TED talk by Ron Gutman:
The Hidden Power of Smiling
Posted by anxietyLA on May 14, 2011
http://www.anxietyla.com/2011/05/14/the-hidden-power-of-smiling/
Stress and Longevity
Want To Live To 100? Try To Bounce Back From Stress (NPR):
Unusual longevity often has a genetic basis, and Reichert probably does have a gene that contributes to her unusual longevity. But she also exhibits a powerful trait geriatricians call adaptive competence.
I define it loosely as the ability to bounce back from stress. Many scientists view this solely as biological stress. But many of us who care for older patients see adaptive competence as psychologically critical as well.
Posted by anxietyLA on April 17, 2011
http://www.anxietyla.com/2011/04/17/stress-and-longevity/
Psychotherapy for Social Anxiety…and the Brain
Does Social Anxiety Disorder Respond to Psychotherapy? Brain Study Says Yes (Science Daily)
When the patients’ pre- and post-therapy EEGs were compared with the control groups’, the results were revealing: Before therapy, the clinical group’s delta-beta correlations were similar to those of the high-anxiety control group and far higher than the low-anxiety group’s. Midway through, improvements in the patients’ brains paralleled clinicians’ and patients’ own reports of easing symptoms. And at the end, the patients’ tests resembled those of the low-anxiety control group.
Posted by anxietyLA on March 23, 2011
http://www.anxietyla.com/2011/03/23/psychotherapy-for-social-anxiety-and-the-brain/
Exercise v. Anxiety
Exercise Lessens Anxiety (PsychCentral):
Although we often think of it negatively, anxiety is a normal emotion, Abramowitz said. It evolved in our ancestors as a response to danger, such as a nearby predator. When you perceive a threat, you begin sweating, your heart rate increases and your breathing accelerates — the “fight or flight” response.
Of course, many modern dangers – such as a bad grade or an unsatisfactory job interview – can’t be thwarted by fighting or fleeing. In those cases, you may be left with only the unpleasant effects of anxiety, such as sweaty palms and a pounding heart.
Exercise can help you manage anxiety by distracting you from your worries and giving you a feeling of accomplishment, Abramowitz said. It also causes your body to release endorphins, pain-relieving chemicals that suffuse you with feelings of well-being.
Posted by anxietyLA on March 20, 2011
http://www.anxietyla.com/2011/03/20/exercise-v-anxiety/
Decluttering
Tips from a decluttering pro via PsychCentral. Tip #1:
Be fussy.
Clutter swells when we acquire more stuff. So “be picky about what you keep,” Jordan Kravitz says. “You need to know what you are keeping it for, and where you will keep it.” She adds that the common reason “just in case” doesn’t count.
More on the site.
Posted by anxietyLA on March 16, 2011
http://www.anxietyla.com/2011/03/16/decluttering/
Sad Dads
Help needed for depressed fathers, reports NPR:
Take a bow, American fathers. Dads of today are far more involved in raising their children than their fathers were. But with that greater involvement comes greater responsibility. And a new study in the journal Pediatrics finds some trouble brewing. Fathers who are depressed are far more likely to spank their 1-year-olds than dads who aren’t.
Posted by anxietyLA on March 15, 2011
http://www.anxietyla.com/2011/03/15/sad-dads/
Procrastination and Social Anxiety
Arlin Cuncic looks at the connection:
People procrastinate for many reasons, but the immediate goal is to bring a temporary sense of relief. The problem with procrastination is just that; the relief is temporary, and it is eventually replaced with anxiety about being behind in what you need to get done.
If you suffer with social anxiety disorder (SAD), you probably procrastinate out of fear of disapproval or failure. Perhaps you put off making phone calls, delay discussing difficult issues at work, or get behind scheduling health appointments, haircuts, or any other task that involves interacting with people.
Posted by anxietyLA on March 14, 2011
http://www.anxietyla.com/2011/03/14/procrastination-and-social-anxiety/
Mood and Medical Symptoms
Depression, Anxiety Influence Recall of Medical Symptoms in Different Ways (PsychCentral):
University of Iowa psychologists discovered that people who feel depressed report experiencing a higher number of past symptoms. People who feel anxious, by contrast, report more symptoms in the present moment.
Posted by anxietyLA on March 9, 2011
http://www.anxietyla.com/2011/03/09/mood-and-medical-symptoms/
Unemployed Spouse Stress
Unemployment Stress Affects Other Spouse’s Work Performance (PsychCentral):
In the study they examined daily stresses felt by married couples in which one spouse was employed and the other unemployed, and how that stress affected each spouse.
“One of the key findings in this study is that couples are better at sharing their burden than helping alleviate it,” Foo said.
“If you feel bad at home there is going to be spillover at work where you will also feel lousy. Going into the study we thought that marital support might help alleviate the stress of unemployment on the family unit, but it didn’t turn out to be the case.”
Posted by anxietyLA on February 23, 2011
http://www.anxietyla.com/2011/02/23/unemployed-spouse-stress/
Facebook Stress
Study: More Facebook leads to more stress (The Telegraph).
Dr Kathy Charles, who led the study, said: “We found it was actually those with the most contacts, those who had invested the most time in the site, who were the ones most likely to be stressed.
“It’s like being a mini news channel about yourself. The more people you have the more you feel there is an audience there. You are almost a mini celebrity and the bigger the audience the more pressure you feel to produce something about yourself.”
Posted by anxietyLA on February 21, 2011
http://www.anxietyla.com/2011/02/21/facebook-stress/
