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The Disability DIGEST
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January 2025
Kickstart Your Year RESOLUTIONS YOU CAN ACTUALLY STICK TO
The start of a new year is an opportunity to reset, reprioritize, and make resolutions for ourselves. However, despite our best intentions, our New Year’s resolutions — often grandiose, open-ended goals — are prone to fail. We set out to better ourselves but end up coming short, often abandoning our quest after only a few weeks of committed effort. According to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE, one week into a new year, only 77% of people are still committed to their resolutions; after just one month, that figure drops to just 55%. This is less our own fault but rather a fault of the goal. Instead, we must create tangible objectives to achieve our New Year’s resolutions more reliably with gradual, steady growth. Realistic Resolutions I want to read more. I want to exercise more. I want to be more efficient. If our resolutions are too abstract and do not have a benchmark in mind, how will we accomplish them? However, if we assign goals we can strive for, we are more likely to stay committed to achieving them. Instead of simply “exercising more,” adopt an exercise plan that works for you, and set a few mornings each week to head for a run, lift some weights, or bike around the neighborhood. Each week, you will see the amount of weight you can lift increase and your overall physical fitness improve. If we head into our goals without realistic expectations of success, we are undoubtedly destined to join the resolution-makers who give up on their goals shortly after setting out on them. The last thing you want is to be one of the many who purchase a gym membership at the start of a new year, only to end up using it for one week but paying for it all year. Calendar Commitments If I want to accomplish a task, I must put it on my calendar. I think this is a universal truth for just about every attorney I have encountered — if I don’t create calendar events for lawyers I am working with to remind them of their obligations,
chances are they will only remember immediately before. They likely spent the preceding days working to overcome their procrastination. The bottom line: If it’s not on my calendar, it’s not top-of-mind. If it’s not top-of-mind, it’s not a priority. A perfect example of this is my long-standing goal of creating templates. These templates would make the repetitive work I do on a daily basis — like drafting form letters and other legal documents — faster and more efficient. The problem is that when I need to create one, it is easier to spend five minutes writing it from scratch than to spend more than an hour making an effective template for it. However, placing a calendar task to work exclusively on templates helps me prioritize it and create new templates with increased regularity. Just remember, when your goals are fantastical or abstract aspirations, it is easier to abandon them. However, when you have set goals in mind and tasks on your calendar to stay committed to, you are more likely to attain long-lasting success.
–Joel Thrift
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People tend to pay more attention to their overall health and fitness as they age. If you ignore your aches, pains, and injuries, they’re more likely to worsen, which is why so many of us go out of our way to track specific health measurements. One measurement you should track, especially if you’re showing symptoms of prediabetes, is your blood sugar. Maintaining low blood sugar helps prevent cognitive decline, kidney disease, nerve damage, and more. However, many don’t know how to lower their blood sugar if it’s starting to reach dangerous levels. Here are two lifestyle changes that can help keep blood sugar low while improving other aspects of your health. Exercise regularly. Exercise becomes increasingly important as we age, but this doesn’t mean you have to go all out every time you strap on Sugar Smarts ESSENTIAL STEPS TO BALANCE BLOOD SUGAR AS YOU AGE
your running shoes or go to the gym. Experts recommend that you get around 150 minutes of exercise every week, and it doesn’t have to be any more strenuous than a brisk walk. You’ll see much better results if you pick a routine that’s easy to maintain and follow. Cut back on ultra-processed foods. When people try to keep their blood sugar balanced, they usually make an added effort to reduce their intake of sweets. However, nearly all processed carbs pose a risk. Even eating things like bread, pasta, noodles, and white rice can raise sugar levels. Pay attention to what you eat, and your body will thank you.
Biting Bullets and Serving Cold Shoulders
The Unexpected Histories of Old Expressions
When you’ve had to “bite the bullet” and face a difficult situation, did you get a mouth full of gunpowder? Or, has someone’s “cold shoulder” left you with indigestion? While we hear these common expressions often, their quirky origins may leave you feeling like a “cat’s got your tongue.” From wartime
practices to subtle ways to kick out unwanted houseguests, the stories behind these phrases may surprise you. Bite the Bullet In the days before painkillers and anesthesia, doctors had a bang-up method to dull the pain of surgery. Soldiers injured on the battlefield were given a bullet to bite down on as a way to distract from the aches. We still use this expression to describe accepting something difficult or unpleasant. At least we won’t chip any teeth today! Give the Cold Shoulder Nothing stings quite like someone snubbing you and giving you a cold shoulder. As early as the 1800s, cold shoulders were considered a polite
way to tell someone you wanted them to leave. Party hosts used to serve a cold piece of pork shoulder or beef to unwanted guests to say, “Get out.” Break the Ice We have all probably had to “break the ice” in conversations or awkward social situations, but its origins are far more literal. Ships used to be the primary mode of transportation for goods, and road infrastructure was many years away. While carrying goods to trade, ships often got stuck in ice. The receiving country would send small ships to break the ice and make a path for the trade ships. It symbolized an understanding and partnership between two territories.
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TAKE A BREAK
When life feels overwhelming, or you just aren’t feeling your best, it can be difficult to find hope or joy. Sometimes, the best medicine is a little self-care in the form of simple activities and treats that you enjoy most. One of the best ways to boost your mood is by planning something to look forward to. Whether it’s a favorite movie, a new painting class, or a tasty latte, prioritizing things that bring us happiness can empower us with hope. It’s like adding a bright spot in the future, making the tough days more manageable. What do you love? Your plan doesn’t have to be grand or complicated. Start by identifying activities that make you happy or that interest you. Do you love comedy movies or enjoy going to concerts? You might sign up for an improv class or buy tickets to see a play. It can be anything that brings a smile to your face. Plan it. Once you know the activity, start planning. Our busy lives sometimes lack time for the little things that make us feel good. Treat your happiness like a necessary appointment and get it on your calendar. Spending time with your loved ones and friends also has a wealth of benefits for your mental health, so decide whether you want someone to join you. By planning to do things that bring you joy, you’ll feel more hopeful, balanced, and better equipped to handle whatever life throws your way. WHY SMALL PLANS CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE The Happiness Hack
BEGINNINGS BLANKETS CARNATION CAPRICORN GARNET HEALTHY ICICLE PENGUIN PLANNING RESOLUTION SNOWBOARD SOUPY
One-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
Ingredients
• 2 1/2 lbs skinless,
• 4 medium carrots, chopped • 2 bay leaves • 1 tsp dried thyme • 3 cups uncooked egg noodles (about 8 oz) • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley • 1 tbsp lemon juice
bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 tsp salt • 1 tsp pepper • 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 10 cups chicken broth • 4 celery ribs, chopped
Directions 1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In an 8-quart stockpot over medium-high heat, add oil and chicken and cook until golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. 2. Add onion to drippings; cook over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Return chicken to pot. Add celery, carrots, bay leaves, and thyme. Reduce heat and cover; simmer until chicken is tender, 25–30 minutes. 3. Turn off heat. Remove chicken to a plate. Add noodles and let stand, covered, until noodles are tender, 20–22 minutes. 4. Shred chicken meat into bite-size pieces, and return to pot. Stir in parsley and lemon juice, and discard bay leaves.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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New Year’s Resolutions You Can Achieve
One-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup The Power of Planning Something to Look Forward To Simple Lifestyle Tweaks to Keep Your Blood Sugar in Check A Witty Journey Through Quirky Sayings
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Bizarre Beliefs of the 19th Century
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‘ELECTRIFIED’ WAISTS AND FAT-FIGHTING WORMS Shocking Health Practices From the Victorian Era
Looking to lose weight? Try a diet of worms! Have back trouble? Cover yourself with magnets! If you lived in Great Britain in the 19th century, you would likely have been familiar with these popular remedies for common health concerns. Although these long-abandoned solutions sound crazy by today’s standards, it’s worth noting that doctors in the U.S. used chloroform as an anesthetic during the same period. Medicine is an ever-evolving science, and today’s medical marvels may be tomorrow’s laughably primitive practices. That said, the Victorians’ idea of better health was wild . Many women of the era would ingest a tapeworm egg to achieve most people’s dream of losing weight while eating whatever they wanted. Once hatched, the parasite would theoretically eat part of whatever
their hostesses consumed — a diet method more “Alien” than Atkins. In addition to the questionable practice of allowing a worm to live inside them , Victorian ladies also had to figure out how to remove it once they had achieved their ideal weight. Placing a glass of milk near one’s bottom to lure it out was among the most popular methods. If squatting over dairy to extract a creepy crawly resulted in back pain, sufferers could take advantage of a widespread treatment: the “electric corset.” Billed by manufacturers as “scientifically constructed” and “the ‘very thing’ for ladies,” this device used magnetized steel plates — not electricity — to supposedly bring “health, comfort, and elegance” to the person wearing it. Unsurprisingly, the product was largely dismissed as a fraud by the late 1800s.
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