Declutter for a Greener Home

 

Written by Jenny Catton

 

Is your home a haven of organised tranquillity – or are your cupboards and drawers bursting at the seams with junk? Clutter in the home is known to drain our emotional energy – after all, looking at mess is depressing and having to battle with clutter every time you want to find something is frustrating. But clearing the clutter in your home isn’t just beneficial for your emotional health – getting rid of excess possessions can actually make your lifestyle greener too.

 

As the popularity of buying second-hand goods from thrift stores, online auction sites and charity shops grow; more and more people are choosing recycled goods rather than buying new products from high street shops. This is great news for the environment as the manufacture of new products can be a huge drain on the world’s resources. By having a clear out and donating the things you no longer need to others, you’ll be helping to support the second-hand movement.

 

In addition, simply getting rid of the things you no longer use can reduce your own consumption. For example, have you ever found yourself buying something you thought you needed only to find that you already have two or three of the same item in a cupboard that you’d forgotten about? Without the clutter, it’s easier to see what you already own and this means you’re less likely to buy things you don’t need.

 

Want to find out more about recycling your unwanted items? Visit: www.recyclenow.com

 

Categories: buying, catton, Clutter, emotional, Home, jenny, nbsp, written

Serious Auto Accident? How To Deal With Emotional And Physical Pain

 

A serious auto accident can impact your life in a number of ways. The financial stress associated with a car accident can take its toll on you, but there are also emotional and psychological factors to consider. In addition, the physical pain associated with injuries can be significant. After you have been involved in a serious car accident, you can work through the physical and emotional pain in a number of ways.

 

 

Follow Your Doctor’s Advice

If you were injured in an accident, the pain from some injuries can be excruciating. The healing and recovery process can also be daunting to deal with. If you want to heal fully and if you want to minimize the pain associated with your injuries, it is important to follow your doctor’s advice regarding necessary surgeries, pain medications and other steps.

 

 

Take Time Off Work

You may feel obligated to return to work very quickly after an accident. After all, you may fear losing your job, and you may feel stressed about how you will pay for your bills. There may be legal recourse you can pursue to obtain financial compensation after a car accident. It may be best to take time off work as necessary to fully heal.

 

 

Seek Therapy

Some people who have been involved in a car accident may be fearful about getting into a car again. They may suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, have nightmares or suffer from general anxiety. If you are having any emotional or psychological issues related to your accident, you can seek therapy and counseling as recommended by your physician. Support is available to help you through this time in your life.

 

 

Talk to a Personal Injury Lawyer About Your Rights

The law may provide you with the ability to seek restitution for the expenses you incurred as a result of the accident. This may include compensation for property damage, medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. When you speak with a personal injury lawyer, you can learn more about your rights and have someone on your site to walk you through the process of paperwork and requirements.

 

 

Relax and Enjoy Life

A serious auto accident can be a life changing event. It is a time to reflect on the things that are important in your life. Because of this, you may allow yourself time to relax, spend time with your family and friends and otherwise enjoy life.

 

 

Drive When You Are Ready

Some people who have been involved in a serious auto accident may be fearful about driving again. Some may even feel intimidated about getting in a vehicle as a passenger. You can seek therapy for this fear, but give yourself time to recover from the emotional trauma of the accident.

 

 

If you have been involved in a serious car accident, you may be overwhelmed with the pain and suffering you feel. From physical and emotional pain to stress over your finances, there are many factors that can leave you feeling frustrated and challenged. Consider how these tips can help you through this time in your life.

 

 

Informational credit to Gittens & Associates.

 

Categories: auto accident, emotional, how to deal, physical pain

Could Your Stressful Lifestyle End Up Killing You?

When you look at the impact that stress can have on your mental and emotional wellness, it can be quite a scary realisation. Doctors have now begun to realise that stress can have a very serious effect on your physical wellbeing, and can lead to many other health problems.

 

In fact, many top medical professionals now consider that stress is a primary cause of heart disease, headaches, back pain, stroke and diabetes. There is even recent research which documents a link between stress and cancer. Studies have found that those who suffer from stress are more likely to develop recurring cancer, and those who have lower stress levels are more likely to beat cancer and for it not to come back.

 

Reducing stress, however, can be easier said than done. With busy lives that involve looking after families, keeping a house and earning money, stress reduction is often a last priority. Fortunately, there is an easy way to reduce stress to some extent, and this is called taking a ‘team approach’ to stress.

 

When we think of ourselves as individuals, our problems can become larger in our head, making it difficult to see how we are ever going to get over them. If instead we perceive ourselves as part of a team, problems can seem more easily managed. Being part of a team, however, means learning to ask for help when it is needed. Moreover, you need to learn to not only ask for help but to expect help, and to take the pressure off yourself to do everything on your own.

 

If you think about the way a sporting team works, for example, each person has their role on the field, be that to score the goals, defend the ball from the opposition and so on. A single player would not be successful as they are unable to be everywhere and do all the roles at the same time. Now take that thought and apply it to your own life – is your stress being caused by you expecting yourself to be all over the ‘playing field’ and fulfilling all the roles yourself? If the answer is yes, you need to work out who your other team members could be and start asking them to take on some responsibility.

Categories: cancer, emotional, health, nbsp, problems, Stress, team

The Secrets to Having the Best Chance of Beating Depression

Those whose mental and emotional wellness is being compromised by depression will do whatever it takes to help restore their wellbeing.

 

The  number one thing that you must do if you are suffering from depression, or even suspect that you may be, is to make an appointment and go and see your GP. Your doctor will be able to talk to you about how you are feeling and discuss potential treatments that you could try to help you feel better.

 

It can also be useful to try to put some coping mechanisms into place. There are many different things that you could try.

 

First of all – be active. The temptation with depression is to withdraw from life and to stop talking to family and friends. In fact, you should do quite the opposite. Socialising with others can help to improve your mood, and keeping the lines of communication open between your family and friends can be useful when you find yourself in need of someone to talk to in the future.

 

Taking up exercise is also really important. There is a lot of evidence around which proves that taking exercise can help to lift your mood. Even if you haven’t exercised for a while, you can still start out gently, such as by going for a 20 minute walk every day for 20 minutes. Exercise relaxes you and releases ‘happy hormones’ in your body.

 

Facing your fears is also really important. Those with anxiety or depression often find themselves shying away from situations that make them feel uncomfortable. For example, some people lose their confidence about doing things such as driving or socialising with friends. Running away from these situations does not make them better, however, it actually makes them worse. The only way to make things easier for yourself is to face up to the things that you find difficult and keep doing them.

Categories: anxiety, depression, emotional, exercise, feel, Friends, nbsp

How to Avoid Emotional Imbalance While Enjoying a Holiday

As the winters arrive, many people get busy packing and booking tickets as it’s the time where all friends and family get together to celebrate the holiday season. You wait for the entire year to go back home to your near and dear ones, to spend time with them, to exchange gifts and goodies. But many a times as the season gets closer, a lot of people find themselves emotional disturbed for various reasons such as monetary problems or dealing with a member you had a feud with last year.

 

What are the causes?

There can be a list of things that can make you upset while you are backpacking to go to your town, such as the fear of coming across an old flame or monetary issues that makes your gifts a little less fancy than others. If your spouse or your closest sibling  is busy with work and couldn’t make it for the celebration this year, do not dwell in depression; rather cheer up the rest of the family and get started.

 

Pay proper attention to your personal health. Exercise regularly; eat your meals on time in order to do away with the daily pressure you face at work and home. Staying fit and healthy will bring in a positive atmosphere for you which will enable you to enjoy the holiday season to the fullest.

 

Try and know all the reasons that can trigger any emotional imbalance in you while you are hoping to enjoy the holiday. A little extra care and determination can help you avoid such upsetting times.

 

What can be done?

It’s only you and you who can decide whether you want to stay upset during this holiday season or to do something to keep up the positive holiday spirit. Here’s what you should do:

 

Understand your feelings: Find out the true reason for your unhappiness. If you are really having trouble in communicating, allow yourself to open up or cry it out. This will make you feel better and take away the load. If someone close has passed away or a member you love isn’t around for whatever reason, try and get a hang on yourself.

 

Talk it out: Loneliness can be fought away if have someone you can talk to. Look around and tell someone you know what you are going through. Besides family and friends, companionship can be found at many events like a social gathering. Helping someone who is going through a similar problem can prove beneficial for your own positive spirit.

 

Get practical: As time passes by, trends and traditions change or at the least get altered. Adjust yourself with these changes. If your grandchildren can’t make it back home this season, do a video call while the rest are celebrating. Spending quality time with the close ones is the true shout of the season; focus on that rather than cribbing or arguing with them.

 

Let bygones be bygones: Having a fight with a family member during the festive season can ruin every one else’s positive spirit. Avoid such situations and indulge yourself in positive things. Holding grudges can also ruin your own mood. Let it go. Free yourself!

 

Budget management: Do not over spend on things you don’t really require. Holiday shopping brings in a new wave that can make you go overboard and empty your pockets. Plan a proper budget and shop accordingly so that money will not be an issue when you are enjoying the holidays.

 

Look after yourself: Look after yourself. Take out sometime for your own mind, body and soul. Remember your health is more important than anything else.

 

Its fine to say no: Missing one of the family trips due to a major reason is okay. Let them know the reason and communicate how sorry you are for not being a part of it.

 

If you still believe that you can’t cope up with the holiday blues, seek a professional counsellor’s help. There is no need for you to deal with this stress all alone. Holidays are meant to be enjoyed and if you aren’t doing that, you should help yourself.

Categories: emotional, emotional imbalance, Family, holiday, holiday season, imbalance, nbsp, positive spirit, season, time

Unseen Damage: The Silent Scars of Emotional Abuse

One in every four women will be a victim of domestic violence in her lifetime, which impacts your emotional health long after the threat to your physical wellbeing has gone. The more concerning stats show that most women are afraid to report abuse, with only 25% of physical assaults and just 20% of rapes being reported to the police. However, according to Gunta Krumins, BA, PMP, author of The Detrimental Effects of Emotional Abuse, psychological or emotional abuse is even more underreported and harder to prove, which mean many women’s emotional wellness is at risk to this silent epidemic.

 

Krumins argues, ‘Emotional abuse is the silent monster in our midst, occurring in neighbours’ and loved ones’ homes more than we realise. It is a tragic situation that’s a daily reality for millions. A widespread illegal activity is being ignored when people are victimised in their own homes. What emotional abusers are doing to their victims is criminal and has to be stopped.’ While you may think of an emotional abuser as an obvious, out-and-out bully, often they are “silent monsters” that know precisely how to manipulate situations, and control, hurt and humiliate their victims, all the while appearing to be affectionate.

 

Krumins notes, ‘Emotional abuse is about someone manipulating your emotions on a psychological level, and it goes beyond simple verbal bullying.’ The abusive behaviour is readily explained away or excused by the abuser, but, make no mistake, they know exactly what they’re doing, says Krumins. ‘They’ve been perfecting what they do to people ever since they were little – and they chose to be this way,’ she adds. ‘They don’t want to change and they don’t care who they hurt as long as no one suspects them, and the situation works for them.’

 

The problem with emotional abuse is that it can be hard to spot, as it doesn’t leave any discernible scars. However, there are signs of emotional abuse – albeit subtle ones – and the best way to tackle the epidemic is by raising awareness. People who report suspected abuse often say that nothing seems obviously wrong, but they just had a sense that something seemed off. Your best friend’s new boyfriend seems too good to be true, for example, and you just don’t believe he has genuine affection for her. Krumins explains, ‘You may see or feel things that are off and start second-guessing yourself or making excuses for oddities. Trust your instincts. They’re usually right. And if you know what you’re looking for, you’ll be able to help your best friend.’

 

When you’re the one being emotionally abused, it’s hard to admit to other people that the supposed love of your life is hurting you. However, embarrassment is never a good enough reason to stay in a harmful relationship. When you’re the victim of emotional abuse, you can suffer feelings of conflict, grief, insecurity, feeling overwhelmingly stifled and that nothing you do or say is right or good enough. No matter what you try, be it standing up for yourself or telling the abuser exactly what he wants to hear, the abuse doesn’t readily ease up. Krumins comments, ‘This negative pressure will come at you in various forms, such as threatening, blaming, accusing, yelling, teasing and even laughing, and is applied 24/7 in extreme cases.’

 

Krumins urges, ‘As a victim, no matter what you are being told, you must know that it is not your fault and know that the abuser has no intention of changing. The only thing you can do is leave. Get someone to help you pack your bags and stay away from this person. Never go back. He means you harm.’ She adds, ‘As a community, we have to change our attitude toward emotional abuse. If we continue to ignore it or walk away from those who need our help, we just become enablers ourselves. We have to openly start challenging abusers and holding them accountable for their actions. Exposing the perpetrators of emotional abuse is the very least we can all do to help the victims.’

Categories: abuse, emotional, emotional abuse, krumins, nbsp, nbsp krumins, people, Silent Epidemic, Underreported

How to Rebuild Relationships when Suffering with PTSD

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) takes its toll on your emotional health, and also your relationship wellness. Trauma survivors often have trouble maintaining or establishing intimate and family relationships or close friendships, as PTSD can interfere with your ability to trust, communicate, solve problems, be assertive or achieve emotional closeness. We humans were made to be together and in relationships with one another, so this outcome of PTSD can further damage your wellbeing, and begin a negative cycle.

 

When you survive a trauma, you can experience a great deal of emotional and physical pain, be it from the trauma itself or the emotional trauma afterwards. Not only does this impact you as the victim, but also the loved ones that surround you. You might not be interested in anything social or sexual, you may feel distant from others, or you may be numb to what’s going on around you. You may experience problems relaxing, socialising or being intimate without being tense or demanding, because you’re often in a state of irritation, anxiety, worry, nervousness or distrust. Plus, avoiding reminders of the trauma, reliving painful memories and struggling with the emotions that come out of them can interfere with your ability to concentrate, listen and make decisions.

 

All of the above emotional and mental problems mean that PTSD survivors and their loved ones often go through problems that aren’t resolved for a long time, as your friends and family struggle to communicate with you, and feel it’s impossible to work as a team. They might be hurt, alienated or discouraged by your lack of progress, or even feel angry and distant towards you because of how you’ve been acting. Then, if the PTSD is interfering with your sleep patterns, your partner may also suffer from a lack of sleep and, as a result, the emotional problems grow. In fact, living with someone with PTSD can cause the partner to experience vicarious or secondary traumatisation, which is similar to having PTSD.

 

PTSD is caused by a number of traumatic events, including childhood sexual and physical abuse, rape, domestic violence, combat, terrorism, genocide, torture, kidnapping, and being a prisoner of war. Understandably, survivors often report feeling a lasting sense of terror, horror, vulnerability, and betrayal that interferes with relationships. This means that you can be resistant to let down your guard and be emotionally or sexually intimate with another person, even if you feel a strong bond of love or friendship towards that person.

 

So how can you let down your PTSD guard, and create and maintain successful intimate relationships?

 

1. Establish a personal support network: You need a strong team of professionals around you to help you cope with the PTSD while you maintain or rebuild relationships with family and friends. However, the support network can’t do the job for you; you need dedication, perseverance, hard work, and commitment to get your relationship wellness back on track.

 

2. Create a safe environment in which to share your feelings: You and whomever you’re building a relationship with need to be able to sharing feelings honestly and openly. This should be done with an attitude of respect and compassion. When sitting down to discuss your relationship or the PTSD, it may be helpful to lay down these ground rules, in order to set the tone and ensure everyone is on the same page.

 

3. Work on yourself: Recovering from the emotional trauma of PTSD can be a lengthy process, and will take more that just a few conversations. You need to continually strengthen your relationship skills, with particular regard to cooperation, problem-solving and communication.

 

4. Have fun: Relationships aren’t all about feelings and deep chats; they’re also about enjoying life together. Make sure that you make a special effort to include playfulness, spontaneity, relaxation, and mutual enjoyment in the relationship, and the rest will come out of that.

Categories: Advice, emotional, emotional trauma, nbsp, ptsd, rebuild relationships, relationship, relationship wellness, Relationships, support network

Panic Disorders: Could You Be Suffering?

Panic disorders occur in many people and are categorised by recurring and regular panic attacks, usually for no real reason at all. Anxiety is common and can occur at any time in life, not just when we are exceptionally stressed, and it is a perfectly natural response to stress, emotional trauma or danger. However, in people who suffer from panic disorders, stress and anxiety are a more regular occurrence. Anxiety is the term used for feelings of unease and this can be quite severe at times, including feelings of fear and worry. There are a number of conditions which can increase the likelihood of anxiety occurring, which involve phobias and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). The latter of these is a long-term conditions which leads to excessive anxiety and worry relating to a number of situations and events in the person’s life. Post-traumatic stress disorder can also cause anxiety – this is a condition caused by extremely stressful or distressing events, and can actually lead to psychological and physical problems. If you’ve experienced a stressful event or gone through something very distressing, it’s likely that you may develop anxiety and stressful symptoms. You may wish to speak to your GP about this in order to limit the risk of you developing a panic disorder.

A panic attack causes your body to produce a number of physical and mental symptoms. You’ll feel overwhelmed by fear and worry, as well as feeling nauseas, sweaty, trembling and feel as though you heart is beating irregularly. Depending on how severe your disorder is will determine how often you feel this way – some people only have one or two a month, while others have attacks several times a week. They can be very frightening, particularly if you’ve not experienced them before, but they aren’t dangerous. The attack is not going to cause you any physical harm and it’s very unlikely that you’ll need to be admitted to hospital for a panic attack. If you’re worried about panic attacks or feel that you’re getting them more regularly, you should speak to your GP who can advise you of how to deal with them.

Panic attacks affect one in 10 people, and they’re usually the result of a stressful event. It’s believed that one in 100 people in the UK have a panic disorder; they’re often developed when the individual is in their twenties. It’s also twice as common in women than men. Researchers still aren’t sure what triggers panic disorders. The main form of treatment for them is to reduce the number of panic attacks you suffer from, to ease the severity of your condition. There are two types of treatment for panic disorders – medication and psychological therapy. The former is something that your GP will be able to discuss with you, to find the right type of medication for your condition. The latter can either be arranged privately or through your GP. Your counsellor will be able to discuss the reasons behind your panic disorder, delve into why you feel so stressed, and help you to find ways to combat your problem. Generally, trying to avoid stressful activities and remain calm can help to set you on the right path for treating panic disorders. You may find calming activities helpful, such as yoga and meditation. General calming techniques such as deep breathing and counting to ten can also help you to ease an attack when it strikes.

Categories: anxiety, Disorder, disorders, emotional, panic, panic attack, Panic Attacks, panic disorder, panic disorders, Stress, stressful event

Best Friends: Should Children Have Them?

Everyone can remember having at least one best friend in the course of their childhood, but the question of whether or not the nature of having a best friend is a fundamentally sound one has struck the minds of pupil’s teachers across the UK.

It is a natural process for many youngsters, seeking for companionship whilst undergoing their early steps into education; but there are growing concerns that by having one best friend, it ostracises other children from interacting with them. As such, there are a number of schools that are encouraging their pupils to have many “good friends” instead.

It hasn’t been the first time that schools have given children the “no best friend rule” – in modern teaching, it has become widely acknowledged for tutors to encourage group-playing, rather than tightly-knit bonds.

For many however, the concept of forming special relationships is a fundamentally human process.

Relationships Expert Judi James explained thus: “Children have usually had extensive bonding with at least one parent, so when they first go to school, they are used to being part of a double act, so it’s only natural that they want to seek out a best friend.

“It’s probably a bit of fear and a survival instinct. It makes them feel more secure, it’s easier to face the world when there are two of you and it validates your behaviour, and who you are,” she says.

There are growing concerns for critics and philosophers that the concept of banning best friends will stunt children emotionally, which will consequently mean that they will have little to no understanding of how to cope with future complications. The mistake, they suggest, lies in the fact that an adult’s emotions will differ significantly from that of a child’s.

So is there a science behind childhood bonds?

“If we buy our child a pet, there’s a likelihood it will die, but we want them to be able to form a bond with an animal. We get married knowing it could end in divorce.” James explained, “Yes, a child might fall out with their best friend, they might get jilted, their best friend might move away – but that’s not a reason to keep relationships at arms length. Children have to learn to survive socially.”

Categories: Child, Child Wellness, childhood, Children, emotional, Friend, Friends, Friendships, growing concerns, Relationships, School

The Scars of Abuse: Study Shows Impact on Brain Patterns

There’s no denying that childhood sexual and emotional abuse leave their scars on your wellbeing, but a new study has shown that it leaves a distinct pattern on your brain, which feeds into other areas of emotional health. The research, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, finds that emotional abuse affects the regions of your brain involved in self-awareness, while sexual abuse affecting areas involved in genital sensation.

 

The study, which connects specific types of abuse to symptoms experienced by many survivors later in life, is based on brain imaging from 51 women in Atlanta, aged 18 to 45 who took part in a larger project on the impact that early trauma has on your wellness. Of these participants, 23 experienced either no maltreatment or next to nothing, while the other 28 had been seriously maltreated as children, suffering from various combinations of neglect and emotional, physical and sexual abuse. The women were given a standard questionnaire on childhood trauma to assess their early-childhood experiences, and then the researchers scanned their brains to measure the thickness of various regions of the cortex.

 

There’s a correlation between healthy brain development and thicker cortical regions. Much in the same way that using your muscles enables them to grow and develop, “exercising” regions in the brain means that they will tend to be bigger. However, abuse can get in the way of these regions being used, as your brain can alter patterns of signalling from the pathways involved in order cope with the overwhelming experiences of distress. This reduced input eventually means that those regions will be underdeveloped.

 

Jens Pruessner, associate professor of psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal, explains, ‘If abuse was of a sexual type, we saw changes in the somatosensory cortex, the area that processes input from the body to create sensations and perceptions.’ In this area, a map of your body is created on your brain, each region of which processes sensation from specific body parts. According to Pruessner, compared to women who had not been sexually abused, ‘women who were sexually abused had thinning in the area where the genitalia were located.’

 

This seems to tie in with anecdotal evidence that many sexual-abuse survivors give, albeit varying depending on the severity and the amount of abuse. Still, sexual-abuse survivors generally report sexual problems in adulthood, such as reductions in desire and sensation and even chronic genital pain. Pruessner notes, ‘There are some studies suggesting that thinning of the cortex [in these regions] would be associated with a lowered pain threshold, so you would more easily perceive pain instead of touch from that area.’

 

Emotional abuse left a different type of scar. ‘We [saw thinning] in areas that have to do with self-awareness and emotional regulation, areas in the prefrontal cortex and medial temporal lobe, which typically show activation when people are asked to think about themselves or reflect on their emotions,’ says Pruessner. Depending on who you are and the particular circumstances of the abuse, such experiences can leave you prone to depression, moodiness and extreme or dulled emotional responsiveness. ‘As adults,’ Pruessner adds. ‘[Victims have difficulty] reflecting on themselves and finding the right way to deal with emotions.’

 

In an editorial accompanying the study, Dr. Maria Oquendo, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University, and her colleagues wrote, ‘If replicated, these data provide compelling evidence about the enduring structural effects on the brain as a function of early life experience.’ Current research is increasingly suggesting that the brain can change dramatically when provided with the right type of support and emotional nourishment, and so this study can shed light on goes wrong during and after abuse, which will help them figure out how to make it right. ‘That is our long-term hope,’ Pruessner says.

Categories: abuse, abuse survivors, Brain, Cortex, emotional, emotional abuse, regions, Research, sexual, Sexual Abuse, sexually abused

Could Your Behaviour Cause the End of Your Marriage?

When you are struggling with a difficult time in your relationship, your mental and emotional wellness and wellbeing can be seriously affected. It can be hard to ‘see the wood for the trees’, as they say, meaning that from within the situation, it is often hard to accurately see what is going on, and fix it.

 

Most marriages and relationships go through tough times, but sometimes there can be elements that you are not aware of, and one of those elements is ‘distorted thinking’. This is a newly studied behaviour pattern that psychologists believe can damage, erode and destroy otherwise healthy relationships.

 

Distorted thinking basically means that your way of thinking about situations is not typical, and that you tend to see the worst in a situation. For example, you may blame your partner for every mess up and mistake that occurs. Responsibility should be taken two ways across a relationship, and when one partner sees the other as the reason for all of the problems, this is distorted thinking and it makes things much harder to fix.

 

Distorted thinking can also occur when one person in the partnership thinks that the feeling that their partner has for them is not as strong as the love they have for them. Consequently, they then feel that their partner is less invested in the relationship, and they display anxious or bitter behaviour. Love should not be measured by whose love is deepest or strongest – and this way of thinking can be highly damaging.

 

Jealously is also a form of distorted thinking, and can leave the jealous person feeling anxious and fearful. A distorted thinker may feel that every woman or man that their partner has contact with is in some way a sexual threat. They often can’t tell the difference between natural friendliness and a normal encounter with someone of the opposite sex.

Categories: distorted, distorted thinking, emotional, Marriage, nbsp, nbsp distorted, partner, relationship, Thinking

What Damage Can a Breakup do to Your Mental Health?

The breakup of a relationship can affect your mental wellness and your emotional wellbeing. Unfortunately, a relationship breakup is something that most people will experience at some point in their lives. If you think about it, a relationship breakup is not too dissimilar to a bereavement – the time spent with someone special comes to an end and you miss and ‘grieve’ for them in the same way as you would if they had died. This kind of stress can do harm to your body as well as your mind.

 

Emotional stress is one of the most common side effects of a breakup, although of course everyone handles a breakup in their own individual way. Much as there are different stages of grief, too, there are also different stages of breakup emotions, such as anger, denial and acceptance.

 

These emotions associated with a breakup can also lead to physical health problems. A seriously gruelling breakup can lead to symptoms such as drastic weight loss, insomnia, hair loss and a raised level of the stress hormone cortisol. This stress hormone can then lead to problems with the body’s digestive system, immune system, cardiac system and other body functions.

 

When emotional stress starts to take this kind of serious toll on physical health, it is time to seek help. A GP can be a good first port of call, and they may refer you on to a psychologist or a counsellor. These are trained professionals who can help with the emotions and stresses of a breakup, and many patients find that by making sense of the feelings that they are experiencing they see a dramatic improvement in any physical symptoms that they are experiencing as a result of the stress hormone. You could also refer yourself to a psychologist or counsellor privately.

Categories: breakup, emotional, health

What Everyone Ought To Know About Mental Resilience

Those who have good mental and emotional health are better able to withstand the ups and downs that life throws at them. Everybody in life experiences a range of emotions and goes through both good and bad times. It is how you cope with these more difficult situations in life that shows how strong your mental wellbeing is.

 

Emotions such as anxiety, stress and sadness are common, with all people experiencing them at some point, and most people experiencing them on a regular basis. Those who have true emotional wellness are able to bounce back from difficulties such as trauma, stress and adversity far more easily, and this is something that most people can achieve, if given the right tools to learn how to cope with life’s more difficult events.

 

One of the most important things in life is balance. To keep your emotions and stress in balance, it is useful to be able to recognise your emotions and work through them. Start by trying to give your emotions names – identifying them in this manner is the first step for trying to work past them. If you recognise what it is that you are experiencing (be that depression, anxiety or negativity), you can then start formulating a plan to move past it.

 

Another important element is having a strong support network around you. Everybody needs to have people that they trust that they can turn to in difficult times, who will encourage and support them when their own morale is low.

 

Finally, it is important to stop your nervous system from becoming overly stressed, as it then flips into fight of flight mode, or, worse still, you end up freezing, unable to make any kind of decision. This can be really difficult in everyday stressful situations, such as work meetings or traffic jams, so the ideal thing to do is to prevent this overload from occurring in the first place.

Categories: emotional, health, mental

Worker Fired After her Emotional Health Deteriorates

A factory worker who was fired after her mental and emotional health deteriorated, has won her job back. She claimed that her emotional wellness and wellbeing suffered serious consequences after a male colleague sexually assaulted her in 2009.

The woman, who is unable to be named for legal reasons, worked for Annies, a food manufacturing company, in Blenheim. After being dismissed, she took her case against the company to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA).

In 2009, a male employee was fired after she accused him of sexually assaulting her during a shift. The case against him was not proven in court.

Following the case, the woman claimed that her job was changed. She subsequently wrote to her union, telling them of her unhappiness with some aspects of her role. A meeting then took place to address the issues raised, and her manager claimed she showed ‘extreme absenteeism’ for taking five sick days in six weeks. The company advised the woman to have counselling and offered to pay.

Following the meeting, the woman reportedly made a fist at her employer, whilst expressing her unhappiness at the outcome, to which she was told that her manager would not be intimidated. She then went into a side room, where she took a pair of scissors and placed them against her wrists, but she later replaced them in the drawer.

Suspended on full pay and with counselling the woman was later dismissed, being told that the incident amounted to serious misconduct.

However, the ERA has found that the woman’s behaviour should not have been viewed as serious misconduct, particularly as there were no warnings on the woman’s file for any kind of offences, and so she should not have been fired.

Representatives of the woman say that she is delighted to have her job back and looking forward to getting to know her old workmates again.

Categories: emotional, mental, worker

Dieting: Is fear stopping you from making changes?

For many people, the word diet instills a deep fear – a fear of failure. Around 95 percent of a woman’s self-esteem surrounds her body image, which can greatly affect how they feel about many aspects of their life and their confidence. There are plenty of other aspects which can affect a diet’s success, from hormone imbalances, stress and emotional problems. It is vital before starting something as reliant on dedication as a diet that we change our mindset. Once you tackle the emotional reasons that you overeat and struggle to maintain a healthy eating programme, you’ll find it a lot easier to keep on track. There are six questions you can ask yourself though, before setting off on your weight loss journey.

Question number one

Are you committed to changing your body? Anyone thinking of starting a diet wants to change how they look – but they aren’t always committed to the reality. You need to ensure you’re going to be strong when a sweet treat or a tasty snack tempts you.

Question number two

Does the pain of having more weight feel normal to you? If you’re used to using the extra ten pounds you’d love to lose as a weapon to use against yourself, how will you feel once it’s gone? It can be a tough issue to face but the reality is, there is some part of you that relishes having an excuse to loathe yourself. It’s important that you learn to love and accept the way you are, as it may be a difficult reality to face once you don’t have your weight to hide behind.

Question number three

Are you ready for the changes in your life? Routine is comforting, so how will you feel when the lifestyle you’re used to is upturned. It may seem daunting, but try to focus on the positive elements that will come with weight loss, such as a feeling of vitality and wellbeing, and being able to enjoy other aspects of your life more.

Question number 4

Are you allowing yourself to be distracted? Everything takes priority over your diet…sound familiar? There will always be things which can serve as an excuse for giving up, but in order to lose the weight, you need to be strong and put your efforts first.

Question number 5

Who are you losing weight for? Is it for you or someone else – a partner or to impress friends, perhaps? You won’t get far trying to please others. If you’re going to lose weight successfully, you’ll need to do it for yourself.

Question number 6

Are you realistic about your goals? Losing weight is a slow and steady process, which shouldn’t be rushed. Aim to lose about one to three pounds per week, and focus on being healthy rather than the amount of weight you’re losing – this will come with time. Most importantly, don’t quit at the last hurdle. Make sure that you stay on track and achieve the goal in question.

Categories: Dieting, emotional, Information

Riding the Emotional Roller Coaster: Self Employment Tips

Riding the Emotional Roller Coaster: How to Thrive While Owning Your Own Business

Owning your own business can be extremely rewarding, but it is also important to realize that there will be financial ups and downs. After all, no company maintains the exact same level of business every month. Additionally, it usually takes a few years for a new business to become more stable. Therefore, you need to take steps to protect your financial and emotional well-being while you are bringing your dream of being self-employed to life.

 

Tips for Thriving as a New Business Owner

1. Put Aside Six Months’ Worth of Living Expenses – The major mistake that new business owners make is failing to leave themselves a financial cushion. However, when you consider that it might be at least three years before you build a strong base of customers, you can easily understand how vital it is to have some money in the bank. You should strongly reconsider the launch date for your company if you do not have enough money put aside to survive for at least six months without any income.

 

2. Insure Your Business – Everyone knows that business owners need to get multiple insurance policies in order to protect their company from liability and property damage, but many companies fail to acquire business interruption insurance. Being able to file business interruption claims is an important safety net if your company is forced to shut down for a while after a natural disaster, fire or other similar incident.

 

3. Take Time for Yourself – Owning a business requires a lot of time and attention to detail. However, if you do not let yourself have some downtime, you are going to end up getting burned out. Therefore, you should schedule at least one day off per week to unwind. If you get into a busy time that makes it impossible to take a day off, you should at the very least get away from the office for lunch to allow you to clear your head.

 

4. Make a Budget and Stick to It – After you bring in enough money to take care of all of your bills and other budgeted expenses, you should put any excess in the bank. After all, it is important to remember that there will most likely be several months when you do not hit your targeted number, and putting aside money during your best months will help get you through the lean times.

 

5. Separate Your Identity from the Business – One of the biggest emotional mistakes that business owners make is to let their personal feelings of worth hinge on the success or failure of their company. As long as you give it your best and take steps to protect yourself financially, you should give yourself a break if the business does not become as successful as you had imagined. After all, you are a separate entity from your company.

 

Before you open your business, you will need to make sure that you have all of the necessary items in place, including insurance. Once everything is all set, you should move forward, and do your best to run a successful company without sacrificing your entire personal life.

Melanie Fleury is a business owner who knows the struggles of starting a new company. Doyle Raizner Trial Attorneys work with businesses who have filed business interruption claims. If the insurance company tries to short change your claim, having an attorney will help to ensure that your business gets what it is entitled to.

Categories: emotional, Self Employment, Tips

What Everyone Should Know About Emotional Freedom Technique

Those who practice complementary forms of wellness will be interested to learn about the Emotional Freedom Technique, which is believed to be of great benefit and to bring you wellbeing.

Sometimes shortened to EFT, the Emotional Freedom Technique works by connecting the body, mind and spirit, and looks at healing the whole body with all of these things in mind. By becoming aware of our inner world rather than the external world in which we inhabit, we are better able to address emotional and physical challenges that occur within our own bodies. This does not exclude the use of traditional medicine and therapy, but instead gives us another weapon to use to help us strive towards complete wellness.

Derived from acupuncture, the Emotional Freedom Technique is a noninvasive procedure, based on the flow of energy through the body. It is practised in order to heal both emotional and physical problems.

It was first discovered in the mid 90s, and is a sort of type of psychological acupressure, using the traditional energy medians that are employed in acupuncture, but without any need for invasive needles. Instead, simply tapping with the fingertips is used to input kinetic energy into specific places on the head and chest, whilst you think about the particular problem in question (be that a traumatic event, a pain, and addiction or whatever) and say positive affirmations out loud.

It is believed that energy flows through these points, and that EFT acts as circuit breaker. Negative emotions block the pathways with energy blocks, and this can lead to phobias, stress and physical ailments. The gentle tapping process relives the pressure and removes the energy block.

What Everyone Should Know About Emotional Freedom Technique

Categories: body, emotional, emotional freedom, energy, freedom, freedom technique, tapping, technique

Shining Positivity into your Negative Corners

We all want to be the best at what we do. The Sherlock in our own brand of expertise – but there is always something stopping you, pulling you back.

From the tedious term “experience” to the deterring “impossibility”, there always seems to be a clause that you’ve missed or disregarded, but always seems to catch up on you. It’s funny however, that the majority of these words often come from yourself.

You’re your life’s biggest critic and ultimately, you can become your own downfall. It goes without saying however that negative thinking is a very serious, but incredibly human, habit that is difficult to kick down once it has made itself known.

It is easy to look in hindsight and think, “I wish that I had done this or that,” – but the truth is that this only holds us back, keeping us in the past, rather than jumping into the future. Of course, the problem then is finding the motivation to do so.

There are 3 ways of overcoming this problem. So, sit back, drink a hot beverage, gnaw on a biscuit and relax:

Ignore that Negative Thinking: It’s easier said than done, but for every negative thought, they are both misleading and untrue. Try to reverse them – experiment and play, as long as you break the cycle of breaking down your confidence. If those negative thoughts come to devour you, turn around and tell them, “Not today.”

Try Out New Things: In the space of 18 months, a man sat down and started drawing for nine hours every day. Each time he practised, the better that he became. It was an entirely new concept, full of possibilities – he is now a very popular artist – all because he attempted something different. The real path to success is not by studying the degree or getting the references, but by doing something that fires up your passion. It is quite common for a lot of people now to be unsure of who they are, what they want to be and why. All it takes is finding what you are truly good at. Take classes, read books, see films – find what grabs you the most within the material. Is it the graphics? The plots? Cookery? Science? The arts? What intrigues you? Find them – maybe your dream career is hiding under your nose.

Internalise the Positive, Use the Negative: Before, it was mentioned that you are your greatest critic. For artists, many take the criticisms as advice – what can you do better, how to improve on what you’re doing and more. Ignore the people that doubt you – reflect upon yourself, write down the negatives if you have to – but then find ways of reversing them.

Everyone makes mistakes – it’s a very human thing to do; but the fear of failure is what tends to drive people down. Believing that you can do something, against all odds, brings respect from your colleagues, the knowledge to survive – and more importantly, trust in yourself.

Shining Positivity into your Negative Corners

Categories: corporate wellness, critic, emotional, ignore, Mental Health, negative, negative thinking, people, positive thinking, Thinking, Wellbeing

Ways to Care for a Loved One with Dementia

Importance of Dementia Care

Individuals with dementia require specialized care as their condition progresses. The condition of dementia affects various cognitive abilities of the brain. The usual cause of dementia is ageing. However, diseases and injuries can also lead to progressive or static loss of cognitive functions in younger individuals. Each individual diagnosed with this condition has a different set and progression of symptoms. A person with dementia may eventually require full-time care at home or in a specialized facility.

Creating a Care Plan

Caregivers with health care training must develop a unique plan for each patient with dementia. Most individuals diagnosed with loss of cognitive abilities due to ageing are over the age of 65. As the world’s population is ageing, more individuals will be diagnosed with a dementia condition. In addition to dementia, an elderly individual may have physical health conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, diabetes and others. While caring for a senior with dementia, the additional conditions also require specialized medications and treatments.

Difficulties Caused by Dementia

An individual with this condition can have difficulties with solving problems, loss of language, attention span or memory. The condition progresses differently with each patient requiring careful monitoring of symptoms. Any care decisions must be discussed with the loved one first to maintain their dignity. While making lifestyle changes an individual should be seeking medical attention. New medications and treatments are useful for various types of dementia and can delay loss of mental functioning. Many dementia patients also develop anxiety or depression that requires treatment.

Help From Family

In the early stages of the dementia condition, an elderly person is often able to continue normal activities with assistance from caregivers. Family members can share in the task of caring for an individual with this condition while they remain in the home. Setting up a schedule with phone calls and home visits by family members is helpful in making sure the loved one is safe. In addition, many religious institutions provide volunteers who are eager to help the elderly in their communities. Various private and government agencies have also developed programs to assist with caring for the ageing population.

Home Care for Dementia Patients

Remaining in familiar surroundings is essential for individuals with dementia during the early stages of the condition. Stress from moving to new locations can actually cause an increase in loss of mental functions. A senior’s home is safer with a few simple changes to the physical characteristics of the home. Installing safety devices in the bathrooms such as grab bars, electrical outlet covers and slip proof flooring can prevent falling injuries. Increased lighting inside and outside the house also helps a senior to walk safely from location to location.

Home Health Assistance

The individual with dementia should begin making plans for their future care before losing the mental capacity to make decisions. Hiring a home health worker to visit every day or live in your loved one’s house can be a great plan. A trained professional caregiver can assist with tasks such as bathing, household chores and preparing nutritious meals. Alternatively, an individual could spend time each day in a specialized day care facility designed for dementia patients. As the dementia condition progresses, a loved one may move to an assisted living home full-time.

 

Nisha has been writing about elderly and dementia care for the last few years now. She enjoys reading health articles from http://mha.org.uk and other dementia and care home resources.

Categories: cognitive abilities, condition progresses, Dementia, dementia condition, dementia patients, Early Stages, emotional, family members, home health, Mental Health, require specialized

How Is Emotional And Physical Pain Relief Linked?

New research into the relief we feel from pain, whether it’s stress related or physical, suggests that the psychological mechanisms our bodies go through when pain is removed is known as pain offset relief. This study has found that whether you’re healthy or display a history of self-harm, you’ll show similar levels of relief when the pain is removed – this shows that the offset relief that scientists have found is a natural reaction which is used to help regulate our emotions.

 

Feeling pain can lead to a negative show of emotions, which we are already aware of, but little has been studied about how we feel when the pain is removed. Does this offset, for example, link itself to positive emotions or are the negative emotions just removed? The study involved using electrodes to measure the participants’ negative emotion levels, with eye-blink startle responses, as well as the positive emotions which were recorded through the muscle activity behind the ear, with responses to loud noises. The participants showed an increased level of positive emotions  and lower levels of negative emotions following the pain offset. Scientists are keen to delve into this further, since the results show that the body is capable of providing an emotional level of pain offset relief, which could shed some light on why some people seek the relief found from self-harming behaviour.

 

The participants, whether they had a history of self-harm or not, were assessed for their level of emotional reactivity and psychiatric disorders. With a similar test used in the study itself, using electrodes, the researchers were able to measure the level of emotional responses to loud noises, whether alone or when combined with painful shocks. In an interesting result, it was noted that healthy individuals displayed pain offset relief levels which were comparable to those with a history of self harming. There was no link between the pain offset relief and the frequency of self harming. Researchers suspect that the biggest risk for non-suicidal self-harm is how people overcome the instinctive barriers that stop most people from self harming.

Google+
How Is Emotional And Physical Pain Relief Linked?

Categories: emotional, new study, Pain Relief