1. Begin writing a list of issues you think might be affecting you in the area of your life that is experiencing some trouble.
2. Consider your scores on the core issues discussed in the "Issues impacting your subconscious" section. Did you score high on any that are affecting the challenging area of your life?
3. Choose one issue to focus on.
4. Bring the issue into your conscious mind in a variety of ways. Leave a note on your bathroom mirror to remind yourself; meditate on where the issue came from and how it impacts your life; talk about it with a friend or partner.
5. In a month or two, ask yourself how/if this issue is still impacting your life in that one area, and then consider whether it's been resolved in all areas of your life. If it still seems like the issue is affecting your well-being, you may want to enlist the help of a therapist. Once everything has shifted for the better, you may want to use the same techniques on other issues.
Finances
Health
Work
Sex
Love
Family
Personal growth
Frndship
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Scientists Demonstrate Best Way To Use Caffeine
Here is some useful news you can use. Morning "big gulp" coffee drinkers are misusing the power of caffeine. Researchers at the Sleep Disorders Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago along with colleagues at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School have shown that caffeine is best admnistered in a larger number of smaller doses with the doses coming later in the day.
Chicago - People who take small amounts of caffeine regularly during the day may be able to avoid falling asleep and perform well on cognitive tests without affecting their nighttime sleep habits.
Researchers from Rush University Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School have discovered that caffeine works by thwarting one of two interacting physiological systems that govern the human sleep-wake cycle. The researchers, who report their findings in the May issue of the journal SLEEP, propose a novel regimen, consisting of frequent low doses of caffeine, to help shift workers, medical residents, truck drivers, and others who need to stay awake get a bigger boost from their tea or coffee.
"I hate to say it, but most of the population is using caffeine the wrong way by drinking a few mugs of coffee or tea in the morning, or three cups from their Starbuck’s grande on the way to work. This means that caffeine levels in the brain will be falling as the day goes on. Unfortunately, the physiological process they need to counteract is not a major player until the latter half of the day," said James Wyatt, PhD, sleep researcher at Rush University Medical Center and lead author on the study.
Though many studies have measured caffeine’s sleep-averting effects, most do not take into account that sleep is governed by two opposing but interacting processes. The circadian system promotes sleep rhythmically—an internal clock releases melatonin and other hormones in a cyclical fashion. In contrast, the homeostatic system drives sleep appetitively—it builds the longer one is awake. If the two drives worked together, the drive for sleep would be overwhelming. As it turns out, they oppose one another.
Caffeine is thought to block the receptor for adenosine, a critical chemical messenger involved in the homeostatic drive for sleep. If that were true, then caffeine would be most effective if it were administered in parallel with growing pressure from the sleep homeostatic system, and also with accumulating adenosine.
To test their hypothesis, the scientists studied 16 male subjects in private suites, free of time cues, for 29 days. Instead of keeping to a 24-hour day, researchers scheduled the subjects to live on a 42.85–hour day (28.57-hour wake episodes), simulating the duration of extended wakefulness commonly encountered by doctors, and military and emergency services personnel. The extended day was also designed to disrupt the subjects’ circadian system while maximizing the effects of the homeostatic push for sleep.
Following a randomized, double-blind protocol, subjects received either one caffeine pill, containing 0.3 mg per kilogram of body weight, roughly the equivalent of two ounces of coffee, or an identical-looking placebo. They took the pills upon waking and then once every hour. The goal of the steady dosing was to progressively build up caffeine levels in a way that would coincide with—and ultimately, counteract—the progressive push of the homeostatic system, which grows stronger the longer a subject stays awake.
The strategy worked. Subjects who took the low-dose caffeine performed better on cognitive tests. They also exhibited fewer accidental sleep onsets, or microsleeps. EEG tests showed that placebo subjects were unintentionally asleep 1.57 percent of the time during the scheduled wake episodes, compared with 0.32 percent for those receiving caffeine. Despite their enhanced wakefulness, the caffeine-taking subjects reported feeling sleepier than their placebo counterparts, suggesting that the wake-promoting effects of caffeine do not replace the restorative effects gained through sleep.
Coffee, tea, and other caffeine-containing beverages are tools. Don't drink more than you need to and slow the rate of your drinking to spread it out. Keep in mind that once you reach the point where you don't need to maintain a high feeling of wakefulness that you should immediately stop drinking it. If you need something more powerful then consider Provigil (modafinil). My strongly felt advice is to stay away from methamphetamine or other amphetamines because they cause brain damage. I don't have any specific knowledge about toxic effects of caffeine or modafinil on neurons. But sleep deprivation is definitely harmful. A life lived with a constant need for anti-sleep stmulants is a life that is in need of some serious restructuring to allow for more sleep time.
Details from FuturePUndit
Chicago - People who take small amounts of caffeine regularly during the day may be able to avoid falling asleep and perform well on cognitive tests without affecting their nighttime sleep habits.
Researchers from Rush University Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School have discovered that caffeine works by thwarting one of two interacting physiological systems that govern the human sleep-wake cycle. The researchers, who report their findings in the May issue of the journal SLEEP, propose a novel regimen, consisting of frequent low doses of caffeine, to help shift workers, medical residents, truck drivers, and others who need to stay awake get a bigger boost from their tea or coffee.
"I hate to say it, but most of the population is using caffeine the wrong way by drinking a few mugs of coffee or tea in the morning, or three cups from their Starbuck’s grande on the way to work. This means that caffeine levels in the brain will be falling as the day goes on. Unfortunately, the physiological process they need to counteract is not a major player until the latter half of the day," said James Wyatt, PhD, sleep researcher at Rush University Medical Center and lead author on the study.
Though many studies have measured caffeine’s sleep-averting effects, most do not take into account that sleep is governed by two opposing but interacting processes. The circadian system promotes sleep rhythmically—an internal clock releases melatonin and other hormones in a cyclical fashion. In contrast, the homeostatic system drives sleep appetitively—it builds the longer one is awake. If the two drives worked together, the drive for sleep would be overwhelming. As it turns out, they oppose one another.
Caffeine is thought to block the receptor for adenosine, a critical chemical messenger involved in the homeostatic drive for sleep. If that were true, then caffeine would be most effective if it were administered in parallel with growing pressure from the sleep homeostatic system, and also with accumulating adenosine.
To test their hypothesis, the scientists studied 16 male subjects in private suites, free of time cues, for 29 days. Instead of keeping to a 24-hour day, researchers scheduled the subjects to live on a 42.85–hour day (28.57-hour wake episodes), simulating the duration of extended wakefulness commonly encountered by doctors, and military and emergency services personnel. The extended day was also designed to disrupt the subjects’ circadian system while maximizing the effects of the homeostatic push for sleep.
Following a randomized, double-blind protocol, subjects received either one caffeine pill, containing 0.3 mg per kilogram of body weight, roughly the equivalent of two ounces of coffee, or an identical-looking placebo. They took the pills upon waking and then once every hour. The goal of the steady dosing was to progressively build up caffeine levels in a way that would coincide with—and ultimately, counteract—the progressive push of the homeostatic system, which grows stronger the longer a subject stays awake.
The strategy worked. Subjects who took the low-dose caffeine performed better on cognitive tests. They also exhibited fewer accidental sleep onsets, or microsleeps. EEG tests showed that placebo subjects were unintentionally asleep 1.57 percent of the time during the scheduled wake episodes, compared with 0.32 percent for those receiving caffeine. Despite their enhanced wakefulness, the caffeine-taking subjects reported feeling sleepier than their placebo counterparts, suggesting that the wake-promoting effects of caffeine do not replace the restorative effects gained through sleep.
Coffee, tea, and other caffeine-containing beverages are tools. Don't drink more than you need to and slow the rate of your drinking to spread it out. Keep in mind that once you reach the point where you don't need to maintain a high feeling of wakefulness that you should immediately stop drinking it. If you need something more powerful then consider Provigil (modafinil). My strongly felt advice is to stay away from methamphetamine or other amphetamines because they cause brain damage. I don't have any specific knowledge about toxic effects of caffeine or modafinil on neurons. But sleep deprivation is definitely harmful. A life lived with a constant need for anti-sleep stmulants is a life that is in need of some serious restructuring to allow for more sleep time.
Details from FuturePUndit
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Monday, April 09, 2007
Test talk
Cody, you're a Soother!
You're a Soother. When trouble strikes, you somehow seem to avoid being hit. Those around you may encounter crises, of course — which is when you launch into action. You're best at helping others ease their stress, offering a kind word or a well-timed "everything's going to be okay." You're a walking affirmation!
Of course, wearing a smile all the time can be exhausting. We're all only human, and stress happens to the best of us — including you. When you find yourself under stress, you may have to fight the tendency to shut off the phone, crawl under the blankets, and hide from the world. But it's worth it to show your true feelings, even when they're less than upbeat. Let the people you've nurtured in the past help you out in your time of need. You deserve the attention. And tomorrow is another day! So take it easy.
You worry most about Finances
http://web.tickle.com/tests/subconsciousmind/paidresult.jsp
Cody, your career personality type is ESTJ
That means that based on the standard measure of personality traits, you have a quiet determination and sharp mind — you're very focused and buckle down when it comes to work. You are the type of person one looks to in a crisis. While others may provide emotional support in a situation, your clear and logical thinking allows you to solve the problem at hand.
You may be firm, but your actions are generally fair. You believe in putting in the work and don't expect favors to get ahead. Additionally, you want objective feedback to determine your success. You are a careful thinker and get all the details before making any decisions. You don't jump to conclusions and stick with the facts provided. In other words, you're the go-to person for the real story, not the spin or gossip. While others may sometimes see you as stubborn, they begrudgingly respect your ethics and straightforward approach.
The reason employers and recruiters might be on the lookout for you is that only about 12% of the U.S. population shares the unique characteristics of your personality type. Research shows that businesses succeed when employers create a good balance of personality types in the office. And since only 12% of the U.S. population shares your type, that means employers are looking for you.
But, to truly show employers what you have to offer, you need to understand a little more about traits that make up your type.
http://web.tickle.com/tests/classiccareer/paidresult.jsp?test=classiccareerogt
Cody, your confidence level is high
As a result, you may tend view yourself as a wonderful, lucky, or energized person. However you probably also have your days when you don't feel so hot. After all, you're only human. Because of your usual high level of self-acceptance and belief in yourself, you're generally open and accepting of others. People who come in contact with you likely appreciate this generous nature and may seek out your company.
Your intelligence seems to be the trait that you most value in yourself of the five main traits that affect confidence. You also seem to appreciate this characteristic in others.
Want to find out how you scored on the other four traits crucial to confidence?
http://web.tickle.com/tests/confidence/paidresult.jsp?c=42334&test=confidenceogt&where=paidresult&a_code=gRe3GBe1hBcqgJc8GRe3GJkzgRe6gbAvN8Esml1zgy00
***You Are Bart Simpson***
Very misunderstood, most people just dismiss you as "trouble."
Little do they know that you're wise and well accomplished beyond your years.
You will be remembered for: starring in your own TV show and saving the town from a comet
Your life philosophy: "I don't know why I did it, I don't know why I enjoyed it, and I don't know why I'll do it again!"
Cody, your connection type is The Networker
There's no doubt about it: You like to be in the know, and you spend a lot of time checking in with friends and family to find out what they're up to. You're a networker in the most natural sense and probably are better at keeping other people in touch than they are. What is it about you? Your easy-going style, your sincere desire to hook up the people you like in your life? You're just someone who doesn't take relationships for granted. You're probably still in touch with the kids you met at camp years ago — and you plan on keeping the friends you have now forever.
You love hooking your friends up with one another, and your friends might tease you about your obsession with matchmaking — but they know when they need a place to crash in Chicago, or a lead on a cool new job for the summer, that you're the person who can really connect them with a place to stay, some free concert tix, a new friend, a new job...
Cody, you're driven by what's hot now
Talk about in the know. You're on top of the current trends, even if the current trends are throwbacks to days past. You know the latest lingo and can probably rattle off a list of movies that are currently showing in the theaters, as well as the latest "it" place to grab a bite after the show. Chances are, you pay attention to the news and current events, too. Basically, you're on top of your game. You can change with the times and are on to the next best thing before others even know what hit them.
So what's the perfect car companion, the vehicle to fit your hot lifestyle? Maybe it's the new Beetle or the Mini Cooper. Or maybe your interested eyes should be falling on the new breed of transforming trucks like the Chevy Avalanche. You could be riding with a new style before you know it!
You're a Soother. When trouble strikes, you somehow seem to avoid being hit. Those around you may encounter crises, of course — which is when you launch into action. You're best at helping others ease their stress, offering a kind word or a well-timed "everything's going to be okay." You're a walking affirmation!
Of course, wearing a smile all the time can be exhausting. We're all only human, and stress happens to the best of us — including you. When you find yourself under stress, you may have to fight the tendency to shut off the phone, crawl under the blankets, and hide from the world. But it's worth it to show your true feelings, even when they're less than upbeat. Let the people you've nurtured in the past help you out in your time of need. You deserve the attention. And tomorrow is another day! So take it easy.
You worry most about Finances
http://web.tickle.com/tests/subconsciousmind/paidresult.jsp
Cody, your career personality type is ESTJ
That means that based on the standard measure of personality traits, you have a quiet determination and sharp mind — you're very focused and buckle down when it comes to work. You are the type of person one looks to in a crisis. While others may provide emotional support in a situation, your clear and logical thinking allows you to solve the problem at hand.
You may be firm, but your actions are generally fair. You believe in putting in the work and don't expect favors to get ahead. Additionally, you want objective feedback to determine your success. You are a careful thinker and get all the details before making any decisions. You don't jump to conclusions and stick with the facts provided. In other words, you're the go-to person for the real story, not the spin or gossip. While others may sometimes see you as stubborn, they begrudgingly respect your ethics and straightforward approach.
The reason employers and recruiters might be on the lookout for you is that only about 12% of the U.S. population shares the unique characteristics of your personality type. Research shows that businesses succeed when employers create a good balance of personality types in the office. And since only 12% of the U.S. population shares your type, that means employers are looking for you.
But, to truly show employers what you have to offer, you need to understand a little more about traits that make up your type.
http://web.tickle.com/tests/classiccareer/paidresult.jsp?test=classiccareerogt
Cody, your confidence level is high
As a result, you may tend view yourself as a wonderful, lucky, or energized person. However you probably also have your days when you don't feel so hot. After all, you're only human. Because of your usual high level of self-acceptance and belief in yourself, you're generally open and accepting of others. People who come in contact with you likely appreciate this generous nature and may seek out your company.
Your intelligence seems to be the trait that you most value in yourself of the five main traits that affect confidence. You also seem to appreciate this characteristic in others.
Want to find out how you scored on the other four traits crucial to confidence?
http://web.tickle.com/tests/confidence/paidresult.jsp?c=42334&test=confidenceogt&where=paidresult&a_code=gRe3GBe1hBcqgJc8GRe3GJkzgRe6gbAvN8Esml1zgy00
***You Are Bart Simpson***
Very misunderstood, most people just dismiss you as "trouble."
Little do they know that you're wise and well accomplished beyond your years.
You will be remembered for: starring in your own TV show and saving the town from a comet
Your life philosophy: "I don't know why I did it, I don't know why I enjoyed it, and I don't know why I'll do it again!"
Cody, your connection type is The Networker
There's no doubt about it: You like to be in the know, and you spend a lot of time checking in with friends and family to find out what they're up to. You're a networker in the most natural sense and probably are better at keeping other people in touch than they are. What is it about you? Your easy-going style, your sincere desire to hook up the people you like in your life? You're just someone who doesn't take relationships for granted. You're probably still in touch with the kids you met at camp years ago — and you plan on keeping the friends you have now forever.
You love hooking your friends up with one another, and your friends might tease you about your obsession with matchmaking — but they know when they need a place to crash in Chicago, or a lead on a cool new job for the summer, that you're the person who can really connect them with a place to stay, some free concert tix, a new friend, a new job...
Cody, you're driven by what's hot now
Talk about in the know. You're on top of the current trends, even if the current trends are throwbacks to days past. You know the latest lingo and can probably rattle off a list of movies that are currently showing in the theaters, as well as the latest "it" place to grab a bite after the show. Chances are, you pay attention to the news and current events, too. Basically, you're on top of your game. You can change with the times and are on to the next best thing before others even know what hit them.
So what's the perfect car companion, the vehicle to fit your hot lifestyle? Maybe it's the new Beetle or the Mini Cooper. Or maybe your interested eyes should be falling on the new breed of transforming trucks like the Chevy Avalanche. You could be riding with a new style before you know it!
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