How to make stress your friend | Kelly McGonigal

Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others. Get TED Talks recommended just for you! Learn more at https://www.ted.com/signup. The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Follow TED on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/TED

Exercises for Stress Reduction & Deep Relaxation – Part 2 of 4 – Harvard Relaxation Response

Using simple and effective techniques, these sessions will introduce you to the tools that can assist in eliminating sleep disorders and reducing stress and anxiety experienced at home and at work. Part 2: This session will include: An introductory daily practice to elicit the Relaxation Response using a simple Mindfulness breath & body meditation exercise for stress reduction and deep relaxation. You can fast forward to (2:30) in the film if you wish to start the practice now.

remedy health media

A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant physiological and psychological effects following the consumption of alcohol, such as wine, beer, and distilled spirits. Hangovers can last for several hours or for more than 24 hours. Typical symptoms of a hangover may include headache, drowsiness, concentration problems, dry mouth, dizziness, fatigue, gastrointestinal distress (e.g., vomiting), absence of hunger, depression, sweating, nausea, hyper-excitability, irritability, and anxiety. While the causes of a hangover are still poorly understood, several factors are known to be involved including acetaldehyde accumulation, changes in the immune system and glucose metabolism, dehydration, metabolic acidosis, disturbed prostaglandin synthesis, increased cardiac output, vasodilation, sleep deprivation, and malnutrition. Beverage-specific effects of additives or by-products such as congeners in alcoholic beverages also play an important role. The symptoms occur typically after the intoxicating effect of the alcohol begins to wear off, generally the morning after a night of heavy drinking. Though many possible remedies and folk cures have been suggested, there is no compelling evidence to suggest that any are effective for preventing or treating alcohol hangover. Avoiding alcohol or drinking in moderation are the most effective ways to avoid a hangover. The socioeconomic consequences and health risks of alcohol hangover include workplace absenteeism, impaired job performance, reduced productivity, and poor academic achievement. A hangover may also impair performance during potentially dangerous daily activities such as driving a car or operating heavy machinery. see more at Wikipedia Check More at https://htm101.com/track.php?c=cmlkPTc2MDUwNiZhaWQ9NjIyNTgxODI

How stress is killing us (and how you can stop it). | Thijs Launspach | TEDxUniversiteitVanAmsterdam

What cause us to have so much stress these days? And why are especially young people vulnerable to this? What is stress? What happens in the brain and in the body during stress? What are the consequences of stress, if you’re not careful? What is burn-out? Which 5 steps can you take to reduce stress in your life? Final message: is IS possible experience less stress in life – with some practical solutions. But YOU have to make the choice to do this! Thijs is a psychologist who has written two books: Quarterlife, about the quarterlifer crisis, and The Millenial Manifesto, about the societal factors which lead to the high prevalence of mental health issues among young people. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

The Number Of Reported Child Suicides Has Nearly Doubled — These Are The Signs

A swarm of children huddled around a petite casket, each holding onto a powder blue balloon and carrying a note to their fellow classmate, Ashlynn Conner.

Ashlynn’s older sister discovered the 10-year-old hanging from a clothing rod just a day after coming home in tears and asking to be taken out of school. Her parents promised her they would go to the school and talk with the principal, but the depression and helplessness became too much for her to wait out the weekend.

While Ashlynn may have felt alone in her fight against bulling and what some report to be life in a volatile home, hundreds of children under age 14 across the U.S. are acting on suicidal urges.

No one expected Ashlynn to take her own life, but mounting stress and anxiety pushed the little girl over the edge.

Little Ashlynn was bullied in fifth grade, and despite telling countless teachers and school officials, nothing was done to put an end to the taunting. In one distinct account, Ashlynn was bullied by girls who thought she looked like a boy after she got a haircut.

Other members of her family have also suffered with mental illness over the years. Stacy Conner, Ashlynn’s mother, has reportedly attempted suicide twice. These stressors proved to be too much for the young girl to handle.

Read More: Do Your Kids Have Screens In Their Rooms? Here’s Why It Could Be Bad For Their Health

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collected death-rate data for child fatalities from 1999 to 2014.

Getty Images

While the number of deaths caused by homicide and fatal car crashes has decreased over the years, data reveals that the number of suicides in children between 10 and 14 has nearly doubled since 2007.

iStock

Initially having 0.9 suicide deaths for every 100,000 children in 2007, the number had increased to 2.1 deaths per 100,000 by 2014.

iStock

Once thought to be only a teenage problem, psychologist Dr. Lisa Boesky revealed that children can have their own reasons for committing suicide. Relationships with family members or fights with a child’s close friends could result in them wanting to harm themselves.

iStock

Warning signs of suicidal thoughts in teens can directly correlate to depression and severe mood swings, but in small children, ADHD is often present in those who follow through with suicidal urges.

iStock

Other warning signs to look for in children include sadness, irritability, and isolation from friends and family.

Parents and adults should focus on the language their kids are using. Phrases such as “I wish I were dead” or “I wish I could go to sleep forever” are serious red flags.

If behaviors continue to escalate, it is important to reach out to a pediatrician or counselor.

iStock

While there is very little research available about childhood suicide, Boesky believes the CDC’s report could help pave the way for more studies.

Read More: Some Moms Opt For Drug-Free Deliveries, But Epidurals Could Prevent A Bad Condition

If you suspect your child is having suicidal thoughts, don’t ignore the issue. Engage them in conversation and actively seek out help.

(via CNN)

Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/childhood-suicide/

If You’re Stressed Often, Here’s What You Need To Know About This Common Condition

Everyone gets stressed out now and then, but chronic stress causes much more wear and tear on the body than most people realize.

Chronic stress is a hard thing to describe to family, friends, and sometimes even doctors. They can’t see it like they would a broken arm or a flesh wound, which may cause some to doubt its very existence.

However, anxiety is a very real disorder that effects 18 percent of the American population. When it rears its ugly head, so do many other physical side effects. Here are 10 of the most common.

1. Heart disease

iStock

You know that saying, “You’re going to give me a heart attack?” Well, anxiety and panic attacks might actually do that. High blood pressure and weakened heart muscles are both side effects of stress that raise your chances of having a heart attack and/or developing cardiovascular disease.

2. Loss of libido

iStock

With all these negative things happening in your body, it’s not a big surprise that your libido can suffer. Part of this is because your hormones aren’t functioning properly, and another is that your mind and body are distracted. It’s important to communicate with your partner and remember that you don’t “owe” anyone sex.

3. Brain damage

iStock

Years of extreme stress and anxiety can lead to brain damage, particularly early-onset Alzheimer’s. It’s been found that the cortisol that’s released during stressful periods actually kills the hippocampus, leading to loss of memory and premature brain aging.

Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/stress-symptoms/

How to Reduce Stress in the Workplace

Carolyn McManus of Swedish Medical Center in Seattle shares five tips to reduce stress in the work place. To learn more about stress reduction please visit http://www.swedish.org/Services/Outpatient-Rehabilitation/Rehabilitation-Services/Mindfullness-Based-Stress-Reduction-Program

This Strange Insomnia Disease Forces Its Victims To Stay Awake Until They Die

If you suffer from any level of insomnia, you know how damaging it can be to your health as well as your personal life. So you can just imagine having a disease that NEVER allows you to sleep, keeping you in a constant state of exhaustion…until your body gives up and dies.

That’s what fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is. The disease is extremely rare (less than one out of 10 million people have it), but those who do suffer from it live in extreme agony. Sadly, so far there is no cure.

The cause of FFI is a mutated protein called PrPSc, which has only been found in 40 families worldwide, affecting around 100 people.

The first signs of the disease are just basic symptoms of insomnia, along with panic attacks, paranoia, and phobias.

After four months pass, the hallucinations start. Sometimes victims will act out their dreams, despite not really being asleep. One woman, who was a hair stylist before being diagnosed, brushed imaginary people’s hair.

Five months later, victims are completely unable to sleep and experience rapid weight loss.

Over the course of the next six months, victims develop dementia and go into a non-responsive, dream-like state. Eventually, they die from exhaustion. The average lifespan of a patient after the onset of symptoms is 18 months.

(via Oddity Central)

There is currently no cure for FFI, but as sufferers of the disease continue donating their brains to science, experts believe they are getting closer to finding one. In the meantime, people with FFI go to often bizarre lengths to help them sleep, such as sensory deprivation tanks and even electroconvulsive therapy.

Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/fatal-familial-insomnia/

Exercises for Stress Reduction & Deep Relaxation – Part 1 of 4 – Introduction

Using simple and effective techniques, these sessions will introduce you to the tools that can assist in eliminating sleep disorders and reducing stress and anxiety experienced at home and at work. Part 1: Alison Cocking, Wellness Manager, UHN introduces Michael Apollo and the objectives for this 4-part video series. Please note: The practices provided in this video are a complement to and not exclusive of any medically prescribed regimen you have. The opinions expressed in the video practical sessions are those of the instructor and are not necessarily endorsed by the University Health Network (UHN). Claims and research are not associated or directly supported by UHN. For more information please visit www.pubmed.gov for current peer reviewed research on Mindfulness and Meditation.

How stress affects your body – Sharon Horesh Bergquist

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-stress-affects-your-body-sharon-horesh-bergquist Our hard-wired stress response is designed to gives us the quick burst of heightened alertness and energy needed to perform our best. But stress isn’t all good. When activated too long or too often, stress can damage virtually every part of our body. Sharon Horesh Bergquist gives us a look at what goes on inside our body when we are chronically stressed. Lesson by Sharon Horesh Bergquist, animation by Adriatic Animation.