We live in a world where mental health disorders are on the rise and, coincidentally or not, so is anxiety, stress and depression. Of course, this is a puzzlement because considering all that we have going for us, these should all be on the decline. So, why aren't they . . .
The life of a couch potato!
Well according to this research, it's because of us becoming lazier, or should I say too relaxed? But when I say relaxed, I do not mean it in terms of relaxation but rather in terms of us becoming complacent about the need to be active, to exercise, to eat well and to keep ourselves growing, both in terms of education/knowledge and skills. Of course, the one thing, that I believe is a major contributor to this situation, is the good old TV. Since the early 1950' the rise of the TV, as a major source of family entertainment, has been prolific and that shows little sign of letting up. When I was a young boy, around 6 years old, I recall a man coming round to tune in the latest TV channel "ITV!" now we had 2 channels, we had made it, we were up there with the Jones's! Nowadays, if you haven't got 200 plus channels, seemingly, you're no one?
Anyway, I digress, this is not about TV, Xbox, or Nintendo et al, it is about what we can do to lower the levels of anxiety, stress and depression. This is so important because of the way these conditions lower the motivation we need to become active. Exercise and a good diet give us the energy we need to grow, mentally, physically and spiritually. However, the sedentary lifestyle, coupled with anxiety and stress etc. prevent us from making the effort, mostly because we so often lack the energy to get started. And sometimes we do get started, just too much too quickly and this leads to a depletion of energy we don't actually have, basically, we suffer from various levels of burnout!
So, what is the answer? Well, I believe the best way, is to lower the anxiety, stress and depression etc. once we do that, we are in a much better position to get started. But, we need a plan, we need to know where we are, physically and mentally. From there, it is a case of identifying the goals and a good and practical plan to achieve them. But, one step at a time, let's deal with the anxiety and stress first! And the best way to do that is through hypnosis. However, it's not just a case of dealing with these conditions per se, it is about how we can identify the underlying causes, many of which can have their roots in our early developing years. This process is often complicated by the fact that our brain makes decisions for us when we are young, without our knowledge or permission. This is mostly because we do not have the ability to make these for ourselves and it is these processes that actually lead us towards having the ability to make decisions consciously. So, the art of creating an effective therapeutic intervention is what leads us toward mental wellness and this evolves out the process of therapy, with hypnosis as the affective medium that brings about that change!
Hypnotherapy stands out as one of the most effective strategic life management methods there is, especially in its ability to promote clear thinking and good states of mental wellness. The behaviours that make life challenging are often a result of too much stress, too little sleep and too little by way of clarity! So, to get or take back control of your mind and your life, it makes perfect sense to use a methodology that addresses the subconscious mind's role in perpetuating negative, vague and ambiguous states of mind. Hypnosis helps us to create calm relaxing states of mind that make life work better! If you would like to address any concerns you have in this direction, or, if you just want to make your life feel better, then why not make an appointment for a Free Consultation? Hypnosis gives you the ability to have a good life!
The objective here is to help people understand how and why we become illogically trapped into irrational emotional experiences that may actually be happening for reasons different to that which we would imagine! If you want to know more about how Hypnotherapy can help you; why not make an appointment for a Free Consultation?
For more information on the Free Consultation - Go Here - Or to book your Free Consultation today, you can do so Here
The Research:
Low energy activities that involve sitting down are associated with an increased risk of anxiety, according to research published in the open-access journal BMC Public Health. These activities, which include watching TV, working at a computer or playing electronic games, are called sedentary behaviour. Further understanding of these behaviours and how they may be linked to anxiety could help in developing strategies to deal with this mental health problem.
Many studies have shown that sedentary behaviour is associated with physical health problems like obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis. However, there has been little research into the link between sedentary behaviour and mental health. This is the first systematic review to examine the relationship between anxiety and sedentary behaviour.
Anxiety is a mental health illness that affects more than 27 million people worldwide. It is a debilitating illness that can result in people worrying excessively and can prevent people from carrying out their daily life. It can also result in physical symptoms, which amongst others includes pounding heartbeat, difficulty breathing, tense muscles, and headaches.
Megan Teychenne, the lead researcher and lecturer at Deakin University's Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research (C-PAN) in Australia, said: "Anecdotally -- we are seeing an increase in anxiety symptoms in our modern society, which seems to parallel the increase in sedentary behaviour. Thus, we were interested to see whether these two factors were in fact linked. Also, since research has shown positive associations between sedentary behaviour and depressive symptoms, this was another foundation for further investigating the link between sedentary behaviour and anxiety symptoms."
C-PAN researchers analyzed the results of nine studies that specifically examined the association between sedentary behaviour and anxiety. The studies varied in what they classified as sedentary behaviour from television viewing/computer use to total sitting time, which included sitting while watching television, sitting while on transport and work-related sitting. Two of the studies included children/adolescents while the remaining seven included adults.
It was found in five of the nine studies that an increase in sedentary behaviour was associated with an increased risk of anxiety. In four of the studies, it was found that total sitting time was associated with an increased risk of anxiety. The evidence about screen time (TV and computer use) was less strong but one study did find that 36% of high school students that had more than 2 hours of screen time were more like to experience anxiety compared to those who had less than 2 hours.
The C-PAN team suggests the link between sedentary behaviour and anxiety could be due to disturbances in sleep patterns, social withdrawal theory and poor metabolic health. Social withdrawal theory proposes that prolonged sedentary behaviour, such as television viewing, can lead to withdrawal from social relationships, which has been linked to increased anxiety. As most of the studies included in this systematic review were cross-sectional the researchers say more follow-up work studies are required to confirm whether or not anxiety is caused by sedentary behaviour.
Megan Teychenne said: "It is important that we understand the behavioural factors that may be linked to anxiety -- in order to be able to develop evidence-based strategies in preventing/managing this illness. Our research showed that evidence is available to suggest a positive association between sitting time and anxiety symptoms -- however, the direction of this relationship still needs to be determined through longitudinal and interventional studies."
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by BioMed Central. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
