Throughout our lives most of us will at some point experience trying emotional difficulties. Sometimes the emotional pain left over after these encounters are seemingly impossible to let go of. It isn’t difficult to get stuck letting the past affect your everyday life and future decisions, but that is no way to live healthy or happily. There are actually positive ways to let harmful past occurrences shape a better future for yourself, and that is by learning from them and then letting them go. Of course, letting go is easier said than done. There is no simple way to do it. It takes a strong will and the courage to try and learn to control your thoughts and change your mindset. Try to recognize your reasons for needing to let go You need to try and recognize the reasons why you need to let go of what it is that is causing you emotional turmoil. You need to recognize that this past experience doesn’t need to continue hurting you forever and nor do you want it to. Write down the reasons why you no longer want to hold on to this harmful thing in your mind and use these reasons…
What we put into our bodies has a lot to do with our health, how we look, and how we feel. But can it affect our mood? The answer is yes. If you have ever eaten a candy bar or had a milkshake, and then felt a sudden and intense wave of energy, you know that food can affect how you feel. However, there are other conditions in which food can impact your mood, from the specific foods you eat to your eating schedule and habits. The chemistry of various foods can chemically and physiologically alter changes in our brain’s structure, which can lead to significant influence of mood and behavior: #1 Unhealthy diet and depression Research has indicated that having an unhealthy diet for an extended period can put you at risk for increasing symptoms of depression. Although there isn’t really proof that an unhealthy diet causes depression, it has been found that the two things are correlated. #2 Sugar & stress When you feel stressed out or overcome by anxiety, it is natural for the body to crave sugar; sugar helps to energize the body while it is trying to cope with negative feelings. However, if you feel…
The first official day of summer is nearing, and with it comes intense summer heat, backyard BBQ’s, and fun vacations; it’s safe to assert that summer is a time of happiness. However, if you are suffering from summer depression, it probably isn’t. Many people believe that seasonal affective disorder is only prominent in the winter, but the sad reality is that so many are also affected in the warm, summer months. Symptoms of summer depression Difficulty sleeping Loss of appetite Anxiety Weight loss Unexplained stress or feelings of sadness Agitation Isolation What causes summer depression? There are different possibilities in terms of why people suffer from summer depression. While for some people it stems from environmental stressors like intense heat, vacation envy, being “out-of-shape”, or a lack of structure and responsibility, for others it actually has to do with their biological structure. For those who have this innate biological influencer, it is called summer-onset seasonal affective disorder, or summertime SAD. #1 Summer-onset Seasonal Affective Disorder First, let’s discuss the biologically related reason behind summer depression. You may have heard about SAD (seasonal affective disorder) from the opposing end, where people experience depression in the colder winter months. Unfortunately, a small…
A large number of adults suffer from anxiety and stress. It is only natural that we will endure stressful situations in our day to day lives, but unfortunately, some of us will have more difficulty in dealing with them. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), about 40 million people over the age of 18 suffer from anxiety. Stress not only affects people in their daily activities but also leaves them lying awake at night; the lack of sleep certainly doesn’t aid in stress and anxiety. If you are someone who has trouble dealing with stress and anxiety, keep on reading to learn about a few tips that can help you manage it more efficiently. #1 Become more mindful You will be surprised to learn the power you have over yourself when it comes to how you think. Try and practice being more mindful. Whenever you feel yourself overwhelmed with stress or anxiety, learn to talk yourself down instead of antagonizing yourself. Focus on thinking only positive thoughts. By learning to self-soothe, you will be amazed at what you are capable of. Remember positive self-talk phrases such as the following: “This too shall pass” “I will get…
