Posts Tagged → personal development
Researchers discover reasons behind neurodegenerative effects of stress
Stress can cause the brain to deteriorate over time, and now a team of researchers from the University of California, Davis has determined the cause of this effect. The findings may help individuals limit stress and rejuvenate their pursuit of personal development.
They found that a gene known as RCAN1 is produced at high levels in the brain during periods of stress. This gene normally is involved in the brain's coping mechanisms and helps individual's deal with stress. However, when it is present in large quantities, it appears to destroy brain tissue by enveloping neural networks and limiting their function.
"One can imagine that it becomes sticky and makes tangled scaffolding," said Kelvin Davies, who led the study. "By publishing this hypothesis, we hope to stimulate more research on the subject."
Ilchi Lee has long recommended meditation and other relaxation techniques in order to help people reach their full brain potential and avoid the damaging consequences of stress. The findings of this new study provide yet another reason to adopt this approach.
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Quitting one’s job is a process
While it can be easy to over-react to a problem at work – whether it be a disagreement with a boss or built-up stress – employees should carefully weigh all their options prior to quitting the job once and for all.
Ilchi Lee believes that considering all of one's options is a sign of personal growth that can be useful throughout a person's life.
According to a recent article on The Street, while the job market may be improving across the country, we're still in a period of recovery, so workers should not simply assume that they will be able to land another position if they step down from their current post.
In this same vein, it is important to be honest with oneself over the reasons for wanting to quit the job, according to Brazen Careerist CEO Penelope Trunk.
"In general, people quit their jobs because they are delusional and think they need more time for something, like writing a novel or traveling," Trunk, who is also a business blogger, told the news source. "These are not actually good reasons to quit your job."
Rather, workers should focus on more legitimate reasons for quitting such as health or potential negative impacts of the job on one's family or personal life, Trunk said.
If the reasons are there and the employee decides quitting is the only appropriate step, they should make sure to give their employer plenty of notice so that they can hire someone else to step in right away.
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Early life experiences may predict future depression risk
A new study out of the University of California, Los Angeles has found that individuals who have experienced trauma early in their lives may be more prone to depression following minor stressful situations later in life. The findings suggest that individuals who have had traumatic experiences may benefit from relaxation exercises like meditation.
The researchers said that depression is triggered in most adults by a sudden disturbing experience, such as lose a loved one or getting fired from a job. But at least 30 percent of people who develop depression experience the mood disorder as a result of much more minor everyday stresses.
After surveying a group of depressed adults about their early life experiences and what triggered their current bout of depression, the researchers found a strong correlation between experiencing trauma at a young age and being launched into a depressive state by minor life events.
Ilchi Lee recommends meditation as a way for individuals to let go of the stresses of their days, and the findings suggest that this may particularly important for some people. Simply taking a few minutes each day to focus one's self and let go of what bothers them may be an effective way to preserve mental health.
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Maintaining health for seniors may be a matter of engaging in an active social life
Ilchi Lee says that health is one of the most valuable things a person has and should be guarded at all costs. However, despite this importance, many people begin to let their physical and mental condition start to slip as they get older, chalking the changes up to aspects of the natural aging process.
However, this does not have to be the case. Experts say that seniors can involve themselves in many activities that help stimulate brain health and keep their bodies physically active. For example, a recent study out of the University of Southern California found that engaging in meaningful activities helps seniors maintain both physical and mental fitness.
These types of activities can include anything from visiting a museum with friends to taking a walk in the park. The researchers said that engaging in these activities could have important health benefits for seniors.
"Although people are living longer, it is important that they also live better. This intervention results in improved quality of life and provides a vehicle for maintaining health as we age," said Florence Clark, who led the investigation.
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Men and women handle stress differently
Stress can cause individuals to think and act in drastically different ways than they normally would, and handling this stress may play an important role in lifelong success and personal development.
A recent study from a researcher as the University of Southern California found that men and women react differently under stress, and while both of these reactions may have served functions during the development of the human race, both may have their drawbacks now.
Nichole Lighthall, who conducted the investigation, found that under stress, men tend to proceed brashly while women tend to become more cautious and hesitant. However, in less stressful situations, the researcher found that men and women tend to make decisions in more similar ways.
Lighthall said that the findings underscore the importance of managing stress in daily life. They may also contribute to an improved understanding of gender differences. This knowledge could improve the ways people, particularly couples, handle stressful situations.
Author and philosopher Ilchi Lee has recommended meditation for years as a way to manage stress and stimulate personal development.
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Technology can be a distraction from personal development
Technological advancements have powered significant economic and cultural progress in recent years. However, some experts are voicing concerns that the vast amount of information available at any given moment may be taking a toll on individuals' brain health. This may stifle personal development.
"This is something people complain about all the time – brain overload and mental fatigue,'' Dr. Stephen Peters, a neurologist at Associated Neurologists in Danbury, Connecticut, told the News Times. "We think our brain should handle everything now and handle it well. We are overloaded beyond what our brain can process.''
He added that feeling over-stimulated may lead to feelings of irritability, impulsivity and distraction. This can cause the brain to feel like it has frozen up.
The best way to eliminate these negative feelings is though meditation and other mind healing practices. Ilchi Lee says that they may be able to help individuals clear their minds of useless or negative information and allow them to continue to work toward personal development. An uncluttered mind is far more capable of responding to new information and experiences.
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Brain education can help individuals control their emotions
Individuals who seek brain education programs as part of a search for personal development may do well to keep their emotions in mind while they are working to improve themselves. Experts say that humans' emotional lives play major roles in their thoughts and behaviors, often in unexpected ways.
David Brooks, a columnist for the New York Times who recently wrote a book on the power emotions have over individuals, told the Philadelphia Enquirer that it is nearly impossible to take emotional factors out of the equation. This explains much of the social behavior of the human species.
"The conscious mind writes the autobiography of our species, but the unconscious mind drives our decisions," Brooks told the news source.
While it may be difficult to totally eliminate emotions, it may be possible for individuals to train the mind to suppress them and prevent them from ruling their actions. Ilchi Lee says that brain education programs can help people learn to filter their reactionary emotional responses through the thinking consciousness. This may lead to healthier mind-body-spirit connections.
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New findings support theory of brain wave vibration
Brain education exercises are good for more than just improving mental function. By strengthening the connection between the mind and the body, they may also be able to jumpstart physical activity and help people improve their health.
A recent study from a group of UK researchers confirmed this notion. Professors from the London School of Medicine reported in the journal The Lancet, that after testing the effects of various treatment approaches for chronic fatigue syndrome, they found that cognitive behavior therapy was the most productive.
This type of treatment asks individuals to be more aware of their daily emotions. Additionally, patients are required to question their current beliefs and assumptions to make sure they aren't brooding on irrelevant information.
These techniques are similar Ilchi Lee's Brain Wave Vibration teachings. By coaching the mind to focus only the positive and teaching it to let go of prior assumptions that do not further the cause of personal development, he believes that it is possible to overcome many physical ailments. These latest scientific findings support this teaching.
