Tips to Work and Live Without Stress

Too much of stress is bad for our health. And I believe the stress is not coming from the work or environment. It is coming from our thinking. I mean, it is generated by our own mind.

Many people think that stress is coming from the work( or your boss ), environment or certain situition. It is not. When we are facing something, our mind is generating the stress. It is also saying that, we have the choice not to generate the stress, if we can adjust our mind.

We may work without stress. It is all depends on how we think when we are facing something. One of my regular jobs( on credit card system ) is to solve or to find out the cause of system problem. The System Support department always keep telling me that “The problem needs to be solved fast”. For me, I won’t tell myself or keep emphasizing that “I need to solve it fast”. I will tell myself, I just need to do whatever I need to do now and I don’t need to care about other things, just concentrate on looking for the cause of the problem. By this way, the stress does not exist at all. I just doing whatever I need to do now. This is the most important part. I have to know what should I do now. And the concentration is the first entity that making the stress does not be generated at all. If I don’t waste my time and always be trying my best, eventhough I pass the due date or due time, I won’t feel guilty. But most of the time, if I really concentrate on my work, I am able to deliver fast.

If you keep telling yourself that “I need to solve it fast”, then you can’t be concentrate on your job. When time goes by, you will be sweating and feel the stress. And sometime, how you handle the job is important. For example, we received some orders or directions from our boss or supervisor which is not clear. We have to ask for the clarification instead of starting the job blindly. This is common when we are a technical staff and our boss is a management staff. Terms used by management staffs usually are different from terms used by technical staffs. As a technical staff, we have to get the correct definition from our boss. When we know very well what should be delivered, then there won’t be any stress. You won’t generate the stress.

I fix my lunch time. Everyday I go out for lunch at the exact time. I will forget about my work temporary and fully enjoying my lunch time very much, no matter what I did during the working hour. I may say, this is also a kind of concentration, I concentrate on my lunch. In other words, balance between work and privacy is important. I am also saying that I never bring the job back to my home. I seldom talk about my work with my wife, unless it is a happy event happened during working hour. When I am at home, I will be doing my own job( on music ). This making me no time to think about my work at office. I am the kind of person, if you give me 25 hours a day I will still telling you that it is not enough for me. I have no time to feel boring. Where is the stress? It is not generated at all by my working style or my thinking.

If you think you are facing too much of stress, please think deeply and ask yourself, where does the stress come from. You may practise what I do everyday. It is just a habit of thinking. It is not difficult to practise it. The most difficult part in our job probably is when we work together with somebody who does not know very well their own job function. Some staffs may not know what should they do and could not be taking their own responsibility. They may affect us. Stress may be generated from there. If everybody knows very well what should they do, there should not be any stress.

If you are given a responsibility to complete a job within a time frame, and if you can’t complete it before the due date, as I said, stress won’t be generated with my mentioned working style. There is another possibility that you totally can’t proceed with the job. I believe you have to report it to your boss or supervisor, asking for help. Stress is still won’t be generated. If the job is totally owned by you ( you are the boss ), then you are generating the stress for yourself. By adjusting your mind, stress is also won’t be generated. Just like my music business. I own Double Melodies. I try to get more traffic to my website. I keep learning. Where is the stress? I won’t generate the stress on myself because I know what should I do for the moment and I keep trying.

Does the game or competition gives us the stress? Allow me to tell you my story. I play bowling every week with my wife. I joint some bowling tournaments. When I come to the tournament, I won’t tell myself “I have to win”. Everytime I will keep reminding myself to hold the ball firmly, to swing the ball consistently and keep staring at the target( the arrow ) even after ball releasing. If I follow all the rules which I set for myself, I usually play well. The most important thing is, I may play well without stress and pressure. You will have the stress if you keep thinking that everybody is hoping you to play well. You will have the pressure if you think everybody is looking at you. I believe, for all kinds of games and competition, they are part of psychology game. If you are not prepared mentally, you will lose the game. What does it means by “prepared mentally”? It is just what you think and what you can’t think before the game.

Does the traffic jam gives us the stress? If we start our car engine early( spare some time for the traffic jam ), we have done our best. When we are caught in the jam, we can’t do anything to improve the traffic flow. If you think you have the stress, then the stress is generated by your own mind, not by the traffic jam. If you say, the stress is generated by the jam, how come I don’t have the stress? I enjoy driving in the jam. There are a lot of beautiful scene you may enjoy at the jam. If you worry that you will be late, then you are not live at the moment. You are at the future. You can’t do anything on your future because you cannot control your future. What you can control is the current moment. Please come back to the current moment and enjoy the current moment, which is the jam. And concentrate on your driving.

When you keep guessing on what will be happened, stress will be generated. Guessing on what will be happened is a harmful thinking habit. This is refer to what you can’t change and control. This is different from your planning. If we really live at the moment, enjoy the moment, stress won’t be generated. So, have I prove that stress is generated by your own mind?

No matter what you are doing, please enjoy the process. Don’t keep thinking of the destination. We may think of the destination only when we are doing our planning. And the best way to live without stress is to avoid generating the stress, not to keep thinking on how to handle the stress after it is already exists.

By Fong sau

Tips to Cure Depression

Depression is a very real and treatable illness. Depression is just about the loneliest experience in the world. Depressed people, who are often poor communicators place more demands on a marriage with their greater need for caring and support and end up in unhappier marriages. Depression affects teenagers, pensioners and everyone in between; married people, single people, rich and poor. clinical depression affects 15% of the population, and a third of all women. Sometimes people become depressed for what seems like a good reason - maybe they lost their job or a close friend passed away - but with clinical depression there doesn't necessarily have to be a reason for how you feel. Depressive disorders come in different forms, just as is the case with other illnesses such as heart disease. Major depression is manifested by a combination of symptoms (see symptom list) that interfere with the ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities. Such a disabling episode of depression may occur only once but more commonly occurs several times in a lifetime. A less severe type of depression, dysthymia, involves long-term, chronic symptoms that do not disable, but keep one from functioning well or from feeling good.

Depression can coexist with other illnesses. Seasonal affective disorder may point to an atavistic link with behaviour in hibernation. In some families, depressive disorders seem to occur generation after generation; however, they can also occur in people with no family history of these illnesses. Many people with dysthymia also experience major depressive episodes at some time in their lives. Depression has been found to occur at a higher rate among people who have other serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, HIV, diabetes, and Parkinson’s. Depression can increase the risks for developing coronary artery disease, HIV, asthma, and some other medical illnesses. Many people just don't realize that depression can cause so many problems or so much pain. Another type of depression is bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness. Not nearly as prevalent as other forms of depressive disorders, bipolar disorder is characterized by cycling mood changes: severe highs (mania) and lows (depression). Furthermore, it can increase the morbidity (illness) and mortality (death) from these conditions. Teens who were confused about their orientation were also more prone to suicide. Among these teens, boys were 3.4 times more likely and girls were 2.5 times more likely than teens to attempt suicide at least once in the past year.

Depression may occur only once in a person's life. Social conditions like poverty, homelessness, and community violence can make it more likely for people to become depressed. Two hallmarks of depression — symptoms key to establishing are Loss of interest in normal daily activities. Depressed mood. You feel sad, helpless or hopeless, and may have crying spells. Depression symptoms are characterized not only by negative thoughts, moods, and behaviors, but also by specific changes in bodily functions (for example, irregular eating, sleeping, crying spells, and decreased libido). Sometimes the mood switches are dramatic and rapid, but most often they are gradual. Other symptoms of other psychological problems, such as anxiety, panic attacks, obsessions or phobias, which mask the depression. Women experience depression about twice as often as men.1 Many hormonal factors may contribute to the increased rate of depression in women particularly such factors as menstrual cycle changes, pregnancy, miscarriage, postpartum period, pre-menopause, and menopause. Treatment may also include psychotherapy, which may help you cope with ongoing problems that may trigger or contribute to depression. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa) and escitalopram (Lexapro), as the first-line treatment for depression because they have fewer serious side effects.
By Juliet

Tips to Monitor Your Depression

Depression is a common problem. It is a disease that affects millions of people all around the world and many people brush it off until the symptoms become so severe that it can be life threatening problem. Waiting too long can have devastating effects. Depression that is the number one cause of suicide, and yet it is something that is treatable if we would only recognized the problem.

Suicide has a stigma attached to it. People often don't want to admit they have this problem because they're afraid others will not understand. The causes of depression are often minimized. They seem common, and they are afraid other people will think they are weak for not being able to deal with everyday issues.
Two are the most common age groups that only suffers severe depression are teenagers, and the elderly. However rising group to population in their mid thirties and forties are experiencing severe depression due to stress. There also types of depression brought on by a situation such as postpartum.

It is important to monitor your depression and know what the level of depression you are experiencing is and to know when to report depression to your Physician. The three levels of depression are:
1) major depressive disorders,
2) Dysthymic disorder,
3) manic depression.
In major depressive disorders that depressed person experiences depression for the most part of the day for a week or more. They experience a definite lack of satisfaction in every area and activity. Some of the symptoms of major depressive disorders are excessive weight loss, excessive sleeping or the inability to sleep, fatigue loss of energy, a feeling of unworthiness, and thoughts of suicide. If you or anyone you know experiences any combination of these symptoms it is important to seek the help of a Physician.

With the Dysthymic disorder the patient experiences severe depression and for two years or more along with two or more of the following symptoms: difficulty eating or overeating, difficulty sleeping or excessive sleeping, severe fatigue, loss of self esteem, the difficulty than concentrating or making decisions, the general feeling of hopelessness.
Manic depression also known as bipolar disorder has many symptoms that some people don't even recognize as depression it is categorize by sharp periods of up an equally sharp periods of deep depression. The cycle between the two periods can be very rapid and sometimes only one will be present without the other. These moods can last for up to a week or longer and are accompanied by two or more of the following symptoms: overinflated sense of self importance, excessive sleeping, rapid talking with the need to keep talking, racing ideas at a rapid succession of thoughts, increasing types of activities that are heavily goal oriented such as school and work. This type of depression can be so severe is to warrant hospitalization to prevent self inflicted harm and can include some psychotic problems such as hallucinations.

Other types of depression include postpartum, anxiety caused by stress and tension, endogenous depression which is a feeling of general dissatisfaction and depression coming from inside, situational or reactionary depression which is depression traded by a certain situation, melancholic depression to name just a few.

None of these forms of depression will go away by themselves. It's a common feeling to just ride out the storm, that it will go away. Depression does not go away by itself. While you can experience some periods of relief where it seems like everything is okay if there is no more depression these are temporary relief periods not a cure for what caused them.

If you or somebody you love is experiencing any symptoms of depression please seek medical advice. You do not have to live like that. There is much that can be done to alleviate the symptoms that allow you to live a happier more productive life.
By Ronen

Signs and Symptoms of Depression

Those who suffer from signs of depression and related disorders may know the warning signs symptoms of depression all too well. They also know that these disorders tend to manifest themselves as repeated episodes of the depressive condition with the typical patient having many distinct episodes during their lives.

While not identical in every person, 10 signs of depression that may be experienced can include any of these:

1. Difficulty sleeping or other disruptions of sleep patterns
2. Overwhelming feelings of anxiety and/or sorrow at inappropriate times
3. Loss of interest in pastimes formerly enjoyed
4. A sensation of hopelessness, lack of self esteem and feelings of guilt
5. Fatigue and overall lower energy levels
6. Loss of appetite or abnormally large appetite, leading to weight loss or gain
7. Suicidal thoughts and recurring thoughts about death
8. Irritability, restlessness and short temper
9. Memory lapses and an inability to concentrate
10. Difficulty in maintaining close or romantic relationships

The warning signs symptoms of depression have increased in frequency in western industrialized societies, especially among those born after 1930. Some have concluded that pollution and its attendant harmful effects on the human body are to blame for some of the increase in depressive disorders and has ramped up the number of persons suffering from depression signs.

Experiencing one or more of the 10 signs of depression and other mood disorders has to do with levels of neurotransmitters, specifically dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine along with changes in the neural pathways of the brain. Imbalances between the neurotransmitters appear to be a cause of depression in many cases where depression signs are manifested.

Depression signs can derail careers and relationships, cause school work to go downhill and lower quality of life. The feelings of despair, sadness and frustration can make it impossible to function normally and relate to others. In many cases, depression goes undiagnosed due to the stigma borne by mental illness or failure of medical professionals to correctly diagnose or treat the problem.

Those who suffer from this condition often choose to self-medicate rather than go through the side effects of prescription medications. These people may use alcohol, caffeine or street drugs in an effort to feel better, which never works in the long run. Many of those who commit suicide happen to have symptoms of depression.

An additional problem faced by those suffering from depressive disorders is the stigma which is attached to the ailment. People who have depression signs are sometimes seen as crazy, unpredictable, even dangerous! In short, they are often avoided because of their disorder which only adds to their feelings of isolation and despair.

The stigma associated with depression signs can be devastating to those afflicted with depression. Teachers, co-workers, neighbors and employers will tend to treat them differently because of the disorder. It can be difficult to hide in many situations, for instance, when trying to get a new job. While it is not legal to ask a prospective employee about medical conditions they may have, one does not necessarily want to withhold the truth from an interviewer.

At the same time, it might be a long shot to actually land that job if your interviewer is aware of your depression. This is a case whether or not your depressive disorder would affect the quality of your work. In the case of students, teachers may treat them differently and the student could suffer from low expectations on the part of teachers.

There is also a lot of misinformation about persons with mental illness of any sort, with many making the assumption that all such persons are potentially violent and feared as a possible danger. Again, this leads people to isolate the sufferer, making their life even even worse.

Health insurance plans offered by employers often will involve higher premiums from the employer if a new hire has health problems, including depression signs. The employers fear is that their premiums will go through the roof if they are to take on a new employee with any sort of preexisting medical issues. This is true! Those who suffer from depression signs and disorders hardly get a fair shake from insurance companies.

The feelings of worthlessness and isolation that are felt by those who suffer from a depressive disorder are made worse by the stigma attached to the condition among the general public. This leaves the patient feeling even worse, their sensation of inadequacy and guilt compounded by the way that society treats them.

Society as a whole must learn to treat those with depression and other mental illnesses like the human beings that they really are. They are simply human beings with an illness, no different than a physical illness, merely different symptoms.
By David

Causes of Depression in Women

Depression and women are closely related to each other. Depression in women is undeniable. Depression as a disease affects almost 10 percent of women.

It hampers the social, personal and professional life of women. Women tend to suffer from depression twice as more as their men counterpart. These kind of depressions are a great risk to the mental health, especially among young women. It mainly happens in women as they are in general more emotional than their male counterpart. They pile up loads of emotions in their mind without venting them.

Symptoms

There are several symptoms which can predict whether a woman is under depression or not. When depressed she does not find any interest in activities she enjoyed before. She starts blaming herself for everything and can also have suicidal tendencies. She may feel unwanted.

Depression is usually accompanied with disturbed sleep, change in diet, low concentration and difficulty decision making, impatience and irritation and weakness.

Causes of depression

Women generally suffer from similar kind of depressions. Some of them are explained by the experts as psychological, biological, social causes:

Biological causes include the problem of premenstrual problem such as itchiness, bloating, weakness etc which disturbs their lives. Problem of pregnancy and unproductiveness, issues like unwanted pregnancy, or miscarriage can lead to depression. Some women suffer from the postpartum depression when they experience baby blues.

Social causes include the problem of role strain which means playing different roles at same time, physical and mental abuse, lack of status and power in society, dissatisfaction in relationships and poverty.

Psychological causes include the problem of coping mechanism, stress response, puberty and body image which creates depression in women.

Women suffering from medical illness unable to fulfill her physical needs can result in depression. Any kind of financial crises, imbalance in relationships or any stressful act leads to depressive disorder.

Besides this there are other types of depression which include major depression - the most common depressive disorder. Less severe depressive disorder is dysthymia. Another type of depression is manic-depressive illness which is not very common.

Treatments available

Various treatments are available for depressions, which include Antidepressant medications, Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), Psychotherapy.

Women should consult a doctor about the cause of their depression. Birth control medicines and hormone substitution therapy are also very effective in solving your biological problems.

Interpersonal therapy and cognitive-behavior therapy are really effective in improving personal relationship and making them healthy. This reduces the creation of negative thoughts in your mind.

Women suffering from depression must try and be practical. Don't let negative thoughts come to the mind and make sue you get proper treatment. Go for physical examinations. Make sure you exercise regularly as exercise is the best medicine for your depression.

They tend to flush out your negative radiations and give you positive vibes. Taking regular well balanced nutritious diet also helps in lowering down the depression level. If you are suffering from depression don't wait to act.
By James S

Woman’s Depression in the Workplace

Depression that affects women in the work force is a major issue that cannot be ignored. A recent study of the workforce concluded that $44 billion a year in productivity is lost due to depression. If this is the case, then the medical costs to treat depression must be staggering. The lost productivity costs were from absenteeism and from those who are going to work
depressed and getting little done. The recent study also found that working women seem especially vulnerable to depression while on the job
.
Depression on the job can lead to missed meetings, unreturned phone calls, blankly staring at the computer screen, indecision, late arrival, leaving early and missed deadlines. In addition, a working woman suffering from depression while at work might not get along very well with colleges anymore or she may withdraw from social involvement. These are all signs and symptoms of depression.
21 percent of the women in the workplace are affected by depression that carries through to their work performance and their everyday lives. For working women, depression is a very human illness that makes them vulnerable to poor performance at work. It is important to understand the symptoms and signs of depression that may affect working women before the problem can be dealt with.
For many women in the workplace, depression may be kicked off by attempting to satisfy a home life with family and be a superior working person as well. The pressure of trying to satisfy both can lead to sleep deprivation, anxiety or a sense of helplessness, all leading into depression. Once the spiral starts it is hard to stop. When the brain chemicals
become unbalanced it will take some effort to get them balanced. The depression that hits you may completely change your personality. Your colleagues will notice it but you may not at first. The working women may find herself becoming a wild women, spending money like crazy, hyper, drinking more, or having affairs, all in some sub-conscience effort to feel better about something unidentifiable. It is not unusual to find depressed working women practically living out of their cars or a small hotel room. Many women will think constant change will somehow stop the depression feelings.
Divorce is concern for women in a depression since it becomes increasing difficult for friends or family to enjoy their company. The depressed woman may find herself alone on her birthday or other special occasion, as her friends and family slowly abandon her. Of course this leads to even more depression and a sense of helplessness or low self-esteem. Depression will make you feel unloved and unable to love. Women suffering from depression at work may find themselves short tempered and yelling more often, much of the time not realizing they have become that way. 30% of working women suffering from depression either quit or lose a job as a result of symptoms.
For a working woman, when depression goes too far she may find herself unable to function. Simple note taking may be difficult, or even speaking. She may become very zombie-like in her behavior. Few women want to admit they have a mental problem, so they will keep struggling along risking their careers and family relationships. Just 47% of women diagnosed with depression seek help right away. Most think they can deal with the symptoms on their own. Most do not know where to go for help or are embarrassed. 40% of working women with depressive symptoms remain undiagnosed.
For women, depression in the workplace is the number one barrier to success. It is an impediment greater than pregnancy, sexism, child care issues and sexual harassment. A depressed woman at work will find herself feeling constantly unsatisfied and under stress created by her own thoughts. Depression is an illness and should be treated as such. No matter how successful the working woman is in work and life, the depression will cause her to feel sad and unfulfilled.
It is necessary for working women and their employers to recognize that depression is a major illness affecting the abilities of many working women, but there is relief available. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of depression in working women is the first step to recovery.

Identifying Depression

Everyone knows what depression feels like. Everyone feels the blues at times. Sadness, discontent, and fatigue are natural parts of life. There is a relation between the blues and clinical depression, but the difference is like the difference between the sniffles and pneumonia.

Depressive disorders are whole person illnesses; they touch the body, feelings, thoughts, and behavior. The depression itself can make us feel as if it's of no use to search for help. The nice news is that 80 to 90 percent of people with depression can be treated successfully, but the bad news is that only one sufferer in three seeks treatment. More bad news is that not quite half the American public perceives depression as a character flaw, rather than an illness or emotional disorder. In addition, only half of all cases of depression are exactly diagnosed, and only half of those get adequate treatment.

We tend to muddle depression, sadness, and grief. But the opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality - the power to experience a full range of emotion, including happiness, excitement, sadness, and grief. Depression is not an emotion itself. It's not sadness or grief, it's an illness. When we feel at our worst, sad, self-absorbed, and helpless, we are experiencing what people with depression experience, but they don't recover from those moods without help.

The trademark of depression is a insistent sad or empty mood, sometimes experienced as tension or anxiety. Life is with out pleasure. People with slight depressions may go through the motions of eating, sex, work, or play, but the activities seem like pointless; people with more severe depression withdraw from these activities, feeling too worn-out, tense, or hostile to take part. There is often a nagging fatigue, a sense of being incapable of focusing, a feeling of being inefficient.

People with depression generally feel a lowered self-esteem. In a depression, you may feel that you are a defenseless victim of fate, but also feel that you don't deserve any better. Feelings of guilt, shame, and hopelessness are common.

There are often a host of physical symptoms, of which sleep disturbances are key. People may have trouble falling asleep or may wake up early without feeling refreshed. Others may sleep excessively, again without feeling rested. Appetite may increase or decrease. There may be difficulty in sexual functioning. There may be harassing aches and pains that don't act in response to medical treatment. But there are physical illnesses that cause symptoms like depression - Lyme depression, diabetes, thyroid conditions, anemia - and depressions can cause physical symptoms like other diseases.

If you are feeling depressed, it is important to be sure that an underlying health problem does not exist, and you should see your physician for a checkup. At the same time, if you know you have a health problem and are feeling depressed, don't presume you will feel better once the health problem is under control.

There is a sequential process in the recognition of depression. First is a stage of confused pain in which the sufferer knows he suffers, but doesn't know why. People often blame circumstances. Adolescents blame their home lives, married people blame their spouses, and employees blame their bosses. But there is recognition that the pain is not ordinary.

The second stage is recognition that something is definatley amiss. It may be that external circumstances have changed but the pain is on going, or it may be a slow recognition that the suffering is so dangerous that circumstances can't be blamed. This is a painful recognition that often takes years. It is an acknowledgment of a damaged self. But because of the nature of depression, the self-blame and guilt that are manifestations of the disease, this acceptance does not always lead to seeking help.

People then may move to the third stage, a crisis that frequently leads to professional intervention and diagnosis. It is often a suicide attempt or psychiatric hospitalization. The diagnosis often provides hope, that treatment or a cure is possible, and explanation, a way to understand what has only been confusion before. The fact is that this is a diagnosis of a mental illness, with all the shame and stigma that that entails.

The fourth stage involves acceptance of an illness identity. Depression comes to be seen as an outside agent invading the self, rather than as a manifestation of the self.

It is essential that anyone suffering from depression gets good help from a competent, qualified professional. If the warning signs are clear, always seek a professional diagnosis. Going to a health professional with your problems could prove, at worse, embarrassing, if the problem is really just a seasonal case of the blues that can be treated with without medical intervention, but the potential cost of failing to diagnose a serious case of depression should far outweigh any concern about conceivable embarrassment.


Source:
David B. Smith