Blog 14

When women are assigned more than one role, it becomes difficult to organize their lives amidst all the responsibilities presented to them. A place to start to find order in trying to balance their professional, educational and personal lives is to set precedence in all duties allocated to them.

Another way to find balance is taking into consideration that it is acceptable to neglect the less imperative duties. Learning to say no is also a good way to find balance; when women learn to say no, they are taking charge of their lives and acknowledging that they are only human and can only handle so much.

It is truly a challenge for us as women to find balance in our day to day activities, prioritizing, organization and renouncing inconsequential duties is a good place to start finding balance.

Blog 13

Declaring to drug or alcohol abuse by any woman should be viewed as a sign of dilution to gaining control of ones life. Drug and alcohol abuse is a very dangerous habit that could ultimately be fatal. Due to the double standard set for women, we find that a lot of women are likely to evade admitting to drug dependency, this makes matters worse because most women elude treatment.

A woman that agrees to have a drug or alcohol problem should therefore be viewed as a strong individual seeking means for help and willing to turn their lives around. Women have a lot of responsibilities delegated to them; women are often caregivers, homemakers’ wives and workers. Appealing for drug or alcohol help only states that these women are not ready to destroy: families, careers, relationships or friendships due to drugs. These women should therefore be viewed as champions willing to win the race of fight against drugs.

Blog 12

If I was under the suspicion that one of my friends was having an eating disorder. I would first and foremost approach the situation in a non judgmental but serious manner since some eating disorders are perilous and often lead to death. I would stay calm and be direct in my inquisition. I could state that I have noticed that their eating habits were out of line and would comment on the weight loss. I would also be honest in why I think they were have an eating disorder by remarking on any apparent weight loss or missed meals.

I would also express concern and state the reasons why I think they have the disorder. I would inform the person of the dangers associated with eating disorders and the harm it causes to the body. I would also target the psychological mindset of the individual; we live in a society that embraces “thinness” so this would be challenging. However, providing information on what “real” beauty is would probably be one aspect I would approach first. I would also try to make my friend realize that having a strong self esteem would greatly help in acknowledging her strong points, realizing that being thin has nothing to do with success and give examples of women role models that are healthy.

If my friend denies of having an eating disorder, I would express concern and emphasis the changes I have noticed. I would request my friend to get help and provide contacts of mental health workers or physicians that could offer help. I would offer my help in helping her seek medical help and more than anything I would do what good friends do for each other, be there for her, walk with her, every single step until she is completely healed.

Blog 11

If everyone lived with the future in mind I strongly believe people would posses a prudence attitude towards life. Everyone wants to live longer; thus, longevity will be a prime factor in how individuals treated their bodies and which types of behaviors would be implemented as a result.

With everyone thinking of the future, we would see a decline in risky behaviors such as smoking, inactivity, unhealthy eating patterns and stress induced activity such as workaholicsm. People would be more vigilant of how and what they did to their bodies. We would see a decline in smoking trends. We would begin to see a surge in physical activity as most individuals would desire to be stronger, more fit and healthy to combat infections associated with old age.

People would also pay attention to what they consumed, they would be aware of the foods that are risky to their health and increase consumption of fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates. People would steer away from fast foods and foods loaded with “empty” calories such as soft drinks and pastries.

I believe people would also be cautious of the amount of stress they would be willing to place in their bodies; with this in mind, individuals would reduce the amount of work load in their professions. Individuals would also take time to relax in order to reclaim some of the energy used up in their daily activities. People would also choose daily activities with care, paying attention to what their bodies can and cannot handle. Women especially carry the burden of multitasking, taking time to relax would significantly help most women reduce stress and depression enabling them to live a more productive and fruitful life.

If everyone lived with ‘our future in mind’ healthy living would be greatly advocated, most individuals would live with health in mind and thus promote a healthy living; this I truly believe.