Mother Earth

4 Ways to Bring Mother Nature Inside for the Long Winter Months

November 28, 2018 by Susan Daniels

I know the importance of creating an intimate environment that includes Mother Nature during the long winter months of the north. But, I only know these things because I’ve lived in northern climates for most of my life. During the 1980s, I lived in Anchorage and still carry the Alaskan spirit with me wherever I go. Oregon, which is my home State, is a northern climate too, but it’s milder than Canada or Alaska.

Long Winter Months Anchorage Alaska — Long Winter Months in Anchorage, Alaska USA

Alaskan businesses wised up decades ago and routinely install full-spectrum lighting in their office buildings to help their employees and customers avoid seasonal affective disorder. Alternatively, it’s been my experience in Oregon that businesses are slow to get the point. But, full-spectrum lighting is not the only way to lower your risk for depression during the long winter months ahead.

Bring Mother Nature Inside to Enliven Your Winter Spirit

“When you look deep into nature, life becomes crystal clear. It’s almost like magic.” — Susan Daniels

Lighting is important – it’s one of our basic human requirements, however, there are other elements to use in the interior of your home that help you and your family rise above the winter blues. I’ve gleaned the internet in search of the top combinations of intimate environment and Mother Nature in our homes. Here are a few examples for your information and inspiration.

Meditation Room

If you’re lucky enough to have a spare room, I suggest that you designate it as your meditation room. This example shows a raised rock bed with zen waterfalls and green, lush plants.

The comfort level is through the roof with these laid back lounge chairs of soft brown leather. The neutral color scheme is both relaxing and emits a feeling of serene happiness with the natural light flowing through the room to lift your spirits.

Click on any image to see its source.

Norfolk Pine Tree

The Norfolk Pine Tree is at the top of my list for year-round enjoyment. Sold at home supply stores in the garden department, you’ll find them growing in their own pots. Take one home for the holidays and continue to enjoy it long after the snowflakes are packed away. The aromatic essence of the Norfolk Pine is yours year-round when you bring this tree home to stay.

You may grow your Norfolk Pine at a normal room temperature but they’ll be healthier if you keep them in a space that is about 65° f while you keep them a few degrees cooler at night. However, never let them sit in temperatures below 50 degrees. Keep them in bright and natural light, but never place them in direct sunlight. Trim and turn your Norfolk Pine frequently to maintain its delightful symmetry.

Waterfalls • Tealights • River Rocks

How wonderful it is that something so natural is also so soothing. This terrific little element combines candlelight and a 3-tiered desktop waterfall. It’s easy to dress this antiqued bronze for any seasonal event.

Additionally, you might set it by a green plant or keep it on your bedside meditation table for the daily joy of listening to the flowing, falling water.

Sounds of Nature

Put your feet up and put the headphones one while you feel the stress leaving your body as you listen to the soft rains and gentle winds through a forest. The sounds of a forest is a perfect way to relax and bring Mother Nature into your home and this Forest Ambience CD is no exception.

Another plus to this sound technique is that it drowns out annoying sounds like not-so-distant freeways. Plug this into a portable speaker and set it beside your desktop waterfalls or plants for a layered natural sound effect.

I sincerely hope this information gives you excellent ideas of your own on how to get through those long winter months with a light step and a resilient attitude. I wish you the most stress free holiday season ever. Blessings to you and those you serve.

PTSS is Quietly Killing Firefighters

September 19, 2018 by Susan

Firefighters are often at risk for PTSS. Much like war or rape, a live wild fire is shocking, life-threatening, unrelenting, and the damage is permanent. This puts firefighters at a high risk for PTSS. This begs the opportunity to speak about this specialized population and how the stress of their work environment puts them at high risk for Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Firefighters; At Risk for PTSS

As I am not an authority on firefighters as a topic. However, I searched the internet for information related to this issue that has recently come into my awareness as an example of industry-related or job-related PTSS.

Stigma Stops Help

Like mental health issues in general, people exposed to trauma in their work place often do not come forward to ask for help and are hampered by the continued stigma surrounding mental health.

Because of this continued stigma, there are many people who suffer in silence and are afraid to ask for help for fear of reprisal. No, they probably won’t get fired, but reprisal comes in many forms.

Fear of Reprisal

Reprisal can come in the form of fellow work mates responding differently, management not offering promotions, fellow work mates being non-responsive when trying to engage in conversation, humiliating innuendos in public settings, etc.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression and other mental illnesses are not signs of weak or immoral firefighters; they are job-related illnesses that require treatment. VIA firerescue1.com

Risk Factors for PTSD [sic] among Firefighters

A few studies have also looked at what factors might put firefighters at greater risk for the development of PTSD. A number of risk factors for PTSD among firefighters have been identified. These include:

Being previously in treatment for another disorder.

Starting work as a firefighter at a younger age.

Being unmarried

Holding a supervisory rank in the fire service.

Proximity to death during a traumatic event.

Experiencing feelings of fear and horror during a traumatic event.

Experiencing another stressful event (for example, loss of a loved one) after a traumatic event.

Holding negative beliefs about oneself (for example, feeling as though you are inadequate or weak).

Feeling as though you have little control over your life.

Hostility.

VIA Very Well

Conclusion

My heart and prayers go out to every human, animal and plant involved in these fires across the Western United States this summer. This includes those of us who have enjoyed the beautiful forests, rivers, mountains and valleys as an intimate environment in our lives. May we live to see these natural wonders of Oregon revived for our children and our children’s children to love and enjoy as much as we did.

I’m not a doctor nor a therapist. I derive my thoughts and feelings from my own experience, what I read, and the world that is evolving around me. For this reason, it is very important to me to know what other people think and feel. If you identify with my experience or if you have comments or questions – whatever – let me know.

Mother Earth does not need humans to survive

October 18, 2017 by Susan

Mother Earth is Kind to Us

Mother Earth is patiently waiting for us to stop destroying each other and in the process, the home on which we live. We, in the United States, are not the only country that has widespread disparagement of seemingly opposing religions.

The travesty of violence against the country’s long-persecuted Rohingya Muslims by the Buddhists of Myanmar is an example in a long list that stretches across millenniums.

Take Action

If religious, political, and business leaders of the world don’t stop the use of common people as political agendas to promote their personal wealth, the earth will surely be destroyed.

If the common people don’t get smart and take individual and group action, then we dance the dance with the politicians, religious leaders and big business in the destruction of mother earth.

Myanmar Refuges — Foriza Begum holds a fan to shield her son Yosar Hossein, 7, and daughter Noyem Fatima, 2, on their way to a Bangladesh army run processing centre. Photo: API

Mother Earth does not need humans to survive. She will live on without us. The religions of the world must begin to focus on their commonalities rather than their differences. Otherwise, human beings are history. And, those who do nothing to stop this destructive behavior are guilty as those who directly contribute to it.

The Great Spirits Weep

Those who think Jesus or Muhammad or Buddha or whoever is going to save us from this fate are wrong. Rather the Great Spirits weep at the extremely poor choices we, as the human species, continue to make. We must accept responsibility for the thousands of years of wars and the more recent rapid destruction of Mother Earth.

Remember, we are all in this world together. NOT ‘fight and kill’ the way. NOT ‘pollute and waste’ the way. Together we light the way. 🔥

Mother Earth

4 Ways to Bring Mother Nature Inside for the Long Winter Months