Psychologist and self-help gurus have been telling us for years the power of positive thinking. We are told that if we change our negative thoughts to positive ones, we can change the way we feel.
Fair enough I say. After all, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that if you tell yourself thoughts such as “I’m stupid” and “I have to be perfect otherwise I’m a failure” then you’re probably not going to feel very good about yourself.
But am I the only one who feels slightly irritated when someone tells me to smile and “Think happy thoughts!” when I’m in a negative, low mood?
What if you really struggle to change the way you think? What if that nagging negative inner voice and all the stress that comes with it just won’t go away?
According to recent research published in The Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine there may be hope for those of us who struggle to tame our negative inner voice – massage.
Most of us assume that the benefits of massage come from releasing tension from our muscles. Whilst this is certainly true, research now shows that having a massage may also be connected to biological changes in the brain.
Research conducted at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles found that having a 45-minute massage (either a deep tissue Swedish or Light massage) caused changes in stress hormones in participants’ brains.
In their experiment, 53 healthy adults were randomly assigned to have either a 45-minute deep tissue Swedish massage or a 45-minute light massage. Blood samples were taken before and after each massage.
The results were surprisingly. Participants who received the Swedish massage experienced a significant drop in the cortisol (i.e. stress hormone) as well as other hormones associated with increasing cortisol.
What about the light massage? Was it just a waste of time? Certainly not! Participants who experienced the light massage, had greater increases in a hormone associated with contentment as well as a decrease in a hormone that stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol.
For many of us the best way to change our mood may not be through changing our thoughts but through working with our physical body (e.g. getting a massage and/or some exercise). This is certainly the case for me.
So next time someone tells you to “Smile and think positive thoughts” you can graciously tell them “Thanks for the suggestion, but I think I’ll go and get a massage instead”.
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It’s crunch time. Exams are quickly approaching (less than 2 weeks away) for many students.
If you’re like most students you may have noticed that the amount of time you’ve been spending on Facebook, YouTube or Twitter has significantly increased over the past few weeks or days.
If this is the case, don’t feel bad. It’s completely normal. But it’s still a big problem and the sooner you control distractions in your environment, the better.
Will power and self discipline are great ideas in theory, but at the end of the day after a long day at school, you most likely feel tired and your will power reserves are running low or close to nil. For this reason, it’s quite challenging for many students to resist the temptation to log onto Facebook. The stress and discomfort of thinking about exams also makes many students want to seek relief. The easy way to get relief is to log onto Facebook and switch off.
WIth all that in mind, an intervention is needed. There are a number of applications that you can download that will restrict your access to the internet and help y ou focus. Below are two programmes that I have tested and regularly use to help me stay focused on my work.
Self Control
Self Control is an ideal programme to use if you still need to use the internet for work but don’t want to be able to access certain addictive websites.
It contains a “blacklist” in which you type in the websites you want to be locked out from. When you want to activate the programme, you simply click start and select how long you want to be locked out for. It’s free to download but unfortunately it’s only available to Mac users with OS X operating systems.
Freedom
If the internet is too distracting for you and you don’t need it to complete your work (e.g. you need to read a book or practice solving some equations) then skip Self Control and use Freedom. This nifty little application will set you back $10US, but it allows you to lock yourself out of the web for up to 8 hours at a time.
If you’re unsure about spending $10US at this stage, there is a free trial version available. The good news is this application is available for Mac and Windows computers.
A student asked me with a cheeky smile –
“But what if I activate the programme and then just restart my computer when I want to go back onto Facebook?”
The creators of these applications aren’t stupid and they designed both Self Control and Freedom in such a way that deleting the application or restarting your computer won’t make any difference. You have to wait for the time to run out.
So even if you have poor self control, there is help out there. The key is to be willing to try out these programmes. It may mean that initially you have to force yourself to activate the programme and you may feel uncomfortable. But after some time the discomfort will subside and you will be amazed by how much study you’ll be able to get through in a short space of time.
In light of recent research findings, the marketing catch phrase “Redbull gives you wings” should be changed to “Redbull can cause you to have a serious heart condition”.
The University of Adelaide, Royal Adelaide Hospital and Cardiovascular Research Centre recently published research findings that showed “common energy drinks do trigger significant changes, including a rise in blood pressure, increased stickiness of blood and decreased blood vessel function”.
So what does this mean for the average person? Well, according to Senior Research Officer Dr Scott Willoughby if you’re a fit and healthy person and you consume energy drinks, you could be putting yourself at risk of developing a serious heart condition.
It now makes perfect sense why the manufacturers of these products print on the cans “Maximum daily usage: 1 can” and advise pregnant women to steer clear of these heavily caffeinated, sugar intense products.
There have been a number of reports of healthy young individuals having heart attacks and even dying well before their time after consuming above the daily dose of these products. 28 year old Matthew Penboss from NSW is one example. After consuming 5 redbulls (4 more than the recommended daily dose) he suffered a cardiac arrest and had to take 6 weeks off work to recuperate.
The biggest problem with redbull (or any energy drink for that matter) is the amount of caffeine it contains. Imagine this – you walk into a cafe, order a large strong coffee (alternatively you buy 2 – 3 cokes) and then you consume this all at once. That’s how much caffeine you consume when you have a typical energy drink.
On top of that, you’re also consuming a ridiculous amount of sugar. For example, in a 480ml can of the popular energy drink Rock star you will find 14 teaspoons of sugar. For a visual representation of what that looks like (as well as how much sugar is in other common beverages) click here.
The combination of caffeine and sugar commonly results in nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, etc. Sure, you’ll feel great for a time but shortly after, you will crash and burn. You’ll feel flat, grumpy and worse than you did before and you’ll feel the need to crack open another one just to get you going again.
It’s a vicious cycle and a recipe for disaster and serious heart/health problems.
So next time you’re feeling a little ‘meh’ and flat, consider ditching the energy drinks and try taking a healthier approach to boosting your energy. Often when students feel flat and tired, it’s because they have been working hard and/or haven’t had enough sleep. Your body needs rest. If you’re tired, give your body what it needs: Rest! I recommend taking a 20 minute power nap.
Perhaps sleep isn’t a problem for you and you just find yourself in a bad, unmotivated mood when it comes time to start that assignment you can’t quite get your head around. If you find yourself in this situation, then go exercise. For those of you who suffer from “lycraphobia” and don’t like going to the gym, try a 30-minute walk in nature. Research tells us that this is an excellent way to re-energise yourself, build self-esteem and clear your mind.
Ask yourself this question “What are the times when you have your best ideas and work most effectively?”
For me the answer is when I exercise. Whether it be one hour of lifting weights at the gym or a couple of hours on the dance floor, I’m surprised how many great ideas come to me during and after a good workout.
There is something quite amazing about moving your body that allows you to think more clearly and work more effectively.
Scientific studies have recently found that a number of benefits are associated with engaging in strenuous exercise. According to Dr John Ratey (Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain) exercise helps to activate areas of the brain such that people are sharper, more attentive and less impulsive. In addition, exercise can lead to increased intelligence and lower stress levels.
Dr Ratey also stresses that by engaging in exercise you are helping to grow new brains cells, specifically in the areas of the brain associated with learning and memory (the hippocampus).
So what sort of exercise is best for your brain and will help you to learn more effectively?
Students frequently ask me “Is a 30 minute walk OK? Is that all I need to do?” A 30 minute walk will certainly help you to relax and unwind after a long day but there are much better forms of exercise that you can engage in to benefit your brain.
Dr Ratey suggests that aerobic exercise such as running, cycling and circuit training are all great ways to benefit your brain. He also suggest that by doing interval training (i.e. alternating six 30 second sprints with 60 seconds of jogging in between) two times a week can help to increase your learning ability by up to 20%!
“The more we challenge our bodies and brains, the stronger both become” he states.
Dr Jane Genovese delivers interactive sessions on learning to learn, combating procrastination, exam preparation, how to focus in the age of distraction, habit formation and much, much more!
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