Inside Press

Expert Advice for Relieving Today’s Increased Eye Strain

April 29, 2020 by Inside Press

How to Relieve Eye-Related Discomforts Especially During this Period of So Much Additional Screen Time

By Dr. Janet Woo

Many of my friends and family have been asking me what to do about the fatigue and dry eyes that have occurred this past month. Let me begin by saying that digital electronic use will naturally decrease your blink rate. When you are engaged and reading something, you end up staring. This decrease in blink rate will result in an increase in the rate of incomplete blinks. Your top lid doesn’t go all the way down to meet the bottom. When this occurs, the pool of tears that lay at the bottom doesn’t get washed up over the eye to wet it properly by the top lid. This inaction leads to tear film instability and dryness results. There is an eye exercise for this.

Blink exercise:
1. Close your eyes completely with the top lid meeting the bottom. Count 1- 1 thousand and 2 one thousand, then open your eyes.
2. Repeat step one.
3. Squeeze your lids together for a count of 1 one thousand, 2 one thousand.
4. Open your eyes.

There are also Blink Training Apps available to download, but if you put a sticky note that says BLINK on the side of your monitor, it’s less “screen” time.

DIRECT air vents blowing in your face will also dry your eyes. Forced hot air heating systems can become problematic, if you are near a vent. Air conditioning vents should also be directed away from your face. Don’t forget ceiling fans too. There are small desk top humidifiers that also can help keep the humidity levels comfortable in your workspace during cold weather. Properly clean after each use.

Set up your work space so that your eyes are looking downward at the screen. Standing desks are great if you are mobile, keep a pad under your feet and the screen is slightly lower than your direct view. When you look upward the eyes become enlarged and expose more of the surface to, you guessed it, drying out. Individuals wearing progressives (multifocals) will also suffer from fatigue with computer screens at eye level because the straight ahead position is meant for distance viewing not intermediate where your screen is. You will end up tilting your chin to catch the sweet spot located lower. You will tire from trying to clear up the view and staring will dry out your eyes.

It is also important to keep well hydrated and that means drinking 8-10 glasses of water/day. I advise my patients to keep a very large container filled with water and make sure it is finished before bedtime. Coffee and highly caffeinated beverages are diuretics and you will end up losing water.

Smoking can also exacerbate dry eyes and those individuals that wear contact lenses know that well.

Contact lens wear and increased screen time will undoubtedly end up with reduced wearing time. That is because the contacts need the water to stay wet and comfortable. The blink exercise or discontinued contact lens wear, using artificial tears formulated for contact lenses will also help with the discomfort. I read somewhere that more people are wearing their glasses because it “makes them look smarter” during the online conference calls. Our patients look fantastic in their eye glasses.

What else can you do to help your dry eyes? Warm (touch to your wrist to test warmth) compresses, light lid massage in the shower (eyes closed, look up and gently, rub your lid margins where the lashes attach to the lid), lid scrubs to remove debris like skin flakes trapped at the base of your lashes (blepharitis), omega 3 fatty acids (triglyceride form of fish oil) about 2-3,000 mg/day- check with your physician for contraindications and artificial tears properly dropped into the eye. Many people miss.

Some of you may have fatigue and dry eyes as a result of simple eye strain with all the near tasks required these past few weeks. A thorough eye exam to eliminate any tear film/meibomian gland dysfunction/lid margin issues as well as a proper refraction and prescription for appropriate lenses ie. progressive, office lenses, computer/reading lenses is in order. Until then, physical/social distance in public, face covering, disinfecting surfaces and hand washing for 20 seconds will help to keep you healthy.

Dr. Janet Woo is an Optometrist and Nutritionist who can be reached via Eye Designs Armonk.

Eye Designs Armonk: 575 Main Street Armonk, NY 10504 W 914.273.7337 mobile 203.554.2084

At the Eye Designs of Armonk 20-Year Anniversary Party

Rescue Main Street Initiative Promotes Gift Card Purchases

April 25, 2020 by Inside Press

How a Great Idea Caught Fire in Towns Around Westchester

Reasons our Author, a Greeley Junior, Launched it in Chappaqua

By Matthew Cohen

Walking along the streets of downtown Chappaqua two weeks ago and seeing all the shuttered stores, I thought to myself: what a stark difference from just a month ago.

After a years’ long haul, we finally got our town back after the conclusion of the ‘Streetscapes’ construction project, and enjoyed Grand Opening festivities to celebrate our new improved downtown.

And now, this?!!

It seemed particularly sad to me, here. I couldn’t help thinking, “Will all the stores be able to re-open after the quarantine? Will they be able to survive?”

As a resident, and as a high school student, it does instill a feeling of helplessness when you can’t help the storeowners that you and your family and friends have come to value and rely on.

Soon enough, as this awful pandemic stretches on and on, and maybe will longer than anyone anticipates or even still can, I discovered Rescue Main Street. The idea was born by the firemen of Yonkers. It was so successful in Yonkers that a cousin of one of the firemen, Greg Doran of Pleasantville, decided to bring it to his town, too.

When I saw how popular it was in Pleasantville, a light bulb went off, and I thought what a great idea to bring to Chappaqua.

Rescue Main Street Chappaqua aims to increase local business when they most need it. It is not charity; it might be viewed more like a Secret Santa with the purchase of mostly $50 gift cards. More than a few residents expressed the idea that they might purchase more than one gift card, keep some, trade others.

The whole idea is that people can spend much needed money for the merchants now–and then shop later!

It definitely feels like a win-win and I encourage more gift card purchases for the storekeepers and restaurants hurting that you want to see survive the COVID-19 lockdown.

Here’s the beauty of this too, and the hidden bonus here. If you get a card for somewhere you’ve never been, maybe that will become your new favorite place too.

I’m very excited by the response so far. People have been extremely supportive and the merchants are very grateful and expressing their gratitude. The enthusiasm on the group Facebook page is real and touching. People are buying multiple cards from many different stores. I hope we can keep it going to be able to make a difference for the small businesses of Chappaqua.

After all, this is our town and we want our small business owners to be here when we are ready for it after this is all over too!

VISIT: https://www.facebook.com/RescueMainStreetChappaqua

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2899147436979628

Matthew Cohen is a Jr. at Horace Greeley High School. He can’t wait until he can watch sports again, he especially missed March Madness! He loves basketball, baseball, football and hanging with his friends.

Lawn Signs on Display to Support White Plains Hospital’s Healthcare Heroes

April 25, 2020 by Inside Press

The doctors, nurses and entire staff at White Plains Hospital have worked tirelessly to keep our community safe from COVID-19. In response to their heroic efforts, the Friends of White Plains Hospital have spearheaded an initiative to sell lawn signs to members of the community to support the Hospital’s efforts against COVID-19.

The blue and white signs with inspirational messages like “Stay Strong” and “We Love You,” help to rally the community behind our essential healthcare workers and provide much-needed encouragement for those fighting on the front lines.

Lawn signs may be purchased through a tax deductible donation of $50 or more and all proceeds will directly benefit the WPH COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Those interested in purchasing a lawn sign or donating to the White Plains Hospital COVID-19 Relief Fund can visit https://www.wphospital.org/covid19help

News Courtesy of White Plains Hospital

Becoming Mindful Through the Challenges of COVID-19

April 20, 2020 by Inside Press

By Sabra Staudenmaier

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, and a hell of heaven.” –John Milton

Jodi Baretz (right) & Sabra Staudenmaier (left) representing the Mindful Moms at a local event this past winter.

So, what is mindfulness, anyway?

Mindfulness starts with slowing down, and paying attention to the present moment. The goal is to calmly acknowledge and accept one’s feelings, thoughts and body sensations. They say if your thoughts are stuck in the past you will suffer from depression. If they are racing around in the future, you will have anxiety. It’s all about bringing your brain into the now. Yes, COVID-19 has turned our world upside down, but mindfulness can help us regulate our thoughts and ease our racing mind. Peace, my friends, can be found in the here and now. If we are able to remind ourselves “I am safe today. I am ok today.” We can get through this with more serenity.

Sounds good…but how exactly do I practice mindfulness?

Come into the present moment on purpose. Find a nice, quiet and calm place to sit. Start noticing your breath. Yay! You’ve started meditating! During meditation, we strengthen the “muscle” of the mind. When we focus on something in the present, like our breath, our mind will inevitably start to wonder to the thoughts that we cannot control. This is normal. Once we realize that our mind has drifted, we can bring our attention back to the present. In doing this we have completed a “rep” of building the muscle of the mind. If we do this often enough, just as if we lift a weight often enough then the muscle in our body will strengthen, the muscle of our mind also strengthens. When we fortify the muscle of the mind, we can direct attention purposefully and use conscious awareness with more competency. This is what it means to be “mindful’. We can be attentive to and aware of our mind rather than living unconsciously in patterns that don’t serve us. This is a skill, like riding a bicycle, which improves with practice.

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment to moment.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn

I’m struggling to make sense of current circumstances

Mindfulness advocates acceptance of what is happening in the moment without trying to change it. It is tempting to try to avoid unpleasant feelings but we are human beings and as such are meant to experience the full range of human emotions -happiness, sadness, joy, loss, ease and suffering. The human experience is not meant to be easy or perfect and it’s ok if it’s not pretty. Arguing with what is creates unnecessary stress.

We cannot change the fact that this pandemic happened. Instead of resisting it, lean into it. What can we learn from this as a country? What can we learn from this personally? What will we take with us when this is done? Can this be part of our personal evolution? Mindfulness is about perception. It’s about how you choose to look at things.

“Rather than being disheartened by the uncertainty of life, what if we accepted it and relaxed into it? What if we said Yes, this is the way it is: this is what it means to be human, and decided to sit down and enjoy the ride?” – Pema Chodron

Embracing the less-than-perfect

One of my favorite parts of mindfulness is the notion of embracing imperfection. After all, to be human is to be imperfect. This doctrine is coming in very handy these days as my laundry piles up, dessert becomes breakfast and makeup fades into a luxury of the past. Using boxed hair dye is not the same as going to a professional salon, but, in the grand scheme of things, it’s good enough.

“Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together.” – Brene Brown

The Beginner’s Mind

The beginner’s mind is the Buddhist concept of approaching something without preconceived notions. When we get back to our old way of life, we will be much more adept at doing this (for a time anyway). We will eat at a restaurant, go to the gym, spend time with groups of friends as if it was for the first time. We will have a renewed sense of appreciation, a comforting and hopeful prospect from a “beginner’s mind” perspective.

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few” – Shunryu Suzuki

My Journey to Mindfulness

We can’t change our circumstances, but we can change our thoughts about them. Every so often something happens that shakes us and can wake us up. Ten years ago, my oldest son was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I struggled to wrap my head around the changes needed to live with this diagnosis. My son’s doctor referred me to Jodi Baretz, a local psychotherapist with a specialty in mindfulness and health coaching. Not only did I learn how to mindfully manage my son’s new diet, but I was introduced to a whole new world. I realized that I had been living unconsciously, thinking by default and using old coping mechanisms that were no longer serving me. When I learned about mindfulness, everything changed. It was an awakening. This new way of thinking made future challenges easier to deal with, and gave me a joy and appreciation for life I had previously only imagined.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves” – Viktor Frankl

The Mindful Moms

Jodi continues to be my life coach; having her support has proven invaluable. A few years ago, we began collaborating. We wanted to help others improve their quality of life through mindfulness. The result has been the development of a community of “Mindful Moms.” Individually, and through groups, we work together to support others on their personal mindfulness journeys (www.mindfulmomsgroup.com). Free zoom support calls, such as “Namaste in Bed” and “Meditation and Cocktails or Tea”, are being offered to support the community in this time of need and can be accessed via the Mindful Moms Facebook page.

When I asked Jodi what her advice was on dealing with this quarantine, she said, “Do what you can to stay safe, be there for others and be kind to yourself but let go of what you cannot control. It’s normal to have good and bad days, try and ride the wave and remember these experiences, just like your emotions, are temporary.”

Covid-19 has shaken the world on a macro level. When circumstances shift, where do we go to find stability? Perhaps the answers lie in an unexpected place; conceivably navigating this new reality lies not in the world around us but rather within. If ever there was a time to take charge of one’s mind and thoughts, that time has arrived.

Just like we can decide how to attend to our body with food and exercise – we can also manage our minds. With a managed mind, when circumstances change and stress arises, like the tsunami of stress Covid-19 has brought – we have tools to help make sense of it. We can think consciously and use deliberate thoughts to act with awareness. We live in the physical world, but we also live in our heads. It’s worthwhile to make both a pleasant place to be.

Sabra Staudenmaier became interested in thought management while majoring in Philosophy at Tufts University. She is the program director for the Mindful Moms Inner Circle Group and helps facilitate two Facebook Groups: @Mindful Moms www.facebook.com/groups/mindfulmoms and @Mindful Parents of New York www.facebook.com/groups/MindfulParentsofNY. She is currently training to become a life coach.

This article is a sponsored feature of The Mindful Moms Group.

College Planning in a Time of Coronavirus

April 18, 2020 by Inside Press

Alan Sheptin at his 1979 graduation from Midwood High School in Brooklyn, New York.

By Alan Sheptin, MBA, CEP

We’re all stuck indoors, save the occasional trip to the supermarket, bike ride or walk. The malls are closed. The museums are shuttered. Vacations are a memory for now.

For those of you whose children are sophomores and juniors, college planning is taking on a whole new meaning. Those Spring Break college road trips are now couch surfing. The College Board has cancelled all exams through July 2020. Will the ACT will follow suit? AP exams will be open book and 45 minutes long. Regents and final exams are cancelled.

So, now what? Topic by topic, let’s explore what’s going on and what your students should be doing during this newfound reality.

College Visits

What’s going on: Almost every college and university in the United States (and abroad, too!) have shifted to e-learning. For the foreseeable future, colleges have suspended campus visits and information sessions.

What you can do: For schools that are of interest, go to the college’s admissions page to see when virtual admission talks and tours take place. Connect socially with the school using any (or all) of the media offered. Feel free to reach out to the admissions officer for your region and ask any questions you have. If you have a specific academic interest, send an email to the department chair. The silver lining to all this is that all the college students are home. Find an alum of your local high school that attends a school you want to learn about and make your own informal, personalized information session! Bottom line: continue to do research and make yourself known to the admission folks.

A great website: Youvisit.com has virtual tours of hundreds of colleges and universities worldwide.

SATs, ACTs, Subject Tests:

What’s going on – SAT and Subject Tests: The College Board has cancelled all its testing through July 2020. It does plan to resume live testing in August with additional testing dates in the Fall, should that be possible. If not, the SAT will be offered digitally. There has been no word on Subject Tests, but I would expect them to start in August, too.

What’s going on – ACT: As of this writing, the ACT still plans to offer the exam in June. However, I think that will change soon. The ACT will be offering single subject online testing starting in September; however, I think that it will migrate to offering the full test online at that time as well, also with expanded live testing, if possible.

What’s going on – colleges’ responses: We have seen many colleges and universities become temporarily test optional. This may last for only one year or indefinitely. Time will tell.

What you should know: Test optional means that: test optional. Since schools evaluate students holistically (they look at the “whole student,” not just a single parameter), strong scores can only help. Some schools, such as the Ivies and some large state universities have not yet forsaken testing.

What you can do: If your child has been preparing for the SAT or ACT, stay the course. Your child should avoid backpedaling. Remember – a good score can only help your case.

Community Service, Research, Summer Study and Extracurriculars

What’s Going On: Since schools are closed, some clubs are running virtually. Some research may be doable, but more on the humanities or non-lab sciences. On-campus college programs have migrated to virtual media.

What you can do: We predict that the colleges will be asking the classes of 2021 and 2022 what they did, outside of academics, during this pandemic. Students can still stand out! If your child likes languages, duolingo is an inexpensive, fun way to try a new language (I’m working on Hungarian. It’s the most challenging thing I’ve ever undertaken!). Outlier.org enables students to take Calculus 1 or Psych 1 through the University of Pittsburgh and coursera offers many free or low-cost courses. Athletes can find daily workout videos. And volunteering can take on a whole new realm: teensgive, UN online volunteering and translators without borders are some interesting ways of giving back. The more creative your child can get, so much the better.

Being cooped up is not fun. It’s trying on everyone’s nerves. What’s most challenging is that we have no idea where the light is at the end of the tunnel. However, it need not be a deterrent. By thinking outside the box and being clever, your child can make this COVID-19 nightmare into a growing, learning experience.

Do you want to know more? Please feel free to reach out to us at 914-232-3743, or via email at alan@sheptin.com.

Alan Sheptin, MBA, CEP, founder of the Sheptin Tutoring Group in Chappaqua, is a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.