I Tips for Increased Mental Health I Exercise your Brain I
I Mind and Body I Sleep your way to a healthier mind I SAD what is it? I Symptons of SAD I
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Tips for Increased Mental Health
Build Confidence - Identify your strenghts and weaknesses, accept them, build on them and do the best with what you have.
Accept Compliments - Many of us have difficulty accepting compliments from others, however, we all need to remember the positive strokes when times gets tough.
Make Time for Family and Friends - Don't take these for granted, these relationships need to be nurtured; if they are taken for granted they will not be there to share life's joys and sorrows.
Give and Accept Support - Friends and family relationships thrive when they are "put to the test".
Create a Meaningful Budget - Financial problems cause stress. Over-spending on our "wants" instead of our "needs" is often the culprit.
Volunteer - Being involved in community gives a sense of purpose and satisfaction that paid work cannot.
Manage Stress - We all have stress in our lives, it's how we deal with it that matters, don't let stress overwhelm you.
Find Strength in Numbers - Sharing a problem with others who have had similar experiences may help you find a solution and will make you feel less isolated.
Identify and Deal with Moods - We all need to find safe and constructive ways to express our feelings of anger, sadness, joy and fear.
Learn To Be At Peace with Yourself - Get to know who you are, what makes you really happy, and learn to balance what you can and cannot change about yourself
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Exercise your brain
We all have little lapses in memory like leaving the keys in the door, forgetting someone's name or missing an appointment. Rarely do we think we are getting old or senile. Most times it's due to too much going on in that brain of yours. You have too much on your mind or you're stressed out. Maybe you didn't concentrate enough on what it was you were supposed to remember.
Research shows that brainpower can increase with mental activities in older people. Aging does not mean automatically losing mental capacity. The National Institute of Aging has conducted a series of tests that prove most dramatic memory decline occurs around age 70, if it occurs at all. Even though memory may fade with time, thinking ability remains strong. Vocabulary and reasoning skills often improve with age.
No matter what your age, exercising your brain may make the difference between using it and losing it. Or if you are young and have older family members or friends who seem to be losing memory, encouraging brain activity can help.
Activities such as doing crossword puzzles, playing word games or cards strengthens the synapses between brain cells in memory transmission areas. Physical exercise can increase mental abilities 20% to 30 %, according to recent studies. Journal writing and working with your hands to build or create can help as well.
For older adults who sense memory loss occurring, use mental helps such as calendars, calculators, list making, and group discussions. And relax. Worrying about what you're going to forget can cause a mental block.
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Mind and Body
The body and mind are interconnected and our emotions play a big part in determining one's health status. Stress and its negative effect on the immune system remains the major challenge to good health. The immune system with its holistic nature is significantly affected by its close associations with psychology, neurology, endocrinology, nutrition and the environment. Recent studies show 70-80% of all physician visits are stress related; 80% of health problems are stress related; 100 million people "out" everyday due to stress; and 40% employee turnover due to stress. Chronic stress depletes the body's resources and ability to adapt. Over a long period coping functions are compromised and illness results.
A comprehensive approach to maintaining good health includes increasing self-responsibility for wellness, healthy lifestyle choices, health-promoting diet and a positive mental attitude.
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Sleep your way to a healthier mind
Why is sleep never on the to do list?
We all spend time; working, doing odd-jobs, sports practice, language lessons, household chores, and family time. But we never find time for a good night's sleep.
"We all have too much to do, so be sure to derive the greatest benefit from your time in bed," stated Andrea Herman, director of the Better Sleep Council. "How well you sleep at night can make all the difference in how productive and stress-free you'll be the next day, whether you're scrubbing the bathrooms before houseguests arrive or rushing to the grocery store to stock up."
Like proper nutrition and exercise, sleep is essential to feel your best. Because we all want to stay healthy, it's important that we get the best night's sleep possible every night.
To help ensure relaxing days and sleep-filled nights, the Better Sleep Council offers the following tips:
1) Give yourself "permission" to go to bed. As hard as it may be to put away your "to do" list, make sleep a priority. You'll thank yourself in the morning.
2) Take care of yourself. Cut back on alcohol, caffeine and smoking, all of which can make it more difficult to fall and stay asleep. Regular exercise can help relieve tension and stress.
3) Unwind early in the evening. Finish chores and run errands early in the evening so you can clear your mind and relax before bedtime.
4) Keep regular hours. Go to bed around the same time each night and wake up close to the same time each morning to keep your biological clock in check.
5) Create a restful place to sleep. Be sure your bedroom is cool, quiet and dark, and that you are sleeping on a comfortable, supportive mattress and foundation. A bed that's too small, too soft, too hard or too old can rob you of sleep.
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SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) What is it?
SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people every winter between September and April; in particular during December, January and February.
Symptons of SAD
The symptoms of SAD usually recur regularly each Winter, starting between September and November and continuing until March or April. A diagnosis can be made after three or more consecutive Winters of symptoms, which include a number of the following
Sleep problems: Usually desire to oversleep and difficulty staying awake but, in some cases, disturbed sleep and early morning wakening
Lethargy: Feeling of fatigue and inability to carry out normal routine
Overeating: Craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods, usually resulting in weight gain
Depression: Feelings of misery, guilt and loss of self-esteem, sometimes hopelessness and despair, sometimes apathy and loss of feelings
Social problems: Irritability and desire to avoid social contact
Anxiety: Tension and inability to tolerate stress,
Loss of libido Decreased interest in sex and physical contact.
Mood changes In some sufferers, extremes of mood and short periods of hypomania (overactivity) in spring and autumn.
Most sufferers show signs of a weakened immune, system during the Winter, and are more vulnerable to infections and other illnesses.
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