Tag: exercise

5 Ways to Evaluate your Body, Mind and Soul: Guest post by Daniel Torres

~ Eleanor Segall ~ 10 Comments

beurownlightblog

(image:  https://unsplash.com/photos/h7qhDX6ExD4)

Many people think about their wellness in terms of exercise, nutrition, weight management, and physical health. However, wellness involves much more than you think. Your well-being must include mental, spiritual, and physical aspects. You need to engage your mind, nurture your spirit, and strive to get the general body balance. 

The balance of mind, body, and spirit is more about living your life to the fullest. It is a personalized approach and lifestyle decision. It allows you to maximize your potential. To attain the best health, we need good self-stewardship for those we care for and for ourselves.  

The body reaches a state of energy balance when you meet emotional, physical, social, intellectual, environmental, financial, and vocational dimensions. You need to pay close attention to all these dimensions as neglect of one will affect others. However, you do not need to balance them equally. The most important thing is personal harmony, which will feel authentic to you. Everyone has their aspirations, approaches, and priorities.

Making the correct choice to balance the mind, body, and soul can be a challenge. Many factors influence human behavior. What you want to do, how you intend to do it, and the chances of you succeeding should be your point of focus. They play a critical part when it comes to our habits, self-regulation, and wellness. 

There are several ways you can evaluate your body’s well-being, including:

 

The food you eat

Many people downplay the significance of the food we eat on our body and mind. You need to eat foods that are dense in nutrients to improve your health. By doing this, you will feel energised, rested, and will be able to tackle day-to-day challenges. 

There is a direct connection between chronic depression and the kind of food you eat. Avoid fast foods as much as you can. Moreover, consuming foods rich in nutrients and vitamins such as the best MCT oil that will help keep your athletic body in balance. It also has fantastic results on your nails, hair, skin, and more.

Getting enough rest

Some people are addicted to work. They will keep pushing to the limits even when the body has had enough. One thing you need to know is that your body needs rest, or you will burnout. You need to evaluate yourself and understand what is essential to your health and well-being or work.

Taking a break and resting increases your productivity and the satisfaction you get from working. Engage in outdoor activities like jogging, do the body in balance yoga and pilates, or get a massage. Engaging in these activities will work wonders in your body, mind, and spirit. You need to take good care of yourself before thinking about anyone else. Taking time off to meditate is an excellent way to unwind after a day’s hard work.

Working out

When you experience pain, it is mostly a sign that your body is not balanced. Your body is trying to convey information that there is something wrong. Keeping your body in balance through physical therapy tries to correct any dysfunctions that you may have. Physical therapy is a safe way that gets rid of the pain without having to take medicine.

Being free of pain is right for your mind, soul, and spirit. There are several techniques, which you can use to release facial, joint, and muscular pain. You can keep your body in balance through chiropractic care to help you recover without having to take medicine or surgery. 

Disconnecting from Technology

In recent times, people have become so dependent on technology. Lifestyles have been changing rapidly hence, the need to be connected at all times. Engaging with your phone and laptop is a daily occurrence.

Over usage of these electronic devices has come at very high-cost health-wise. Sometimes, leave your phone at home and take a long walk. You should strive to be more connected to the reality of day-to-day activities. Moreover, being too attached to sites like Facebook and Instagram may lead to comparisons, thereby lowering your self-esteem. 

 

beurownlightblog2

(image: Unsplash)

 

Read books and learn something new

When you have the urge to watch television, keep reminding yourself that you have to read a book. You will be able to create a balance between watching television and reading. The more you read, the more knowledgeable you become. It also helps your mind relax.

Another thing that will help to keep your mind, body, and soul in shape is challenging yourself to do something new. Encourage yourself towards personal growth and visit new places you may like. 

 

At the end of the day, the little things count. Keeping your body in top shape should be at the top of your priorities.

Do you sometimes feel like you have neglected your body, mind, and soul? Share with us in the comment box below how that made you feel.

 

Bio: Daniel Torres is a fitness and wellness coach. Aside from his work, he is also a writer, and he has written on various topics, fitness, and wellness topping the list. Currently, Daniel is working with the youth from his local church on a fitness project for the community.

Life Changing Habits to Bring into the New Year: Guest blog By Vanessa Hill

~ Eleanor Segall ~ Leave a comment

(image: http://gandlblog.com/17-inspirational-new-years-quotes-for-2020/)

The start of 2020 is a special time. Not only are we lucky enough to be able to start a new year, but we also have the privilege of beginning a new decade. We have the opportunity to define the next ten years of our lives, which means we should probably be starting it off on the right foot by developing good habits. Here are three life-changing habits that you can start doing right now to ensure you have a great decade.

Eat Healthy Foods 

The first habit you need to bring into the new year with you is making your health a priority, and one of the easiest ways to do this is by maintaining a healthy diet. Your diet plays a huge role in how you feel mentally and physically. It’s where your body sources it’s energy from, so when you put good things in your body you feel good. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to completely give up your favourite guilty pleasures. Try thinking of things you can incorporate into your diet rather than thinking of things you want to get rid of. Commit to eating more leafy greens rather than swearing off chocolate. Choose to eat whole grain rather than avoiding carbs.

If you’re not entirely sure where to start, you can always sign up for healthy eating program that shows you exactly how to transform your eating habits. Even if losing weight isn’t your goal, you’ll find that making healthier choices with your nutrition will leave you feeling better, and give you the energy to take on the year.

Please note to speak to a doctor before you start any new eating program and take care if you are struggling with your mental health alongside. 

Develop a consistent sleep routine

Sleep is an underrated body function that too many of us take for granted. Our bodies use this time to repair damages, replenish our energy, and restore us to a functioning state. Lack of sleep negatively affects every part of your body. If you’re tired of struggling with brain fog, lack of energy, and irritability, then developing a good sleeping pattern is the place to start.

Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day– even on the weekends. This may be a bit tricky if you’re younger and you find yourself spending your weekend nights out on the town, if you travel a lot, or if you have young children. But once you come up with a schedule that works, try to stick to this as closely as you can. You’ll find that your days are more bearable and you might even get deeper sleep at night. Don’t be afraid to consult a sleep specialist if you’re having trouble getting a good night’s rest. They’ll be able to help you get the best sleep possible, which will turn into you living the best year possible. 

Practice Gratitude

While people are eager to think of the things they want to change at the beginning of the year, it’s important to show your appreciation for the things that you do have and for where you are right now. You can show gratitude on a macro-scale, where you’re thankful for your friends and family, for your amazing job, or the events that you’re lucky enough to experience. On a micro-scale, you can be thankful that you had enough money for coffee today, for example.

Either way, taking the time to notice and appreciate the things that are going well around you will give you a positive outlook on life, and it will remind you of all the reasons you have to smile. You have so much to be thankful for, you should regularly remind yourself of that.

About the Author

Vanessa is a content writer who’s passionate about spreading knowledge and joy to the world. When she’s not writing, she enjoys exploring the streets in a foreign country where she can immerse herself in different cultures.

How Walking and Audiobooks have helped my Anxiety and Depression: Guest blog by Tan at BooknerdTan

~ Eleanor Segall ~ Leave a comment

audiobooks1

(image: BetaNews)

For most of my life I have had relatively good mental health and considering the rather…’turbulent’ upbringing I had I’d say that was pretty much a miracle. All came to a head in June 2018.

I was in a job that was incredibly stressful for minimum wage, I had a toxic boyfriend who did nothing but make me feel worse about myself and I had an abuser resurface into my life completely unexpectedly. All this happening at once lead to some kind of mental breakdown and I couldn’t function for around 4 months. I couldn’t go out, I couldn’t go to work – I could barely eat or string a sentence together. Everything I heard was white noise, everything I saw was in slow motion and I was just completely numb.

I went to seek help with my doctor and was prescribed medication (which I am not currently taking as of the New Year) and was referred to Birmingham Healthy Minds service. This is a service which I cannot recommend enough – I was really scared of counselling after previously having a bad experience when I was younger, however I’m really glad I went ahead and gave this a go.

The best thing about this was that my counsellor was not passive (unlike my previous experience), in fact he gave me so much advice that will stay with me forever. I relied heavily on my friends during this time and they were an amazing help, but sometimes it is nice to offload some of your worries on to someone who is essentially a stranger. It allowed me to say things which I may not necessarily feel comfortable telling my family or friends.

Ever since I went and spoke to someone about my condition, I have been looking for the best ways in which to cope on a daily basis. The main way I keep my anxiety at bay is with a combination of walking and audiobooks. This has done wonders for my anxiety. I have always been a big book nerd; I read every day, manage to polish off on average 100 books a year and run my own book blog so it’s safe to say that I am a major bookworm!

I’ve constantly heard and read about exercise being an amazing coping mechanism for people dealing with depression. I have close family members who also suffer with depression and confirmed to me that exercise is one of the main things that relieves some of their symptoms. Having this information only told me one thing – get to exercising!

I live in a really pretty village so I decided to put my headphones in, pick an audiobook and walk. Walk until I couldn’t feel my legs. 3 hours later I came home and was elated. Body numb, blood pumping and feeling a tiny bit more positive than when I left the house.

My anxiety got to such a point that I wasn’t able to breathe properly. I was always taking short, sharp breaths and it never felt like I was in control which exacerbated my anxiety. Walking allowed me to think about and control my breathing therefore lowering my anxiety somewhat. Combining walking and my favourite hobby (devouring books) helped me so much more than I ever expected and am so thankful for it.

I recently wrote a blog post about how audiobooks helped me control my anxiety and was overwhelmed by the response it got when I shared it on my blog. Not only by the amount of people who are dealing with anxiety themselves, but how happy they were that they found the post and are willing to try it out to see if it helps them too. It’s that kind of response that reminds me of why I love blogging and sharing my experience! I hope someone read about my experience and it was able to help them.

Every day is still a learning curve but I’m definitely getting there. Going forward, I hope that everything I have learned in the past 9 months will aid me in keeping my anxiety and depression at bay and be able to handle it as best possible when/if it arises again with a vengeance.

I am always hopeful that if I ever feel the same way again, I will be able to see the signs a lot earlier, implement the coping mechanisms I’ve acquired and nip it in the bud before it manifests even further. I hope that somehow my experience can help someone else out there cope a little better and make them realise that it is possible to come out the other end even when you’re at your darkest.

 

This guest blog was written by UK book blogger and writer Tan at https://booknerdtan.wordpress.com/

The Mental Health Benefits of Yoga: Guest post by Manmohan Singh

~ Eleanor Segall ~ 2 Comments

yoga1

(image: https://www.gaia.com/series/yoga-every-day)

Mental illness is like any other illness in the body. With Yoga, it can be treated and helped to heal. Yoga encourages mental fitness and healing of the mind.

Living in a modernised world, many of us still have conformist ideologies. Mental illness  is misinterpreted. It is often a deep-rooted issue, which, if not helped, can become life-threatening. Day-to-day stresses and heartbreak can lead to depression and other mental illness. If the condition becomes severe, it can lead to self-destructive tendencies, including self harm.

There are many ways (meditation, therapies, etc.) to prevent and help mental illness, with yoga being one of the most natural and safe options. According to many studies, it is confirmed that Yoga has the ability to relieve stress and anxiety and reduce mild depression and other mental illnesses.

So, let’s see the amazing mental health benefits of Yoga:

 

Calms The Nervous System

Yoga has the power to calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety levels. It makes you enter into a more relaxed state, and gradually, you move from flight or fight-to rest and digest mode (or move from the sympathetic nervous system to parasympathetic nervous system). Yoga reduces stress, anxiety, depression, treats insomnia, and other kinds of health issues.

Makes You Self-Aware

Yoga practice helps to ignite the sense of Self. Through yoga, you know yourself better and form a deeper connection from within. Yoga helps build self-trust, increases self-awareness that helps in making healthier choices- like eating healthier, living the right lifestyle. You learn to accept yourself, develop stronger willpower, bring your consciousness back to the present, feel more confident, and gradually realise your self-worth.

Helps Mend  Relationships

Emotions and feelings contribute a lot towards ones mental health. A traumatising incident, heartbreak, death of loved ones, and many other day-to-day relationship struggles, can affect our mind and lead to mental illness.

Yoga ignites awareness and not only helps us improve our relationship with the Self but with others as well. When you form a positive relationship with the Self, you tend to deal with others in the same manner. A healthy relationship helps to maintain the overall mental well-being as well.

Reduces Inflammation Related To Genes

According to a study, it is proven that 15 minutes of yoga practice or relaxation techniques switches off the genes that are responsive to stress and inflammation. With the modern world, stress is something that is often found. This stress leads to various mental health conditions. Our body is designed in a manner that it has the ability to reduce stress and this mechanism is called the ‘relaxation response’. With yoga relaxation techniques, you can easily trigger the stress reduction ability.

Yoga practice is the best way to fire your body’s built-in mechanism that helps mental relaxation. 15-20 minutes of yoga practice triggers the biochemical changes in the brain cells and protects from stress and anxiety.

Yoga Boosts GABA Level

Our brain is filled with receptors and GABA or GABA receptors or gamma-aminobutyric acid is linked with anxiety and mood disorders. When the brain drops the GABA activity, the mood of a person becomes lower and they start feeling more anxious.  

With the help of yoga practice, you can boost the GABA level. Practice yoga for an hour daily to get positive results.

Reduces The Effect Of Traumatic Incidents

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a serious issue that people face after going through a traumatising or negative situation, shocking or terrifying experiences. People in this condition frequently experience flashbacks and nightmares of the situation they have had come across. With yoga, a person can help himself come out from the situation and help the mind.

Improves Concentration And Boosts Memory

Sometimes, our brain finds it difficult to do or concentrate on the day-to-day tasks. Yoga practice has proven effective in boosting memory and improving concentration and also clears the mind and calms the senses.

Prevents Mental Health Disorders At Every Age

A mental health condition can occur at any age depending on the situation you are in or what you’re going through. According to a study, people of age group 18-35 are at high risk of mental illness and have periods of severe stress.

These issues can also occur during adolescence, due to various reasons, including genetics but also envrionmental- family disputes, fights, peer pressure, body shaming, academics etc. Teenagers also go through many physical, mental and emotional changes.

Yoga practice helps elevate the mood, reduce stress and anxiety, prevent depression, control anger, and ignites mindfulness.

People as they get older can also face these mental health issues due to loneliness, change of the environment, alcohol abuse, dementia, loss of loved one, long-term illness, physical disability, poor diet, etc., Yoga can be beneficial to health.

Yoga Asanas To Practice For Mental Health- Balasana, Viparita Karani Asana, Uttanasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, Bhujangasana, and Shavasana. Also practice Pranayama like: Kapalbhati, Anulom Vilom and Bhramari.

It is rightly said that a healthy mind breeds a healthy body, and vice-versa. It is important to have good, positive mental health for complete fitness and healthy, happy living.

Practising yoga promotes better health, try it today!

 

 

Author Bio: Manmohan Singh is a passionate Yogi, Yoga Teacher and a Traveller in India. He provides Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh, India. He loves writing and reading the books related to yoga, health, nature and the Himalayas.

Website: https://www.rishikulyogshala.org/

5 Tips to Manage Stress: Guest post by Cloe Matheson

~ Eleanor Segall ~ 2 Comments

stressfree1

(image: Healthy Today Club)

With research increasingly demonstrating the correlation between prolonged stress and a shorter lifespan, we would all like to avoid the spectres of stress and anxiety.  But since chances are the vast majority of us have been confronted with both at some point and will be again in the future, what does it take to manage pressure yourself – or even better, to build a lifestyle which doesn’t allow stress a look in?

Check out our 5 simple tips to get started on your journey to calm.

 

  • Avoid triggering substances or habits

 

We hear it all the time, but it’s true: the things you fuel your body with significantly affect how you feel. Particularly if you’ve been diagnosed with a gut condition such as IBS (which has been shown to worsen in times of stress), you’ll want to ensure your diet is full of colourful, digestible wholefoods. In times of stress, a salad is often the last thing most of us want to reach for – but even if your current best move is reducing your caffeine intake, that is a step in the right direction.

If you’re currently using other substances to self-medicate during or after a long day – we’re talking nicotine (a stimulant) and alcohol (a depressant) – then let this be the push you need to give up those bad habits.

 

  • Anticipate and respond

 

Particularly for perfectionists and people who experience social anxiety, stress is unavoidable in daily life.  Although easier said than done, try to embrace this inevitability as best you can – as our fears often lose their power if we are prepared for them to manifest.  When you are in the midst of responding to stress directly, keep these coping mechanisms in mind:

  • Exercise – put those fight-or-flight hormones to good use and have a workout while restoring yourself to calm. This doesn’t have to be an hour-long run at peak intensity: it can be as simple as walking around your office block when you need a workload break.

 

  • Breathe – if you’re delayed in a waiting room or have just received challenging news, don’t panic.  Sit or stand somewhere comfortable, close your eyes, visualise a serene place in your mind, slowly breathe in and out, and relax to the sound of your exhalations until your heartbeat slows and you can figure out your next step.

 

  • Sleep

 

Even for those of us who believe we need no more than 5 hours of sleep per night, humans just aren’t built to withstand such short stints of shut-eye on a regular basis.  

The proper functioning of both body and mind rely on essential processes that occur during sleep, including the renewal of skin cells and the retention of information in the hippocampus – the main memory-processing section of the brain.  Since these processes can only be completed in a state of sleep, it’s best to take your zzz’s seriously.

 

But since stress may be the exact thing keeping you up at night, here are some rituals to build into your bedtime routine:

  • Stop work at least an hour before bed
  • Have a warm bath or shower at night
  • Put some lavender oil on your pillow
  • Read (a book, rather than a screen!) before you turn off the light
  • In the dark, focus on relaxing every separate limb and muscle of your body before going to sleep.

 

 

  • Get talking

 

John Donne was right: no man is an island. Bottling up your stress and trying to manage alone may work in the short-term, but not forever. To avoid building up pressure that leads to breakdowns, consider chatting to a counsellor or a grounded friend about how you’re feeling, or join a club or society which will allow you to talk with like-minded people who may struggle with similar problems. If you are internet savvy, even online discussion boards and forums can be a safe place to air your woes.

 

  • Prioritise and identify

 

Are you staring down a hectic month of appointments, task-juggling, and trying to perfectly fulfil a different role for everyone in your life?  Compartmentalise to deal with the mayhem.

What do you need to prepare for your next move?  Tackle your tasks individually and avoid thinking about your myriad other tasks until you are finished working on each one.  Stress often peaks when we consider all our problems or tasks in their monstrous sum, whereas they are much more manageable taken alone.

If you struggle through every month, you need to identify what causes your stress. No one can do everything, and you may find that you have overcommitted to tasks. What can you say No to? At times like this, it’s worth remembering that you are the only person in control of your life: so put your wellbeing first.

Cloe Matheson, the author of this article is a writer and blogger. She can be contacted here:  https://cloewrites.tumblr.com/

Fitness and how it can help Depression: Guest Post by Paul Matthews

~ Eleanor Segall ~ 1 Comment

fortaleza

(image: Fortaleza Fitness Center)

Dark times can come. When you reach your darkest days, the ones in which your thoughts are controlling you and you can barely do anything, you should try and keep yourself busy, if this is possible. Its not always possible for people who are unwell- but distractions and exercise are always helpful, especially if they benefit your overall health.

These are the top 3 reasons why taking exercise could help you if you’re suffering from depression:

1: Engage your mind and keep it busy

Last year was one of the worst periods of my life: I broke up with my girlfriend, changed my job and lost one of my best friends. I was that sad and my mind was not properly functioning, all my thoughts were invading me all day and I was barely able to do anything.

One day, I went for a 5 mile run, because it was sunny, right after work. During this time, no negative thought hit me. That was when I opened my eyes: if you don’t dwell on depressive thoughts, then you will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I decided to get a gym membership and I started working out for an hour after work. It has really helped me manage my depression. I am happy right now: my life is busy, but I have plenty of energy every day and less dark clouds.

Keep active and you should hopefully see the benefit!

 

2: Your lifestyle can affect your mental health

One of my friends who had depression loved junk food. He was constantly sad and depressed. He also did hardly any exercise. I encouraged him to exercise more and go to the gym if possible. The exercise helped him feel more positive and like he was taking good steps back to wellness. 
3. Help Your Self Esteem and Do it for you 

Many people told me that they were embarrassed to do exercise and particularly going to the gym as they felt “ugly, insecure, overweight and not fit” and so on. The best advice I can give is: get yourself some good fitness clothing you feel comfortable in. This might sound a bit weird, but properly fitting exercise wear can boost confidence and promote positive mental health.

Its also important to note that you aren’t the only one feeling this way and most people feel the same about themselves. Take that leap today.

When you are approaching fitness, whether if it’s in the gym or outside, or even at home, you must not forget about why you are doing it, why it’s important for you and how this could help you with your mindset.

Gentle exercise includes swimming, walking and yoga. There is something for everyone.

Try and see over the wall and remember: after the storm, the sun will rise again. Keep it up!

 

paulm

Paul Matthews is a freelance business writer in Manchester, who has headed up several campaigns. His aim is to better inform business owners and professionals on the hidden dangers of the workplace. You can often find him mountain biking or at the local library.

You can contact him at : https://twitter.com/paulwritesalot

Guest Post: 5 Steps to control Anxiety and help Panic attacks by Katie Rose

~ Eleanor Segall ~ 5 Comments

katierose
(image: Kate Rose/ internet)

My name is Kate and just over 2 years ago I had my first panic attack. It was without a doubt, the scariest moment in my life and to think I’m at the point where now I can somewhat control my anxiety, feels like a miracle. Anxiety is not something that you can “just get over” which I’ve often heard those who don’t suffer from it, say. (So don’t worry if you’re struggling!) Though I’m a lot more stable now, I still experience mild anxiety every now and again. This post will tell you how I managed to tame my anxiety and help prevent my panic attacks.

#1 Stop Drinking Alcohol

Whether you agree alcohol is the reason for your panic attacks or not, it’s a proven cause to why people suffer from anxiety. Sadly for me, alcohol is the number one cause of why I would experience panic attacks and get myself into such an unstable state. As a result, I will no longer drink even a drop of alcohol and since, I haven’t experienced a panic attack. This is not the same for everyone- some people don’t drink but still experience high panic. It’s not that I don’t want to drink alcohol or that I don’t enjoy myself when I am drinking because I really do. However, the aftermath of it all just isn’t worth it.

In spite of that, it doesn’t mean I haven’t felt anxious since stopping drinking because I have and it’s still an ongoing battle. I’ve quite simply stopped having major panic attacks.

What Happens When I Drink Alcohol?

When I drink alcohol I end up going to bed with a racing mind (how on earth I end up sleeping I have no idea) and wake up in the early hours of the morning with major heart palpitations and breathlessness. It makes me feel like I’m about to die. Due to being tired from waking up early, I always feel extremely frustrated that my body has woken me up. No doubt that makes my anxiety worse and stops me from relaxing and calming down. So, what do I do?

Solution: Talk To Someone

Instead of going on my phone and surfing the internet to try and distract myself, I’m lucky enough to be able to wake my dad and sit and talk to him. I find that it helps me get back to sleep so much quicker than staring at a bright screen which actually makes me feel more awake. After all, it’s unlikely you want to be awake at 4 AM watching YouTube or scrolling through Instagram, instead of sleeping. By closing my eyes, yet having someone there to talk to, I’m able to slowly drift off back to sleep and thankfully not wake up again until the morning. It takes me an hour or two  to fall back asleep but compared to trying to cope alone, it’s a lot shorter. Try it – it might just work for you.

Don’t have someone at home to talk to? Perhaps you live alone and I assume for sufferers in an empty home it will feel a million times worse. Maybe it is time to take out your phone but instead of staring at the screen, call someone, even if its a helpline. That way you can lie with your eyes closed making you more likely to fall asleep and still be able to talk to someone for help.

 

#2 Breathe Using Your Stomach

It may sound slightly strange but after having the ambulance out to me on several occasions, I’ve learn that it’s my breathing that plays a huge part in being able to calm down or not. Breathing quickly and inhaling small amounts of air at a time can cause you to hyperventilate. Stop. Sit back and assess your situation. Think about how you’re breathing:

Are you breathing quickly? Are you breathing in through your nose? When I’m feeling breathless, instead of trying to take lots of little breaths that cause my chest and shoulders to move quickly, I take big, deeper breaths that’ll push my stomach out.

By concentrating on feeling my stomach move, I can focus my attention elsewhere from my racing heart and help me calm down. Use the below ‘calm breathing’ technique from Anxieties for more help:

 

  • Take a long, slow breath in through your nose, first filling your lower lungs, then your upper lungs. (You should feel your stomach push out slightly before your chest starts feeling full of air.)
  • Hold your breath to the count of “three.”
  • Exhale slowly, while you relax the muscles in your face, jaw, shoulders and stomach.

 

Remember: Listen to your body and analyse what you’re doing. Are your teeth clenched? How are you sitting? Give your body a little shake to relax yourself and even close your eyes if you wish and practice your breathing.

(image: Kate Rose/ internet)

katierose2

#3 Thought Journal

I think one of the main things that has helped me to conquer my anxiety was analysing the potential cause and the feelings I had, during the panic attacks. Sometimes it was going to bed with too much on my mind, sometimes eating too late. Even from doing absolutely nothing and other times from being rushed off my feet. It’s hard when there are so many different factors that can trigger panic attacks but trying to figure out what that cause is can help you to overcome your negative feelings.

Write them down. Making a note of the time you had your panic attack, what you were doing before, perhaps the foods you ate that day and so on, will help you to figure out if there is a pattern. Over time I began to learn that the main cause of mine was from alcohol and going to bed when I still had things to do. Ensuring I made time for cleaning my room, making my dinner for work and sorting my outfit for the following day, meant I could go to bed without worrying. I wouldn’t feel rushed and I gave myself peace of mind to improve my sleep which is so important for coping with anxiety.

#4 Do Some Exercise

One of the key factors in helping me beat my anxiety was a lifestyle change that involved getting active and eating healthy. By going to a fitness class or doing a home workout, I was able to relieve all of my built up stress and found trying to get to sleep or relax, a lot easier. I started by going the gym 2-3 days a week and currently go 3-4 times a week. I also realised that since getting a FitBit back in July 2017, it’s helped push past my panic attacks even further, by distracting me from feeling anxious with fun fitness challenges with my friends and family. What’s great with having a FitBit is, even if you don’t have friends or family who have one, there’s a whole community you can get involved with.

Not Interested In Exercise?

If you’re not into doing full-on fitness classes, why not aim to do a certain number of steps a day? My goal is 8,000 and find that whilst working 7AM to 4PM Monday to Friday, this is pretty achievable as long as I go for a stroll at dinner and again in the evenings. Doing this every day is keeping both me and my brain active and it’s these small changes that have helped me to channel my anxious thoughts, elsewhere. Here are some more tips on exercising to beat anxiety.

#5 Don’t Feel Ashamed

No matter how hard it is, you must not feel like a failure. Anxiety can affect anyone and everyone and when you least expect it. Before my panic attacks I was out partying all of the time, drinking copious amounts of alcohol and not having a care in the world. As unfortunate as they were, having panic attacks helped to show me that my body needed to be taken care of. Yet, for the troubles I have gone through, I wish I knew that sooner. I realised that during the time my anxiety was at its worst, I had an extremely negative approach to everything and often found myself using negative words a lot.

Solution: Take a time out to evaluate your attitude. As much as you may think you’re world is coming to an end, I found changing my mindset to try and think of even the worst times in a positive way, made me channel a stronger side to myself. This has been a major contributor to helping me get over my panic attacks. Replace words and phrases like “bad”, “I can’t”, “never” and “not now”, with “good”, “I can”, “always” and “yes”. You never know what good could come from it.

Alternatively, The Calm Clinic suggest something similar to a thoughts journal: a positivity journal. Fill it with positive things that have happened to you that day. Aim for at least 10 things so that no matter how bad the day may seem, you always have 10 great things to reflect back on.

Here’s their example:

Examples of good entries:

 

  • The barista gave me my coffee for free today because I was nice to her.
  • My boss complimented me on the project I finished.
  • I received a phone call from an old friend just because she wanted to catch up.

 

Examples of the types of entries you should avoid:

 

  • I woke up.
  • My mum didn’t call me which is good because I didn’t want to hear from her.
  • I didn’t screw anything up too badly.

 

Remember: If this seems too much of a chore to do, stop. Put the pen down and try something else instead, like yoga, listening to music or an audio book or reading a book yourself. If you feel pressure to write in the journal, it may make your anxiety worse. Yet by trying different methods of coping with anxiety you can find what works for you.

Why Medication Isn’t Always Right For You

I ended up being consumed by my anxiety and fears and feeling like the only way to get through it was to take medication. The doctors weren’t keen on prescribing me with any tablets at the time and I didn’t really want to take them anyway. Though, after a while I felt it all became too much. Me and my boyfriend went to Holland & Barrett to buy some calming pills.

I don’t want to promote the tablets I took in this post because I only used them once or twice. I think that trying to control my anxiety without medicine was a better solution for me and although was a challenge, made me feel strong and as though I was capable of anything. For others, taking medicine may work best for them and it really is down to the individual.

No matter how you deal with anxiety, just remember not to give up. I felt like my world was collapsing and I was so scared. Though with perseverance and time, I can now say I’m coping well with my anxiety, though the battle is still on.

This article is by Katie Rose, Lifestyle Blogger at ok Kate

ok Kate is a lifestyle blog about my life as a “normal”, young adult and the steps I’m taking to try and change my life from being boring and rather basic, to make the most of the world around me.

Guest Post: How and Why Sport Can Help Your Mental Health- Sara Whitehouse at Stadia Sports

~ Eleanor Segall ~ 8 Comments

exercise.jpg

Mental health has become a strongly discussed topic in today’s world and rightly so. With more and more people vocalising their struggles with mental health, it’s the perfect time to make sure you’re looking after yours.

 

The How and Why of Mental Health

You’ll be pleased to know, that when indulging in physical activity, you’re bringing a whole array of benefits to your body – many of which you may not have realised.

1. Reduces Depression, Anxiety and Stress

Although there’s growing awareness that exercise helps to improve depression, anxiety and stress, it’s still not a dominant reason why people choose to be active. In many cases, people tend to turn to medication and other remedies to treat their stresses, not realising how great a gentle run or yoga session can be too.

Depression

Studies show that exercise can be used to treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressant medication. It is important though to speak with a Doctor and find out the best plan for you.

Reasons why exercise helps fight depression:

  • Promotes changes in the brain including neural growth, reduced inflammation and promotes feelings of calm and well-being.
  • Releases endorphins that energise you, making you feel happy and positive.
  • It acts as a distraction from depressed thoughts and gives you opportunities to socialise and meet new people, all of which help to boost spirits.

Anxiety

Exercise is known to help with anxiety. Through fully-focusing on your fitness sessions you can tune your body to be mindful about your exercise, receiving more health benefits.

Reasons why exercise helps fight anxiety:

  • By concentrating on the sensations that happen during exercise, you can interrupt the flow of worries in your mind and improve physical condition quicker. For example, you can workout to the beat or rhythm of the music or focus on the sensation of your feet hitting the ground.
  • Relieves tension and stress through performing stretches that loosen tight muscles.
  • Boosts physical and mental energy through the release of endorphins.

 

Stress

When you are stressed more often than not, your body tenses up. Your muscles begin to tighten particularly in your face, neck and chest area, which can lead to headaches, chest pains, a pounding pulse and muscle cramps. Experiencing these stress-related symptoms can lead to you worrying more which brings on a whole array of other symptoms. These include heartburn, insomnia, and stomachache. The more pains you get, the more stressed you become and sadly, you’re found battling a vicious cycle between your mind and body.

 

Reasons why exercise helps fight stress:

  • Exercise helps to break the cycle of worrying by mixing up your routine.
  • Releases endorphins in the brain that help the muscles to relax and relieve the built up tension in your body.
  • Makes sleeping easier which reduces any sleep-related stress from your mind.

Remember: When your body feels better, so will your mind.

 

2. Helps Sharpen Memory and Thinking

The same endorphins that work to boost your mood also improve your concentration. This makes you mentally ‘sharp’ when completing tasks. Physical activities that require hand-eye coordination such as tennis, badminton or squash, are particularly beneficial for brain building.

 

Reasons exercise helps the brain stay sharp:

  • Increases the level of oxygen to your brain improving circulation.
  • Breaks the mental fatigue and slumps often experienced during a day’s work. Short walks at lunch time or even a few jumping jacks can help reboot your brain for an afternoon of learning.
  • Stimulates the growth of new brain cells, reducing the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss and enhancing the effects of helpful brain chemicals.

Whatsmore, the birth of new brain cells also fight against age-related decline. That means by doing daily fitness activities, you can keep your body looking and feeling like your younger, healthier self. Perfect!

 

3. Gives Your Immune System A Boost

Catching a cold can leave you feeling blue mentally as well as physically. As you feel groggy from a blocked nose and sore head, you tend to act groggy too. Though we’re not suggesting exercising whilst you’re ill is a good idea, frequently exercising when healthy can help to combat illness, boost your immune system and make you feel happier.

 

Reasons why exercise improves your immune system:

  • Getting active helps to flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways, reducing your chances of developing a cold, flu or other illness.
  • Exercise causes your white blood cells (WBC) to circulate quicker helping you to detect illnesses earlier than before. White blood cells are the body’s immune system cells that fight disease.
  • Slows down the release of stress hormones making your mind a more peaceful place.

 

4. Improved Self-Esteem And Energy

Regular activity is an investment in your mind, body and soul. 

Along with the feelings of conquering your fitness goals, finding a healthy, balanced routine will also work to give you an energy boost. 

Getting Into A Routine

  1. Start easing yourself into exercise with a 10 minute home workout, walking the dog or quite simply having a dance around your room.
  2. Increase your workout by extending the time you are active for or start going to more fitness classes.
  3. Establish a routine of which days you will exercise.
  4. Even on your days off, making simple changes to your fitness routine like taking the stairs instead of a lift or going for a short walk instead of sitting on the sofa can keep your brain active and stresses at bay.

 

Remember: The key to unlocking improved mental health through exercise is to do it regularly. The more you workout and get active, generally, the healthier and happier you will feel.

 
exercise2.jpg

Family-Friendly, Mixed Gender Sport Ideas

Having looked at six reasons why and how sport helps mental health, let’s take a look at some ways you can adapt sports into your daily routine.
Exercise doesn’t have to be boring, gender-specific or child-unfriendly. Here are some great ideas to incorporate some moderate exercise into your daily routine:

 

  • Taking daily 20 to 30 minute walks during work breaks, after dinner to walk the dog and so on. Develop this by joining hiking clubs and take to trekking through the wilderness. You’ll soon be saying ‘the bigger the hills the better!’
  • Go cycling with your children a few times a week. Particularly if you live on a quiet road, going up and down the street and having races, can be super fun as well as tiring! Or, make the most of cycling clubs and enjoy a group venture to the hundreds of mountain bike trails out there.
  • There’s plenty of male and female football clubs knocking about. Join a team and enjoy the competitive side to sports whilst making new friends. Some clubs also offer family-friendly football games for parents and children to play together, so ask if your club does or organise it yourself!
  • Family swimming sessions every other weekend. Take advantage of your local leisure centre or make it a fun, family-bonding activity, venturing to the swimming baths every so often.
  • Play social, leisurely sports like golf. Done regularly can help you build friendships with other players, which contributes to boosting your mood and confidence, improving your mental health.
  • Fit some physical activity in your evenings by joining the local gym and taking part in fitness or yoga classes. See some awesome yoga tutorials here for use at home.

 

Ultimately, if there’s one thing you should’ve learnt from this article, it’s any exercise is better than none when taking care of your mental health.

By improving circulation of important cells in the body, loosening tight muscles from built up stress and distracting yourself from worrying thoughts, you can make yourself into a happier, healthier you. So, go forth and fitness!
Sara Whitehouse, SEO and Content Editor at Stadia Sports

Stadia Sports are a leading UK manufacturer and supplier of sports equipment, offering a wide range of products including football goals, football nets and accessories.

The 365 Challenge: Raising Awareness of PTSD By David Baum with Mind (Guest Post)

~ Eleanor Segall ~ Leave a comment

davidbaum1

What is The 365 Challenge?  www.the365challenge.org.uk

The 365 Challenge was created by David Baum, a 58 year old business man from Bushey, Hertfordshire. It evolved out of the 22 x 22 x 22 challenge, which started in the US about a year ago, to recognise that 22 ex-service men and women commit suicide every day due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

David worked out that this equated to 8030 ex-service personnel, this however did not take into consideration the thousands of men, women and children who are diagnosed every year with PTSD. So he decided to extend the Challenge from 22 days to 365 days.

What makes The Challenge so important?

Many of the thousands of men, women and children diagnosed with PTSD go untreated. So much so that in addition to the 22 ex-service personnel who commit suicide every day, in the UK a further 473 service personnel are discharged every year through PTSD. However, this doesn’t include life events such as cancer, murder, bullying or other attacks that can bring on PTSD. Unfortunately, the list goes on.

David’s own story is typical of a large number of sufferers own story:
“When I was at school I was bullied mercilessly, it could have been because I was Jewish or not very tall or slightly chubby or wore glasses or that I wasn’t brilliant at football. Unfortunately, bullies never tell you why they are physically attacking you, other than they think it is funny or even a bit of banter. When I left school, I thought I would move on, but whenever I saw one of the bullies, I would come out in a cold sweat and want to walk the other way. I then had a number of car smashes, a couple which were my fault, the others I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I tried to get on with my life, however, every time I heard the sound of a car smash or saw a fight I would break out into a cold sweat.

It was only after my wife Mel was diagnosed with Breast Cancer 20 years ago – fortunately she is in remission – I realised that I had to tackle the demons that were haunting me. Through counselling I came to realise that the bullying wasn’t my fault and accidents happens. Through a number of sessions, I was able to shake myself free of the traumas of my younger self. However, many are not so lucky. This is the reason why I created the 365 Challenge, and that I ask that people to like and share my efforts, to draw attention to the fact that you don’t have to be a member of the armed forces, a member of the Police or emergency services to develop PTSD, ANYONE CAN.”

Once David decided to create The 365 Challenge he approached MIND and The Gym Group who readily agreed to back the 365 Challenge.

davidbaum2

So how does The 365 Challenge work?
The Challenge is very simple and split in to 4 parts:

– Part 1 is from day 1 to 99 when the participant has to perform 22 reps of an exercise every day, preferably a different one as this adds to the challenge.
– Day 100 to 199 the number of reps increases to 30.
– Day 200 to 299 it’s 40 reps a day.
– For the final 65 days it’s 50 reps.

Unlike other charity challenges or dares, nobody is asked to make any donations or nominate anyone else. The person undertaking the Challenge is asked to commit to spending 1 to 2 minutes a day for 365 days film the session and post films on social media asking their connections to ‘like’ and ‘share’ – the most effective way to increase awareness of PTSD.

Since David launched The 365 Challenge, it has been taken up by people in the UK and the US, each has their own reasons for taking part and each is finding that spending 1 to 2 minutes a day very therapeutic. However you don’t have to go in to a gym or perform a physical exercise to take part a number of people are just walking 22 paces. To date the uploaded videos are being viewed around 10,000 times a month!

Now we are looking for more people to take up The 365 Challenge. Are you up for a Challenge?

Once you have made the decision to take up the Challenge, it is very simple to take part. The first thing to know is you can take part anywhere, in the gym, at home, at work or in the park. There are only two rules, the first is the Challenge in four parts:

– Part 1 is from day 1 to 99 the participant performs 22 reps of an exercise every day, preferably a different one as this adds to the challenge.
– Day 100 to 199 the number of reps increases to 30.
– Day 200 to 299 it’s 40 reps a day.
– For the final 65 days it’s 50 reps.

The second part is to upload the film you have taken on to social media. You should say in the film “Today is (whatever number day) of The 365 Challenge in association with MIND & The Gym Group, raising awareness of the effects of PTSD. Now that I’ve completed my 22 reps (or 30 or 40 or 50) can I please ask that you like and share my video.” When you upload the film you should also write the same.

If you are unable to upload the film on to social media then please email it to me & I will upload to Facebook & Twitter, as well as to the 365 Challenge website.

For more information contact:
David Baum Tel: 07985 991773 Email: busheybaums@ntlworld.com
www.the365challenge.org.uk

The 365 Challenge can be followed on: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/The365Challenge/PTSD or Twitter: @Bogfather & @Bimbom