Dealing with Anger

We all feel angry sometimes. Most of the time, we can deal with feelings of anger or irritability quickly. We may resolve the situation or look at the problem from a different perspective. However, anger can cause problems in our lives and the lives of those around us. Learn more about recognizing problem anger and taking action.

What is anger?

Anger is an emotion that tells us when something may be wrong. For example, we may feel angry when something is beyond our control or feels unfair, when we can’t reach a goal, or when someone is hurt or threatened. We can also feel angry when we are under too much stress. Anger can involve a wide range of feelings. We may be a little annoyed over a minor incident, like being stuck in traffic or missing our bus. More serious problems, like getting hurt or seeing someone else get hurt, may cause strong feelings like rage. Sometimes, we just feel angry for no reason.

Anger may be a problem for you when it’s:

• Much stronger than you’d expect based on the situation
• Very frequent, to the point that you can’t enjoy things anymore
• Caused by something that happened a long time ago
•  Making you act violently towards yourself, someone else, or someone’s property
• Interfering with your ability to do your job
• Hurting your relationships with loved ones
• Affecting your physical health

What can I do about it?

Anger is a normal reaction to some situations. Anger can also be helpful when it matches the situation and motivates people to take action or work towards a goal. However, anger that’s dealt with in unhealthy ways can create problems and affect your well-being. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to deal with your anger.

Immediate strategies

These strategies won’t solve the problem. Instead, they can help put you back in control so you can find a productive way to deal with the problem. They may also be useful if you find yourself saying or doing things in anger that you regret later.

• Leave the situation that’s making you angry, if possible.
• Count to 10.
• Repeat calming phrases such as, “Take it easy” or, “Will this matter in six months?”
• Breathe deeply. Many people, especially adults, breathe from their chest, which doesn’t give the benefits of a deep breath. Try to breathe deep into your stomach. You’re on the right track if your stomach goes out first. It may seem simple, but taking deep breaths can help calm your mind, slow your heart, and even lower blood pressure.
• Try to shift your attention to something more pleasant or relaxing. This can be very helpful for minor annoyances that you can’t control.

Short-term strategies

When you are calmer, these are strategies to help you look at your feelings around a particular situation. They don’t take a lot of time, but they can make a big difference.

• Acknowledge that you are angry. Angry feelings don’t go away if you bottle them up and avoid dealing with them.
• Consider whether your reaction matches the situation. Ask yourself, “What would I think of someone else if I saw them getting angry in this situation?” or, “Is this situation really as bad as I am making it out to be?” You can also ask someone you trust for their perspective—they may help you look at the problem in a more balanced way.
• Look at your thoughts. Sometimes the way you think can fuel anger—for example, assuming that another person is intentionally trying to hurt or annoy you, in a situation when that may not be true.
•  Identify the source of your anger. If the actions or words of another person are hurting you, try to deal with them directly in a peaceful and productive way. Assertiveness skills can be a great way to do this.
• Look for humour in the situation—sometimes it’s easy to take minor problems too seriously.

Longer-term solutions

These strategies take more time and effort, but they can help you cope with anger as it comes up in many different situations. The goal is to change the way you react to anger so it doesn’t cause problems in the first place.

• Learn what triggers your anger. Some people are triggered by other people, such as a boss, friend, or family member. Certain emotions, such as feeling controlled, ashamed or guilty, can also trigger anger for some people.
• Identify your early warning signs so you can take action before your anger turns into full-blown rage. Common early warning signs include a pounding heart, tight chest or jaw, feeling resentful or irritated, or feeling like lashing out.
• Talk to someone you trust who may be able to see things more clearly than you do. Remember that anger can tell us we need to solve a problem. Another person can help you practice identifying the real problem, brainstorming solutions, and testing solutions out.
•  If your anger is caused by something beyond your control, such as a job loss, learn how others have dealt with a similar problem successfully and try their strategies.
• Learn and practice skills like healthy thinking, problem solving and stress management. All of these can help manage anger.
• Many people find physical activity very helpful. Try going for a walk, playing your favourite sport, or cleaning the house.
• Make sure you eat well and get enough sleep. We often lose patience and get irritated more easily when we’re tired or hungry.
• Learn mindfulness practices like meditation. Mindfulness teaches you how to look at your thoughts in the present moment without judgment. It may also help teach you to tolerate angry feelings without pushing them away.
• Learn more about assertiveness. Anger can persist when we avoid talking directly to someone about something that has made us angry. Assertiveness is a way of telling others what you feel or what you need while respecting their feelings or needs.
• If you feel easily frustrated when people don’t act the way you want them to, remember that you cannot control how other people behave. You can only control how you choose to react to those behaviours.

Anger and irritability can sometimes be signs of depression or anxiety. If anger continues to cause problems or you notice that anger occurs with other symptoms, it’s a good idea to talk with a doctor or mental health professional.

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Resources:

Canadian Mental Health Association: http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/feeling-angry/

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Dr. Christopher L. Heffner:

Etiology

Both biological and psychological causes have been found in OCD.

Symptoms

The key features of this disorder include obsessions (persistent, often irrational, and seemingly uncontrollable thoughts) and compulsions (actions which are used to neutralize the obsessions). A good example of this would be an individual who has thoughts that he is dirty, infected, or otherwise unclean which are persistent and uncontrollable. In order to feel better, he washes his hands numerous times throughout the day, gaining temporary relief from the thoughts each time. For these behaviors to constitute OCD, it must be disruptive to everyday functioning (such as compulsive checking before leaving the house making you extremely late for all or most appointments, washing to the point of excessive irritation of your skin, or inability to perform everyday functions like work or school because of the obsessions or compulsions).

Treatment

Medication is often prescribed for individuals with OCD. Psychotherapy can be helpful in learning ways to feel more in control, cope better with stressors, and explore the underlying issues associated with the obsessive thoughts.

Prognosis

Prognosis for this disorder has a wide range, depending upon how the individual responds to medication and how deep rooted the underlying issues are.

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Resources:

Allpsych: http://allpsych.com/disorders/anxiety/ocd/#.VYY6z5VRF9A

Advice From A Tree

Mental Health Disorders Are Not Adjectives

Claire Greaves:

Many of us have done it, “Kate can be a bit bipolar can’t she?!” meaning that one day she can be in a good mood, the next she can be in a bad mood or “Jane’s very OCD, she’s great we could do with more people like her!” because she is very organised and tidy. Whilst these are often said in a very light hearted and jokey manner, the consequences of using psychiatric diagnoses to describe peoples’ personalities can be serious.

Firstly, it leads to there being positive and negative mental illnesses. OCD is often seen as a positive mental illness, people are tidy, clean and hardworking. The TV programme ‘Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners’ adds to the damage, the hoarders are seen as lazy or bad and the people with OCD fix the situation and are seen as good. OCD is not a positive mental illness, it is a mental illness that is as equally distressing and horrific as any other mental illness. It affects the quality of life of the sufferer and if an illness is affecting someone being able to live their life then it is not positive. Schizophrenia is seen as a bad mental illness, sufferers are seen as damaging to society, weird and unacceptable “You’re such a schizo” and bipolar is seen as someone who can be very grumpy but you never know where you stand with them, “God, you’re so bipolar!” A mental illness does not make a person good or bad, it makes them unwell.

By using mental illnesses to describe an individual’s personality it both simplifies mental illness and takes the seriousness away from them. Many people work hard to get mental illness recognised as illness. These are diseases of the brain, not personality traits and by using diagnoses as descriptions it takes the severity away and adds to the misunderstanding around them particularly as the descriptions are often very inaccurate. It also implies that these illnesses are set in stone. If you always describe Dave as the depressive, then to you Dave is always going to be the depressive. If the office make jokes about him being a depressive behind his back then these will probably not stop until Dave leaves. It makes it seem as though recovery is not possible, once you have depression then you always have depression. Jane is described as OCD by work colleagues because she is organised, being organised is a part of who Jane is but OCD is not a part of the sufferer, it is the sufferer’s illness and it can be beaten.

Unfortunately mental illness is not rare, there probably is someone in your workplace or your class who has mental illness and by hearing mental health conditions being used in a negative way it makes it harder for people to speak about mental illness in a truthful and helpful way. If everyone is joking about someone being bipolar because of their personality then it makes it very difficult if someone within earshot actually has bipolar. They may feel the need to hide their illness and may feel ashamed about it. The more misunderstood an illness is, the harder it is for a sufferer to be open and honest about it. We should be encouraging helpful conversations about mental health, raising awareness and making sure that people are able to talk about their mental illness if need be because whether you joke about mental illness or not, you probably know someone with a mental illness it’s just a case of whether you have opened or closed the door that allows them to speak up.

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Resources:

Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/claire-greaves-/mental-health-stigmas_b_6806090.html

Happy Father’s Day!

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Dr. Christopher L. Heffner:

Etiology

Often anxiety gets generalized to other situations, and can then become overwhelming or associated with life in general. Typically GAD develops over a period of time and may not be noticed until it is significant enough to cause problems with functioning.

Symptoms

As its name implies, GAD is evidenced by general feelings of anxiety such as mild heart palpitations, dizziness, and excessive worry. The symptoms are difficult to control for the individual and are not related to a specific event (such as in PTSD) and are not as severe as those found with Panic Disorder.

Treatment

Medication and/or psychotherapy have been found to be helpful, especially therapy aimed at teaching the client how to gain control over the symptoms.

Prognosis

Prognosis is good for the more extreme symptoms, but those associated with underlying fears are more difficult to treat (such as excessive worry). Working through childhood issues can be helpful as these tend to get distorted as they follow us into adulthood (e.g., over-controlling parental styles, sexual abuse, childhood phobias).

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Resources:

Allpsych: http://allpsych.com/disorders/anxiety/generalizedanxiety/#.VWspy5VFB9A

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WJYmgXcoEI

Benefits of Yoga

 

Yoga is a great way to work on your flexibility and strength. Just about everyone can do it, too — it’s not just for people who can touch their toes or want to meditate.

Some types of yoga are about relaxation. In others, you move more. Most types focus on learning poses, called asanas. They also usually include attention to breathing.

Yoga for Flexibility

Yoga poses work by stretching your muscles. They can help you move better and feel less stiff or tired.

At any level of yoga, you’ll probably start to notice benefits soon. In one study, people improved their flexibility by up to 35% after only 8 weeks of yoga.

Strike a Pose for Strength

Some styles of yoga, such as ashtanga and power yoga, are very physical. Practicing one of these styles will help you improve muscle tone.

But even less vigorous styles of yoga, such as Iyengar or hatha, can provide strength and endurance benefits.

Many of the poses, such as downward dog, upward dog, and the plank pose, build upper-body strength. The standing poses, especially if you hold them for several long breaths, build strength in your hamstrings, quadriceps, and abs. Poses that strengthen the lower back include upward dog and the chair pose.

When done right, nearly all poses build core strength in the deep abdominal muscles.

Better Posture From Yoga

When you’re stronger and more flexible, your posture improves.

Most standing and sitting poses develop core strength, since you need your core muscles to support and maintain each pose.

With a stronger core, you’re more likely to sit and stand “tall.”

Yoga also helps your body awareness. That helps you notice more quickly if you’re slouching or slumping, so you can adjust your posture.

Breathing Benefits

Yoga usually involves paying attention to your breath, which can help you relax. It may also call for specific breathing techniques.

But yoga typically isn’t aerobic, like running or cycling, unless it’s an intense type of yoga or you’re doing it in a heated room.

Less Stress, More Calm

You may feel less stressed and more relaxed after doing some yoga.

Some yoga styles use meditation techniques that help calm the mind. Focusing on your breathing during yoga can do that, too.

Good for Your Heart

Yoga has long been known to lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate. A slower heart rate can benefit people with high blood pressure or heart disease, and people who’ve had a stroke.

Yoga has also been linked to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and better immune system function.

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Resources: http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/the-health-benefits-of-yoga

New Addition!

I believe that pets are a great psychological therapy. I had a golden retriever growing up as a child and I don’t know where I would have been without him. It’s actually been a hard 6 years without a pet. As a graduation gift, my parents have gifted me with a new puppy!

Welcome Benson as the new addition to my family! I have to wait four more weeks to bring him home but he’s my new little guy 🙂

Resume! Resume! How art thou Resume!

The whole idea of obtaining a job can actually be extremely scary….especially for those of you who have anxieties about the exterior and what it has to offer.

I’m just as guilty of having these anxieties surrounding my mental health. I just graduated in December (at a lovely later age of 27) and it took me 3.5 months to find a job. I don’t believe it was at all due to a lack of my experience, but rather my need to follow everything one step at a time, especially when tackling some anxieties. I think it’s important to ground yourself in the whole job searching process and really take your time with it. Here’s some tips I’ve learned from my journey….I hope they help!

 

TAKE YOUR TIME! You will be working from now on and for the rest of your life. Life will not hate you if it takes a little while to find a job. Don’t stress 🙂

If you’re parents offer they’re home to you and it sounds like the worst idea since parachute pants, it’s actually not that bad until you’re on your feet.

If it seems like it’s been forever and you’re cursed, I believe it’s probably because you’re dream job is waiting for you. I went through job opportunity after job opportunity that fell through but I realized I’m so happy it did. I’m ecstatic where I am right now.

The first step to being recognized in employment industry, is a great resume. It displays your employment qualifications, your profile and skills and your organizational abilities. Here is a first page example:

 

Important notes for your resume:

• Make sure your name is large and in charge – you want the company to see who you are and remember your name
• Personal profile: the beneficial skills that you offer to a company
• It’s a good idea to put your name and page number on the bottom of the page – just in case the company looses pages
• Education/Experience/Volunteer: make sure that you list either soonest to latest OR latest to soonest
• If you have a lot of experience, it’s only necessary to list the duties for those relevant for the job you’re applying for OR up to 4-5 positions; otherwise just list the titles
• If you need characteristics to list for job titles, simply google the job title and find a job posting that lists characteristics for the same job title
• Make sure to list, “References available upon request” on the back – you want them to come to you!

Click Here for Edible Resume

Importance of Cardiovascular Exercise

By: Jason Ladock

There is no denying that we live in a fast paced world where time is money. Despite our busy schedules, gathering some time from our daily routine for maintaining our health is a must. Fortunately, most people across the world are now realizing the importance of good health, in order to stay happy, healthy and positive in life.

While this is good news for family members and health ministers across the world, it is imperative to make the most of your time you devote towards your fitness regime. Improper training or wrong exercise choices will do no good for your health.

Whether your goal is to gain or reduce weight or for that matters simply stay fit, it is essential to include cardio vascular exercises in your fitness routine. The best part is that, you may not necessarily need any equipment, in order to perform cardio workouts. Swimming, running, walking, bicycling, aerobics are all forms of cardio exercises. Choose a cardio vascular exercise which you enjoy doing, and include variations in your routine to avoid boredom.

By now everybody knows that obesity can open the floodgates for life threatening diseases like diabetes, heart attack etc. Cardio workout helps one burn the unwanted and unflattering body fat. Cardio workout burns more body fat in limited period of time, which is why including them in your fitness regime is a must.

They not only contribute to weight loss, but they can also help you gain good muscles. Muscles are hidden within those unwanted layers of fat. They are visible only once the upper fat layers are thrown out from the body. Cardio vascular exercise eradicates those unwanted body fat, thus making an individual achieve his or her desired physique.

Most females shy away from weight training exercises due to the physical strain on their body. Cardio vascular exercises are not very demanding on the body, and they are produce good results as well. Irrespective of the gender, one can make cardio vascular exercises a part of their life. It will improve your sedentary lifestyle, and make you remain active and productive in life.

Cardio exercises are also responsible for a good respiratory system and heart condition. They strengthen the heart and also aids in lowering one’s blood pressure. They also increase the red blood cells count to mobilize oxygen within the body. Other benefits of cardio vascular exercises are included below.

-Increase in endurance

-Contributes to good mental state of mind and healthy skin

-Burns calories quickly

-Increases blood flow to the muscles

-Lowers heart resting rate

-Improves body metabolism

-Improves overall appearance

Cardio workouts can contribute to all your fitness goals. The benefits of cardio workouts are abundant, and they can contribute a lot in improving the quality of your life. If you haven’t started as yet, then this is the time to get savvy with cardio workouts. Making cardio vascular workout a part and parcel of your life would be a great way to stay fit and healthy for long. In this demanding era, life is almost incomplete without it.

 

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Resources:

Health Guidance for Better Health: http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/11336/1/Importance-of-Cardio-Workout.html