1) Encourage your child to face his/her fears, not run away from them

When we are afraid of situations we avoid them. However, avoidance of anxiety-provoking situations maintains the anxiety. Instead, if a child faces his or her fears, the child will learn that the anxiety reduces naturally on its own over time. The body cannot remain anxious for a very long period of time so there is a system in the body that calms the body down. Usually your anxiety will reduce within 20-45 minutes if you stay in the anxiety-provoking situation.

2) Tell your child that it is okay to be imperfect

Often we feel that it is necessary for our children to succeed in sports, school, and performance situations. But sometimes we forget that kids need to be kids. School becomes driven by grades, not by enjoyment of learning if an 85 is good, but not good enough.This is not to say that striving is not important.It is important to encourage your child to work hard but equally important to accept and embrace your child’s mistakes and imperfections. 

3) Focus on the positives

Many times anxious and stressed children can get lost in negative thoughts and self-criticism. They may focus on how the glass is half empty instead of half-full and worry about future events. The more that you are able to focus on your child’s positive attributes and the good aspects of a situation, the more that it will remind your child to focus on the positives.

4) Schedule relaxing activities

Children need time to relax and be kids. Unfortunately, sometimes even fun activities, like sports, can become more about success than they are about fun.  Instead, it is important to ensure that your child engages in play purely for the sake of fun. This may include scheduling time each day for your child to play with toys, play a game, play a sport (without it being competitive), doing yoga, paint, have a tea party, put on a play, or just be silly.

5) Model approach behavior, self-care, and positive thinking

Your child will do what you do. So if you avoid anxiety-provoking situations, so will your child. If you face your fears, so will your child. If you take care of yourself and schedule time for your own needs, your child will learn that self-care is an important part of life. If you look for the positive in situations, so will your child. Children learn behaviors from watching their praents. So when you think about your child’s psychological well-being think about your own as well.

6) Reward your child’s brave behaviors

If your child faces his or her fears, reward this with praise, a hug, or even something tangible like a sticker or a small treat. This is not bribery if you establish this as a motivator prior to your child being in the situation. If you reward behaviors your child will engage in them more often.

7) Encourage good sleep hygiene

Set a bed time for your child and stick to that bed time even on weekends.  Also have a 30-45 minute bed time routine that is done every night.  This helps your child to transition from the activities of the day to the relaxed state necessary to fall asleep.

8) Encourage your child to express his/her anxiety

If your child says that he or she is worried or scared, don’t say “No you’re not!” or “You’re fine.”  That doesn’t help your child.  Instead, it is likely to make your child believe that you do not listen or do not understand him/her.  Instead, validate your child’s experience by saying things like “Yes, you seem scared. What are you worried about?”  Then have a discussion about your child’s emotions and fears.

9) Help your child to problem solve

Once you have validated your child’s emotions and demonstrated that you understand your child’s experience and are listening to what your child has to say, help your child to problem solve.  This does not mean solving the problem for your child.  It means helping your child to identify possible solutions. If your child can generate solutions, that is great.  If not, generate some potential solutions for your child and ask your child to pick the solution that he or she thinks would work best.

10) Stay calm

Children look to their parents to determine how to react in situations. We’ve all seen a young child trip and fall and then look to their parent to see how to react. If the parent seems concerned, the child cries. This is because the child is looking to their parent for a signal of how to react to the situation. Children of all ages pick up on their parent’s emotions and resonate with them. If you are anxious, your child will pick up on that anxiety and experience an increase in his/her own anxiety.  So when you want to reduce your child’s anxiety, you must manage your own anxiety. This may mean deliberately slowing down your own speech, taking a few deep breaths to relax, and working to ensure that your facial expression conveys that you are calm.

11) Practice relaxation exercises with your child

Sometimes really basic relaxation exercises are necessary to help your child to reduce their stress and anxiety. This might mean telling your child to take a few slow, deep breaths (and you taking a few slow breaths with your child so your child can match your pace). Or it might mean asking your child to image him or herself somewhere relaxing, like the beach or relaxing in a backyard hammock. Ask your child to close his/her eyes and imagine the sounds, smells, and sensations associated with the image. For example, close your eyes and picture yourself on a beach. Listen to the sound of the surf as the waves come in and go out.  In and out. Listen to the sound of the seagulls flying off in the distance. Now focus on the feel of the warm sand beneath your fingers and the sun warming your skin.Your child can do these techniques on his or her own during anxiety-provoking times.

12) Never give up!

Anxiety and stress can be a chronic struggle and often the source of a child’s anxiety changes over time so it can feel as though you are always putting out fires. With repetition of the anxiety and stress management techniques, your child will learn how to lower his/her anxiety level and how to cope with anxiety-provoking situations.The key is repetition so keep it up!

article source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dont-worry-mom/201302/12-tips-reduce-your-childs-stress-and-anxiety

The post 12 Tips to Reduce Your Child’s Stress and Anxiety first appeared on Healthy Gab.

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If you’ve ever owned a pet, you already know how much fun and affection they can bring. But did you know that pets also come with some pretty powerful mental and physical health benefits? Dogs and cats in particular can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health. Caring for an animal can help children grow up more secure and active. Pets also provide valuable companionship for older adults. Perhaps most importantly, though, a pet can add real joy and unconditional love to your life.

How pets can help you cope with depression, anxiety, and stress

While most pet owners are clear about the immediate joys that come with sharing their lives with companion animals, many of us remain unaware of the physical and mental health benefits that can also accompany the pleasure of snuggling up to a furry friend. It’s only recently that studies have begun to scientifically explore the benefits of the human-animal bond. Pets, especially dogs and cats, have evolved to become acutely attuned to humans and our behavior and emotions. Dogs, for example, are able to understand many of the words we use, but they’re even better at interpreting our tone of voice, body language, and gestures. And like any good human friend, a loyal dog will look into your eyes to gauge your emotional state and try to understand what you’re thinking and feeling (and to work out when the next walk or treat might be coming, of course).

Studies have found that:

• Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets.
• People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets. One study even found that when people with borderline hypertension adopted dogs from a shelter, their blood pressure declined significantly within five months.
• Playing with a dog or cat can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.
• Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than those without pets.
• Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without.
• Pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets.
• While people with pets often experience the greatest health benefits, a pet doesn’t necessarily have to be a dog or a cat. Even watching fish in an aquarium can help reduce muscle tension and lower pulse rate.

One of the reasons for these therapeutic effects is that pets fulfill the basic human need for touch. Even hardened criminals in prison show long-term changes in their behavior after interacting with pets, many of them experiencing mutual affection for the first time. Stroking, hugging, or otherwise touching a loving animal can rapidly calm and soothe you when you’re stressed or anxious. The companionship of a pet can also ease loneliness, and most dogs are a great stimulus for healthy exercise, which can substantially boost your mood and ease depression.

How pets can help you make healthy lifestyle changes

Adopting healthy lifestyle changes plays an important role in easing symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, bipolar disorder, and PTSD. Caring for a pet can help you make healthy lifestyle changes by:

Increasing exercise. Taking a dog for a walk, hike or run are fun and rewarding ways to fit healthy daily exercise into your schedule. Studies have shown that dog owners are far more likely to meet their daily exercise requirements—and exercising every day is great for the animal as well. It will deepen the connection between you, eradicate most behavior problems in dogs, and keep your pet fit and healthy.

Providing companionship. Companionship can help prevent illness and even add years to your life, while isolation and loneliness can trigger symptoms of depression. Caring for a live animal can help make you feel needed and wanted, and take the focus away from your problems, especially if you live alone. Most dog and cat owners talk to their pets, some even use them to work through their troubles. And nothing beats loneliness like coming home to a wagging tail or purring cat.

Helping you meet new people. Pets can be a great social lubricant for their owners, helping you start and maintain new friendships. Dog owners frequently stop and talk to each other on walks, hikes, or in a dog park. Dog owners also meet new people in pet stores, clubs, and training classes.

Reducing anxiety. The companionship of an animal can offer comfort, help ease anxiety, and build self-confidence for people anxious about going out into the world. Because pets live in the moment—they don’t worry about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow—they can help you become more mindful and appreciate the joy of the present.

Adding structure and routine to your day. Many pets, especially dogs, require a regular feeding and exercise schedule. Having a consistent routine keeps an animal balanced and calm—and it can work for you, too. No matter your mood—depressed, anxious, or stressed—one plaintive look from your pet and you’ll have to get out of bed to feed, exercise, and care for them.

Providing sensory stress relief. Touch and movement are two healthy ways to quickly manage stress. Stroking a dog, cat, or other animal can lower blood pressure and help you quickly feel calmer and less stressed.

Get a dog, lose weight

Numerous studies have linked dog ownership to weight loss:

• One year-long study found that walking an overweight dog helped both the animals and their owners lose weight. Researchers found that the dogs provided support in similar ways to a human exercise buddy, but with greater consistency and without any negative influence.
• Public housing residents who walked therapy dogs for up to 20 minutes five days a week lost an average of 14.4 pounds in a year, without changing their diets.
• A third study found that people with a dog walked 30 minutes more per week than they did before.

Source: Harvard Health Publications

The health benefits of pets for older adults

As well as providing vital companionship, owning a pet can play an important role in healthy aging by helping you to:

Find meaning and joy in life. As you age, you’ll lose things that previously occupied your time and gave your life purpose. You may retire from your career or your children may move far away. Caring for a pet can bring pleasure and help boost your morale, optimism, and sense of self-worth. Choosing to adopt a pet from a shelter, especially an older pet, can add to your sense of fulfillment, knowing that you’ve provided a home to a pet that may otherwise have been euthanized.

Stay connected. Maintaining a social network isn’t always easy as you grow older. Retirement, illness, death, and relocation can take away close friends and family members. And making new friends can get harder. Pets, especially dogs, are a great way for older adults to spark up conversations and meet new people.

Boost your vitality. You can overcome many of the physical challenges associated with aging by taking good care of yourself. Dogs and cats encourage playfulness, laughter, and exercise, which can help boost your immune system and increase your energy.

How pets help adults with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia

As part of the disease, Alzheimer’s patients may exhibit a variety of behavioral problems, many related to an inability to deal with stress.

• Research at the University of California at Davis concluded that Alzheimer’s patients suffer less stress and have fewer anxious outbursts if there is a dog or cat in the home.
• Pets can provide a source of positive, nonverbal communication. The playful interaction and gentle touch from a well-trained, docile animal can help soothe an Alzheimer’s patient and decrease aggressive behavior.
• In many cases a patient’s problem behavior is a reaction to the stressed response of the primary caretaker. Pets can help ease the stress of caregivers. Cats or caged animals may be more suitable than dogs, which generally require more care and can add to the burden of someone who’s already looking after an Alzheimer’s patient.

The health benefits for children

Not only do children who grow up with pets have less risk of allergies and asthma, many also learn responsibility, compassion, and empathy from having a dog or cat.

• Unlike parents or teachers, pets are never critical and don’t give orders. They are always loving and their mere presence at home can help provide a sense of security in children. Having an ever-present pet can help ease separation anxiety in children when mom and dad aren’t around.
• Having the love and companionship of a pet can make a child feel important and help them develop a positive self-image.
• Kids who are emotionally attached to their pets are better able to build relationships with other people.
• Studies have also shown that pets can help calm hyperactive or overly aggressive kids. Of course, both the animal and the child need to be trained to behave appropriately with each other.

Children and adults alike can benefit from playing with pets, which can provide a source of calmness and relaxation, as well as a source of stimulation for the brain and body. Playing with a pet can even be a doorway to learning for a child. It can stimulate a child’s imagination and curiosity. The rewards of training a dog to perform a new trick, for example, can teach kids the importance of perseverance. Caring for a furry friend can also offer another benefit to a child: immense joy.

Children with learning disorders and other challenges

Some children with autism or other learning difficulties are better able to interact with pets than people. Autistic children often rely on nonverbal cues to communicate, just as animals do. And learning to first connect with a pet may even help an autistic child in their interactions with people.

• Pets can help children with learning disabilities learn how to regulate stress and calm themselves, making them better equipped to overcome the challenges of their disorder.
• Playing and exercising with a dog or cat can help a child with learning disorders stay alert and attentive throughout the day. It can also be a great antidote to stress and frustration caused by the learning disability.

Owning a pet is a major commitment

A pet is not a miracle cure for mental illness. Owning a pet is beneficial and comforting only for those who love and appreciate domestic animals and have the time and money to keep a pet happy and healthy. If you’re simply not an “animal person,” pet ownership is not going to provide you with any health benefits or improve your life.

Even if you love animals, it’s important to understand everything that caring for a pet entails. Owning a pet is a commitment that will last through the animal’s lifetime, perhaps 10 or 15 years in the case of dogs. And at the end of that commitment, you’ll face the grief and mourning that comes with losing a beloved companion.

Other drawbacks to owning a pet are:

Pets cost money. Food bills, veterinary care, licenses, grooming costs, toys, bedding, boarding fees, and other maintenance expenses can mount up. If you’re unemployed or elderly, on a limited fixed income, it may be a struggle to cope with the expense of pet ownership.

Pets require time and attention. As any dog owner will tell you, there’s nothing therapeutic about coming home to a dog that has been locked up in the house on his own all day long. Dogs need daily exercise to stay calm and well-balanced; most other pets require at least daily care and attention.

Owning a pet can curb some of your social activity. A dog can only be left alone for a limited time. By training your dog, you’ll be able to take him with you to visit friends, run errands, or sit outside a coffee shop, for example, but you won’t be able to leave for a spur of the moment weekend away without arranging care for your pet first.

Pets can be destructive. Any pet can have an occasional accident at home. Some cats may be prone to shredding upholstery, some dogs to chewing shoes. While training can help eradicate negative, destructive behavior, they remain common in animals left alone without exercise or stimulation for long periods of time.

Pets require responsibility. Most dogs, regardless of size and breed, are capable of inflicting injury on people if not handled responsibly by their owners. Even cats can scratch or bite. Pet owners need to be alert to any danger, especially around children.

Pets carry health risks for some people. While there are some diseases that can be transmitted from cats and dogs to their human handlers, allergies are the most common health risk of pet ownership. If you or a family member has been diagnosed with a pet allergy, carefully consider whether you can live with the symptoms before committing to pet ownership. Also consider that some friends or relatives with allergies may no longer be able to visit your home if you have a pet.

How to find the perfect pet

If you’ve decided that owning a pet is right for you, congratulations: you’re about to open your life to a unique and rewarding relationship. While people who have pets tend to be happier, more independent, and feel more secure than those without pets, it’s important to select the type of pet that best suits your needs and lifestyle.

Talk to other members of your household and agree on the qualities you want in a pet and those that you’d prefer to avoid. In the case of dogs, man’s best friend comes in countless breeds or mix of breeds, each offering a different blend of personality traits:

• Do you want an active dog or one that doesn’t need a lot of exercise?
• Who will look after the dog? Will your children really follow through on their promises?
• How much time will the dog spend alone each day? Do you intend to hire a dog walker or take the animal to daycare?
• How big is your living space? Do you have enough room for a large breed?
• Do you live with young children or someone frail or disabled who would do better with a gentle breed?
• How much shedding can you tolerate?
• Do you want a puppy that needs training and housebreaking or a full-grown dog that is already trained?

Purebred vs. mixed breed dogs

If you have a specific breed of dog in mind, you can look for a rescue group that caters to that breed or seek out a reputable breeder. Ask for a referral from other dog owners, a veterinarian, or a local breed club or rescue group, but remember: a reputable breeder will always want to meet you before selling you a dog to ensure that you’ll be a suitable, responsible owner.

Of course, you can also find purebred dogs in shelters—where they’ll cost substantially less than from a breeder—as well as many different types of mixed breed dogs. Mixed breed dogs usually have fewer health problems than their purebred cousins, often have better dispositions, and tend to adapt more easily to a new home. With a purebred, though, it’s easier to know what to expect in regards to size, behavior and health—you’d need to know the different mix of breeds to determine the same of a mutt. Of course, the breed or mix of breeds doesn’t solely determine the character of a dog—much of that is up to you and the kind of home and training you provide for your pet.

Shelter and rescue animals

Whether mixed breed or a purebred, dogs and cats adopted from a shelter or rescue group make excellent pets. For the most part, a pet ends up in a shelter through no fault of his own. His owner may have died or moved to a place that doesn’t allow pets, or the pet may have simply been abandoned by irresponsible owners who bought him on a whim and later discovered that they were unable or unwilling to care for him properly. If any shelter or rescue animal exhibits aggressive behavior, he is typically euthanized rather than offered for adoption.

Rescue groups try to find suitable homes for unwanted or abandoned dogs and cats, many taken from shelters where they would otherwise have been euthanized. Volunteers usually take care of the animals until they can find a permanent home. This means that rescuers are often very familiar with a pet’s personality and can help advise you on whether the pet would make a good match for your needs. By adopting an animal from a shelter or rescue organization, you’ll not only be giving a home to a deserving pet, but you’ll also likely be saving an animal’s life.

Avoid puppies sold in pet stores or on the Internet

Pet stores that care about puppies don’t sell them. That’s because the majority of pet stores that sell puppies carry dogs from cruel and inhumane puppy mills. Puppy mills are like dog-making factories where the mother dogs spend their entire lives in cramped cages or kennels with little or no personal attention or quality of life. When the mother and father dogs can no longer breed, they are discarded or killed. Consumers who purchase puppies from pet stores or over the Internet without seeing a breeder’s home firsthand are often unknowingly supporting this cruel industry.

Help stop this cycle of cruelty simply by choosing to adopt your next pet from a shelter or rescue group, or by purchasing a dog only from a responsible breeder who will show you where your puppy was born and raised.

Source: The Humane Society of the United States

Alternatives to pet ownership

If you don’t have the time, money, or stamina to own a pet full-time, there are still ways you can experience the health benefits of being around animals. Even short periods spent with a dog or cat can benefit both you and the animal.

You can ask to walk a neighbor’s dog, for example, or volunteer at an animal shelter. Most animal shelters or rescue groups welcome volunteers to help care for homeless pets or assist at adoption events. You’ll not only be helping yourself, but also helping to socialize and exercise the animals, making them more adoptable.

Some animal shelters and rescue groups offer pet “rental” programs. Dogs and cats that are available for adoption can be rented out for walks or play dates. You can also foster an animal temporarily until a permanent home is found for him, or to decide if the animal is right for you.

A variety of different organizations offer specially trained therapy dogs and cats to visit children’s hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, hospice programs, shelters, and schools. During these visits, people are invited to pet and stroke the animals, which can improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety.

The post How Pets Help Improve Mental Health first appeared on Healthy Gab.

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Not only he is teaching me how to love unconditionally, but he is also making me a better person every day. There is so much love in his gleaming eyes when he looks at me craving affection. Little did I know that having a dog had many health benefits too.

Why would you not adopt one?

Here are some real health benefits that come along with having a pet dog.

1. It makes your heart strong. Lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol, and decreased triglyceride levels, improve cardiovascular health resulting in fewer heart attacks.

2. It keeps you fit and active. You can’t see your dog weeping to go outside, right? So you end up taking it for a walk and you end up being more physically active.

3. They are also responsible for better mental health. Studies show that dog owners are less likely to suffer from depression because having a dog increases levels of serotonin and dopamine, which are ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters in our body.

4. It is said that people tend to socialize more when they walk their dog which helps them talk to new people.

5. People with a dog in their house are less likely to develop allergies in the course of their lives.

6. Did you know dogs can readily detect physical, emotional and mental distress in their humans? They might even know when someone in the house is pregnant.

7. Dogs also help you bring out your best personality traits.

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It’s clear exercise has health benefits both physical and mental. But what if we could show it was more important to your mental health than your economic status?

According to a study from researchers at Yale and Oxford, we may have done just that.

In the study, published in The Lancet, scientists collected data about the physical behavior and mental mood of more than 1.2 million Americans.

Participants were asked to answer the following question: “How many times have you felt mentally unwell in the past 30 days, for example, due to stress, depression, or emotional problems?”

The participants were also asked about their income and physical activities. They were able to choose from 75 types of physical activity — from mowing the lawn, taking care of children, and doing housework to weight lifting, cycling, and running.

People who stay active tend to be happier

The scientists found that while those who exercised regularly tended to feel bad for 35 days a year, nonactive participants felt bad for 18 days more, on average.

In addition, the researchers found that physically active people feel just as good as those who don’t do sports but who earn about $25,000 more a year. Essentially, you’d have to earn a lot more to get you the same happiness-boosting effect that sport has.

But it doesn’t mean the more sport you do the happier you are.

Too much exercise can be detrimental to your mental health

Exercise is clearly good for you, but how much is too much?

“The relationship between sport duration and mental load is U-shaped,” said study author Adam Chekroud of Yale University in an interview with Die Welt. The study found that physical activity contributes to better mental well-being only when it falls within a certain time frame.

According to the study, three to five training sessions, each lasting between 30 to 60 minutes, are ideal per week. The mental health of those participants who exercised for longer than three hours a day suffered more than that of those who weren’t particularly physically active.

The scientists also noticed that certain sports that involve socializing — such as team sports — can have more of a positive effect on your mental health than others.

Despite the fact that neither cycling nor aerobics and fitness technically counts as team sports, these activities can also have a considerable positive effect on your mental health.

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Stroke/Heart Attack prevention can start today. Protect yourself and avoid stroke, regardless of your age or family history.

What can you do to prevent stroke? Age makes us more susceptible to having a stroke, as does having a mother, father, or other close relative who has had a stroke.

You can’t reverse the years or change your family history, but there are many other stroke risk factors that you can control—provided that you’re aware of them. “Knowledge is power,” says Dr. Natalia Rost, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and associate director of the Acute Stroke Service at Massachusetts General Hospital. “If you know that a particular risk factor is sabotaging your health and predisposing you to a higher risk of stroke, you can take steps to alleviate the effects of that risk.”

How to prevent stroke

Here are seven ways to start reining in your risks today to avoid stroke, before a stroke has the chance to strike.

1) Lower blood pressure

High blood pressure is a huge factor, doubling or even quadrupling your stroke risk if it is not controlled. “High blood pressure is the biggest contributor to the risk of stroke in both men and women,” Dr. Rost says. “Monitoring blood pressure and, if it is elevated, treating it, is probably the biggest difference people can make to their vascular health.”

Your ideal goal: Maintain a blood pressure of less than 135/85. But for some, a less aggressive goal (such as 140/90) may be more appropriate.

How to achieve it:

• Reduce the salt in your diet to no more than 1,500 milligrams a day (about a half teaspoon).
• Avoid high-cholesterol foods, such as burgers, cheese, and ice cream.
  Eat 4 to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables every day, one serving of fish two to three times a week, and several daily servings of whole grains and low-fat dairy.
• Get more exercise — at least 30 minutes of activity a day, and more, if possible.
• Quit smoking, if you smoke.

If needed, take blood pressure medicines.

2) Lose weight

Obesity, as well as the complications linked to it (including high blood pressure and diabetes), raises your odds of having a stroke. If you’re overweight, losing as little as 10 pounds can have a real impact on your stroke risk.

Your goal: While an ideal body mass index (BMI) is 25 or less, that may not be realistic for you. Work with your doctor to create a personal weight loss strategy.

How to achieve it:

• Try to eat no more than 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day (depending on your activity level and your current BMI).
• Increase the amount of exercise you do with activities like walking, golfing, or playing tennis, and by making activity part of every single day.

3) Use new technology

Technology is here to help. There are lots of gadgets to help us check out how our heart is and prevent a possible stroke.

Women specially are more likely to have symptom-free heart attacks, 80% of these come while you’re asleep… that’s where technology comes to help.

One of these wonderful gadgets is the HealthWatch a new smart watch that can help predict an heart attack coming up to 20 minutes prior.

Created with the help of Dr. Stanley Back one of the top doctors at Harvard Medical Institute this watch uses technology to detect these almost undetectable surges so you can call 911 up to 20 min prior to heart attack.

You can get your HealthWatch by clicking here its very affordable and they usually have limited special deals so keep a look for that!

4) Exercise more

Exercise contributes to losing weight and lowering blood pressure, but it also stands on its own as an independent stroke reducer.

Your goal: Exercise at a moderate intensity at least five days a week.

How to achieve it:

• Take a walk around your neighborhood every morning after breakfast.
• Start a fitness club with friends.
• When you exercise, reach the level at which you’re breathing hard, but you can still talk.
• Take the stairs instead of an elevator when you can.
• If you don’t have 30 consecutive minutes to exercise, break it up into 10- to 15-minute sessions a few times each day.

5) Drink in moderation

Drinking a little alcohol may decrease your risk of stroke. “Studies show that if you have about one drink per day, your risk may be lower,” says to Dr. Rost. “Once you start drinking more than two drinks per day, your risk goes up very sharply.”

Your goal: Don’t drink alcohol or do it in moderation.

How to achieve it:

• Have no more than one glass of alcohol a day.
• Make red wine your first choice, because it contains resveratrol, which is thought to protect the heart and brain.
• Watch your portion sizes. A standard-sized drink is a 5-ounce glass of wine, 12-ounce beer, or 1.5-ounce glass of hard liquor.

6) Treat atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a form of irregular heartbeat that causes clots to form in the heart. Those clots can then travel to the brain, producing a stroke. “Atrial fibrillation carries almost a fivefold risk of stroke, and should be taken seriously,” Dr. Rost says.

Your goal: If you have atrial fibrillation, get it treated.

How to achieve it:

• If you have symptoms such as heart palpitations or shortness of breath, see your doctor for an exam.
• You may need to take an anticoagulant drug (blood thinner) such as warfarin (Coumadin) or one of the newer direct-acting anticoagulant drugs to reduce your stroke risk from atrial fibrillation. Your doctors can guide you through this treatment.

7) Treat diabetes

Having high blood sugar damages blood vessels over time, making clots more likely to form inside them.

Your goal: Keep your blood sugar under control.

How to achieve it:

• Monitor your blood sugar as directed by your doctor.
• Use diet, exercise, and medicines to keep your blood sugar within the recommended range.

8) Quit smoking

Smoking accelerates clot formation in a couple of different ways. It thickens your blood, and it increases the amount of plaque buildup in the arteries. “Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, smoking cessation is one of the most powerful lifestyle changes that will help you reduce your stroke risk significantly,” Dr. Rost says.

Your goal: Quit smoking.

How to achieve it:

• Ask your doctor for advice on the most appropriate way for you to quit.
• Use quit-smoking aids, such as nicotine pills or patches, counseling, or medicine.
• Don’t give up. Most smokers need several tries to quit. See each attempt as bringing you one step closer to successfully beating the habit.

Identify a stroke F-A-S-T

Too many people ignore the signs of stroke because they question whether their symptoms are real. “My recommendation is, don’t wait if you have any unusual symptoms,” Dr. Rost advises. Listen to your body and trust your instincts. If something is off, get professional help right away.”

The National Stroke Association has created an easy acronym to help you remember, and act on, the signs of a stroke.

Cut out this image and post it on your refrigerator for easy reference.

 

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The consensus is mixed. People who develop these problems have a wide range of personalities and lifestyle / psychological states – some are highly stressed, others are calm, collected and contented.

What about chronic ailments such as cancer and heart disease?

Some studies suggest that pessimists or introverts are at higher risk, others suggest that optimists or extroverts are just as likely to suffer from dread disease. Research into the relationship between personality traits and illness has been the subject of many studies over the years – and there seems to be a mixed bag of results.

It’s all a bit complicated. First, “personality types” are constructs by researchers and don’t necessarily correlate well with what is going on with people in the real world. What’s more, dozens of overlapping traits, in various permutations, have been studied. There are countless ways to measure them, plus many theories of personality that use different terms and concepts. Most people don’t fit neatly into one description and ‘personality types’ may change over time. Also, a link between a personality trait and a disease doesn’t mean that one is causing the other.

So what are the personality types?

There’s a long history in psychology of attempting to classify personality types. But only fairly recently have health-related personality types been developed.

The first was the Type A personality. The theory went that people with this personality, who were aggressive, competitive, tense, impatient and quite often hostile were at higher risk for heart disease. This was based on the results of studies on men. For years this was treated as absolutely correct, but the latest research does not confirm the initial findings, and including women casts even further doubt on the results.

Still, certain Type A traits such as chronic hostility/anger and cynicism/mistrust may well be linked to heart problems. There was a 2010 English review of studies which concluded that anger and hostility predict heart disease in healthy people and poor prognosis in cardiac patients.

People with Type B personality are the polar opposite of Type A. People who exhibit personality traits associated with Type B are calm, cheery, cooperative, patient, easy-going individuals.  These traits may make you a more pleasant person, but there’s no clear evidence it will keep you healthy.

It was once thought that the Type C personality which is usually passive and often exhibits feelings of helplessness, while attempting to help people all the time was at increased risk of cancer. That could conceivably be true if when presented with bad health news, such people passively accept their prognosis and don’t follow through with treatment or even check with their doctor. It’s tempting to think that these traits would not be conducive to good health, but again there’s no solid evidence one way or the other.

The newest characterisation is a Type D personality. D for distressed. These folk are irritable, anxious and worried, with a very negative view of the world. They tend to be socially inhibited, insecure and easily stressed. Several studies have implicated Type D in an array of cardiovascular risk factors and poor general health. But, of course, in a few years the concept of Type D may seem as outmoded.

The post How does your Personality Type Affect Your Health? first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post How does your Personality Type Affect Your Health? appeared first on Healthy Gab.

Whether it’s making Afghans, baby blankets or clothing for adults or even bedding the act of knitting or crocheting it seems that the nearly automatic actions involved allows people to focus on the here and now – especially useful when having to listen attentively to someone.

In the United States there seems to be a renewed interest in both knitting and crocheting. The Craft Yarn Council has issued information that indicates that up to one third of women between the ages of 25 and 35 now knit or crochet.

Even medical practitioners have come out in favour of the hobbies. Well known author of “The Relaxation Response,” Dr. Herbert Benson has said that the repetitive actions involved in needlework lead to mental states that closely resemble those of people who engage in yoga and meditation.

Once the initial learning stages have been mastered needlework can lead to the lowering of the heart rate, as well as lowering blood pressure. The levels of cortisol, which has been associated with stress are also lowered. Of course the production of a tangible product also enhances self-esteem.

The Council has kept records of thousands of needlework aficionados ever since the 1990’s and these hobbyists have provided feedback on the positive benefits, including stress relief and creative fulfilment. It seems that both knitting and crocheting can help people handle work stress and clam thinking, which in turn assists with problem solving.

However, the hobbies can also help people cope with other challenges. A life coach named Karen Zila Hayes from Canada who manages knitting therapy groups has announced that she has seen improvements in people who are striving to quit smoking. She also runs “Knit to Heal” which assists people in coping with health issues such as a diagnosis of cancer or the illness of a family member. Similar programs in schools and prisons show that knitting and crocheting also help students and inmates calm themselves, as well as enhancing social skills. The complexity involved in many patterns has also benefited children’s maths skills.

There’s also some evidence to suggest that keeping both hands and mind occupied can help those who are struggling to lose weight. The focus required and the physical activity means that there’s less time for boredom and the attendant urge to snack. The physical activity can also help those who are suffering from arthritis.

A 2009 University of British Columbia study of nearly 40 women with anorexia nervosa who were instructed in knitting skills found that mastery led to significant improvements. Seventy-four percent of the women said the activity lessened their anxiety and kept them from repetitive thinking about their problem.

A life and wellness coach in Bath, England, Betsan Corkhill and author of the book “Knit for Health & Wellness,” set up a website, Stitchlinks, to explore the value of therapeutic knitting. 54 Percent of clinically depressed users said that knitting made them feel happy or very happy. In a study of 60 self-selected people with chronic pain, Ms. Corkhill reported that knitting enabled them to redirect their focus, leading to a reduction in their awareness of pain.

Research has also suggested that crafts like knitting and crocheting could potentially help to stave off a decline in brain function which has been associated with aging. In a 2011 study, researchers led by Dr. Yonas E. Geda, a psychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., interviewed a random sample of 1,321 people ages 70 to 89. The results of the study which were published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, found that those who engaged in knitting and crocheting had a reduced chance of developing mild cognitive impairment and memory loss.

There are other studies that support this finding. A 2014 study by Denise C. Park of the University of Texas, Dallas demonstrated that learning to quilt or do digital photography enhanced memory function in older adults. Given that sustained social contacts have been shown to support health and longevity, people wishing to maximise the health value of crafts might consider joining a group of like-minded people.

The post Knitting for Health first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post Knitting for Health appeared first on Healthy Gab.

It’s a highly stressed world out there. We have to move faster, work quicker and make more money than ever before in order to get by.

Balancing our personal responsibilities with the demands of the modern world can cause even the strongest person to fall prey to debilitating stress – but are there ways to cope and even eliminate stress – yes there are, and here are some great tips on how to remove that stress load from your shoulders. Try these out – and remember that practice makes perfect.

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The post 9 Secret Ways to Lower your Stress Load first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post 9 Secret Ways to Lower your Stress Load appeared first on Healthy Gab.