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6 Silent Symptoms Of Colon Cancer to Never Ignore

March 9, 2019 by Lakeisha Ethans

Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is cancer that occurs in the colon or the rectum and spreads throughout the digestive system and onward.

According to the American Cancer Society’s 2023 data, a surprising 288,300 adults will develop colon cancer. It’s the third most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in the US and the cause behind the second most deadly cancer in the nation.

If you’re concerned about this cancer or your family has a history of it, it’s a good idea to be aware of the signs and symptoms that point to the development of this disease. But there are some lesser-known symptoms you may be experiencing that you weren’t aware could point to the condition.

Some signs make themselves very obviously known, but some signs are quiet and do not appear as obvious. These are the types of symptoms that you need to be aware of.

Here Are 6 Silent Symptoms Of Colon Cancer To Never Ignore

1. Weight Loss and Colon Cancer

It’s easy to overlook weight loss and consider it a good thing. As a society, we glorify thinness, which means many people don’t consider weight loss a bad enough change to see a doctor, instead viewing it as a blessing.

But this supposedly positive change is actually a prevalent symptom of colon cancer, as well as many other kinds of cancers. Weight loss is a fairly reliable science, so if you’re losing weight without changing your diet or adding to physical activity, you are experiencing unexplained weight loss.

In almost all cases, unexplained weight loss is dangerous and typically points to something wrong within the body. If you’re losing, for example, 10 pounds and above within the span of half a year while maintaining the same habits as you did before the weight loss began, it’s a cause for concern.

Cancer, including colon cancer, uses up a lot of the energy within the body.
This means that the immune system and the cancer cells are burning fuel quickly as the former tries to fight the cancer and the latter tries to grow more.
In addition, some cancer cells release certain chemicals that alter the body’s food processing manner.

Large colon tumors can also block the colon, changing your bowel habits. This is another reason for weight loss. The fact that many tumors cause appetite loss and increase the metabolism is even more reason to be nervous if you’re losing too much weight at once.

2. Abdominal Pain or Bloating

Many people experience some degree of abdominal cramping now and then. Mostly, this type of pain doesn’t usually point to something serious. But if it happens alongside other symptoms or is especially bad when you go to the bathroom, it may be worth a check-up.

In addition, abdominal cramping that is so severe and painful it impairs daily function is worthy of a trip to the doctor’s. Cramps also should not last for very long periods, and if your issues last for over a week, you may want to get the problem checked.

Bloating is also a common symptom of colon cancer, but so easily overlooked due to how common bloating is. Again, usually, bloating doesn’t mean it’s game over. But long-lasting bloat is not healthy and should be examined.

You may also find that this bloating or the cramps are accompanied by more gas. This gassiness may last for multiple weeks on end. You may laugh at the higher levels of flatulence, but this doesn’t happen for no reason – a colon tumor may be backing up your bowels.

3. Anemia and Colon Cancer

Anemia refers to a condition whereby the blood does not have sufficient hemoglobin. For many people, it’s a condition that is often overlooked, especially in menstruating women.

But anemia suggests bleeding is occurring somewhere in the body. If it’s not visible externally, chances are some form of internal bleeding is going on within the body. Colon cancer typically involves tumor bleeding, which can, in turn, cause iron deficiency and anemia.

You may think if you’re anemic due to colon cancer, surely you’d notice some stool-related issues. But anemia can actually begin to show up even a full six months before you notice troubles in the bathroom.

You may not test as anemic when you have colon cancer, but you may still show signs of anemia, including:

Paleness
Exhaustion
Lightheadedness or dizziness

All of these signs can also point to colon cancer. With cancer, tumors tend to grow fast – faster than your blood can keep up with. This leads to ulcers within the body that soak up blood, leaving you anemic.

4. Change in Stools

One of the easiest ways to notice signs of colon cancer is in waste material. After all, the colon plays a huge role in creating and transporting stools through the body so they can be expelled. Here are some issues to look out for.

a) Thin Stools

Medical doctor Patricia Raymond states that stools that appear very narrow is one of the silent symptoms of colon cancer to never ignore. This is especially apparent if your stools used to be wider.

This means there could be a tumor in your colon because the colon passageway is narrowing due to the mass on its walls. Speak to a doctor if your stools change shape suddenly and don’t revert back.

b) Consistency Change

You can tell a lot about your health through your bowel movements. Stools that suddenly change in consistency are a very early sign of an issue in your colon. They could become loose or watery, seem harder, or look different.

c) Odd Colors

People assume that rectal bleeding causes obvious red spots in stools. But stools can become stained or change color when exposed to blood without turning obviously bloody. They may appear dark or tarry or be an unusual hue. In this case, it is best to speak to a doctor.

d) Bloody Stools

It doesn’t take an expert to know that you need to go to the doctor if there is blood in your stool. The blood may be obvious, appear in spots, or barely visible. Dried blood will cause stools to appear a darker color.

Even if it isn’t due to colon cancer, bloody stools are usually a sign that something is wrong, so talk to a medical professional.

e) Constipation

Extremely severe constipation that completely prevents you from being able to go and causes a lot of abdominal discomfort is a sign of a serious excretory problem. Constipation does happen occasionally and is mostly harmless, but long-lasting issues using the bathroom should be discussed with a doctor.

f) Tenesmus

What, exactly, is tenesmus? It’s a feeling that you experience where you feel the urge to use the bathroom, but nothing happens when you do. This can be due to a tumor that is making you feel like you have to go, says gastroenterologist Dr. Jennifer Inra.

5. Exhaustion and Colon Cancer

Many people push aside feelings of fatigue, chalking them up to long work days or a lack of sleep. But you should take note of excessive exhaustion that seems greater than it should be, or that happens even when you’re well-rested and caring for your health.

It’s difficult to think about what is causing severe tiredness, mainly because, at that point, you’re functioning at only a percentage of your optimal level. You have little to no positive thinking. You’re struggling to perform and focus at work. Your immunity drops and you feel sick.

But fatigue is different from sleepiness or tiredness.
It’s a serious issue that gets in the way much more than minor, run-down feelings do.
Fatigue is a symptom of countless diseases, so if it is getting in the way of your daily tasks even when you get as much rest as possible, it may be time to get yourself checked.

Colon cancer may also leave you feeling short of breath in some cases. This is something constantly overlooked. This is because the body may be putting additional plasma into the blood due to internal bleeding, causing oxygen flow to be slowed. That’s why you might feel like your breathing is limited.

6. Night Sweats

A lot of people sleep warm and sweat overnight. But it’s also a symptom very commonly displayed among colon cancer patients, according to medical doctor Matthew Mintz. This may be caused by abscesses or perforations in tumors, though exact links are unknown as of now.

Unlike the other signs we’ve mentioned, night sweats are systemic, not localized. This means they are often caused by immune system response and not necessarily a direct product of colon cancer, says oncologist and medical doctor Raed Al-Rajabi. As the immune system struggles to fight cancer, your body becomes inflamed and may develop a fever, and sweating is designed to cool you down.

Unfortunately, this means that night sweats are a common symptom of many different diseases. If you’re dealing with a sudden onslaught of night sweating that you’ve never had to deal with before, it doesn’t mean you’ll test positive for cancer – but it does mean a trip to your doctor is well-advised.

If night sweating is combined with the other symptoms on this list, and if it persists for a long period, you should go to a clinic or hospital to ensure it isn’t a sign of something more serious. Night sweating alone is not indicative of a severe problem but is still worth looking into.

Final Thoughts On Silent Symptoms Of Colon Cancer To Never Ignore

What happens if you notice any of these symptoms in yourself? Don’t panic! Practice positive thinking and make a visit to the doctor. Colon cancer, when caught early enough, it is treatable.

It is worth noting that different stages of colon cancer present different types of symptoms, becoming more severe as the condition progresses. As such, if you notice a few of these signs, or just one of them, but also have additional symptoms not mentioned here, you should aim to speak to a doctor.

Although being a hypochondriac about symptoms can feel like a waste of time, your health is essential. Your life is worth more than enough to be worth the hassle of a doctor’s checkup. See a doctor if you feel something is wrong with your body. Even if it is not bowel cancer, there may be another issue. And if there isn’t – better safe than sorry!

Editorial Note 08/22/2023: Updated ACS statistics to the most current data.

6 Habits of People That Reach Their Full Potential

March 9, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Contemplating the phrase “reaching your potential” often conjures up conflicting feelings of wasting that very same potential. You may be unclear as to how to reach your full potential, which only causes additional self-conflict.

Don’t fret if this describes you. Why? Because such feelings are common among the ambitious – the folks who want to fulfill their potential, but perhaps are at a bit of a loss as to how.

Here’s another reason you needn’t fret: human beings are full of untapped power. Consider the human brain. Some of the smartest people in the world are at a complete loss as to the inner workings of thought. So marvelously complex is the brain that many scientists have labeled it as the most extraordinary thing in the known universe!

To some, we are burdened with the limitation of time. While it is true that we don’t know just how much time we have left on this Earth, history (and psychology) shows us that lifespan is in no way indicative of the quality of life. Acknowledging this fact means making the most out of your days. And one way we do this is by fulfilling our limitless potential.

This article focuses on six habits of people who fulfill their potential. We’ll also discuss the real meaning of potential and how you can best align potential with purpose. Let’s do this!

“Human potential is the same for all. Your feeling, ‘I am of no value,’ is wrong. Absolutely wrong. You are deceiving yourself.” – The Dalai Lama

Forget “Stuff” and Find Purpose

“A lot of research has been conducted on the relationship between wellbeing and materialism, with a consistent theme emerging in the results: More materialistic people are not as happy as less materialistic people.” – Ian Zimmerman, Ph.D. (source)

Part of the journey (and it is a journey!) that is reaching your potential involves realizing that doing so for the sake of money or possessions is fruitless. These things come and go, as do the satisfaction that comes with them. What matters is your person, your soul, your calling. Things that can never be taken from you. And, quite possibly, things that survive the death of the physical body.

If you study the names of those forever etched in the books of history – Leonardo Di Vinci, Mother Teresa, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., Mohammad Ali – you realize that they all lived for a purpose. In the case of Franklin, this purpose was becoming a statesman. For Ali, a larger-than-life sportsman and peace activist.

While their livelihoods, personality, education, and background were all different, their impact on those who knew them was subjectively similar. All of these people were bigger than such things.

You needn’t be an inventor, statesman, scientist, or sportsman to fulfill your potential. There are millions of “normal” folks out there who are proving themselves every day. How?

By following these six lifestyle habits:

Living each day with purpose

Surprise, surprise! Number one is so for a reason – and cannot be emphasized enough! Purpose gives life meaning. Purpose gets you out of bed every morning. Without purpose, life remains meaningless.

A clearly-defined purpose awakens the dormant powers within you to achieve that purpose. If you can create a vision in your mind’s eye, you can live the life you desire.

If you don’t yet know your life’s purpose, that’s okay! Here are a few questions to ask yourself that may help uncover it:

What were you passionate about as a kid?
If you didn’t need to work for money, what would you do?
What activity causes you to lose track of time?
Who or what do you hold near and dear to your heart?
What issues do you bring up with your family and closest friends?
What do you dream about?

Meditation and/or mindfulness practice

According to Tim Ferris, around 80 percent of the people he interviews have a daily mindfulness practice. Ferris, upon understanding the numerous benefits of meditation, took up a regular practice himself. “Meditation, or mindfulness practice, it’s really about, to me, decreasing emotional reactivity so you can proactively create your day and create your life; versus, just being a walking reflex that sometimes screws up,” says Ferris.

Numerous research studies verify the benefits of meditation and mindfulness, including:

Less anxiety and stress
Improved self-image
More positive life outlook
Reduction of depressive symptoms
Enhanced self-awareness
Longer attention span
Better quality sleep
Pain control
Lower blood pressure

A solid morning routine

The reason behind a good morning routine is simple: by expending less energy in the morning, you are able to conserve it for more demanding, purpose-driven tasks later. Of course, what you do in the morning – and how you do it – sets you up for the rest of the day.

Of course, a solid morning routine is more than just going through the motions. You must implement the right habits, including exercise, meditation, planning, reading, and accomplishing your most important task. Successful people also spend quality time with their family or by themselves (quiet time).

Commitment to excellence

Fulfillment of potential and striving for excellent are two peas in a pod. You can’t separate one from the other. Excellence in this sense means to put forth the needed effort, concentration, and skill to do the best work possible. Only by fully committing your capabilities to the work at hand can you create excellence. Only by creating excellence can you fulfill your potential.

People often make things harder than they have to be by not giving their full attention to the task at hand. Allowing your attention and focus to disperse isn’t conducive to excellent work. On the contrary, gently and directly redirecting your concentration – as needed – to the task at hand will ensure excellence every time.

Doing the right thing

People who truly fulfill their potential are benefactors of society. They are committed to doing the right thing, every time, whether “profitable” or not. Perhaps this habit is the best one to illustrate the gulf between success and fulfillment.

Someone who isn’t particularly keen on acting ethically can achieve success from an outsider’s perspective – but they’ll probably never be happy in the long term. Fulfilled people, on the other hand, are both successful and happy – in no small part because they commit to acting for the benefit of everyone, including society as a whole.

Maintaining focus

There is no way to reach your full potential without a great deal of focus. Things happen in life that will test your commitment to your purpose. Whether or not you can keep on depends a great deal on where you place your attention. If you maintain laser-like focus despite the obstacles, you have a much greater chance of fulfilling your potential.

When something bad happens, such as a setback, allow it to take its natural course. Be upset if you want. Get angry. Resent the situation. But then redirect your focus and “keep on keeping on!” Those who fulfill their potential do this as a habit. They may get miffed beyond belief, but they have an uncanny ability to keep their eye on the ball.

Final thought: Fulfillment isn’t struggle

By now you should have a solid understanding as to the sacrifices required to reach your potential. So now seems like a good time to understand that a fulfilling life doesn’t mean perpetual struggle. For if it did, life wouldn’t be too satisfying, would it?

Indeed, the idea that the path to realizing one’s potential as being rife with struggle needs to vanish. It is perhaps because of this misperception that most don’t end up reaching their potential.

The truth is that while setbacks are inevitable, they are much easier to overcome through a commitment to purpose. Purpose trumps worry, doubt, and struggle every time. Be passionate about what you want, learn as much as you can, stay focused, and you will realize your potential!

5 Reasons Depression Makes You Feel Empty Inside (And How to Fix It)

March 9, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Depression is more than just a lack of positive thinking. It’s a mental health issue that can severely affect everyday tasks. It can ruin concentration, work performance, and energy levels; and it can even become fatal if left untreated.

Approximately 300 million people around the world have depression, which is around 5% of the global population. As a statistically rare affliction, it is, unfortunately, not very well understood. Many people make the mistake of brushing off feelings of depression as normal sadness. More still believe depression can be cured by “cheering up.”

Sadly, it isn’t as simple as putting on a smile. Depression doesn’t only make you sad – it can cause feelings of numbness, hopelessness, exhaustion, and emptiness. All of these feelings combined pack a brutal punch against anyone who has to deal with them.

If you suffer from depression and are working to overcome it, understanding the root of these feelings and how they happen is important to managing the condition.

5 Ways Depression Makes You Feel Empty Inside, And How To Fix It

1. Anhedonia

Most people have hobbies. Some enjoy reading, others like going for walks, and some simply enjoy lounging around and watching TV. No matter how unique or eclectic a hobby is, or how “boring” someone’s choice of leisure activity is, these things bring them joy and help them recharge.

But when you have depression, you can develop an issue known as anhedonia, which is a term that translates to “without pleasure” in Greek. This problem refers to a state where you feel unable to experience happiness, enjoyment, or pleasure of any kind. No matter how much you try to chase it, the feeling you’re seeking never comes.

Some ways anhedonia may affect you are through:

Social interaction
Hobbies
Exercise
Food
Friends
Intimacy
Touch
Affection
Humor

But where does anhedonia stem from? Many researchers believe that it isn’t necessarily caused by something that inhibits feelings of pleasure, but rather a disorder that causes positive feelings to lack sustainability. This means you only get brief, weak bursts of enjoyment that don’t stick around long enough to provide any sense of satisfaction.

What can you do to fix anhedonia? Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed cure for this condition as of right now, For the most part, therapy and speaking to a mental health professional yields best results.

On your own, though, you can do some things to ease the lack of joy. Research has shown that taking part in social interaction and finding social support can reduce feelings of anhedonia. Of course, we know this is easier said than done, as anhedonia makes social interactions feel torturous – one of the ways depression makes you feel empty inside.

The best bet you have is to take it slow. Try committing to a small, short lunch with friends, or sit and watch TV with a family member if you live with them. You can also try to find support groups online for less tiring interactions.

2. Exhaustion and Fatigue

Exhaustion happens to a lot of people, and it’s not uncommon for someone to burn out after a lot of stressful pressure. Fatigue doesn’t necessarily mean you’re depressed – but being depressed often means having some degree of fatigue.

Chronic fatigue – the kind unable to find relief by rest and sleep – is a medical condition and often a symptom of a more serious underlying issue. Those with depression tend to experience this severe exhaustion, which can make everyday tasks difficult to perform. You may feel too tired to drag yourself out of bed, eat, or do your usual routines.

For some individuals, depression manifests in a complete and utter lack of any form of energy. This is called anergia, and it can be very dangerous; it may prevent you from doing the bare minimum you need to do in order to survive every day. It can cause malnutrition, illness, and other problems that pile up on top of the depression.

For some, depression and fatigue are, unfortunately, part of a toxic cycle. Fatigue causes depression, but depression causes fatigue, and the circle goes on and on and on. It may lead to the disruption of relationships, a significant lack of positive thinking, and loss of employment.

How can you manage fatigue from depression? Is there a way to fix it?

Start by making adjustments to your sleeping schedule.
You should be getting a minimum of 7 hours of sleep every single night.
Set specific sleeping and waking times so your body’s sleep cycle regulates and falls into a natural pattern that is easy to keep going.

Can’t sleep? Or maybe your sleep cycle is already regular, but you’re still fatigued? Time to take a look at your calendar.

Pinpoint areas of your life that cause added strain and stress.
Try to lighten your load by letting go of non-essential responsibilities.
Give yourself even a small amount of free time every day to just relax.

3. Guilt and Anxiety

We already know persistent sadness and emptiness are symptoms of serious depressive disorders. Unfortunately, some other emotional symptoms could be the cause behind feelings of severe emptiness inside, and fixing it isn’t easy.

To begin with, there’s anxiety. A whopping 70% of depression patients also have anxiety symptoms; in fact, many researchers believe that these two disorders may just be two sides of a single condition.

Anxiety is made worse by stress, and it can cause you to feel nervous or uneasy for no discernable reason. You may worry that other people think negatively of you. You may panic over minor setbacks in plans. Additionally, you may be unusually and disproportionately nervous about your performance at work.

The worst part about anxiety is that it really is “all in your head.” While a perfectly valid emotion, anxiety is irrational by nature. Sometimes, feeling anxious about something can be what causes something to fail.

There is also the guilt and self-blame aspect of depression. Eighty percent of those with major depressive disorder show signs of self-loathing. They blame themselves for every small detail and feel guilty about perceived errors, often becoming extremely ashamed of them – even if it’s a positive situation and nothing has really gone wrong.

This may be accompanied by self-esteem issues, leading to feelings of inadequacy. Those with depression often misinterpret situations, believing they are all negatively implicative of themselves.

Try Positive Self-Talk

Is it possible to deal with severe self-blame and anxiety on your own? Talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy can be helpful in this respect and will show the best results. On your own, though, you can also try practicing positive self-talk.

Changing the way you speak about yourself can work wonders on your self-esteem.
Try expressing your emotions healthily, whether through art or sport.
Be careful of the words you use, too. Instead of saying, “I’m so stupid and I never do anything right,” say “I’ve made a mistake, but it’s not proof of my value. How can I make it right?”

4. Insomnia and Hypersomnia

When your sleep cycle is irregular, your entire body is thrown out of whack. You don’t have a standard schedule to keep to, and it can really mess up your physical and mental health, leading to tired and empty feelings.

Sleep disorders are, unfortunately, commonly reported among depressed patients. One of the more common ones is insomnia, a condition where people find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Around 75% of all people with depression will deal with insomnia. This may manifest in the following ways:

Waking up at night and being unable to fall asleep again
Sleeping through the night but waking up exhausted
Difficulty falling asleep or lying awake for hours
Waking up too early

It’s important to note that insomnia isn’t just for people who can’t sleep. It also covers those who can sleep, but wake up feeling completely unrefreshed and exhausted, leading to cognitive problems and an often irritable mood.

You may also experience hypersomnia, which is excessively prolonged sleep. You may sleep well into the morning and constantly feel the desire to sleep some more. If you find yourself staying in bed for longer than 9 or 10 hours and feel unable to get up even after that, you likely have hypersomnia. Apparently, 40% of adults with depression deal with hypersomnia.

Is there a way to fix a sleep disorder? Going to a doctor is certainly the best way. However, you can also try exercising. We know that depression makes any attempts at physical activity very lackluster, but even mild exercise can help regulate sleep. Aerobic exercise is best, but you can also do things like:

Go for a walk.
Do simple, no-equipment workouts.
Do chores.
Go out and do some gardening.

It can be difficult to push yourself to move around when you’re depressed. But this lack of physical activity just feeds into the depression. If you want positive change, you’ll have to try moving just a little now and then. Take it slow, and work your way up.

5. Weight and Diet Changes

Depending on how you personally react, depression can make you either overeat or under eat – and sometimes you’ll experience a mix of both. It’s okay to lose your appetite or deal with cravings occasionally, but constantly living in a cycle of bad eating habits only does more harm.

Diet has been found to have a significant link to depression many times – so much so that it’s almost a given fact. And when you’re not eating right, your entire body suffers. You’re at higher risk for disease, are likely to feel exhausted, and may have even less positive thinking than before.

To make matters worse, weight loss and gain can have an effect on your self-esteem, leaving you feeling even more empty than before when you struggle to recognize yourself in the mirror. So, what can you do about it?

Keeping a food journal and logging your meals is a good way to be aware of what you are, or aren’t, eating.
You should aim to get sufficient daily calories in the form of healthy, energy-providing foods such as protein and complex carbs.
Steer away from refined sugars and other processed foods, as they will likely only worsen your mood.

Final Thoughts On Ways Depression Makes You Feel Empty Inside

Depression is not something to be taken lightly. The listlessness, hopelessness, and emptiness that comes with the condition are very difficult to bear, and they can lead to further health problems. Although we’ve outlined some ways to fix certain depressive symptoms, consider visiting a therapist or psychologist for further assistance.

If you find yourself contemplating suicide, performing destructive habits, or unable to do everyday tasks and work, seek medical assistance immediately. A mental health professional can provide you with the tools you need to overcome these issues.

Understanding your mental health is just as important as understanding your physical health. By knowing the ways depression makes you feel empty and how you can fix it, you’ll be able to make a positive change in your life.

11 Behaviors That Reveal Someone Is Hiding Their Anxiety

March 8, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Do you hide your anxiety from the world?

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorder in the world. In the United States, 40 million adults, or 19.1% of the population, struggle with it. Anxiety can range from mild to debilitating and can present with various symptoms. The most common symptoms of anxiety include:

Feeling restless or on edge
Trouble sleeping
Feeling exhausted
Difficulty concentrating on simple tasks
Worrying excessively, even about minor chores and responsibilities
Muscle tension
Irritability
Problems controlling feelings of worry
Racing thoughts

These are only a few symptoms of anxiety. Some people suffer from all of them, while others only deal with one or two symptoms. However, getting help for anxiety if it affects major parts of your life, such as school or work, is key to overcoming it. Unfortunately, only a little above a third of all people suffering from anxiety seek help, even in developed countries.

So, you have likely met someone suffering from anxiety who appears completely normal on the outside. This appearance of control can help the person feel less vulnerable. But it can ultimately lead to a breakdown later on.

The consequences of hidden anxiety

Here’s what happens when someone tries to hide their anxiety:

Living with anxiety is like being followed by a voice.
It knows all your insecurities and uses them against you.
It gets to the point when it’s the loudest voice in the room.
The only one you can hear.
– Unknown

It might feel like they’re controlling it, but it’s taking them over.

If someone attempts to hide their anxiety, they will probably look pretty normal to others. People who hide their anxiety might have a higher-functioning version of the disorder where they can still maintain adult responsibilities. However, inside, they are an absolute wreck. They have learned to hide their symptoms so well that no one would know they even have an anxiety disorder.

Their mask helps them get through life, but it takes an emotional toll on them nonetheless.

Those with anxiety disorders who mask their feelings might feel like they have a good grip on their disorder. However, they have likely just shifted their focus to something else, such as work, to avoid dealing with their feelings. They will come to the surface eventually, and the more the emotions build up, the worse the breakdown will be later.

They might fidget a lot or seem scatterbrained.

People who try to hide their anxiety need some sort of outlet for their tension, so they may seem restless and move around a lot. They might twiddle their thumbs, move their feet, twirl their hair, or engage in some other nervous habit. They may also have difficulty maintaining conversation and move on to another topic quickly. Their brain runs a mile a minute, so they just have a hard time keeping up with it in the real world.

They may sweat a lot.

According to the International Hyperhidrosis Society, nearly 32 percent of people with social anxiety experience excessive sweating. While it can occur in people with generalized anxiety, sweating is more common in those with SA or panic disorder. Because anxiety increases cortisol and adrenaline, your body reacts by making you sweat to release some of that tension. It’s a natural response to a threat, but sweating can cause embarrassment and shame in the modern world.

So, if a person with anxiety suffers from hyperhidrosis, he or she might appear flushed, have sweaty palms, or wear clothing that hides sweat stains more easily.

People that try to hide their anxiety may seem controlling.

Because a person that suffers from anxiety often feels out of control in regard to their own mental state, they might exert control over others. Many people with anxiety are perfectionists, so they might need things a certain way or attempt to micromanage other people. If they suffer from OCD, any slight change in their routine or environment may send them into a frenzied state.

They may suffer from depression.

Anxiety and depression are often co-occurring disorders. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, nearly 50% of those diagnosed with depression also have an anxiety disorder. There is no evidence that one disorder causes the other, but many people tend to suffer from both.

However, for someone who mainly suffers from anxiety, depression can worsen their symptoms and cause them to withdraw due to feeling overwhelmed by their unexpressed feelings.

The risk of substance abuse increases.

People with anxiety disorders are two to three times more likely to have a substance abuse problem than the general population. Furthermore, about one-fifth of Americans with an anxiety disorder have an alcohol or other substance abuse disorder, according to the ADAA. Alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs might help the person numb their feelings in the short-term, but many people who use these substances become addicted to them.

This addiction can lead to other problems, such as physical health problems, frequent absences from work or school, isolation, and more. Attempting to manage thie mental health disorder by self-medicating can result in more frequent hospitalizations due to an overdose, and possibly even death. If someone you know suffers from substance abuse, they should be evaluated by a mental health professional in case they have underlying anxiety or another mental disorder.

They may avoid what triggers them.

If someone suffers from anxiety, they might show avoidant behaviors such as isolating themselves or steering clear of certain people or environments. If they feel anxious in crowds, for example, they may avoid malls, parades, concerts, or other places where a lot of people congregate. In the worst-case scenario, they might develop agoraphobia, or a fear and avoidance of all places that cause or trigger anxiety. This might result in them never leaving the house unless they absolutely have to.

Those who try to pretend that they don’t have anxiety may find that they can no longer function normally. This usually occurs when someone doesn’t get help for their disorder and tries to manage it on their own.

People who try to hide their anxiety might become workaholics.

Those with high-functioning anxiety might work longer hours to avoid dealing with their symptoms. When they work, they have something else to focus on, so it becomes another addiction. While this is certainly a healthier addiction than drugs or alcohol, it can become unhealthy if the feelings causing the obsession aren’t properly dealt with.

They may have unhealthy eating habits.

Many people with hidden anxiety use food as a coping mechanism. Unfortunately, a study found that up to two-thirds of people with eating disorders have a co-occurring anxiety disorder as well. Furthermore, 42% of those with an eating disorder had developed an anxiety disorder during childhood, well before symptoms of an eating disorder started to appear.

People with hidden anxiety may have anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder. Many people with anxiety have difficulty in maintaining a healthy weight due to unhealthy relationships with food. For example, if they had a stressful day at work, they might unwind with a pizzaa and pint of ice cream instead of taking the time to make a healthier meal.

Since some people with anxiety use detrimental coping mechanisms, food is often no exception.

Relationships suffer.

People who try to hide their anxiety may lash out or withdraw from friends and family. Anxiety takes a lot of energy out of a person. If someone goes undiagnosed and untreated, they often have an even harder time maintaining their relationships. More arguments between spouses may occur, and friends’ messages might not get responded to. Anxiety can definitely become all-consuming, and a person who tries to hide it will usually have turbulent relationships because of this.

They may start missing work or school.

When someone tries to hide their anxiety, they may need extra time away from their responsibilities to cope. Work or school might become more difficult to attend, and the person may start missing multiple days at a time. They don’t feel comfortable telling their boss or teachers about their disorder. Therefore, they may simply avoid the situation entirely so they don’t have to deal with the shame or embarrassment. According to the American Psychiatric Association, anxiety disorders are associated with decreased job performance and short-and long-term disability and costs.

Final thoughts on coping with hidden anxiety

As you can see, when someone tries to hide their anxiety, it can causedisruption in many aspects of their life. While this condition is highly treatable, many people continue to suffer in silence. If you deal with anxious feelings, please seek professional help. The relief you’ll feel by getting tools to manage your disorder will make the possible shame and guilt you’ll feel worth it.

In today’s fast-paced world, you must remember to take care of yourself first. The world can wait, but your health can’t.

Science Explains 10 Things That Happen to Your Body When You Drink Warm Water With Lemon Every Morning

March 6, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Most people would never dream of drinking hot water, but it provides a lot of health benefits. Cold water might seem more refreshing, but it actually hinders the absorption process of nutrients during digestion since your body must instead focus on warming up your body temperature. One study even found that cold water can make nasal mucus thicker and more difficult to pass through the respiratory tract.

In ancient Chinese and Indian cultures, they believed that drinking hot water when you wake up helps improve digestion and relieve congestion. Some even say that hot water can relax your nervous system since your body won’t have to work so hard to warm up the water. In Chinese culture, having cold water with meals is seen as an imbalance; they typically have hot tea or warm water instead.

Remember that water should always be between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit so that it doesn’t burn your throat or esophagus. Water warmer than 160 can cause serious burns, so use caution when you heat up your water in the morning.

Adding lemon can provide even more health benefits. It adds necessary Vitamin C to your body, boosts your immune system, and helps protect you from colds and flus. Lemons are high in Vitamin C, folate, potassium, flavonoids, and compounds called limonins. A quarter cup of lemon juice contains 31% of the RDA for Vitamin C, 3% of the folate, and 2% of the potassium you need daily. Additionally, it has only 13 calories.

This article will review the many benefits of drinking warm water with lemon each morning. If you don’t already start your day off with a glass of water, we hope you will start this amazing ritual after reading about what it can do for your body.

Ten Reasons to Drinke Warm Water and Lemon Each Day

Here are ten ways that drinking hot water with lemon might benefit you:

Relieves sinus congestion

When you’re sick, everyone recommends to drink hot tea to get over a cold or sinus infection faster. The reason for this might be that hot water helps mucus travel faster than cold water, which can speed up your recovery rate. Drinking hot water in the morning can clear your sinuses and help you breathe better. Adding lemon can further boost your immune system due to the high amounts of antioxidants.

Lemon has also been found to help clear mucus and boost respiratory health. So, adding this citrus fruit to your warm water can further bolster your health.

Promotes healthy digestion

Warm water helps widen the blood vessels and increases blood flow to the intestines, which helps speed up digestion. Warm water also helps you stay hydrated more than cold water, which means your body will get rid of toxins much faster. Lemon can also help with detoxing your body as it has been shown to improve liver function.

If you have digestive problems, warm water with lemon can serve as a potent natural remedy.

Calms the central nervous system

Since the body must warm up cold water to its natural temperature of 98.6 degrees, this requires a lot more energy from your body. It also shocks your nervous system, which can ramp up feelings of anxiety and stress throughout the day. Drinking warm water can help you relax and feel less stress, especially if you add lemon.

Lemon has been shown to improve mood and stabilize emotions. It can also improve concentration and focus due to activating a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine, which affects the part of your brain that controls attention.

Relieves constipation

Hot water helps your intestines contract, while cold water can greatly slow down your digestive enzymes. If you suffer from constipation, adding warm water to your morning can stimulate your intestines and ensure you keep a healthy digestive system.

Additionally, lemon contains a form of soluble fiber called pectin, which can improve gut health and slow digestion of sugars and starches. This may help control blood sugar and ensure regular bowel movements.

Keeps you hydrated

Warm water helps you stay hydrated more than cold water since the body absorbs warm water more quickly. This means that you might not need to drink as many glasses of water to keep hydrated if you stick to warm water. As far as how much to drink, you really have to listen to your body and find what works for you. Activity levels and body weight also play a role in how much water you need daily.

Lemon will aid in keeping you hydrated as well due to the high water content and refreshing flavor.

Might help with weight loss

Drinking hot water helps boost your metabolism, which should help you lose weight. It also “wakes up” your intestines, which aids you in eliminating waste and excess water weight. Lemons have also been shown to aid in weight loss because they help keep you hydrated. Studies have shown proper hydration could be a key component of weight loss.

Plus, a tablespoon of lemon juice contains just four calories. For this reason, replacing sugary beverages with lemon water can help eliminate unnecessary calories and aid in weight loss.

Increases circulation

You might have heard that a warm bath or shower can temporarily expand your veins and arteries, which will help improve blood flow throughout the body. Experts have found that drinking hot tea or water can have a similar effect.

Drinking water with lemon every morning can further increase circulation due to the powerful antioxidants and nutrients present that help to boost oxygen levels throughout the body. Greater oxygen in the body means better blood flow, which will ensure proper circulation.

Helps relax your muscles

We already explained how warm water can help relax your central nervous system. It therefore makes sense that it can relax other parts of your body as well. Since warm water increases blood flow to your tissues and muscles, it can help relieve tension and promote feelings of relaxation.

If you have trouble going to sleep at night, try drinking warm water with lemon before bed. Or, if you have morning anxiety due to feeling stressed about the day ahead, don’t forget your warm glass of lemon water to start your day on the right note.

Warm water with lemon can lower toxins

When you drink hot water, your body’s internal temperature begins to rise. When this happens, the endocrine system becomes activated, causing you to sweat and eliminate toxins. If you work out regularly, this can boost your elimination of toxins even further by increasing core body temperature.

Lemon also helps eliminate toxins due to the nutrients and antioxidants that help clear out the digestive tract.

Relieves symptoms of achalasia

Achalasia is when food has trouble moving from the esophagus to the stomach. People with this condition find it hard to swallow and also feel like foods become “stuck” in their esophagus. Research shows that warm water can help people with achalasia digest foods better because hot water travels faster than cold water and speeds up the digestive system.

Lemon may or may not help in this case. Since it can improve digestion, it’s worth adding lemon to your water if you suffer from achalasia.

Risks of Drinking Hot Water

As we said before, ensure your water isn’t above 140 degrees, as scalding water can burn your tongue, throat, and esophagus. Also, hot water can definitely benefit your health, but it isn’t a magical solution to all health problems. Use it in addition to other aspects of a healthy lifestyle such as exercising, eating a balanced diet, practicing positive thinking, and meditating.

Also, ensure you don’t drink hot water while working outside or exercising vigorously. Research shows that drinking hot water quenches your thirst more than cold water. So, if you are working out or doing work outside, drink only cold water, which will help cool down your body temperature.

Final Thoughts on Drinking Warm Water for Better Health

If you’ve been trying to drink less coffee in the mornings, warm water with lemon could be a healthy alternative. It also has numerous health benefits such as increasing your metabolism, keeping you calm, and alleviating colds. What is more, this combination promotes healthy digestion. Drinking warm water at night can also help with insomnia. It relaxes the central nervous system and calms tension in the muscles.

Make sure to add a little lemon to your warm water as well. This will add to the health benefits of the beverage. It also adds some nice flavor to your water if you don’t care for the taste of water by itself.

Tomorrow morning, brew some hot water and add a squeeze of lemon (instead of coffee, for a change). You’ll feel a more subtle jolt of energy that lasts throughout the day and keeps you refreshed and happy.

Science Explains How Sleep Deprivation Hurts Your Health

March 6, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Do you know that, ideally, you need seven to nine hours of sleep every night? But a report from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) cited that at least a third of adults in the U.S. hardly get seven hours of sleep each night. In fact, many respondents of that health survey described their sleep quality as either fair or poor. It’s shedding light on a growing problem that’s known as sleep deprivation.

Everyone has experienced sleep deprivation. We have all had irritable days, short fuses, and snappy episodes where we felt less positive because we did not get a good night’s rest. But the consequences of a lack of sleep go deeper than becoming short-tempered and lashing out at people. Here are other ways sleep deprivation might hurt your health, according to science.

Science Reveals 7 Ways How Sleep Deprivation Hurts Your Health

“The first step to dealing with sleep deprivation is reconstructing priorities to allow for adequate sleep.” – Peter Johnsen

1. You become dehydrated

A new study in the Sleep journal revealed that sleep deprivation may lead to dehydration.

Apparently, short hours of sleep affect a crucial brain function.
When you’re getting your rest in bed every night, your brain releases a hormone called vasopressin that regulates the body’s hydration.
If you don’t sleep the right number of hours, the release of this hormone becomes disrupted.

Experts looked into the data of over 20,000 adults from three different sleep studies for this research. They learned that those who had under six hours of sleep had highly concentrated urine in the morning compared to those who had eight hours of sleep. Further probing showed that sleep-deprived individuals were 16 to 59 percent more dehydrated when they woke up.

The findings might help explain why people who lack sleep are more prone to develop health issues like a bad heart or kidney function, insulin sensitivity, and improper metabolism. The experts suggested that if you wake up feeling tired because you weren’t able to sleep enough or sleep well, drinking a glass of water might alleviate your condition.

2. Your body becomes more intolerant of pain

Not getting enough sleep might make you more sensitive to body aches and inflammation, according to the journal Pain. Sleep deprivation impacts proteins called cytokines that may trigger the appearance of inflammatory cells in the body.

In this research, 10,400 participants enlisted for a pain sensitivity test where they were asked to dip their hands in ice cold water.
Interestingly, 42 percent of the participants, who suffered from insomnia, took their hands out earlier than the 31 percent who did not have any sleep issues.
This led experts to conclude that pain sensitivity is more intense when people don’t get enough sleep.

However, the relationship between sleep and pain is much more complicated. It’s not so simple to try and get a good night’s sleep to increase your pain tolerance. For people who suffer from arthritis or fibromyalgia, for example, the body’s pain makes it harder to stay asleep. So, they likely need to take medications, change their lifestyle or diet, or get into therapy to improve their sleep quality.

3. You gain weight and raise your risks for weight-related diseases

Do you follow a strict diet and workout every day yet you’re still gaining weight? Have you looked into how much quality sleep you get? Those extra pounds you’re packing could be tied to sleep deprivation. A study in the Endocrine Society pointed out that losing just 30 minutes of your body’s necessary sleep hours can contribute to weight gain more than you realize.

Your body’s metabolism will stop functioning well if you lack sleep because two hormones that work through the night in your body become imbalanced.
The ghrelin hormone triggers your appetite, while the leptin hormone tells your body when it is full or satiated.
Your body’s leptin content drops when you don’t sleep enough. As a result, you start craving more food, especially foods with high-fat content.
Your brain takes cues from these hormones and thinks that the reason you’re lacking energy and feeling tired is due to lack of food.

Do you ever notice how you tend to eat more when you’ve had just three or four hours of sleep? If this happens regularly, you’re putting your body at a greater risk for developing weight-related diseases like obesity, insulin resistance, or diabetes. You’re overeating when what you really need is to catch up on sleep.

4. You also raise your risk for a heart attack or stroke

Blood pressure usually levels off at night for many people. When the body is resting and recuperating, the heart doesn’t have to work or pump harder. As a result, blood pressure dips. But when you have short sleep hours or don’t get a positive sleep cycle, you deprive your body of this biological process. As a result, you can develop hypertension, which is also known as high blood pressure.

Hypertension can lead to a heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure may also induce heart failure as your cardiovascular muscles will need to increase their workload, as per the American Heart Association.

Now, it’s normal for your blood pressure and heart rate to fluctuate every day because of your different activities.
When you are deprived of sleep, however, these numbers stay elevated.
You’re not just stressing your heart with high blood pressure. Your blood vessels in the brain could clot or rupture, which is what occurs in the case of stroke.

5. You lower your immune system and make your body a target for virus and bacteria

As with the heart, your immune system recharges itself whenever you sleep well. Without enough sleep, you take away your body’s ability to fight germs, viruses, and bacteria. Additionally, your recovery may take longer if you develop a cold or flu.

There’s a complex physiology to the immune system, which is made up of different proteins and cells. For this reason, this system’s links to sleep deprivation might not be straightforward. But it’s fair to say that if you keep pulling all-nighters at work, you could find yourself being the first one to catch someone’s cold or fever during flu season or a virus scare.

A study in the European Journal of Physiology figured out that a person who doesn’t get enough sleep has lowered T-cells. This is a very important protein. The T-cells kill germs, virus, and bacteria, including cancerous cells that attack the body.

You might have heard your grandmother telling you as a child that you could get easily get sick if you don’t sleep well. Now you know that there’s an actual science that backs up this old wives’ tale.

6. You lose your desire to be intimate with your partner

Experts said in the Journal of Sexual Medicine that a woman who gains an extra hour of sleep increases her drive for intimacy by 14 percent. However, a woman who is chronically sleep deprived could have little satisfaction and arousal during her private and intimate time with her partner. This means that sleep deprivation can also have an unfavorable impact on your desire to copulate.

However, this is not just a problem for women. Another study from experts at the University of Chicago learned that a man’s testosterone level drops when he sleeps under four hours night after night compared to a man who gets eight solid sleep hours. Testosterone is what drives a man’s natural needs and manly energies.

Additionally, if you’re an adult without healthy action in the bedroom, you’ll risk feeling more strain and stress on your body.
Physical intimacy helps release endorphins that can improve your mood so you’ll feel more positive.
A private time in the bedroom also helps lower your blood pressure, as per a study on Biological Psychology.
So, get enough sleep in order to get in the mood and improve your health.

7. You diminish your ability to cultivate positive thinking and gratitude

Because sleep deprivation exhausts and drains your body and mind, you lose perspective and focus. You start getting more frustrated about how you feel and how you function. There have been countless studies from decades ago that links sleep deprivation to mood disorders, depression, and anxiety.

When you are sleep deprived, you might find personal connections a lot less satisfying. Your relationships with the people you value start to suffer.
You also lose the sensibility to be grateful for the people who care for you, according to experts at the University of California, Berkeley.
Worse, short sleep duration has been proven to affect your thoughts and feelings. This information comes from the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry.
You could get trapped in a worry cycle of negativity, which isn’t a healthy way to live.

Final Thoughts On How Sleep Deprivation Hurts Your Health

Making a conscious effort to get a decent night sleep is the first step to fighting sleep deprivation. Also, make a commitment to change your sleep habits and routines for change to really work. Follow a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same times every single day. It’s important to train yourself so that your body and brain can take the cues and fall in sync.

Sleeping extra during the weekends can’t count as catching on sleep or repaying your sleep debt. In fact, sleep experts say that this will be counterproductive to your goal of maintaining a steady sleep schedule.

As much as possible, resist taking sedatives to help you get sleep. These pills might cause more harm to your mind and body than improve your sleep patterns. If you’re still feeling tired while getting used to your new routine, go ahead and take a power nap. Make sure it’s between 15 to 20 minutes, in the middle of the day. In fact, some companies encourage this activity to boost their workers’ physical and mental health.

It will take time to adjust to a new sleep lifestyle, especially if you have been suffering from insomnia. There is no shortcut but once you adopt a good sleep schedule, the payoffs will positively affect your health.

Living each day with purpose

Meditation and/or mindfulness practice

A solid morning routine

Commitment to excellence

Doing the right thing

Maintaining focus

Relieves sinus congestion

Promotes healthy digestion

Calms the central nervous system

Relieves constipation

Keeps you hydrated

Might help with weight loss

Increases circulation

Helps relax your muscles

Warm water with lemon can lower toxins

Relieves symptoms of achalasia

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