These Short-Term Stress Busters Are Harmful

You may want to lead a richer and happier life but if you do not stick to the basic and cardinal principle of maintaining your health, you will not be able to move even an inch from the spot at which you stand now. Let us elaborate.

There is this talk of stress everywhere. It is true that stress is taking a toll on the health of number of people. You may also face stressful situations in your life. But if you go for an ice cream or a packet of chips after a stressful day at your workplace, you can pretty well assume that you are inviting trouble for yourself. Remember that these items will just appear to remove your stress but it is only a short-term benefit. On the contrary, this kind of "emotional eating" will lead to over-weight, obesity and other related ailments. In other words, you are resorting to what psychologists call as "counterproductive coping."

Instead of this approach, you can choose from some of the healthy options available to you so you can avoid emotional eating. Let us have a look.

1. Many people are in the habit of standing and eating their meals. In fact, the so-called "buffet" system seems to encourage standing and eating, though people can sit and eat also in this system. The fact remains that standing and eating come with certain inherent issues. A study says that those who stand and eat do not take time to enjoy their meal. Eating patiently and enjoying the meal are vital for deriving the health benefits you want to have from your meals.

2. Never, never skip meals because apart from increasing your stress, it may force you to over-eat during the next meal. You may tend to go for junk food also.

3. Drinking plenty of water every day is a step you should never ignore. If you drink water 30 minutes before your meal, your food intake will come down. This means your calorie consumption will come down. Water is free from calories. It is caffeine-free as well.

4. Maintain a journal for recording your moods and the foods you eat for at least for 2 to 3 weeks. You must especially record the various types of moods that force you to go for food items such as ice creams, chips, etc. This journal will help you in guarding against this harmful behavior.

5. Never skip your exercises. Though fitness experts say that it is enough if you do intense work-outs for 3 or 4 days a week, it is better you exercise daily. Apart from bringing down your stress level, it will reduce your weight as well as waistline also.

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How Alcohol Impacts Health

"That's the problem with drinking, I thought, as I poured myself a drink. If something bad happens you drink in an attempt to forget; if something good happens you drink in order to celebrate; and if nothing happens you drink to make something happen." ― Charles Bukowski

This is how Charles Bukowski, a renowned writer and poet, summed up the thoughts of a person addicted to alcohol. The quote aptly highlights the plight of the people suffering from alcoholism. For, Bukowski was one of those who himself knew how alcohol takes the prime slot in an alcoholism patient's life. For them, they have no reason to drink.

Besides driving a wedge between loved ones, persistent drinking leads to increased dependence on alcohol and eventually addiction. Alcoholism is a chronic disease characterized by uncontrolled drinking patterns and preoccupation with alcohol. In fact, people become so obsessed with alcohol that other priorities take a back seat. They witness the downfall in all aspects of life.

Apart from dependence and above consequences, unrestrained alcohol consumption leads to various health problems, such as:

• Cardiovascular diseases: Though there are studies claiming the antioxidant resveratrol in red wine is associated with lower risks of heart aging, heavy drinking weakens the heart muscle. As a result, the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently cardiomyopathy. Besides causing cardiomyopathy, heavy drinking leads to premature death due to heart failure.
• Cancer: Alcohol is also associated with the risk of developing cancer. With the identification of alcohol as a carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), it is clear that it increases the risk of cancer. Some of the commonest cancers associated with alcohol consumption are that of neck, esophagus, liver and breast.
• Diabetes: Excessive drinking increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Moreover, in case a person is already diabetic and is on medications for controlling the level of blood sugar, the consumption of alcohol can have an adverse reaction, such as a massive decline in the sugar level due to hypoglycemia. Since people with diabetes are on a strict diet, every morsel and calorie intake matters. Therefore, any form of alcohol is dangerous.
• Inflammation of pancreas: Alcohol is also detrimental for the functioning of pancreas. Prolonged and hazardous level of drinking can cause pancreatic inflammation or pancreatitis. Many a time, the damage is irreversible in nature.
• Increased waistline: Though an evening cocktail may sound harmless, it is loaded with calories and responsible for causing the same weight gain as caused by a large burger with fries on the side. Studies have shown that binge drinking is associated with an increased waistline. When one starts drinking heavily, he or she is more likely to end up with a massive paunch and a surefire hangover the morning after. The same applies for beer. It is a gross misconception to consider beer as light, as a can of light beer has an excessive amount of calories.
• Depression: One of the common misconceptions about alcohol is that it is great for beating the blues. Moreover, it is assumed that the problems get sorted automatically when one is high on alcohol. The seemingly tongue-tied person suddenly becomes talkative, which is seen as one of the wonders of alcohol. When one has alcohol in his or her system, the person feels invincible and on top of the world. Unfortunately, the crash follows soon after. One of the commonest symptoms that follows binge drinking is depression and guilt-trip. Being a depressant, one of the harshest side effects of chronic alcoholism or alcohol dependence is clinical depression.

Recovery from alcoholism

Alcohol addiction is a chronic disease that disengages the individual from life. Fortunately, with timely help one can easily overcome the condition. People suffering from alcoholism should not feel embarrassed to seek help or treatment and share their problems with loved ones. Rather than feeling low due to the stigma attached to alcoholism, individuals should accept the reality and take effective measures against the problem.

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Beyond Addictions to Health, It's Not About Willpower

As we all know, many people in our country are suffering from obesity and major health issues. It's interesting to explore this in terms of intent.

When a person eats too much or eats junk, the intent is to control. The person is using food to suppress pain - to have control over not feeling painful emotions.

Wounded Self: Control Over Avoiding Emotional Pain

While most people would say that their health is important to them, and they might even say that without their health they have nothing, often something else is even more important - having control over avoiding emotional pain.

Health problems can certainly come from a variety of causes other than substance abuse, such as heredity, extreme childhood abuse, polluted air or accidents. But the chronic and degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and autoimmune diseases, are often the result of the abuse of food, nicotine, drugs or alcohol.

If a person says he or she wants to be healthy, but continues to eat badly, drink too much, smoke or take dangerous drugs, then obviously the part of this person who is in charge of their choices is more interested in avoiding feelings than in being healthy.

Our wounded self is always more interested in avoiding pain than in loving self-care. This is who the wounded self is - the part of us that wants to have control over feeling safe from pain. One of the reasons that we have such a high rate of obesity and chronic health problems is because, in most people, the wounded self is in charge.

I was a sickly child and I hated being sick. In my early twenties, I discovered the subject of nutrition and began to attempt to eat in a very healthy way. But because I didn't have a loving adult in charge of my eating, eating well was a huge challenge. I would write down everything I ate in the hopes of gaining control over my sugar and carbohydrate addiction. I would go from one diet to another in the hopes of losing weight and staying thin. I went from weight doctor to weight doctor to find the magic pill that would give me control over my weight and health. I would eat well for a while, and then suddenly I would binge on sugar and junk. I just couldn't seem to find the will power to consistently eat well.

Beyond Will Power To True Power

This went on for years, until Spirit brought us Inner Work and I began to develop my loving adult. Now I know that a consistent and devoted practice of Inner Bonding will eventually develop enough of a loving adult to truly care more about health than about avoiding pain. Now I know that learning how to manage and learn from painful feelings is the key to weight loss and health.

It is not about will power. The wounded self tries hard to have control by exerting will power, but always eventually fails. It IS about true power - the power of your higher self that comes through when you have a deep intent to learn about what creates health and wellbeing.

Each of us needs to decide which is more important - avoiding pain through our various addictions, or striving for excellent health. When you make the deep decision that creating a healthy body for your beautiful essence to live in is vitally important to you, you will discover the power that comes from Spirit, the power that enables you to let go of substance addictions, eat clean healthy food, and get daily exercise.

Ask yourself now which is more important to you - avoiding pain or creating excellent health? If you find yourself continuing your substance addictions, then you might want to explore why avoiding pain is more important than health and wellbeing.

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Health Impact of Consuming Alcohol at Different Ages

After analyzing the health implications of alcohol consumption on varied age groups a recently conducted study concluded that adults in the age group of 50 and above may see less severe health consequences compared to adults below the same age group. The objective of the study was neither to justify nor glorify drinking, but to study the impact of drinking on various ages. The fact still remains that people who drink heavily are susceptible to a variety of serious short- and long-term health issues.

Some of the common health problems pertaining to heavy alcohol consumption include liver and heart ailments, cancers, and damage to the nervous system and brain. From time to time, various health and wellness articles have highlighted the fact that if an individual drank in moderation, it can have certain health benefits. To corroborate this fact, several studies have suggested that drinking alcohol within a medically permissible limit may have a positive bearing on an individual's health. For instance, one of the studies revealed that moderate to light drinking can bring down the mortality rate caused due to cardiovascular ailments.

Having said that, while these studies have been widely read and received well by people, not all researchers stand by it and the debate still continues on the same.

A fresh perspective

Dr. Timothy Naimi of the Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts carried out this study, adding fuel to the ongoing debate on the health impacts of consuming alcohol. Dr. Naimi and his group of researchers analyzed the methodology that was utilized in the previous studies and found that the manner in which the previous researchers measured the impact of alcohol on health may be flawed. The researchers highlighted the fact that the previous studies were based more on general observations and they usually enrolled participants over the age of 50. Usually, the deaths attributed to alcohol consumption occurred within the age group of 20 to 49. Simply put, "one cannot include dead people in a cohort study," said Dr. Niami.

The team highlighted that around 40 percent of alcohol-related deaths took place before the age of 50. This made it quite obvious that the earlier researchers did not take into consideration these people and may have thus underestimated the real risks pertaining to alcohol consumption. Incidentally, Dr. Naimi was one of the first researchers to raise the concern about this bias in terms of participant age group and had published his findings in the journal Addiction in 2017.

Therefore, Dr. Naimi reinvestigated the matter and reanalyzed the data using the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact Application (ARDIA) software, maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The ARDIA is a reliable application that offered state and national estimates of alcohol-related health implications including potential years of life lost (PYLL) and deaths.

Influence of age factor

According to the study, the level of alcohol-related risk pertaining to an individual was largely influenced by the age factor. The data analysis revealed that around 35.8 percent of deaths caused due to alcohol consumption took place in the age group of 20 to 49. On the other hand, a mere 4.5 percent of fatalities were averted due to consumption of alcohol in this age group.

However, when the researchers looked at individuals in the age group of 65 and above, the statistics were slightly different. In this group, around 35 percent alcohol-related deaths were recorded, but it also depicted a whopping 80 percent of deaths averted by alcohol.

However, as stated earlier, there is still an ongoing debate regarding the impact of consuming alcohol in varied age groups.

Seeking help for alcoholism

Irrespective of gender, age, or social standing, anyone can be affected by alcoholism. One of the stepping stones for effective recovery from alcohol addiction is detoxification. The detoxification process helps purge all toxins accumulated in the body owing to years of alcohol consumption and prepares the body and the mind for the ensuing treatment.

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We All Encounter Setbacks In Life, Yet We Mustn't Allow Ourselves To Ever Be Defeated

We Mustn't Give Up Hope Of A Better Future

If you let your defeats conquer you, they will penetrate your psyche and erode your character. Setbacks are unavoidable in this journey called life and none of us are immune to them. If you are reading this now, you no doubt live in the Western world and have access to technology which makes you more privileged than millions of others living in poverty. I mention this because life in the Western world comes with its privileges and its downsides.

Defeat is sewn into the fabric of our existence and it accompanies us our entire life whether it be our: health, relationships, career or financial. Every one of us has a story where defeat gained a foothold into our minds. Some people recoil from the pain while others rise to the challenge and overcome their barriers to defeat. Can you identify with this narrative? Have there been moments in your life when you experienced setbacks and thought you wouldn't bounce back, yet you did? We are all tested in some form or another, some more than others and whilst it may not be fair, this doesn't mean life is unjust. Those who overcome defeat learn quickly that to judge life based on fairness does not award them any more power than the next person.

Unfortunate things happen to good people and one need only turn on the news to see the situation in Greece with the fires and the earthquake in Indonesia where the death toll continues to rise into the hundreds. Challenges are everywhere, but we mustn't give up hope of a better future. We mustn't believe we are powerless in the face of our defeats. Sometimes it may feel life imposes itself upon us in a cruel and unjust way. We may want to retreat until we feel ready to emerge again. This isn't necessarily a bad plan though we mustn't stay down or else our self-esteem and character will be compromised if we don't confront our challenges.

Make The Best Of Our Hardships

When speaking in front of audiences or coaching clients, I often ask people to think back to a time in their life that shaped their character. Similarly, I invite you to reflect on moments when you experienced hardship or defeat yet overcame it? What lessons did you learn and what skills or qualities did you develop? People often say they didn't think they had the inner strength and the resiliency to overcome their setbacks and this reaffirms why we must face our challenges with an open mind and a soft heart. We can't allow life to extinguish our inner light because once it goes out it will be difficult to rekindle the promise of hope, faith and enthusiasm.

I can't explain why unpleasant things happen to us, nor would I want the burden of trying to figure it out. I've come to the realisation it is a waste of time and energy trying to understand why unfortunate things happen. If I look for the meaning in life's events, I become mired in the problem and move further away from a solution. However, if I accept it and rise again to shake the fragments of defeat off my shoulder, I realise life isn't a tale about being knocked down, but it's about how many times we rise that makes the difference. Similarly, it's of little use to justify life being fair or unfair since this is not beneficial and relieves us of our power to respond affirmatively. If we can summon our inner power and make the best of our hardships, we can sail into smoother waters knowing there will be times when the sea of life will be rough, yet when the storm passes it will be smooth sailing once again. It is what the acclaimed Brazilian author of The Alchemist Paulo Coelho refers to in a recent tweet when he said: "The more violent the storm, the quicker it passes."

I'd like for you to walk away after reading this article and get a sense that setbacks are part of the human condition, though we mustn't be defeated by them. If we do, we risk losing ourselves to what the late holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl reiterated through his writing and teachings; our ability to choose our attitude. Frankl's passage from Man's Search for Meaning underscores that our attitude is the last remaining hope after everything is taken away from us, as was the case when he lost his family in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." You are not the product of your defeats because they are teaching points from which to cultivate your greatest strength, should you rise above them. For in overcoming our impediments, we discover the depth of our character and an abiding spirit of resiliency that follows us throughout life ever more.

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15 Habits of Extremely Happy People

Happiness is every person's goal in life. Even though most people have no idea of what to do to be happy and what happiness really adds up to. We all strive to stay relevant to our goal.

1. They are not self-absorbed

This is a person that generally does not make everything about themselves. They are open-minded and allow their thinking to go beyond their heads. They welcome other people's suggestions and criticism. They don't take other people's opinions about them personally. They build their character based on well-thought out choices and opinions. They positively accept correction from people and also appreciate other people's way of life.

2. They are appreciative and contented

Being contented and showing appreciation is a character trait that most people don't have. They take a lot of things for granted not knowing they deprive themselves of the small joys of the world. Being able to appreciate someone else for how they have dressed, made their hair, their new pair of shoes, being able to see the other person laugh and smile and having contributed to them having a nice day is even a greater way of being happy.

3. Making alone time and meditating

This is a vital part of being happy and knowing yourself better. Having alone time helps one check on their character, know what makes them happy, sad, set life goals, etc. When meditating, one learns what to focus on with life, what makes their life better and how to better themselves. Making sure to have some alone time also keeps someone in a peaceful mood and helps them to face their fears.

4. Doing things that make them genuinely happy

Being happy is a full-time job, so each of us needs to find what genuinely makes them happy and avoid hypocrisy. Doing what genuinely makes you happy will help someone from harboring hate and toxic feelings caused by forced happiness and pretending to be happy for everyone else's sake. Most people have an illusion of happiness and they don't try and find genuine happiness or what activities genuinely make them happy. So they end up feeling unfulfilled and sad. So, finding genuine activities that make you happy is a great step to being extremely happy.

5. Having a positive attitude towards life

Life brings a lot of challenges with it and the sad part is life challenges are inevitable. People have to find better ways to cope with that. People with positive mindsets have it easier when difficulties come to their path. They see problems as challenges that they have to face to pass a given stage and enable them to relate to things in a better way. Those who are afraid of challenges will always feel condemned and sad because they never know their way through.

6. Being at peace with yourself, friends, associates, and family

You should try, as much as possible, to be at peace with those close to you. These include friends, family, work associates and, even your partner. These people play a major role, what they do can directly affect.

7. Enjoying every moment

Most people take for granted moments spent with other people; either playing, out for coffee or chilling in the house and even time spent with their family. They fail to maximize the fun they would have had during these times. This is also a way of harboring regrets and unfulfilled moments that people have. Hence having bad days and tough times.

8. Respecting yourself and not settling for mediocre

People who know what they want in life don't settle. They know their purpose, set goals and work towards them. Despite the challenges they might face on their way to success, such people don't give up. They are grounded and they don't settle for mediocre results that are unfulfilling to them. They know their self-worth and they work at achieving what they set their minds to.

9. Staying healthy

Health is a major contributor to happiness. This entails having good eating habits. Make sure you have a balanced diet, take lots of water and make sure your meals are hygienically prepared. This will help you avoid sicknesses and stay healthy. Exercises also helps people stay in shape and avoid diseases caused by unhealthy eating, it also helps someone unwind and feel relaxed. Ensuring one is clean by bathing, putting on makeup, perfume. This helps boost someone's confidence and makes them feel good about themselves.

10. Rewarding and feeling good about yourself

Everyone loves gifts and being appreciated. Most people forget that you can buy yourself gifts, appreciate yourself and feel good about it. We all have our shameful struggles or our bad habits that we aren't proud of. When you stop a bad habit and no one notices, treat yourself out, buy yourself some new belt. People might not know how big a deal the situation was or how much you struggled with it. Awarding, and giving yourself credit for it, is not a bad thing. This will help you see yourself as an achiever and will also boost your self-confidence.

11. Surrounding yourself with people and things that bring positivity in your life

The people and things someone surrounds themselves with say a lot about them. They highly contribute to someone's character and thinking. If you surround yourself with people who are always about the positive side of life and encouraging one another to be better versions of themselves, then there are high chances that that is the kind of person you will be. This character building technique is important in our lives. You should be careful who you relate with because they influence you in a wonderful way.

12. Treating people with kindness, respect and being happy for them

One can create happiness by seeing other people happy. This is also a way of trying to live a fulfilling life. Help people out when you can, reach out to them when they need your help. Visit the patients in hospitals, help out in orphanages, give food to the homeless. You feel fulfilled when you are able to make someone smile and be happy. Treat your friend who delivered a presentation. These are some of the ways in which being kind and helpful to others can bring to you happiness through these simple gestures.

13. Not comparing yourself with other people

Comparing yourself, your personal achievements and successes with those of other people is not a healthy way of being happy. Most people forget that everyone is totally different from others and we all have different struggles in life. Comparing yourself to other people is an injustice to yourself and you end up degrading yourself and end up leading some sad, unmeaningful life. You should try and better yourself from what you have. You should not consider another person's success makes them better than you for any reason. Focus on bettering yourself on what makes you happy and fulfilled. Make your own path to achieving your goals and dreams.

14. Have life-improving goals

Most people settle for what they are offered even when deep down they know it is not what they want or deserve. This ends up making them feel less of a person or not fully recognized by people. Make sure you set goals that help you become a better person. Either mentally, financially or physically. Strive to make the best out of yourself and when faced with challenges don't despair. Make the best out of your worst experiences.

15. Allowing yourself to be human

We focus so much on other people and make considerations for them rather than for ourselves. We forget that we also hurt, feel, cry and make mistakes. A lot of people are so focused on their mistakes and setbacks, they forget that they also fall, fail and make mistakes, which is okay. They should accept that mistakes are inevitable, and you can always make the best out of them and learn something. Forgive yourself as often as possible, accept your faults and apologize when needed, or when you know you are at fault. Don't forget, you are just as human as everyone else and, just like them, you also can make mistakes and be at fault.

Conclusion

We are all entitled to being happy and finding fulfillment in whatever we decide to do with our lives. People should realize their happiness solely depends on their choices and perception about life and what it brings with it.

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Stressed Out? Here Are Three Ways to Improve Your Coping Skills

Stress... Stress... and more Stress!

Sometimes it seems as though daily life amounts to little more than contending with one crisis after another. Or maybe your stress is about all those little niggling irritations that never go away - the traffic, the annoying coworker, the backlog of household chores and home repairs. If you feel overwhelmed by stress, this article is for you.

I've noticed in my years as a counselor, speaker, and author that stress management really encompasses three types of coping skills:

• Palliative Coping Skills - skills that restore your equanimity.

• Instrumental Coping Skills - skills that solve problems,

• Adaptive Coping Skills - skills in which you develop a new response.

To cope effectively with the stress life throws at you, you need all three for maximum flexibility and resilience. Let me describe each concept.

Palliative Coping Skills

Palliative coping skills are somewhat passive. They don't directly change external circumstances, but they do reduce stress because they calm the central nervous system, helping us to relax, feel peaceful, and remain healthier.

One example is Progressive Relaxation. In Progressive Relaxation, you take time out. You lean back or lie down and purposely, consciously, relax each part of your body.

You could also consider meditation. One of the most popular forms is Mindfulness Meditation, inspired by Buddhist teachings. You sit quietly to simply be aware of your environment, or your thoughts, or your physical sensations and breathing. You make no opinions or judgments. You take the role of an observer who notices, with no desire to change anything -accepting things as they are for now.

Learn about Mindfulness Meditation from books and audio recordings by Jon Kabat-Zinn, the leading expert. He defines mindfulness as "... the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment by moment."

Kabat-Zinn founded the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. There, he taught hospital patients how to practice Mindfulness Meditation to cope with a range of chronic medical conditions. His studies showed that after eight weeks of daily meditation, these patients reported reduced pain, less depression, accelerated healing, improved relationships, and a better sense of well-being.

In The Mindful Brain, psychiatrist Daniel Siegel cited a host of studies demonstrating that long-term meditative practice bestows these benefits:

• Changes connections in the brain, with increased thickness in parts of the brain that regulate physical processes, balance emotions, modulate fear, and support insight and empathy.

• Enhances cognitive flexibility and reduces impulsivity.

• Promotes behavioral flexibility.

• Improves the capacity to regulate emotions.

• Improves thinking and reduces negativity.

• Promotes healing, immune response, and a general sense of physical well-being.

• Improves relationships, because of enhanced empathy and the ability to interpret nonverbal emotional signals from others.

• Reduces symptoms of depression, personality disorders, substance abuse, obsessive behaviors, eating disorders, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.

• Enhances resilience in the face of difficulty.

Other candidates for palliative coping might be:

• Yoga or Tai Chi

• Listening to soothing music

• Reading novels or poetry

• Talking walks in natural settings

• Hobbies such as painting, playing an instrument, or gardening

• Spending quality time with a pet

• Singing in a chorus

• Exercise

• Maintaining a gratitude journal

Palliative coping skills don't fix the situation that causes your stress. Instead they make you stronger and more resilient through activities that are soothing, relaxing, and restorative.

Instrumental Coping Skills

With instrumental coping skills, you take action to change the source of your stress. You negotiate or eliminate whatever is bugging you. Sometimes changing a stressful situation requires a single one-time action. Sometimes the new behavior is one you must repeat and maintain over time.

With complicated circumstances, such as finances, health issues, or interpersonal relationships, single-step solutions do not always work. That's where detailed problem-solving comes in. Here are the steps for detailed problem-solving.

1. Identify the problem that is causing your stress.

2. Define the result you want.

3. Consider alternative strategies that will bring about the result you want.

4. Evaluate and compare the various strategies. Choose the best one - the one that offers the most advantages with the fewest drawbacks.

5. Make a plan. Define the steps involved and when you can implement each one. Identify the resources you'll need: people, finances, time, expert advice, tools, or equipment.

6. Access your resources and take action. Follow through and stay with the plan.

7. Monitor your progress. Notice whether things are going in the desired direction.

8. Modify the plan as needed.

9. Stop when you have accomplished results; or continue action as needed.

This problem-solving method is ideal for teams and families too, not just individuals.When you realize that most complex problems are not solved overnight, you will develop "next step" thinking. This means you eliminate or resolve the problem one small step at a time.

Adaptive Coping Skills

With Adaptive Coping skills you change your internal response so that your thoughts, emotions, physiology and possibly your behavior are better adapted to the circumstances. You develop a more resourceful response to situations that you have typically found difficult or challenging.

In other words, you meet the challenge; rise to the occasion. You replace nervousness with confidence. You replace anger with patience. How do you do that? Neuro-Linguistic Programming teaches a process called anchoring. It's a strategy of replacing a problematic mind-body state with one that is more resourceful. Here it is in a few quick steps.

1. Identify the stressful situation where you feel anxious, or short-tempered, etc.

2. Identify the response you would rather have in that situation. Example: You'd rather have confidence instead of anxiety.

3. Identify some other activity or situation in your life where you do respond in your desired manner. Choose some circumstance in which you typically feel confident, competent or patient, for instance.

4. Immerse yourself in a memory of your desired response. Repeat this step until you easily access that state.

5. While accessing the desired response, mentally rehearse how you now will respond to the situation that was the source of your difficulty.

This is what solution-oriented thinking is all about. It's changing the focus from the problem to the solution. Studies show that mental rehearsal is essential to lasting behavioral change. World-class athletes use it to hone their skills. You can do it too.

Imagine feeling poised while delivering a speech. Imagine feeling confident and sincere when asking that special someone out for a date. Consider that you could replace distraction with concentration, confusion with curiosity, and timidity with assertiveness.

All Three Skills are Important

All three types of coping skills are important. With palliative coping skills, you can maintain equanimity in meeting the often unpleasant circumstances of daily life. With instrumental coping skills, you will take action to eliminate the source of your stress or discomfort. With adaptive coping skills, you will expand your flexibility to meet various challenges that could improve your health, your relationships, and your career. Adaptive coping skills will help you rise to the occasion, instead of engaging in avoidance behaviors.

Sometimes it isn't easy to develop a reliable routine of say, meditating or writing in a gratitude journal. It might be difficult to get past heavy-duty emotions so that you can think clearly enough to engage in effective problem-solving or in developing a new, adaptive response.

If developing these skills seem difficult, it could be to your advantage to consult a coach, mentor, or counselor who can help you prepare and plan, walk you through the steps, monitor your progress, and hold you accountable for the results. Such expert guidance might be just the push you need to get past such sticking points and implement effective stress management.

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Emotional Stress: What Is It And How To Deal With It

Dealing with stress is almost a given for virtually everyone at some point or other. After all, life is made of challenges that test us physically, mentally, and emotionally. However, when a person has to deal with that type of adversity all of the time, the constant strain from such pressure can really affect a person's mental and physical well-being. This can be to the point where your health can be adversely affected for a short or even long term. This is known as emotional stress. The information below should help you to determine if you are facing this type of anxiety and how to overcome it.

If you are having trouble with your sleeping habits, whether it's sleeping more than usual or only sleeping for a few hours and having difficulty going back to sleep, you could be suffering from emotional stress. Often, the cause of this is due to either anxiety or depression, especially if there are no physical reasons for your sleeping issues.

If you are having extreme changes in your weight over a short period of time, especially if you haven't changed your eating or exercise routines, you might be suffering from emotional stress. Also, if you constantly think about food or constantly avoid eating, those signs could also be indicators that you are suffering from emotional tension. Depression can also cause a lack of appetite.

The body will sometimes aid you and others in letting you know that you are suffering from over tension when you have physical ailments that you just cannot explain the cause of. If you've undergone a physical, and a physician can't find anything physically wrong with you, it may be emotional stress that is causing your physical pain.

Another sure sign that you may be over stressed is if you are always in a bad mood, always showing a short temper toward others, and always getting overly upset over little issues or events. Both your physical and mental health could be at risk, as could the physical and mental health of those around you.

What can you do if you're showing the above signs? First, you have to identify and directly address the stressor or stressors that are causing your emotional angst. You should also try to look at the positives of your life and determine whether the stressor(s) you've identified are really worth worrying about or not. You may be making those issues larger than you really need to be.

You also need to take time out for yourself and enjoy fun activities to help relieve your mind of the pressure you are dealing with; no one can go for long periods of time under great duress without it affecting him/her. Also, let your family, friends, and physician know what you are dealing with, so that they can all help you overcome that tension and see the positives in your life.

Emotional stress can cause a great burden on those who are dealing with it, both in terms of their mental and physical health. They can be more irritable, they have trouble with their sleep patterns, they are less sociable than usual, and they may experience severe weight fluctuations.

By identifying and realizing what you are suffering from, you can work towards overcoming it with the proper attitude, approach, and help from your family, friends, and physician.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Emotional-Stress:-What-Is-It-And-How-To-Deal-With-It&id=9911279

Affirmations for Health and Healing - Have a Healthy Body and Mind

Building a Strong Body: Tao of Stress Management

In Chinese Medicine, it is said that the Jing, or Essence, is the physical manifestation of Qi (Vital Energy). Based on this principle, it is essential to have a strong physical foundation in order to sustain good energy levels, emotional stability, and mental clarity. So, effective stress management MUST start with building a strong body that can function harmoniously in any situation.

We Need Stress

Stress is a natural part of life, and it can't be avoided. In fact, a life without stress is not life at all. One must be challenged in order to grow and thrive.

In today's fast-paced world it is easy to become overwhelmed by stress. Stress from work, relationships, financial problems, and the crazy pace of information exchange can create a constant drain on your life, energy and health - if you let them.

And, therein lies the key. You have a choice. Are you going to let things control you? Or, are you going to take charge of your circle of influence and make it as peaceful and productive as possible?

If you choose to take charge, the most important thing to know is this: What can I control?

The answer to that question is rather simple, but many of us simply don't see it. Simple things are like that. They are elusive because as humans we have a tendency to overcomplicate things. But, when we can clear our minds and mute our pride long enough to see through all the little games we play, the simple truth shines through.

In this series I will be telling you things that you've probably already heard. They are simple and straightforward -- so much so that our overcomplicated minds have trouble believing them. Keep an open mind and this will all make sense.

The ABCs of Stress Management

The first step in effective stress management is to simply stop creating more stress for yourself. As humans we are masters of creating stress, and the reason for this is that we are always trying to control what we can't control. Being out of control can be very stressful, so it is important to learn what we can control, then learn how to let go of the things we can't.

The things we can control are what I like to call the "ABCs" of stress management: Attitude, Breathing, and Choices.

Think about it for a minute. Is there ANYTHING you really control outside of those three aspects of your life?

When you get a handle on your attitude, learn to control your breathing, and learn to make positive, beneficial choices for yourself, you are well on your way to stress-reduction and long-term stress-management.

Taking Control of Your Physical Body

The first step in effective stress management is to take control of your body's health. We do this primarily by making good choices, but we also need to adjust our attitude towards ourselves.

The most effective way to a stronger body is the same thing we already know: proper diet and a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise. When you incorporate these into your regular habits, you are choosing to feel better, be stronger, and prepare yourself to meet life's challenges in a balanced way.

Here are a few foundations you can implement to help yourself better manage stress right now.

Sleep - The Cornerstone of Stress Management

Your body has a miraculous ability to restore and heal itself. The vast majority of its restorative powers are at work while you sleep. This is another expression of your body's intelligent function -- while you are awake and responding to stress, the cells and tissues are in "fight" mode, hence most of your body's resources are directed at the muscles, skin, and sense organs.

At night, however, your body goes into healing overdrive. Glands and deep internal organs become infused with blood, and the resting state of the muscles and sense organs allows your "sixth sense" to take over and direct a massive reconstruction effort. This reconstruction is designed by nature to keep you fresh, alert, and ready to handle the stresses of the following day.

Even the most advanced conventional drugs and medicines fail to compare to the effects of rest and recuperation during illness.

Your ability to handle stress is dramatically weakened by sleep deprivation, because your body is not able to restore itself. It is like a road that is never maintained -- the cars keep driving over it, the weather keeps beating cracks and holes into it, and nobody ever comes to smooth it over or clean it up. Over time it becomes more and more difficult to drive that road.

Therefore, without adequate sleep and rest, you only ensure that your road in life becomes less smooth and more difficult to navigate.

The commonly recommended amount of sleep is 6 - 8 hours nightly. I encourage you to make 8 hours the minimum, and to get more from time to time when it is feasible.

Sleep well, and it will help you be well.

Build a Stronger Body and You Will Build a Better Life

https://ezinearticles.com/?Building-a-Strong-Body:-Tao-of-Stress-Management&id=9543769

My Nine Life Lessons (By Lonnie Pacelli)

This one is a bit of a departure from my typical article topics.

Recently I wrote a book about what I call "good-enough contentment." It's an allegory about a forty-something man who is unhappy with his life. After a magical train ride, he learns to define what contentment means in nine areas of his life: career, family, health, friendships, finances, leisure, spirituality, giving, and legacy. Writing the story caused me to look back at my own life--the things I did well and the many mistakes I made. It inspired me to write about nine nuggets that I wish I could go back in time to tell my younger self. Some I would have done the same all over again, others radically different. All, however, are worth putting down in writing to spur your thinking about things you need to start, stop, or continue.

Here they are:

Career: Your career can't take the place of family, health, leisure, and friendships - In the movie The Family Man, Nicholas Cage's character is a hard-charging investment banker who gets to see what his life would have been like as a middle-class husband and father. He comes to realize that there's much more to life than business. By all means, continue to vigorously pursue your career aspirations, but not at the expense of other important areas of your life.

Family: Don't squander memories - My father worked very hard as a baker; so much so that he missed out on many family events. In his last years he told me how he regretted missing so many events and milestones with my five siblings and me. Don't look back on your life regretting not being there for the memory makers.

Health: If you don't decide to take care of yourself, the decision will be made for you - I had an emotional breakdown at age 30 due to running myself ragged both mentally and physically. I thought I could just keep pushing and tough things out. Wrong. I had no choice but to stop and make some changes to get myself healthy again. If you don't focus on taking care of your health, something out of your control will happen to force you into action.

Friendships: Have a couple of friends who would help you out at 2 am, no questions asked - Recently I was on vacation when a tenant in our rental property called and said the washing machine wasn't working. I was 3,000 miles away and couldn't get there, so I called a dear friend who was at the rental in 30 minutes and addressed the problem. Having a couple of close friends you can rely on to help you out of a jam is worth gold. Being someone your friend can rely on is just as important.

Finances: No one cares about your finances more than you - When I graduated from college, I bought three books on investing. Those books formed the foundation for my investing discipline. At times, though, I let others who didn't have my best interests at heart manage investments on my behalf. Now I manage every dollar myself and keep current on investment strategies. Putting your money in the hands of a paid advisor will ensure bread is put on his or her table along with your money. Do as much of this on your own as you can.

Leisure: Work/life balance means slowing down, not speeding up - I've known way too many people who worked 60+ hours during the week only to cram "life" activities in the weekend. They had work/life balance, but it was achieved by running 100 miles per hour. Leisure time should include time to relax and recharge, so use at least some of it to rest, and be careful about trying to fit too many things into your life.

Spirituality: Walk the talk on your beliefs - Whatever your spiritual beliefs (mine are Christian), don't be a Jekyll and Hyde in what you say and what you do. Cursing up a storm in meetings during the work week then heading into church on Sunday just doesn't square. It's not about judging your belief system; it's more about ensuring your actions align to your beliefs.

Giving: Give out of love, not out of convenience or obligation - My son loves to cook. He regularly volunteers to cook and deliver meals to families in need. He loves to give of his time and money to help families who need a hot meal enjoy his cooking. The quantity and type of giving is up to you, just do it out of love and enjoy the gratification you get in return.

Legacy: Live to your eulogy - A number of years ago I created a personal purpose statement. After a lot of soul searching, I came up with: I will work to help others to help themselves and not simply enable them. When I die, I want people to say three words at my funeral: He helped me. If you have a personal purpose or mission statement, live it. If you don't have one, a book like The Purpose Driven Life might be helpful.

https://ezinearticles.com/?My-Nine-Life-Lessons&id=10414199

Spreading Happiness - How to Make People Happy Around You

Make people attain happiness. I can promise you it will return to you ten-fold. Guess how? Read on.

There are various ways to make people happy. It's usually helping them get what they want. What do they want? They will be usually in the following forms:

1. Having more wealth
2. Having vibrant health
3. Be in the perfect romantic relationship
4. Having children
5. Be successful in their careers
6. Wanting the perfect wellbeing of their children
7. Wanting their children to be successful in their careers when they grow up

Now here is a couple of ways you can help them regarding their wants:

1. Health-wise parents and children can do well if they know a good doctor who will give them offers, instructions and advice from time to time. You can help them get familiarized with a skilled doctor who is able to help them in the areas they would like so that their worries will vanish and they will feel happy.

2. About parents and later their children having successful careers and generating handsome wealth, you could introduce them to a good career mentor with bountiful experience who can offer them tips and suggestions on budgets, asset maintenance and savings. If you could help them find such a good knowledgeable mentor, they will become super joyous when they start seeing results and credit you and be grateful to you. Likewise they can introduce a similar mentor to their children when the latter will need so after they grow up.

3. Parents should be an example to their children. They should work out their relationships and understand each other and commit to each other and their families. When children watch their parents in romance, they will carry the image with themselves and behave the same with their partners when they marry and be in romantic relationships. Of course, you could help out troubled parents or their children regarding their shaky marriage, if that is the case, by finding them a good relationship doctor and allowing them to contact her should anything go astray. When they find themselves back on track with her help, they will remember you and consider you to be their valuable living asset. They will be happy when things get back under control.

Summing up, these are some of the ways you can help people around by catering to them with a good health doctor, good relationship doctor and good career mentor. And since they are likely to remember the way you have helped them to make them happy, they will bend their ears to you, asking you how they can help. You have a whole community asking you such a question because you have been helping all the people around.

Think for a while what is it that you would want for your happiness and go ahead and ask. The community will certainly reward you generously. You can't help being over the moon, beaming all smiles.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Spreading-Happiness---How-to-Make-People-Happy-Around-You&id=10162524

What Is It You Are Passionate About? (By Joan Silva)

What are the deal breakers in your life? The non-negotiable must haves or you're outta there?

Are you clear on what they are for you? Crystal clear?

I know I wasn't until a major health crisis hit me straight upside the head.

It woke me up, shook me to my core and said, "Hello Joan, what the heck are you doing?"

I noticed how many areas in my life I tolerated, gave over, or made do.

What made me go along, I wondered, with something that was so at odds with my own true values?

Could it be I wasn't clear on my own, so I did whatever presented itself? Was I going along just to get along - to not rock the boat?

But then, my health and my body gave me the biggest wake up call of my life. No longer could I ignore that which was highly important, in fact imperative, to me.

I knew life would suck, to put it bluntly, if I didn't keep them ever present.

So, I sat down with pen in hand and wrote down what really mattered to me. I got crystal clear.

I asked myself, "What is it I am passionate about and simply cannot live without?"

Do you know what it is that's so important to you that nothing else can take its place?

Without it present in your life, you simply are not fulfilled.

Or, you're constantly out of sorts.

What is that for you?

Honestly, I wasn't totally clear on it for myself either. That is until I dug deeper.

And, what I realized was surprising - that most of the time I was operating from a long held belief, expectation, or tradition that no longer served me. Shockingly enough, maybe it never did.

I ran most of my adult life based on what was expected of me as a woman, daughter, wife, and mother.

Or, what the "norm" was for my era, age, and time period in my life.

Like buy a house, way too young, when freedom from obligations and debt would have been far easier and more fun. All the years since then, slaving away for long hours, to pay the mortgage, along with everything else I felt compelled to have, buy, or own.

The reality hit me that I was making someone else's dreams come true, not mine - or certainly helping their bottom line. I noticed that as their bottom line improved, mine didn't.

What was it that had me strive so hard to have those things? To work so hard for a lifestyle that never felt complete.

And, damaged my health, stole my joy, and left me unfulfilled.

That was the question I had to answer - for me, and for no one else.

Because, what I ended up with was a houseful of stuff, most of which I didn't use, need, or want. A busy, over full calendar with little room to breathe or add what truly mattered. Too many obligations which were promises to others to do what they needed, not what was best for me.

And, a scary health diagnosis which got my attention more than any other warning sign.

It was time to get clear on what truly mattered to me? What was it that I was passionate about...

... that up until now, wasn't being fulfilled.

What were my true values and beliefs? Those values and beliefs that were foundational and a deal breaker if I didn't have them.

That's where it all begins - getting crystal clear on those.

"One of the keys to making health and authentic living simple and sustainable is to get crystal clear on your values - the baseline needs that drive who you are as a person. Ideally, our values inform and direct our actions which determine our habits and priorities - how we allocate our time and resources" (Rebecca Shern, Minimal Wellness)

There are four value areas in which to get clear, as suggested and described by Rebecca. Those four areas are:

Foundational Values - Your ideal life. Non-negotiable. A deal-breaker if you don't have them, and critical to your identity.

Core Values - Important. Met in a variety of ways, and can change over time.

Tertiary Values - These add value, but carry less weight or importance than foundational or core values.

Imaginary Values which are actually obstacles. Things you use to pacify yourself, which don't serve you and quite often harm you.

Like Cheetos. They pacified me. Filled an emptiness or addiction within. YET were truly harmful to me. Ultimately, they were a block to one of my foundational values of optimal health and self care.

The day that I sat down and got clear on my values - all four types - was a pivotal moment for me. It gave me a clear road-map to follow going forward.

No longer could I deny what was foundational to me. And, now whatever I do, say, or buy, is more in alignment with those values than any other time in my life.

What about for you? Is it time you put pen to paper and got crystal clear on your values? Those that serve you and those imaginary ones that don't!

Unclear on your values and beliefs? No need to fret. There is an easier way -- a pain-free way.

Let's put pen to paper together... and get clear on what they are!

Don't continue to make decisions, especially life altering ones, until you do!

Let's talk

Because, by the way... I didn't do it alone. You don't need to do it alone, either!

https://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-It-You-Are-Passionate-About?&id=10015481

When Stress Is Out of Control

Stress levels are off the charts these days. Unfortunately, medicine has no answers for all the stress that's killing us. Well, they say they do, but they don't.

Their biggest answer is psych drugs--antidepressants, antipsychotics and the rest of the gang. And these drugs may make you feel a bit better, but the odds are stacked against even that. Worse, these treatments don't actually heal anything.

So you're risking your brain, your nervous system and your endocrine system just to feel a little bit better--maybe. Or maybe not. That doesn't sound like a sensible trade-off to me. If I'm going to risk a lot, I want to get a lot in return, too.

Let's talk about this.

Stress rampages through our bodies and causes woe upon woe. And stress is cumulative. Making it through a rough patch doesn't mean your stress understands it's time to back off and start making nice. Oh, no; stress stays and stays and stays until we do something about it.

And since symptoms vary widely, we may not even realize that stress is the problem.

But since nobody mentions the need to deal with stress, let alone say anything about how we can do that, each stress event starts at the level where the last one left off.

This is not good news.

Let me give you an example. I was eleven-months-old when the drunk driver smashed into my parents' car and mashed my endocrine system; I was 25-years-old when a doctor finally took my health problems seriously. So, stress, in the form of a misfiring endocrine system, had a quarter-century to set up house and go about its business.

If you had an abusive childhood, you're in the same boat. And it's the same if you suffered a violent assault at some point in your life. Or lived through a war. Or worked on the front-lines of a police or fire department. Lived in a soul-sapping marriage. Ate an inadequate diet. And I could go on.

You end up with a bunch of symptoms that don't really add up, so doctors tend to write you off as a complainer, not somebody with real problems.

Medical schools teach doctors-to-be that when they hear hoof beats, they should think "horse," not "zebra." In other words, they should think of garden-variety solutions, not off-the-wall stuff. Then you show up looking and sounding like a zebra with polka dots! What are they supposed to do with that?

Now the truth is, none of your symptoms is exotic all by itself, but you present so many of them, all arrayed in new-and-different combinations that boggle the mind.

Fixing long-term stress is a step-it-through kind of deal; no magic bullets, no one-size-fits-all solutions, just taking one step at a time to get to where you want to go. It's not all that hard, but it has a whole lot of moving parts.

While a single article can't begin to cover all the moving parts, let me get you started down a good path.

Your nervous and endocrine systems, the major players in any stress situation, are controlled by the hypothalamus, a tiny gland that's part of the brain. Unfortunately, this little wonder-gland gets no protection from the blood/brain barrier that's supposed to keep the brain safe.

The last fifty years or so have been really, really hard on the hypothalamus. These days, our now-raggedy little king gets whacked pretty much every day, usually multiple times.

Whacking the hypothalamus causes stress, which the body stores because it has no other choice. So day after day, week after week, year after year, we're doing ourselves in. Not by choice, but because we don't realize the cause or the consequences.

What happened fifty-or-so years ago? That's when hypothalamus enemies started showing up in our food. These enemies, called excitotoxins, rev our brains up to toxic levels, which damages the hypothalamus. Some autopsies have even found hypothalami with holes going clear through them!

Three excitotoxins cause most of the trouble: Aspartame, glutamate and soy. Aspartame shows up in diet foods, mostly soda and chewing gum. Glutamate shows up as monosodium glutamate, which is in virtually all fast foods, restaurant foods, meals from a box or the freezer--everywhere you look, in other words.

Soy's everywhere, too. In addition to being an excitotoxin, soy stomps on the thyroid, throws your estrogen out of balance (breast cancer for gals; prostate cancer for guys), eats the minerals in your body, etc. And most soy gets sprayed with cancer-causing glyphosate. Soy is a disaster.

Eliminating excitotoxins lowers your body's internal stress levels, which gives your body a fighting chance. Giving excitotoxins the old heave-ho takes patience and is probably the hardest part of fixing the problem, but health is worth every ounce of effort you put into it.

And so are you.

https://ezinearticles.com/?When-Stress-Is-Out-of-Control&id=9569293

Is Your Mind Compromising Your Health?

The last time you had a cold, unspecified aches or pains, or just felt under the weather, did it occur to you that your state of mind might have had something to do with it? You may think "That's a crazy idea - I just caught a bug." And you did. However, there may have been underlying reasons why. Commonly these are:

1. Stress and how you cope or don't cope with it

2. Your subconscious beliefs about your health and body

Whether we recognize the symptoms or not, stress is a factor of daily life: getting stuck in a traffic jam when you are late; having an argument with a friend; your car breaking down on the freeway; discovering your checking account is overdrawn; a call from school because your child has gotten in trouble again... However, not all stress is caused by external factors. We do a great job of creating our own stress by excessively worrying about something that may or may not happen, or continually thinking pessimistic thoughts.

While we ordinarily think of stressors as being negative - an overwhelming work load, an exhausting schedule or a rocky relationship, any situation that makes high demands on us or forces change can be stressful. This includes positive events such as getting married, buying a house, going to college, receiving a promotion or moving to a new city.

For short periods of time stress can actually be beneficial. It helps you meet deadlines or challenges, and keeps you sharp and focused during a presentation at work or during a sports competition. But too much stress can overwhelm the body and make us sick, both mentally and physically. While our bodies are designed to handle short periods of stress, we are not equipped to handle long lasting, chronic stress without consequences. Prolonged stress raises blood pressure, creates tension in the body and compromises the immune system. Not only does a compromised immune system make you vulnerable to all the "bugs" out there, many other problems can be caused or worsened as well. Some of these include: heart disease, pain, depression, weight issues, auto immune diseases, skin conditions such as eczema and sleep disorders.

Subconscious beliefs play a large role in the state of your health as well. For over 50 years medical professionals have been demonstrating that the mind can heal the body by something known as the "placebo effect." A placebo is a substance that has no known medical benefits, such as sterile water, saline solution or a sugar pill. A placebo is nothing more than a fake treatment that in some cases can produce very real results. The expectation of the patient is key - the more a person believes the treatment will work the more likely it will. Less known is the placebo effect's ugly twin, the "nocebo effect." This is the placebo effect in reverse. If you believe something is harmful it most likely is or will be.

Negative beliefs can be extremely harmful to the human body. According to Bruce Lipton, a former medical school professor, research scientist and author of The Biology of Belief, we are what we believe. What we think we believe is not always the case. True beliefs are buried deep within our subconscious mind. Many of our beliefs were formed before we were old enough to separate fact from fiction, and we internalized whatever we heard and were told. Were you consistently sick as a child and considered to be too frail to have a normal life? How is your health now? Is there a correlation?

Growing up you may have repeatedly heard family members discuss how Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease or some other debilitating condition "runs in the family." If you believe it is inevitable you will succumb too, you are setting yourself up to be a sitting duck. Changing your belief does not guarantee you will never get that particular disease or condition, but it can help prevent it from becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

How can you use your mind to protect and improve your health? Positive thinking is vital, but it won't change deeply ingrained subconscious beliefs. As Albert Einstein said, "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." If positive thinking alone could keep us well, many doctors would be out of business and hospitals would be much emptier. Both EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and PSYCH-K® (Psychological Kinesiology) work at the subconscious level of the mind and are powerful tools, both for managing stress and changing subconscious beliefs. Rob Williams, originator of PSYCH-K®, explains that this technique "is a simple and direct way to change self-limiting beliefs at the subconscious level of the mind, where nearly all human behavior originates, both constructive and destructive." While appearing deceptively simple, PSYCH-K® is not something to attempt yourself unless you have been properly trained to use it. Find a professional practitioner who can work with you to identify and change negative beliefs that might be sabotaging your health. On the other hand, EFT can easily be learned and practiced any time. Do yourself a favor and learn more about how these modalities might help you prevent illness and maintain good health, especially as you grow older.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Your-Mind-Compromising-Your-Health?&id=9542668

Small Gains Help When It Comes to Sleep Deprivation

Getting enough sleep is among the greatest challenges that many people face in today's busy world.

Are you chronically short on rest?

If so, you're not alone, AND your energy, productivity, health, and enjoyment of your moments are all suffering for it. And for children, the impact of inadequate rest time is even more debilitating and disturbing.

According to Po Bronson, author of NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children, children today are sleeping about an hour less than they did 30 years ago. This is a change that has a profound negative impact on young people's performance in all areas.

What particularly caught my attention about this was the impact of losing or gaining even a relatively small increment of restorative rest.

Small amounts count

You know how we talk about the big difference that 5, 10, 15 minutes of exercise can make? Well, the same goes for sleep, especially with young people. Here is Mr. Bronson:

You know, the surprise is not that sleep matters, it's how much it matters and how little bits of difference can matter as well. Data shows that "A" students average 15 more minutes of sleep than "B" students, who average 15 more minutes sleep than "C "students, and so on. Every 15 minutes can count.

That is a very telling statistic illustrating the extremely significant impact of your rest on your performance.

Another study

In another study Dr. Avi Sadeh of Tel Aviv University had sixth graders and fourth graders get a little more or less rest than they usually get, for three nights. He then gave them intelligence tests. The sleepy sixth graders were testing out like the fourth graders.

So, a loss of even three nights of rest time for a half hour each night was quite significant.

More information?

Interested in more on this topic? Take a look at the website of the National Sleep Foundation. Here's just one more tidbit - from their section on Myths and Facts About Sleep. No matter what developmental stage you are in, your rest time matters.

Myth: The older you get, the fewer hours of rest you need. 

Fact: Sleep experts recommend a range of seven to nine hours of sleep for the average adult. While sleep patterns change as we age, the amount we need generally does not. Older people may wake more frequently through the night and may actually get less nighttime sleep, but their need is no less than younger adults. Because they may sleep less during the night, older people tend to sleep more during the day. Naps planned as part of a regular daily routine can be useful in promoting wakefulness after the person awakens.

So find time to get the rest you need. Do it for yourself, for your kids, for energy, productivity, and health.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Small-Gains-Help-When-It-Comes-to-Sleep-Deprivation&id=9835015