- Stress is when a physiological response is elicited from an external stimuli.
→ This means when a stressful situation (the external stimuli) is presented to you, it causes a (physiological) response from within your mind and body, which can be both psychological and physiological. The stress can also be short term or long term.
When most of us tend to think of stress we like to see it as a feeling similar to worry. Contrary to this belief, stress is not just a feeling and can cause harm if we allow our bodies to remain in the state of stress for too long. If a person is under constant stress, it can actually affect and change a person's whole biological and psychological state.
The Two Types Of Stress:
As most of us already know, stress is not always bad. There are actually two different types of stress that each of us experience, one is caused by positive events and the other is caused by negative events..
EUSTRESS- stress that is caused by a positive event. For example, the stress that occurs while watching a scary movie, riding a roller coaster, or getting a job promotion.
DISTRESS- stress that is caused by a negative event. For example, the stress that occurs from the loss of a loved one, getting hurt, or losing a job.
Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome:
The effect that stress can have on the body was first described by Hungarian scientist Hans Seyle in 1936. Seyle theorized that chronic stress creates long-term chemical changes in the body, therefore stress could be a prominent cause of more serious diseases.
With this knowledge in mind Seyle began to dig even further into his research. From his lab work with rats and his memories of medical school, Hans Seyle identified what he referred to as The General Adaptation Syndrome. This describes the body's reactions to stress and can be broken down into three stages:
1) Alarm Reaction- This is when a person is disturbed by a stressor or external stimulus and the body first notices this stimulus. It is in this first stage that Cannon's fight or flight response comes into effect and hormones are released to provide the individual with enough energy to handle the given situation at hand. These hormones include adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol. When released, there will be an increase in heart rate, breathing pattern, a tightening of muscles, and a constricting of blood vessels. All of this results in the creation of the energy you need to either fight or flee..
If the energy that is released from the fight or flight response continually remains unused through a lack of physical activity, it can actually have harmful effects on the body. Too much of the hormone cortisol can damage muscle tissue, cells, and can even lead to gastric ulcers, high blood sugar levels, and stroke. If there is too much adrenaline in the body, blood vessels of the brain and heart can be damaged, and this will increase the risk of suffering from a stroke or heart attack.
2) Adaptation- This is when the body begins to counteract the external stimulus and restore our bodies through recovery, renewal, and repair. This process is known as resistance, and it occurs almost immediately after the beginning of the alarm phase. This will continue until the stressful condition desists. Should a stressful condition continue, the body will remain in its state of arousal.
A person will begin to face problems when this process begins repeating too frequently, leaving little to no time for recovery to set in. If this occurs, the individual will move into the next stage..
3) Exhaustion- This is when the body has been depleted of the energy, both physical and psychological, that is required to fight off the stressor. This is particularly true for chronic stressors, because when fighting short-term stress, a person may not be entirely depleted of his or her energy. With the energy lost, the individual can no longer resist the stressor.
As a result, stress levels go up and remain high. The individual may experience adrenal fatigue, burnout, maladaption, overload, or dysfunction. Chronic stress can have a major impact on the body and mind. Nerve cells of organs and tissues can become damaged, memory and thinking can become impaired, and a person will be more likely to have anxiety and depression. High levels of stress can also contribute to rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
How to make Stress your Friend:
The only way to make stress become your friend is to change the way that you think and view it. In any given situation you can change the way your mind and body react to the stress.
I came across this idea while watching an episode of a show called "Ted Talks" Where a brilliant women named Kelly McGonigal explains her study on this stress theory. In this study about 30,000 people are tracked throughout 8 years. These people are asked 2 questions: How much stress have you had in the past year? Do you believe that stress can be harmful to your health?
People who had experienced a high amount of stress in the previous year had a 43% increase in risk of dying, but this was only true for the people who ALSO believed that stress was harmful.
On the other hand were people who did NOT believe that stress was harmful to their health. These people actually had the lowest percent risk of dying out of anyone, even the people who had experienced low amounts of stress.
What Does All This Mean?
This means that we can actually change the effects that stress has on us simply by changing our thought process about the subject. The way to do this is to begin viewing the stress responses as helpful to your situation.
Normally when we feel stressed out our body responds by releasing the hormones adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol into your body. This results in an increase in heart rate, breathing patterns, constricting of blood vessels, and you can even begin to sweat. The trick is to view that pounding heart as your body preparing you for action. If you're breathing harder and faster, no problem, that's just your body supplying you with more oxygen. All of these responses are your body energizing you and preparing you.
Once you learn to change your mind and view these stress responses as helpful, you'll then be able to change the way your body reacts to it as well. In another study done, participants were taught how to view the stress responses as helpful, exactly how I mentioned in the paragraph above. When they put the participants into a stressful situation something amazing occurred..Not only did these people think differently about the situation but they're physical responses to the stress changed.
Normally, stress causes your heart rate to increase and your blood vessels to constrict. What the participants experienced was that their blood vessels stayed relaxed instead of constricting. More like a feeling of extreme joy or courage.
The participants from this study were actually able to make stress less likely to cause health issues simply by changing the way they think and react in the situation, and you can do this too..
The only way to beat stress, is to make it your friend.
All of these responses from the stress are your body preparing you with the energy you need to handle the situation at hand. There is no reason to fear stress, you are completely in control of the way your mind and body react to it.
Thanks for reading and good luck in your current endeavors!
-Brooke Neari
To join my team and get access to the same great 8-figure training that I receive, click here ---> http://brooke-neari.com/partner/
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Brooke_M_Neari/1496587
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8564111
Showing posts with label self help. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self help. Show all posts
Thursday, 25 June 2020
Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Your Fast-Acting Tool For Negative Waves
As someone who leans towards the spiritual side of life, are you picking up on some of the negative vibes that have been going around?
Are you keeping peace in your heart as you go about your day during this interesting time? Before you know it, we get to the point where we look back on it and smile for all we have learned. Yet, right now when we are "in" it, how do we tune back in to our True Selves of happiness and delight if we don't have 20 minutes to meditate, take a hike or get a massage?
It is important that we get to the heart of the matter. This process can take you there.
This is easy and works for adults and children. It may work for you.
Here is a process that hundreds of 3rd and 4th graders have learned, as well as over a thousand adult professionals. This has helped CEOs, people in management, lawyers, people in the medical professions, teachers, and more. Many people have created more delight in their marriages, relationships with spouses children, family and co-workers with this simple but powerful process. It will help us all get through these interesting times.
NeuroCalm works negative feelings from any situation. It can also help with physical pain.
As you use this over time, you will find that it becomes automatic.
NeuroCalm in 3 easy steps:
For now, bypass the thoughts. Imagine it your mind is like a talk show host that has to say something, and tune it out. As Bob Newhart said in his famous YouTube, "Stop it!" Humor helps here. Sometimes (maybe not you) we take the thoughts that pass through our consciousness too seriously.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath. If you are spiritual/religious, connect with your Source. Pretend you are sending light from the Source to the feeling and the situation. See yourself and the situation bathed in light.
Be brave and feel. Notice the feeling in your body. This is between you and that feeling, not the commentary. Yes, it may feel uncomfortable for a short time. You are trading off feeling some discomfort now for the painful effects of ignoring it. Ignoring it makes it fester and grow, affecting your mental/emotional state and your health. Go ahead and feel it, fall into it. You can imagine you are holding a baby or a kitten/puppy and be compassionate with your feelings. Here you are listening to yourself. You may notice that the feeling changes. Follow it as it changes. Sometimes this is all it takes for the feeling to go away.
Ask the magical question. (I know, this sounds odd, humor me here, you will see the results... that's what matters) Ask the feeling the magical question "What do I need to know to let you go?" Notice the first thing that comes up for you. It may be a thought, an image, it could be a "knowing." That is your answer. Trust that first response.
Notice. Notice if the feeling is still there. It may be the same, different, or it may have left. If it is still there, repeat the process.
Sometimes these feelings leave quickly and do not return. With some issues in life, the feelings come back. Simply repeat the process.
Do you resonate with this? Try it for three days and see if it makes a difference for you. If so, teach it to others and to children. Imaging growing up knowing that your feelings are your own, and there is a way to peacefully learn from and release them.
To learn more about sending light to a situation, check out Illumination by Michael G. Reccia. You may be surprised at what sending light can do.
Letting go from a spiritual perspective is liberating and healing, and the concept is one of many themes explored, explained and demystified in depth in 'the Joseph Communications', a series of books I highly recommend.
You can find out more at: http://www.thejosephcommunications.com http://www.youtube.com/thejosephcommunications
Nannette DiMascio enjoys helping people remove the emotional charge from the traumas they have carried around from their past. She also assists people in discovering two-way communication with their own spiritual Source within.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Nannette_DiMascio/668630
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10271200
Are you keeping peace in your heart as you go about your day during this interesting time? Before you know it, we get to the point where we look back on it and smile for all we have learned. Yet, right now when we are "in" it, how do we tune back in to our True Selves of happiness and delight if we don't have 20 minutes to meditate, take a hike or get a massage?
It is important that we get to the heart of the matter. This process can take you there.
This is easy and works for adults and children. It may work for you.
Here is a process that hundreds of 3rd and 4th graders have learned, as well as over a thousand adult professionals. This has helped CEOs, people in management, lawyers, people in the medical professions, teachers, and more. Many people have created more delight in their marriages, relationships with spouses children, family and co-workers with this simple but powerful process. It will help us all get through these interesting times.
NeuroCalm works negative feelings from any situation. It can also help with physical pain.
As you use this over time, you will find that it becomes automatic.
NeuroCalm in 3 easy steps:
For now, bypass the thoughts. Imagine it your mind is like a talk show host that has to say something, and tune it out. As Bob Newhart said in his famous YouTube, "Stop it!" Humor helps here. Sometimes (maybe not you) we take the thoughts that pass through our consciousness too seriously.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath. If you are spiritual/religious, connect with your Source. Pretend you are sending light from the Source to the feeling and the situation. See yourself and the situation bathed in light.
Be brave and feel. Notice the feeling in your body. This is between you and that feeling, not the commentary. Yes, it may feel uncomfortable for a short time. You are trading off feeling some discomfort now for the painful effects of ignoring it. Ignoring it makes it fester and grow, affecting your mental/emotional state and your health. Go ahead and feel it, fall into it. You can imagine you are holding a baby or a kitten/puppy and be compassionate with your feelings. Here you are listening to yourself. You may notice that the feeling changes. Follow it as it changes. Sometimes this is all it takes for the feeling to go away.
Ask the magical question. (I know, this sounds odd, humor me here, you will see the results... that's what matters) Ask the feeling the magical question "What do I need to know to let you go?" Notice the first thing that comes up for you. It may be a thought, an image, it could be a "knowing." That is your answer. Trust that first response.
Notice. Notice if the feeling is still there. It may be the same, different, or it may have left. If it is still there, repeat the process.
Sometimes these feelings leave quickly and do not return. With some issues in life, the feelings come back. Simply repeat the process.
Do you resonate with this? Try it for three days and see if it makes a difference for you. If so, teach it to others and to children. Imaging growing up knowing that your feelings are your own, and there is a way to peacefully learn from and release them.
To learn more about sending light to a situation, check out Illumination by Michael G. Reccia. You may be surprised at what sending light can do.
Letting go from a spiritual perspective is liberating and healing, and the concept is one of many themes explored, explained and demystified in depth in 'the Joseph Communications', a series of books I highly recommend.
You can find out more at: http://www.thejosephcommunications.com http://www.youtube.com/thejosephcommunications
Nannette DiMascio enjoys helping people remove the emotional charge from the traumas they have carried around from their past. She also assists people in discovering two-way communication with their own spiritual Source within.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Nannette_DiMascio/668630
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10271200
Thursday, 21 May 2020
10 Ways to Get Back to Your Reading Habit
By Mitul Patel
We have published an article about how to read more books. Now this post is for those who used to read in past and now stopped it for some reasons. Recently a friend asked how he could start reading habit. When I asked him what kinds of books he liked to read, his answer surprised me that he couldn't remember the last time he had read an entire book but he read a lot of news and stuffs online. Another friend admitted her own difficulties with reading as much as she used to, especially fiction. According to her there is enough drama going on around the world, so she didn't feel to read fictionalized drama.
There was one who said he 'prefer to experience real life rather than reading about it in books.' As for this kind of people who think their lives are more interesting and so diverse to give them all the wisdom and emotional skills to direct them through our increasingly complex societies, then I cannot shatter their sweet illusion. So here I want to address those who really want to read but somehow they can't.
There is a difference in reading online news and articles and reading a book. I mean the long-form (books or novels) and shorter pieces (online news and articles). Our cognitive processes are such that we read quicker and with less comprehension and retention when scrolling through short online articles, blogs, and news and clicking on link after link. Though I also read a lot online (news, book reviews, author interviews, etc.), books remains my primary source of knowledge and thoughts. Reading is not only about improving quality of our lives but also the quality of the attention we pay to the things and people in our daily lives. It changes our ways of engaging with the people and being in the world.
Here I'm suggesting some approaches to rekindle and cultivate the habit of reading. It's better to find a way for a regular reading practice organically rather than forcing yourself to read.
Move to Books from Online Articles
If you enjoy reading online about some specific topics, look for the best books published on those topics online or at your local library or bookstore. Don't forget to check the writer's name of that article you liked reading online as they might have books published too. You will get a deeper and more considered dive into those topics in book-length works. Also ask booksellers and librarian about the book on that topic you liked as they truly enjoy engaging with readers and recommend specific kinds of books. If you're living where there is no library or a bookstore nearby, you can join online library and download books on an electronic device.
Move to Books from Movies
If you enjoy movies, look for those adapted from a book and then read that book. If possible (I insist) don't watch movie before you read the book. By a little search in Google, You can find the movies based on books which are already released or will release in near future. Once you are done with that book, try to watch movie adaptation, and you'll realize what you were missing while watching only movie and not reading book.
Read Literature on Travelling
If travelling is your thing, look for books written about or around the next place you are planning to visit. Read those books before, during, and after your trip. It will make the whole travelling experience richer and more satisfying. Often, travel books are about going down the beaten path and it not only enlighten but also encourage us to wander the unknown places.
Read Short Stories
If book-length fiction is frightening you, then pick a short story book. You can usually finish them in a single sitting but they can stimulate your appetite for longer book-length fiction works. There are so many wonderful short stories available online. These short stories can leverage your regular reading habit.
Read with friends
If you can't read alone or need company while reading, Join or start a book club. I personally prefer reading alone but I enjoy those odd book discussions with readers in Book clubs. If you can't find book club nearby you, you can find it online. I love to discuss the books online with the readers from across the world. It fascinates me how differently we all interpret the same book and I always learn something new. Another way is find a friend who likes to read, and ask him (or make him) to read the same book you want to read or read the same book he is reading and then discuss chapter by chapter. This will make you understand and enjoy the book at another level.
Buy an e-Reader
If you are strapped for time, invest in an e-reader or a good audiobook membership. Then you can read while waiting in the grocery checkout line, during daily commutes, or while doing daily chores. You will be amazed to know that you have this much time for reading which was wasted. So recuperate some of this time and use it in reading.
Start a Journal
Begin to write a books journal daily where you write about whatever you've read that day. This will help you to form your thoughts and reflections on the topics and themes you've read about, which is the whole point of reading after all. Write in a private journal or in an online blog, whichever suits you.
Set Reading Goals
If goal achievements and quantified self-hood drives you, then sign up on a website like Goodreads or LibraryThing to log every book you read by date, you can also add rating based on how much liked that book. I use one of these sites to keep track of my personal library and to read list. Set daily goals for reading. Achieving these goals will encourage you to set bigger reading goals and achieve them.
Listen to Book Podcasts
Listen to some good book related podcasts, where they invite authors and discuss their books. I have, many times, bought a certain book after hearing its writer speak about it. There are many podcasts you can choose from. For short stories I like The New Yorker Fiction, The New Yorker Writer's Voice and NPR's Selected Shorts. And for authors' interviews, I prefer BBC World Book Club, CBC's Writers and Company, BBC Radio 4 Bookclub and The Guardian Books.
Attend the Literary events or Festivals
If there are any book related literary festivals near you, try to go there at least once a year. Every year we have a book fair and literature festival for a week, I never missed this event. I can't go there for whole week but I find time on weekend. Celebrating books with other readers is an exceptional delight.
Bonus Tips
Mix up your reading list with different genres and topics. There are many book recommendation websites out there and ours is one of them. Subscribe us for getting regular book recommendation and get yourself a book interests you most. You can read one book at a time or can pick multiple books from different genres and read few pages or chapters from each book every day. Do not try to keep reading the book you have lost interest in. It will kill your enthusiasm and passion for reading. There are so many books out there on every imaginable topics and themes, so drop that book and pick another one.
Reading book is a personal investment that will pay off in long run. The Best books go beyond the education, entertainment, and altering perspectives. It helps us to develop and strengthen our cognitive and emotional muscles to deal better with whatever comes on our way.
This article was published on https://www.bookishelf.com The Bookish Elf is all about the passion for books and reading, knowledge and perception. We are a small group of readers who want the world to know what we read and what they should read.
We'll love to hear pieces of advice, appreciation or criticism. You can send us all your queries and suggestions by filling the form on the Contact us page or mailing us on: contact@bookishelf.com. We'll be grateful for each word of feedback received from you.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mitul_Patel/2563463
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9965069
We have published an article about how to read more books. Now this post is for those who used to read in past and now stopped it for some reasons. Recently a friend asked how he could start reading habit. When I asked him what kinds of books he liked to read, his answer surprised me that he couldn't remember the last time he had read an entire book but he read a lot of news and stuffs online. Another friend admitted her own difficulties with reading as much as she used to, especially fiction. According to her there is enough drama going on around the world, so she didn't feel to read fictionalized drama.
There was one who said he 'prefer to experience real life rather than reading about it in books.' As for this kind of people who think their lives are more interesting and so diverse to give them all the wisdom and emotional skills to direct them through our increasingly complex societies, then I cannot shatter their sweet illusion. So here I want to address those who really want to read but somehow they can't.
There is a difference in reading online news and articles and reading a book. I mean the long-form (books or novels) and shorter pieces (online news and articles). Our cognitive processes are such that we read quicker and with less comprehension and retention when scrolling through short online articles, blogs, and news and clicking on link after link. Though I also read a lot online (news, book reviews, author interviews, etc.), books remains my primary source of knowledge and thoughts. Reading is not only about improving quality of our lives but also the quality of the attention we pay to the things and people in our daily lives. It changes our ways of engaging with the people and being in the world.
Here I'm suggesting some approaches to rekindle and cultivate the habit of reading. It's better to find a way for a regular reading practice organically rather than forcing yourself to read.
Move to Books from Online Articles
If you enjoy reading online about some specific topics, look for the best books published on those topics online or at your local library or bookstore. Don't forget to check the writer's name of that article you liked reading online as they might have books published too. You will get a deeper and more considered dive into those topics in book-length works. Also ask booksellers and librarian about the book on that topic you liked as they truly enjoy engaging with readers and recommend specific kinds of books. If you're living where there is no library or a bookstore nearby, you can join online library and download books on an electronic device.
Move to Books from Movies
If you enjoy movies, look for those adapted from a book and then read that book. If possible (I insist) don't watch movie before you read the book. By a little search in Google, You can find the movies based on books which are already released or will release in near future. Once you are done with that book, try to watch movie adaptation, and you'll realize what you were missing while watching only movie and not reading book.
Read Literature on Travelling
If travelling is your thing, look for books written about or around the next place you are planning to visit. Read those books before, during, and after your trip. It will make the whole travelling experience richer and more satisfying. Often, travel books are about going down the beaten path and it not only enlighten but also encourage us to wander the unknown places.
Read Short Stories
If book-length fiction is frightening you, then pick a short story book. You can usually finish them in a single sitting but they can stimulate your appetite for longer book-length fiction works. There are so many wonderful short stories available online. These short stories can leverage your regular reading habit.
Read with friends
If you can't read alone or need company while reading, Join or start a book club. I personally prefer reading alone but I enjoy those odd book discussions with readers in Book clubs. If you can't find book club nearby you, you can find it online. I love to discuss the books online with the readers from across the world. It fascinates me how differently we all interpret the same book and I always learn something new. Another way is find a friend who likes to read, and ask him (or make him) to read the same book you want to read or read the same book he is reading and then discuss chapter by chapter. This will make you understand and enjoy the book at another level.
Buy an e-Reader
If you are strapped for time, invest in an e-reader or a good audiobook membership. Then you can read while waiting in the grocery checkout line, during daily commutes, or while doing daily chores. You will be amazed to know that you have this much time for reading which was wasted. So recuperate some of this time and use it in reading.
Start a Journal
Begin to write a books journal daily where you write about whatever you've read that day. This will help you to form your thoughts and reflections on the topics and themes you've read about, which is the whole point of reading after all. Write in a private journal or in an online blog, whichever suits you.
Set Reading Goals
If goal achievements and quantified self-hood drives you, then sign up on a website like Goodreads or LibraryThing to log every book you read by date, you can also add rating based on how much liked that book. I use one of these sites to keep track of my personal library and to read list. Set daily goals for reading. Achieving these goals will encourage you to set bigger reading goals and achieve them.
Listen to Book Podcasts
Listen to some good book related podcasts, where they invite authors and discuss their books. I have, many times, bought a certain book after hearing its writer speak about it. There are many podcasts you can choose from. For short stories I like The New Yorker Fiction, The New Yorker Writer's Voice and NPR's Selected Shorts. And for authors' interviews, I prefer BBC World Book Club, CBC's Writers and Company, BBC Radio 4 Bookclub and The Guardian Books.
Attend the Literary events or Festivals
If there are any book related literary festivals near you, try to go there at least once a year. Every year we have a book fair and literature festival for a week, I never missed this event. I can't go there for whole week but I find time on weekend. Celebrating books with other readers is an exceptional delight.
Bonus Tips
Mix up your reading list with different genres and topics. There are many book recommendation websites out there and ours is one of them. Subscribe us for getting regular book recommendation and get yourself a book interests you most. You can read one book at a time or can pick multiple books from different genres and read few pages or chapters from each book every day. Do not try to keep reading the book you have lost interest in. It will kill your enthusiasm and passion for reading. There are so many books out there on every imaginable topics and themes, so drop that book and pick another one.
Reading book is a personal investment that will pay off in long run. The Best books go beyond the education, entertainment, and altering perspectives. It helps us to develop and strengthen our cognitive and emotional muscles to deal better with whatever comes on our way.
This article was published on https://www.bookishelf.com The Bookish Elf is all about the passion for books and reading, knowledge and perception. We are a small group of readers who want the world to know what we read and what they should read.
We'll love to hear pieces of advice, appreciation or criticism. You can send us all your queries and suggestions by filling the form on the Contact us page or mailing us on: contact@bookishelf.com. We'll be grateful for each word of feedback received from you.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mitul_Patel/2563463
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9965069
Wednesday, 29 April 2020
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