Archive for July, 2008
Day dreaming? Don’t wish to be caught napping? If the answer is yes, we beg to differ. Yes, day dreaming or more scientifically visualization (which is the force behind your dreams) is a great stress reliever and we strongly recommend it as a creative way to beat those blues.
What is Visualisation
Visualization is the technique of using your imagination to create what you want in life. It is based on the principle that the mind and the body are intimately connected. And hence you can use this visualization in a positive way to beat stress and relax.
Here is a little exercise for you. Sit in a comfortable position close your eyes and imagine a real hot big pizza is lying in front of you. The smell of all that melted cheese, your mouth will begin to water especially if you are hungry. Now give this a minute.
See how your mind is connected to the body. By just imagining that there was something delicious lying in front of you your mouth began to water. Everybody uses visual imagery all the time, albeit unconsciously. Day dreaming, memories, self-talk are all facets of visualization.
What visualisation can do
Visualization is an effective technique that can be used for treating many stress-related and physical illnesses , headaches, muscle spasms, chronic pain and many times even general and situational specific anxiety. For instance, if you are in pain, and try and think of something pleasant, most often it works.
Consciously visualising may take some time to learn. You may even experience that the images are discouraging and uncooperative. This means that your images will be flickering on and off, moving around or disappearing altogether. A lot of time they may even be interrupted by another image. All you need is some practice. Remember that practice makes perfect, so try to practice the technique of visualisation at least thrice a day. Do not get discouraged initially. With continued practice and determination, you can master any technique.
Method of visualization
1. Loosen your clothes, lie down in a quiet place, and close your eyes.
2. Try to relax any tense muscles in your body. Just give into gravity. Drop your complete self on the bed or where ever you are lying down.
3. Try to involve all your senses. Imagine you are in a very big garden, smell the flowers, hear the chirping of the birds and the sound of bells. In the distance somewhere is a spring, walk towards it and feel the cold water.
4. Use positive self-talk. Avoid using negative statements.
5. Practice this technique at least thrice a day and soon you will begin to feel the difference.
Tips:-
There are a few things that you need to keep in mind while using this technique.
1. Visualisation is best done lying down, though it can be done sitting down on the chair too.
2. Be realistic while setting your goals, which means that you must set an easy target for yourself.
3. Stick to simple and easy images rather than images which will confuse you.
4. Create your own affirmations and choose a language that you are comfortable with.
5. Open your eyes slowly, after doing the entire exercise. Don’t just get up and get moving. Give yourself at least five minutes before you do stand up. During any form of relaxation your body undergoes certain physiological changes. There may be a drop or an increase in your body temperature, similarly there may be a drop or an increase in you blood pressure. You have to be careful not to suddenly get up. Please lie down for sometime with your eyes open. Then turn sideways slowly, push with one had and sit up. Next you can get onto your haunches and slowly get up. This will avoid the feeling of giddiness that a lot of people complain after any form of cool down or relaxation.
6. Finally pat yourself on the back, say well done and carry on with your work.
This technique will you get rid of your stress and help you relax.
Uncategorized | 15.07.2008 15:48 | Comments Off
Have you learnt to live with your headaches? Are they a part of your life? You pop one pill after the other, but just don’t seem to get any respite from that excruciating pain. Try these easy-to-do tips and see if you get some relief:
Why do Headaches Occur?
Before you start any kind of treatment it is important for you to identify what exactly is it that you are suffering from. You need to identify what is causing you the headache. Try to maintain a small diary. Note the time, place and what you were doing when you got a headache. How long did it last? Some of the most common reasons for a headache are lack of sleep, fatigue, bad light and work stress. Certain food items like chocolate and coffee may also trigger a headache. Keeping a headache diary can help you pinpoint the factors causing your specific headache patterns. The diary should provide answers to these 10 questions:
* When did you first develop headaches?
* How often do you have them?
* Do you experience symptoms prior to the headaches?
* Where is the pain exactly?
* How long does it last?
* At what time of day do the headaches occur?
* Does the eating of certain types of food precede your headaches?
* If you’re female, at what time in your monthly cycle do they occur?
* Are the headaches triggered by physical or environmental factors, such as odour, noise or certain kinds of weather?
* What words most accurately describe the pain of your headache: throbbing, stabbing, blinding, piercing?
Curing Headaches
1. Conventional medicine
Aspirin, ibuprofen and disprin are some of the recommended medicines for headaches. But remember not to take an overdose or else it may end up causing more harm than benefit. However, always consult your doctor for the right dose and even the right medicine.
2. Correct muscular tension
If your muscles are tense because of a clenched jaw or aching shoulders due to constantly working on your computer, you will suffer from headaches. All you need to do is make a few changes both at home and at work and see how your headache disappears:
* Arrange your office desk so that you do not have to stretch and strain your muscles every time you need something.
* Sit upright and do not strain your neck too much.
* Don’t sit for more than 30-35 minutes at a stretch. Get up and loosen those tense muscles by talking a walk.
* Try to alternate between tasks.
* Try to stand up while talking on the phone as it is a good opportunity to stretch. Do not hold the phone between your head and shoulder by bending your neck. You can maybe use a speaker phone if available.
* Your computer screen must be at eye level. This helps you not to strain your neck and also avoid your eyes from watering.
* Sit straight. Concentrate on your posture.
* Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Dehydration can also cause headaches.
* While driving, rest your head back at a red light.
* Invest in a good pillow and get a good night’s sleep.
3. Take a walk
Many people complain that they get headaches due to constantly sitting in one pose or doing the same thing throughout the day. Try going out for a quick walk. This will help stimulate not only your mind and body but will also help you get quick relief from occasional headaches.
4. Do some deep breathing
Correct breathing helps to pump more oxygen to the brain and blood to the muscles. This will help you get rid of headaches.
5. Meditation and Relaxation
An alternative form of therapy is a good way of managing your headaches. Very often headaches are due to the pressures, the stress and strain that we constantly thrive under. Meditation will allow you to get some time for yourself and help you to concentrate on your breathing and relax you tremendously.
6. Visualisation
One of the simplest self-help techniques, all you have to do is try to think of some nice serene place and relax.
7. Pamper yourself with a good massage
A good oil massage can really help to ease away the strained muscles. And what’s more you can do it yourself. Press your thumb against the tense area and rub with a circular motion. Gradually work outward to loosen the areas.
8. Take a nice shower
If you have the luxury of a bathtub, immerse yourself in a nice bath to relax those aching muscles. Alternatively, even a nice shower will help. Some people prefer a hot shower to release tension while others a cold one. There is no hard and fast rule. It depends on what you find most comfortable.
The key here is to do the thing that you find most comfortable and relaxing. While some of us may want to do some vigorous aerobic exercise to relax, others would prefer to lie down on and listen to some soothing music. Do whatever that makes you relax and helps you in easing your headache.
Uncategorized | 15.07.2008 15:45 | Comments Off
Another long and tiring day, another horrible headache. So what do you do? Pop pills, take a bath, relax but that does nothing to the throbbing in your head. Feels like a hammer going bang bang in your head. Wish you could do something?
Although painful and troublesome, most headaches are minor health concerns and can be easily treated by taking some analgesics. But if they are severe, recur frequently, or are attended by other symptoms, you may need to take additional steps. It is amazing that while millions of people are plagued by chronic headaches daily, few take the problem to the doctor. That’s because most just dismiss the pain in the head as just that — a headache. However, it could be more than that. Before your head begins to pound again, read this:
Why do we get headaches
As common as they are, headaches are not very well understood. However, most research has concluded that headaches are basically muscle pain. When tense muscles press against the nerves and blood vessels in your head and neck, the result is pain. Broadly speaking, headaches can be classified into three types:
* Tension headaches
* Migraine or cluster headaches
* Headaches caused by sinus problems
Tension headaches afflict almost everyone at one time or another. There is a dull, constant, non-throbbing pain that can make your head feel as if it’s gripped in a tight band. The muscles of your neck may seem knotted, and certain areas on your head and neck may be sensitive to touch. Tension headaches can be short-lived and infrequent, or they can be enduring and chronic. Stress is the most common trigger of tension headaches. Other reasons may include anxiety about work or family life, or it may derive from some physical factor such as persistent noise. Eye-strain, poor posture, too much caffeine, or the grinding or clenching of teeth at night can also lead to tension headaches.
Migraines are the most debilitating of headaches and can be totally incapacitating. With some sufferers, a migraine attack is preceded by a warning sign that may include visual disturbances such as flickering points of light, blind spots, or zigzag lines, or more rarely, numbness in a limb or the smelling of strange odours. Whether a warning occurs or not, a migraine will usually begin with an intense, throbbing pain on one side of the head. This pain may spread and is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. A migraine can last from a few hours to three days and can cause over sensitivity to light, odors and sound.
Migraines are somewhat more mysterious. Although much evidence indicates that constricting and swelling of blood vessels is involved, some researchers believe that the headaches are primarily neurological in origin. Because migraines often run in families, it seems likely that genetics can play a role. In any event, a wide range of factors can trigger an attack; among them are excessive caffeine, various foods or scents, naps, dry winds, changes in altitude or seasons, hormonal fluctuations or birth-control pills, missing a meal or stuffy rooms. Migraines may also occur in the aftermath of intense emotions such as excitement or anger. Exercise, sexual activity or very cold foods can also kickstart a migraine.
Cluster headaches are so called because they tend to come in bunches over one or several days. Typically they begin several hours after a person falls asleep and are sometimes preceded by a mild aching sensation on one side of the head. The pain is severe, non-throbbing, piercing, and usually located in and around the eye. This is generally accompanied by nasal congestion and a flushed face. It lasts from 30 minutes to two hours, then diminishes or disappears altogether, only to recur a day later. A barrage of four or more attacks may occur in the course of the day, and cluster headaches can strike every day for weeks or months before going into long periods of remission. The vast majority of sufferers are men. Cluster headaches are most common in heavy smokers and drinkers and those with high levels of stress. Sometimes a certain kind of food may also be responsible.
Sinus headaches are characterised by a pain in the forehead, nasal area, eyes and sometimes the top of the head. In some cases, they also produce a feeling of pressure behind the face. Inflammation or infection of the membranes lining the sinus cavities can give rise to such headaches. Also, the headache pain may stem from suction on the sinus walls, which occurs when nasal congestion creates a partial vacuum in the sinuses. Sinus headaches typically result form basic seasonal allergies, or from cold or flu.
Whatever the type of headache, you must never ignore it. And immediately rush to the doctor if you have the following symptoms:
* A dull, steady pain that feels like a band tightening around your head. You may have a tension headache.
* Throbbing, begins on one side, and causes nausea or sound or light sensitivity. You may have a migraine
* A non-throbbing pain around the eye, with nasal congestion on that side of your face. You may be suffering from a cluster headache.
* A steady pain in the area behind your face that gets worse if you bend forward and is accompanied by congestion. It could be a sinus headache.
* A terrible pain accompanied by vomiting, limb weakness, double vision, slurred speech or difficulty in swallowing could mean a severe headache.
* Your headache is the kind you have never had before. It occurs first thing in the morning and is persistent throughout the day.
Remember never to take your headaches lightly, for they could be far more serious than you think.
Uncategorized | 15.07.2008 15:43 | Comments Off