What I've Been Thinking About...
Or shall I say not thinking about? Recently a story came up that involved repressed memories and I wanted to take a moment to discuss the topic. Little did I know that this is a highly debated topic in the field of psychology and now I don't know what to make of it! 

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) initially came up with this idea and he believed that the mind has a defense mechanism that stores certain thoughts or memories towards the unconscious mind, making them inaccessible to conscious thought. Things such as memory gaps, concentration problems, and self-sabotaging thoughts are prevalent among those with repressed childhood trauma. The brain's attempt to protect itself from painful memories can lead to these gaps in memory.

Fast forward to today and The American Psychological Association (APA) says that "while it's theoretically possible for memories of trauma to be repressed, it's extremely rare". Richard McNally, the head of Harvard's department of Psychology states that "The notion that traumatic events can be repressed and later recovered is the most pernicious bit of folklore ever to infect psychology and psychiatry." In other words, he thinks it is nonsense. The unconscious mind is interesting because we cannot just tap into it and figure out what is there. Memories "come and go" but in reality, they may just be put away in a safe place that we do not access.   

What I've Been Listening To...
The political season had me going down a few rabbit holes and one morning I tuned into a podcast titled When Students Become Terrorists and there is a shout out to one of the coolest Bob Dylan songs (and videos) I know titled Subterranean Homesick Blues. 

I first got introduced to Bob Dylan and tons of other music from the 60's when I was young. My buddies dad played a ton of music from that era at parties and gatherings and I really enjoyed it. It wasn't always the sound but it was the message. Fast forward a few decades and I still enjoy them all. From Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin to Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. The music of the sixties will always have a place on my playlists!

When you think back to the times that those artists were making music, the United States was going through some serious turmoil. There was the Cold War and the ever present Nuclear threat, The Civil Rights Movement, the assassination of Kennedy (and RFK, MLK, Malcolm X), Vietnam, Watergate, and more. It was a crazy couple of decades and the social change that people were fighting for helped create some of that great music that we still enjoy today. 

Fitness Tip of the Week
Exercise is a great tool for health but not for weight loss

Have you ever started a workout program to lose weight? Has it worked? If you answered NO to that last question then this section is for you. Exercise is important and should be a part of everyone's daily routine. The reason we want to exercise is because it can literally add years onto your life by reducing the likelihood of things like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc. In addition, it will also add life into your years as the more fit you are, especially as you age, the more life experiences you can have. As you can see, I did not mention weight loss. Exercise can be a wonderful aid but it is not the biggest determining factor in whether or not you shed some pounds. 

Interested in knowing what is the biggest determining factor? Drum roll please.... energy intake (aka consuming too many calories). This sounds obvious but if we are consuming more then we are expending, we will gain weight. The best results seem to come when you can combine a daily practice of physical activity with nutrient dense foods. Go figure!  

There are two additional things from the video above that I found insightful...

1. Vigorous exercise is anorexic in nature. The by-product (lactate) of intense exercise reduces your appetite therefore leading to a decrease in energy intake. Exercise like steady state cardio and low intensity weight lifting does not illicit this response therefore it may actually drive hunger and over eating.
2. Physical activity adherence begins in childhood. It becomes easier to exercise for life when it is started at a young age. In addition, joy seems to play a major role in exercise adherence so don't be afraid to have a little fun and childlike when you partake in physical activity!

What I've Been Watching...
The Voice on Peacock

As a family, we really enjoy watching this show. It always amazes me how much talent there is out there in this country of ours. So many of these artists could "sing the phonebook" as one of the coaches like to say and it would sound beautiful. But yet, something is missing. They haven't had an opportunity to breakthrough and "make it" in the music game. 

When pursuing something, there is only one way to achieve it: you have to stay in the game. You cannot quit when the times get tough. You cannot quit when you get your first taste of rejection. You cannot quit when all you hear is NO after NO. This show serves as a reminder to me to stay in the fight and keep working towards the things that you want to accomplish.

Quote of the Week
“You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" -- Bob Dylan

I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck

What I've Been Thinking About...
One thing that I enjoy about working at a school is that there always seems to be a new experience every week. Sometimes it is for the good, sometimes it is for the not-so-good, and other times it kind of tears at my heartstrings a bit. 

As PE began last week I notice a student who was looking down in the dumps. Her classmate mentioned that she wanted to sit next to me at the start of class and I said sure, no problem. She is probably 5 years old and I thought maybe just a tough morning. We then stood up to start some fun activities and she was not engaged. She asked if she could hold my hand for a little and I said yes. This led me to ask, "Is everything okay?" and she started to cry and say "I miss my grandpa" who passed away a few weeks prior. My heart broke when she said this and I gave her a hug and took her in to spend some time with her teacher. I checked in on her later in the day and she was in much better spirits having fun with classmates and totally engaged in everything they were doing.

When I think about this story it makes me realize that this is the tricky thing about losing someone. You never know when the tough moments will arise. Sometimes they hit you like a truck, and other times they are non-existent.

National Native American Heritage Month
I learned that this month we pay homage to the Native Americans and it just so happens to coincide very nicely with a book I started reading titled Black Elk Speaks written by John G. Neihardt (aka Flaming Rainbow.) This book was written in the 1930's and recounts the life of Oglala Sioux medicine man Black Elk. This man is kind of like a connector of two America's. The first that existed before Western expansion and the second, life on reservations and the attempted assimilation of the American Indian. 

When Black Elk was young, he was there for Custer's Last Stand. He was second cousin to the great war leader Crazy Horse and rode with him prior to his murder. He traveled with Buffalo Bill Cody for performances and even crossed the Atlantic for a show with Queen Victoria. He was there and survived Wounded Knee Massacre. This man was like the Forrest Gump of Indian affairs! 

In addition to all the big events, he shares countless stories of hard living. Killing, scalping, starvation, riding through winter, eating whatever they can get their hands on, sweat lodges, greater spirits, fasting and so much more!  

Fitness Tip of the Week
There is a global experiment that occurs twice a year that effects 1.6 billion people in 75 countries. It is called daylight savings and it has some serious sleep associated consequences. For example, in the spring time when we lose an hour of sleep there is a 24% increase in heart attacks. In the fall, when we gain an hour, there is a 21% reduction in heart attacks. That alone should be enough to nix this "experiment" but here we are. In addition to that, there are similar changes in traffic accidents, strokes, and suicide rates. Even the stock market gets hits by that one hour of sleep loss!

What I take from this is not to incite fear but rather a reminder. We cannot do anything about Daylight Savings but we do have control over our daily sleep schedule. The statistics mentioned above show us that small increases in sleep can be some of the very best investments that we can make. Take your sleep seriously and make sure you get enough! 

What I've Been (re)Reading...
A few weeks ago I finished reading The Boy Crisis and there is a section of the book on Dopamine that I am going back to try and better understand. My understanding of Dopamine is that it is a chemical messenger in the brain that plays a major in role in reward systems and feelings of pleasure. There is a good side (praise, exercise, sunlight, etc.) and a not so good side (excessive eating, sugar, technology, illicit substances) that triggers this hormone. 

Nowadays kids are much more exposed to the not so good side of things. The foods, the technology, the gaming devices, the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality, the pats on the back for everything, and so on all give you a hit of dopamine. The more hits you get per day, the more you crave it later and often times it needs to be at a higher dose to give you the same effect. A simple good job from your parents used to put a smile on your face but now when you have all of these other things that offer much more, that compliment from mom, dad or teacher doesn't get the job done like it used to. 

So what are we to do to re-wire this system? I think a focus on sleep, exercise, limiting technology use, minimizing stimulation, and having an intermittent reward system can all help. We can give praise when we catch someone doing something good but it cannot be all the time. If so, the effectiveness of the praise will diminish. 

Quote of the Week
“Any man who is attached to things of this world is one who lives in ignorance and is being consumed by the snakes of his own passions” -- Black Elk

I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck