Benefits Of Meditating Before Sleep

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According to Julia Hogan, LCPC, “The amount of sleep you get and the quality of that sleep can actually affect your physical and mental health in ways you don’t anticipate.” Getting quality sleep is a necessity for us to achieve a healthy mind and body. The average adult would need 7 to 9 hours of sleep to function correctly and be in their best state.

However, most people have trouble getting a good night’s rest, putting them at risk of sleep deficiency and deprivation. If this is a frequent problem for you, then maybe it’s time you try meditating.

What Is Meditation?

Meditation involves directing the mind to a particular state of awareness to get a healthier sense of perspective. In this state, the individual becomes more mindful and relaxed when engaging in the present circumstance. For many, meditation is a spiritual practice to transform the mind in a way that it develops emotional clarity. But it can do more than clearing your head. This process can be useful in reducing health risks and is proven to improve the quality of life. In an article of Marjie L. Roddick, MA, NCC, LMHC she said, “To improve your spiritual health, it can help to create a quiet space for solitude and contemplation or a place of curiosity and playfulness. Maintaining a playful, curious attitude can help you find experiences that offer hope, purpose, and meaning.”

Effects Of Meditation

By making meditation a habit, you can rest more comfortably and get the hours of rest that you need. “Mind resting usually doesn’t mean to have no thoughts, but to slow down thoughts and give each thought less meaning. Resting is going into the body and allowing things to be as they are.” explains Andrea F. Polard, PsyD. Meditating before bed can cause you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep for more extended periods. Since your body becomes relaxed and your muscles are less tense, your sleep tends to be less interrupted as well.

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Apart from improving the quality of sleep, meditation has other effects on your body. Your levels of stress that may contribute to depression and anxiety are effectively lowered down. Furthermore, your body can be less at risk of chronic illness, high blood pressure, and heart diseases. Your immune system gets more robust, and your tolerance for pain increases. Moreover, meditation slows down your aging process and boosts your brain’s performance.

Aside from the physical effects, your overall mental sharpness drastically improves. This aspect includes heightened functions relating to your memory, attention, learning capacity, and decision-making skills. You become more present in the current situation and focus appropriately on the tasks so that you can work efficiently. In a way, you do become more intelligent, especially with more brain volume and brainpower.

Finally, your emotional health gets uplifted as well. The clarity and lightness that you feel after meditating also affect your outlook in life. It puts you in a more positive state of mind and a brighter mood and gives you a sense of well-being. You are not only inspired to take care of yourself, but you also become more compassionate to people around you.

Meditation Before Sleeping

Meditation before sleep can either be guided or unguided. The choice depends on your preference and what you are most comfortable doing.

Guided meditation means you have a teacher or an app that walks you through the whole procedure. While doing so, your guide will give you step-by-step instructions and the proper techniques in performing them. It is best suited for beginners so that they could get the most out of the process.

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On the other hand, unguided meditations allow you to be in control of your time and pace. You do the process alone, without any guidance. Unguided meditation can be better because you are not dependent on any tools. You can train yourself not to be distracted.

Regardless of your choice in technique, it is a great habit to meditate regularly. You can also practice this during other times in the day to improve your health. Remember: it doesn’t take much to make yourself feel ten times better.

A Therapist’s Guide In Achieving Inner Peace

If there is one thing that you need to master in this life, it is the ability to achieve inner peace wherever you go. Imagine living a life that is peaceful and far from the chaos. Think about how great everything in your day-to-day life would become the moment you learn how to quiet your messy mind and find the peace that you have been looking for. According to a recent journal published by a therapist, inner peace can do a lot of wonders to the human person. Because of this, everyone is encouraged to find it deep in their hearts to quiet their mind and achieve an extraordinary level of inner peace.

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In today’s article, we are going to state some of the guidelines that you must observe if you want to accomplish inner peace in this lifetime. Before anything else, you have to understand the reality that the process of completing this step is not going to be easy. There are several times when you may feel that it is already exhausting to keep doing things and not expect the results to manifest right away. As such, you should be one with yourself so that you will not feel lost. Here are the items to keep in mind:

Master Meditation

Daisy Chow, LPC, NCC once said, “It was hard to focus on the meditations because my mind would wander. Practicing self-care and self-compassion outside of sessions was difficult because I was busy most of the time and was not used to taking care of myself.” With that, one of the crucial things that you must never forget is the significance of teaching you how to be good at meditation. You can start by meditating for at least five minutes a day. However, it is ideal if you will increase the time as you progress. If you are not sure how to get started, it is best if you will enroll in gyms or institutions that provide meditation. Making this part of your lifestyle can benefit you a lot. It will not only help you become a master in quieting your thoughts. At the same time, it can also enable you to be the source of positive energy or aura for everyone around you.

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Forgive Others

There may be people in your life who has caused you a tremendous amount of pain and suffering. As such, it would only be logical on your part to hate the same individual. Unfortunately, what you do not know is that the more you have grudge and hatred in your system, the harder it would be on your part to be happy. As long as you have not forgiven those who have sinned, you will start to feel better about yourself. Eventually, this will enable you to find your inner peace. The truth is that it can be a struggle to make it happen, but you will feel the rewards after. As such, never give up in offering your forgiveness even to those who have not asked for it. “The strength of forgiveness has been shown to have a powerful buffering effect on stress. Those who are highly forgiving of themselves and others have a far less chance of having a mental illness.” Ryan M. Niemiec Psy.D. said.

Mind Your Own Business

Another thing that you must never forget about inner peace is the significance of minding your own business. Before you meddle with the affairs of other people, it is best if you will first look at yourself in the mirror. Are you good enough, unlike those other people? Are you making more progress than others? Do you think you have a better chance of succeeding? While all these inquiries are valid, you cannot deny the fact that they can be self-serving. As such, it is best if you will begin to mind your own business instead of meddling with others. Take note that your primary and only concern must be your own welfare instead of that of others.

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Talk To A Therapist

You may also want to consider to try therapy sessions, especially if you start getting sleepless nights. “Therapy gives you permission to allow you to feel the pain and know that it’s valid.” explains Carmen Gehrke, LMHC. Keep in mind that there are some manifestations of your body that can tell you whether or not you are under a lot of stress. What is crucial at this point is to listen when your body tells you that you are in pain – either emotional or physical. For mental health-related issues, the right thing to do is to bring them up to a therapist. Make sure to find time in attending sessions so that you can find what you are looking for. One session with an excellent therapist can already give you a different level of clarity that will enable you to have peace of mind.

The items mentioned above are not exclusive. You can still find inner peace in many other ways. As long as you believe in your capacity to do it, then there is nothing to worry about it. 

Overcome Your Fear Of Blogging Without Help From Psychologists With These 4 Practical Tips

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Have you ever met someone with great potential to become the blogging counterpart of Stephen King or J.K. Rowling if only he or she does not want to reach out to psychologists every time you mention this possibility?

I know of some people who are so skilled in writing, but they seem to get startled whenever they hear the word “blog.” They have not ideally gone through bullying in the form of articles; there are perhaps companies that want to back them up as well. Despite that, all they want to do is write for themselves and stay away from the blogging world as much as possible.

In all honesty, this is the kind of phobia that does not make sense to me. Not to sound as if I’m trying to invalidate your feelings, but if you know your capabilities and you have a clear idea about what you can do, you do not have to be afraid of potential criticisms or praises whatsoever. And you can never be called boastful because of that; you practically exude complete trust to yourself by doing so.

It is normal to feel jittery when you are about to post your first blog. However, if it is already your second or third blog, and your knees still shake due to the idea of hitting that Publish button, try to read the following tips to get over your fear about blogging on your own.

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Claim That You Can Make It Happen

From the get-go, you ought to remember that your brain creates your fear. “Fear, or getting scared, is an emotion that’s part of our biology as human beings, just like other emotions such as sadness, joy and anger. It serves a purpose that’s crucial to our ability to survive,” says Steve Orma, PsyD, clinical psychologist. In a way, you create your mental adversaries. Perhaps you think negatively about yourself, for instance. Well, you have to stop trying to pull yourself down now if you want to be a successful blog. Start saying the encouraging words such as “I can do it,” “I am invincible,” and “I am no longer the crybaby that I used to be” soon after you wake up and when you are already working. In this manner, your self-affirmations might take effect and allow you to create a blog for the first time.

Be Proud Of Your Writing Skills

You can merely find a handful of individuals who can produce well-informed and exciting blogs, but you can still see the ones made by people with less writing skills than you do. Instead of ridiculing them, have you ever thought of how they can think of posting those blogs even if they know that they are not as good as the others’?

The reason is that not-so-amazing bloggers have an inkling on how to take pride in their abilities. They do not care about being bashed by the viewers because they like what they are doing. If a harsh comment comes, these people allow their eyes to pass through it yet not linger there long enough to depress them. Besides, they strive to be better.

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If YOU know that you have the talent which is far higher than what these people have, then why are you still sitting there and letting your fear about blogging eat you? I assure you, a little bit of confidence to yourself and your natural blogging skills combined can take you to places in no time. “Get outside of whatever your thought of traditional journaling may mean, and have fun with it!” Lindsey Pratt Psychotherapy, LMHC suggests.

Treat The Blogging World As Your Jungle

It is not egotistical to consider yourself as the king or queen of the jungle, especially if you remain undecided whether you will start blogging or not. For the record, you should do that and (hopefully) inspire others to overcome their fears. If you are having a hard time dealing with yours, though, you should see the activity as no different from a jungle that wild animals live in. It may be a massive place that’s covered by the trees, but it does not mean that you will not be able to create a path for yourself towards an opening.

Contact A Therapist

Contacting a therapist who can help you overcome your fear of blogging should serve as a last resort if the tips above either do not work or are not enough for you. Of course, we are aware that some people prefer to deal with their sources of anxiety on their own to avoid making their loved ones worry or prevent becoming a laughingstock because of it. Nevertheless, a psychological counselor is the type of friend you want by your side if all else fails.

When choosing a therapist, the first thing to consider is their knowledge about phobias and anxiety-related disorders in general. “Finding a therapist is the first step in helping to crawl out from under depression,” says Susan Block, LMFT. You may also ask about the activities that can treat or counter your condition. Since mental health is not included in many insurance policies, though, you should prepare for doctors’ fees.

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Source: jisc.ac.uk

Final Thoughts

Getting rid of your fear once and for all can sound like an impossible task, especially if you have had the problem for a long while. However, how can you follow your dreams and pursue a career in writing if you cannot even create a blog?

Think of the ideas above so that you can publish your first blog article soon. Cheers!

Mind-Body Approaches For Fertility: Healing For Health

 

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Mind and body therapy pertains to the connection between one’s physical and mental health. Stress is the culprit of various illnesses, both emotional and physical. Chronic conditions like infertility may cause severe stress, which may subsequently lead to anxiety and depression. But could these mind-body therapy approaches really help women conceive? Studies and clinical trials prove this to be true. Results have shown that mind-body medicine provides women with healthier ways to cope with the stress and anxiety of fertility, including fertility treatments.

Although more has to be done to confirm 100% efficacy of these approaches, most studies have claimed an increase in the number of pregnancies in couples participating in mind-body programs. And according to a Pediasure and pregnancy-related article, for those studies where pregnancy was not the target outcome, the participants showed improved emotional well-being. Moreover, some people believe that our minds can work on our bodies efficiently and our health in general, doing as much as literally healing our bodies. In fact, one does not need to believe to reap its benefits. Practitioners of this field of medicine see and utilize mind-body therapies to decrease stress and increase one’s quality of life, but not to actually cure a disease or condition.

 

Mind-Body Therapies

Mind-body medicine is also known as mind-body-spirit medicine, holistic care, or integrative medicine. Here are some of the most common therapy approaches that may help with fertility and improved overall health.

Yoga

“Many practitioners and teachers of yoga claim it offers benefits for one’s mental health. It seems like an obvious conclusion, given that most yoga focuses on exploring one’s inner world of consciousness.” John M. Grohol, Psy.D. said. A combination of pranayama (breathing) and asanas (postures), yoga is a systematic and meditative exercise. It has been used for thousands of years to clear the mind and achieve inner peace. Lately, practitioners have utilized it to assist women who are diagnosed to be infertile or couples who have been unsuccessful in conceiving. Fertility-friendly yoga DVDs are slowly gaining popularity in the markets. Only a few results connect directly to achieving fertility through yoga, but the restorative and gentle yoga types have been very beneficial for women who are undergoing IVF treatment, which may have a link to successful conception.

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Group Therapy And Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT is a known technique of counseling that is done by a therapist guiding a patient through a process of replacing his negative thoughts with positive ones. “CBT is a relatively brief, skills-focused treatment that has been shown to be effective for a wide variety of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, anger, social skills deficits, and relational problems.” Shelby Harris, PsyD, CBSM elaborates. Breathing and relaxation techniques are also involved here. It is one of the most effective methods for individuals with anxiety, stress, and infertility. One study claimed that more positive results were seen in patients with depression than those who were taking antidepressants. Group therapy, on the other hand, is a type of counseling where women or couples with similar emotional issues have found beneficial in terms of mental and emotional healing.

Acupuncture

One of the oldest practices, acupuncture, works by working on trigger points to balance energy in the entire body. It is considered as alternative medicine and at the same time a mind-body approach, as it induces relaxation, comfort, and stress reduction. Research and clinical trials on the acupuncture-fertility link are thought to be due to these positive benefits.

Meditation

According to Andrea F. Polard, PsyD “Meditation is not just relaxing, but to be keenly aware of the present moment while not interfering with mental activities that revolve around our little self.” There are various types of meditation, and the type of meditation that may help women conceive is that which guides women to cope with the stress of attempting to have a child. This kind of meditation teaches the mind to let go of the useless thoughts and focus on the goal you want to achieve. It encourages the mind to move further from worry and nearer to peace and calm. This is a new practice that has just been introduced in fertility programs, and not much can be said about it in terms of positive or negative outcomes.

Hypnotherapy

This can be done either alone through audio recording or with the guidance of a hypnotherapist. The patient/client is walked through a state of light sleep or a trance, and this results in deep relaxation of the mind and body. While in a trance, the therapist assists the patient by inducing hope and positivity in the patient’s thoughts. He enumerates alternative ideas to replace the patient’s negative thought patterns. Two or more studies have proven that hypnosis during IVF treatments increased the success rate of the procedure. Additionally, hypnosis is a popular remedy for heavy smokers those who want to lose weight the healthy way.

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Guided Imagery

It is a type of meditation that involves guidance from a therapist or an audio recording walking the patient through a relaxation and breathing exercise while ‘daydreaming’ beautiful colors and peaceful spaces such as the forest or the beach.

 

 

 

Alternative Treatments You Might Want To Try For Your Chronic Pain

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Have you been dealing with chronic pain for some time now, but you prefer to see a therapist online instead of meet with a real doctor to get help?

Yes, you are not the only physically troubled individual who does that. With the emergence of digital counseling, a growing number of folks turn to it as they look for a remedy for their health problems. That is irrespective of the fact that such form of therapy is most applicable for non-severe cases of depression and anxiety.

If you genuinely do not wish to take medicine or go under the knife to cure or reduce your chronic pain, there are other alternative treatments that you might want to try.

Egoscue Method

It is best known as the world leader in non-medical pain relief. One of its central belief is that “your body will never let you down,” strategically telling the patients that this therapy is effective for stopping chronic pain by focusing on improving your posture.

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Whole-Body Vibration

The procedure for this method requires you to stand, sit, or lay down on a vibrating platform. The goal is to make your entire body vibrate so that your lower back muscles may soften and gain more strength afterward.

Active Release Technique

It is a movement-based massage that mainly works on overworked soft tissues to reduce chronic pain. The process is different from other therapeutic techniques, considering the masseuse “feels up” the tensed muscles and treats them by manipulating the area that affects the patient’s movements.

Myofascial Release

This alternative therapy involves exerting pressure your tight muscles or tissues, which typically restricts you from moving. The treatment is highly ideal not only for chronic pain patients but also for those who have migraine, fibromyalgia, et cetera.

Rolfing Structural Integration

The treatment aims to rearrange or realign an individual’s connective tissues so that their motions can go back to normal again. Patients will go through what the experts call as a Ten-Series format, which can adjust their body to its regular form in a systematic approach.

The first part of the treatment focuses on relaxing the shallow tissues. The second part lengthens the deeper muscles in the body and some improvement on the person’s daily performance is already visible. Once you near the end of the program, the therapist will work on body integration and function as a whole.

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Spinal Decompression

The technique relieves the pressure on the nerves in the spinal column. Inversion therapy is one of the common traction forms used to decompress the spine which encompasses being hanged upside down.

Chiropractic

It involves manual therapy like adjusting of joint and manipulating dysfunctional joints. Chiropractic treatment practices include Spinal Manipulation Therapy (SMT), Applied Kinesiology, Diversified, Activator, Thompson, Gonstead, Sacro-Occipital, Nimmo-Receptor Tonus, and Cranial techniques.

Atlas Orthogonal

It promotes “painless and safe spinal correction” by using light touches to help heal the back problems. An Atlas Orthogonist is supposed to be skilled at using a percussion instrument, which produces the sound waves that can ideally adjust the misaligned spine.

Biopuncture

It is a form of therapy that gets done by injecting active substances like arnica, Echinacea, nux vomica, and chamomile, to the skin or to the muscle to regulate the muscles physiologically. Biopuncture is mostly useful for chronic pain caused by sports-related injuries.

Prolotherapy

Also known as regenerative injection therapy, it involves the injection of a non-irritant solution to the body to treat injured connective tissues that are said to cause back pain.

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Acupuncture

It is done by inserting needles to the skin to stimulate specific points in the body. There had been studies showing that back pain can be treated by acupuncture successfully by introducing needles at various parts of the body at different depths.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

The treatment starts by centrifuging a small amount of the blood of the person who’s in pain. When everything settles down, the expert injects the concentrated platelets at the injured part of the body. Some scientists believe that platelets have bioactive growth constituents; that’s why they can help in tissue recovery.

Neural Prolotherapy (NPT)

It merely uses 5% dextrose to resolve pain by obstructing TRPV1, a neuropeptide that generates the release of pain. The treatment will continue until the patient is completely pain-free.

Final Thoughts

The goodness of these therapies is that they’re also worthy for other kinds of body pain so smile now and look forward to your physical healing. So, you see, there’s still hope for your chronic pain and more.

Good luck!

 

Five Facts About Single Fathers

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Ever since the family movie “The Pursuit of Happyness” from 13 years ago, there have been more and more children from single-parent families who lived with their fathers. The percentage of father-led single-parent households since 2007 has increased since then by 12.5%, making a total of 16.1% according to the US Census Bureau.

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How Reading Can Make Your Mind And Body Healthy (Meet The Better You)

Time spent on reading books is time well spent according to psychologists.  You can start reading as a hobby, which can eventually be developed into a habit.  A good habit that can be the source of your happiness and pleasure as it allows you to escape reality for a moment.

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Reading Helps You Breakaway From Stress

A study revealed that reading could reduce stress by 68%.  Whether it’s fiction, novel, romantic paperback, cooking or gardening magazine, it works faster and more efficient than other forms of therapy.  It does not have to be a best seller book, as long as it is something that interests you, and provides you with enjoyment.  It allows you to escape from stress.   You may not notice it, but even browsing a telephone directory can relieve your anxiety for a while.

“Reading, doing challenging puzzles such as crosswords or Sudoku, debating issues with others who have opposing viewpoints, learning a new language or musical instrument, trying a new hobby, or teaching and tutoring others are all ways to maintain or improve your intellectual wellness.” –Marjie L. Roddick, MA, NCC, LMHC

When going for a long ride or as traffic jam begins to affect your mood, reading traffic signs and billboards along the road snatched you away from the boredom.  It distracts you from getting stressed.

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Kids usually get bored quickly and hate being inside the car for long hours.  Getting them to read signs on the road is a trick to distract them.  The moment they enjoy it, you have happy kids in the car that keeps stress away.

 

Reading Can Inspire You To Be Better

Reading is not just a source of enjoyment; it can inspire you in many ways, and encourage you to try new things.  The words on every page stimulate your brain, boost your imagination, and bring out the creative and adventurous person in you.

Some books share success stories of people known for their craft. Books also shaped their lives, improved their well-being, boost their creativity and productivity, transform their careers, and more.  Understanding what brings them happiness, success, and health can impact you to behave and think the same way.

Sometimes as we read, we find the answer to some of our questions, like what we wanted to be, what’s is life’s purpose.  It is in continuous reading also that you will find the answer and how you can achieve it.  A book can inspire you to change your life for the better.

 

Reading Can Make You More Social

A wide reader understands and interacts better with people.  People who love to read can be a good conversationalist as they can easily hold a conversation, share meaty facts about life and other stuff in general.

You can easily tell a person who likes to read with his sharp memory.   He never runs out of a topic that makes sense.

 

Reading Good Books Trains Your Brain To Be More Empathic

Good reads motivate you to have a positive perspective on life.  A person with a positive outlook animates his thoughts by doing good deeds.  He is aware that being kind inspires others to do the same.

It gives you a sense of fulfillment knowing that you contributed something to society.

 

Reading Can Result In A Healthy Body And Mind

“Rest time is essential to recover from the burden of stressors in our day to day lives. Rest can include sleep, relaxing, time doing something that you enjoy doing such as reading, fishing, calling a good friend.” Gretchen Flores, MA LPC LCPC said. Being able to free yourself from stress means your body feels relaxed, and no more tensed muscles.  When you are cool as a cucumber, your heart rate decreases and blood pressure is lower.  If you’re in pain, reading can also help alleviate the discomfort you are in.

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Reading book is found useful in calming the body 30 minutes before sleep and is effective in combating insomnia.  Put down your gadgets, and hold a book.  Many people I know read their Bible before bedtime, and instantly they fall asleep.  Calming prose and poetry can also be your lullaby. Audra J Lee LMFT suggests that “Take a mental health day, take time off from work and refuel & recharge, whatever that looks like for you personally.”

Don’t you think it’s time for you to pick a book that will allow you to escape to another world, let go of your stressors, be inspired, and find yourself again?   It’s just this time; it is the better person in you that you will come to meet.

Importance Of Mindfulness To Our Modern Teens

Today’s generation is far different from yesterday. The teens nowadays deal with various stressors such as the social media, peer pressure, social standards, parents, social demands, and change in morals and values of society. There is too much to think about that sometimes, all the things that occupy the mind make it crowded and confused. It is essential that the teens be mindful and goal-oriented. They should be able to distinguish which is vital in their individuality and life in general. 

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