Wellness Center News – December
Wellness Center News – December
Announcements
Students can be seen at the Wellness Center by Ms. Shoshana, our Nurse Practitioner, or Ms. Vero, our Mental Health Counselor. To schedule an appointment, call 206-326-2141.
Upcoming Groups
Kindness Alliance Social Justice Group will be on Wednesdays from 2:30-3:55. To sign-up, please visit “After School Programs” on the Aki Kurose website. Groups led by Ms. Shoshana, Ms. Vero and Ms. Marcelene.
RSV, Flu and Covid in King County – What to know
Q: Why is Public Health worried about RSV, flu and COVID this winter?
A: This fall there have been many RSV and flu cases, requiring emergency room visits – especially for young children. We might also see more COVID cases and hospitalizations this winter as people gather indoors and new COVID variants spread. These diseases can make young children, older adults, and other vulnerable people very sick, and overload hospitals and clinics.
Q: What is RSV?
A: RSV is a common respiratory virus that spreads every winter. Anyone can get RSV, but his year we’re seeing a lot of cases in young children. For healthy adults and older children RSV can feel like a cold, with symptoms like runny nose, less appetite, coughing, and fever. But it can be very serious illness for babies, older adults, and others.
Q: How can I protect myself and others?
A: Stay home if you’re sick – even if you’ve tested negative for COVID-19 – because you may have flu or RSV. Wear a high quality, well-fitting mask in public indoor spaces and wash your hands often to help protect against all three viruses.
Q: Should I get a flu vaccine and an updated COVID booster?
A: Yes! Getting your flu shot and updated COVID booster now will help protect you and avoid needing to visit the hospital. People ages 5 years and older who had their last COVID shot at least 2 months ago can get the updated COVID booster. Everyone ages 6 months and older should get a flu shot every year. Unfortunately, there is no RSV vaccine available yet.
Wellness Tip: Mindful Eating During the Holidays
In anticipation of buffet style eating or a big sit-down meal during the holidays, try your best to follow your normal meal routine including having breakfast. Trying to “save up” calories by not eating in excitement of overindulging causes spikes and drops in blood sugar. Instead, if the main holiday meal is in the early to late afternoon, try the following tips to avoid over-eating:
- Have a regular breakfast and small snack with protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrates.
- Try to remember when you’re at the main meal that there will always be leftovers!
- Eating smaller more frequent meals may be beneficial so try using a smaller plate during the main event, and then have another portion a few hours later.
To help stay balanced over the holiday season, try to practice mindful eating. Mindful eating helps you to enjoy your food and notice your hunger and fullness cues. To eat mindfully, try to be completely aware of all your senses as you eat: how does the food smell, how does it feel in your mouth, what does it look like, and how does it taste? When practicing this technique, try to avoid good vs. bad food thinking. Recognize that all foods are “good foods” if you are eating a healthy and moderate portion. This means you can enjoy your favorite slice of pie or dessert too! If the way that you eat does end up taking a detour for a few days here and there, try not to spend too much time worrying – instead focus on the celebrations with family and friends during this special time of year.
Wellness App: BetterSleep: Relax and Sleep
Being a good sleeper is the starting point to enjoy your day and to get the most out of it. The noise of the city or your wandering mind can leave you lying in bed for several hours without being able to fall asleep.
The Better Sleep app can be a great way to start a familiar night time routine, putting you at ease and helping you to fall asleep more easily.
The masking abilities of background sounds can help you to mask annoying noises such as the neighbors next door or the environment outside.
Better Sleep offers an unprecedented suite of features to help you create nightly habits to fall asleep and stay asleep: Sleep sounds, brainwaves, and white noise: Explore a selection of more than 300 soothing sounds, music, beats, and tones to guide you to sleep.
Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
BetterSleep: Sleep tracker – App on Google Play
Better Sleep: Relax and Sleep at the App Store
Wellness Center Staff
Shoshana Mirel – Nurse Practitioner · Vero Sage van Leuven– Mental Health Counselor · Lisa McDonald – Program Coordinator · Marcelene Dorian-Richardson – Health Educator
