A breakthrough research study might help therapists and ER staff discover if someone is suicidal. A new study has used an interesting correlation to assess suicidal risk. Read more at http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/07/29/new-predictors-of-suicide-risk/16183.html
There's a new study that tells you how to live longer!!! Who doesn't want that? And it is simple and doesn't cost one penny! Check it out at http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/07/29/relationships-are-important-for-longevity/16177.html
There is a new study that believes there is a way to lower your risk of dementia in your older age. Want to know how? Read this article and discover the keys: http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/07/27/longer-education-lessens-risk-of-dementia/16070.html
Are you one of those people who are always comparing themselves with the person next to you? If so, you may be doomed to living in perpetual UNhappiness. We know that the act of constant comparison is a pathway to unhappiness, low self-esteem, and poor self-confidence.
Tonight we will look a good look at happiness and breaking the cycle of destructive comparisons
You say that comparing ourselves to others can be really destructive. Tell us more.
• We can always find someone who is more beautiful, smarter, slimmer, richer, or healthier them us.
• These comparisons only make us feel poorly about where were are, or what we have in our life. The comparison game only leads to sadness and pain.
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Gina: So what are some tips for those who are always making comparisons?
• We all have the potential to listen to the negative voices on our shoulder that tell us negative things about ourselves (use the prop)
• If you want to be happy first of all acknowledge and accept that there is always someone better off in some way compared to you
• Notice when you are making a comparison and think of something positive about yourself and what you do well
• Put things in perspective… optimistic people look at those who they see as “better off” and try and emulate and enhance something about themselves to be a better person. Use your view as a way to enhance something in yourself
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So what is our goal for the week?
This week I’d like you to catch yourself when you are comparing yourself to someone else, and notice how you mentally abuse yourself (AUDIENCE OF NEGATIVE TALK) and put yourself down. Then really work at INTERVENING WITH THAT THOUGHT AND PUT ON THE BREAKS and say something positive about yourself and value who you are as a person. If you will do this, I guarantee you will be happier, and mentally wealthier and more content.
Join us this weekend at the Balloon Festival at Three Sister's Park on July 16 & 17.
You'll have a wonderful weekend and watch the race with over 30 balloons competing (including the balloon sponsored by Joy Miller & Assocates).
for more information go to www.balloonsinthepark.com
The toll of sleep deprivation
Some people insist that they can go on just a few hours of sleep, while others seem to need more than others. But, what are the real facts related to sleep and are we becoming a nation of sleep deprived Americans?
How much sleep is really needed by most adults?
• Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep a night to feel fully refreshed and able to function at their highest potential
• 2005 Sleep Foundation study showed that Americans are only getting an average of 6.9 hours of sleep which was a drop of 2 hours per night from the 19th century
• We’ve lost one hour of sleep per night over the past 50 years and 15-25 minutes of sleep in the last 9 years.
But some people say they really don’t need that might sleep. What do the studies show?
• University of Pennsylvania study shows that people are out of touch with their own bodies when sleep deprived. Volunteers who sleep less than 6 hours per night for 2 weeks thought they were fine, but testing showed they were cognitively impaired as someone who was awake for 48 hours
• University of Chicago study showed that loss of sleep changes our body and promotes appetite, reduces the feeling of being full, and alters our body’s response to sugar.
• Case Western study showed that shortened sleep was associated with weight gains and children with sleep deprivation are correlated to those with child obesity
• Children with 6-7 hours of sleep were 2 ½ times as likely to be overweight compared to those children who got 8 hours of sleep
So what are some tips related to a better night’s sleep?
• Try to stay on a schedule—go to bed at the same time each night and awake at the same time
• University of Chicago study showed that if you sleep 10 hours for 2 consecutive nights you will return to normal hormone levels
• Keep your room dark at night and keep your room cool or cold for a better night’s sleep
• Slowly acclimate to the night—turn down the lights before bed, and do something calming such as reading to insure a good night’s rest.
Relaxing can be hard work
Do you find yourself on vacation lying on the beach, and all you can think about are the emails you are missing, or the projects that are piling up on your desk at work? Are you trying to focus on relaxing, but you are just getting more and more tense being away from the think you thought you hated—work! Tonight we’ll look at vacation-ational dysfunction and why it’s so hard to detach.
You talk about vacation-ational dysfunction. Tell us more about that?
• Well, first of all this is a term I created, but research from an Expedia survey showed that 53% of Americans say they come back from vacation rejuvenated.
• 30% say they have trouble on vacation dealing with work stress while they are away
• Many come back more exhausted than when they left for vacation
• Others say they are hooked into their blackberries and iphones so that colleagues and co-workers don’t know they are gone.
• Researchers are now saying that being in communication with the office is less stressful than not being connected
What can happen when people have trouble disconnecting with work?
• Studies show that some people suffer from “leisure sickness” and experience fatigue, flu-like symptoms, and muscle pain according to a 2002 survey from the Netherlands. Survey shows that 3% of the population suffers with these symptoms
• Weekend headaches account for 1/3 of all migraines and 1/6 of all tension headaches
• 19% of people say they cancel their vacations due to work concerns and pressure
• People get addicted to the adrenaline rush at work and can’t relax when they don’t get that fix of pressure.
So what are some suggestions for those who suffer from vacation-ational dysfunction?
• Go ahead and check in with the office, but limit your time to only one hour maximum
• “Just going with the flow” is hard for over-achievers. Have some sort of plan for your vacation time, but try to be flexible if you are not enjoying your activity
• Get physical and get those endorphins working. Exercise will help you cope with the “withdrawal” of focusing on work
• Create a “buffer time segment.” Don’t work right up to the time you hop on the plane or the moment you return. The pressure before and after only makes you more stressful and makes it harder to enjoy the actual vacation
• They can handle it. Trust your co-workers and tell them you will be on vacation and the limits under which you want to be contacted at work
• Practice being in the now. Mindfully focus on this moment and nothing else. Try to keep your thoughts on your vacation and being with others you love—it will be a huge difference
Scientific results that validate "addictive" relationships and their hold on us? Check out the new research at http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/07/07/relationship-breakup-similar-to-addiction-withdrawal/15375.html
Interesting interview with the Dr. Brown on CNN today... makes you contemplate-- especially when my best selling book was called "Addictive Relationships." hummmmm
Is one gender more forgiving than the other? You may think you know the answer, but check out this article concerning "decisional and "emotional" forgiveness
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/06/29/gender-and-forgiveness/
