Thursday, December 29, 2011

The Mindset of Optimism

Learned optimism more useful than truth

From an Omni interview with Martin Seligman, monitored for the Institute by Roger Knights.
'High scores for optimism are predictive of excellence in everything from sports to life-insurance sales'
Martin Seligman, researcher and director of clinical training at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and author of 'Learned Optimism', has developed an Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) which ranks individuals on an optimism-pessimism scale. In a longitudinal study of school children, those scoring highest for pessimism were most likely later to suffer depression. High scores for optimism are predictive of excellence in everything from sports to life-insurance sales (a finding that saved Metropolitan Life millions of dollars in personnel selection).
'Analysing campaign speeches for the prevalence of optimism, Seligman predicted the election winners'
Optimism wins votes as well. Analysing campaign speeches for the prevalence of optimism, Seligman predicted the winners of the 1988 presidential and Senate elections more accurately than veteran political forecasters.
'I used to be an agent of both truth and happiness,' says Seligman. 'That's still a central premise of most therapists. But research in our lab and others is increasingly challenging that view. Even when offered a monetary incentive for accuracy, optimists consistently overestimate their ability. Optimists have a set of self-serving illusions that enable them to maintain good cheer and health in a universe essentially indifferent to their welfare.
'Optimists are more resistant to infectious illness and are better at fending off chronic diseases of middle age'
Optimists are more resistant to infectious illness and are better at fending off chronic diseases of middle age. In one study, we looked at 96 men who had their first heart attack in 1980. Within eight years, 15 of the 16 most pessimistic men died of a second heart attack, but only five of the 16 most optimistic men died.
Good therapy for depression may entail bolstering a set of benign illusions. Depressed people may need to adopt the same self-serving illusions that most normal people hold. We can choose how we think. Styles of thinking can become habits. We can control our thoughts as we can our muscles.
'My goal would be to get that person to speak to him- or herself more kindly, the way a loving friend might'
Specifically, if something goes wrong, pessimists tend to have hopeless thoughts. They tell themselves, 'I'll never get it right,' or 'I always screw up,' or worse, they stamp themselves with a negative label - 'I'm a jerk.' My goal would be to get that person to speak to him- or herself more kindly, the way a loving friend might. The person might learn to say, 'Things didn't go well today, but I learned a lot from the experience, and I'll do better tomorrow.' Instead of negative labels like 'jerk', the pessimist would learn to say, 'Sometimes I'm not as considerate as I'd like to be, but overall, I'm a kind person.'
'My recommendation is to do something pleasurable that will distract you from your troubles'
My other advice for overcoming pessimism is not to ruminate about bad events that happen to you, at least not immediately afterwards. If your boss fires you or you fail an important exam, my recommendation is to do something pleasurable that will distract you from your troubles. I recommend fun distractions because studies show, if you think about problems in a negative frame of mind, you come up with fewer solutions. And you're likely to spiral into deeper depression. By boosting mood and self-esteem, people with pessimistic tendencies can break that cycle and free themselves to think more creatively.It takes most people a few weeks to get the knack, but once the technique is learned, the less likely they are to relapse. That's well documented.

A 'pathologically optimistic' genius

'Mozart was almost pathologically optimistic'
A psychological analysis of Mozart's correspondence shows that he was almost pathologically optimistic, with an exuberant self-confidence. Optimistic people who suffer setbacks tend to attribute them to external causes that are temporary and can be changed. Writing in The Psychologist, Professor Andrew Steptoe of St George's Hospital Medical School says that towards the end of Mozart's short life, when he suffered the deaths of four children, serious illnesses and repeated professional and financial disasters, his optimism actually rose.
This last paragraph is based on an item by Jeremy Laurance in The Times.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

10 Reasons  Why You’re Tired
  1. You’re under-stressed.  We all know stress can lead to fatigue, but research shows being too laid back can also make you tired. In short bursts, stress not only stimulates you, it helps boost your immune system. Try an acidity that takes you out of your comfort zone.
  2. You’re buzzed.  Researchers in Sweden found using a mobile phone an hour before your bed may interfere with sleep pattern and lead to less time in deeper sleep stages. “Keep electronic gadgets out of the bedroom.” Says associate professor Delwyn Bartlett, from the Woolcock institute’s sleep and circadian group.
  3. You’re dehydrated. Dehydration reduces your blood volume, making your heart work  harder so you feel tired. Dr Simon Floreani, chiropractors association of Australia president , says you should drink 30 ml of water a day for every kilo you weigh.
  4. You’re out of balance. “when your body is out of balance it puts stress on isolated areas.” Says Allan Mourad, director of the wellness club. ‘this places pressure on organs such as liver and kidneys, which cn be draining.” So make sure your lifestyle is healthy.
  5. Your liver is lack lustre. Scientist and Naturopath analysis course says an under-functioning liver could be responsible for unexplained exhaustion. “the liver is the main detoxifying organ in our body. If it’s overwhelmed or working incorrectly, your body will feel sluggish,achy, and lethargic.” Food liver foods include artichokes, beetroot, broccoli, garlic and onion.
  6. You lack vitamin C. “ vitamin C is critical when you are fatigued as a reluslt of prolonged stress, illness or surgery,” Course says. “adrenal glands generally support  us in times of stress, but they need vitamin C to keep fatigue at bay.” The recommended daily intake for adults is45 milligrams ( up to 60 mg when pregnant, and 85 mg  while breastfeeding) good sources include apples, broccoli, berries, asparagus, cabbage cauliflower, watermelon, citrus fruits, kiwifruit, fortified foods, dark leafy greens and tomatoes.  For  example,eat one banana(10.3mg) one apple(12 mg)and one tomato(25 mg) a day.
  7. You need magnesium.  “Low magnesium levels are one to fht most overlooked nutrient deficiencies and often result in symptoms similar to chronic fatigue syndrome,” Course says, “Magnesium becomes depleted by excess alcohol and the oral contraceptive pill.” Adults need 320 to 420mg per day. Try 6 brazil nuts (107mg) 100 grams of tuna (64mg), a cup of plain yoghurt(42mg) half acup of broccoli (16mg) one cob of corn(31mg) and a cup of greenbeans(99g). 
  8. Your alarm clock is wrong. “Having the same waking time each day is more important than the time you go to bed, as it communicates the end of your sleep cycle to your brain and body,”   Professor Bartlet says. This is why sleeping in for more than an hour on the weekend can mak you feel jet-lagged. The perfect waking time? According to our research , 7:22am is ideal.
  9. Your thyroid is under-active.  Your thyroid sets your metabolic rate, (the rate at which you burn food). If you are tired, sensitive to cold, forgetful, and have gained weight, see your doctor for a thyroid test.
  10. You’re exercising too much. Personal trainer Pete Tansley says: “Exercise releases seretonin and adenine, which help regulate sleep rhythms.”  Too little exercise and you miss out on these. But too much, particularly  at night, can lead to higher stress levels.  “exercise elevates the stress hormone cortisol, leaving you tired,” Tansley says.  “Stay clear of alcohol after exercise and have a routine to set your body up for sleep.

          for more information go to:  http://www.grasselhypnotherapy.com.au/

     I have lost my notes as to the original author of this article. If you are the author, please advise and I will give you full credit.
     

    Tuesday, November 22, 2011

    Diet Hints From Experts, Not Movie Stars

    Sugar is your # 1 enemy
    Eat breads made from rice, spelt, and sprouted grains.---not white, wheat, or whole meal bread/pasta/biscuits
    Eat millet & quinoa grains
    Eat sweet potatoes with a little butter & cinnamon
    Eat fruits & veggies: mix and match: try fruits in your salads, try veggies in a blender puréed fruit drink
    Fats ain’t fats. Some fats don’t make you fat. The right kinds of fats make you burn off existing fat from your body.  The right kinds of fats increase your metabolism.
    Eat the right kind of fats and you’ll burn fat. Eat the wrong kind of fats and you’ll store fat.
    Avoid: Hydrogenated oils, canola and vegetable oils, margarine, substitute fake butter products
    Eat these fats: Real butter, eggs, coconut oil, olive oil, avocados, nuts [it’s a misconception that saturated fats are bad for your health. These have no sugars, so they work well with your metabolism, to burn off unwanted, stored fat.

    Processed foods are enemy #2
    Most processed foods contain a lot of sugar. Most processed foods contain lots of chemicals to make it more tasty, salty, sweet, appealing to our taste buds.  Artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and processed soy products,
    Processed foods contain artificial colouring [inks/dyes] to make the food look more appealing.  Real beef is not bright red. Ask farmer who has butchered his own lifestock.
    Processed foods contain ‘anti-caking agents’ to keep things like flour from getting lumpy. Would you put ground up chalk in your porridge just to keep it from getting lumpy? I like lumpy foods.
    Manufacturers add preservative chemicals to make it last longer, like embalming fluids… would you buy a head of lettuce/ or a cucumber if it was brown and mushy? NO! 
    Read the ingredients label: is there anything you can’t pronounce? Don’t eat it if you can’t pronounce it. If you don’t know what it is, your body won’t know what to do with it either.
    Your liver: breaks down fats and filtering our harmful substances.  When your liver is filtering out all the artificial chemicals that your body doesn’t need, can’t use, then your liver is too busy to efficiently break down fats. If you had two big jobs to do each day and spent all your time and energy working on one, what would happen to the other job? It would just pile up.
    Simplest hint: only buy, only eat foods that contain only one ingredient.
    It’s not the number of calories that matters; it’s the quality fo food you are eating and the metabolic enhancing effect on your body.
    Just eliminate[stop ingesting] the bad stuff that your doesn’t need, can’t use and can’t process.

    Don’t worry about the calories. Worry about the sugar. Worry about the artificial additives.
    If you eat, well, actually WHEN you eat the right foods, you can eat a lot.  Did you ever hear anybody say about a thin person: “He eats like a horse and never gets fat.” Or “That kid must have hollow legs.”
    Calorie restriction may lead your body into ‘starvation mode’ where your body thinks you’re having a really big dry spell, so it saves up every bit of fat for emergencies…


    For more info on how to lose weight, slim down and tone up: see Grassel Hypnotherapy

    Friday, November 11, 2011

    Virtual Gastric Lap-band procedure WORKS!

    Did you ever hear of the patient that felt terrible for months after surgery?  They went back and the x-ray showed that the doctor had lost his wrist watch during surgery and it was inside the patient.   Sounds like an Urban Myth, but there are countless news articles about sponges, clamps, scalpels left inside. Ewww!  



    My virtual gastric lap-band program doesn't involve scalpels, blood, pain, anaesthesia, surgery, band-slippage, or risk of infection!

    It's a 6-session program over 6 weeks. First session is about 2 hours, and subsequent sessions go quicker, approximately an hour.
    The results start showing up within the first week, and build momentum as you go.

    How would you like to have accomplished your New Year's resolution before 31 Dec?  Great way to jump into the New Year!

    The investment in yourself is lots less than you think. And you could compare the cost of $10,000-17,000 for to the actual surgical procedure.


    Just give me a ring, and we can schedule your first visit! 

    ~ Michael  0434 351 584

    Friday, September 16, 2011

    Famous Users of Hypnosis

         Hypnosis is a rapidly growing, effective and popular healing technique that is in the mainstream of society today.

         Here are just a few people you may have heard of that have used and are presently using hypnosis for many purposes such as smoking cessation, weight loss, stage fright, confidence, sports enhancement, improved acting abilities and much more...
        

    Ellen
    Talk Show Host
    Quit Smoking with Hypnosis



    Sylvester Stallone
    Actor / Writer



    Michael Jackson
    Singer




    Pittsburg Steelers
    2009 Super bowl
    Winners



    Matt Damon
    Actor
    Quit Smoking with Hypnosis




    Jimmy Connors
    Sports Enhancement




    Billy Joel
    Singer
    Quit Smoking with Hypnosis



    Albert Einstein
    Greatest mind that lived




    Mark Phelps
    Won 12
    Olympic Gold Medals




    Sigmund Freud
    Conducted hypnosis
      
    Drew Barrimore
    Actress
    Quit Smoking with Hypnosis



    Kevin Kostner
    Actor
    On the set of Water World



    Thomas Edison
    Inventor



    Brittney Spears
    Singer



    Henry Ford
    Founder Ford Motor Co.




    Jack Nicklaus
    Sports Enhancement



    Ben Afflek
    Actor



    Tiger Woods
    Sports Enhancement



    Nikola Tesla
    Inventor



    Mark Knopfler
    Rock Musician



    Helen Reddy
    Singer
    "I am woman"
    Now a Hypnotherapist



    Winston Churchill
    Prime Minister



    Jackie Onasis Kennedy
    Wife of John F. Kennedy


     and now ... YOU