Some questions you can ask yourself:
1. Assess the situation
Why am I stressed? What is causing the stress?
2. Isolate the emotions involved
How am I reacting to the stress? Am I angry, nervous etc?
3. Identify possible changes
How can I change it? What can’t I change? How can I make it better?
4. Manage your feelings
If I cannot control the situation, how can I manage the way I feel about it?
5. Identify those around you who can help you with your stress
Who are my Helping Hands?
6. Keep a positive outlook
How do I remain above the problem? How can I be resilient?
Look out for more notes on dealing with Stress
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Anxiety
Anxiety is NOT a random, unknown, or uncontrollable disease or illness that you inherit or contract. Anxiety is a normal reaction to fear.
Everyone experiences anxiety to some degree. Anxiety is caused by the perception of fear, or in other words, by thinking fearfully.
For example, Webster’s dictionary defines anxiety as:
A state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties.
A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning.
Therefore, anxiety by itself is NOT a disease or illness, but turns into a disorder when a person becomes physically, psychologically, emotionally, or spiritually symptomatic, fearful, or distraught because of it.
Worry IS anxiety.
The Webster’s dictionary defines worry as:
a troubled state of mind, anxiety, distressed, persistent mental uneasiness.
Worry results from fearful thinking about a future event or circumstance.
While the negative effects of acute or chronic anxiety may feel like a random, unknown, and uncontrollable disease, they are actually quite reversible. The problem is that most people don’t know how.
Anxiety conditions appear for specific reasons and have definite reasons why they persist. Once these reasons are identified and properly addressed, anxiety conditions along with their symptoms can be eliminated. . .and for good.
Anxiety conditions persist only because the underlying factors that cause them aren’t properly addressed. That’s why those who take medication as their only form of treatment generally remain on medication long term, or find themselves going on and coming off over and over again. Until the underlying factors are properly addressed, anxiety generally persists.
Working with an experienced anxiety coach/counselor/therapist (preferably someone who has personally conquered anxiety in his or her own life and is medication-free) produces the most effective results.
Anxiety disorders are fully reversible. With the right information, help, and support, anyone can conquer anxiety.
Everyone experiences anxiety to some degree. Anxiety is caused by the perception of fear, or in other words, by thinking fearfully.
For example, Webster’s dictionary defines anxiety as:
A state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties.
A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning.
Therefore, anxiety by itself is NOT a disease or illness, but turns into a disorder when a person becomes physically, psychologically, emotionally, or spiritually symptomatic, fearful, or distraught because of it.
Worry IS anxiety.
The Webster’s dictionary defines worry as:
a troubled state of mind, anxiety, distressed, persistent mental uneasiness.
Worry results from fearful thinking about a future event or circumstance.
While the negative effects of acute or chronic anxiety may feel like a random, unknown, and uncontrollable disease, they are actually quite reversible. The problem is that most people don’t know how.
Anxiety conditions appear for specific reasons and have definite reasons why they persist. Once these reasons are identified and properly addressed, anxiety conditions along with their symptoms can be eliminated. . .and for good.
Anxiety conditions persist only because the underlying factors that cause them aren’t properly addressed. That’s why those who take medication as their only form of treatment generally remain on medication long term, or find themselves going on and coming off over and over again. Until the underlying factors are properly addressed, anxiety generally persists.
Working with an experienced anxiety coach/counselor/therapist (preferably someone who has personally conquered anxiety in his or her own life and is medication-free) produces the most effective results.
Anxiety disorders are fully reversible. With the right information, help, and support, anyone can conquer anxiety.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
National Youth Day, 2009
Friday, 20 March was the designated day for the celebration of the National Youth Day in Suva and throughout the nation. It was a day that was much looked forward to by Youths, Youth groups and Youth NGOs from all over the country. The theme set by the Department of Youth was: Step Up for Positive Change. With a march planned, formal activities, a workshop on the Pacific Youth Festival to run throughout the day and a music festival to finish it off in the evening, this was a day that we all eagerly awaited and prepared for.
It was a major disappointment to hear of the cancellation of the day’s events by the Minister for Education, Filipe Bole. Everything planned from the march straight through to the Music Festival was recalled and all ministry officials were to pack up and leave. The biggest disappointment came from those groups of Young People who had already met at the Flea market from 7am in the morning to prepare for the march that was shortly after cancelled. Even though the Tsunami warning was withdrawn way before the formal activities, the plans for the day’s events still remained cancelled; this was very disheartening to hear and left a lot of young people in the dark as to what would happen to celebrate their day.
However, this news didn’t stop a group of resourceful young people to come together and put forward a program that ran from 9am till 4pm in Sukuna Park. Members of the Young People’s Concerned Network, Peter Waqavonovono and Tura Lewai along with the PYC President Jackie Koroi did an amazing job planning a full day’s event in short notice. Youth groups who hung around and played a major part in the impromptu celebration were: Pacific Youth Festival Alumni, RFMF Youth, Fiji Youths Against Racism, Youth Peace Facilitators, Youth Inc, Pasifika Voices choir, Youth Champs for Mental Health, Yarawa Youth, Lajei Youth, Rescue Mission, Ark of Hope Youth Group and the YPCN. Displaying banners and running around the Sukuna Park grounds in costume, dancing to the music on offer from the bands playing on stage, the young people brought life to what started out as an ominous day.
The crowd turnout, according to the YPCN press release, was an amazing 900 people by headcount alone, with the majority of them being Youths and school children who were released from schools by the Ministry of Education. Students from Suva Grammar School and Laucala Bay Secondary School took up the challenge to be a part of the celebration and sing on stage to a welcoming crowd. The only formalities of the program being a few words shared from various leaders of youth groups like Gary Rounds for the Youth Champs for Mental Health, Jackie Koroi for the Pacific Youth Council inspiring youths present to be a part of the positive change that is needed in our nation and also recognizing the issues that young people are desperate to get out to the mainstream. In a speech given by YPCN Vice President Peter Waqavonovono to youth activists that attended yesterdays Youth Day Celebrations at Sukuna Park called on Youth activists to ‘build bridges and focus on moving Fiji forward through a collective voice”. He also made a call to action, and encouraged youths to be “ready for the Pacific Youth Festival, and personally push for more youth inclusiveness on every facet of Fiji’s socio-political life”.
The day’s program was a resounding success for Youths and for the young people present; it was a clear demonstration that the Youths of this nation are willing and able to work towards the building of a better Fiji taking the step towards positive change that is desperately needed in these times. We have shown that we can cut through the various barriers present within society and forge a path leading to peace within our generation and for Fiji. Youths present count the Tsunami warning a blessing because without it, we wouldn’t have had the chance to showcase our skills and abilities in organizing a major event like what was experienced on Friday.
Major kudos goes out to all who participated and were a part of a true National Youth Day celebration coined by the same young people as the Youth Tsunami Day Celebrations.
It was a major disappointment to hear of the cancellation of the day’s events by the Minister for Education, Filipe Bole. Everything planned from the march straight through to the Music Festival was recalled and all ministry officials were to pack up and leave. The biggest disappointment came from those groups of Young People who had already met at the Flea market from 7am in the morning to prepare for the march that was shortly after cancelled. Even though the Tsunami warning was withdrawn way before the formal activities, the plans for the day’s events still remained cancelled; this was very disheartening to hear and left a lot of young people in the dark as to what would happen to celebrate their day.
However, this news didn’t stop a group of resourceful young people to come together and put forward a program that ran from 9am till 4pm in Sukuna Park. Members of the Young People’s Concerned Network, Peter Waqavonovono and Tura Lewai along with the PYC President Jackie Koroi did an amazing job planning a full day’s event in short notice. Youth groups who hung around and played a major part in the impromptu celebration were: Pacific Youth Festival Alumni, RFMF Youth, Fiji Youths Against Racism, Youth Peace Facilitators, Youth Inc, Pasifika Voices choir, Youth Champs for Mental Health, Yarawa Youth, Lajei Youth, Rescue Mission, Ark of Hope Youth Group and the YPCN. Displaying banners and running around the Sukuna Park grounds in costume, dancing to the music on offer from the bands playing on stage, the young people brought life to what started out as an ominous day.
The crowd turnout, according to the YPCN press release, was an amazing 900 people by headcount alone, with the majority of them being Youths and school children who were released from schools by the Ministry of Education. Students from Suva Grammar School and Laucala Bay Secondary School took up the challenge to be a part of the celebration and sing on stage to a welcoming crowd. The only formalities of the program being a few words shared from various leaders of youth groups like Gary Rounds for the Youth Champs for Mental Health, Jackie Koroi for the Pacific Youth Council inspiring youths present to be a part of the positive change that is needed in our nation and also recognizing the issues that young people are desperate to get out to the mainstream. In a speech given by YPCN Vice President Peter Waqavonovono to youth activists that attended yesterdays Youth Day Celebrations at Sukuna Park called on Youth activists to ‘build bridges and focus on moving Fiji forward through a collective voice”. He also made a call to action, and encouraged youths to be “ready for the Pacific Youth Festival, and personally push for more youth inclusiveness on every facet of Fiji’s socio-political life”.
The day’s program was a resounding success for Youths and for the young people present; it was a clear demonstration that the Youths of this nation are willing and able to work towards the building of a better Fiji taking the step towards positive change that is desperately needed in these times. We have shown that we can cut through the various barriers present within society and forge a path leading to peace within our generation and for Fiji. Youths present count the Tsunami warning a blessing because without it, we wouldn’t have had the chance to showcase our skills and abilities in organizing a major event like what was experienced on Friday.
Major kudos goes out to all who participated and were a part of a true National Youth Day celebration coined by the same young people as the Youth Tsunami Day Celebrations.
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