EQ Benefits

High EQ skills in your personal/work life can allow you to: •         Have a difference of opinion and still communicate in affirming ways that minimize conflict •         Build and maintain stable, rewarding, interpersonal relationships •        Reduce negative stress while increasing your health, happiness, success, and maybe even your potential longevity •        Prevent or reduce the risk of conflict in almost any venue—home, school, club, church, work, recreation—and conflict is expensive in terms of both physical and mental health to say nothing of increased stress •        Share your brain’s opinion as honestly and graciously as possible, but also to remain relatively indifferent as to whether your opinion is accepted. This helps you avoid badgering others to embrace your perspective.

EQ & Conflict

Studies have shown that high EQ can decrease the risk of conflict, which is expensive any way you cut it. EQ skills can help prevent or minimize conflict, which occurs everywhere and is very expensive to health, productivity, and longevity. For example:

• In the home conflict contributes to stress, illness, unhappiness, fractured relationships, violence, addictions, divorce, murder . . .

•   In schools and churches conflict burns out personnel, triggers misunderstandings, and derails mission, vision, and service

•   In organizations conflict shuts down genuine creativity and interferes with collaborative efforts and productivity. It also decreases profitability. Studies have shown that managers spend 18% of their time managing employee conflicts (only 9% in 1996)

—US State News; August 19, 2006

Dangling Participles

Dangling participles can be found everywhere, even in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. I find them very funny. Here some examples along with what makes them grammatically incorrect.

Speeding through the tunnel, the station came into view. [The station is not speeding through the tunnel.]

Thrown into the air, the dog raced after the stick. [The dog was not thrown into the air.]

She handed out brownies to the children stored in plastic containers. [Children were not stored in plastic containers.]

Forgetting all about shattered glass, the weather was great at the beach. [The weather was not forgetting about shattered glass.]

Oozing slowly across the floor, Marvin watched the salad dressing. [Marvin was not oozing slowly across the floor.]

Making my bed, the stuffed animals were on the floor. [Animals were not making the bed.]

Wishing for a pony, the farm was a magical place for me. [The farm was not wishing for a pony.]

Benefits of High EQ

High EQ skills in your personal/work life can allow you to:            Have a difference of opinion and still communicate in affirming ways  that minimize conflict           Build and maintain stable, rewarding, interpersonal relationships           Reduce negative stress while increasing your health, happiness, success, and maybe even your potential longevity           Prevent or reduce the risk of conflict in almost any venue—home, school, club, church, work, recreation—and conflict is expensive in terms of both physical and mental health to say nothing of increased stress           Share your brain’s opinion as honestly and graciously as possible, but also to remain relatively indifferent as to whether your opinion is accepted. This helps you avoid badgering others to embrace your perspective.

Success Quotient

In combination, your IQ and your EQ make up your Success Quotient or SQ. The Success Quotient describes one’s overall success based on stereotypical measures—and is believed a factor in health as well as longevity. SQ describes the contribution to your overall success in life of IQ plus EQ. They do not contribute equally, however.

·       IQ contributes about 20 percent

·       EQ contributes about 80 percent 

Work-place studies have shown that successful managers tend to average IQs but high EQ, while less successful managers often have high IQs but low EQ. Top performers in life tend to use both IQ and EQ in harmony, knowing they can raise their IQ to some degree, but that raising their EQ—as there is no ceiling for EQ skills as far as is currently known—is their “ace in the hole” for success personally and professionally. Success, of course, also includes their level of wellness and their potential lifespan.

IQ & EQ

IQ or Intelligence Quotient describes a level of inherited potential academic intelligence. It is a range of mental faculties that you get from your biological parents. It is believed possible to raise one’s IQ from 5 – 30 points, depending on the starting point. EQ or Emotional Intelligence describes a set of learned skills distinct from, but complementary to, academic intelligence (IQ measure). EQ is not “emotions” but rather a method of managing them successfully on a consistent basis. This set of learned skills can assist you in:

1. Identifying what feels good, what feels bad, and how to get from bad to good in a way that results in positive outcomes
2. Recognizing each of the four core emotions (joy, anger, fear, and sadness) quickly and accurately
3. Obtaining the information the emotion is attempting to move from subconscious to conscious awareness
4. Exhibiting actions and behaviors that tend to result in positive outcomes

5. Managing your feelings more effectively

Vehicle-Mind Metaphor

Vehicles create traffic and then traffic impacts vehicles, enhancing or impeding their progress. There seems general agreement that the brain creates the mind and then the mind can impact the brain, even directing it in positive or negative ways. This makes the human brain different from any other type of brains on the planet. Only about 10-15 percent of what at goes on in the “mind” comes to conscious awareness. Estimates are that 70 percent of relational choices and communication in the present reflect your own past, primarily what exists outside of conscious awareness but impacts everything at a subconscious level. Most people want to “let sleeping dogs lie” and prefer not to connect the past with the present (it is far easier to blame others); however, you can only deal effectively with and manage well what you can identify, label, and describe.

Inflammation Stategies

Creating and following a longevity lifestyle can help prevent and/or mediate some of the symptoms of chronic inflammation. Getting adequate sleep, developing strategies for managing negative stress, staying active and exercising on a regular basis, developing a good support system, making time for play and relaxation, and learning to laugh—a lot, avoid smoking, etc. In terms of food, it means avoiding sodas and surgery drinks in favor of drinking adequate amounts of pure water so as to avoid dehydration. It means moving toward a Mediterranean style cuisine that uses fresh and whole fruits and vegetables prepared in as natural state as possible. Cut down on red meats and minimize alcohol intake. Developing new strategies does take time but it ‘beats the living daylights out of living with chronic inflammatory diseases,’ as one couple put it. Little by little, every small change can result in higher levels of wellness and a potential increase in one’s lifespan.

Two Worst Contributors

Inflammation can involve the digestive system, which can compound the problems. How does digestive inflammation begin? Typically by what you eat. According to The Alternative Daily processed foods and refined sugars are the two worst contributors to chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal system. Foods high on the glycemic Index such as processed and refined sugars and starches promote inflammation throughout the body, with its accompanying swelling, redness, and pain. Add to that many processed desserts t like muffins and cakes, which typically contain trans fats. Trans fats are can be quite damaging to the body, so can high-fructose corn syrup. Treatment often involves substances that suppress immune system function but does not involve avoiding the basic triggers, sort of like putting a Band-Aid on a severe cut. More tomorrow.

Inflammation

Low-grade, chronic inflammation is systemic and can last for months or years. It is linked with a host of medical conditions and diseases including: a variety of autoimmune diseases, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, asthma, autism, cancer, celiac, colitis, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, neuropathy, psoriasis, under- or over-reactive Thyroid, and so on. This is partly due to an excessive production of free radicals that can be damaging to cells in the brain and the body. This points out the importance of preventing chronic inflammation whenever possible. There are multiple contributions to chronic inflammation including:  inadequate amounts of sleep, chronic stress, reoccurring or chronic infections, what you eat and drink, blood sugar imbalances, leaky gut syndrome, and excessive alcohol intake, etc. More tomorrow.

Inflammation - a Secret Killer

Time Magazine reportedly called inflammation a secret killer. Inflammation is linked with seven of the top ten leading causes of death in the America. The five so-called classic signs of inflammation are: heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of functions. So what is inflammation? One definition is a localized physical condition, typically as a reaction of tissues to injurious agents or infection. Others are similar. You can see localized acute inflammation after an accident with a sharp knife that breaks the skin. The redness, pain, and swelling are evidence that your body’s immune system is trying to heal. Ordinarily, healing is completed and the acute immune response returns to a “normal” or baseline response. However, if the immune response does not return to this position, chronic inflammation can develop and it is linked with many problems—the list being virtually endless. More tomorrow.  

Brain Shrinkage & Dementia, 4

If what you typically eat is low in B12, what can you do? There are B-12 injections one can take (but I’m not too jazzed about taking injections even if I did begin my career as a nurse). Some companies that source vitamins do sell B12 drops that are taken under the tongue for easy absorption. I look for non-synthetic forms of methylcobalamin. Breakfast cereals fortified with vitamin B12 are another food option. I personally take a supplement from IMPaX World Inc that contains B12 and L-theanine. Brain imaging studies have shown that higher levels of homocysteine have been associated with smaller brain size. Some researchers suggest that elderly people with early evidence of memory impairment should see their physician to discuss their homocysteine level and appropriate vitamin supplementation considered as advised.

Brain Shrinkage & Dementia, 3

Sometimes low B12 is related to a lack of appropriate digestion rather than to a low intake. Having said that, the use of B12 supplementation needs to be selected carefully. Some individuals have been taking B12 in a commonly available form known as cyanocobalamin, a reported derivative of cyanide (think Agatha Christie murder mysteries). According to Wikipedia, in the body this common synthetic form of cyanocobalamin is converted to the physiological forms methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalmin, leaving behind cyanide. A small concentration of cyanide, but cyanide nonetheless. It may be used as it is reportedly 100 times cheaper than the more desirable form: methylcobalamin. So it is important to read ingredient lists carefully. More tomorrow.

Brain Shrinkage & Dementia, 2

A five-year study by researchers at Oxford University concluded that older people who showed vitamin B12 deficiencies has a six-fold increased risk of experiencing brain shrinkage, Professor David Smith pointing out that what a person eats may influence the rate of shrinkage of the brain as they age. Vegans and vegetarians may be a higher risk unless they obtain a good source of B-12 (as meat and dairy are the typical sources). And it’s not just the older population. A report from Centers for Disease Prevention and Control demonstrated that inadequate vitamin B12 may result in neurological impairment in children. More tomorrow.

Brain Shrinkage & Dementia

Brain shrinkage due to dehydration has been linked with dementia. Now there is a potential link between B-12 deficiency and brain shrinkage. Reportedly, this was first linked to brain shrinkage in a 2008 study led by Oxford University emeritus professor of pharmacology A. David Smith. Since then, multiple studies have linked brain shrinkage with dementia. A 2011 study reported in Neurology by researchers at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center found that older people with B-12 deficiency measured by blood tests not only had the smallest brains but also the lowest scores on tests measuring thinking, reasoning, and memory. More tomorrow.

Surge-Weber Syndrome, 2

According to Healthline.com, the most apparent indication of a potential SWS is a port-wine stain on one side of the face, but it may or may not indicate SWS. However, all children with a diagnosis of SWS do tend to have a port-wine stain. The red discoloration is due to dilated blood vessels that make the skin appear reddened. A diagnosis of SWS, typically requires a port-wine stain, plus abnormal blood vessels on the same side of the brain as the stain. In some, abnormal blood vessels do not seem to trigger symptoms, while in others, symptoms may include weakness on one side of the body, increased eye pressure that can lead to glaucoma, cognitive impairment, developmental delays, and even seizures and/or paralysis. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Sturge-Weber-Syndrome-Information-Page

Surge-Weber Syndrome

According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS)—the medical term is encephalotrigeminal angiomatosis. SWS is a neurological disorder that occurs in one of every estimated 20,000 to 50,000 live births. About one in 1,000 babies are born with a port-wine stain, but only six percent of those babies have symptoms associated with SWS. Likely not an inherited condition, it is believed to be the result of a random mutation in the GNAQ gene. The eye-catching port-wine stain occurs because of an overabundance of capillaries near the surface of the skin. Other blood vessels on the same side of the brain may be impacted as well.

Glymphatic System, 3

The Danish neuroscientist Maiken Nedergaard coined the term Glymphatic System in recognition of its dependence upon glial cells, along with the similarity of its functions to those of the body’s peripheral lymphatic system. Two independent studies reportedly have shown that the lymph vessels in the meninges (three layers of protective coverings) of the brain, connect with the glymphatic system. When the glymphatic system is not functioning properly insomnia is usually present. It appears that sleep disturbances impact how this system operates. It also appears that sleep deprivation can cause malfunctions in clearing the protein aggregates away, which has implications for an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.

Glymphatic System and NREM Sleep

A growing body of literature that suggests that sleep deprivation and sleep disorders can independently contribute to the development of cognitive impairment and dementia. While the role of sleep in humans in not completely understood, it is clear that it serves at least several important restorative or housekeeping functions. One of these housekeeping tasks involves the flushing of inter-neuronal debris from the brain. This occurs during adequate amounts of deep sleep. During deep sleep, metabolic waste products including adenosine, a signal for sleepiness, are removed from the brain. Slow wave or Non-rapid-eye-movement-sleep (NREM) is a state of deep usually dreamless sleep that occurs regularly during a normal period of sleep. This deep NREM sleep with delta waves is controlled by serotonin cells in the brainstem and restores energy and eliminating feelings of fatigue. It also  seems to enhance the activity of the glymphatic system by about 60%.

Cognitive Dissonance, 7

The obesity pandemic may reflect cognitive dissonance. An individual learns that obesity is linked with more than 50 diseases along with a potential increased risk for dementia and for a shortened lifespan. The person also knows fried foods, fast foods, sugary drinks, and refined highly processed foods represent low quality nutrition and increase the risk for gaining weight. The person convinces him/herself that the solution is to go on a juice fast for three days out of every month, and that this will compensate for what happens the other 27 or 28 days of the month. When a three-day juice fast does not result in significant weight loss, the individual then embraces the belief that “My weight is genetic and there is nothing I can do about it. My parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles were all obese. It runs in my family.” Convinced of this wisdom, the person discontinues the periodic juice fasts but alters nothing related to eating choices and habits, until being hospitalized due to morbid obesity.

Cognitive Dissonance, 6

A third way that individuals attempt to resolve cognitive dissonance is to alter their belief or attitude. Let’s say the individual enjoys recreational drugs, often in combination with some form of alcoholic beverage. The person knows the research that taking alcohol and other drugs together can increase one’s risk for overdose or drug interactions, either one of which can lead to death. The individual does not want to eliminate either behavior nor does he have information that would provide a sufficient rationalization for continuing the lifestyle. Finally the person rationalizes that a potentially shorter lifespan is a more desirable choice than altering either behavior, even if doing so would potentially result in a longer life. By altering his or her belief, the person decreases the weight or importance of the cognitive dissonance (that mixing drugs and alcohol is a bad idea). This reduces the discomfort to a manageable level. These attempts may or may not work. Cognitive dissonance theory only states that people who are experiencing discomfort from cognitive dissonance, typically will take some type of action to reduce the discomfort and/or the extent of their dissonance.