Three Tips for Learning New Languages

Possessing more than four decades of experience in the social work and mental health fields, Patricia Lynn Hough serves as staff supervisor at St. Francis Animal Shelter in Venice, Florida. In addition to her role at the no-kill animal shelter, Patricia Lynn Hough fills her time by studying foreign languages and is proficient in German, French, and Spanish.

Whether you want to learn another language for a career or to satisfy your own passion, becoming multilingual may seem almost impossible. Below are three ways to enhance foreign-language learning:

Start with a language core
The core of any language involves words that express images, memories, emotions, and colors. By learning the core of a language first, you are more capable of thinking in your target language and keeping it alive in your head. This makes it easier to learn additional aspects of a language and reach fluency.

Focus on your passion
Learning a new language is always difficult, no matter how many other languages you know. To ensure you stay motivated throughout the learning process, focus on choosing languages that you are passionate about. Without passion driving your motivation, learning a language is less likely to be successful.

Optimize your time
Rushing the process is one of the worst things you can do when learning a language, because it keeps you from understanding the proper accents and refining your knowledge. Instead, optimize your time by scheduling specific times to practice every day. To maximize efficiency, try practicing while cooking, commuting, or working out.

Two Independent Film Festivals to Attend in Florida

With experience ranging from psychiatry to charitable medical service in foreign countries, Patricia Lynn Hough now serves St. Francis Animal Rescue as its staff supervisor. In her leisure time, Patricia Lynn Hough enjoys attending independent film festivals.

Independent film festivals have sprung up all over the country and continue to offer a unique opportunity for visitors to experience a diverse range of creative films. The state of Florida is home to at least two of these, the Miami Independent Film Festival and the Melbourne Independent Film Festival.

The Miami Independent Film Festival just completed its second year. Founded in 2015, the first annual festival took place in 2016. The following year, the event received more than 900 film submissions from 64 nations. For more information about this festival and how to attend next year's event or to make a film submission, visit www.miamindiefest.com.

The Melbourne Independent Film Festival will take place from October 20th through 21st at Premiere Theaters Oaks Stadium 10. This year's event includes the Tie Up Loose Ends script competition in which competitors take an existing script and finish it themselves. Filmmakers then film the winning script ending and present it at the festival. For more information, visit www.melbournefilmfest.com.

JAMA Studies Suicide Rates in Discharged Psychiatric Patients

Holding an MD, a PhD, and an MSW, Dr. Patricia Lynn Hough has served in a variety of roles that have allowed her to help patients in a wide range of settings. From 2009 to 2013, Dr. Patricia Lynn Hough served with the Sarasota County Department of Health, providing psychiatric care to patients who had no insurance coverage.

According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry, patients discharged from psychiatric facilities have a much higher suicide rate. Researchers pooled data across five decades for the study, which found that recently discharged patients were 100 times more likely to commit suicide within 3 months of being discharged.

Further, the study suggests that patients who reported having suicidal thoughts upon being admitted to the facility had an even higher suicide rate, which was nearly 200 times the normal population rate. Over the 50 years that researchers studied, this rate did not decrease. Based on this data, the study authors say that strong efforts should be focused on addressing this increased suicide risk.

Great Reasons to Adopt a Rescue Dog

A former senior physician at the Sarasota County Department of Health, Dr. Patricia Lynn Hough has a career in public health that spans more than four decades. In her current role, she serves as staff supervisor at St. Francis Animal Rescue in Venice, Florida.

Adopting a rescue dog affords a pet owner several benefits compared to purchasing a newborn puppy from a breeder. Here are three reasons why a rescue animal may be a better fit for your household:

1. The majority of dogs that are housed in rescue shelters have already been house-trained. By adopting a rescue dog, the owner can bypass much of the frustration that comes with having to train a puppy to use the bathroom outside and not chew furniture. 

2. For dogs that have been fostered, the potential owner gets the benefit of knowing how the dog will behave in a home environment before taking the pet home themselves. This is especially helpful for owners who already have animals in the house since it will be important to know if the dog can get along well with other pets.

3. Rescue dogs have already been vaccinated, as well as spayed or neutered. Therefore, when potential owners choose to adopt from a shelter, they know they are getting an animal that has undergone thorough health screenings by trained personnel.

Three Mistakes Yoga Beginners Often Make

Since January 2016, Dr. Patricia Lynn Hough has served as the staff supervisor for the St. Francis Animal Rescue of Venice, Florida. Outside of Dr. Patricia Lynn Hough’s work with the shelter, she practices yoga. 

There are a number of mistakes common to new students of yoga. Avoiding these mistakes will help you get the most out of your practice, both physically and mentally. 

1. Wearing Loose Clothing - Many beginners mistakenly assume loose clothing will hide their bodies, leaving less to the imagination than the tight clothes you often see in a yoga class. In actuality, the tight clothing does more to protect your modesty, as loose clothing is more likely to slip or fall off. 

2. Pushing Too Hard - Many beginners have the misconception that yoga will be a breeze, especially if they have a history of sports or strenuous exercise. While yoga may be simple, it is not always easy. Yoga stretches and works deep muscle tissue, requiring careful attention to avoid strain or injury. While it might be a good idea to push yourself to your limit on the basketball court, beginners may want to reconsider that approach on the yoga mat. Yoga is not a competition. 

3. Unhealthy Comparisons - Since yoga is not a competition, there is no point in comparing yourself to others, especially more experienced practitioners. Comparing yourself to an expert will likely leave you overwhelmed and intimidated, and may even lead to jealousy. If framed correctly, however, comparison can be healthy: instead of asking why you cannot do what they can, ask what it will take to get there, and use the experts as inspiration and motivation.

Salvadoran American Humanitarian Foundation's Hunger Reduction Work

Leveraging over 40 years in the healthcare and social work fields, Dr. Patricia Lynn Hough worked four years as a director of projects for Proyecto Salud, where she was responsible for the administrative work behind numerous health-related projects in Central America and the Caribbean. Prior to accepting the position, Dr. Patricia Lynn Hough served three years as a medical volunteer for the Salvadoran American Humanitarian Foundation (SAHF).

Since its creation in 1983, SAHF has fostered a tradition of supporting El Salvador's hospitals with medical supplies and volunteer hours, as well as working to reduce hunger rates in the Central American country. The foundation launched Libras de Amor, which translates to Pounds of Love, in 2004 to fight malnutrition, primarily targeting families with children under five years old, as well as expecting mothers.

There are currently 18 communities being served by teams consisting of a doctor, nurse, nutritionist, agronomist, entrepreneurial technician, and two nutritional promoters. The program started in Apaneca, a community that had malnutrition rates as high as 47 percent. Over time, malnutrition rates have dropped significantly in most of the 18 communities, including Apaneca, which has now reached a low of 11 percent.

Must-Try Thai Dishes

Holding an MD and a PhD in sociology and social psychology, Patricia Lynn Hough was a psychiatrist and assistant professor for more than a decade. Now semiretired, she serves as the staff supervisor at St. Francis Animal Rescue of Venice, Florida. In her free time, Patricia Lynn Hough enjoys experiencing different cultures and their cuisines, including food from Thailand. 

Thai cuisine features unique flavors and aromas that have helped certain dishes become popular around the world. Other Thai dishes are just as flavorful but less well-known. Below are a few Thai dishes worth trying regardless of their popularity.

- Laap. A rustic dish that originated in northeast Thailand, laap consists of minced meat seasoned with a variety of herbs, fish sauce, and rice powder. The dish is frequently served alongside sticky rice, which most Thais eat by hand.

- Tom Yum Goong. Combining salty, sour, sweet, and spicy into one dish, this soup contains tomatoes, shrimp, mushrooms, and lime leaves. The soup can be ordered with cream and coconut milk.

- Phat kaphrao. This street food brings together flash-fried meat and basil along with plenty of garlic and chili seasoning. The mixture is served over rice and frequently is topped with a fried egg.

- Gang massaman. Originating in southern Thailand, this sweet curry sauce is made from coconut milk, curry paste, and seasonings and is usually served over chicken and rice.

Caring for a Cat with a Cold

Dr. Patricia Lynn Hough is a former social worker who earned her doctor of medicine in 1988 and subsequently began working as a psychiatrist. Now semi-retired, Dr. Patricia Lynn Hough serves as staff supervisor at Venice, Florida's St. Francis Animal Rescue, where she is responsible for volunteer and adoption coordination and working with the shelter's veterinarian to treat sick animals.

Like humans, cats are prone to developing the flu or cold-like symptoms. While it's best to take your cat to the vet if he or she hasn't eaten in several days or has bloody discharges, oftentimes a common cold can be treated at home. Signs that might indicate your cat has a cold include sneezing for long periods of time, coughing, and excess swallowing. You can also listen to the cat's breathing. If it's wheezy or raspy, you can help by turning on a humidifier.

Be sure to continually check up on your cat and wipe away any discharge from the eyes or nose with warm saltwater on a cloth or cotton ball. In addition to keeping the water bowl filled to avoid dehydration, you might also have to encourage your cat to eat by warming his or her food to increase the odor.

A Few Facts about Mental Health in the United States

The staff supervisor at St. Francis Animal Rescue in Venice, Florida, Patricia Lynn Hough collaborates with the shelter’s veterinarian to provide medical care. Prior to this position, Patricia Lynn Hough had a successful career in social work and psychiatry.

In the United States, estimates are that one in four adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder. Despite this, general society still places minimal importance on mental health. 

Maintaining mental health is beneficial to physical health. People without depression, stress, or anxiety experience decreased physical pain and improved immune function, and their life expectancy is longer. 

People who are not depressed, stressed, or anxious are less likely to commit violent crimes or become victims of violent crimes. They are less likely to lash out at those around them, so their children have a smaller risk of being abused.

Benefits of mental health extend beyond the individual to business and society. Mental health treatment is believed to reduce medical visits by 90 percent and drop overall medical treatment costs by 35 percent. 

Individuals who are mentally healthy are significantly more productive at work and are better at helping their companies grow and succeed. Poor mental health leads to increased workplace accidents and decreased work attendance. 

According to the World Health Organization, roughly 200 million workdays are lost every year because of depression. Individuals with depression and anxiety use sick leaves more frequently and for longer periods of time.

Ensuring a Healthy Diet for Your Cat

Patricia Lynn Hough is a former psychiatrist who stays active in a supervisory capacity at St. Francis Animal Rescue (SFAR), a Venice, Florida, no-kill shelter. With a longstanding passion for animal health and welfare, Patricia Lynn Hough ensures that the cats at the cage-free facility have the proper medications and are prepared for adoption by loving owners.

Adopting a cat is a long-term commitment that begins with keeping the pet happy and healthy. A cat's stomach is not designed for the same foods eaten by humans, so learning to feed the cat the right kind of food is important. 

Generally lactose intolerant, a cat may get an upset stomach or worse if it is fed dairy products such as cheese and milk. Even commercial cat treats may present an issue if they are given too often, which can result in obesity and corresponding health issues. 

The way to avoid these problems is to feed the cat a nutritionally complete cat food made by a respected company. Most cats, given a choice, prefer a combination of canned and dry food. To avoid overfeeding, carefully read the cat food labels and set out an amount of food that is appropriate for the age and weight of the cat.

Yoga on My Wii Fitness Board

I am having difficult time making it to the fitness center to do classes in yoga.  There are only two classes a day and I am either commuting to work or at work most of the time.  But, I discovered a yoga program on my Wii fitness.  It makes use of the Wii fitness board to detect balance and shifts in balance.  There is a tutorial for each pose and you select a "trainer" to lead you through the exercises.  During a variety of poses, I have to stay within a yellow circle and follow the breathing.  It is not adapted for floor mat poses but does give instruction for positions and breathing.  I wish that there were more programs like this to use at home.

A Look at Some of the Different Forms of Yoga

 


An experienced social worker and animal shelter employee, Dr. Patricia Lynn Hough enjoys keeping active. One of Dr. Patricia Lynn Hough’s favorite pastimes is yoga.

As people begin to research yoga studios, they may find the multitude of types to be overwhelming. Beginners often choose hatha yoga, which is a slow-moving type that focuses on basics. Practitioners of this variety typically focus on finding the right posture and holding it for a few breaths.

Another good option for beginners, Bikram yoga takes place in a heated, humidified room. Furthermore, one will find that all Bikram studios rely on the same sequence of postures over the course of 90 minutes, thus facilitating the practice’s rapid adoption. Bikram beginners should go slow and take breaks when needed.

A more challenging form of yoga, Ashtanga mimics Bikram in maintaining an order for its poses. In Ashtanga, there are six series of varying difficulty that individuals work through as they progress.

A generally high-intensity type of yoga, Ashtanga is somewhat less intense than Vinyasa, which focuses on breath and movement together. Individuals do not remain in poses very long, so Vinyasa provides a great workout.

Another popular style of yoga is Iyengar, which often uses props like ropes, straps, and blocks. In Iyengar, teachers are very picky about body position and working effectively within the existing range of motion.

Key Advice for Traveling to Developing Countries

Dr. Patricia Lynn Hough serves as a staff supervisor with St. Francis Animal Rescue in Venice, Florida. An avid traveler in her free time, Dr. Patricia Lynn Hough particularly enjoys visiting developing countries.

When visiting developing countries, individuals need to keep certain things in mind. For example, patience is necessary when traveling throughout the developing world. Sometimes, vans meant for six people will accept three times that number. Traveling can take much more time than expected, depending on the condition of bridges, roads, and the like. 

Travelers should also expect to get ripped off to some extent. Often imagining that they can haggle for the same prices as locals, many of these individuals will get agitated, if not hostile, when the vendor refuses to make concessions. In general, foreigners pay more, but chances are good that the purchase price is still relatively low given conversion rates. Haggling skills are important in developing countries. Part of haggling entails walking away after pointing out that the price is too high.

In general, travelers should avoid giving money to people on the street, but supporting local business is a different matter. The best way to help the local economy is to avoid chains and make purchases from area vendors instead.

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL THOUGHTS

This dates for the 2017 Sundance Film Festival are January 19 to January 29, 2017.  I was tied to an academic calendar for most of my career and unable to attend this film festival as the new semester usually commenced by mid-January.  Since retirement, however, all has changed and it has been a favorite journey to make.   Accommodations can be very expensive in Park City but prices are reasonable in Salt Cake City, especially for the weekend venues.   If you ski, there are ski areas in and around Park City with few ski lines during the film festival.  The bus transportation network in Park City gets you back and forth to the film venues efficiently.  My favorite films for the past several years have been the documentaries, both foreign and domestic.  The mountain scenery is breathtaking and it is worth the drive to leave Park City and go to the original Sundance Resort.