How Stress Is Making You Lose Your Mind

Posted: 11/03/2014 8:24 am EST Updated: 1 hour ago

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Stress is affecting your brain much more than you think. Sure, you've experienced the distraction, forgetfulness, negativity or anxiety that comes from stressful situations, but did you know it's also shrinking your brain? Hormones released in response to stress not only affect brain function, they also change the physical structure of your brain.

The stress hormone cortisol can kill, shrink, and stop the generation of new neurons in a portion of the brain called the hippocampus. (1) The hippocampus is critical for learning, memory and emotional regulation, as well as shutting off the stress response after a stressful event is over: all much-needed processes in both our professional and personal lives.

Chronic stress can also shrink the medial prefrontal cortex. (2) This negatively affects decision making, working memory, and control of impulsive behavior. Stress also has the ability to affect stem cells, inhibiting access to the prefrontal cortex, where we plan complex cognitive behavior and moderate social interaction. The result is a brain that is less capable of learning and memory, and more prone to anxiety and depression.

To make matters worse, these same stress hormones can increase the size and activity of a portion of the brain called the amygdala. (3) The amygdala is critical in the formation and storage of memories associated with highly emotional events. It pairs an event with a feeling, and this connection is stored away in our long-term memory so we can either avoid the event or seek it out in the future. The changes cortisol creates increase negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, and aggression.

These brain alterations can have significant consequences on the way we interact with others, our ability to learn, remember, make decisions and accomplish long-term goals. They also make it more difficult to successfully manage stressful situations in the future, leading to a vicious cycle.

Fortunately, we've discovered a very effective antidote to these negative effects: exercise. Exercise can help build a stress-resistant brain in addition to increasing cognitive function and brain size.

Exercise helps spur the release of a substance called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps in the development of healthy brain tissue and reverses the negative effects of stress. (4) Think of it as fertilizer for the brain. It keeps existing neurons vital and healthy and also encourages the growth of new ones. The more we exercise, the more BDNF we create, and the more neurons are generated, particularly in the hippocampus.

Exercise also releases human growth hormone (HGH), which is vital to the growth and development of all brain and body cells. HGH counteracts the natural cellular atrophy of aging and pumps up brain volume. (5) A single bout of sprinting for 30 seconds can generate a six-fold increase in HGH, with levels peaking two hours later. (6)

And thankfully you don't have to do hour-long workouts to get many of these benefits. A recent analysis of 10 studies found that five-minute doses of exercise have the biggest effect on enhancing mood and combating stress. (7) Whenever you have a few minutes, do something that gets your heart rate up and/or challenges your muscles. It's a positive, constructive way to deal with stress and can help keep you from losing your mind!

Citations:

1) Sapolsky, Robert M. (1992) Stress, the Aging Brain, and the Mechanisms of Neuron Death. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

2) Ansell, E., Rando, K., Tuit, K., Guarnaccia, J., Sinha, R. (2012) "Cumulative Adversity and Smaller Grey Matter Volume in Medial Prefrontal, Anterior Cingulate, and Insula Regions." Biological Psychiatry. 72 (1): 57- 64.

3) Pittenger, C., Duman, R. (2008) "Stress, Depression, and Neuroplasticity: A Convergence of Mechanisms." Neuropsychopharmacology Reviews. 33: 88- 109.

4) Cotman, Carl W., Berchtold, Nicole C. (2002) "Exercise: a Behavioral Intervention to Enhance Brain Health and Plasticity." Trends in Neurosciences. 25(6): 295-301.

5) Ratey, John. (2008) Spark. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 256.

6) Ratey, John. (2008) Spark. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 256.

7) Barton, J., Pretty, J. (2010) "What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis." Environmental Science & Technology. 44: 3947-55.

Good news for Men Prostate cancer could be 'switched off' with injection

Scientists have worked out how to stop tumours growing in a breakthrough which could switch off many cancers and even prevent blindness

Prostate cancer could be switched off with an injection which prevents further tumour growth Photo: Alamy

By Sarah Knapton, Science Editor

11:24AM GMT 10 Nov 2014

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Prostate cancer could be ‘switched off’ after scientists discovered a way to prevent deadly tumours from spreading.

Bristol and Nottingham universities found that a single molecule plays a crucial role in the forming of new blood vessels.

Tumours need a constant supply of nutrient enriched blood to survive and grow. So stopping the production of blood vessels prevents cancer cells from multiplying and spreading.

When scientists injected mice three times a week with a drug to stop molecule SRPK1 from working, their tumour growth halted.

"We reasoned that inhibition of SRPK1 activity could stop cancer progression,” said Dr Sebastian Oltean, the study's co-author from the University of Bristol's School of Physiology and Pharmacology.

“Indeed, we show in this paper that if we decrease SRPK1 levels in prostate cancer cells we are able to inhibit tumour vasculature and growth."

Some 40,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the UK and 10,000 die from the disease.

Because the treatment targets blood vessels, it is likely it could be used for other types of cancer and even for age-related macular degeneration, the most common form of blindness.

Professor David Bates, co-author from the University of Nottingham's Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, said: "Our results point to a novel way of treating prostate cancer patients and may have wider implications to be used in several types of cancers."

SRPK1 plays a vital role in 'angiogenesis' - an essential process through which tumours are able to form blood vessels and obtain necessary nutrients to fuel their growth.

By analysing samples of human prostate cancer, researchers observed that SRPK1 increases as the cancer gets more aggressive.

Biotech company Exonate, a spin-out drug development company from the University of Nottingham, aims to develop SRPK1 inhibitors as treatments for diseases with abnormal vessel development such age-related macular degeneration and cancer.

This study has been funded by Prostate Cancer UK, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Richard Bright VEGF Research Trust.

Dr Matthew Hobbs, Deputy Director of Research at Prostate Cancer UK, said: "There's no denying that there are too few treatment options for the 40,000 men that face a diagnosis of prostate cancer every year in the UK - especially for those with advanced disease.

“Prostate cancer continues to kill over 10,000 men annually and there is an urgent need for new treatments if we are to significantly reduce this figure.

"Although it's early days, each finding like this represents a crucial block in building up our understanding of what can slow down and stop the progression of prostate cancer. This understanding will give us the foundations needed to develop new targeted treatments for those men in desperate need."

Byron's Health & Wellness Club stress-busting back massage

Until fairly recently, I was probably like most men when it comes to visiting a spa - rather dubious and slightly dismissive. But when I visited Byron's Health  & Wellness Spa as a guest I was treated to men's stress-busting back massage and head massage , any semblance of doubt evaporated.

I was greeted at the start by the therapist, who instantly put me at ease. 

Proceedings began with therapist  working her way around my back and shoulders.

She quickly picked up on the fact that my left side was much weaker than the right and honed in on that area.

It was just what I needed - although I have to admit to wincing a couple of times as she put pressure on my shoulders... but the whole massage was most enjoyable.

As she maneuvered her fingers around my cheekbones and eyes, I drifted off into another world. The cool and tingly oils  combined with the soft warm feel of the face towels left me feeling the benefit.

After the treatment, I rested for a good hour in the relaxation room and had a fresh Juice. Byron's   is such a relaxing place where you can switch off and unwind. The treatment was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Byron's - Brain neuron synapse work out

Give your brain a work out.

We have a selection of brain work outs  for our members which can be used in the sensory float room and will recalibrate your brain for :-

clearer faster thinking

increased concentration 

better sleep

stimulate creativity and idea generation ability 

energy and motivation 

Mood elevator 

In the zone for anyone with some focused event, speech, concert, trading, artist, sports 

WARNING THIS IS A REAL BRAIN WORK OUT 

Important recommendations 

It takes around 6 mins for your brainwaves to fall in step with the tones and become entrained, It then takes time to be guided along the frequency range used in the track. Listening to about half the way through is the minimum in my opinion, but 30 minutes is the optimum and preferred length to listen for.

Drink some water - make sure you are well hydrated before listening to brainwave entrainment.

why?

Your brain is made up of around 75% water, so it needs plenty of water to function well. When you stimulate your brain in this way you're increasing electrical activity and blood flow in the brain and giving your brain a really good work  out, so it can be a good idea to drink before listening so that your brain can fire on all cylinders.

It is not recommended to listen to this while driving or operating machinery.

why?

Brainwave entrainment involves a process of stimulating your brainwaves and changing your mental state. While this is safe to do and use in normal situations, it can sometimes zone you out during the track, as you focus in on the sound of the tones. This could result in you being distracted temporarily, which is not a good thing while your driving or operating machinery. 

Some people also  experience tingling and pother sensations from the stimulation. While that might feel quite nice sitting in a comfortable chair at home, it could cause you to be distracted while driving and result in an  accident.

It is not recommended to listen to this while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or any other mind altering substance.

Why?

When your brain is under the influence of drugs or alcohol it is not operating to its full capacity and you react differently to stimulation and situations, compared to when  you are  sober.

Byron's Escapes

Relax at one of Byron's recommended retreats  with your wife or a friend. Tulum Mexico probably one of the best  beaches in the world

Rejuvenation

WHAT is relaxation?

Relaxing means "going back".
Going back where?
Inside, where we BELONG!
Ok, but what does that mean?


Almost all our waking lives our attention (and energy) is directed outwards. It goes out through our eyes, our mouths, our bodies (our senses) into the world around us. It is attracted to other people, sounds, advertising, media... all of which are competing for our attention, 24 hours a day...


So to relax means to break this cycle - literally, to regain control of our own attention, our own energy.


Try something:
Take a deep breath into the abdomen, and as you exhale, let go of any physical tension. Taking another deep breath, simply acknowledge what is happening with you right at this moment - physically, emotionally, and mentally... breathing deeply, letting go of tension, and observing how you feel. It's best to do this with the eyes closed.
Go ahead.


Doesn't that feel great?!
That is a 10 second relaxation. Now, imagine if you were doing that all the time, 24 hours a day - breathing deeply, letting go, observing. Imagine how good you'd feel, how much energy you'd have!


It's very simple isn't it? So why don't we actually do it?!


The reason why we don't stay relaxed is because:
a) we were never told the importance of it
b) we were taught that other things are important
c) the combination of a + b causes STRESS


I want to tell you something different: relaxation is the most important thing in the world. It is the foundation of all health, happiness and succes.


Stress is the opposite of relaxation. Quite literally, in biological terms, stress is the absence of relaxation, and relaxation is the absence of stress!
Our nervous system has two possibilities - either the sympathetic nervous system is dominant (stress), or the parasympathetic nervous system is dominant (relaxation).


The sympathetic nervous system reacts to perceived threat in the environment.
Let's say that a dog behaves aggressively towards you: your body will automatically react in several ways - your eyes dilate to enable faster reactions; your chin drops to protect your throat; adrenalin is released to enable more strength or speed, depending on whether you choose fight or flight; the heart rate goes up to bring more oxygen to the muscles; blood and energy flow is redirected from the organs to the muscles (center to periphery); and so on. All of this is very good - it helps us in difficult sitations, and without it, we would never have survived as a species!
The parasympathetic nervous system on the other hand UNDOES all that the sympathetic nervous system does - when the stress is over (the dog stops barking and goes home) your body needs to calm down. So the parasympathetic nervous system releases hormones to relax the body - releasing the adrenalin, calming the eyes, the heart, and so on.
So, the sympathetic nervous system is all about stress response, while the parasympathetic nervous system is all about normal, regular function.


So far, so good. But what happens when you live in a society where your body is always under stress? For example, what if you live in a city with lots of traffic; lots of people in a hurry; noise, air, food and water pollution creating toxins (stress) in the body; constant bombardment of the senses by media, advertising, etc?
I'll tell you what happens: the body is permanently in a state of stress. In other words, the sympathetic nervous system is always being stimulated.
This is the primary reason why so many people are so ill, depressed, and unhappy.


I'm not kidding! I lived in London for 14 years and I know from experience!
But let's be honest: it's not only city life that is to blame. It's really the speed of 21st century living - and that can affect anyone, even in the country.


What's the solution?


The solution is that we have to consciously relax. We have to take time to really come back to ourselves, allowing our body to slow down, and giving time to the systems in our body to balance each other.


This does NOT mean watching a movie; reading a book; listening to music; having a beer / glass of wine; going out with friends. All of these things, which we have been taught to associate with relaxation, are stimulating! They stimulate our senses. They don't really help us to relax in a deep, meaningful way.


For real relaxation, silence is needed. So that our hearing is allowed to relax, and the muscles of our throat, vocal chords, tongue, and mouth can relax.
Closing the eyes is needed, so that our mind can stop processing visual information (did you know that literally millions of bits of information are absorbed through the eyes every second? And that our brains have to process that information?!).
Lying on the back is the best position to relax in - and the best posture is the 'corpse pose', a yoga pose known to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system.
Breathing should be deep and slow.
And our mind should be directed inwards.


There is a practice called Yoga Nidra, many thousands of years old. Yoga Nidra means yogic sleep, or 'sleep of the yogis' - it is a state of awareness in which the body is so relaxed that it sleeps, but the mind is awake, fully conscious.


20 minutes in this state of being is equivalent to two hours of sleep. It's very simple to do. I'm going to tell you how...

YOGA NIDRA

• Lie on the back, with the arms and legs slightly apart, and the head in the middle (corpse pose).

First, tense all the muscles in the body, tensing them, and releasing them.
Then get comfortable.

• Close the eyes, and take a few deep, full breaths.
• Then focus the attention inwards... focusing your full attention into the toes. Mentally (silently) repeat: "I am relaxing my toes, my toes are relaxing, the toes are relaxed"

Repeat this phrase until you really feel the toes softening, and relaxing.

• Then shift your attention to your feet, repeating: "I am relaxing the feet, the feet are relaxing, the feet are relaxed..."

Continue this process, going through every part of the body in turn, until you get to the top of your head. 

• Then do the same for all the internal organs: brain, heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, and so on. The whole body can be done in 5 minutes. If you are a beginner, it will take longer.

• When you are finished, lie still for at least 3 minutes. Allow your body to be completely still, and simply observe your mind. As time passes, the mind sinks into a deeper and deeper state of relaxation. There comes a point when, with the body and mind deeply relaxed, we touch something inside ourselves very deeply. That is true relaxation.

---

With practice, we are able to be deeply relaxed all the time. When you can do that, you don't age so fast. You stay healthy. And perhaps most importantly, when you are in a stressful situation, you have more reserves of energy to call upon should you need them.


This is the secret of the ancient yogis, and why they are known for long life and miraculous acts.

5 common Myths to dispel About Meditation

“Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.” ― Sharon Salzberg

I’m sure you’ve heard at one point or another that you should meditate, right?

There is continually growing research revealing how helpful it is for our health and well-being.

But despite this knowledge, many people struggle to incorporate the habit of meditating into their life.

The problem is, many don’t realize what meditation really is, or they have a misconception about how to do it.

We assume that mediation is something for a spiritual master or yogi. It has an esoteric air that is off-putting and scary to many people.

If this is the case for you it’s time to rethink your concept of what meditation really is.

“Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the end.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti

I completed a new certification in meditation from the Unity Temple here in Kansas City, and learned a couple of things that tend to hold people back from even trying to meditate, so I wanted to share them with you here.

It’s time you let go of these myths that are holding you back from your daily dose of peace.

Here are five common myths to overcome so you can start to meditate more confidently and consistently.

Myth #1: You have to sit with legs twisted like a pretzel

Sounds uncomfortable right?

I used to believe that I had to sit with my legs crossed, with perfect posture, not moving a muscle in order to meditate properly.

My legs would fall asleep and my lower back would ache. All I could do was think about how uncomfortable I was.

Meditation wasn’t very relaxing to say the least.

Guess what, you don’t have to sit in the traditional lotus position to meditate. You can sit in a chair with your feet on the ground. You can lean against a wall to support your back. You can meditate anywhere.

This isn’t cheating and no one will know anyway. Get comfortable and relaxed when you meditate.

Myth #2: You have to meditate for long periods of time

I used to think that I had to meditate for at least thirty minutes for it to be official. This was torture at first.

If someone is a novice mediator, having an expectation like this is going to completely discourage their practice.

What if you could meditate for even just five minutes and have benefits? Would that make it easier and more enjoyable?

Try finding a few moments throughout your day to sit with your breath for just five minutes at a time.

Stop torturing yourself. You don’t have to sit for an extended period to benefit from meditation.

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn1

Myth #3: You’re supposed to stop thinking

I remember ready the Master Key System in my early twenties. One weekly lessons was to try to stop thinking. I remember trying this and feeling completely frustrated that I couldn’t meditate or I was doing something wrong.

I realize now the overall objective of this exercise, but when it comes to gaining the benefits of meditation it isn’t necessary to stop thinking.

Why? Because not thinking is basically impossible. The mind wanders and thinks, that is what it does. The important aspect is to learn not to fuse or attach to your thoughts.

Thoughts will come and go and always be there, but we don’t have to grasp on to them and get emotionally attached.

Let thoughts go when you notice them and come back to the present moment by following the rhythm and sensations of your breathing.

“Don’t believe everything you think. Thoughts are just that – thoughts.” ― Allan Lokos

Myth #4: Your religion has something to do with it

Here in Kansas meditation can have a negative connotation.

It’s as if people assume they will go to hell if they meditate. (Getting familiar with contemplative prayer helps dispel this myth)

Meditation is not blasphemous. In fact it doesn’t have to relate to religion at all. I am not a Buddhist and I meditate.

When you meditate you don’t have to incorporate any spiritual or religious traditions what-so-ever if that is your preference.

Meditate for your health if nothing else, and then go to church later. I promise you won’t catch on fire or break out in hives.

I personally use meditation as a spiritual practice but don’t let this fixed idea that it has to do with religion deter you from exploring it as a tool for enhancing your well-being.

Myth #5: There is a right or wrong way to mediate

If you haven’t caught the drift of this post yet, there isn’t a right/wrong or good/bad way to mediate.

There are techniques and ideas to help direct your practice, but in the bigger picture letting go of the judgment about what you’re doing is one of the most important parts of meditating.

Stop judging yourself for not meditating properly. Stop beating yourself up for having a bad meditation session.

This is all a part of building your mental muscles. A non-judgmental attitude and compassionate heart are an outcome of sitting through “bad” meditation sessions.

Let yourself relax, let go of all the things on your schedule and just sit quietly for a few minutes.

Whala, you just meditated!

“In the end, just three things matter: How well we have lived, how well we have loved, how well we have learned to let go.” ― Jack Kornfield