Want a better sex life?

Garvey Harris Psychotherapist and Hypnotherapist Mindfulness Therapist, Teacher and Supervisor Want a better sex life?
Stress and Sex Stress is a fact of life. We are built biologically to survive stress. Short or long term stress, we can survive it by taking better care of ourselves. 5 Steps to a better wellbeing Connecting Connecting with your peers Learning Learn something new everyday Giving Give acts of kindness Active We need activity everyday Notice Be mindful, pay attention to the moment			Stress messing with your sex hormones For men to have a good erection they need the cells in the penis to relax to receive blood to pump up the penis. Then the sphincter traps the blood in the penis so that the penis stays erect until ejaculation is reached. When stress kicks in, the body goes into survival mode from the perceived danger. 7.5 billion people respond to the stages of stress in the same way. You are anxious on both a subconscious level which affects the body and anxious on the conscious level which affects the mind. So, if you are not relaxed, you can kiss a good sex life good bye. Baby making days are a struggle until you deal with the stress. Getting back in the saddle You need to lower the stress chemicals, like cortisol, that have been released to stimulate your nervous system. Over a short period of time stress is good, but over a long period of time. You will have so many symptoms of stress that you will feel overwhelmed and want to go for medical help?
STRESS RELATED FACTS AND STATISTICS The Stress in America survey results show that adults continue to report high levels of stress and many report that their stress has increased over the past year – American Psychological Association. 75% of adults reported experiencing moderate to high levels of stress in the past month and nearly half reported that their stress has increased in the past year – American Psychological Association. Approximately 1 out of 75 people may experience panic disorder – National Institutes of Mental Health. Stress is a top health concern for U.S. teens between 9th and 12th grade, psychologists say that if they don’t learn healthy ways to manage that stress now, it could have serious long-term health implications – American Psychological Association. 80% of workers feel stress on the job and nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress.  And 42% say their co-workers need such help – American Institute of Stress. Stress levels in the workplace are rising with 6  in 10 workers in major global economies experiencing increased workplace stress.  With China (86%) having the highest rise in workplace stress – The Regus Group Alarmingly 91% of adult Australians feel stress in at least one important area of their lives.  Almost 50% feel very stressed about one part of their life – Lifeline Australia. Australian employees are absent for an average of 3.2 working days each year through stress.  This workplace stress costs the Australian economy approximately $14.2 billion – Medibank An estimated 442,000 individuals in Britain, who worked in 2007/08 believed that they were experiencing work-related stress at a level that was making them ill – Labour Force Survey. Approximately 13.7 million working days are lost each year in the UK as a result of work-related illness at a cost of £28.3 billion per year – National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Depression is among the leading causes of disability worldwide – World Health Organization Fewer than 25% of those with depression world-wide have access to effective treatments – World Health Organization. Take part in our online survey Take the Stress Survey Take the 5 Ways to Wellbeing Survey Contact a therapist Garvey Harris can be contacted

Insomnia

Insomnia
What is insomnia? Insomnia can be caused by psychiatric and medical conditions, unhealthy sleep habits, specific substances, and/or certain biological factors.Insomnia Awareness Day facts and stats The Statistics Insomnia Statistics 20-40% of all adults have insomnia in the course of any year 1 out of 3 people have insomnia at some point in their lives Over 70 million Americans suffer from disorders of sleep and wakefulness Of those, 60% have a chronic disorder Sleep Apnea Statistics Over 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea An estimated 10 million Americans remain undiagnosed Over 50% of all apnea cases are diagnosed in people aged 40 and over More prevalent in men than women 4 to 9% of middle-aged men suffer from apnea 2 to 4% of middle-aged women suffer from apnea Narcolepsy Statistics Affects as many as 200,000 Americans Fewer than 50,000 are diagnosed 8 to 12% have a close relative with the disease Affects men slightly more than women 20 to 25% of people with narcolepsy have all four symptoms (excessive daytime sleepiness, sudden loss of muscle function, sleep paralysis, hallucinations) Restless Leg Syndrome Statistics Affects as many as 10% of Americans Can begin at an early age and worsens with age Pregnancy or hormonal changes can temporarily worsen this disorder Children & Sleep Statistics Over 2 million children suffer from sleep disorders Estimated that 30 to 40% of children to not sleep enough Children require an average of 9 to 10 hours of sleep each night Women & Sleep Statistics Women are twice as likely as men to have difficulty falling and staying asleep Pregnancy can worsen sleep patterns Menopause and hormone changes cause changes in sleep			Sleep How to sleep better tip 4: Be smart about what you eat and drink. Limit caffeine. You might be surprised to know that caffeine can cause sleep problems up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it! Avoid big meals at night. Avoid alcohol before bed. Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening. Try to keep the following sleep practices on a consistent basis: Stick to a sleepschedule of the same bedtime and wake up time, even on the weekends. Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid naps, especially in the afternoon. Exercise daily. Evaluate your room. Older Adult Statistics Over half of those over the age of 65 experience disturbed sleep Those over 65 make up about 13% of the US population, but consume over 30% of prescription drug and 40% of sleeping pills General Statistics Adults require an average of 8 to 8.5 hours of sleep each night Sleep problems add an estimated $15.9 billion to national health care costs 84 classifications of sleep disorders exist Breathing Meditations Every is different, and has different reasons for being angry. But a good place to start is with just focussing on the breath. Breathing Meditation -- A Guided Meditation focus on the sensations in your feet focus on the sensation of the breath bring your attention back when the mind wonders

April New Round

News Round			News Update
	April Team Meeting April’s team meeting was held in Highbury. A big thank you to Gary			Community Southwark Community Southwark is the umbrella body for the voluntary
Dunnington for the use of his apartment. Thank you to everyone who brought food and drink to share. Thank you to all those who attended as it made a huge difference to those of you who were new to the organisation. Many were not able to come and it was probably fortunate as we would have not had any more space to put people. A lot of fun was had, especially in the ice breaker ,were many new people had a chance to meet old faces. It was good meeting in that the organisation is growing and developing. The next meeting will be announced shortly after the meeting with Community Action for Southwark.			and community sector, volunteers and social action in Southwark. Community Southwark is having a meeting with us on 11th May , 14:00 - 15:00 at
Tomorrow’s World			On-Line News
	On-Line Meditations We are now using Google+ Hangouts On Air. As you develop your mindful practice and you meditate. Why not invite someone			Lots of visitors Good news, we have an average of 600 visitors per month to the website.  We hope the numbers keep growing as we add content?
To join you? The meditation are broadcasted on Google+ then uploaded to Youtube to be listened at a later date. You do not even need to have to use the webcam. I thought you did, but I realised that as I and everyone else would have our eyes closed. There was no need for a webcam.			The website has been updated to be simpler to manage in the future. If there is anyone who would like to be a part of the team that manages the website please contact myself or one of the senior trainers.
Off-Line News We are still currently running classes at Cranstoun and St Mungo’s Recovery College. With a new 8 page handbook available as general information about managing stress or as teaching material.				New Website We have a new website. It is still Mindfulness World. The site is both accessible on personal computers and mobile devices.

Slow Down Aging

In 2004, scientists started to study telomeres, which are the tips of strands of DNA rather like the tips on the end of a shoelace. Telomeres stop DNA from fraying. When it frays, the cell stops being healthy: if it is a skin cell, it will cease to function properly and will appear aged. If the DNA frays in a brain cell, memory will lapse. The chromosomes in our cells are protected by these little tips. As our cells divide over time, because of ­damage, the telomeres get shorter and so become an accurate marker of ­biological ageing. The chief enemy of telomeres has been discovered to be stress, which explains why President Obama went grey after just a few months in office. (Daily Mail)
 

Bad Skin

We all know that too much stress is bad for our health. A 2012 study, for example, found that stress increases risk of depression, heart disease and infectious diseases, and increases inflammation throughout the body—which, by the way, increases skin aging, as well. When we’re stressed, we’re also less likely to eat right, get enough sleep, or stick with our exercise routines. That affects our overall health, but also our appearance. The skin fails to get the nutrients it needs to repair itself. You can tell by that inconvenient acne eruption or psoriasis flare up. It’s hard to escape stress completely, however, so the best approach is to take steps that will help your skin to resist the negative effects of stress. (Dr Frank Lipman)

Aging

Simply put, stress triggers many pathways that cause aging, and when all these come together, it results in premature aging. There is a genetic study confirming the effect of stress on aging. Research conducted at Brigham Women's Hospital in Boston was able to demonstrate a link between sustained severe stress and premature aging. More than 5,000 women aged 42 to 69 years old were questioned in a survey regarding their phobias and anxiety experiences, in addition to blood sampling. Telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of cell chromosomes, were the target of the analysis. Shortened telomeres basically mean that your cells will age faster. The study cohort was divided into groups according to their phobia status, and the results showed a difference in telomere lengths between women who were highly phobic and those who were not. It was shown that women who suffered from phobic anxiety had shorter telomeres. (The Daily Sabah)

Overcoming Obstacles to Treatment

People often succeed in relieving stress for the short term. However, they go back to their previous stressful thoughts and behaviors because of outside pressure, long-held beliefs, or old habits. The following are some obstacles to managing stress:

• The fight or flight urge: The very idea of relaxation can feel threatening, because it is perceived as letting down one's guard. For example, an over-demanding boss may put a subordinate into a psychological state of fighting-readiness, even though there is no safe opportunity for the subordinate to fight back or express anger. Stress builds up, but the worker has the illusion, even subconsciously, that the stress itself is providing safety or preparedness. For this reason, the employee does nothing to correct the condition.
• Many people are afraid of being perceived as selfish if they engage in stress-reducing activities that benefit only themselves. The truth is that self-sacrifice (in the form of not reducing one's stress) may be inappropriate and even damaging, if the person making the sacrifice is unhappy, angry, or physically unwell.
• Some people believe that certain emotional responses to stress, such as anger, are natural and unchangeable features of their personality. Research has shown, however, that with cognitive behavioral therapy, individuals can be taught to change their emotional reactions to stressful events.

Reducing stress and staying relaxed clears the mind so it can begin the appropriate actions to get rid of the stress-related conditions. (University of Maryland Medical Centre)

How to reduce the Aging Process

Vagusstuff is literally a tranquilizer that you can self-administer simply by taking a few deep breaths with long exhales. You can consciously tap the power of your vagus nerve to create inner-calm on demand. This knowledge alone should be enough to reduce the fear-of-fear-itself and give you grace under pressure next time you need it. (Psychologytoday)

Free Classes in Mindfulness

Join on Mondays, 12 – 2 p.m. at St Mungo’s Recovery College to learn more about manage stress to improve your life. Classes are run by Garvey Harris a Mindfulness teacher and an Integrative Hypno-Psychotherapist who alongside a team of professional therapists volunteer at Mindfulness Worldteach Mindfulness Meditation as a part of their Stress Reduction Courses. Please get in touch if you would like to know more.