Archive for 2011
As soldiers return home from tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, America must cope with the toll that war takes on mental health. But the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is becoming increasingly expensive, and promises to escalate as yet another generation of veterans tries to heal its psychological wounds.
New hope for preventing the development of PTSD has been uncovered by Prof. Joseph Zohar of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Sheba Medical Center, in collaboration with Prof. Hagit Cohen from Ben-Gurion University – and the key is a single dose of a common medication.
When a person suffers trauma, the body naturally increases its secretion of cortisone. Taking this natural phenomenon into account, Prof. Zohar set out to discover what a single extra dose of cortisone could do, when administered up to six hours after test subjects experienced a traumatizing event. The results, which will be published in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology in October 2011, indicate that the likelihood that the patient will later develop PTSD is reduced by 60 percent.
Opening the window of opportunity
In most psychiatric conditions, it is impossible to establish a precise point of time at which the disorder manifested, Prof. Zohar says. But PTSD is unique in that is has an easily established timeline, beginning from the moment a patient experiences trauma. This makes PTSD eligible for treatment in the “golden hours” – a medical term that defines the precious few hours in which treatment can be most beneficial following a trauma, heart attack, stroke, or medical event. Receiving treatment in this window of opportunity can be critical.
Read in Full:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/235513.php
Tom Jackman
Published on October 22, 2011
Danette Dooley
Special to The Telegram
Tom Jackman showed up for an interview with The Telegram toting a case full of books, movies, speeches and pamphlets about Asperger syndrome.
Although he often speaks about his experiences living with the autism spectrum disorder at conferences, the 34-year-old is more comfortable corresponding with people by email than face-to-face.
People with Asperger syndrome often find it difficult to interact with others. They pay particular attention to detail, thrive on routine and repetitious tasks and aren’t big fans of change.
“If somebody is going to move the furniture around the room, they should tell me on Monday if they’re going to do it on Wednesday so I don’t just walk into the room on Wednesday and see it all changed around,†Jackman explained.
When speaking at conferences, Jackman uses humour to break the ice.
At a Targa Newfoundland event on Sept. 17, he quipped: “Whose idea was it, anyway, to ask the socially awkward Asperger’s person to give a speech. … I am glad I can read this to you and not have to make eye contact, since making eye contact is something Asperger’s people find difficult to do.â€
Jackman is on the Autism Society’s Newfoundland and Labrador board of directors and chairs an Autism Society of Canada advisory committee.
He was in Winnipeg this month to speak at a conference hosted by Asperger Manitoba Inc.
“I am glad I got the call up from St. John’s to Winnipeg. I am sure that many of the St. John’s Ice Caps AHL players would love such a call up to Winnipeg this winter,†he said in his speech.
In addition to the jokes, Jackman always gets his serious message across. People should look at Asperger syndrome as a difference rather than a disability, he says.
“By not letting it hold me back too much, I have developed into a talented and unique individual,†he told his Winnipeg audience.
Meeting the Australian-born psychologist Tony Attwood was the highlight of his trip to Winnipeg. Attwood is author of “The Complete Guide to Asperger Syndrome†— which Jackman had Attwood sign.
While he’s not comfortable in unfamiliar situations, Jackman says there are occasions when he’ll “come out of his comfort zone.â€
That happened during his trip to Winnipeg.
Travelling alone, he became anxious waiting for his flight to take off and decided to show one of his books to a flight attendant.
“Then, when I was getting off, she asked me if I knew which gate I had to go to.â€
Having someone check on him from time to time helps him feel less stressed, he said.
“I like to be social and I like to make connections. It’s just hard to make friendships and relationships.â€
Jackman volunteers with the annual Targa motorsport event and speaks intently and passionately about his work.
“I program in all the car numbers and that goes onto the clock. … I don’t have to communicate a lot and if something goes wrong, they’ll just tell me to stop putting in numbers.â€
Jackman also volunteers with Rogers Television and will be behind the camera at the Ice Caps hockey games at Mile One Centre.
Read in Full:
http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2011-10-22/article-2784182/Different-not-disabled/1
The Special Learner
By TERESITA DE MESA
October 24, 2011, 4:28am
MANILA, Philippines — Question: My daughter has been seen by a developmental pediatrician and was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder — not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS, including atypical autism).
She had months of session with an occupational therapist and she did improve. I enrolled her in a daycare center in our area and the teacher described her as this: may sariling mundo attitude because she likes to roam around the classroom and talk by herself. I’m now worried because next year, I’m planning to enrol her in the same school as my eldest son and she will probably be left behind and will not be able to follow other students of her age. Will she ever have a chance to be enrolled in a regular school, or she should just really be enrolled in a school handling special education? – Worried Mom
Teacher Tess says: Pervasive Developmental Disorders refer to a group of disorders characterized by delays in the development of multiple basic functions including socialization, imaginative activity, verbal and nonverbal communication skills.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM -IV), five conditions fall under this category:
1. Autistic disorder
2. Rett’s disorder
3. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
4. Asperger’s Disorder
5. Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, or PDD-NOS
Education is the primary tool for PDD-NOS and your child is on the right path as early childhood intervention services are given to her such as occupational therapy. However, please take note that the most important elements of a quality educational program for your child must have the following. By working closely with the school and teachers, parents can do even more to help their children with the crucial skills for school success.
*Structured, consistent, predictable classes with schedules and assignments posted and clearly explained. Information should be presented visually as well as verbally
*Opportunities to interact with non-disabled peers who can model appropriate language, social, and behavioral skills
*A focus on improving a child’s communications skills using tools such as communication devices
*Reduced class size and appropriate seating arrangement to help the child with PDDNOS avoid distraction
*Modified curriculum based on the particular child’s strengths and weaknesses
*A combination of positive behavioral supports and other educational interventions
*Frequent and adequate communication among teachers, parents, and the other related service providers
*A knowledgeable teacher
Read in Full:
Top scientists team up to unravel mystery of Williams syndrome
msnbc.com
updated 10/25/2011 7:28:06 AM ET
If they had their way, Tristan and Tyler Waldner would be friends with everybody. Â
The 7-year-old twins from San Diego, Calif., have Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that makes them unusually social, so outgoing and gregarious that, to them, there’s no such thing as a stranger.
At the library, on the playground, and even with surprise guests at dinner, the blond boys are charming and chatty, brimming with questions — “Where do you live? Did you drive here or fly here? Do you have kids?†— but with none of the shyness or social reserve you’d expect from typical second-graders.Â
“They love to meet new people,†explained the boys’ father, Fabian Waldner, 35, who has to watch them carefully in public. “We’ll be in a grocery store and they’ll just say ‘Hi’ to anybody who walks by.â€
Researchers have puzzled over that extreme friendliness for decades, pondering the causes and complicated traits that go with the syndrome that affects 1 in every 10,000 people, says Ursula Bellugi, a researcher at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif., who has studied the disorder for a quarter-century.
They’ve come to believe that Williams syndrome, which is characterized by unique genetic markers and distinct behaviors, may actually hold the secrets to understanding other better-known disorders — including autism.
‘Brink of a whole new world’
“We’re on the brink of a whole new world,†says Bellugi, 80, a professor and director of Salk’s Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience.
Now, thanks to a $5.5 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bellugi and team of prominent scientists are poised to use Williams syndrome to decode the ties between human genes and the way people act.Â
“We want to know: Are there links across the levels from the genes to behavior?” said Bellugi, who is leading a five-project program.
Â
The aim is understand better how genes affect traits as vastly different as the super-social behavior of the Waldner boys and the withdrawn, alienated behavior of many people with autism.
“Even though Williams’ behavior is the opposite of autism, it may be influenced by gene activities that push it in a different way through a common process,†explained Ralph J. Greenspan, associate director for the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind at the University of California at San Diego, who has joined the project.
Top scientists in fields as diverse as stem cell biology, brain neuroimaging, brain architecture and social cognition agreed to combine forces to investigate the ties between Williams syndrome genes and behavior. Using separate but related experiments, they’ll examine cells from Williams patients, detailed images of their brains and analysis of their behavior to see how they all fit together.
Read in Full:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44779678/ns/today-today_health/#.TqqK4XFP9Jg
Oct. 27, 2011
Written by
Catharine Hadley
Staff writer
FREMONT — Martial arts classes can be an effective way to help children build self-esteem.In Fremont, Kirk Hess of Hess’ Oriental Martial Arts has been teaching for about 30 years.He said countless children have seen improved self-esteem after taking martial arts classes.“You can see their self-confidence go through the roof when they start training,” he said.Martial arts isn’t for everyone, but children who are interested can benefit.“They get good at it, and they get the confidence at getting better at their skill sets,” Hess said. “The teacher gives them motivation and confidence. … They see themselves doing well, and I believe that’s what it is.”The children respond well to being challenged. “They see themselves getting better, and they feel good about getting better,” the instructor said. “The kids that come in with self-esteem issues that are very, very shy, now they’re leading classes. They’re leading warm-ups. It’s very cool, actually.”
Self-esteem
Dave Henkel, of Fremont, is the father of Nolan, 7, and Noah, 14.Both boys take classes from Hess.Henkel said Nolan’s self-esteem has changed. “It was lacking. He’s a very shy boy, and this is his second year that he’s been in martial arts, and it’s really improved his confidence. He’s still very shy, but I can really tell that he’s come around. He has a lot of confidence in himself.”Henkel said the changes in both of his sons help him to worry less as a parent.“I don’t want my kids to be bullies. I just want them to have self-esteem and confidence, and I don’t want them to worry if something that should happen, that they should need to use their martial arts,” the father said. “That’s what Mr. Hess stresses. He’s always telling the kids about treating people with respect and walking away from a fight if you have to.”Mindy Koskela, professional clinical counselor, is a child and family therapist with Firelands Counseling and Recovery Service in Fremont and Port Clinton.She encourages extracurricular activities, including martial arts classes, that will help her younger clients learn new skills.Koskela said martial arts classes can help children increase social skills and build their confidence and assertiveness. “I think many times the instructors can be mentors for the students, so they can provide a positive adult role model for the students, particularly when they incorporate what they learn in class in school and home aspects,” the counselor said.
Read in Full:
Missing
By: Kristen Green , Rex Springston
Published: October 27, 2011
Updated: October 27, 2011 – 7:17 AM
Authorities in Hanover county continued to search without success overnight for 9-year-old Robert Wood Jr., an autistic boy who disappeared Sunday while on a walk with relatives.
The Hanover Sheriff’s Office is asking for more volunteers today and especially wants those who already have been registered and trained to return. People who want to volunteer are asked to arrive at 9 a.m. at Kings Dominion dressed in appropriate clothing for a hike in dense woods. A valid identification is also required.
(This has been a breaking news update. Stay with TimesDispatch.com for updates on this and other news events.)
6:33 a.m.
Johnny Mitchell got down on his knees, took off his cowboy hat and crawled under a backyard deck in hopes of answering the region’s prayers.
“I’ve got to watch out for nails,” Mitchell said as he squirmed into the dimly lit space.
Mitchell was one of 940 volunteers who searched Wednesday for 9-year-old Robert Wood Jr., an autistic boy from Caroline County who disappeared Sunday afternoon in a wooded park in north-central Hanover County.
As many as 200 of them also had volunteered Tuesday, and the total over two days reached about 1,600. Hundreds of other people are helping with logistics for the search.
Mitchell’s group, all wearing bright reflective vests, checked the north side of Verdon Road, just southeast of where the child disappeared. The search was one of 74 search missions completed Wednesday, some of them covering the same ground twice.
Mitchell, 58, knows the area — he had hunted there, and relatives own property there — so he thought he could add something extra to the search.
There was nothing under the deck.
“That little boy has gotten to me,” said Mitchell, striding back to his group and carrying a stick to beat back briars. “He’s somebody’s child.”
Robert, who doesn’t speak, disappeared during a walk with family in North Anna Battlefield Park. The search — by land, air and water, with people, dogs and horses — has continued night and day since then.
The temperature dropped into the 40s each night from Sunday to Wednesday.
On Sunday, bloodhounds “alerted” on Robert’s scent near the spot he disappeared, but the trail ended at the North Anna River, said Hanover sheriff’s Capt. Michael Trice. Other dogs have since picked up the same scent, but it has also ended near the river.
“That tells us he may have originally gone to the river,” Trice said.
He said dive teams and kayakers have searched upriver from the site where Robert was last seen and downriver to U.S. 1, more than a mile to the east. He said the river’s water level had been lowered to make searching easier.
Asked the odds that Robert is still alive, Trice said the question isn’t relevant at this point. “We are going to continue this until we find him. … We’re operating under the assumption that Robert needs our help.”
He said a sheriff’s team has been assigned to stay with the boy’s family around the clock, adding that “they’re doing as expected.” The family has asked that the boy be referred to as Robert, rather than Robbie, officials said.
Volunteers began showing up Wednesday before daybreak, and the first teams headed into the woods about 8 a.m.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking for more volunteers today and especially wants those who already have been registered and trained to return. People who want to volunteer are asked to arrive at 9 a.m. at Kings Dominion dressed in appropriate clothing for a hike in dense woods. A valid identification is also required.
On Wednesday, the searchers tackled a 22-square-mile area north and south of Verdon Road, Trice said. Robert disappeared in the park north of the rural road.
Searchers hiked for miles through thick, swampy woods with no trails, some of them carrying treats or toys for Robert in their pockets.
About 50 searchers were too tired to finish Tuesday, Trice said. About six were so fatigued they required medical treatment. He said Wednesday one person was treated for a sprained knee.
The volunteers included people taking vacation days, retirees and at least one man who just got laid off.
“Instead of looking for a job, I thought it was time to help,” said Andy Stevens, 31, of Chesterfield County.
Waiting in a long line to be processed as a volunteer, 79-year-old retiree Tommy Haymans of Henrico County said he and his wife are caring for three adult, mentally disabled sons.
“I like to think,” Haymans said, “that if anything happened to them, I’d get a following like this to look for them.”
Source:
http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2011/oct/27/7/tdmain01-hundreds-of-volunteers-search-for-lost-au-ar-1413413/
UPDATE:Â Â Robert Wood Jnr., Missing Autistic Boy, Found Alive in Va.
9:34 PM, Oct 28, 2011
Written by
Manny Fantis
HANOVER, Va. (WTVR/WUSA) — Eight-year-old Robert “Robbie” Wood, Jr. was found alive at approximately 2 p.m. Friday near a quarry about two miles outside of the wooded search area north of Richmond. It is possible that Robert crossed Verdon Road and wound up in the quarry, and that would explain why search crews found little evidence of the boy in the search grids.
A citizen who was not one of the volunteers in the search discovered the boy in what Hanover County Sheriff David Hines called a “creek bed” in the quarry area. He said authorities found him in a fetal position.
Wood was reunited with his family and flown to the hospital in good condition.
Robert’s father, Robert Wood, Sr., said in a written statement Friday night, “Robert is a very strong and determined little boy. We never gave up hope that he would return home safe. And the family has been here every hour and been involved in the search. 200%. Thank you so much everybody. Robert is home!”
At a news conference outside the VCU Medical Center, medical officials said that Robbie was really cold when he arrived at the hospital but he was doing “remarkably well.” Some typical signs from being out in the elements for several days were seen but medical staff are looking for any serious injuries he may have. They also say that Robbie was smiling at his parents and that he was cooperative with all medical evaluations.
He is expected to be at the hospital for a few days.
Police say the Caroline County boy, who has autism and does not speak, had wandered away while with his father, brother and a woman at North Anna Battlefield Park on Sunday. The family joined the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday in the search for Robbie.
On Friday night the Doswell community center became a house of celebration for the scores of people who had been searching for Robbie in the last week. It was less than a mile away from the community center that the boy was found. Dozens packed a large room to sing, praise, and give thanks that the 8-year-old was found alive.
Rodney Arnold, one of the men who volunteered to search for Robbie said, “Everybody just started crying. It was just hugs, and whistles…it was a very good feeling” about the moment they found out the boy had been found.
Related Articles
“Mute autistic boy missing in Virginia”:
http://a.abcnews.com/US/search-continues-robert-woods-jr-missing-mute-autistic/story?id=14827692
“Fears for Missing Autistic Boy”:
http://crimesceneusa.blogspot.com/2011/10/fears-grow-for-missing-autistic-boy.html
Synopsis
Roman doesn`t speak – not a word in twenty-six years. But the joy he takes in filming and being filmed is one expression of his life with autism. We follow Roman and Xaver through their daily routine on a farm in the Swiss Jura (Northwestern Switzerland). There are cows to be looked after and wood to be chopped. The drama between them ensues around the educational use of a chainsaw, with the aid of which Xaver attempts to help Roman acquire a feeling for physical control. A fascinating, often conflicted relationship, in which forces of attraction and rejection alternate in quick succession, develops between Roman and Xaver. At times, Roman appears to draw strength froms Xaver`s calm and understanding manner. At other times, he reacts with violent rejection. For a while, Xaver manages to wake and sustain Roman’s interest and to draw him out of his isolation. However, setbacks follow soon, riddles remain unsolved. «A Still Jacket» is a film about relationships and their impossibility. Moments of peace and security – underlined by poetic nature observations – are contrasted by depictions of desperate emotional outbursts and anxiety attacks. Ramòn Giger not only succeeds in drawing a striking portrait, but realizes a contemplative reflection on the nature of human relationships themselves. «A Still Jacket» formulates an appeal to impartiality and unadulterated sensuousness and turns the roles of director and actor, of those filming and those being filmed, on their head. In the end, Xaver dies. Asked what he would like to give Xaver for along the way, Roman’s answer is: «the strength to let go».
Director’s Statement
In search of my own social competence, I completed my civil service (an alternative for conscientious rejectors to the mandatory military service in Switzerland) in a home for disabled people. There, I got to know Roman and Xaver and came into contact with a situation which shed a completely new light on questions I had regarding interhuman relationships, empathy and understanding for another human being. I wondered which kind of relationship a person whose only survival strategy is total self-isolation is capable of, even though he presumably has the same need for affection and social interaction as everyone else and may yearn especially strongly to be noticed and recognized by his environment. And, in turn, which kind of understanding can I (as someone capable of ‘normal’ social interaction) develop for Roman, whose experience of life – so I assume – is completely different from my own? The assumption that Roman, due to his autism, thinks primarily audio-visually and not linguistic-conceptually, prompted me to focus the filmic search predominantly on Roman’s unique mode of perception. I often found myself prejudiced by clichés and scientific theses of how the world of an autistic person was supposed to work. A process leading to a radical rethinking started. It was Roman himself who gave the key to a more just and balanced approach: he wanted to be considered as a “total human beingâ€, not just as an autistic person. This approach, which rejects any form of psychologizing, opened up a whole new perspective on Roman. I’m noticing that in common usage the term ‘autism’ is no longer understood as a disability but rather as otherness, even though it can absolutely affect sufferers’ lives in a significant way and severely limit their independence. Strictly speaking, only very few autistic people suffer from a mental disability. In most cases, their intelligence quotient (IQ) is average to above-average. Roman, too, is neither physically nor mentally disabled. Even so, his appearance and behavior are interpreted as ‘handicapped’. So the discrepancy between his outer appearance and his inner nature is only a perceived one. The typical prejudice that autistic people are incapable of developing compassion for those around them is suggestive of that irritation. Far be it from me to call into question the fact that autistic people have difficulties in ‘correctly’ interpreting human interactions, nor that this insecurity is experienced as a threat and affects their attitude towards others. However, it is impossible to infer from this the true nature of their inner experiencing. Is it not true for all of us that we allow real meeting of hearts and minds with others only when, in doing so, something significant is decided? I can well imagine that, sitting at my father’s deathbed, I will recollect all the opportunities I missed to truly meet with him. And I will wonder why I was unable to allow that intimate connection before. But for this, no symptomatic picture needs to be drawn for I am like Roman in this, and Roman simply a human being.
Related Articles
“Seeing the world from many angles
Documentary Festival opens: Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal (RIDM) presents 115 films from 32 countries, from Nov. 9 to 20.”
http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Seeing+world+from+many+angles/5612872/story.html
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ASAN Presents….
The Navigating College Handbook
“I wish I had a manual like this one when I was going through undergrad.”Â
-Mike Liu, Student at Medical College of Wisconsin
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“This is a much needed resource… This guide will be an invaluable  resource for college students.”Â
–Carol Quirk, Board President of TASH
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Navigating College
A Handbook of Self Advocacy
Written for Autistic Students from Autistic Adults
The Navigating College handbook is a first-of-its-kind resource written by autistic adults for autistic college students exploring the various aspects of the higher education experience. From traditional topics like classroom accommodations and dorm life to hot-button issues such as disclosure and sexuality, Navigating College provides first-person insights from current and past college students on the autism spectrum. Unlike many other resources written by parents or professionals,
Navigating College is designed to be uniquely accessible and relevant to autistic people ourselves, utilizing the insight and perspectives that comes from experience. Whether you’re a student on the autism spectrum yourself, a parent or family member looking to purchase a copy for an autistic relative or an educator or disabilities services professional, we hope you enjoy and make good use of this valuable resource.
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Navigating College Website
We are happy to announce that, along with
Navigating College, we are also launching a dedicated website on autism and college issues: NavigatingCollege.org. This site will not only serve as our launch pad for the handbook, but as an ongoing resource for college students on the spectrum, family members, disability services professionals and others. Through regular blog posts from autistic college students detailing first-hand experiences, NavigatingCollege.org will offer original content that will extend and elaborate upon our handbook. In addition, many of our upcoming projects dealing with Autism and College will be featured on the site going forward. You can download an electronic copy of our handbook free of charge by going to NavigatingCollege.org.
To order print copies, please visit the University of New Hampshire’s IOD Bookstore, or for more information or questions about bulk orders, please contact Melody Latimer at mlatimer@autisticadvocacy.org. As well, you can download the electronic copy of our Navigating College flyer here.
Article Date: 21 Oct 2011 – 0:00 PDT
What is more desirable: too little or too much spare time on your hands? To be happy, somewhere in the middle, according to Chris Manolis and James Roberts from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH and Baylor University in Waco, TX. Their work shows that materialistic young people with compulsive buying issues need just the right amount of spare time to feel happier. The study is published online in Springer’s journal Applied Research in Quality of Life.
We now live in a society where time is of the essence. The perception of a shortage of time, or time pressure, is linked to lower levels of happiness. At the same time, our consumer culture, characterized by materialism and compulsive buying, also has an effect on people’s happiness: the desire for materialistic possessions leads to lower life satisfaction.
Read in Full:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/236311.php
By Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.
Associate Editor
I’m a nightmare in the mornings. Seriously. Usually, I either begrudgingly shoot out of bed or crawl out — negative thoughts already swirling in my brain. Before I’ve even started my day, I’m already tense and irritated.
Maybe you can relate to being stressed or negative before you even leave the house (or in my case, walk a few steps into the home office). Not surprisingly, this doesn’t set the best tone for your day. Here’s a list of easy-peasy tips to perk up your mood and relieve any tension every morning.
1. Take a hot shower.
Water is known for having calming effects. A shower can soothe any aches and pains and help you feel refreshed and ready for the day. It does a great job of washing away your grogginess, too. (And you smell better! It’s a win-win for everyone.)
2. Eat an energy-boosting and fulfilling breakfast.
Many of us sprint out the door with a strong cup of coffee and maybe a boring bagel, if we remember to eat. Instead, take a few minutes to sit down and savor your breakfast. Pay attention to the tastes, textures and scents. If you don’t have time, still take foods on the go that you genuinely enjoy eating. Eating something nutritious and tasty nourishes both your body and your mind.
3. Notice the beauty of Mother Nature.
On your way to work, pay attention to the changing leaves and fragrant flowers, the sunshine or rainfall and the shapes the clouds have made. As Jeffrey Brantley, MD, and Wendy Millstine write in their book Five Good Minutes: 100 Morning Practices to Help You Stay Calm & Focused All Day Long: “Nature is bountiful and plentiful, and yet we often forget to take notice of nature’s simple gifts of joy and serenity…When you take this time to open your senses to the pleasures of what is just outside your door, you open your mind and body to nature’s restorative power to soothe and heal you.â€
4. Take five minutes to tune into your breathing.
This can really help release any tension. Brantley and Millstine write:
Sitting or lying down, place your hand on your abdomen and inhale and exhale, deeply and slowly. Visualize a meadow with a small creek running through it. You are wading in a babbling brook, and you can hear the wind and the birds overhead. The current tugs gently at your ankles. Recognize the rhythm of your breathing. As you inhale, say the word “warm†aloud. Imagine the warmth of the sun and water around your body. As you exhale, say the word “heavy†to yourself. Allow yourself to reach a comfortable and soothing place from within.
(I guess the key is to do this without falling back asleep!)
5. Take a morning walk.
Sunlight is a mood booster. So is physical activity. Put them together, and you have a great way to start your day. Of course, if walking isn’t your thing, you can stretch first thing in the a.m. or participate in any other physical activities you enjoy.
Read in Full:
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/10/12/8-ways-to-relax-and-boost-your-mood-in-the-mornings/
