Overthinking & Depression, 5

Many people who have picked up the challenge to identify the number of negative versus positive thoughts they tend to have, are clearly amazed to realize that the checkmarks in the negative column clearly outweighed the checkmarks in the positive—sometimes by the proverbial old country mile. Once your negative thoughts outweigh your positive thoughts—you are likely on your way to depression. What can you do? First, every time you get a negative, hopeless, helpless thought, replace it with a positive, empowering thought. Look for one thing for which to be thankful, and then be thankful you could think of one thing. Seriously. Over time, this can become a positive habit (even as the negative rumination became a habit). It’s not necessarily simple to identify your stressors and, one by one, either let them go or figure out a solution for them. What is simple, is choosing to replace every single negative thought as it surfaces with something for which you are thankful.

Overthinking & Depression, 4

One of the problems with rumination is that the overthinking tends to be about something that happened in the past, something you wish had not happened at all or that you wish had happened differently. You may know cognitively that “it’s over and done with” and you may even have learned how to do something in a different way because of the situation, but that doesn’t always stop the negative thinking. How do you know if you’re reaching the tipping point toward depression? Well, for starters, keep track of your positive versus your negative thoughts. Think of it as doing your own personal research project. Take a sheet of paper, draw a vertical line down the center of the page, and then label one column Positive and one column Negative. Put it on a clipboard or your mobile phone. Every time you recognize a negative thought, put a checkmark in the negative column. Every time you recognize a positive thought—and for this part of the research you are just counting what is happening—put a checkmark in the positive column. Do this every day for 3-4 days, then sit down and count the checkmarks in each column. You will likely begin to see a pattern emerge. More tomorrow.

Overthinking & Depression, 3

Some have suggested that females may experience more traumatic events than do males—not that males get off scot-free by any means. Generally, however, females are likely to be assigned lower-paying jobs with lower levels of reward and recognition, as well as being responsible for child care (or for figuring out how to solve it) along with caregiving for elderly relatives. It is what it is. What females do have going for them is typically a larger support or social network and often a willingness to ask for help. However, it is vitally important to develop a positive, can-do mindset, live a balanced life to the best of your ability, and break the cycle of rumination. When you recognize a stressor, ask yourself: “Will this really matter 12 months from now?” If the answer is yes, then access your social network and ask for help brainstorming options. If the answer is no, consciously make a choice to let it go. More tomorrow.

Overthinking & Depression, 2

Nolen-Hoeksema, a pioneer in the study of women’s rumination and depression, is considered the go-to expert in the field. She describes rumination as a situation in which the mind goes round and round over negative events in the past, problems in the present or bad things you’re worried will happen in the future. This inability to release bad thoughts and memories can get you down. You rehash these events and analyze them, but you don’t do much of anything to solve the problems or feel more in control of your situation. These are negative thoughts, and negative thought breed hopelessness, despair, and low motivation and self-esteem. When you rehearse negative thoughts over and over, they grow even more powerful. Stresses seem bigger, and you’re more likely to react in an intense way, even thinking things are worse than they really are. And, if by chance, you are vulnerable to depression, you could end up seriously depressed. More tomorrow.

Overthinking & Depression

Have you ever found yourself ruminating over something you wish hadn’t happened or spent days (and nights) rehashing an unpleasant experience? Most humans have—and more than once! Miriam-Webster’s dictionary defines rumination as going over in the mind repeatedly. Reviewing a behavior or situation in order to evaluate what happened and be ready to make a different decision is one thing. Chewing over and over what happened and stewing about it, especially If you cannot go back and fix it, is a horse of a different color. This repetitively passive brooding can trigger depression. Yale University psychology professor Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, PhD, author of Women Who Think Too Much, has pointed out that females are more prone to rumination than are males. And females may be twice as prone to depression when compared with males, especially depression and posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Rumination may play into that. More tomorrow.

Brain & Water, 2

Normally, more water exists inside your cells than in the spaces outside. Dehydration disrupts this balance as more water is in the spaces outside your brain cells than inside. Some of your energy comes from the movement of water in and out of the cells and since dehydration interrupts this, your energy levels can fall. A 1% level of dehydration can result in a 5% disruption of your cognitive function. The result? Memory problems, wrinkling of skin and body organs, concentration of body fluids, and inability to do simple math prolems like making change at the store. A loss of fluid within the cells can cause brain tissue to pull away from the skull. Bottom line? Shrinkage of brain tissue is now a known factor linked to dementia. Since thirst sensation tends to fall after age fifty, it becomes crucial to drink by design. Some physicians suggest drinking enough water to pee one or two pale urines every day. More Tomorrow.

Brain & Water

What would you guess is your most important nutrient? It’s WATER because your body cannot manufacture it! You can live much longer—maybe ten times longer—without food than without water. In general, the brain and body follow the same ratio as does planet Earth: 75% water, 25% solid matter. Muscle cells are 75% water, Overall the brain is 75% water but brain cells are 85% water. According to Mayo Clinic, the average adult loses more than 80 ounces (ten eight-ounce glasses of water every day through sweating, breathing, and waste elimination. The average adult drinks less than four eight-ounce glasses of water each day, which puts them six eight-ounce glasses in the hole. And that’s deady for your brain and body. When you are “in the hole” in terms of water intake, you risk the undesirable consequences of dehydration. More tomorrow.