Spring is in the Air

Take a breath of fresh air, can you smell the pollen? Feel the sneeze attacks and rashes bubbling up beneath your skin? No? Well, for those who suffer from allergies, you might want to try a few of these tips. So far this year, pollen experts estimate the spring allergy season to last until June. Seeing as how it is only the end of March, you may want to get prepared for coping with any of your usual seasonal symptom methods or try some of these:

1. If you don't mind taking medication, there are some excellent daily prescriptions that can be taken in the morning that allow you to enjoy 24 hours of the fresh outdoors.

2. If you prefer to stay away from medical drugs, make sure to stay indoors when possible and keep the windows shut. To deal with the heat it would be best to invest in air conditioning with good air filtrations levels in order to purify the air inside as much as possible. When you have to go outside,   try to leave the house with an air mask on, this'll also help refine the air you breath, even if it does look weird and make it difficult to communicate at times.

3. Acupuncture, which originates from traditional Chinese medicines, helps guide the flow of energy, or chi. The technique involves several needles that are so thin, they can't even be felt. Acupuncture has been known to not only cure physical aches and pains, but also even help reduce fevers and prevent pollen related allergy symptoms. If you don't mind a few painless pricks here and there, try consulting your nearest Chinese pharmacy.

4. Studies suggest that for some people, natural and alternative remedies can work wonderfully. You could invest some time towards researching herbal remedies or aromatherapy. For many, herbal treatments not only alleviate allergy symptoms, but are also relaxing.

• Try hanging a bundle of herbs in your shower as you rinse yourself off with hot water. The steam and heat helps activate the healing properties of the essential oils in plants and open your pores, making it easier to breathe through nasal congestion and smell the scents of anything from dried basil and eucalyptus, to lemon and lavender flowers.

I hope these tips help! Of course, they're only a few suggestions so feel free to comment below with any other methods that have helped you survive allergy season.

Artistic License

Ever wonder what the life of an artist is like?

As a creative person myself, I enjoy making little crafts and giving them as gifts or having them as decoration around the house
. As seen on many social media sites, such as Tumblr or Youtube, the internet is an excellent tool to develop a fan base and rise in popularity. From the click of a button one can now scroll through thousands of images or videos of artists and their masterpieces. This may include, but is not limited to, anything from carefully choreographed mob dance routines to eccentric furniture carved by hand from tree bark and stone. Thanks to the internet and easy forms of mass communications due to modern technology, seeing the process by which these artists make a living often leads to sudden inspiration.

As I watch in awe, I can view a live-stream broadcast of an artist sketching out their famous $5 commissions for a textured digital drawing of the latest "hit" animated show or a behind the scenes blog of a popular band and what happens while filming a music video. Useful tidbits of information tend to pop out of nowhere, be it concerning an individual's personal life or the best way to pull off the classic Moon Walk.

I usually learn more just by watching these underrated artists bring life to a blank canvas for an hour on the weekends than from an entire week in class at school from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. They may not be as known as Van Gogh or Frost and it may just be me from an artistic standpoint, but I find the art and the internet to be wonderful learning tools for immensely important information relevant to our daily lives. Unfortunately, many adults think current and future generations are spending too much time on the internet. This is understandable as many teenagers spend hours a day browsing online sites, but at least for me, I find it to be a true learning experience. More so than school sometimes as the American school system is a rather vicious cycle of education and high tuitions that lead to increasingly difficult and demanding job requirements. But hey, who needs to know how to manage an online payment transaction account or how to develop a game app or how to pay taxes or balance a check when we all have the pythagorean theorem and cell division process engraved into our brains over the years!

Struck by Inspiration

While trying to figure out the topic for my next blog post, I browsed the internet for some sort of idea, and, ironically enough, came up with a simple question: what do people find inspiring?

According to Google definitions, inspiration is defined as a source that causes mental stimulation to do something creative. The ancient artists of Greek and Rome were known for having a special muse, be it in the gods or a loved one, and even today art bloggers who put their works out on the internet usually have an "inspiration blog" of some sort. Many people randomly search up inspirational quotes  to find comfort after a rough day and will read bits of poetry or excerpts from classical literature. Song writers like Taylor Swift, Rihanna, or Drake typically release a new song after a breakup and suddenly hit the top of the market list within a week, but what is it in pain or beauty that connects to a person's desire to create?

Pleasure and pain have always gone hand in hand as they teach a lesson. In order to release pent up emotions, art is actively tangible and allows a person to fully express themselves, be it by painting on canvas, through dancing to music, or starting a new, "fresh" fashion trend.

So what do you find to be the most inspiring after a long day? It doesn't have to be complicated or unique, after all, it's the little things that matter in life. Remember to enjoy the sunset, savor foreign flavors, and relax to some of your favorite songs if you can't think of anything else.

A Gift? Why, Thank You!

The ethics of gift giving and receiving are complicated enough between friends and family. However, when it comes to the business world, each country has their own system and specific (unsaid) rules of conduct regarding gifts, which complicate notions of hospitality even further.

In America, most companies have a strict policy against exchanging gifts amongst employees to prevent issues of bribery or favoritism in the workforce. An understandable procedure, or course.

In some European countries, such as France, rather than having a few small gifts for individuals, it is best to instead host a special social event or private dinner, once negotiations have concluded. The host/ess should then expect thank you gifts for the invitation.

In most of Asia, however, holding an entire banquet, cash in lucky red envelops, known as "li xi,"or even small pieces of technology are encouraged and expected--especially from Westerners who are typically considered rich foreigners--to be exchanged during corporate business negotiations. Extravagant gifts of a high-quality watch, a fine liqueur, or exotic fruit are always appreciated as well, more so in multiples of six or eight, which are luck numbers for the Chinese. Out of modesty, a strong factor of the Asian culture, it is custom for people on the receiving end to refuse the item three times before accepting, so as to not seem over eager, and then save the gift to open later. They may not open the gift then to express full gratitude for receiving a gift, and not just for its materialistic value. There are some specific items to avoid giving though, as they symbolize extremely negative omens and tend to be associated with death:

• Clocks
• Straw sandals
• A stork or crane
• Handkerchiefs
• The number four
• Red ink pens
• Anything white, blue, or black

Business Etiquette Sources:
America
France
China

A Source of Suffering

As part of the 12% of the American population who suffer from migraines, more specifically, the 4% of chronic migraine patients, I realize that not many people are aware that it is an actual neurological disease and nervous system disorder. Migraines are more than just sever headaches. They often come with auras and can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, numbness in facial muscles, and tend to painfully enhance the senses. Sensitivity to light, sound, touch, smells, and motion make it difficult for one to go about their daily life, and more than 90% of sufferers are disrupted in their ability to work or go to school. Some common triggers for episodic migraines may be anything from dehydration and motion sickness, to abrupt weather changes or reduced levels of magnesium. Affecting over 37 million people in a year in America alone, there is no clear prognosis for the victims of migraines aside from further research.

Migraines are more common in women and comprise over 27 million of the people affected by them in the US. This would be because unstable hormonal or estrogen levels are some of the main reasons for migraines. For some people, once their hormonal levels stabilize after puberty, or estrogen levels decline after menopause, the affliction may decrease or stop altogether. Other triggers may be a person’s genetics, a lack of sleep, or skipping meals. Tension-type migraines are caused by stress and depression, and anxiety or insomnia are quite common for people who suffer from chronic migraines. The people whose triggers may be due to food sensitivity are sometimes able to adapt their life-style accordingly, however, narrowing down the specific food products or chemical components is almost impossible as humans have such complex meals in this modern day-and-age—be it fast-food or Asian snacks full of preservatives and flavor enhancers.

According to the Migraine Research Foundation, there are three methods to treat migraines: acute, preventative, and complementary treatment. Acute is the direct use of drugs and medication when the attacks begin. Preventative are daily drugs or supplements taken to lessen the number of attacks and pain intensity. Complementary are non-drug treatments, and include biofeedback, acupuncture, exercise, and relaxation techniques such as yoga or increasing sleep. Although over-the-counter and prescription drugs are the easiest response to a sudden migraine, it’s a complicated issue for those who get the pulsating headaches on almost a daily basis.

Chronic migraines are classified as reoccurring for more than 15 days of the average month. This may be a mild headache at the base of one’s skull for an ongoing period of time, or full blown attacks on seemingly random days of the week, that force a person to rest in a dark room for the rest of the evening as they swallow down nausea and the rush of blood roaring past their ears. Unfortunately, this leads to many problems. People who suffer from migraines are advised against taking more than nine doses of their current medication in a month. Having migraines almost every other day, the math is simple but all the numbers point to too many anguish-filled, miserable days toughing it out without painkillers. Taking any more tends to result in overdosing, body becoming addicted to the painkillers, or quickly building a tolerance to the drugs, rendering the medicine useless after a period of time.

Having suffered from migraines since the age of seven, I have personally built up a tolerance to several standard painkillers over the years and am well aware that some of the drugs I take are meant for grown men twice my weight. However, medicines such as Tylenol and Ibuprofen have not worked since I was a child and even now, Aleve, Excedrin, or MigraStat are almost completely ineffective for me. Some swear by natural remedies of ginger, lavender, and eucalyptus blends, but even my daily preventative supplement of B² and magnesium vitamins make no difference in the intensity of my migraines. The chronic illness sends a person to the hospital every 10 seconds in the USA alone, and affects millions of people everyday, but only some find successful cures to relieve attacks. Those who receive accurate diagnosis and effective treatments are able to go about their daily lives and suppress and manage their pain, but that does not occur often enough.

Bibliography:
"Migraine Research Foundation -- Migraine Treatment." Migraine Research Foundation -- Migraine Treatment. N.p., n.d. Web. Jan. 2015.

Jasmine, Luc. "Migraine." Health Guide. The New York Times, 
2 Nov. 2012. Web. Jan. 2015.

"Migraine: MedlinePlus." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2 Oct. 2014. Web. Jan. 2015.

Chronic Procrastination

Have you begun preparing for the upcoming finals week? Yeah, me neither...

Despite all the warnings students receive from teachers, parents, maybe even your own conscience, teenagers can't seem to help but procrastinate working on important assignments or big projects, be it for school or an extracurricular activity. According to Dr. Maggie Wray, there are 12 different types of procrastinators and several simple methods to overcome such habits (Article).

I personally disagree with some of her recommended tactics for parents dealing with frustrating teens, because though she may have a PH.D. and specialize in parent-child psychology consolations, Dr. Wray only provides the usual, generic suggestions. She recommends verbal encouragement and a clear working space, no distractions, expressing an interest, etc. Perhaps its because of modern technology or the fact that that I have a sibling, that despite following such strategies, I still seem to procrastinate at times.

One of the main problems I have noticed--based off of personal experience and that of family/friends--is that most assignments of this modern day and age require the use of a computer or internet access. Googling a document can lead to distractions and before you know it, what was once a window opened up to a scientific article may now be a youtube video of cats rolling in the snow, or a dumb website of cheesy pick-up lines.

Of course, use of the internet provides a wonderful, limitless learning device to be thankful for. However, projects that do not require typing or online studies could actually ensure higher productivity, in comparison to what teachers consider to be simple research tasks, which may do more harm than good regarding homework vs. distractions.

You Deserve it

I've been blessed to have been born into a loving, stable, healthy family, and made many equally happy friends. I am thankfully able to confess having never had any serious thoughts of suicide, self-injury, or self-loathing. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for one of my friends.

I have a friend (who shall remain unnamed) who has been going through a rough past few months: her mom was recently diagnosed with a severe case of cancer, she has a part time job that has been taking time out of her studying so her grades have been dropping, her step-father is hardly ever home and when he is, its to ask to borrow her money, she is the youngest out of three siblings but has to be the responsible one because they both have mental disabilities, and her entire family will be moving out of state soon, so they have been busy packing. Although all of that is a recipe for disaster, she mainly deals with the stress by running everyday, so all things considered, I thought she was holding up quite well. Turns out I was wrong.

I have known her for about four years now and I never once suspected her of self-harm. She recently confessed to relapsing and showed me her cuts. Some were old scars, others oozed fresh blood in small droplets. She told me it was a way to release her frustration. That because she couldn't blame anyone else, she was angry at herself for being a failure. A failure who won't ever reach her goals of becoming a surgeon because her grades are too low. A failure for not being able to stay with her friends who are mad at her for moving. A failure for not being able to handle her own problems on her own.

The sight of the cuts came as a shock to me, although for some people I know they may not be so uncommon. I was speechless. I didn't know what to say or how to act, only a few days ago we'd spoken of how transferring schools would do her good by starting with a blank slate of grades. She didn't mind me asking questions after I found my voice and answered them openly, about her feelings, her reasons, even her "preferred tool."

There wasn't much I could do at the moment but since then I did some research and I've kept in contact with her despite not seeing her everyday. The least I can do is provide moral support and remind her that she is important, that she is loved, that she deserves to live and be happy. 

(The only reason why I didn't immediately call a suicide or depression hotline or tell a doctor for her myself was because I found out the last time she had relapsed and been taken to a councilor, she had clamped up and refused to speak to any adults.)

In case you ever need to hear it:

• YOU are loved
• YOU make a difference
• YOU deserve to be happy
• I am proud of YOU for having survived any tough times
• I am proud of YOU for having survived this past year

In case that isn't enough, there are people out there willing to help or lend a listening ear and a comforting arm:

• Depression Hotline: 1-630-482-9696
• Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-8433
• LifeLine: 1-800-273-8255
• Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
• Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743
• Eating Disorders Hotline: 1-847-831-3438

There are sites where people share their stories and struggles (WARNING some are happy endings, some may trigger negative reactions or sensitive thoughts/emotions):

• http://recoverlovely.tumblr.com
• http://www.dailystrength.org
• http://lazerprincess.tumblr.com

Please, please, please leave a comment if you have ever felt this way, or methods you have used that helped you recover. It really helps to talk it out (anonymous is fine) with friends.