Category Archives: Mental Health

Nurture Your Child’s Mental Skills

See your toddler playing with the phone and pretending to make a call? He is drawing upon his memory of you using the phone, has associated the phone with the action of making a call, and is now mimicking the correct use for it. Brilliant!

Whether he is performing simple actions, learning new words, or interacting with other people, your child is drawing upon his powers of Memory, Association and Mimicry to learn and survive in the world he finds himself in. And as these functions continue to improve, they contribute to the growth of what we know as intelligence, or the ability to learn facts and skills and to effectively use them.

Memory

This is where your child stores every bit of data he will ever encounter in his life. From information brought by his senses, to experiences, ideas and dreams, everything is filed away here. Greater than any computer, a young child’s brain can store a million million times more individual memories than the number of atoms in the known universe!

Association

Association is how your toddler connects and sorts out all the information stored in his memory. It also provides a context to help him understand data on anything new he encounters. Through association, he can grasp the meaning of words, identify people and objects, and recognize sources of pleasure and pain.

Mimicry / Imitation

This ability to imitate what he sees is one of the most important learning and survival tools your child has. Even at an early age, he is already one of the world’s great imitators, able to copy virtually anything: words, gestures, people, animals and even objects! By imitating a specific action, your toddler is gaining personal experience of it, and can then add it to his growing collection of skills!

Nurture your child’s mental skills!

Like all physical skills, your child’s mental skills can be grown and strengthened through use. Here are a few tips on sharpening your toddler’s mind:
Associating new objects and concepts with things he is familiar with will help him grasp them more quickly.

Repetition is a very effective learning tool. Remember reciting the ABC’s as a child? Anything can be remembered if repeated enough times.

Children are attracted to things that stand out or entertain. Make something appear unique or attractive and he won’t forget it.

Nursery rhymes and songs are ideal tools to help a child learn the foundations of language. Repeating a rhyme or jingle makes the words familiar, while exercising a child’s memory and speech. A great way to learn while having fun!

Provide opportunities for him to try as many different experiences as possible. This creates a larger pool of memories he can draw associations from to help his mind grasp even more concepts!

Natural imitators, children learn by observing, memorizing, and then doing for themselves. If you want to teach your child something, demonstrate it so he can see how it is done, explaining each step in terms he can associate with.

Play memory games with your child. Ask him to think of, or remember, people, places, events or objects he has encountered in the past. You can give a helpful hint by forming an association with something he is not likely to forget. A question like “Remember Uncle Bob?” might not get a response, but “Remember Uncle Bob, who gave you the toy train?” would probably earn a happy nod!

Brainwave Entrainment Definitions And Uses

Brainwave entrainment is essentially in regards to the synchronization of our cerebrums commanding brainwaves with an external supply of repeated stimulus. This stimulus could be aural, for example the case of binaural beats, monaural beats or isochronic tones. It also can be visual, as within the case of glimmering lights. Researchers know now than the stimulus can be even bodily, as with periodic corporeal vibrations on a muscle or nerve, so it is good to take a massage periodically. Lately electromagnetic fields have been used to get entrainment effects. In addition, a mix of them is extra effective.

By using brainwave entrainment intentionally we can obtain the muchdesired psychological state corresponding to arousal or relaxation. It really works based mostly on the “frequency following response” (FFR) principle. This can be a naturally occurring phenomenon where the human brain shows the tendency to vary its dominant EEG frequency in direction of the frequency of the external stimulus.

As mentioned before, to generate the sounds to attain entrainment, you should use the next methods: binaural beats, monaural beats and isochronic tones. Right here a definition of every one:

Binaural Beats

Binaural beats induce in your mind desired waves by enjoying separate tones in every ear. The brain compensates for the difference which creates a 3rd frequency contained in the brain. For example, a 300hz sound played in the left ear, and a 305hz performed in the fitting ear, induce in your mind a frequency of 5Hz, which is a low Theta state. By altering the distinction between the frequencies, you’ll be able to obtain any state you want. To use this type of entrainment you will want headphones.

Monaural Beats

Monaural beats are produced with one tone that pulses on and off in a selected pattern. With only one tone (in another way from the two tones used in binaural beats). In reality, with binaural beats the stimulation happens inside your mind in the meantime with monaural beats the stimulation occurs outside. It is believed that the brain adjusts easily to moaurals as a result of there is no such thing as a must stability separate tones. To listen monaural beats, you should use audio system or headphones.

Isochronic Tones

Isochronic tones, equally to monoaural beats, both use equal intensity tones that pulse on and off at different speeds, but here the pulse pace is greater. When the speeds are increased, they synchronize your brain with the rhythm. Depending on the sample of the tones as well as the speed, you can achieve all types of altered mind states quickly and really effectively. You can use speakers or headphones to take heed to monaural beats.

Some people react favorably to every certainly one of these techniques: monaural beats, isochronic tones or binaural beats. Some people don’t so it is a matter of trying every one among these strategies to see what works higher for you.

Relating to the utility of brainwave entrainment sessions, they’ve shown be helpful in the therapy of the following afflictions:

– Stress aid
– Anxiousness discount
– Depression reduction
– Sleep induction
– Continual Pain relief
– Migraine reduction
– Healing (enhance of the expansion hormone)
– Habit discount
– Hypertension – blood stress
– Insomnia help
– Pre-menstrual reduction
– Power naps

In addition, brainwave entrainment is used also as a mean to boost your mental abilities comparable to:

– Creativity
– IQ increase
– Alertness
– Athletic efficiency
– Concentration
– Motivation
– Earlier than exam/speech anxiety discount

Finally, others declare to have obtained success in distant viewing, telepathy, and even out-of-body experiences and lucid dreaming.

In conclusion, brainwave entrainment is a helpful, no intrusive, inexpensive, and unfortunately unknown expertise to get away from many mental afflictions and, as well as, is a natural tonic of the brain. In reality, not too long ago, an increasing group of researchers and customers worldwide which were observed rediscovering this technology.

Physical And Mental Preparation For Survival Scenarios

To say that the modern populace has become soft when it comes to survival preparation for crisis or emergency is an understatement. Now is the time to rectify all that and begin planning for any emergency scenario, including criminal menace. Although you already know the demands of physical training on the body, you should also learn how to apply what you know about physical training to real-life situations in which you may have to ward off an enemy to defend yourself.
Going to the gym to build up your muscles is great, but no amount of body building will not teach you how to defend yourself on the street. Now you know that to become combat-ready, not just any physical training will do. There’s a world of difference between exercising your body to look good on a photograph and training your body to withstand combat scenarios which may alter from low intensity to high intensity over a matter of a few minutes.
Are you in top form for conflict?
Efficient self-defense lessons should actively include the whole package, including reactions to violence, like awareness, tactical evasion, when to escape, and combat diplomacy (also called trash talking in some circles). Training must not be confined by just physical aptitude to kick your attacker in the shin, regardless of how strong. One can assume then that combat fitness is more than just about physical strength, it’s about psychological willingness to take on an enemy that has the ability to threaten your life.
But, mental willingness for a crisis follows after you’ve taught your body to endure and keep at bay any physical attack. Having the physical aptitude to neutralize a threat gives you self-belief. Learning the strategies that will give you an edge over a physical menace can make you calmer in the face of danger. Conflict preparedness is not just about devices. It’s also about your capacity to battle even without your tools. That’s why unarmed combat is something that is stressed in the military and in self defense schools all over the country. You ought to be able to defend yourself and your family with or without a gun.
Ditch the Victim Frame of Mind
Your most terrible enemy isn’t the criminal who wants to grab your bag, it’s your outlook toward combat in general. Being a victim isn’t just a situation, it’s a state of mind. Not everybody realizes it, but we have been taught to think like victims by society in general.
For decades, we have heard people say we should stay away from conflict. This is a sensible principle. We should never generate conflict and we should at all times go for the diplomatic way to mend things. But what isn’t usually mentioned by anybody is how one should face conflict when it can no longer be prevented. When conflict comes flying to your side and you need to protect yourself, you can only rely on your physical training and tough spirit to fight back.
While it will do you good to keep a weapon around, as well as a list of emergency numbers to call should you encounter an intruder inside your home, it would be best if you also learned the concepts of genuine self defense. By real self defense we mean those unarmed combat tactics that soldiers apply in the front line when their life is on the line.

Exercises To Encourage Creativity

Introduction

Before I list some very helpful and powerful exercises to encourage creativity, let’s take a moment to consider what constitutes creativity, why we aspire to encourage creativity in the first place and what is required from the person who wishes to encourage creativity through exercises, be it her own creativity or that of others.

Definition of Creativity

If one wishes to encourage creativity, it is advised that she first has a clear definition of this term. However, Creativity is an illusive and complex term that seems to defy definition, so let me list some options and choose what fit you most. Creativity has to do with original and flexible thinking, the ability to pay attention to details, the ability to cope with uncertainty. Creative individuals possess a high motivation to overcome obstacles and solve problems, the willingness to take calculated risks, the desire to work hard in turn for recognition.

Benefits of Creativity

Encouraging creativity through exercises is a proven way to develop young minds. Weaving creativity exercises into children’s education greatly improves their chances of becoming successful and constructive adults who are able to cope more aptly with a rapidly changing world. An environment that encourages creativity is also a solid foundation for mental health. Creativity exercises cultivate highly motivated students who are less prone to adverse psychological states such as stress and boredom.

Creativity Exercises – What Is Required of the Teacher

First and foremost: you have to practice what you preach, you have to walk the talk, or in other words, if you want to encourage someone’s creativity, be creative! Show them. Don’t tell them. Be a role model for exercising creativity and they will follow.

Creativity is to be handled with respect and care. Therefore, you have to create a special and suitable physical environment for creativity exercises. Such environment should be comfortable and enabling, and guarded from outside disruptions.

What’s even more important than the physical environment is the emotional one. Your responsibility is to create a safe place to express ideas, make mistakes, be silly, and not be judged or be subjected to ridicule. I can’t stress this enough. Passing judgment kills creativity. Eliminate corrections and advice to a minimum. Abandon the right and wrong, black and white, good and bad mentality. Enable your students to fearlessly express their thoughts, their individuality. To achieve a safe environment for self expression, be sure to incorporate in your creativity exercises the following ingredients: humor, laughter, music, art, drama, dance, and movement.

Some of the following creativity exercises require certain materials. Be sure to provide these materials. You should probably provide additional materials that are not directly related to your planned exercises, in case your students will come up with fresh ideas and require materials to realize them.

Expose your students to creative artwork in order to inspire them and wet their appetite, but beware not to over do it. You want to give your students ideas, to jump start their creative muscles; you want them to be encouraged, not discouraged.

Creativity Exercise #1 – Image Streaming

This exercise is to be carried out in pairs or individually. The exercising student closes her eyes and asks herself a question. The exercising student then describes out loud her mental visual imagery either to another student or to a tape recorder. Describing of the mental images should be flowing and streaming. In the process of describing the images she sees in her mind, the student should concentrate on sensory details. For example, “I feel the softness of the fresh laundry”, “my feet are pressed against the cold tiles”, “I smell the rain-soaked air.” The student should aim to make her live or potential listener vividly experience what she sees. In order to develop and maintain the flow of streaming imagery, the student should ask herself new questions as to the nature of objects she sees in her mind and explore them in detail. Relaying the mental images should be done in a hastened pace to avoid judgment and critical thinking. Image streaming is to be exercised for at least 10 minutes each time. Over time, this exercise improves creativity and intelligence.

Creativity Exercise #2 – Challenge Traditional Thinking

This exercise can be practiced in a group or individually. Routine thinking is good for every day tasks, since you perform the task without employing your mind and wasting energy on the thinking process. For example, if you take the same route to work every day, you soon drive on auto-pilot. If, however, you have a task that requires you take a different route, then you have to concentrate and be aware of the left and right turns you make. If your thoughts drift, you will find yourself going unintentionally in the regular route. If you wish to exercise creativity in solving problems, you have to stay clear of routine thinking. This can be achieved by forcing the mind to find new routes. Instructions: make a list of words and write each word on a card. For each word instruct the students to come up with 2 related words and write these down on separate cards as well. You now have groups of three words each. And now for the creative part: randomly pick two unassociated words and instruct your students to come up with an association between the two seemingly unrelated words. This will force their thinking process to form an unfamiliar route, a connection between two dots that were unconnected until now. Forcing our mind to find new trails that connect A and B is exactly what enhances creativity. Along the same lines, you can try these variation: make a basic outline map of the United States without state names. Instead of state names, write down names of world countries. For example, instead of Texas write Canada, instead of California write France. And so on. Now ask your students to find associations between the state and the country. Remember that we are not after any correct answer. We are exercising this in order to create new roads. So don’t test your students’ knowledge. Encourage them to come up with any association they can think of. It can relate to culture, economy, language, but it can also relate to the spelling of the names or to their pronunciation. Be open.

Creativity Exercise #3 – The Gods Must Be Crazy

An African Bushman, unaware of white culture, discovers an empty Coca Cola bottle in the Kalahari Desert. The bushman closely examines this mystical object (casually dropped by a passing pilot), wondering what it is good for. He then tries blowing into it, and is very pleased to learn that it makes a noise. In this creativity exercise you encourage your students to become Bushmen. I mean it. You need to collect 5 to 10 props. You display a prop to your students and ask them to find a new use for it. This exercise encourages creativity since it forces the thinking process to erase or ignore what is known and come up with fresh ways of looking at something familiar.

Creativity Exercise #4 – Music’s Story

Play a piece of classical music, preferably one that your students don’t know. Dim the lights, instruct your students to close their eyes and listen closely to the music. The music tells a story, it tells about the weather, about a poor or rich man, about mad love that is now dying. Ask each student to follow every plot twist, every change of atmosphere. Then stop the music and ask your students to write down their stories, with as much detail as possible.

Mental Barriers to Productivity

I doubt there are many people who can claim that they don’t know what it feels like to be utterly stressed out or so overwhelmed you can’t make sense of anything – all due to a lack of time.

Doesn’t it make sense that you would do something it about it, if you complain everyday that you feel like your days consist of merely putting out fires? But why do so many people complain about time and never do anything about it? What separates those who take action, get amazing results to those who don’t take action and live with the same results? People who complain but don’t do anything about it might have some mental barriers to break through first.

Self limiting Beliefs and negative programming

Growing up you were influenced by your parents and others and you started to model their behaviour. Unfortunately you were too young to decide whether some actions were good or bad, or helpful or not. So if you have picked up and learnt bad habits, you can also unlearn them as well. If you find yourself saying “It is just the way I am, I have always been like this”, you may be a victim of negative programming.

I was born disorganized

You might deem that you were born messy or that you have a certain gene that keeps you “disorderly”, of course this is not true. You may half-mindedly say “I can’t be more organized, I was born this way” but thinking in this way is dis-empowering and keeps you trapped in the same position that you don’t want to be in. Keep in mind as well, that if you believe that you can’t change, you are right; the same goes for believing that you can change, you are also right, so you decide!

Moving forward

Stop sabotaging yourself from having a fabulous life, with tons of more time and tons of less stress. Almost everybody develops habits that don’t serve them, but what really sets the group apart are those who conquer their bad habits from those who are a slave to their habits. If you don’t want to feel frazzled, weighed down or anxious anymore, stop listening to the limiting thoughts that keep you where you are and from being productive.

Giving up to gain

For many, to achieve something, they have to give up something first and this could be another mental barrier. You might have to give up that extra coffee break in the morning; that extra 10minutes snooze or give up the feeling of being in your comfort zone. Whatever it is, you most likely know what is holding you back. If you don’t, ask yourself what is causing you to falter moving forward? What are the thoughts or feelings that are holding you back? Once you are able to identify what your mental barriers are to time management, you are in a much better position to break through them.