Do You Do Too Many Things At Once?

Does this ever happen to you? Do you feel overworked? Overwhelmed? Overtired? Most of us are busier than ever: We're doing our jobs plus sometimes the jobs of one or two gone-but-not-replaced colleagues and doing it all with less support.

'Do more with less'is the unforgiving mantra of business in industry today. Make more decisions, launch more innovations, get more stuff done, with fewer people and less resources. Cell phones, laptops, PDAs, pagers all beeping, ringing, flashing making demands on our time and our attention. It is reported by a study by the Families and Work Institute in New York of 1,003 employees that 45 percent of U.S. workers feel they are asked or expected to work on too many tasks at once. Is this true for you?

How do we do it? We become very good at multitasking. We do it everywhere largely because of technology. We can check pagers and even answer cell phones on the golf course (or in my case, the tennis court!)

Does this mean you have less time to do real work as more time is spent on task work, answering messages, shuffling papers? Do you manage to stay sane in the face of these crazy demands?

A growing body of scientific research shows that multitasking can actually make you less efficient. Trying to do two or three things at once or in quick succession can take longer overall than doing them one at a time, and may leave you with reduced brainpower to perform each task.

Research shows that multitasking increases stress, diminishes perceived control, and may cause physical discomfort such as stomach aches or headaches not to mention shoddy work, mismanaged time, rote solutions, and forgetfulness. Have you ever noticed that as you are working on one task, thoughts about another creep into your consciousness? Taken further, car crashes, kitchen fires, forgotten children, near misses in the skies, and other dangers of inattention.

The Institute for the Future finds that employees of Fortune 1,000 companies send and receive 178 messages a day and are interrupted an average of at least three times an hour. Is your head shaking in agreement?

It doesn't mean we can't do several things at the same time, but we're kidding ourselves if we think we can do so without a cost. Our brains allow us to appear as though we can comfortably multitask. We do have an excellent filtering mechanism to switch our attention rapidly from one thought to the next. At the same time, rather than lose unattended thoughts, this mechanism keeps them active in the recesses of the brain.

However, the more we juggle, the less efficient we become at performing any one task. And the longer we go before returning to an interrupted task, the harder it is to remember just where we left off. Multitasking diminishes our productivity and makes us work harder just to feel like we are barely keeping up.

Recently, the public debate over multi-tasking focused largely on cell phones and driving. On July 1, 2004, New Jersey became the second state behind New York to ban drivers from using a cell phone without a headset. Washington, D.C., has adopted a similar ban.

No one solution works for everyone. Try them all, and then choose those that work best for you:

* Better estimate the time it takes to complete a task. For instance, list the tasks you plan to complete during a four-hour period and write down how long you think each task will take. Then, time yourself. Find the percentage by which you underestimate, and adjust your expectations accordingly.
* Write things down. Offload what's on your mind onto paper. Keep a pad of paper and pen by your bedside and write those thoughts that either keep you up, or wake you up, in the middle of the night. I get my best ideas in the middle of the night and write them down so I can get back to sleep peacefully. The only caveat here is have big paper. I tend to write my thoughts one atop the other in the dark!
* Allow yourself to complete a task which is the most productive way to work.
* Remove distractions: close your door (if you have one), do not check your e-mail, and turn off the ringer on your phone, cell phone, pager, and fax.
* Schedule down time for yourself. Do something different by refreshing your system so you return to work with a clean perspective, and the ability to work more effectively.
*Remember to breathe deeply. We tend to breathe shallowly and by deep breathing we relax in spite of ourselves.

Do these sound familiar? Many are techniques for de-stressing and rightly so. Multitasking is stressful. Technology can multitask forever. Humans cannot.

I find the following fascinating since at this moment while I'm creating this article I'm interrupted by phone calls, e-mails, staff, and my mind reminding me what is left in my Daytimer to be done today!

How do we do it? Research shows that the ability to multi-task stems from a spot right behind the forehead. That's the anterior part of the region neuroscientists call the 'executive' part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. When we assess tasks, prioritize them, and assign mental resources, these frontal lobes are doing most of the work.

This same region of the brain is where we pull off another uniquely human trick that is key to multi-tasking 'marking' the spot at which a task has been interrupted, so we can return to it later. It reminds me of the Bookmark function in Word, bringing you back to where you left off in a document.

However, the prefrontal cortex is the most damaged as a result of prolonged stress, particularly the kind of stress that makes a person feel out-of-control and helpless. The kind of stress, for example, that you might feel when overwhelmed by the demands of multi-tasking.

Such stress also will cause the death of brain cells in another region:the hippocampus, which is critical to the formation of new memories. Damage there can hobble a person's ability to learn and retain new facts and skills.

When a person multi-tasks well, without errors or disastrous results, it is usually because one or more of the tasks engaged in has become automatic.
For example, I can eat lunch and read the newspaper at the same time, because eating really involves no conscious thought. I'm sure you can think of instances where you've had similar experiences. I hope you are not multitasking as you read this!

How to Make the Most of Your Long-Term Dieting Plans

After choosing a dieting plan and doing a detailed reading of the book that appeals to you the most, you will need to make the necessary intellectual and emotional commitments needed for success. Don't look at your diet plan as a temporary thing, something to discard or ignore once you've achieved your weight loss goal. There are several things you can do to help make the intellectual and emotional commitments to make your diet last a lifetime!

First, define your goals. Don't just think, "I've got to lose some weight." Pick a target, even if it's a moving target. Some dieters like to think in increments, for instance, losing 20 poinds, then then reestablishing a new goal until they arrive at a weight level they feel most comfortable with. Other dieters-to-be are more daring. Choosing a weight loss goal of 100 pounds might seem impossible for some, but for other dieters, it's their best and most direct strategy. Set a goal that you feel most comfortable with and stick with it.

Second, try to choose a realistic timeline for losing weight. It took years to put on those excess poinds. Don't expect to lose them all in a month! Get a good idea of how much weight you should reasonably expect to lose each week or month by reading your diet book thoroughly and following its guidelines.

Third, try to avoid as much stress as possible - especially during the earliest stages of a diet. Eating binges are often the result of high stress levels.

Fourth, buy yourself a good scale, preferably an accurate digital one. Be prepared to pay at least $40 to $80 for a quality scale. Be aware that some digital scales stop at 300 pounds. Some of the most sophisticated scales can also measure the ratio of body fat to lean muscle mass, referred to as the Body Mass Index (BMI). A Body Mass Index of over 25 usually indicates obesity, although variables such as height can influence your number. The Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Disease Control and Prevention (often called the CDC) offers a detailed explanation of the BMI and Java-scripted calculator to determine your own BMI.

Five. Weigh and measure yourself and write down the information for future reference. During the first week or so of your diet, try to avoid getting on the scale every day. While your body readjusts itself to this new way of eating, you might find your weight loss fluctuating or even stalling. This can be discouraging. If you absolutely must jump on the scale daily, do so at the same time each day, for instance, immediately after waking up. Your weight can fluctuate, up or down, by a pound or two durng the course of the day.

Number six. For an added visual reference and to really solidify the intellectual and emotional commitments required for your long-term dieting success, get a friend or companion to take a photograph of you each week. Do a front, back, and side shot. A digital camera works exceptionally well here since you can quickly compare photos of yourself from day one of your diet through your entire regimen. This visual enforcement of your efforts can be a great encouragement.

Seven. Let friends and family members know that you are on a diet. Support, understanding, and encouragement can be great things when you are embarking on creating a new you!

Finally, recognize 'toxic' friends. No matter how much weight you're losing, no matter how much your cholesterol has fallen, no matter how many pants or dress sizes you've lost, expect a friend (or relative) to continue to tell you how bad your diet is for you. There are enough studies available in medical journals and respected websites that prove the validity of making LIFESTYLE diet changes. These same studies encourage a balanced diet and many now encourage some level of supplementation. Nutritional supplementation makes sure your body has all the tools and raw materials it needs to keep you in top shape during your body's transformation.

Women Menopausal Changes

When women go through the change of life, it could bring on heart disease as well. The clotting agent fibrinogen (a soluble protein in the blood made by the liver and made insoluble because of damage tissue), increases when a woman is post-menopause; the body experiences less estrogen production and the cholesterol levels changes, thus the change of life. Estrogen is a protective factor against heart disease for women, until menopause, at which time it declines, thereby removing the protection. The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center explains the connection between women and heart disease and menopausal changes.

The amount of risk caused by each change is unknown, but in most cases there is a greater risk with each change. Heart disease is two to three times greater after menopause than before. These same risks are in women who have had a hysterectomy as well. More women over the age of sixty die of heart attacks than men; women's symptoms are different than men and are often mistaken for something less serious.

Wake Forest University-Baptist Medical Center suggests reduced levels of estrogen caused by stress increase risk of heart attacks and strokes. Stress can cause damage to arteries, thus creating problems. Heart disease includes the narrowing of the arteries that bring oxygen to the heart, inborn defects, diseases of the heart muscles and heart failure. Two hundred and fifty thousand American women die each year from this disease and, as women age the risk increases. It is the leading killer in America.

Doctors in the past, treated women with hormone replacement therapy to prevent heart disease during menopause and post-menopausal. After a study of women and heart disease it was confirmed that this therapy was not the right treatment for heart disease prevention.

A new study revealed that women taking hormone replacement therapy medication containing female hormones, commonly estrogen plus progestin (synthetic progesterone), health risks exceeded the health benefits and the study was stopped early. There were 161,809 women, ages ranging from 50-79. Breast cancer increased 26%, heart attacks increased 29%, strokes increased 41%, and blood clots increased more than 50%.

However, the study did show 34% fewer hip fractures and there were other benefits. The risk factor s outweigh the benefits. For a short-term treatment, some women may consider HRT, but it should be based on individual health history. To read the full report: Medline Plus-Encyclopedia

There are other things that will help women to adjust to menopause and have a healthy heart. They are to stop smoking, maintain the proper weight, exercise regularly, cut down on the fatty foods, keep an eye on your cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. According to The Nurses Health Study, folic acid, B-6 and B-12 played a role in reducing the risk of heart attack or death among women of heart disease when one group consumed more food and supplements than the other group.

If hormone replacement therapy is chosen, remember to eat healthy and exercise which will maintain healthy heart muscles. Be sure to have regular check-ups and call your health care provider if anything unusual occurs.

Parent of A Teen? Help Is Available

Was it just a few years ago that your child was a lovable, huggable and kissable angel? After the thrill of having a new born in the family, having the biggest life altering experience you can ever expect, and thinking that it's the best thing that ever happened to you and your husband.

Suddenly your child is in his or her teens, and while you may think that nothing quite prepared you for your first new born, living with your teenage child is a whole new experience.

Are you new to the game of teenage parenting?

Parenting can be the most rewarding aspect of our lives.

There's truly nothing like hearing your child laugh, or witnessing their first soccer goal, watching them going off on their first date... You'll be amazed at how proud you are. It truly is an incomparable experience.

However, not every aspect of teenage parenting is simple and fun. In fact, some experiences can be rather difficult to say the least. Sometimes it feels that you are knocking yourself against a wall. The child that you cradled in your arms, the child that snuggled up to you during bedtime, now has become a 'mute', answering in grunts and no longer wishes to be around you.

Regardless, it's important to remember that you're not alone. After all, this is the information age. An abundance of solutions are right at your very fingertips. I'm talking about the world-Wide-Web.

While the Internet is of great help to globalization and businesses, they are great for the individuals as well, parents included.

Have you checked out any good parenting message boards lately? This could be a good source of help.

Who came up with parenting message boards? I do not know and am certainly not complaining. This is a very cool nuance to the teenage parenting game.

We could all use a helping hand now and then, or possibly some knowledgeable advice for a fellow parent.

As a parent, we often encounter inevitable disagreements with our teenagers. Don't worry; this is all part of the growing-up process. Children have been rebelling since the beginning of time and it is not going to change any time soon. Once they hit that know-it-all stage, you're really in for it. The teenage years are the toughest years. But like what they say, like gold refined through fire, if we get through the teenage years of our children positively, the impact on our relationships will be a lasting one.

Help is just around the corner. In fact, it's at the click of a mouse. That's the up-side of the help we can receive now days. With your home computer close at hand, you can always refer to parenting message boards for advice. These are handy websites where parents can chat and offer each other a helping hand.

Are you in some serious need of advice regarding your teen? You're certainly not the only one. When my children were in their teenage years, they always gave me a hard time on a regular basis. I've found that it's inescapable, but manageable if you learn how to react, or not react at all.

There are many ways to get started searching for parenting message boards to lend you some advice. Or perhaps, because of your experiences, you may have loads of useful information to offer. Regardless, you can jump online today and search for parenting message boards under Google.com or any of the other search engines.

Get those priceless answers on parenting now. With parenting message boards you can do more than just get good, solid and valid advice. You can also make new friends. Friends that can share, laugh, cry and encourage you together as you bring up your teen.

The Purpose of Yoga - Solutions for Releasing Anxiety

Yoga is a 5,000 year catalog of health solutions and an evolving science of life. Therefore, here are some "age old" Yogic solutions for releasing anxiety. To make them work, you must realize that you have to make a habit of releasing a little anxiety, within acceptable limits, all day long.

Physical practice of Yoga postures (Asanas) will release muscular tension. Make a habit of physically practicing as you sit, stand, or lie down. You do not have to put on a "Yoga show" to sit straight, stand straight, tilt, twist, or bend.

As humans, we are in motion most of the time, but you can move or stand still with purpose and mindfulness. Once you establish Yoga into your life "off the Yoga mat," you will be surprised how often you and people around you are regularly sitting, or standing, in poor posture, during the course of an average day.

Observation is very important. As you wake up, observe the muscle groups and joints, which have contracted, as you slept. These contractions can cause daily muscle tension, spasms, pains, and aches. Is the tension in your face, back, neck, shoulders, legs, arms, or hips?

Get to know how your body responds to mild warm-ups and develop routines to compensate for physical tension. The connection between mental and physical tension is symbiotic. If you resolve a physical form of tension, you will resolve mental tension, as well.

In Hatha Yoga, there are more than 1500 postures to choose from. Many of us have seen charts, or books, with 500 to 600 Asanas to choose from. If you become creative, you will soon discover many more while sitting in a chair.

You can practice Yoga while you are at your desk, in your bed, on your couch, on a bus, or when you walk. When you add the breathing component, (Pranayama), to your daily life, you have many more combinations of techniques.

Here's another approach to dealing with anxiety. However, you must use it in the right time and place. Do not be silent! Let it out vocally. Some people laugh, pray, sing, cry, or shout, but each method works at the right time. So, be tactful, if you decide to make noise.

If you hold it all in, you will burst - in the figurative and literal sense. Therefore, you have to release it in some way. Some people roll up the windows in their cars and scream at the top of their lungs. In truth, whatever works is a good thing.

We will not have the same reactions to anxiety. Some people will laugh, while others cry during identical circumstances. Look at how some people react to losing a job. Some people have a party, while another person may contemplate suicide.

In a typical Yoga class, you may learn Mantra and Japa. These are powerful methods and are very beneficial in combination with Pranayama.

Lastly, anxiety is energy, which is not always negative, but can be deflected or circulated, throughout your being. Yogic solutions work, but they must be practiced daily. You do not want to collect and store negative feelings, so carefully release them back into the universe.

Kids Yoga: A Solution to Global Obesity in Children

Two topics that most people are tired of hearing about are obesity and childhood obesity. The problem is we will not find solutions for these problems if we "bury our heads in the sand." Kids Yoga is a viable solution to obesity in children, but this requires schools and parents to take action now.

Obesity has crept up on all age groups quickly; children in some countries need to change their lifestyles immediately. If not, there will be serious health repercussions that will shake our health systems and fragile economies.

How did massive numbers of obesity get here? How can less physical activity in children be acceptable? How could Kids Yoga be a solution?

Parents today have less buying power than our parents had. Many children are shifted from school to day care, while both parents are working extra hours to support the family. Many of today's meals are composed of processed foods -whether they are store-bought, or bought for takeout, from a restaurant.

Physical education has suffered serious cutbacks since the "Cold War" ended. Back in the 1970's, and before, children ran and played outside more often.

The Yoga lifestyle helps parents and children manage diet in a very busy and stressful world. If you are conscious of it, there are wiser food choices, even from restaurants. When children practice Yoga, they become much more aware of their diet, posture, activities, and daily exercise routine.

Educators, doctors, Yoga teachers, and parents cannot afford to wait until the next study on childhood obesity is completed to take action. Children are bigger than ever, due to inactivity and a high fat / carbohydrate diet. Large numbers of big children will become even bigger adults, who are at risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, various forms of cancer, and much more.

Therefore, educators, doctors, Yoga teachers, and parents must be proactive. Do not expect grant money, government assistance, or any help from "big brother." Look at the reaction to global warming by the world's governments and you see how long it takes to get a reaction.

For parents with school-aged children, there has never been a better time for them to attend Yoga classes. Children consider Yoga an extension of other games and exercises they would normally do. Children will naturally jump, roll on the ground, run, and spin around, in the course of playing with their friends.

With proper supervision from a certified Yoga teacher, children learn what they can and cannot do. Kids Yoga classes teach safe Hatha Yoga techniques for flexibility, strength and muscle tone.

If a child is obese, parents should not expect instant miracles with weight loss, and parents would do well to learn the practice of Hatha Yoga. In this way, parents and children will both be aware of proper dieting and a much healthier lifestyle.

Yoga Health News

Yoga Health Foundation announces Yoga Month 092008, a global awareness campaign to inspire a healthy lifestyle.

Los Angeles, November 05, 2007 – The Yoga Health Foundation, a non-profit organization registered in California, has announced “Yoga Month 092008”, a grassroots, community-based global campaign to educate people about the health benefits of yoga and to inspire a healthy lifestyle.

Yoga Month is a year-round campaign and will peak September 2008 with millions of health & socially conscious individuals practicing yoga at thousands of yoga studios, parks and homes around the globe.

The 10 City Yoga Month Tour featuring lectures and concerts will visit yoga-passionate cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Miami, Austin, Denver and San Diego.

“Yoga has been practiced for the last 5,000 years and transformed into one of the most popular and effective methods to balance body mind, stay flexible, fit and healthy and prevent disease - mainly because it works.”, says Johannes R. Fisslinger, president of the Yoga Health Foundation and initiator of the Yoga Month campaign.

Yoga is attracting North American participants in numbers as high as 20 million. A recent Harris poll revealed that more than 100 million North Americans would like to practice Yoga for its health benefits.

With many Hollywood celebrities like Gwenyth Paltrow, Madonna, Russell Simmons, Courtney Cox and Nicholas Cage, Meg Ryan, Ricky Martin practicing yoga and 27 billion spent in yoga-related products even traditional advertisers are paying attention.

The extensive list of current Yoga Month partners include magazines like Fit Yoga, Yoga+ Joyful Living, LA Yoga, Yogi Times, Yoga Journal, Yogamates.com, Whole Life Times, studios like Yogaworks, Exhale, Jiva Mukti, Power Yoga, Dahn Yoga and Bikram Yoga and teachers like Seane Corn, Hala Khouri, Bryan Kest, Nike’s Margo Kellison, Larry Payne, Shiva Rea.

Yoga Month will benefit local community leaders and inspire sustainable healthy lifestyle projects like Yoga for Kids, at-risk-youth, breast health or AIDS prevention.

Find out about the Cost of Poor Health and why Yoga Month 092008 will make a difference in the future of health care.