Can the use of essential oils help you sleep better at night?
Numerous essential oils can be used as an all-natural substitute to promote restful sleep. This is due to the fact that inhaling essential oils not only has a calming effect but also has the potential to reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and relieve stress that has built up.
Because essential oils are concentrated, their power comes from this. A diffuser, which emits the oils as a mist into the air, is one of the most popular and convenient ways to use them. Recent research has demonstrated the wide range of beneficial qualities of several essential oils. Here are a few of the most commonly used for sleeping.
Cedarwood: Supports the pineal gland's ability to release melatonin, the hormone that encourages restful sleep.
Lavender is one of the most widely used essential oils, known for its relaxing properties.
Frankincense: promotes sleep as well as a number of other activities, such as regulating emotions, soothing the mind, and aiding the body's healing process.
Roman chamomile, clary sage, sweet marjoram, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, and ylang ylang are other calming and sleep-inducing essential oils.
Numerous essential oils can be used as an all-natural substitute to promote restful sleep. This is due to the fact that inhaling essential oils not only has a calming effect but also has the potential to reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and relieve stress that has built up.
Because essential oils are concentrated, their power comes from this. A diffuser, which emits the oils as a mist into the air, is one of the most popular and convenient ways to use them. Recent research has demonstrated the wide range of beneficial qualities of several essential oils. Here are a few of the most commonly used for sleeping.
Cedarwood: Supports the pineal gland's ability to release melatonin, the hormone that encourages restful sleep.
Lavender is one of the most widely used essential oils, known for its relaxing properties.
Frankincense: promotes sleep as well as a number of other activities, such as regulating emotions, soothing the mind, and aiding the body's healing process.
Roman chamomile, clary sage, sweet marjoram, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, and ylang ylang are other calming and sleep-inducing essential oils.
Are you having trouble focusing on even the simplest tasks? Here are eight suggestions to help you maintain focus.
Your brain is a three-pound supercomputer with a virtually limitless capacity for learning, memory, and problem-solving. However, it eventually slows with age, just like any other body part. Certain cognitive abilities, particularly the capacity for concentration and focus, may become more difficult for people to use with time.
Since we are less likely to routinely partake in mentally stimulating activities like working and socialising, older people's brains can also get "rusty."
Fortunately, there are techniques for maintaining focus. Here are a few tactics:
Try the following when you find your focus waning or need to prepare your brain for circumstances that call for intense concentration:
Avoid multitasking. Don't act like a mental superhuman; "Work on one task at a time until it is finished before moving on to the next." Your mind won't have to compete with outside stimuli in this way. "
Work in time blocks. Find the time that works best for you to think. When performing normal mental tasks, such as reading a paragraph from a book, keep track of how long it takes for your attention to wander. "You should be able to locate a range where your attention is at its peak." Work within this time limit (remind yourself when it expires), take a break and then repeat the exercise.
It's no secret that attention control is critical for effective time management and productivity. However, in order to keep focused on the task at hand, you must avoid allowing distractions to derail your goals.
This is where mindfulness practice comes in. Small studies suggest that mindful meditation can be a useful strategy for calming a racing mind and aiding in the maintenance of laser-like attention. In fact, just a few minutes every day can have a significant effect.
By the way, the term "meditation" refers to a variety of spiritual and relaxing techniques. There are many different types of meditation and methods for doing them.
Within this broad category, neuroscientists have explored how two particular meditation practices—focused attention (FA) meditation and open monitoring (OM) meditation—can be utilised to improve cognitive processes. You may help your brain to pay more attention, concentrate more, and focus more by developing a regular practice of either one.
A glance at each is provided below.
How can you meditate while paying close attention?
There are four main components to this kind of mindful meditation:
focusing attention on a certain object or sensation while sustaining it; recognizing distractions and mind wandering; disengaging from distractions; and returning your attention to your focal point while rephrasing the distraction as "just a thought."
This type of meditation involves maintaining your attention on a specific item or sensation, such as the flow of air through your nose while you breathe. You must continuously assess your concentration level if you want to maintain this focus. If your thoughts start to wander, you recognize the distraction and bring them back to your focal point.
This is where mindfulness practice comes in. Small studies suggest that mindful meditation can be a useful strategy for calming a racing mind and aiding in the maintenance of laser-like attention. In fact, just a few minutes every day can have a significant effect.
By the way, the term "meditation" refers to a variety of spiritual and relaxing techniques. There are many different types of meditation and methods for doing them.
Within this broad category, neuroscientists have explored how two particular meditation practices—focused attention (FA) meditation and open monitoring (OM) meditation—can be utilised to improve cognitive processes. You may help your brain to pay more attention, concentrate more, and focus more by developing a regular practice of either one.
A glance at each is provided below.
How can you meditate while paying close attention?
There are four main components to this kind of mindful meditation:
focusing attention on a certain object or sensation while sustaining it; recognizing distractions and mind wandering; disengaging from distractions; and returning your attention to your focal point while rephrasing the distraction as "just a thought."
This type of meditation involves maintaining your attention on a specific item or sensation, such as the flow of air through your nose while you breathe. You must continuously assess your concentration level if you want to maintain this focus. If your thoughts start to wander, you recognize the distraction and bring them back to your focal point.
Even though stress is something we all encounter, everyone experiences stress in a different way. Others who are under stress could experience digestive problems or a loss of appetite, while others of us experience an elevated heart rate or trouble sleeping.
Let's examine the various forms of stress, their effects on our bodies, and the steps we can take to manage stress in our lives more effectively.
Health Effects of Stress
Acute or chronic stress can be widely characterised. Acute stress, such as the kind you might experience if you are late for a meeting, might actually be good for you and your body, but chronic stress is more dangerous to your health and wellness.
Chronic stress is described as "a persistent experience of feeling hurried and overwhelmed over a lengthy period of time" by Yale Medicine.
Long-term stress can have a variety of detrimental effects on your body. In fact, stress that is not handled can exacerbate significant medical disorders including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic. 2
Changes to your work and home environments, the addition of meditation to your daily routine, adjustments to your food and exercise routines, and the use of vitamins and other goods may all be necessary for stress management. One of these adjustments has the potential to significantly reduce stress in particular situations. Others may require a more major change in habits and lifestyle to relieve stress.
Here is my list of the best tools and techniques for lowering stress.
Stress-supporting supplements
The pressures in your life cannot be eliminated by taking a pill. However, a few of them might be able to lessen your stress levels and improve how you handle them.
Ashwagandha
One of the most widely used herbs in Ayurvedic medicine, ashwagandha has been used for generations to reduce stress, enhance focus, and boost vitality. As an adaptogen, this herb has the potential to aid in stress management.
Studies have looked into the effects of ashwagandha on anxiety, sleep, and stress. According to recent studies, ashwagandha may aid in lowering the body's cortisol levels, which can lessen the perception of stress. Additionally, compared to those who took placebo research, those who took ashwagandha root extract reported significantly better sleep.
As a capsule, tablet, or gummy, ashwagandha is simple to add to your regular self-care regimen.
As a capsule, tablet, or gummy, ashwagandha is simple to add to your regular self-care regimen.
Being more mindful could help you live a longer and healthier life.
We accept that our weight, genes, nutrition, exercise, and whether we smoke (or used to) are all part of the complicated mix that decides how healthy we are, the diseases we might have, and the diseases we might avoid.
However, another aspect that may not receive as much attention as it deserves is our personalities. Personality type is linked to not only health practices but also health outcomes, such as longevity, according to research.
Could people, in the same manner, that they try to change their food and exercise routines, change their personalities into more healthful types? Most likely not. Personality is ingrained far too deeply. But that doesn't rule out the possibility of tinkering with our ideas and behaviours. And the first step can just be becoming more conscious of one's own personality and how it affects one's health.
There are five major types.
There are numerous theories and classification systems for personalities. One of the most common divides people into five personality types: agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and openness. There are numerous facets to each of them. Aspects of agreeableness include, for example, trust and benevolence. Anxiety and impulsivity are two characteristics of neuroticism. The "Big Five" are a collection of traits that have a tendency to cluster together. Personalities might be a more complicated blend. Agreeableness, extraversion, and conscientiousness are all traits that can be found in a person's personality.
Childhood is where a person's personality emerges, and it tends to last until maturity. Personality, on the other hand, isn't fixed in stone. Different aspects of a person's personality are revealed in different situations. With age, one's personality evolves. According to studies, openness peaks in young adults, and the majority of us become more conscientious as we age.
Conscientiousness is the personality trait that most consistently connects with excellent health. People who were assessed as diligent as 8-year-olds by their parents and instructors lived longer, according to one study. Conscientiousness has also been linked to reduced blood pressure, lower risks of diabetes and stroke, and fewer joint problems, according to other studies. Even after statistical adjustments for education, substance misuse, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, researchers found that conscientiousness is linked to better health.
The link between conscientiousness and good health is easily explained by better health behaviours. This has been proven through research. People with conscientious personalities are less likely to participate in harmful activities (smoking, heavy drinking, risky driving) and are more likely to follow healthy ones. But it's not as simple as that. For example, some types of conscientiousness appear to be more closely associated with good health than others. Self-discipline has been identified as a key attribute in certain studies. Other research has found that conformity—following society norms—is important.
Stress can harm one's health, and a conscientious personality will avoid stressful situations, whilst a neurotic personality will seek them out. Conscientiousness can influence employment choices, friendships, marriage stability, and a variety of other factors that affect health and, ultimately, longevity.
Patrick L. Hill, a psychologist at the University of Illinois, and his colleagues released a study suggesting that conscientiousness may have cognitive benefits, which could explain why it's linked to living longer. If a person has self-control and is organized, both aspects of conscientiousness, his or her cognitive performance may be better able to withstand the effects of aging and disease on the brain than someone who does not.
Although Hill and his colleagues discovered just a minor effect of personality on cognitive function, they were intrigued enough to ask whether "personality traits may influence critical outcomes by virtue of their encouragement of cognitive skills."
What you can do to help
Some people are fortunate enough to have conscientious personalities. Many of us have to put forth the effort. Here are a couple of ideas:
Concentrate on the details. Making a resolution to be more conscientious is unlikely to get you very far. You might have better success if you concentrate your mind on being punctual or organizing your workstation.
Make daily plans and make an effort to stick to them. Setting a timetable for yourself and sticking to it promotes order and self-discipline.
Make use of reminders. It's easy to get off track if you're not naturally conscientious. Reminder programs are available on computers and smartphones.
Maintain a social presence. Being in contact with family and having friends can support conscientious behaviours like being on time and expressing gratitude since conscientiousness is basically social.
Photo by PICHA Stock: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-sitting-in-front-of-a-computer-while-talking-on-the-phone-3894377/
Strengths are innate capacities for particular thoughts, emotions, and actions. Everyone possesses these capacities to vary degrees. Your unique pattern of strengths contributes to your uniqueness.
When you play to your strengths, you are likely to feel more energized and perform better than when you attempt to employ a less natural ability. A person attempting to persuade a local school board to ban the sale of soft drinks, for instance, might have the courage to speak up forcefully and clearly at a general meeting (despite the almost-universal fear of public speaking). Another person with great team-building skills would feel uncomfortable speaking out in a meeting, but could successfully generate consensus among parents, dietitians, and others to evaluate the issue and reach a conclusion.
It's crucial to pause and practise mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the practise of paying attention on purpose to the present, such as how the air smells and feels while walking your dog or how a bite of bread tastes with dinner. The ultimate goal is to help you shift your focus away from your usual worries and toward a deeper understanding of the present moment and a broader view of life.
When scientists look at mindfulness, they find that it can improve both physical and mental symptoms and lead to positive changes in attitudes and behaviours that affect health.
Here are two independent mindfulness exercises you can attempt.
Fundamentally, mindfulness practise
- Sit on a chair with a straight back or cross-legged on the floor.
- Focus on a part of your breathing, like the feeling of air going in and out of your nose and mouth or the way your stomach rises and falls as you breathe in and out.
- Begin to broaden your concentration once you've narrowed it to this extent. Become conscious of sounds, sensations, and thoughts.
- Accept and consider each thought and sensation without assigning value to them. If your mind begins to run, bring your attention back to your breathing. Again, broaden your consciousness.
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He spent decades studying people's contentment with their daily activities, discovering that individuals are most satisfied when they are completely absorbed in and focused on what they are doing. In research by Csikszentmihalyi and others, flow experiences were linked to good feelings in the near term, and people who experienced flow more frequently were happier in the long run. People differ in how much they value flow experiences and how easy it is for them to enter flow, according to researchers. No matter how happy you are by nature, knowing how flow happens (or doesn't) in your life and creating more flow experiences can be a powerful way to boost your happiness.
What exactly is flow?
Positive Psychology, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School, says that there are some things that all flow experiences have in common. You become unconcerned with the passage of time. When you aren't paying attention to the clock, hours can feel like minutes.
You're not thinking about yourself. Your knowledge of yourself is limited to the activity itself, like where your fingers are on a piano keyboard, how you chop vegetables with a knife, or how your body parts stay balanced when you're skiing or surfing.
Extraneous thoughts do not distract you. Instead, you're completely focused on the task at hand, whether it's understanding or expressing a line of reasoning at work, making beautiful layers of frosting for a cake, or getting out of a tough chess situation.
You're up and about. Flow activities are active rather than passive, and you have some choice over what you do.
You work with ease. Even if you're working harder than normal, everything "clicks" and feels practically effortless when you're in flow.
You'd like to do it all over again.
Adapting to your ability level
The good news regarding flow and pleasure is that you can expand your flow experience and reap the advantages. It requires some effort and comes more naturally to some individuals than others.
No one is flawless. However, many individuals struggle with perfectionism, which can trigger a cascade of anxieties. Depending on how it is used, stubbornness can be both a strength and a weakness. Dr. Szymanski teaches psychology at Harvard Medical School and runs the International OCD Foundation as its executive director.
According to Dr. Szymanski, the intention to do something well lies at the heart of all perfectionism. If you can maintain focus on your intention and desired outcome while adjusting your strategy as necessary, you will be fine. But when you cannot tolerate making a mistake and your strategy is to not make any, perfectionism begins to veer in the wrong direction. " In its worst form, perfectionism can make a person afraid to do anything because they don't want to make a mistake.
Dr. Szymanski has given you the following exercise to help you decide which projects and activities are the most important and to keep your personal strategy in place:
Nobody can be a perfectionist in all areas. Consider your current objectives and projects and rank them accordingly. Use the letters "ABCF" to determine where you want to excel (A), where you want to be above average (B), where you want to be average (C), and where you can let go (F) (F). For instance,
A (one hundred percent effort) is reserved for your top priorities. For example, if your career is the most important thing to you, you might want to impress your boss, make sure your clients are happy, and do good work.
B (above average, maybe 80% effort): You might enjoy golf, tennis, or learning a new language. You enjoy these activities but have no plans to pursue them professionally.
C (moderate effort): Perhaps having a clean home is also essential. But how often should you clean your home? People do not visit it on a daily basis. Could you simply clean on weekends? Or concentrate on the few rooms with the most foot traffic?
According to Dr. Szymanski, the intention to do something well lies at the heart of all perfectionism. If you can maintain focus on your intention and desired outcome while adjusting your strategy as necessary, you will be fine. But when you cannot tolerate making a mistake and your strategy is to not make any, perfectionism begins to veer in the wrong direction. " In its worst form, perfectionism can make a person afraid to do anything because they don't want to make a mistake.
Dr. Szymanski has given you the following exercise to help you decide which projects and activities are the most important and to keep your personal strategy in place:
What do you value most in life?
What would you like the past 50 years to represent? If this seems overwhelming, consider where you would like to focus your efforts over the next five years.
Nobody can be a perfectionist in all areas. Consider your current objectives and projects and rank them accordingly. Use the letters "ABCF" to determine where you want to excel (A), where you want to be above average (B), where you want to be average (C), and where you can let go (F) (F). For instance,
A (one hundred percent effort) is reserved for your top priorities. For example, if your career is the most important thing to you, you might want to impress your boss, make sure your clients are happy, and do good work.
B (above average, maybe 80% effort): You might enjoy golf, tennis, or learning a new language. You enjoy these activities but have no plans to pursue them professionally.
C (moderate effort): Perhaps having a clean home is also essential. But how often should you clean your home? People do not visit it on a daily basis. Could you simply clean on weekends? Or concentrate on the few rooms with the most foot traffic?
Although travel broadens the mind, what about the body and spirit? A growing number of spa hotels now provide customers with personalized wellness experiences. We've produced a list of the greatest spa hotels from around the world, whether it's steaming away your worries in a Swiss sauna or floating in a heated infinity pool with a view.
The Peninsula in Bangkok, Thailand
This large spa hotel, perched on the west bank of the Chao Phraya river, satisfies all of the senses. The luxurious guest rooms are a visual pleasure, and the spa's aromatherapy treatments and vibrating sound techniques will leave you feeling thoroughly revitalized. If you've got your fill of seclusion in one of the Peninsula's 12 poolside salas – or pavilions – there are monthly self-care events led by a variety of health professionals.
Lotus Therme Hotel & Spa in Hévíz, Hungary
Lotus Therme Hotel & Spa in Hévíz
Jumeirah Al Qasr – Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, UAE
Jumeirah Al Qasr – Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai
The expression "oasis in the desert" is frequently used in the Middle East, yet few words can adequately convey the Jumeirah Al Qasr's aquatic grandeur. Every bedroom in this opulent, classically decorated hotel overlooks the Persian Gulf, and it was designed to look like a Sheikh's summer house. The hotel grounds have an extensive network of canals that are great for meandering through, inspired by traditional Islamic gardens. The Talise Spa carries on the water motif with overwater treatment rooms that offer a bespoke menu of therapies for the mind, body, and spirit.
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