 More and more children are turning up clinically depressed these days. For the most part, you can blame brain chemistry imbalance for it. But you can put the rest of the blame on their inability to cope with negative emotions.
If you're not willing to make your kid take antidepressants at an early age, why not lower his chances of becoming clinically depressed by teaching him how to endure through stress-coping techniques.
How do you do this? First you have to establish the fact that trials and conflicts are a normal part of life. Make sure that your kids understand that everybody goes through hardships of different kinds and that they shouldn't think that they're the only one suffering.
Next, teach them ways to cope with their feelings - journalling, drawing, singing, or playing an instrument - whatever eases their mind. Tell them that talking to friends can be just as effective too.
By teaching your children multiple ways of coping with stress and hardships, they'll be able to deal with the pressure even when you're not around to hold their hand. Also, you've pretty much cut down your child's risk of developing depression by half.
By: Abbey Grace Yap
 We go on our daily lives thinking that there's nothing wrong with our lifestyle. But the truth is, a lot of our habits contribute to our risk of developing anxiety disorders and depression.
Which habits are these? Let me cite some for you: - Procrastination. We like putting off doing stuff for later thinking that we'll have enough time to finish it. However, by the time we decide that we want to get right on the task, it's already too late and we start cramming. The pressure of finishing the task on time could add to stress which can lead to heightened feelings of anxiety.
- Overthinking. A lot of people have a tendency to over-analyze stuff, often to the point of reading into nothing. People who overthink often feel sad when they don't need to, get over-excited when there's no reason to, or feel paranoid over nothing. Again, the stress could increase your risk of feeling anxious or depressed.
How about you, could you name other habits that up our chances of developing depression or anxiety disorders?
By: Abbey Grace Yap
 With stress being the primary contributor to a lot of psychological conditions, it's only necessary that we learn coping techniques that prevent ourselves from becoming victims of stress.
No matter what the source of your stress is, there are sure-fire ways to relieve the stress at the end of the day.
1.Exercise. Cap your day with an hour or two worth of exercise. Working out has been known to increase the amount of feel-good hormones in the brain. The happier you are, the less you get bothered by stress.
2.Enjoy a long, warm bath. Warm water has been known to have a relaxing effect on the body. You can enhance the calming effect even more by using aroma-therapeutic oils.
3.Eat healthily. Choosing foods rich in vitamins A and B complex can significantly help you fight off the effects of stress.
4.Do yoga. This meditative exercise offers both physical and mental relaxation during times of stress.
Remember that the more you fuzz over stress, the more you allow it to affect your well-being. Hopefully, with these tips, you'll be able to defeat stress and lead a happy life in no time.
By: Abbey Grace Yap
 I recently stopped by the grocery and found myself staring at a pack of Nori, thinking about whether or not I should buy it or not. I ended up buying it and using it for home-made sushi.
While we were eating, my friends told me that they don't like Nori at all. I wanted them to understand why I was so in love with this vegetable so I shared with them the many health benefits of eating Nori.
Nori is rich in vitamins and minerals. It's a great source of vitamins A, B2, C, potassium, and magnesium, making it a very nutritious snack.
LIke all leafy vegetables, Nori is high in fiber. Snacking on Nori will help in better waste excretion in your digestive system. Just be careful not to eat too much.
Nori is a low-fat food. Even then, the fatty acid it contains are very healthy. This makes the sea vegetable a wise snack choice.
The Japanese have been enjoying these benefits for a long, long time, I think it's time we jump in on it too. Don't you think it's time we get started learning to cook with Nori?
Author: Abbey Grace Yap
 A friend recently told me that I have a problem letting go of mementos and it somehow mirrors how I am emotionally. They say I'm prone to carrying emotional baggages.
You can say that this spring, I've decided to do something to change this. I've decided to do some spring cleaning. But this won't be just to do away with things that I don't need. I'll be doing some mental and emotional spring cleaning too.
Mental health professionals have stood by the fact that de-cluttering helps in letting go of stress and emotional baggage. You can do it by arranging your stuff in an organized manner or by losing unnecessary items altogether, whichever helps.
If you're like me, it's going to be a bit hard to let go of stuff that you've held on to for forever. But you've got to face the fact that it's time to bid adieu to things and feelings that are weighing you down.
Author: Abbey Grace Yap
 People suffer from different levels of depression and require different treatments. Some opt to go with therapy and medications, while some choose yoga and meditation instead. Are there any other option? I've heard about color therapy from some friends and didn't really think much of it until I've thought about how colors have an effect on how we feel. So there might just be some truth behind this treatment after all, I thought.
Color therapy, also known as chromatherapy is an alternative treatment that uses different colors to help balance our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy. Here are some of the colors that can help ease one's depression: - Orange is said to represent the sun which lights the whole world up. The color is said to have a mood improving effect.
- Blue represents tranquil waters. This color has been noted to have a calming effect which can also address other issues associated with depression like insomnia and anxiety.
- Violet is yet another calming color. Said to be effective in soothing the nervous system, it can induce muscle relaxation and meditation as well.
If you were to choose a color to beat your depression, what would it be?Author: Abbey Grace Yap
 Nothing depresses me more than finding myself stuck in a rut. I despise feeling helpless and lost whenever I find myself going nowhere.
This dislike has lead me to find ways to get myself out of the rut. I have to, otherwise I'll be stuck wallowing at how I'm going around in circles. So let me share some of the trick I've found that actually worked to get me back on track:
Find what inspires you. Is it your family, your friends, your hobbies? You have to determine what makes you more creative and use it to fuel your drive.
Map your way to your goal. Visualize the steps you gotta take to get to your goal. Think of it as short-term goals that you'll have to fulfill one by one until you reach the finish line.
Give it your heart, mind, and body. You need to be one with yourself when you choose to step off the rut you've been stuck in, otherwise it is all for naught.
Lastly, learn to be thankful. Appreciate something in your life and see how big a difference it can have on your mood.
Author: Abbey Grace Yap
 Each person is different from the other. Thus, we have different ways of expressing ourselves as well as different ways of making ourselves feel better.
Where others find solace in running, I find mind in music. Whenever I feel like I'm down, putting on a happy tune puts a smile back in my face. When I'm feeling troubled, mild and mellow music calms my thoughts.
On a scientific note, studies have shown that music has a physical effect on us, it can affect our heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, even amplify our brain waves depending on the rhythm or tempo of the music we're listening to.
Furthermore, listening to music that has 60 beats per minute can actually trigger both the left and the right hemispheres of the brain, thereby bringing out the brain's full potential for absorbing and retaining new information.
So, it's soothing and memory enhancing. Isn't that a winning combination. I'm already enjoying one half of music's benefits, how about you?
Author: Abbey Grace Yap
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 If there's one thing that easily induces anxiety and depression in a relationship, it's arguing. All the yelling and arguing make couples feel paranoid about a lot of things.
But what if you're doing it wrong? The fighting, I mean. What if you're fighting because you're failing to communicate?
Sure, you may think that by airing out your side during a heated discussion you're communicating. But it's not just about talking.
Instead of sounding like a recorded message played over and over, why not stop for a minute and listen to what the other has to say? You won't know their side if you don't shut up and give them the chance to speak, right?
Sometimes, it pays to look at the argument subjectively. It's probably not about you, but the predicament you're both in that's causing the argument. Don't make yourself feel worse by thinking it's because of you.
In as much as arguments can be stressful, they're a normal part of any relationship, be it between friends, family, or spouse. So instead of making it a destructive discussion, why not learn to make it a healthy argument for your relationship's sake?
Author: Abbey Grace Yap
 Growing up, we've all been told that we should never let anger get the best of us. From our homes to our schools, we are taught that anger never leads to anything good and should be bottled up. But did you know that holding it in for too long can affect your well-being?
Anger is just as normal an emotion as any: if you know how to express it in a good way, then you're okay; hold it all in for too long, then you're bound to suffer the consequences.
If you're having a hard time managing your anger, you'll find yourself worn out from stress exhaustion. These are physical and psychological complications that arise from bottling your emotions in.
Physical symptoms include fatigue, restlessness, headaches, muscle tension, and insomnia to name a few, while the mental side effects of pent up anger may include irritability and an inability to focus.
If you don't want anger to end up consuming you, try picking up a healthy outlet for this strong emotion. Journalling has been known to help as well as confiding with a friend. It's important that you develop an outlet instead of holding it all in. You don't want to suffer the consequences of bottling anger up, do you?
Author: Abbey Grace Yap
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