Depression in Stroke Patients

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Generally stroke continues with depression. That is, the patient conscious, the other condition to do this and it routinely, such as food must be fed, the road is slow, and the bath had to be helped. Because mental factors, they become depressed: frequent crying and starry-eyed. This was added for those who have a high enough position in the career or the rise as a public idol. Any relatives who come visiting receives with tears. Patients like asking, why this happened. In fact there was a curt said you were going to die soon, because it can not stand the situation.

This situation is hard and time consuming. Efforts to rehabilitate up to no less difficult to cure with "medical treatment". As in the Netherlands, Australia, for example, psychologists are directly involved with the doctors. Missed the problem of depression, will only make the patient worse and also difficult to grow healing, let alone cure. Because depression is very close to the employment. That is, the depression will make a lot of energy / psychic energy being drained.

In these efforts, stroke patients can take steps such as:

1. Opportunity to express their feelings properly and untukditanggapi seriously.

2. Treatment that can give motivation to rebuild their optimistic attitude waver. We need to eliminate the impression that they are no longer useful to society and family.

3. Association, in the context of social rebuilding. Suppose a dialogue with his friends, that arise sependeritaan attitude, and the impression that he was not just had a stroke and who experienced impotence.

4. Opportunity to communicate with relevant parties and monitor progress, such as doctors and psychologists.

5. Equanimity, a guarantee that all complaints will be kept confidential, so he does not need to feel anxious and ashamed

Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia

Are you on a diet to stay slim body? All of a sudden become allergic to chocolate, ice cream and food, high calorie foods. Then be afraid to eat for fear of weight going up so the whole day with just a few spoonfuls of rice. Be careful, because the diet does not normally be in danger.

Just an example of the hundreds (or perhaps thousands) of cases of eating problems experienced by some people. Actually, we unknowingly had friends, friends or lest we ourselves had experienced similar cases. Yes, it called anorexia or bulimia. What is anorexia or bulimia, and why someone may experience these things.

Anorexia Nervosa

Eating disorders are commonly encountered in young women is anorexic or fancy term known as anorexia nervosa. Anorexia is an activity to deal with loss by food restriction is deliberately and through strict control. People with anorexia are aware that they feel hungry but afraid to meet their food needs because it can result in increased body weight. Their perception of satiety so disturbed when they consume some foods in small portions, they will soon feel 'full' or even nausea. They are constantly dieting so hard to achieve a thin body. Ultimately this condition could cause a dangerous effect of the death of the patient. Just imagine, if they continue to refrain from eating, from whom they obtain energy to live.

Bulimia

If the anorexic desperately to keep his hunger and trying so hard to not consume food in large quantities so that it can hold 'live' simply by eating 2-3 tablespoons of rice per day, it is not the case with bulimia. In essence, the ultimate goal of people with bulimia and anorexia are the same, namely to maintain the slim body shape (thin) may be but how they are different. People with bulimia tend to like foods that they like. They overeat to satisfy their desires, but then they throw up again until there was no food left. Thus they avoid getting fat but still be thin without the need to restrain their desire to eat. Can imagine if someone constantly spewing the foods they eat, where they get the calories for the move. The body becomes weak, it is difficult to think and ultimately no more energy can be used to defend himself.

Impact of Depression

There have been many studies that depression usually accompanied by physical illness, such as asthma, coronary heart disease, headaches and ulcers. According to an expert who is also author of the book, which is Philip Rice, depression will increase a person's risk of developing the disease due to depressed conditions tend to increase the circulation of adrenaline and cortisol, resulting in lower immune levels. In addition, the disease easily settled because of people affected by depression often lose their appetite, so changing his eating habits (too much food or hard food), lack of exercise, easily tired and have trouble sleeping.

There are also other cases, where the depression does not cause disease, but rather a prolonged illness that can not heal it eventually causes the sufferer to feel depressed. Examples of cases are experienced depression cancer, asthma, back pain which usually lasted for years.

In addition to decreased endurance, depression is considered quite dangerous for mental and physical health because it can cause cognitive impairment, emotional and productivity of individuals who experience depression,

The impact of depression experienced by one person will affect the balance of the "environment". Just as if we have a cold, then the whole body felt weak and uncomfortable. Not only that, other people around also potentially infected by the disease. According to Miner (1992), a professor from the State University of New York, in the context of such a situation the organization known as the concept of the Sick Organization. Therefore, an employee who suffered only emotional disorders such as depression, will have implications not only on performance and satisfaction in his own work but also on organizational performance and atmosphere.

Internet and Self Exploration

Is the Internet can be used as a tool for self exploration? The question is not without reason, given that many sites that display a variety of EQ and IQ test. Besides this virtual world technology provides many opportunities for individuals to express themselves uniquely. However, the psychologist argues, if a person fails to integrate the true self with the self that are expressed differently on the internet, then this would be very dangerous for these people's personal growth.

Regarding the impact of the Internet as a means of self exploration, the psychologist view it depends on the individual users. Of course the Internet can be useful if able to increase a person's life, and instead becomes a disease if a person's life is a mess. Bad effect will occur if the Internet is used as a means to insulate themselves. Many people do not realize that he was eventually closed to the social communication either because as the Internet is used as an escape from the problems associated with personality. That could happen because there are individuals who show a different personality when online with offline. The motivation behind it is different from one person to another. Problems will be complicated if the reason is because the individual is not satisfied / love with himself (probably because of inadequate, embarrassed, or feel unworthy), then creates and displays a very different personality from his original. Often he would rather the personality of the new engineering because it seems ideal for him. In fact, according to the psychologist, this is not true and not healthy. Why?

Michelle Weil, a psychologist and author of popular books, providing concrete examples of a girl who was shunned by her friends and then spend time berchatting Proxl ria by displaying a very contradictory character with its original character. As a result, over time he grew a lot with the existing social fact, not even able to accept yourself what it is. According to psychoanalysis renowned experts such as Erich Fromm, this condition is called neurosis. Conditions of prolonged neurosis will result in serious mental disorders. Michelle further added, the danger is created online personality different from the original.

Of course there are positive effects from the use of the Internet on the personality of a person (not addiction). Reid Steere, a sociologist from Los Angeles said, if someone uses the Internet as a medium of self exploration with a clear conscience, he would experience growth as a result of the reflection of himself in full over the Internet.

How Well do you Listen?

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Most people can talk about themselves and their ideas, jobs, plans, friends, etc. on and on. And yet, the ones that truly stand out -- in business and in life -- are those who cannot only talk but also LISTEN.

And by listening we don't just mean saying "uh-huh" every now and then in polite conversation. If you want to be heard when it's your time to speak, you must also learn how to listen well.

Active Listening Techniques

Pay attention. When someone is speaking to you, pay attention! Move closer to them and maintain eye contact. If in a crowded and noisy area, turn your head so that your ear is close to the speaker. And don't just take note of the words you hear. Look at his/her face and take note of the facial expression of your speaker and other body language.

Don't prepare. Part of listening attentively is NOT planning what YOU are going to say when it's your turn to talk. If you do this, you're only half-listening because you're already busy formulating your response. So don't prepare; just listen to the one speaking.

Convey that you're paying attention. Give the speaker clues that you're listening by making a few gestures such as nodding your head, smiling when appropriate, laughing when necessary, and so on.

Interjections such as "really?", "uh-huh", "no way!", and others also help relay to the speaker that you're listening to what's being said.

You may even want to "return the story" by saying something like "so let me see if I have this straight, you mean . . . ". Feel free to ask questions too. This conveys to the speaker that not only are you listening, but that you are interested in the conversation.

Another situation where you may need to clarify with a speaker is when he/she is speaking in a slightly different tongue or tone. He/she may be pronouncing the words differently and rather than just ‘drift off', ask politely for the speaker to repeat or clarify certain things he's said.

Don't interrupt. One common mistake of most people in a conversation is that they keep interrupting the speaker. Not only is this rude but you run the risk of completely misunderstanding what's being said because you didn't give the speaker a chance to finish his story. So give the speaker the time he deserves before you join in.

Listening is really an integral part of ANY relationship. Pay attention at how you listen to others. When you hone this skill, you'll find yourself naturally getting better at communicating with others.

Having the Confidence to Be Yourself

It is important that you do what is right for you, that you choose to do the things in this life which suit you as a person. There is no point in doing what you do not like, or do not believe in, in order to please another person. If you do, then you will usually end up resenting the person whom you had chosen to try to please.

We humans do what we want in this life (generally speaking) but we do not always admit to ourselves that this is the case. It is easy to say that it is another person's fault that something happened, and so on, and yet in reality the truth is that we chose to go along with whatever it was. There are many situations which I think the majority of people will relate to as ones in which we knew didn't quite feel right and yet we never the less went along with it.

It is easy in hindsight to see that the wrong choice was made, and possibly that choice was made based upon the wrong reasons. How many people know of someone who stays with their partner because they are afraid of being on their own? Or perhaps you know someone who leaves a good and stable, loving and successful relationship because "something" (which they cannot quite identify) is missing?

In the world of business, how many people go into a job because it is expected of them as opposed to what they are really passionate about? It is so easy for human beings to be swayed by what other people think, or by the local "norms" in our community, or by what we think that others expect of us. It is also easy to be swayed in our very beliefs about what is right or wrong, and perhaps it is also easy to alter our own beliefs in the hope that we will change the beliefs of others.

When the chips are down, the most important thing is to be true to your own path in this life, and this means not being swayed too much by others and also not swaying others to go along with you. We are all on our own paths, and we all have to take our individual course through this life. Your own beliefs should change only because you are discovering more and more accurately who you are as a person and not because you are purely aligning with the beliefs of friends or associates, or because you are trying to impose your beliefs on another.

This does not mean that you should not change. To not change would be to stagnate and die. This is a world which constantly moves and changes and everything within it moves and changes too. Human beings are no exception. The important thing is to have the confidence to move and change in a manner appropriate to you, in a way which suits you and affirms your true beliefs about yourself.

Nor does it mean that you should not compromise in certain circumstances or situations. Compromise is inevitable in a world where everyone is an individual living their own life, upon their own path. The key is in having the ability to compromise without compromising your own beliefs or those of the other person; Balance has to be sought. There has to be give and take in every relationship in life. Life is like a see-saw; as one end goes up there is another end which goes down...but there is an optimal point where both ends are level and everyone is happy. This is the equilibrium which everyone should seek to achieve in their relationships with others.

This equilibrium can only happen if you have self-confidence. To have the confidence to be yourself and to continually grow in your understanding of yourself and the world is the basis of what life is all about.

By; Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis downloads for self-confidence. Visit http://www.roseannaleaton.com/

Original Baby Shower Invitation Ideas

Celebrating the upcoming birth of your child is a lovely, fun time and a baby shower adds to that enjoyment, Organizing a baby shower can take a lot of time and effort and even a little thing like the invitations take a lot of decisions. If you look around and know your budget guidelines there are a huge arrange of baby shower invitations ideas that you can consider.

The usual invitations are made of thick paper or cardboard on which the request is printed. Traditionally baby shower invitation ideas have included designs of pictures and shape cut-outs generally associated with babies. Things like storks, pacifiers, cribs, toys, feeding bottles and teddy bears are all included. Many baby shower invitations are sold by bulk and have many others that are exactly the same of highly similar.

Thinking Out Of The Box Limiting baby shower invitation to standard two dimensional card or paper is not necessary. A lot of baby shower invitations ideas involves thinking outside the box and including little things that make the invitations fun and original. Be creative when thinking of baby shower invitation ideas as inspriration can come from many different sources.

Items associated with babies then cut out of wood can be used for some unique baby shower invitation ideas. Items to be used for your baby shower invitations can include balloons, cakes, teddy bears, safety pins and storks. Baby shower invitation ideas like this can come to life with the help of a skilled craftsman when can carve the wooden figures. You may decide to leave the figures untouched or you may want to have them hand painted. The details of the baby shower can be printed on the wood or printed on sticker paper and stuck to the wood.

A novelty item such as a baby pacifier can be sent out with a little note attached with gives the details of the baby shower. Baby shower invitation ideas need not only be the plastic rattle, other cheap baby toy replicas can be used. You can base the whole theme of the baby shower around the invitations. If you prefer the two dimensional invitations, some baby shower invitation ideas to make it unique is to put your baby's first ultrasound or 3 dimensional pictures on it. Having a small baby doll holding a scroll in its hand containing the invitation is one of a number of unique baby shower invitation ideas you could use.

Whatever kinds of baby shower invitation ideas might hit you, the important thing is to word it well in a way that you set down the details clearly.

By; Anna Shannen, site: http://babyshowerdreams.com/

Chinese Astrology, the art of the chinese zodiacs

People consider Chinese astrology as an art. The reason of Chinese astrology is to aid people attain their objectives through alertness and continuous development of the mind and soul. Just like the western astrology, you can consult Chinese astrology to know about your future, like career, relationship, love, likes and dislikes, good fortune and lot of other things.

Chinese astrology is created of a 12 year cycle and has 12 animals to depict every year, they are better known as the Chinese Zodiacs. The animals which are arranged in a particular order are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. The perfect begining of the twelve animal plan remain not known. But there was a legend about it, here is the legend: the Jade King was bored, and was not doing anything in Heaven. He did not see what was happening on Earth, since he had servants satisfying his every wish. He decided that he wanted to see the animals that live the earth so he sent word to his advisors to bring him twelve animals. The advisor primarisly sent an request to the Rat, asking him to even bring the cat, as the Rat was envious he avoided the cat from knowing the news.

Later on, invitations were sent to animals like, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Ram, the Monkey, the Rooster and the Dog and were asked to attend the next days. They queued in front of the king, and later on he found out that they were just eleven, than 12 that he desired. The Jade king sent his servant down to Earth to get the twelfth animal. The servant hurried into a man carrying a Pig, and grabbed| it and presented it to the king.

The animals stood in front of the king in no particular order. The Rat, being smallest of the remaining, jumped on the Ox's back and continued to play the flute. This impressed the king greatly and he was happy. He gave the Rat primary position. The second stood the Ox for his true sportsmanship quality and the third stood the Tiger as he was quite strong. The forth place was for the Rabbit, the Dragon took the fifth position, The sixth place was fro Snake, the seventh for the Horse, the eighth one for the Ram, Monkey stood ninth, tenth was Rooster and eleventh was the Dog. By default, and due to the king's just nature, twelfth place went to the Pig. After the event got over, the cat asked the king to reconsider but he did not agree with the cat.

Chinese astrology is also composed of 5 elements. These elements were Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, always placed in that order as it is said to be a continuous procedure, that is Wood generates Fire; Fire generates Earth; Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, and Water generates Wood, and as it goes back to its beginning.

Last but not least there is the cosmic and divine strength that influences the entire Chinese astrology system. This force is well known as The Yin and The Yang. The yyin stands for the female whereas the Yang stands for Male. An diverse interpretation states that the Ying stands for the Evil and the Yang stands for the Good. And when both are taken into consideration, Ying and Yang, create harmony and everlasting balance. The amalgamation of Yin and Yang is the hidden power in the wake of the Chinese Horoscope system. But the Chinese Astrologers are not stern decision makers. They do not believe a person's destiny is already given exactly the time he/she took birth. However, they do believe in the philosophy that the time and the birth place set the limits of a person's freedom and liberty. What happens in these limits is influenced not just by own decision also by external issues such as locality, monetary conditions and the like.

By; Jamie Hanson

Verbally Abusive Relationships

Have you ever noticed how some couples believe that verbal abuse in marriage is acceptable? It's as though that foulness is his/her bad breath or messy bathroom habits.

Even though they don't like the way it feels, they make excuses for it, minimize it, rationalize it, and often just look the other way. But deep down inside, at the end of the day, they hate it. It hurts deeply, and they know it.

Yet they don't know how to stop it, nor do they know how to deal with it. Here are some important facts you will want to know about verbal abuse, so you weather its brunt more comfortably.

3 Keys to Dealing with Verbal Abuse

1) It is not about you. You may think the verbal abuser is saying something about you because their commentary is directed toward you and supposedly describes you. But it isn't about you.

It's their insecurities leaking forward. It's their anger oozing out. It's their need to feel and appear omnipotent in the face of their experience of impotence.

2) You can't stop it because you don't control it. You don't drive its release. Verbal abuse is owned, operated and controlled by the verbal abuser and no one else.

3) You can, however, control the impact it has on you by controlling your interpretation of it. It will amaze you to discover that you can step back and see the verbal abuser as a broken child, rather than as an overbearing guerrilla.

And when you do, the impact of the words uttered is different. While it still may hurt, it no longer defines you and you no longer define yourself through the ugly utterances of your partner's verbal abuse.

By; Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D.

First Date Tips by a Professional Matchmaker

Often the first thing men and women worry about when beginning a dating relationship is starting out on the right foot or better yet avoided putting their foot in their mouth. There are key elements and a few tips that will be helpful in guiding you into a successful, secure, and lasting relationship.

Often the first thing men and women worry about when beginning a dating relationship is starting out on the right foot or better yet avoided putting their foot in their mouth. When we first meet someone, whether it be a friend, perspective employer or date we tend to focus on all the wrong things. Our presentation, our looks and image. Appearance, although important is not the only key to a successful date. There are key elements and a few tips that will be helpful in guiding you into a successful, secure, and lasting relationship.

- Pay attention to the signs or possible red flags. As we enter into each date, not only do we have hope that he or she may be the "one" person we have been searching for, we also overlook actions or mannerisms that may reveal volumes about their history. Their past as well as how they may have acted or reacted to situations or conflicts can better help you determine how they will deal with them in the future.

- You should disclose what is relevant, what is important to you at the beginning and then ask the other person to do the same. It will help to conclude if both of you are right for each other. Listen carefully to what that person says. Early on, most people feel open to telling a prospective mate about what they are looking for since they have just met you & therefore have nothing to lose. If a man mentions that he does not want kids, odds are that is what he means. If a lady says she is the jealous type, believe her. Often what they casually mention in conversation may be just the tip of the iceberg. If hers or his personality traits and interests are not what you looking for, don't ignore it. You can not change this person; take what they say at face value. If you ignore this it will create disappointment and misunderstandings later, down the road.

- Get to know your date as a friend first, see if you share common interests and take time before becoming intimate if you are looking for a true partner. If you learn more about each other before having sex, you will have a chance to see if your attraction is on many different levels. Sex can sometimes be the foundation of the relationship but as a solo component, the relationship will not last.

- On the first date, ask a lot of questions, and study the person’s body language to see if they are sincere. Also pay close attention to how they speak about their exes. Do they speak poorly of there previous relationships, if so that could be red flag. Ask detailed questions about their background, where they went to school, do they have kids and if they have ever been married before. When preparing for a job or buying a home or car we concentrate on the most important details and think them through thoroughly before taking them on…why wouldn’t we take the utmost care in directing our heart to do the same?

About Author:


Svetlana Novikova has a decade of experience as the premiere relationship expert. She offers counsel, guidance and advice as well as an elite approach to matchmaking which connects two people into becoming life partners. www.SvetlanaInternational.com

Weaning A Baby

The best time to wean your baby onto solid food is at about age 6 months. This is because your baby's mouth will start to change around that time to help her cope with the transition. Another guide is to start when baby doubles in weight.

Before then your baby's digestive system and kidneys are able to cope only with breastmilk and formula. But don't leave it too late as baby may find it difficult to adapt to swallowing food, and she will need a balanced varied diet.

What You Will Need

* Bibs - and plenty of them! At first she will spit out more than she swallows and feeding will be very messy.

* Unbreakable bowls and spoons.

* Lidded containers for storing the food.

* A food processor. You could manage with a fork and a sieve, but the one thing you won't have plenty of is time, so a blender will make life easier.

You don't need a high chair, not at this stage anyway. Baby won't be able to hold her head up until about age 12 months, so feed her while she is in your lap or in a seat that supports her head.

Foods To Try And Some To Avoid

* Baby rice is usually the first solid for babies, it has a low protein content and is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. Mix with milk (expressed breast milk or formula) to make the rice easier to swallow. Rice also has the advantage that it can be mixed with both vegetables and fruit, so after a few days, mix in a little puréed potato, vegetable or fruit. You may wish to start with vegetables to ensure she establishes a taste for savoury foods as well as the sweeter fruits.

* Foods to try include: potato, carrot, swede, parsnip, sweet potato; and apple, banana and pear. Cook where appropriate and purée. If the result is too dry or lumpy, add milk (breast milk or formula).

* Avoid cow's milk until she is about 12 months old. Other dairy products like cheese and yoghurt can be introduced after a month or so.

* Avoid soft-boiled eggs; nuts; blue-veined cheese; salt; sugar or sweeteners, including those found in fruit drinks and squashes; bread and pasta; and rusks.

The Transition

The move from milk to solid food can take place only gradually. At first, solids should take the place of one of the milk feeds. Then, over the next 3 or 4 months, introduce more solid food and cut down on the milk; and chop and cut food rather than purée after a few weeks.

Vegetarian

If you are vegetarian and want your baby to avoid meat and fish, this should not be a problem. The same nutrients present in
meat are also available in other foods and you will be familiar with what is
required for a balanced diet. However, if you are a vegan, your baby could miss out on certain vitamins as well as sufficient protein. Prolong breastfeeding as long as possibleFind Article, and take expert advice on any necessary supplements.

Baby's In Charge

Of course no two babies are the same and there are no rules laid down regarding exact timing. Appetites vary too and your baby will tell you by her actions whether she needs to be 'topped-up' with a bottle of milk.

Source: from gozine.search4i.com

Benefits of Humor

In public life or reality some people feel that humor has no place, but that’s not the truth. Decorating a serious subject with an anecdote at the right time will grip your audience instead of making them snore.

In public life or reality some people feel that humor has no place, but that’s not the truth. Decorating a serious subject with an anecdote at the right time will grip your audience instead of making them snore. Simple and cold facts can be delivered by any Tom, Dick and Harry but, a good public speaker keeps everyone interested in said facts with anecdotes and sharing a good experience. Efficient communication skills are important for anyone whether an employee or an employer and humor plays very important part in creative communication.

Benefits of using humor:

• You can grab people''s attention and convey your point.

• People will like you more if you use humor in your speech. You can get connected with the audience very easily.

• Humor helps in conveying your point across without any force. This is very important if you are sharing new ideas and policies that may not appeal to some people.

• Using humor shows that you r approach is not with self ego. This can overcome flattering introductions. Who would like to listen to a snob who thinks too much of himself?

• Humor lightens up heavy subject or topics and makes the interaction more memorable.

• Humor can make a positive impression.

• Humor paints a picture in people''s minds. An illustration can explain a point more clearly than mere words.

• The audience will leave happily. You''ll get your message across and they''ll have a good time laughing. Everyone wins!

You may not be a "funny" person, but it doesn''t mean that you cannot use humor to convey a point. If you''re not expert in telling jokes, then try some humor on yourself or just use a witty one-liner to grab attention of the audience right off the bat. The idea is to find what is working for you. The last thing a public speaker wants to be is forgettable. You of course wish that your audience should remember your words and what you had to say long after they have left. A good laugh is always remembered by people. A humorous point always lingers in their minds and your job is effectively handled.

Colic - Prevention Is Better Than Cure

Saturday, December 27, 2008

The main symptom of colic is usually constant crying for no apparent reason. For example your baby won't be hungry, need their nappy changed or have a temperature, they will not want to be laid down, sat up, played with or left alone. Nothing you do will ease their crying. Most babies have a colicky time of day, which is usually in the afternoon or early evening. The good news is that colic normally passes by the age of 3-4 months.

Below you will find some top tips which we as a family have utilised to great effect.

Don't shake your baby's bottles. When making your baby's bottles swill the bottle gently to mix the milk and powder instead of shaking it. Shaking the bottle just causes more bubbles, which may lead to colic later.

Get the best bottles you can afford. There are companies that make bottles that claim to ease or prevent colic in babies. If you can afford to, try many different bottles to see which ones work better for you and then use them religiously.

Get a good colic treatment. There are many colic treatments out there. All babies are different and what one parent recommends may not work for your baby. Just keep trying different remedies and see which one works best with your infant.

Feed your baby in an upright position. Most parents' position their baby lying on their backs with their heads propped up on their arm for their bottle-feeds. Try to keep your baby as upright as possible without making them uncomfortable. You are aiming for their back and head to be in a straight line with an imaginary ping-pong ball between their chin and chest. If you picture a long necked bottle and now imagine a kink in the neck of the bottle you can see how easy it is to trap wind inside.

Patting is better than rubbing. If you picture your long necked bottle full of a fizzy drink with bubbles attached to the insides then begin to rub the bottle on the outside, what happens to the bubbles on the inside? Nothing? Exactly. We have a tendency to rub our babies backs to bring up wind rather that patting them. Rubbing their backs is soothing for mother and baby but does little to bring up their wind. Patting will help to move the air bubbles and will eventually release their wind.

Hold on to your baby. Once the feeding and winding is over and done with and your baby looks content you may be tempted to lay them down. Don't! Try to keep your baby in an upright position for around 20 minutes after a feed, even if they are asleep. This will help them release wind naturally without any intervention.

Don't lay them flat. When you do lay your baby down to sleep try to ensure they don't lay flat. If they sleep in a cot, put something under the head end of the cot mattress to raise it slightly. Make sure you don't raise it too much as your baby may slide down the mattress and disappear under the covers. A baby bouncer with an adjustable seat angle is ideal for sleeping in during the day.

Give them water. Babies that are fed on formula milk often suffer with constipation. Prior to their colicky time try to give your baby 1 -- 2 ounces of cooled boiled water. This should not be given in one go, spread it out throughout the day. The ideal time is when they are impatient for a feed but they have a little while to go, give them a little water, but don't fill them up. This will ease their constipation, meaning they won't get a stomachache and it also helps to ease their wind. Keep an eye on their nappies for the next couple of days, too much water will result in runny number two's.

If you try all the above it should have an impact on you and your baby, reducing the amount of time spent crying and trying to soothe him. If it doesn't work, help to soothe your baby during its colicky time by giving him a warm bath, put on a lullaby CD (it really works) and gently rock them side-to-side.

By; Lisa Mills, website; http://www.newbabygiftboxes.co.uk/

Social Influence - Change How People See You

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

A program in the UK does social experiments. Their aim is to see how susceptible the public are to being conned and hustled.

For example, one of the cons was to take a car from a car park- in daylight. Cars nowadays are more sophisticated in their locking systems, so the only way to get it is to ask for the keys.

If you walk up to a regular person and ask for their keys- chances are you'll get them . . . but in your eye.

To get the keys from an unsuspecting person is to influence the conditions. Instead of walking up in regular clothes, they walked up with one simple article of clothing- a fluorescent security coat.

All he did then was come up with some about needing to run the car through the system again and bring it back. Sure enough, they handed him the keys. I mean, who would argue with authority?

One simple change managed to INFLUENCE their responses.

UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL PERCEPTION

Ever looked at a homeless person dressed in rags? Ever seen a big guy with bulldog tattoos and "I love mum" walking down the street? You automatically have perceptions of these people before they even open their mouth.

If you look at the typical CLICHE characteristics of, a successful person- things like the way they walk, the way they move, the way they talk, the way they dress- and you MODEL those attributes, then people will begin to react to you as a successful person.

In the same way as you could easily turn away from a bum in the street, but you would pay attention to a policeman.

You can manipulate the external factors to create a perception about you- and people react to that perception.

ANOTHER SOCIAL EXAMPLE

It all seems like it is about what you wear. That's true to an extent, but there was another experiment which suggests you can change your body language to influence people.

The experiment was gambling. People were asked to go into a room and gamble as they were being observed.

Scenario #1: They entered a room and saw a guy waiting at the table. He looked shy and nervous.

Scenario #2: Different individuals came in to do the test. It was with the same guy- the only difference was he had changed his attitude. He was laid back relaxed in his chair, he gave strong eye contact and didn't rush up to greet.

The results: they found that the people in scenario #1 with the shy guy gambled MORE money than in scenario #2.

When you realise it was the SAME guy- and the only thing that changed was how he displayed his attitude, then you understand how just a few small changes influenced complete strangers.

When he was confident, it made the others feel insecure in gambling all of their money. With the shy guy, they felt a bit more relaxed in being able to win over such "A loser".

HOW TO USE SOCIAL PERCEPTION TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

By wearing a fluorescent coat, and exhibiting confident and relaxed characteristics- you can influence people to hand you some keys and lose money!

Both examples illustrate one thing, and that is:

You can influence social behaviour just by displaying the right attributes and characteristics.

You want to avoid displaying WEAK characteristics because people unconsciously respond to you as LOW STATUS. This means you probably won't be listened to or respected as much as you would like. You probably find yourself being overruled the majority of the time. Your opinions are not carried by enough value.

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS SHOULD YOU TAKE ON?

I've always believed your external always reflects your internal mindset. But if you do not have a cool, calm and confident persona- then this social experiment doesn't need it. You are doing these to test and see how people respond to you.

But the typical cliché characteristics are:

* Walk slower and take your time. A cool mind is never in a rush. He can handle it * Slow your speech down and pause. People will listen to you no matter how long you take. * Stand up straight and look out to the world. You're ready for what comes your way. * Spread out when you sit down. Lean back and appear relaxed. * Don't lean in so much. It's too eager. Let people enter your reality. * Don't laugh as much. People will treat you as the boss- "Make him laugh to win him over" * Look at people when you talk. Your gaze plus confident body language is money baby.

Model people who exhibit the qualities you like. People may not know you from Adam, so they have to go on how you present yourself.

By; Sean Adams, website; http://www.modernmanliving.com/

Top 10 Relaxation Tips

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Modern life is stressful - extra hours at the office, added studies, juggling a career and kids. Before you get to the point of exhaustion it's essential that you recharge. Here are our top 10 tips for just letting go.

1.Take a yoga class

Improve your flexibility, core strength, muscle tone and circulation as life's stresses fade into the background. Your yoga instructor will teach you mental, physical and spiritual relaxation that you can practice at home. Try the Life Centre in Notting Hill for beginners or advanced classes.

2.Experience nature

Whether it's the beach, a lake, a mountain range or even just your local park, take the time to notice the serenity and beauty of nature and you will immediately feel relaxed.

3.Spend time in the garden

Have you ever seen a stressed-out gardener? You might not be a natural green thumb, but planting a few bulbs, pruning roses and just trimming the hedges will provide great satisfaction and relaxation.

4.Have an aromatherapy bath

The warm water and the scent of the aromatherapy oils will have you relaxed in no time. Try lavender and valerian oils for a truly calming experience.

5.Meditate

Meditation is conscious relaxation. By focusing on breathing and repeating simple mantras we can block out ‘mind-clutter' and find inner peace and calm. Switching off conscious thoughts is not easy, but you will benefit from renewed clarity and energy by taking the time to meditate. The Meditate in London website - www.meditateinlondon.org.uk -- can locate meditation classes close to you.

6.Catch up with friends

Laughter is the best medicine, so invite a group of friends out for drinks or coffee and let them entertain you with their mirth and humour. Make sure you invite friends you can be yourself with and those who appreciate you for who you are.

7.Read a book

Reading is the best form of escapism. Grab yourself a fiction book that will lift your mood and let your imagination take you on a journey away from your everyday life. Try books by Jodi Picoult, John Irving or Nick Hornby, just to name a few. You can browse Amazon and have next day delivery.

8.Write your thoughts down

Writing your thoughts down can help clarify the issues you are facings and make sense of the emotions you are feeling. It's a form of self-therapy that actually lightens the burden you're feeling whilst processing your thoughts until you arrive at suitable solutions.

9.Take up a hobby

Put your concentration into a new hobby such as painting, stamp collecting, genealogy or pottery and you will notice your stress fade away. Why not take up a recreation involving others and take the opportunity to socialize at the same time.

10.Treat yourself to a relaxing spa experience.

For the ultimate spa experience try Center Parcs' one or two day pamper packages. You can enjoy an overnight stay in an executive twin-bedded apartment, complimentary breakfast, a Decleor facial and a back, shoulder and neck massage. A Center Parcs' spa break is the perfect way to leave the world behind.