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5 Ways to Get Through Overwhelming Stress

September 10, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Stress is everywhere these days. But sometimes, that same stress can build up until it is overwhelming. Stress contributes to several diseases, from heart disease, obesity, and diabetes to depression. Stress is killing us. We live hectic, overscheduled lives, and there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. What can we do to lower our stress levels without radically changing our lives? One thing we can do is learn how to better manage our stress and our reactions to stress. These five simple steps can channel that overwhelming stress into something more productive and bring you more happiness and relaxation.

5 Ways to Get Through Overwhelming Stress

1. Let Go of Things That Are Out of Your Control

The biggest thing you can do is just to let go of worries about things totally out of your control. One big thing you can do is lessen how much you listen to news programs, whether they are on television, radio, or podcast. News feeds on people’s fears and anxiety and leads with stories that push those buttons. The vast majority of the things on the news are so far out of your control that they are in no way going to affect your life.

Unless it is your job to worry about international politics, the economy, or what case the Supreme Court hears next, you probably shouldn’t worry too much about it. It is good to be informed, but don’t get sucked into the 24/7 fear-mongering and drive your stress levels up. Let it go and worry about things you can make a difference in like local politics, how your family is doing, and taking care of them and your friends.

2. Step Away from Situations That Cause Stress on Occasion

Sometimes things become so bad that you need to step away and take a vacation or getaway for the weekend. Get out of your routine, see something new, or visit with an old friend you haven’t seen in a while. Get out of the bubble of your job, family, and day-to-day worries. Something as simple as taking a walk in the park, or sitting outside in nature, can alter your perception of stress. All those things in your life will be there when you get back, but try to relax and forget it all for a while. When you come back, you will be refreshed, re-energized, and ready to tackle all those stressful things again.

3. Ask For and Accept Help When it is Offered

If you are in a jam and cannot figure out a way through the difficulty on your own, then don’t be afraid to ask for, and receive, help. We all need a helping hand now and again. There is no shame in asking for help when you are overwhelmed. Friends and family will step up when you need them to. Try not to take advantage of that goodwill, or it might not be available when you need it.

4. Eat Well and Exercise Regularly to Reduce Stress

When stressed, you will be more susceptible to eating foods that are bad for you or make you feel worse. So called “comfort foods” can be high in sugar and carbs, which stimulates the pleasure centers of our brains, making us feel better for a short period. However, the crash afterward can make you feel even worse. Exercise, on the other hand, can release a hormone called endorphins. These endorphins can make you feel better and lessen the effects of pain, similar to morphine. Eating healthier foods can lift your mood. And when you combine eating well with exercise, you can release some of the stress you experience positively and constructively.

5. Act and React Appropriately

You should always act and react appropriately no matter how much stress you are under. Overreacting or venting to people can make situations worse than they already were and increase your stress as you try to recover from the fallout. Reacting violently is never a good option unless you try overcoming a burglar in your living room. If you feel like exploding, walk away for a few minutes until you have calmed down. Go outside, get some fresh air, scream to the heavens and release the building stress. Come back and deal with the situation when you are calmer and can resolve it without losing it with someone.

Final Thoughts on Dealing With Overwhelming Stress

“I promise you nothing is as chaotic as it seems. Nothing is worth diminishing your health. Nothing is worth poisoning yourself into stress, anxiety, and fear.”~ Steve Maraboli

The wisdom of Steve Maraboli is more accurate than you might realize. Stress can cause a stroke or heart attack. Nothing is worth your life. Finding healthy coping mechanisms to deal with life experiences that can overwhelm you is essential. Doing so could literally save your life.

10 Questions To Ask Someone That Will Reveal The Most About Them

September 10, 2016 by Power of Positivity

When getting to know someone, you want to get the right information that helps reveal the most about them and their personality. These 10 questions are great starter questions to ask a romantic prospect, a new friend, or potentially (except for number 8) a job interview candidate.

10 Questions To Ask Someone That Will Reveal The Most About Them

‘Getting to know you, getting to know all about you.’ – Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II, The King and I

When you first meet someone, you know so little about each other. Getting to know someone can be fun, and it can be as long as you want it to be. But what if you want to speed things up a bit and ensure you’re in a good connection with each other rather than wasting time? Here are ten questions you can ask each other that will reveal the most about yourselves.

1. What’s something that no one would guess about you?

This question gets at the underlying nature of their personality. Often we can guess quite a bit about someone based on their appearance, clothes, and mannerisms, but what are they hiding?

2. What do you believe in?

This is a pretty open question to ask someone, but it could reveal a lot about them. For example, they could say anything from ‘The constitution’ to ‘Santa Claus’ to ‘Honesty.’ Or, maybe they believe that Casablanca was the best movie ever made. Either way, this question could tell you much about someone and what is important to them.

3. If you could be doing anything, anywhere right now, what and where would it be?

You might also want to add, ‘if money were no object’ to this question to get them to reveal the most about themselves. This is a way to ask what their favorite activity and place is. Maybe they have a longing to move away to a different place or to be doing a different career.

4. What do you wish you had done differently in your life?

This question will reveal a lot about someone’s past because, ultimately, we can’t change what we have already done. Living with regrets is no fun, nor is focusing on what might have been. You want to know what helped shape this person and if they continue to focus on the past or have their eyes set on the future.

5. What are you doing to improve yourself?

No one is perfect, so this question will reveal what someone dislikes about themselves and if they are taking the initiative to fix their flaws.

6. What’s one thing you’ve had to overcome in your life?

From a short 5-minute conversation, researchers looked at the differences between the sexes of how we perceive the friendliness of someone of the opposite sex. They found that males were more likely to perceive that women were being flirtatious or seductive. Women in the study did not think that friendly men who were talking to them were trying to seduce them.

7. What’s the most important thing to you?

This question could reveal if someone is materialistic, for example, if they say they value their car or a diamond ring. It could also reveal if they are idealistic, for example, if they say that their integrity is the most important thing to them.

8. What did you learn about yourself from your previous relationships?

Researchers at Lehigh University and the University of Texas looked at the question of what it really means to get to know someone. Most people think they are good judges of character. Still, in reality, we aren’t very accurate with our assessments of personality and our predictions of someone’s behavior based on what we know about them. Although people are often confident about the accuracy of their perceptions, ‘time and time again, researchers have shown that people’s impressions of others are prone to biases.’

The researchers found that people in a relationship are more likely to be accurate judges of personality if it is beneficial to their relationships. For example, being able to perceive your partner’s emotional state is beneficial to the health of your relationship.

9. How do you handle being in a bad mood?

Everyone has bad days, but how we handle them makes the biggest difference in our personalities. When you want to get to know someone, this question will reveal a lot about them, but you should also observe them when they are frustrated to see how they respond.

10. What do you wish someone would ask you?

Some people are just waiting for someone to ask them a certain question because they are dying to share some personal information with the rest of the world. Maybe they have a philosophical view they would love to share, or they want to reveal a hidden part of themselves to others. Either way, you’ll be sure to find out with this question.

(C)Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

8 Warning Signs From Your Skin To Never Ignore

September 10, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Here’s how your skin may be the first alert to health problems.

Your skin is the body’s largest organ and is crucial in shielding our insides from the external environment. But did you know it also provides a window to our internal health?

The relationship between your skin and overall health is intricate and interwoven. Every change, no matter how minor, can be a piece of a larger puzzle. It underscores the importance of maintaining skin health and seeking professional advice when you notice consistent or concerning changes.

This article will look at how your skin might be trying to communicate with you about your overall health.

Eight Warning Signs Your Skin May Reveal About Your Health

Your skin is more than a mere protective barrier. Instead, it’s a mirror reflecting your internal health. Paying attention to its signals can provide invaluable insights into your overall well-being. Always consult with healthcare professionals if you notice any unusual changes.

Watch for these signs:

1 – Freckles and Moles: The Sun’s Impact on Your Skin

Everyone has unique patterns of freckles and moles on their skin, often determined by genetics and sun exposure. However, the sudden appearance of new freckles or moles or changes in existing ones should be noted with caution. Regular sun exposure can lead to increased freckles due to the skin attempting to protect itself from harmful UV rays. On the other hand, moles might change in size, color, or shape, which can be a potential sign of skin damage or increased risk of skin cancer.

Key Takeaway:

Protect your skin by limiting direct sun exposure and using sunscreen, especially during peak hours. Make it a habit to perform regular skin self-checks, and if you notice any changes in your moles or freckles, consult a dermatologist promptly.

2 – Adult Acne: More Than Just a Skin Deep Issue

While acne is often associated with teenagers, many adults experience breakouts, too. These aren’t just simple skin flare-ups; they can indicate underlying health issues. Hormonal imbalances often trigger adult acne.

Factors like stress and certain inflammatory foods can exacerbate the condition, leading to deeper cystic acne. For women, hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycles can also result in acne flare-ups.

More importantly, if accompanied by irregular periods, unexpected weight gain, and excessive hair growth, it could point toward a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).

Key Takeaway:

If you suspect your acne isn’t just a superficial issue, seek advice from a dermatologist or endocrinologist. They can provide insights into potential hormonal imbalances and recommend appropriate treatments.

3 – Red Thickened Skin with Silvery Scales: Understanding Psoriasis

If you observe patches of red, inflamed skin covered with silvery scales, it might be indicative of psoriasis. Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition which accelerates skin cell turnover.

Instead of being shed, these skin cells accumulate, leading to the characteristic patches. The exact cause of psoriasis remains unknown. Still, genetic predisposition and triggers like stress, infections, or certain medications can play a role. Thankfully, advancements in medicine, such as immunotherapy, have shown promise in treating some cases.

Additionally, numerous natural and homeopathic remedies can alleviate symptoms.

Key Takeaway:

If you suspect you have psoriasis or are experiencing symptoms, consult a dermatologist. Early detection and appropriate management can significantly improve the quality of life for those with the condition.

4 – Pale Skin: More than Just a Fair Complexion

It could signal anemia if you’ve recently noticed your skin turning unusually pale, especially when accompanied by fatigue or shortness of breath. Anemia is when your body lacks sufficient healthy red blood cells to send oxygen to all its tissues. One common type of anemia is iron deficiency anemia, which, as the name suggests, results from inadequate iron in the body. Addressing this can be as straightforward as incorporating more iron-rich foods into your diet or taking prescribed iron supplements.

Key Takeaway:

A sudden shift towards paleness can be significant. While it might be a relatively benign iron deficiency, it’s essential to rule out more severe conditions like internal bleeding or leukemia, a type of blood cancer. Always consult a physician if you experience sudden or drastic skin changes.

5 – Dark Patches: The Silent Warning of Insulin Resistance

Darkening of the skin, especially in the creases and folds, coupled with a velvety texture, is medically termed acanthosis nigricans. This skin manifestation often hints at insulin resistance, a condition where the body’s cells don’t respond to the hormone insulin effectively.

Over time, insulin resistance can cause type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease with wide-ranging health implications.

Key Takeaway:

If you notice dark, velvety patches forming on your skin, especially around the neck or armpits, it’s time to consult a doctor. A simple fasting blood glucose test can help gauge your blood sugar levels. Achieving controlled blood sugar levels can reduce the risk of diabetes and also aid in lightening these skin patches.

6 – Persistent Itchiness: Beyond a Simple Skin Irritation

The occasional itch is a universal experience, often attributed to minor skin irritants or transient factors. However, if you find yourself incessantly scratching, exploring the cause is essential.

Persistent itchiness can stem from allergic reactions due to dietary changes, new personal care products, or a shift in laundry detergents. It’s crucial to pinpoint and eliminate potential allergens to assess any improvement.

Key Takeaway:

Chronic itchiness isn’t just uncomfortable—it can be a warning sign of underlying health issues. Consider further medical evaluation if eliminating common allergens doesn’t relieve your symptoms. Diseases like celiac disease, where the body reacts adversely to gluten, or diabetes can manifest as unrelenting itchiness.

7 – Dry Patches: Not Just a Simple Skin Quirk

Encountering dry skin patches can often be attributed to environmental factors, like the cold and dry air during winter months. Dehydration also plays a role in drying out the skin, as does a deficiency in essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids.

Simple measures like increasing water intake, applying a nourishing skin moisturizer, and incorporating foods rich in omega-3s, such as walnuts and edamame, can be beneficial to alleviate these dry patches.

Key Takeaway:

While dry skin is common and often benign, paying attention to any accompanying symptoms is essential.

Do you ever notice persistent dry patches and symptoms like these?

Fatigue
Unexpected weight gain
Constipation

These could indicate an underactive thyroid gland, also known as hypothyroidism. A straightforward blood test can ascertain thyroid function, helping to address potential concerns promptly.

8 – Red Cheeks: Beyond Blushing

Sudden redness or flushing of the cheeks may seem harmless, attributed to embarrassment or a reaction to a hot environment. However, persistent redness could indicate rosacea, especially if coupled with visible blood vessels or pimple-like bumps. While the exact cause of rosacea remains elusive, specific triggers are known to exacerbate the condition. These include cold weather, spicy foods, alcohol consumption, and periods of heightened stress.

Key Takeaway:

If you notice consistent redness in your cheeks, it might be more than just a reaction to your surroundings. So please consult a dermatologist who can provide insights into potential rosacea triggers for you and recommend treatments to manage the condition. In the meantime, you should rethink that spicy burrito and margarita combo and consider some stress-reducing activities other than that intense curling match!

Other Considerations to Ponder

Here are some things to consider if you see these changes occurring:

A Dynamic Interface: The skin constantly converses with our body’s systems, from the endocrine to the immune. Changes on the skin can be symptomatic of systemic changes, a subtle nudge, or sometimes a glaring indication that all is not well within.
Proactivity Over Reactivity: By observing and understanding our skin’s signals, we can adopt a proactive approach to health. Addressing concerns when they first manifest on the skin can prevent more significant complications.
Beyond Aesthetics: While modern society often places a premium on flawless skin for aesthetic reasons, the actual value of skin health runs far deeper. Healthy skin exemplifies balanced nutrition, adequate hydration, optimal hormonal function, and a robust immune system.
External Factors: It’s not just internal health that the skin reflects. External triggers, such as stress, environmental pollutants, and dietary choices, often manifest on the skin first. These signs, if heeded, can guide us in making lifestyle changes that benefit not just the skin but overall well-being.
Seek Expertise: While being attuned to your skin’s changes is invaluable, it’s equally crucial to seek expert advice. Dermatologists and other healthcare professionals provide an essential bridge between observation and actionable insights, guiding us in understanding the deeper implications of skin changes.

Final Thoughts on the Connection Between Your Skin and Health

The magnificent canvas that envelops our body is not merely a passive barrier against environmental factors. It actively communicates, often as a reliable gauge of our internal health. The dialogues between the skin and our body’s internal systems reveal a profound interconnectedness, reminding us that we cannot categorize and must consider holistic health.

Indeed, the interplay between our skin and internal health is a testament to the body’s holistic nature. Every freckle, patch, flush, and itch is a story, a dialogue, a clue. As custodians of our health, our challenge and privilege lie in listening, understanding, and acting upon these messages. In its silent eloquence, the epidermis reminds us repeatedly that proper health is a harmonious blend of the internal and external, the seen and the unseen.

5 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be More Attractive

September 10, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Attraction is a beautiful mystery. The way our heart flutters in the presence of a particular individual. Or how our mind repeatedly drifts towards thoughts of them. It’s a profoundly human experience. Attraction, however, is a deeply subjective phenomenon. What one person finds alluring, another might find mundane.

Despite this subjectivity, science has shown us several universally appealing traits and attributes most people find attractive. Let’s explore these together, not just as points to apply but as a journey into understanding the intricacies of human attraction.

Try These Five Things to Be More Attractive:

1 – Be Entertaining

This isn’t about turning into a clown or comedian. From a psychological standpoint, being entertaining means tapping into our brain’s inherent craving for novelty, engagement, and stimulation. We have a unique blend of interests, preferences, and values. What one person finds dull, another might find exhilarating.

So, the secret lies in authentically engaging in your way, fostering intrigue and curiosity. Embrace your individuality, your distinct sense of humor, your particular train of thought. People are more likely to be attracted to someone genuine, vibrant, and, in their way, captivating.

2 – Act Quickly When You and Someone Find Each Other Mutually Attractive

Time is of the essence when it comes to attraction. Our brain’s attention span is surprisingly short (even shorter than a goldfish’s!), meaning our impressions must be swift and impactful. The thrill of attraction often lies in the spontaneity, the unexpected. Hence, you’ll want to act with alacrity to spark someone’s interest, seizing the moment with grace and confidence. Remember, the key is not to rush your actions but to respond promptly and authentically to situations.

3 – Use Open Body Language

Research shows that body language is among the most important drivers of attraction. More specifically, positioning the body to convey “openness’ is among the most critical drivers of attraction.

Body language goes beyond mere posture or positioning. It’s a powerful form of communication that often transcends cultural and linguistic barriers. Open body language speaks of a person’s openness to experiences and interactions, readiness to connect, and interest in the world around them. It suggests a person who is not just physically present, but also emotionally and mentally engaged. It conveys a certain level of vulnerability. In fact, it invites others to approach and interact, exuding an appealing sense of authenticity.

Open body language also exhibits self-confidence—a universally attractive trait. Confidence is not about dominating a room or overshadowing others. Instead, it’s a quiet assurance, a comfortable acceptance of oneself with all its imperfections. When a person exhibits open body language, they’re showing that they’re secure in their own skin. They’re open to engagement, not threatened by differing viewpoints, and confident enough to display a receptive demeanor. This transparency is a powerful attractor. It demonstrates that you’re not afraid to be yourself, and that’s incredibly appealing.

4 – Smile Often

Sometimes, the most straightforward actions are the most powerful. A genuine smile can light up your face and make you more appealing. Smiling intensifies perceptions of attractiveness, so much so that it can compensate for perceived physical unattractiveness. However, the emphasis here is on authenticity. Fake or forced smiles can come across as insincere. So, aim to cultivate a sense of joy and positivity within you, which will naturally translate into warm, genuine smiles that can win hearts.

Here’s the research that suggests smiling is universally attractive:

Researchers at the University of Bern examined this relationship between attraction and smiling in two experiments. During the first (and most telling) experiment, participants viewed a series of photographs consisting of alternating expressions of outward happiness (smiling) and other varying expressions. The participants were then asked to gauge the relative attractiveness of the photographs.

The researchers summarized: “The results of Experiment 1 revealed that the evaluation of attractiveness is strongly influenced by the intensive of a smile expressed on a face: A happy facial expression could even compensate for relative unattractiveness.”

5 – Have a Sense of Humor

A good sense of humor can be an irresistible magnet. It’s not just about cracking jokes but more about seeing the lighter side of life and making others feel good.

When we laugh, our brain releases a cocktail of feel-good chemicals like endorphins, oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, making us feel happy and relaxed and enhancing our attractiveness. A sense of humor indicates that you can bring joy and positivity to others’ lives, undeniably appealing qualities.

Here’s an example of how that relates to attraction.

Ask a close female friend if they’ve seen any Mike Myers or Jim Carrey films (e.g., the “Austin Powers” or “Ace Ventura” series). If so, ask them if they found Myers’ or Carrey’s characters attractive.

If you’re uncomfortable doing this, YouTube Myers or Carrey movie clips and sift through the comments – many women find both men highly attractive.

Why is this?

Myers and Carrey are not physically-unattractive men (admittedly subjective!). But they’re not Brad Pitt or George Clooney, either. Still, Myers and Carrey demonstrate an inimitably-powerful sense of humor, namely making people laugh (hysterically). And many find them highly attractive for their hilarious sense of humor.

Final Thoughts about What Makes Someone Attractive

So moving forward, remember that attractiveness transcends superficial physical traits. It’s about the whole person—their personality, confidence, passion, sense of humor, and most importantly, their authentic self. These are the elements that create the potent magic of attraction.

Science has provided us with some insight into universally attractive traits. However, the essence of attraction is as individual as we are. What makes someone attractive is a profoundly personal mix of many factors. In striving to become more attractive, the goal should not be to conform to a set of universal standards but to enhance and express your true self more fully and genuinely.

After all, the most attractive you is the authentic you. You can create meaningful connections far beyond the surface by embracing who you are and sharing that with others. Remember, you are uniquely captivating in your own right, and your attractiveness shines brightest when it is authentically yours. So, dare to be yourself, dare to express, and dare to attract!

Researchers Reveal 5 Ways To Gain Emotional Intelligence

September 10, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Emotional intelligence is a skill that can be strengthened. In fact, it is an important one for building strong relationships with those around us, both in our personal lives and in our careers. We experience emotions both internally with ourselves from our inner thoughts, and externally with the people that we interact with.

The perception, use, understanding, and management of emotions are the parts that make up the skill of emotional intelligence. You may be skilled in one area, but are looking for ways to strengthen your skills in other areas. This article will help you understand, and strengthen each area.

5 Ways To Strengthen Your Emotional Intelligence

Strengthening emotional intelligence is important in many fields, but for teachers, these skills are especially important to correctly assess and prevent learning problems for children who might be struggling either socially or academically. In the textbook Applying Emotional Intelligence, the authors focus on improving emotion-related skills for teachers. They define the emotional intelligence skills of perception, use, understanding, and management of emotions in the following ways:

Perception of emotion. The ability to perceive emotions in oneself and others as well as in books, movies, or even art
Use of emotion to facilitate thinking. The ability to use or generate emotions to focus attention, communicate feelings, or engage in other cognitive processes such as reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Understanding of emotion. The ability to understand emotional information and the causes of emotions and how emotions combine, progress, and change from one to another.
Management of emotion. The ability to be open to feelings and employ effective strategies to promote personal understanding and growth.

Belgian researchers looked at how it might be possible to increase emotional intelligence (EI). They had the participants of an experimental group go through a brief emotional intelligence training. As a result, they saw how those who had gone through the emotional intelligence training showed a significant increase in emotion identification and emotion management abilities. They were also able to show that at a 6-month follow-up the training participants still showed stronger emotional intelligence than the control group. The team concluded by saying ‘These findings suggest that EI can be improved and open new treatment avenues.’

1. Use a diary to describe one emotional experience per day

The Belgian research study mentioned in our first item above also used a personal diary. Participants reported one emotional experience daily in addition to other training in emotional intelligence.

In this way, those in the study had to look back at their day. They reflected on the emotional moments they had experienced in order to be able to write about them.

So try journaling about your emotions. Perhaps you’ll gain self-awareness of your own emotional state and what was happening that brought up those feelings. Journal writing is one way to strengthen your emotional intelligence.

2. Reflect on how you can improve your own regulation of emotion

Think about times that you may have lost your temper, cried in front of someone when you didn’t want to, or got easily frustrated. Now think about how you could manage that differently in the future. For example, if you’re feeling like you might cry, you might say to the other person ‘I’m feeling very strongly about this right now. Give me a few moments to compose my thoughts.’

3. Think about how you can identify other people’s feelings

The authors of the textbook chapter on training emotional intelligence for teachers in the classroom suggest a few exercises to strengthen your skills. They say that analyzing the emotions of a recent interaction with someone is helpful ‘Because emotions contain important information about people and the environment (perception of emotion) and identifying one’s own feelings and those of the other person are key factors in how a situation is handled, the first question is ‘How may/was each person feel/feeling?’

4. Look at your thoughts about the other person’s emotions and the results

In the classroom teacher training, the authors say ‘Emotions also influence how we think, and our thoughts influence how we handle a situation (use of emotion).’

They say that we should ask ourselves ‘What were you and the other person thinking about as a result of these feelings?’ Next, in order to understand the underlying causes of the emotional experience (understanding emotion), we should ask ourselves, ‘What may have caused each person to feel the way he/she did?’

Finally, we should ask ourselves, ‘What did you and the other person do to manage these feelings?’ which deals with identifying the specific strategies to manage emotion. You may also have a strong intuition.

5. Write down the non-verbal cues you can hear or see that reflect emotions in yourself and in others

For other people that you see speaking, you may be able to more easily identify non-verbal cues that give away their emotional state. For example, their facial expressions, voice, gestures, or posture serve as valuable clues. In yourself, these may be more difficult to recognize. For example, when your face feels hot and flushed, what emotion are you most likely experiencing? If you said embarrassment or shame, you’d be correct. Think about some other emotions and how your body physically feels when you experience them.

You can also take emotional intelligence tests online to analyze your skills, both here and here.

5 Reasons People Wake Up Grumpy (And How to Avoid It)

September 10, 2016 by Power of Positivity

‘I’m so not a morning person is something you might say if you always wake up grumpy, but it doesn’t have to be that way if you know the common reasons for your mood and how to change it into a more positive one. Knowing the root causes of grumpy mornings will help you understand why people do it and how to avoid waking up on the wrong side of the bed as soon as tomorrow.

5 Reasons People Wake Up Grumpy (And How To Avoid It)

If you’re not a morning person, you probably hate morning people or wish they would be cheerful somewhere else. It’s not that you’re depressed in the morning, and nothing has happened yet to make you angry, but somehow you just don’t feel positive first thing in the morning.

Your mood can be affected by many things, from what you ate or drank the day before to what was on your mind before bed.

1. Sleeping wrong

Waking up achy will put you in a grumpy mood, and many of us ‘sleep wrong’ even without knowing that we are doing it. Since we spend 6-8 hours per night in bed, it is important to have a good, supportive mattress, a pillow that doesn’t push your neck into an awkward position, and to sleep in the right position all night too.

Millions of people wake up grumpy because of hip, back, neck, or jaw pain. Side sleeping can pressure the hip joint, which causes pain when you wake up. Sleeping with a pillow that is too full will push your neck into an awkward position toward your chest or shoulder, which then causes you to feel pain when you wake up. Some people grind their teeth at night, which can cause dental pain and problems and jaw muscle pain.

Waking up in pain is sure to make you grumpy. How best to avoid this, use a pillow that is softer than usual if you have neck pain. This will allow your neck to fall lower than usual into a more natural position about the rest of your body. A down substitute or buckwheat pillow is a good option. Sleep on your back for the best natural position for your spine. Ask your dentist to fit you for a mouth guard to keep your jaw in a relaxed position as y

2. A nightcap before bed

One glass of wine before bed won’t hurt, will it? According to one study, it could be one reason you wake up grumpy. Although alcohol can make you feel drowsy, and it is a sedative, its effect on your ability to get good, deep sleep is negative.

The researchers say ‘alcohol may exert an arousal influence which may compete with the sleep maintenance influence of increased delta activity. The phenomenon is similar to, or the same as, alpha-delta sleep which has been associated with the presence of disruptive stimuli during sleep.’ So that nightcap before bed keeps you from getting deep sleep, making you grumpy in the morning. Skip the drink, and change your morning mood.

3. Skipping breakfast

Okay you’ve definitely heard this one before, but eating breakfast in the morning can improve your level of grumpiness when you wake up. Researchers at Northumbria University tested the relationship between morning mood, having breakfast, and exercise and found that breakfast helped improve morning mood.

4. A lack of exercise

The Northumbria University researchers also found that breakfast improved mood, even after a workout. Exercise was also found to help improve mood and the ability to think clearly after breakfast. The scientists found that exercise improves cognitive performance after eating breakfast. Interestingly, the researcher found that if you skip breakfast and still have a morning workout, having a post-workout snack like almond milk will also improve your mood.

5. It’s genetic

Well, this one might be tough to avoid, but it’s possible that your genes are a reason that you wake up grumpy. Researchers found that a small percentage of the population have a genetic mutation that shows a link between mood and circadian clock sleep cycles. People with this genetic variant are more likely to suffer from Seasonal-Affective Disorder (SAD) and have depression during winter when there is lower light.

People with this grumpy morning genetic variation also generally suffer from irregular sleep cycles. The researchers also found this genetic mutation in fruit flies and mice. Although you can’t cure your genes, there is some hope from the research that found that people with this mutation also have lower levels of a protein that helps regulate sleep.

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5 Ways to Get Through Overwhelming Stress

1. Let Go of Things That Are Out of Your Control

2. Step Away from Situations That Cause Stress on Occasion

3. Ask For and Accept Help When it is Offered

4. Eat Well and Exercise Regularly to Reduce Stress

5. Act and React Appropriately

Final Thoughts on Dealing With Overwhelming Stress

10 Questions To Ask Someone That Will Reveal The Most About Them

1. What’s something that no one would guess about you?

2. What do you believe in?

3. If you could be doing anything, anywhere right now, what and where would it be?

4. What do you wish you had done differently in your life?

5. What are you doing to improve yourself?

6. What’s one thing you’ve had to overcome in your life?

7. What’s the most important thing to you?

8. What did you learn about yourself from your previous relationships?

9. How do you handle being in a bad mood?

10. What do you wish someone would ask you?

(C)Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

Here’s how your skin may be the first alert to health problems.

Eight Warning Signs Your Skin May Reveal About Your Health

1 – Freckles and Moles: The Sun’s Impact on Your Skin

2 – Adult Acne: More Than Just a Skin Deep Issue

3 – Red Thickened Skin with Silvery Scales: Understanding Psoriasis

4 – Pale Skin: More than Just a Fair Complexion

5 – Dark Patches: The Silent Warning of Insulin Resistance

6 – Persistent Itchiness: Beyond a Simple Skin Irritation

7 – Dry Patches: Not Just a Simple Skin Quirk

8 – Red Cheeks: Beyond Blushing

Other Considerations to Ponder

Final Thoughts on the Connection Between Your Skin and Health

Try These Five Things to Be More Attractive:

1 – Be Entertaining

2 – Act Quickly When You and Someone Find Each Other Mutually Attractive

3 – Use Open Body Language

4 – Smile Often

5 – Have a Sense of Humor

Final Thoughts about What Makes Someone Attractive

5 Ways To Strengthen Your Emotional Intelligence

1. Use a diary to describe one emotional experience per day

2. Reflect on how you can improve your own regulation of emotion

3. Think about how you can identify other people’s feelings

4. Look at your thoughts about the other person’s emotions and the results

5. Write down the non-verbal cues you can hear or see that reflect emotions in yourself and in others

5 Reasons People Wake Up Grumpy (And How To Avoid It)

1. Sleeping wrong

2. A nightcap before bed

3. Skipping breakfast

4. A lack of exercise

5. It’s genetic

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