Creative Podcasts Are Great For Stress Relief!

by Harris Jensen, MD

Editor, Good Day Journal

I've heard more from folks about what they do to use audio files for learning and stress relief.  Radiolab features unique, creative podcasts on cutting edge topics in science, sure to fire up your managment...and get your mind off what's bugging you!  Check it out!

http://www.radiolab.org/

HJ

Dr. Henry Emmon's research shows mental resilience can be learned!

Get smarter and tougher through meditation and healthy living!

by Harris Jensen, MD

Editor, Good Day Journal

Henry Emmons is one of those guys you can't help but like.  At a conference in Estes Park, Colorado last summer people lined up 10 people deep for him to sign one of his books.   OK, I was one of those people too. "Chemistry of Calm," and "Chemistry of Joy" are two excellent books about how healthy living and meditation can help heal the mind.

Nature Music Video Helps People Learn Meditation!

Let The Peace Of Nature Become Part Of Your Life!

by Harris Jensen, MD

Editor, Good Day Journal

This morning Long's Peak had a mantle of white but the warm morning sun was a reminder that winter's here...but spring is coming!

To celebrate that, I've added a video, "Spring Comes To The Mountains," as an attachment at the end of this article.  Just click the attachments link to get to it, or go to the Free Stuff Tab above and to the left, and click that, and it will be on the list of attachments to that article, or click this link: http://www.gooddayjournal.com/freestuff

The video features my wildlife photography and music by jazz great Mark Sloniker, from right here in Fort

Collins.  For more of his music see this link: http://marksloniker.com/  Mark is a great fan of meditation and mindfulness, I'll vouch for that!  He's taught me a lot about that.

What is the advantage of this video?

You can download it to your computer and use it to practice meditation.  Just listen and look at it. Don't add anything to your experience by using words to think about it.  Life would be alot less stressful if we could take some "breaks" during the day to do just this.  Be in the moment.   Yes we have to think about what we are doing during the day, but we don't have to do that all day, without stop, relentlessly burning ourselves out.

It is important to slow down, pace yourself, and take breaks periodically throught the day, so you can stay on top of your game, whether your at work or at school or at home!

With this, or other videos, or instrumental music or nature sound audio files like "The Power Of Spring" audio file on the free stuff page, you can practice this mindfulness training too.

Just look and listen.  Don't add a layer of emotionality to what you are experiencing.  Keep the words out of your head.  Just let the sights and sounds wash over you.  You've let the peace of nature come into your mind.

Have a good day!

A Stable Routine Helps Stabilize Mood!

But What Does A Stable Routine Involve?

I Made A Social Routine Chart With The Answers!

by Harris Jensen, MD

Editor, Good Day Journal

Sometimes medications alone are not enough to stabilize one's mood, when one is dealing with bipolar affective disorder.  A stable routine can ramp up the impact of medications and help in designing that routine for you may involve using my chart, available free on the freestuff page, at this link: http://www.gooddayjournal.com/system/files/Jensen+Social+Rhythm+Chart.pd...

Dogs, Cats and Horses Can Be Used To Heal Us!

Here's How People Use Our Animal Companions To Heal Illnesses All Over The World!

by Harris Jensen, MD

Editor, Good Day Journal

Like a few psychiatrists, and many psychologists, I have a dog in the

of

fice.  They are wonderful!  Kind, caring, friendly, devoted.  A fabulous addition to create a warm and inviting, and yes, therapeutic office environment.

Just to pet a dog can soothe anxious nerves, lower blood pressure, help a person turn thoughts away from problems and onto finding solutions.

That's right!  A warm and friendly dog with a wagging tail can help a person change their thoughts and behaviors to change their feelings!  That is the essence of cognitive behavior therapy, that changing cognitions (thoughts) and behavior (actions) can over time change emotions.

Wikipedia has a great article summarizing the world wide history of animals being used this way to better our lives.  Here is the link to that article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal-assisted_therapy

Why are animals so helpful? 

They in part have a need to please those they've bonded to.  It helps they can read our body language too, seeing our level of distress from our facial expressions, tone of voice, and some dogs can even understand words on the level of a 1 or two year old child.  They can even smell odors we give off when we are sad or anxious.  Isn't that amazing.

They also have a need to comfort members of their family.

Commonly in my office, a patient will come in the front door and my black or brown lab will greet them at the door!  I haven't taught them this, they just figured it out on their own.  That I find amazing.  Once a patient checks in with Becky, and sit down to read some magazine in the waiting area, the dog greets them again.

Charley, our chocolate lab, he's five years old, will sit with head held up and proud, just the right distace away so he can be petted.  They he will show his total love for all the adoration showered on him.  He'll squit his eyes in happiness, raise his nose, scoot closer to you for more petting.  He's really loving this affection and hoping you are too!

Elsker, our black lab, now 11 years old, will sit near the patient and gets some petting, then give someone a kiss and lay at their feet to warm them...emotionally.  Both Charley and Elsker can lay at your feet as if to show you that you are accepted here, appreciated, included...and the dog wants to be with you.

For some, Charley and Elsker will lean against you.  That is another expression of acceptance, only deeper.  Yes, our labs are "leaners."

Charley and Elsker can lean their heads onto your lap or against your leg or hand, Elsker (pronounced El Ska, which is "Friend" in Norwegian...she was born on May 17, Norwegian Independence Day) will also look into your eyes to emphasize her effort to accept you and feel close to you, but Charley is a male, eye contact can be seen as a display for dominance so he avoids that out of respect for you.  What does leaning their head hard on you mean?  It means they understand you are "family."

No wonder dogs are such great comforters.  They are masters at the art of comforting and soothing others!  Hurray for our animal companions.  I've had them coming to my office for 11 years now.  Or in Dog Years, that would be 77 years I guess.  What great members of our office they are!

National Institudes Of Health has a great review of

bipolar affective disorder and its treatment

by Harris Jensen, MD

Editor, Good Day Journal

I have talked to members of the National Institutes of Mental Health and found them to be top notch professionals, really committed to providing solid, reliable information on how to take care of depression and bipolar.

Here is a pamphlet reviewing bipolar treatment strategies and fielding all kinds of questions about bipolar--what causes it, what makes it better, etc.

Chart Your Mood And Help Yourself And Your Doctor!

Bipolar Monthly Symptom Chart Makes It Easier!

by Harris Jensen, MD

Editor, Good Day Journal

The really hard thing about bipolar mood swings is there is sometimes no rhyme or reason to the vicious up and down swings of mood that can terrorize a person.

"Chart 16" reviews secrets he's learned in 15 years of doing cognitive behavior therapy

Soon to be released in new book

by Harris Jensen, MD

Editor, Good Day Journal

"How can I turn around my anger when it hits me," a patient recently asked me.  "What's a simple way?  I don't have time to read some long book."

I now refer many people to Chart 16 at http://gooddayjournal.com/freestuff.

This is a review of many of the thinking errors and communication mishaps that are like traffic accidents in the mind.  They create a mess with lots of consequences.  So to know these mistakes, it is like seeing trouble in advance.  It is as if you can see an icy street up ahead and you know what to do.  Avoid it!  It is as if you see trouble ahead in the form of a reckless driver...and you know what to do...avoid him!

Many times in cognitive behavior therapy, the therapist and patient will arrive at some conclusion about what is a certain error in one's thinking or actions, or in communication.  Then a name is placed on the mistake, in a way to say "stay awar from this one!  I learned my lesson here!  This is trouble!"

So much of our life is created by the words we use to think our thoughts.  Knowing which ones to avoid makes life so much easier.  You can see things much clearer. 

Depression strikes more people than you think, and in more ways than you imagine

Dr. Harris Jensen Reviews The Devastating Impact Of Depression On Ordinary People In America

No Family Is Spared