Climbing up from depression

Life is full of good times and bad, of happiness and sorrow. But when the "down" times last more than a few weeks or cause you to have difficulty functioning in daily life, you may be suffering from a common yet serious medical illness- called DEPRESSION

Feeling down
Depression is a mood disorder that affects the whole person- body and mind. it can lead to:

• Withdrawal from people and activities
• Loss of pleasure and enjoyment of life
• Feelings of sadness, disappointment, or loneliness.
• Physical discomfort, aches, pains, sleep disturbances, etc.

How do I know it is depression?

 A depressed person often has cloudy thinking and a hard time making decisions. Given below are some of the problems or feelings which a patient suffering from depression may experience.

Symptoms of depression:

1. Life won't get better in the future. Lack of drive and motivation
2. Loss of appetite or weight gain
3. Lack of sleep
4. Tired or lethargic, and trouble motivating yourself to get anything done
5. Anxious or worried without any obvious reason
6. You feel annoyed and irritable with people, or have less interest in your family and friends
7. Hard to think clearly, concentrate or make decisions
8. Suicidal thoughts or actions

             ........these are just some of the symptoms. other symptoms, that may be suggestive of depression are: less interest in sex, feeling guilty about mistakes or critical of shortcomings, less interest in hobbies or work related projects, and worries over minor aches and pains.

What I should do about depression?

Almost everyone who faces depression, recovers and feels good again. With a little help, it is possible to get back to work, rebuild the relations with family and friends, enjoy life and all that it has to offer. The step-by-step process involves the following:

Self-care

• Do not bottle things up; if you've recently had some bad news, or a major upset in your life, try to tell people close to you about it and how it feels.
• Do something, get out of doors for some exercise even if only for a long walk.
• Resist the temptation to drown your sorrows.
• Eat a good balanced diet.

Seek Professional help

Meet a psychologist, psychiatrist or counselor to determine the cause of depression and discuss the proposed plan of recovery.

A. Psychotherapy: Helps many depressed people become more self aware and better able to cope with their problems. treatment methods include individual counseling, group therapy, psychoanalysis, etc.

B.Medication: Is often used in treating seriously depressed people. it may bring relief in as little as 3-4 weeks. Drugs prescribed may include antidepressants.

Attitude For Success

Negative attitude says: You cannot achieve success.
Positive attitude says: You can achieve success.

If you have been exhibiting a negative attitude and expecting failure and difficulties, it is now the time to change the way you think. It is time to get rid of negative thoughts and behavior and lead a happy and successful life. Why not start today? If you have tried and failed, it only means that you have not tried enough.

Attitude for Success
Create a Winning Attitude!

• Start your own mind gym. Exercise the mind on various puzzles, simple problem-solving exercises. The more you use brain, the more it gets active.
• Increase your energy & creativity by overcoming negativity.
• Thrive your career and relationships by developing a positive attitude.

Nothing affects your life more profoundly than your attitude. A positive attitude is a priceless possession. Some of the ways to develop attitude for success are:

• Improve the quality of your life with powerful attitude adjustment techniques.
• Ease difficult situations with humor.
• Trigger enthusiasm in everyday life.
• Build positive approaches to problem solving.
• Boost your self-image by enhancing your appearance.
• Increase your confidence.
• Enhance your creativity.
• Share your positive attitude with others - it's contagious!

And remember:

You can do everything but not at once

You can do everything if it's important enough for you to do.

You can do everything, but u may not be the best at everything

You can do everything, but there will be limitations.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects the way a person acts, thinks, and sees the world. . They may see or hear things that don’t exist, speak in strange or confusing ways, believe that others are trying to harm them, or feel like they’re being constantly watched. In response, people with schizophrenia may withdraw from the outside world or act out in confusion and fear.

Although schizophrenia is a chronic disorder, there is help available. With support, medication, and therapy, many people with schizophrenia are able to function independently and live satisfying lives. However, the outlook is best when schizophrenia is diagnosed and treated right away.While there is no cure for schizophrenia, research is leading to new, safer treatments. Experts also are unraveling the causes of the disease by studying genetics, conducting behavioral research, and by using advanced imaging to look at the brain’s structure and function. These novel approaches hold the promise of new, more effective therapies.

The complexity of schizophrenia may help explain why there are misconceptions about the disease. Schizophrenia is not synonymous with split personality or multiple-personality disorder. Most people with schizophrenia are not dangerous or violent. They also are not homeless nor do they live in hospitals. The majority of people with schizophrenia reside with family, in group homes, or on their own.While research has shown that schizophrenia affects men and women equally and occurs in similar rates in all ethnic groups around the world, its symptoms differ from person to person and can fluctuate over time.

Early warning signs of schizophrenia:

• Social withdrawal
• Hostility or suspiciousness
• Deterioration of personal hygiene
• Flat, expressionless gaze
• Inability to cry or express joy
• Inappropriate laughter or crying
• Depression
• Oversleeping or insomnia
• Odd or irrational statements
• Forgetful; unable to concentrate
• Extreme reaction to criticism
• Strange use of words or way of speaking

Symptoms:

There are several subtypes of schizophrenia, depending on the most prominent symptoms. As with any illness, the severity, duration, and frequency of symptoms can vary; however, in persons with schizophrenia, the incidence of severe psychotic symptoms often decreases during a patient’s lifetime. Not taking medications, use of alcohol or illicit drugs, and stressful situations tend to increase symptoms. The symptoms fall into three categories:
Positive symptoms:
Hallucinations, such as hearing voices, paranoid delusions, and exaggerated or distorted perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors.
Negative symptoms:A loss or a decrease in the ability to initiate plans, speak, express emotion, or find pleasure.
Cognitive symptoms:Confused and disordered speech, problems with memory, trouble with logical thinking, and difficulty paying attention and making decisions.

Causes of Schizophrenia:
Researchers believe that a number of biological and environmental factors play a role in the disease’s onset and course. However, scientists do not yet know which factors produce the illness. Because of the variations in symptoms, many believe that schizophrenia constitutes a group of disorders, not unlike other chronic illnesses. Although the origin of schizophrenia has not been identified, scientists know that there is some hereditary basis or genetic predisposition for the disease because it runs in families.

Diagnosis of Scizophrenia:

A diagnosis of schizophrenia is made based on a full psychiatric evaluation, medical history, physical exam, and lab tests.

• Psychiatric evaluation– The doctor or psychiatrist will ask a series of questions about one's symptoms, psychiatric history, and family history of mental health problems.
• Medical history and exam– doctor will ask about personal and family health history. He or she will also perform a complete physical examination to check for medical issues that could be causing or contributing to the problem.
• Laboratory tests– While there are no laboratory tests that can diagnose schizophrenia, simple blood and urine tests can rule out other medical causes of symptoms. The doctor may also order brain-imaging studies, such as an MRI or a CT scan, in order to look for brain abnormalities associated with schizophrenia.

Treatment of Schizophrenia:

There is no cure for schizophrenia, but treatments are available to reduce the intensity and frequency of the symptoms. Medication and psychosocial treatments can help some people with schizophrenia lead highly productive and rewarding lives, while for others, the illness continues to cause impairments in function despite treatment and family support.

A variety of antipsychotic medications are effective in reducing the psychotic symptoms present in the acute phase of the illness, and they also help reduce the potential for future acute episodes. Before treatment can begin, however, a psychiatrist should conduct a thorough medical examination to rule out substance abuse or other medical illnesses whose symptoms mimic schizophrenia.

People with schizophrenia abuse drugs more often than the general population. Substance abuse complicates the diagnosis of schizophrenia and also reduces the effectiveness of treatment for schizophrenia. If a patient shows signs of addiction, treatment for substance abuse should be pursued along with other treatments.
Recovery and Rehabilitation:
After the symptoms of schizophrenia are controlled, therapy can help people learn social skills, cope with stress, identify early warning signs of relapse, and prolong periods of remission. For many with this disease, recovery from schizophrenia includes those who reach their full potential by managing the illness. Because schizophrenia typically strikes in early adulthood, individuals with the disorder need rehabilitation to help develop life-management skills, complete vocational or educational training, and hold a job. For example, supported-employment programs have been found to help persons with schizophrenia obtain self-sufficiency. These programs provide people with severe mental illness with jobs in competitive, real-world settings.

Many people living with schizophrenia receive emotional and material support from their family. Therefore, it is important that families be provided with education and assistance managing their ill relative’s disease. Such assistance has been shown to help prevent relapses and improve the overall mental health of the family members as well as the person with schizophrenia.

People with schizophrenia may receive rehabilitation services on an individual basis, in the community, or in a hospital or clinic. When living alone or with family is not an option, supportive housing is often available and includes halfway and group houses as well as monitored cooperative apartments.
Living with Schizophrenia:

Research continues into the causes and treatment of schizophrenia. With an improved understanding of the disease and effective therapies, those with schizophrenia can have a full life, hold a job, and live in the community or with their family.

However, when the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia are ignored or improperly treated, the effects can be devastating both to the individual with the disorder and those around him or her.

Some of the possible effects of schizophrenia are:

• Relationship problems.Relationships suffer because people with schizophrenia often withdraw and isolate themselves. Paranoia can also cause a person with schizophrenia to be suspicious of friends and family.
• Disruption to normal daily activities. Schizophrenia causes significant disruptions to daily functioning, both because of social difficulties and because everyday tasks become hard, if not impossible to do. A schizophrenic person’s delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thoughts typically prevent him or her from doing normal things like bathing, eating, or running errands.
• Alcohol and drug abuse. People with schizophrenia frequently develop problems with alcohol and drugs, which are often used in an attempt to self-medicate, or relieve symptoms. In addition, they may also be heavy smokers, a complicating situation as cigarette smoke can interfere with the effectiveness of medications prescribed for the disorder.
• Increased suicide risk. People with schizophrenia have a high risk of attempting suicide. Any suicidal talk, threats, or gestures should be taken very seriously. People with schizophrenia are especially likely to commit suicide during psychotic episodes, during periods of depression, and in the first six months after they’ve started treatment.

Tips for Assertiveness

Assertiveness concerns being able to express feelings, wishes, wants and desires appropriately and is an important personal and interpersonal skill. In all your interactions with other people, whether at home or at work, with employers, customers or colleagues, assertiveness can help you to express yourself in a clear, open and reasonable way, without undermining the rights of yourself or others.

Assertiveness enables an individual to act in their own best interests, to stand up for themselves without undue anxiety, to express honest feelings comfortably and to express personal rights without denying the rights of others.

Tips to increase Assertiveness are:

1) Write a list of things that you like about yourself and your positive qualities.

2) Each day affirm to yourself (at least ten times if you can) ‘ My self-esteem is growing every day’ and ‘ I am a valuable, loveable person and I deserve the very best’.

3) Quit comparing yourself to others. Remind yourself that there will always be some people who have more than you, and some people who have less. Comparing yourself to others will NOT make you feel good about yourself.

4) The next time you feel yourself saying Yes, when you really want to say No – ask yourself who you are trying to please? Then, decide to please yourself instead. Don’t fear feeling uncomfortable, this is a sign that you are learning to look after your own needs!

5) Try not to worry what people will think if you do say No or act assertive around them. The right people will respect you and your boundaries.

6) Remind yourself that you are HUMAN. Quit beating yourself up for not being perfect. Vow each day to praise yourself, not criticize yourself. This takes practise but even if you stop yourself from criticising yourself just once then you are making great progress.

7) If you are surrounded by negative people or energy drainers, this will make you feel bad about yourself and will lower your self-esteem. However, if you surround yourself with positive and supportive people you will feel better about yourself and this will raise your self-esteem.

8) Each night before you go to bed, think about (or write down if you wish) five successful things you have done that day. This could be as simple as getting to work on time, helping a friend or cooking a healthy dinner.

9) Set yourself a target of saying No at least twice a week.

10) Be true to yourself. Make sure you are living your own life and not the life someone else wishes you live. 

Play

Play is expressing ourselves freely without any limitations or conditions. It is a recreational activity that involves overall development ie cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being of humans. Play is spontaneous and recreates energy. Play is a device for helping the child to prepare him for the serious business of life. It is a time for learning and of preparation, and among human beings the play period is very long because they have to learn a great deal before reaching maturity.

Play is right of every child, it allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination and it is important to healthy brain development. In the early age, children engage and interact in the world around them., thus allowing them to conquer their fears while practicing adult roles.

There are two kinds of play activities:

1. Active play: here the enjoyment comes from what the individual does, whether it is running just for the fun of running or constructing something with plastics or clay.
2. Passive play: in passive play the enjoyment is derived from the activities of others. Common examples are looking at pictures, listening to music or radio, watching TV and going to movies, etc.

Active play involves directed and undirected play. Undirected play is child driven and it allows children to practice decision-making skills, learn at their own pace and discover their own areas of interest and ultimately engage fully in the passions they want to pursue. Thus undirected play , plays key role in emotional, social and psychological development of the child. In directed play, child has to adhere to rules given by adults or peers, thus it will be directive and will not help in development of creativity, leadership and group skills.

Thus play especially active undirected play has many benefits in overall development of human being. And when parents also join child in play activity, the interactions between them will reveal the child's interests, capabilities and give a chance for parents to know about their child much better and the child will also be satisfied as parents pay full undivided attention to them.

Unfortunately, in present competitive world, is not able to give chance for a child to play unidirectionally. There is marked reduction for free play. Many school children and teenagers are given less time and fewer physical outlets in the schools and collages.

Parents are given messages like good parents expose their children to every opportunity to excel, buy lot of enrichment tools, and ensure their children participate in a wide variety of activities. Thus children, from early infancy are exposed to videos, computer programs , specialized books and toys for adequately stimulating for excelled development. And in addition there are after school activities and programs available to enrich the child's environment. These activities do help the child grow in rich environment, but this fast paced/Hurry lifestyle can make the child experience stress and anxiety. As every child is not same, some of them may not be able to cope up with the competition and physically and emotionally get drained. Moreover, child-parent time is restricted and enduring relationships cannot be build properly.

So it is very important to balance between preparing child for future and living fully in the present through play, child-centered organized activities and rich parent-child interaction. And it is likely that the balance that needs to be achieved will be different for every child on the basis of the child's academic needs, temperament, environment and the family's needs.

Thus this competitive era is producing young people who are worried about high achievement, and good grades and core values such as honesty, truth, patience, perseverance etc are kept aside.

So as parents, professionals it is our responsibility to give a child chance to develop not just intellectually, but also physically, emotionally, socially . Encouraging active and non-directive play will contribute to overall development.

Myths and facts about Epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the most common disorders of the brain, and is generally perceived

negatively as a lifelong, chronic, incurable disorder.

It is also one of the oldest recorded medical conditions, described by Hippocrates more than 2000 years ago, and recognized by the Ayurvedic system of medicine in India for over twenty centuries. The word “epilepsy” is derived from a Greek term meaning “to possess”, “to take hold”, ”to grab” or “to seize”.

Myths and facts about Epilepsy:

Myth	Fact
These patients are possessed by God. They should be worshiped.	Patients behave in an uncontrollable manner during an epileptic seizure, but this is not an expression of supernatural power. They should be given medical treatment and treated like any other human being.
Never touch a patient having a seizure. The disease will be passed on to you.	The patient having a seizure needs your help and should be given appropriate care. Epilepsy cannot be passed on by touching the patient.
Having a person in the family with epilepsy is a stigma, so this fact should be concealed.	unfortunately, the stigma against people with epilepsy and their families continues to be widely prevalent. Every effort should be made to remove this stigma through education.
Epilepsy is a form of madness, so it should be treated in a mental hospital.	Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain, so it should be treated by physicians, neurologists or psychiatrists.
Children with epilepsy are dull and cannot learn, so they should not be sent to school.	Children with epilepsy can be extremely intelligent. Some of the famous people in history who have epilepsy are Alexander the great, Isaac Newton, Pythogaros. Usually it is the stigma against eiplepsy which prevents parents from sending their children to school, to learn and achieve their full potential.
Women with epilepsy can never have children, so they should not get married.	Most women with epilepsy can safely hae children, with no adverse effects on the baby. Marriage of women with epilepsy is a delicate and sensitive issue and should be handled appropriately. There is certainly no bar against their getting ,married.
A seizure can be terminated by putting a key in the patient's hand or by making the patient smell onions or a dirty shoe.	None of these non-medical measures are of any use. Family members and teachers should be made aware of first-aid measures required during a seizure.
Marriage will cure epilepsy.	This misconception is widely prevalent in some villages of north-eastern Thailand and south India. It is certainly not true and it is undesirable for a person with epilepsy to marry without the proper consent and knowledge of the partner.

Some Do's and Donot's for patients: (Adapted from Indian Epilepsy Association, Bangalore, India).

• Epilepsy is a controllable disorder.
• Epilepsy is not a mental illness.
• If you witness a patient having a seizure, note the details:
• Early treatment is the secret of success.
• The prescribed anti-epileptic drugs have to be taken regularly.
• The duration of treatment, in general, is about 2 to 3 years after the last episode.
• Restrictions for people living with epilepsy are very few; the most important thing is to ensure adequate sleep.
• People with epilepsy can study, work and enjoy life.
• Women with epilepsy can marry and bear children.
• Treat people with epilepsy as you would treat people with asthma, diabetes or hypertension. Do not overprotect or ostracize.

First-aid measures :

When some one had a seizure:

1. Turn the patient on his or her side so that the tongue does not fall back and obstruct the airway. If there is vomiting, vomitus can then come out.
2. Put nothing in the mouth, as it will not prevent biting the tongue and will only obstruct breathing or break a tooth.
3. Put something soft under the person's head and neck.
4. Time the fit. If it lasts more than 10 mins or there are repeated fits, call a doctor and ambulance.

The Indian Epilepsy Association (IEA)  was established in 1971 and has developed numerous educational materials on epilepsy. It also organizes public awareness programs and celebrates 17^th nov as 'National Epilepsy Day'.

For further information , browse

• CNSindia.com
• epilepsy.com
• indianepilepsyassociation.org

WHO | Dementia

WHO | Dementia

How to overcome Boredom?

Boredom is a complex process. It is a mind set where a person feels inactive, frustrated and dull.

There are lots of reasons that one might be bored. The most common one is that we have no idea what to do. Other reasons might be that we feel we can't do the things we want to do. Boredom becomes a great concern when it results in procrastination and indecision.

Here are some ways to overcome boredom:

• Do something physically or socially active. Doing some exercise can get you into a better frame of mind. Social activity (e.g. talking to someone) fulfills one of our basic human needs. Face-to-face contact is , if possible, much better than talking over the phone or facebook.
  
• Try to do something totally new and learn from it. New situations and actions will activate your brain, allowing it to exercise its learning powers.
  
• Break out of your routine, be spontaneous. Occasionally do something out of routine, like taking new routine to office.
  
• Get inspired, fire your imagination. Visualize where you want to be and what you want to become. Powerful goals keep you inspired. You can't feel bored at the same time when you are motivated to build a life.
  
• Create curiosity on what 's happening around and inside you. Find a new hobby. If you are particularly good at one skill, you could teach others to do it, and be helping others as well as avoiding boredom.
  
• Join clubs and communities. Volunteer and spend some time serving needy.
  
• Practice sports. Get your friends round and play something like a board game you haven't play within a while. Have any child like fun for a while. Mental games also help to overcome boredom.
  
• Think of the places you would like to visit and if possible visit them.
  

Anger Management

Anger is a basic emotion which is innate in human beings. But from childhood we are told to not to express our anger, which makes it difficult to handle and rather we controlling anger , it starts ruling us.
Some better ways of managing anger are:

• Relaxation: Yoga , meditation and exercise are good ways of relaxing
  
• Constructive thinking: Being assertive and developing positive thoughts about ourselves and world will minimize anger feelings in us.
  
• Problem solving: Working on how to handle a problem rather than finding solutions for every problem can manage anger. Once we start living with the problem, rather than thinking of solutions to wipe it out, our frustrations about it will come down and in the process we may find solutions and not be angry at them.
  
• Use Humor: If you angry at a person or situation and start calling them names, start imagining those names in an ex aggregated way. For example, you are angry at your coworker and feel like telling him/her stupid, before you utter that word, imagine your coworker become stupid in reality. Then instead of abusing him/her, you start laughing at that mere thought and your anger will be controlled. Then you can think slowly what actually triggered anger in you, and start working on the cause rather than on the person and this will not spoil your relationships.
  
• Change the time : Anger is at its peak, when you are tired, stressed or sick. At that time, do not discuss unsolved emotional issues especially with your life partner and children. This may easily lead to arguments and worsen the situations rather than solve them. Better to avoid such situations at that time and clearly decide “not know”.
  
• Check: Check whether anger is used as mask other feelings such as inferiority feelings, guilt, shame, sad or depression. This mask may seem useful on surface, but deep down, anger will cause damage to your body and social relations. Improve positive personality and anger will not become a mask.
  

Lastly anger is the emotion which is triggered by a person, situation or some emotional trauma. Try not to immediately react to the triggering situation, calm down and find out the deep down cause for it and ways to remove the root cause. This will make us handle and express our anger in a constructive way without spoiling our health and relationships on some silly things.
And remember anger has to be expressed, not to be suppressed or distorted. It need to be expressed in an assertive way, so as to purpose of our anger is solved and causes no disrespect to ourselves and others.

Ways to Manage “WORRY”

Worry is a form of thinking, which is stressful, repetitive and non-productive. When we are worrying, we are thinking about something over and over again but do not resolve the situation or arrive at the solution of the problem.

At times, worry can be beneficial, such as when it encourages us to take action to change a situation. When worry helps us plan for an upcoming event by imagining various scenarios that might come about, it can be helpful.

Worry becomes a problem, however when it leads to continual anxiety,or fear or when it consists of continually repeating the same thinking pattern over and over. Worry can have negative effects on mind and body. It may cause physical conditions of stomach upset, muscle tension and headaches. It may be more difficult to focus on other things while worrying.

Here are some ways to manage 'worry':

• Stress is a big contributor to worrying. It not only provides with things to worry about, but stress makes you think negatively, focus on bad things happening, and when you start to worry, stress makes it more difficult for you to stop. And Stress is inevitable in present times, so try to lift your mood using various techniques of meditation, Yoga, physical exercises.
  
• No one is perfect. Try to reduce perfectionistic tendencies. Because if you look for perfect solutions for a problem, which is not always possible, then such thinking only become s the cause of worry. Be as practical as you can.
  
• Lack of faith in ourselves,that is in our abilities to handle problems of life, will make us catastrophize our problems and make them impossibility. Develop self- confidence, and stop worrying.
  
• Worrying will not solve the problem. Divert such worry thinking to useful problem solving by considering what you need to do now to deal with the problem.
  
• Uncertainity is the fact of life. Try to accept it and live with it. This will make you to tolerate the uncertainity. You are not responsible for everything bad that happens to you and your family members. Stop blaming yourselves for all bad things and also stop asking 'Why Me', start thinking 'How to cope with it'
  
• Don’t try to suppress unwanted worries: When you do start to worry – don’t try and fight or control those thoughts. It is helpful to notice them rather than try to suppress them, because actively trying to suppress thoughts simply makes them bounce back even more! So acknowledge those worrisome thoughts but then move on to doing something more useful.
• Change “What if…?” worries to “How can I…?” worries: To be able to manage your worries, you need to understand exactly what they are. Try keeping a worry diary for a week or so. Write down each worry when it occurs – just a sentence to describe it will do. Then later, try and see how many of your worries are “What if…?” type questions. You can try to turn these worries into “How can I…? worries, which is more likely to lead you on to practical solutions (e.g. you could turn a “What if I forget what to say in my interview?” worry into “How can I prepare myself to remember what I need to say in my interview”).
• Very often your worries cause sleep distrubances. You may find yourself running through every possible problem that could arise and trying to think up solutions. All this will do is keep you awake longer, and you’ll end up feeling tired (and probably anxious) the next day. One solution to worries that keep you awake at night is to keep a pen and paper next to the bed. When you wake up worrying, simply write a list of things you need to do tomorrow (including dealing with the worry). You’ll probably find that once the worry has been transferred to that piece of paper, there is now no longer any need to keep it in your head as well. It can be dealt with tomorrow.
• Stay in the moment: Spending most of your time worrying about things that might happen in the future means that you’ll spend less time enjoying the present and staying in the moment. Acknowledge the worries that enter your head, but don’t engage them, try to refocus on what you are doing in that moment – watching a TV program, reading a good book, playing with your children. 

Self-Worth

“ I think, overall people find me boring to talk to'
“I mess up everything I touch”
“When some one criticizes me, I can not help but feel that I really am incompetent.”
“I think I am a failure”
“I am not confident I've done a good job unless someone else points it out”
“I fall short of my expectations”

Do these statements look familiar and are you identifying yourself with one or more statements? Then its time to develop self-worth, the foundation of our ability to believe in ourselves.

Self- worth is how we value ourself. It comes from a source on the INSIDE of us. 

As per famous Psychology theories, self-worth is formed in our early developmental years.  Parents and environment around us (physical, emotional and social)  have a major share in influencing growth of self-worth.

Irrespective of what  feelings of self, we have formed in our early years,  the beauty of human mind is, positive change is possible at any stage of our life.

Here are few small ways to develop self-worth:

• First, understand the power of your attitude toward yourself and views about yourself. Because if we do not respect ourselves, the world also mirrors the same.
• Evaluate what core values you have and improve them if necessary. Sow positive thoughts , values and reap success and happiness.
• Trust your own feelings, both positive and negative. Examine the negative ones and try to minimize them. Its OK  to have negative feelings, just they need to be tamed so as to not hurt us and others.
• Develop self-love. You need to be the first one, who loves yourself the most. Then you can show the world clearly your dreams and aspirations. And accomplish them. Do not fear to self-love.

• Constantly, analyze yourself and motivate yourself to develop self-esteem,no less and no more.

And finally, at least once in a day say to yourself how worthy you are, by using statements like:

“I deserve to be loved and respected.”

“I am a worthy person.”

“Someone who stands up to me or disagrees with me may still very well like and respect me.”

“ In case of need, I know people who care enough about me to offer their help.”

“I know  clearly about my strengths and core values on which I base my attitudes.” 

Gear up GREY cells

ONE OF THE PREREQUISTIES OF A GREAT PROFESSIONAL CARREER IS A RAZOR SHARP BRAIN. HERE ARE SOME OF THE BEST WAYS TO SHARPEN YOUR BRAIN:

• Run or just walk as much as you can each day. Just 20 minutes a day can help lower blood sugar levels and improve blood flow to the brain.
• Talk and interact as much as you can with new people. Ask questions, jump up to answer queries, and try guiding people.
• The neural and spatial centers of the brain can wither with age. Look straight ahead whenever you can. Just look straight and make out the farthest objects.
• Consume tea- With its antioxidant properties, tea, in its different forms, whether in its natural form or infused with herbs works wonders for the brain’s functioning.
• Keep friends around when you are under stress. Handling it alone shrinks brain cells, and it has been shown that talking helps release the pressure on the brain.
• Replace your TV viewing hours and replace them instead with listening to your favorite music. Music inhibits growth of hormones which are regressive to the brain.
• Constantly keep changing your environment. Take a new route to work, change the color of your walls, and set your desk in new way.
• Keep a check on your thyroid gland. Tiny though it might be, but it serves very vital functions including generating hormones for nerve cell connections.
• Fast occasionally- research shows that people who fast one a day a week or month unlock a unique form of blood glucose that helps the brain more efficiently transmit information.

Habits for a fit brain:

1. Challenge your mind- Learn a foreign language or how to knit or play a musical instrument, puzzles. Read a few paragraphs upside down, shop at a new grocery store, use your non-dominant hand for tooth or hair brushing, do certain routine tasks with eyes closed. Read a book or article on a subject you know nothing about. Figure out how to do small fix it jobs yourself. Keep a journal or dairy.
2. Exercise your body, dance
3. Eat (and drink) right
4. Protect your skull
5. Strengthen your spirit