Tips to Deal with Anxiety

Good evening dearest...

I usually write during the night or during the afternoon.
Then I either post at the moment or allow Blogger to do its magic.
There is this subject...that I felt unconfortable in the past to talk about.

It is night over here and I chose to write out what I was thinking about
It is a quite personal post.

Anxiety.
Again... Anxiety.

Okay, better this way, with smaller font.
I considered anxiety to be something that held me back for some years.
As a matter of fact, it gave me quite some headaches.

I must admit, I still haven't fully tamed this
But I am starting to find ways to cope and deal with it.

NOTE : Anxiety does not have to be a monster!
In a normal situation, it is acceptable or «normal» to feel nervous and worried

(To feel alarmed/nervous/insecure is a mechanism of the human being
To be aware of risks, to be grounded and focused to his/her surroundings)

BUT when it affects and disturbs your life, whether socially or psychologically
It is time to react and seek help!

POV :
When I am anxious I tend to think too much and barely function.
With these wrongs... :

«What if...?» , «I should have done/said (usually added with «more») » , 

«I could have done» , «What will happen?»

«It was my fault» , «I was not good enough» , 

«I am not ready for this...» , «I cannot do» ...and so on...

Over and over again...

Are few examples I can give out to you.
I found and sorted out some ways to deal with it
And other ways/tips to ease my mind.

When I get TOO anxious, my stomach aches
and I honestly feel like I want to cry.
Other times, eating and sleeping gets affected.
We don't have to live like this!

So I rushed to seek help and advice...
Oh and found out some ways to deal with this on my own.

What I do...not in any particular order

1. Think about good moments.
Anyone who you deeply love or inspires you greatly.
Someone you held dearly to your heart.

2. Have a lucky charm.
I once went to a store and a black stone caught my attention.
Onix. So I bought it and ever since, I carry it along with me.
In my pocket and near me when I am going to sleep.

3. Light up a candle once in a while.
Stare at the flame, keep an eye on it.
Just sitting and connecting with your «self»
Or even, thanking for the day.

4. I have...conquered . I have...achieved .
I confess I am still slowly adapting to this way of thought
Due to the fact that I had these negative thoughts
And reversed thinking pattern for so many years
That it is hard (NOT IMPOSSIBLE) to change.
It will take time, but I believe! I am trying this !

So the tip on point number 4 is to,
At the end of the day to say or think to yourself :

TODAY , I have conquered... (fill in) . 

TODAY , I have achieved... (fill in).

It does not matter if it was a silly or small achievement.
What matters is that your mind gain focus on that type of thoughts
So that it may feel at peace whether it is at night, before going to bed
Or whenever you need so.

An example : 

TODAY , 
I have conquered my goal of making through the day and learning properly.

TODAY , 
I have achieved what I had planned : to write for this blog.

5. RESCUE Thought.
When I am really, really anxious and I have the chance
I usually go to my bed and just stay there.
And try to breathe. Slowly...

Then , (can be a solution in other cases and combined to 5) 
I think to myself over and over and over again
As many times as needed , this :

« IT IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT »

« IT IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT »

« IT IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT »

« IT IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT »

« IT IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT »

NOTE : 
Thoughts are very powerful and can have a strong influence in us.
We have to reverse them, in case they are harmful.

6. Balance and Organize.
I know that something either unknown
Or unexpected is more likely to cause anxiety.
Now and then you can learn to organize your thoughts
Or your projects. That will help you deal with insecurities.

You can organize at a) mind or b) by writing out.
It can be used once in a while as a guideline or resource.

If you know what you have to do or what you will say
(for presentations) you will feel slightly less nervous
By practicing too (you can try in front of a mirror, for instance)
Presentations will become something simple.
Achievement? Your confidence will boost!

7. Write out or Talk out
I used to write my heart out or talk out with someone when I felt anxious.
It helped too... However, now
I am trying by myself to find ways (mentioned above) to cope.

8. Letting it all out
Lastly, if I do feel like I want to cry, I do cry.
If I get nervous to that point, I will...
It is better to become aware of this
Than to let those emotions burst and get out of control.

9. Reading
Reading can prove to be relaxing.
Choose your favorites
Or maybe you can choose to read a diferent type of book
One that you usually don't read.
Or you can pick Self Improvement or Guidance books.

This was my POV and Tips for the moment.
I shall add new tips from time to time
Feel free to add any suggestions or even contact us, if you would like.

Wishing you all best.

Depression - Meds, recent POV

Good afternoon, everyone.

It has been a while since I last wrote about Depression.
I was quite skeptical on this matter [using meds for Depression]
Truth is, I feared the unknown and the past experience was not pleasant.

I grew impatient for any results or improvements to arrive.
Which did not happen as I was not able to give time to it as well.

Note : If you are reading me, this is only my point of view regarding this
However, the right medicine for me , might not be the right for you and so on.
If you are experiencing depression, besides reading
(Which is one step already!) I advise you to seek professional help
Whether it is from a psychologist or a psychiatrist, Hospital or natural alternatives.

I would also like to add and ask you not to rush things as I did.
We all aim for a solution to our problems. I know.
I have been through it. I been through ups and downs, highs and lows, «hell and back».

But I am here. And so are you.
I have plenty to write and tell right now, at this very moment.

My point of View
[...] I decided to go to my family doctor as I was feeling very anxious
and had trouble sleeping and eating (due to stomache aches, too).

She prescribed me sleeping pills, an antidepressant and some meds for my stomache.
I started taking one antidepressant [....... toLife] it says.
I was already aware some side effects, while others took me for surprise.

OUTCOME :
Over three weeks have passed since I started treatment
The first days and until at least half of the second week I felt ill as in, nausea...
I lost appetite and 5kgs at the time. I continued to have trouble sleeping.
Some even said I was reaching the point of exhaustion.

But I kept on this treatment and held on onto it.
Plus I was still having appointments at a local psychology college
Giving up was and is not an option. Ever.

So I mainly took the decision of finding ways, tools, resources to relax.
To send any traces of anxiety away. I had to learn to wait.
Because I found out that if I was not that anxious,
I was going to be able to eat and sleep properly, with time.

Afterwards, I am still having a bit of trouble with eating
But my goal is to gain the weight again
Besides feeling better in all the other aspects of Life.
I noticed that I have been feeling calm and I am gaining energy again.
It is getting easier to sleep.

I am hoping to be back on track, renewed.
That and all the other steps I took ,
I shall leave them for another post.

Blessings.

Relationships - Expectations

Good evening everyone ,

I usually since I started to post on Tuesdays and Fridays,
I wasn't making posts in other days.
BUT today is a holiday here and I decided to make an exception.
For today (and somewhat related to the post "Treasure" on Life´s Advice)
I chose Expectations. There is more than meets the eye.
I am going to share a story with you, about my current therapy.

I go once per week at a local college of Psychology where we talk
And sometimes we have some exercises and there I gained more tools to deal with life.
I am always learning and open for changes. (Will tell more in other posts)

Therefore, the first step was to recognize a problem or a possible situation happening.
In my case, carrying high expectations had proven to be devastating.
So I told her. (The situation will be told below, I promise)

And it is, specially when one has such high expectations,
That anything the other people do isn't enough.
It never seems enough.

So I thought about the issue itself and there may a reason for it.
Lack of self esteem or affection.
Personally, if we have low self esteem
People can help us, can try to heal those wounds
But we have to find love inside of us too.
And that can prove to be quite a chalenge.

SITUATION :
I arrived to college and I had high expectations
« I am going to feel fine after this, it is all that I want and I hope it doesn't take much time »
My thoughts exactly. Then, more and more expectations were added.

I wanted so badly to feel refreshed and changed
For my loved one, for my family, for my friends
That I unconsciously overwhelmed everything with expectations.
Plus, neglected myself. I thought about nothing else.
And I was growing inpatient!

Outcome : 
Instead of draining my energy on thoughts as, for example :
«It has to be good» , «I have to feel okay» , «TODAY I have to tell x , y and z»

(They become warmful because in those cases
You are organizing things so much OR forcing something to happen
Even if it is only in your mind.
Even if it is with a good intention,
Things don't always work out the way we want)

When I stopped carrying such expectations...I NOTICED!

And if at least you throw some of them away
You will feel the diference, I guarantee.

(Because those can and seriously warm your relationships 
And you can lead yourself to disapointment
Instead it is better to be surprised through out life!)

...I just thought of nothing and went there
As in « Appointment today , we'll see how this goes »

My goal and the goal of the psychologist is for me to improve as a person.
However, there are ups and downs.
When we feel happy, unhappy, tired, annoyed, and so on...

I still want to feel fine and be the best I can be for the ones I love,
And I know I am going to reach what I have planned!
But I am not carrying the weight of the expectations with me.
I will let the appointments take their course and take one step at a time instead.

Blessings.

Relationships - Expectations

Good evening everyone ,

I usually since I started to post on Tuesdays and Fridays,
I wasn't making posts in other days.
BUT today is a holiday here and I decided to make an exception.
For today (and somewhat related to the post "Treasure" on Life´s Advice)
I chose Expectations. There is more than meets the eye.
I am going to share a story with you, about my current therapy.

I go once per week at a local college of Psychology where we talk
And sometimes we have some exercises and there I gained more tools to deal with life.
I am always learning and open for changes. (Will tell more in other posts)

Therefore, the first step was to recognize a problem or a possible situation happening.
In my case, carrying high expectations had proven to be devastating.
So I told her. (The situation will be told below, I promise)

And it is, specially when one has such high expectations,
That anything the other people do isn't enough.
It never seems enough.

So I thought about the issue itself and there may a reason for it.
Lack of self esteem or affection.
Personally, if we have low self esteem
People can help us, can try to heal those wounds
But we have to find love inside of us too.
And that can prove to be quite a chalenge.

SITUATION :
I arrived to college and I had high expectations
« I am going to feel fine after this, it is all that I want and I hope it doesn't take much time »
My thoughts exactly. Then, more and more expectations were added.

I wanted so badly to feel refreshed and changed
For my loved one, for my family, for my friends
That I unconsciously overwhelmed everything with expectations.
Plus, neglected myself. I thought about nothing else.
And I was growing inpatient!

Outcome : 
Instead of draining my energy on thoughts as, for example :
«It has to be good» , «I have to feel okay» , «TODAY I have to tell x , y and z»

(They become warmful because in those cases
You are organizing things so much OR forcing something to happen
Even if it is only in your mind.
Even if it is with a good intention,
Things don't always work out the way we want)

When I stopped carrying such expectations...I NOTICED!

And if at least you throw some of them away
You will feel the diference, I guarantee.

(Because those can and seriously warm your relationships 
And you can lead yourself to disapointment
Instead it is better to be surprised through out life!)

...I just thought of nothing and went there
As in « Appointment today , we'll see how this goes »

My goal and the goal of the psychologist is for me to improve as a person.
However, there are ups and downs.
When we feel happy, unhappy, tired, annoyed, and so on...

I still want to feel fine and be the best I can be for the ones I love,
And I know I am going to reach what I have planned!
But I am not carrying the weight of the expectations with me.
I will let the appointments take their course and take one step at a time instead.

Blessings.

Life´s Advice - Treasure

Greetings, my readers.

One lesson to learn is that we have to give value to other people.
Because, we may be giving attencion to ones who are not actually there when needed.
At all. We might be expecting too much or even,
Overload others with (often unrealistic) demands.

ALSO and very important too...
We are probably missing out much
And losing the ones we love the most because of those.

How much do words carry in value , over time ?
Quite a part of value, but not all of of it
Atitude means way more, to run that extra mile, to call your significant other
To do crazy things.
To text, to message that person and let him/her know that you are there.
To wait.
To have the guts to change and admit the wrongs, and turn those flaws around.

Because I , you , we are human.
We all make mistakes.
We are not perfect
We all carry regrets along
But what makes the diference is to actually change and fulfill that promise.

P.S.: I promise you, W.

Blessed be.

Life Asks - Procter and Gamble TESTS?

Good afternoon, dearest.

I have sent a email directly to Procter and Gamble about if they test or not in Animals
I asked (and hoped) for a clear answer from them.
So here goes :

Dear consumer,

Thank you for your email concerning P&G and research involving animals.

P&G is committed to eliminate testing involving animals for consumer product safety. Research involving animals is a last resort and is only considered once every other reasonable option has been exhausted. The vast majority of our tests do not use animals. Whenever possible, we use computer models, synthetic materials, published scientific studies and what our consumers tell us about the products they use. We seek input from the world's leading experts to continuously improve our approach, and have stopped working with researchers who do not meet our high
measures.

Our Company continues to foster independent review of our standards and inspection of our facilities by leaders in the field of animal care. We are a leader in alternatives to animal testing, investing more than $190 million and helping to develop more than 50 proven alternative methods. We collaborate with governments and academia to promote acceptance of alternatives. We actively share our discoveries so that others can benefit from our progress, and our work has appeared in more than 300 scientific publications. We approach our research with respect, openness and responsibility by using animals as a last resort, working with animal welfare organizations and ensuring high standards of care.

If you would like more information about this important issue, please visit us at www.pg.com.

In exceptional circumstances, when there may be a shortage of raw materials, it is possible that, from time to time, we may have to resort to using ingredients derived from other sources.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Kind regards,

Serviço de Apoio ao Consumidor
P&G Portugal

World - Petitions

Good morning my readers,

I chose for today a selection of websites with Petitions
There are quite some causes and you can even create your own petitions!

The one I use the most , from Care2.com
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/

NOTE.: You can login with your Facebook profile, too.

Others you can look at...
- http://www.ipetitions.com/
- http://www.change.org/petition
- http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/
- http://www.causes.com/

You can also check out Greenpeace's Website and PETA's Website if they have any petitions,
However, I recommend it as it has many tips and advice :

Some petitions that Greenpeace is doing/are related to them:

- http://www.savethearctic.org/

- http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cleanourcloud/petition/

- http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/en/take-action/Take-action-online/No-New-Oil-or-Coal/

- http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/agriculture/problem/genetic-engineering/hands-off-our-rice/hands-off-our-rice/

- http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans/marine-reserves/marine-reserves-pledge/


Hope this was helpful.

Take care...*

Life Asks - Herbalife TESTS?

Hello everyone !

It was turn to ask to HERBALIFE how are their procedures...and if animals are involved in it.

​

Good afternoon.

I have some questions for HERBALIFE on which I would like to have an honest and clear answer upon. 

Does HERBALIFE conduct animal testing or not?

And do you sell products to China?

Life

The message was submitted and I am currently waiting for their answer.

Despite of receiving an answer or not, I shall post how it all went in this post.

UPDATE : I received the answer today at the 19th of March.

------

Hello Life,

Thank you for contacting Herbalife. With respect to your inquiry:

Good afternoon. I have some questions for Herbalife on which I would like to have an honest and clear answer upon. Does Herbalife conduct animal testing or not? And do you sell products to China? Regards from a concerned consumer, Life.

Although animal testing is commonly used to test household preparations, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals for human use, Herbalife’s policy is not to test any of its finished products, including food, cosmetics and dietary supplements on animals, except when there is a specific regulatory requirement. When animal testing is mandatory, any company selling similar products in the country would need to do identical testing. Herbalife does sell products in China and mandatory animal testing regulatory requirements do affect some products registered in China. We encourage you to contact our local Distributor Relations office for more personalized answers to your questions at:

Herbalife (China) Health Products Ltd.

4801-4805, Raffles City

No. 268 Xizang Road Central

P.O. Box 200001

DISTRIBUTOR RELATIONS

Phone: 86-021-6103-3777

Fax: 86-021-6340-3152

BUSINESS HOURS

Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm

Thank you again for contacting us. Have a healthy day!

Best regards,

Joel

The Team at Herbalife International
NutritionEducation@herbalife.com

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER - All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions.  We cannot and do not give you medical advice.  This information is not intended to replace the advice of your personal medical professional.

-----------------------

Wishing you all a great week ***

School - Presentations

Good morning , my readers

For today I decided to share with you a little something,
I had an assignment about any topic we would like out of magazines.
Our trainer gave us magazines and told us to pick an article and subject
to make a powerpoint presentation about.

A article about Activism and Greenpeace caught my eye
I decided to go further and do the assignment about Animal Cruelty
(Still wondering if I should share the presentation or not!)
Plus we all had to speak during the whole presentation in English
(Not my main language but can I surely consider it my second language)

So...
1. I gathered the material and wrote text (of my own), 
2. Searched for relevant information and then divided it.
3. Tried to create the presentation to cause impact and raise awareness.
4. Added some effects and finished it.

I confess that I was a little nervous since it was a heavy yet sensitive topic.
Yet, I chose to go ahead and do my presentation first.
I had to do it and waiting more and more would make me feel anxious, later on.

I wasn't sure how the rest of the class would react.
It was shocking for them, yet I know that the goal was reached :
To raise awareness.

«We may seem like little drops of the ocean
But each one of us CAN make the difference»

«We CAN choose what we want to buy, eat and use
And we have the right to KNOW the truth»

I am sharing this for you to know that :

• We CAN always face our fears and insecurities;
• We CAN make part of causes, any cause we wish as long as we are willing to do so;
• It can all go alright and people's reactions CAN surprise you.

I was also really happy to have done this assignment.
It was VERY interesting and learned much from doing it!
Plus, it was a great occasion to establish a little debate
About Animal Cruelty/Animal Testing.

My questions were:

1. Do you pay attention while you are buying make up, food or care products 
if they are cruelty free ot not? 

2. Have you ever took action to help animals? If so, how?



I decided to leave them here for you to answer as well.
Take care!

Life Asks - AVON and Animal Testing

BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO LIFE ASKS :

Good afternoon,
Since I have been getting more and more involved
On gathering information and knowledge about animal testing
About which companies TEST and DO NOT TEST, to be exact.

Clarity, honesty and actual facts is what we aim for. The TRUTH.
With everything thought through,

I have decided to open a new space for these type of topics called «Life Asks»
Hope you like it. And feel welcome to drop by and leave a comment!

~ Life

--- FIRST POST --- 

Original Message Follows: ------------------------

Good afternoon.



May I be known as Life.


I have some questions for AVON Company
On which I would like to have an honest and clear answer :


Does or Does not AVON conduct animal testing?


And does AVON sell its products to China?


I have my concerns about animals and their rights as a human being and as a consumer. And if it is true, I shall not buy AVON's products any longer. Finally, I would like to ask you to think through about this (very important) matter.


Respectfully,

------------------------

I had an answer, afterwards (automatic reply, I suppose) by the company telling me :

We have received your message.  We will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible. 
[If it's over the weekend, please be aware it could take up to 48 hours for us to respond.]


A few hours later, I received the actual reply :

Hello xxxxxx,

Thank you for your email sharing your concerns.  There is some misinformation circulating about our company?s commitment and actions regarding animal welfare, and we appreciate the opportunity to offer some clarity.

Avon does not conduct animal testing in order to ensure that any of its products are safe.  In fact, Avon was the first major cosmetics company to end animal testing on products more than 20 years ago.

Avon markets products and offers economic opportunity in over 100 countries.  As we have stated publicly for many years, including on our corporate website, some products may be required by law in a few countries to undergo additional testing for regulatory purposes at the direction of a government agency, and this may include animal testing.  In those circumstances when testing is required, Avon always attempts to persuade the requesting authority to accept non-animal test data. When those attempts are unsuccessful, we must comply with such local requirements.   This is an issue facing all global beauty companies -- we are not alone in this dilemma and we continue to push for alternate measures.

Why don't we stop selling our products there?

For more than 125 years Avon has served as an agent of positive change for women?s empowerment, animal welfare, human rights, environmental sustainability, diversity, and many other critical issues.  When faced with challenging situations around the world on any of these issues, our commitment is to remain in the countries affected and work to bring about change, such as the acceptance of non-animal testing methods in China.  Abandoning a market does not help bring about a solution.

Specific to animal welfare, Avon has worked to advance alternatives to animal testing for decades. Avon serves on the Scientific Advisory Panel of The Institute of the In Vitro Sciences, Inc. (IIVS), a non-profit research and testing organization dedicated to the advancement of in vitro (non-animal) methods worldwide.  We understand that PETA is also partnering with IIVS.  Additionally, Avon continues to support research into alternatives conducted by the Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (FRAME) in the United Kingdom and the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing at Johns Hopkins University in the US.  Avon is a Founding Sponsor of the American Society for Cellular Computational Toxicology. In addition, Avon works closely on this issue with other companies in the Beauty industry through the US Personal Care Products Council and the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing.

You can be confident that Avon shares your commitment to animal welfare. Respect for animal welfare is a cornerstone of Avon?s product safety philosophy, and Avon continues to actively work to advance the use of alternatives to animal testing worldwide.

Sincerely,
Tod Arbogast
Vice President, Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility



NOTE : I have put here the content without alterations.
The xxxxxx is only a replacement for my real name ,
As the company decided to treat me for my real name instead of just Life.

Final note (posted on our Facebook page, too) : 

Note about Life Asks topics :

With this new approach on knowledge, activism and having clear answers
from firms that conduct animal testing.
My goal is to make people think/reflect about what fashion,
cosmetic and personal care firms are doing and conducting
Know what is behind scenes and know how they are acting, overall.

With this, I want you to know that the final decision of purchasing a product or not
is only yours and yours, alone.

Peace be with you,

~ Life