Feeling Blue?

We often say that we are down or depressed, but how many of us actually know the clinical symptoms of depression? The most common psychological disorder reported by GP's is depression. In order to be diagnosed with depression an individual must report most of the following symptoms over a two week period:

• · feeling sad most of the time
• · lost interest in most of your usual activities
• · lost or gained weight
• · felt excessively guilty
• · sleep disturbance
• · felt worthless
• · had poor concentration
• · were very indecisive

Looking at the list above, I think many people may have experienced these symptoms at one time or another, including myself. There is no one single cause of depression and consequently there is no one quick fix either. If you think you may be depressed please seek help, early intervention ensures that you will get the support you need. Be honest about how you are feeling, as keeping things to yourself or pretending everything is fine will only aggravate the illness further.. You deserve to live a life of calm,  peace and purpose. As a coaching psychologist I have seen many clients struggle with depression and it skews their judgement, robs them of their creativity, plants seeds of doubt that manifest and fester.

When someone is experiencing depression it is like they are shrouded in a veil which prevents them from seeing things logically or clearly. They may make poor decisions or indeed feel immobilised to make any decisions. Depression can be misunderstood and people can feel that the individual suffering from depression is doing it for attention, or trying to be difficult, they are not. They are genuinely struggling with their emotions and no doubt finding it increasingly difficult to do their job effectively whether in work or at home.

Take action instead of denying how you are feeling if you are depressed, rest assured that many people have experienced depression, including well known celebrities like Jim Carey, Larry King, Marion Keyes, Jessica Rowe and Britney Spears. It is not a life long illness and with support and taking positive steps depression can be managed successfully.

The following link is for a quick depression self test. The site also offers a wealth of information, factsheets and support.

http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/public/depression/howtotell/selftesting.cfm

Stop Procrastinating Now

According to a recent poll 20% of the population are chronic procrastinators, does the following sound familiar:

…making a decision for no valid reason to delay or not complete a task or goal

you’ve committed too, and instead doing something of lesser importance,

despite there being negative consequences to not following through on the original

task or goal.

 

If so you are probably a procrastinator.. but don't lose heart here are 

5 Powerful Ways to Stop Procrastination in it's tracks:

 

1. Identify when you are substituting a lesser task in order to avoid the more important task you have committed too. This is a classic way that many of us procrastinate. If you struggle with this, I suggest you read Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy, who suggests that you start your day by doing the tasks you like least first, so you can then enjoy the rest of your day more.
2. Become aware of the reason behind your procrastination, is it because of fear? boredom? lack of energy? lack of interest? Sometimes it can be because we are simply in the wrong type of job. You need to enjoy your work and if you don't you need to start thinking about how you can or find a job that suits your skills better.
3. If you find yourself reading e-mails several times without starting work on them or deciding what you’re going to do with them, make a commitment to read them once and either respond to them or delete them. I have a client I coach that deletes his entire inbox monthly. He says that if it is that important they will email again or call and it frees him up for more pressing tasks. You may not want to do something that drastic, but do become aware of your inbox and allocate a set amount of time daily.
4. Spending too much time on social network sites at work or at home? Allow yourself a set amount of time daily or twice a day for fifteen minutes and then log off! Easier said than done, but I promise you that you will save so much time.
5. Set some goals. We can easily let time runaway from us and as the hours turn into days, weeks into months and then years we need to question what we want out of life and if indeed we are getting what we want. If you are not satisfied with your life, you are the only one that can change it. Make some clear goals that excite you. Then set a time when you want to achieve them by and work consistently towards those goals. All successful people work towards goals, so have you written yours yet?

Three techniques to reduce STRESS instantly

Feeling Stressed? Here are 3 tenhniques to reduce stress instantly:


1. BREATHE

The benefits of effective abdominal breathing have been shown to be benefical to both our physical and psychological wellbeing. Take three full breathes through your nose and out through your mouth whilst keeping your eyes closed.

2. MOVE

Although you may not feel like it, exercising when stressed offers an instant way of releasing pent up stress, whilst flooding your body with happy chemicals known as endorphins. It also helps you become more rational and focused. Just get up and walk around the block and you will return with a clearer head.

3. CONFRONT

Many of us complain to our co-workers about our spouse or other family members and then we get home and complain to our spouse about our co-workers or boss and we wonder why nothing has changed and why we are still stressed. Don't let things fester and get out of control, talk to the person you need to calmly in order to be heard and for things to change.

Are you a Pessimist or an Optimist?

"...everything can be taken from us but one thing: the last of human freedoms — to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances — to choose one's own way." — Viktor Frankl, neurologist, psychiatrist, author of the classic, Man's Search for Meaning: Experiences in the Concentration Camp, and 25 other books on existentialism, psychology, and meaning


An optimist expects the best possible outcome and dwells on the most hopeful aspects of a situation. He or she believes that this is the best of all possible worlds, the universe is improving, and good will ultimately triumph over evil. An optimist believes no one ever ruined their eyesight by looking at the bright side of life. Research on Emotional Intelligence, Attribution Theory (see Martin Seligman's outstanding book Learned Optimism), and related fields show that optimists not only go farther in life, they also have a much better time on the trip. Optimists are generally healthier, happier, and leaders in their fields.

Pessimists stress the negative and take the gloomiest possible view. He believes that this is the worst of all possible worlds, things naturally tend toward evil, and evil ultimately overshadows good. Pessimists feel that gravity is a myth; the world sucks. She thinks everybody is as nasty as her and hates them for it. When a pessimist feels good, he feels bad because he's afraid of feeling worse when he feels better. Highly devoted pessimists take joy from proving there is no real or lasting joy. If life were a bed of roses, many pessimists wouldn't be happy until they developed an allergy. Pessimists not only expect the worst, they make the most of it when it happens.

Which view is reality? Since we see the world as we are, either view becomes our reality. We choose our outlook. We choose to be an optimist or a pessimist. Here's how former American Secretary of Education William Bennett puts it, "It is a matter of choice. That is perhaps the greatest insight that the ancient Roman Stoics championed for humanity. There are no menial jobs, only menial attitudes. And our attitudes are up to us." We may have been given a tendency toward optimism or pessimism at birth, from our upbringing, or through the environment we're now in. However we can decide what we want to become from this day forward.

Make Your Mark in 2011 - 8 Top Tips

Want to make changes in the coming year? Your not alone, each year 40% - 45% of adults make one or more resolution or goal for themselves. Some research suggests that 75% make it past the first week, and 46% make it past 6 months. Okay so alot of us break our resolutions, but statistics on New Year's resolutions show that setting goals for yourself is still a good idea because you are 10 times more likely to attain your goal, rather than people who don't explicitly make goals.

Top Tips for NY Resolutions:

1. Write down your goals - this helps you get clear about what you want.
2. Be as detailed as possible with the resolution you make, rather than just a vague statement like "I want to lose weight", be specific and say exactly how much by when.
3. Writing your goal as though it has already been achieved is a porwerful way to trick your mind into acting accordingly.
4. Make sure your goals excite you - this may sound obvious, but if you are not motivated and excited by your goals you are very unlikely to achieve them.
5. Put a plan in place once you have written down your resolutions about how you are going to achieve them.
6. Commit to mini goals along the way to celebrate your progress.
7. Don't become overwhelmed or use your goals as another way to undermine your self esteem if you don't reach them. Be kind yo yourself and make small changes that are sustainable.
8. Be clear about who you are making your NY Resolutions for and make them for you and not for the approval of others.

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."   - Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Go for it and on a slightly funny note, take heed from the words of Bridget Jones and start your resolution on the 2nd of January!:

"I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second."

- Helen Fielding, "Bridget Jones's Diary"

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY CLIENTS AND FRIENDS

What Drains You?

It is an unfortunate part of life that despite our best intentions, there may be people, places, events or things that sap your energy, erode your confidence and paralyse your dreams. You may get a sense that you are not really happy, but are unsure exactly what is preventing you from being happy. Read the statements below and think about the ones that apply to you. This exercise helps to highlight the areas of your life that may be draining you more than you realise:

Work

 • I no longer enjoy my job and have a hard time showing up each day

• My work is stressful and leaves me exhausted at the end of the day

• My desk is a mess, and I have trouble finding what I need

• I am avoiding a confrontation or conflict at work

• I tolerate bad behaviour from a boss or colleague

• I am not computer literate, and it gets in the way of my productivity

• I lack the proper office equipment that I need to do my job well

• My work does not allow me to express my creativity

• I know I need to delegate specific tasks, but am unable to let go of control

• I feel overwhelmed with the amount of information that enters my life in the form of books, magazines and email

• There are courses that I could take which would enhance my performance at work

• I stay in my current job only for the money

• I am fearful about losing my job



Relationships



• There are people in my life who continuously drain my energy

• I have unreturned phone calls, emails, or letter that need to be handled

• I have an unresolved conflict with a family member

• I lack quality friendships in my life

• I feel a void in my life created by the lack of a romantic partner

• There is someone I need to forgive

• There is a relationship I need to end

• There is a phone call I dread making, and it causes me stress and anxiety

• I’m currently involved in a relationship that compromises my values

• I miss being a part of a loving and supportive community

• I feel alone





Environment



• My car is in need of a cleaning and/or repair

• My wardrobe needs updating and/or alterations

• I would like to live in a different geographic location

• I have appliances that need repair or upgrading

• My home is not decorated in a way that nurtures me

• My wardrobes are cluttered and need to be cleaned

• Repairs need to be done around my home or apartment

• My home is cluttered and disorganised

• I miss having more beauty reflected in my environment

• I watch too much television



Body, Mind & Spirit



• I eat food that is not good for me

• I consume to much alcohol

• I load up on caffeine constantly

• Something about my physical appearance bothers me

• I do not get the sleep I need to feel fully rested

• I would like to exercise regularly but never seem to find the time

• I have a health concern for which I have avoided getting help

• I have emotional needs that consistently go unmet

• There are books that I would love to read, but never seem to find the time for

• I need to visit the dentist

• I lack personal interests that are intellectually stimulating

• I lack a spiritual or religious practice in my life



Money



• I have tax returns that are not filed or taxes that are not paid

• I pay my bills late

• I spend more than I earn

• I do not have a plan for my financial future

• My credit rating is not what I would like it to be

• I do not have a regular savings plan

• I do not have adequate insurance coverage

• My mortgage rate is too high, and I need to refinance

• I have debt that needs to be paid off

• I do not have a will or it is not up to date

If your current life does not reflect how you would like to live begin to make small changes and honour the person you would like to become. If you have lots of areas that are draining you ignoring them will only exacerbrate the situation. Seek support and make changes.

9 Habits that Age Us

Many of the habits we adopt have an impact on how fast we age and compromise our health, they include:

1. Stress
2. Smoking
3. Poor Sleep
4. Alcohol
5. Poor Diet
6. Sun Exposure
7. Not exercising
8. Resentment
9. Lack of Joy

All of the above effect not only how quickly our body can age, but also effect our skin. Many of the external decisions you make everyday have a huge effect on how you feel and look. Number 8 is worth a mention, as it has been shown that resentment can eat away at people and lead to a higher incidence of heart disease. So stop resenting others and track what you do want, not what others have or do.

"The way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat, can influence your life by 30 to 50 years."

Deepak Chopra

 Wishing you an ageless and fun filled day.