Overcoming Life's Obstacles

Reduce Stress, Be Happier & Raise Healthy Children

2009-11-27T12:38:00.003+13:00

If you want tips on reducing stress, creating a loving partnership, dealing with children, breastfeeding or well-intentioned advice keep reading...

I’ve recorded some tips on reducing and preventing stress with my friend Lorraine Cuadro over at The Essence of Breastfeeding.

Lorraine is a mum and breastfeeding counsellor who is passionate about helping people enjoy parenting and connect with their children - while looking after yourself and your relationships. We had a chat for about an hour about ways that I beat stress and anxiety using a variety of techniques to relax, change my thinking and deal with challenges.

The audio is part of a series that Lorraine is putting together which includes a variety of topics. Some are specific to parenting but others will help you put the romance back into your relationship, run a business from home, deal with stress or difficult people. The topics include

Stress prevention and reduction (how I cured myself from being a frazzled burned out grump!)

Bedtime and toilet training for toddlers (Margaret Saunders)

Setting boundaries to deal with unwanted advice (Yvonne Collier)

Reconnect with your partner and invest in your love and intimacy (Natalia Mendez)

Creating a successful business from home (Emma Newman)

Tried and proven techniques to help minimise your pain, help you heal and sort through the emotions associated with birth (Faye Read)

Plus lots of advice on parenting

You’ll get one free hour long audio, every week beginning 1st December. You’ll also get access to lots of great tips on breastfeeding.

The whole series is valued at $497, but it's totally free if you sign up now.

Just register your name and email address to get 8 hours of inspiration from this team of parenting experts. Be quick - after 1st December 2009, Lorraine plans to charge for all these great audios, but as a favour to her friends she's agreed to let people get free access if they sign up now.

P.S. Lorraine is in Australia which is a day ahead of many other countries, so to be safe, sign up before 30th November to make sure you get in on this amazing free offer.

6 Steps to Feel Good About Your Body

2009-11-05T10:43:00.004+13:00

My friend Sarah Maria has just released her fabulous new book Love Your Body, Love Your Life: 5 Steps to End Negative Body Obsession and Start Living Happily and Confidently. The book outlines her 5-step process for helping you feel great in and about your body and yourself. Her work embraces the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual which she says is the key to true and lasting healing.

Here is an excerpt from her book, with 6 tips to feeling beautiful today! You'll notice that Sarah Maria's approach is very spiritually oriented, encouraging you to feel good about your body and befriend it.

P.S. if you purchase the book from Amazon, Sarah Maria has a special surprise for you including lots of free bonuses and the chance to go in a draw to win a magical meditation retreat with Deepak Chopra at the Chopra Center for Well-being. Scroll down to the end to find out how to claim your free gifts.

6 Tips to Feel Beautiful Today! By Sarah Maria

How many times have you waited for something to change so that you could finally start feeling beautiful?

If you are like most women, the answer is “all the time.”

Here is the problem: most of us tend to live with the delusional belief that we somehow need to change in order to be beautiful. It usually sounds something like:

When I lose this extra weight, then I will be attractive.
If I can just get my abs a little more toned, then I can wear that bikini I love.
I feel so much better after I put on my make-up in the morning.
I looked much sexier before I had these wrinkles.
My hair looks drab and lifeless until I get it colored.

Unfortunately, we think these stories, these lies, that we have been taught are true. We believe that we somehow need to change who we are, how we look, and what we do in order to finally be sexy, attractive, and drop-dead gorgeous.

This is a lie – an erroneous, ubiquitous, and often painful lie. The truth of the matter is that you are inherently, unconditionally, and absolutely beautiful and loveable right now, without changing a single thing.

Fortunately, very fortunately, you can expose these lies and choose to no longer live under their spell.

Ready to get started? Here are 6 simple and sure-fired ways to help you feel beautiful today:

1.Become aware of what you are thinking.

Simply become aware of the stories you are telling yourself so that you are no longer reacting on auto-pilot. Through awareness alone, you can begin to transmute your reality and transform lies into truth. Actively acknowledge that there is no inherent truth in the belief that you need to change something about yourself in order to be attractive. Consider that you can start feeling beautiful immediately, in this moment, without changing a single thing.

2. Set an Intention to See Beauty

Setting an intention is simple: intend to create a different reality for yourself. Here are some examples:
I intend to experience my inherent beauty. Or: I intend to see my beauty and perfection at all times. Or: I intend to know I am inherently beautiful, lovable, and worthwhile.

Do you ever see your reflection in the mirror and grimace at your wrinkles, vowing to purchase the latest anti-wrinkle cream?
Set an intention to find your beauty in your reflection.

Or when you undress, do you ever suck in your stomach, berating yourself for not yet losing those 5 extra pounds?
Set an intention to appreciate the body that you have right now.

Do you ever go shopping for clothes and wish you were a size (or more) smaller?
Set an intention to unconditionally accept your body.

Hopefully you get the idea; set an intention to see yourself through the eyes of beauty.

3. Take a “Meditation Moment”

Meditation is the mental equivalent of brushing your teeth. This means that it is an essential and indispensable daily activity designed to help rest and rejuvenate your body, cleanse your psyche, awaken your spirit, and help you live a life that you love.

Nourish yourself with instant meditation moments throughout the day.
Are you waiting at the bus stop on your way to work? Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, allowing yourself to connect within.

Are you making dinner for the family? Take 30 seconds and focus on the sounds, smells, and sensations in your environment, letting them nourish your senses.

Are you in the shower, getting ready to start your day?

Turn your attention to the feeling of warm water cascading against you, gently caressing your body, and allow yourself to relax.

These meditation moments can happen anywhere, anytime – 30 to 60 seconds of closing your eyes and connecting within can make all the difference in the world.

4. Your Body is Your Best Friend

Your human body is your truest ally. Befriend it and it will serve you tirelessly.

Treat it as you would a dear friend:

Feed your body with healthy food, taking the time to give it proper nourishment.

Remember to exercise, and make it enjoyable. If the gym makes you cringe, opt for yoga, Pilates, dance, or good old walking. Anything to get your body moving will do wonders.

Relaxation is key. In our harried and hurried world, it is essential that you remember to relax and rejuvenate.

Instead of critiquing your body for not being enough of this and for being too much of that, offer it gratitude and appreciation for it unwavering support and devotion.

5. Create Meaningful Moments

Every day is filled with countless tasks and errands: going to work, talking with friends, picking up the kids, supporting your significant other, washing dishes, going to the gym, visiting the supermarket, shopping – on and one it goes. Remember that you can imbue each moment with meaning. It can be as simple as smiling at everyone you meet, reacting with compassion and love instead of anger, or making sure to tell your friends and loved ones how much you care about them.

6. You’re Smoking Hot, Inside Out

Remember, you were born beautiful. Believing that you are unattractive is a learned habit. You can unlearn it and discover the Joy, Peace, and Love that are your natural sate and birthright!

So that is it – 6 Simple Steps. 6 simple steps to start feeling beautiful, right now, in this moment. You don’t have to go anywhere or do anything to experience the Beauty that you already are. In fact, there is nothing you can do, say, or buy that will make you any more perfect, any more beautiful, or any more desirable than you are in this very moment. Simply know this, and you will revel in your true beauty.

SPECIAL OFFER
If you want to grab your own copy of Sarah Maria’s book Love Your Body, Love Your Life: 5 Steps to End Negative Body Obsession and Start Living Happily and Confidently head on over to Amazon. Click here to purchase your copy and begin to love your body today. If you buy in the next couple of days you will also get dozens of free bonuses including:

Escape The Diet Trap ( 70 minute audio to help you quit dieting)

Why Mars & Venus Collide – audio from Dr. John Gray

Marci Shimoff’s Happiness Action Plan

Plus dozens of other free reports, meditations, audio downloads and other self-help goodies.

You’ll also be in the draw to win an incredible week at Seduction of Silence, the Chopra Center’s renowned week-long meditation retreat valued at $2,775. How cool is that?

After you purchase from Amazon, go to Sarah Maria’s website, type in your order number and you’ll get instant access to an amazing list of free bonuses.

Love Your Body Quiz

2009-10-21T09:13:00.004+13:00

Do you constantly find fault with your body? If you do, then you're one of the 80% of women, and a growing proportion of men who are unhappy with their body.

Today is Love Your Body Day. The National Organization for Women (NOW) Foundation educates women about the dangers of fad diets, poor body image and inappropriate media images.

NOW is also concerned about the growth in cosmetic surgery to enhance appearance. Did you know that the 'toe tuck' is the latest must have surgery, for women who believe they have "ugly" toes or are unable to fit into their Jimmy Choo shoes? NOW encourages women to love their bodies, as they are and embrace their uniqueness.

You can get the facts here or click the heart shaped icon to do a short quiz on body image. Entering an email is optional.

You can also get a free e-book from body image expert, Sarah Maria. Her e-book Overcoming the Lies: Secrets to Creating a Body and a Life that You Love (valued at $37) is designed to help you "break free from the myths that are keeping you trapped
and discover your inherent beauty, brilliance, and strength".

Can you forget your troubles and be happy?

2009-10-14T09:46:00.004+13:00

According to author, Evelyn Brooks in her new book Forget Your Troubles: Enjoy Your Life Today, you can stop stress in its tracks and get happy right now.

Evelyn's recipe for beating stress is a unique 5-step S.M.A.R.T. formula that is easy to put into practice, with simple step-by-step instructions and practical advice from someone who's been there:

"Forget Your Troubles" is the synthesis of all I've learned in years of wading through stressful relationships, seemingly insurmountable problems and far too many dead-ends.

This book is intended for anyone who is overwhelmed by stress right now – and lately that seems to be just about everyone I meet!

She sure got that right! These days it seems like most people are overwhelmed by stress and struggling to meet the demands of a busy life.

You can check out Evelyn's new book Forget Your Troubles at her website. In addition to her 5-step formula you will also learn how to better prioritise your time, abolish self-defeating thoughts and lift your confidence. And if you act now, when you buy her book at amazon.com before midnight tonight, you will qualify for valuable bonus gifts from other bestselling authors who share her goal of helping you attract success, prosperity and happiness. (Just go back to Evelyn's website to claim all your free gifts)

Bright Shiny New Blog Coming

2009-10-10T10:45:00.004+13:00

It’s been a while since I’ve posted regularly to this blog, but that’s all about to change. Coming soon(ish), Nancy and I will be back in action bringing you news, opinion and random thoughts called ’60 Second Sanity Break’.

We may be blogging here, or we may be moving to a new domain, but it will be happening. I know, I know, this is starting to sound like a commercial for hair regrowth. Just keep an eye out - we will be back with a new blog design and new posts in the New Year.

I don’t plan to post as often as I have in the past. I’ve learned that the less time I spend online, the healthier I feel, so I need to keep my promise to myself to spend only a few hours a week online, and to take plenty of time to disconnect from the computer.

Have a great weekend everyone. Nancy and I will look forward to being back to regular posting soon(ish)…

In the meantime, check out this website with links to great self-help freebies for health, wealth and well-being.

Free Self Help Gifts every week

2009-09-10T12:07:00.001+12:00

A new website A Gift A Week promises free self-help gifts every week worth at least $29.

Signing up is easy. You just pop in your first name and email, and then once or even twice a week, you will receive an email message from A Gift A Week containing a link to a free gift that is yours to download with no strings attached, and no further sign up. You'll also get the following free gifts at sign up:

Downloadable mp3 recording: “7 Steps to Soaring Self-Esteem”
The Self-Esteem Preview E-Book" by Dr. Joe Rubino
Napoleon Hill’s classic e-book “Think and Grow Rich!”

"Guest" Biz Blog Post

2009-09-01T08:43:00.003+12:00

I just discovered a terrific business blog, Jobacle.com. In fact, I liked it so much that I applied for a blogger position! Check it out, I think you'll find lots of useful info.

Please read my "guest" spot, too.

4 Life/Work Balance Lessons We Can Learn from TV

As always, thanks for reading,

Nancy L.

Importance of Downtime for Teens this Summer

2009-06-26T11:11:00.002+12:00

You can read Nancy's latest post on helping teens with overload and get tips to recognize and prevent your kid’s stress overload and to promote a healthy balance...

Related articles:
Overbooked kids

Free Goal Setting Reminder Tool

2009-01-07T11:27:00.002+13:00

Have you set any goals yet?

Some people set goals throughout the year, but many take advantage of the New Year to kick themselves into action.

If you'd like help with your goals, use this Goal Setting Reminder Tool that explains why setting 90 day goals and chunking them down into smaller goals works.

You'll get sent a reminder of your goals, the first action your committed to make, and your goal setting milestones or steps along the way to your 90 day goal.

New Year's Giveaways and Help with New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-04T10:45:00.001+13:00

Happy New Year. To get 2009 off to a good start I’ve found some great giveaways for you, as well as some tips on setting your goals.

The experts tell us we should be setting and reviewing our goals throughout the year, but many of us see the “fresh start” a New Year offers as the best time to create new goals and set New Year’s Resolutions. The best advice I can give is you is to follow Nike’s advice and “just do it”. One of the biggest mistakes people make in goal setting is failing to take action. They wait for the timing to be perfect, or for their plan to be perfect. Obviously jumping in without an iota of planning can lead to unwanted consequences, but spending all your time writing nice neat goals and planning can see opportunities pass you by.

If you want your New Year’s Resolutions to stick - set your goals, prepare your mindset for change, write an action plan and then DO IT!

To help you with your New Year’s Resolutions I’ve found some giveaways on the net that give you free advice on everything from being the next King or Queen of ebay to improving your health and understanding the Law of Attraction.

Self improvement giveaways

777 Self Help - a huge variety of self improvement products on just about any topic you can imagine.

New YOU Year Blast Off - mainly personal improvement (mindset change, weight loss, health, parenting) with a few of the inevitable make money on the internet programs

Happy New Years Giveaway - mainly downloads and ebooks on making money online, as well as software giveaways and graphics packages

New Year Gifts - more downloads and ebooks on making money online, as well as software giveaways and graphics packages

There is also a Daily Software Giveaway that lets you get your hands on software for free, so long as you download it before the day is up. I strongly recommend you read the feedback before you download the software. Some software isn’t worth downloading, but you can also find some gems.

Clothing Size Maketh The Woman

2008-08-09T12:00:00.006+12:00

What’s more important to you - buying clothes that fit you well, or, the label size of those clothes?

You may be surprised to find that in a recent survey by a clothing alteration firm that Australasian customers, and in particular women, would opt not to purchase clothes that fit them well, if the label says it is in a larger size than their usual size. When you consider that most clothes don’t have the size label on the outside, why are we so worried about this invisible measure?

The answer lies in a common body image issue. For many of us our self-esteem is dependent on how our body looks, and how we perceive that our body looks to others. Buying a larger size can lead people to feel dissatisfied with their body, which in turn can lead to emotional eating, yoyo dieting and despondency.

I’m sure a lot of readers can relate to the thrill of finding that they can fit into a smaller size of jeans, and the disappointment when their usual size doesn’t fit. Some people use it as a form of motivation – they intentionally purchase clothing that is too small for them in the hope that this will inspire them to lose weight, but others do it because they can’t bear the thought of purchasing a larger label size.

Canny manufacturers recognising the psychology of clothing sizes often opt for roomy clothes and increasing the measurements to allow people the comfort of purchasing clothes in a smaller label size. This is on top of adjustments that have been made to accommodate the growing girth of the population.

Experts estimate that today’s size clothing in New Zealand is approximately 5cm (2 inches) larger than the same label size 20 years ago.

Two-thirds of customers surveyed by clothing alterations chain LookSmart said they owned clothing in different sizes, and half said sizing variations made them feel frustrated, depressed - or fat.

Mr Hatoum said inconsistent sizing was demoralising to shoppers, many of whom were unwilling to change sizes for emotional reasons.

Hatoum sums it up neatly when he says,

"A size tag is more than a number - it relates to how people see themselves."

So what is the solution? Some in the industry want to see standardised sizing across all apparel manufacturers, but I think the real answer lies in not becoming overly attached to the clothing size label. Scales and clothing sizes are useful measures to help you track your progress toward your goals, but when you get on the rollercoaster of feeling good or bad about yourself depending on the result of those measures, they become self-esteem killers.

If you can learn to be confident and happy with your body and opt to purchase clothes that are comfortable and fit well it will be one less trigger to emotional eating, which can stop people from losing weight and keeping it off.

Free 75 Minute Audio on Why Diets Don't Work

2008-07-14T19:34:00.001+12:00

If you missed the free teleclass with tips on beating mindless eating, emotional eating and overeating by changing your thinking, you can grab a free copy of the audio by registering here.

Free Help for Emotional Eating

2008-06-27T13:30:00.002+12:00

I’ll be conducting a free online training session on emotional eating, common diet myths and why diets don’t work for everyone.

If you’re sick of diets or struggling to get a handle on comfort eating, overeating or binge eating then register for the free seminar and I’ll send you all the details with your passcode, times and dates so you can access the training.

You can tune in via your computer or dial in with your telephone, and you’ll also get the chance to ask me your burning questions about emotional eating and why diets don't work.

Chocolate Manufacturer Most Trusted Brand

2008-06-24T12:27:00.003+12:00

For the fifth year in a row, Reader’s Digest readers have rated chocolate manufacturer, Cadbury the most trusted brand in both Australia and New Zealand.

At a time when governments are worrying about rising obesity, the New Zealand public voted Cadbury the most trusted brand, closely followed by Tip Top, an ice cream manufacturer. In Australia, Cadbury also won for the fifth year in a row.

Reader’s Digest says

It helps that chocolate is one of our most-loved products; a reliably available instant mood lifter.

They go on to add that Cadbury has a solid reputation during its 86 years in Australia for keeping its promises to consumers.

According to social commentator Bernard Salt, it's not always rational - people are emotionally attached to trusted brands. "Curled upon a cold night with a glass of wine and a Cadbury chocolate, you feel great."

Other brands that rated highly in New Zealand include Panadol and whitegoods manufacturer Fisher & Paykel.

The poll gives readers a list of brands to rank, which includes “healthy” brands but it seems Reader’s Digest readers love their junk food.

What do you think about the love affair we have with chocolate Down Under?

Skinny Songs Review

2008-04-04T12:30:00.001+13:00

I love the idea of combining upbeat music with motivational lyrics to help people make lifestyle changes.

Skinny Songs aims to do just that with a collection of songs that Heidi Roizen put together, writing her own lyrics and collaborating with professional musicians and producers. Describing the songs as empowering, tracks include Objects in the Mirror Will Get Thinner Than They Now Appear, The Incredible Shrinking Women, You da’ Boss, I’m a Hottie Now, You Can’t Buy Thin and Skinny Jeans.

Unfortunately, the songs - which she describes as celebrating commitment, strength, and sex appeal - reinforce all the stereotypes that see people’s self-worth dependent on their jean size or their image in the mirror. I’m realistic enough to know that a lot of people feel better when they lose weight, and I applaud anyone who can come up with new tools to help people break old habits and motivate them to make lasting changes.

However, these lyrics just seemed plain silly. I’m sure they reflect the fears and fantasies of many women and more than a few men, but I’d rather not perpetuate them. Some of the songs are positive, but many have negative messages about being unattractive until you lose weight, and the importance of fitting into “skinny jeans”. I’m not convinced that everyone can realistically aim to be thin or skinny (or even desires to be skinny) nor do I think it's within everyone's means to wander into Saks to grab Gucci and Versace clothes.

At the end of the day, it’s about what works for you. Heidi swears this music helped improve her bottom line to the tune of 30 pounds (13.6 kg).

Here is a selection of lyrics. You can check out all the lyrics and listen to samples of the music at Skinny Songs and make your own decision.

I’m a Hottie Now

I spent years in misery
‘Cause everyone who looked at me
Was thinking evil thoughts about my thighs get back, into you somehow

The Incredible Shrinking Woman

You see I'm a superhero, with powers of epic might
I use wills of steel, at every meal, to control my every bite
And with my xray vision I can see without a doubt
There's a skinny girl inside me, I’ve just got to let her out

She’s the Incredible Shrinking Woman! Incredible Shrinking Woman!
Incredible Shrinking Woman! Incredible Shrinking Woman!

Poor Body Image Makes You Unhealthy

2008-02-14T20:06:00.005+13:00

People who are happy with their weight experience fewer physically unhealthy or mentally healthy days, than those that want to lose weight.

Researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health have concluded that there is a direct correlation between people’s weight loss goals and the number of days they report being unhealthy. They suggest this indicates that pressure to lose weight and low body-esteem is a bigger contributing to mental and physical well-being than body mass index.

Apparently if you’re overweight but don’t give a toss, your health is better than that of people that want to lose even a small amount of weight. For example, if you weigh 180lb (81.8kg) and want to lose 1% of this weight i.e. 1.8lb or 818grams, you will be marginally less healthily than those who are happy with their weight.

However, if you set your sights on losing 10% of your current weight (18lb or 8.2kg) then over a period of a month you’re likely to report almost one extra day of feeling unhealthy compared to your body satisfied counterparts. Over a year it amounts to nearly 11 extra ‘unhealthy’ days.

Ramp it up to a goal to lose 20% of your current weight and the figures jump to an extra 4.3 days per month of reported feelings of being physically or mentally unwell. Extrapolate this over a year and you’re talking about feeling unhealthy on a whopping 51.6 days.

This all points to the need to making changes from the inside out, and to get away from measuring your self-worth as a function of your weight.

Too often I see people going through the emotional roller coaster of battling with the scales. Periods of restraint and feeling pleased with themselves, followed by periods of overindulgence and dealing with the resulting guilt and disappointment. This research suggests that the route to good health comes from loving your body now, rather than making that self-love conditional upon attaining your desired jeans size or weight goal.

“Our data suggest that some of the obesity epidemic may be partially attributable to social constructs that surround ideal body types,” said Peter Muennig, MD, MPH, Mailman School of Public Health assistant professor of Health Policy and Management. “Younger persons, Whites, and women are disproportionately affected by negative body image concerns, and these groups unduly suffer from BMI-associated morbidity and mortality.”

Approximately 66% of the more than 150,000 U.S. adults studied wanted to lose weight, and about 26% were satisfied with their current weight. With respect to BMI, 41% of normal weight people, 20% of overweight people, and 5% of obese people were happy with their weight. Older persons were also more likely to feel positively about their weight than were younger persons. However, in all models, perceived difference was a stronger predictor than was BMI of mentally and physically unhealthy days.

Researchers now conclude that the additional stress that people experience from negative body image is affecting their health. Body image (measured as desired weight loss) was a stronger predictor of poor health than body mass index (BMI). Or, put in simple terms it’s not how much you weigh that matters, it’s how you feel about your weight that influences your physical and emotional health. Not surprisingly, this was found to be more predictive of health in women than men, and in Whites than among African-Americans or Hispanics.

The paper, I Think Therefore I Am: Perceived Ideal Weight as a Determinant of Health, will be published in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

Why Diets Don't Work

2008-01-22T11:30:00.001+13:00

Anyone who battles with periodic bingeing, emotional eating or overeating knows how difficult it is to lose weight and keep it off.

Diets often work well in the short-term, but the majority of people regain their lost weight within the next five years, and some end up weighing more than they did before they started. But why does this happen?

I think there are several reasons why people diets don’t work long-term including:

underlying thinking errors
unhelpful beliefs
feelings of deprivation and restriction
poor body esteem
expecting instant results
lack of motivation
not finding new coping mechanisms to deal with stressful situations

If you want to hear the full list of issues that could be sabotaging your goals and get tips on creating a healthy relationship with food you can call in to my free webinar to find out Why Diets Don’t Work.

I’ll also be discussing the different types of overeating and I’ll be taking questions at the end of the call.

There’s no charge for the tele-training seminar, except for your usual long distance calling charges. If you log in to the simultaneous webcast it's completely free. Just sign in and listen.

Updated:
I'm running another seminar in July, so if you missed out on the last one you can sign up now to receive all the details.

Light Therapy Pros and Cons

2008-01-16T12:03:00.000+13:00

The Mayo Clinic has an excellent article on the use of light therapy for treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and some sleep disorders. The article includes the benefits and side-effects of using light boxes as well as instructions on using a light box.

The Mayo Clinic makes the point that the effectiveness of using light boxes vary, from being as good or better than medications for some people, while others get little or no benefit. This is possibly due to the large range of light boxes available and the different theories on the appropriate spectrum of light to use and the duration of treatment.

Light boxes can be expensive to purchase, however it is also possible to rent them on a trial basis to see whether they are effective for you. The Apollo GoLite box is a popular model that a lot of people have recommended (I've never used one as I find the winters here are quite mild and I can usually get enough natural light to keep depression at bay). In addition to using the light boxes there are also special light bulbs and desk lamps you can purchase.

Once you have purchased the light box, most models will last a few years, but it pays to check out the replacement at the end of this time. Some will allow you to replace the bulb, other models require you to replace the entire box which can be costly. However, if you don't have insurance the light box can still be cheaper than medications without the stigma or side-effects of anti-depressants.

This doesn't mean that light boxes don't have side-effects, however most people find them tolerable. Some people with bipolar disorder may experience manic episodes, while others may find that the light box affects their skin, or induces headaches or eyestrain but the majority of people that I've spoken to have nothing but praise for their light box.

Free Happiness Seminar Online

2008-01-10T11:46:00.000+13:00

Marci Shimoff, #1 New York Times Best-selling author has written a new book on happiness, which she says will help people find the feelings of inner peace and life satisfaction which she describes as the "Happy For No Reason" state.

Marci describes experiencing a lot of external factors that she expected to make her happy and couldn't understand why she felt dissatisfied and unhappy. She decided to investigate the source of happiness and find out why some people could be happy for no reason at all!

As part of her quest Marci interviewed people from all walks of life to find out what made them happy. One of the questions she asked was, “What do you think is the most important thing necessary to experience the Happy for No Reason state?” The result was what Marci describes as the 21 Happiness Habits.

You can download a free sample from her book, which includes the 20 key questions that Marci says determine your state of happiness and your "happiness set point" and listen to a replay of her free teleseminar online or download it to your mp3 player. You can also send her your question on being Happy from the inside out in your personal and professional life.

New Year’s Resolutions and Announcements…

2008-01-08T18:28:00.000+13:00

Welcome to 2008. I hope you’ve all had a great break and enjoyed the festive season.

At this time of year people’s thoughts turn to New Year’s Resolutions and gearing themselves up for the new work year. If you’re like me that includes wanting to start the New Year with a fresh start. I like to rummage through all the cupboards and throw out anything I don’t need and get all my files sorted and organised. I always find a good declutter, helps clear the mind as well as the house!

If you’re looking for help with your New Year’s Resolutions, check back on last year’s post which explains the 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make with New Year’s Resolutions and these tips on goal setting.

Blog Changes
This year there will be changes at the Centre for Emotional Well-Being blog. As part of my commitment to keeping my life in balance - not to mention my sanity - I have decided to cut back on the time I spend blogging so you’ll be seeing fewer posts from me. Nancy will also be doing fewer posts as she attends to her growing freelance writing business. Over the next few weeks, I'll be reorganising the index to the blog to help you find any resources you may need in our library and links. Until then, pop your query into the search box at the top left hand side of the blog.

Merry Christmas everyone

2007-12-25T10:09:00.000+13:00

We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and safe and happy holidays.

There will be no more posts for the remainder of 2007, but if you're looking for help with anything you can search our archive of articles, or visit the forum for a list of agencies that deal with emergencies, or can provide a friend on the telephone.

Meri Kirihimete (that's Maori for Merry Christmas)

Talia and Nancy

P.S. If you'd like some Christmas cheer check out Talia and her Elves wishing you a Merry Christmas

Overbooked Kids

2007-12-14T06:03:00.001+13:00

My therapy practice includes quite a few adolescents, mainly high school students. Lately, I've been amazed at how packed their schedules are. They practically have to pull out a PDA to make an appointment! When I asked one yesterday if things were winding down before the holidayr break, she looked at me like I had two heads. Evidently, the teachers are piling it on.

Of course, I can't be entirely objective about this topic. I'm a mental health professional and the kids I see are usually being treated for anxiety, depression, substance abuse, etc. So I'm looking for any causes for the pathology I'm seeing.

In an article in Psychology Today, The Overbooked Child, psychologist David Elkins talks about the stress and depression he sees in his young patients. After interviewing his patient Kevin (not his real name) and his mother, the mother dismissed the idea that her son was stressed. She maintained that he enjoyed all the activities in which he was scheduled.

"But Kevin wasn't having a good childhood. He was overscheduled and on the brink of clinical depression. When I talked to him on his own, he confided that he missed playing with his friends in the neighborhood. They used to ride bikes, have water-balloon fights and build forts out of cardboard boxes. Now there wasn't time for those activities. 'I really like being in sports and everything,' he said. 'But not all that much.' "

In the book, The Over-Scheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-Parenting Trap, authors Alvin Rosenfield, M.D. and Nicole Wise discuss this issue. Rosenfield believes it's the parents who are driving this, "it's how we parent today."

"Parents feel remiss that they're not being good parents if their kids aren't in all kinds of activities. Children are under pressure to achieve, to be competitive. I know sixth-graders who are already working on their resumes so they'll have an edge when they apply for college."

But what continues to surprise me about this phenomenon is that the kids are doing much of this over-scheduling themselves. They are enrolled in AP (Advanced Placement) courses to get a leg up on college, they have a certain number of hours of community service to fulfill for National Honor Society and to look good on college applications. Then there are the extracurricular things like sports, drama, music-related activities, etc. This is all on top of regular school hours and homework. This schedule leaves very little free time or family and friend time.

When I've asked them about their schedules and whether their parents are pushing it, I often here that most of the activities, including enrolling in AP courses, are their choice.

On the Web site FamilyEducation.com, they suggest ways to help your kids work towards a balance in their activities:

Help Your Kids Strike a Balance

Help your child set priorities.

Help your child develop a realistic schedule to accommodate family, school, sports, and everything else.

Find out at the beginning of the season what the coach's expectations are for the team.

Let the coach know about your child's other commitments.

Encourage your child to get homework done early in the day.

Set aside a certain period every day for quiet study.

Watch for signs of burnout, i.e., falling grades, diminished interest in other activities, and fatigue.

Work with coaches and school officials to minimize sports interference with academics.

Be a good role model: set priorities for yourself and stick to them. Point out athletes who maintain good grades.

This last point is critical. If you, as a parent, are so overscheduled yourself that you can't make time to discuss a healthy balance with your kid, that's an indicator of a problem. I'm amazed when I ask parents to schedule an appointment with me to discuss their child. I will often hear an incredulous, "Both of us?!" That always tells me very important information about the family's priorities. And yes, I insist that they both make time to come in.

Nancy L., LISW, LICDC

Recreational Drugs for Depression?

2007-12-10T11:37:00.000+13:00

A horse tranquiliser could hold the key to treating depression.

Ketamine, which is used as an anaesthetic for humans and animals, and is also sold as a street drug to induce a "high", is being considered as a possible treatment for depression in those that have not responded to conventional treatments.

Researchers may be able to develop an antidepressant which takes effect almost immediately by directly targeting novel molecules in the brain instead of taking a less direct route, which can lead to longer times for medication to take effect, according to a study presented this week at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting.

The antidepressant is also thought to be effective in people for whom previous treatments have been ineffective. This human and rodent research is among the first to examine the effects of rapid antidepressant strategies.

Lead researcher and ACNP member Husseini Manji, M.D., director of the mood and anxiety disorders program at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), says one of the major limitations in existing pharmacological treatments for major depression is the time between starting to take the medication, and when it starts to alleviate the depression, often a period of one month or longer. He adds that strategies that work at much faster rates would have a tremendous impact for Americans who suffer from depression – nearly 21 million annually, according to NIMH.

"Today's antidepressant medications eventually end up doing the same thing, but they go about it the long way around, with a lot of biochemical steps that take time. Now we've shown what the key targets are and that we can get at them rapidly," says Dr. Manji. “This research is leading to some very real possibilities for a whole new generation of antidepressant medications."

The study looked at patients in a “difficult to treat” group, meaning individuals who had not responded to other treatments including psychotherapy, traditional antidepressants or electroconvulsive therapy.

Researchers treated the depressed patients intravenously with ketamine, a general anesthetic usually used for minor surgical procedures in which muscle relaxation is not required. The doses of ketamine used in this study were considerably lower than when it is used as an anesthetic. These tests are part of an ongoing study

Ketamine produced results much more quickly than traditional antidepressants because it acted directly upon critical molecules in important neuronal circuits instead of having to bypass multiple locations en route to those circuits. Typically, currently available antidepressant medications work via serotonin or norepinephrine, neurotransmitters which act within the brain to help regulate emotion and cognition.

The results showed that patients responded after only two hours, and within 24 hours, 71% had responded. Patients were followed over time, and 35% maintained their response for up to one week. Traditional antidepressants usually take many weeks, or even months, to begin to work. “This is intriguing data which suggests that targeting these important molecules in critical circuits would be extremely helpful in treating depression more quickly, before it worsens and becomes more severe,” Dr. Manji said.

The researchers also studied rodents to determine whether they could get medication to highly responsive brain areas more quickly. By looking at different biomarkers – specific physical features used to measure the progress of a disease or condition – in mice and rats, researchers came closer to identifying at what point in the biochemical process medication might become effective, which would ultimately lead to faster treatment.

Treating patients with rapid strategies is essential since some patients who suffer from depression are tempted to stop their medication if it doesn’t work quickly enough.

Ongoing human studies using magnetoencephalography (MEG) are also helping to identify the specific brain circuits through which these rapid antidepressant effects occur. Identifying these precise circuits may lead to the development of molecules with even more precise effects, and therefore fewer side effects.

It's unclear whether Ketamine can be developed as a commercially viable antidepressant due to its side-effects. However, by identifying the underlying actions of the components of Ketamine and correlating these to biomarkers, scientists hope to develop fast-acting safe treatments for depression.

Sources:
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) press release
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)press release

Coming to the End of "Guest Hosting"

2007-12-07T09:50:00.000+13:00

I wanted to mention that today's post is the last in my "guest hosting" stint. I have enjoyed filling in the past month for Talia while she tackles other projects.

Thanks to all of you who have read my posts and especially to those who have taken the time to comment.

I look forward to dropping in occasionally to post on topics of interest to me.

Have a safe, sane and enjoyable holiday season!

Nancy L., LISW, LICDC

Colleges to Notify Parents When Students Violate Alcohol/Drug Rules

2007-12-07T07:04:00.000+13:00

Right to privacy vs. duty to inform is a sticky, complicated issue. By law, I must maintain my patients' confidentiality unless they sign a release form indicating I can share information. But what about underage drinking on college campuses? Does the college have a duty to inform parents when a student violates alcohol or drug use policies? Until recently, most universities cited privacy laws - they did not inform parents.

An article in the Wall Street Journal, Colleges Move Boldly on Student Drinking examines a "loop hole" in federal privacy law that is allowing colleges to inform parents when a student violates a campus drinking or drug use policy. The law, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (Ferpa), was enacted to protect the privacy of student education records. Under the law, students and/or parents must give written permission before their information can be released. The law was enacted in 1974, but according to the WSJ article,

"The college parental-notification policies for alcohol and drug violations utilize an exception added in 1998 to Ferpa that allows schools to call parents if a student gets an alcohol or drug violation and is under 21 years of age. After the law was changed, some colleges created parental-notification policies, while others insisted that contacting parents would go against their goal of nurturing independence in their students."

College drinking and drug-related incidents are staggering. According to the National Insitute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA),

1700 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes.

More than 696,000 students between 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.

More than 97,000 students between 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assaults or date rape.

The Virginia Tech shootings and other recent campus tragedies have made college administrators less sure of their historic stance of protecting students' privacy. But some parents argue that being notified of alcohol/drug violations inhibits their child from learning to make good choices.

As a substance abuse counselor and mental health therapist, I can certainly see both sides of this issue. But I do know that involving family when a student has an alcohol or drug problem can have a very positive effect.

What do you think? Violation of privacy or safety issue that overrides it?