Posts Tagged ‘natural relief’

Adequate Sleep Increases Energy Levels

Have you ever stopped to think about the many benefits of adequate sleep? Because of our different life styles most of us look at sleep in one of two ways:

(1) a waste of time or

(2) we have the feeling we never get enough sleep.

(1) If you are the kind of person whose life style makes you feel sleep is a waste of time, then you fit in with a large group of other Americans who feel the same way. Activity, production, and being busy all the time seems to be your way of life. If you are not actively engaged in thinking, doing productive tasks or going somewhere, you tend to feel guilty. Your guilt causes you to set aside less and less of your time for sleep.

In fact, you will soon find yourself getting into the habit of regarding a good night’s sleep as a total waste of your time. But, when this becomes your attitude, your way of life, you should be aware of these facts: there is a better way. A better way to be more productive. A better way to get more things done and – done much better than ever before.

(2) On the other hand maybe your life style means you are so active, busy, and under so much pressure to meet all of your ever-present deadlines, you get drained, worn out, and just plain bushed. In short, you may find you are always tired and weighed down by what you think is your need for more time.

You may often find yourself longing to get away from the never-ending pressures. You could have a constant, unfulfilled need for: sleep, relaxation and a bit of simple, entertaining fun. But those needs are never met. Again, believe me when I say – there is a better way.

Here’s a suggestion. Consider adopting the following simple plan to help you overcome either one of those two life styles: If you will look at a day, that is, twenty-four hours, and then divide those hours by three, you’ll see there are three eight hour segments of time in a day. Next, decide to make it your plan to – forever more – partition off those three segments of time by designating each of them as follows:

(1) the first eight hour period is for “work”,

(2) the next is for “recreation”, and

(3) the third is for – you guessed it – “sleep“.

Now we’ve arrived at the “better way” discussed above. But, the only way this plan will
work for you is if you are convinced it has benefits, benefits that will dramatically
improve your life style now and for the rest of your life.

Here is where you have to prayerfully make what can be a radical life-changing
decision. You have to decide to put this plan into action. Then you have to ACT on
your decision! Why? Here’s why….

(1) Work: when you can concentrate all of your attention on the work you are
doing you know that your determined effort will produce greater efficiency, more
results and, ultimately, greater rewards (like more money or success) for you.

(2) Recreation: as a creative person I have found that my recreation time, my
time with family, a hobby or just the time I take for relaxing and reading a good
book has many unexpected benefits. For all of us, those kinds of benefits have a
way of changing our overall attitude toward life. The result of this kind of rest is
that our accomplishments at work can be radically improved.

(3) Sleep: when you seize the time to get at least eight hours of sleep out of
every twenty-four hours you will soon find you can be: more productive, happier,
more creative, easier for others to get along with, healthier, a better listener, more
attentive, able to get better ideas, less accident prone and generally find yourself
much more alert in every way.

So, if you want to improve your life style and be happier, here is how to do it:
follow this simple plan. Remember, the best way to get started is to make a high
and holy resolve to get adequate sleep. Once you do that your desire for more
accomplishments at work and more time for recreation will just naturally fall into
place.

The pleasant result of this three-step plan is that you can have better health,
more energy and greater happiness today and – for the rest of your life.

One way to get better sleep is to find a way to sleep in the dark.
Lights can disturb and prevent sound sleep.

And if none of these techniques work for you then try this:
http://budurl.com/sleeptrks

7 Alternatives to Pain Medications

Pain is a natural and unpleasant sensation that serves as  the body’s response to a stimulus that can potentially cause harm or has  already resulted to tissue damage. Although pain is usually resolved once the  stimulus has been removed, it may still be experienced especially when the  damage had already occurred. And pain can also arise despite the presence of  detectable stimulus, disease or damage. In the United States, pain is the  primary reason why people seek medical consultation. Chronic and intensified  pain can interfere with how an individual functions and can seriously affect a  person’s quality of life.  Sadly,  people often resort to pain medications in order to relieve pain – and this  does not come without any adverse and side effects.

Experiencing pain can be a symptom of serious health  conditions. So it is important to consult your physician before taking any pain  medication to clearly determine the cause of pain. As mentioned, pain  medications can also have adverse effects to the body. Studies conducted by  researchers from Harvard University found that some popular pain medications  can increase the risk of stroke and heart attack; this includes the recently  banned medication known as Vioxx. Previously, medical experts were only  concerned about the effects of oral pain relievers to the stomach and the  digestive system. But apparently, pain medications have more side effects than  just an upset stomach.

There are numerous ways to naturally relieve different  types of pain. These methods primarily target the cause of pain or provide  relief by stimulating the brain to reduce the production of chemicals that  produces the sensation. Meditation, for   example, has been found by studies to effectively relieve pain. Here are  some natural alternatives to pain medications – minus the unwanted side  effects, of course.

1. Meditation According to the APF or the American Pain Foundation,  meditation is a recommended pain management technique especially when pain is  accompanied by anxiety or fear. Take time to sit in a comfortable place and  focus your mind on a pleasant image like a scenic location or your favorite  flower, or simply on your breathing. It will be hard to train your mind to  focus on one object especially when you are experiencing chronic pain. If your thoughts  wander and you start to think about other things, you can simply draw your mind  back to your point of focus. This may be hard to accomplish especially if you  are experiencing chronic pain.
2. Heat and Cold Therapy Putting a cold compress on the affected areas will help  relieve localized pain by numbing the source. This is effective for muscle and  joint pains and can also be used to relieve pain caused by burns and minor  wounds. Your physician may also advice heat and cold therapy. This is often recommended  for people suffering from intense and chronic pain. You can do this by  switching the shower from hot to cold. Heat and cold therapy improves the  circulation of blood in the body and helps relieve different types of pain.
3. Massage Massage therapy helps in relaxing the muscles and in  reducing muscular spasm. The American Pain Foundation stated that pain often  results to muscle tension. This can be resolved by massage therapy in addition  to the other methods of naturally relieving pain. Getting a massage from a  licensed therapist also helps promote a feeling of well-being, improve  circulation and relieve muscular tension.
4. Acupuncture Acupuncture is a traditional healing method that originated  in China. The treatment involves the insertion and manipulation of thin needles  into the skin. Practitioners of acupuncture claim that the method can effectively  treat certain health conditions and relieve pain. Although there hasn’t been  any significant scientific evidence proving the efficacy of acupuncture, the  National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine said that the method  has shown to be an effective means of providing relief for musculoskeletal  pain. When resorting to alternative healing methods, it is important to check  the credibility of the practitioner before booking a session. You can ask the  NCCAA for a list of registered acupuncturists in your area.
5. Music Music affects the mind and soul. According to the APF,  listening to music is useful in managing pain. A study involving 200 patients  suffering from chronic pain found that music therapy can significantly reduce  their levels of pain. You can listen to any of your favorite music during the  onset of pain and move your body to the rhythm. Music helps in taking your mind  away from the pain and brings your attention to something pleasant.
6. Omega-3 Studies show that omega-3 fatty acids help in reducing pain  and inflammation associated with health conditions like osteoarthritis, chronic  ailments and other chronic diseases. The reason behind omega-3′s efficacy in  relieving pain lies in its ability to influence the body’s production of  inflammatory enzymes and the pain associated with inflammation. Increase your  body’s level of omega-3 fatty acids by eating cold water fishes like tuna,  mackerel and salmon. Taking food supplements that contain high levels of  omega-3 can also help in reducing and relieving chronic pain.
7. Herbs There are natural herbs that helps in relieving pain and  which can serve as a healthier alternative to pharmaceutical pain medications.  Willow bark, for example, has been used for centuries in relieving the pain  caused by childbirth. Today, willow bark is used as a natural remedy for fever,  pain and inflammatory health conditions. The herb contains salicilin which is a  derivative of the primary ingredient of aspirin. Capsaicin from chili peppers  can serve as a natural analgesic by blocking the vanilloid receptor that is  responsible for producing localized pain. It is available in cream form which  can be applied topically on the affected areas.

   Drinking ginger ale can help reduce pain by blocking the  vallinoid receptor through its active ingredient gingerols. Unlike capsaicin  that produces a small amount of pain, gingerols result to pain relief without  the unpleasant burning sensation. The compound also helps in reducing  inflammation by reducing the build-up of platelets. Feverfew has also been  found to be effective in relieving pain caused by headaches, migraine and  arthriti