meditation

The stresses and strains of everyday life can bring with it a variety of emotional health problems. These can include depression
anxiety
insomnia
irritability and panic attacks. In this article I write about each of these potential problems and suggest solutions to overcome them.

Depression

I am sure that we all become depressed at different times of our life
I certainly do. It is easy to let things and people get us down. We can start to feel sorry for ourselves and to think that the world is working against us.

The brain has two halves
positive and negative. In these periods of depression the negative side assumes control and it can become very hard to get out of this rut.

I see the positive side of my brain as an apple and the negative side as a pear. If I only ever eat pears
I will not be able to experience the joy of eating apples. In short I have to give the positive side a chance to help me to reach a state of happiness and I need to learn to ignore the negative.

Anxiety and panic attacks

At times people start becoming anxious about their future or even about their present situation. This can in certain cases even lead on to panic attacks.

In my opinion worrying does not help the situation
it only makes things worse. I have to say that I do worry and that the cloud of doom does descend over my life at regular intervals. When this occurs I try very hard to break the cycle and I even talk to the demons in my head. I have a battle of wills with them. I tell them that they will not win and that I will not stress anymore. This is not that simple but is what I try to do.

Insomnia

Having trouble with sleeping at night can happen for a number of reasons
the main one of which is stress. Other causes are snoring
an intake of too much caffeine
a noisy environment or depression.

I have written about stress and depression already
it is also time to cut down on the coffee. A simple suggestion in potentially solving insomnia
is to read a book in bed before attempting to get to sleep. This book should help you to get your mind away from any anxieties you may have
it should relax your body and should also tire your eyes.

Irritability

When people lose sleep or work to hard they can become over tired and this can lead to irritability. This can cause people to have a higher pulse rate
making their muscles feel tight and can leave people also feeling anxious and lethargic.

It is important to therefore ensure that you obtain a good amount of hours sleep per night (at least seven)and that you only work a certain amount of hours per week. Money is important to people
however in my opinion health should be the priority.

Solutions to these emotional health problems

I have come to realise that I need to treat myself from time to time. I have always found it difficult to relax and would often feel stressed and under pressure.

I now use various methods at different times of the year to help me to chill out a bit and to reward my body. These include aromatherapy
using herbal products
attending tai chi lessons and I have even tried Yoga. I must admit I could never get to grips with Yoga
however have heard it can prove to be very beneficial to people who can.

Meditation

My favourite form of relaxation is by meditating. I do this by sitting on a straight back chair and by basically concentrating with my eyes closed. I pay particular notice to my breathing and it has certainly helped me to see things in a much clearer way.

In conclusion there are many ways of reducing emotional health problems and with determination you are able to see your way to a better and brighter future.

Steve Hill