Feeling stressed, meditate.  We've heard that many times, but will you actually do it?

20 Minutes/day is all you need.  Suffering with headaches?  Dealing with symptoms of depression?  Try meditation.

​Sit or stay lying in your bed and close your eyes.  Take 100 s-l-o-w breaths and actually count them out loud or to yourself, silently.  Do not think of anything else!  While you are counting, it's difficult for intrusive thoughts to gain entry into your brain.  

If you accomplished 100 breaths, go for another 100.  As you become comfortable with this "practice" (meditative practice), increase your participation in this activity by another 100 until you reach that 20 minutes....Not all at once; work up to it.  

What do bananas, kiwis, plums and pineapple have in common?  Serotonin is a neurochemical that affects mood and you can naturally increase serotonin by eating those fruits.  Tomatoes are also high in serotonin.

And, while we are on the subject, fresh vegetables (carrots, spinach, cucumbers), apples, sour cherries, plums, pineapples, and fresh berries are also associated with better mental health and decreasing symptoms of depression.

Outside of fruits and veggies are fish, whole grains, eggs, healthy fats (e.g., olive oil).

You've heard of how sleepy you might feel after that sumptuous Thanksgiving meal.  Not that turkey is all that you would be consuming that evening, but it's the Tryptophan in that turkey that makes you feel sluggish and tired.  And, about Tryptophan...that boosts serotonin too.

Although I concentrated on foods reducing anxiety and depression, these foods are ALL healthy and a source of protein.  And when it comes down to it, they are lower in calories, keeps you trimmer, and loaded with vitamins, fiber and minerals.

The moral to this:  eat healthfully.  You'll look better, feel better, and be all around...BETTER!

I would be one of the first people who advocate no screens (tv's, laptops, I-pads, etc.) before bed, following complaints of falling to sleep difficulties. However, a recent article that I read in the Journal of Sleep Research, are now indicating that some media use can actually be good for falling asleep, particularly, podcasts, books, or a streaming service which can be a calming activity to induce sleep.  Further studies have indicated that total sleep time have actually increased following this type of passive activity.  One caveat:  I would avoid "thrillers," or, other type of movies which are captivating and whose endings you are looking forward to knowing, particularly if they over one hour in duration.

I do frequent some Health Food Stores for remedies.  Two treatments I discovered recently was Ignatia Amara and Muriaticum Acidum, which basically calms the adrenal glands and lessens anxiety-triggering stress hormones.  Some of the folks who work at these establishments are extremely knowledgeable and can impart a great deal of information,  I did overhear that the two mentioned above deepen sleep; although, I asked about helping with sleeplessness, but didn't get a very clear response.  

A treatment that I found to be very effective is Magnesium Oil, massaging just a few drops into 1 T. of coconut oil and giving yourself or a sufferer a foot massage.  Very relaxing and calming.

This information comes from the Center for Holistic & Integrative Medicine (Atlanta, GA).

Not wanting to get out of bed...despite being able to report to work on a daily basis (having very little energy, difficulty concentrating on your job)..  Not wanting to socialize with friends or being able to experience pleasure.  Feeling depleted that nothing good is happening in your life or to you.  These are just a small sampling of symptoms of depression.  And, there are many more.

There are a number of psychotherapeutic medications (psychopharmacology) and modalities (psychotherapy) and recently introduced is TMS or, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, offered by a few practitioners.  Although first introduced in the mid-80's, it became more popular as more physicians became skilled in its administration.  Not a 1st line of intervention, it is a treatment alternative to discuss with your
physician, especially when depression has lasted a very long time.

There are different types of TMS and different intensities.  This is NOT electro-shock therapy.  TMS introduces tiny electric-magnetic impulses with in turn targets parts of the brain that are related to your emotions and pleasure.

NOTE:  This is not an endorsement of TMS therapy, just a catalyst for you to initiate further discussion with your health care professional.

I wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year!

What is it that you wish to accomplish in life?  Personally, I believe that there is no greater accomplishment than being a great parent...even a very good parent.  Some parents learn as they go along.  Some parents raise their children as they were raised, or completely opposite from how they were raised.  And, some parents co-parent with their partner or spouse, by putting their heads together, discussing as they go along and by sharing their thoughts and beliefs. Sometimes even a yelling match could occur and the one who screams the loudest wins.  That never works! Other times, there may be door or two slamming and hurt feelings by words and statements uttered. 

It's a tough road ~ parenting is.  And, those many steps:  they're all components of the short-term goal.  Through the many ups & downs.  The funny times and the scary ones.  The exhausting days and the fatigue. 

But there is light at the end of the tunnel.  And, that's the Long-Term Goal --- the Mastery of parenting, building and sustaining a relationship with your child throughout their lives and yours.  

And, if you are childless?  Short-term:  Do your best each day, Do as you promise.  Learn by doing and teach others.  The Long Term Goal:  Review short-term goals.  Be the very best you can be, and be a kind, compassionate and decent person.

Research shows that positive thinking and visualization (guided imagery and/or positive mental images) have a "positive" effect on all types of illness and disease.

For example, when we perceive our health in a positive way; we are more optimistic about our health, compared to patients who went into surgery with a negative attitude.  When patients describe their health as poor, they are almost 3x's more likely to die of any cause.  (Reference:  Daniel. Mark, M.D., Duke University School of Medicine)

Our brain registers optimism in a positive way and adjusts the chemical and neural pathways that affect cellular function throughout our body.  Visualization (creating positive mental images) can boost our immune system and cancer patients who have practiced guided imagery for eight weeks [Journal of Personal Social Psychology, 1998; Vol.74, pp. 1646-1655] increased the count of Cancer-fighting cells which reject tumors.  With regards to cancer, however, to have lasting positive results, individuals need to practice this technique for the long-term to have positive results.  [Journal of Psychosom. Res, 2002, Vol.53, pp. 1131-1137]

*Patients studied were at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR.

You know what I mean.  You greet someone for the 1st time, and they smile courteously, politely, but not especially sincere.  What's the point?  It shows lack of interest or even distraction.  But something you might be surprised to hear is that when you are feeling "down," "low," or, otherwise, not yourself, I would recommend that you force a smile.  "But I don't feel like smiling," you might say. 

​BECAUSE, when you do, you are releasing feel-good chemicals.  Your heart rate will lessen and very likely, you will feel better.  If you don't want to force it, think about something that gives you thoughts of gratification.  Studies have indicated that doing this on an ongoing basis will make you feel calmer and more upbeat.

Robb Elementary School is a small school, only approximately 475 students, Kindergarten to 4th Grade.  Why it was chosen to be the site of a heart-breaking, cold-blooded massacre of 19 innocent and brave children and 2 heroic teachers is beyond my wildest comprehension and understanding.  I am sickened by the senseless loss of life of these children and their teachers for what purpose.  A mentally-ill young man, age 18, was able to purchase an automatic rifle, an assault rifle designed for military use.  These guns should NOT be sold to the general public. I really don't care to hear about our Constitutional Right to bear arms.  When our forefathers wrote those words, they used muskets, gunpowder and lead balls.  Some of them took 30 minutes or longer to load.  An AR-5 and AR 15, etc , family of AR rifles were not intended for the lay public, as stated specifically by the inventor of these automatic rifles, Eugene Stoner.  

I am angry!  Very angry at these gun manufacturers.

I have in previous blogs wrote of forgiveness, and this is an area that I discuss with my clients, friends and others.  I chose the themes of my blogs several weeks in advance. The theme of forgiveness was selected before the recent senseless shootings at a Taiwanese Presbyterian church in southern California, at a Buffalo grocery store filled with elderly black people and before the most recent horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that took the lives of 19 children and 2 incredibly brave and heroic teachers. I considered changing the theme of forgiveness for this month but then realized that it is the perfect theme for June.   Like many of us I have spent several weeks in tears around these different events and my heart goes out to all of those who have been impacted by these unimaginable acts. Like all of us who have expressed feelings about these recent events, I struggle to find the words. But I will try.  After we grieve, we will recover from this. We are resilient and eventually life will begin to make sense again. If you are feeling like there is nothing you can do to help, consider how you can share love in your everyday life. Smile at a stranger, share a kind word, help a neighbor or volunteer in your community.  Spread love.  Hug your family and friends, tell them you love them, appreciate them deeply. All of these events are reminders that life can be taken away in an instant. As incredibly difficult and heart-wrenching as these major events are, we must remember that we will heal. Hope will return against all odds because love is bigger than any horror or hate the world can throw at us.