In our society we tend to be thinking all the time. Trying to clear
ourminds down by “not thinking” is really impossible for us. This is
why so many people are more successful in doing relaxation by
listening to a recording where someone is talking and repeating
phrases or words over and over in our minds. As you may notice if
you try to do thisusing just music or sounds it is often not
enough, our minds can overthink these! There is however another
relaxation method that is often overlooked.

Movement relaxation

Movement relaxation is usually associated with Yoga or Tai Chi, and
these are wonderful practices. However we may not have these easily
available
to us, unless we sign up for a class or instruction. This takes
committment, time and money. Anyone who has tried to do Yoga from a
video knows how difficult that can be unless you are experienced,
and then you usually do not need it .

Movement Relaxation actually uses our thoughts to relax. It is
often referred to as mindfulness. Mindfullness is concentration on
whatever it is you are doing. Mindful activity is a great habit to
cultivate and can be done with any simple physical activity such as
walking. In order to be mindful you must pay close attention to
your steps and bodily movements. You are walking and
watching yourself. Thoughts are something like, move my foot, put
my foot down,whatever the part of the movement you are doing. This
will keep your active mind concentrated on a simple act and not
allow intrusion by unrelated thoughts. You can walk slowly in a
circle, you can use a labrinth but don’t really need it. Try it at
home.

You can be mindful in all your activities, that is pay
attention to the minute details of what you are engaged in. I like
doing it while washing the dishes, feel the warm water, hear the
sounds, make deliberate movements etc. Not only does it relax me it
gets the dishes done.

Aggressive —– Trying to fix it.
Regressive—— Looking for help from someone else
Repressive—— Pushing it out of our consciousness
Withdrawal—— Removing ourselves (can be physical or psychological)

What is your most comfortable style? Do you know what the pros and
cons of each type are? Actually they all have advantages that are
dependent on the type of stressor you are dealing with.

Check out my blog for lots more about coping that will give you
insight into behavior.(yours and others)
www.PsychSense.com

Laughter is Healing So in that Vein…..

Here is a joke deemed to be the worlds funniest in a study by a
psychiatrist from England Dr Richard Wiesman. What do you think?

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He
doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy
whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps: “My
friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator says: “Calm down, I
can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence,
then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says: “OK, now
what?”

Click Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbUud6VuSWI

There were 3 good arguments that Jesus was Black:
1. He called everyone brother
2. He liked Gospel
3. He didn’t get a fair trial

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Jewish:
1. He went into His Father’s business
2. He lived at home until he was 33
3. He was sure his Mother was a virgin and his Mother was sure He was God

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Italian:
1. He talked with His hands
2. He had wine with His meals
3. He used olive oil

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was a Californian:
1. He never cut His hair
2. He walked around barefoot all the time
3. He started a new religion

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was an American Indian:
1. He was at peace with nature
2. He ate a lot of fish
3. He talked about the Great Spirit

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Irish:
1. He never got married..
2. He was always telling stories.
3. He loved green pastures.

But the most compelling evidence of all – 3 proofs that Jesus was a woman:
1. He fed a crowd at a moment’s notice when there was virtually no food
2. He kept trying to get a message across to a bunch of men who just didn’t get it
3. And even when He was dead, He had to get up because there was still work to do

Can I get an AMEN!!

It seems like there have been more then the usual weather related disasters lately. Storms, earthquakes, floods and volcanic ash fallout can all be scary. These events can result in anxiety and even PTSD symptoms for those involved firsthand.  Here is a reminder about PTSD and how to recognize it.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder. It is a longer then usual stress reaction to a traumatic experience such as:
• Any life-threatening event (or event perceived as life threatening)
• Combat
• Natural disasters
• Accidents
• Assault
• Rape
Most survivors of trauma return to normal given a little time. However, some people will have stress reactions that do not go away on their own, or may even get worse over time. These individuals may have PTSD if the following symptoms are seen.

Symptoms of PTSD

• Re-living the trauma
• Becoming anxious when confronted with a reminder or thought about the trauma
• Avoiding places or people that remind the person of the trauma,
• Isolating from other people
• Feeling numb
• Feeling on guard
• Irritability
• Easily Startled
In addition to the symptoms described above, we now know that there are clear biological changes that are associated with PTSD.
PTSD is complicated by the fact that people with PTSD often may develop additional disorders such as depression, substance abuse. PTSD may lead to problems in job, marriage and family.

Happy St. Patricks Day

Here are some ideas to help us go green and save money too!

1. Recycle gray water, water gardens plants, flush toilets etc.

2. Use scraps for fertilizer (not meat or dairy) Banana peels are great. Just throw them under your bushes.

3. Save scraps of soap to put in a mesh bag, makes a great skin scrubber.

4. Buy a filter for your tap water, bottled water is expensive and so much plastic.  If you need to you can use chlorine to purify water. (8-16 gtts per gallon)

5. Skip paper towels, rags work so much better and you can just rinse them out to use over and over.

6. Reuse cereal inner bags they work great for storage of lunch.

7. Use your toaster or convection oven instead of a big oven.

8. Take a cold shower in hot weather,  its so refreshing. Luke  warm water is so much better for your skin in the winter.

9. Use  good old petroleum jelly to soften and protect skin. Buy it in big containers and it lasts a long time.

10. Pay attention to the packaging you buy things in. Keep it to a minimum.

11. Used recycled tissues, toilet paper and napkins.   Avoid:  Puffs  Kleenex,  Charmin,  Cottenelle,  bounty viva.

12. Try herbal or natural products that contain cedarwood, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary

    and thyme to keep your pets pest free.

13. Buy one compact florescent light bulb a week till you replace all your old bulbs. This will save you lots of money on electricity.

14. Eat  more fruits, vegetables, and grains  and limit your intake of red meat. This can reduce your risk of coronary disease and colorectal cancer, while reducing your grocery bill and the impact on the environment.

Check out this site for lots more practical information

http://www.simplesteps.org/#tk-switchboard-blog

Here are the lyrics: however, many people seem to remember only the first verse.

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
And here’s a hand, my trusty friend
And gie’s a hand o’ thine
We’ll tak’A cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

It’s that time of the year where some of us (fewer I hope) make those New Year Resolutions that we often break leaving us feeling like failures.  Why is that??  I wonder if it is because we often try to make ourselves into something or someone we are not.

I love this quote from Steve Jobs of Apple.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. ”

In thinking about this I realized that as I have gotten older I am more and more sure of and ok with, who I really am.
But knowing who you really are takes thought and time.

That might be a good New Year non-resolution for 2010,  pay attention to knowing  myself better.  How can I do this you ask?

Here are some ideas I came up with, I am sure you could add many more.

1. Spend time alone
2. Spend time doing nothing
3. Allow thoughts to come, don’t judge them just acknowledge what are they about
4. Allow yourself to feel and acknowledge the feelings to yourself.  Remember feeling is not behaving.
5. Reconize what makes you happy and write it down.  It may come as a suprise and may be different then what you had believed would make you happy.
6. Recognize what makes you feel angry, frightened, stressed, bored, unhappy. Try and be specific.  Allow yourself permission to avoid these things when possible.
7. Spend more time with those you enjoy who bring you peace.
8. Cut down on your obligation visits.
9. If you have already unsuccesfully  tried  to improve relationships, then  give yourself permission to avoid those that make you feel bad or unworthy (even if they are relatives).
10. Ask yourself these questions frequently

• What do I really care about?
• What are my basic beliefs and values?
• What would I do if I recieved a diagnosis of a terminal illness, how would it  change my behavior?

Fight any feelings of self indulgence or guilt. Remember Self-Awareness is a basic building block of self-esteem,  Not selfishness.  Further healthy self -esteem allows us to be positive influence in our world.

Happy Holidays

I was being silly here mostly because I was with a friend who has 5 year old twins.  Kids can always put me in the holiday spirit and make the world seem better.  If you are not feeling so jolly its ok,  you are not alone!

Here are two references that  might help you

The first is a professional article that offers scientific evidence for alternative and complementary treatments for depression.

Below you will find my answer to a question about holiday blues.

Hope you find something helpful here.

Question: I often get down during the holidays, why is this, what can I do.

It is not uncommon for people to feel sad during holiday time. This can be a result of not having a “picture perfect” family, unrealistic expectations of what a holiday should be, or memories of holidays gone by (often glorified in the memory).
To avoid this:
1. Do not build up the Holidays in your mind,  keep expectations to a minimum.
2. Keep it simple
3. Start a new and different tradition (go out to eat, go away for the day)
4. Avoid reading all those Holiday Magazines!
5. Avoid shopping, try online or catalogs
6. Only spend time with those you really want to.
7. Get outside, and move!
8. Help someone else.

9. Focus on your spiritual side

Seasonal affect disorder is different than Holiday blues and may need treatment.

Remember to take care of yourself.  You MUST squeeze out a little time each day for yourself!  Find a fabulous book or magazine you love, take a bubble bath, watch a movie,  just be alone for a while.