Like everything else, Happiness is also a Choice

Like everything else, Happiness is also a Choice

The core of every endeavour, every pursuit and every single action of man is to attain happiness. Yet we are a miserable lot in this world. For most of us, it is a mirage which has been eluding us throughout life. If you peep into a center for mental health services, or any mental health center in California, you will be astonished to see so many dejected faces looking for solace.

But, is it really so difficult to be happy in our lives? The fact is, it is not. Abraham Lincoln once said, “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

There are several recent studies to vindicate this claim that happiness is a choice and we can choose to be happy at will. Two U.S. academics, Yuna L. Ferguson and Kennon M. Sheldon conducted a study which revealed that people who chose to be happy were happier than those who did not while participating in it. Studies in the field of positive psychology also buttress this belief that happiness is a cultivated habit.

So, how do we find happiness and stay happy? Let us find our way to happiness and stay blessed:

Choose happiness: First thing in the morning, before getting out of the bed, make a choice for yourself. Choose to be happy throughout the day and then go about your business. It is a habit and needs to be reiterated before it gets embedded in your DNA. It is a wonderful feeling and experience when you see happiness sipping into your life from every aspect.

Share your happiness: The Buddha claims, “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” In other words, whenever you are happy let others also have a piece of the pie. Sharing our happiness only increases it manifold.

Be grateful: Practicing gratitude and thankfulness increases happiness. Studies reveal that those who are grateful appreciate simple pleasures of life and enjoy a happy disposition. That is why we take our Thanksgiving Day very seriously. Be grateful for all that you have in your life and count your blessings every now and then. When you lament, it only brings miseries.

Be non-judgemental: Much of our energy and peace is sapped because of being judgemental. We always remain critical of people, situations and events over which we have no control. However, the moment we become non-judgemental much of our stress dissipates and we become a lot calmer. By being non-judgemental we also reconcile to the fact that we have chosen happiness for ourselves. So, become non-judgemental and enhance your happiness quotient.

Now, that you know the choice is yours choose happiness and keep spreading your joy to others as well.

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Mental Health and Exercise : There are any Connections? between Mental Health and Exercise

These days we know very well that the body exercise promotes healthier body and better sense of well-being for our life style and healthy living. It boosts confidence for the people who need newer self image while it prevents the aggravation of physical illnesses for some.

While nearly all of the research on exercise is focused on demonstrating positive effects on the physical body, there is a growing mass of research that seeks to prove that exercise is good for mental health as well. Recently a study conducted by the researchers from the Duke University along with other similar studies proved that exercise could help treat depression for 72% of all the participants. This result is similar with the total number of participants who are using medications for their treatment from depression.

However, you don’t have to be a sufferer of a mental illness before you benefit from exercise. You can boost your sense of well-being while walking on the treadmill or by combining yoga and meditation. In a way, exercise could be used as a potential medium for preventing the development of psychological and emotional conditions.

There are three dimensions at which we could look at when examining the benefits of exercise in the mental wellness of a person. Among the less well known is the biological aspect. One theory suggests that physical workout or exercise could stimulate a part of the brain to release endorphins. Activities that are more likely to trigger the release of endorphins are swimming, cross-country skiing, running, bicycling, aerobics and sports like soccer, football and basketball. Endorphins are comparable to opiates in a way that they resemble morphine.

Endorphins could work in two ways- as a pain reliever (which is produced in response to the stresses brought about by physical work or stress) and as an enhancer of well-being. There are, however, no definite data that could support this claim. On the other hand, exercise is also found to trigger the release of hormones norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. All these are known to help improve mood and is actually the main effect of Prozac, a known antidepressant. Increase in these hormones could be best observed in a condition known as "runner's high". This is the feeling during after an acute exercise is directly linked to the increased number of the said hormones.

However, there are still no conclusive studies proving that improvements on mood could be facilitated for a longer period of time. Another is the physiological aspect. Nearly all of the feelings we associate with mental wellness come from our personal evaluation of the way our body feels. Say for instance, if you perceive a stomach pain as a form of stress then you will feel stressed (and sometimes even depression) every time your stomach aches.

Likewise, exercise could render feelings such as muscle relaxation and easier breathing which we associate with "feeling better". While this correlation is yet to have a better scientific grounding, we still could not deny the fact that muscle tension and increased blood flow go together with physical fitness. No one knows yet how exactly exercise affects mental health. But it is common among patients to view exercise as a good medium to elevate their moods.

In fact, according to a survey conducted by the Charity Mind nearly two-thirds of all people who said that they use exercise to relieve symptoms of stress and depression believe that exercise actually works for them. The scientific community is yet to understand how this happens though and for now, it remains a truth that people benefit from exercise for mental health...

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How to Beat Depression through Diet and Nutrition and Say Goodbye to Anti Depressants Forever..

In an age where anti depressants have become one of the most widely prescribed drugs on the market, more and more people are asking how they can beat depression naturally to avoid the risks and side-effects associated with SSRI’s and other anti depressant drugs. There is a strong case to support hormonal factors, diet and nutrition as being the driving force behind the widespread incidence of depression and other mental health disorders, commonly seen today. Mounting evidence suggests that outdated diet and nutritional advice such as encouraging high carbohydrate and low fat diets is in fact, a major cause of depression.

High carbohydrate diets have also been linked to heart disease, Type II diabetes and obesity. Low fat diets deplete the body of cholesterol, an essential nutrient for the nervous system and for the production of hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. Deficiencies of these hormones produce the mental and emotional changes commonly seen in premenstrual and menopausal women and male andropause (i.e. fatigue, apathy, irritability, sadness, depression, anxiety and insomnia).

Cholesterol is the building block of all hormones and low levels are very dangerous for mental and heart health. One of the best food sources of healthy cholesterol are eggs. Egg yolks contain healthy HDL cholesterol and lethicin, which helps the body to emulsify the fat and metabolize it very easily. On top of this, eggs are a nutritional powerhouse and contain a vast array of B group vitamins essential for mood and energy, in addition to amino acids which are essential for promoting a calm and content disposition.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein foods. They are found in foods such as meat, fish, nuts and beans. One amino acid in particular, Tryptophan, is a direct precursor to serotonin, a feel good neurotransmitter in the brain often deficient in people with depression. The best food source of this nutrient is the Alaskan Sea Lion with a massive 2,500mg of Tryptophan, but of course I’m not advocating that it be hunted because of it. A better source might be seaweed algae; Spirulina has 641mg of tryptophan.

Alternatively, you can try soy protein isolate which has 660mg, frozen spinach which has 594mg or raw watercress which has 545mg. Tryptophan as a supplement has not been available for sale in Australia for some time. However, it has recently been reintroduced to the US where it is used for weight loss and depression. The next best thing (if dietary sources are inadequate) is a nutrient known as 5HTP.

This is a direct precursor to tryptophan. This is available from your local Naturopath on prescription in a product known as Proxan. This product also contains another powerful mood enhancing nutrient known as SAMe, in addition to B vitamins. This has been known to improve mood within days without any dangerous side-effects or withdrawal symptoms commonly associated with prescription anti depressants. (Please note this cannot be taken while taking anti depressants.) Stress is another major cause of depression today.

After the adrenalin rush that accompanies a stressful event (having an argument with the dishwasher, your spouse or boss) the body releases the anti-stress hormone cortisol to calm the body down. However, stressful events are not isolated incidents in our lives so this hormonal balancing act is taking place every waking second of your day.

This can eventually lead to adrenal exhaustion and abnormally high cortisol levels. This has been clinically proven to shrink the hypothalamus, the part of the brain which governs emotions and behavior. High cortisol levels also deplete the body of serotonin faster. However, the serotonin deficiency is really due to an excess or cortisol or too much stress. Eating a diet with a good amount of protein spread throughout the day in addition to good quality fat (ie nuts, olive oil, butter, fish oils) will go a long way towards supporting the nervous system and mental health in general...

http://www.holisticnaturopathichealthcare.com/