The pandemic has bore itself upon millions of people. It is wearing on so many. So many losses, both deeply personal but also secondary in nature, but the overall cloud upon the planet has also created a general grief. Many individuals are feeling a general apathy due to the pandemic and that is only natural.
Over time, the sea of grief and its grey skies during thee pandemic can seem to great to bear but there is always hope. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification and help others
The article, “What you’re feeling is grief” by Nylah Burton looks at how many are having a difficult time coping and responding to so much grief. The article states,
“These conditions, combined with the duration of the pandemic, are causing many people to struggle with the loss of their “resilience muscle,” says Sherry Cormier, a psychologist and bereavement specialist who authored the book Sweet Sorrow: Finding Enduring Wholeness after Loss and Grief. “Back in March, we had a lot of zest. We thought we could get through this and rise to the challenge. But the longer this goes on, the climb gets harder and harder,” Cormier says. “We are definitely in a mental health epidemic.”
With death, personal losses, loss of income and loss of social interaction, basic coping is becoming not enough for many people. The general cloud of apathy and mental issues that come with a pandemic are beginning to take root.
Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification and see if it matches your professional and academic goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Grief Counseling
Certain times of the year can cause seasonal depression or SAD. Usually it is during the Winter months that most face a type of seasonal depression. The shorter days, lack of outside air and the inability to do more things due to the weather can contribute to this condition.
Seasonal depression coincides usually with the Winter months. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Training
The article, “How to Recognize and Address Seasonal Depression” Ashley Abramson looks deeper at seasonal depression and how to address it. She states,
“A distinct, seasonal pattern is key to recognizing S.A.D., feeling normal during spring and summer, then dwindling in energy and mood as days get shorter — almost like you want to hibernate. If you have a family member with S.A.D., you might be more likely to develop it, and Dr. Desan said the disorder is three times more common in women.”
Seasonal depression is something that can ruin the hidden joys of the Winter season and also push a person into a type of hibernation that robs the body of a more physical routine. It is important to identify and find help if necessary. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Training and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Grief Counseling.
Many individuals fear the negative effects of medication when dealing with depression. Some may need it but others through coping and potentially herbal supplements can overcome. This is obviously something that is decided between a patient and a doctor.
There are a variety of herbal supplements that can help with depression. Be sure to consult your doctor for any treatments. Please also review AIHCP’s Holistic and Integrative Healthcare Specialist Program
Certain herbs though do have the potential to help with depression and are worth looking into under the direction of a physician.
The article, “11 Herbs and Supplements to Help Fight Depression” from Healthline looks at a few herbs and supplements that may help you. The article states,
“Depressive disorders are treated with medication and psychotherapy. Lifestyle modifications, including making dietary changes and taking certain supplements, may also help people with depression. For example, research shows that specific vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other compounds may be particularly effective at improving depressive symptoms.”
To read the entire article and see the complete list, please click here
Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification as well as AIHCP’s Holistic and Integrative Healthcare Specialist Program and see if they match with your academic and professional goals. The programs are open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in those fields.
Cleanliness and order makes someone feel good about him or herself. It allows the mind not to be consumed with things that need done. It fortifies accomplishment and pride.
When things are messy, it is easier to be stress. One has no place to escape stress. When order is in balance, one can retreat to something beautiful and in order and find possibly find peace.
Stress breeds in disorganization. Order is important. Please also review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Program
The article, “De-stress by decluttering” Judi Hopson looks at the benefits of decluttering when stressed and how it can not only create order but also take one’s mind off stressful things. She states,
” You’ll feel more in control of your life. Sorting through just one room, and organizing it well, will make you feel you’re on top of things. Sure, it takes discipline to do this. But, you’ll feel your power to focus and your self-respect growing.”
Decluttering a house has many benefits but reducing stress and creating a more conducive environment is important. To learn more about Stress Management Consulting, please review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Stress Management Consulting.
Anger can become a big issue at work. It is important to keep work safe and not intimidating to others as well as protect oneself. Anger however rarely listens to reason and it is important to be able to control anger, understand it and not allow it to interfere at work.
Anger at work is a big social problem. Please also review AIHCP’s Anger Management Training Program
The article, “How to manage your anger and frustration at work” by Nurhurda Syed explains why it is important to control anger at work and how to better cope with it. The article states,
“It’s a difficult time to be a leader and it’s okay if things are starting to get to you, professionally or personally. The best way to manage your anger or frustration at work is through some self-awareness and honesty, said Maria Micha, a clinical mental health counsellor, psychiatrist and corporate trainer. If you feel like you’re losing grip of a situation at work, take the time to reflect on your life and the issues you’re handling.”
Please also review AIHCP’s Anger Management Training Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Anger Management.
Many religious traditions believe that one through meditation can cause a positive disturbance into the cosmos and tap into the natural healing energy. Some cultures call this Chi. While this is only an Eastern belief, meditation from a secular point of view can also elicit responses through the Relaxation Response to help heal the body. In fact, whichever religious tradition, the utilization of meditation within the particular creed seems to all cause the Relaxation Response.
In previous blogs and articles, we know that the Relaxation Response is the opposite of the Fight or Flight Response. The Relaxation Response reverses the blood pressure, higher heart rate, and heavier breathing caused by the sympathetic nervous system in time of physical need, or stress. Adrenaline is pumped into the body during physical emergencies to enable the body to better react to the issue at hand, however, this response is more damaging when responding to only emotional and mental stresses of the modern world. Hence, anxiety and stress can cause an array of physical ailments to the heart and blood pressure.
The relaxation response is able to reverse the physical reactions of the Fight or Flight response in the body. It is able to undo the higher blood pressure, heart rate and respiration induced by this response. Please also review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Program
The ability of the mind via meditation and breathing to induce the Relaxation Response is key to healing. It is only doubled when combined with the faith factor. Positive vibes and beliefs through meditation and even basic mindset can produce within the body multiple cures over minor issues and also maintain optimal health. Likewise, negative beliefs and lack of faith can lead to physical ailments. The mind body connection is real and the ability to control the negative responses of the body to stress as well as produce healthier mental images, is key to overall health.
Does this mean one should never go to the doctor but only procure a healthy mindset? Definitely not, but Herbert Benson in “Beyond the Relaxation Response” believes that a healthy mindset and faith factor tied to meditation can procure within the Relaxation Response a more general bill of health, as well as better responses to illness. He reviews the importance of the placebo effect for both positive and negative results.
Meditation is an excellent way to overcome stress and its consequences. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals
One can see through studies and throughout history, the power of the mind in helping someone recover from an illness, likewise, the power of the mind to produce illness. Meditation and the Relaxation Response with a strong faith factor reveals that many individuals are able to control negative responses from the Sympathetic Response system and maintain better health in part by preventing illness as well as aiding the body heal itself. A person with a positive mindset and faith factor has a better chance of healing or overcoming a major operation and illness than one with a negative.
Part of this is the placebo effect of the medication. Many medications are strengthened by the belief of the person. Furthermore, a strong trust in the physician who is optimistic can help trigger a better faith factor which can help a patient recover faster. In many cases, medications produce more side effects than good, and the faith factor and optimistic view is strong enough to help someone. It is important to know if the medication one is on is completely necessary for health and wellness.
The faith factor is just a religious ideal but one that places faith in something, whether it be God, medication, a physician or one’s own ability to heal. It is a critical element in self healing and overall mental, emotional and physical health. Through the studies on meditation, we clearly see a connection between mind and body and vice versa. The mind has an ability to control many of our responses, including heartbeat and blood pressure, it also has the ability to aid the body in recovery with positive imagery. This is not a cure all. While mental positive images can help, they cannot overcome certain obstacles or devastating disease or injury, but they can help the body recover and maintain itself.
It is important to procure this type of positive attitude and with a strong faith factor, coupled with meditation and the triggering of the Relaxation Response, one can better achieve better health and a more peaceful life in response to stress and anxiety.
Anxiety looks to tear into the body causing a brutal cycle where the body is forced to respond to a physical threat that is not present. By eliminating this cycle through the Relaxation Response, one is able to lower breathing, heart rate and blood pressure and allow the body to relax from the hormonal onslaught. Remember, it is about how we view stress, cope with it, and our overall outlook on life that helps prepare us to handle these stresses. Through meditation we are able to heal the body from stress and prepare it to handle it later.
The Relaxation Response is the physical result of various religious traditions. A positive faith factor can help reduce the negative consequences of stress but also help the body heal itself over time
For purposes of the review, the steps are simple. Find a quiet place, focus on breathing, find an object or mental image to dwell upon, use a mantra or prayer to stay on path and avoid distractions and maintain a passive mind. These steps are part of almost every religious tradition. While religious traditions may have different spiritual ends, they all through meditation induce a particular physical reaction which is beneficial to the body. That response is the Relaxation Response.
If you would like to learn more, please review Herbert Benson’s revolutionary work on meditation. If you would like to earn a certification in Meditation Instruction, then please review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Meditation Instruction.
Also, feel free to review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Program which also closely ties to meditation and its uses as a way to monitor and overcome stress.
Stress and anger facilitates the “Flight or Fight” response in our bodies. While temporarily good, if the physical reactions within the body continue over time or are not properly channeled, then damage to the body can occur. Elevated heart beat and higher blood pressure are all temporary necessary results to deal with situations but in the modern world, stresses cannot be dealt with by fight or flight but must be managed.
The relaxation response can not only cope with the effects of stress but also help with healing. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it meets your academic needs.
The Relaxation Response is the opposite reaction within the body, where a pre stress state is restored to the body. It lowers the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and creates a more tranquil setting which is beneficial to the body. Recent studies through bio feed back have proven to shown that one can facilitate these responses through a variety of meditation practices or techniques. Meditation, in particular, Eastern meditation has shown to be able to elicit the relaxation response.
The Relaxation Response requires a quiet or peaceful setting and environment. It requires a passive mindset. It also requires an object of focus and a repeating phrase, mantra, or word to retain that focus. Through this peaceful and gradual process, studies have shown that the relaxation response can be found. It is far different than a mere sleep process, but various active brain waves continue to function as well as the state that reduces stress. This is different than sleep and its critical importance at the REM phase and its own special health benefits. The two states have different health aims and different purposes.
The Relaxation Response can be elicited from a variety of religious traditions. It can be Christian in end or Eastern. World religions seem to share in this common trait of producing this universal mental state within individuals who practice it. However, non religious can also benefit from it and enter into with out any religious overtones.
What is incredible is that the human mind has the capability to alter change to the body. It can, seen through biofeedback, produce changes in heart beat and pressure through meditation. In some more extraordinary cases, Tibetan Monks were able to even alter body temperatures. With this in mind, the power of the mind to alter subconscious responses is an important study within meditation and its battle with stress.
Meditation can put mind over matter in many ways. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program
The faith factor and the ability of the mind to alter minor realities in health and healing is extraordinary. Not just altering bio rhythms within the body to reduce the effects of stress, but to also help heal. Placebo effects, whether positive or negative can play huge roles in individual’s health or lack of. The simple positive belief of the person in something or someone and that shared encouragement can play a key role in healing. Meditation can also open these amazing benefits of self healing. Again, the mind can play a pivotal role in helping the body heal itself by believing it.
If you would like to learn more about Meditation, stress reduction and the Relaxation Response, then please review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Meditation Instructor.
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder or ADHD has many different symptoms. Different individuals manifest different elements. The symptoms are disruptive at varying degrees for different individuals. Adults can especially have negative social consequences due to their ADHD. Learning to overcome symptoms of ADHD is critical for adults who may never have known they had ADHD.
Identifying ADHD in adults is important for a better professional life. Please also review AIHCP’s ADHD Consulting Certification
The article, “10 Signs of ADHD in Adults—& Why It‘s So Important to Spot, According to an Expert Who Has It Herself” by Dara Katz takes a closer look at ADHD in adults and why it is so critical for adults to seek help if they have ADHD. She states,
“You’ve heard about ADHD in children, and you even recognize how important it is for kids’ and their families to spot and acknowledge it so they can better thrive in play, school and home. But what about undiagnosed ADHD in adults? Judy Katz, a pediatric occupational therapist in Chicago, has not only worked with families to support the subtle yet complex lives of kids with sensory processing issues and ADHD for years, but she herself has ADHD—and she only recognized it in adulthood.”
Please also review AIHCP’s ADHD Consulting Certification Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The ADHD Consulting Program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in this field.
Stress causes a response in the body. The response while short term is not physically beneficial if constantly present or no outlet is allowed. Certain breathing can help the body find pre stress balance and reduce the negative effects of the stress response. This is why meditation and other breathing techniques are excellent ways to deal with stress.
Deep breathing can help the body cope with the stress response within the body. Please also review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consultant Certification
The article, “BEAT STRESS ONE BREATH AT A TIME” by Jonathan Black remarks that breathing and learning how to breath properly can greatly reduce negative effects on the body from stress. He states,
“Deep breathing – not typical short, shallow breaths – triggers your body’s relation response by sending signals to your brain to slow the heart rate, decrease blood pressure and relax muscles, according to the American Institute of Stress, a non-profit that provides science-based stress management research.”
Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor and Stress Management Consultant Certification programs and see if they match your academic and professional goals. The programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification.
Physical exercise as simple as walking is obviously good for the body but it also is good for the overall existence and health of the entire person. Studies show a correlation between creativity and walking. More walking and physical movement is key for the brain to be more creative as well as overall physical health. One study reviewed this.
Walking can open one up to better creativity as opposed to sedentary life styles. Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Life Coach Program
The article, “Can Exercise Make You More Creative?” by Gretchen Reynolds looked more closely at this study and correlation between walking and creativity. She states,
“If you often exercise, there’s a good chance you also tend to be more creative, according to an interesting new study of the links between physical activity and imagination. It finds that active people come up with more and better ideas during tests of their inventiveness than people who are relatively sedentary, and suggests that if we wish to be more innovative, we might also want to be movers and shakers.”
Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Life Coach Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Healthcare Life Coaching. As a Healthcare life coach you can better help educate and motivate individuals to healthier life styles.
