How to deal with the Xmas blues

Christmas depression and stress

Christmas for most people is a fun time of year, filled with parties, celebrations, and social gatherings with family and friends. For many people however, it is a time filled with sadness, self-reflection, loneliness, and anxiety.

What causes Christmas blues?

Sadness is a truly personal feeling. What makes one person feel sad may not affect another person. Typical sources of sadness over Christmas include:

• Stress
• Fatigue
• Unrealistic expectations
• Over-commercialisation
• Financial stress
• The inability to be with one's family and friends
• Reminders of loss and bereavement

Balancing the demands of shopping, parties, family obligations, and house guests may contribute to feelings of being overwhelmed and increased tension. People who do not view themselves as depressed may develop stress responses, such as:

• Headaches
• Excessive drinking
• Over-eating
• Insomnia

Others may experience sadness after New Year's Day. This can result from built-up expectations and disappointments from the previous year, coupled with stress and fatigue.

Tips for coping with Christmas stress and depression

Just like an advent calendar, here are 25 tips for coping with Christmas stress and depression:

1. Keep your expectations modest

Don’t get hung up on what the Christmas holidays are supposed to be like and how you’re supposed to feel. If you’re comparing your festivities to some abstract greeting card ideal, they’ll always come up short. So don’t worry about festive spirit and take it as it comes.

2. Do something different

This year, does the prospect of the usual routine fill you with Christmas dread rather than joy? If so, don’t surrender to it. Try something different. Have Christmas dinner at a restaurant. Spend Boxing Day at the cinema, or get your family to agree to donate the money to a charity instead of exchanging presents.

3. Lean on your support system

If you’ve been depressed, you need a network of close friends and family to turn to when things get tough. During Christmas, take time to get together with your support network regularly -- or at least keep in touch by phone to keep yourself centred.

4. Don’t assume the worst

Don’t start the Christmas season anticipating disaster. If you try to take the festivities as they come and limit your expectations -- both good and bad -- you may enjoy them more.

5. Forget the unimportant stuff

Don’t run yourself ragged just to live up to Christmas tradition. So what if you don’t get the lights on the roof this year? So what if you don’t get the special Christmas mugs down from the loft? Give yourself a break. Worrying about such trivial stuff will not add to your festive spirit.

6. Volunteer

You may feel stressed and booked up already, but consider taking time to help people who have less than you. Try volunteering at a soup kitchen or helping someone to do their shopping.

Source:  http://www.webmd.boots.com/depression/guide/christmas-depression-stress

Stress Management How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress

Stress Management

How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress

You may feel there’s nothing you can do about stress. The bills won’t stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day, and your work and family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have more control over stress than you might think. Stress management is all about taking charge: of your lifestyle, thoughts, emotions, and the way you deal with problems. No matter how stressful your life seems, there are steps you can take to relieve the pressure and regain control.

What is stress management?

We all respond to stress differently so, there’s no “one size fits all” solution to managing stress. But if you feel like the stress in your life is out of control, it’s time to take action. Stress management can teach you healthier ways to cope with stress, help you reduce its harmful effects, and prevent stress from spiraling out of control again in the future.
No matter how powerless you may feel in the face of stress, you still have control over your lifestyle, thoughts, emotions, and the way you deal with problems. Stress management involves changing the stressful situation when you can, changing your reaction when you can’t, taking care of yourself, and making time for rest and relaxation. The first step is to recognize the true sources of stress in your life.

What are the sources of stress in your life?

Start a stress journal

A stress journal can help you identify the regular stressors in your life and the way you deal with them. Each time you feel stressed, keep track of it in your journal. As you keep a daily log, you will begin to see patterns and common themes. Write down:

• What caused your stress (make a guess if you’re unsure)
• How you felt, both physically and emotionally
• How you acted in response
• What you did to make yourself feel better

It’s easy to identify sources of stress following a major life event such as changing jobs, moving home, or losing a loved one, but pinpointing the sources of everyday stress can be more complicated. It’s all too easy to overlook your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that contribute to your stress levels. Sure, you may know that you’re constantly worried about work deadlines, but maybe it’s your procrastination, rather than the actual job demands, that is causing the stress.
To identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits, attitude, and excuses:

• Do you explain away stress as temporary (“I just have a million things going on right now”) even though you can’t remember the last time you took a breather?
• Do you define stress as an integral part of your work or home life (“Things are always crazy around here”) or as a part of your personality (“I have a lot of nervous energy, that’s all”)?
• Do you blame your stress on other people or outside events, or view it as entirely normal and unexceptional?

Until you accept responsibility for the role you play in creating or maintaining it, your stress level will remain outside your control.

How do you currently cope with stress?

Think about the ways you currently manage and cope with stress in your life. Your stress journal can help you identify them. Are your coping strategies healthy or unhealthy, helpful or unproductive? Unfortunately, many people cope with stress in ways that compound the problem.

Unhealthy ways of coping with stress

These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but they cause more damage in the long run:

Smoking Drinking too much Bingeing on junk or comfort food Zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities

Using pills or drugs to relax Sleeping too much Procrastinating Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry outbursts, physical violence)

Learning healthier ways to manage stress

If your methods of coping with stress aren’t contributing to your greater emotional and physical health, it’s time to find healthier ones. No single method works for everyone or in every situation, so experiment with different techniques and strategies. Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control.

Stress management strategy 1: Get moving

Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress, but you don’t have to be an athlete or spend hours in a gym to experience the benefits. Just about any form of physical activity can help relieve stress and burn away anger, tension, and frustration. Exercise releases endorphins that boost your mood and make you feel good, and it can also serve as a valuable distraction to your daily worries.
While the maximum benefit comes from exercising for 30 minutes or more, you can start small and build up your fitness level gradually. Short, 10-minute bursts of activity that elevate your heart rate and make you break out into a sweat can help to relieve stress and give you more energy and optimism. Even very small activities can add up over the course of a day. The first step is to get yourself up and moving. Here are a few easy ways:

• Put on some music and dance around
• Take your dog for a walk
• Walk or cycle to the grocery store
• Use the stairs at home or work rather than an elevator
• Park your car in the farthest spot in the lot and walk the rest of the way
• Pair up with an exercise partner and encourage each other as you workout
• Play ping-pong or an activity-based video game with your kids

Managing stress with regular exercise

Once you’re in the habit of being physically active, try to incorporate regular exercise into your daily schedule. Activities that are continuous and rhythmic—and require moving both your arms and your legs—are especially effective at relieving stress. Walking, running, swimming, dancing, cycling, tai chi, and aerobic classes are good choices.
Pick an activity you enjoy, so you’re more likely to stick with it. Instead of continuing to focus on your thoughts while you exercise, make a conscious effort to focus on your body and the physical (and sometimes emotional) sensations you experience as you’re moving. Adding this mindfulness element to your exercise routine will help you break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that often accompanies overwhelming stress. Focus on coordinating your breathing with your movements, for example, or notice how the air or sunlight feels on your skin. Getting out of your head and paying attention to how your body feels is also the surest way to avoid picking up an injury.
When you’ve exercised, you’ll likely find it easier to put other stress management techniques to use, including reaching out to others and engaging socially.

Stress management strategy 2: Engage socially

Reach out and build relationships

• Reach out to a colleague at work
• Help someone else by volunteering
• Have lunch or coffee with a friend
• Ask a loved one to check in with you regularly
• Accompany someone to the movies or a concert
• Call or email an old friend
• Go for a walk with a workout buddy
• Schedule a weekly dinner date
• Meet new people by taking a class or joining a club
• Confide in a clergy member, teacher, or sports coach

Social engagement is the quickest, most efficient way to rein in stress and avoid overreacting to internal or external events that you perceive as threatening. There is nothing more calming to your nervous system than communicating with another human being who makes you feel safe and understood. This experience of safety—as perceived by your nervous system—results from nonverbal cues that you hear, see and feel.
The inner ear, face, heart, and stomach are wired together in the brain, so socially interacting with another person face-to-face—making eye contact, listening in an attentive way, talking—can quickly calm you down and put the brakes on defensive stress responses like “fight-or-flight.” It can also release hormones that reduce stress, even if you’re unable to alter the stressful situation itself. Of course, it’s not always realistic to have a pal close by to lean on when you feel overwhelmed by stress, but by building and maintaining a network of close friends you can improve your resiliency to life’s stressors. On the flip side, the more lonely and isolated you are, the greater your vulnerability to stress.
Reach out to family and friends and connect regularly in person. The people you talk to don’t have to be able to fix your stress; they just need to be good listeners. Opening up is not a sign of weakness and it won’t make you a burden to others. In fact, most friends will be flattered that you trust them enough to confide in them, and it will only strengthen your bond. And remember, it’s never too late to build new friendships and improve your support network.

Stress management strategy 3: Avoid unnecessary stress

While stress is an automatic response from your nervous system, some stressors arise at predictable times—your commute to work, a meeting with your boss, or family gatherings, for example. When handling such predictable stressors, you can either change the situation or change your reaction. When deciding which option to choose in any given scenario, it’s helpful to think of the four A's: avoid, alter, adapt, or accept.

Avoid the stressor

It’s not healthy to avoid a stressful situation that needs to be addressed, but you may be surprised by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

• Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress. Distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts” and, when possible, say “no” to taking on too much.
• Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life, limit the amount of time you spend with that person, or end the relationship.
• Take control of your environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn off the TV. If traffic makes you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.

Stress management strategy 4: Alter the situation

If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.

• Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or someone is bothering you, be more assertive and communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you’ve got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes to talk. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the stress will increase.
• Be willing to compromise. When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.
• Manage your time better. Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. But if you plan ahead and make sure you don’t overextend yourself, you’ll find it easier to stay calm and focused.

Stress management strategy 5: Adapt to the stressor

How you think can have a profound effect on your stress levels. Each time you think a negative thought about yourself, your body reacts as if it were in the throes of a tension-filled situation. Regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude to stressful situations.

• Reframe problems. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time.
• Look at the big picture. Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.
• Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with “good enough.”

Stress management strategy 6: Accept the things you can’t change

Many sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors, such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it’s easier than railing against a situation you can’t change.

• Don’t try to control the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond our control—particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.
• Look for the upside. When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.
• Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.

Stress management strategy 7: Make time for fun and relaxation

Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s stressors.

Develop a "stress relief toolbox"

Come up with a list of healthy ways to relax and recharge. Try to implement one or more of these ideas each day, even if you're feeling good.

Go for a walk Spend time in nature Call a good friend Play a competitive game of tennis or racquetball Write in your journal Take a long bath Light scented candles

Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea Play with a pet Work in your garden Get a massage Curl up with a good book Listen to music Watch a comedy

Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.

• Set aside relaxation time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.
• Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.
• Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

Stress management strategy 8: Adopt a healthy lifestyle

In addition to regular exercise, there are other healthy lifestyle choices that can increase your resistance to stress.

• Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.
• Reduce caffeine and sugar. The temporary "highs" caffeine and sugar provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better.

Source:  http://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm

• Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary. Don’t avoid or mask the issue at hand; deal with problems head on and with a clear mind.
• Get enough sleep. Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.

Source:http://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm 

 

 

EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Silverman Tackles Depression in New Film, Opens Up About Her Mother's Death

Sarah Silverman spoke to ET about her battles with depression, and while talking about her new film I Smile Back also opened up about her mother's death last month.
In the dramatic indie film, which premiered at Sundance and will screen at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend, Silverman plays a mother-of-two living in suburbia who struggles with depression and addiction. To capture this character, the 44-year-old comedian drew upon her real-life experience.
"I've had my experience with depression, having a mother that also had experience with depression and being a child of that and being an adult with that and seeing both sides of it and trying to see what that is," Silverman shared.
WATCH: Sarah Silverman's Mom, Beth Ann O'Hara, Dies
Silverman's mother, Ann O'Hara, died on Aug. 19 at 73, and a few days later, she shared a touching tribute on Twitter. "Wednesday morning my Mom died," she wrote. "She was a know-it-all in overalls and two different colored socks. And defiantly, no bra."

O'Hara touched many lives, having founded the theater company New Thalian Players in Manchester, New Hampshire, where she produced and directed 50 plays over 25 years. For her work, Silverman got to present her mom with a lifetime achievement award at the New Hampshire Theater Awards in 2003.
"One time, she said, 'Sometimes all you have to do is be brave,'" Silverman recalled to ET. "Just meaning sometimes you just have to exist through things and they pass or you get to the other side."
PHOTOS: Stars We've Lost In Recent Years
Silverman keeps remembrances of her mother close by and even wore her overalls during our interview.
"She painted many sets and many grandchildren's nurseries in this," she lovingly remembered. "She was something else. She was one of a kind that one. I may never take these off."
I Smile Back opens Oct. 23. To see Silverman's dramatic turn, watch the full trailer below.
Source: 
Sarah Silverman spoke to ET about her battles with depression, and while talking about her new film I Smile Back also opened up about her mother's death last month.
In the dramatic indie film, which premiered at Sundance and will screen at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend, Silverman plays a mother-of-two living in suburbia who struggles with depression and addiction. To capture this character, the 44-year-old comedian drew upon her real-life experience.
"I've had my experience with depression, having a mother that also had experience with depression and being a child of that and being an adult with that and seeing both sides of it and trying to see what that is," Silverman shared.
WATCH: Sarah Silverman's Mom, Beth Ann O'Hara, Dies
Silverman's mother, Ann O'Hara, died on Aug. 19 at 73, and a few days later, she shared a touching tribute on Twitter. "Wednesday morning my Mom died," she wrote. "She was a know-it-all in overalls and two different colored socks. And defiantly, no bra."

O'Hara touched many lives, having founded the theater company New Thalian Players in Manchester, New Hampshire, where she produced and directed 50 plays over 25 years. For her work, Silverman got to present her mom with a lifetime achievement award at the New Hampshire Theater Awards in 2003.
"One time, she said, 'Sometimes all you have to do is be brave,'" Silverman recalled to ET. "Just meaning sometimes you just have to exist through things and they pass or you get to the other side."
PHOTOS: Stars We've Lost In Recent Years
Silverman keeps remembrances of her mother close by and even wore her overalls during our interview.
"She painted many sets and many grandchildren's nurseries in this," she lovingly remembered. "She was something else. She was one of a kind that one. I may never take these off."
I Smile Back opens Oct. 23. To see Silverman's dramatic turn, watch the full trailer below.

17 lies your anxiety is telling you

If you suffer from anxiety you’ll know all about the pesky little lies the condition can tell you when it takes hold.
Lies we can sometimes believe every single day, for years.
But you’re not the only one suffering and these thoughts are very common.
Here’s 17 lies your anxiety is telling you.
You cannot be trusted to remember anything
So you must continue to write every single solitary thing down. In case you forget something world-ending.
Everyone is staring at you. And judging you
You’ve worn something new to work, you’ve tried that new hairstyle, and everyone has noticed. And not in a good way.
Is your grandmother not picking up the phone? Best go out and buy something black
Because she’s not just at her Bridge Club. Or pottering round in the garden like she does every afternoon.

8 simple everyday tips for dealing with anxiety that actually work

These palpitations are a heart attack. You are having a heart attack on the toilet at work
Because as if exiting this mortal coil wouldn’t be bad enough, everyone will talk about you for months afterwards.
You need to get used to having panic attacks, because they’re not going anywhere
Because there’s obviously no way of you learning to control them.
Your friends are fed up of you
They are totally over how much you worry about the smallest, silliest things. 
You? Go on a date? You’ll just embarrass yourself
Why on earth would anyone want to listen to what you’ve got to say anyway? Just cancel it and stay at home.

16 things you only know if you have anxiety

All your hard work is ruined…
Because you didn’t go to the gym for a week or made one mistake at work.
You’ve got to go out and meet a new group of people tonight. You won’t manage to hold this together
They’ll think you are an absolute fool.
You need to achieve all your life ambitions in the next 12 months
You just do. You can’t possibly get things done the year after next. No way.
You didn’t send that email before you left work. You’ll be sacked without a second thought first thing in the morning
You had better lay awake until 3am worrying about that.

6 things not to say to somebody with anxiety

The person you’ve been seeing for a while hasn’t text you back for four hours. It’s all over
They’re bored of you. They have met someone else far better looking. They’re almost certainly not just a bit busy.
It’s all you.
Even though everyone just laughed at your joke, they still think you’re an idiot
They’re just laughing to appease you. The minute you go to the toilet they will start talking about how dumb you are.
In a relationship? You will mess it up
Because you spend so long worrying about stuff. Which will drive your other half to insanity.
Heaven forbid you might find someone that actually understands or you might get better.
Even if you get the courage up to talk to someone, they will think you are crazy
No chance you might stumble across someone that feels the same or gets where you are coming from.
You are crazy, let’s be honest
Because nobody in their right mind would spend that many hours worrying about a text message.
Or worrying about if the chicken in the fridge is going to kill them.
Or that all their friends will soon stop talking to them for no reason.
This is how you are going to be forever
There’s no help and no way to get your head round the amount  you worry.
So just sit there some more and worry about the worry. Don’t consider talking to someone. Just worry some more.

Source:http://metro.co.uk/2015/11/22/18-lies-your-anxiety-is-telling-you-5436226/

Understanding Depression

THE first step towards overcoming depression is understanding it. What it is, how it works, and what it does to us.
UNTIL NOW, it has been difficult to link the psychological elements of clinical depression to the physical symptoms.
Now, however, a new breakthrough so profound has changed our ideas of what depression actually is.
And this breakthrough makes depression much, much easier to treat.
It shows us exactly what we have to do to halt depression in its tracks.
And precisely what will stop it coming back.
It removes all uncertainty, and most of the fear from depression.

If you suffer from, or treat depression, this is the most important page of the whole Depression Learning Path.

 

Depression, Dreaming and Exhaustion: The New Link

How your thoughts affect you physically

"Depressed people dream up to three times as much as non-depressed people."

This is a startling, and illuminating fact. And when combined with a recent breakthrough in dream and depression research by Joseph Griffin of the European Therapy Studies Institute, it gives us a clear understanding of the how depression affects us physically.

 

The Cycle of Depression

 

What dreams do

If you are, or have been depressed, you may have noticed that you ruminate, or worry a lot during those periods. Typically, these ruminations are emotionally-arousing as they are carried out using 'All or Nothing thinking' (more on this later in the section) and a negative bias. That is, you have a thought and you feel unpleasant after it - anxious, angry or helpless.
The trouble with this sort of emotional arousal is that it doesn't do anything. The thought creates the emotional reaction (usually anxiety or anger) and that's it.
What this does is leave an uncompleted 'loop' in the brain's limbic (emotional) system.
Normally, the emotion would be 'played through' by action being taken. For example: You think "That's a tiger in the bushes", feel anxious, then run away. The cycle has been completed. Or, someone annoys you, you shout at them, and the cycle is completed.
(By the way, we are not advocating the 'playing out' of anger as a therapeutic technique. All that does is makes people more angry!)

 

But what happens when the cycle doesn't complete?

When these emotionally arousing introspections remain incomplete at the onset of sleep then the brain needs to 'do something' with the emotional 'loops' that have been started.
What it does is create scenarios that allow those loops to complete. We call them dreams. The dream acts out, in metaphor, a situation that will allow the emotional loop to be completed and therefore 'flushed' from the brain. In other words, an imaginary experience whose pattern resembles the 'real life' one enough to create the same emotional reaction.
Normally, this does its job, and everything stays in balance.
However, because you do so much more ruminating, or introspecting, when depressed, the brain has to increase the amount of dreaming you do. And before long you are:

1. Spending too much time in dream sleep (Rapid Eye Movement - REM) and missing out on physically-rejuvenating Slow Wave Sleep.
2. Depleting your hormonal system with extended night-time emotional arousal.
3. Exhausting your 'orientation response' - a crucial brain activity that allows you to change your focus of attention and so motivate yourself. It is also a key part of concentration.

 

Recurring dreams

If you are continuously having the same problems or ruminating in the same way then you may experience recurring dreams (the same dream over and over). This usually continues until the situation changes or you begin to deal with it in a less negatively arousing way.

 

Why are my dreams so weird?

Dreams exaggerate the feelings they represent from waking life, so even if you have just had a fleeting moment of anger at someone during the day, the dream that flushes this out may involve you becoming furious.
As an aside, dreams usually just 'borrow' imagery from the your surroundings.
So, for example, images from a recent T.V program may be used by the dream when representing something from real life. So the fact that you kill your brother in a dream, for example, doesn't necessarily mean you have any problems with your brother at all!

 

Depressive thinking styles mean more arousal

Depressive thinking styles will tend to cause more negative emotional arousal, and therefore more dreaming. This extra dreaming is to try to 'clear the brain' for the next day, but because our negative arousals are excessive when depressed, our natural rhythms find it hard to cope with this "over-dreaming":

 

Why is over-dreaming bad for me?

Basically, because dreaming is hard work.
Dreaming itself is not a restful activity. Dreaming is called 'paradoxical sleep' because brain wave patterns are similar to those of the brain when completely awake.
Dreaming is a state of arousal.
As far as much of your brain is concerned, your dream is real. So adrenaline and other stress hormones in your system will be active in the body.
This is a double edged sword, because over-dreaming, as well as using up these hormones and energy, is actually making it harder for the body to make more. As you try to flush out the incomplete emotions, you spend more time in REM sleep, and therefore less time in deep sleep, when your body should be recuperating in preparation for producing these hormones for the next day.
So if you are over-dreaming you're not resting but flooding your system with adrenaline and other stress hormones. If most of your sleep consists of dreams, your body and mind will begin to feel very tired during the day. Depressed people often report that the worst time of day is first thing in the morning.
Sometimes a depressed person may start waking up early in the morning and not be able to get back to sleep. This may be a way of the body trying to cut down on over-dreaming in order to try and lift depression.
This depletion is also why depressed people often feel at their worst first thing in the morning.
As the day progresses, their hormones replenish themselves and their energy levels increase, and they are better able to motivate themselves.
Here's a more complete picture of how depression works:

(Note: Levels of the stress hormone cortisol are much higher in depressed people.(1))
And because we can clearly see that what maintains the clinical symptoms of depression is emotionally arousing introspection, or rumination, we know exactly how to deal with it. Cut down the amount of emotional arousal.
Source:  http://www.clinical-depression.co.uk/dlp/understanding-depression/understanding-depression/

 

Dealing With Depression at Work: What You Need to Know

A few months ago, I told you how a quarter-life crisis catapulted me into a severe depression, and my story of recovering. The response I received from that piece since tells me that I’m not alone in this plight, and that many of us have experienced a similar personal crisis. And a recent article on Forbes confirmed that more millennials are suffering from depression, anxiety, or some other form of mood disorder than ever before.
One of the hardest parts of my ordeal was that, in the midst of it all, I still had to be a functional adult and stay on top of my job responsibilities. And while there are many great books online about how to deal with depression or anxiety at work, I also want to share some suggestions based on my own experience for making it through—and even thriving.

1. Get Help

If you’ve recognized that you’re depressed, then hopefully, you’ve already begun treatment for depression—working with a therapist or support group is the best way to help you cope with your symptoms, which in turn will help you better manage your professional life.
If not, keep in mind that most employer- and school-based insurance plans offer some type of mental health coverage. Many companies offer additional mental health services through the Employee Assistance Programs at little or no cost. If you’re unsure about the coverage you have, reach out to HR and inquire about the specifics of your plan. Also read your company’s policies and procedures regarding medical leave and sick days in case you need to take time off for medical appointments.
If you’re self-employed, check out your insurance policy and see what kind of mental health benefits it includes. (This is when you hope you read the fine print!) And if you’re uninsured, look into community mental health centers, which often offer services on a sliding fee scale.

2. Find Support

It’s key to find a trusted friend, ideally at work, who can support you through this difficult time. There will be tough days—some that seem nearly impossible—on the road to recovery, and I can’t stress how important it is to have someone to lean on and talk to. In my case, I found several friends at work that had been through similar experiences, but if you don’t want to share what’s going on with anyone at the office, make sure you have supportive friends and family to talk to. Group therapy is another great way to see that you’re not alone in your struggle. One of the best things I did was participate in a depression and anxiety therapy group, where I learned coping strategies for the workplace from other participants.

3. Set Clear Goals

One of the difficult things about my depression was that it made it nearly impossible for me to focus. I had to set very clear goals for myself and be realistic about what I would be able to accomplish—and I had to do it on a daily basis.
I would create lists for the day and highlight my top priorities, which would ensure that I was meeting the needs of my most important audience—my boss. I would also double check any important memos, give myself extra time to prepare assignments, and have a colleague give my work a second look if I was having a rough week. During staff meetings, I would take copious notes because I knew that my memory retention was failing me.
Do whatever helps you, and don’t be too hard on yourself when you have a difficult day. The road to recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.

4. Speak Up

If things are incredibly difficult, or if you need to take more time off than your mental health days allow, you may need to say something to your employer. During a particularly difficult week, I finally told my boss that I was dealing with depression. I was so worried that she would figure out something was wrong, and I decided I would rather her know that it was depression and not a lack of interest in my work.
Obviously, not everyone has that kind of relationship with her supervisor, so don’t feel obligated to disclose details. If you’re taking a lot of time off or you’re worried others will wonder what’s going on, you can tell them that you’ve been “dealing with some health issues” and leave it at that. Or, consult with HR to determine the best approach.
If don’t want to discuss specifics with your colleagues at all, request a few days off and do whatever helps you cope with your symptoms and re-group. Really. It may mean the difference between maintaining your professional reputation and having a breakdown at the office.
Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2012/05/02/dealing-with-depression-at-work-what-you-need-to-know-2/

For Some, Math Anxiety Improves Performance

Anxiety associated with being asked to perform math is often viewed as a contributing factor for poor scores.
New research, however, finds that math anxiety — nervousness and discomfort in relation to math — may improve performance among motivated children.

In two studies, researchers Zhe Wang, Ph.D., of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Stephen Petrill, Ph.D., of Ohio State University, and colleagues found that a moderate level of math anxiety was associated with high math performance among some students.
Researchers found children who reported they valued math and embraced math challenges, appeared to use math anxiety to enhance their scores. For those who are low in this kind of math motivation, however, high math anxiety appears to be linked with low math performance.
“Our findings show that the negative association between math anxiety and math learning is not universal,” say Wang and Petrill. “Math motivation can be an important buffer to the negative influence of math anxiety.”
The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
While some children might be anxious about math because it is extremely difficult for them and they feel threatened by it, others might be anxious about math because they want to perform well.
The researchers hypothesized that different underlying motivations for these two groups may have different consequences for math learning behaviors and performance.

For the first study, the researchers looked at data from 262 pairs of same-sex twins. The children, about 12 years old on average, completed measures of math anxiety and math motivation.
They also completed six tasks aimed at measuring math performance, tapping skills like representing numerical quantities nonverbally and spatially, calculating with fluency, and using quantitative reasoning in problem solving.
The results indicated that there were no differences in math anxiety and math motivation according to age, but they did show that girls tended to have higher math anxiety than boys.
When the researchers investigated math anxiety and math motivation together, a complex pattern of results emerged. For children who reported low levels of math motivation, increases in math anxiety were associated with poorer performance.
For children who reported high math motivation, the relationship between math anxiety and performance resembled an inverted U shape: Performance increased with anxiety, reaching peak levels with moderate anxiety. As anxiety increased beyond this midpoint, math performance decreased.
To ensure that these results were robust, the researchers conducted a second study with 237 college students. Again, they found that math anxiety was related to poor math performance among students who reported low math motivation, while students who reported high motivation showed the inverted-U relationship between anxiety and performance.
“These findings suggest that efforts that simply aim to decrease math-anxiety level may not prove effective for all students,” says Petrill.
“Although math anxiety is detrimental to some children in their math learning, motivation may help overcome the detrimental effects of math anxiety. In particular, for children highly motivated to better learn math a moderate level of math anxiety or challenge may actually prove efficacious.”
Future research will examine the real-time physiological changes that underlie the complex relationship between math anxiety and math achievement.
Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2015/11/05/for-some-math-anxiety-improves-performance/94443.html