Think Happy!

I don’t like Dentists!

Due to the excess of Cola that I used to drink, I’ve made more than my fair share of visits to the Dentist’s surgery. My experiences haven’t always been great, so it’s not an experience that I exactly look forward to.

There was a time a couple of years ago when I was so anxious about the state of my teeth – and the dental work required – that I would lose sleep worrying about it, or spend the night grinding my teeth in trepidation. The irony wasn’t lost on me!

I was out with the children today and I noticed a couple of people that seemed to be grinding their teeth whilst in an apparently relaxed state. I’m told that an estimated one in 20 adults and three in 20 children unconsciously grind their teeth at night. Is this something that you’ve found yourself doing? Read the rest of this entry »

There’s an excellent post over at the Urban Monk that gets straight to the point of what I’ve been waffling around for ages: Change your thoughts and change your life – The Art of Cognitive Reframing.

We never, ever, see the world as it is. Our awareness – our beliefs, past conditionings, upbringing, the list goes on – these distort everything we see. They creep into every interpretation and misinterpretation…

Read the rest for yourselves. You won’t regret it.

Try it for yourself, and see if it doesn’t make a change in your life.

I recently came across an interesting guest post over at Zen Habits.

Murder! Ringing phones, broken equipment, lost data, rude customers, unreasonable deadlines, demanding bosses. A sure-fire recipe for a 187.

The author, Albert Foong, goes on to note that the days we are living in require emotional intelligence and psychologically tested methods ‘to handle anything that happens in a mature and powerful manner.’ The vital first step, predictably – but helpful nonetheless, is taking radical responsibility for our own behaviour. He then goes on to describe the ABC Model:

Albert Ellis, one of the pioneers of Cognitive Psychology, came up with a simple system to describe how we really operate. He called it the ABC model: Antecedent, Belief, and Consequence.

We believe that A leads directly to C. In the example above, Madison antagonised me, leading to my Anger. But that was not true – there was some reaction in between, my beliefs had filtered the experience and therefore created the anger.

The thoughts I had, revealed the beliefs that lay underneath them: We shouldn’t be shouted at; everyone should be polite; she should respect my skills.

Read the rest of this entry »

JollyBlogger recently posted some Amazingly Simple Home Remedies: 

1. If you’re choking on an ice cube simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat. Presto! The blockage will instantly remove itself.
2. Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold while you chop.
3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.
4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.
5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.
6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you’ll be afraid to cough.
7. You only need two tools in life – WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn’t move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn’t move and does, use the duct tape.
8. Remember: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
9. If you can’t fix it with a hammer, you’ve got an electrical problem 

 HT: g220 

and Tony Buzan is, apparently, a Guru!

Did anyone see Channel 5’s documentary, The Mentalists? The show followed Ben and other Memorists (including Ed Cooke and Gunther Karsten) as they travelled to Bahrain to compete in the World Memory Championships.

You can read Ben’s reaction to the programme here. However, if you don’t know who won, be warned that Ben gives it away!

From my perspective, watching the programme was really interesting. My wife even watched it with me, partly because she has this theory that I could have been there competing and getting on telly! (I competed in the WMC in 2000.) The interesting – and slightly depressing – thing, with the standard of the competition nowadays, is that some of the results that these guys get when they fluff it are scores that I would have been over the moon with!

Oh well, we can’t all be “Mentalists!”

I’ve know it’s been an absolute age since I last posted, but Christmas and family sickness had other plans. Nevertheless, let’s get back into it with a look at a topic that seems to be on the increase everywhere you look: Anxiety.

Anxiety Attacks

Having experienced my own fair number of ‘anxiety attacks’, I’m hoping to post a fair ideas and tips for dealing with them. For now, to ease myself back into the blogging habit, I’ll simply repeat the good advice found here.

Dealing with anxiety disorders should be done with the aid of a medical professional. But panic attacks call for an immediate personal response and therefore some preparation on your part.

* Make a list of the things that you’re afraid could happen. Then write out calming statements that tell you the opposite of your fears, reassurances you can repeat to yourself when panic starts coming on. Also have a list of calming things you can do, such as breathing deeply and slowly, focusing on forcing the air out of your lungs, making deep breaths come naturally.

* Lie down with your butt against a wall. Breathing in, press one foot into the wall and breathe out as you release it. For 10 – 15 minutes alternate feet. If there is no place to lie down, press your feet, one at a time, into the ground to feel connected and “rooted.”

* Bach’s Rescue Remedy (Flower Remedy) can take the edge off a crisis or panic attack. Take a few drops under your tongue or drink a glass of water with a few drops in it.

* Breathe into a brown paper bag. If you have lavender essence oil, put a drop in it for added calming. Lavender oil has a calming, soothing effect, as do helichrysum, frankincense, and majoram oils. Keep a prepared mixture in a dark glass bottle for when you need it.

* Remain focused in “the now” by using all of your senses to take full notice of what you see, hear, feel, and smell. Panic is generally associated with remembering upsetting events from the past or anticipating something upsetting in the future. Holding a pet can also help.

(Source: How to Get Rid of Anxiety)

Read the rest of this entry »

Over at the Aikiweb forums, there was a discussion in October, prompted by the question: ‘What does your Aikido practice teach you that your religious/spiritual/philosophical practice teaches you that makes you a better person?’

Some of the answers were so enlightening that I thought they merited discussion on this blog. The question that they provoke for me is, would the answers be the same if we swapped ‘Aikido’ for any other work at self-improvement that involved healthy exercise, co-operation with others and a heavy does of fun?

Anyway, here are some of the answers to the question…

What does your Aikido practice teach you that your religious/spiritual/philosophical practice teaches you that makes you a better person?

“That I am not alone.”

“It teaches me to treat complete strangers who inflict pain on me as friends.”

“Working with others with their limitations and abilities knowing that their limitations and abilities were/are/could be mine.”

“Compassion”

“That hard work is its own reward.”

“Humbling oneself can be very difficult but ultimately more rewarding”

“To connect with others on deeper and deeper levels.”

“That there is no victory/defeat or win/lose. If anybody loses, we all lose. If anybody has been defeated, then no one is victorious.”

“Aikido practice has mostly reminded me of humanity, being a person, being respectful of life, and joy in its unfolding.”

“It’s not the destination that matters, but the journey along the way.”

“Love”

At some point, I will write a post on the value of laughter. However, I’m suspect that such a view is intuitive enough to need little defence. So, for now, I will simply leave you with these wonderful sayings from the unmatched Jack Handey:

“I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they’d never expect it.”

“If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is, “God is crying.” And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is, “Probably because of something you did.”"

“Broken promises don’t upset me. I just think, why did they believe me?”

“The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.”

“To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there’s no music, no choreography and the dancers hit each other.”

“I bet a funny thing about driving a car off a cliff is, while you’re in midair, you still hit those brakes! Hey, better try the emergency brake!”

“If you want to be the popular one at a party, here’s a good thing to do: Go up to some people who are talking and laughing and say, “Well, technically that’s illegal.” It might fit in with what somebody just said. And even if it doesn’t, so what, I hate this stupid party.”

“Love can sweep you off your feet and carry you along in a way you’ve never known before. But the ride always ends, and you end up feeling lonely and bitter. Wait. It’s not love I’m describing. I’m thinking of a monorail.”

“Why do the caterpillar and the ant have to be enemies? One eats leaves, and the other eats caterpillars. Oh, I see now.”

Read the rest of this entry »

November 7th is National Stress Awareness Day, so it seems like a good day to get back into the habit of posting here. I loved the slogan of NSAD this year, that fits well with the purpose of this blog: “Smile Away Stress“.

I take this opportunity to post the top 10 stress-busters recommended by the International Stress Management Association:

1. Smile
	Smiling is the first line of defence against stress. It’s quick, easy, and free! When you smile your body releases feel-good hormones, while the stress hormone, cortisol, is reduced. Smiling helps you feel calm and in control. It lowers your blood pressure and makes you feel good about yourself.
2. Exercise
	As well as its undoubted benefits for your general health, exercise is highly effective in reducing stress. It improves blood-flow to the brain, helping you think more clearly. Exercise is also another great way to release endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and feel-good hormones. There is also evidence that fit people are better able to handle the long-term effects of stress.
3. Get enough rest and sleep
	Taking a rest isn’t only about not doing anything. A rest from work can mean putting the emphasis on what you do in your leisure time – hobbies, holidays, sport – to counterbalance work or everyday stress. And we all need sleep for energy, good concentration and general health. Chronic sleep-deprivation can affect your performance at work, which can be a key factor in raising stress levels.
4. Positive thinking
	Changing your thoughts is not as difficult as you think. Try to adopt an outlook on life that stops you seeing external events as determining your happiness. Instead, see your thoughts as the determiner of your happiness. It takes practice, but if you can do this you’ll reduce the negative tension that leads to much of the stress in your life.
5. Reach out to others
	When you need to reduce the pressure in your life, you can’t always do it on your own. Everyone should have a support network of friends, family, co-workers and other people they can call on to help take the strain – whether it’s practical help or a sympathetic ear when you feel down.
6. Achieve a good work-life balance
	Don’t let work dominate your life. No matter how ambitious you are, it’s important to make time for relaxation and fun. That might mean reducing the number of hours you work, or changing to a job that’s closer to home so your commuting time is reduced. Use time management techniques to ensure you’re more productive during your normal working hours, rather than continually staying late at the office.
7. Relaxation
	A good relaxation technique is an anti-stress weapon that you always carry with you, to help you deal with any stressful situation as it arises. Make relaxation a regular part of your daily routine. There are so many relaxation techniques, from deep-breathing and visualization to meditation and self-hypnosis. Find one that works for you – check out the many books, CDs and DVDs that can help.
8. Eat a healthy diet
	A balanced diet that delivers all the nutrients your body needs to function at its optimum level is essential for dealing with stressful situations. And cutting back on stimulants like caffeine and sugar and depressants like alcohol and nicotine will keep your blood sugar levels constant and help you to avoid mood swings.
9. Hugging
	Make sure you get and give your fair share of hugs. Not only does hugging feel good, it has been proven to help reduce the stress level, cortisone.
10. Seek professional help if you need it
	If you feel that despite all your efforts stress is getting the better of you, there are lots of people who can help. The International Stress Management Association provides referrals to stress management professionals, as well as guidance on dealing with stress.

Source: http://www.nationalstressawarenessday.co.uk/top10.aspx

There’s a question that I’m sure many of us have pondered a number of times. Sometimes it comes out of a sense of frustration. Sometimes it’s a wonderful means of brain-storming. This afternoon, it opened up a whole series of new questions for me:

If you could go back in time 10 years and give yourself 1 piece of advice, what would it be?

There’s a whole host of things I’d want to say to myself, mostly about being more flexible – and less anxious – about the future. However, as I thought about it more, I realised that this nostalgic question could be a wonderful means of self-improvement, if we change direction and ask: If you could go forward in time 10 years and give your current self some advice, what would it be? Read the rest of this entry »