Dr Nick Lavidis, a neuroscientist at the University of Queensland in Australia believed that the scent could be used to our benefit, in a way that other scents are used to help ease pain (peppermint) or promote sleep (lavender). Aromatherapy is an increasingly popular form of alternative therapy – as we can tell from all scents sold today, from bath products to candles to linen sprays.

According to this article, Why mowing the lawn relieves stress and boosts your memory,

[T]the aroma worked on the emotional and memory parts of the brian known as the amygdala and the hippocampus.

‘These two areas are responsible for the flight or fight response and the endocrine system, which controls the releasing of stress hormones like corticosteroids. The new spray appears to regulate these areas.

Would you try something like this?

~~~~

Image: StockXchng.com

Post from: Blisstree

Need to Relax? Mow Your Lawn

On this day (September 19) in 1982, Scott Fahlman posted the very first “emoticon” to a computer-science department bulletin board at Carnegie Mellon University.

According to Wired.com, the message went like this:

19-Sep-82 11:44 Scott E Fahlman
From: Scott E Fahlman

I propose that the following character sequence for joke markers:

Read it sideways. Actually, it is probably more economical to mark things that are NOT jokes, given current trends. For this, use:

And, according to Mark Stibich, Ph.D. at About.com, not only does smiling make us attractive, boost our immune systems, lower our blood pressure, and make us appear younger and successful, smiling also changes our moods, relieves stress, releases serotonin, and helps us stay positive.

So, whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s no better day than today to send someone a smiling emoticon.

Image: www.xoospace.com

Post from: Blisstree

Send Someone A Smile Today!

Let’s glance back at some of the topics I covered this week here at Mental Health Notes. I shared pictures during Sunday’s Brain Break, mused on the mental health repercussions for the FLDS religious sect children, explained why being kind to the earth (and not just on Earth Day!) was good for our minds, offered tips on how to nurture your mental health after a cancer diagnosis, honored National Poetry Month by recognizing famous poets with mental illness, and reminded you ALL that This Is Why I ROCK! is still accepting entries.

What are some of the big mental health advocacy groups up to lately? Well, Mental Health America is “calling on presidential candidates to emphasize mental health in [their] health policy plans,” as well as urging the rest of us to contact our senators about cosponsoring two bills to block harmful Medicaid regulations.

Want to know what’s going on in the world of scientific-, research-, and government-related mental health news? According to an independent study by RAND Corp., about half of the 300,000 American troops returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with mental health problems are receiving treatment, while 320,000 American troops have sustained brain injuries. The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) in Rock County, Wisconsin is looking for new ways to address the issue of folks who are arrested and sent into the criminal justice system. Dr. Michael J. Rivkin of Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston led a study that suggests mothers who drink, smoke, or use other drugs during pregnancy put their babies at risk for being born with smaller brains.

And finally, what’s going on around the rest of the b5media Health & Wellness Channel? Well, aside from the fact that we’ve changed our name to the Health & Wellness Channel (remember, it used to be Science & Health Channel?), tons!

Scott over at Health and Men offers up two very important posts for consumers of any gender: First, he gives us tips on how to get the most out of health-related Web sites while still protecting ourselves with The Internet And How It Has Changed Health; then, he highlights a quite in-depth health resource with which many of you may not be familiar in Taking Steps Towards A Healthier Lifestyle With SmallStep.Gov.

Liz over at Alzheimer’s Notes offers up a nice collection of personal stories about Alzheimer’s Disease, while Kristina at Autism Vox lets us know what she thinks of Adam Jasinki, the Big Brother finalist who called autistic children “retards” (why haven’t I given this punk an A.S.S Award yet?!).

Laura at Baldiness reminds teenagers that managing stress and learning to chill out can help prevent hair loss, and Elaine at Genetics & Health tells us about the connection between doggy DNA and human psychiatric problems.

Ruth at Eating Fabulous points out the importance of Vitamin D regarding brain function, and Liberty over at Healthbolt explains how dandelions can help relieve stress.

That’s all for this week! As always, if you have any Saturday Sanity-worthy news to share, send it my way!

Image sources and credits here, here, and here.

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: Gathers No Moss

I have a secret…

Want to know what it is?

Well, if I told you it wouldn’t be a secret anymore!

You have to earn it. Below are a few hints:

• It’s transparent and lightweight.
• You can buy your own, but freebies often arrive in the mail.
• You can’t use it more than once.
• You either love it or you hate it – children tend to fall into the former group.
• Many, many people use it as a stress reducer and, speaking from experience, it usually works!

Think you know what it is?

Well, even if you don’t (and even if the above image gave it away, ha!) I’m going to tell you. I’m going to do more than tell you – I’m going to give you a freebie that can be used as many times as you want!

Here you go!

I’m great, I know.

Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Reduce Stress The Interactive Way