How To Train Your Brain To Stop Worrying !

Worrying is about the worst thing you can do to your mental health – besides the stress it causes, it can also lead to several other mental problems. However, there is a way to avoid it. Some experts say that the brain can be tricked into stopping worrying and learn how to deal with the problem.

The key, according to experts, is to make the brain learn from mistakes and embrace new challenges. It doesn’t matter if you worry about the past or the future – some things just can’t be controlled.

Many people consider worrying and depression the same thing, but they are very different. Worrying occurs when the brain focuses on past or future events that can’t be controlled, while depression is a medical condition. Continue reading the article below to learn about 3 simple techniques that will help your brain not to worry anymore and how to deal with depression.

1. Meditation

Meditation is a highly effective technique that will allow you to avoid worrying about events that have already occurred or are still to possibly happen. According to several studies, meditation can reduce anxiety and help you stop worrying about future events. Although many people think that meditation requires a lot of time, you can do a session in only 30 seconds. Just relax and close your eyes, trying to clear your mind – this will let all your problems go and teach your brain how to stop worrying.

By allowing yourself to relax, you will reduce your stress and find the solutions to your problems. Experts recommend focusing thinking of the problems you might have and picturing them as they leave the brain.

2. Write your problems down

Here’s another great tip that will help you stop worrying – by writing down your problems, you will be more focused on finding the solution to them. Get a piece of paper and write them down and focus, and try to relax by looking at the problem. This will allow your brain to start searching for solution and effectively resolve your problems.

In this way, you’re essentially focusing all your brainpower towards the written problem. According to experts, people who are chronically worried are also chronic problems-avoiders as well. One study allowed participants to write down 3 outcomes for the problem they’re facing with the results evaluated at the end. The study showed that the less concrete the writing of the participants was, the more they worried about their problems. This proves that worrying isn’t the answer and is a sort of cognitive avoidance.

3. Train your body and mind not to worry

Worries are essential your brain’s way of choosing how to resolve a problem or run away from it. Worries can often manifest through fear and may result in excess production of adrenaline that can cause numerous problems.

One recent study showed that exercise can be highly efficient in reducing anxiety and its symptoms. Once you lower the level of anxiety, your brain will understand how to resolve the problem. Exercise increases our heart rate and perspiration which is the same state our body is in when we worry too much. Exercising can also reduce our blood pressure and allow us to relax. Take 5-10 minute-walks whenever you’re stressed and enjoy the sounds and views of nature in order to relax and find a solution to the problem.

This Is What A Single Gym Session Can Do For Your Brain, According To Science

Up until college, I had never stepped foot in a gym.

If someone told my high school friends that I would become someone who works out on a regular basis, they probably would’ve lost it.

Although, I have to wonder if high-school-me would have hopped on the elliptical if I knew that just one gym sesh could promise amazing things for my brain.

Despite what our own president has said about the benefits of exercise (or lack-there-of, in his mind), a new review discussing the impact of acute exercise on brain functions effectively bursts Trump’s uninformed bubble.

The investigators involved in this review, which was published in the journal Brain Plasticity, summarized extensive research on the vast cognitive, behavioral, neurophysiological, and neurochemical changes that can come from just a single bout of physical exercise.

Wendy A. Suzuki, PhD, a principal researcher on the study and a professor of neural science and psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University, told EurekAlert! Science News,

Exercise interventions are currently being used to help address everything from cognitive impairments in normal aging, minimal cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer’s disease to motor deficits in Parkinson’s disease and mood states in depression.

Our review highlights the neural mechanisms and pathways by which exercise might produce these clinically relevant effects.

After examining a large body of research involving both animals and humans, the study authors found that acute exercise was consistently correlated with improved executive function (meaning the mental processes that allow you to plan, focus, and multitask), better mood, and lower stress levels.

So, even if you can only manage to fit in a simple StairMaster sesh once a week, that’s still better than nothing.

However, understanding the positive outcomes that can come from just one workout is the first step in recognizing how a long-term fitness lifestyle can literally change how your brain functions over time, and thus how it can change your life for the better.

According to the review, future research plans to bridge the gap between neurological and behavioral changes that can be seen post-exercise, and how these changes differ in humans versus animals.

But, for now, you have no excuse to not squeeze just one workout into your day, your week, your month, or even your year (yes, I do need to stop watching Friends so much, but you also need to stop judging my life).

Signs & Symptoms of Extreme Exhaustion You Can't Ignore

Extreme exhaustion is the state of feeling very fatigued, to the point where you may not want to move or even be able to move. Exhaustion can be caused by many different factors, such as prolonged exposure to heat (heat exhaustion), illness, insufficient sleep or intense physical exertion. The signs and symptoms of extreme fatigue will vary depending on the cause, though certain symptoms are likely to occur regardless of the cause.

Inattentiveness is one of the warning signs of extreme fatigue and exhaustion. Exhaustion caused by lack of sleep, stress and anxiety are likely to decrease your attention to detail. This can cause a person to do things absentmindedly, and can be especially dangerous when operating a vehicle or machinery.

When exhaustion is more severe, inattentiveness may turn into confusion. A person may temporarily forget what they are doing, where they are or where they were going. A strong feeling of malaise is also likely. If the stupor is bad enough the person may not be able to think or talk properly.

Feeling dizzy or faint is sign of extreme exhaustion. When the body is very exhausted, the effectiveness of the heart and blood at delivering oxygen to the brain can be diminished, which can lead to dizziness. In some cases, dizziness may also lead to fainting. If you feel dizzy you should sit down immediately and control your breathing to avoid the possibility of fainting and injuring yourself by falling.

Extreme exhaustion is sometimes accompanied by a rapid heart rate. After an intense physical exertion or especially during exposure to heat, the heart may struggle to supply blood to the body and will race, while the strength of the pulse may be weak. As the heart struggles to supply oxygen to the body, it can continue to beat at an elevated rate long after activity or exposure to heat has ended. If the skin becomes moist, hot or red, it may signify heat exhaustion.

Usually extreme exhaustion can be overcome with proper rest, sleep and food and water intake, but sometimes it can lead to severe complications. In the case of heat exhaustion, heat stroke can result if the case is severe enough. During heat stroke the skin becomes very hot and often dry and the body temperature goes over 104 degrees which can result in death. Overexertion can sometimes result in heart attack or hyperventilation. Most cases of severe exhaustion can be prevented by getting adequate sleep and nourishment, and avoiding risk factors such as heat and physical exertion.

What Really Happens to Your Body When You Skip Meals

When your car runs out of gas, where can it go? No where. When your cell phone runs out of juice, who can you call? No one. When a light bulb burns out, can the lamp still be used? Absolutely not.

Our bodies react the same way when we don't provide them with a proper source of energy. While these are great analogies for what happens to your body when you don't give it enough food, I can provide some personal insight because I've experienced the consequences of skipping meals firsthand. So I'll start with my own experience, and then I'll go into the science so you have a solid understanding of what really happens to your body when you skip meals.

My Story

I graduated college and entered "the real world." When I got my first part-time job in my field, I learned what it meant to work eight-hours straight in the fast paced world of my chosen career. The first week, I was out and about every afternoon, then running back to the office to meet a deadline, not even thinking about how I barely ate breakfast because my hair and makeup took precedence (of course), and skipped right past lunch in order to finish all of my work. That's the time I hit my downward spiral, starting a routine of skipping meals.

My body revolted, and let me tell you — "hangry" isn't just a word I use to describe my boyfriend when he gets into one of his moods. It's uncontrollable.

While I spent as much time at the gym as I could, building a strong, healthy body, skipping meals meant my body started to feed on my muscle. Slowly but surely, I felt a difference in my day-to-day attitude. I wanted to sleep more, I had frequent headaches, I felt tired all of the time, I wanted to go to the gym less and less. Not to mention, all of my clothes started to look like sacks draping over my body (although, Kayne would have been into it).

I still remember the day my baby sister came up to me and asked why my face was so white. This was mid summer and I'm full Italian, so there was absolutely no reason for it. I remember all of the times my boyfriend commented, saying I needed to "get some meat on your bones." When I used to look fit and athletic, and then I just felt weak and impaired… it took a toll on my mind.

I was miserable, but I couldn't figure out how to get my eating habits back on track and still manage my hectic schedule. I learned the hard way that my extra-grande-mocha-whatever-you call-it caffeine source could not fill the void of a well balanced meal. The worst part was that the longer it took for me to get my eating habits back on track, the more my stomach shrunk, which made it even harder for me to get the nutrition that I needed.

Getting back on track hasn't been easy. It takes will power and planning. I just hope that by reading this, you realize that skipping a meal is never the answer, whether you're trying to lose weight, or simply don't prioritize nutrition, as I did. The day you start skipping meals is the day your body will begin responding like this:

Unhealthy weight loss

"One of the most common misconceptions about skipping meals is that by skipping meals, you save on calories and ultimately lose weight. Unfortunately, it's not that simple," says Lindsay Salvatore, R.D., a dietician in southern New Jersey. When you skip meals, your body goes into shock, storing all food you consume and turning it into fat. And it starts with your muscle.

"Going long periods without any food can [also] cause muscle breakdown aka catabolism. Long term damage can be lowered muscle mass, which can increase fat stores, which can lead to a number of health issues," says Michael Doehla, a nutrition specialist with the National Academy of Sports Medicine. So, despite seeing weight loss, more fat is being produced to protect your body from the loss of muscle.

And then unhealthy weight gain

Unfortunately, once the damage is done, it's not just a quick fix. According to Salvatore, "when you start to eat normally again, you gain weight in the form of fat, so you're really setting yourself back." Skipping meals can lead to overcompensating and overeating, which according to a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, means weight gain. The American Heart Association has found that it's common for those who skip meals during the day to eat larger meals in the evening, which can cause higher BMIs. Overeating also causes sugar levels to spike. Your body will crash instead of feeling better, like you think it will. The insulin response to bring your sugars back down to a healthy level causes it to overcorrect by bringing it down as fast as you brought it up.

Your brain turns into a fuzzy tv screen

You lose your ability to work properly, and can feel lightheaded and unfocused — seemingly out of no where. Your body needs essential nutrients to produce brain power, and without those sugars, electrolytes and sodium everything can get foggy. "Vitamins and minerals play a huge part in our everyday functions that without them we feel sick all the time with headaches or stomach aches or many other common ailments," warns Salvatore. "When you're tired due to skipping meals, you lack the mental motivation and physical motivation to be active and make healthy food choices. People who skip meals will often make up for calories in the form of unhealthy foods later in the day, only making them even more tired and unmotivated."

Who wants to look frail and pale?

You can't hide the fact that you have unhealthy eating habits, and according to an Australian study, those who skip meals consume way less vitamins and minerals as they need. Those vitamins and minerals not only help with weight gain and loss, as mentioned before, but they also provide the shine and bounce in your hair and the glow in your skin – among other things. If you're not eating enough fats and proteins throughout your day, your body can't even use some of the vitamins you may intake when you attempt to make up for skipped meals.

Queue potentially severe outcomes...

It's important to note that skipping meals in an effort to lose weight can potentially lead to an eating disorder. As you adjust to the day-to-day lifestyle of skipping meals, it rewires your brain and eventually it's no longer a priority to eat at all. "One skipped meal every now and then leads to a skipped meal every day, which leads to skipped meals multiple times per day. At some point anorexia may be diagnosed and the individual would have to undergo treatment to not only literally save their life, but to then work to repair their relationship with food," explains Doehla.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, many young adults end up with eating disorders after looking for an alternative weight loss option. As already stated, skipping meals is not a proper way of dieting or weight loss. A recommendation on the NEDA's website states that the AAP (The American Academy of Pediatrics) is, "discouraging dieting, skipping of meals or the use of diet pills; promoting a positive body image by promoting a balanced diet and exercising for fitness rather than weight loss."

So, if you just don't have time, make time — plan your meals in advance. If you want to lose weight, hit the gym, eat multiple small meals a day, give your body the nutrients and energy it's craving. You'll find the outcome makes you feel happier, energized, and gives you the results you want to stay healthy.