Health

Mindfulness with Reset Brain and Body

Alyssa Y
woman meditating

Mindfulness is the idea of focusing your awareness on the present moment. It affords many health benefits, stress reduction, and increases your gratitude of everyday moments.

On August 20, join us for a virtual day of mindfulness with Reset Brain and Body, based out of Plymouth.

At 2pm, Bridget will teach kids and families mindfulness.

At 6pm, Holly will lead adults in how to start a mindfulness practice. 

Participants will receive a code to access Mindfulness 101, an e-book created by Reset Brain and Body. 

This program will take place virtually over Zoom. Participants will receive an email with the Zoom link the day before the program starts (on August 19). Registration is required, and begins on August 6. 

If you are registering for the 2pm session, please register just one of your family members, and include the age(s) of your family members who will be attending, so we can best tailor the program to you!

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Take a Ride

June 15, 2020 | Patton

If it's about time for a change of scenery, bicycling is a great way to escape. Biking offers benefits to your health, your finances, and the environment. It's easy to hop on your bike and take a ride with no particular destination. And if you build your bicycle knowledge and skills, who knows where the ride might take you. Check out the links below to get all the info on bicycling. Be safe and wear a helmet. 

Head back to the 62 Days of Summer page for more ways to participate in the summer program!

Michigan Bike Laws, Health, and Safety

How to Make a Face Mask

April 20, 2020 | SuzyQ

The CDC recommends wearing a cloth mask in public settings when it is difficult to maintain social distancing. There are several easy ways to make your own mask - for those who have have some simple sewing skills, and for those who do not. The CDC provides clear instructions on everything from how to make a mask, the correct way to wear it, and how to clean it. Another good source of simple mask-making instructions can be found at Masks4All.

Stress Management

April 16, 2020 | SuzyQ

It's important to stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19, and if you must go out, to practice social distancing. But while we stay home, don't let fear and anxiety become overwhelming. Helpful advice is available from many resources, including the CDC, the American Heart Association, Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Mayo Clinic, and WebMD. The library's emedia collection also contains many titles, a few of which are listed here.

The age of overwhelm [electronic resource] : strategies for the long haul by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky
River of relaxation : progressive tension reduction technique [electronic resource] by narrator Greg Cetus

Warmlines Provide Free, Remote Mental Health Support

April 14, 2020 | hathawaym
MDHHS logo

If you are struggling with uncertainty, fear, and isolation during the COVID-19 crisis, or any other non-emergency mental health concerns, free help is available by phone. Call 888-PEER-753 (888-733-7753)  to speak with a Certified Peer Support Specialist. The call is free, provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Lines are open seven days a week, 10 AM to 2 AM.

The State of Michigan MDHHS has launched these warmlines to connect people struggling with persistent mental health challenges to certified peer support specialists who have lived experiences of behavioral health issues, trauma or personal crises.

This is not a substitute for emergency mental health care. Individuals in crisis, including those considering suicide, are urged to contact the Disaster Distress Helpline 24/7 at 800-985-5990 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 800-273-8255.

At Home Fitness with Hoopla!

April 9, 2020 | hathawaym
At Home Fitness videos

Exercise is not only good for our bodies, it's proven to help our minds as well. If your routine is thrown off by gym closures or the weather, check out these great at-home options that are always available from Hoopla. 

  • Rodney Yee Yoga for Beginners (video) - If you are new to yoga, Gaiam's Yoga for Beginners video is an ideal place to start. Learn the importance of proper alignment while gaining the tools to establish a successful Yoga routine that can enhance your daily life.
  • My Yoga: Who Needs Coffee?  (video) - Answer: Most of us, Tara. If you're looking to kick the caffeine habit, try this short and energizing practice from Tara Lee that will work out all the kinks in your body and leave you feeling great.
  • Cardio Burn Walking for Weight Loss (video) - This unique walking fitness workout program shows you how to boost the fat- and calorie-burning power of fitness walking and fit it into your schedule.
  • Mari Windsor Flat Abs Pilates (video) - Master Pilates instructor Mari Winsor targets your midsection and core. Strengthen your powerhouse and get a smaller waist, flatter abs and a longer, leaner look.
  • Jillian Michaels 10-Minute Body Transformation (video) - A series of 10-minute workouts, all completely different to stave off boredom and prevent plateaus. Mix and match based on your schedule and how much time YOU have to exercise. As always, Jillian offers modifications and progressions for every move in each workout.
  • Bollywood Burn with Hemalayaa (video) - As you dance, you'll lose weight; tone your core, hips, and thighs; and kiss stress good-bye. So liven up, let loose, and laugh like Hemalayaa does. It's that much fun!
  • The RBG Workout by Bryant Johnson (ebook) - Have you ever wondered what keeps Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of the Supreme Court's favorite octogenarians, so sprightly? She owes it in part to the twice-weekly workouts she does with her personal trainer, Bryant Johnson. From planks to squats to (full) push-ups, this simple but challenging workout will have you getting fit in no time. 

Head back to the Move Your Body square or the 62 Days of Summer home page for more ways to participate in the summer program! 

April is Autism Acceptance Month

April 1, 2020 | sobczakd

April is Autism Acceptance Month! Autism is a set of complex, developmental challenges that affect an individual's social skills, communication, relationships and self-regulation. About 1 in 59 children are diagnosed with autism in the United States. Want to learn more? You can contact the Autism Alliance of Michigan. The library has resources to help too! 

Autism spectrum disorder : what every parent needs to know

This accessible and authoritative guide helps parents understand how autism spectrum disorder is defined and diagnosed and offers an overview of the most current behavioral and developmental therapies for children with ASD. Topics include: symptoms, accessing care, services in the community, and the role of complementary and alternative medicine. Parents will also find inspirational and relatable stories from other caretakers, helping them feel less alone. 

Ten things every child with autism wishes you knew by Ellen Notbohm

A child's voice leads into each chapter, offering a one-of-a-kind exploration into how ten core characteristics of autism affect our children's perceptions and reactions to the surrounding physical, sensory and social environments. This revised and updated third edition sharpens the focus on these basic aspects while expanding on how our own perspectives shape the life of our child and ourselves, today, tomorrow, and for years to come. An all-new section illuminates the surprising breadth of our power of choice and outlines potent strategies for strong decision-making in every situation. 

Let's Talk About Germs

March 10, 2020 | marianne

Looking to start a conversation with your children about the importance of hygiene, hand washing, and preventing the spread of germs? Check out these Juvenile Fiction and Nonfiction selections below. Click on the titles for exact location and availability.

Juvenile Fiction

The Berenstain Bears come clean for school by Jan Berenstain

Coronavirus Resources: Get Accurate, Up-to-Date Information

March 10, 2020 | melissa c
Keep calm and wash your hands

Looking for trustworthy sources to stay up-to-date about coronavirus (COVID-19)? The links below contain the most current information about the best ways to reduce risk of contracting the virus, myths about the virus, symptoms, testing, economic support, community and crisis resources and more. We update this post frequently, so continue to check back.

General COVID-19 Information from World, Federal and State Agencies
Fact-Checking Websites
Small Business and Economic Support

Outbreak: the Race to Stop a Deadly Virus

January 28, 2020 | sobczakd

The Wuhan coronavirus outbreak is dominating the news of late as health experts try to prevent  this deadly virus from becoming an epidemic. So far, there are confirmed cases in the U.S., Australia, Asia and France. Coronavirus is part of a large family of viruses that severely debilitates the respiratory system. Across the U.S. and in China, scientists are racing to create a vaccine. The NIH and WHO recommends the general public heed travel advisories and to seek medical attention if any signs and symptoms appear. Good advice! Want to learn more? Here's some suggestions...

Pandemic : how climate, the environment, and superbugs increase the risk by 1945- Connie Goldsmith

How close are we to having another worldwide health crisis? Epidemiologists predict that another pandemic is coming--one that could kill hundreds of millions of people. Learn about factors that contribute to the spread of disease by examining past pandemics and epidemics. Examine case studies of potential pandemic diseases, and discover how scientists strive to contain and control the spread of disease both locally and globally. See how human activities such as global air travel and the disruption of animal habitats contribute to the risk of a new pandemic. And investigate the challenges we face with antibiotic-resistant bacteria and mutating viruses. Can scientists control the spread of disease and prevent the next pandemic?

The pandemic century : one hundred years of panic, hysteria, and hubris by Mark Honigsbaum

Ever since the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, scientists have dreamed of preventing catastrophic outbreaks of infectious disease. Yet despite a century of medical progress, viral and bacterial disasters continue to take us by surprise, inciting panic and dominating news cycles. From the Spanish flu to the 1924 outbreak of pneumonic plague in Los Angeles to the 1930 "parrot fever" pandemic, through the more recent SARS, Ebola, and Zika epidemics, the last one hundred years have been marked by a succession of unanticipated pandemic alarms.In The Pandemic Century, a lively account of scares both infamous and less known, Mark Honigsbaum combines reportage with the history of science and medical sociology to artfully reconstruct epidemiological mysteries and the ecology of infectious diseases. We meet dedicated disease detectives, obstructive or incompetent public health officials, and brilliant scientists often blinded by their own knowledge of bacteria and viruses. We also see how fear of disease often exacerbates racial, religious, and ethnic tensions--even though, as the epidemiologists Malik Peiris and Yi Guan write, "'nature' remains the greatest bioterrorist threat of all."Like man-eating sharks, predatory pathogens are always present in nature, waiting to strike; when one is seemingly vanquished, others appear in its place. These pandemics remind us of the limits of scientific knowledge, as well as the role that human behavior and technologies play in the emergence and spread of microbial diseases.

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