Are you anxious at times? I am. Let’s face it, there’s plenty of anxiety to go around: lay-offs, relationship crises, pandemics, violence – and that’s just for starters.

Actually, anxiety is a natural alarm system that keeps us safe and productive. But it can become a chronic mindset. When that happens, it can deaden joy and stifle creativity.

How to tackle anxiety
In my life it’s not so much the big-ticket items like the current influenza or the economic meltdown that make me anxious, it’s the fact that I tend to over-commit myself. The result is that I’m always a bit behind schedule. Anyone else feel like that?

For the original article visit: http://zenhabits.net/2009/09/survive-and-thrive-how-to-transform-anxiety-into-inspiration/#comment-83325

Photo by ToniVC

This is a lovely article from the Guardian that I wanted to share with you.

Key to happiness? Be kind, exercise

Follow the seven steps to be clearer of mind and less burdened of body, writes Hannah Booth. Happiness is proving elusive for many and depression rates are growing in the West, prompting psychology researchers to try to pinpoint exactly what makes us happy. Here are some of their findings.

1. Be positive, says Barbara Fredrickson, University of North Carolina ”Positivity makes you more attractive and resilient, with lower blood pressure, less pain, fewer colds, better sleep. Increase the number of positive emotions in your day, however fleeting. One can lead to another and so on, until we’re in an upward spiral of positivity. Take a moment to find the good in a situation. Don’t over-generalise (‘I can never hold down a relationship’), jump to conclusions (‘I’ll never finish this job’) or ruminate endlessly. Any healthy distraction – a run, a swim – that lifts your mood is good.”
2. Be brave, says Daniel Gilbert, Harvard University ”Studies show people regret not having done things much more than they regret things they did. Why? We can rationalise an excess of courage more easily than an excess of cowardice, because we can console ourselves by thinking of the things we learned from the experience. We hedge our bets when we should blunder forward. In fact, large-scale assaults on our happiness – a lost job or failed marriage – trigger our psychological defences (and hence promote our happiness) more than smaller annoyances. The paradoxical consequence is that it is sometimes easier to achieve a positive view of a very bad experience than a bad one. And yet we rarely choose action over inaction. Knowing we overestimate the impact of almost every life event makes me a bit braver and more relaxed because I know what I’m worrying about probably won’t matter as much as I think it will.”
3. Meditate, says Massachusetts psychologist and author Daniel Goleman ”Meditation helps us better manage our reactions to stress and recover more quickly from disturbing events. This is key to happiness. One study took people in high-stress jobs and taught them meditation for eight weeks: they felt happier after and even remembered why they liked their work. Before, they were too stressed to see it. Beginners can benefit from meditation but it takes practice to see real benefits. I recently spent an evening with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, the Tibetan lama dubbed ‘the happiest man in the world’. How did he get that way? Practice. Observing his behaviour, I noticed he recovered quickly from upsets and this is one way science measures a happy temperament. If you start to get upset, let go of the negative thought, deal with the problem – and then let go of that.”
4. Be kind to yourself, says Paul Gilbert, University of Derby, UK ”The way we relate to ourselves – kindly or critically – has a major influence on our wellbeing, contentment and ability to cope with setbacks. If you’re feeling self-critical, stop, take a few breaths, slow down and try to think of the ideal qualities you might have, such as kindness, warmth, gentleness. It doesn’t matter whether or not you actually have these qualities – like an actor taking on a part, feel yourself become them. In a journal, make a note of what happens to your self-criticism when you do this. Then turn your attention to what you’re about to do.”
5. Put your pessimism to work, says Julie Norem, Wellesley College, Massachusetts ”Defensive pessimists expect the worst and expend lots of energy mentally rehearsing how things might go wrong. But by doing this, they can improve the odds of achieving their goals. It’s a useful skill for everyone to learn. Imagine what might go wrong in a situation by focusing on specifics. If you’re terrified of public speaking, try to articulate whether you’re afraid of fumbling with your notes or tripping on your way to the podium. Then imagine what happens next: if you drop your notes, will someone laugh? By doing this you shift the attention from feelings to facts, so you can plan effectively to avoid (or at least deal with) negative outcomes.’
6. Find a calling, says Jonathan Haidt, University of Virginia ”Work less, earn less, accumulate less and ‘consume’ more family time, holidays and other enjoyable activities. Pursue goals but remember, it’s the journey, not the end result, that counts. If your work is not a calling, can you reframe it to see it as more than just a pay cheque? If not, try to find a noble purpose outside work – religion, teaching, political campaigning. Find activities that fully engage your attention and you’re good at: singing in a choir, painting, driving fast on a curvy country road. Happiness is not a shallow state of feeling chipper all the time, or something you can achieve directly. We need love, work and a connection to something larger. Get these conditions right, then wait.”
7. Act happy, says Sonja Lyubomirsky, University of California ”My research compares happy and unhappy people, and underpinning this is the 40 per cent solution: the degree of happiness it is within our power to change, through how we act and think. I’ve identified 12 happiness-enhancing activities – things happy people do naturally. They may sound corny but they’re scientifically proven. You don’t have to do them all – decide which fit you best. One, express gratitude. Two, cultivate optimism: visualise a future in which everything has turned out the way you want it, then write it down. Three, avoid obsessing over things or paying too much attention to what others are doing. Four, practise acts of kindness – more than you’re used to. Five, make time for friends; be supportive and loyal. Six, develop coping strategies: write down your feelings when you’re feeling upset and try to see that traumatic events often make us stronger. Seven, learn to forgive. Eight, immerse yourself in activities and be open to new ones. Nine, savour life’s joys – linger over a pastry rather than mindlessly consuming it. Ten, work towards meaningful goals. Eleven, practise religion and spirituality. And finally, exercise. You won’t see the results from these activities right away: like anything important, you have to work at it.”

Guardian News & Media

Websites

Photo by miss yellow

Wisdomology: I thought this was a really good website idea and well executed. Wisdomology.com is a place where people can come together and have meaningful conversations that can open new vistas of heart and soul. Have a look and share your wisdom with the world.

Canre 2 is an comprehensive website on green and healthy living. Many groups and discussions here.

This is an interesting discussion just on sugar.

Great articles

The Zen of real food

A great article about how to simplify your eating. From this article, a good reminder what food is:

On the same topic: Eating raw is healthier for you and the planet

How to think better: An Article on how you can use thinking in a better way

Dustin Wax from Lifehack wrote an article about the key things he needs to focus on right now. Do you know where your focus is at the moment?

If you are looking for inspiration on personal development then here is a list of personal development blogs.

Receommended books

The book thief: a beautifully written book narrated by ‘death’. Although it takes place in World War II Germany it is not as gloomy as you may think. The book’s tries to explore how humans are capable of both such good deeds and bad ones.

“The deepest and truest secrets of colour effect are invisible even to the eye and are beheld by the heart alone”

Johannes Itten

Isn’t colour just the most wonderful thing?  Doesn’t a place look that much nicer when you add a bit of colour? Colour can also really influence your mood. And as such you can really use it as a tool to influence your mood. We tend to pick our clothes each morning for the mood that we are in. If I was feeling particular happy I would probably choose something colourful. And if I was feeling depressed, I would probably hide a bit from the world and would go for black.

But what if you did the opposite? Instead of chosing the color matching the mood that you are in go for a colour that will enforce the mood that you want to be in. Now I know that this can be very hard to do, because if you are feeling depressed the last thing you want do is to appear happy. But if you are determined to not let that depresssive mood get the best of you and rule your day, try to do it anyway.  Go for something with yellow instead of the all-black outfit. It is very hard to keep feeling depressed or sad when you are wearing yellow. Just like it is very hard to feel depressed if you stand up straight and hold your head up high.

So let’s have a look what effect certain colors have on you, so you can pick the right color for the kind of mood you want to be in.

Black

Black is the color of authority and power, stability and strength. It is also the color associated with intelligence (think of the black robe you wear at graduation). It’s a somber color sometimes associated with evil. In the western hemisphere black is associated with grieving. Black is a serious color that evokes strong emotions; it is easy to overwhelm people with too much black.

Wear it to feel powerful or mysterious

White

For most of the world this is the color associated with purity (wedding dresses); cleanliness (doctors in white coats) and neutrality. In some eastern parts of the world, white is associated with mourning. White associated with creativity (white boards, blank slates). 

Wear it for more mental clarity.

Gray

Gray is mostly associated with the practical, timeless, middle-of-the-road, solid things in life. Too much gray leads to feeling mostly nothing; but a bit of gray will add that rock solid feeling. Some shades of gray are associated with old age, death, taxes, depression or a lost sense of direction. Silver is an off-shoot of gray and often associated with giving a helping hand, strong character.

Wear it to feel more solid.

Red

Red is the color of energy. It’s associated with movement and excitement. People surrounded by red find their heart beating a little faster. Red is the symbol of life and, for this reason, it’s the color worn by brides in China. Red is used at holidays that are about love and giving (red roses, Valentines hearts, Christmas, etc.)

Wear red when you want to have lots of energy and confidence.

Pink

Pink is the true color of love . Pink is the most calming of all colors. Think of pink as the color of romance, love, and gentle feelings, to be in the pink is to be soothed.

Wear pink to feel more loving.

Blue

Blue is a a calm and restful color.  Seeing the color blue actually causes the body to produce chemicals that are calming. However, some shades (or too much blue) can send a cold and uncaring message. Over the ages blue has become associated with steadfastness, dependability, wisdom and loyalty (think of the many blue uniforms). People tend to be more productive in a blue room because they are calm and focused on the task at hand.

Blue is good to use when you want to calm yourself or be more intuitive.

Green

The color of growth, nature, and money. A calming color also that’s very pleasing to the senses. Dark forest green is associated with terms like conservative, masculine and wealth. Hospitals use light green rooms because they too are found to be calming to patients. It is also the color associated with envy, good luck, generosity and fertility. It is the traditional color of peace, harmony, comfortable nurturing, support and well paced energy.

Use green to feel more relaxed and ease your anxiety.  If offers a sense of renewal and harmony.

Yellow

Cheerful yellow is the color of the sun, associated with laughter, happiness and good times. A person surrounded by yellow feels optimistic because the brain actually releases more seratonin (feel good chemical in the brain) when around this color. It is the color associated with optimism. It has the power to speed up our metabolism and bring out some creative thoughts. Some shades of yellow are associated with cowardice; but the more golden shades with the promise of better times.

Wear yellow to feel more optimistic, mentally stimulated and creative.

Orange

The most flamboyant color on the planet! It’s the color most associated with fun times, happy and energetic days, warmth and organic products. It is also associated with ambition. There is nothing even remotely calm associated with this color. Orange is associated with a new dawn in attitude.

Use orange to stimulate activity and socialization.

Purple

Purple is royalty. A mysterious color, purple is associated with both nobility and spirituality.  It stimulates the brain activity used in problem solving. However, when overused it is associated with putting on airs and being artificial. Use purple most carefully to lend an air of mystery, wisdom, and respect. 

Wear it to feel spiritual, calm and creative

Brown

This color is most associated with reliability, stability, and friendship.  It’s the color of the earth itself “terra firma” and what could represent stability better. It too is associated with things being natural or organic. In India, however,  it is the color of mourning.

Use it when you want to feel wholesome and stable.

Think of colour as another tool you can use to influence how you feel. When used effectively it can really brighten up your day.

“Colour is a means of exerting a direct influence on the soul. Colour is a keyboard, the eyes, the hammers and the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand which plays, touching one key or another purposively to cause vibrations in the soul.”

Wassily Kandinsky

If you like to know more about colour theory and colour schemes visit a website project I once did on colour theory. Meanwhile let me know what effect color has on you?