Great American Smokeout!
Observed each third Thursday of November, the Great American Smokeout is held to encourage smokers to commit to a healthy, smoke-free life. Smoking remains the single, largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world, as about 1 in 5 deaths are caused by smoking each year. Hosted by the American Cancer Society for over 40 years, this event emphasizes that no matter your age or how long you’ve been smoking, quitting improves health both immediately and over the long term. This year though, we challenge you to consider a big problem facing our youth, vaping and nicotine. Electronic nicotine delivery devices, or e-cigarettes, vapes, and other names, have grown in popularity among our youth. These devices deliver the same harmful and addictive chemical: nicotine. Nicotine, found in tobacco products like cigarettes, cigars, and e-cigarettes, is highly addictive, making quitting difficult. While there are many misconceptions about vaping, including it simply being water vapor, the truth is that vaping products produce an aerosol cloud that contains nicotine, flavorings, and other particles that are harmful. This Great American Smokeout, WCRC challenges the Wayne County community to educate yourselves and raise awareness about the dangers of vaping. Quitting nicotine has so many advantages. Some tips to help you quit:
- Pick a “Quit Day”. Mark it on your calendar and tell your trusted community so they can support you through the process.
- Remove Triggers. Get rid of anything that makes you want to vape, such as your products, accessories, etc. Cleaning our your space helps to make it a trigger-free zone.
- Find Healthier Alternatives. When you are feeling the urge to vape, distract yourself with some healthy activity, including going for a walk, getting active, or any activity that helps take your mind off vaping. Also, avoid situations where you may be tempted, like hanging out where others may be vaping.
- Stock Up On Oral Substitutes. Keep chewable things such as gum, carrot sticks, hard candy, cinnamon sticks, or even straws on hand. These can help with cravings and keep your mouth busy.
- Change Your Routine. If you typically vape at certain times or places, change your routine. Take a different route to school or work, or swap coffee for tea. Breaking any routine helps break habits such as vaping.
- Drink Water. Drinking water helps with cravings and eases withdrawal. Plus, staying hydrated helps you feel better overall.
Quitting smoking is not easy and takes time and a plan. Quitting doesn’t happen in one day, but we are encouraging you to start with day one. Let today be your day to start your journey toward a smoke-free life. Visit the American Cancer Society to access the resources and support you need to quit and remain smoke-free.
World Kindness Day!
How can we make kindness the norm? Kindness involves treating others with consideration, generosity, and helpfulness. Kindness is both good for the body and mind, having been shown to increase self-esteem, empathy and compassion, and improve mood. Celebrated annually on November 13th, World Kindness Day offers an opportunity to highlight good deeds in the community and the common thread of kindness. Kindness is an important part of the human condition, bridging the divides of race, religion, gender, and location. Acts of kindness can transform the lives of everyone. When sharing kindness, it’s not just about how you treat others, but also how you extend that kindness to yourself. Above are seven ways to start making kindness a normal part of your daily life. WCRC challenges you to start each day with a simple question, “How am I going to practice kindness today?”
International Stress Awareness Day!
Stress is the body’s way of responding to excessive or too many pressures. When this becomes overwhelming, stress occurs, as the body experiences the fight or flight or stress response. This means that consistent stress is not good for you and is an unhealthy state of body and/or mind. Learning how to effectively manage your stress will help you become healthier and happier. International Stress Awareness Day is celebrated annually on the first Wednesday of November and the purpose is to raise awareness of stress and its effects and to encourage everyone to learn how to effectively manage it. Consider the following this Wednesday:
- How to reduce the negative effects of stress
- How stress affects everyone’s lives at home, work, and school each day.
- How to create a supportive environment for discussing stress
- How to foster mental well-being
- How to get people the resources needed to manage stress.
This International Stress Awareness Day, visit the International Stress Management Association‘s website to learn how to take action to reduce stress and enhance your overall wellbeing!
November’s Health Observances! Stay tuned for more information!
