Mind

A Fun Way To Beat Depression & Anxiety!

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mental health benefits from playing sports

How many times have you heard, “You should exercise! It helps you lose weight!”?  There’s no doubt that physical activity is great for your health and well-being.  It strengthens your coordination.  It helps you to accomplish daily tasks and helps you have a better posture.  There are obvious physical benefits from playing and participating in sports.  However, there’s more good news; playing sports can positively affect your mental health too.

Feeling Stressed?

When we are stressed or we have negative feelings, physical activity is recommended as a good antidote.  A kind of natural antidepressant.  Indeed, it would evacuate our black ideas as if by magic!  There’s a reason why we say “Go get some fresh air.  It will calm you down”.  So, let’s find out why exactly this is.

Some researches show that a brisk walk helps to increase our positive emotions which in turn decrease our negative emotions.  Ten minutes of brisk walking would be the equivalent to ninety minutes of well-being.  So, finding an activity to practice each day (or at least four times a week) will make you feel better both physically and mentally.

How To Naturally Overcome Depression & Anxiety?

When it comes to depression or strong anxiety, physical activity improves intellectual capacity and mood!  Thus, in certain states of chronic fatigue, we wouldn’t prescribe rest but rather physical exercise.  This would create a flow of energy and optimism! Exercise can also serve as a distraction.  Allowing you to find some quiet time to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression.  Click here to read, “5 Natural Solutions For Coping With Stress!”

Moreover, it promotes several changes in the brain including neural growth, less inflammation and releases endorphins .  These are chemicals in your brain that cope with pain or stress.  In addition to all of that, there are other amazing benefits.

Physical activity contributes to:

  • Increased longevity
  • Strengthened immune system
  • Reduced risk of cancer
  • Decreased risk of diabetes and increased insulin sensitivity
  • Sexual wellness
  • Improved sleep quality

Click here to read, “5 Ways To Heal The Mind & Body By Using This One Oil!”

Exercise – A Natural Booster For Self-Esteem!

Yes, exercising helps you fall asleep faster and get into a deep sleep.  And we all know that a good night of sleep helps us with our performance at work but also improves our mood.  You know what one of my favorite benefits of working out is?  Self-esteem!  Exercising regularly can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

As your strength, skills, and stamina increase through playing sports/exercising, your self-image will improve as well.  However, even if exercising is good, doing it voluntarily while savoring these moments is better!

Do not impose something on yourself.  Studies have shown that mental presence in exercise affects our psychological state.  Being aware of the ‘goods’ exercise provides when you perform it will be much more profitable.

Do Not Force It!

Regularity is more important than the intensity of the effort.  If all goes well, you will see changes in both your physical and mental health after eight weeks.  Patience is the key word!  Don’t forget, whatever you decide to do, do it with a smile!

For more information on how to improve your life and well-being, click here to read, “Wellness – 6 Essentials for a Vibrant Life”.

Unleash The Power Within

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unleash the power within

In my last blog I introduced you to the Six Human Needs.  The driving force and motivation behind everything we do.  I urged you to familiarize yourself with these needs.  Identify the two needs that you care about most as these two things will be the single greatest influential factors in your life.  Now I want to take what you discovered and help you unleash the power within.

Modern psychology teaches that all human motivation can be explained as the desire to meet one or more of these human needs.

Refresher On The Six Human Needs

Certainty

The need to feel safe, avoid pain and be comfortable.  To feel secure in our environment and relationships.

Key words: stability, safety, comfort, predictability

Uncertainty/Variety

The need to be challenged and experience variety in our emotional and physical world.

Key words: stimulus, change, surprise, unpredictable

Significance

The need to feel important, needed and wanted.

Love & Connection

The need to love and be loved.  Well connected with others.

Key words – belonging

Growth

The need to be able to learn and develop physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

Contribution

The need to give and contribute to others beyond our selves, without expecting anything in return.

Everyone is hard wired to meet the first four needs.  They are essential for human survival. Fundamental needs of the personality.  Everyone must feel that they have met those needs, even if they have to lie to themselves, create a problem, or violate their values in order to meet those needs.

The last two needs, growth and contribution, are the needs of the spirit.  They are essential to experiencing fulfillment, which we should all aspire to.  However, not everyone meets these two needs.

What Is The Significance Of The Six Human Needs To Your Life?

The Six Human Needs is a model of thinking and understanding yourself and others.  You become less judgmental at this deep and useful level because you understand the cause of a particular behavior or attitude.  I like to think of it as a game you don’t even know you are playing.

Once you are aware of this dynamic, you will be able to interrupt your own self- limiting or destructive behaviors.  Changing the way your needs are met, which begs the following question.

“How Are Your Top Needs Being Met?”

Needs are being met by what we refer to as vehicles.  Everyone finds these means or vehicles to meet our highest two needs, those that we favour the most.  Interestingly, some of these vehicles can either empower or disempower you in your quest. This happens through either constructive or destructive behavior.

We behave in certain ways because consciously or unconsciously, we believe that by doing this, feeling this, or by acting this way, we will meet one or more human needs.

For instance, most people will have you believe that their non clinical depression happens to them.  However, they are actually using depression as a negative vehicle to satisfy the need for significance.

Depression is also a vehicle used to meet the need for love and connection.  Certainty with depressions predictable emotional state.  I use depression as an example to show that anytime you associate with a vehicle (overeating, drinking, gambling) that meets three or more needs, you become addicted to it.

Chronic complaining or hanging onto a problem is another example of a negative vehicle to fulfill a need.  I believe it is the greatest addiction of them all.  Most people hang onto their problems because it meets their needs without having to risk facing their greatest fears.

Conversely, many needs are met by positive vehicles such as a strong work ethic, dedication, caring, providing and learning to site a few.  Click here to read, “WHY DO I DO WHAT I DO?”

Unleash The Power Within

Relationships and marriage are probably the greatest psychological relevance of Human Needs.  Let’s briefly explore this dynamic by asking ourselves “what is stopping you from having the life and relationship you want?”

Human needs are the primary source of meaning in our relationships.  For instance, in conversation with your partner, you can experience the conversation in terms of your greatest need of significance or in terms of your partners greatest need of love and connection.  This conversation may take on a different meaning which may create a conflict.

Who Are You In Your Relationship?

Remember, the needs you value determines who you are.  So a person who values security (certainty) will have a very different life from someone who values adventure (uncertainty).

Someone who values family (love and connection) is quite different from someone who values success (significance).

These are potential land mines of conflict between two people.

Simply put, you cannot enjoy a relationship at the highest level unless both people are meeting the others needs and putting each other first.  If you can achieve this your relationship will transform before your eyes.

Human Needs and its situational applications and nuances are endless.  Only by identifying your primary needs and that of others, will you be able to eventually peel back a layer of insight.  Understanding why we do what we do, what life is about for you and unleash the power within.

As a life coach, to better understand a client’s world, it is necessary to determine your most important needs.

In our next blog we are going to talk about our values.  While our needs are required for our survival, our values are what is important to us.  Needs and values are distinctly different but highly interrelated.

We all have a hierarchy of values.  And, if we live in congruence with our highest value we will live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

This Mysterious Mushroom Can Kill Cancer Cells

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lion's mane mushroom

Lion’s mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) is a type of mushroom that is known for its wide range of impressive health benefits.  As its name suggests, this mushroom physically looks like the mane of a lion.  This long, shaggy and white mushroom has been used medicinally for thousands of years, all over the world.  Numerous studies have shown it’s a powerful natural remedy for so many health concerns.  Here are some of the amazing health benefits of lion’s mane.

Regenerates & Improves Brain Function

Researchers have found that people who had mild and chronic cognitive dysfunction found relief after taking lion’s mane mushroom extract for several weeks.  Also, it is suggested that older people who have cognitive impairment can use lion’s mane mushroom to improve on their brain function. (1)

Additional research has shown this particular mushroom to improve brain function in children, adults and the elderly.  Similarly, people who have experienced brain damage due to trauma or accidents can use lion’s mane mushroom to regenerate their brain function. (2)

Click here to read, “5 Ways to Keep Your Brain Healthy”.

Improves Memory & Focus

If you are looking for a natural way of improving your memory, look no further!  You’ll find the results quick and incredible.  Within days to a few weeks of taking this extract, within, you will begin experiencing improved memory. (3)

Also, lion’s mane mushroom can improve focus in individuals who have difficulty concentrating.  With age, the brain’s ability to develop is reduced.  Mental functioning for older adults typically worsens.  However, this problem can largely be avoided by taking lion’s mane mushroom regularly, to improve focus and memory.

Click here to read, “Diabetes – The Hidden Cause Of Alzheimer’s?”

Relieves Depression & Anxiety

Depression and anxiety affects millions of people worldwide affecting an individual’s quality of life as well as their daily productivity.  Those who use lion’s mane mushroom have been shown to experience relief of these symptoms. (4)(5)

It helps regenerate brain cells that are responsible for emotional responses.  The mushroom can be taken in the form of an edible such as healthy homemade cookies.

Improves Heart Health

Studies have revealed a strong connection between this mushroom with improved heart health.  It is estimated that a third of the world’s population have heart issues.  Since Lion’s mane mushroom extract can lower cholesterol levels, it can also help with heart problems that are linked to cholesterol. (6)  Thus, taking this mushroom extract daily can help reduce the chances of getting heart-related problems.

Click here to read, “Calcium without Vitamin K2 is a Heart Breaker”.

Promotes Digestive Health

Lion’s mane is known to aid in digestive system functioning.  It enables the stomach and the liver to do their job in the digestion of food.  People who have gastric inflammation, ulcers, and stomach pains have found relief with using this mushroom. (7)(8)(9)

Click here to read,”What’s The Big Deal About Probiotics?”

Prevention & Treatment Of Cancer

Lion’s Mane mushroom has antioxidant properties which play a huge role in the prevention and treatment of cancer.  For example, studies demonstrate that this particular mushroom can help kill leukemia cancer cells.

Similar studies have shown that the mushroom can help in fighting colon cancer, liver cancer, and gastric cancer cells.  It works by stimulating NK cells and macrophage activity. It inhibits angiogenesis (the development of new blood vessels) involved in fighting cancer cells.  Thus, reducing tumor size.  It has also been found that when this mushroom was combined with doxorubicin (a chemotherapy drug), a known drug resistant human liver cancer became treatable.  To prevent and treat the cancer cells, one should take lion’s mane mushroom extracts daily for maximum results. (10)(11)(12)(13)

Click here to read, “Don’t Pull Out That Weed! All About The Cancer Fighting Medicine That’s Growing in Your Yard”.

Enhances The Immune System

Since it contains both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties (which enhance immune system function) taking lion’s mane mushroom extracts regularly will reduce your risk of bacterial infections and inflammation. (14)  It can also provide healing for wounds when applied to the skin.

Also, this mushroom helps in nervous system recovery by encouraging the growth of new nerve cells.  Thus, in turn will assist your immune system. (15)

Click here to read, “This Secret Extract Gives A Massive Boost To Your Immune System”.

Anti-aging

A lot of the popularity surrounding lion’s mane Lion’s Mane mushroom has to do with its anti-aging properties and its ability to improving your well-being.  This extract is great for repairing damaged skin cells giving you that healthy glow!

Click here to read, “Scientific Key To Anti-Aging”.

Lion’s mane mushroom is available in different forms, which include capsules, liquid, teas, tablets, and powder form.  The dosages vary from one form to another.  It is essential to take the correct dosage to avoid over consumption.  This mushroom is generally safe with no serious side effects reported.  However, if you do experience any side effects, you should consult your healthcare practitioner immediately.

You’re one step closer!

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18844328
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4200813/
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/4/715
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20834180/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5855563/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12843656
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25070597
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26853960
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26933886
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4707368/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874114001809
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3339609/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4684115/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7950232
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24266378

Natural Solutions For Brain Fog

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brain fog

Brain fog is a major complaint among countless people.  It traditionally occurred mostly in older people, but now is increasingly more common among people that are under 40.  Brain fog affects your memory.  One becomes forgetful, unable to focus and learn as well as other cognitive dysfunctions and is not something you can medically test for.  

Brain Fog Symptoms Include:
  • Confusion
  • Anxiety
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Irritability
  • Low energy
  • Fatigue
  • Forgetfulness
  • Low motivation

Causes Of Brain Fog Include;

  • Stress
  • Lack of physical exercise
  • Inflammation
  • Menopause
  • Allergies
  • Lack of sleep
  • Poor diet and nutrition
  • Dehydration
  • Gluten sensitivity

Natural Solutions For Brain Fog

If you are experiencing brain fog, remain optimistic!  Many people have resolved their issue by applying these natural solutions.  The following can improve your memory, focus, and concentration.   All three of which are major symptoms of brain fog.

sleep
  1. Get Enough Sleep

Simply getting enough sleep is a major solution to a number of health problems, including brain fog.  If you are not getting enough sleep, you should make sure that you sleep for a minimum of 6 hours a

night.  If you are having difficulties getting proper sleep, start by avoiding caffeinated drinks and alcohol before bedtime.

Developing a proper sleep routine can improve the quality of your sleep.  This means going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at a certain time every day.  After a long day at work, make sure that you do not strain your body but take a rest by sleeping.  For further information, click here to read,”Bedtime Woe’s? – 5 Simple Tips For Blissful Zzzz’s”.

stress management
2. Manage Stress

Stress is the main cause of brain fog, so it’s worthwhile to eliminate stress or at the very least minimize it.  It’s much easier to take time to manage your stress is easy than it is trying to manage your brain fog.

Firstly, identify the things that are causing your stress and start working on them.  Excess stress can cause you to feel sluggish, foggy, and get depressed.

Secondly, to manage stress, you need to take care of your mind.  Make sure that you avoid the negative environment and talk to a stress therapist to help you out.  If you are stressed, make sure that you spend time with family and friends or those that can offer you support and help you.  Start writing in a gratitude journal.  Each day write down three things you are grateful for.  This is a known stress reducer!  For further information, click here to read, “Gratitude – An Attitude For Success”.

sugar
3. Reduce Your Sugar Intake

Eating a lot of processed foods can lead to increased sugar intake in the body.  Your food should only include healthy and natural sources of sugar.  High intake of sugar, can provide you with a boost of energy feel…for a while, but will only lead

to a “crash” as your energy becomes depleted.  High sugar intake is a major contributor to inflammation and is commonly associated with the symptom of brain fog.  Consume natural sugars and healthy carbohydrates.  Healthy carbs are known to improve focus and memory and will give your body consistent energy throughout the day.  For further information, click here to read, “This One Thing Has Been Linked To Almost All Diseases”and click here to read, “Sugar – Are you singing the sugar blues?

healthy fats
4. Eat More Healthy Fats & Proteins

Protein deficiency can cause brain fog.  Fats and proteins are responsible for the production of certain hormones which improve brain function.  Make sure that you take proteins rich in amino acids such as eggs and fish, among others.  Healthy

fats include nuts and seeds, avocados, coconut, and olive oil.  Healthy fats improve cognitive functions and fight inflammation.  Click here for 20 simple healthy fish & seafood recipes!

exercise
5. Indulge In Exercises

Exercise will help keep your body active and your mind fresh.  Exercise also helps improve sleep, boosts your energy levels, and balance hormones.  When exercising, start simple and basic with frequent breaks, gradually increasing the duration

and intensity over time.  It is ideal to exercise 30-45 minutes a day to help eliminate brain fog.  If you are not sure of where to start or what exercises to do, seek advice from a qualified healthcare practitioner or personal trainer.  You can also engage in exercises around your home, such as climbing the stairs, swimming, and gardening.
glass
Three Drops of Life Glass Water Bottle
6. Consume More Water!
Water is excellent for brain fog.  Dehydration can affect your brain functioning and cause brain fog.  It is important to keep your body hydrated throughout the day.  It is recommended that you take over two liters of water daily.

In order to keep your water intake on track, consider getting a glass water bottle that has the time markings on it.  It will help

motivate you to be consistent and act like it’s a daily challenge.  Also consider getting a glass bottle that has an infuser to add natural flavours to your water for an extra boost.

The bottle featured in the picture is only intended as an example however you can click here for more information or to purchase the bottle featured.

brain
7. Make Your Brain Active

When your brain is not active, it will slow down its functions so it’s important to let your brain stay active.  There are a number of ways to stimulate your brain.  They include reading books, learning new activities, and solving puzzles.  If you find

that you are becoming forgetful, this is a sign that it’s time to exercise your brain muscle!

Click here for 9 free brain-training apps to make you smarter by improving your memory, attention, problem-solving, mental agility, language, processing speed, and visual skills — all while having fun.

flax
Flax Seeds
8. Take Natural Supplements

There are various natural supplements that you can take to improve your brain function.  And what’s great is that they are easy to find!

These supplements will boost your 

required nutrient intake and support your immune system.  Flax seeds, chia seeds, basil, and fatty acids are all healthy and safe.  No prescription needed!

Boost Health And Drop Weight With Chia

Lastly, Brain fog affects people differently.  If you find yourself suffering with brain fog, make sure that you find the solution that works for you!  The above solutions for brain fog are all natural, effective, and you don’t need to spend a lot of money!

You’re one step closer!

The Healing Power Of Mantra Meditation

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mantra meditation

A Mantra is a Sanskrit word for “sound tool”.  Along with only a few other ancient languages, Sanskrit evolved as a complex system of onomatopoeia – where the sounds evoke movements of energy.  The sounds themselves create actual interactions or events, while resonating in different parts of the body and mind, like ‘Mantra Meditation’.

OM (AUM), SO HUM and SA TA NA MA are well studied mantras used for healing bodily tissues, lowering blood pressure, reducing bad habits and staving off Alzheimer’s.  In fact the Alzheimer Society uses Kirtan Kriya (SA TA NA MA) as an effective Kundalini Yoga meditation for brain and memory vitality.

Words like screeeeech, craaaaash and purrrrr are examples of English words that resonate both sound of meaning.  Cats will even vibrate their “purr” at certain frequencies to heal themselves from ailments.  Many animals (just like us humans) can be highly sensitive and greatly affected by the influx of sensory stimuli all around us.

Those wi-fi waves can mess with our natural and relaxed states.  They are invisible and subtle but very, very powerful!  Laying a foundation for the conscious construct of good vibes is where all the magic in relationships and family dynamics begin.

Mantra Meditation

Mantras are information, and in the Sanskrit language, it’s like an information sequencing system that mimics the process of nature’s repeating patterns.  As the Sanskrit scholar, Dr. Douglas Brooks has said, “Sanskrit tells us what Nature shows us.  The way Nature goes about doing its thing, Sanskrit goes about its language.”  Much like the way that music “moves” us and can bring us into different feeling and being states, Mantra uses sound to evoke movement of physical and emotional energy.  Stimulating the nervous system which then informs our experiences.  Click here to read, “Nervous System – What Conventional Medicine Doesn’t Want You To Know” for more information about your nervous system.

What Does All This MEAN?

It means that Mantras can positively or negatively “charge” and affect our feelings, emotions, and thought patterns, as well as the people and environments that surround us.  There are Mantras for anger, stress, grief, fighting, love, healing, addiction, insomnia, anxiety, asthma, joy…the list goes on and on!  Attune sound currents like a finely crafted symphony of sound and energy!

By repeating UPLIFTING & HEALING sound currents or “Mantras”, over and again, you’re intentionally attuning your mood and energy into a desired state with a specific sound current.  It’s like tuning an instrument to refine and manipulate its sound.  We can REDIRECT all our energy beyond the anger, fear and frustration (this is an act of self-love).  We know that our children absorb and pick up on the subtleties and nuances of our tones and expressions.  Even if it’s subconscious, it’s vibe passes through the nervous system.

We can feel wildly emotional when triggered and it feels good to release the ROAR!  In fact it feels “so good” and “so necessary” in the moment that we can hardly feel it flowing out the floodgates!  In the aftermath of heavy energy and hurt feelings, the guilt ensues.  That is unless we chime a new Mantra that is intentional and fueled by love.  In between the frustration and the ROAR is a beautiful, neutral, silent space.  If we can tap into that very small windowed space in time, we can change our reactive, ha-BITCH-ual rants, into Mantras that serve to transform, the current feel and mood and allow us to better RESPOND, Not REACT.  This will reverberate a ripple effect of positive vibes through the home, and the hearts & souls of your loves.

How To Use Mantra Meditation

A good place to start is by first recognizing your OWN Mantras.  Ask your kids and they’ll tell you straight up.  Just don’t take it personal because it’s not!  You can get the kids to talk about theirs too.  Once you catch on to your daily drone, you will have cultivated an awareness to continuously recognize it and switch on the GOOD VIBES.  You will notice your kids really digging your new energy and try to match it.  This is a fun way to watch an energy exchange in action.

Mimic exactly the vibe you want back from them and see what you get.  If you like the power packed punch of “swear” words, try shouting SAT NAM instead!  This means “true self” and it’s pronounced like, “but mom” (go figure) and will have you tapping into deeper states of joy, love, and gratitude in no time.  You can also use any words or sounds that FEEL uplifting and happy.  Come up with clever CODES to establish personal boundaries and other family agreements.

You can also use mantra or music in the background for hours on repeat.  Infuse your home with classical music, nature sounds, or other good vibe beats, that uplift your soul and give calm to your space.  FEEL out the new vibrations, give it some time and then see what you notice.  The ripple effect is real.  When WE do the work to EMPOWER ourselves, we EMPOWER our children.  What we put out is what we’ll attract.  Click here to learn How to Create Your Own Personal Mantra.

Got that Mantra ready?  Now get out there and start flexing your victorious vibes!
Sat Nam xo

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Conscious Lifestyle Design

About The Author:

Melanie Woolsey is an established Yoga Therapist, KundaliniYogini, and Ayurveda Practitioner with over 10 years of experience journeying through study, self discovery, healing and teaching. She is also a mama to one little guru who has been her greatest teacher yet.

5 Natural Solutions For Coping With Stress!

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coping with stress

Stress is often the result of daily life experiences and can negatively impact women’s bodies, minds and emotions.  But, what exactly is Stress Syndrome?  Stress Syndrome is often the result of chronic stress due to the effects of modern-day life or poor work-life balance.  As such, it causes the body and the mind to begin demanding rest.  Coping with stress can be a challenge but is doable.

Life is filled with positive and negative challenges.  Your mindset, past conditioning and beliefs can determine how you perceive these experiences.  Click here to read, “How Our Perceptions Affect Our Pain”.  In addition to what level of stress they may cause.  However, all stress is not bad stress.  Click here to read “Effects Of Stress – Stress Can Be Good For You?!”  

How Do Stressors Activate the Stress Response?

When stressors like long work hours, family responsibilities or toxic relationships compound, the stress response is activated.  The amygdala in the brain sends a distress signal causing the hypothalamus to send signals.  This is done through the autonomic nerves to the adrenal glands, which in turn, activates the sympathetic nervous system.  Click here to view “Four Types of Stress You Have to Know About and How to Avoid Them”.

The adrenal glands respond by pumping the hormone epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) into the bloodstream.  Several physiological changes occur as epinephrine circulates throughout the body.

Be Aware Of The Symptoms

Most people are unaware of these ongoing, subtle changes.  They can become physically and psychologically drained over time by a chronic stress response.  As a result, your body will begin to exhibit general, biochemical, emotional, cognitive or behavioral symptoms.

Examples of these include:
  • exhaustion
  • insomnia
  • irritability or anger
  • headaches
  • panic disorder
  • hypertension
  • pain
  • sadness
  • anxiety
  • nervousness
  • decreased memory
  • poor judgement
  • poor appetite
  • inability to focus
  • frequent colds or infections
  • weight gain or loss

Stress Syndrome is not just the result of a stress response, but it more frequently is a result of adrenal fatigue.

Is Adrenal Fatigue The Underlying Cause?

Over time the adrenal glands, which sit on top of your kidneys, become depleted due to stress.  They are responsible for releasing hormones to regulate energy function, your immune system and muscle.  However, adrenal fatigue occurs when these glands are so exhausted they cannot respond to high stress levels.

The hormone production of DHEA and testosterone decreases.  Therefore, resources needed to produce these sex hormones are diverted to production of stress hormones like cortisol.  After months or years of chronic stress, these hormones become so low that the adrenals become severely depleted.

Women most often experience extreme difficulty waking up in the morning.  Also, high levels of exhaustion throughout the day.  Dark circles under the eyes, dizziness when standing and a weak immune system.  Also, uncontrollable cravings for salty foods.  Click here to read “Adrenal Fatigue? 7 Tips to Fight Back Naturally”.

Natural Techniques & Remedies For Coping With Stress

1.  Be Physically Active

Exercise is known to increase release of the ‘happy’ brain neurotransmitters called endorphins.  Regular physical activity also increases self-confidence, relaxation and can help reduce anxiety.  If you haven’t exercised for some time or are just beginning a new exercise routine, consult your doctor if you have health concerns.

2.  Healthy Eating Makes A Difference

Make sure to eat lots of dark green leafy vegetables, fermented foods, berries, nuts and seeds.  Sugary, starchy and processed foods can increase stress.  A great tip to bring the thyroid and adrenals back into harmony is to include non-soy collagen protein blended with a handful of berries and a pinch of salt.  This combination will calm the nervous systems and stabilize blood sugar.

3.  Calming Music Calms Your Mind

Studies have shown that listening to music modulate anxiety levels due to the experience of stress.  As such, music has also been shown to beneficially affect stress-related processes of the mind and emotions.

4.  Biofeedback Brings Back Balance

Biofeedback is a method to measure the body’s physiological responses in real time, using computers or machines.  The tools and process of biofeedback help to eliminate problematic symptoms and return the body and mind back to homeostasis.  It does this by regulating a person’s stress response and increasing relaxation.  Often deep breathing, visualization and meditation techniques are utilized.  Click here to read how to “Put A Little Namaste In Your Life.”

5.  Take Your Supplements

A daily dosage of B-complex is beneficial.  These vitamins, including thiamin, niacin, biotin and folic acid.  Each play a key role in brain and nervous system function.  B5 and B6 are food sources for the adrenals and B12 supports energy production.  Also, add to your diet a liquid trace mineral.  Up to 10 drops per day and a probiotic help to improve mood and protect the gut.

Healthy and stress-free living IS possible.  The first step to coping with stress is to take a holistic approach to eliminating stressors.  Diligently committing to incorporating techniques and lifestyle changes that will boost your adrenals, relax your body and calm your nervous system. Fight stress syndrome naturally and reclaim your life.  For further information click here to read “9 Steps To Heal Adrenal Fatigue Naturally”.

6 Human Needs

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6 human needs

Sometimes on the surface life seems OK.  However, down deep we actually feel unfulfilled, empty and dissatisfied.  We can’t seem to put our finger on why we feel the way we do. This can happen when one or more of our 6 human needs are not being met.

The 6 Human Needs Include:

  1. Certainty
  2. Uncertainty/Variety
  3. Significance
  4. Connection /Love
  5. Growth
  6. Contribution

At some level, we may believe, consciously or subconsciously that we are meeting our psychological needs by what we do, feel or experience.  However, there is a lot more to it!

diversity and commonality

Diversity And Commonality

We all come from a different orientations, backgrounds and beliefs.  Also differing are our:

  • Education
  • Rules
  • Language
  • Religions
  • Cultures

In fact, this is what makes our individual fabric so unique.  We are all diverse in how we think, feel and behave.  However, that said, we are all hard wired with the same 6 Human Needs.

We strive to meet each of these needs with varying levels of success determining how we think, feel and act.  The problem arises when our fundamental needs are not being met enough, being met too much, or not being met at all.

fundamental needs

Fundamental Needs

In Life Coaching, the 6 Human Needs is a a very useful strategy to balance and re-prioritize your life in optimal ways.  Although this strategy was presumably birthed from Maslows heirarchy of physiological needs – The 6 Needs differ as they are psychological needs that we should be aware of.  In order to achieve a higher level of happiness and fulfillment, they need to be met and continually improved upon.

Have you ever listened to Anthony Robbins spin his magic during a strategic intervention?  He is primarily using and mastering, the art of identifying the 6 Human Needs.

In life coaching it is important that the client understands the 6 Human Needs to further understand themselves and others at a deep and useful level.  People will generally be less judgmental of themselves and others with an understanding of the cause of a behaviour or attitude.

Click here to read A Scientific Validation Of Your Emotions to get a deeper understanding of your emotions.

Tony Robbins - 6 Human Needs (Adult Content Please Be Advised)

The 6 Human Needs

Every individual needs to fulfill them to survive as they are the basis and motivation for every choice we make in life. So let’s dig into them a little deeper.

Certainty

This need is the driving desire to feel safe, comfortable and secure in our environment and our relationships.  The fundamental need to avoid pain and seek pleasure.  Even though certainty is necessary to all of us, the degree of certainty required is different for every person.

Certainty may be met by living in squalor with the bare essentials while others feel certainty only if they live in luxury and abundance.

Code Words For Certainty
  • Comfort
  • Security
  • Safety
  • Stability
  • Feeling grounded
  • Predictability
  • Protection
uncertainty out of your comfort zone

Uncertainty/ Variety

Variety is the spice of life.  Everyone needs variety and challenges.  Physically, mentally and emotionally, we require uncertainty for our overall well being.  When Life gets boring and routine we seek change and variety.  Something different, and the excitement that it brings us to feel alive.

Examples of variety and uncertainty might include:

  • Travel
  • Extreme sports
  • Compulsive sex
  • Stepping outside your comfort zone
  • Going to the movies

A major source of variety is to experience our problems.

Code Words For Uncertainty
  • Fear
  • Instability
  • Change
  • Chaos
  • Entertainment
  • Stepping outside our comfort zone
  • Suspense
  • Exertion
  • Surprise
  • Conflict
  • Crisis
significance

Significance

A throwback need from infancy to be number one.  As children we competed with our siblings to be special and unique.  Significance comes from our roots of comparing ourselves to others as superior or inferior.  The need for significance can be filled by achievement and success. It can also be met by a destructive act or bringing someone down.

A positive act of significance can help raise our standards, but if we are overly focused on significance (it’s all about me) we will have trouble connecting or expressing our love to others.  Significance can come from:

  • Providing for family
  • Philanthropy
  • Major achievements
  • Acquiring wealth
  • Humanitarian work

However, conversely done by being a failure, having low self worth, or a criminal record.

Code Words For Significance
  • Pride
  • Importance
  • Achievement
  • Perfection
  • Discipline
  • Competition
  • Rejection
love and togetherness

Love/Connection

Again, a need that is nurtured during infancy and childhood.  In fact, infants who are not held and touched will die.  The need for connection continues into adulthood that everyone strives for.  Romantic love as we know it in our culture does not exist in many other cultures. However, connection is necessary whether it be in the family, workplace or community. The need to be loved is something we all share.

Code Words For Love/Connection
  • Togetherness
  • Passion
  • Unity
  • Warmth
  • Tenderness
  • Caring
  • Desire
personal growth

Growth

When we are green we grow. When we are ripe we rot, and when we stop growing we die.  Therefore there is a continual need for us to develop physically, emotionally and spiritually throughout the various stages of life.

Growth can be met through education and reading. Also by nurturing, developing and expanding your health, resources and relationships. Growth helps to define fulfillment. One needs something to serve that is larger than themselves (family, community, the world) to give us the initiative to grow in order to give beyond ourselves.

contribution

Contribution

Like growth, contribution is a need for the spirit and fulfillment.  A need to give back to others.  It is our nature to have a sense that we are making a contribution to leave a positive mark to make the world, community, family and/or job a better place.

The 6 Human Needs In Summary

The first four needs are for human survival as everyone must meet them at some level.  The last two needs, growth and contribution are essential to human fulfillment.  Not everyone finds a way to satisfy these needs of the spirit, although they are necessary for lasting fulfillment.

Click here to read Top Tips To Manage Your Emotions.

six human needs exercise

A Worthy Exercise

First, try to determine where each of your six needs are being met. Next, determine which two needs are most important to you.  Once you are able to identify your needs and the needs of others, we can then determine which needs are in conflict. Thus causing you to feel unfulfilled, empty and dissatisfied. Furthermore why healthy relationships are not being met.

By completing this exercise, you will have a greater appreciation for my next blog, Unleash The Power Within.  There, we will explore the 6 Human Needs at a practical and much deeper level.

Effects Of Stress – Stress Can Be Good For You?!

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stress can be good

Yes you read that right! Stress can be good for you!  As a Naturopathic Doctor, I spend a lot of time talking with patients about stress.  Usually, we’re talking about how to best manage and reduce stress as it tends to be an aggravating or even causal factor in so many ailments.  But what if the solution to managing stress is actually stress itself?  I know, it sounds counterintuitive right?  How can you reduce stress with more stress?

Acute vs Chronic Stress

Well first, I want to make an important distinction between acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is the body’s short-term response to something stressful.  For example, if you were going to an important interview or giving a big presentation, acute stress would be that heart-racing, sweaty palms, nervous feeling you might have before or during the presentation.  This happens because your sympathetic nervous system is activated and your body goes into fight-or-flight mode.  However, once the presentation is over, things calm down and your parasympathetic nervous system is activated allowing your body to rest and recover.  This is your body’s normal response to stress and usually doesn’t cause any long term issues.

However, issues arise when your body is not given time to rest and recover.  This is where we get into chronic stress.  Chronic stress happens when you are repeatedly exposed to stressful situations.  For example, an overburdening work schedule or a stressful home environment.  This is the stress that lends itself toward many of the health issues that have been associated with stress.  Click here for more information on Stress Symptoms, Signs, and Causes.

Acute Stress Can Make You Cope Better

It turns out stress is not necessarily a bad thing.  It’s more about how we cope with stress that affects our health.  Research has shown that experiencing tolerable levels of that acute stress we talked about can actually lead to an improved resilience to stress overall.  What does this mean?  It means experiencing small stresses that don’t harm us can actually make us better able to cope with the inevitable stress that life may throw our way.

For example, choosing to do more things that force us out of our comfort zone.  Like giving that presentation or going to that interview that makes us nervous, can make us better able to cope with bigger life stresses.   The stress of a loved one falling ill or the stress of losing a job.  The key is to make sure we’re giving our bodies time to rest and recover in between stressful events.

What Can You Do With This Information?

Build your resilience to stress!  Try stepping outside of your comfort zone once in a while. Maybe make it a goal to try one new thing that makes you a little nervous every day. Challenge yourself while remembering to take time to rest and recover.  Click here for 5 Tips You Must Know to Destroy Stress Today!

Check out this month-long “Step outside your comfort zone!” calendar for ideas.

calendar

Sources

1. Oken, B. S., Chamine, I., & Wakeland, W. (2014). A systems approach to stress, stressors and resilience in humans. Behavioural brain research, 282, 144-54.

How Our Perceptions Affect Our Pain

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mindset

YOU must address all areas of your health for your body to heal.  This includes your mindset, nutrition, exercise, environment, and nervous system.  Many people make it all about one thing (i.e., Nutrition or exercise) and neglect the rest.  This alone will not give your body the opportunity it needs to heal.  Most conditions are due to a deficiency in any or all aspects of your health, so it’s important to address all of them.  This article will highlight how a problem in any one of the areas of health can be causing your symptoms.  Future articles will also teach you how to remove the underlying problem in any of these areas of health.  But by far, the most important component of your health begins with your mindset!  Let’s discuss pain and the brain.

It’s NOT All In Your Head

Some patients who repeatedly see doctors in search of an answer to their chronic pain with no clearly identified cause, have been told: “it’s all in your head.”  I disagree.  The pain is very real.  Pain is something you are feeling and experiencing.  However, what is in your head is the ability to re-wire how your brain perceives the world and your body, including pain.  This is an output from the brain, not an input from the body.  When you have chronic pain, the brain frequently perceives things like light touch as being painful.  But remember, you CAN control your brain’s perception.

Understanding Chronic Pain

When dealing with chronic pain, the key to removing one of the major and most common forms of interference is this.  Understanding and accepting that there is so much more involved than just the physical aspect that feels painful.  It’s easy to understand how things like massage therapy, eating better, taking supplements, and exercising are going to help you on this HEALing journey.  It’s not as easy to understand how our thought processes and experiences in the past and present have an impact on our physical being.  There are widespread neurological implications of emotions.  Examples such as anger, anxiety, fear, self-doubt, sense of failure and more.   Click here for further reading on A scientific validation of your emotions.

Outside therapies alone, although helpful, are limiting.  We all have subconscious and conscious negative thought patterns that were learned at a young age either from past mental or physical traumas that you have attached to an emotion.  If you avoid working on removing those thought patterns, you won’t reap the benefits of the unlimited potential for healing that is within you.

Pain And The Brain

Pain is an experience. Physical pain from an external stimulus will initiate a message to be sent from tissues, through neurons called nociceptors.  It alerts the brain of a potentially dangerous situation.  This message arrives at the brain, and its level of “danger” is determined by a response based on information your brain has gathered throughout your life.  Your brain and nervous system form memories of pain when we experience pain.  This helps us avoid perceived dangerous behavior that once resulted in pain such as touching a hot stove.  We also create pain memories from hearing or seeing someone else experience pain as a result of a behavior.

If you have ever been diagnosed or heard of someone being diagnosed with a “pinched nerve” you have already created a “pinched nerve” memory in your brain.  Your brain has a cognition or context of what a “pinched nerve” means.  This is based on any experience related to the diagnosis.  Brain cells in the “pinched nerve” memory bank will also belong to anything else you associated the pinched nerve diagnosis.  Neck pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, and sciatica are just a few of the examples.  This means IF you are told you have a “pinched nerve,” you activate the brain cells associated with a pinched nerve and experience its symptoms.  This occurs even if you don’t really have a pinched nerve.  This is one of the dangers of a misdiagnosis!

This inaccurate information we have gathered about how we imagine our body to work has contributed to our brain’s evaluation of how much danger we are in and your perception and experience of the external pain stimulus.

Mindset Exercises

Our positive and negative emotions associated with a diagnosis can have an impact on our degree of pain.  Now that you understand the connection between your beliefs and the pain you experience, we can dive into some relevant and applicable mindset concepts that you can start to apply right away.  I will provide you with paradigm-shifting exercises that accompany each concept.  I encourage you to dive in deep.  We are going to cover some of the time-tested, relevant concepts of emotional healing – gratitude, affirmations, and acknowledgment of your achievements.  The more energy and time you put into these mindset exercises, the more you will get out of them.  Your mind can’t tell the difference between reality and what you tell it!

I find that some patients are more prepared than others to tackle their state of mind during the healing process.  I provide guidance in the form of literature, counseling, and advanced workshops on developing a healthy mindset.  It’s not uncommon to see patients with very similar symptoms in our practice.  However, the patients who dedicate the time and energy to their mental health and creating a positive mindset tend to get better results with their care.  The positive mindset they create drastically decreases their healing time and ability to return to normal activities of daily living, pain-free!  To read more on How our perceptions affect our health, click here.

You’re one step closer!

Top Tips To Manage Your Emotions

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anxiety

For most people the holidays are a time to take a break from the hustle of every day life and a time to spend with family and friends.  It is a time that people observe special religious festivities and a time of gift giving and merriment.  A great many of us will make new year’s resolutions to either give up something that is detrimental to our health or add something to our regimen.  Like something that will help cope with things like depression and anxiety and bring us closer to health and happiness.

But now it’s January.  You’ve just realized you have overeaten, overdrank, overspent, and indulged in a great many behaviours that you normally wouldn’t have if it was any other time of the year.

When it comes to spending habits in Canada, one in three Canadians said they ended up spending more than they meant to last year.  (1) It’s easy to fall into despair, disarray as well as frustration and fear as a result of our actions during the holidays.

According to motivational speaker Tony Robins, “Gratitude is the solution to anger and fear.”  (2) In other words, you one cannot hold feelings of anger/fear and gratitude simultaneously.  This is good news if we are searching for methods to cope with the aftermath of the holidays when all festivities have concluded, all the gifts are opened, and perhaps some anxiety about our credit card bills start to arrive making us ever so reluctant to pay a visit to our post office box.

For more on Tony Robbins, click here for THE 5-STEP PLAN TO AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR.

How To Manage Your Emotions

Here are some tips you can use to manage your emotions and transform your state of being into a healthy and positive state.  This exercise is the HeartMath Institute’s Heart-Focused Breathing® Technique and I would like to share it with the reader as it is entirely possible to calm both our nervous system and our overactive mind.  In other words, attempt to turn down the frantic fight or flight sympathetic nervous system and turn up the parasympathetic system.

Over activity of the sympathetic nervous system will cause our breathing and heart rate to increase as well as release stress hormones like cortisol into our bloodstream to help prepare us for a fight or flight scenario.  This is innately programmed into our nervous system as a protective mechanism. By calming the sympathetics and shifting to the parasympathetics, which control our resting, relaxation and digestive responses, we can put ourselves in a state of ease. The good news is that we can do it relatively easily with this simple exercise.  Click here to read about A Scientific Validation Of Your Emotions.

Step by Step Instructions:

Start with sitting in a quiet place, in an upright posture and begin breathing through your nose and exhale out through your mouth.

Focus:

Focus your attention on your heart area, and breathe a little deeper than normal, in for 5 or 6 seconds and out 5 or 6 seconds.

Breathing:

Imagine breathing through your heart.  Picture yourself slowly breathing in and out through your heart area.

Remember that you are not breathing from upper chest region that uses more accessory muscles and body part and is usually the pattern of breathing of someone suffering form anxiety or anxious state but rather from the heart.  There is a difference.  If this is difficult to visualize try diaphragmatic breathing where your belly expands as you draw oxygen in.  It’s ok if it looks funny and makes the belly look larger than usual.  Nobody is watching remember you’re alone?  Hehe.

Feeling:

Activate a positive feeling as you maintain your heart focus and breathing. Recall a time you felt good inside and try to re-experience the feeling. Remember a special place or the love you feel for a close friend, relative or treasured pet. The key is focus on something you really appreciate.

Conversely, you can attempt a more meditative method and practice NOT thinking about anything other than your breath.  I’ve found both methods effective.  The key is to make sure your exhale is slightly longer than your inhale.

Practice this for at least 5 minutes and observe your mood change in short matter of time.  Click here for 4 Tips to an Abundant, Joy Filled Life

Yes folks, it is literally that easy.  You are in complete control of your mood and emotions.  The mind is a powerful entity and each of us has the capacity to alter our state of well-being should we choose to.  Harness the feelings of gratitude and appreciation.  Appreciate yourself and others.  Be grateful that you are alive.  My wish for you is that this exercise will help you reduce emotional stress and improve your health.  Blessings to you all.

Reference:
https://globalnews.ca/news/4671068/2018-black-friday-canada-holiday-spending/
https://medium.com/thrive-global/tony-robbins-gratitude-is-the-solution-to-anger-and-fear-c3fa819825c
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