It wasn’t until later that year in July when “rock karma” intervened. The two reunited unexpectedly when they joined friends on an excursion to Wonder Mountain near Fallon, Nevada to gather… Rhyolite!  “I remember I enjoyed meeting Mary at the seminar and thought she was pretty, but didn’t get her phone number,” recalls Dave.  “But that day in the desert, Dave asked if he could carry my rocks,” Mary smiles, “and we got each other’s numbers and began dating after that.”  Since then, they’ve gone “rockhounding” all over the state. Smokey quartz brought them to Mt. Peterson, north of Reno. Daisy agates were worth a trip to Austin, Nevada. They’ve hunted for Larsonite, a rare, petrified bog wood found only in McDermott, and also venture out with the Comstock Gold Prospectors Club in search of that precious metal.  Hiking, exploring and searching for interesting and colorful “finds” together make rock hunting one of the couple’s favorite hobbies.  “I’m especially fascinated with petrified wood that’s been lying in the desert for millions of years until I dig it up,” says Dave. “Pretty cool!” The Pre-Rock Years Mary and her four siblings are first generation Chinese Americans. Her parents who emigrated from Malaysia to the U.S. by way of Canada after World War II and raised the family in Northern Virginia. After earning a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary, our Mary started a career in software training and project management. Now retired, she occasionally goes to work helping friends and family with travel reservations.  Dave and his three siblings were born and raised in Southern California. He remembers his parents taking the family camping in the Sierra Nevada mountains a couple times a year and trips out to the sand dunes in San Filipe, Mexico where they’d stay for weeks at a time. Dave began his career in the restaurant industry right out of high school and was eventually recruited to run a developer’s hotel restaurant and be his personal chef. Dave wrapped up his career in 2012 when he stepped down as executive chef at Circus Circus Reno Hotel & Casino.  More recently on the non-work front, Dave’s son, Cameron, and his wife, Rebecca, have blessed grandpa Dave with a granddaughter, Madison – and there’s a grandson on the way!  Getting to Know You   Mary and Dave also use their time to collect travel experiences that have allowed their relationship to deepen and their appreciation of each other to grow. They’ve camped at Death Valley and locations throughout the Nevada desert and admit to more civilized stays in hotels and resorts in Ireland, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and the United States. They also spend a week every fall paddling their canoe along the shores of Lake Tahoe, which they call the most beautiful place in the world.  Well, when you travel that much with someone, you really get to know them.  “Mary has the clever wit to keep things interesting,” says Dave. “Plus she has the patience to put up with my little quirks and idiosyncrasies, and the gumption to keep me out of trouble!”    And Dave’s cooking skills have found a fan in Mary, who’s a bit of a cook herself. “My favorite dish of his is roast duck,” says Mary. “I offered a little coaching and showed him the traditional way of serving it with steamed rice pancakes, hoisin sauce and spring onions.”  Mary also enjoys spending time bulldog spotting, restoring her 1992 Mazda Miata, playing the ukulele, crocheting and knitting – and she’s teaching herself Spanish!  Member-to-Member Advice Mary and Dave enjoy socializing with other Sterling Silver Club members and learning how to better care for their health at different club events. As for their advice to other members? That’s simple: “Live the best life you can by taking care of yourself and your family and friends.” The Sterling Silver Club thanks Mary and Dave for giving us a glimpse inside their ROCKIN’ relationship and appreciates all of our members for being passionate about living their best lives.

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The Benefits of Being Clutter-Free Gives you a better sense of well-being. Did you know procrastination is linked to clutter? According to a recent study clutter problems led to less life satisfaction, especially among older adults. Helps you lose weight. Constantly being in cluttered room, office or car can be stressful. All the undone cleaning tasks in the back of your of mind cause stress, which is linked to obesity. Promotes mental health. Having clutter around can make you feel anxious or overwhelmed. This prevents you from truly relaxing or focusing. Saves you money. It’s not a secret that money worries cause stress. According to a Journal of Consumer Research study, you’re more likely to make a purchase when you’re sitting in a messy room compared to a tidy room. Clutter-Free Tips Start with a plan. Make a list of your clutter-improvement priorities and the tasks needed to accomplish each one. Focus on one section of your home per week, so you don’t get overwhelmed. In fact, organizational expert Peter Walsh suggests starting with the easiest room first to gain momentum. Conversely, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" author Marie Kondo suggests organizing by category (for example clothing or books). Experiment with an organizing plan that appeals to you. There are also many helpful on-line calendars you can use as a starting point. Delegate when you can. Include your children and spouse into your plan. Is uncle Bob an electrician? Then get him to swap out your eyesore of a ceiling fan or update an old light fixture. Of course it’s ok to outsource the duties - such as window cleaning or painting - if your budget allows. Buy less. The less you purchase the less you need to store, clean, keep track of, organize or dust. Seems simple, right? Not for everyone. On average we are bombarded with over 4,000 marketing messages a day, not to mention FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) when we see our friends posting about their newest toys on their social media feeds. Focus on quality over quantity. When in doubt, throw it out. Still on the fence about what to throw away? Use these declutter decision-making guide questions to help you. Organize Your Health Along with taking care of your surroundings, make a commitment to get up to date on your health checkup and screenings. Preventing an illness is a bargain compared to the cost of a chronic disease. It's also a good idea to go through all of your medications and check the expiration date. Remember to properly dispose of medications. DO NOT flush medications down the drain or toilet, unless the label indicates it is safe to do so.

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Some days a chat with a friend is all you need to feel better. Why? Because humans are social beings. Although we have more technology than ever at our fingertips, sometimes we may still feel left out or disconnected. Dr. Buddy Coard, Ed.D., Psychologist at the Stacie Mathewson Behavioral Health Addiction Institute at Renown, discusses the importance of social connections and tips on how to keep connecting, warning signs of loneliness and how to feel less lonely.  Why are Social Connections Important? Dr. Coard points to significant research on the topic of loneliness and social connections. He uses the findings below to detail how social connections affect our overall health. In a recent survey 40% of participants reported they sometimes or always feel that their relationships are not meaningful and that they feel isolated. Surprisingly, this survey suggests Generation Z (18-22 years old) is the loneliest generation. Another study associates loneliness as a risk factor for early death. It indicates lack of social connection heightens health risks as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, or having alcohol use disorder. In fact, loneliness and social isolation are twice as harmful to physical and mental health as obesity (Perspectives on Psychological Science, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2015). A 2018 study investigated several standard measures of social isolation, including marital status, frequency of religious service attendance, club meetings/group activities and number of close friends or relatives. The findings revealed race as a strong predictor of social isolation. In particular, black men and women were more likely to be lonely than were white men and women. Loneliness also switches on your body’s long-term “fight-or-flight” stress signaling system, which negatively affects your immune system. People who feel lonely have lower immunity and more inflammation than people who don’t. Dr. Coard recommends the following tips for those who feel lonely. Tips to Increase Social Connection Get outside. More and more nature prescriptions are common. In fact even a 10 minute walk can elevate your mood and get your blood flowing. Develop a schedule of activities to accomplish in a week, setting realistic goals. Monitor your technology. Of course, watching the 24/7 news cycle can be depressing. Turn off the TV and listen to music or read a book instead. Even better, use technology to connect with family members by having a virtual game night or book club discussion. Write it out. When was the last time you sent a good old-fashioned letter or card? Or even wrote in a journal? Try to brighten someone’s day with snail mail. Writing down your hopes and fears also helps you to get worries off your mind and process your emotions. With this in mind, there are also volunteer opportunities to support others by sending a handwritten letter to others battling depression. De-clutter your surroundings. Go through those old photos and put them in an album. Clean out a drawer, cupboard or closet. You will feel a sense of accomplishment and can donate items you no longer need that others can enjoy. Increase your joy by reducing your clutter. Warning Signs of Chronic Loneliness One size does not fit all when it comes to loneliness. For this reason, loneliness can be different depending on your particular situation and your unique personality. However, if you feel some (or all) of the following symptoms, chronic loneliness may be affecting you: Lack of ‘best’ or close friends. You connect with others on a surface level, but feel no one truly understands you. People are n your life, yet you are not connecting on a deep, intimate level with them. You feel lonely even when people are around. This means feeling disengaged or not part of the group when around others. You feel less than enough. You often doubt yourself or don’t feel good enough when comparing yourself to others. And social situations feel exhausting. What Can Someone Do to Feel Less Lonely? Dr. Coard offers the following suggestion for those with a lack of social connections: Talk with your doctor, psychologist or another healthcare professional. Sometimes chronic loneliness relates to longstanding negative beliefs that an individual has about themselves. Engage in behavioral activation. For example, being more active and involved in life by scheduling activities which can potentially improve your mood and decrease feelings of isolation. Initially behavioral activation can be very challenging due to lack of motivation, but setting a reasonable schedule of activities is a good start. Pay attention to your sleep. Sometimes when people become lonely they experience significant changes in their sleep cycle. Frequently they sleep too much, or too little. Make sure to maintain a normal, healthy sleep/wake cycle, following good sleep hygiene recommendations.

Read More About Social Connections: Why They Benefit Your Health