When you open my cell phone, the first word that you will see pop-up on my greeting screen is "BELIEVE". I have had that word tacked up onto my computer screen, my vanity mirror, my journal - almost anywhere that I can see it. However, I have never really taken what that word means to heart. This afternoon, I know what it is like to believe.
A few days ago, I got hold of the DVD of The Secret. I had already read the book some time ago, and I wanted to watch the film. I decided to take The Secret's message to heart.
Each morning, I had been waking up and dreading going to work - the company I work for has a very stressful environment, and being there takes a lot out of me. Despite this, I would tell myself and really feel that I was excited to go to work, that it was going to be a good day, that only good things were coming my way. Doing this helped me. I would get through my days tired, but still able to laugh and feel less stressed. I also developed a more compassionate view of the people in our office who made our lives hard. I started seeing them not as monsters, but as people who hurt inside like we do. I was happy with this result - it made me feel more serene and calm and less stressed. It also started making me more productive at work, as I no longer let the tense atmosphere affect me. But I was in for a little surprise. The Universe wanted to show me just how this process works. :-)
Each Christmas season, Starbucks gives out daily planners to its loyal customers. The planners are usually covered in real leather and are quite striking and stylish. To get one, you have to fill up a small card with 24 stickers - each sticker represents one cup of coffee bought in Starbucks. In our country, a cup of Starbucks coffee costs an average of Philippine Peso 150.00 - about the cost of one lunch and transportation to and from work. In a country where wages aren't that high, this is quite a luxury, and although I get paid a bit more than the average worker, this is a bit much for someone who has a family like me. I have tried for three years to get the stickers required, but each year I stop about midway when I start computing the cost! This year, when they started the annual promo, I got a card and wondered if I could fill it up with the required stickers. I had worked my way into getting 18 stickers onto the card - no mean feat considering that I started collecting the stickers the day the promo started, or almost two months ago! I had scrimped and saved to get at least two stickers a week - sometimes three if I had a little extra left over. I wanted to get that planner before Christmas - my gift to myself.
With only five days left till Christmas, I wasn't sure that I could fill up the card. I was beginning to think this was going to be one of those years when I'd just watch other people lug the Starbucks planner around and wish I had one. This morning, as I was taking a shower and just enjoying the water splashing on my face, I told myself I was getting that Starbucks planner TODAY. I didn't really know how since I still had 6 stickers to fill up. When I got up from my desk to get my coffee after lunch, I told my staff I was going to get my Starbucks planner. All the while I was thinking: "Now, how is that possible? I can't afford to buy 6 cups of coffee today."
As I stood in line, I kept staring at the planner displayed on the counter. I could feel the leather cover between my fingers and I could imagine writing on its sepia colored pages. All of a sudden I heard the barista ask the girls ahead of me if they wanted to give me their stickers, since they already had their planners and didn't want their stickers anymore. The girls said YES. I almost jumped - I had three free stickers, plus the one for the coffee I was getting made four, which meant that I only needed two more to get the planner. At that point, I was already sooooo thankful and I expressed my thanks to the three young girls who graciously gave me their stickers. (They were my three magi -- only in female form, don't you think?)
But that wasn't the end of it. It so happened that as part of Starbucks Manila's 10th year anniversary, they were giving away double stickers between the hours of 12:30 noon and 2:30 p.m. till December 25. It was 1:00 p.m. so I was getting double stickers!!!! That meant I was getting SIX stickers in all - the number I needed to get my planner!!!!! I walked out of the shop with my planner in the brown Starbucks bag, still in shock, but convinced that I had tapped into the Secret.. even if it was just for a short moment.
I instantly knew why I kept the word BELIEVE tacked in all those places. The Secret had been trying to get to me all these years through that word - I just wasn't really listening.
I have my planner on my desk now. The leather cover feels just as it did when I was imagining how it would feel when I touched it. I have told my co-workers how I got it - I told them I simply believed I was going to get it and I did.
This planner will be with me all through next year. It will be my daily reminder to BELIEVE.
(And oh - I'm already seeing the 2009 planner on a bigger desk in a corner office with a view!)
SFB
The Philippines
thesecret.tv
Showing posts with label Stress Triggers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stress Triggers. Show all posts
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Friday, 3 February 2012
Massage Helps Heal Muscles and Relieve Pain
How Massage Helps Heal Muscles and Relieve Pain
Massage may work as well as drugs like aspirin or Advil in easing pain from intense exercise.
By MAIA SZALAVITZ | @maiasz | February 2, 2012 |
2
inShare
44
GETTY IMAGES
The word massage alone elicits deep relaxation and stress relief, and now a new study sheds light on how deep touch works to ease pain and promote healing in sore muscles.
Researchers at McMaster University in Canada found that massage affects the activity of certain genes, directly reducing inflammation in muscles — the same result you’d get by taking aspirin or ibuprofen — and boosting their ability to recover from exercise.
The study involved 11 young men who were willing to engage in what the researchers described as “exhaustive aerobic exercise” — the equivalent of an intense spinning class. The men rode stationary bikes to the point of exhaustion.
After the workout, each man received a 10-minute Swedish-style massage on only one leg; the other leg served as the control. They also had biopsies taken from their leg muscles before and after exercise, immediately after massage and then again two and a half hours later.
MORE: Aching Back? Try Massage for Chronic Pain
Researchers found that massage set off a series of molecular events in muscles that helped reverse discomfort related to exercise. Massage dampened the activity of proteins known as inflammatory cytokines, which cause inflammation and pain. It also increased levels of proteins that signal the muscles to produce more mitochondria, the cell structures that produce energy and help muscles recover from activity.
Tiffany Field, a leading researcher on the effects of massage and director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School, says she found the results “very believable.” She was not associated with the new research. (Field notes that her group is planning to study the effect of massage on some of the same inflammatory cytokines in HIV-positive pregnant women.)
Massage basically has the same pain-relieving effect as drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve), says Field. Known as NSAIDS, for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, these medications work by reducing levels of substances called prostaglandins that increase levels of inflammatory cytokines. “By reducing the inflammation — or the pro-inflammatory cytokines, to be specific — you would reduce pain,” says Field.
Mainstream medicine has often dismissed massage as a bona fide therapy, but “these findings will have an impact on traditional medicine, as every ‘beneath-the-skin’ finding helps,” says Field.
The study was published in Science Translational Medicine.
MORE: The Lab Rat Gets Petted: How Massage Works
Maia Szalavitz is a health writer for TIME.com. Find her on Twitter at @maiasz. You can also continue the discussion on TIME Healthland’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIMEHealthland.
Read other related stories about this:
Study Works Out Kinks in Understanding of Massage The Los Angeles Times
Massage May Help Sore Muscles Recover WebMD
Massage After Exercise Tamps Down Inflammation That Causes Aches Bloomberg
Related Topics: massage, Medicine, Pain
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/02/how-massage-helps-heal-muscles-and-relieve-pain/#ixzz1lLmzuVZK
Massage may work as well as drugs like aspirin or Advil in easing pain from intense exercise.
By MAIA SZALAVITZ | @maiasz | February 2, 2012 |
2
inShare
44
GETTY IMAGES
The word massage alone elicits deep relaxation and stress relief, and now a new study sheds light on how deep touch works to ease pain and promote healing in sore muscles.
Researchers at McMaster University in Canada found that massage affects the activity of certain genes, directly reducing inflammation in muscles — the same result you’d get by taking aspirin or ibuprofen — and boosting their ability to recover from exercise.
The study involved 11 young men who were willing to engage in what the researchers described as “exhaustive aerobic exercise” — the equivalent of an intense spinning class. The men rode stationary bikes to the point of exhaustion.
After the workout, each man received a 10-minute Swedish-style massage on only one leg; the other leg served as the control. They also had biopsies taken from their leg muscles before and after exercise, immediately after massage and then again two and a half hours later.
MORE: Aching Back? Try Massage for Chronic Pain
Researchers found that massage set off a series of molecular events in muscles that helped reverse discomfort related to exercise. Massage dampened the activity of proteins known as inflammatory cytokines, which cause inflammation and pain. It also increased levels of proteins that signal the muscles to produce more mitochondria, the cell structures that produce energy and help muscles recover from activity.
Tiffany Field, a leading researcher on the effects of massage and director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School, says she found the results “very believable.” She was not associated with the new research. (Field notes that her group is planning to study the effect of massage on some of the same inflammatory cytokines in HIV-positive pregnant women.)
Massage basically has the same pain-relieving effect as drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve), says Field. Known as NSAIDS, for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, these medications work by reducing levels of substances called prostaglandins that increase levels of inflammatory cytokines. “By reducing the inflammation — or the pro-inflammatory cytokines, to be specific — you would reduce pain,” says Field.
Mainstream medicine has often dismissed massage as a bona fide therapy, but “these findings will have an impact on traditional medicine, as every ‘beneath-the-skin’ finding helps,” says Field.
The study was published in Science Translational Medicine.
MORE: The Lab Rat Gets Petted: How Massage Works
Maia Szalavitz is a health writer for TIME.com. Find her on Twitter at @maiasz. You can also continue the discussion on TIME Healthland’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIMEHealthland.
Read other related stories about this:
Study Works Out Kinks in Understanding of Massage The Los Angeles Times
Massage May Help Sore Muscles Recover WebMD
Massage After Exercise Tamps Down Inflammation That Causes Aches Bloomberg
Related Topics: massage, Medicine, Pain
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/02/how-massage-helps-heal-muscles-and-relieve-pain/#ixzz1lLmzuVZK
Divorce 'causes health to decline'
Divorcing 'is more harmful to health in your 30s as young couples are hit hardest by change'
Divorce 'causes health to decline'
35 to 41-year-olds who split from husband or wife more likely to be affected
By LAUREN PAXMAN and FIONA MACRAE
Last updated at 8:47 AM on 1st February 2012
Comments (17)
Share
They are sometimes seen by the older generation as having a more casual attitude to relationships.
But people who divorce when young suffer more damage to their health than those who split up later in life, research found.
The finding comes from an analysis of interviews given by 1,282 men and women, aged from 25 to 83, over a 15-year period.
Who will fare better? Katy Perry and Russell Brand (left) and Liz Hurley and Arun Nayar recently got divorced
They were asked to rate their health from poor to excellent and their answers were compared with their marital status.
This revealed that going through a divorce caused health to decline, with those aged between 35 and 41 at the time of the split more affected than those who were born at the same time but were older when their marriage ended.
More...
'People think I've been cashing in... I didn't realise I would get so much flack': Andrea McLean defends bad timing of book
Divorced men are twice as keen to re-marry as divorced women, study finds
This suggests that couples like Katy Perry and Russell Brand or Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries may fare worse than older divorcees Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, or Liz Hurley and Arun Nayar who separated when they were a little older.
The study, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, also found a difference in how the generations are affected by divorce, with those born in the 1950s finding it harder to deal with than those born ten years earlier.
Broken hearts can be hard to heal: Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries filed divorce papers after just 72 days of marriage
Sociologist Dr Hui Liu, of Michigan State University, who conducted the study, said that the maturity that comes with age may make it easier for those who are slightly older to deal with the end of a marriage.
Ms Liu said: 'I would have expected divorce to carry less stress for the younger generation, since divorce is more prevalent for them.'
She said this may be because the pressure to marry and stay married was stronger for older generations and so those who did divorce may have been unhappily married for a period of time. They may even have felt relieved when they did divorce.
Overall, the study found that those who get divorced experience a more rapid health decline than those who remain married.
However, those who remained divorced during the entire study period showed no difference than those who remained married.
Ms Liu said: 'This suggests it is not the status of being married or divorced, per se, that affects health, but instead is the process of transitioning from marriage to divorce that is stressful and hurts health.'
'It’s clear to me that we need more social and family support for the younger divorced groups.
'This could include divorce counselling to help people handle the stress or offering marital therapy or prevention programmes to maintain marital satisfaction.'
The research appeared in the journal Social Science & Medicine.
Amanda McAlister, National Head of Family Law at Russell Jones & Walker said: 'In my experience as a divorce lawyer, it is rare to find a client who doesn't find divorce stressful to some degree.
'I agree however with Assistant Professor Hui Lui's suggestion that people getting divorced later in life often feel hugely relieved that they are no longer trapped in an unhappy marriage, one they may have stayed in purely because of the now largely obsolete social pressure to stay married.
'Certainly I have noticed an increasing popularity for "silver divorces" as the 50 plus generation realises that there's no longer any social stigma attached to being a divorcee.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2094384/Why-divorcing-30s-bad-health-young-couples-hit-hardest-sudden-shift.html#ixzz1lLhHAy2U
Divorce 'causes health to decline'
35 to 41-year-olds who split from husband or wife more likely to be affected
By LAUREN PAXMAN and FIONA MACRAE
Last updated at 8:47 AM on 1st February 2012
Comments (17)
Share
They are sometimes seen by the older generation as having a more casual attitude to relationships.
But people who divorce when young suffer more damage to their health than those who split up later in life, research found.
The finding comes from an analysis of interviews given by 1,282 men and women, aged from 25 to 83, over a 15-year period.
Who will fare better? Katy Perry and Russell Brand (left) and Liz Hurley and Arun Nayar recently got divorced
They were asked to rate their health from poor to excellent and their answers were compared with their marital status.
This revealed that going through a divorce caused health to decline, with those aged between 35 and 41 at the time of the split more affected than those who were born at the same time but were older when their marriage ended.
More...
'People think I've been cashing in... I didn't realise I would get so much flack': Andrea McLean defends bad timing of book
Divorced men are twice as keen to re-marry as divorced women, study finds
This suggests that couples like Katy Perry and Russell Brand or Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries may fare worse than older divorcees Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, or Liz Hurley and Arun Nayar who separated when they were a little older.
The study, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, also found a difference in how the generations are affected by divorce, with those born in the 1950s finding it harder to deal with than those born ten years earlier.
Broken hearts can be hard to heal: Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries filed divorce papers after just 72 days of marriage
Sociologist Dr Hui Liu, of Michigan State University, who conducted the study, said that the maturity that comes with age may make it easier for those who are slightly older to deal with the end of a marriage.
Ms Liu said: 'I would have expected divorce to carry less stress for the younger generation, since divorce is more prevalent for them.'
She said this may be because the pressure to marry and stay married was stronger for older generations and so those who did divorce may have been unhappily married for a period of time. They may even have felt relieved when they did divorce.
Overall, the study found that those who get divorced experience a more rapid health decline than those who remain married.
However, those who remained divorced during the entire study period showed no difference than those who remained married.
Ms Liu said: 'This suggests it is not the status of being married or divorced, per se, that affects health, but instead is the process of transitioning from marriage to divorce that is stressful and hurts health.'
'It’s clear to me that we need more social and family support for the younger divorced groups.
'This could include divorce counselling to help people handle the stress or offering marital therapy or prevention programmes to maintain marital satisfaction.'
The research appeared in the journal Social Science & Medicine.
Amanda McAlister, National Head of Family Law at Russell Jones & Walker said: 'In my experience as a divorce lawyer, it is rare to find a client who doesn't find divorce stressful to some degree.
'I agree however with Assistant Professor Hui Lui's suggestion that people getting divorced later in life often feel hugely relieved that they are no longer trapped in an unhappy marriage, one they may have stayed in purely because of the now largely obsolete social pressure to stay married.
'Certainly I have noticed an increasing popularity for "silver divorces" as the 50 plus generation realises that there's no longer any social stigma attached to being a divorcee.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2094384/Why-divorcing-30s-bad-health-young-couples-hit-hardest-sudden-shift.html#ixzz1lLhHAy2U
men are better food shoppers!
Sorry ladies, but men are better food shoppers! Study reveals women get more flustered and stressed in supermarkets
By MAYSA RAWI
Last updated at 4:41 PM on 3rd February 2012
Comments (11)
Share
Women are meant to be the experts at shopping - but new research reveals the whole experience leaves them flustered and stressed.
The surprise findings emerged in a study of 2,000 people and shows that not all women get ‘retail therapy’ from a spot of shopping.
In fact, in a supermarket environment, one third of females get themselves into a complete flap when they do the weekly shop.
Despite being organised shoppers, women dislike crowds, feel rushed at the checkout and are always shocked at the price of their purchases
And this is despite being organised and armed with shopping lists, money off-coupons, tissues, vouchers and recycled carrier bags.
In contrast, three quarters of men quite enjoy their food shopping experience and are happy to navigate their way around the aisles searching out products.
Men are less forgetful about what they want to buy, are less likely to feel rushed by the cashiers and are more methodical at the checkouts.
Helen Nunn, Head of Marketing at The Co-operative Food which commissioned the research, said: 'We suspect one of the key reasons why women are more agitated in the supermarket is largely because they are rushing round trying to conduct the shopping as quickly as possible.
'Doing the food shop will be one item on a massive list of jobs, and something which simply has to be done at speed.
Men are less forgetful about what they want to buy, are less likely to feel rushed by the cashiers and are more methodical at the checkouts
'Men seem to adopt a much more laid back and methodical approach, taking their time looking for bargains and make sure they’re getting the most for their money.'
The survey shows two thirds of females dislike battling the crowds in the supermarket to get at what they want.
And 34 per cent hate it when other people’s children get in their way.
One in 10 women even admitted to having an argument with another shopper in the supermarket - either because of trolley rage, fighting over the same item or queue jumping.
Four in 10 women can’t stand feeling rushed when the cashier scans items too quickly so they struggle to get everything into the right bags.
And 35 per cent claim they are shocked every time they reach the till and realise how much they have spent.
But the poll suggests women are the savvier shoppers - as they are less baffled by all the different brands in the shop and are more likely to ask for help if needed.
As a consequence, eight in 10 women always come home armed with bargains compared to 67 per cent of men.
TOP SUPERMARKET STRESS-TRIGGERS
Having to battle the crowds to reach products
Struggle to pack bags quickly enough
Getting to the end of the supermarket and realising something is forgotten
Shocked to discover how much everything has added up to
Can’t stand other people’s children
Feel rushed by cashiers as they scan the food too quickly
Spend hours hunting for the most basic items
End up squashing all the soft items with the heavy ones I the shopping trolley
Having to shop on a Saturday
Can’t fit everything into the trolley
And whereas 51 per cent of men are most likely to opt for brands they know the best, 26 per cent of women will simply buy anything which appears on offer.
But men are happy to use technology to get what they want in the supermarket - being more likely to whip out their mobile phone to compare prices or download vouchers as they shop.
Helen Nunn, for The Co-operative Food added: 'Both men and women are consciously becoming savvier shoppers because of the current economic climate, but it’s clear from these findings that they’re using different approaches to net their bargains.
'This study suggests men have more time to stroll around and use their mobile to check out deals and compare prices online, and that’s resulting in a new breed of male supermarket shoppers.
'However, our focus on Big Deals within Easy Reach makes it easy for everyone to pick up a bargain.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2095969/Study-reveals-women-flustered-stressed-supermarkets.html#ixzz1lLbP5Vms
By MAYSA RAWI
Last updated at 4:41 PM on 3rd February 2012
Comments (11)
Share
Women are meant to be the experts at shopping - but new research reveals the whole experience leaves them flustered and stressed.
The surprise findings emerged in a study of 2,000 people and shows that not all women get ‘retail therapy’ from a spot of shopping.
In fact, in a supermarket environment, one third of females get themselves into a complete flap when they do the weekly shop.
Despite being organised shoppers, women dislike crowds, feel rushed at the checkout and are always shocked at the price of their purchases
And this is despite being organised and armed with shopping lists, money off-coupons, tissues, vouchers and recycled carrier bags.
In contrast, three quarters of men quite enjoy their food shopping experience and are happy to navigate their way around the aisles searching out products.
Men are less forgetful about what they want to buy, are less likely to feel rushed by the cashiers and are more methodical at the checkouts.
Helen Nunn, Head of Marketing at The Co-operative Food which commissioned the research, said: 'We suspect one of the key reasons why women are more agitated in the supermarket is largely because they are rushing round trying to conduct the shopping as quickly as possible.
'Doing the food shop will be one item on a massive list of jobs, and something which simply has to be done at speed.
Men are less forgetful about what they want to buy, are less likely to feel rushed by the cashiers and are more methodical at the checkouts
'Men seem to adopt a much more laid back and methodical approach, taking their time looking for bargains and make sure they’re getting the most for their money.'
The survey shows two thirds of females dislike battling the crowds in the supermarket to get at what they want.
And 34 per cent hate it when other people’s children get in their way.
One in 10 women even admitted to having an argument with another shopper in the supermarket - either because of trolley rage, fighting over the same item or queue jumping.
Four in 10 women can’t stand feeling rushed when the cashier scans items too quickly so they struggle to get everything into the right bags.
And 35 per cent claim they are shocked every time they reach the till and realise how much they have spent.
But the poll suggests women are the savvier shoppers - as they are less baffled by all the different brands in the shop and are more likely to ask for help if needed.
As a consequence, eight in 10 women always come home armed with bargains compared to 67 per cent of men.
TOP SUPERMARKET STRESS-TRIGGERS
Having to battle the crowds to reach products
Struggle to pack bags quickly enough
Getting to the end of the supermarket and realising something is forgotten
Shocked to discover how much everything has added up to
Can’t stand other people’s children
Feel rushed by cashiers as they scan the food too quickly
Spend hours hunting for the most basic items
End up squashing all the soft items with the heavy ones I the shopping trolley
Having to shop on a Saturday
Can’t fit everything into the trolley
And whereas 51 per cent of men are most likely to opt for brands they know the best, 26 per cent of women will simply buy anything which appears on offer.
But men are happy to use technology to get what they want in the supermarket - being more likely to whip out their mobile phone to compare prices or download vouchers as they shop.
Helen Nunn, for The Co-operative Food added: 'Both men and women are consciously becoming savvier shoppers because of the current economic climate, but it’s clear from these findings that they’re using different approaches to net their bargains.
'This study suggests men have more time to stroll around and use their mobile to check out deals and compare prices online, and that’s resulting in a new breed of male supermarket shoppers.
'However, our focus on Big Deals within Easy Reach makes it easy for everyone to pick up a bargain.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2095969/Study-reveals-women-flustered-stressed-supermarkets.html#ixzz1lLbP5Vms
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