Words of wisdom

"The trouble with most of us is that we compare our insides with other people's outsides"
Marian Keyes
Rachel's Holiday

Champagne is good for you.

Those of us who take our health seriously know that red wine and good chocolate in moderation are good for the heart and vascular health. . Now it appears that Champagne and Cava are even better than red wine in terms of polyphenols and other stuff which seem to lower the risk of heart disease.
Champagne can be good for your heart, a new British study reveals.

"Drinking around two glasses of Champagne can have beneficial effects on the way blood vessels function," similar to the benefits of red wine, reported Dr. Jeremy Spencer of the University of Reading in the current British Journal of Nutrition.

Sparkling wine increases nitric oxide, which controls blood pressure, the study said. The polyphenols from the red and white grapes get absorbed into the system and "appear to slow down the natural removal of nitric oxide in the blood." That, in turn, "may help to decrease both blood pressure and the likelihood of blood clots forming."

Spencer admitted more research is needed to figure out the "long term effects of daily Champagne consumption."

In the meantime, though, he said, the "potential to reduce the risks of suffering from cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke is very exciting news."

The current study was done with scientists in France. Spencer's earlier study, in 2007 with an Italian university in Monserrato, found Champagne might protect neuron cells against brain injuries from stroke and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. That study also reported the levels of polyphenols in Champagne varied greatly from "variety, vintage and a wide range of environmental fact
Source The Observer 13th December 2009

VS Ramachandran on your mind | Video on TED.com

VS Ramachandran on your mind | Video on TED.com

'It is not events but how we view them that matters' Epictetus.

Appraisal

The psychologist Richard Lazarus showed how appraisal of a situation can affect how stressful it feel.

He created a stressful situation as a research experiment to test the idea that it is our thoughts or 'reading' of a situation rather than the objective reality of the event that determines how stressful we find it.

He showed people films in which people were hurt - a finger was cut off by a saw!
One group were told beforehand that this was not real and was acted.
Another group were told beforehand that it was a training video used and so could distance themselves somewhat.
The third group were told that the people on film really suffered pain and infection later.

Lazarus then measured the stress reactions such as increased heart rate and sweating and participant's own evaluation of how stressed they felt.
Not surprisingly the third group showed most physiological activity and reported the most stress.

A few thoughts.
Not surprising perhaps.
Does this mean fake violence in the media is less harmful if it is framed as fake?
Are more sensitive people more at risk for stress? Probably.
It would seem to strongly suggest that we should stop banging on about stress to our young people in the media and perhaps in our schools.
How to get the balance right? To acknowledge and support people in stressful situations without leading them to view it as more stressful than they might have before!

Are you stressed?

Symptoms of Stress
Do you find that you...

Get headaches
Have aches and pains in your arms and legs
Feel tension in your neck and shoulders
Feel your stomach churning
Get more colds and flu
Feel tense and nervy
Feel impatient and irritable
Make silly mistakes
Find it hard to concentrate or make decisions
Feel stupid
Feel you can't cope with demands
Put things off
Avoid difficult situations
Drink,eat or smoke too much
Never have time for yourself

How many of these apply to you?
What do you need for yourself?

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/new_study_reveals_most_children

Latest research!

Positive Stress - Eustress

Life without stress would be quite boring. Not all stress is bad. Positive stress also known as 'eustress' pushes us to perform well and stretch ourselves and can raise our efficacy and creativity.

Neurobiology of social interaction

Professor Alan Carr in "Positive Psychology" writes about the neurobiology of hope and optimism. Research in optimism in women focuses on oxytocin and endogenous opioids release following the birth of offspring adn and also released in response to stress and social support social support. Professor Martin Seligman has researched the correlation between optimistic character traits and wellness and found that optimists tend to recover better from illness. More to follow ...

Amazing brain research findings.

New research findings in neuroscience!

The Celebrationists

Focusing

Much stress seems to originate from the way in which our minds perceive the world and the stories we tell ourselves about external realities. We can become caught up in the web of our painful memories and future fears in a very cerebral way. A consequence of this is that we may become disconnected from our bodily sensations and our 'felt sense' of ourselves and the world. When this happens we can get out of touch with the amazing resource that is our body. By focusing in on our sensations and thoughts in the moment we can reconnect with our stronger more solid selves and really listen to what is happening for us.

All the latest brain research seems to suggest that being attended to and attending to ourselves is healing and can aid neurogenesis.

Eugene Gendlin explored the concept of Focusing which is about focusing on what he called our 'felt sense'. You can find out more on the Focusing website

PS. But not while driving!

Blue Breath Spots

This may seem silly but it works. Stick some blue dots on objects that you encounter during your day. I have one on my office phone and another on my car dashboard. When you notice them STOP for a few moments and take a break. Breathe in slowly for a count of three and then exhale slowly on a count of three. You can close your eyes or not as you do this and imagine yourself recharging and releasing tension as you inhale and exhale. It works and it only takes a few moments.

By doing this you are producing your own relaxation response.

PS. But not while driving!

How stress works. Positive stress can stretch us - but we can all get overstretched

Not all stress is bad. We need positive stress to excite us so we take action and drive ourselves forward. In nature animals produce a stress response as a short term reaction to immediate threat - the body shuts down non-essential activities such as digestion and releases a surge of chemicals such as adrenalin to enable the "prey" to engage in "fight or flight". The problem with humans is that unlike other mammals we produce a stress response for both real and imagined threats. We can end up on permanent stress alert because of the perceived sense of threat we create in our brains. As a result of this many of us may be chronically stressed or suffering from continuous low levels of stress - a bit like living with the house alarm on all the time!

Many of us factor in this constant sense of stress or anxiety as something we can live with or something that just comes with the territory of 21st century living.

Research suggests that ongoing stress is harmful for our minds and bodies and links it to many modern diseases such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Stress doesn't cause disease but it weakens our defences and puts much of our energy into being on high alert. No wonder anxiety and depression seem to be increasing.

We don't have to tolerate living with chronic stress. We can choose to control and use our stress responses to our advantage.

Relaxation and stress management techniques can help us learn to regulate and switch off this alarm system. But it takes practice! Fifteen minutes a day could make a big difference to our mental and physical wellbeing.

Àutogenic Training - AT

NB. There are some contraindications for some relaxation techniques which I will list below.


You can teach your body to respond quickly and effectively to your verbal commands to relax.
If we don't have the chance to recuperate from emotionally and physically stressful experiences our body chemistry can become unbalanced and our mood can be disturbed. We may develop high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, ulcers, migraines or rheumatoid arthritis or we may suffer from imbalance in the form of muscle tension and aches and digestive difficulties.

Autogenics has its origins in hypnosis research conducted by Oskar Vogt in Berlin in the 19th century. He discovered that we can create a state similar to a hypnotic trance just by thinking of heaviness and warmth in our extremities. In essence AT consists of relaxing, undisturbed in a comfortable position and concentrating on verbal messages suggesting warmth and heaviness in your limbs . In 1932 Schultz combined Vogt's autosuggestion with Yoga techniques and published his new system in his book "Autogenic Training"

Not suitable for children under 5 or individuals with severe mental or emotional disorders. It is recommended that you should check with your Doctor before beginning AT as in some cases it may be inadvisable or could lead to a fluctuation in blood pressure levels.

8 steps to a Happier Life

These suggestions by University of California psychologist Sonya Lyubomirsky are based on research by her and others and featured in a Time Magazine 2005 special on Happiness.

1. Count your blessings
2. Practice acts of kindness
3. Savour life's joys
4. Thank a mentor
5. Learn to forgive
6. Invest time and energy in friends and family
7. Take care of your body
8. Learn to control stress and find ways to deal with hardship



Painting by Patrick Viale with the artist's permission.

What makes us happy - BBC Article

What makes us happy? According to psychologist Professor Ed Diener there is no one key to happiness but a set of ingredients that are vital. For added happiness, look for meaning in your life First, family and friends are crucial - the wider and deeper the relationships with those around you the better. It is even suggested that friendship can ward off germs. Our brains control many of the mechanisms in our bodies which are responsible for disease. Just as stress can trigger ill health, it is thought that friendship and happiness can have a protective effect. According to happiness research, friendship has a much bigger effect on average on happiness than a typical person's income itself. One economist, Professor Oswald at Warwick University, has a formula to work out how much extra cash we would need to make up for not having friends. The answer is £50,000. Marriage also seems to be very important. According to research the effect of marriage adds an average seven years to the life of a man and something like four for a woman. The second vital ingredient is having meaning in life, a belief in something bigger than yourself - from religion, spirituality or a philosophy of life. The third element is having goals embedded in your long term values that you're working for, but also that you find enjoyable. Psychologists argue that we need to find fulfilment through having goals that are interesting to work on and which use our strengths and abilities. Unhappiness However, there are also many things we experience in life that can produce lasting unhappiness. Professor Ed Diener identifies two key events which can have lasting effects. After the loss of a spouse it can take several years to regain the previous level of well-being. The loss of a job can affect a person for years even they are back to work. So if you are born grumpy are you always going to be grumpy? The question of whether we can actually use our knowledge of what makes us happy to lift our levels of happiness permanently is hotly debated by psychologists. According to the positive psychologist Professor Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania it is possible to lift our biological set range of happiness, at least to some extent if we work at it. "The best you can do with positive emotion is you can get people to live at the top of their set range. "So I think you've got about 10 to 15% leverage but you can't take a grouch and make him giggle all the time." The first episode of The Happiness Formula was shown on BBC Two at 1900 BST on Wednesday. E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these?

BBC TWO Episode guide Happiness test Take psychologist Professor Ed Diener's test to find out how happy you are Britain's happiness in decline Staying happier for longer Searching the brain for happiness The politics of happiness The science of happiness Happiness is smile shaped Your say: Making Britain happier Your pictures: Tips for happiness In pictures: Happy in Bhutan WATCH ONLINE What is happiness? Think yourself happy Politics of happiness Power of happiness The happiness recipe Happiness in Bhutan RELATED BBC LINKS BBC Two RELATED INTERNET LINKS Professor Ed Diener Professor Andrew Oswald Professor Richard Layard Professor Daniel Kahneman Dr Morten Kringelbach Dylan Evans, Robotics scientist Professor Martin Seligman American Psychological Association Sociologist Professor Linda Waite Professor Robert Putnam World Database of Happiness Centre for Confidence and Well-being The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites MOST POPULAR STORIES NOW MOST SHARED MOST READ Exercise 'risk' for middle aged Dubai stocks drop 6% on new fears Websites start charging for news Phone box has new life as library Fifties pop star Al Alberts dies Most popular now, in detail MOST SHARED MOST READ Dubai stocks drop 6% on new fears Woods hits out at 'false rumours' Exercise 'risk' for middle aged Sexes' danger reactions 'differ' US police 'shot dead in ambush' Swiss voters back ban on minarets What is Dubai and who runs it? What spoiled the party in Dubai? The man who smuggled himself into Auschwitz Phone box has new life as library Most popular now, in detail

Relaxation Techniques - Body Scan

Just as our stress alarm system can be activated by our perception of threatening events we can also learn how to summon up the reverse of this - our relaxation response. Research has shown that there are 7 ways to control our stress response. Breathing is one of them. The body scan is another and it is very simple. The hard bit is deciding to do it.

Many of us are probably familiar with this if we ever tried Yoga or went to a relaxation class. Essentially it consists of systematically focusing on certain body parts and noticing how they feel as we tense and then relax these parts slowly. As you focus systematically on each part of the body you can use your breath to "carry" awareness into each part of the body.

This is a lying down meditation which can help us to get in touch with and get back on friendly terms with our bodies.

I first tried this last year at a relaxation class and I was horrified to realize just how tense and unwell my body felt. I was far too busy and "in my head" to pay attention to my body unless it was as part of a programme - Crazy Type A behaviour perhaps. A day later my GP sent me to A and E for high blood pressure. I think the experience of "checking in" with my body was important as it made me realise what a toll stress was taking on my physical health and was instrumental in getting me to visit my GP.

With all relaxation techniques you should check with your GP before trying some new activity if you are over 30 or have health issues.

The sound of Rain

Gratefulness. Finding a way to "Happiness that doesn't depend on what happens"

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is neither difficult nor complex; remembering to be mindful is the great challenge.
- Christina Feldman

Professor Robert Sapolsky talks on The Uniqueness of Humans

Professor Sapolsky is a leading neuroscientist and the author of "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: Organisational Rank and Stress." and "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: An Updated Guide to Stress, Stress- Related Diseases and Coping" A fascinating and very readable book. He is a brilliant speaker. He is renowned for his studies on stress and human behaviour and his research with African Baboons and observation of fight or flight responses in zebras. He researches issues of stress and neuron degeneration and was one of the first to document the link between prolonged stress and damage to the neurons in the hippocampus and links between stress and physical and mental disease from a neuroscience and evolutionary perspective.

Described by the New York Times as 'one of the finest natural history writers around' and by Oliver Sacks as ' one of the best science writers of our time'

Robert Sapolsky 'Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers. Organizational Rank and Stress

How and why we turn the stress response on when we don't need to.
How we should learn to live differently and manage our stress responses.

Everything is Going to Be All Right

How should I not be glad to contemplate
the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window
and a high tide reflected on the ceiling?
There will be dying, there will be dying,
but there is no need to go into that.
The lines flow from the hand unbidden
and the hidden source is the watchful heart.
The sun rises in spite of everything
and the far cities are beautiful and bright.
I lie here in a riot of sunlight
watching the day break and the clouds flying.
Everything is going to be all right.

Derek Mahon
Painting by David Tress

I love this poem - it speaks to me of hope and a sense of adventure and the importance of being in the moment in all its complexity. It doesn't deny pain or sadness. Ifind myself thinking of different lines at different times.
I love

The far cities are beautiful and bright

Poetry connects us to what is deepest in ourselves. It gives us access to our own feelings, which are often shadowy, and engages us in the art of making meaning. It widens the space of our inner lives, It is a magical, mysterious inexplicable (though not incomprehensible event)in language.

Edward Hirsch

I think we need to make meaning and that we can find fulfilment when we attend to the 'watchful heart' and make space for our inner lives. I am not sure how much space I give to my inner world. I am pretty sure it is not enough and that I suffer the consequences. Even a few moments of contemplation or 'attending to self' can make a difference.

Do you have poems or lines that give you hope or comfort or inspire or lift you?
Would you consider sharing them?

Stress Management

Stress is a normal physical, mental and emotional reaction to events which we percieve as threatening or overwhelming. It is an adaptive evolutionary response to our environment and can be both positive and negative. Recently almost two thirds of Americans surveyed by the American Psychological Society said that they expected to seek help for stress at some point in their lives.

Positive stress drives us to exert ourselves and push our boundaries.
Negative stress is when we tip over the other side. This sort of stress can be become chronic and has been linked to many of the most prevalent modern diseases such as heart disease and some cancers. Studies suggest that chronic ongoing stress releases hormones into the body that if not dispersed can weaken our immune systems.

The bad news is that much of the way we live today can contribute to raised levels of stress.
The good news is that we can do a great deal to avoid, minimize and manage our stress. There are clinically proven methods of stress reduction which are easy to implement and do not require any elaborate equipment, expense or training.

We just need to believe that being stressed is bad for us and that we can choose to do manage our stress.

First we need to understand just how our stress response works. Once you understand how our stress response gets switched on it becomes easier to see how we can start to learn to switch it off or at least control it

Breathing

The simplest way to relax is to learn to breathe properly. Learn how to control your breathing.

• Sit comfortably or lie down
• Try to adopt an attentive and straight but relaxed posture.
• Now, notice your breath entering and leaving your body.
• Don't judge your breath just notice as you breathe in and out.
• Focus on inhaling and exhaling
• Inhale by slowly taking the air down into your lungs (try to feel the air going down to your diaphragm), hold the breath for a couple of seconds and then gently and slowly exhale.
• Try breathing in and out, counting slowly: IN (one, two, three, four), HOLD (one, two) and OUT (one, two, three, four).
• When you have found the rhythm that suits you and is comfortable, focus on the words 'in' and 'out'. In your mind say, 'In - Out, In - Out, In - Out' in line with your breathing.

As you breathe in imagine the breath recharging or nurturing you. Whatever feels good or makes sense for you.

As you breathe out you may like to imagine yourself relaxing as you let go of tension.

Try to keep thoughts to a minimum by focusing on the breath and your 'In' - 'Out' mantra.

If your busy mind starts to wander don't judge it harshly just notice that that is what the mind tends to do and then gently bring yourself back to observing your breath.

Sometimes I imagine myself like my phone recharging!

Here you can listen to a clinical psychologist explaining the physiological effect of breathing in controlling the stress response and talking about how he uses mindful breathing and meditation to counter anxiety.

It's Good to Laugh

Once again research is proving what we always knew - that laughter is good for us!

Professor Martin Seligman talks about Positive Psychology

Flow

How come if most of us in the developed world have ' never had it so good' it can still seem at times as if we are facing an epidemic of depression and anxiety?

The greatest happiness may come from absorbing oneself in some goal outside oneself and it is possible that one of the reasons for the reported increase in unhappiness in spite of material wealth in some cultures may be that many people are bored and have gained comfort at the price of stimulation.

Professor Mike Csikzentmihalyi has shown through extensive research that when people are engaged in challenging but controllable states that are intrinsically motivating they experience a unique psychological state which he referred to as Flow. This state in which people tyypically 'lose themselves' has been linked to increased psychological and physical well being. These are tasks which require considerable skill and complete concentration so that we become deeply engrossed with the task to the extent that we can lose track of time or of our sense of self or our normal cares and concerns. These activities are satisfying in themselves and research suggests that they are vital to our wellbeing.

We can increase the frequency of our flow experiences by engaging in tasks that challenge our skills to the limits.
How to increase Flow in everyday activites
You can find out more about Flow activities on the positivepsychology website .

7 Steps to Instant Happiness

Be positive
Be Brave
Meditate
Be kind to yourself
Use your pessimism
Find a calling
Act Happy

Are we what we eat?

We accept that how we treat our bodies impacts on our sense of wellbeing and generally we pay lip service to the idea of healthy body = healthy mind. What is the evidence? Can we improve our mood and our thought proccesses by eating better. If this is such a no brainer why do we not pay more attention to the importance of food? Are we all a little bit ADDH from too much caffeine and sugar? The key food issues are quality and quantity. The What How and Why of our complex relationship with food.

Are there super mood foods?

'The really important research question in health is why we crave carbohydrates when we feel unloved?' Robert Sapolsky author of "Why Zebras don't get Ulcers".


Neuroscience developments suggest that eating certain foods ... aids neurogenesis

All in the mind? How powerful is positive thinking?

When you go to a garden,
do you look at thorns or flowers?
Spend more time with roses and jasmine.
Rumi

Cognitive behaviour therapy would have us believe that many of our emotional and behavioural difficulties are the result of faulty thinking - How we think affects how we feel and how we act and so it continues in a feedback loop which often produces unhelpful and self-perpetuating patterns of thinking, feeling and acting. According to this theory we can choose how we think and so take control of our emotions and actions.

CBT encourages an action oriented experimental approach to dealing with distress and stress. It is a psycho-educational mode which encourages active and collaborative learning.

Recent developments link Mindfulness approaches with CBT suggesting an attitude of loving kindness towards one's wayward contrary thoughts. Mindfulness research suggests that the act of observing or bearing witness to painful thoughts and attending to them in a non-judgemental way can be enought to engender change.

Neuroscience and infant development research show how the presence or absence of attention and affection can impede or encourage the growth of brain neurons. We thrive when we are cared for, babies who are neglected will 'fail to thrive' even if their purely physiological needs are met - studies have shown that infant primates will chose affection before food as a neccessity for survival. The feeling of being loved and attended to is healing in ways we are only beginning to understand. These are two of the core conditions of person centred therapy - empathy and non-judgmental listening

. If we can adopt an attitude of kindness, openness and curiosity towards our emotions then we can begin to relate to them. The relationship is the healing - with others and with ourselves.

So can changing the mental messages and switching 'channels' make a positive difference?

All we need is love?

Mindfulness approaches advocate an attitude of gentle acceptance and loving kindness towards our own thoughts and feelings as the way to change.

The paradox -- when we cease striving to change ourselves for what we belive is the better then we become what we truly are. Hopefully this is a good thing!

The theory is that much of our distress rises out of a sense of our wrongness and running away from discomfort - if we can sit with our feelings and thoughts and listen to ourselves then we can become our own wisest counsellors and loving parents. If we can stop beating ourselves up over what is wrong with us then we can release energy to focus on what is right. Freud spoke about the way in which unconscious conflicts use up energy and demand to be attended to.

Much psychic energy goes into defending ourselves against our sense of wrongness and may result in somatic signs of distress.

As usual the stuff we always knew like 'we flourish when we are loved and attended to' is now being proved by science and validated by research. Doh !

For a great introduction to the importance of early childhood relationships and the impact of 'love' or its absence on our brain development and capacity to love others and ourselves read "Why Love Matters" by Judith Gerhard. Fairly up to the minute neuroscience and common sense written by a psychotherapist and parent.

Advocates of this approach include Jon Kabat Zinn whom you can see on google lectures on youtube

Reading List
"A mindful Approach to Depresssion" - this comes with an excellent cd of relaxation exercises
"A Path with Heart" -- -Jack Kornfield

"Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert - this is enjoyable and easy to read unless you just find yourself hating the author - which is fine! Here she is -

Creative visualization - A holiday in your head!

The imagination, the one reality in this imagined world.

Wallace Stevens

Sometimes what feels like a constant barrage of negative images and information can leave us feeling under siege. It may feel as if our brains are permanently tuned into a negative news channel. We can feel the physical effects of this in our muscles and in our gut. If we pay attention to our bodies we can notice how we automatically tense and steel ourselves when we take in bad news. It is clear to all of us that our thoughts can evoke a strong, often automatic physical response. We can feel disgusted or 'hot and bothered' or just 'hot' depending on the stimuli.
As humans our imagination - our ability to conjure up images and scenarios, is a pretty amazing tool. We can use it to feel good as well as bad.
Visualisations are a way to evoke a relaxation and feel good response at will. It's easy. All you have to do is choose a safe and inspiring image of a place or setting that has positive connections for you. It doesn't have to be a real place but it probably helps if it is as you will be more readily able to summon it up if you feel you know it.

NB. Some of these exercises which encourage 'going within' may not be suitable for people who are feeling particulary fragile or who may be depressed or suffering from trauma as they might lead to a release of tension or a disconect with reality that could be overwhelming. Trust your own sense of what is good for you.

• Find a quiet moment and place, even if it just means zoning out for a few moments at your desk or in the bathroom between appointments. I find it works! Take a mini holiday in your head! Close your eyes and picture your happy or positive place.
• Picture yourself going there - maybe opening a gate or walking up an avenue.
• Try to keep other people at a distance in your imagined place this is your chance to just relax and take 'me time'.
• Picture yourself at rest in this place.
• Perhaps lying on a beach or in a garden hammock.
• Allow yourself to be there and to gently notice what is around you.
• Notice what you can smell or hear in the distance
• feel the sensation of the warm air on your skin
• notice how your mouth tastes and what you can feel beneath you
• allow yourself to relax and breathe in and out gently
• don't worry if you find your attention straying, that is normal
• just gently bring your mind back to your happy place
• when you are ready, decide that it is time to return to the present
• mentally begin to leave
• imagine yourself walking back out the gate or up the path
• gently come back to your present reality and notice how you feel refreshed and restored.
• take time during your day to check back in to your relaxing place.
  

Which Guru?

So many experts so little time!

Jon Kabat Zin talks about Mindfulness Meditation.

Better Ways