What are some possible strategies for women to use in finding balance in their professional, educational and personal lives?

What are some possible strategies for women to use in finding balance in their professional, educational and personal lives?

Well there is an ole saying that states "if you fail to plan you plan to fail!" I think that to find balance in trying to juggle family, careers, education, and personal time to take care of our own needs, we as women have to be great organizers! One of the best ways is through time management using a daily or weekly planner. We are often so overwhelmed with day to day tasks and taking care of everyone elses needs that we forget to set aside what I call some "me me" time. Using a daily planner can help us be more efficient and use our time more wisely. It is a great tool that can help us balance our lives!

What can a woman do to reduce her risk of assault?

The most important thing that I believe a woman can do is to first "value" herself and have a healthy self esteem. Most women that become victims of domestic violence and assaults are women who feel they have no power, have no self-worth, suffer from low self-esteem, feel like they can't make it on their own and the men that do this to them are well aware of that fact and they prey on it. There are other things a woman can do like reporting the abuse the first time it happens to authorities, friends, coworkers, family, church members, neighbors, etc. She needs to "out" the abuser immediately instead of remaining in silence. Next, if she desires to stay in the relationship she should demand counseling for both herself and the abuser in order to get to the root of the problem. Finally, if she does remain in the relationship she needs to have a "safe house" established, a place that the abuser is unaware of, should this type of behavior occur again.

Is it better to put drug addicts in jail or to send them to mandatory drug treatment programs?

In my personal opinion I feel that drug addicts would benefit more from a drug treatment and rehab program than being placed in a jail cell. I feel that the drug dealers and trafficers are the criminal and the user is the victim. Yes, I know life is about choices, and it is hard for me to understand why anyone would make the choice to do drugs but unfortunately we humans do make bad choices. Some of us are lucky and may experiment with illegal substances only once or twice but some of us seem to be more prone to becoming addicted. There are many types of drugs out there, even food can be an addictive substance for some. What compels one to use and become addicted is not for me to judge as I do not walk in their shoes. That is not to say that I am soft on people that use as I find many of their justifications for doing so absurd and silly. Many say that their reason is because they had a dysfunctional family life but we all have had our cross to bear so I don't buy that either. I believe that there's something within our "makeup" that keeps us on one side of the street or the other. However, I also don't think that jail time will cure their desire or their addiction to the substance. Many will just do their time and be out on the streets searching for their drug of choice all over again. People who are addicts will sell thier soul to get their fix. Also, I believe that until someone wants to get help and admits that they need help will they benefit from a treatment program. Its a hard problem for our society to deal with...there is no "one size fits" all answer to this problem!

Have you ever known someone with a mental illness?

Have you ever known someone with a mental illness is the question I have chosen to respond to this week. I do have people in my life that have been diagnosed with manic depression and Bipolar syndrome. I have actually seen what they go through when they are experiencing mania and hypomania. One individual has accepted her illness wholeheartly and goes to therapy consistently and adheres to her medicine regime religiously and leads a very productive life as a result. The other individual who is much younger does not accept her illness and lives in denial. She doesn't want the label of having a "mental illness". She goes through stages where she is extremely happy and outgoing and then she crashes and sleeps for days and is very lethargic and has no interest in anything. She will, at times, take her meds for a few days and then decides to stop taking them and the cycle continues. She refuses to seek therapy on a regular basis because she says she doesn't want people to think she is "crazy" and she can handle it on her own. Its very hard to watch her go through this and everyone in her circle has try'd to be supportive and help her in her battles with this but until she accepts this fact and faces it I am afraid there is not much we can do for her. I can only hope that she will at some point accept the help that has been offered and embrace it so that she can live the life that is possible with therapy and the proper medication.

If everyone lived "with our future in mind", do you think that we would live differently?

If everyone was living with the future in mind I think our world and planet would be a much different and better place to live. I have a friend that i constantly raz about how she is always picking up aluminum cans and trash wherever she goes. Even thou this annoys me to no end, I know that she is doing the right thing and secretely wish I was more thoughtful of our environment as she is. If we all had that same mindset, our planet would be a much cleaner place and we would have much more respect for mother earth and the ecosystem. Gradually, with more awarness from the media and documentaries such as "The Planet Earth" by the BBC, and Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth" we can see the devastation we are inflicting upon the world we live in. Global warming is taking its toll on our planet....climate changes threaten wildlife...greenhouse gases, pollution, population growth, and sprawling cities and industries are destroying the world as we know it. We are a nation of consumers as the saying goes but we also must learn to be a nation that conserves and implement policy's that will do more to protect our environment through stricter government regulation. However, we also must do our part as individuals like switching to higher energy efficient appliances, explore wind power, purchase fuel efficient vehicles, water conservation, recycle our plastic and aluminum products whenever we can. If everyone does just a little it can make a huge difference!

Is heart disease common in your family?

My family has been effected very heavily by heart disease and stroke. My father died from heart disease and stroke which were directly related to diabetes. My mother is currently suffering from diabetes, Congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, kidney failure, and other health problems. I have lost several aunts and uncles as a result of heart disease and diabetes. My parents never had the proper access to health care most of their adult lives due to the inability to afford health insurance. My parents never received adequate care until they were able to qualify for medicare/medicaid insurance. By that time, their health had already suffered many irreversible consequences and complications of diabetes and heart disease. They never had any formal education about diabetes, proper nutrition or how to manage this dreadful disease. They pretty much just hoped for the best and did what they could on a limited income. Myself and several of my siblings have also been diagnosed with diabetes but fortunately for myself and most of my siblings we are better educated and have better access to medical care than was afforded my parents. We have a better understanding of the disease and therefore do a better job of controling our blood sugars, exercising, planning our diets, and get regular visits with our physicians. I am hopeful that we will be able to postpone or even eliminate some, if not all, of the severe complications of this disease and live a long, fairly healthy life!

What are the biggest challenges to regular exercise and a healthy diet that you face?

The question I chose this week is: What are the biggest challenges to regular exercise and a healthy diet that you face? How are these challenges going to change for you over the next five years?

I would have to say the biggest challenge that I face is simply setting aside time to care for myself! As a healthcare worker, we are often the worst at remembering to take care of ourselves. Working fulltime and going to school full time as well, there never seems to be enough hours in the day to get every thing done!

However since I recently took a nutrition class at the community college and had to track everything I was eating over a seven day period it really made me realize I needed to make some serious changes in my daily diet. I realized that the majority of my caloric intake was coming from FAT and simple carbs. Since doing this project I have changed my diet to include more fruits and vegatables and also added more fiber to my diet as well. This has made a significant difference in my blood sugars, my energy level, and reduced my waist size as well!

It only takes a few extra minutes a day to plan and be aware of what I am stuffing in my face. I have also added more exercise by walking at least 20-30 minutes almost everyday regardless. I do not allow myself any excuse to skip out on this. Having diabetes for almost 16 years now, making these changes were imperative to my longevity and quality of life. Since implementing these changes I have reduced the amount of Insulin I need on a daily basis, my blood pressure is stable and at a healthy range, and I feel stronger and more energetic than ever before. I also feel much more optimistic about my future health in the coming years even in the face of diabetes!