PNO November 2022 newsletter

Phi Nu Omega Chapter

Volume 12, Issue 9 November 2022

Chartered January 29, 2000

Riddick President LaToya Kearns Vice

2022 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

v Sharon Worthy v Kimberly Armstrong v Michelle Thomas v Lona Gordon v Kimberly Walker v Yvonne Jones v Theresta Lanier Past Basilei

Kirstin

President

Minyon Palmer Vice Secretary Sydney Hannah Holliday Secretary Essence Mitchell Financial Secretary Michele Swain Hostess Danielle Bridgeforth Chaplain Vikki Pretlow Correspondence Secretary Aliya Robinson Member At Large Anita Timmons Historian Saunji Fyffe Sergeant At Arms Deirdre Miles Ivy Leaf Reporter Courtney Walker Treasurer Karen Davis Miller Parliamentarian

2022 Phi Nu Omega Chapter Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc

Ready for Jesus?

Soror Danielle Bridgeforth

If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. Matthew 24:46-47 (NLT)

As we head into the final month of the year, we turn our attention toward Bethlehem and the coming of Christ. Advent is a time when we both remember Christ’s first coming and anticipate His return. This is not a time that we should rush into without forethought. Instead, we should take some time to prepare.

I ask that you take a few days to do just that. As you are reflecting upon the condition of your heart, mind, and spirit and whether you are ready to receive Christ, I also want you to pause and consider what Christ will find upon His return. Will He find you working, serving, worshiping, and growing in love for God? Or are you overwhelmed with life and consumed with circumstances such that you cannot quite get to any of those things? Christ is always available to us. We should do our part to ensure that we are also available to God. The best use of our lives is in the Lord’s hands and when we give ourselves to Christ, we will find more love, hope, joy, and peace than we could ever imagine.

Northwest VA Cluster Meeting

Phi Nu Omega sorors had an amazing time at Cluster meeting on October 29 while learning about the dynamic upcoming initiatives and expectations.

What Are the Benefits of Practicing Gratitude and Thankfulness? By Esteban Vaquera

October 02, 2022

Feelings of gratitude are for more than Thanksgiving dinner gratitude and thankfulness have profound impacts on your mental health and overall wellbeing. Whether you’re writing a thank you note or practicing gratitude meditation, acknowledging what you’re thankful for can help you feel lighter and more appreciative for the people and blessings in your life .

While it’s not always easy to see your glass as half full in fact, it’s important to pay attention to negative emotions there’s some science that supports focusing on thankfulness. From feeling less stressed to making deeper connections and relationships, there are many benefits in expressing gratitude.

Gratitude Helps Release Negative Emotions

Negative emotions tend to stick with us, and they can be harmful to our mental health if we don’t release them in a healthy way, instead choosing to bottle them up. They can even start to affect our physical wellbeing. Think about a time you felt physically ill from treating someone badly or because of the way a situation turned out. Addressing these emotions through gratitude helps us process and release them.

Holding in emotions is stressful. You’ll feel lighter and less stressed once you’ve gotten what you need to off your chest. Writing a thank-you note, for example, is a great way to release any hard feelings and tell someone you appreciate them. Any ill-will you felt might fade away when you take a few moments to think about your gratitude .

Gratitude Is Great — Even If You Keep It to Yourself

Even if you don’t tell someone you’re thankful for them, gratitude still has positive effects on your health. Mentally saying you’re thankful for someone or something they did triggers the same responses in your brain, according to a report published in Nature . You’ll still feel the same release you do if you were to tell them in person. Imagine that someone you’re grateful for has passed away. Write them a letter as if they were still living. List out everything you’d want to tell them in person if they were still here. Although they won’t get to read the letter, it’ll feel great to get those feelings off your chest . In other cases, the things you’re thankful for might be actual objects. These objects can’t talk back, but it can still be helpful to mentally take a few seconds to reflect on your appreciation for them. Being thankful for an object could mean you’re thankful for the person who gave it to you or the job you have that allowed you to buy it.

The Benefits of Gratitude Build on Each Other

Being thankful and expressing gratitude have an immediate effect on your mood, and the mood boosting benefits often snowball. At first, you might feel happy you told someone your feelings. You two could then strike up a longer conversation, and you’ll start to feel a deeper connection. This could lead to fewer feelings of loneliness, deeper feelings of love and more .

Gratitude Has Lasting, Positive Effects on Your Brain

Keeping feelings of gratitude to yourself can impact your ability to feel empathy or deal with stress. Getting these feelings out into the open may physically show a difference in your brain activity, according to a University of Southern California study. Researchers found that these changes in your brain then affect other decisions you make. Participants felt more likely to give to charity, for example, or help others in need after acknowledging their gratitude .

Thankfulness Improves Your Relationships

One of the biggest benefits of regularly showing gratitude is the effect it has on your relationships. Daily or weekly expressions of gratitude cause you to think about the people and relationships in your life. The positive emotions and feelings that come from expressing your gratitude can subsequently strengthen those relationships.

Think about how much closer you’ll feel to a person after you’ve written them a letter or called them. Maybe this person helped you get through a difficult time or has had a big impact on your life. Showing them can foster a deeper connection between the two of you.

How Can You Express Gratitude?

There are a number of ways to express your gratitude, and it can help to try several to find out what resonates most with you. Below are a few ways to practice thankfulness and reap the many benefits..

1. Write a Thank -You Note

The thank -you note is one of the most common ways to show someone your gratitude. Writing someone a thank -you note doesn’t take a lot of time or money, but it does have a big impact on the person who receives it and on you after you send it .

2 . Keep a Journal of Gratitude

If you’re looking to make gratitude a regular practice, consider keeping a gratitude journal. You can write a few lines in your journal once a day or even once a week. Taking the time to write out what you’re thankful for will have a profound impact on your wellbeing and mental health. Your journal can contain a simple list of words of thanks and gratitude or longer discussions about your feelings. Do what comes naturally and what feels right to you .

3 . Take Time to Count Your Blessings

You don’t need to write anything out to practice feeling thankful. The simple act of “counting your blessings,” or thinking through all you have to be grateful for, can still give you the benefits of a regular gratitude practice. Take a few minutes when you start or end your day to mentally list out what you’re most thankful for. You might start with three things each day and increase from there ..

4 . Give Someone a Call

A simple call is a great way to show someone you’re thankful for them. Even if you don’t have something specific to thank them for, the act of calling them means you’re grateful they’re in your life. They’ll love the time spent connecting with you .

5 . Meditate or Pray

Again, not all gratitude has to be shared. Sometimes, meditating and spending a few minutes only focused on your gratitude are all you need. Prayer is another way people might choose to mentally reflect on what they’re thankful for. Practicing gratitude and thankfulness comes with some pretty powerful benefits. From boosting your mood to improving your relationships, it doesn’t take a lot of time to incorporate this meaningful and enriching routine into your day. With everything going on in life, it’s always a good idea to slow down and count your blessings.

Fun & Fit with Soror Crystal!

Walking!

Benefits: It helps to strengthen your joints, muscles and bones

*Bonus benefit: It can improve your mood by giving yourself a little “me” time!

The Challenge:

7,500=10,000 steps daily or 30 minutes twice a day Let’s make a point to get most of these steps outside! Even though it’s cold outside, during this time of year, we need the fresh air and vitamin D! African Americans are prone to vitamin D deficiency. Just like last month’s challenge, this exercise requires no equipment but if you want to level up, think about strapping on ankle and/or wrist weights (or simple hand held weights) of 1-3lbs for a little strength training.

It helps relieve stress It helps increase your metabolism by burning calories

Recovery:

STRETCH:

For the upper body, try stretching your arms by bringing them across your body and holding for 60 seconds.

STRETCH:

For the lower body, any leg stretches will do. Make sure to focus on the hamstrings, calves and don’t forget about your ankles

FOOD: What are you eating? Start you day on the right foot. Try an easy shake !

o Green: green apple, spinach, pineapple, celery. (make with coconut (or regular) water, nut milk)

o Fruit: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and bananas

These are just suggestions. Be creative! If you don’t like one of the ingredients, sub out for something else equally nutritious and delicious!

HYDRATE !

I can’t say enough about WATER. Always remember to hydrate. However many glasses (or bottles) of water you drink per day, try to DOUBLE it.

Benefits:

• Relieves fatigue . Did you know that your blood volume level drops if you have an inadequate amount of water in your body? This may be the reason for any fatigue you may feel throughout the day.

• Helps with headaches and migraines. Many headaches and migraines are due to dehydration.

• Encourages weight loss. Sometimes you’re not really hungry…you’re thirsty. Try drinking a glass (or 2!) of water before a meal.

• Flushes toxins. Flushing out the toxins is healthy for your internal organs. Bonus: healthier, younger looking skin!

This one is a no brainer and something we can all do together! I can’t wait to hear how everyone is doing! Take pics of your smartwatches and show off your steps to your Sorors!

READY! SET! WALK!!

Reach out and send me an email at ceswhite@gmail.com about your progress and tell me what you’re jamming to while you workout! YOU GOT THIS! “Even when you don’t feel like doing it, do it anyway!” me (Soror Crystal)