15 Simple Ways To Overcome Depression And Sadness...

Depression can be debilitating and is very different from just feeling unhappy. Usually, there is a reason for unhappiness such as being rejected or not getting the job you wanted. Depression is a pervasive feeling. It’s almost as if you are in a black tunnel with no light. Hope disappears and the things you used to find enjoyable become a chore. Even winning the lottery would not snap someone out of depression and it is never a good idea to tell someone who is depressed to sort themselves out and pull themselves together. Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple, but there are ways to alleviate the symptoms of depression.

1. Practice Mindfulness 

A depressed mind tends to mull over all that is wrong and worries unnecessarily about all the negative possibilities that may emerge in the future. This negative thought cycle reinforces misery and is not helpful in managing to overcome depression. Mindfulness involves focusing on the present moment and is a skill that needs to be practiced. More often than not, our brains are full of thoughts and focusing on the present moment seems unnatural for our minds. Practice on engaging your senses in the moment. Focus on touch, taste, sight, sound and smell. Engaging the senses leaves less time for worry.
 

2. Listen to Upbeat Music

I have always thought of music as food for the soul. An upbeat tune can change an atmosphere instantly and create a more positive vibe. Listening to upbeat, happy music alters brain chemistry and can improve your mood.
 

3. Use Touch

Science shows that touch therapies can help some people overcome depression, lower the stress hormone cortisol and increase the feel-good hormone oxytocin. Therapies to consider include acupuncture, acupressure, massage, reiki and reflexology.
 

4. Include Omega 3 Fatty Acids in Your Diet

Research has shown that depressed people often lack a fatty acid known as EPA. Participants in a 2002 study featured in the Archives of General Psychiatry took just a gram of fish oil each day and noticed a 50-percent decrease in symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disorders, unexplained feelings of sadness, suicidal thoughts, and decreased sex drive. Omega-3 fatty acids can also lower cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health. Get omega-3s through walnuts, flaxseed and oily fish like salmon or tuna.
 

5. Stop the Negative Self Talk

Depressed people tend to see the world in a negative way. When things go wrong they blame themselves and when they go right, they put it down to luck. Depression reinforces self doubt and feelings of worthlessness. Monitor your inner negative talk and make allowances for this type of thinking by reminding yourself that your thinking is that of a depressed person, not a healthy functioning person. Don’t take your thoughts seriously when you are feeling low. Acknowledge the thoughts but this doesn’t mean you have to believe them. Keep perspective.
 

6. Bide Your Time

Accept that your mental state is not entirely balanced. During depression, we tend to see the negatives in everything and find it harder to be balanced about what is going on. Gently remind yourself that you are tuned into the ‘negativity channel’ and don’t listen to your thinking. It is definitely distorted when you are depressed. This idea alone can provide some comfort when the world appears bleak. It won’t last forever. Remind yourself that change is constant and that you won’t always feel this way. Be patient and do your best to look after yourself in the meantime. Eat well and get a decent amount of sleep. Say to yourself “This shall pass”.
 

7. Distract Yourself

If possible, do your best to distract yourself from over thinking. Your thoughts are your enemy when depression sets in. Play with a pet or go for a walk. Read a book if you are able to concentrate or finish a puzzle. Do anything that takes your mind off your fears and worries. Keeping busy is an effective way to overcome depression.
 

8. Use More Light

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is known for causing low mood over the winter months when there is less sunlight. Invest in a sunlamp – a 300 watt bulb within three feet for 20 minutes three times a day can help. SAD symptoms can include problems sleeping, anxiety, depression, irritability, fatigue, apathy and loss of libido and using light can help to overcome depression and these other symptoms.
 

9. Try Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive therapy can be extremely useful in counteracting depression and is based on the principle that certain ways of thinking can trigger certain health problems, such as depression. The counselor helps you to understand your current thought patterns and identify any harmful or false ideas and thoughts that you have that can trigger depression or make it worse. The aim is to change your ways of thinking to avoid these ideas as well as help your thought patterns to be more realistic and helpful.
 

10. Write in a Journal
A journal can work in two ways. Use it to write down fears and worries. Sometimes, having an outlet in this way can be soothing and ease your mind. Another good way to use a journal (I prefer this way) is to write at least five things down every day that you are grateful for. This forces us to think more positively and can help to remind us that things are never that bad. In a gratitude journal, you can write about anything that happened in the day that made you feel appreciative. A stranger smiling at you, the sun shining..anything positive will do!
 

11. Connect with Friends

This can be one of the hardest things to do when feeling depressed but it is one of the most rewarding activities. Force yourself to go out. Isolating oneself from others may seem a good idea but put a limit on it and then get out there again. This can have a huge positive effect on your mood.

12. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep and mood are closely connected. Inadequate sleep can cause irritability and stress, while healthy sleep can enhance well-being. Studies have shown that even partial sleep deprivation has a significant effect on mood.Take steps to ensure adequate sleep will this will lead to improved mood and well-being. The quality of your sleep directly affects the quality of your waking life, including your mental sharpness, productivity, emotional balance, creativity, physical vitality, and even your weight. No other activity delivers so many benefits with so little effort so aim for between 7.5 and 9 hours sleep per night.

13. Forgive Others
When we hold a grudge, we are the ones that feel the anger. The person whom we are angry with is probably merrily going about their business completely oblivious to your feelings. Don’t allow others to have this power over you. They have may have caused you grief in the past, try not to allow that grief to continue – it only affects you, not them. Find a way to forgive – they are not worthy of your time. Lighten the emotional load and you will improve your mood and help you to overcome depression.

14. Exercise

Regular exercise has benefits for helping to overcome depression. Exercise releases endorphins which improve natural immunity and improve mood. Besides lifting your mood, regular exercise offers other health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, protecting against heart disease, cancer and boosting self-esteem. Experts advise getting half an hour to an hour of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking at least three to four times per week.

15. Don’t give up

Depression can make you want to hide away from the world and disappear. It’s okay to take some time out but give yourself a time limit and then do something productive to improve your mood. Depression can be well managed (I know this from personal experience) and there can be a wonderful life beyond depression. Hang in there and keep the faith.

Although the above suggestions can be effective, depression that perseveres should be investigated further and seeing a Doctor to chat over any symptoms is a step in the right direction. 

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THREE REASONS WHY YOUR FAMILY NEEDS-- FAMILY FRIENDLY FAT BURNING MEALS

Reason #1: Family Friendly Fat Burning Meals have been designed with fat burning ingredients in every recipe so that you can lose the unwanted weight and get back to looking and feeling the way you’ve always wanted.

Reason #2: Family Friendly Fat Burning Meals are naturally fiber rich and full of flavor. They’re never prepared with artificial flavors or chemically enhanced like most store bought foods.

Reason #3: Family Friendly Fat Burning Meals are naturally lower in calories, carbohydrates, and fats and have greater amounts of bio-available nutrients so that your family gets all of the flavor without getting fat or bloated.

So, as you now see, Family Friendly Fat Burning Meals will help your family effortlessly drop unwanted pounds whiling giving you the peace of mind knowing that you are giving your family the very best nutrition available.

But what’s even more important is that these recipes taste amazing and are kid-friendly, too. These aren’t bland ‘healthy’ meals that you’ve tried before. These are meals you and your family will eat up and enjoy...

You’ll also get on the insider’s guide to REAL Food Living and in it you’ll learn…

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Quit Smoking Benefits

Stopping smoking can make a big difference to your health and lifestyle. It is never too late to stop smoking to greatly benefit your health. For example, if you stop smoking in middle age, before having cancer or some other serious disease, you avoid most of the increased risk of death due to smoking. Help is available if you find it difficult to stop smoking.

What are the health benefits of Quitting smoking?

The benefits begin straight away.

 

You reduce your risk of getting serious disease no matter what age you give up. However, the sooner you stop, the greater the reduction in your risk. In fact, researchers have found that if you stop smoking before the age of 50 your risk of dying is virtually reduced that that of a non-smoker. Even if you give up after the age of 60, your risk of dying at any given age is reduced by about 39% compared to a person who carries on smoking.

• If you stop smoking you:
  • Reduce the risk of getting serious smoking-related diseases such as heart disease, cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and peripheral vascular disease.
  • Reduce the risk of getting various other conditions which, although not life-threatening, can cause unpleasant problems. For example: impotence (erection problems), fertility problems, optic neuropathy (a condition affecting the nerve supplying the eye), cataracts, macular degeneration (a breakdown of tissue at the back of the eye), psoriasis, gum disease, tooth loss, osteoporosis and Raynaud's phenomenon (fingers going white or blue when exposed to cold).
  • Reduce the risk of pregnancy complications if you are pregnant.
• If you have smoked since being a teenager or young adult:
  • If you stop smoking before the age of about 35, your life expectancy is only slightly less than it is for people who have never smoked.
  • If you stop smoking before the age of 50, you decrease the risk of dying from smoking-related diseases by 50%.
• But it is never too late to stop smoking to gain health benefits. Even if you already have COPD or heart disease, your outlook (prognosis) is much improved if you stop smoking.

Timeline of health benefits after stopping smoking ...

---

After...	HealthBenefit...
72 hours	Breathing becomes easier. Bronchial tubes begin to relax and energy levels increase.
1 month	Skin appearance improves, owing to improved skin perfusion.
3-9 months	Cough, wheezing, and breathing problems improve and lung function increases by up to 10%.
1 year	Risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker.
10 years	Risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker.
15 years	Risk of heart attack falls to the same level that it would be for someone who has never smoked.

Other benefits of stopping smoking

These include:

• Your breath won't smell any more of stale tobacco.
• The smell of stale tobacco will also go from your clothes, hair, and home.
• Foods and drinks taste and smell much better.
• Finances improve. You will save well over £2,000 per year if you smoked 20 a day.
• Better rates of insurance policies.
• You are likely to feel good about yourself.

 

How can I stop smoking?

About 2 in 3 smokers want to stop smoking. Some people can give up easily. Willpower and determination are the most important aspects when giving up smoking. However, nicotine is a drug of addiction and many people find giving up a struggle. Help is available.

• GPs, practice nurses, or pharmacists can provide information, encouragement, and tips on stopping smoking. Also, throughout the country there are specialist NHS 'Stop Smoking Clinics' which have a good success in helping people to stop smoking. Your doctor may refer you to one if you are keen to stop smoking.

• Various medicines can increase your chance of quitting. These include nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) which comes as gums, sprays, patches, tablets, lozenges, and inhalers. You can buy NRT without a prescription. Also, medicines called bupropion (trade name 'Zyban®') and varenicline (trade name 'Champix®') can help. These are available on prescription.

• There are also electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). They are designed to look and feel like normal cigarettes. They have a heating element inside that vapourises a solution - this looks like smoke. It may also contain nicotine. They are substituted for normal cigarettes or cigars. There is some uncertainty whether this is more effective than the other ways of stopping smoking. A recent research paper from The Lancet (see further reading below) showed that the e-cigarettes were as effective as nicotine patches. Further studies are needed to ensure they are safe to use over a length of time. 

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-- 7 Ways to Stop Premature Ejaculation --

You can help your partner with early ejaculation by trying some of these techniques from the "erection toolkit."

Premature ejaculation (PE), which I prefer to call early ejaculation, is the most common sexual problem facing men under 40. While it’s important to understand the physical and emotional causes of PE, it might appeal to the male “fix-it” nature instead to suggest certain techniques known to slow or stop PE.

I refer to these techniques, which you can teach him so that he can learn to delay his sexual response, as a woman’s special “tool box.” By dipping into the tool box, you can do more than just try to extend his erection — you can further build your relationship and deepen your intimate connection. You will both benefit from your role as Ms. Fix-It!

Here are seven of the most effective tools.

Deep Breathing
Deep breathing is a form of meditation that can sometimes help control the arousal and tension that lead to early ejaculation. Try to see if he can avoid shallow, short breathing, which speeds up his heartbeat and can trigger EE. Try to get him to spend five seconds breathing in one deep, full breath, hold it for about three seconds, and then exhale for five seconds. If he can do this for about five minutes without breaking the rhythm, he may be able to use it in the bedroom. Plus, focusing on each other’s breathing, and how it rises and falls, can build an intimate connection.

The Stop-and-Start Method
This begins as a solo exercise. Your partner should begin by masturbating alone, bringing himself close to orgasm and stopping. After relaxing, he should continue bringing himself closer and closer to orgasm until he can’t hold it any longer. (Doing this several times by himself without distraction will help him learn where his point of no return is.) When he feels that he has mastered the technique, the two of you should engage in sexual activity that stops short of intercourse.

The Squeeze Method
This method requires one of you to squeeze the base of the penis at the same point that the stop-and-start technique would be used, when he is at the brink of orgasm. The idea is to reduce your partner's erection through squeezing. Just as with the stop-and-start method, your partner should do it on his own first, master it, and then invite you to practice the technique with him.

Kegel Exercises
Kegels aren’t just for women. There’s no better method to strengthen the pelvic region than to create a strong pubococcygeus muscle (PC muscle), which can help control ejaculation. The easiest way for him to find this muscle is to see if he can stop the flow of urine when he goes to the bathroom. It’s the PC muscle that he uses to do that. Once he finds it, he needs to practice feeling exactly where it is located and make sure he engages it, rather than using his abdominals, buttocks, or thighs. (These must all stay loose when doing Kegel exercises.) To do Kegels, he will quickly clench and release the PC muscle repeatedly for ten seconds. He should do three sets, with a ten-second break between sets. If he contracts his PC muscle when he’s close to orgasm, he should be able to slow things down.

Tantric Techniques
Sex that is truly explorative is more than just traditional physical pleasure. Try using the tantric techniques of establishing an intimate connection, including when he’s nearing the point of no return. When he approaches that point, he should cease stimulation (i.e., pull out), then contract the PC muscle and lower his chin to his chest (this is important, as it prevents energy from rising too high and making him feel ungrounded). He should then draw in a breath, feeling the warmth of sexual energy rise upwards in his body. Repeat this as needed, until the desire to release is no longer urgent.

Condoms With Benzocaine
The results vary, but climax-control condoms can extend sexual activity and delay a male’s climax as long as five minutes. These condoms have benzocaine in the tip; it’s a mild anesthetic with a slight numbing effect, so it can help to decrease his sexual sensation and bring his sexual response down to a more manageable level. Don’t worry, he can still enjoy sex! And while he doesn’t need the protective benefits of a condom during masturbation, he can try using the condoms in a solo session to see if they help to prolong and control his excitement.

Promescent
Just recently, a new medication for early ejaculation was approved by the FDA. Promescent is a topical medication that is applied to the penis ten minutes before sexual activity, and it helps a man to better manage the sensations of sex through desensitization. However, unlike other topical medications for early ejaculation, Promescent absorbs below the skin where the nerve endings that control ejaculation are located. A man receives only the dosage needed to control his ejaculation while still allowing him to enjoy the sensations of sex, and since it is absorbed into the skin, it will not negatively impact his partner’s sensations.

Medical Options
Even though your partner may not be depressed, the SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) family of antidepressants, including drugs such as Prozac and Zoloft, may help his EE. The drugs can be taken several hours before sexual activity, and since they inhibit arousal, they can help make it easier for a man to control ejaculation. Before he makes a decision regarding these drugs, which require a prescription, he will need to see either his general practitioner or a urologist; he should also ask about and keep in mind the side effects of SSRIs.

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5 Reasons Why You May Be Suffering From Premature Ejaculation.

Most men can trace their Premature Ejaculation to one of these 5 things...

But anyway, here they are - see which of these apply to you...

1. Genes - The fact is, your body is programmed to use sex for reproduction - and it wants to do that as efficiently as possible. The body wants to ensure your genes are carried down through the years, so it only makes sense that sexually, it's main goal is to ejaculate as quickly as possible.

2. Masturbation - Too much in your teen years may have "re-wired" your ejaculatory reflex for a super quick response. Like it or not, excessive masturbation can cause Premature Ejaculation. Why? Simple, it teaches your body to focus on the wrong things... and when this happens, it's all over.

3. Intensity - For some people, the arousal and stimulation of sex is just too much. That's why it feels like there's no way of stopping once you start... it really can be like a runaway train plummeting down the hill. It almost feels like everything's completely out of your control doesn't it?

4. Lack of the Right Knowledge - Most people have no idea how or why the ejaculatory process works (the REAL way it works), and this leads to encouraging Premature Ejaculation without knowing it. Once you understand the process though, it doesn't have to be so quick and out of control.

5. Sensitivity - Some of us guys just have bodies that are more sensitive than others. If you've ever felt completely overwhelmed and out of control during sex, this could be you. But don't worry, it's actually an advantage if this applies to you - and you'll soon see why. 

Permanently Stop Premature Ejaculation

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Something is Completely Wrong with mainstream family meals... !

In fact, if you’re a busy parent who’s family is surviving on take-out dinners, quick-fix prepackaged meals, and fast food then you know that these meals quickly cause weight gain, inflammation, and disease in the body.

But why are these meals so bad? What is it about these traditional ‘family’ foods that causes such rapid weight gain and bloating?

Let’s take a look at the facts.

Traditional family meals are based around processed grains, unhealthy fats, sugar filled items and contain low quality protein. This is a recipe for disaster.

Here are the 3 main problems with mainstream family meals:

Problem #1: These traditional family meals are built around fattening ingredients.
Problem #2: These traditional family meals are lacking in fiber.
Problem #3: These traditional family meals contain way too many calories.

Take a sneak peek inside Family Friendly Meals

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