Beat Chronic Worrying and Start Enjoying Life

Beat Chronic Worrying and Start Enjoying Life

When stressful life events occur, it’s normal to feel anxious or worried. However, chronic stress or an overactive response to stress can have a negative impact on your quality of life. If you find that you often feel anxious or overwhelmed, it’s important to take steps to alter your mindset. To get started, take a look at these effective ways to beat chronic worrying.

Check your health

Health anxiety is a common problem, but you can keep this at bay by having regular check-ups. A routine assessment with your physician, an annual hearing test and regular eye exams will give you peace of mind that you’re not experiencing any health problems. Furthermore, attending routine appointments will ensure you’re making your health a top priority.

Accept things you can’t change

Although it’s normal to worry about some situations, there are so many things in life that we simply can’t change. If you’re spending time feeling anxious about things you have no control over, you’re experiencing the negative effects without being able to make a positive difference. Recognize when things can’t be changed and commit to letting go of related worries and anxiety.

Make a plan

If something’s bothering you and there’s something you can do about it, make a plan. Even writing down your thoughts and concerns will help to unburden you and alleviate some of the worries you have. What’s more, having a workable plan will make you feel more in control and positive about resolving the situation.

Observe your worries

When you’re overwhelmed with worrying thoughts, don’t try to fight them or reason with them. Sometimes, simply letting them pass through your mind is the best way to let go out of them. This is a technique that’s strongly associated with mindfulness and it’s extremely effective for many people. With daily practice, you can build a mindfulness toolkit that helps you to cope with any stressful emotions you may experience.

Seek professional help

If you find that chronic worrying is affecting your quality of life, don’t be afraid to seek help. A counsellor, therapist or doctor can help you to address the root cause of your anxieties and deal with them in a healthy way. If you’re unsure why you feel anxious, stressed or worried, this can be a useful way to identify your feelings and overcome them.

Stay active

Exercise is a fantastic way to combat stress, so commit to being active and let your worries melt away. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which help to improve your mood and reduce stress. With regular daily activity, you can lower your stress levels and start enjoying life more.

Overcoming Anxiety

Anxiety is a common issue, no matter what your age, gender or ethnicity. However, you don’t have to deal with chronic anxiety alone. With so many people experiencing chronic stress, it’s easy to find support face-to-face and online. Join support groups, talk to friends and family and practice stress relaxation techniques to find what works best for you.

4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Automatically Use Medication to Solve Health Problems

4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Automatically Use Medication to Solve Health Problems

When you get sick or have some sort of health issue, your instinct makes you reach for the medicine cabinet. You pop a couple of pills and hope that they solve the problem. In many cases, you get relief from your issues, and it genuinely helps. However, should you automatically opt for medication when you have a health problem?

Full disclosure, I’m obviously not a doctor so don’t take anything in this guide as medical advice. If you have a health issue, always see a medical professional to get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. Still, here are a few reasons you might want to consider avoiding medication or trying other ideas before you reach for it.

There may be natural alternatives

In a lot of cases, you can find natural alternatives to prescription medication. This is obviously preferable as natural things can improve your overall health, while drugs fill it with chemicals. There aren’t natural alternatives in some instances, but it pays to do some research to make sure. However, look at something simple like nausea or stomach pain. A lot of people suffer from these health issues, particularly pregnant women. The instinctive reaction is to get anti-nausea tablets and take them. But, you can use ginger to provide natural relief instead!

Sometimes, natural alternatives to medication can be employed to avoid needing to take medication. If you have high blood pressure, changes to your eating and lifestyle habits can naturally lower it to a safe range, preventing the need to take any medication. So, don’t always assume drugs are the answer; you could find a more natural, chemical-free alternative.

Medication can be addictive

It’s far too common for someone to become addicted to medication. You see this a lot with opioids and other pain-relief drugs. People get into a habit of relying on drugs to ease symptoms, making it impossible to live life without them.

Unfortunately, drugs also have secondary effects on your body that can be very damaging. It’s also far too easy to become addicted to prescription medication. So, you may want to consider avoiding it if you have addictive tendencies or are worried about depending too much on a particular drug.

If you feel that you’re addicted to prescription medication, it’s worth taking steps to tackle your addiction. The first step is to discuss the issue with your doctor. But, you should also seek help from a specialized drug addiction treatment center.

If you search for outpatient drug treatment near me on Google or ask your doctor for a referral to a local center, you can start taking positive action to curb your addiction.

Medication fills your body with chemicals

As mentioned previously, medication can put chemicals in your body. Some of these work to provide relief from your problems, but others cause more harm to other regions of your body. Adderall is a great example as this drug is commonly used to treat ADHD and other conditions. The problem is that it causes havoc to your hormonal system and can create lots of chemical imbalances. To make matters worse, you can have Adderall in your system for a few days following ingestion. So, these effects can linger and cause further problems.

Some pain-relief meds are also a prime example of how chemicals can harm the body. Yes, you get relief from pain, but a lot of this medication damages the stomach lining and can cause ulcers with constant use. Even if you need medication for your health issue, it can be helpful to avoid it as much as possible, preventing too many chemicals from building up.

You don’t always tackle the problem head on

The biggest issue with a lot of medication is that you rarely tackle the health problem head-on. I’ve mentioned pain-relief drugs a lot, mainly because they’re so common. But, if you have chronic back pain, taking medication will hardly help. Sure, you get temporary relief, but the cause of your issue hasn’t been tackled. If you underwent rehab therapy and did corrective stretches/exercises, this would attack the cause of your back pain. In the long run, you’ll be pain-free without any medication.

Sometimes there are health issues that cannot be solved. In these instances, medication is the only way you can treat the problem. As such, you should obviously take it if it’s the only way to help! Still, it’s worth considering why you have a health issue before you jump to the medicine cabinet. Is this a problem that can be solved with natural remedies or lifestyle changes?

That’s as good a place as any to wrap up this article! Overall, the message is that you don’t have to use medication to treat a lot of your health problems. Of course, make sure you follow the advice of your doctor or another health professional before doing anything. In fact, if you automatically self-prescribe medication for any health issue, you’ll be surprised at how often a doctor will provide alternatives that have longer-lasting effects.

Common Causes of Hearing Loss

Common Causes of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can happen to anyone, at any age, for all kinds of reasons. Hearing loss can be caused by illness, genetics, or lifestyle factors like loud noises. Here are some of the most common causes of hearing loss.

Otosclerosis

This is a disease of the middle ear that makes it harder for the tiny bones in your middle ear to move. This then causes a conductive hearing loss. The condition is usually treated with surgery.

Meniere’s Disease

This is an inner ear problem. Meniere’s disease doesn’t have a known cause but usually starts in people between the ages of 30 and 50. If you have this disease, you will experience sensorineural hearing loss. You may feel dizzy or experience ringing in the ears or become sensitive to loud noises. The hearing loss comes and goes at first, but some loss will become permanent over time.

Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease

An autoimmune disorder is a disorder that causes the body to attack itself. This kind of hearing loss can come on very quickly. If you suddenly lose your hearing, you should see a doctor as soon as you possibly can so medical treatment can be applied to keep the loss of hearing to a minimum.

Medications 

Some medications can cause hearing loss. Talk to your doctor about the medicines that you take. Medicines that can impact hearing include:

  • Aminoglycoside antibiotics, such as streptomycin, neomycin, or kanamycin
  • Large amounts of aspirin
  • Loop diuretics, like lasix or ethacrynic acid
  • Some chemotherapy drugs

Loud Noise

Very loud noises can cause permanent damage to your hearing. Noise-induced hearing loss is painless and usually progresses over time. This kind of loss is common in those who work in loud environments, such as on building sites or in music venues. Always wear noise protection to protect your ears. Hearing a very loud noise, like an explosion, can cause sudden hearing loss. Loud noises can also contribute to conditions like tinnitus. Treating tinnitus usually focusses on managing the problem, not curing it.

Acoustic Neuroma

This is a kind of tumor that can cause hearing loss. You may also experience a full feeling or ringing in the ears. If you have an acoustic neuroma, you will need to seek medical treatment for help.

Physical Head Injury

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, a hole in the eardrum, or damage to the middle ear can cause hearing loss. If you’ve been in an accident that has damaged your hearing, seek help from a doctor as soon as possible to limit the damage done.

Presbycusis

This is a sensorineural hearing loss. It usually happens as you get older. You start to notice that speech sounds muffled or unclear. You might also start to have to ask people to repeat themselves or turn up the TV much louder than before in order to hear it. There are several options for this kind of hearing loss, such as learning sign language or lip-reading or wearing a hearing aid.

Improving Your Health While Loving Yourself

Improving Your Health While Loving Yourself

Far too often, the need to live a healthy lifestyle is conflated with unhealthy ideas about losing weight fast and conforming to body types that are not always achievable. Improving your health is an admirable goal, whatever your motivation. Some people may want to lose weight, others might wish they had more energy throughout the day, and some people may simply want to feel stronger and fitter. However, with all the negative messages about body image filtering through the media, it can be hard to stick to your aims without feeling pressured into changing your body for the wrong reasons. Here are some ways to improve your health while staying in love with the uniqueness of your body.

Find Exercise You Enjoy

We all know we should exercise, right? We are encouraged to go for early morning runs, go to the gym, or complete Youtube videos at home. However, all of this is pointless if you don’t enjoy the activity at the moment. If you’re slogging through a run while hating every second of it, that’s no longer about improving your health. It’s about punishing your body into submission – and that’s not what you want at all! If you’re trying to exercise more, find a way to do it that you enjoy. Whether that’s swimming, dancing, cycling, or team sports, it will help you to stay feeling positive about your body while you improve your health.

No Fad Diets!

This should go without saying, but fad diets can be very tempting as they offer such quick results. However, it’s important to remember that these results are often not about improving your health, but about achieving very superficial goals of weight loss, which are almost never longlasting. To improve your health while still loving your body, treat your nutrition as a long-term project, making slow changes, and learning new recipes at a steady pace to start putting goodness into your body. If you’re struggling for ideas, find a nutrition coach to help you know where to start and how to take care of yourself in the best way possible.

Allow for Setbacks

This is real life, and nothing ever goes entirely to plan. If you are going to beat yourself up every time you take a step backward, miss a day’s exercise, or get takeout, you’ll only be putting unfair pressure on yourself. Instead, come to terms with the idea that improving your health will be a long road with pitfalls and bumps along the way. These are all part of the journey, and if you can embrace that and stay grateful to your body for everything it’s attempting, you will be able to overcome them that much easier.

Focus on the Rest

Your desire to improve your health should never take over your life. Even while you exercise a little bit more, and prepare healthy food, don’t neglect the other areas in your life. Make sure you’re seeing your friends and pursuing your hobbies that aren’t connected to bodily health. If you’re writing a book, keep going! If you love playing music or watching TV shows, set aside time for these activities alongside your other routines. If you’re a guitar fan and have always wanted to learn how to play, perhaps browse a free to get yourself started. The important part is that you continue learning and enjoying your time. This way, you will keep your life healthy and balanced in every way.

All the best,
Suzie Carr

4 Significant Impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic

4 Significant Impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus has completely shifted and refocused the world, creating significant impacts. It’s fair to say that we’ve experienced major changes across the globe in both the economy and society as a whole. Here are some of the most significant impacts that you may have felt personally.

The Importance of Hygiene

Perhaps one of the most significant discoveries of the coronavirus pandemic is just how many people didn’t practice good standards of hygiene. This became apparent after hand wash and bars of soap started vanishing from supermarkets. Unclean hands are one of the easiest ways to catch viruses like Covid-19, the flu, and the common cold. It’s critical to one’s health to wash hands often and correctly. Lather up for at least twenty seconds and rinse thoroughly.

Our Mental Health Is Vulnerable

Various polls and media reports have suggested that mental health issues have increased during the pandemic. This could be because people have been stuck in their homes unable to socialize. It may also be due to the fact that individuals have been scared of getting sick, increasing issues with anxiety and similar health problems. It’s worth pointing out that if you are worried about your health you should be getting the right support from professionals such as PsychBC Telehealth. Professionals can ensure that you receive sound advice from an expert in the comfort of your own home.

Recognizing Toxic People

Other reports have suggested that numerous relationships have ended due to the lockdown. Many experts believe this is due to the fact that people are getting to know more about their partners and the people that they live with because they are spending more time together. While some couples have fared quite well in this situation, others haven’t been quite so lucky. It is possible you have discovered that your partner isn’t who you thought they were. They could actually impact your life negatively, and if that’s the case, then it might be time to consider making a change. A lot of people feel stuck in relationships, but it’s never too late to make the right decision for your mental wellness.

A Refocus on Exercise

Finally, more people are running and working out than ever before it seems. This could be because these individuals are bored with nothing to do. After all, everything is closed right now. However, it’s also possible that these new habits will stick even as the restrictions of the lockdown begin to lift. This could be a big positive of the coronavirus pandemic. It might just push people to be more mindful of their physical and mental wellbeing rather than taking it for granted.

As you can see, the coronavirus, although a devastating virus, can leave some significant impacts. I hope that through all of this, you’ve been able to experience some positives and that you can ultimately move forward in a world reshaped to be better for us all.

Love,

Suzie

The Tools To Help You Deal with Hearing Loss

The Tools To Help You Deal with Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is a concern for me. I suffer from hearing issues due to having small ear canals. Although my issues don’t involve my having to wear a hearing aid at this point, my hearing is impaired during some periods in between my visits to my ENT. I have to have a procedure done every three months to free my impacted ear canals and ear drums, and I experience a wonderful month-long period of freedom where I can hear everything perfectly. I don’t know what impact this will have on my long-term hearing ability. Thankfully, there are solutions should I develop permanent hearing loss from my condition.

Hearing Issues

Although you might think that it will never happen to you, hearing loss is one of the most common health changes that can affect us as we age. Roughly 13% of all people over the age of 12 live with some kind of hearing issues. If you’re worried you might have it or have been recently diagnosed or recommended to an audiologist, what can you do about it?

The right hearing aids

The first step when it comes to dealing with most types of hearing loss is to choose a hearing aid. There are some cases a hearing aid might not be the right choice, but for the majority, there are many types that can help. This includes discreet hearing aids, those that come with all kinds of noise reduction features, and rechargeable hearing aids so that you can charge them on the go rather than having to buy batteries. An audiologist can help you determine the best options that suit you.

The necessary accessories

The hearing aid may be the device you rely on primarily when it comes to helping you deal with any hearing issues. However, there are a host of accessories that can help you better use your hearing aid to make it even more effective. Popular accessories for hearing aids can include microphones that allow you to better pick up speech, remote controls that let you change settings without having to take the device out, and TV transmitters that allow you to connect directly to TV sound output. I’d suggest talking with your hearing health professional about which accessories might help you get the best use of your hearing aid.

Helpful apps

The future of hearing assistive technologies is a lot more digital. Already, a lot of hearing aids come with apps that let you configure settings through your smartphone easily. However, there are apps for hearing impaired people that can do a lot more. For instance, there are transcription apps that can quickly turn speech into text, if you’re having trouble understanding someone during a conversation. There are also apps that allow you to connect to important contacts like emergency service providers without having to communicate verbally, as well.

Assistive technologies in the home

There are technologies you can use in the home that can help you live your life without having to rely quite as much on your sense of hearing. Assistive technology can include things like alarm clocks, doorbell signalers, smoke and fire alarms, and even baby cry signalers. These devices can add visual cues to appliances that normally alert the user by sound alone. As such, you can better enjoy a more independent life at home with the right alerting and assistive technologies.

The technology used to improve the lives of those with hearing issues has seen huge leaps of development over the past decade, meaning that you can enjoy much the same quality of life with the right selection of aids. Hopefully, the tips above help you find them.

Stay awesome!

Love,

Suzie