A good night sleep makes you happier and healthier

Why Sleeping is (Almost) More Important Than Breathing

I used to pull all-nighters back in college, forcing myself to stay awake to cram for an exam or finish a paper on art history, my major. I did it because I thought it would help me get ahead, but in the end it always set me back—I wound up tired, cranky and unproductive the next day.

Even though I've grown up (and wisened up) since then, I still have trouble convincing myself to crawl into bed at night: I keep a running tally of all the things I haven't crossed off my to-do list—reading manuscripts, prepping for a TV appearance, even laundry! And I'm always tempted to stay up just a bit longer to get everything done before morning.

So what stops me from burning the midnight oil? Not only has personal experience proved that I'll be more stressed (not to mention less chipper) when I'm sleep-deprived, but studies suggest that not getting adequate zzz's can increase your risk for heart disease and depression, and even cause weight gain (ever found yourself heading to the fridge or the vending machine when you're tired? I have!).

Try these tips to help relax before you hit the sack:

Unplug
Avoid having long conversations on your cell phone before bed: Researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit found that people who were exposed to the slight radiation that emanates from cell phones took longer to fall asleep and spent less time in the deep stages of slumber.

Make Your Bedroom a Haven
Draw the blinds and turn on a fan or a soothing CD of nature noises to block out distracting sounds. Swapping ordinary bedroom bulbs for yellow ones (GE makes a 25-watt version sold at drugstores) can help you feel more tranquil as you're getting ready to nod off. Consider treating yourself to a cozy new comforter or putting flowers on your nightstand so that being in your bedroom—and sleeping!—becomes something you look forward to.

Say Thanks
Once you're under the covers, take two minutes to reflect on the things you're grateful for. Studies show that practicing grateful thinking makes people more optimistic. And going to sleep with happy thoughts will help you sleep more soundly.

Article Source: Lucy Danziger (www.self.com)

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Laughter as a medicine for stress

How To Use Humor And Laughter As A Coping Mechanism For Stress!

Humor and Laughter should be used as coping mechanisms for stress, though it seems to only be used as an outlet for the emotion produced by humor or happiness. Do we laugh because we are happy, or are we happy because we laugh? Many times a humorous speaker can help us to see the light in the darkness situations. Both of these are probably true, but we only exercise the former. Laughter is a fascinating phenomenon that works like a medicine. Although most drugs affect everyone differently, laughter is always the same. It exercises your entire body causing you to feel relaxed and pain free. And this is where a professional humorous speaker can help you improve your next meeting or event. The fact that laughter and humorous speaking is good for one's health should be quite evident. So why not laugh? When one laughs, it is like taking a drug, yet there is no such thing as an overdose or, "laughter toxicity," as humorous speaker, Dr. Madan Kataria says. Maybe we can now say "A laugh a day keeps the doctor away." Dr. Kataria is a world authority on laughter and humorous speaking

There's no doubt that laughter feels good, and that a humorous speaker can help, but is there real neurophysiology behind it and what can you do about it? In a paper being presented in an American Physiological Society session at Experimental Biology 2006, humorous speaker, Lee S. Berk of Loma Linda University, reports that not only is there real science and psychophysiology, but just the anticipation of the "mirthful laughter" provided by humorous speakers involved in watching your favorite funny movie has some very surprising and significant neuroendocrine/hormone effects.

According to Humorous Speaker Berk: "The blood drawn from experimental subjects just before they watched the video had 27% more beta-endorphins and 87% more human growth hormone, compared to blood from the control group, which didn't anticipate the watching of a humorous video. Between blood pulls, the control group stayed in a waiting room and could choose from a wide variety of magazines," he explained. *Paper presentation: "Beta-Endorphin and HGH increase are associated with both the anticipation and experience of mirthful laughter, through humorous speakers" 12:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday April 2, APS Behavioral neuroscience & drug abuse Section abstract 233.18/board #C706. Research was by humorous speaker, Lee S. Berk, Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health and Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University; humorous speaker, Stanley A. Tan, Oakcrest Health Research Institute, Yucaipa; and humorous speaker, James Westengard, Dept. of Pathology, School of Medicine; Berk is associated with all three institutions and humorous speakers. HGH, endorphin difference is long-lasting; setting the baseline and environment is key Berk said that the strong difference between the two groups in terms of human growth hormone (HGH) and beta-endorphin blood levels was maintained from just prior to the beginning of video watching, throughout the hour of viewing and afterwards, also.

Most laughter has nothing to do with jokes, concludes researcher and humorous speaker, Prof. Robert Provine. For years he has studied laughter, humorous speaking and humorous speakers and what provokes it. Some of Provine's conclusions: * Less than 20% of laughter was in response to anything resembling a joke * People and humorous speakers are 30 times more likely to laugh in groups than alone (hence, TV's laugh tracks) * Female humorous speakers laugh more than male humorous speakers, except when they are listening to a woman * The talker chuckles nearly 50% more than his/her listener does. If you follow these tried and true steps to laugh more, you will see that you are managing your stress better through the use of humor and humorous speakers. http://www.dougdvorak.com

Article source: Doug Dvorak (GoArticles.com)

About the Author
Doug Dvorak is the CEO of DMG Inc., a worldwide organization that assists clients with productivity training, corporate humor and workshops, as well as other aspects of sales and marketing management. Mr. Dvorak's clients are characterized as Fortune 1000 companies, small to medium businesses, civic organizations and service businesses. http://www.dougdvorak.com

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The Art of Self Hypnosis

If you've heard anything about the term “positive affirmations”, you probably know the benefit of practicing self hypnosis. Those who practice self hypnosis have the ability to reprogram their subconscious mind to achieve certain things in life such as gaining self confidence, losing weight, stop smoking, and anything else for self improvement.

There are four steps to successful self hypnosis: relaxing, deepening your subconscious, giving your subconscious suggestions, and termination of the session.

Relaxation: Try to physically relax your body and your mind will follow. Using your mind, travel from your feet, up your legs, to your back and neck, relaxing muscles as you think about each area of your body. Take your time doing this; relaxation is the key to performing hypnosis correctly. Normally, the first time you do this will take the longest. After you've done this a few times, relaxation should start to come naturally.

Deepening: In your mind, begin to count down from 100. Count in a slow and relaxed way, and imagine yourself falling deeper and deeper into a hypnotic state with each number. Do not “watch” for hypnosis to kick in, “watching” for it will only make it NOT happen. You've heard the saying – a watched pot never boils. As with the relaxation step, this will take more time the first few sessions.

Suggestions: Once you are in the hypnotic state, you can start thinking your suggestions that you've worked out ahead of time. These are positive suggestions that will help you to gain your goals. Some people will think “I no longer crave cigarettes” or “I will eat more vegetables in my diet” or “I am a confident person”. The goal is to reprogram your subconscious mind to accept these new ideas and to act upon them during conscious hours.

Termination: After you've completed your suggestions, it is time to terminate your self hypnosis session. If you're doing this before bedtime, feel free to fall asleep, but if you're in the middle of the day, it's a good idea to count yourself up. Think to yourself, “On the count of five, I will be refreshed, fully awake, and in a wonderful mood.” Then, count to five and open your eyes.

Using self-hypnosis takes time and practice; be patient, don't force it, and benefit from practicing it. Your mind is a powerful tool to achieving what you want in life; program it correctly, and you'll live a more fulfilled life!

For more information, visit Live-Ur-Dreams.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=AJ_Stamp

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