Archive for November, 2009

My dad says that i dont get good sleep when i leave the TV on but i am actually more entergetic and i dont get as tired as i do when he makes me turn off the TV. He says that without the TV and the flashing lights that i will do better in school but i actually failed a test after sleeping a night without the TV. Soooo….whats the deal…

It’s called, "White Noise." Like having a fan on or the A/C. Some ppl need a steady hum or drum to blot out the chaotic sounds around the house…even the small ones like the house settling.
You are normal.
THis is a good question.

over the past couple months, i have found that i am covering up my feelings by eating (alot). i know everyone says that you have to identify what it is that causes the emotional eating and avoid those situations. I have figured out what is causing it but am unable to avoid it. My family is causing it. I only eat alot around my family, for example, when I am at work I can go 8+ hours without eating anything and be fine. However, when I am around my family I feel like I have to eat alot, possibly to cover up past eating problems I have had. It makes me feel awful and I really want to be able to stop. Does anyone have any suggestions for dealing with this?
ive tried that but i live with my family (4 ppl in a small house) and that wouldn’t go over very well if they found out what i was doing…

Sounds to me like it’s a combination of different reasons why you eat more than you would like. For instance, I think you binge eat b/c you DO go 8+ hours a day without eating so your body goes into starvation mode and so the next time you eat your body tries to get as much nutrition as possible and store it. Also, like you said you try to compensate for past eating problems.

Don’t let other people (family) make you feel pressure to eat when you’re not hungry. I’ve been through this, I’ve always been a light eater and my family/relatives have made somewhat negative comments in the past and still do. I used to let it bug me a bit, but now I’ve realized it’s only b/c they themselves are unhappy at the fact that they eat more than they would like and they’re not their ideal size.

Try this as a solution, the next time you worry about eating too much, try drinking more liquids (something mostly water based) either water, tea, or maybe juice. It goes through your system faster and it will make you less hungry. Also, try carrying with you a few snacks, maybe yogurt or peanut butter crackers, so throughout the day you can just kind of snack a bit that way your body isn’t going w/o food for extensive periods of time. (it will help, trust me).

Also, if you do feel that you MUST eat with your family do portions that are only the size of your hand (if it can fit in the palm of your hand it’s perfect) and don’t eat until your full; that way if you HAVE to go back for dessert or seconds later on you will still have room.

BUT most importantly don’t let other people put pressure on you and don’t try to please them b/c it will only make yourself miserable. Keep your chin up!!

And the research proves, they contend, that belief in a higher power is an evolutionary asset that helps human survival.

( From the Independent )
‘ Researchers said their findings support the idea that th brain has evolved to be sensitive to any form of belief that improves the chances of survival, which could explain why a belief in God and the supernatural became so widespread in human evolution history.

Quote ; ” Our results are unique in demonstrating that specific components of religious belief are mediated by well-know brain netwokrs, and the contemporary psychological theories that ground belief within evolutionary – adaptive cognitive functions”

What are you thoughts on these foundings?

Another failed attempt to explain away our need for God. Nothing more.

**Dr. Jazz: Snide sarcasm? That’s all YOU have? lol…

Does anyone know how the yogi Stress Relief kava tea compares to tea made with actual kava root/extract?

I don’t know about yogi tea but any kind of tea that you will sit quietly and drink can be a relaxing experience and therefore stress relieving. If you are looking for ways to relieve stress, try: http://stress-help-guide.com/simple-stress-management-techniques/

We all have our own favorite expression when it comes to being stressed out. But when it comes down to it, I think it’s how we work, or even relaxed for that matter, that triggers stress. Ever been stressed out even when you’re well relaxed and bored? I know I have. Here are some techniques that you can implement easily to help relieve your stress level.

It’s important to find ways to decrease and prevent stressful incidents, but no matter what they are going to happen. The best way to handle them when they do occur is to decrease your negative reactions to stress. Here are some of the things that can be done. You can do a few of them in a longer span of time, but you should try to use these techniques whenever you can as the situations occur.

Time Management
—

Time management skills can allow you more time with your family and friends and increase your performance and productivity. This will also help reduce your stress.

To improve your time management:

- Save time by focusing and concentrating, delegating, and scheduling time for yourself.

- Keep a record of how you spend your time, including work, family, and leisure time.

- Prioritize your time by rating tasks by importance and urgency. Redirect your time to those activities that are important and meaningful to you. Don’t move on to an unimportant task until the top priorities are complete!

- Manage your commitments by not over, or under, committing. Don’t commit to what is not important to you.

- Deal with procrastination by using a day planner, breaking large projects into smaller ones, and setting short-term deadlines.

- Examine your beliefs to reduce conflict between what you believe and what your life is like.

- Build healthy coping strategies.

It is important that you identify your strategies for coping with different situations that could, and probably will, arise. One way to do this is by recording the stressful event, your reaction, and how you handled it in a journal. With this information, you can work to change unhealthy strategies into healthy ones. Those changes will help you focus on the positive and what you can change or control in your life. Jim Rohn (my favorite personal development mentor) says that “The same wind blows on us all, it’s the set of your sails that determines the course you will take in your life …” Think about this profound statement … it is SO true!

Lifestyle
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Some behaviors and lifestyle choices affect your stress level. They may not cause stress directly, but they can interfere with the way your body seeks relief from stress.

Try these tips:

- Balance personal, work, and family needs and obligations. This can be difficult at best sometimes and can be a source of stress on all by itself!

- Have a sense of purpose in life.

- Get enough sleep, since your body recovers from the stresses of the day while you are sleeping.

- Eat a balanced diet for a nutritional defense against stress.

- Get moderate exercise throughout the week.

- Limit your consumption of alcohol.

- Don’t smoke.

Social Support
—

Social support is a major factor in how we experience and handle stress. Social support is the positive support you receive from family, friends, and the community. It is the knowledge that you are cared for, loved, esteemed, and valued. More and more research indicates a strong relationship between social support and better mental and physical health.

Changing Your Way of Thinking
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When an event triggers negative thoughts, you may experience fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression, rage, guilt, and a sense of worthlessness or powerlessness. These emotions trigger the body’s stress sensors, just as an actual threat does. Dealing with your negative thoughts and how you see things can help reduce stress. Try to replace your negativeness with positive thoughts.

-Thought replacement helps you stop a negative thought to help eliminate stress. Try to always see the “bright side” of any situation. This may be difficult, but it is necessary.

Let me tell you a quick story related to the last statement before moving on:

Four years ago I was laid off from my $80,000 per year job. We were on a 10 year contract for research and development of emerging Air Traffic Control Systems for the US government! Two years into the contract, we were given 3 days notice, no offer of alternate employment, and no severance pay! When the War in Iraq began, the government pulled all of our project money and put it towards Homeland Security. Now, we support our troops and our country to the fullest, but talk about having a panic attack ans stressing out! Robin and I had no idea what to do or where to turn! They sent 200 people packing and put them out on the street. I admit that at first we were in panic mode and only saw the negative side of the situation. But after a few days we realized that this could be a blessing in disguise. This was the beginning of our Network Marketing careers and we have NEVER looked back since! It ended up being the BEST thing that ever could have happened! My personal stress level went down and my blood pressure actually dropped to normal levels and I didn’t have to take my blood pressure medication any longer! My doctor asked me: “What did you do? Your blood pressure is normal!” My answer? “I got laid off!” Incredible!

So let’s move on, I just wanted to share that story to make a point about the importance of last bulleted statement. It should not be overlooked!

- Disproving irrational thoughts helps you to avoid exaggerating the negative thought, anticipating the worst, and interpreting an event incorrectly.

- You need to always identify all aspects of a stressful event and find positive ways to deal with it.

Changing your communication style helps you relate in a way that makes your views known without making others feel put down, hostile, or intimidated. This reduces the stress that comes from poor communication. Use the assertiveness ladder to improve your communication style.

Even writers like me can get stressed even though we’re just using our hands to do the talking. Having to sit for 7 or 8 hours at a time is already stressful enough, and we have our own methods to relieve stress. Whether you’re the mail person, the CEO, or the average working parent, stress is an unwanted visitor you would love to remove from your home, work, and especially your life.

As always, Make IT A GREAT Day!

Louis Bonaventura
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/your-essential-guide-to-stress-management-114702.html