The Huffington Post | By Amanda L. Chan
Here's a way to de-stress at work that we can get behind: Bring your dog to work!
New research from Virginia Commonwealth University showed that bringing dogs to work could lower stress and increase employee satisfaction. The study was published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management.
"Pet presence may serve as a low-cost, wellness intervention readily available to many organizations and may enhance organizational satisfaction and perceptions of support," study researcher Randolph T. Barker, Ph.D., a professor of management at Virginia Commonwealth University, said in a statement. "Of course, it is important to have policies in place to ensure only friendly, clean and well-behaved pets are present in the workplace,” he said.
Researchers conducted their study on the employees of a manufacturing retail company called Replacements, Ltd., that allows employees to bring pets to work. There are about 550 people who work at the Greensboro, N.C. company.
The employees of the company were designated into three different categories: those with dogs, who brought them in to work during a workweek; those with dogs who did not bring them into work; and those who don't have a dog. All the employees filled out surveys and produced samples of their saliva to gauge levels of stress hormones.
In the mornings, all three groups' stress hormone levels were about the same. However, as the day went on, the people who brought their dogs in had lower levels of self-reported stress. Meanwhile, self-reported stress increased for the people who didn't bring in their dogs, and for those who don't have dogs.
The researchers also noted that the employees were making positive comments like "pets in the workplace can be a great bonus for employee morale … " and " "having dogs here is great stress relief."
USA Today reported in 2009 on a survey showing that 20 percent of companies are pet-friendly. Some include Urban Decay, in California, and Healthwise, a nonprofit based in Boise.
Mother Nature Network reported that Google, Ben and Jerry's and Build-A-Bear Workshop also are dog-friendly. And of course, HuffPost's LA office allows dogs to come in to work, too!
ace,” he said.
Researchers conducted their study on the employees of a manufacturing retail company called Replacements, Ltd., that allows employees to bring pets to work. There are about 550 people who work at the Greensboro, N.C. company.
The employees of the company were designated into three different categories: those with dogs, who brought them in to work during a workweek; those with dogs who did not bring them into work; and those who don't have a dog. All the employees filled out surveys and produced samples of their saliva to gauge levels of stress hormones.
In the mornings, all three groups' stress hormone levels were about the same. However, as the day went on, the people who brought their dogs in had lower levels of self-reported stress. Meanwhile, self-reported stress increased for the people who didn't bring in their dogs, and for those who don't have dogs.
The researchers also noted that the employees were making positive comments like "pets in the workplace can be a great bonus for employee morale … " and " "having dogs here is great stress relief.
USA Today reported in 2009 on a survey showing that 20 percent of companies are pet-friendly. Some include Urban Decay, in California, and Healthwise, a nonprofit based in Boise.
Mother Nature Network reported that Google, Ben and Jerry's and Build-A-Bear Workshop also are dog-friendly. And of course, HuffPost's LA office allows dogs to come in to work, too!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Weed Making Inroads Among Retirees
Tom Barlow, AOL
Although California has a huge population of residents carrying prescriptions for medical marijuana, the social stigma attached to the drug has led the elderly to be very hesitant about adopting it as a palliative for age-related problems such as loss of appetite, nausea and chronic pain.
Now a luxury retirement community in Orange County, Laguna Woods Village, whose residents have discovered pot's benefits, has made weed easier to obtain by establishing its own pot collective.
The community set up its collective because, although there are thousands of clinics in the state selling marijuana, none were convenient to the residents, some of whom have very limited mobility.
For the greatest generation, taught to believe that marijuana was as addictive and deadly as drugs such as heroin, the reality has come as a pleasant surprise to many. NPR reports on the epiphany of a 73-year-old Leisure World resident and synchronized swimmer who found it effective in countering her nausea.
The fact that the retirees are receiving recommendations to try pot for their ills from their peers leads me to believe that the use of it on the West Coast has reached a critical mass. We could well see demand for legalization, at least for medical reasons, swell among the retiree community across the country.
As a boomer, I expect that when our generation retires, many may choose to pull out the E-Z wides, fire up a blunt, order a pizza, and crank up Dark Side of the Moon once again, and not just for medical reasons.
A national columnist (name escapes me) recently wrote a tongue-in-cheek column in which he offered to voluntarily give up his driver's license on his 80th birthday in return for the right to all the drugs he wants.
Medical or recreational, is there a good reason why those who have worked a lifetime should be denied the opportunity to spend their golden years in a haze if they so choose?
Old people, what are you gonna do with them?
Although California has a huge population of residents carrying prescriptions for medical marijuana, the social stigma attached to the drug has led the elderly to be very hesitant about adopting it as a palliative for age-related problems such as loss of appetite, nausea and chronic pain.
Now a luxury retirement community in Orange County, Laguna Woods Village, whose residents have discovered pot's benefits, has made weed easier to obtain by establishing its own pot collective.
The community set up its collective because, although there are thousands of clinics in the state selling marijuana, none were convenient to the residents, some of whom have very limited mobility.
For the greatest generation, taught to believe that marijuana was as addictive and deadly as drugs such as heroin, the reality has come as a pleasant surprise to many. NPR reports on the epiphany of a 73-year-old Leisure World resident and synchronized swimmer who found it effective in countering her nausea.
The fact that the retirees are receiving recommendations to try pot for their ills from their peers leads me to believe that the use of it on the West Coast has reached a critical mass. We could well see demand for legalization, at least for medical reasons, swell among the retiree community across the country.
As a boomer, I expect that when our generation retires, many may choose to pull out the E-Z wides, fire up a blunt, order a pizza, and crank up Dark Side of the Moon once again, and not just for medical reasons.
A national columnist (name escapes me) recently wrote a tongue-in-cheek column in which he offered to voluntarily give up his driver's license on his 80th birthday in return for the right to all the drugs he wants.
Medical or recreational, is there a good reason why those who have worked a lifetime should be denied the opportunity to spend their golden years in a haze if they so choose?
Old people, what are you gonna do with them?
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Does Stress Damage The Brain?
ScienceDaily (Mar. 19, 2008) — Individuals who experience military combat obviously endure extreme stress, and this exposure leaves many diagnosed with the psychiatric condition of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. PTSD is associated with several abnormalities in brain structure and function.
________________________________________
However, as researcher Roger Pitman explains, "Although it is tempting to conclude that these abnormalities were caused by the traumatic event, it is also possible that they were pre-existing risk factors that increased the risk of developing PTSD upon the traumatic event's occurrence." Drs. Kasai and Yamasue along with their colleagues sought to examine this association in a new study published in the March 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry.
The authors measured the gray matter density of the brains of combat-exposed Vietnam veterans, some with and some without PTSD, and their combat-unexposed identical twins using a technology called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The detailed images provided by the MRI scans then allowed the investigators to compare specific brain regions of the siblings. They found that the gray matter density of the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, an area of the brain involved in emotional functioning, was reduced in veterans with PTSD, but not in their twins who had not experienced combat.
According to Dr. Pitman, "this finding supports the conclusion that the psychological stress resulting from the traumatic stressor may damage this brain region, with deleterious emotional consequences."
John H. Krystal, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry and affiliated with both Yale University School of Medicine and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, discusses the need for this kind of research because of two separate sets of prior findings: "On the one hand, compelling data from animal research indicates that stress can cause brain atrophy and even neural death in some brain regions. On the other hand, the volume of several brain regions are highly heritable and small brain volumes, presumably related to reduced function, in the hippocampus may increase stress reactivity or impair the capacity for resilience." He adds that findings from this study "suggest that volume reductions in [the anterior cingulate cortex] associated with PTSD arise as a consequence of stress exposure rather than emerging as a heritable trait," leaving one to conclude that "the extent to which particular genes and environmental exposures interact to shape the development of the brain thus appears to be complex and region-specific."
The article is "Evidence for Acquired Pregenual Anterior Cingulate Gray Matter Loss from a Twin Study of Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" by Kiyoto Kasai, Hidenori Yamasue, Mark W. Gilbertson, Martha E. Shenton, Scott L. Rauch and Roger K. Pitman. Drs. Kasai and Yamasue are affiliated with the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. Drs. Gilbertson, Shenton, Rauch and Pitman are with the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Gilbertson is also from the Research Service, VA Medical Center, Manchester, New Hampshire. Dr. Shenton is also affiliated with the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, and the Surgical Planning Laboratory, MRI Division, Department of Radiology, Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Rauch is also with McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. Dr. Pitman is also from the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. The article appears in Biological Psychiatry, Volume 63, Issue 6 (March 15, 2008), published by Elsevier.
________________________________________
However, as researcher Roger Pitman explains, "Although it is tempting to conclude that these abnormalities were caused by the traumatic event, it is also possible that they were pre-existing risk factors that increased the risk of developing PTSD upon the traumatic event's occurrence." Drs. Kasai and Yamasue along with their colleagues sought to examine this association in a new study published in the March 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry.
The authors measured the gray matter density of the brains of combat-exposed Vietnam veterans, some with and some without PTSD, and their combat-unexposed identical twins using a technology called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The detailed images provided by the MRI scans then allowed the investigators to compare specific brain regions of the siblings. They found that the gray matter density of the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, an area of the brain involved in emotional functioning, was reduced in veterans with PTSD, but not in their twins who had not experienced combat.
According to Dr. Pitman, "this finding supports the conclusion that the psychological stress resulting from the traumatic stressor may damage this brain region, with deleterious emotional consequences."
John H. Krystal, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry and affiliated with both Yale University School of Medicine and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, discusses the need for this kind of research because of two separate sets of prior findings: "On the one hand, compelling data from animal research indicates that stress can cause brain atrophy and even neural death in some brain regions. On the other hand, the volume of several brain regions are highly heritable and small brain volumes, presumably related to reduced function, in the hippocampus may increase stress reactivity or impair the capacity for resilience." He adds that findings from this study "suggest that volume reductions in [the anterior cingulate cortex] associated with PTSD arise as a consequence of stress exposure rather than emerging as a heritable trait," leaving one to conclude that "the extent to which particular genes and environmental exposures interact to shape the development of the brain thus appears to be complex and region-specific."
The article is "Evidence for Acquired Pregenual Anterior Cingulate Gray Matter Loss from a Twin Study of Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" by Kiyoto Kasai, Hidenori Yamasue, Mark W. Gilbertson, Martha E. Shenton, Scott L. Rauch and Roger K. Pitman. Drs. Kasai and Yamasue are affiliated with the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. Drs. Gilbertson, Shenton, Rauch and Pitman are with the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Gilbertson is also from the Research Service, VA Medical Center, Manchester, New Hampshire. Dr. Shenton is also affiliated with the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, and the Surgical Planning Laboratory, MRI Division, Department of Radiology, Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Rauch is also with McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. Dr. Pitman is also from the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. The article appears in Biological Psychiatry, Volume 63, Issue 6 (March 15, 2008), published by Elsevier.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Stress Reducing Foods
Stress Reducing Foods
These foods will help lower your stress.
Oranges
Sweet Potatoes
Dried Apricots
Almonds, Pistachios, and Walnuts
Turkey
Spinach
Salmon
Avocados
Green Vegetables
More Stress-Busting Tips:
• Exercise regularly.
• Drink an energy shake for breakfast.
• Eat small meals throughout the day, which will keep your blood sugar stable (when blood sugar is low, mental, physical, and emotional energy decreases, and stress increases).
How To Drop A Belt Size Before The Reunion:
http://theguysmanual.msn.com/?Category=catID5&Id=v1&source=msneditorial>1=25050
These foods will help lower your stress.
Oranges
Sweet Potatoes
Dried Apricots
Almonds, Pistachios, and Walnuts
Turkey
Spinach
Salmon
Avocados
Green Vegetables
More Stress-Busting Tips:
• Exercise regularly.
• Drink an energy shake for breakfast.
• Eat small meals throughout the day, which will keep your blood sugar stable (when blood sugar is low, mental, physical, and emotional energy decreases, and stress increases).
How To Drop A Belt Size Before The Reunion:
http://theguysmanual.msn.com/?Category=catID5&Id=v1&source=msneditorial>1=25050
Friday, April 1, 2011
Does Stress Damage The Brain?
Science Daily — Individuals who experience military combat obviously endure extreme stress, and this exposure leaves many diagnosed with the psychiatric condition of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. PTSD is associated with several abnormalities in brain structure and function.
________________________________________
However, as researcher Roger Pitman explains, "Although it is tempting to conclude that these abnormalities were caused by the traumatic event, it is also possible that they were pre-existing risk factors that increased the risk of developing PTSD upon the traumatic event's occurrence." Drs. Kasai and Yamasue along with their colleagues sought to examine this association in a new study published in the March 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry.
The authors measured the gray matter density of the brains of combat-exposed Vietnam veterans, some with and some without PTSD, and their combat-unexposed identical twins using a technology called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The detailed images provided by the MRI scans then allowed the investigators to compare specific brain regions of the siblings. They found that the gray matter density of the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, an area of the brain involved in emotional functioning, was reduced in veterans with PTSD, but not in their twins who had not experienced combat.
According to Dr. Pitman, "this finding supports the conclusion that the psychological stress resulting from the traumatic stressor may damage this brain region, with deleterious emotional consequences."
John H. Krystal, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry and affiliated with both Yale University School of Medicine and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, discusses the need for this kind of research because of two separate sets of prior findings: "On the one hand, compelling data from animal research indicates that stress can cause brain atrophy and even neural death in some brain regions. On the other hand, the volume of several brain regions are highly heritable and small brain volumes, presumably related to reduced function, in the hippocampus may increase stress reactivity or impair the capacity for resilience." He adds that findings from this study "suggest that volume reductions in [the anterior cingulate cortex] associated with PTSD arise as a consequence of stress exposure rather than emerging as a heritable trait," leaving one to conclude that "the extent to which particular genes and environmental exposures interact to shape the development of the brain thus appears to be complex and region-specific."
The article is "Evidence for Acquired Pregenual Anterior Cingulate Gray Matter Loss from a Twin Study of Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" by Kiyoto Kasai, Hidenori Yamasue, Mark W. Gilbertson, Martha E. Shenton, Scott L. Rauch and Roger K. Pitman. Drs. Kasai and Yamasue are affiliated with the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. Drs. Gilbertson, Shenton, Rauch and Pitman are with the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Gilbertson is also from the Research Service, VA Medical Center, Manchester, New Hampshire. Dr. Shenton is also affiliated with the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, and the Surgical Planning Laboratory, MRI Division, Department of Radiology, Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Rauch is also with McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. Dr. Pitman is also from the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. The article appears in Biological Psychiatry, Volume 63, Issue 6 (March 15, 2008), published by Elsevier.
________________________________________
However, as researcher Roger Pitman explains, "Although it is tempting to conclude that these abnormalities were caused by the traumatic event, it is also possible that they were pre-existing risk factors that increased the risk of developing PTSD upon the traumatic event's occurrence." Drs. Kasai and Yamasue along with their colleagues sought to examine this association in a new study published in the March 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry.
The authors measured the gray matter density of the brains of combat-exposed Vietnam veterans, some with and some without PTSD, and their combat-unexposed identical twins using a technology called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The detailed images provided by the MRI scans then allowed the investigators to compare specific brain regions of the siblings. They found that the gray matter density of the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, an area of the brain involved in emotional functioning, was reduced in veterans with PTSD, but not in their twins who had not experienced combat.
According to Dr. Pitman, "this finding supports the conclusion that the psychological stress resulting from the traumatic stressor may damage this brain region, with deleterious emotional consequences."
John H. Krystal, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry and affiliated with both Yale University School of Medicine and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, discusses the need for this kind of research because of two separate sets of prior findings: "On the one hand, compelling data from animal research indicates that stress can cause brain atrophy and even neural death in some brain regions. On the other hand, the volume of several brain regions are highly heritable and small brain volumes, presumably related to reduced function, in the hippocampus may increase stress reactivity or impair the capacity for resilience." He adds that findings from this study "suggest that volume reductions in [the anterior cingulate cortex] associated with PTSD arise as a consequence of stress exposure rather than emerging as a heritable trait," leaving one to conclude that "the extent to which particular genes and environmental exposures interact to shape the development of the brain thus appears to be complex and region-specific."
The article is "Evidence for Acquired Pregenual Anterior Cingulate Gray Matter Loss from a Twin Study of Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" by Kiyoto Kasai, Hidenori Yamasue, Mark W. Gilbertson, Martha E. Shenton, Scott L. Rauch and Roger K. Pitman. Drs. Kasai and Yamasue are affiliated with the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. Drs. Gilbertson, Shenton, Rauch and Pitman are with the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Gilbertson is also from the Research Service, VA Medical Center, Manchester, New Hampshire. Dr. Shenton is also affiliated with the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, and the Surgical Planning Laboratory, MRI Division, Department of Radiology, Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Rauch is also with McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. Dr. Pitman is also from the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. The article appears in Biological Psychiatry, Volume 63, Issue 6 (March 15, 2008), published by Elsevier.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Laugh & Live
I don't understand why people don't laugh more. As children we laugh as much as 400 times a day. As adults it drops to 15 times a day. It seems when we grow up we realize the government has control of our lives and we can't do anything about it. But that's a wrong realization. We have control of our own lives. If you don't like the government, change it with your vote. If you don't like where you're headed, you can change that too. Start right now and laugh more. What a great New Year's Resolution, to laugh more. You laughed as a child, now that you're grown, you've seen a lot, done a lot and you have some knee-slapping times to talk about. Think about the good times, and laugh. I lost a job recently and was feeling really down, until my son walked in and asked if the Flintstones wore underwear. That didn't bother me. What bothered me was, I had to think about it. I laughed for a good 10 minutes. It felt good. Laughter therapy does to the body what jogging does to the soul.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Seven Tips to Relieve Stress By Lyndsay Swinton
1. Acknowledge stress is good
Make stress your friend! Based on the body’s natural “fight or flight” response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. I’ve yet to see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.
2. Avoid stress sneezers
Stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected too!
Protect yourself by recognising stress in others and limiting your contact with them. Or if you’ve got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage themselves.
3. Learn from the best
When people around are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced?
Figure it out from afar or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.
4. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathing
You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.
5. Give stressy thoughts the red light
It is possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all by yourself. “If this happens, then that might happen and then we’re all up the creek!” Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly?
Give stress thought-trains the red light and stop them in their tracks. Okay so it might go wrong – how likely is that, and what can you do to prevent it?
6. Know your trigger points and hot spots
Presentations, interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines……. My heart rate is cranking up just writing these down!
Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another? Did you drink too much coffee?
Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to de-caf?
7. Burn the candle at one end
Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it’s often ignored as a stress management technique. Listen to your mother and don’t burn the candle at both ends!
And those are the best stress management techniques I know! Learn them, use them and teach them, and be a great stress manager.
By Lyndsay Swinton
Owner, Management for the Rest of Us
www.mftrou.com
Make stress your friend! Based on the body’s natural “fight or flight” response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. I’ve yet to see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.
2. Avoid stress sneezers
Stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected too!
Protect yourself by recognising stress in others and limiting your contact with them. Or if you’ve got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage themselves.
3. Learn from the best
When people around are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced?
Figure it out from afar or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.
4. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathing
You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.
5. Give stressy thoughts the red light
It is possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all by yourself. “If this happens, then that might happen and then we’re all up the creek!” Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly?
Give stress thought-trains the red light and stop them in their tracks. Okay so it might go wrong – how likely is that, and what can you do to prevent it?
6. Know your trigger points and hot spots
Presentations, interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines……. My heart rate is cranking up just writing these down!
Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another? Did you drink too much coffee?
Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to de-caf?
7. Burn the candle at one end
Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it’s often ignored as a stress management technique. Listen to your mother and don’t burn the candle at both ends!
And those are the best stress management techniques I know! Learn them, use them and teach them, and be a great stress manager.
By Lyndsay Swinton
Owner, Management for the Rest of Us
www.mftrou.com
Friday, November 12, 2010
Personal Development
You need to change in three areas of your life. Those three areas are – Physically, Spiritually and mentally.
First: physically. Start by standing up straight. Don’t slouch. When you slouch you look old, you look like life has beaten you down. You don’t have much attitude when you slouch. I noticed one day while walking past a mirror that I slouched, didn’t even know it. I looked like I had been beaten down. I didn’t look like anyone that people could take seriously. I didn’t look like anyone that people would want to listen to or believe in. I just looked like a poor, unsuccessful man. So I immediately held my shoulders back and stood taller. Suddenly, I was five-foot eight, not five-foot seven. That extra inch did wonders for my attitude. People began to notice a change in me. I was walking taller, I was more confident, I had a better attitude, just from holding my shoulders back instead on down. Try it, it’s amazing. Look like someone who has accomplished something because you have. You have accomplished a lot, look like it, walk like it; speak like it.
Next, turn those corners of your mouth upward – smile. A smile will go a long way, believe me. People like to be around those who smile. Do you want to hang around someone who frowns all the time? Of course you don’t. Smile, and mean it. Don’t smile because you think it’s good, smile because you know it’s good, because you want to, because you want people to like you and approach you. Smile because you’re having a good day, and believe me, any day you wake up above the ground is a good day. We don’t smile enough, have you noticed that? We need to smile more. Turn to the person next to you right now, smile and say, “Hello,” or as I say, “Howdy.”
Get a regular exercise plan, don’t diet. Diets don’t work. If you want to maintain a healthy weight and stay fit, just eat right and walk more. It’s that simple. It’s a life style it’s not a two or three month thing, it’s a life style. I work out at the senior center. It’s free, and they have everything the gym that I was paying $300 a year to be a member of has. I work out every day if I can. And I’m starting to watch what I eat and when I eat. I used to eat right up until bed time. That’s not good. That’s not how you lose weight. Beenie Weenies and a large Pepsi are not a healthy dinner. Watch what you eat. Something else I’ve started doing, when I go to the mall, I park my car at the end of the parking lot just so I can walk farther. I don’t understand these people who will spend $500 on an exercise machine, and then spend $1000 on a riding lawn mower. If you get out and push the mower you will get in shape. If you get hot, take a break, drink some water. Sit in the shade for a while. It won’t kill you. You’re walking, you’re burning calories; you’re losing weight. You will feel so much better about yourself when you lose that spare tire around your waist or those massive thighs that are preventing you from getting into those sexy jeans that you wish you could get into and I would love to see you in. Get a friend to exercise with you. It’s easier to stick to a plan if you have someone else doing it with you. Treat your body like your car. You want the best gas and oil for your car so it will run better. Well, you want to run better too, don’t you? Why would you take better care of your car than yourself? Treat yourself like your car and maybe you’ll outlive your car. In the neighborhood I live in we have our mail boxes at the entrance which is less than a quarter mile away. My neighbor gets in his car and drives to the mail box. If he would just walk that quarter mile every day he’d be in shape. He says he doesn’t have enough time to work out. “There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.” You have as many hours as everyone else – 24. I have never heard of anyone who has 25-hours in a day. How you manage those 24-hours is important. You need to learn time management. It’s not difficult, just keep a schedule and stick to it. Write down everything you need to do tomorrow today. And then do it. And give each thing a certain amount of time and stick to it. It’s simple. It’s not rocket science. The ones who are most important to the company are the ones who manage their time well. They are the ones who make $500 an hour, not $5.00 an hour. So get in shape. Take care of yourself.
Next, improve yourself spiritually. Now when I say spiritually I don’t mean you need to go to church every Sunday, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m raising my children in church. But what I mean is come to the realization that there is a power that is greater than you or me, and by the way, contrary to popular belief, his name is not OBAMA. But there is a greater force that controls our every move. You can call it what you want, God, Christ, Buddha, Jehovah, you can call it George, but you need to get in touch with it. You need to learn to meditate. It’s gets you closer to that higher power. And meditation is really easy. First, find a place where you can be free from noise of your children, or work or whatever else could prevent you from being peaceful. Sit in a comfortable position either on a cushion on the floor or in a chair. You don’t have to sit with your feet over your head or stand on one foot, that’s yoga. I don’t teach yoga. Sit in a comfortable chair if you like, just remember to sit up straight. You can close your eyes or leave them open, it’s up to you. And you may want to stretch before you meditate. Now, relax all your muscles. Relax your tongue which is usually stuck to the roof of your mouth. Relax every muscle in your body. Now comes the hard part – stop thinking. It’s a lot harder than it sounds. Your mind is constantly running, it’s hard to turn it off. Concentrate on your breathing. Breathe in for a count of seven and breathe out for a count of eleven. You want all the bad air out of your lungs before you let the new air in. So, in seven - out eleven. And if you start having a thought, make yourself aware that you’re having a thought and stop. Start concentrating on all the little aches and pains your body is having, begin listening to all the sounds around you. I live on a lake so I like to sit on the deck at sunset and meditate while the sun sets over the water. I listen to the birds, the crickets, the rippling water, it so peaceful, so relaxing, so good for my mind, my soul, my spirit. If you do this for just 30-minutes a day you will feel so much better. And all the time I hear people say, “But BC, I don’t have enough time to meditate. You don’t know what kind of day I have. There just aren’t enough hours in the day for meditation.” And I have to remind them again, they have just as many hours in a day as everyone else – 24. You really need to manage your time.
So there are the first two places to improve yourself; physically and spiritually. Next is mentally. You need to improve your mind. You don’t stop learning just because you’ve graduated high school or four years of college. That’s only the beginning. You have so much more to learn after that. Read lots of books, they’re free from the library. Listen to tapes and CDs and cassettes of people who can help you. Some people who’ve helped me by way of CDs and tapes: Jim Rohn, Andy Andrews, and Larry Winget. None of these names probably mean anything to you, but they are great speakers. Keep a journal and write down things that you read, hear and see. I keep a journal with me at all times. When I hear something that’s profound, I write it down. Like the other night, my girlfriend and I went with another couple to eat Chinese food. When we read our fortunate cookie, my girlfriend’s read, “You’re due for something great to happen.” My friends read, “When the moon is full you will find success.” I opened my fortune cookie and it read, “Never chase a hungry dog into a dead-end ally.” I don’t know what that means, but I wrote it down. It may come in handy some day.
Here’s something I wrote down that Jim Rohn said. He said, “Don’t worry about making your job better. Worry about making yourself better. If you make your job better you’ll get a paycheck but if you make yourself better you’ll get rich.” That’s profound. You may want to write that one down yourself. If you make your job better you’ll get a paycheck but if you make yourself better you’ll get rich.” That’s good advice. That’s the kind of advice that will change your life. I know it changed mine. Making yourself better instead of your job is how you go from $6.00 an hour to $600 an hour. Powerful words from a powerful man.
Follow these three principles and you will live a healthier, happier and longer life. -BC
First: physically. Start by standing up straight. Don’t slouch. When you slouch you look old, you look like life has beaten you down. You don’t have much attitude when you slouch. I noticed one day while walking past a mirror that I slouched, didn’t even know it. I looked like I had been beaten down. I didn’t look like anyone that people could take seriously. I didn’t look like anyone that people would want to listen to or believe in. I just looked like a poor, unsuccessful man. So I immediately held my shoulders back and stood taller. Suddenly, I was five-foot eight, not five-foot seven. That extra inch did wonders for my attitude. People began to notice a change in me. I was walking taller, I was more confident, I had a better attitude, just from holding my shoulders back instead on down. Try it, it’s amazing. Look like someone who has accomplished something because you have. You have accomplished a lot, look like it, walk like it; speak like it.
Next, turn those corners of your mouth upward – smile. A smile will go a long way, believe me. People like to be around those who smile. Do you want to hang around someone who frowns all the time? Of course you don’t. Smile, and mean it. Don’t smile because you think it’s good, smile because you know it’s good, because you want to, because you want people to like you and approach you. Smile because you’re having a good day, and believe me, any day you wake up above the ground is a good day. We don’t smile enough, have you noticed that? We need to smile more. Turn to the person next to you right now, smile and say, “Hello,” or as I say, “Howdy.”
Get a regular exercise plan, don’t diet. Diets don’t work. If you want to maintain a healthy weight and stay fit, just eat right and walk more. It’s that simple. It’s a life style it’s not a two or three month thing, it’s a life style. I work out at the senior center. It’s free, and they have everything the gym that I was paying $300 a year to be a member of has. I work out every day if I can. And I’m starting to watch what I eat and when I eat. I used to eat right up until bed time. That’s not good. That’s not how you lose weight. Beenie Weenies and a large Pepsi are not a healthy dinner. Watch what you eat. Something else I’ve started doing, when I go to the mall, I park my car at the end of the parking lot just so I can walk farther. I don’t understand these people who will spend $500 on an exercise machine, and then spend $1000 on a riding lawn mower. If you get out and push the mower you will get in shape. If you get hot, take a break, drink some water. Sit in the shade for a while. It won’t kill you. You’re walking, you’re burning calories; you’re losing weight. You will feel so much better about yourself when you lose that spare tire around your waist or those massive thighs that are preventing you from getting into those sexy jeans that you wish you could get into and I would love to see you in. Get a friend to exercise with you. It’s easier to stick to a plan if you have someone else doing it with you. Treat your body like your car. You want the best gas and oil for your car so it will run better. Well, you want to run better too, don’t you? Why would you take better care of your car than yourself? Treat yourself like your car and maybe you’ll outlive your car. In the neighborhood I live in we have our mail boxes at the entrance which is less than a quarter mile away. My neighbor gets in his car and drives to the mail box. If he would just walk that quarter mile every day he’d be in shape. He says he doesn’t have enough time to work out. “There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.” You have as many hours as everyone else – 24. I have never heard of anyone who has 25-hours in a day. How you manage those 24-hours is important. You need to learn time management. It’s not difficult, just keep a schedule and stick to it. Write down everything you need to do tomorrow today. And then do it. And give each thing a certain amount of time and stick to it. It’s simple. It’s not rocket science. The ones who are most important to the company are the ones who manage their time well. They are the ones who make $500 an hour, not $5.00 an hour. So get in shape. Take care of yourself.
Next, improve yourself spiritually. Now when I say spiritually I don’t mean you need to go to church every Sunday, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m raising my children in church. But what I mean is come to the realization that there is a power that is greater than you or me, and by the way, contrary to popular belief, his name is not OBAMA. But there is a greater force that controls our every move. You can call it what you want, God, Christ, Buddha, Jehovah, you can call it George, but you need to get in touch with it. You need to learn to meditate. It’s gets you closer to that higher power. And meditation is really easy. First, find a place where you can be free from noise of your children, or work or whatever else could prevent you from being peaceful. Sit in a comfortable position either on a cushion on the floor or in a chair. You don’t have to sit with your feet over your head or stand on one foot, that’s yoga. I don’t teach yoga. Sit in a comfortable chair if you like, just remember to sit up straight. You can close your eyes or leave them open, it’s up to you. And you may want to stretch before you meditate. Now, relax all your muscles. Relax your tongue which is usually stuck to the roof of your mouth. Relax every muscle in your body. Now comes the hard part – stop thinking. It’s a lot harder than it sounds. Your mind is constantly running, it’s hard to turn it off. Concentrate on your breathing. Breathe in for a count of seven and breathe out for a count of eleven. You want all the bad air out of your lungs before you let the new air in. So, in seven - out eleven. And if you start having a thought, make yourself aware that you’re having a thought and stop. Start concentrating on all the little aches and pains your body is having, begin listening to all the sounds around you. I live on a lake so I like to sit on the deck at sunset and meditate while the sun sets over the water. I listen to the birds, the crickets, the rippling water, it so peaceful, so relaxing, so good for my mind, my soul, my spirit. If you do this for just 30-minutes a day you will feel so much better. And all the time I hear people say, “But BC, I don’t have enough time to meditate. You don’t know what kind of day I have. There just aren’t enough hours in the day for meditation.” And I have to remind them again, they have just as many hours in a day as everyone else – 24. You really need to manage your time.
So there are the first two places to improve yourself; physically and spiritually. Next is mentally. You need to improve your mind. You don’t stop learning just because you’ve graduated high school or four years of college. That’s only the beginning. You have so much more to learn after that. Read lots of books, they’re free from the library. Listen to tapes and CDs and cassettes of people who can help you. Some people who’ve helped me by way of CDs and tapes: Jim Rohn, Andy Andrews, and Larry Winget. None of these names probably mean anything to you, but they are great speakers. Keep a journal and write down things that you read, hear and see. I keep a journal with me at all times. When I hear something that’s profound, I write it down. Like the other night, my girlfriend and I went with another couple to eat Chinese food. When we read our fortunate cookie, my girlfriend’s read, “You’re due for something great to happen.” My friends read, “When the moon is full you will find success.” I opened my fortune cookie and it read, “Never chase a hungry dog into a dead-end ally.” I don’t know what that means, but I wrote it down. It may come in handy some day.
Here’s something I wrote down that Jim Rohn said. He said, “Don’t worry about making your job better. Worry about making yourself better. If you make your job better you’ll get a paycheck but if you make yourself better you’ll get rich.” That’s profound. You may want to write that one down yourself. If you make your job better you’ll get a paycheck but if you make yourself better you’ll get rich.” That’s good advice. That’s the kind of advice that will change your life. I know it changed mine. Making yourself better instead of your job is how you go from $6.00 an hour to $600 an hour. Powerful words from a powerful man.
Follow these three principles and you will live a healthier, happier and longer life. -BC
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Laughter & The Brain
The doctors found that A.K. always laughed when they stimulated a small 2 cm by 2 cm area on her left superior frontal gyrus (part of the frontal lobe of the brain). This brain area is part of the supplementary motor area. Unlike laughter that happens after brain damage, the laughter that was produced by electrical stimulation in A.K. also had a sense of "merriment or mirth". Also, A.K. did NOT have the type of epilepsy with gelastic seizures. Each time her brain was stimulated, A.K. laughed and said that something was funny. The thing that she said caused her to laugh was different each time. A.K. laughed first, then made up a story that was funny to her. Most people first know what is funny, then they laugh.
The authors of the paper believe that the area of the brain that caused laughter in A.K. is part of a larger circuit involving several different brain areas. Different parts of the circuit may be important for:
1. the emotions produced by a funny situation (emotional part of humor)
2. the "getting it" part of a joke (cognitive, thinking part of humor)
3. moving the muscles of the face to smile (motor part of humor).
Everyone smiles and laughs. Even monkeys and apes have some facial expressions that are similar to human smiles. It is possible that smiling, laughing and tickling are used to create bonds between babies and parents. When a parent tickles a baby and the baby responds with a smile or laugh, the parent laughs and smiles too. In this way, the baby and parent get to know one another and the baby learns all about laughter by watching and responding to a parent. What a happy way to learn.
The physiological study of laughter has its own name: "gelotology." Research has shown that laughing is more than just a person's voice and movement. Laughter requires the coordination of many muscles throughout the body. Laughter also:
1. increases blood pressure
2. increases heart rate
3. changes breathing
4. reduces levels of certain neurochemicals (catecholamines, hormones).
5. provides a boost to the immune system.
Can laughter improve health? It may be a good way for people to relax because muscle tension is reduced after laughing. There are some cases when a good deep laugh may help people with respiratory problems by clearing mucus and aiding ventiliation. Perhaps laughing can also help cardiac patients by giving the heart a bit of a workout. Some hospitals even have their own "Humor Rooms," "Comedy Carts," and clown kids in attempts to speed a patient's recovery and boost morale.
However, laughter is NOT ALWAYS good medicine. There are a few cases when laughing actually CAUSED a heart attack or a stroke. Also, immediately after abdominal surgery, people should not laugh too hard because they could tear out their stitches accidentally. Care should also be used in patients with broken ribs. So, try not to be too funny around these people.
How laughter affects the nervous system and rest of the body is not completely understood. A new area of neuroscience called Psychoneuroimmunology" studies the interactions between the brain and the immune system. The field of psychoneuroimmunology combines the methods and techniques of psychology, neuroscience and immunology. Psychoneuroimmunological experiments usually focus on how stress affects the nervous system and disease states. Laughter has been shown to cause changes in the autonomic nervous system and also to alter stress hormone and neurotransmitter levels. For example, 60 min. of watching a video with the comedian "Gallagher" caused reductions in the levels of:
1. cortisol
2. growth hormone
3. catecholamines
Further research into how a positive attitude affects a person's health need to be done. This will give a whole new meaning to the phrase:
Off Shore Oil Drilling
Before you get excited about frilling off the coast of your state as we are in North Carolina, please take this into consideration. There is no law that states that the oil that’s drilled will be used for Americans only and it probably won’t. There is no guarantee that the state will get anything from the drilling except maybe an oil spill somewhere down the line. Oil companies and politicians are close friends, they have it all worked out and they worked it out to be in favor of the oil companies, not the country or the costal state where they’re going to build. Every politician in every costal state is saying the same thing, “I’m for drilling off my coast because it’s going to help my state.” That’s a lie. It’s not going to help anyone but the oil companies and the politicians and that’s it. The state and the country will probably never see a drop of oil or any tax money or any jobs created. All it will see is oil on their coast which will hurt wildlife and tourism and the oil companies won’t have to pay a dime. You will pay for the cleanup. Think about that before you vote for a politician who wants the oil companies to drill off their coast – like all the politicians in North Carolina want. They’re pulling the wool over our eyes while the oil companies are probably lining their pockets with green. Wake up America. If a politician says it’s a good idea, is it really a good idea for you and me, or is it a good idea for them and the oil companies? I can almost say with confidence that it’s not good for you and me or the country. I’m voting for the one who is for alternative fuel.
The authors of the paper believe that the area of the brain that caused laughter in A.K. is part of a larger circuit involving several different brain areas. Different parts of the circuit may be important for:
1. the emotions produced by a funny situation (emotional part of humor)
2. the "getting it" part of a joke (cognitive, thinking part of humor)
3. moving the muscles of the face to smile (motor part of humor).
Everyone smiles and laughs. Even monkeys and apes have some facial expressions that are similar to human smiles. It is possible that smiling, laughing and tickling are used to create bonds between babies and parents. When a parent tickles a baby and the baby responds with a smile or laugh, the parent laughs and smiles too. In this way, the baby and parent get to know one another and the baby learns all about laughter by watching and responding to a parent. What a happy way to learn.
The physiological study of laughter has its own name: "gelotology." Research has shown that laughing is more than just a person's voice and movement. Laughter requires the coordination of many muscles throughout the body. Laughter also:
1. increases blood pressure
2. increases heart rate
3. changes breathing
4. reduces levels of certain neurochemicals (catecholamines, hormones).
5. provides a boost to the immune system.
Can laughter improve health? It may be a good way for people to relax because muscle tension is reduced after laughing. There are some cases when a good deep laugh may help people with respiratory problems by clearing mucus and aiding ventiliation. Perhaps laughing can also help cardiac patients by giving the heart a bit of a workout. Some hospitals even have their own "Humor Rooms," "Comedy Carts," and clown kids in attempts to speed a patient's recovery and boost morale.
However, laughter is NOT ALWAYS good medicine. There are a few cases when laughing actually CAUSED a heart attack or a stroke. Also, immediately after abdominal surgery, people should not laugh too hard because they could tear out their stitches accidentally. Care should also be used in patients with broken ribs. So, try not to be too funny around these people.
How laughter affects the nervous system and rest of the body is not completely understood. A new area of neuroscience called Psychoneuroimmunology" studies the interactions between the brain and the immune system. The field of psychoneuroimmunology combines the methods and techniques of psychology, neuroscience and immunology. Psychoneuroimmunological experiments usually focus on how stress affects the nervous system and disease states. Laughter has been shown to cause changes in the autonomic nervous system and also to alter stress hormone and neurotransmitter levels. For example, 60 min. of watching a video with the comedian "Gallagher" caused reductions in the levels of:
1. cortisol
2. growth hormone
3. catecholamines
Further research into how a positive attitude affects a person's health need to be done. This will give a whole new meaning to the phrase:
Off Shore Oil Drilling
Before you get excited about frilling off the coast of your state as we are in North Carolina, please take this into consideration. There is no law that states that the oil that’s drilled will be used for Americans only and it probably won’t. There is no guarantee that the state will get anything from the drilling except maybe an oil spill somewhere down the line. Oil companies and politicians are close friends, they have it all worked out and they worked it out to be in favor of the oil companies, not the country or the costal state where they’re going to build. Every politician in every costal state is saying the same thing, “I’m for drilling off my coast because it’s going to help my state.” That’s a lie. It’s not going to help anyone but the oil companies and the politicians and that’s it. The state and the country will probably never see a drop of oil or any tax money or any jobs created. All it will see is oil on their coast which will hurt wildlife and tourism and the oil companies won’t have to pay a dime. You will pay for the cleanup. Think about that before you vote for a politician who wants the oil companies to drill off their coast – like all the politicians in North Carolina want. They’re pulling the wool over our eyes while the oil companies are probably lining their pockets with green. Wake up America. If a politician says it’s a good idea, is it really a good idea for you and me, or is it a good idea for them and the oil companies? I can almost say with confidence that it’s not good for you and me or the country. I’m voting for the one who is for alternative fuel.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
When Stress Comes Home
Practically every day, disturbing news stories come out of Iraq, so many of them are about explosions, often roadside bombings. We hear about the major casualties, but there are many other terrifying events that don�t get reported here at home. Unless you are there, you really can�t imagine the sense of ever-present danger. At any moment, an explosion could kill or maim you, your friends, or the Iraqi people around you.
I enjoy my drive to and from work most days, but I can�t imagine what it would be like if I had to worry continuously whether every object in the vicinity is a hidden bomb. A new report from the Army surgeon general�s office states that 30 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq suffer symptoms of stress-related mental health problems for at least a few months. In an ABC News story about the difficulties faced by returning soldiers, a young woman talked about her intense anxiety while driving back in the U.S. Each time she drove her car, she would instinctively scan the roadside, constantly on the lookout for anything unusual. Although her behavior was irrational, something inside her was still anticipating an explosion at any moment.
The soldiers with stress-related problems experienced symptoms such as anxiety, depression, nightmares, anger, and an inability to concentrate. About 4 to 5 percent had symptoms severe enough to be described as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). �Shell shock� and �war neurosis� are old terms for what now is called PTSD. According to the psychiatric definition, PTSD occurs after someone has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, such as combat or a disaster. The event is persistently re-experienced in dreams or intrusive thoughts or images. There is emotional numbing and avoidance of anything associated with the trauma. Finally, there is increased arousal that might include difficulty sleeping, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and an exaggerated startle response.
The good news is that the Army is planning routine screening of soldiers returning from combat zones with a mental health checkup. In a pilot program, all members of returning units will be interviewed to check for stress-related symptoms, and the Army will make sure mental health treatment is available for everyone who needs it. A primary goal of the program is to erase the stigma soldiers may feel about the mental health symptoms they may experience after returning from stressful deployments
Taken from http://www.regsourceplus.com
I enjoy my drive to and from work most days, but I can�t imagine what it would be like if I had to worry continuously whether every object in the vicinity is a hidden bomb. A new report from the Army surgeon general�s office states that 30 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq suffer symptoms of stress-related mental health problems for at least a few months. In an ABC News story about the difficulties faced by returning soldiers, a young woman talked about her intense anxiety while driving back in the U.S. Each time she drove her car, she would instinctively scan the roadside, constantly on the lookout for anything unusual. Although her behavior was irrational, something inside her was still anticipating an explosion at any moment.
The soldiers with stress-related problems experienced symptoms such as anxiety, depression, nightmares, anger, and an inability to concentrate. About 4 to 5 percent had symptoms severe enough to be described as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). �Shell shock� and �war neurosis� are old terms for what now is called PTSD. According to the psychiatric definition, PTSD occurs after someone has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, such as combat or a disaster. The event is persistently re-experienced in dreams or intrusive thoughts or images. There is emotional numbing and avoidance of anything associated with the trauma. Finally, there is increased arousal that might include difficulty sleeping, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and an exaggerated startle response.
The good news is that the Army is planning routine screening of soldiers returning from combat zones with a mental health checkup. In a pilot program, all members of returning units will be interviewed to check for stress-related symptoms, and the Army will make sure mental health treatment is available for everyone who needs it. A primary goal of the program is to erase the stigma soldiers may feel about the mental health symptoms they may experience after returning from stressful deployments
Taken from http://www.regsourceplus.com
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Myths About Depression
Depression Myths
By Jordan Lite
Wondering how to tell the difference between depression and the blues? Worried that drugs taken to treat the condition will turn you into another person entirely?
There are many myths about depression, which will affect an estimated 32 to 35 million Americans at some point in their lives, according to a 2003 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Read on for eight common misconceptions and what's really true about this disabling condition.
Myth: Depression affects only women.
Fact: Depression can affect anyone.
Depression is nearly twice as common in women as in men, but men still get depressed -- especially as they get older -- and may feel a loss from career changes or the death of a spouse, says Dr. David Sommers, a scientific review officer at the National Institute of Mental Health.
"It is true that depression is more common in women than in men and that women are more likely to seek help than men, but men have trouble with their vulnerability and are more likely to use counterproductive coping strategies," such as alcohol, than to ask for help, Duckworth says.
Depression in guys can also look different than it does in women: Men are more likely to feel tired and irritable and lose interest in work or hobbies, while women tend to feel guilty, sad or worthless, according to the NIMH.
Myth: Depression is an adult problem.
Fact: Children can get depressed, too.
"Depression can happen across the lifespan," Duckworth says.
Some 8 percent of kids ages 12 to 17 suffer a depressive episode, according to the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. But depression can look different in children and teens than it does in adults.
"Teens and children are more likely to show people rather than tell them they're depressed," Duckworth says. "Most adults can identify that they feel down, sad, and not every kid is able to articulate that."
A depressed kid may frequent the school nurse, complaining of bellyaches and headaches, he says, while depressed teens may be irritable and angry.
Myth: Depression isn't a medical problem; you could get over it if you wanted to.
Fact: Depression is a medical problem that can require help to overcome.
"This is a treatable condition and not a right-wrong fault issue. But that is a common misconception," Duckworth says. "Being sad, grieving a loss -- these are not clinical syndromes, but when you have a collection of symptoms that continue for weeks and are associated with sleep problems, negative thoughts, thoughts of suicide -- that's different from being down in the dumps."
The key distinction is how long and how severly you feel this way and whether your ability to function at home and work are affected.
Myth: Depression is a normal part of being a teenager.
Fact: Adolescent moodiness is not the same thing as teen depression.
"I don't consider depression a natural outcome of being a teenager," Duckworth says. "However, being a teenager can be a risky business."
Be on the lookout for how long a teen's symptoms last and how severe they are. Irritability, anger, falling grades, trouble at school, time alone and drug and alcohol use can be signs of more than just the blues.
"Many teens have conflict with their parents and struggle with their identity, but normal adolescents don't talk about killing themselves or losing interest in their friends," Duckworth says.
Myth: Depression is all in your genes.
Fact: Depression runs in families, but genes are not determining factors.
Family history does influence the likelihood of developing depression. Children whose parents experienced depression are three times as likely to suffer depression, anxiety and addiction as those whose parents have never been depressed, according to a 2006 study in the American Journal of Psychiatry. And research on identical twins (who share the same DNA) raised in separate families has shown that if one develops depression, the other is likely to, which points to a significant hereditary role, Sommers says.
"I wouldn't be fatalistic, but if you have an increased risk, be mindful of that," Duckworth says.
If depression runs in your family, find out what treatment benefited your loved ones. It may help you, too, he says.
Myth: Antidepressants will change my personality.
Fact: Antidepressants won't change one's personality.
Modern antidepressants are used to increase the circulation of serotonin and norephinephrine in the brain. The drugs can make you feel better, but they don't alter the traits that make you you, Sommers says.
"There's some concern about emotional numbing -- that by diminishing the bad feelings, [the drugs will] diminish the good ones; there's no real good evidence of it," he says.
Adds Duckworth: "Medicines don't help with persistent negative thoughts, but they may help with sleep, appetite, energy -- the biological pieces to the puzzle."
Myth: Antidepressants help everyone.
Fact: At best, 60 percent of people get better with antidepressants.
Psychiatric meds might improve certain symptoms of depression, but they're not going to affect life circumstances or counterproductive thinking. The STAR*D trial, a large federally funded study, found that just 40 percent of people improve with the first antidepressant they try, a number that goes up to 60 percent once you count the people who try more than one. More recently, a January report in JAMA found that people with mild depression weren't helped any more with an antidepressant than they were with a placebo, so if your depression isn't severe, you may want to consider exercise and psychotherapy first.
"There's some evidence that the combination of medication and psychotherapy is better than either one alone," Sommers says. And, he adds, the effects of psychotherapy seem to be more durable than drugs.
Myth: Women with postpartum depression are bad mothers who kill their children.
Fact: Postpartum depression isn't a character flaw, and psychosis is rare.
An estimated 9 to 16 percent of American women suffer from postpartum depression, or depression following childbirth, according to NAMI. Signs include feelings of guilt, anxiety and fear that make it difficult to function. It's rare -- between one to four in every 1,000 births -- that a mom suffers postpartum psychosis, the condition Andrea Yates' lawyers argued caused her to drown her five children. In those cases, women may have delusions, confusion, rapid mood swings and thoughts of hurting themselves or their child, according to NAMI.
"It's a reversible condition," Duckworth says.
But how quickly a woman is treated and the effects on her baby depend on her support net. Babies of postpartum moms can be at extra risk of language and behavior problems, as well as experience difficulty bonding with their mothers, the association says.
By Jordan Lite
Wondering how to tell the difference between depression and the blues? Worried that drugs taken to treat the condition will turn you into another person entirely?
There are many myths about depression, which will affect an estimated 32 to 35 million Americans at some point in their lives, according to a 2003 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Read on for eight common misconceptions and what's really true about this disabling condition.
Myth: Depression affects only women.
Fact: Depression can affect anyone.
Depression is nearly twice as common in women as in men, but men still get depressed -- especially as they get older -- and may feel a loss from career changes or the death of a spouse, says Dr. David Sommers, a scientific review officer at the National Institute of Mental Health.
"It is true that depression is more common in women than in men and that women are more likely to seek help than men, but men have trouble with their vulnerability and are more likely to use counterproductive coping strategies," such as alcohol, than to ask for help, Duckworth says.
Depression in guys can also look different than it does in women: Men are more likely to feel tired and irritable and lose interest in work or hobbies, while women tend to feel guilty, sad or worthless, according to the NIMH.
Myth: Depression is an adult problem.
Fact: Children can get depressed, too.
"Depression can happen across the lifespan," Duckworth says.
Some 8 percent of kids ages 12 to 17 suffer a depressive episode, according to the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. But depression can look different in children and teens than it does in adults.
"Teens and children are more likely to show people rather than tell them they're depressed," Duckworth says. "Most adults can identify that they feel down, sad, and not every kid is able to articulate that."
A depressed kid may frequent the school nurse, complaining of bellyaches and headaches, he says, while depressed teens may be irritable and angry.
Myth: Depression isn't a medical problem; you could get over it if you wanted to.
Fact: Depression is a medical problem that can require help to overcome.
"This is a treatable condition and not a right-wrong fault issue. But that is a common misconception," Duckworth says. "Being sad, grieving a loss -- these are not clinical syndromes, but when you have a collection of symptoms that continue for weeks and are associated with sleep problems, negative thoughts, thoughts of suicide -- that's different from being down in the dumps."
The key distinction is how long and how severly you feel this way and whether your ability to function at home and work are affected.
Myth: Depression is a normal part of being a teenager.
Fact: Adolescent moodiness is not the same thing as teen depression.
"I don't consider depression a natural outcome of being a teenager," Duckworth says. "However, being a teenager can be a risky business."
Be on the lookout for how long a teen's symptoms last and how severe they are. Irritability, anger, falling grades, trouble at school, time alone and drug and alcohol use can be signs of more than just the blues.
"Many teens have conflict with their parents and struggle with their identity, but normal adolescents don't talk about killing themselves or losing interest in their friends," Duckworth says.
Myth: Depression is all in your genes.
Fact: Depression runs in families, but genes are not determining factors.
Family history does influence the likelihood of developing depression. Children whose parents experienced depression are three times as likely to suffer depression, anxiety and addiction as those whose parents have never been depressed, according to a 2006 study in the American Journal of Psychiatry. And research on identical twins (who share the same DNA) raised in separate families has shown that if one develops depression, the other is likely to, which points to a significant hereditary role, Sommers says.
"I wouldn't be fatalistic, but if you have an increased risk, be mindful of that," Duckworth says.
If depression runs in your family, find out what treatment benefited your loved ones. It may help you, too, he says.
Myth: Antidepressants will change my personality.
Fact: Antidepressants won't change one's personality.
Modern antidepressants are used to increase the circulation of serotonin and norephinephrine in the brain. The drugs can make you feel better, but they don't alter the traits that make you you, Sommers says.
"There's some concern about emotional numbing -- that by diminishing the bad feelings, [the drugs will] diminish the good ones; there's no real good evidence of it," he says.
Adds Duckworth: "Medicines don't help with persistent negative thoughts, but they may help with sleep, appetite, energy -- the biological pieces to the puzzle."
Myth: Antidepressants help everyone.
Fact: At best, 60 percent of people get better with antidepressants.
Psychiatric meds might improve certain symptoms of depression, but they're not going to affect life circumstances or counterproductive thinking. The STAR*D trial, a large federally funded study, found that just 40 percent of people improve with the first antidepressant they try, a number that goes up to 60 percent once you count the people who try more than one. More recently, a January report in JAMA found that people with mild depression weren't helped any more with an antidepressant than they were with a placebo, so if your depression isn't severe, you may want to consider exercise and psychotherapy first.
"There's some evidence that the combination of medication and psychotherapy is better than either one alone," Sommers says. And, he adds, the effects of psychotherapy seem to be more durable than drugs.
Myth: Women with postpartum depression are bad mothers who kill their children.
Fact: Postpartum depression isn't a character flaw, and psychosis is rare.
An estimated 9 to 16 percent of American women suffer from postpartum depression, or depression following childbirth, according to NAMI. Signs include feelings of guilt, anxiety and fear that make it difficult to function. It's rare -- between one to four in every 1,000 births -- that a mom suffers postpartum psychosis, the condition Andrea Yates' lawyers argued caused her to drown her five children. In those cases, women may have delusions, confusion, rapid mood swings and thoughts of hurting themselves or their child, according to NAMI.
"It's a reversible condition," Duckworth says.
But how quickly a woman is treated and the effects on her baby depend on her support net. Babies of postpartum moms can be at extra risk of language and behavior problems, as well as experience difficulty bonding with their mothers, the association says.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Old People & Weed
Weed Making Inroads Among Retirees
Tom Barlow, AOL
Although California has a huge population of residents carrying prescriptions for medical marijuana, the social stigma attached to the drug has led the elderly to be very hesitant about adopting it as a palliative for age-related problems such as loss of appetite, nausea and chronic pain.
Now a luxury retirement community in Orange County, Laguna Woods Village, whose residents have discovered pot's benefits, has made weed easier to obtain by establishing its own pot collective.
The community set up its collective because, although there are thousands of clinics in the state selling marijuana, none were convenient to the residents, some of whom have very limited mobility.
For the greatest generation, taught to believe that marijuana was as addictive and deadly as drugs such as heroin, the reality has come as a pleasant surprise to many. NPR reports on the epiphany of a 73-year-old Leisure World resident and synchronized swimmer who found it effective in countering her nausea.
The fact that the retirees are receiving recommendations to try pot for their ills from their peers leads me to believe that the use of it on the West Coast has reached a critical mass. We could well see demand for legalization, at least for medical reasons, swell among the retiree community across the country.
As a boomer, I expect that when our generation retires, many may choose to pull out the E-Z wides, fire up a blunt, order a pizza, and crank up Dark Side of the Moon once again, and not just for medical reasons.
A national columnist (name escapes me) recently wrote a tongue-in-cheek column in which he offered to voluntarily give up his driver's license on his 80th birthday in return for the right to all the drugs he wants.
Medical or recreational, is there a good reason why those who have worked a lifetime should be denied the opportunity to spend their golden years in a haze if they so choose?
Old people, what are you gonna do with them?
Tom Barlow, AOL
Although California has a huge population of residents carrying prescriptions for medical marijuana, the social stigma attached to the drug has led the elderly to be very hesitant about adopting it as a palliative for age-related problems such as loss of appetite, nausea and chronic pain.
Now a luxury retirement community in Orange County, Laguna Woods Village, whose residents have discovered pot's benefits, has made weed easier to obtain by establishing its own pot collective.
The community set up its collective because, although there are thousands of clinics in the state selling marijuana, none were convenient to the residents, some of whom have very limited mobility.
For the greatest generation, taught to believe that marijuana was as addictive and deadly as drugs such as heroin, the reality has come as a pleasant surprise to many. NPR reports on the epiphany of a 73-year-old Leisure World resident and synchronized swimmer who found it effective in countering her nausea.
The fact that the retirees are receiving recommendations to try pot for their ills from their peers leads me to believe that the use of it on the West Coast has reached a critical mass. We could well see demand for legalization, at least for medical reasons, swell among the retiree community across the country.
As a boomer, I expect that when our generation retires, many may choose to pull out the E-Z wides, fire up a blunt, order a pizza, and crank up Dark Side of the Moon once again, and not just for medical reasons.
A national columnist (name escapes me) recently wrote a tongue-in-cheek column in which he offered to voluntarily give up his driver's license on his 80th birthday in return for the right to all the drugs he wants.
Medical or recreational, is there a good reason why those who have worked a lifetime should be denied the opportunity to spend their golden years in a haze if they so choose?
Old people, what are you gonna do with them?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Can Stress Be Good for Your Career? By Liz Lynch
In the new book The Right Fight: How Great Leaders Use Healthy Conflict to Drive Performance, Innovation, and Value, authors Saj-Nicole Joni and Damon Beyer state that contrary to popular belief, happy employees aren't necessarily the most driven or best employees, and that tension, channeled properly, can create breakthrough performance. Joni and Beyer cite a range of case studies from Campbell Soup, GE, Dove and Microsoft to demonstrate how a certain amount of struggle and stress energizes organizations and individuals.
Looking for a job, or even trying to keep one in this uncertain economy can also put a great deal of stress on individuals, but learning how to direct it in productive ways may actually improve your results.
Here are key principles from The Right Fight that you can apply to your own career advancement to help turn any stress and tension you're feeling into a winning outcome:
1. Focus on the future, not the past. One of the questions I get all the time from job seekers is how to answer the question "What do you do?" which always comes up in networking situations. I tell them not to get bogged down in the details of what happened but instead, be able to clearly articulate where they want to go from here. On the job as well, getting caught up in the blame game is just a waste of energy.
2. Pursue a noble purpose. Your most immediate career desire may be for a steady paycheck to pay your bills. While that goal is certainly important, it's not tremendously inspiring. I don't know anyone who jumps out of bed in the morning excited to pay bills, even when money isn't an issue. Challenging yourself to find a deeper purpose in your work will keep you motivated on a daily basis, and especially when the going gets tough.
3. Structure formally, but work informally. This is where relationships come in. Tapping into your contacts for ideas, feedback and information can help you solve problems more quickly, get answers and uncover new opportunities.
4. Turn pain into gain. Just as athletes improve their performance through intense training, investing time in your own personal development can make you a stronger player in the organization. Stretch your skills into new areas and acquire new knowledge to keep yourself relevant.
Looking for a job, or even trying to keep one in this uncertain economy can also put a great deal of stress on individuals, but learning how to direct it in productive ways may actually improve your results.
Here are key principles from The Right Fight that you can apply to your own career advancement to help turn any stress and tension you're feeling into a winning outcome:
1. Focus on the future, not the past. One of the questions I get all the time from job seekers is how to answer the question "What do you do?" which always comes up in networking situations. I tell them not to get bogged down in the details of what happened but instead, be able to clearly articulate where they want to go from here. On the job as well, getting caught up in the blame game is just a waste of energy.
2. Pursue a noble purpose. Your most immediate career desire may be for a steady paycheck to pay your bills. While that goal is certainly important, it's not tremendously inspiring. I don't know anyone who jumps out of bed in the morning excited to pay bills, even when money isn't an issue. Challenging yourself to find a deeper purpose in your work will keep you motivated on a daily basis, and especially when the going gets tough.
3. Structure formally, but work informally. This is where relationships come in. Tapping into your contacts for ideas, feedback and information can help you solve problems more quickly, get answers and uncover new opportunities.
4. Turn pain into gain. Just as athletes improve their performance through intense training, investing time in your own personal development can make you a stronger player in the organization. Stretch your skills into new areas and acquire new knowledge to keep yourself relevant.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Funny Line & Bottom Line Intersect
The funny line and the bottom line intersect!
In a survey of 737 CEO’s, over 98% of them indicated they would much rather hire somebody with a good sense of humor than somebody without one. You can take your job seriously… and yourself lightly.
2 Jest for the health of it! Laughter enhances respiration and circulation, oxygenates the blood, suppresses the stress-related hormones in the brain, and activates the immune system. Indeed, laughter is the jest medicine.
3 Humor as an antidote to stress: Humor can help us move from a “grim and bear it” mentality to a “grin and share it” orientation. By using humor, you can prevent a “hardening of the attitudes,” which can help you add years to your life and life to your years.
4 “A smile is the shortest distance between
two people,” according to Victor Borge. Humor can be a magnet to attract people, to build positive working relationships, and to improve morale and teamwork.
5 The HAHA-AHA connection: There definitely is a connection between humor and creativity. Humor can jump-start your creativity and give you the energy to think (and laugh) outside the box.
6 The laughing-learning link: Humor can be a powerful (and delightful) way to capture and maintain attention and free up tension… which means that retention increases.
7 Your Resilience Quotient: Norman Cousins’ best-selling book, Anatomy of an Illness, certainly opened up many people’s eyes to the notion that “S/He who laughs lasts.” With humor, you can build resilience and get more smileage out of your life and work.
8 Humor as a saving (and amusing) grace for
the planet: As our world gets proverbially smaller all the time, humor could help build important bridges between countries and cultures. As Erma Bombeck once said, “When humor goes, there goes civilization!”
Adapted from LAUGHING MATTERS magazine published by The HUMOR Project, Inc. Copyright © 2008 The HUMOR Project, Inc.
In a survey of 737 CEO’s, over 98% of them indicated they would much rather hire somebody with a good sense of humor than somebody without one. You can take your job seriously… and yourself lightly.
2 Jest for the health of it! Laughter enhances respiration and circulation, oxygenates the blood, suppresses the stress-related hormones in the brain, and activates the immune system. Indeed, laughter is the jest medicine.
3 Humor as an antidote to stress: Humor can help us move from a “grim and bear it” mentality to a “grin and share it” orientation. By using humor, you can prevent a “hardening of the attitudes,” which can help you add years to your life and life to your years.
4 “A smile is the shortest distance between
two people,” according to Victor Borge. Humor can be a magnet to attract people, to build positive working relationships, and to improve morale and teamwork.
5 The HAHA-AHA connection: There definitely is a connection between humor and creativity. Humor can jump-start your creativity and give you the energy to think (and laugh) outside the box.
6 The laughing-learning link: Humor can be a powerful (and delightful) way to capture and maintain attention and free up tension… which means that retention increases.
7 Your Resilience Quotient: Norman Cousins’ best-selling book, Anatomy of an Illness, certainly opened up many people’s eyes to the notion that “S/He who laughs lasts.” With humor, you can build resilience and get more smileage out of your life and work.
8 Humor as a saving (and amusing) grace for
the planet: As our world gets proverbially smaller all the time, humor could help build important bridges between countries and cultures. As Erma Bombeck once said, “When humor goes, there goes civilization!”
Adapted from LAUGHING MATTERS magazine published by The HUMOR Project, Inc. Copyright © 2008 The HUMOR Project, Inc.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Laughter Is The Best Medicine
The human animal is a highly complex organism that lives in an equally, if not more, complex environment filled with a infinite number of stresses and messes, most of which are created by man himself. In a serious attempt to understand the complexities of human behavior and mental processes, we have developed the serious science called psychology. It is obvious to me that life is much too serious to be taken soooo seriously. Therefore, I intend to take a serious look at laughter and how it fits into the scheme of adjustment, relationships, and mental health before I get seriously ill.
According to Webster's New World Dictionary to laugh is "to make the explosive sounds of the voice and the characteristic movements of the features and body, that express mirth, amusement, ridicule, etc." While this definition is suggestive of the average belly laugh, it also correctly suggests, by the use of "etc.", that people laugh for all kinds of reasons, employing a wide variety of types of humor from simple expressions of joy to sarcasm that thinly veils fear and hostility. My intention is to explore not only the various types of humor at our disposal, but also the ways we can use humor in our lives to adjust to adversity and promote our own mental, emotional, and physical health.
All of the research I have done to date on the subject of humor, laughter, frivolity, levity, etc., supports my own theory that laughter is good for you which, as authors John-Roger and Peter McWilliams point out in their most recent book, Life 101, may be unfortunate. "If laughter were only forbidden, then people would do it all the time. The rebel yell would be replaced by the rebel yuck. They'd have laugh police. If they caught you laughing, they'd write you a ticket. Stand-up comics would become stand-up convicts. Sitcoms would be sitcons. Children's programming would have to be watched very carefully. We wouldn't want anyone pushing humor on young, innocent minds. 'What are you kids doing in there?' 'We're drinking beer and smoking cigarettes.' 'That's OK, but no laughing.'"{2}
But, seriously, folks... While there is a lack of solid scientific research into humor therapy, there is considerable case-study and testimonial evidence to support prescribing humor as an adjunct to the more specific forms of therapy, such as diet, medication, and surgery in treating physical illness. Perhaps one of the most published and discussed cases of healing with laughter is that of Norman Cousins. In his book Anatomy of an Illness As Perceived by the Patient, Mr. Cousins describes how he took it upon himself to use humor therapy in conjunction with medical treatment to treat a rare collagen disease from which his doctors had given him little hope of recovery. He developed a systematic program of viewing "Candid Camera" and old Marx Brothers films and reading humorous books. The results he reported were, "that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep."{3} The only side-effect from this approach was that it sometimes disturbed the other patients.
Laughter as a means of pain control can be attributed to several things. It reduces muscle tension, distracts attention from the pain, has a positive effect on a person's attitude and can actually stimulate the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. In addition, laughter stimulates the cardiovascular system thereby increasing oxygenation of the blood which further promotes healing.
"Norman Cousins calls laughter a form of internal jogging. In responding to the initial phase of a typical joke, comedy routine or story, muscle tension increases in anticipation of the climax of the story or punchline. Immediately following the story climax, the thorax (chest), abdomen and face get a vigorous workout. In convulsive laughter, where the individual really breaks up, even the legs and arms are involved. During this phase, heart rate, breathing and circulation are speeded up. When the spasm of laughter subsides, the pulse rate drops below normal and the skeletal muscles become deeply relaxed. During the laughter response, the body is revitalized by what sometimes is called internal massage."{4}
Beyond the physiological effects of laughter, a good sense of humor is essential for dealing with all the negative stress and anxiety-producing hassles and obstacles involved in living life on planet earth. The Martian character in Robert A. Heinlein's science fiction novel Stranger In A Strange Land, perhaps states this best in his efforts to understand human behavior. "I've found out why people laugh. They laugh because it hurts... because it's the only thing that'll make it stop hurting." He goes on to observe, "The goodness is in the laughing. I grok (Martian for comprehend) it is a bravery...and a sharing...against pain and sorrow and defeat."{5}
In the face the twentieth century accelerated pace of life, extreme job competition, a sharp rise in the crime rate, phenomenal societal use of drugs and alcohol, and a plethora of self–help books on supermarket shelves, it is difficult to devalue a good sense of humor (unlike the US dollar). Our society has become the living theater of the absurd. Our choices would appear to lie between total despair and laughter.
Humor is the sense of the absurd which is despair refusing to take itself seriously. — Arland Ussher —
In the treatment of moderate depression, as in the treatment of physical illness, humor can be a powerful tool. According to Dr. Laurence J. Peter, "The lack of humor and laughter in an individual who normally displays a sense of humor is an indicator of depression. Playfulness and depression are incompatible states of mind. Because playfulness is a prerequisite for humor, the amount of laughter and joking shown by an individual is a good day-by-day picture of his / her progress into or out of depression."{6} Dr. Peter goes on to point out that humor has the power to reduce tensions, as discussed earlier. It can also provide an outlet for otherwise unacceptable feelings, put an individual in a frame of mind conducive to constructive communication with others, often on sensitive matters. And humor can often lead to insight into causes of conflict and emotional disturbance, whatever that cause might be, such as job loss, death of a loved one, divorce or separation, etc.
It might be appropriate at this time to insert a note of caution regarding the use of humor, for there are times when humor can be inappropriate and counter-productive. Humans seem to have a great capacity for turning any tool into a weapon. The same holds true in the use of humor. When we laugh at new ideas we can retard progress, be it in trying to solve the problems of daily living or problems in business. While healthy humor can relive tension and restore perspective, there are sick forms of humor, such as "put-down" comments and insult jokes that can be painful to the point of devastation for the one who is the brunt of this so-called humor. In fact, what is often passed off as a joke or teasing is in reality thinly veiled hostility on the part of the "joker". Certainly a jocular put-down is better than a direct verbal attack or overt violence, but it has been my experience that any form of hurting others has a nasty boomerang effect. An eye-for-an-eye approach to life produces a lot of blind people. We would do well to be vigilant self-monitors of the times our wry cynicism becomes hurtful sarcasm. It is a very narrow path.
In the arena of business management humor has been found to be a powerful tool if it is not used to block new ideas, as mentioned earlier. Often a hot debate in a board meeting can be cooled by a well-timed anecdote, setting the atmosphere for win-win solutions to problems that affect the direction and success of an entire company.
Many companies are beginning to see the wisdom in fostering a certain amount of measured fun in the workplace to boost loyalty, enthusiasm, and productivity in the employees. These tactics can range from familiar activities like company picnics, Christmas parties, athletic events, and casual dress days to the more outlandish "costume" days. A company in Redmond, Washington, that makes heart monitors and defibrillators lightened up their dull workplace by having an employee dress up like a clown and pedal a tricycle towing a little red wagon that carried a siren and a banner announcing production of $500,000 worth of goods everytime they reached this mark in production. While this created a temporary disruption of work, sometimes as often as three times a day, overall production soared.{7}
It is apparent to me that arguments for the uses and value of humor could fill volumes. I would like to conclude with some of my own personal observations. If I had even a penny for the times I have been able to laugh in the face of conflict, adversity, and pain I would be extremely wealthy in monetary terms. As it is, no amount of money can match the treasure I possess in my ability to laugh. I might add that while laughter can ease physical and emotional pain, laughing is just plain fun and brings great joy to my life. I have often been accused of being a very silly person. To that I say, "Thank you! And thank God, or whoever gave me such a precious gift." I try to never leave home without it. The beauty of humor is that if it is lost or misplaced, it can be created in the time it takes to smile. So " don't worry—be happy ! "
Footnotes
1. Reader's Digest. — Blatantly stolen title.
2. John-Roger and Peter McWilliams. Life 101 p. 335.
3. Norman Cousins. Anatomy of an Illness As Perceived by the Patient p. 39.
4. Dr. Laurence J. Peter. The Laughter Prescription p. 7.
5. Robert A. Heinlein. Stranger In A Strange Land pp. 299 – 300.
6. Dr. Laurence J. Peter. The Laughter Prescription p. 71.
7. Charles A. Jaffe. Management By Fun, Nation's Business, Jan. 1990.
Rats Tickled with new Rodent Laughter Research
Winona Daily News — Monday, May 4, 1998
Associated Press
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Rats just want to have fun. The fact that rats can laugh, and do, is nothing new to scientists, but a researcher at Bowling Green State University found that the rodents most people consider filthy pests are also playful and love to be ticlded.
"About a year ago, I literally came into the lab one morning and said, 'Let's go tickle some rats,"' said Jaak Panksepp, a psychobiologist. "As soon as we did it, it was 'Eureka!' This vocalization came on right away, and more intense than before. And the data have literally been flowing ever since."
A graduate student came up with the idea of recording the giggling rats by using "bat detectors," sophisticated instruments that register high-pitched sounds humans cannot hear.
"Lo and behold ... it sounded like a playground," Panksepp said, adding that keeping rats laughing isn't difficult.
"It's quite easy. They're small, of course, but it's really no different than running your fingers as if you're tickling a child," he said. "You get the most laughter at the nape of the neck, where they direct each other's play behavior."
Rats register their gratitude with little nips.
It Wasn't Funny, but Test Had Patient Laughing
Star Tribune – Wednesday, March 18, 1998
Health Notebook by Gordon Slovut
New York Times
Life, it seems, imitates humor as well as art.
Back in the 1930s, humorist Robert Benchley, who poked fun at scientists and academics who took themselves too seriously, wrote a mock analysis, "Why We Laugh – Or Do We?"
In a footnote, he wrote "Schwanzleben, in his work 'Humor After Death,' hits on this point indirectly when he says, 'All laughter is a muscular rigidity spasmodically relieved by involuntary twitching. It can be induced by the application of electricity as well as by a socalled joke.' "
Little did Benchley know that someday the imaginary Schwanzleben would turn out to be very nearly right.
In a recent article in the journal Nature, Dr. Itzhak Fried and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles, wrote that stand-up comics, sitcom script writers and even amateur jokesmiths must now confront the fact that scientists can make people laugh – and even invent a plausible reason for laughing - merely by delivering a tiny electrical shock to the right spot of the brain.
While searching for the possible causes of a 16-year-old girl's epileptic seizures, the UCIA team found that an electrode touching a tiny patch of brain in the "supplementary motor area" of her left front lobe made her laugh.
There was nothing forced or artificial about it. Amazingly, the girl said she perceived genuine humor in her mundane surroundings. At one point she told the researchers, "You guys are just so funny standing around." Her reaction, they wrote, "suggests a close link between the motor, affective and cognitive components of laughter."
The UCLA team also discovered that "the duration and intensity of laughter increased with the level of stimulation current," they reported. "At low currents, only a smile was present, while at higher currents a robust contagious laughter was induced."
— Questions, comments? Call Star Tribune medical writer Gordon Slovut at 673–9083. Please leave your name and phone number.
Entrepreneur Discovers Humor Helps with Cancer
Star Tribune – Sunday, April 12,1998
Small Business by Dick Youngblood
There were a couple of portentous events that triggered Chris Clifford's extraordinary response to her bout with breast cancer three years ago.
One was the clinical depression that had gripped her mother, who died of cancer at age 42.
"When she was diagnosed, she withdrew to her bedroom and never came out again" in the three years before she died, said Clifford, 44. For her and her three siblings, "it was depressing beyond comprehension."
And it left Clifford, following her own cancer diagnosis in December 1994, determined to "celebrate life for as long as it lasts" with her husband, John, and sons, Tim and Brooks.
The other event occurred shortly before she was to begin cancer treatments, when several friends came up with the inspired notion of throwing her a "chemotherapy shower."
"For a while everyone was ill at ease, not knowing what to say or how to act," said Clifford, who at the time was recovering from what appears to have been a successful lumpectomy. Then someone offered her a cigarette, and her response not only broke the party ice, but inspired a thriving cottage industry.
"Gee, no thanks, I already have cancer," she said to an explosion of laughter.
That's when it hit Clifford, a workaholic senior executive of a large marketing firm, that "there has to be a market out there for products that offer humor and support" to cancer victims and their loved ones.
The Cancer Club
Although it took several months of planning to get things going, that party was the birth of The Cancer Club, a home-based Edina business that offers victims of cancer a variety of what Clifford calls "humorous and helpful products."
There's a video that tells women what to expect following surgery and outlines an exercise regimen that helps them regain normal use of their arms.
There are soft-cover books that tell the story of Clifford's illness in prose and in cartoons depicting humorous moments during her battle with cancer.
And there are audio tapes of the motivational speeches she's been giving around the country, plus a newsletter with 5,000 subscribers and a computer program that helps people find laughter in their own lives.
Throw in some gold "Attitude" pins sold in pop-up jewelry boxes designed to look like hats, include some T-shirts and coffee mugs bearing the "Cancer Club" name and its logo of a bald-headed woman, and you've got a business that generated revenues of more than $165,000 in 1997.
More surprising, that revenue level was reached despite the fact that Clifford continued working full time as a senior officer of Spar Marketing Services in Bloomington until July.
Compared with her career at Spar, a company that provides in-store support services to the packaged goods industry that might look like pretty small spuds. After all, just before her cancer was diagnosed, Clifford had signed Procter & Gamble to a $21 million contract.
Business of humor
But she figures The Cancer Club still has a ways to go: "I really think therapeutic humor can be a very big business, " Clifford said.
She might be right. Her first book, "Not Now ... I'm Having a No Hair Day," has sold 30,000 copies in bookstores and to hospitals and clinics since it was published in mid–1996.
The book, which chronicles her illness and recovery is decorated with 60 cartoons drawn by illustrator Jack Lindstrom, who produces the syndicated "Executive Suite" strip. All the drawings are based on actual events — including the cigarette yarn cited above — and they can leave you wondering whether to laugh or cry.
There's son Tim, then 11 years old, asking: "Mom, when can I stop worrying?"
And his brother, Brooks, then 8, greeting the delivery man at the door and shouting out, "Mom ... more flowers for your breast."
And the relative who explodes in indignation: "You're writing a humorous book about cancer? You're sick!"
There are some unexpected triumphs as well: Consider, for example, the traffic cop who stopped to give her a ticket and wound up giving her an escort after she explained, "Look, I've just finished chemotherapy and I was speeding home to get sick."
Late last year, Clifford published another cartoon book, this one for children, entitled "Our Family Has Cancer Too." That one has sold about 3,000 copies, mostly to support groups, hospitals and clinics.
Despite the comparatively brisk book sales, however, the largest part of the business so far has been the exercise videos. Some 20,000 have been sold to pharmaceuticals giant Schering-Plough Corp., to be distributed with a drug used treat breast-cancer patients.
But that could change. A favorable review of her audio tapes in the January issue of the Library Journal has generated 10 to 15 orders a day at prices ranging from $9.95 to $12.95.
And interest is growing in a new computer program, called SMILE, which allows a user to fill out a questionnaire designed to assess one's sense of humor, then offers a "laughter prescription" that includes recommendations, for books, movies and activities that might lighten the mood.
More important, having freed herself of full-time employment outside her business, Clifford already has booked 40 speaking engagements that promise to generate nearly $120,000 in 1998 revenues, compared with 20 engagements that brought in about $52,000 in all of 1997.
The upshot: The Cancer Club's revenues in the first quarter of '98 were up 27 percent from the fourth quarter, to more than $50,000. If she can maintain that growth rate — and she figures she can, given the jump in speaking engagements — then revenues this year would top $210,000.
Whatever the total, Clifford figures she's made enough to start giving something back: Since starting The Cancer Club, she's contributed about $20,000 to nonprofit, cancer-related causes. And this fall she's sponsoring the Christine Clifford Celebrity Golf Invitational at the Minikahda Country Club to benefit the Cancer Society.
Mental Attitude and Self Image
By Gus J. Prosch, Jr., M.D.
With a good positive mental attitude, you will ...
Look Better, Feel Better, and Heal Better.
Our libraries are full of all types of books that will help you develop a better positive mental attitude. God tells us, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he," Proverbs 23:7. I have rephrased this proverb to make it a little easier to us to understand: "We become what we think about." Because of this, we need to try to force ourselves to think good positive, goal-oriented thoughts at all times. By doing this, because we truly become what we think about, we will soon find ourselves actually becoming whatever these thoughts are that we have been forcing ourselves to continually think about. You may want to get my tape recording entitled, Remove the Fat Between Your Ears, which will give some real detailed instructions on how you can get some real direction in your life. I have explained in this recording a simple technique that will force you to think positive about everything you do. I have seen this technique actually change people's lives around 100%, and it has done so for me on several occasions.
The truth is that every circumstance of your life can be looked upon from a positive or negative viewpoint — it's entirely up to you. Dr. Robert Schuller gave an excellent example of this in the following story. He said:
"One of my favorite stories is the classic story of the Chinese who had one horse and one son. One day his horse broke out of the corral and fled to the freedom of the hills. The neighbors came around that night and chattered. "Your horse got out? What bad luck!"
"Why?" the old Chinese said. "How do you know it's bad luck?" Sure enough, the next night the horse came back to his familiar corral for his usual feeding and watering, leading twelve wild stallions with him. The farmer's son saw the 13 horses in the corral, slipped out and locked the gate. Suddenly, he had 13 horses instead of none.
"The neighbors heard the good news and came chattering to the farmer. "Oh, you have 13 horses. What good luck!"
"The old Chinese answered, "How do you know that's good luck?" Some days later, his strong young son was trying to break one of the wild stallions, only to be thrown off and his leg broken. The neighbors came back that night and passed another hasty judgment. "Your son broke his leg? What bad luck". "And the wise farmer answered again, "How do you know it's bad luck?'
"Sure enough, a few days later, a 'Chinese War Lord' came through town and conscripted every able–bodied young man, taking them off to war, never to return again. But the young man was saved because of his broken leg. Only God knows what's good for us and what's bad for us."
Another important factor is for you to try to always feel good about yourself and have a positive self-image. Do you have basically positive feelings or basically negative feelings about the person you see in the mirror? Do you love yourself or hate yourself? King Solomon put it this way: "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones" (Proverbs 17:22). Without a positive self-image, you will not properly digest and assimilate your food or the nutrients in your food. If this happens, the foods can become toxic within your intestine and a negative self-image, as well as other emotional and spiritual stresses interferes with our digestive system from functioning property. Some researchers are convinced that the colon (large intestine) is a manifester of the emotions. So much so that a wise doctor in Philadelphia some years ago remarked that "the colon is the mirror of the mind and when the mind gets tight, the colon gets tight." On the other hand, positive feelings toward yourself relaxes the intestines, stimulating the proper functioning which will give you the best possible digestion and nutrition.
It is also believed by most authorities that when you have relationships that are not good with other people, they usually result from a negative self-image. If we don't get along with ourselves, we tend not to get along with others. Other people tend to react to the negative image that we project. Negative relationships affect our bodies just like a negative self-image. For these reasons, we should all strive to develop a good positive mental attitude at all times and to keep a good self image concerning ourselves. I've seen so many people who live their lives according to what other people may think about them. Frankly, this is a rather stupid attitude, because when the real facts are known, most of the people you meet do not care that much about you or what you are or what you think unless it affects their own pocketbook. The important thing is to be genuinly yourself, and we all know what we really are inside because we cannot fool ourselves. So don't live your life according to what you think people may think about you, but live your life in truth and be genuine to yourself then, you will always maintain a good positive self-image about yourself.
Stress and Stress Management
Many human illnesses are directly related to stress, isolation, emotions, pressures from society and the negative effects of the social, political and industrial choices we are required to make each day. Stress therefore affects us physically, mentally, emotionally, and influences all our behaviors. Stress may be defined as a demand for adaptation. It has been shown, however, that we humans respond to demands not as they actually are, but as we perceive them to be. A stress may be real or imagined.
There are many types of stress we constantly face. These stress factors may be physical (exposure to the extremes of temperature, injuries, or accidents), chemical (exposure to pollutants, allergens, poisons, toxins, and drugs), microbiological (germs, bacteria, viruses, fungus, and other microorganisms), psychological or extreme emotional states (fear, anger, sadness, or a sense of loss), mental functioning (suppression or repression), as well as inborn drives to hurry, to succeed, to compete, as well as sociocultural (work pressures, crime, IRS, regulations, financial crisis and peer and parental pressure). Stress affects practically every organ in the body and if not controlled can certainly aggravate and complicate most any known disease or illness. The intention of this discussion is to summarize for you some suggestions on how you can better cope with stress and methods that have been proven to help relieve stress in your life. These methods help you reduce stress, relax better, and enjoy life more.
Stress is the response of your mind, emotions and body to whatever demands are being made on you. So the important thing is that it's not so much what happens to you that determines the effect on stress upon your body, but the way that you respond to it. The ideal response is a relaxed, carefree and positive thinking reaction. This in itself will prevent many problems when you are faced with stressful situations. And don't forget, there are two kinds of stress, positive and negative. Positive stress is happy, desirable, controllable, easy-going good stress like being informed that you've just had an increase in salary. Negative stress, however, is maddening, sad, disturbing, uncontrollable and depressing like having an argument or being in an accident or losing a loved one. This is the worst type of stress you can have, and if you can learn to face it in a relaxed, carefree, positive thinking manner, it will not cause nearly the harm to your system as to the average person.
Develop a positive attitude about everything you do.
The Bible tells us, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." We become what we think about. If we constantly think about negative, bad problems and thoughts, we are simply going to create more of these bad situations to face from now on. The Public Library is full of books that will show you how to think positively.
Tell yourself to relax totally.
By simply sitting down and taking some deep abdominal breaths and closing your eyes, try to relax all over. Sit in a comfortable chair and tell yourself that you are totally relaxing as you visualize in your mind - your feet relaxing, then your lower legs relaxing, then your upper legs, then your pelvis, then your stomach, then your chest and your hands, and your lower arms, your upper arms, your neck, and your head. Then, visualize yourself in your mind's eye as being totally relaxed. A few minutes of this will do wonders to relieve stress in your entire system.
Practice breathing exercises to relax.
You should use abdominal breathing to relax totally. Sit in a very relaxed position in a comfortable chair with your hands on the arms of the chair and your feet on the floor. Breathe in slowly through your nose as you expand your abdomen and imagine that you have a balloon inside your abdomen, and, as you inhale, you are slowly inflating the balloon, which will cause your abdominal area to swell. Then, breathe out slowly through your nose. Pull your abdominal muscles in as you press all of the air out of your lungs. You should take several breaths in this manner, and it will help relax you. Another variation of this type of exercise is to use abdominal breathing as you inhale deeply through your nose. Then, exhale through your puckered mouth as if you were blowing out a candle. Repeat this several times.
Cultivate a good sense of humor.
Laughing always relieves stress. If you know yourself, you know what things make you laugh. If you would try to do these things more often, this will help you relieve stress. Remind yourself to have fun. This may mean going to a comedy movie or picking up a book of funny jokes to read to get you laughing. You may even consider keeping a laugh scrapbook where you can keep a record of all letters, funny jokes, poems, limericks, or anything you have collected that made you laugh. Read through these in times of severe stress.
Listening to relaxing music will dissolve your tension.
Listening to your favorite music is an excellent way to relieve stress. Instrumental music like that performed by the harp, piano, string ensembles, or the flute tend to be more soothing than vocal pieces which may distract you. While enjoying the relaxing music, you will notice that you are breathing more slowly and deeply which means you are relaxing more.
Call a relative or friend.
When hit with any type of stressful situation, an excellent technique is to call a close friend or family member and discuss the situation with them, which can help you get a clearer picture as to how you may solve any existing problem. Do not keep it pent up inside of you as it will build and grow within.
Exercise or take a brisk walk to lift your spirit.
Any type of exercise and especially brisk walking will result in very effective stress reduction. The faster you walk, or the harder you exercise, the more your stress will be relieved. This is because certain neurotransmitters are released during the exercise process for about 20 minutes. Try not to think about your problems while you are walking or exercising.
Stretch or yawn for better relaxation
Yawning itself is a very effective way to relieve stress. If you yawn and try to stretch your muscles as far as you can, this will add effects to the stress relieving techniques. If you develop tension in your neck, shoulders and upper body, the simple shoulder shrug will help relax these muscles. Bring your shoulders up to your earlobes for three or four seconds, and then drop your shoulders down and think — shoulders up, shoulders down. Do this 3 or 4 times. Another simple exercise is "reaching for the sky." Try to push your arms upward and slightly backwards, and feel these muscles in your shoulders and upper back stretching. Hold this position for 10 to 15 seconds as you breathe normally. Stretching any muscles in your body will help you relax more.
Take a nature break.
If there is any way you can get out in the country, or out in the woods to get away from your present problems, even for a short time, this can do wonders for your stressful situation. It may be that going to the river and just sitting and watching the clouds go by and admiring the scenery will be of benefit to you. Even watching a video or going to a movie involving the great outdoors can be very relaxing.
Take a vacation or a weekender.
Getting away from your stressful environment is always relaxing. However, you should try not to feel guilty about not working when you "get away from it all". When you do this, you should relax mentally, physically, and emotionally and learn to let everything go. Tell yourself that it's okay not to work at times. The best form is a vacation that lasts for at least a week to get maximum benefits however.
Get proper rest.
Sound sleep each night is a perfect antidote to stress. To do this, stick to a regular sleep schedule and try to begin relaxing about an hour before you go to bed. Don't eat a big meal before going to bed, and be sure that you sleep in a very comfortable environment. Also, taking a 15-minute nap in the afternoon if you can arrange it, will be very stress relieving.
Prayer will break the anxiety cycle.
Praying can strengthen your religious beliefs and provide you with strength during times of loss or hardship, which may include the death of a loved one, an injury or illness, or financial problems. Praying can teach forgiveness, patience and understanding and relieve some of the negative emotions like anger, bitterness, and hostility. This is an excellent stress reliever.
Of course, there are other stress-relieving techniques such as getting a pet ( Excellent for Many ), but the important thing is to Do Something To Relieve the Existing Situation !
A time comes in your life when you finally get it ... when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out ...
ENOUGH!
Enough fighting and crying and blaming and struggling to hold on. Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.
This is your awakening.
You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon.
You realize that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you ... and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance. You approve of who or what you are ... and that's OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.
You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself ... and in the process a sense of newfound confidence is born of self-approval.
You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you – or didn't do for you – and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.
You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that everything isn't always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself ... and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.
You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties ... and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.
You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view.
You Begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.
You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with.
You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix.
You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.
You learn that you don't know everything, it's not your job to save the world and that you can't teach a pig to sing.
You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.
Then you learn about love.
You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be.
You learn that alone does not mean lonely. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes.
You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.
You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.
You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect.
You begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and take more time to exercise.
You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.
You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance.
You also learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it's OK to risk asking for help.
You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself.
You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.
You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.
You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people ... and you learn not to always take it personally.
You learn that nobody's punishing you and everything isn't always somebody's fault. It's just life happening.
You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.
You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.
You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.
Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart's desire.
You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.
You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.
Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.
BREATHE in and BREATHE out LIGHT and LOVE daily.
ALL IS WELL.
Author unknown
A Place Where Everyone is in a Good Mood
No Need for Heart By-Pass Operations !
No Need for Balloon Angioplasty procedures !!!
No Need to Replace Heart Valves because of Plaque Deposits !!!
No Need to Amputate limbs because of Poor Circulation !
Kidney Stones can be removed in Doctors office in about 6 hours !
Arrhythmias corrected in less than 2 hours !
Lower Blood Pressure !
Dr. T.C. McDaniel — 91 years old, and Loving his work
According to Webster's New World Dictionary to laugh is "to make the explosive sounds of the voice and the characteristic movements of the features and body, that express mirth, amusement, ridicule, etc." While this definition is suggestive of the average belly laugh, it also correctly suggests, by the use of "etc.", that people laugh for all kinds of reasons, employing a wide variety of types of humor from simple expressions of joy to sarcasm that thinly veils fear and hostility. My intention is to explore not only the various types of humor at our disposal, but also the ways we can use humor in our lives to adjust to adversity and promote our own mental, emotional, and physical health.
All of the research I have done to date on the subject of humor, laughter, frivolity, levity, etc., supports my own theory that laughter is good for you which, as authors John-Roger and Peter McWilliams point out in their most recent book, Life 101, may be unfortunate. "If laughter were only forbidden, then people would do it all the time. The rebel yell would be replaced by the rebel yuck. They'd have laugh police. If they caught you laughing, they'd write you a ticket. Stand-up comics would become stand-up convicts. Sitcoms would be sitcons. Children's programming would have to be watched very carefully. We wouldn't want anyone pushing humor on young, innocent minds. 'What are you kids doing in there?' 'We're drinking beer and smoking cigarettes.' 'That's OK, but no laughing.'"{2}
But, seriously, folks... While there is a lack of solid scientific research into humor therapy, there is considerable case-study and testimonial evidence to support prescribing humor as an adjunct to the more specific forms of therapy, such as diet, medication, and surgery in treating physical illness. Perhaps one of the most published and discussed cases of healing with laughter is that of Norman Cousins. In his book Anatomy of an Illness As Perceived by the Patient, Mr. Cousins describes how he took it upon himself to use humor therapy in conjunction with medical treatment to treat a rare collagen disease from which his doctors had given him little hope of recovery. He developed a systematic program of viewing "Candid Camera" and old Marx Brothers films and reading humorous books. The results he reported were, "that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep."{3} The only side-effect from this approach was that it sometimes disturbed the other patients.
Laughter as a means of pain control can be attributed to several things. It reduces muscle tension, distracts attention from the pain, has a positive effect on a person's attitude and can actually stimulate the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. In addition, laughter stimulates the cardiovascular system thereby increasing oxygenation of the blood which further promotes healing.
"Norman Cousins calls laughter a form of internal jogging. In responding to the initial phase of a typical joke, comedy routine or story, muscle tension increases in anticipation of the climax of the story or punchline. Immediately following the story climax, the thorax (chest), abdomen and face get a vigorous workout. In convulsive laughter, where the individual really breaks up, even the legs and arms are involved. During this phase, heart rate, breathing and circulation are speeded up. When the spasm of laughter subsides, the pulse rate drops below normal and the skeletal muscles become deeply relaxed. During the laughter response, the body is revitalized by what sometimes is called internal massage."{4}
Beyond the physiological effects of laughter, a good sense of humor is essential for dealing with all the negative stress and anxiety-producing hassles and obstacles involved in living life on planet earth. The Martian character in Robert A. Heinlein's science fiction novel Stranger In A Strange Land, perhaps states this best in his efforts to understand human behavior. "I've found out why people laugh. They laugh because it hurts... because it's the only thing that'll make it stop hurting." He goes on to observe, "The goodness is in the laughing. I grok (Martian for comprehend) it is a bravery...and a sharing...against pain and sorrow and defeat."{5}
In the face the twentieth century accelerated pace of life, extreme job competition, a sharp rise in the crime rate, phenomenal societal use of drugs and alcohol, and a plethora of self–help books on supermarket shelves, it is difficult to devalue a good sense of humor (unlike the US dollar). Our society has become the living theater of the absurd. Our choices would appear to lie between total despair and laughter.
Humor is the sense of the absurd which is despair refusing to take itself seriously. — Arland Ussher —
In the treatment of moderate depression, as in the treatment of physical illness, humor can be a powerful tool. According to Dr. Laurence J. Peter, "The lack of humor and laughter in an individual who normally displays a sense of humor is an indicator of depression. Playfulness and depression are incompatible states of mind. Because playfulness is a prerequisite for humor, the amount of laughter and joking shown by an individual is a good day-by-day picture of his / her progress into or out of depression."{6} Dr. Peter goes on to point out that humor has the power to reduce tensions, as discussed earlier. It can also provide an outlet for otherwise unacceptable feelings, put an individual in a frame of mind conducive to constructive communication with others, often on sensitive matters. And humor can often lead to insight into causes of conflict and emotional disturbance, whatever that cause might be, such as job loss, death of a loved one, divorce or separation, etc.
It might be appropriate at this time to insert a note of caution regarding the use of humor, for there are times when humor can be inappropriate and counter-productive. Humans seem to have a great capacity for turning any tool into a weapon. The same holds true in the use of humor. When we laugh at new ideas we can retard progress, be it in trying to solve the problems of daily living or problems in business. While healthy humor can relive tension and restore perspective, there are sick forms of humor, such as "put-down" comments and insult jokes that can be painful to the point of devastation for the one who is the brunt of this so-called humor. In fact, what is often passed off as a joke or teasing is in reality thinly veiled hostility on the part of the "joker". Certainly a jocular put-down is better than a direct verbal attack or overt violence, but it has been my experience that any form of hurting others has a nasty boomerang effect. An eye-for-an-eye approach to life produces a lot of blind people. We would do well to be vigilant self-monitors of the times our wry cynicism becomes hurtful sarcasm. It is a very narrow path.
In the arena of business management humor has been found to be a powerful tool if it is not used to block new ideas, as mentioned earlier. Often a hot debate in a board meeting can be cooled by a well-timed anecdote, setting the atmosphere for win-win solutions to problems that affect the direction and success of an entire company.
Many companies are beginning to see the wisdom in fostering a certain amount of measured fun in the workplace to boost loyalty, enthusiasm, and productivity in the employees. These tactics can range from familiar activities like company picnics, Christmas parties, athletic events, and casual dress days to the more outlandish "costume" days. A company in Redmond, Washington, that makes heart monitors and defibrillators lightened up their dull workplace by having an employee dress up like a clown and pedal a tricycle towing a little red wagon that carried a siren and a banner announcing production of $500,000 worth of goods everytime they reached this mark in production. While this created a temporary disruption of work, sometimes as often as three times a day, overall production soared.{7}
It is apparent to me that arguments for the uses and value of humor could fill volumes. I would like to conclude with some of my own personal observations. If I had even a penny for the times I have been able to laugh in the face of conflict, adversity, and pain I would be extremely wealthy in monetary terms. As it is, no amount of money can match the treasure I possess in my ability to laugh. I might add that while laughter can ease physical and emotional pain, laughing is just plain fun and brings great joy to my life. I have often been accused of being a very silly person. To that I say, "Thank you! And thank God, or whoever gave me such a precious gift." I try to never leave home without it. The beauty of humor is that if it is lost or misplaced, it can be created in the time it takes to smile. So " don't worry—be happy ! "
Footnotes
1. Reader's Digest. — Blatantly stolen title.
2. John-Roger and Peter McWilliams. Life 101 p. 335.
3. Norman Cousins. Anatomy of an Illness As Perceived by the Patient p. 39.
4. Dr. Laurence J. Peter. The Laughter Prescription p. 7.
5. Robert A. Heinlein. Stranger In A Strange Land pp. 299 – 300.
6. Dr. Laurence J. Peter. The Laughter Prescription p. 71.
7. Charles A. Jaffe. Management By Fun, Nation's Business, Jan. 1990.
Rats Tickled with new Rodent Laughter Research
Winona Daily News — Monday, May 4, 1998
Associated Press
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Rats just want to have fun. The fact that rats can laugh, and do, is nothing new to scientists, but a researcher at Bowling Green State University found that the rodents most people consider filthy pests are also playful and love to be ticlded.
"About a year ago, I literally came into the lab one morning and said, 'Let's go tickle some rats,"' said Jaak Panksepp, a psychobiologist. "As soon as we did it, it was 'Eureka!' This vocalization came on right away, and more intense than before. And the data have literally been flowing ever since."
A graduate student came up with the idea of recording the giggling rats by using "bat detectors," sophisticated instruments that register high-pitched sounds humans cannot hear.
"Lo and behold ... it sounded like a playground," Panksepp said, adding that keeping rats laughing isn't difficult.
"It's quite easy. They're small, of course, but it's really no different than running your fingers as if you're tickling a child," he said. "You get the most laughter at the nape of the neck, where they direct each other's play behavior."
Rats register their gratitude with little nips.
It Wasn't Funny, but Test Had Patient Laughing
Star Tribune – Wednesday, March 18, 1998
Health Notebook by Gordon Slovut
New York Times
Life, it seems, imitates humor as well as art.
Back in the 1930s, humorist Robert Benchley, who poked fun at scientists and academics who took themselves too seriously, wrote a mock analysis, "Why We Laugh – Or Do We?"
In a footnote, he wrote "Schwanzleben, in his work 'Humor After Death,' hits on this point indirectly when he says, 'All laughter is a muscular rigidity spasmodically relieved by involuntary twitching. It can be induced by the application of electricity as well as by a socalled joke.' "
Little did Benchley know that someday the imaginary Schwanzleben would turn out to be very nearly right.
In a recent article in the journal Nature, Dr. Itzhak Fried and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles, wrote that stand-up comics, sitcom script writers and even amateur jokesmiths must now confront the fact that scientists can make people laugh – and even invent a plausible reason for laughing - merely by delivering a tiny electrical shock to the right spot of the brain.
While searching for the possible causes of a 16-year-old girl's epileptic seizures, the UCIA team found that an electrode touching a tiny patch of brain in the "supplementary motor area" of her left front lobe made her laugh.
There was nothing forced or artificial about it. Amazingly, the girl said she perceived genuine humor in her mundane surroundings. At one point she told the researchers, "You guys are just so funny standing around." Her reaction, they wrote, "suggests a close link between the motor, affective and cognitive components of laughter."
The UCLA team also discovered that "the duration and intensity of laughter increased with the level of stimulation current," they reported. "At low currents, only a smile was present, while at higher currents a robust contagious laughter was induced."
— Questions, comments? Call Star Tribune medical writer Gordon Slovut at 673–9083. Please leave your name and phone number.
Entrepreneur Discovers Humor Helps with Cancer
Star Tribune – Sunday, April 12,1998
Small Business by Dick Youngblood
There were a couple of portentous events that triggered Chris Clifford's extraordinary response to her bout with breast cancer three years ago.
One was the clinical depression that had gripped her mother, who died of cancer at age 42.
"When she was diagnosed, she withdrew to her bedroom and never came out again" in the three years before she died, said Clifford, 44. For her and her three siblings, "it was depressing beyond comprehension."
And it left Clifford, following her own cancer diagnosis in December 1994, determined to "celebrate life for as long as it lasts" with her husband, John, and sons, Tim and Brooks.
The other event occurred shortly before she was to begin cancer treatments, when several friends came up with the inspired notion of throwing her a "chemotherapy shower."
"For a while everyone was ill at ease, not knowing what to say or how to act," said Clifford, who at the time was recovering from what appears to have been a successful lumpectomy. Then someone offered her a cigarette, and her response not only broke the party ice, but inspired a thriving cottage industry.
"Gee, no thanks, I already have cancer," she said to an explosion of laughter.
That's when it hit Clifford, a workaholic senior executive of a large marketing firm, that "there has to be a market out there for products that offer humor and support" to cancer victims and their loved ones.
The Cancer Club
Although it took several months of planning to get things going, that party was the birth of The Cancer Club, a home-based Edina business that offers victims of cancer a variety of what Clifford calls "humorous and helpful products."
There's a video that tells women what to expect following surgery and outlines an exercise regimen that helps them regain normal use of their arms.
There are soft-cover books that tell the story of Clifford's illness in prose and in cartoons depicting humorous moments during her battle with cancer.
And there are audio tapes of the motivational speeches she's been giving around the country, plus a newsletter with 5,000 subscribers and a computer program that helps people find laughter in their own lives.
Throw in some gold "Attitude" pins sold in pop-up jewelry boxes designed to look like hats, include some T-shirts and coffee mugs bearing the "Cancer Club" name and its logo of a bald-headed woman, and you've got a business that generated revenues of more than $165,000 in 1997.
More surprising, that revenue level was reached despite the fact that Clifford continued working full time as a senior officer of Spar Marketing Services in Bloomington until July.
Compared with her career at Spar, a company that provides in-store support services to the packaged goods industry that might look like pretty small spuds. After all, just before her cancer was diagnosed, Clifford had signed Procter & Gamble to a $21 million contract.
Business of humor
But she figures The Cancer Club still has a ways to go: "I really think therapeutic humor can be a very big business, " Clifford said.
She might be right. Her first book, "Not Now ... I'm Having a No Hair Day," has sold 30,000 copies in bookstores and to hospitals and clinics since it was published in mid–1996.
The book, which chronicles her illness and recovery is decorated with 60 cartoons drawn by illustrator Jack Lindstrom, who produces the syndicated "Executive Suite" strip. All the drawings are based on actual events — including the cigarette yarn cited above — and they can leave you wondering whether to laugh or cry.
There's son Tim, then 11 years old, asking: "Mom, when can I stop worrying?"
And his brother, Brooks, then 8, greeting the delivery man at the door and shouting out, "Mom ... more flowers for your breast."
And the relative who explodes in indignation: "You're writing a humorous book about cancer? You're sick!"
There are some unexpected triumphs as well: Consider, for example, the traffic cop who stopped to give her a ticket and wound up giving her an escort after she explained, "Look, I've just finished chemotherapy and I was speeding home to get sick."
Late last year, Clifford published another cartoon book, this one for children, entitled "Our Family Has Cancer Too." That one has sold about 3,000 copies, mostly to support groups, hospitals and clinics.
Despite the comparatively brisk book sales, however, the largest part of the business so far has been the exercise videos. Some 20,000 have been sold to pharmaceuticals giant Schering-Plough Corp., to be distributed with a drug used treat breast-cancer patients.
But that could change. A favorable review of her audio tapes in the January issue of the Library Journal has generated 10 to 15 orders a day at prices ranging from $9.95 to $12.95.
And interest is growing in a new computer program, called SMILE, which allows a user to fill out a questionnaire designed to assess one's sense of humor, then offers a "laughter prescription" that includes recommendations, for books, movies and activities that might lighten the mood.
More important, having freed herself of full-time employment outside her business, Clifford already has booked 40 speaking engagements that promise to generate nearly $120,000 in 1998 revenues, compared with 20 engagements that brought in about $52,000 in all of 1997.
The upshot: The Cancer Club's revenues in the first quarter of '98 were up 27 percent from the fourth quarter, to more than $50,000. If she can maintain that growth rate — and she figures she can, given the jump in speaking engagements — then revenues this year would top $210,000.
Whatever the total, Clifford figures she's made enough to start giving something back: Since starting The Cancer Club, she's contributed about $20,000 to nonprofit, cancer-related causes. And this fall she's sponsoring the Christine Clifford Celebrity Golf Invitational at the Minikahda Country Club to benefit the Cancer Society.
Mental Attitude and Self Image
By Gus J. Prosch, Jr., M.D.
With a good positive mental attitude, you will ...
Look Better, Feel Better, and Heal Better.
Our libraries are full of all types of books that will help you develop a better positive mental attitude. God tells us, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he," Proverbs 23:7. I have rephrased this proverb to make it a little easier to us to understand: "We become what we think about." Because of this, we need to try to force ourselves to think good positive, goal-oriented thoughts at all times. By doing this, because we truly become what we think about, we will soon find ourselves actually becoming whatever these thoughts are that we have been forcing ourselves to continually think about. You may want to get my tape recording entitled, Remove the Fat Between Your Ears, which will give some real detailed instructions on how you can get some real direction in your life. I have explained in this recording a simple technique that will force you to think positive about everything you do. I have seen this technique actually change people's lives around 100%, and it has done so for me on several occasions.
The truth is that every circumstance of your life can be looked upon from a positive or negative viewpoint — it's entirely up to you. Dr. Robert Schuller gave an excellent example of this in the following story. He said:
"One of my favorite stories is the classic story of the Chinese who had one horse and one son. One day his horse broke out of the corral and fled to the freedom of the hills. The neighbors came around that night and chattered. "Your horse got out? What bad luck!"
"Why?" the old Chinese said. "How do you know it's bad luck?" Sure enough, the next night the horse came back to his familiar corral for his usual feeding and watering, leading twelve wild stallions with him. The farmer's son saw the 13 horses in the corral, slipped out and locked the gate. Suddenly, he had 13 horses instead of none.
"The neighbors heard the good news and came chattering to the farmer. "Oh, you have 13 horses. What good luck!"
"The old Chinese answered, "How do you know that's good luck?" Some days later, his strong young son was trying to break one of the wild stallions, only to be thrown off and his leg broken. The neighbors came back that night and passed another hasty judgment. "Your son broke his leg? What bad luck". "And the wise farmer answered again, "How do you know it's bad luck?'
"Sure enough, a few days later, a 'Chinese War Lord' came through town and conscripted every able–bodied young man, taking them off to war, never to return again. But the young man was saved because of his broken leg. Only God knows what's good for us and what's bad for us."
Another important factor is for you to try to always feel good about yourself and have a positive self-image. Do you have basically positive feelings or basically negative feelings about the person you see in the mirror? Do you love yourself or hate yourself? King Solomon put it this way: "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones" (Proverbs 17:22). Without a positive self-image, you will not properly digest and assimilate your food or the nutrients in your food. If this happens, the foods can become toxic within your intestine and a negative self-image, as well as other emotional and spiritual stresses interferes with our digestive system from functioning property. Some researchers are convinced that the colon (large intestine) is a manifester of the emotions. So much so that a wise doctor in Philadelphia some years ago remarked that "the colon is the mirror of the mind and when the mind gets tight, the colon gets tight." On the other hand, positive feelings toward yourself relaxes the intestines, stimulating the proper functioning which will give you the best possible digestion and nutrition.
It is also believed by most authorities that when you have relationships that are not good with other people, they usually result from a negative self-image. If we don't get along with ourselves, we tend not to get along with others. Other people tend to react to the negative image that we project. Negative relationships affect our bodies just like a negative self-image. For these reasons, we should all strive to develop a good positive mental attitude at all times and to keep a good self image concerning ourselves. I've seen so many people who live their lives according to what other people may think about them. Frankly, this is a rather stupid attitude, because when the real facts are known, most of the people you meet do not care that much about you or what you are or what you think unless it affects their own pocketbook. The important thing is to be genuinly yourself, and we all know what we really are inside because we cannot fool ourselves. So don't live your life according to what you think people may think about you, but live your life in truth and be genuine to yourself then, you will always maintain a good positive self-image about yourself.
Stress and Stress Management
Many human illnesses are directly related to stress, isolation, emotions, pressures from society and the negative effects of the social, political and industrial choices we are required to make each day. Stress therefore affects us physically, mentally, emotionally, and influences all our behaviors. Stress may be defined as a demand for adaptation. It has been shown, however, that we humans respond to demands not as they actually are, but as we perceive them to be. A stress may be real or imagined.
There are many types of stress we constantly face. These stress factors may be physical (exposure to the extremes of temperature, injuries, or accidents), chemical (exposure to pollutants, allergens, poisons, toxins, and drugs), microbiological (germs, bacteria, viruses, fungus, and other microorganisms), psychological or extreme emotional states (fear, anger, sadness, or a sense of loss), mental functioning (suppression or repression), as well as inborn drives to hurry, to succeed, to compete, as well as sociocultural (work pressures, crime, IRS, regulations, financial crisis and peer and parental pressure). Stress affects practically every organ in the body and if not controlled can certainly aggravate and complicate most any known disease or illness. The intention of this discussion is to summarize for you some suggestions on how you can better cope with stress and methods that have been proven to help relieve stress in your life. These methods help you reduce stress, relax better, and enjoy life more.
Stress is the response of your mind, emotions and body to whatever demands are being made on you. So the important thing is that it's not so much what happens to you that determines the effect on stress upon your body, but the way that you respond to it. The ideal response is a relaxed, carefree and positive thinking reaction. This in itself will prevent many problems when you are faced with stressful situations. And don't forget, there are two kinds of stress, positive and negative. Positive stress is happy, desirable, controllable, easy-going good stress like being informed that you've just had an increase in salary. Negative stress, however, is maddening, sad, disturbing, uncontrollable and depressing like having an argument or being in an accident or losing a loved one. This is the worst type of stress you can have, and if you can learn to face it in a relaxed, carefree, positive thinking manner, it will not cause nearly the harm to your system as to the average person.
Develop a positive attitude about everything you do.
The Bible tells us, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." We become what we think about. If we constantly think about negative, bad problems and thoughts, we are simply going to create more of these bad situations to face from now on. The Public Library is full of books that will show you how to think positively.
Tell yourself to relax totally.
By simply sitting down and taking some deep abdominal breaths and closing your eyes, try to relax all over. Sit in a comfortable chair and tell yourself that you are totally relaxing as you visualize in your mind - your feet relaxing, then your lower legs relaxing, then your upper legs, then your pelvis, then your stomach, then your chest and your hands, and your lower arms, your upper arms, your neck, and your head. Then, visualize yourself in your mind's eye as being totally relaxed. A few minutes of this will do wonders to relieve stress in your entire system.
Practice breathing exercises to relax.
You should use abdominal breathing to relax totally. Sit in a very relaxed position in a comfortable chair with your hands on the arms of the chair and your feet on the floor. Breathe in slowly through your nose as you expand your abdomen and imagine that you have a balloon inside your abdomen, and, as you inhale, you are slowly inflating the balloon, which will cause your abdominal area to swell. Then, breathe out slowly through your nose. Pull your abdominal muscles in as you press all of the air out of your lungs. You should take several breaths in this manner, and it will help relax you. Another variation of this type of exercise is to use abdominal breathing as you inhale deeply through your nose. Then, exhale through your puckered mouth as if you were blowing out a candle. Repeat this several times.
Cultivate a good sense of humor.
Laughing always relieves stress. If you know yourself, you know what things make you laugh. If you would try to do these things more often, this will help you relieve stress. Remind yourself to have fun. This may mean going to a comedy movie or picking up a book of funny jokes to read to get you laughing. You may even consider keeping a laugh scrapbook where you can keep a record of all letters, funny jokes, poems, limericks, or anything you have collected that made you laugh. Read through these in times of severe stress.
Listening to relaxing music will dissolve your tension.
Listening to your favorite music is an excellent way to relieve stress. Instrumental music like that performed by the harp, piano, string ensembles, or the flute tend to be more soothing than vocal pieces which may distract you. While enjoying the relaxing music, you will notice that you are breathing more slowly and deeply which means you are relaxing more.
Call a relative or friend.
When hit with any type of stressful situation, an excellent technique is to call a close friend or family member and discuss the situation with them, which can help you get a clearer picture as to how you may solve any existing problem. Do not keep it pent up inside of you as it will build and grow within.
Exercise or take a brisk walk to lift your spirit.
Any type of exercise and especially brisk walking will result in very effective stress reduction. The faster you walk, or the harder you exercise, the more your stress will be relieved. This is because certain neurotransmitters are released during the exercise process for about 20 minutes. Try not to think about your problems while you are walking or exercising.
Stretch or yawn for better relaxation
Yawning itself is a very effective way to relieve stress. If you yawn and try to stretch your muscles as far as you can, this will add effects to the stress relieving techniques. If you develop tension in your neck, shoulders and upper body, the simple shoulder shrug will help relax these muscles. Bring your shoulders up to your earlobes for three or four seconds, and then drop your shoulders down and think — shoulders up, shoulders down. Do this 3 or 4 times. Another simple exercise is "reaching for the sky." Try to push your arms upward and slightly backwards, and feel these muscles in your shoulders and upper back stretching. Hold this position for 10 to 15 seconds as you breathe normally. Stretching any muscles in your body will help you relax more.
Take a nature break.
If there is any way you can get out in the country, or out in the woods to get away from your present problems, even for a short time, this can do wonders for your stressful situation. It may be that going to the river and just sitting and watching the clouds go by and admiring the scenery will be of benefit to you. Even watching a video or going to a movie involving the great outdoors can be very relaxing.
Take a vacation or a weekender.
Getting away from your stressful environment is always relaxing. However, you should try not to feel guilty about not working when you "get away from it all". When you do this, you should relax mentally, physically, and emotionally and learn to let everything go. Tell yourself that it's okay not to work at times. The best form is a vacation that lasts for at least a week to get maximum benefits however.
Get proper rest.
Sound sleep each night is a perfect antidote to stress. To do this, stick to a regular sleep schedule and try to begin relaxing about an hour before you go to bed. Don't eat a big meal before going to bed, and be sure that you sleep in a very comfortable environment. Also, taking a 15-minute nap in the afternoon if you can arrange it, will be very stress relieving.
Prayer will break the anxiety cycle.
Praying can strengthen your religious beliefs and provide you with strength during times of loss or hardship, which may include the death of a loved one, an injury or illness, or financial problems. Praying can teach forgiveness, patience and understanding and relieve some of the negative emotions like anger, bitterness, and hostility. This is an excellent stress reliever.
Of course, there are other stress-relieving techniques such as getting a pet ( Excellent for Many ), but the important thing is to Do Something To Relieve the Existing Situation !
A time comes in your life when you finally get it ... when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out ...
ENOUGH!
Enough fighting and crying and blaming and struggling to hold on. Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.
This is your awakening.
You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon.
You realize that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you ... and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance. You approve of who or what you are ... and that's OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.
You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself ... and in the process a sense of newfound confidence is born of self-approval.
You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you – or didn't do for you – and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.
You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that everything isn't always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself ... and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.
You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties ... and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.
You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view.
You Begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.
You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with.
You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix.
You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.
You learn that you don't know everything, it's not your job to save the world and that you can't teach a pig to sing.
You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.
Then you learn about love.
You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be.
You learn that alone does not mean lonely. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes.
You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.
You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.
You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect.
You begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and take more time to exercise.
You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.
You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance.
You also learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it's OK to risk asking for help.
You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself.
You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.
You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.
You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people ... and you learn not to always take it personally.
You learn that nobody's punishing you and everything isn't always somebody's fault. It's just life happening.
You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.
You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.
You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.
Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart's desire.
You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.
You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.
Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.
BREATHE in and BREATHE out LIGHT and LOVE daily.
ALL IS WELL.
Author unknown
A Place Where Everyone is in a Good Mood
No Need for Heart By-Pass Operations !
No Need for Balloon Angioplasty procedures !!!
No Need to Replace Heart Valves because of Plaque Deposits !!!
No Need to Amputate limbs because of Poor Circulation !
Kidney Stones can be removed in Doctors office in about 6 hours !
Arrhythmias corrected in less than 2 hours !
Lower Blood Pressure !
Dr. T.C. McDaniel — 91 years old, and Loving his work
Monday, August 31, 2009
A Radical Approach to Being Laid Off: When Just Surviving Just Isn't Good Enough! by Dr. Bill Crawford (I believe)
Everyone knows that being laid off can negatively affect one's health and well-being. Feelings of rejection, being unfairly treated, and fear of the future can lead to stress, resentment, and anger, which can create health problems such as ulcers, headaches, insomnia, and of course, depression. What everyone doesn't know, however, is that these problems could be minimized if we just knew what was really going on "under the hood,” or what happens in our brain and our body that triggers these negative physical, mental and emotional reactions. In other words, to deal with the trauma of being laid off in a way that goes beyond “just surviving,” we need to understand that the negative emotions and health problems we experience are simply chemical changes in our body triggered by a very specific part of our brain.
Here is how all this works: After being laid off we are thrown into "survival mode" by the part of our brain responsible for survival, the brainstem. This lower 20 percent of our brain then triggers the release of "fight or flight" chemicals such as adrenaline, nor adrenaline, and cortisol, which produce emotions such as anger, frustration and resentment. The reason this does not help is that we are not in a “fight or flight” situation! Quite the contrary, what we really need to deal with the situation at hand (being laid off) is access to our best thinking, or the clarity, confidence and creativity that allows us to do more than just survive. What we really need is the ability to shift to the upper 80 percent of our brain (the Neocortex) and shift our focus from stopping the problem (worry, depression and resentment) to starting the solution and moving from surviving to thriving.
You see, after being laid off, most of us find ourselves asking brainstem questions such as, “How could they treat me this way? What did I do to deserve this? Who do they think they are laying me off after I have been a loyal employee for so many years? What am I going to do now?” etc. Basically, we are asking ourselves questions about the problem, which almost always revolve around “Who is to blame?” or “What’s wrong with them? Or what’s wrong with me?”
While understandable, these questions only serve to engage the lower 20 percent of our brain, which responds by increasing blood pressure, heart rate and muscle tension. Of course, this only has us feeling more stressed, frustrated, angry, etc. which again re-engages the brainstem and has us feeling “all stressed up and no where to go.” This is why so many people feel trapped, confused and paralyzed after being laid off. They are trying to solve the problem from the part of the brain that is incapable of the kind of clarity, confidence and creativity they need to deal with the situation successfully.
What’s the solution? First, we may need to “grieve the shattered dream,” or allow ourselves to feel the emotions of grief over the loss of what we had hoped would be a job where we would finally be recognized for the valuable people we are. After a “good cry” (which often, women are able to accomplish more successfully than men), we will want to shift from a focus on the pain of past to our ability to become more influential in our present and future.
We do this by asking ourselves Neocortex questions, or questions that engage the upper 80 percent of our brain where we have access to the clarity, confidence and creativity necessary to move forward. Interestingly enough, one of the most powerful examples of such a “Top of the Mind” question is:
If my grown child were in this position, what would I advise him or her to do?
For example we might encourage someone we loved to shift their focus from the past and “Who’s to blame?” to the present and future. We might encourage them to take stock, or become clear about their attributes, or the qualities and characteristics that make them valuable to potential employers. One way of doing this is to ask ourselves the Neocortex question: “If I was the person responsible for hiring, would I hire me?” If so, why? And then make a list of these attributes. You see, we know who we are and what we bring to our roles as professionals better than anyone. And thus, as we become clear about the qualities and characteristics we possess that would be of value to any organization, we begin to recognize our self-worth.
This clarity allows us then to look at the world of work from a very different, Top of the Mind perspective. Now we know that some organization will soon be very fortunate to discover that we are available, and therefore we can begin to evaluate potential employers in terms of whether we want to work for them, (a Neocortex perspective) rather than the fear that we are now, somehow “damaged goods” (a brainstem interpretation and certainly not one we would recommend to someone we loved).
It also makes it easier for us to contact our friends and let them know of our availability. Because rather than coming from the shame and/or resentment of being laid off (brainstem),we now know that when our friends recommend someone as qualified and valuable as ourselves to their friends and colleagues, it will reflect positively on everyone!
Plus, this clarity of our value and worth allows you to go into future interviews confident in the fact that this organization would be fortunate to have someone like you working for it. This confidence is contagious in that when prospective employers sense that you are confident in yourself, they can be more confident in making the decision to hire you. It also allows you to respond to questions and participate in the process of finding a new job from a more creative perspective because you are coming from the clear, confident and creative part of your mind.
Bottom line: when we want to do more than “just survive” after a lay off, we must access the part of our brain responsible for more than just survival. We must access the wise, supportive and intelligent “Top of the Mind” and treat ourselves like we would treat someone we loved.
Then, as we take this loving wisdom and apply it to our lives, we too move from surviving to thriving and are able to bring our best to life and our new position!
Here is how all this works: After being laid off we are thrown into "survival mode" by the part of our brain responsible for survival, the brainstem. This lower 20 percent of our brain then triggers the release of "fight or flight" chemicals such as adrenaline, nor adrenaline, and cortisol, which produce emotions such as anger, frustration and resentment. The reason this does not help is that we are not in a “fight or flight” situation! Quite the contrary, what we really need to deal with the situation at hand (being laid off) is access to our best thinking, or the clarity, confidence and creativity that allows us to do more than just survive. What we really need is the ability to shift to the upper 80 percent of our brain (the Neocortex) and shift our focus from stopping the problem (worry, depression and resentment) to starting the solution and moving from surviving to thriving.
You see, after being laid off, most of us find ourselves asking brainstem questions such as, “How could they treat me this way? What did I do to deserve this? Who do they think they are laying me off after I have been a loyal employee for so many years? What am I going to do now?” etc. Basically, we are asking ourselves questions about the problem, which almost always revolve around “Who is to blame?” or “What’s wrong with them? Or what’s wrong with me?”
While understandable, these questions only serve to engage the lower 20 percent of our brain, which responds by increasing blood pressure, heart rate and muscle tension. Of course, this only has us feeling more stressed, frustrated, angry, etc. which again re-engages the brainstem and has us feeling “all stressed up and no where to go.” This is why so many people feel trapped, confused and paralyzed after being laid off. They are trying to solve the problem from the part of the brain that is incapable of the kind of clarity, confidence and creativity they need to deal with the situation successfully.
What’s the solution? First, we may need to “grieve the shattered dream,” or allow ourselves to feel the emotions of grief over the loss of what we had hoped would be a job where we would finally be recognized for the valuable people we are. After a “good cry” (which often, women are able to accomplish more successfully than men), we will want to shift from a focus on the pain of past to our ability to become more influential in our present and future.
We do this by asking ourselves Neocortex questions, or questions that engage the upper 80 percent of our brain where we have access to the clarity, confidence and creativity necessary to move forward. Interestingly enough, one of the most powerful examples of such a “Top of the Mind” question is:
If my grown child were in this position, what would I advise him or her to do?
For example we might encourage someone we loved to shift their focus from the past and “Who’s to blame?” to the present and future. We might encourage them to take stock, or become clear about their attributes, or the qualities and characteristics that make them valuable to potential employers. One way of doing this is to ask ourselves the Neocortex question: “If I was the person responsible for hiring, would I hire me?” If so, why? And then make a list of these attributes. You see, we know who we are and what we bring to our roles as professionals better than anyone. And thus, as we become clear about the qualities and characteristics we possess that would be of value to any organization, we begin to recognize our self-worth.
This clarity allows us then to look at the world of work from a very different, Top of the Mind perspective. Now we know that some organization will soon be very fortunate to discover that we are available, and therefore we can begin to evaluate potential employers in terms of whether we want to work for them, (a Neocortex perspective) rather than the fear that we are now, somehow “damaged goods” (a brainstem interpretation and certainly not one we would recommend to someone we loved).
It also makes it easier for us to contact our friends and let them know of our availability. Because rather than coming from the shame and/or resentment of being laid off (brainstem),we now know that when our friends recommend someone as qualified and valuable as ourselves to their friends and colleagues, it will reflect positively on everyone!
Plus, this clarity of our value and worth allows you to go into future interviews confident in the fact that this organization would be fortunate to have someone like you working for it. This confidence is contagious in that when prospective employers sense that you are confident in yourself, they can be more confident in making the decision to hire you. It also allows you to respond to questions and participate in the process of finding a new job from a more creative perspective because you are coming from the clear, confident and creative part of your mind.
Bottom line: when we want to do more than “just survive” after a lay off, we must access the part of our brain responsible for more than just survival. We must access the wise, supportive and intelligent “Top of the Mind” and treat ourselves like we would treat someone we loved.
Then, as we take this loving wisdom and apply it to our lives, we too move from surviving to thriving and are able to bring our best to life and our new position!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Meditation: Getting StartedHow to relax the Buddhist way
Buddhism offers a rich variety of meditation practices. The following basic exercise in focusing attention comes from B. Alan Wallace's The Attention Revolution.
Begin by sitting on a cushion with your legs crossed or, if that's uncomfortable, in a chair or even lying on your back, but always with your back straight and body relaxed. Your eyes may be
closed, half-closed or open.
Be at ease. Be still. Be vigilant.
Take three slow, gentle, deep breaths, breathing in and out through the nostrils. Let your awareness permeate your entire body as you breathe, noting any sensations that arise. Now settle your respiration in its natural flow. Observe the entire course of each in- and out-breath, noting whether it is long or short, deep or shallow, slow or fast. Don't impose any rhythm on your breathing. Let the body breathe as if you were fast asleep, but with your mind vigilant.
Thoughts are bound to arise involuntarily, and your attention may also be pulled away by noises and other stimuli from your environment. When you note that you have become distracted, instead of tightening up and forcing your attention back to the breath, simply let go of these thoughts and distractions. Don't get upset. Just be happy that you've noticed the distraction, and gently return to the breath.
Continue the practice initially for 24 minutes a day. If necessary, beginners can use the mental training wheels of counting each inhale, up to 21. Each time the mind wanders, return to one again.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Humor In The Workplace
By Daniel Robin
Two executives walk into a bar. One says to the other "I've been thinking. If you took over as CEO, I could retire early." The other executive responds, "Sure, dear, but not until after we put the kids to bed."
(What? Oh, I get it ... that's like a joke, but not as funny. What matters is that now we've opened up the door for something funnier to come along. As the saying goes, "you can't fall off the floor.")
Humor's Risks and Rewards.
Humor's Risks and Rewards.
When humor can be used to bridge gaps, relieve tension, or add enjoyment to work relationships, everyone benefits. When it is used to mask true feelings — often the case with sarcasm — or, when cultural and style differences lead to misinterpretation, there's likely a cost.
Is humor part of your natural style? If so, let's check out how to manage the risks of having fun. If not, that's okay ... I hear they pay pretty well at the DMV (oops, there goes my license).
Being PC in a World That Isn't
Is humor part of your natural style? If so, let's check out how to manage the risks of having fun. If not, that's okay ... I hear they pay pretty well at the DMV (oops, there goes my license).
Being PC in a World That Isn't
Being politically correct in a world of political hypocracy and madness can be quite a trick. In the past, if someone or something was different from us, we'd tend to make fun — a natural (though perhaps immature) response. How do you currently deal with people or events you don't understand?
Nowadays, diversity and gender sensitivity training asks that we respect and value the differences. Still, because old attitudes often die slowly, expect a gap between this espoused theory and daily practice. Can humor fill this gap? It can if you're willing to risk and learn.
I Don't Get It ... Is that a Joke?
I Don't Get It ... Is that a Joke?
For starters, if someone seems humor impaired (oh, excuse me, that's "levity challenged"), assume it's you that needs to lighten up, not them. In effect, they're not lacking a sense of humor ... it's just that you haven't yet found a way to get past the guard dog to tickle that soft underbelly. Keep trying (or pick on someone else's underbelly), paying close attention to the responses you get. Remember: a blank stare or no response is a response.
If the other person is noticeably upset, walk softly (and carry a big schtick? No. Be careful.). Initially match their mood or energy level. If you can't tell where they're coming from, ask. Putting yourself at choice in your use of humor is key to minimizing the risks. If you offend, learn from it. Apologize. This type of open exchange can, ironically, encourage healthier and more honest interactions.
Taking the Heat Off
When someone has a big problem with something you did (or didn't do), humor offers an effective alternative to either brushing them off, being defensive, or caving in. For example, if you just kept someone waiting, what if you say "I was abducted by aliens." That's probably better than saying "You messed up, you trusted me," or "Boy, some people never learn...." When in doubt, make fun of yourself.
The important thing is to show that you have a sense of humor and are willing to use it. Yes, if you go overboard with humor you might get yourself labeled a goof or "loose cannon." (So what do they know?! You can always just blow up their office.) There are times, however, when kidding around can be a tremendous asset, a compassionate and effective diplomatic tool. At other times, instead of being "nice," it might be more helpful to just be "real."
Humor is a tool, not a weapon. You’ll know you’re on the right track when the times are fun and the flies laugh more than they hurt. Or something like that....
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