Do not isolate yourself from others. Withdrawing from friends and activities because of depression will only increase your sense of loss and loneliness. At first it may seem easier to isolate yourself because by doing so you can avoid questions, unwanted advice, and assorted comments from others. You may even convince yourself that it is your arthritis that is holding you back. You may be picturing yourself as a wet blanket – a person who is no longer any fun to be with – and make excuses to friends. These friends may begin to feel as if you don’t want to see them. Be as honest with them about your feelings as you want to be, but don’t avoid them. You will still enjoy their company and they, yours. Good friends are good medicine to combat depression.
Pursue something you enjoy doing.
Think of activities that have lifted your spirits in the past. Getting involved in something that you once had fun doing is a good way to remind yourself of who you are, and enjoying an activity is a good way to ease your mind of other troubles and relieve stress. Write down twenty things that you enjoyed doing in the past, and then try doing some of them.
Focus on today. Learning and practicing stress reduction and relaxation techniques that focus on the mindfulness of the present rather than regrets of the past or worries of the future may also be a tremendous help.
Focus on a positive attitude. Objectively stand back and listen to each negative thought as though someone else were expressing it. Allow yourself to get annoyed at the negative thoughts, and then modify them into something positive. Sometimes focusing on a positive attitude can turn a half-step backward into two steps forward.
Improve self-esteem. Many people feel depressed about their physical appearance or changes in their capabilities. Keep in mind that not all of these changes need be negative. Appropriate exercise, often with new sports such as swimming, will improve your physical condition. Learning new skills, making new acquaintances, learning a new hobby, or attaining new goals will remind you that you are still a bright, innovative person, capable of growth and change. Do what it takes to remain a productive and fulfilled person whose self-esteem continues to grow and improve.
Help others. There is nothing more rewarding than helping another person. Focusing on someone else’s problems can help you forget yours. When you view your life through their eyes you will see that you have much to offer other people.
Exercise. Doing exercises as prescribed is an excellent way to relieve your mind of negative thoughts. People often feel better with regular exercise. Athletes have known this for a long time – they actually feel depressed when they don’t exercise routinely. Don’t leave exercise to chance: incorporate it into your routine.
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Neuroprotection
Carro et al found that physical activity reduced the vulnerability to brain damage in models of neuronal injury involving different types of etiopathogenic mechanisms relevant to human disease. Physical Inactivity may increase the susceptibility to neurodegenerative processes attributable to insufficient brain uptake of serum IGF-I.
Neurogenesis
Voluntary running on wheels by mice increased neural cell proliferation and survival by producing a net neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, which was associated with a better learning performance. By comparison, physical inactivity is related to a lower level of learning performance and fewer brain cells in rats.
Neurotransmitters
Endurance-trained, adult rats showed a reduction in high-affinity choline uptake and an increase in muscarinic quinuclidinylbenzilate binding in the hippocampus, compared with their age-matched sedentary controls. It is possible, then, that physical inactivity leads to a reversal of these mechanisms.
Neurotrophic factors
Voluntary running was associated with an increase in the level of the activated transcription factor, CREB phosphorylation at Ser-133, in the rat hippocampus for at least 1 week, but not after 1 month. Phosphorylated МАРК (both p42 and p44) was increased for at least 1 month. Shen et al interpreted these observations to be consistent with the view that the relatively long-lasting activation of these signaling molecules modulates the regulation of neurotropin genes, and thus contributes to the beneficial effects of physical exercise on brain function.
Voluntary running exercise has been shown to increase the number of new neurons in the adult hippocampus. Because peripheral administration of IGF-I also resulted in increases in the number of new neurons in the hippocampus of hypophysectomized rats, Trejo et al speculated that circulating IGF-I might be mediating the stimulatory effects of exercise on the number of new hippocampal neurons in normal adult rats. They observed a complete inhibition of the exercise-induced increase in the number of new neurons in the hippocampus when IGF-I antiserum was infused into rats undergoing exercise training. They interpreted this finding to be a result of the antibody blocking the entrance of circulating IGF-I into the brain.
Sedentary animals showed reduced brain uptake of serum IGF-I compared with exercising animals. Neurons accumulating IGF-I exhibit an enhanced spontaneous firing and a protracted increase in sensitivity to afferent stimulation.
Finally, the expression of fibroblast growth factor-2, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor in the brain was decreased in sedentary rats, as compared to physically active rats.
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Researchers have identified a number of substances in common foods that can help to ward off infectious illnesses. To maximize your resistance, include these foods in your daily diet: any member of the cabbage family—broccoli, cauliflower, mustard greens, kale, Brussels sprouts, and all forms of cabbage; garlic and onions; citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, and peppers; and zinc-rich foods like wheat germ, whole grains, seafood, and meat.
DON’T SMOKE
Of course, this is a good idea even if preventing colds is not your concern. Smoking paralyzes the cilia, the tiny hairs that line the respiratory tract and are a first-line defense against infection. The cilia help to sweep out debris, including virus-contaminated mucus. Passive smoking, too, can increase your risk of infection. Infants and young children exposed to passive smoke are more likely to develop pneumonia and asthma.
REDUCE STRESS
Have you ever noticed that you’re most likely to come down with a cold when you’re about to leave on a trip or vacation, or when you’re rushing to meet a deadline, or when you’re cramming for a big exam? Dr. Sheldon Cohen, a psychologist at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, showed that people who test out as having the highest stress level are twice as likely to catch a cold as those on the lowest end of the stress continuum. So, relax! Try to reduce your stress level through regular exercise, meditation, yoga, T’ai chi, listening to relaxation tapes or sedating music, or any other harmless activity that can calm you down.
Learn to pace yourself. Keep balance in your life, allowing ample time for pleasure, regular aerobic exercise, relaxation, friends, fun, changes of scenery, and vacations from work or daily routines.
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