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Do you feel that you effectively handle the loss of a loved one?

During a time of loss and grieving, what you choose to focus on will determine how effectively you transition to life without that person. I once read of a study on people who lived to be over 100. The only common factor discovered in that particular study was their ability to go on after tragedy and still find life worth living. Since stress and negative thoughts are physically damaging as well as emotionally, it is easy to see how this would be true. There is no doubt that times of loss involve grieving over the separation. There are a variety of psychological stages one goes through during grief. However, the choice of your focus drastically affects the effectiveness of your transition.

Choosing to focus on the aspects of that person which brought joy to your life is important to your well-being.

Instead of focusing on the traumatic circumstances which took place in the physical realm that caused you to lose that person, choose to live out your life rejoicing in the positive input that person had into your life. Meditate on the various joys that person brought to you. Rejoice that your life was fuller because of those joys. Rejoice that you are a better person because of those experiences.

The next step in effectively transitioning through a time of loss is realizing the source of those joys you experienced.

This week was one of high stress for our family as I almost lost my father to 3 severe intestinal bugs that he contracted while visiting the sick in hospitals, hospices, and nursing homes the week before Thanksgiving. Visiting the sick and elderly has always been a major focus of my father’s life. I was reminded of an experience Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

3 natural ways to treat depression were discussed by Dr. Mercola in one of his newsletter articles.

The link at the end of this post is to the full article, as well as to a video clip of his interview with Dr. Gordon, a rare physician who encourages people with depression to take control of their health by incorporating key natural therapies into a treatment program.

Here are excerpts of the 3 natural treatments for depression from Dr. Mercola’s article. Again, the link to read the full article on his site is below.

1. Optimize Your Diet

One of the best ways to beat depression is with nutritional approaches. This includes taking high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fats daily. Omega-3 fats such as those in krill oil have been found to work just as well as antidepressants in preventing the signs of depression, but without any of the side effects. In fact, throughout my years of medical practice I’ve had large numbers of patients be able to stop their antidepressants once they started taking omega-3 fats…Next, you’ll want to eliminate most sugar and grain from your diet, as these will increase your risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to depression (and diabetes)…

2. Get Moving

A regular exercise program is one of the best things you can do for your mood and mental health. Physical movement works so well because it helps to normalize insulin resistance while boosting “feel good” hormones in your brain Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

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Insomnia affects multiple areas of one’s life, such as health, weight gain, anxiety levels, relationships, memory, and work proficiency.

A Forbes.com posted an article today on 14 possible causes of insomnia. By identifying possible causes, you can make the necessary lifestyle changes or talk with your physician. Here are excerpts on the possible causes. Please use the link below to read the full article.

Depression And Anxiety - It’s estimated that 40 percent to 50 percent of people with insomnia also have depression or an anxiety disorder. Research shows the connection is present in children, too.

Environment – Some of us are more sensitive to noise. It’s also believed to be better to have a cool rather than warm bedroom. The cooling off effect you experience after drinking warm milk or taking a warm bath helps you feel sleepy.

Marital Strife – Research has shown that married people tend to have fewer sleep problems than those who are divorced. Studies show happily married women had fewer troubles falling asleep, staying asleep, fewer early morning awakenings and more restful sleep.

Being With Baby - A University study shows that parents’ sleep and their satisfaction with the infant’s nighttime behavior was worse when the infants spent any part of the night with parents versus those who slept apart.

Medication - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants cause insomnia, talk to your doctor about your prescriptions. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

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3 natural ways to treat depression were discussed by Dr. Mercola in one of his recent newsletter articles.

The link at the end of this post is to the full article as well as to a video clip of his interview with Dr. Gordon, a rare physician who encourages people with depression to take control of their health by incorporating key natural therapies into a treatment program.

Here are excerpts of the 3 natural treatments for depression from Dr. Mercola’s article. Again, the link to read the full article on his site is below.

1. Optimize Your Diet

One of the best ways to beat depression is with nutritional approaches. This includes taking high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fats daily. Omega-3 fats such as those in krill oil have been found to work just as well as antidepressants in preventing the signs of depression, but without any of the side effects. In fact, throughout my years of medical practice I’ve had large numbers of patients be able to stop their antidepressants once they started taking omega-3 fats…Next, you’ll want to Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

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Loneliness is something most people face at a variety of times throughout life.

I came across a free download for 148 pp. e-book on dealing with loneliness. It is written by internationally known public speaker and author, Josh McDowell. Though the book is aimed at college age youth, the general concepts should be applicable to overcoming loneliness no matter the age at which you are experiencing it.

Here is a brief description of the Free E-book, Friend of the Lonely Heart.

You can overcome loneliness and rejection. This book provides you with practical proven advice that will enable you to break the loneliness cycle and put real meaning into your life. Friend of the Lonely Heart can help you – Uncover the reasons you feel lonely; Find a new sense of direction and real meaning in your life; Learn to turn your lonely feelings into feelings of joy and happiness.

Here are 3 separate excerpts from the E-Book which is in .pdf format. The download link is at the end of the post: Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

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Many people struggle with viewing God as compassionate towards them personally.

Much like those who struggle with accepting God’s love, the fear of people that God is not compassionate toward them can stem from an abusive authority figure during childhood or misinformation in religious upbringing. This post is going to have a few brief comments and numerous quotes about God’s compassion, including what God says of Himself on this subject.

God’s Describes Himself as Compassionate

During one of Moses’ extended times seeking God, he asked to see God. God’s response was that a human could not survive seeing God in all His power, but He would allow His glory to pass in front of Moses. As Moses went through this experience, God said of Himself,

And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Ex. 34:6

God Describes His Compassion as Unfailing

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! Is. 49:15
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. Is. 54:10
Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

To avoid living in a constant state of stress and the resulting physical consequences, implement some daily habits to better cope with stress.

These steps on how to alleviate stress come from Dr. Don Colbert’s book, “The Seven Pillars of Health.” If you missed the information on the physical reactions to living life in a repeated state of stress, please read Part 1, “Stress – Its Effects on Your Health,” by clicking this link here or the one at the top of this post.

Practice Mindfulness: This is the concept of letting go of any thought that is unrelated to the present moment and finding something to enjoy in the present moment. Most people do not live well in the present moment; they are always wishing for a different moment in the past when things were happier or simpler, or wishing for a moment in the future when they think they can be happy, such as by getting a promotion, getting out of debt, or buying a new house. Find something enjoyable to focus on in the immediate moment all throughout the day, such as the warmth of the sun, the breeze, music. During breaks at work, don’t think about goals or projects; enjoy your cup of coffee or a magazine. If a stressful thought comes to mind, choose to move on to a thought that is related to what you are presently seeing, hearing, smelling, or feeling that is pleasant. Instead of complaining about what you don’t have, be grateful for what you do have, air conditioning in your house or a car to get to work. Dr. Colbert suggests that his patients go for a walk or go to the zoo to practice focusing on all that can be enjoyed in a moment. “To have complete mental and physical health, mindfulness must become a way of life, a continual pattern for practicing relaxation during your day (p.236).”

Reframe Your Perspectives: Reframing is learning to see the past, present, and future in a positive light by shifting from one’s present point of view Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

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Some of us go through life in an almost constant state of stress.

Evaluate how often in your daily routine do you allow a variety of little events to trigger stress, such as driving in traffic, a wrongly-filled order at the drive-thru, or a needed call to customer service to resolve a billing problem. The research in these next 2 posts covering the effects of stress and how to better cope come from Dr. Don Colbert’s book, “The Seven Pillars of Health.” In his initial chapter on stress, he says, “The stress reaction, so useful in moments of actual emergency, becomes a self-destruct switch that eventually can lead to exhaustion and disease (p. 229). “

The body’s response to stress is necessary and healthy when occurring in traumatic moments. When one allows typical daily events to create a recurring traumatic response in your body, the intended healthy physical responses become harmful.

The body’s stress reaction to a perceived threat releases adrenaline and other hormones that increase your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing. These changes give you added strength and mental sharpness for a few moments. The harm comes to us when this response occurs frequently for a long-term basis. Researchers now believe that such recurrent stress actually kills as many or even more people than poor health habits. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

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Depression is the result of external pressure getting inside and weighing down your thoughts/emotions.

There is a depression that has its root in physical causes, such as a deficiency of certain naturally occurring chemicals in the brain, the 3 main ones being serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Sometimes, in mild cases, these chemicals can be replaced by protein drinks with tyrosine and phenalylanine. I read that the late Dr. Atkins has such a diet available. If you suspect you’re your depression is physically related rather than from circumstancial pressures, you may want to see your doctor for a blood test to determine a proper course of treatment. Probably the most common form of depression, however, is due to allowing the pressure of circumstances to conform one’s thoughts. I’ve mentioned this quote before, “Above all else, guard your heart [mind and will], for it is the wellspring of life (Prov. 4:23).” We must admit to the absolute necessity of controlling our thoughts for the wellbeing of our lives. Another passage says, “For as the thoughts of man’s heart are, so is he (Prov. 23:7).”

Thoughts form our emotions.

The other week I referred you to a new book out, called “Eight Steps to Create the Life You Want.” I quoted the premise for the chapters in this book of how the whole course of one’s life starts with the positive or negative words we speak; those words form our thoughts; our thoughts create emotions, etc. I’ll reference the post below if you still need to read it. The eight steps in this book illustrate how the whole direction of one’s life is altered by words, thoughts, and emotions. I listened to a talk today on depression by the author of that book, Creflo Dollar. He used to be a professional therapist in a ward for suicidal teens before becoming a pastor.

Here are the 4 steps Dr. Dollar mentioned for recovery from depression due to external circumstances: Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »