In the hustle bustle of our daily lives we seem to be constantly surrounded by Stress. It is like Stress has become a permanent feature of our lives. As we learn to accept it, we also have to learn to deal with it and not let stress take over our lives. In a lot of instances we may not realize how when we let our stresses take over we make ourselves vulnerable to a lot of physical and emotional ailments. These could be anything from chronic pains to lack of proper sleep, to emotional problems, like anxiety. Whatever the cause and effect of stress we need to realize that there are ways of reducing and handling stress. There are a variety of programs offering stress relief techniques and strategies. Here are a few that would help with Stress:
1) Breathing Exercises – Needless to say, Oxygen is the most essential necessity for our lives. When we are under stress we forget to breathe right, and restrict the benefits of oxygen flow in our body. Breathing Exercises enable the flow of oxygen through our entire body.
2) Regular Exercise/Yoga –Exercise and Yoga not only keeps your body in shape but also relax our mind and regulate blood circulation in our body. Being in constant stress blocks the circulation of blood to our brain, which in turn blocks our problem solving abilities. Good circulation of blood to the whole body and especially to the brain will put our mind at ease and in turn enhance our problem solving/handling ability.
3) Meditation – Stress puts a big strain on our mind. When the mind is not in control we cannot control our emotions either. Meditation is a very effective technique which aims at controlling the mind and relieving it of stress. A well controlled and balanced mind results in well controlled emotions.
4) Massage – Massage relaxes and releases the stiffness and aches in our body.
5) Food – There are certain foods that help with stress relief. There are a variety of Teas, especially Green Tea, which contain anti-oxidants and anti-toxins that help reduce stress.
6) Escape – Escape doesn’t necessarily imply escaping from the situation or problems. We don’t have to solve all our problems, and not all at the same time. Taking some time off from our routine and problems will give us thinking space, to organize our thoughts and actions. Something as simple as watching a favorite movie that makes us feel good, can give the much needed escape for the mind.
While dealing with our routine problems and stress we have to remember one very important thing; we cannot control what happens around us, but we can control how we react to the happenings around us. Keeping our mind and body in harmony and control empowers us to handle stress better enjoy all of life’s little joys.

By,
Mary-Ann Roche

Tags: depression, stress

When life hands you a situation that is tough, you may need to lean on other people for comfort. But what if you’re the person that needs to provide the shoulder? It is a difficult job being the one that stays strong for the other person.

How you provide comfort will vary depending on the person you’re comforting and what it is they’ve gone through. However, there are basic tips to keep in mind when you’re consoling someone.

Here are some strategies to follow that can help you provide much-needed comfort to those you care about:

1. Uplift them. When someone is asking you for comfort, chances are that they’re not asking you for advice.  In reality, they just need someone to be there to satisfy their emotional needs.  Do not try to solve their problems unless you’re asked for advice. In that case, you’re free to provide any advice that you may feel you have to offer.

2. Listen well. It’s a good idea to try to develop your listening skills. Being a good listener is truly striving to understand what the other person is trying to express to you. Remember that you can provide a large degree of comfort just by lending an open ear to the person who is suffering.

3. Offer your unconditional help. Sometimes it can be a comfort just to know that the other person is there.  Tell the person that’s suffering that they can openly discuss their problems with you at any time they need help to get through the day.

4. Share a hug. It will depend on the relationship that you have with the person you’re comforting, but you can provide physical comfort with a hug. Hugs simply make people feel better and warm the heart! The human touch can melt the soul and say so much without words.

5. Be understanding. You may not know what it’s like to go through the particular tough time that you’re helping with, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t understand the pain they feel. Do your best to try and understand where this person is coming from.

Understanding Grief

If you’re helping a person deal with loss, you’ll also be helping them with their inner grief. Grief is a natural emotion to go through when you find yourself facing such things as a traumatic loss.

If you gain a better understanding of grief, you may be able to offer your comfort in a helpful thoughtful manner.

Stages of Grief

There are different stages of grief and different people spend varying amounts of time on each stage.  No two people are the same so there are no hard and fast rules.  Often the stages aren’t even expressed in the same order.

Grief normally starts with the initial shock of the loss, then accompanied by denial.  Then pain and anger sets in, which can last for long periods of time.  Depression can often set in before the person journeys into acceptance.

While you don’t want to push a person through the stages of grief too fast, do whatever you can to help them along the journey to acceptance. When a person is angry, be an open ear and reassure them. Help them see their problem or loss from a different perspective.

Depression can be difficult to overcome since the person tends to lose interest in the world around them.  Having you to rely on can make a difference. Show them that the world hasn’t given up on them, so they shouldn’t give up on themselves either.

With your support, and the help of a professional, eventually they will come to terms with and accept their loss.

By MaryAnn Roche.

Tags: comfort, depression, emotional support, empathic, grief, sadness, Unconditional Love, understanding

So, what is depression really and what causes depression?

Many people with depression describe it as a sense of despair that engulfs everything they do and everything they feel.

If you think being depressed is akin to feeling sad because your favorite team just lost the championship game, you really have no idea what suffering from a true depression is like. Depression is much deeper and more invasive than sadness or frustration.

Depression takes everything away from you; it saps your energy, focus, concentration, and especially your joy. You just don’t care about anything; nothing matters and even the people you love become unimportant.

If you ask a group of people who’ve suffered from clinical depression to define the illness, you’ll hear a variety of answers. Depression is a very personal experience that millions of people all over the world go through.

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Different people manifest different symptoms, but one thing is certain: depression is a difficult illness that can destroy your life if left unresolved.

If you’re depressed for a long period of time, you become accustomed to the feeling and any other emotion becomes unfamiliar and even frightening and worse still, you may not even know what causes depression to begin with.

Physical Concerns of Depression

When you’re depressed, you tend to become inactive. This alone can cause a number of problems, but when added to some of the other physical side effects of depression, it’s easy to see why depression is such a serious illness.

Depression doesn’t only take its toll on your emotions and mental state; it can cause serious physical problems as well. Depression may cause you to either lose your appetite or eat incessantly. It also zaps your energy and motivation.

In addition, depression ‘can’ lead to:

1. Poor nutrition.

When depressed, many people fail to take in proper nutrients. It takes too much effort to plan and prepare a meal. This can cause several health problems.

2. Lack of sleep.

Depression can cause insomnia, which strips the body of the necessary sleep to function properly.

3. Hygiene issues.

Someone suffering from depression doesn’t have the energy or the motivation to be concerned with self-care.

4. Aches and pains.

If anyone tells you that your mental state has no effect on your physical state, they’re wrong. When you’re depressed, the chemicals in the brain that signal pain are as affected as the chemicals in your brain that help you feel happy.

* Physical aches and pains are increased, which in turn, kicks in the sad feelings and the cycle begins again.

What are the Symptoms of Depression?

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These are some specific things those with depression experience:
* Hopelessness
* Constant and severe sadness about everything
* Trouble concentrating
* Insomnia or trouble sleeping
* Irritability
* Lack of energy and fatigue
* Feeling worthless, useless and strangely guilty for no reason at all
* Serious change in weight, one way or the other
* Loss of interest in things that once interested them

One thing about depression is certain: it’s a serious condition and should be taken seriously.

As depression progresses, it feeds on itself like a snowball rolling downhill. The longer someone is depressed, the worse the depression gets until they see no way out of it at all. They become resigned to being miserable all the time.

So, what casues depression?

Depression can be caused by a certain event, the change of seasons, a loss of someone close, or even a chemical imbalance in the brain. The treatment for depression usually involves counseling or medication that helps alter brain chemistry.

If you think you may be depressed, talk to a health care provider. Depression doesn’t have to ruin your life! With help and support, you can conquer your depression, move past it, and go on to live a joyful life.

If you know someone who is depressed, the best thing you can do is be his or her friend. Talk to them and help them through this period. Help them seek medical care to treat their illness.

7 Steps To A Depression Free Life – Click Here!

There are so many things that cause depression, I can’t possibly hit on them all here, but I hope I have given you some insight into what depression is, what can cause depression and some tips on dealing with it!

Tags: causes depression, depressed, depression, what is depression

In the hustle bustle of our daily lives we seem to be constantly surrounded by Stress. It is like Stress has become a permanent feature of our lives. As we learn to accept it, we also have to learn to deal with it and not let stress take over our lives. In a lot of instances we may not realize how when we let our stresses take over we make ourselves vulnerable to a lot of physical and emotional ailments. These could be anything from chronic pains to lack of proper sleep, to emotional problems, like anxiety. Whatever the cause and effect of stress we need to realize that there are ways of reducing and handling stress. There are a variety of programs offering stress relief techniques and strategies. Here are a few that would help with Stress:

1)             Breathing Exercises – Needless to say, Oxygen is the most essential necessity for our lives. When we are under stress we forget to breathe right, and restrict the benefits of oxygen flow in our body. Breathing Exercises enable the flow of oxygen through our entire body.

2)            Regular Exercise/Yoga –Exercise and Yoga not only keeps your body in shape but also relax our mind and regulate blood circulation in our body. Being in constant stress blocks the circulation of blood to our brain, which in turn blocks our problem solving abilities. Good circulation of blood to the whole body and especially to the brain will put our mind at ease and in turn enhance our problem solving/handling ability.

3)            Meditation – Stress puts a big strain on our mind. When the mind is not in control we cannot control our emotions either. Meditation is a very effective technique which aims at controlling the mind and relieving it of stress. A well controlled and balanced mind results in well controlled emotions.

4)            Massage – Massage relaxes and releases the stiffness and aches in our body.

5)            Food – There are certain foods that help with stress relief. There are a variety of Teas, especially Green Tea, which contain anti-oxidants and anti-toxins that help reduce stress.

6)            Escape – Escape doesn’t necessarily imply escaping from the situation or problems. We don’t have to solve all our problems, and not all at the same time. Taking some time off from our routine and problems will give us thinking space, to organize our thoughts and actions. Something as simple as watching a favorite movie that makes us feel good, can give the much needed escape for the mind.

While dealing with our routine problems and stress we have to remember one very important thing; we cannot control what happens around us, but we can control how we react to the happenings around us. Keeping our mind and body in harmony and control empowers us to handle stress better enjoy all of life’s little joys.

By,
Mary-Ann Roche

Tags: depression, stress

In the hustle bustle of our daily lives we seem to be constantly surrounded by Stress. It is like Stress has become a permanent feature of our lives. As we learn to accept it, we also have to learn to deal with it and not let stress take over our lives. In a lot of instances we may not realize how when we let our stresses take over we make ourselves vulnerable to a lot of physical and emotional ailments. These could be anything from chronic pains to lack of proper sleep, to emotional problems, like anxiety. Whatever the cause and effect of stress we need to realize that there are ways of reducing and handling stress. There are a variety of programs offering stress relief techniques and strategies. Here are a few that would help with Stress:

1)           Breathing Exercises – Needless to say, Oxygen is the most essential necessity for our lives. When we are under stress we forget to breathe right, and restrict the benefits of oxygen flow in our body. Breathing Exercises enable the flow of oxygen through our entire body.

2)          Regular Exercise/Yoga –Exercise and Yoga not only keep our body in shape but also relax our mind and regulate blood circulation in our body. Being in constant stress blocks the circulation of blood to our brain, which in turn blocks our problem solving abilities. Good circulation of blood to the whole body and especially to the brain will put our mind at ease and in turn enhance our problem solving/handling ability.

3)          Meditation – Stress puts a big strain on our mind. When the mind is not in control we cannot control our emotions either. Meditation is a very effective technique which aims at controlling the mind and relieving it of stress. A well controlled and balanced mind results in well controlled emotions.

4)          Massage – Massage relaxes and releases the stiffness and aches in our body.

5)          Food – There are certain foods that help with stress relief. For eg., there are a variety of Teas, especially Green Tea, which contain anti-oxidants and anti-toxins that help reduce stress.

6)          Escape – Escape doesn’t necessarily imply escaping from the situation or problems. We don’t have to solve all our problems, and not all at the same time. Taking some time off from our routine and problems will give us thinking space, to organize our thoughts and actions. Something as simple as watching a favorite movie that makes us feel good, can give the much needed escape for the mind.

While dealing with our routine problems and stress we have to remember one very important thing; we cannot control what happens around us, but we can control how we react to the happenings around us. Keeping our mind and body in harmony and control empowers us to handle stress better enjoy all of life’s little joys.

By,
Mary-Ann Roche

Tags: depression, stress