Skip to content

Category: Managing Stress Tips

Published on Leave a comment on 10 Meaningful Habits To Support Your Mental Health – Everyone Needs To Do These

EVERYONE NEEDS TO LOOK AFTER THEIR MENTAL HEALTH IN THIS STRESSFUL AGE. THIS BENEFITS OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH AS WELL. MENTAL HEALTH and PHYSICAL HEALTH ARE MORE CLOSELY RELATED THAN WE REALIZE BECAUSE FOR A VERY LONG TIME EVERYTHING WAS THOUGHT OF (and treated) AS SEPARATE BY THE MEDICAL PROFESSION BUT NOT SO BY NATURAL PRACTITIONERS LIKE NATUROPATHS - THEY SEE THINGS AS INTERRELATED. LETS SEE WHAT THIS WRITER FROM Positive.News HAS TO OFFER US, SHALL WE?

1. Move: it’s a mental health super booster

Your mind as well as your body get a mood-boosting workout from physical activity. It releases feelgood endorphins, reduces stress hormones and aids relaxation. Research shows it can be 1.5 times more effective than counselling and medication at managing depression. Short, high intensity exercise works best, but experts say all forms of physical activity are beneficial – and no one’s suggesting you have to sign up to a marathon unless you want to.

“Create opportunities to move,” suggests psychologist and wellness expert Lee Chambers. “Station things further away, park further away from the entrance and take the stairs. Let the blood flow to your brain.”

2. Sleep: don’t sideline the shut-eye

Just as important as physical activity is getting enough rest.…

Published on Leave a comment on Their Bodies Age, But Seniors Have Higher Emotional Well-Being – Here’s Why

By Knowable Magazine

Bodies lose their vigor with the passing of the years, but in the emotional realm, older people seem to rule supreme.

For the past 20 years, Susan Turk Charles, a psychologist at the University of California, Irvine, has been monitoring the shifting moods, the sense of satisfaction, and the outbursts of anger and sadness in people of all ages—with a special interest in how we handle and experience emotions as we grow older.

Emotionally Adjusted In Later Years - Happier

She fell in love with the idea of studying a process related to aging that is not defined by a decline. Unlike physical fitness or cognition, where you may see slowing or declines, emotional regulation and experience are often as good, if not better, as we age.

What is the secret behind this grizzled levelheadedness? How can we make sure that as many people as possible can benefit from it? And what can it teach the young? In 2010, Charles and Stanford psychologist Laura Carstensen coauthored an article on social and emotional aging in the Annual Review of Psychology. They have found that, on average, older people have more satisfying social contacts and report higher emotional well-being.…

1

Published on 1 Comment on Keep Your Little Friends Happy And Healthy With A Sparkling Clean Bird Bath

IT'S EASY THIS WAY!!!

Lets Keep Their Birdbaths Clean So They Will Be Happy - Just Like We Are With Our Clean Baths:)

Safe and Natural Methods for Cleaning Your Bird Bath

We wouldn't want to take a bath in a gunky tub, so we clean it regularly. And while birds may not be quite as picky as humans when it comes to bathing, that doesn't mean a clean bird bath isn't essential for their health and well-being. Knowing how to clean a Bird Bath and what cleaners to use helps keep birds Safe and Healthy and prevents the spread of disease.

Easy Ways to Clean a Bird Bath

Whether you've got a concrete Bird Bath or any other common type, the methods we're discussing should do the trick. First, dump out any water that's in the bath. Take a moment to look over how dirty it is. If it's just a bit mucky, a quick clean with a natural cleaner like vinegar or Baking Soda may be all you need. But if you see some hardcore stains, it's time to bring out stronger cleaners.

Clean It Naturally With Water

You don't need a cleanser for the majority of bird bath cleanings, as long as you keep it relatively clean and well-maintained.…

Published on Leave a comment on Caregiving Can Be Stressful, But It Could Also Lower Risk of Depression

By University of Texas at Austin

Becoming a Caregiver to an Aging Parent or Spouse can be stressful, but a new study from a Researcher at The University of Texas at Austin is questioning the idea that Family Caregiving is a risk factor for Depression.

The study, published in the journal Advances in Life Course Research, found that depression in adult Caregivers is mostly driven by having a Loved One experiencing serious health problems, while becoming a Caregiver is associated with fewer symptoms of Depression.

"Decades of Research on this topic indicate that there are positive and negative aspects to being a caregiver," said Sae Hwang Han, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences who is the author of the paper. "It's widely assumed the negatives far outweigh the positives, that Caregiving is a chronic stressor and that it contributes to worse health and well-being. But the evidence doesn't always bear that out."

Recent studies have found that Caregivers Live Longer than non-caregivers and that Many Caregivers describe caregiving as a positive experience that gives them meaning and purpose. It was these contradictions that led Han to conduct the study.…

Published on Leave a comment on Fight Depression with Exercise – It Can Lift Depressed Moods

By Dr James M. Greenblatt M.D - Psychology Today
Specialising In Depression.

Lately, exercise has been at the forefront of every conversation about health. No doubt this careful attention is due to the increasing concerns over obesity and sedentary lifestyles.

And it's true that exercise can improve our health by reducing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and the risk of developing diabetes. Did you realize though that exercise also has amazing positive psychological effects?

Besides the obvious physical health benefits, exercise can also:

A great deal of research dating as far back as the 1980s has shown that exercise can effectively reduce cases of mild to moderate depression. Yet, psychiatrists, particularly those in the US, tend to underestimate the benefits of exercise and rarely prescribe it. British physicians, on the other hand, can actually prescribe exercise as a treatment for depression, with the National Health Service subsidizing some or all of the cost. Imagine being given the green light to take a walk at lunch every day by your doctor!

It's clear that there is no real downside to moderate exercise, so let's get to the particulars.…

Published on Leave a comment on Ruminating: How Do I Stop That? Here’s Some Good Solutions For You!

HOW DO I STOP THINKING OF THINGS OVER AND OVER - LIKE A GEAR STICK THAT REFUSES TO SHIFT? SEE IF THESE HELP YOU. MANY PEOPLE RUMINATE - IT MAY HELP YOU TO KNOW THAT.

Tips to Help You Stop Ruminating
By Erica Cirino from Healthline.Com

What is rumination?

Has your mind ever been filled with one single thought, or a string of thoughts, that just keep repeating… and repeating… and repeating themselves?

The process of continuously thinking about the same thoughts, which tend to be sad or dark, is called rumination.

A habit of rumination can be dangerous to your mental health, as it can extend or intensify depression as well as impair your ability to think and process emotions. It may also cause you to feel isolated and can, in reality, push people away.

What causes ruminating?

People ruminate for a variety of reasons. According to the American Psychological Association opens in a new window, some common reasons for rumination include:

belief that by ruminating, you’ll gain insight into your life or a problem
having a history of emotional or physical trauma
facing ongoing stressors that can’t be controlled
Ruminating is also common in people who possess certain personality characteristics, which include perfectionism, neuroticism, and an excessive focus on one’s relationships with others.…

Published on Leave a comment on Perfectionism In This Generation And Ways For Us To Overcome It

We live in a kind of performance driven society in some respects, don't we? Where so much is expected of us - how we do this and the way we do that? A day of A Distinctions at School, High expectations in the Workplace, Entrepreneurs, how we present ourselves over Social Media. Etc. So many feel the Pressure of really high standards being imposed upon them, who aren't Perfectionists by nature. This Post should really benefit some of you - I chose two articles, so the positive is presented.

Perfectionism Is Destroying The Mental Health
Of My Millennial Generation

By Daisy Buchanan

It began at school, with A-Star expectations and a dread of failure. Now we’re on social media platforms, locked into a game of mutually assured depression.

During many work interviews, it’s common to be asked: “What’s your biggest weakness?” It’s an awful question to respond to on the spot. We know it’s a trick, and the answer isn’t: “Sometimes it takes me more than two hours to stop looking at my phone and get dressed after a shower” whatever.

The cheat’s answer of choice, the panicky pick that puts you in a better light than the truth might, is along the lines of: “I’m a perfectionist.”…

Published on Leave a comment on Social Media: How Much Do They Affect Your Decisions? Some Insights.

Many agree these days, that Social Media can have a pretty strong influence on your thoughts and even shape your mindsets. Some feeds can be helpful while many can be impoverishing or destructive to one's mental and physical health, depending on who you're following of-course - who is in your circle of influence.

Quite a number of people of different ages are leaving Social Media in recent times and opting for other interests like spending more time with family; starting hobbies; going out more; spending their time purposefully; after something more satisfying; improving relationships which have been stifled by Social Media. These people report that they are happier for making these decisions to "break away" from something that was "getting out of hand"...........some say it was "crippling" and they needed to find themselves again.

I can image one could feel pulled this way and that way; congested with too many feeds; stressed by too much activity in their feeds, calling out for their attention a lot, while others feel disappointed by not having enough interest shown in their feeds, and feeling poorly for that.

One time, I read someone's article that said things like, a lot of members make false representations of themselves - kind of like they've had the perfect week, so to speak, week after week - and a lot of young people feel like they don't measure up with that.…

Published on Leave a comment on Gardening 2 or 3 Times A Week To Relieve Stress

By SunnySkyz - Based on Survey!

A new study suggests that frequent gardening may be linked to increased health benefits.

According to the study posted on ScienceDirect, gardening just two or three times a week maximized the benefits of better wellbeing and lower stress levels. Gardening Encourages Family Togetherness, and it Keeps You Company if you live on your own too - I love to do this, my plants are great company. Folks, you don't have to have a lot of Plants to do this!

Benefits Of Gardening - Discover Them

The research explored why residents engaged with gardening and the extent to which they recognized any health benefits from the activity.

A questionnaire was distributed electronically within the UK, with 5,766 gardeners and 249 non-gardeners responding. Data was collated on factors including garden typology, frequency of gardening and individual perceptions of health and well-being.

"This is the first time the 'dose response' to gardening has been tested and the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the more frequently you garden – the greater the health benefits," said Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) wellbeing fellow and lead author Dr Lauriane Chalmin-Pui. "In fact gardening every day has the same positive impact on wellbeing than undertaking regular, vigorous exercise like cycling or running.…

Published on Leave a comment on Mood-Boosting and Over-all Benefits of Having Pets

WE BENEFIT FROM THE COMPANY OF AND INTERACTION WITH PETS AND ANIMALS. GUESS WHAT BENEIFITS HAVING A PET AT HOME AFFORDS? PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY. AND THE BETTER WE LOOK AFTER THEM, THE HAPPIER THEY ARE. HAVING A WELL CARED FOR PET/PETS IS A RELATIONSHIP OF RECIPROCATION. PEOPLE DERIVE A SENSE OF COMFORT, CONTENTMENT OR HAPPINESS INTERACTING WITH THEIR PETS. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE BENEFIT PHYSICALLY AS WELL? IT'S AMAZING WHAT SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THESE THINGS NOW. LET'S HAVE A PEAK AND SEE:)

Pets are Cute and Pets are Cuddly - Pets are Great!

Pets come with some powerful health benefits. Here’s how caring for a dog, cat, or other animal can help relieve depression and anxiety, lower stress, and improve your heart health.

The benefits of pets
Most pet owners are clear about the immediate joys that come with sharing their lives with companion animals. However, many of us remain unaware of the physical and mental health benefits that can also accompany the pleasure of snuggling up to a furry friend. It’s only recently that studies have begun to scientifically explore the benefits of the human-animal bond.…