NEWS OF MIND

Written by killy niven Overcoming our fears is the most liberating feeling in the world. I should know.  I used to live my life in constant fear.  I was so fearful that I suffered horrifically from anxiety and depression.  I was scared to live.  I was scared to do everything that I wanted to – fly, drive long distances, interviews, public speaking, expressing myself. The list is endless.  The truth is many are living a life full of fear. The road to freedom is gradual one.  It does not happen overnight.  However not taking that road is worse than the fear of the unknown. “If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine; it is lethal.” Paulo Coelho I am thankful I no longer live my life in fear.  I have broken free from the destructive thought cycles that result in anxiety and depression.  I have long overcome my fear of flying, driving and interviews.  I am almost over my fear of public speaking. And over the p...

Sometimes work or school can get super high-stakes and it can become difficult not to crack underneath all the pressure. You either have a lot riding on a presentation, have too many tasks to juggle, have a demanding boss or professor, or feel like everything is dependent on this one position to help you move forward — whatever the situation, you've found yourself in an atmosphere where the stress is high and the tension is thick. While a lot of us would be tempted to go home and complain to anyone willing to listen how tough things currently are, there are a select few of us that do something unimaginable: They weather it. And not only that — not only do they not buckle under the strain, but they thrive in it. Superhumans, right? Maybe not quite. Every single one of us has the potential and the ability not to choke when the pressure gets turned on, just some of us might need more practice and coaching than others. With a little bit of research a game plan can get drafted, and...

On Day 5 I’m sitting out on the terrace of my bungalow feeling unbelievably fortunate. Waves crash below, and the sea breeze tickles my face. And then my gorgeous partner looks up at me, the sun setting over the sea behind him, and announces an idea for a new article. “How about you write one called ‘how to relax?'” Ouch. Where on earth could he have gotten this absurd idea?! I’ve taken to this island’s relaxation like an iguana takes to its favorite iguana thing. Could it be when I insisted we wake up at 7:45 a.m. to secure the optimal beach spot? Or later on, when I hoarded any and all available beach chairs surrounding our own so as to maintain shade throughout the day? Surely I exhibited incredible mindfulness when I budgeted to the second for our arrival to last night’s dinner, including taking a test route earlier on in the day. Or…maybe he has a point. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the world’s worst relaxer, I’m an 11. But our weeklong window into heaven ...

By Jonathan allen “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” ~Victor Frankl There’s a big lie we tell ourselves during stressful times. It keeps us feeling lost, afraid, and unloved, like we’re being picked up and carried away helplessly by a storm. Our heads can fill with scary images, words, and stories about the cause and who is to blame for our unwanted pain. Sound familiar? If it does, you’re not alone. You’re normal. This is how humans biologically respond to stress. So what’s the big lie? The big lie is that we have no control over our stress response. Actually, we do. A lot of control. I’ve struggled the hard way through my fair share of troubling times. I’ve experienced money and job issues, battled with health, and been pushed in challenging relationships. But that’s not the worst part. The worst part is I grew up a highly sensitive person, who would in...

By Dr. Mercola Emotional pain often exacts a greater toll on your quality of life than physical pain. The stress and negative emotions associated with any trying event can even lead to physical pain and disease. In fact, emotional stress is linked to health problems including chronic inflammation, lowered immune function, increased blood pressure, altered brain chemistry, increased tumor growth and more. Of course, emotional pain can be so severe that it interferes with your ability to enjoy life and, in extreme cases, may even make you question whether your life is worth living. 5 Tips for Healing Emotional Pain As the featured article reported, Guy Winch, author of Emotional First Aid: Practical Strategies for Treating Failure, Rejection, Guilt and Other Everyday Psychological Injuries, recently shared five tips for healing your emotional pain. 1. Let Go of Rejection Rejection actually activates the same pathways in your brain as physical pain, which is one reason why it hurts...

Nancy Sherman Ph.D. Stoic Warrior The Moral Logic of Survivor Guilt If there is one thing we have learned from returning war veterans Posted Jul 20, 2011 Source: If there is one thing we have learned from returning war veterans - especially those of the last decade - it's that the emotional reality of the soldier at home is often at odds with that of the civilian public they left behind. And while friends and families of returning service members may be experiencing gratefulness or relief this summer, many of those they've welcomed home are likely struggling with other emotions. High on that list of emotions is guilt. Soldiers often carry this burden home-- survivor  guilt being perhaps the kind most familiar to us. In war, standing here rather than there can save your life but cost a buddy his. It's flukish luck, but you feel responsible. The guilt begins an endless loop of counterfactuals-thoughts that you could have or should have done otherwise, though in fact yo...

You have seen the advertising headlines. They prey upon the nagging fear that maybe you and your family will be violently attacked by a stranger “on the street.” They promise you life-saving “secrets” that will give any middle-aged business traveler the defensive acumen of an elite military operator. All contained in a set of DVDs. This has become the marketing platform for many of the so-called “Reality-Based” martial arts programs. Can the promises live up to the hype? Here are a couple of ideas to consider: Learning to defend yourself requires training for self-defense: This may seem like the ultimate obvious point, but it carries two important implications. First, effective self-defense preparation requires actual physical practice – quite often, a lot of practice – to assure proper execution of even a couple of basic maneuvers. Based on what is known about human performance and motor skill learning, it would be nearly impossible for someone simply to read about a technique in...