Unfortunately, this pressure then develops into stress, which can manifest itself in the form of depression when we often fail to meet these [often unrealistic] self-imposed pressures. We then tend to place MORE pressure on ourselves and the process becomes akin to a snowball. Then the depression deepens, and so it goes.

Eventually we reach the stage where rational thinking may be replaced by anxiety or even panic attacks.

We could take some anti-depressant medication which would make us feel euphoric for a while before developing a “could not care less” attitude about anything and everything, including the task that we wanted to complete, our appearance, and state of health, as I experienced when I reluctantly took such medication.

It would be far better to control our emotions in relation to our time management by thinking, “What is the worst thing that can happen if I do not accomplish these tasks in the desired time frame?” When we think this way we will often realize that these time frames are not such a big deal and, if we take some time out as suggested in “Take the Time – Life is short,” we will probably be much more relaxed and able to do a better job of the task when we turn to it.

Study Reveals How the Brain Generates the Human Tendency for Optimism
Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007

A neural network that may generate the human tendency to be optimistic has been identified by researchers at New York University. As humans, we expect to live longer and be more successful than average, and we underestimate our likelihood of getting a divorce or having cancer. The results, reported in the most recent issue of Nature, link the optimism bias to the same brain regions that show irregularities in depression.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the laboratory of NYU Professor Elizabeth Phelps. The lead author is Tali Sharot, now a post-doctoral fellow at University College London. ……….

“Our behavioral results suggest that while the past is constrained, the future is open to interpretation, allowing people to distance themselves from possible negative events and move closer toward positive ones,” said Phelps, a professor of psychology and neural science. “Understanding optimism is critical as optimism has been related to physical and mental health. On the other hand, a pessimistic view is correlated with severity of depression symptoms.” [more]

[You can learn to program your mind with the information contained in the Total Success Library.]

Isn’t it amazing that George Carlin – comedian of the 70’s and 80’s – could write something so very eloquent…and so very appropriate.

A Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often

We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We’ve added years to life not life to years.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour.

We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less.

We plan more, but accomplish less.

We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete….

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent

Remember, to say, ‘I love you’ to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

If you don’t recommend this to at least 8 people….Who cares?

George Carlin

How true this is!

From the above, it is easy to understand how the pressures of life on most of us, including the rich and famous, can cause so much misery, depression and discontent.

I believe that if we can all follow these recommendations, the problem of depression in the world will diminish considerably. Here is a complimentary quote:-

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

- Leo Buscaglia

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO TAKE ‘TIME OUT’

by Jennifer Summers

How many times have you continued working, knowing that you
are not giving 100% to the task at hand?

How many times have you read or written the same sentence
over and over again, as your mind keeps wandering and
thinking about other things?

How often have you wanted to take a break from the family
or kids but feared the consequences of doing so?

WHY DO WE NOT ALLOW OURSELVES THE TIME TO TAKE ‘TIME OUT’?

There are many genuine reasons for needing to complete jobs
and tasks, however we may also on occasion have ‘hidden
agendas’ as to why we cannot stop for a break. Some of
these reasons might be:

* EGO – Some people simply enjoy boasting about, ‘how late
they had to work in order to complete a project’ or ‘how
much effort they invested in order to complete the job so
quickly’ – this type of person is often looking to impress
others with their efforts, thereby increasing their ego in
the process.

* TIME – “I can’t stop, I just have to get this finished”.
Does this sound familiar? “I can’t stop because the job has
to be finished, WHY? So I can move straight on to the next
thing, and the next, and the next etc…” this person will
find that there is always something that has to be done,
which will constantly prevent him/her from taking a break.

* THE NEED TO BE NEEDED – A mother managing the household,
kids and other chores may feel as if her household will
collapse if she were to put her feet up or take a weekend
off! By not taking a break she can keep convincing herself
that her role is crucial and the family would collapse
without her input. This may indeed be true, but is still
not a good enough reason to prevent her having a rest!

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF TAKING A BREAK?

Allowing your mind and/or body to rest can help re-focus
your attention, sharpen your wits and increase motivation.
In addition, taking time out helps to relieve stress, can
aid the recovery of tired muscles and also promotes the
discovery that there is more to life than just work.

I once asked an athlete what the most important element of
his training routine was and he answered, ‘rest’. He told
me that his muscles needed ‘time’ to repair after an
intensive workout session, so he was very strict in
allowing himself enough recuperation time between training
sessions. Giving himself this time off allowed him to go on
and become one of the most popular men in his sport.

I also know from my own work and writing, that sometimes my
mind feels blank but after some time out, I can return to
the subject matter with fresh eyes and a clear mind and it
all seems much easier.

HOW LONG SHOULD A BREAK BE AND WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

A break can be anything from a 10-minute meditation
session to a year’s trip around the world, and anything
in-between. I define a break as, ‘something that takes
your mind off a preoccupation’. So depending on the time
you wish to avail towards relaxing you may enjoy reading,
watching a movie, cooking, playing with the kids, riding a
motorbike or driving, exercising or doing sports,
travelling or simply sleeping!

REMEMBER, WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU ENJOY DOING:

1. Allow yourself (time off) to do it.

2. Do not feel guilty (about taking time off).

3. Enjoy the benefits (time off) will give you.

4. Understand that no matter how important you are (or
feel you are) life will continue (in the office, at
home, on the playing field) whilst you enjoy a break.

So, if you’re feeling tired, unmotivated or just in need of
a rest, don’t be a martyr or look negatively at this. You
may actually find that in reality, allowing yourself a break
will actually help you ultimately become more efficient and
effective in every part of your life.

Thank you for allowing yourself a five-minute break to read
this.

Happy relaxing,
Jennifer Summers
http://www.howtofindhappiness.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The author Jennifer Summers has developed a TOOLKIT called
“How To Find Happiness”. Get Stress Busting Exercises &
Techniques, excellent guides to Time and Anger Management
plus lots more. A must for you to manage your stress and
gain a new perspective on life.

A “Must Have” toolkit that can simply transform your life!
Click here now ===> http://www.howtofindhappiness.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

© How To Corporation. All rights reserved.

If we take time out to spend by ourselves or relaxing with our family and friends how much better would our lives be? Are we living or merely existing? How much would we reduce the stressors in our lives if we just put some time aside for ourselves? This book is certainly worth a read and may turn out to be our salvation.

Check it out here!

How To Stop Yourself Becoming Another ‘Stress Statistic’

by Jennifer Summers

The statistics are truly <<shocking>>…

* Over 19 million Americans are currently suffering
from stress and anxiety related disorders.

* Up to 75% of people in employment are dissatisfied or
unhappy with their jobs.

* Stress related accidents are increasing year on year.

* Stress levels have increased substantially in children,
teenagers and the elderly.

* The majority of people that are suffering from such
stress disorders refuse to seek medical help.

* Stress is now considered to be a key factor in health
complaints such as stomach disorders, certain cancers
and heart condition.

Stress is not simply a problem, or even an epidemic; sadly
it has now actually become a way of life for the majority
of people!

WHY ARE WE BECOMING MORE STRESSED?
As the statistics above demonstrate, the biggest group
affected by ‘stress’ appears to be those in employment. This
doesn’t suggest we would be better off not working, merely
that working conditions are felt to have become more
demanding in recent years.

In addition to those in the workplace, children and
teenagers are also becoming more prone to anxiety, perhaps
due to ‘peer pressure’.

The aged too are increasingly becoming concerned, they are
living longer, may have financial worries and many fear for
their safety.

Modern life has become very demanding. Mobile phones mean
that we are almost always contactable; leisure time has
become reduced for many, replaced by longer working hours
and health risks have increased with a rise in cancers and
‘new conditions’ constantly being discovered.

IS ANYONE SAFE FROM STRESS?
All of us will experience situations that may cause us to
become ‘stressed’ or feel ‘anxious’.

Reasons are too many to note but can include, buying a
property, having guests stay over (in-laws!), being bullied,
exams, looking after children, managing finances,
relationship issues, travelling etc.

Stress is a ‘normal’ function of everyday life. Only when
it appears to take over our lives does it then become a
problem.

WHY DO WE BECOME STRESSED?
Everyone will have different reasons why a situation causes
them pressure. As a rule it’s usually when we don’t feel in
control of a situation, then we feel it’s grip tightening
around us causing us to feel worried or ‘stressed’.

SO WHAT’S THE ANSWER?
If stress is caused by us not ‘feeling in control’ of a
situation, the answer is to try and reverse this, and
‘retain control’.

EXAMPLES:
If you’re not happy at work, for whatever reasons, speak
with your boss and try to work out a solution that would
make you feel more comfortable.

If you don’t get on particularly well with someone you know
(partner, family, friends), rather than bottling it all up
inside – talk to them about it. You’ll either strengthen
your relationship or not but either way the problem will
be out of your system.

If you know you have an exam or deadline looming, don’t wait
until the night before to try and get everything done as
this just puts undue pressure on yourself.

Examples of stressful situations are endless and I’m sure we
can all think of many that affect us personally. Often we
spend too much time looking for answers instead of simply
analysing the cause.

CALMING TECHNIQUES:
Write down all the areas in your life that currently cause
you to feel stressed.

* How much is your attitude responsible rather than
external factors?

* What could you do differently to change this?

* How would you like these situations to be?

* How do you feel this can be achieved?

Try and keep your answers realistic and recognise that every
problem has a solution.

REMEMBER:

1. Experiencing a stressful situation is not uncommon.

2. Stress is a warning and should be taken seriously.

3. Look at what may be causing you to feel this way (is
it you or the situation, perhaps both).

4. Communicate – talking or writing about your issues
may help ‘get things off your chest’.

5. Finding the solution to our stress can often seem
easier ‘said than done’ but there is a solution out
there, don’t be afraid to look for it.

Don’t become another ‘stress statistic’, retain control
over your life and enjoy it.

Good luck,

Jennifer Summers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The author Jennifer Summers has developed a TOOLKIT called
“How To Find Happiness”. It comes complete with many Stress
Busting exercises & techniques, guides to Time and Anger
Management plus lots more. A must for anyone interested in
managing their stress & gaining a new perspective on life!
Check out ===> http://www.howtofindhappiness.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

© How To Corporation. All rights reserved.

    You asked about my ideas on depression. First, I am not a medical person. I am a Linux/Unix Systems Administrator (or a geek as my daughters say). I am a science junkie and try to understand the world as best I can.  That being said, here’s my take on depression.

     Our brain sits in and regulates a soup of chemicals and electric energy For the brain to function properly, its environment must be kept within a certain range. This environment is in reality a self-organizing chaotic system. Like most “systems” in the natural world, they appear to be organized but are inherently chaotic at lower levels. Hurricanes are a very good example of this type of system. If you are inside a hurricane, all you can see is chaos. Yet, at a macro level, you can see the organization of the storm. The energy flows from the sun, water and atmosphere are the feedback loops that keep the hurricane stable. There is a wide range in which this will all work but outside those bounds, the storm begins to collapse.

     Our brain operates much like this. There is NO normal operating mode. Just a range of stable environments. When the environment exceeds those boundaries, mental illness sets in. Now,destabilization can be caused by many factors from illness, physical injury, chemical imbalances and “maybe” even BAD thinking, but I believe they eventually affect the chemical or electrical feedback loops in the brain. I like to think of it as brain arrhythmia.

     Although I am not a huge fan of talk therapy, I do recognize that we can create new connections in our brains by thinking/talking about things and that this may help in re stabilizing the system. However, and this is an opinion only, this will only really work if the system is only slightly out of whack.  Also (personal biases ahead!), I feel that talk therapy is too vulnerable to incompetents, unscrupulous people, quack therapies and cures and charlatans. I hope I wasn’t too subtle there?

    Ok, enough rantings. The RedSox just won!