My Brain on Sleep Mode
I have arrived in Manila, my new home shared with my husband
and 15 yr old for the duration of our ICM assignment. Five weeks of packing followed by jet lag has
been a recipe for brain shutdown, not unlike the sleep mode of my computer. I have a new awareness of how much we take
brain function for granted. I learned only
two weeks into packing that the daily decision making regarding our stuff
resulted in my brain “checking out” by 6 at night.
I re-learned the value to providing it with
proper protein, fluids, relaxation and restorative sleep. Now as I emerge from the fog of jet lag, I
look forward to the “normal” demands of adjusting to a new living environment
and culture. I must eat well, drink
fluids, exercise and rest if I am to be at the top of my game for the learning
curve and new decisions facing me.
We never know what adventure or surprising turn of events
awaits us. Rather than living in consuming anticipation or dread, take the
opportunity now to feed and care for your brain, eat well include Omega 3 fatty
acids, give it time to rejuvenate with restful play and 8 hours of sleep.
Typhoons! Oh my!
We have arrived right in the middle of typhoon season. Just as one subsides another system forms off
in the Pacific and moves in. They are
devastating but as is typical in the states it is the poor who are most
vulnerable to the effects. The middle
class and wealthy typically live on higher ground and are spared any real
effects other than the inconvenience of slower travel or at most being confined
to home for a day until floods subside.
The poor are regularly evacuated, sheltered and then return home to
rebuild. I would post pictures, but I
was confined to the Hong Kong airport for 24 hrs during Nesat and have nothing…
This coming week will be about focusing on school work,
looking for apartments and preparing for my first public health team meeting.
Be well…
