Five Tips to Overcome Stress

Tip One

Being right can be overrated.

Sometimes an argument can ensue if you are really wanting to be right about something. Don't sweat the small stuff. If you absolutely know that you are right, but the other person either doesn't want to see your point of view, or is refusing to listen, then to keep at them, wanting to demonstrate to them that you are correct - will provoke and cause more stress for you. Let it go. You know deep down within that you have all the facts, but for the sake of your own peace - stay calm and let it go.

Tip Two

Don't over-analyse situations

I have looked at my budget, looked at my bank account, looked at my work schedule, gone back mentally over situations thinking that I may have caused somebody some angst, wondered what I coulda-shoulda-woulda in all those useless time wasting endeavours of trying to over-analyse what is going on in my situation. I would have been better off thinking that what is, what is... and if I can't change it, or do anything about it, then just leave it be. Do what I can, and then stop thinking about it.

Tip Three

Don't sweat the small stuff

This is a good one for parents. I have two teenagers and a toddler. I have two autistic teenagers and a partner gets frustrated with toddler mess and other things. A lot of the time, I have to compromise and bend around and twist, for the sake of peace. I have learned that sometimes the little things don't really matter. The messy bedroom, the teenage floor-robe of clothes all over the floor, emptying the bin after asking a gazillion times for the teenagers to do it. Concentrate on what matters - peaceful living. Ask yourself, and get away somewhere quiet if you need to, does this situation matter in the overall scheme of things? Have you got clean clothes, clean dishes, clean toilet and generally not tripping over things? The family wants to watch a particular DVD and you can't stand those kinds of movies. In the end, I have decided that to let them go and do what they want to do, and I can go and do something else to entertain myself.

Tip Four

Don't take on things that aren't your responsibility

Do you get caught up in being overly concerned in what other people are doing? Are you begging your partner to come to the movies with you to see a particular thing, and they just don't want to go? Can you make up your mind to set to yourself, and keep your issues separate from other people, or go on to the movies by yourself? You aren't responsible for another person's happiness, and they aren't responsible for your happiness, so maintain responsibility for attending to your own issues, and let other people be. Are other people prying into your business? Quickly put it to rest by saying that you would prefer not to discuss it, and don't offer your opinion freely. People quickly end up blaming you for their problems if they have asked for your opinions, and then the situation goes belly up. I end up telling people that they have the capacity to solve their own issues, or refer them to seeking professional advice.

Tip Five

Take care of your own legitimate needs
You have a legitimate need not to be a martyr for other people. If you want to help others, by all means help them, but don't compromise on your own legitimate needs such as getting enough sleep, not going out with friends to an expensive restaurant if you really can't afford it, getting enough exercise and getting enough rest and healthy food.

Four Magical Tips to Improve Your Memory

Aristotle's famous quote "Man is by nature a social animal" is quite true. We all are animals, but the thing that separates us from animals is the ability to use our brains. God has given us a brain which we can use and achieve the impossible. It was only a human brain that invented computers, a gadget that totally changed the life of human beings.

An important part of a having a good brain is to have a good memory. Today, in this competitive world everyone wants to stay ahead of others and that is only possible if you have a good memory. Even in the professional world one has to be mentally sharp in order to be a successful professional. There are different ways through which you can increase your memory power. Applying the below mentioned four tips can help you to achieve success in the academic as well as professional life.

Tip 1: Do not skip exercise and sleep. Both of them are equally important to nurture your brain. Exercising every day helps to intake oxygen in adequate amount inside your brain thereby activating the brain cells and thus improving the memory power.

Not having adequate sleep weakens the brain cells thereby reducing the creative capacity, problem solving abilities and analytical skills. Research has shown that during a deep sleep important memory enhancing activity takes place.

Tip 2: Keep good relationship with people. A study done by Harvard School of Public Health shows that people engaged in social life or interacting with others have a very good memory power. There are numerous ways on how we can improve the memory by frequent interactions with people such as joining an NGO and indulging in some activity or speaking with friends and relatives over the phone.
Laughing is yet another interesting way that always keeps the brain active and the memory sharp. Listening to jokes stimulates parts of the brain. If you are not able to do it then you can start laughing at yourself by explaining the most embarrassing situations of your life to friends.

Tip 3: Avoid taking too much stress. Taking too much stress destroys hippocampus, part of the brain from where all the creative ideas come out. Meditation is one of the most effective ways to drive away stress from the body. Studies have shown that people who meditate regularly enjoy life to the fullest.

Many people go in to depression and suffer from fatigue by taking too much stress as a result of which they are not able to focus on any work that they perform.

Tip 4: Have a healthy diet. Just as protein is necessary in order to have a muscular body; in the same way, our brain also needs quality food to keep it active all the time. Eating fruits and vegetables helps to prevent the cells of the brain from getting damaged. Green tea also works wonderfully and helps to improve the memory.

Consuming wine in moderation also helps to activate the brain cells, but it should not be consumed daily.

Hence applying the four simple tips you can see a drastic change in your memory in just a few days.

What Is The Best Memory Enhancer For You

The problem with finding out what is 'best' for any particular person is the fact that what may be the 'best' for you might not necessarily be the best for someone else. In fact, in many situations, what is the best for many people can turn out to be the worst possible option for many others. When figuring out what is the 'best' solution for memory enhancement, we have to remember that there is no such thing as a 'cookie cutter' solution. Different people from many different backgrounds have different daily routines and have different issues affecting them. Figuring out the best memory enhancement regimen or product for these individuals must recognize their unique situations and circumstances.

By addressing subjective differences and factoring in the specific circumstances and situations for each person, we can find what is 'best' for them. This is the only sensible solution to determining the 'best' solution-especially when it comes to something as delicate and sensitive as memory function. Keep the following tips in mind when looking for a memory enhancer that best fits your particular situation.

Figure out your level of memory deterioration

When trying to solve memory degradation, you don't want to put yourself in a situation where you are taking out ants with a flamethrower. In other words, there is no need to spend lots of money, time, and effort on brain boosting enhancements when you only need a little help. Similarly, you don't want to put yourself in a situation where you're trying to put out a fire by throwing thimbles full of water at the flames either. To avoid either scenario, you need an honest assessment of your memory state.

How bad are your memory problems? How often do you forget things? Do you forget things so much that it actually gets in the way of your life enjoyment or might subject you to possible harm or security risks? Figure out how bad your situation is before considering possible solutions.

Start low and slow

Once you have figured out the extent of your memory deterioration, you need to start slow. Start implementing memory boosting regimens and see if there is any improvement. If you see improvement, continue with the current level of memory boosting activities. If not, you need to ramp things up until you see some improvement. If you reach a point where you feel that you have done all you could do on an individual basis, you may need to go see your physician for professional intervention. At this point, medication and possible facility care might be in order. Regardless, when trying to address your memory issues, it is a good idea to start low and start slow. Again, you don't want to put yourself in a situation where you overreact and blast away at your problems when it turns out that a softer and gradual approach would have done the job.

Start with lifestyle

A lot of memory deterioration has to do with lifestyle. If you live a sedentary and hermit-like lifestyle, your chances of developing memory loss or degradation issues is higher than if you live a fairly active lifestyle and you constantly exercise your interpersonal skills. Be more active. Jog or walk around the block. Greet your neighbors and practice your ability to connect faces with names.

Remember a few details for each face you meet. Try to get more sleep. Sleep deprivation helps suppress brain function. Make sure you get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep at night. You may want to exercise twice during the day-in the morning and in the evening so you can be tired enough to sleep all the way through the night. Watch what you eat. Eat a healthier low-fat high-fiber diet to boost your cardiovascular health. Your brain is very oxygen hungry and it requires optimal blood flow levels. Give this to your brain by watching what you eat and exercising right. Lifestyle is the best memory enhancer available.

Use food supplements

Gingko Biloba has been used by the Chinese for hundreds of years for memory enhancement. There are other supplements on the market which help aid memory and recall capabilities. Try these food supplements to help boost your overall blood flow.

What Is The Best Brain Food For You?

The old saying 'you are what you eat' is definitely true when it comes to our brains. Our brains are dramatically impacted by our diet. If we eat foods that are rich in fat and cholesterol, our brains tend to suffer from the consequences of hypertension, and the stress on the body inflicted by a high-fat diet. Conversely, if you want to keep your brain in optimal shape, you need to eat a diet that supplies the right combination of nutrients and vitamins, which will keep your brain's processes humming along quite nicely. Here are profiles of some of the best foods available for boosting mental processes and overall brain health.

Walnuts

It's a very interesting and fitting coincidence that shelled walnuts look like miniature brains. Their appearance is interesting because walnuts contain high levels of omega 3 which help boost brain function. It is quite interesting to see a nut that looks very similar to a brain be so beneficial for human brains. Omega-3 fatty acids acids help boost overall brain functions while other compounds in walnut help relieve oxidative stress on the brain which helps fend off Alzheimer's. Additionally, Walnuts contain high levels of Vitamin E, which helps arrest cognitive decline which usually comes with age.

Blueberries

Studies indicate that blueberries help reduce oxidative stress on brain tissue. This has been linked to a reduction in the effects of Alzheimer's and other age-related conditions. Additionally, studies have shown blueberries improved the motor skills and learning capacity of older lab rats. Blueberries can help older individuals preserve their mental hardware in old age.

Avocados

Avocados have high levels of monounsaturated fat. This type of fat is healthy and helps boost overall blood flow. Increased blood flow to the brain is a necessary condition of increased brain function and effectiveness. In fact, by boosting blood flow, avocados reduce hypertension. Hypertension has been linked to a reduction of the brain's overall cognitive abilities.

Nuts and seeds

Flaxseed has a decent level of omega 3s. As mentioned earlier, omega 3 helps boost overall brain function and can help with enhanced cognitive abilities. Sunflower seeds are also great brain-boosting seeds. In addition to flaxseed, individuals who are looking to strengthen their brain's overall health should also try a wide range of nuts. Since nuts pack lots of Vitamin E, they make for great brain-boosting snacks. Some nuts that are great for your brain include peanuts, filberts, cashews, brazil nuts, and almonds also have high levels of Vitamin E.

Beans

Beans help stabilize the blood's glucose levels. Since the brain needs glucose for energy, beans help deliver optimal amounts of energy to the brain without dramatic spikes in glucose. Beans help deliver a stead stream of energy the brain needs for optimal performance. Beans are also great for cardiovascular health since they help with nitric oxide levels. High nitric oxide levels help increase blood flow. The brain benefits when overall blood flow improves.

Pomegranate juice

You have probably heard of antioxidants' health boosting benefits. Antioxidants help suppress the amount of cancer-causing free radicals in organs. Pomegranate juice has a high level of antioxidants. Drink lots of pomegranate juice to help cut down on the number of antioxidants which might harm your brain. If you don't like pomegranate juice, you can also try a wide variety of citrus juices. These juices also have decent levels of antioxidants.

Dark Chocolate

Cocoa has a high level of antioxidants which can cut down on cancer-causing free radicals that can harm your brain. Additionally, this yummy substance also contains caffeine which helps increase energy level and mental focus.

Natural Healing for Panic Attacks Using Effective Techniques at Home

We are not forced to live with panic attacks. You know how devastating anxiety can be, and the potential to hold you back. That's why healing anxiety is so important. Medication is not a good solution and therapy is expensive determining people to look for other options.There is no such thing as a rapid cure for anxiety, which is why many people turn to natural healing for panic at home.

Anxiety can become a greater health concern when the symptoms are excessive and persistent, when they cause emotional distress or interfere with normal activities of daily living. A panic attack is an intense level of anxiety - a sudden, intense panic, fear and dread with shortness of breath, excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat and/or a feeling of death. It comes on quickly and without any clear reason why. The feeling of panic can seem out of control or even as if you've gone "crazy." Fortunately, using a natural healing for panic method, you can combat those symptoms.

Feeling out of control is the most awful thing about panic attacks. Often we tend to worry a lot - which of course, just makes things worse. When will the next one come? How I will react to it? And the road to another one is open. You often feel that there is something wrong with you. You feel like you can't get on with your life. The reality is that you are not the only one who suffer of panic attacks. So just knowing that you're not alone, it's often a great help, but that is only a first step to natural healing for panic.

Coping with particularly stressful situations in our day to day lives, is, usually what triggers the first panic attack in a person. Our subconscious mind overreact to a potential threat, trying to protect us. It doesn't recognize the difference between a build up of daily stress and a life or death situation, thus activating our defense system. And once you had a panic attack another one is more likely, as the mind reacts to "triggers" that remind them of the original attack. Your mind remembers that you were in a particular situation when the panic attack happened and links with the stress that's building for some time. Now that particular situation has become a "trigger" for the next attack. Instead of trying to fight with the panic attack, use a natural healing for panic method. What I mean is, you have to become an observer of your feelings. You don't have to "fight", because you're not actually in danger.

You never was. You may think, feel or act like that, but the so call danger is just in your head. In reality nothing happens. It is just your mind who thinks so. Using observation is very important because it engages your rational mind. By doing so, your emotional mind cannot dominate your rational thinking. The rational mind will start to give you good reasons and motifs and so on about why you're safe and OK. What happens next, is that the panic attack symptoms will start to fade away and your whole body will calm down. This technique allows you to overcome the panic attack quickly and naturally. As soon as you do this, your chances of another attack are immediately reduced or even stopped, because you know that you can control them, simply by just observing your feelings.

I hope that you find this useful. This powerful technique along with many others can help you Heal Panic Naturally and live a life of freedom and peace too.

Change Your Life With a Meditation Retreat

When hearing the term 'meditation' most of us think as if we should sit all alone on a mountain or in a place that is away from our friends and family members and enter into a mental state, where utmost relaxation can be enjoyed. But, the truth is somewhat different these days. Yes, yoga and meditation are turning out to be one among the daily routines for many people due to their stressful lifestyle.

Meditation is a state where an individual is completely detached from the external world and he gets an insight into his inner sense. It is pointed out as the utmost state of relaxation time and you too can get this sort of wonderful experience. There are professional firms conducting workshops and meditation retreats and during these sessions, people will be taught this wonderful technique in such a way that they can slowly move towards spirituality.

This sort of detachment in the current pressurized lifestyle is highly important to rejuvenate oneself. People can register themselves with these firms online via their website for participating in the retreat. Some people think that these retreats are only meant for people with a good level of experience in meditation. But, the fact is that beginners can also get the right kind of guidance.

The registrants will be taken to a silent location and the sessions are conducted for three days. During the sessions, the participants will be provided with the right kind of opportunity to explore their inner universe and the mysteries that are unknowingly hiding in their mind.

The meditation retreat coaching will be provided by experienced teachers and the participants will also be taught Hatha yoga and other instructions, which will bring about an improvement in their mental wellness. The purpose of these retreats is to bring about better inner peace, happiness, joy and love in the minds of participants.

People can participate in these retreats irrespective of the community they belong to. This is because the concept of oneness is followed by the organizers, wherein preachings from different religions like Judaism, Sufism, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism are taken for providing the right kind of inner awakening in people. At some point of time, some people begin to search for the purpose of their birth in the universe. When such a thought appears, they will feel more connected to the Almighty and this connection can be made stronger by learning the meditation techniques from the right coach.

How Do You Meditate and Clear Your Mind?

Meditation and clearing your mind seem to go together but it's often thought that you need to clear your mind in order to be able to meditate. Whilst that is a good state to be in and can make for some fantastic meditation sessions, it's not a pre-requisite. In fact, it's often the case that meditating encourages the process of clearing your mind and that state is only achieved part way through the process.

Our minds are complicated things and there are lots of different natural states that they can be in.
All too often in our modern world, our minds are buzzing and almost hyperactive. So it can be a good thing to help our mind to slow down and generally chill out.

One thing I've noticed when I've tried to quieten my mind is that often the very thought has the opposite effect. In much the same way as concentrating on getting to sleep often causes us to stay awake longer, the same can happen when you attempt to quiet your mind.
The very thought process you are trying to quell almost seems to rebel at the thought of being quietened down.

So how can you clear your mind ready for your meditation?
The first thing is to realise that a quiet mind isn't necessary for all types of meditation. Indeed, a lot of meditations will help the process along nicely.

My personal preference of using a binaural beats meditation is one such instance. It's designed to electronically induce a different brainwave state without any help from the person listening. Because it uses a scientific process to induce that state, you really have no choice but to let your mind quieten itself. So if you're having constant battles to get your brain to stop buzzing this can be a simple and effective way to go.

Another simple method is taking a few, long, deep breaths in and out.
It's a bit like yawning but in a controlled way.

The deep breaths will help you to relax because, apart from anything else, they help you to realise that you need to slow down.

Think about it for a second: the deep breaths have to be slower than normal because that's the only way you can perform them. A sharp intake of breath doesn't have the same effect.

The side effect is that when you're concentrating close to 100% on your breathing, your mind has to play down the other things that were distracting it. So there's the extra benefit that you'll clear at least some of the thoughts from your mind at the same time.

A third way to help clear your mind is to do your best to let go of the thoughts that come into it.
Most of us have a tendency to cling onto our thoughts - almost as though we'll never have another thought to replace the ones we're so desperate to keep.

Let your thoughts slip through your mind if you can. And definitely loosen any grip that you've got on them - and notice how your mind stops racing as much when you do that.

Ten Good Habits for the Brain

I'm sure you've heard it before: the brain is like a muscle. So the more you use it the stronger it gets.

 If your brain cells (neurons) aren't used they will wither and die. However you can build up a good reserve and develop new pathways. What follows are things you can do in your life that will give your brain a good workout, keep it nourished and in some instances actually change your brain.

These habits will do you good now and hopefully pay off in the future, as they may help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

1 Practise positive thinking

When bad things happen in your life, tell yourself that you will get through them. Know that you have the strength and support to do so and they will not last forever. In contrast, relish when good things come your way. As you go through your day try and see the good in the world and other people. By thinking this way, new pathways are formed in the brain. Yes the brain really can change and it is known as neuroplasticity. By developing a positive mindset your brain has literally built brand new, positive pathways. How good is that? Furthermore, New York University research found that when people engaged in optimistic thinking it activated the rostral anterior cingulate and the amygdala. These parts of the brain are both involved in emotional responses and are also affected by depression. So by getting into the optimistic habit, your emotional responses will be better and you will reduce your risk of suffering from depression.

A final reason to convince you to be optimistic is it is believed that positive thoughts can release serotonin, a brain chemical that makes you feel great. So you end up feeling even better, thanks to those original happy thoughts you had.

2 Engage in regular exercise

Exercise has so many benefits to both your mental and physical health and research continues to find more and more reasons for working out. The benefits to your brain are remarkable and I have included some of the highlights below.

Recent theories in evolution suggests we are smarter because of physical activity. Early ancestors would jog after their prey (endurance running) and anthrophologists suggest this led to brain development in humans. There is research that shows improved memory performance after participants had been running. Also, a 2007 Columbia University study found working out four times a week lead to increased neuron production in the dentate gyrus, an area important to memory.

John Ratey has researched extensively the advantages exercising offers the brain and notes that in the short term you will see a sharpening in your attention for a few hours after exercise. Maybe if you struggle to focus at work, a good time to exercise would be in the morning. In the long term, it may prevent Alzheimer's disease.

Exercise has been shown to reduce hypertension. If you have hypertension you have an increased risk of suffering a brain haemorrhage, which may result in long term brain damage.
When you exercise, a number of neurotransmitters are released in the brain including endorphins, serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. These are naturally-occurring mood boosters which reduce your risk of depression.

Research by Weuve et al (2004) at the Harvard School of Public Health found exercise reduced cognitive decline in older women. The benefits were shown for women in their 70s and 80s who walked just 90 minutes a week. However, the more active the person was, the greater the benefits. Exercise is thought to increase neural fibres, synapses and capillaries. Another study by Duff et al (2008) found that older people who walked slower did not perform as well in cognitive tests as did people who walked faster. An indication of a slow walk is someone who took more than 17 seconds to walk 50 feet. So keep up your walking regime now for later benefits.

It is apparent there are both short term and long term gains for your brain health when you exercise. Remember to enjoy what you're doing and mix things up a bit to keep your brain alert.

3 Go dancing

When you dance there is a lot to think about. Quick decisions must be made, you must pay attention, you must remember the moves, be aware of your partner, keep track of your body in space and be in touch with the rhythm of the music. It is not surprising to learn then that dance activates many different parts of the brain - giving both your brain and body an effective workout. Your cerebral cortex and hippocampus are used when you are dancing and dancing requires complex neural pathways. Through the formation of these new pathways, your brain is getting bigger and stronger and more resistant to cognitive problems in later life.

A New England Journal of Medicine report compared a variety of recreational activities to see which ones helped reduce the risk of dementia. People who danced on a regular basis had a 76% reduced risk of dementia. This reduced risk was greater than reading or doing crossword puzzles, both beneficial activities.

4 Eat healthily and not too much

For good physical and mental health keep a balanced diet high in wholefoods, fruit and vegetables. However there are certain goods that are good for the brain. These include: fruit, vegetables, and proteins such as eggs, soy, beans, nuts and seeds. Cinnamon, rosemary, turmeric, basil are all thought to help protect against Alzheimer's disease. Drinking fruit or vegetable juice may help protect damage to brain cells as they contain high levels of polyphenols, which are antioxidants. A 2006 University of South Florida study found people who drank such juices were less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. Of course, an overall healthy lifestyle may have been important to such people, so it's not just about the juice.

It also seems that eating too much can lead to changes in the brain. Eating too many high-calorie foods (those with lots of fat and sugar) can cause the brain to change so that it makes it more likely a person will overeat. The changes are similar to what happens when a person becomes addicted to drugs. Another study showed that overeating can increase a person's risk of memory loss. People over 70 who ate between 2143 and 6000 calories a day were twice as likely to be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment compared to those who ate between 600 and 1525 calories a day. The risk was not apparent for those who ate less than 2143 calories a day. It is theorised that overeating causes brain changes that resulted in memory problems.

5 Switch off the television

Watching too much television can increase your risk of developing Alzheimer's according to a 2005 study published in Brain and Cognition. The risk rose by 1.3% for each additional hour a day spent watching television. Not only is television watching a passive activity, but also the more hours spent in front of the box means less time available for other activities that will give your brain a good workout.

6 Play video games

If you must sit in front of the television you may as well be active whilst you are there. The answer, believe it or not is video games. In moderation of course. Researchers are finding that playing video games is doing the brain good. Bavelier's research has shown gamers are more focused than non-gamers and are proficient at tracking information. Brain scans showed gamers' brains were more efficient and quicker when it came to paying attention (they are able to track 6 things at once. The norm is 4). Other research has shown gamers to be more creative, better decision makers, have superior perceptual skills and improved hand-eye coordination. Now as a COD widow, do I tell my husband this?

7 Puzzles and games

Puzzles and games activate different parts of the brain depending on the type. Engage in anything that gets you thinking. Play chess, logic puzzles, anagrams, strategy games, crosswords, Sudoku, Mahjong, jigsaws, card games, scrabble. Try to do a variety to exercise different areas of your brain and increase the complexity once they get too easy.

Bunge and Mackey had students play board, card and video games that challenged either their processing speed or reasoning ability. After 8 weeks the reasoning ability trained students saw a 32% increase in their non-verbal intelligence scores. The processing speed trained students saw their speed scores increase by 27%.

8 Learn new things

When you learn something new, you create new connections between neurons and existing ones get stronger. Learning new things is not just about taking courses or expanding your knowledge in new areas. It's about adapting to changes that occur every day. For instance, whenever your favourite software or social media app gets an upgrade you may complain about the change. However, think about your brain for a moment. It's used to the old way of working and doesn't have to work very hard to operate the software. The change means you are having to actively think again, which leads to the creation of new pathways. You've given your brain a workout. So, the next time you encounter a challenge, rather than give up, resolve to master it. Not only will you feel a sense of achievement, but your brain will be bigger too!

9 Don't see intelligence as a fixed thing

Research by Dweck and colleagues showed that when students were taught to recognise that the brain forms new connections and essentially grows through learning, the group saw an increase in their maths grades. As adults it's easy to assume that we all our learning and development is complete. By now you are either good at something or you are not. I hope this article has shown that your brain can continue to grow and that the more pathways you have the better. Shake off any labels given to you as a child. Give things a go, resolve to learn a new skill or face your Achilles heel. If you've decided to work on your Achilles heel, keep in mind that if you are struggling, there is more than one way to learn something. Give yourself a new pathway to follow.

10 Read a book

There's a lot involved when you settle down to the seemingly relaxing activity of reading. Your brain is kept busy as you need to store information about what you have read and be able to retrieve it as you progress through the book. Who was that character mentioned 100 pages ago? You also activate your creativity and imagination as you bring the characters described in words to life in your mind. This is just fiction. There's also the possibility of learning about new areas that you know nothing about by browsing the non-fiction section. If you are a collector of free kindle books, make sure you set aside time to actually read them.

The French National Institute of Medical Research demonstrated that people who did not read were 18% more likely to develop dementia and the symptoms would be more severe. Reading can also push back the onset of Alzheimer's for those genetically predisposed to the condition.

Five Steps to Increase Your Influence

When was the last time you thought about how you influence others — how you change minds, shape opinions, move others to act?
The ability to influence is one of the essential skills for leaders at all levels. It’s more art than science, and it can be tough to get your arms around.  But the bottom line is that influence matters. And as we continue to morph (at breakneck speed) into an interconnected, interdependent, increasingly global workplace, it will matter more.

In traditional hierarchical organizations, power is typically based on position. The higher you are on the organization chart, the more power you wield. There are clear, top-down rules where the person at the top calls the shots. The person with the power has the influence.
Today, organizations are moving toward flatter, matrixed and team-based models. The theory is that with change and complexity comes the need to be more nimble, more inclusive of diverse thought, and more collaborative. In this model, power is more about one’s ability to influence and get things done outside of traditional reporting lines. In other words, the person with the influence has the power.

To be an effective influencer, you need both substance and style. Without a solid foundation of credibility, even the most interpersonally adept leaders will fall short. On the flip side, highly credible people can struggle with influence if they don’t understand the interpersonal dynamics at play.
In 2009 and 2010, Discovery Learning, Inc. and Innovative Pathways conducted research to identify and measure influence styles.  They created five categories:

Getting Unstuck: How to Let Go of Being Too Attached to Your Ex Girlfriend

You can become stuck on a woman very easily and it is not a good thing. You really don't want to allow yourself to narrow down your vision so much so that you see one woman and one woman only as being your only option for finding relationship happiness in the world. Things happen and you have to be prepared for that and be able to handle that. I don't mean to come across too gloomy, just trying to be a little bit realistic. I've had plenty of conversations with guys who are so stuck on their ex girlfriend that they literally don't talk or think about anything else. Another way to say it is that they have become obsessed and that is in no way a good thing. Even if you had not broken up with her and she was still with you in a relationship, it still would not be healthy for you or for her to be so obsessed that she was all that you could think about or talk about.

So, how do you become unstuck?

First, you have to want to become unstuck because so much of it is a mental thing and you are the only one who has control of that. You have to be able to see that it is going to be better for you to become unstuck or else you are probably going to remain that way. Try to get yourself to imagine what it would be like to see that there are LOTS of options out there. If you have to, take to the web and just look for pictures of beautiful women, the kind you would like to date just so that you can get some realistic perspective on the fact that they ARE out there. Another way to do this, one that I find to be quite fun and effective, is to go out to a club. Not to try to hook up, although you can do that if you like. Just to notice the fact that there are probably at least a handful of women that you would like to date if you had the chance to.

A Systematic Way Of Overcoming Your Fears And Phobias That Lead To Panic And Anxiety

During the height of my anxiety disorder I dived right into my fears and if I would have known about a step by step gradual system called systematic desensitization back then, I definitely would have taken this less frightful road.

Systematic desensitization assumes that fears and phobias are learned and they can also be unlearned through controlled exposure to the phobia, the process slowly takes away the persons sensitivity to the feared object. The process starts with clearly recognizing what your fear is and then making a ladder in the form of a hierarchy from least scary, to the ultimate goal with 10 action steps for each fear. In the case of claustrophobia and a fear of elevators your ladder might look like this:

1) Picture an elevator in your mind
2) look at a silly drawing of someone in an elevator
3) look at a real more serious drawing of someone in an elevator
4) look at a real photo of someone else in an elevator
5) find and look at a real elevator up close
6) take a step into an elevator and then step back
7) go up one floor with a friend with you in an elevator
8) go up to the top floor with a friend in the elevator with you
9) go up one floor on your own in an elevator
10) Finally, go up to the top floor by yourself in an elevator
As you can see the individual begins with the step that causes only small amounts of very manageable anxiety, and from there slowly exposes him or herself to more and more challenging scenarios. I've always been big on tattoos, and had a few from over the years.

One day, after a yoga session I had toward the end of my period of anxiety, I read a quote on the wall that said, "All power is from within and is therefore under our control." I couldn't think of a better quote that portrayed the struggles we overly fearful bunch go through every day. As a reminder I decided to get it tattooed on my forearm, but have to admit during that time I also got tattoos so I could meet a very real need all humans need these days, the need to be significant in the world. As I carry the message around daily,
Recently I started to look back on my struggles and notice that in the end all the tools to change my past nightmares was really within me the whole time. Once I tapped into that power with the momentum I gained from the tools I used in my new daily life, I was in the end completely able to let go of my panic and generalized anxiety disorder.

Of course I knew it wasn't going to be a straight road to freedom from anxiety, my mind and body put up a huge fight determined to suck me back in to the old worry and fear of bodily sensations cycle. Again, this quote that I have tattooed on my arm is another form of the strength that I pull from if my past pops up again in the future. Of course, I'm not telling you to tattoo a meaningful quote on your arm, but I am telling you to surround yourself with things that will keep you on the right track In times of need.

Natural Therapy To Relieve Stress And Anxiety

Natural therapy has been in use since time immemorial. It was only overshadowed for a brief period by the rapid development in medicine. This branch of health sciences is based on the principle that there is a vital energy controlling body functions and that the body has the ability to recover or restore itself. Hence, such natural therapies try to attain physical, mental, spiritual and emotional wellbeing without or through minimal use of invasive treatments, drugs and medications.

Stress has become so commonplace that every second person experiences it to a certain degree. If left managed, it could prove detrimental to one's health. So, in this section we shall discuss a few natural techniques to relieve stress and anxiety.

1. Give a vent to your emotions

Purging yourself of the negative emotions becomes important when you want to reduce the burden of stress. There are different ways to do so. First, socialize. A great option to alleviate anxiety is to share your problems with a friend or family member. Second, take a break from the daily grind of life. Laughing and crying are also therapeutic activities. They cleanse the pent up tension and emotions.

How to Develop Your Conscience and Use All of Your Brain Power

You may believe you are an intelligent person and you know very well what you think about. However, not all your thoughts belong to your conscience.

You have inherited a huge wild conscience that occupies the biggest part of your brain and psyche. I named it anti-conscience because it tries to destroy your conscience and control your behavior. Your conscience can escape the logical traps of your absurd and evil anti-conscience if you will follow the unconscious guidance in your dreams.

The anti-conscience is very dangerous because it is violent, immoral, and cruel. It uses everything it can to mislead your human conscience with its absurd thoughts. Since it is a huge conscience that works in parallel with your human conscience, the anti-conscience can read your thoughts and invade your human conscience, suggesting absurd solutions for your problems. These absurd solutions seem to be smart ideas because they are camouflaged under numerous logical traps. Their absurdity is not visible from the beginning.

3 Reasons Why Being Lonely Can Harm Your Health

Most of us have felt alone at one time or another. However there is a major difference between being alone and feeling lonely. The former is often influenced by a decision made by choice. You choose to be alone because you are quite happy with your own company at times. Many people who spend lots of time alone are more than happy with their existence and they still spend time with other people at certain times of the week.

However, feeling lonely is a very different thing to consider. When you feel lonely you may feel completely cut off from the world. You may feel isolated and unable to turn to anyone for advice or support. You may not know how to get out of that situation or to reach out to talk to others.
Loneliness can also have a marked effect on your health. Here are three reasons why loneliness can be detrimental to your health and wellbeing.

1. It can lead to mental illness.

Mental illness can relate to stress, anxiety and depression, to name just three afflictions people from all walks of life can suffer from. Being lonely raises the prospect someone might suffer from one of these mental conditions.
 
2. It can make your immune system more prone to illness.

Have you ever noticed that when you feel low or stressed you are more likely to fall ill? This can happen when you are lonely as well, because you feel low and your immune system can suffer.

3. It can make you more prone to making poor life choices.

This is perhaps the most worrying factor of all. Our moods can affect the way we drink, eat and behave. Therefore if we feel lonely all the time we may end up eating too much or too little, or taking the same approach to alcohol or smoking. These decisions can all have an adverse affect on our health.

As you can see people who are lonely on a regular basis have more chance of experiencing health problems of various kinds. Thus it becomes very important to try to reduce that feeling of loneliness by making contact with the community, our families and friends. It is also important to reach out to those who need support in this way, as they are not always able to reach out themselves.
Loneliness may not be seen as a huge threat to health, but as you can see it can have a marked effect in this way. The more you understand how health and loneliness are linked, the easier it is to stay healthy.

If you know someone in the London area who is lonely and needs help, contact the charity Thrift Urban Housing now. Their befriending project focuses on assisting many people in vulnerable situations. Visit http://www.thrifturban.org.uk now for more information.

Are You Lonely? 3 Ways to Prevent It and Turn Your Life Around

Loneliness is something that can pervade our lives and make us feel disjointed and separated from everyone else around us. It can also lead to all kinds of physical and mental conditions that may not otherwise affect us. In short, it can be devastating.

Fortunately there are ways in which we can resolve these issues. If you feel lonely right now, take the first step towards changing things. Read the following three suggestions and take action to ensure your life changes for the better.
1. Figure out why you feel lonely.

The trick to finding a solution to a problem is to identify the root of that problem. What makes you feel lonely? It can help to identify when, where and why you feel lonely. This will give you information you can use to work out why the feelings of loneliness exist to begin with.
2. Take small steps towards the person you would like to be.

This can take some bravery, especially to begin with. It is very easy to completely isolate yourself from the outside world, and if you end up doing that your loneliness will get even worse. Focus on small ways to change your life. Perhaps you could go for a walk or consider joining a group. Think about something that would interest you and try that.
3. Take the focus from yourself and put it on others instead.

This can be hard to do, especially if you have felt lonely for some time. However it doesn't have to mean you should go out and mingle with people you don't know and join every social group in your local area all in one fell swoop. Volunteering is a good way to get out and about and do some good, which in turn will lead to you feeling more positive about your life. You'll make new friends too, which is the sure way to combat your own loneliness. Think about befriending services and whether you can achieve something by helping other people better their own lives.

As you can see it is easier than you might think to take steps towards combating the loneliness you feel. It is equally easy to do nothing about it except wish things were different. But if you tackle it in the right way - namely by looking outward instead of inward - you might be surprised at how different you will feel in just a short space of time. Try it now and remember that something worthwhile such as befriending will make a huge difference to your life - and to the lives of others.

If you want to find out how to avoid loneliness, particularly if you are elderly or disabled, contact Thrift Urban Housing now. You can contact them at http://www.thrifturban.org.uk if you know someone who might benefit from befriending as well.

Ways to Increase Creativity

When we try to define creativity, we often consider only artistic pursuits. A creative person paints or draws, sings, writes, or otherwise creates something new and valuable. But even people who do not work in explicitly creative fields must develop new ideas or insights in order to progress in life. While you may think that creativity is something that you're born with, it's actually something you can learn and improve. So how do you increase creativity? The following ways to increase creativity will help you develop the skill that contrary to popular belief is not restricted to artists, musicians, and writers.

Make a Commitment

As you would when you're trying to develop any skill, you need to commit yourself to increasing your creativity. You should put some time aside each day or week to work on your creative skills. Also, don't forget to set goals or ask for help from your creative friends and colleagues.

What Does It Mean to Label Sex Addicts?

Understanding what a label is and how they work requires some understanding of how language works. Humans have different words for different things; these are all technically labels. The word label has gotten a bad rap lately, and when it's talked about it's usually in terms of segregating people into certain social groups in order to dismiss them or write them off. Well, we need labels to a certain degree.

The world we live in is complex and in a constant state of flux. The amount of work the human brain does simply walking out the door outstrips the computing power of the most advanced microchips. When a person tells another to "Be careful on the stairs," when they say stairs they are referring to a series of graduated platforms that one can step on to go either up or down. Do a Google Image search of "stairs" and you'll find hundreds of pictures that fit that description but no two that look exactly alike. We need to lump them all under the label "stairs" to save a lot of time.

According to an article in Psychology Today, labels are far more than a way to describe objects. Studies show they can actually determine what a person sees more so than what their senses report to them. The article makes reference to an experiment where English speakers and those who spoke Russian, were asked to differentiate between two shades of blue. The Russians had separate words -labels- for each shade, while the English speakers only had the one label, blue. The Russian speakers were able to distinguish between the two colors faster than the English speakers could because they had labels ready to go.

So, labels are useful, but they come with drawbacks. That same article describes another experiment where people were shown a picture of a man who appeared black to some and white to others. Each group was asked to draw him while looking at his photo. Each person drew the man's face, adding in features stereotypical to the race they believed him to be. In other words they made him into what they'd labeled him in spite of the reality before them.
 
How does this apply to sex addicts? It's bad enough that anyone who wears the label "sex addict" is going to be seen a certain way by others. The stereotypes abound, from the decadent celebrity, the lecherous president, to the creepy-looking introvert who may or may not be a sexual predator. These are not good images to have, but where sex addicts can really suffer is when they too buy into the label and live up - or down - to the perceived expectation given by the label.
Before we go any further, let's acknowledge that the term "sex addict" is getting used a lot as a label.

Here we're using it to refer to people who have lost control of their sexual behaviors and have become addicted to them. Sex addiction encompasses a lot of things, from addiction to masturbation, pornography, voyeurism, exhibitionism, pedophilia, rapist, and even relationships. All are different, but all share some core similarities and so we're using sex addict to include all those people in an effort to identify a problem and work to solve it.

Sex addicts have to be careful about how they view being referred to as a sex addict, as the odds of the label changing are less than favorable. Shame is one of the biggest things that keep a person from seeking treatment and taking on the label of sex addict may be too much to bear for many.

Many women are concerned over the sex addict label. Sex is a tricky thing in our culture, full of double standards and stereotypes, and for women, the stigma of sex addiction weighs heavily on personal character.

Sex addicts of any gender must take a stand, which given what they are already going through can sound like a lot to ask, but given the danger of falling into and becoming the label, it has to be done. The best way to beat the label is to learn as much as one can about sex addiction. Don't stop at memorizing the 12 steps or coping techniques learned in therapy.

We live in the information age, do some reading on the real nitty gritty of this addiction, and the nature of addiction in general. Learn how the human brain works, find out why you have these compulsions, and don't let your understanding of it be two words deep.

http://www.OnSexAddiction.com helps individuals struggling with Sex Addiction, Porn Addiction, Compulsive Masturbation, other dangerous sexual behaviors, and the consequences of those addictions, get sober and into recovery so they can lead richer, fuller, more successful and healthy lives. We provide information, resources, articles, videos, CDs, DVDs, seminars, conferences, and membership sites to help individuals better understand what sex addiction is and how to deal with it.

A Few Ways You Can Overcome Your Social Anxiety At Home

Many people seek treatment from a therapist or psychologist, who are professionally trained in dealing with mental disorders such as social phobia.

Therapists have several methods that they can use to help you overcome social fear, the most popular being cognitive behavior therapy and or medications designed to reduce anxiety and or depression.

Overcoming Social Anxiety

It is believed that some natural herbs and supplements have the ability to reduce the symptoms of social anxiety, these do not have the strength of prescription medications used to reduce social phobia but do not have the ill side effects and dependence concerns.

Social anxiety medications have been proven effective in reducing social fear, but while these would appear to be the solution many have been looking for, there are many possible side effects as well as the possibility of becoming addicted to the medication.

Many people chose not to seek professional or medicinal help in overcoming their social anxiety and choose to try and overcome their fears on their own.

Tips for Anxiety Sufferers - How To Overcome Social Anxiety

Did you know that social anxiety affects the lives of about 19.2 million people each and ever year and sadly that number is now showing signs of decreasing any time soon.

What is the problem?

Why do some many people live in constant fear of social situations and do nothing to make a difference in their lives?

Well I have a few thoughts on why that might be including the fact that social phobia typically develops in early childhood and if not treated can quickly develop into a full-blown mental disorder by the time teenage approaches.

It is actually sad that social anxiety is the most common anxiety disorder and the third most common mental disorder behind only depression and alcoholism, which one or both can sometimes be paired together with social anxiety to make a terrible combination.

Social anxiety appears in women twice as often in women as it does men, but shockingly enough it is the men who more often than women seek professional help for their disorder.

Brain Injuries and Behavioral Problems

Behavioral problems quite often are a result of brain injuries. There can be many problems or few depending upon the severity of the injury and in what part of the brain the injury is located. Some of the potential problems are as follows:

Mood swings, depression, hyperactivity, aggression, sexual inappropriateness and/or promiscuity, lack of initiative or motivation, changes in emotional control, lack of impulse control, poor concentration, lack of empathy, fatigue, thoughtless or hurtful remarks, difficulty in relating to others, excessive demands, personality changes, a tendency towards being frustrated, irritated or angering easily. Unawareness of others' feelings is often another deficit and may be something that has to be relearned. Another serious and very common problem is short-term memory difficulties, as is a lack of awareness of their deficits.

If a brain injury survivor is affected with any of these behavioral problems, it is very stressful for family members and caregivers. It may be important to have cognitive and behavioral rehabilitation and possibly the help of a neuropsychologist. It will also be important to have an assessment done which will help both the survivor and the family member. And because behavioral problems not only affects relationships but performance in school and work, it will be necessary to attempt to alleviate the problems or at the least, to help cope with their impact. The following are some of the things that can be done in order to help minimize problems associated with behavioral changes following a brain injury:

- to be calm and speak in a soothing manner when the brain injured survivor is angry or frustrated;

- help them attempt to problem-solve their difficulties;

- use anger management strategies and remain low-key;

- avoid confrontation if they are angry;

- attempt to distract;

- attempt to identify any triggers so as to avoid future difficult situations;

- encourage the survivor to join a support group;

- be non-judgmental;

- help a sufferer of a brain injury to have positive experiences by offering encouragement and support;

- avoid arguments and criticism;

- help them to have a schedule and structure in their lives;

- don't give too much information at one time;

- establish consistency and always remain calm;

- and, if depression is suspected, have survivor see the doctor and if necessary, ensure that he/she gets treatment.

A total reversal of behavioral problems following a brain injury may not be possible. Modifying behavior may be a more realistic goal while working towards improved quality of life and successful community integration.

Developing adaptive behavior requires recognizing triggers and anticipating factors preceding the behavior. These may be internal such as fatigue or hunger. External factors may be a frustrating task or increased levels of stimulation. Prior signs to difficult behavior may be pacing, becoming fidgety, muttering to themselves or their face may become flushed. Early intervention when a problem arises may assist them, over time, in changing their behaviors.

Sylvia Behnish has published 'Rollercoaster Ride With Brain Injury (For Loved Ones)', a non-fiction book detailing the difficult year following a brain injury; 'His Sins', a three generation family saga about how the actions of one person can affect future generations, and 'Life's Challenges, A Short Story Collection'.

She has also written numerous articles for newspapers, magazines and online on subjects relating to brain injuries, family issues and motivational topics.