When Anxiety Takes Over

My friend was completely submerged underneath a pile of papers and books when she decided to take out her daily planner to see what other work was going to overload her upcoming week. As she scanned over the days, I could see in her eyes that her list of things to do grew and grew, along with the stress weight that began to push down on her. She began to worry so much that she became short of breath, her chest felt constricted and she thought she was going to pass out. She had just experienced an anxiety attack.

One out of every 75 people in the world experience anxiety attacks. They can be frightening, but with a few tips from Reader's Digest.com, dealing with anxiety is nothing to worry about.

1. When it feels like an attack is coming on, get on your bike, pull out your walking shoes or grab a gym bag. There's no better way to feel like you can breathe again than exercise.
2. Cut out caffeinated food, drinks and medications. Caffeine adds to the jittery, tense feeling of anxiousness.
3. Avoid conversations which could increase anxiety when feeling tired, overwhelmed or stressed. Try to maintain a "trouble free" time, especially before bed. Also try to stay focused on relaxation as much as possible.
4. Buy a white-noise machine to use when sleeping. The soothing sound guarantees a good night's sleep and lowers stress levels.
5. Choose one thing that may cause anxiousness and rank it on a scale of 1 to 10; 10 being most likely to happen. Most people will find that a majority of items don't rank above 5. Understanding the chance of anxiety will greatly reduce the feeling.
6. Rent a comedy and watch it. Laughing out loud releases endorphins that help lower stress hormones.
7. Follow the Relax, Detach, Focus steps. Detach from your thoughts, center yourself in the moment and focus on who you want to be and how you want to feel.

Good Dog

I was sitting on my couch, trying to forget about the massive headache my common cold had very rudely handed to me, while my 2-year-old labradoodle was playing with her toys on the floor. I was doing my best to ignore her because any other sound that entered my head would pound on my skull like a jackhammer to a sidewalk.

Suddenly, her toy fell under the couch, and she started barking at me to get it for her. I ignored her still, so she barked. And barked. And barked. My head couldn't take anymore so I finally yelled at her to stop, As I put my hands on the side of my head, I could tell that she knew I wasn't feeling well. She came over and put her head on my lap, and I put my hand on her head to pet her fur. Curiously, I started to feel better.

Believe it or not, pets can do more than chase the mailman down the street. An article on associatedcontent.com said studies have shown that human interaction with animals is actually healthy. The connection creates an endorphin rush which relieves stress in the body, and a physiological response between the two lowers blood pressure and heart of both animal and human, giving a more relaxed feeling. Studies have even shown that heart attack patients who own pets are likely to have five times the survival rate of those who don't.

Animal companions have been used for years to significantly improve such physical and psychological conditions such as cancer, AIDS, autism, insomnia and even headaches. This phenomenon has led to the formation of therapy dogs: dogs trained to provide comfort to those in hospitals, retirement homes and areas of disaster. Beside improving physical issues, these dogs reduce the feeling of depression, hopelessness and panic as well. Apparently, dog really is man's best friend, and man's best tonic, too.

Only the Strong Survive...Conversations

A boy I knew in high school approached me the other day. At first, I didn't even recognize him because he was a completely different person now from the one I remembered. The person I knew was quiet, walked with his head down and very rarely asked for attention to be drawn towards himself. But the recent one who stood before me seemed independent, with his head held high, and he even talked with a full voice. He called for my attention out of the crowd; something that never would've happened five years ago. It's refreshing to see people who have the bravery and strength to find themselves.

Part of growing up is realizing confidence in one's self. Gaining a healthy self-esteem is all a part of noticing who you are inside. Jessica Stevenson from About.com listed 6 tips for peer conversation which will help any person become confident and secure in social situations.

1. Take a deep breath. Staying relaxed is key in being able to look another person in the eye.
2. Take an inventory of strengths. Finding inner skills and taking stock of the things a person is interested in will help him or her feel more positive during conversation.
3. Realize limits. No one is perfect, but realizing one's own perspective on the world will be valuable in social situations.
4. Stop putting yourself down. This one is self-explanatory. Someone with a negative outlook on life will always have negative results in life.
5. Celebrate progress and small victories. Every person needs to remember that if he or she can accomplish one thing, he or she can accomplish even bigger and more challenging situations as well.
6. Pat yourself on the back. Why not? If a person can't do it to his or herself, no one else will either.

Bottom line, stay positive and remember that with a little self-confidence, anything is possible. You may surprise people, and possibly even surprise yourself.

The Awkward Hug

Two girls were walking together on the sidewalk. They appeared to know each other as they made casual conversation and gave each other courtesy laughs --- the ones where the joke really isn't funny, but a laugh is required as a proper response anyway. Then, as they reached their destination, the moment came. It's the moment most people cringe when thinking about, let alone actually doing. It was time for the awkward hug: the kind that two people are supposed to carry out as a friendly action but really don't want to perform.

The girls leaned over, just enough to barely reach each other, and gave a few light pats on the back, then went on their ways. It was a very minor pain, but still a moment the girls were probably glad to get out of the way.

Every person in his or her life will experience the awkward hug at least once. It's nearly unavoidable in certain social situations, and there are so many different ways for it to creep up. There are a lot researchers who tackle this uncomfortable stage in social environments and give multiple examples of how it can come about, some less scientific than others. The video below from vimeo.com gives a visual look at what can happen in a dreaded awkward hug situation.

While the video is meant to be more humorous than scientific, it still accurately shows how hugs can be dangerous things, socially. But contrary to how the awkward hug might make people want to grind broken glass into their bare hands, research has shown that hugging is actually healthy.

As described on easier.com, Peter Spalton, a body language expert from Great Britain, says there is actually more to hugging than what is on the outside. According to his findings, hugging causes the body to produce more Oxytocin, the "feel good" hormone. Also, a 20-second hug a day affects how happy and relaxed a person can be throughout his or her day.

"Hugging is a wonderful tonic," said Spalton. "It makes you feel energized and gives you an emotional boost ... which is why people in a healthy relationship are happier and feel less stressed."

So, if the health research is correct, maybe those trying to avoid the awkward hug situation should actually embrace it, pun intended, in order to gain a better emotional attitude. Stop wiggling to get away from the creepy co-worker and give him a squeeze. It's good for you.

A Penny A Day

Most people pass a penny laying on the sidewalk without even realizing it's there. That's easy to understand; it's small, dull-colored, and doesn't say much. Some may stop to pick it up, but most will just keep on walking. Replace that penny with a person. One might think others would take notice and acknowledge that person's existence. But take a look at this video and notice how simple it is to dismiss another human being.

Notice how the man just sits there, saying nothing. He notices every movement; each leg that brushes past his face out of every corner of his eyes. More likely than not, he's sitting there wondering where those people are going, and trying to figure out how his life got him stuck on that cold, empty sidewalk, surrounded by plenty of other human beings, but leaving him completely alone.

Just like a penny on the ground, the people unknowingly or uncaringly walk by him as if he isn't really there. He's sitting, low to the ground and wearing dull clothes, not saying a word to anyone. In a way, he is that penny. Some might stop, kneel down to say a few words to the man to pick up his feelings a bit, but most will make their ways to their board meetings, yoga appointments and their double mocha lattes without even thinking for a second about the person below them.

The man on the street is just an example of how people conduct themselves in public every day. It can be seen in the video above. Of course, those walking ignore the man sitting on the ground, but they also fail to take notice of each other. They seem like mindless zombies, only focused on where they are going and not caring about the others in existence around them. We often pass a number of fellow travelers everyday of our lives, but never acknowledge them.

In the days of top hats and poofy, uncomfortable dresses, it was common courtesy to say "Good day" to others in passing. Unfortunately at some point in history, we lost that sense of kindness and respect. It has become habit to strut around as if nothing else in the world matters but our own concerns. Without human interaction, there isn't much point to life. Without it, we all may as well be pennies on the sidewalk. We would notice each other just as much, but our existence would be worth more. Try saying hi to a stranger today. It's not much, but it's a good start.

In the Beginning

Hello world! For this first post, I thought I would describe what sort of exciting and interesting things this blog will bring to the Weblands. Hold onto your mouse. The adventure is about to begin.

We do it every day. We pass people on the street, in the office or in the bathroom, but we never really take the time to see people. Sure, we see a glimpse of their form in the corners of our eyes, but we never really take the time to see the actual person.

Have you ever looked at someone and thought, I wonder why that person is that way? It could be the man who sits by the fountain everyday on his lunch break who only eats half of his sandwich and throws the rest to the birds, the woman who wears the same straw hat whenever she leaves her house or the boy who carries the uninterested girl's books for her wherever she goes.

All of these people have a story; something that makes them the way they are. I am going to observe these people. I'm going to tell their stories and do the best to explain why I believe they do the things they do. I will use research and theories from psychologists and other professionals on human behavior to try to back up my thoughts, so that I'm not just some random girl writing nonsense on here.

My goal is not only to explain a little bit about human behavior, but also to bring some hidden stories to the surface. Good deeds and great happenings occur without ever being recognized. I'm going to do my best to bring them to light. It is my hope that I can brighten someone's day with an interesting and beautiful story constructed by the human condition, and possibly even inspire others to notice the people around them a bit more closely. There will be laughter, tears, confusion and hopefully some of those "hmm ... that's interesting ... " kind of moments as well. I'm excited to get started!