Emotional Well Being

These days it can be very difficult to stay positive and peaceful while staying informed.  Watching the news or reading the paper can be incredibly disheartening.  Stress and negative thinking go hand and hand.  Yet stress, negativity and ill health also share a great deal.

Being surrounded by mess and clutter can make everything seem a great deal worse than it is especially when you are already stressed out.  Finding your keys or those important papers can then become a nightmare.  And top of this, many people believe that the state of your surrounding is a direct reflection of the state of your psyche.  If this is the case and you are living in th

Most of us have heard the old adage that laughter is the best medicine.  While usually chalked up to no more than an old wives tale, recent research now reveals that this might actually have some real truth to it.  Medical research is increasingly revealing that laughter and more generally a positive attitude can really have a dramatic effect on our health.

Zen meditation can help lower one's sensitivity to pain by increasing the grey matter thickness that regulates emotional and painful sensations, according to a new study out of the Universite de Montreal.

Researchers compared the grey matter thickness of 17 Zen meditation practitioners and 18 non-meditators.

Regular exercise can significantly reduce the symptoms of anxiety, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

The study, published in the February 22^nd edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine, involved 3000 patients with a variety of medical conditions. They discovered a 20% drop in anxiety with patients who exercised regularly.

Optimistic and enthusiastic people are less likely to develop heart disease than those who are negative, scientists from Columbia University Medical Center announced today.

February, the month related to our hearts is all about heart health and love. This is why I have decided to combine my usual Valentine message with February's Heart Health Month, because it is all about love, loving ourselves and our loved ones, that is!

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are the fastest growing disorders of children in the United States today.  An amazing nine to ten percent of all school-aged children are being diagnosed with this disorder.

If you're getting a little moody during the holiday season, go out and get a hug. A new Canadian study found that people who are hugged regularly are generally happier and mentally healthier than those who attended church regularly.

Are the shorter days and longer nights getting you down? Recession making it harder to smile? Try transcendental meditation to soothe what ails you.

College students who spent about 20 minutes at least once a day in a state of transcendental meditation experienced lower blood pressure, reduced psychological distress, anxiety and depression. Dr.

A new investigational drug is showing promising results as a female Viagra.

People who are physically active tend to be less depressed than those who live a more sedentary lifestyle. Regular physical activity seems to have antidepressant qualities that can help increase endorphins, the feel good hormone. Not only does exercise induce endorphins, it helps creates neural growth in the brain which is important in a depressed brain that is depleted of neurons.

Anxiety is a terrible feeling and one that no one should have to live with. Not only does it plague your mental health but it can actually make you physically ill and tired from lack of sleep. Life is always going to be full of uncertainties and many people have a hard time coping with the unknown.  Controlling your anxiety levels and keeping a level head is something that most people learn when they are children but unfortunately many people do not have a secure childhood or experience certain traumas throughout life which can make them overly anxious.

Why would you not want to be happier? Everyone needs a little more happiness in their life – being happy actually boosts immunity , improves mental functioning and helps you handle stressful situations better. Try the following tips to inject a little happiness into your everyday life:

If you equate getting older with feeling older , don’t. By living right and having a positive attitude, not only can you ward off the effects of aging but you can feel better than ever.  Feeling young is a frame of mind. No matter what your age, you can feel as if you are youthful and full of energy by using the below techniques:

The most common type of mental disorder is depression and it affects about 340 million people worldwide. Even though this problem is extremely widespread, it still goes undiagnosed in many people who continue to suffer in silence.

How much power does your mind have over your body? The jury is still out on this one but many studies have found that having a positive attitude , especially in the worst of times can not only help you overcome struggles but possibly help you cure disease and common ailments.

Being a worry-wart can cause all kinds of problems physically and mentally. Many people are “natural” worriers and tend to get stressed out easily. Others have anxiety which leads them to get stressed out about everything. Although you may think a little bit of worrying can’t do much harm it can.

Depression is one of the most common psychological problems that people suffer from today. It is estimated that up to 20% of Americans exhibit depression symptoms at some point in their lives. This disorder is caused by a variety of different factors, some of which include genetics, life circumstance and biochemical changes.

Body image is something that everyone has struggled with at some point in their lives. Having a healthy body image and self esteem is important for your all around health because negative thoughts can actually make you physically ill and cause serious health concerns.

Essential oils can be used to cure numerous ailments or just to relax and relieve stress. Since essential oils are a concentrated version of the plants they are derived from, it takes very little of the oil to receive the benefits the plant provides. Because these oils are so potent it only takes a few drops to get the benefits that the plant provides.

Ever notice how when you start to get stressed out you also pack on a few pounds? There are numerous ways that our bodies react to stress and gaining weight is a common one. There are also many ways in which stress can contribute to weight gain.

Everyone has anxiety-it may be about your job, finances, family situation, or even just about life itself. Minor anxiety is normal as is moderate anxiety when faced with a tough situation. Unfortunately, there are many people who suffer from severe anxiety on a daily basis and there are a variety of different anxiety disorders.

Although there is so much information on self help, depression seems to be on the rise. Many would argue that this is due to the overwhelming distractions we now have in our world. With the advent of the Internet and now hundreds of TV channels to choose from, this may be true. We live very busy lives and are continually bombarded with information and noise.

Stress is a major culprit of health problems in today’s world and may be responsible for more than we ever imagined. We all face different challenges and some people deal with them better than others,

Food not only affects how you look, but it affects your mood in different ways as well. Have you ever eaten a chocolate donut or some French fries only to find yourself in a sour mood not too long after? Nutritionists know how our diet affects the way we perceive the world and regulate our mood changes.

Researchers do not know exactly why humans need sleep, but they do know that it is an essential part of life. Missing even a few hours of sleep can affect your emotional well being. Studies in rats have shown that sleep deprivation can actually kill.

We all know the feeling, 3:30 pm hits and you are sitting at work feeling like you could go for a nap. You feel sleepy, lazy, and cannot focus on anything- you find yourself counting down the minutes until you can go home for the day.

SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, affects about half a million people between September and April of each year. This disorder is commonly called “winter depression” and can be quite a difficult disorder to live with.

PMS stands for Pre-Menstrual Syndrome, and is an extremely common disorder in women. Hormonal changes happen in the body up to two weeks before menstruation, and these change cause disruptive symptoms such as physical, emotional, and psychological distress. During this time, women experience tender breasts, water retention, bloating, body pains, and headaches.