Category Archives: connected

Using Music To Reduce Stress

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People listen to music every day. Some even feel very incomplete if they do not get to any kind of music that day. People also have different taste when it comes to the kind of music they listen to. Some prefer to listen to rock music while some think classical music is better. Some want to listen to pop music while some feel that listening to jazz music completes their day. There are so many songs available in the radio, as well. Some have meaningful lyrics while some just have beautiful melodies but mean nothing. The music industry has also become a very influential means for people to convey different kinds of messages. They make it an instrument for sending messages to people for certain causes or campaigns. Everyone listens to music and that is why if you make a good song and you have something to say about a thing, making a song is a good way to bring it to the people.

Meanwhile, studies have found out that listening to music can also reduce stress. Still, the effectiveness of this relies on the person’s taste on music. If you are into rock music, there is a great possibility that you would feel relaxed when listening to such kind of music. Studies also showed that putting on earphones or headphones when listening to music can reduce the stress and anxiety that patients feel before surgeries and after surgeries are done to them. Nursing students also benefit from music. It makes their mood better and reduces the exhaustion they are feeling. For disabled kids, music can improve their coordination and communication skills. Music is also good when you are meditating. The ideal type of music that you should use is something which is calm so you would have the full effect of the meditation process you are going through. Music is really a very helpful thing. It can entertain you and at the same time, it can give you beneficial effects to your health. With the appropriate type of music, you can make sure that you can escape the stressful world you are in.

Why Meditate?

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There are many forms of activities that help you rejuvenate energy. Some people use different sports such as basketball, football, lawn tennis and many other vigorous sports to maintain a high energy in their body. Others focus their time on other recreational activities such as drawing, painting, dancing and a lot more. One of the most famous in this line is meditation. Many people visit the experts to help them in this activity.

You might often wonder why they put so much time and effort in meditation. In fact, there are so many written advantages this activity gives to the human being. It can be very helpful to people of all ages. It affects not just the physical build-up of the body but also the mental, emotional, social and even spiritual. Some doctors have proved that meditation will help increase in the metabolism of the body. Doing it regularly will, in fact, help you hasten the work of the digestive system. It also helps in the social aspects of a person’s life because there are a lot of instances where they can meet and greet many other meditation enthusiasts. You can actually bond and share your experiences with them before or after the activity. The most important advantage of doing meditation is the emotional stability that it gives to its patients. Many practitioners stated that there are a lot of changes in their behavior after they indulge themselves into meditation. It helps in releasing the stress that you feel inside your body. You will feel really light after each and every session. It brings you to a certain level of happiness where you can forget almost all your problems. This is the most suitable activity to every problematic person out there. The mind will be capable of thinking better when a person meditates. Science even approves that meditation makes people smarter. They can think faster and more correct with meditation. Trying this will help them go through life easily. It will be loved by many because aside from its sumptuous advantages, it also has no written negative side effects yet.

Life Is Not All About Work

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Getting a job once you graduate is really important. This will be your means of earning money apart from setting up your own business which requires a lot of money. Most jobs are easy but give low salaries to employers. The high-paying ones are jobs which require much hard work especially if the position you got accepted to is nowhere near the position of the boss. You would have no choice but admit that it earning money is not an easy task. This could also be the reason why there are many people who turn into workaholics or ones who do nothing but work. These people also tend to request for OTs or hours for overtime in order for them to receive higher salaries. Workaholics have a variety of reasons why they can hardly have breaks. Some may even say that they just love their job too much. Some may say that they are just in need of the money and some just want to show off so they can get promoted. Whatever their reasons may be, they must know that life is not all about work and people live not just to work.

Working all day may give you a lot of money. At the same time, it could also give you a life filled with stressful thoughts which is not beneficial to one’s health. Working all day can be unhealthy to all aspects of your life – physical, emotional and social. Doing nothing but work can cut your connection to your friends. You might even get weak and sick because of getting minimal rest. Taking a break every once in a while would not hurt. Go on a vacation with your friends for a day or two and take a rest from all the headaches that your work is giving you. Take time to regain energy from relaxing activities and as much as you can, keep yourself away from anything related to work during your vacation. You may have a lot of work piled up when you come back but you can be sure that you have all the energy you would need to deal with all the tasks that you have to accomplish.

Anyone Of Any Faith Can Benefit From Meditation

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Different kinds of faith bring about different views on things. In our world today, it seems that many people feel divided or different from others because of what they believe in or because of the religion that they have. Most of the time, worshipping a god who is different from the god of others brings conflict not only between two people but between diverse nations ruled by certain spiritual beliefs. It is not wrong not to believe in what other people believe is true. What’s wrong is going or speaking against them when you can just respect their views the same way they respect yours. On the bright side, there is one practice that is common among almost all religions or spiritual beliefs in the planet and that is meditation.

Meditation has been a practice thousands of years ago. Until now, many people are still engaged in performing it. Meditation is done by almost all religions across the world but each religion has different ways of doing it. They also have different goals and reasons why they do it. Some people perform it because it is their means of communicating to their gods. Some think that they need it to be spiritually saved while in the modern world, people do it in order to feel relaxed and to feel peace. Based in psychological studies, meditation, when done properly, can bring you a lot of benefits. It can make you release stress, especially if you are a person who is always preoccupied with a lot of things that you want to remove from your mind. It can also help you regulate your emotions. Studies even show that meditation can actually improve a person’s sense of compassion. It reduces your probability to elicit negative emotions and actions towards certain situations. Meditation is not only helpful to people who has certain spiritual beliefs. It can help any people who are seeking for relaxation. There are many ways on how you can do it, there are different positive effects that you can receive from it and your faith is never a hindrance if you’re trying to achieve these benefits.

Relaxation Techniques To Beat Stress

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Stress can be really hard to deal with. A lot of people find different ways on how they can eliminate the stressful feelings they are experiencing. Some even spend a lot of money so they can buy medicines which could help solve their problem. These meds can cost them a lot while having themselves dependent and addicted to those drugs without knowing that there are tons of natural ways on how they can be free from stress. If you are a person who always or easily feels stress, you could follow some relaxation techniques which would require no money from you and are really drug-free.

The first thing you can do is to take a break. Many people, especially those who have jobs, acquire stress from a lot of factors such as the weather, their relationships with other people and other external factors. If you feel like you are about to erupt, you can try sitting down or lying down in a quiet place and taking deep breaths. The tension you’re feeling can be released by doing so. Another thing you can do is listening to music. There are tons of relaxing sounds that you can download from the internet that you can listen. Studies show that doing so can help you attain calming effects. The next thing you can consider doing is meditating. Researchers discovered that meditation can help you bring balance to the processes that your nervous system is performing. Meditation requires deep breathing exercises that you could train yourself to do every now and then. Of course, to achieve successful meditation, all your clothes must be too loose and you yourself must feel relaxed to be able to flow and breathe freely. The last thing you can do is visualizing yourself in a relaxed condition situated in a place that you consider calming. Psychology guarantees that picturing yourself in a calm and stress-free condition can help you achieve a stress-free state. Relaxation techniques can successfully remove your stress using natural ways. Compared to using different kinds of drugs, relaxation techniques are far more helpful and they can really help you save a lot of money that you are supposed to spend to purchase unnecessary drugs.

Creating a Zen Garden

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A Zen garden is a physical representation of the Zen Buddhist philosophy – the self refinement, self-examination and enlightenment. Such garden idea came from Japan and was being adopted by countless homeowners worldwide because of its uniqueness and beauty. People with this kind of garden claim that they could actually experience that inner fulfillment and peace just by seeing this green lush and sweeping garden. Creating such garden is simple. It just takes a little of your Japanese knowledge and creativity. Here’s how:

  • Decide on how large or how small your Zen garden would be. You can have it right at your backyard or even just a small part in your front porch. Choose which would be accessible to you so that you can enjoy your garden.
  • Make a mold that will hold the sand or gravel. The sand or gravel is the foundation of this kind of garden. If you are aiming for a large garden, use a 2” x 4’’ lumber, wood of your choice and some old tiles.
  • Then screw, nail and glue these together with your desired form. Once formed, decorate the wood by varnishing and painting.
  • Have a weed retainer that would keep weeds out from your garden.
  • Spread the gravel and sand on the top evenly or you can utilize the help of some experts to landscape your garden.
  • Accessorize your garden with old logs and some rocks to add a more realistic effect on your garden.

Having a Zen garden in your backyard can serve as a therapy for your stressful day. Seeing your creation and the life growing in it somehow gives you that feel of contentment no one could ever give you.

If you want to know more about Zen gardens, reading materials are available in your local garden shops and as well in the World Wide Web.

Controlling Stress-Induced Weight Gain

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One of the factors identified by weight experts as the cause for gaining weight is stress. According to the studies conducted, when a person is under stress, people has this tendency to eat more than his or her usual intake and that is regardless if he is eating healthy foods or not. People under stress find their much needed comfort with the food they eat thus the more stresses they are, the more food they will intake. Eating because of stress also takes place even if one is not that hungry.

Because of such event, experts created stress management strategies on how to eliminate or minimize stress and avoid obesity circumstances. Here’s how:

  • Stress signs are as follows: anxiety, muscle tension and irritability. Be aware of these signs, and if you identified some, you are under stress.
  • Ask yourself, you are you eating? Are you that hungry to take in food or are you just finding something to comfort you in your anxieties? If you sense you are eating for the wrong reason, put down that utensils and take a deep breath.
  • Find something else to do. Something that is physical that could make you forget about food. Cleaning the house, doing the laundry or just anything where you could work out those tensed muscles instead.
  • Never skip meals. This leads you to eat more in the next meal.
  • Know your “comfort food” and put them away.
  • Learn to face your problems or deal with it. Not running away from it with food on your mouth.
  • Try relaxation skills like meditation, yoga and massage. These activities are guaranteed effective in easing off your stress.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Have enough sleep.
  • Be with the people who loves and cares about you. You need all the support and encouragement to keep you strong enough to move on.

These are just some of the many ways where you can manage your stress and do away from eating and gaining weight. Having problems at home, school and work is normal, it’s just how you manage it.

Mindfulness Is Good for Both Doctor and Patient

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Different kinds of professions need different kinds of techniques to concentrate on the specific kind of field one is entitled to. In the field of medicine, mindfulness meditation and communication skills are needed strongly for concentration on the work and for both practitioners to develop the excellence of primary care. Communication is important for physicians to work harmoniously with each other so as to provide a sense of community and a time for them to develop personal growth. Awareness among doctors has been mounting up that being watchful and mindful or being fully present and conscientious to the moment advances the manner of how they connect with patients. In that way also, being aware alleviates the stresses of clinical practice.

Mindfulness is a special type of meditation that fundamentally involves focusing on your mind on the present. It is about being conscious of your thoughts and actions in the present, without judging yourself. It is necessary for doctors and patients to be completely acquainted of their intrapersonal ‘self’ for the fact that it has many advantages such as reducing stress and intentionally giving us an option to take control of our lives. It is significantly important for physicians and patients to devote at least a small portion of their time for simple development and personal awareness which is directly a part of the solution. Research shows that physicians or doctors who encounter mindfulness had lesser judgmental attitudes within their work and family environment. Studies always show that they gained better listening skills with their patients. Trainees who are initially involved in medical education can better sustain self-awareness programs while also advocating role models, not to mention physicians who demonstrate attentive practice in action.

Doctors need not to condemn themselves about the things they do but just to be aware exactly of the improvements they are about to make as a conscious option and not a ‘trip for guilt’. It also makes doctors respond positively to patients who are placed in the negative state. Enhancement of the effectiveness in focusing on the present assists professionals employ mindfulness towards their approach in their own practices. It enables physicians to consider upon any judgmental views of the patients so as to disregard it in favor of considering them to advocate better care. Being a doctor that is mindful encourages the bond between the patient and the ability to respond emphatically to patients’ parents.

The Science of Compassion

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The science of compassion has long been perceived as the source of real happiness. Compassion means consciousness and desire to ease pain or suffering. Compassion is the cure to distress and its dangerous effects. The outcomes of compassion are the total counterpart of distress. Benefits of compassion are most like be:

  • Healthier brain and heart
  • Enhance decision-making and memory
  • Cooperation skills and better communication
  • Healthy relationships with self and others
  • Less depression, sleep deprivation, chronic pain and mood swings.

Compassion, contrary to other’s belief, is not in relation to helping other people. It is about yourself, how you can have a healthy and fulfilling life. Your life is linked with other people and a person with a compassionate heart is always willing to understand and help others.

The science of compassion is about evolving happiness – happiness in its highest form. It also helps you survive emotionally and be stress-resistant. People are destined to be interactive and compassionate individuals. For an individual purpose, compassion is used in daily lives.

One can practice compassion through meditation. Meditation is one way of showing compassion to yourself.  Surrounding yourself with the people you love, doing stuffs that you like and enjoying your passions are all deeds of compassion. Compassion is not just in the heart of every person but can also be found on successful marriages, sports, families and friendships, business mergers and ventures, and other activities that involve relationships and dealings. Compassion is about action and determined decision-making.

Compassion is powerful and big and moves farther than its traditional meaning. In a dictionary, compassion is defined as sensitive consciousness of other peoples’ distress as well as the aspiration to lessen it. The importance of compassion is not easy to understand unless you are dealing with street children and beggars in your door.

One way of looking for happiness is by showing compassion to ones self. Compassion is about easing stress and a distress individual shows signs of despair, anger, sadness and fear and other undesirable emotions. If you have negative feelings, there is a high possibility that you will receive negative feedback from other people.

What You Can Learn From a Dog

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Everyday all we do is to think about our future and dreams, focusing on feeling good and other serious stuff that we forget how to slow down and take a break. Here are some things that we can learn from a dog and apply on our daily lives.

  1. Take breaks. Break time is not only a luxury for people with heavy workload but rather an important time for everyone whether with heavy workload or not. Dogs take a break every few hours and so humans should do it also.
  2. Stretch multiple times every day. Every time a dog wakes up from a sleep or from a long sitting, they do some stretching first before doing anything such as jumping and running. He makes sure that his body is relaxed and stretched before he goes back to activity.
  3. Eat with gusto. Even though dogs eat the same food over and over again several times a day, he always eats with gusto – enjoying every bite until food has been consumed and licking the plate all over. Dogs eat with pleasure and enthusiasm every time.
  4. Go outside. Dogs love to play outside because there is so much to see such as cars, trees, people, grass and other things that can be explore. There are so many adventures outside than just sitting indoors watching TV so better go out and enjoy.
  5. Do not let everyone find out your mood. A dog’s attitude never fails even if he is sleeping on a pricey mattress or a piece of wood. What matters are his basic needs like food, shelter and water then everything else is a bonus. Life is good for dogs.
  6. Seek unexpected time for fun. Everything that a dog is doing is a fun time for him. He always seeks adventure and fun in little things like ball, carpet, pen, etc.
  7. Whatever the size of the dog is, he has great confidence. Small dogs do not mind if they are small or not. In fact, they do not know they are small – or ugly. What is important for them is they exist where they belong.
  8. Don’t judge by looks. Dogs do not judge other dogs even if they differ in size, color, breed, hair, etc. Behaviour and body language is their way of knowing people.
  9. Meet your neighbours. Dogs are social animals and they love going outside because they enjoy meeting other dogs and people as well.
  10. Consume all the marrow out of life. Dogs eat their bone thoroughly by licking and licking every part of it until all the marrow has been taken. People should practice this in life – take all the good stuff and enjoy every moment of it.