How to Be Happy? 7 Secrets of Happiness

What is happiness?

Happiness is a mental or emotional state of wellbeing and contentment. It is characterised by positive or pleasant emotions like joy, pleasure and good fortune. It is something we all want to have in life and seek through various different activities such as work and leisure time or with friends and family. A few of us indulge in risk taking behaviour which can only bring temporary happiness like drugs, alcohol and other pleasure seeking activities.

Sigmund Freud the founding father of psychoanalysis argues the only purpose in life people agree upon is to be happy however this is impossible within civilisation due to our instinctual drives being suppressed by the external world which he called the reality principle. Civilisation provides us safety and protection but strips from us our creativity and our spontaneous nature to enjoy things.

Are your daily routines holding you back, suppressing your creativity and killing your motivation? Perhaps you are feeling discouraged and depressed at home, work or in business. If your negative emotions have been impacting your life and you are curious about gaining some personal freedom beneficial to your mental wellbeing unlike Freud perhaps you are searching for the miracle cure for unhappiness.

Many of the clients I work with in our group coaching programmes express a need to be more fulfilled, they want to find something more valuable and have a desire to be more content in their work and personal life. So what are the secrets to happiness?

The 7 Secrets to Happiness

1) Develop your self esteem- If you are not happy with who you are on the inside making changes to the outside will often be short lived. Work on yourself and valuing who you are. It is impossible for you to be like anyone else and still feel authentic. Discover your unique gifts and qualities to embrace who you are.

2) Face suffering. Instead of putting off difficult things we need to face them first. This will give you more energy for other things in your life without dread looming in the background. If these are difficult or complex issues putting them off will often make your suffering worse. Take the first steps and decide to no longer procrastinate or avoid suffering.

3) Deal with anger, hatred and anxiety- holding onto negative feelings about yourself or others is like drinking poison everyday. It will ruin everything you do. Decide to forgive, this does not mean you have to trust that person or spend time with them everyday. However it is a decision not to hold onto any past wrongs.

4) Deepen your connections with others- human beings require connection to others through relationship. Strengthen your relationship with your partner, children, family, friends or neighbours. Recognise they are special and play an important role in your life by making more time for them. Alternatively volunteer your time or join a community group connecting with the wider community can be incredibly rewarding.

5) Meditation for your inner being. Daily relaxation and deep breathing for just only 15 minutes can make a difference. It can be a powerful and deep way to connect to a greater awareness and compassion for life. Being thankful in your inner being strengthens you and puts you in a much calmer and peaceful state.

6) Diet & Exercise- commit to reducing the amount of sugar, fat and processed foods you eat each week. A simple thing to do immediately is substitute white processed carbohydrates for whole grains like brown rice, wholemeal pasta or bread. They release energy slowly and will give you natural energy better than Redbull. Exercising each day even if it is just walking for 30 minutes will release endorphins and give you an energy boost.

7) Refresh yourself with positive things. Avoid listening to the news or weather forecast first thing it is not refreshing to be exposed to negativity when starting your day. Instead try a daily devotional or positive quotes, something that will uplift your mood first thing in the morning. If you get into the habit of focusing on the right things before you leave the house you will start your day right.

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Elderly Care and Depression

Depression, which is characterised as mental illness, is often overlooked by elders as they think more about physical problems than emotional issues. It is often observed that depression is an outcome of anxiety caused by physical illness. Depression makes individual see things in a negative light. Despair and pessimism are often the root cause of depression. Depressed person tends to blame himself/herself for things that they are not responsible for.

Depression can occur at any point of time. It is usually triggered by events such as death of a loved one, accident, or family issues like financial crisis and worry over the future of children, or anxiety over the possibility of physical ailments. Recurring memories of painful events of the past can also lead to depression. There are various other physical ailments that can also trigger depression. It is observed that almost all kinds of physical health issues can trigger depression in elder adults. Certain kinds of medications can cause depression.

Just like other disease, depression too is treatable. Older adults usually tend to ignore depression thinking it to be a part of aging and other related physical illnesses. The intensity depression is different in every elder. Families too often overlook the symptoms of depression suffered by the elders in their home. Often the symptoms of depression are mistaken to be that of Alzheimer's, Dementia, Arthritis, Cancer, Parkinson's, stroke, or thyroid disorders.

Elders who experience depression also mistake it to be a flaw with their behaviour. Treatment also gets delayed due to the notion of elderly care being expensive. However, there are several studies that prove the effectiveness of various methods that help in countering depression. Today, there are number of ways for aged care support for people diagnosed with depression.

Most preferred modes of treatment for depression include psychotherapy (counselling), electroconvulsive therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and medicines - anti depressant.

Below are some quick and simple tips to counter depression:

• It is difficult to share with family members about the issues you undergo. However, opening up and talking about issues you face can lower the propensity depression.
• Stay active. Rigorous physical exercises may not be possible to do at old age, but engaging in daily conversations, social activities, brisk walks can help.
• Do what you love doing i.e. keep up with your hobbies and interests.
• Eat properly, as this can prevent weight loss. Avoid chocolates and biscuits.
• Avoid over thinking, Depression is not a sign of weakness.
• Share your feelings with others
• Avoid alcohol

Kadji The Care is unique care home located in Vadodara, Gujarat, India. Depression is a mental illness that needs to be handled with care and under the guidance of experts, Kadji's care home in Gujarat, houses experts from various branches of medicine and health care. For more information visit http://www.kadji.co.in/

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Manic Depression Tests In Teenagers - 4 Best Ways Of Carrying It Out

Manic depression is a bipolar or psychological disorder problem that is not only noticed in teenagers but in every individual. It has to do with how people feel at every point in time towards something, themselves, or even to people around them.

As a teenager, have you ever experienced a mood swing situation where your mood changes from one direction to the other? For instance you are extremely happy now and then some hours later you are extremely sad for no good reason?

If that is the case then you are having manic depression and it is a mental disorder problem.Or lets say you feel you are the best in what you do amongst your mates then all of a sudden; you started feeling you are not good enough to compete at any given level.

It is very important to note that it is not all the time that you experience these feelings that you are suffering from bipolar disorder. Everybody has had some terrible experiences and in most cases; having a reflection on such experiences can make you feel bad sometimes.

Sure when it happens like this; then you are not suffering from any form of disorder as such feeling is for the time being and will go as time progresses. But on the other hand; when you are experiencing such a feeling regularly and on a recurrent basis then there is the problem of depression and it is best advised to see a doctor closest to you.

Manic depression tests in teenagers does not have any format neither does it follow the traditional ways of carrying out diagnosis on a patient like blood tests, x-ray and the rest.It requires rather some questions that the patients need to ask themselves and provide answers to such.

Here are some of the bipolar disorder tests in teenagers:

How is your social life?

Your social life as a teenager ought to be good and impeccable in terms of mixing up with your mates and people around you as a teenager. If you don't see any reason to mix up with them and this happens all the time, then it is possible that you are having this disorder problem.

Are you happy with yourself and those around you?

Manic depression can come in this form especially when you do not always feel happy with either your family members or friends. Thus, you blame them for the problems and misfortunes you are having in life.

Are you easily provoked?

If you are the type of person that gets easily irritated at the sight of something or people around you like your friends then you should try as much as you can to see
your doctor for counseling especially to prevent this disorder problem from hitting its advanced stage as people suffering from this psychological imbalance tend to unnecessarily get irritated.

Do you go to places like night clubs to seek happiness all the time?

It is true that you can go to some places like a night club to pass time and have some kind of fun but you cannot go there to seek happiness and even if you do; it
cannot be all the time.Such happiness will not stand the test of time and there is need for you to identify the root of this problem before it eats you up.

Most teenagers nowadays even seek the companion of alcohol and drugs to stay happy and comfortable. This has to stop because you will only destroy your life as well as health in the long run.

You have to identify these manic depression tests in your life as a teenager very well to make sure that you are on the right road to living a normal life just as your mates are doing.

Talking about carrying out tests...

Do you know that even though you can use the above tests to identify manic depression in your life as a teenager there is a mistake you will not want to make. This mistake will be so devastating that it can make your disorder problems to reach a deteriorating stage.Find out how you can avoid these mistakes.

Are you feeling depressed or sad? And you are feeling that you can never be happy again amongst your loved ones? You can easily shake off your manic depression today by visiting our website http://www.manicdepressionsymptomsinfo.com where you can learn more about getting rid of depression.

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A Lesson For Overcoming Stress From All Sides - The Main Harm Can Come From Over-Reacting to Stress

People have experienced stress throughout history. Stress is our modern term for Biblical trials and tribulations. I was told that my great-grandfather was under a lot of stress. The story goes that he was an Indian fighter. However, my great-grandmother was under even more stress. She was the Indian.

Stress is not the enemy. Response to stress is often more stressful than the initial stress. Stress can make you stronger. We can all see the world coming apart at the seam and there is no zipper. Chaos is the norm. Our country and perhaps the world is under a fundamental transformation that is compounding stress on all sides. Today's epidemic of depression builds upon stress, worry, doubt, fear, anxiety, frustration, confusion, cruelty, anger, injustice, hopelessness, aided by temptation and corruption all around us.

Depression has caused suicides to surpass car crashes as the main cause of accidental deaths in the US. It is reported that a larger number of US soldiers are now dying from suicide than in combat. Research concludes that chronic stress causes heart disease and cancer, our #1 and #2 killers. Antidepressants are selling off the shelf with about 1 in 4 women taking them according to a study by the CDC. Perhaps because of the reckless attempts to prevent dangerous things from happening, some 6.5 million children are prescribed psychiatric drugs. These drugs are often used to relieve stress from the parents more than the child. And, millions of adults are turning to alcohol to calm their fears. Suicide rates rise with alcohol and drug use.

The stress level is compounded by a society that mocks moral values and a disintegrating monetary system. It appears that the asylum is run by the inmates and the plague of mental illness is world-wide. One study, which I frankly don't believe, concluded that about 40% of Europeans have mental illness. It's difficult to keep count when the distressed are doing the counting. As that number grows here and there, the assumption plays into the hands of forced institutionalized incarceration.

The current research direction is wrong as it concludes that "depressive illnesses are disorders of the brain." Psychiatry has come to rely heavily on altering our brain chemistry by tricking it into producing higher levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine. Can we accept the statement that 23% of American women from age 40 through 59 currently on antidepressants ALL have defective or diseased brains?

National CDC figures indicate that the baby boomer suicide rate rose by almost 30% during the decade ending in 2010, even as the rate among people 85 and older (traditionally, the demographic most likely to kill themselves) actually dropped by 12%. For people ages 45 to 54, the suicide rate was 19.6 per 100,000 in 2010. For people ages 55 to 64, it was 17.5 per 100,000. For the whole population, the national rate was 12.4 per 100,000, according to the CDC. In Sacramento County, California, state data show, the suicide rate among boomers rose 60% - from 16 per 100,000 in the year 2000 to almost 25 per 100,000 a decade later.

The prevalence of depression may be the side effect of powerful medications. Baby boomers are heavier and more sedentary than their elders were at the same age. And, on more medication. The record shows that more than 90% of the people who die from suicide already have a diagnosed mental disorder of some sort.

Wait a minute! I'm depressed just reading what I just wrote. Push the pause button. Let's be still and know that a little personal quiet time for prayer and reflection can help us cast all anger far away and allow a peace that passes all understanding to envelope us and fill us.

Embrace Truth and the Peace and freedom Truth brings. Improved health can help us overcome stress and better address the situation. Regular exercise improves circulation, improves the immune system and makes us stronger to overcome stress. The truth is that today can be better than yesterday and tomorrow can be better than today. The birth pains become less intense when we focus on what can be instead of what was.

A recent study in Israel on anti-depressant possibilities gives new hope what the sugar Trehalose has health benefits that may relieve stress. Don't under estimate the possibilities when adding Trehalose to a cup of Chamomile or other relaxing teas. Take time to relax!

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Feeling Hopeless? Read This!

Do you feel like just throwing in the towel sometimes? Maybe you've been trying to beat depression for a while now with little or no results. Or, you research how to treat anxiety and try your best to calm your nerves, but nothing seems to give you peace. Perhaps a situation in your life has got you down for the count. We've all been there. It's a part of the human experience called hopelessness, but it doesn't have to last!

How Are Hopelessness and Anxiety Connected?

The problem with hopelessness is that our minds truly don't know what to do with it. We know we have to keep moving forward because well, that's what we do, but a lack of hope can make this incredibly hard to do! This internal tension results in a lot of anxiety, so many of us end up with not one but two battles to face: how to beat depression (aka hopelessness) and how to treat anxiety.

How to Treat Anxiety and Hopelessness? Make Up Your Mind

The first and perhaps most important step to combatting hopelessness is to make up your mind that you simply will not let it beat you. Get determined and decide that this is your life and you will let nothing get in the way of you experiencing the deep joy, peace, and contentment that you were meant to have. Intentionally putting yourself in this mindset can give you the motivation you need to beat depression and hopelessness once and for all.

Redefine Your Life

It's easy to look back on your life and dwell on past mistakes. This is especially true for thoughtful people who pursue personal development-people like you! As you learn more about yourself, it can be tempting to fall into a state of hopelessness when what you should be feeling is empowerment! Instead of seeing your past cycles of behavior as predictors of the inevitable, use your insight to change your life! Learn to recognize the emotions and triggers that have caused you to make mistakes in the past and use this information to right the ship. Remember, knowledge is power!

Know that it is completely within your power to take back control over your life and beat depression. Keep reminding yourself of this simple fact each and every day and you'll be well on your way to eliminating hopelessness and finally embracing the life you deserve.

Check out http://www.clearyourstress.com/ for more tips and great information on how to overcome hopelessness and beat depression.

You'll also find many guided exercises and meditation methods to connect with your inner wisdom, and enjoy a balanced lifestyle >> http://www.clearyourstress.com/meditation-methods/.

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Methods for Curing Depression

Depression is considered as one of the most fatal disease of contemporary life. In fact, it is crippling illness. This fatal illness robs the sufferers of their willingness to live, capability of loving and working, joy, vitality, concentration, memory, sleep and energy. Depression not only takes away one's emotional and spiritual health but also undermines one's physical health. Many researches revealed that this illness enhances the cardiovascular diseases and aggravates long-lasting illnesses like asthma, back problems, arthritis and diabetes. As per the Norwegian study, this illness enhances the chances of death from major diseases like Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer, respiratory illnesses and stroke.

In this universe, nothing is irreversible, and so this applies for this crippling disease also. There are useful methods for combating this disease. If a depressed individual follows such methods with full care and precaution then he or she is sure to get mastery over its recovery.

Useful methods for combating depression

• A depressed individual must see a counselor. One should be more than a friend to a counselor. One should explain each and everything concerning one's vexed problems to the counselor. This is the person who will suggest ways to overcome the problems.

• One should go for morning walk. During dawn time, the fresh air blows all around. If there greeneries like orchards, parks, and dense jungles then they will prove very useful for depressed people.

• One should let oneself stand in the sun in order to let the sunlight penetrate the body. The sunlight is good source of vitamin D. This vitamin is very useful in the cure of depression as well as health.

• Depressed individuals should read good books based on jokes, laughter, happiness and spirituality. Reading of such books will change the mentality of the sufferers and make him or her feel rejuvenated.

• One should eat right. This means that one should eat good quality of food. For this one take advice of nutritionist also. One should eat fresh and fragrant food. Stale food may spoil one's health.

• One should abstain oneself from liquor consumption and drugging. These intoxicants simply mar one' health. Even healthy persons become sick by having such intoxicants so depressed individuals should be farer from such intoxicants.

• One should also try to fall in love if one has some romantic moments of life. The feeling of love will certainly make one happy and hilarious.

• Laughter: One should laugh as much as one can in the company of friends.

• Be creative: One should indulge oneself in some creative writing. This will distract one's attention from gloomy mood of depression. Writing of articles, poems can be enjoying.

• One should connect oneself with one's dreams. This is also one of the remedial measures of combating depression.

• Having positive thinking and courage to alter oneself also plays a major role in overcoming depression. This is psychological treatment. One should not allow negative feelings to take precedence over oneself at any cost.

In a conclusion, these were remedial measures for combating depression. A depressed individual must follow these methods to regain the life of happiness and vitality.

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Bipolar Disorder - An Underdiagnosed Condition

Kate, a stunningly beautiful 37-years old medical doctor was found in her surgery unconscious. She was lying in a pool blood. Her left wrist had been slashed. Busi, her secretary, quickly and tightly strapped the gaping wound and then urgently called for help. This was the second time in twelve months that her boss had tried to commit suicide. The last time, Kate had taken an overdose of aspirin tablets but luckily survived.

Kate was married for fifteen years with two children. Her husband, Rob, adored her despite her long term addiction to tranquilisers. They had met at university and had been together since. Kate had been an outstanding medical student, and frequented the honours roll. Her parents divorced when she was 18 years old.

With the assistance of a patient who had come in for a doctor's appointment, Busi carried her stricken boss into a waiting car and took her to hospital. After her wrist wound was treated, Kate was admitted to the psychiatry ward. Her parents came to visit. Kate's psychiatrist, Dr. Pon, was also informed. He had been treating Kate for Bipolar disorder (manic depression) for several years.

Bipolar disorder is a common but poorly understood condition. It can vary from depression to mania. The patient characteristically has mood swings, ranging from extreme ecstasy to plumbing the depths of almost suicidal melancholy.

Some patients, like Kate, are happily married and successfully raise families. They can be highly productive and successful in their careers. But others have their lives blighted with failure. Psychosis does occur, and is often characterised by hallucinations. Some individuals may, as in Kate's case, have problems of alcohol and substance abuse. The reason for this is unknown. It may be that some people try to "treat" their symptoms with alcohol or drugs.

Bipolar disorder usually lasts a life time. Between attacks some people are functional while others have lingering signs of the disorder. The cause of the condition is unknown. There is a theory that it may be genetic. Therefore a careful interrogation of the family history must be done. Others postulate a link with substance abuse or post-traumatic disorders.

Its onset varies. For some the symptoms begin in childhood, for at least half in their mid-twenties, and with the rest it may start late in life. Males and females are affected equally.Treatment is medical, using mainly anti-psychotics and antidepressants. Psychotherapy is also effective, and Electro-convulsive therapy, the so-called shock therapy, has recently found favour.

Kate's mother has recently been admitted to hospital: a late-onset sufferer of Bipolar disorder. She unfortunately has the manic variety, and has been discharged from her job as a teacher. She has received the Electro-convulsive (shock) therapy twice.

Kate survived her attempt at suicide, and she made no further attempts to take her life. Her children, who are now both young adults, are her loyal caregivers. They are watchful of her mood swings, diligently accompany her to therapy and support group sessions, and scrupulously ensure that she takes her medication. They sometimes join her in hilarious conversations with her imagined personalities.

If her children's lives are stressful it doesn't show. Though the humiliation of having a "mad" mother has not been easy to take, they are both thriving at university. Kate, though her life is a beguiling mixture of madness and sanity, still has a viable medical practice. Her weakness for drink and drugs also withered and fell away. She is the lucky one. Some patient's lives are destroyed and their families ruined by this condition.

There is still very little awareness of bipolar disorders in society, particularly its subtle and atypical variants. Some people carry on undiagnosed and untreated with devastating consequences for their lives.

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Blast Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in 3 Easy Steps

Stress can be a good thing. It can alert us to potential threats, give us a heads up that we need to change our behaviors or circumstances, and even motivate us to do our best. When stress becomes too much to handle or when we don't know how to deal with stress appropriately, though, it can take a huge toll on our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. It can even lead to serious conditions such as chronic anxiety and depression. Fortunately, there are things you can do to stop this cycle in its tracks. Consider taking these three steps:

Step One: Take Action

The first step in learning how to deal with stress effectively is to look for its lesson. Ask yourself if the stress is coming from a situation or relationship in your life that you need to change. Perhaps you've been burning the candle at both ends at work, or maybe there's a person in your life you need to be more assertive with. Take some time to reflect on what's going on in your life at the moment, and see if there's anything you can do to improve your circumstances. As you're reflecting, don't forget to examine your inner space as well. For instance, could negative self-talk be the problem? If so, simply bringing awareness to these self-defeating thought patterns can go a long way toward reversing them.

Step Two: Let It Go

Knowing how to deal with stress means realizing that it's not always logical. If you're feeling stressed out about something you have no control over, then you're subjecting yourself to unnecessary and irrational anxiety. This is no way to beat depression! In fact, it's a great way to invite it. The key is to recognize the source of the stress, ask yourself if there's anything you can do to improve things, and if not, let it go. Worrying over something you can't change will only give it energy and make the situation worse. Of course, bad habits are hard to break, and you may find yourself stressing over things without even realizing that you're doing it. That's OK. Just be on guard, and when you feel the anxiety creeping up, remind yourself that you know how to deal with stress like this, and then simply let it pass through you.

Step Three: Live in the Now

Whether the stress you're dealing with in your life is actually trying to tell you something or needlessly stealing your joy, you don't have to let it ruin every minute of your day. Some circumstances take time to resolve and until you can deal with them properly, you're bound to feel a little (or a lot) of stress from time to time. Even so, you can beat back depression by taking time to appreciate the now. Instead of focusing on what needs to be done on a minute-by-minute basis, allow yourself to fully enjoy the positive moments in your life by forgetting your worries for a while. Exercise, meditation, and play are great ways to take yourself outside of a stressful situation for a time.

Like all things in personal development, learning how to deal with stress effectively is a practice. Keep at it, and little by little, you'll start experiencing less anxiety and depression and more joy and contentment in your life.

Check out http://www.clearyourstress.com/ for more tips and great information on how to overcome hopelessness and beat depression.

You'll also find many guided exercises and meditation methods to connect with your inner wisdom, and enjoy a balanced lifestyle >> http://www.clearyourstress.com/meditation-methods/.

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