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Archive for January, 2009

Circadian Rhythms And Depression

Circadian Rhythm

by Reach Out!

“Circadian rhythms are daily cycles based on a 24-hour period, which are strongly influenced by regular changes in the environment such as night and day. This natural cycle helps to coordinate regular bodily functions like appetite, energy, mood, and sleep, partly by regulating the timing, amount and quality of the hormones and neurotransmitters the body produces and releases.

When our body is out of sync with this 24-hour cycle, we may be at risk for suffering from a Circadian Rhythm Disorder. In the short term we may experience circadian disruption, such as during jet lag following overseas flights or in shiftworkers.”

…click to continue reading

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Depression Break Up - How To Conquer It
Breaking up with someone you still love greatly can be an enormously heart wrenching experience. If you have just gone through with a pain of break up, it is likely that you might be feeling slightly upset now and trying to conquer it as soon as possible.
Firstly, it would be wise to know that you [...]
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Free Hugs.

By No Stress on January 29, 2009

Free Hugs.

by freehugscampaign.org

Free Hugs. What a great campaign! This clip has been viewed by 38 million people and shown on news channels around the world. If hugging went viral we’d be living in a better, far happier world.

…click to go to the Free Hugs Campaign site

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Is it Really Bad to be Sad?

By No Stress on January 28, 2009

Is it Really Bad to be Sad?

Sad labrador (but not black)

by New Scientist

“WHY be miserable? OK, so it’s January and you’re feeling fat and broke after the excesses of the holiday season, but there’s really no need. Misery is inconvenient, unpleasant, and in a society where personal happiness is prized above all else, there is little tolerance for wallowing in despair. Especially now we’ve got drugs for it.”

A long but excellent, well researched article, on the increasing desire and acceptance for removing all sadness from our lives.

[click to continue]

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The Benefits of Yoga

By No Stress on January 28, 2009

The Benefits of Yoga
photo found at Citytv
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I LOVE yoga! It always amazes me just how refreshed and rejuvenated I feel after doing it. It always seems hard to find the time, but when I do, even 20-30 minutes of it, I am always glad afterward. It feels like I have washed my slate clean, opened up the windows and let some fresh air in, and I get a burst of energy. Meditation is so important to reduce the stress in our lives.

An article on webmd says “Doing yoga may reduce stress and anxiety. It can also help your body to be more flexible. Several studies have shown that yoga has health benefits such as improving a person’s sense of well-being, helping to lower blood pressure, and helping people who have asthma learn to breathe more easily.”

Another webmd article lists all the benefits of yoga including flexibility, strength, posture, breathing, less stress- more calm, concentration and mood, heart benefits, and more. You can click on these links to view the articles in full.

Its been one of my new years resolutions to get back into doing yoga and I have been meaning to get started. I can tell that my body and mind has been CRAVING it because I haven’t been able to shake the heavy, stressful, sluggish feeling that’s been lingering around me the last couple weeks.

It can be difficult to find a good yoga show if TV is the way you want to go. There are a lot of really cheesy ones out there. You’ll find the old ladies in the 80’s outfits usually in the early hours of the morning, the hippies in Jamaica, the Hawaiians in full Hawaii gear, etc. I started out with the hippies because they were the most tolerable and least annoying.

However I have found a show on FitTV that I really like. Its called Namaste Yoga. I get it now that I switched my satellite service to Direct TV. The show actually has normal people in it! I have a DVR so I record the shows whenever and save a handful of them so that when I want to do the workout its already to go and I don’t have to rely on the tv’s schedule. I highly recommend this show for anyone that wants to do yoga in the privacy of their home. Here is a sample of what the show is like:

Many gyms also provide yoga classes if you would rather go that route.

Whatever your strategy for meditation, the important thing is to have one and follow through. It could be as simple as doing breathing exercises every once in awhile, or taking time to relax away from all the noise and chaos of our daily lives.

Maybe one day I’ll be good enough at the yoga that I won’t need the shows and I’ll be able to do it all on my own, that would be cool. What kind of meditation techniques do you do?


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Update

By No Stress on January 28, 2009

Update
I wanted to do a quick blog post so you know I’m still alive. I’ve been very tired and possibly fighting off a virus, but I’m doing okay. I’ve been working a lot and it’s been really exhausting to me. I guess going from no work to part-time to full-time in such a short period of time has taken a toll on me.

I saw my psychiatrist last week and we figured that taking an extra dose of medication per day wasn’t helping at all, so I’m back to my regular three per day and don’t feel any different. I’m staying positive and my friends are helping me to get back out there and back into the “normal” world by helping me and taking me out to eat, which is my biggest challenge with anxiety. I’m terrified of vomiting in public and I always get nauseous when I have anxiety so you can see how this can be a vicious circle. I’m always well equiped with my protective anti-nausea arsenal in my purse: a puke bag, ginger pills, mints, minty gum, pepto bismol, cocculine, and gravol (ginger-based non-drowsy one). Sometimes I even carry Tetley Ginger-Mint tea bags with me in case I get nauseous it usually helps me.

I know that there is a term for fear of throwing up called emetophobia, but I’m not sure if that’s what I have nor do I want to put a label on it. I’ve put so many labels on myself throughout my life I really want to stop doing that. Nausea is my biggest symptom when I get anxious or nervous so I always make sure to have and do everything humanly possible to control those feelings. The funny thing is…I’ve never actually thrown up in all of these situations where I feel so incredibly nauseous (unless I’ve been sick due an actual virus). I know that a lot of it’s in my head and now I’m trying to control my thoughts towards this as well as my anxiety in general.

The thought of ever being pregnant and dealing with morning sickness makes me queasy. I’m not sure how it’ll be, especially because you can’t take time off work for morning sickness. I’m not pregnant, but my husband and I do want kids in the next few years. I guess I’ll just have to see how it goes. The important thing is that I’m working on it…and me…little by little.
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Happiness Grows out of Tiny Parks

The Perfect Place for a Snooze

by Lexington Herald-Leader

“Of all the strange, inspiring and disturbing headlines of 2008, my mind keeps returning, for some reason, to a short piece of reportage buried at the bottom of the New York Times editorial page last summer.

According to “Life in a Slow Lane,” there is now such a dearth of green space in New York City, residents have taken to rolling out Astroturf in curb-side parking spaces, plopping down lawn chairs, and feeding quarters into the meter all day in exchange for this makeshift pastorale.”

…click to continue reading

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Journeys with the Black Dog

By No Stress on January 27, 2009

Journeys with the Black Dog

Journeys with the Black Dog

by Tessa Wigney, Kerrie Eyers and Gordon Parker

“Oscillating between humor and gut-wrenching poignancy, these compelling life stories entrust readers with a key message—while depression may not be curable, it can be managed.”

click to read more (not an affiliate link)

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The Impact of Food on Mental Health

Feeding Mindsby Mental Health Foundation, UK

“The time is now right for nutrition to become a mainstream, everyday component of mental health care.” This is a very helpful, comprehensive report on the role of diet in relation to mental well-being.

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Depression And Toxic Relationships - 5 Indications That Make Your Relationship Depress
There are several people who make a great effort with depression, but not everyone has managed to make out on why they are struggling. If you feel highly inferior, incompetent, worthless, or even crazy around your partner, this requires closer investigation into the dynamics of your relationship. The following are 5 indications that turning your [...]
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