1. Count down from 60
Why? Focusing on something other then the stressor helps you relax a bit.
2. Eat fruit
Why? They release some serotonin and give you a burst of energy. Prunes are great for this.
3. Play with a toy
Why? Giving your hands something to do keeps your mind off anxiety.
4. Hug someone
Why? It reminds you that someone loves you.
5. Pretend you're on a trampoline
Why? It'll give you a bit of adreneline and make you laugh.
6. Daydream
Why? Your mind will be on a mental vacation so your body can become less tense.
7. Laugh
Why? It'll help you lighten up.
8. Freewrite
Why? It'll help you pin-point what's on your mind so you can take action.
9. Chew gum
Why? People who chew gum 4 days a week have reduced stress levels.
10. Focus on your breath
Why? You can relax your body and realize the stress isn't as important as the little things in life that make you happy.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Why do we always want to have the opposite of what we DO have?
Why do we always want to be the opposite of what we are?
Why is there a constant need for more (or less in some cases)?
Well...there is no complete answer. The best I can find and come up with, is that humankind is continually looking for new ways to achieve completeness. As a young child you may have asked a million questions every day. Why? Not only because you wanted to know the answer, but also so you could improve yourself and be able to ask other intelligent questions. The same goes for you as an adult (or any age really). Now you might be wondering, Why would I want to be Complete? Well not complete in the sense that you have 2 legs, 2 arms, 1 nose and so on. Complete as in, you have everything you ever wanted, wished for, or dreamt of. This not only includes tangible items, it can include intangible items like knowledge, or a certain skill.
If you believe in evolution, another reason to you might be that we are continually striving to stay alive and continue reproducing. As for any organism, mainly humans I'm talking about here, we always look for the negatives. Since it doesn't appear we're going to be going extinct any time soon, maybe we should lighten up. During the days of dinosaurs, hunting and gathering and hanging around caves all day we always had to make sure we wouldn't die. For most people, this is still the same. Many are afraid of death (as they should be..) so that they can continue to reproduce and keep the species alive. By recognizing negatives, we're able to keep them away or at least stop them from effecting our current lives. It's hardwired into our brains to continue recognizing the negatives, but we really have to stop.
Of course, not everything is going to be perfect. It never will be. But that shouldn't stop us from striving for it, right? Wrong. It's okay to an extent, but if you're suffering from perfectionism, it's time to stop and get help.
Back to the main idea, Why do we always want the opposite of what we have? Well, sometimes it appears to be the opposite but it's not really. It's just a different version of what we have. If the theory that there are an infinite number of other galaxy's like ours, all with absolute different outcomes, then it's true that somewhere you have gotten what you really wanted. Maybe it just wasn't...you that got it. Just a different version of you.
Any questions about my rambling? Any comments? I'd be happy to hear them.
Why do we always want to be the opposite of what we are?
Why is there a constant need for more (or less in some cases)?
Well...there is no complete answer. The best I can find and come up with, is that humankind is continually looking for new ways to achieve completeness. As a young child you may have asked a million questions every day. Why? Not only because you wanted to know the answer, but also so you could improve yourself and be able to ask other intelligent questions. The same goes for you as an adult (or any age really). Now you might be wondering, Why would I want to be Complete? Well not complete in the sense that you have 2 legs, 2 arms, 1 nose and so on. Complete as in, you have everything you ever wanted, wished for, or dreamt of. This not only includes tangible items, it can include intangible items like knowledge, or a certain skill.
If you believe in evolution, another reason to you might be that we are continually striving to stay alive and continue reproducing. As for any organism, mainly humans I'm talking about here, we always look for the negatives. Since it doesn't appear we're going to be going extinct any time soon, maybe we should lighten up. During the days of dinosaurs, hunting and gathering and hanging around caves all day we always had to make sure we wouldn't die. For most people, this is still the same. Many are afraid of death (as they should be..) so that they can continue to reproduce and keep the species alive. By recognizing negatives, we're able to keep them away or at least stop them from effecting our current lives. It's hardwired into our brains to continue recognizing the negatives, but we really have to stop.
Of course, not everything is going to be perfect. It never will be. But that shouldn't stop us from striving for it, right? Wrong. It's okay to an extent, but if you're suffering from perfectionism, it's time to stop and get help.
Back to the main idea, Why do we always want the opposite of what we have? Well, sometimes it appears to be the opposite but it's not really. It's just a different version of what we have. If the theory that there are an infinite number of other galaxy's like ours, all with absolute different outcomes, then it's true that somewhere you have gotten what you really wanted. Maybe it just wasn't...you that got it. Just a different version of you.
Any questions about my rambling? Any comments? I'd be happy to hear them.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Synethesia
Bouba/kiki Effect
-test that showed the human brain is somehow able to extract abstract properties from the shapes and sounds. (You can look it up if you want to know more)
Very much so like Synethesia, which is, according to Wikipedia, is a neurologically based phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.
Mainly, Synethesia occurs naturally, where an individual thinks of one thing, and relates or associates it to other things that are completely unrelated. It's a usually pleasant phenomenon, but some say that it can cause sensory overload.
(Personally) This relates to the way we use colors and sounds in chorus. Lighter tones are happier, more free. Darker tones are a bit more bogged down, heavier, strong. Both can be used in good ways, but it depends on the mood of the song. Thus, emotion, color, and sound are all engaged in unrelated ways. We can sing a song in a light color, (usually a light blue) or in a dark color (midnight blue). It's very effective and most members of the chorus can hear the difference.
A totally different look at In sound → color Synesthesia, would include seeing different colors, like fire engine red or a calm light blue when listening to music. One might report seeing a gold sounds coming out of a harp, without even seeing the harp.
In case this isn't made clear, Synethesia is when a person actually sees the color and associates it with the certain topic/subject. Sometimes they report seeing it with their 'third eye' and only in their mind, but some say it is almost hallucinatory-like. Another interesting fact is that Synethesia isn't related to any psychological issues or diagnoses. Because most say it's pleasant or neutral occurrence and that it doesn't bother them, most don't know it's happening, or that there's a name for it. Despite it not being a problem for those that have it, Synethesia is being studied. Most who have it consider it a gift and do not see it as a disorder or problem for them.
So why does this occur?
It's not known quite yet. I'll keep you updated though =]
-test that showed the human brain is somehow able to extract abstract properties from the shapes and sounds. (You can look it up if you want to know more)
Very much so like Synethesia, which is, according to Wikipedia, is a neurologically based phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.
Mainly, Synethesia occurs naturally, where an individual thinks of one thing, and relates or associates it to other things that are completely unrelated. It's a usually pleasant phenomenon, but some say that it can cause sensory overload.
(Personally) This relates to the way we use colors and sounds in chorus. Lighter tones are happier, more free. Darker tones are a bit more bogged down, heavier, strong. Both can be used in good ways, but it depends on the mood of the song. Thus, emotion, color, and sound are all engaged in unrelated ways. We can sing a song in a light color, (usually a light blue) or in a dark color (midnight blue). It's very effective and most members of the chorus can hear the difference.
A totally different look at In sound → color Synesthesia, would include seeing different colors, like fire engine red or a calm light blue when listening to music. One might report seeing a gold sounds coming out of a harp, without even seeing the harp.
In case this isn't made clear, Synethesia is when a person actually sees the color and associates it with the certain topic/subject. Sometimes they report seeing it with their 'third eye' and only in their mind, but some say it is almost hallucinatory-like. Another interesting fact is that Synethesia isn't related to any psychological issues or diagnoses. Because most say it's pleasant or neutral occurrence and that it doesn't bother them, most don't know it's happening, or that there's a name for it. Despite it not being a problem for those that have it, Synethesia is being studied. Most who have it consider it a gift and do not see it as a disorder or problem for them.
So why does this occur?
It's not known quite yet. I'll keep you updated though =]
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