1. Lean on your support network of family and friends – Though many people are concerned about becoming too reliant on the support of our loved ones, this is what they are there for. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others for support.

2. Take baby steps – Start small and work your way up. If you don’t think that clubbing five nights a week is going to help then just take small steps. Get out of the house, go for a coffee, meet a friend for lunch and build up your confidence again.

3. Exercise on a regular basis – Physical activity can help to relieve stress and may help to boost mood. A huge amount of research has shown the medical merits of exercise, proving that it works to increase the production of endorphins.

4. Don’t take it personally – The moment we blame ourselves or others for any problems we waste energy in beating ourselves up instead of using that valuable energy to analyse our choices and ensure we don’t make the same mistake twice.

5. Be flexible – Setbacks in our lives often bring about life altering changes and we must ensure we are flexible in accepting them. Try to view the change as an opportunity and believe in yourself and the ability to handle it. For example if you share a house with a partner and go through a break-up, don’t put yourself down about whats happened but see moving out as an opportunity to invest in your own property and start a new life.

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In a recent survey conducted by the Equality and Human Rights Commission 45% of new fathers said they did not take their paternity leave, with 88% admitting they would have liked to have done so, and 49% saying they could not afford to.

Currently new fathers are entitled to £124.77 a week for two weeks, or 90% of their average weekly wage if that is lower. If we assume that most will be working a 40 hour week, this figure adds up to far below the minimum wage.

Fathers are also able to take an additional 13 weeks off, unpaid, before their child turns five and from April 2011, mothers will be able to transfer 6 months of their maternity leave to the father, but again this is unpaid and is of little help to families who do not have the financial means to support a family with no in comings.

Unfortunately the current lack of consideration for new fathers only reinforces the age old ideal that the male is the breadwinner and the female is the homemaker.

Rob Williams is chief executive of the Fatherhood institute, a think tank which pushes for changes in the law to allow men more time with their newborn children. He believes that the UK needs to rethink and restructure its system to be more similar to that of Scandinavian countries, where paid time off can be shared between both parents.

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Curiosity is a natural part of human nature, we all wonder what is going on in the lives of our colleagues and friends and often we express these interests through discussions with others and exchanges of tit bits of information when the subject of the conversation isn’t present.

This is all well and good until the ‘gossip’ begins to spread and more often than not becomes over or under embellished along the way. Unfortunately it is also in the nature of some to be malicious, intentionally passing on information they know to be private and possibly damaging and this is what we must try to avoid.

Malicious gossip is essentially determined by the person being gossiped about’s exclusion from the group in a negative fashion and is also the point where gossip often crosses over the border and becomes bullying.

If there is a dominant member of your group of friends or work colleagues and you feel like they are trying to exclude you or another for their own malicious satisfaction listed below are a few tips which may help you to deal with the situation:

Avoiding gossip
If you don’t want to be dragged into a malicious conversation then stand your ground and set your boundaries. Try saying something along the lines of “ I really don’t feel it’s appropriate to be discussing somebody else’s business, especially when we don’t have all of the fact’s. Did anyone read that story in the paper this morning about…” Changing the subject to something else will help to dispel any tension and will take away the opportunity of a gossip related response.

Also be sure that you are very clear and very confident about the fact you are not willing to be drawn in. This way the gossiper will not try to push you outside as a result of you speaking up.

Finally it is important that you correct any gossip you hear that you know to be untrue. Think about how you would feel if you were the subject of untrue rumours and again, state your point in a clear and confident manner.

What to do if you’re a victim
Firstly weigh up your options. If this is a totally harmless rumour that wasn’t really intended as malicious and hasn’t hurt or upset you then it may be worth letting it lie. If its something more serious and could have damaged your work reputation or something equally as important then plan your approach before you commence. This means making sure you have your facts right. Write them down if you need to but ensure you are very clear about who said what to who and when etc. The next step is to decide how to proceed and who you are going to tell. If you feel that this is a situation that could be resolved by talking to the gossiper then make sure you have planned what you are going to say and do so in a calm manner.

You should always report more serious cases of work gossip to your manager or human resource department to discuss it rather than taking on the issue alone.

For more tips and advice please view the original article here.

One of the most fantastic things about swimming is that it is open to everyone, all ages, all sizes and all levels meaning that if you are comfortable with banging out 100 laps at 6 in the morning before work then great, but if you would rather paddle or improve your stroke at your own pace then that’s also great.

It is also a good way to warm up for those who already have well established exercise routines and equally can be used to cool down, recover and relax the body after a tough exercise session.

However, physical fitness is not the only reason health experts covet swimming as it is also known for its social and psychological benefits, providing individuals with the opportunity to interact and socialise with other swimmers at group swims and training sessions for instance.

Getting into a pool puts our body into a totally different environment to what it is used to. In the water we have to use our body in a different way and many find this an extremely soothing and relaxing experience as it gives us a work out but without putting our body under too much stress or strain.

Original article

The experiment started as the scientists involved wanted to discover whether a diet rich in certain types of fibre could suppress hunger and control blood sugar levels in the body.

Foods such as garlic, asparagus and artichokes, otherwise known as fermentable carbohydrates are thought to activate the release of gut hormones and reduce appetite. In addition to this they also enhance sensitivity to insulin, meaning that the body has better glucose control.

Diabetes UK is now funding extra research into the health benefits of these foods and if they find them to be effective this discovery could revolutionise treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Nicola Guess, a dietitian at Imperial College, London is leading the three year study and believes that a way to prevent the onset of diabetes could be found if investigations into appetite and blood glucose levels are continued. “If successful, this study will be able to determine whether fermentable carbohydrates could provide the public with an effective and affordable health intervention to reduce an individual’s risk of developing diabetes.” She said.

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In a recent study researchers have found that being frightened is likely to increase an older persons risk of having a fall, even if they are not in a high risk situation.

The researchers have warned that this is something that should be taken into account when the elderly are risk assessed as clearly anxieties play a large role.

Fear of falling is very common among older people as often they find it difficult to recover. This fear can often stem from many factors such as poor balance, anxiety and depression.

Dr Stephen Lord from the University of New South Wales lead the research team, who told the British Medical Journal: ”Excessive fear of falling can lead to needless restriction in participation in physical and social activities, resulting in physical deconditioning, poor quality of life, social isolation, depression and psychological distress.”

Experts have suggested that techniques such as cognitive behavioural therapy should be used to help those who are anxious about falling.

Dr Neil Stanley is a leading sleep expert in the UK and has not shared a bed with his wife for nine years. As a strong believer that relationships function well when couples sleep separately he points out that two adults in a standard 4ft 6in double bed will each have less personal space than a child would have in a single bed.

‘Couples who sleep together suffer sleep disturbance for at least 50 per cent of the night, whether that’s caused by snoring, fidgeting, duvet-stealing or trips to the loo,’

‘It isn’t the done thing in Britain for happily married people to admit they don’t share a bed, but I know that many couples are doing this.’ he says.

Dr Stanley believes that we all imagine the Hollywood myth of romantically sleeping in each other’s arms. This now seems to be what people envisage as something which results in a happy marriage, even though for most people this is not comfortable or natural.

Dr Stanley has conducted in depth research on the matter and believes that one half of many couples may want to broach the subject of separate sleeping arrangements but are concerned they may upset their partner.

In his research Dr Stanley found that disrupted poor sleep is linked to depression, obesity, strokes and nervous disorders.

‘There is no set amount that people should sleep at night, some can manage on as little as five hours. But if you are feeling tired and want to sleep during the day, then you are not getting enough and are endangering your health. If this is the case, then you should seriously consider sleeping apart from your partner.’

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The US research has contradicted a previous study which suggested that only children had poorer social skills than those with siblings.

The new study involved more than 13,000 11 to 18 year olds and found that only children were chosen as school friends just as often as those who had siblings.

The researchers took data from the National Study of Adolescent Health, for which students at more than 100 schools were interviewed.

Each of the students was given a list of all students at their school and were asked to identify up to five male and five females friends. This allowed the researchers to assess the popularity of each student.

They found that each student was nominated an average of five other fellow students as a friend, proving that there is little difference in the popularity of those with siblings and those without.

Donna Bobbitt-Zeher is co-author of the study and has expressed that those who don’t have peer interaction at home with siblings still get lots of opportunities to develop social skills as they go through school.

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A poll revealed that parents whose children had recently flown the nest for university found they felt fitter, richer and more socially active as well as experiencing an improvement in their relationship. Most of the parents questioned actually reported feeling ”10 years younger” and most increased their circle of friends by an average of five people, perhaps related to the fact they were able to socialise an extra three time each week.

Others had taken up new hobbies including sporting and keep fit activities, with more than half dreaming of an ”extreme hobby” such as snowboarding, bungee jumping or white water rafting.

Chief executive of Parentline Plus, Jeremy Todd, believes these findings are very encouraging but we must remember the experience is not positive for everyone. “Others may be anxious about their child’s life skills as they prepare to live away from home for the first time and worry if they will manage their money, be able to make a decent meal and not spend all their time at the student union making the most of cheap alcohol promotions,” he said.

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Dr Mary Brown has selected five books which she believes will help people to cope with the pressures of work and relationships. The titles range from classic murder mystery novels to books of love poetry and Brown hopes they will help people to cope with stressful life issues such as job uncertainty, pressure in relationships and long working hours.

The booklist is part of Dr Brown’s research ”Work ‘Til We Drop” a project which set out to examine the reasons people decide to take or not take sickness leave during the recession.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) say sickness levels have decreased for the third year in a row. Perhaps indicating that many individuals still fear their jobs are not secure.

Dr Brown explained how her research revealed that there is a need among people for a boost in their self esteem and self-respect when they were in a job they could not risk leaving. Brown did find that counselling held lots of benefits for this but books can be opened at any time and provide a more private release.

“These books are inspiring and address people’s issues, giving them subtle hints on how to resolve them without preaching at them. They will give them the confidence it’s not them at fault, it’s the workplace and that there are ways of bringing meaning to your life without packing in your job.” She said.

The books chosen are: The Long Good-bye by Raymond Chandler, Love Poems by Carol Ann Duffy, A Complete Guide to the Soul by Patrick Harpur, What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles and The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.

Read the original article here.