Studies conducted on mice demonstrated that fluoxetine effectively lowered bacterial levels, increased anti-inflammatory molecules, and prevented dangerous immune overreactions. Notably, these protective effects occurred independently of serotonin, the neurotransmitter primarily targeted by the drug in its traditional role as an antidepressant.

Key Findings:

• Dual Protection: Fluoxetine not only kills bacteria but also helps regulate the immune response.
• Sepsis Defense: Mice treated with fluoxetine exhibited lower bacterial loads and a greater likelihood of survival.
• Serotonin Independence: The drug’s immune-modulating effects function separately from its influence on serotonin.

Expanding the Understanding of SSRIs in Disease Management

Beyond its well-established use in mental health treatment, fluoxetine may hold promise in combating severe infections. Scientists at the Salk Institute have explored how this drug interacts with the immune system, findings that could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for infectious diseases. This discovery comes at a critical time when innovative treatments are needed to enhance preparedness for future pandemics.

Additional studies have indicated that individuals taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac experienced less severe COVID-19 infections and a reduced risk of developing long COVID. In another study, fluoxetine was found to protect mice from sepsis—a condition where an excessive immune response to infection can result in organ failure or death.

By uncovering the mechanisms behind fluoxetine’s unexpected immune-boosting properties, researchers have paved the way for potential clinical trials exploring its use in infection and immune disorder treatments. These findings were published in Science Advances on February 14, 2025.

“When treating an infection, the optimal treatment strategy would be one that kills the bacteria or virus while also protecting our tissues and organs,” explains Professor Janelle Ayres, holder of the Salk Institute Legacy Chair and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

“Most medications we have in our toolbox kill pathogens, but we were thrilled to find that fluoxetine can protect tissues and organs, too. It’s essentially playing offense and defense, which is ideal, and especially exciting to see in a drug that we already know is safe to use in humans.”

Addressing the Dangers of Sepsis

The immune system serves as the body’s primary defense against infections, but in conditions such as sepsis, it can become overactive, causing widespread inflammation and damaging the body’s own tissues. Severe COVID-19 cases have shown similar immune overreactions, further highlighting the need for treatments that balance immune responses without compromising the body’s ability to fight infections.

While suppressing inflammation might seem like a solution, doing so can leave patients vulnerable to infections. Immunosuppressive drugs must be carefully timed, as they are most effective before significant tissue damage occurs. Ideally, an effective treatment would manage immune response intensity while simultaneously targeting the infection itself.

How Fluoxetine May Help

To better understand fluoxetine’s potential in this regard, researchers studied two groups of mice infected with bacteria—one group pretreated with fluoxetine and the other left untreated.

Mice that received fluoxetine showed significantly lower bacterial levels within eight hours of infection, suggesting that the drug possesses antimicrobial properties that inhibit bacterial growth. Additionally, higher levels of the anti-inflammatory molecule IL-10 were detected in these mice, which played a crucial role in preventing sepsis-induced metabolic disturbances and protecting vital organs.

By distinguishing fluoxetine’s antimicrobial action from its immune-regulating effects, the researchers demonstrated that the drug offers a dual benefit—actively combating pathogens while also reducing immune-related damage.

Fluoxetine’s Effects Beyond Serotonin

To determine whether fluoxetine’s protective effects were linked to serotonin, researchers examined two additional groups of mice: both were pretreated with fluoxetine, but only one retained normal serotonin levels.

Surprisingly, fluoxetine provided the same infection-fighting benefits regardless of serotonin presence, confirming that its positive effects stemmed from a separate mechanism.

“That was really unexpected, but also really exciting,” says Robert Gallant, the study’s first author and a former graduate student researcher in Ayres’ lab.

“Knowing fluoxetine can regulate the immune response, protect the body from infection, and have an antimicrobial effect—all entirely independent from circulating serotonin—is a huge step toward developing new solutions for life-threatening infections and illnesses. It also really goes to show how much more there is to learn about SSRIs.”

Looking Toward the Future

Building on these promising findings, researchers now aim to determine appropriate fluoxetine dosages for treating sepsis in humans. Additionally, they plan to investigate whether other SSRIs exhibit similar protective effects.

“Fluoxetine, one of the most prescribed drugs in the United States, is promoting cooperation between host and pathogen to defend against infection-induced disease and mortality,” says Ayres. “Finding dual protective and defensive effects in a repurposed drug is really exciting.”

Research and Funding

This study was conducted with contributions from Karina Sanchez, Emeline Joulia, and Christian Metallo of the Salk Institute, along with Jessica Snyder of the University of Washington.

The research was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (DPI AI144249, R01 AI14929, F31 AI169988, T32 GM007240-43, T32 GM133351, NCI CCSG: P30CA014195) and the NOMIS Foundation.

As investigations continue, fluoxetine’s unexpected benefits may redefine how infections and immune disorders are treated, offering new hope for patients worldwide.

Alongside this rise, prostate cancer mortality rates—which had been declining for years—have now leveled off in most parts of the state. These findings highlight the ongoing challenge of balancing early detection with avoiding unnecessary treatments, a dilemma that continues to shape prostate cancer screening policies.

The study, published on January 27 in JAMA Network Open, emphasizes the importance of finding an effective screening strategy that detects life-threatening cancers while minimizing the diagnosis of non-aggressive tumors that may never pose a health risk.

A Statewide Concern Across All Demographics

“This overall rising trend is alarming and has occurred across age groups, regions of California, races, and ethnicities,” said Erin L. Van Blarigan, ScD, an associate professor of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Urology at UCSF and the lead author of the study.

“Our data point to how urgent this problem is,” she added. “Figuring out the best way to screen for prostate cancer continues to be a challenge for researchers and doctors. Without screening, the number of men diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer – when treatments are less effective – increases fast.”

Balancing the Risks and Benefits of Prostate Cancer Screening

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the U.S. and the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths. However, not all cases are the same—while some forms of the disease are aggressive and potentially fatal, many cases involve low-grade tumors that remain contained and never spread.

The most common screening method, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, is widely used but comes with limitations. Since PSA tests cannot distinguish between aggressive and non-aggressive cancers, some men are diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer that would never have caused them harm. This can lead to unnecessary procedures, including surgeries that come with risks like incontinence and sexual dysfunction.

On the other hand, forgoing screenings entirely means that some aggressive cancers may go undetected until they reach advanced stages, when treatment options become less effective.

For years, doctors routinely screened all men for prostate cancer. However, in 2012, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that routine PSA testing should no longer be performed for all men to reduce unnecessary medical interventions. By 2018, guidelines were updated again, suggesting that men ages 55-69 should discuss screening options with their doctor to weigh the potential benefits and risks.

Despite these updated recommendations, not all men are having these conversations with their physicians, raising concerns that some individuals at higher risk may be missing the opportunity for early detection.

Prostate Cancer Cases and Death Rates in California

The UCSF study examined data from nearly 388,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in California between 2004 and 2021. Of these cases, almost 28,000 men (7.2%) had been diagnosed with advanced-stage prostate cancer, a form of the disease with a five-year survival rate of just 37%.

Researchers also looked at prostate cancer mortality trends over the same period and found that, after years of decline, death rates have stopped decreasing in many parts of California.

Key findings from the study include:

• Advanced prostate cancer rates remained stable or declined until 2010, but then began rising at a rate of 6.7% per year from 2011 to 2021.
• Nationally, cases rose by 4.5% per year between 2011 and 2019, making California’s increase significantly higher than the U.S. average.
• Some regions in California saw faster increases than others—the lowest annual growth was in the Southern San Joaquin Valley (2.3%), while the highest increase was in the Central Coast (9.1%).
• Prostate cancer deaths declined by 2.6% per year from 2004 to 2012 but then plateaued in 7 out of 10 regions in the state.
• Mortality rates were highest in the Inland Empire, followed by San Diego-Imperial and the North Coast, while the lowest mortality rates were found in the San Francisco Bay Area.

These findings suggest that regional differences in healthcare access, screening awareness, and lifestyle factors may influence cancer detection and outcomes.

The Importance of Ongoing Monitoring and Research

As scientists continue to examine prostate cancer trends, keeping a close eye on how screening guidelines affect different populations is critical.

“It’s important to continue monitoring prostate cancer trends both in California and nationally as we learn more about the impact of screening guidelines on different populations,” said Scarlett L. Gomez, PhD, MPH, a senior author of the study and a professor in the UCSF Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics.

Going forward, researchers and healthcare providers will need to find a balance between early detection and reducing unnecessary treatments. Emerging advancements in genetic testing, biomarker analysis, and imaging technologies may help doctors better identify high-risk patients who would benefit most from screening while avoiding overdiagnosis in low-risk individuals.

Looking Ahead: What This Means for Men’s Health

Prostate cancer remains a major health concern, and the findings from this study highlight the need for continued awareness, research, and patient education. While the debate over screening guidelines continues, one thing is clear—early detection remains key for those at high risk.

Men should have open discussions with their doctors about the benefits and risks of screening, particularly if they have a family history of prostate cancer or belong to high-risk groups.

As research progresses, medical professionals hope to develop better screening methods that can distinguish between aggressive and non-aggressive cancers, ensuring that those who need treatment receive it while others avoid unnecessary medical interventions.

The study was published in JAMA Network Open under the title “Trends in Prostate Cancer Incidence and Mortality Rates” and funded by the California Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries, and the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.

Improve your cardiovascular health

If you are thinking about improving your cardiac health, you need to go for a regular run. This activity is proven to help you strengthen your left ventricle. This is possible because the heart is the main part of the body that benefits from running. When you run, your pulse rate slows down and your body consumes more oxygen as compared to the state when you are just resting. This is a great way to help in normalizing the pumping of the blood.

Since running is considered as an aerobic exercise, another target is to burn the carbohydrates and turn them into energy that the body can use up. With this, you will be able to eliminate unneeded fats in the body, especially in the heart. Studies also show that runners have healthier cardiovascular condition compared to the people who are not exercising at all.

According to a study on the cardiovascular aspects of running, running is an activity that is highly aerobic. It does not only convert carbohydrates but also fatty acids into energy. This is one o the best exercises that you can add to your regular activities. However, you should not think that this exercise can make you completely free from organic heart disease. Even if it involves the cardiovascular system, you still need physical examinations and rest. This is specifically true for older and middle-aged runners. 

Strengthen joints

Is running better than walking? This is one question that can help you realize the importance of leveling up your regular exercise. Most people believe that a person who has a possibility of developing osteoarthritis should not be running. This is one of the myths that you need to debunk. As compared to walking, running can be beneficial to your bones and joints because it can help not only in enhancing flexibility but also in strengthening the joints, the cartilage and the bones. As compared to running and swimming, it can be more beneficial to you. 

A study published by Harvard Medical School concluded that running is not actually a contributory factor to arthritis. For older people who are experiencing this condition, you can be sure that exercises do not add nor worsen it. You are free to exercise regularly. In fact, running can strengthen your leg muscles and your joints. However, you have to make sure that you are not running with an injured leg. If you feel like a part of your leg is painful, you should take a rest and you can also consult your doctor to check if you can still continue running. 

Burns calories

If you are into a weight loss program, you should consider running as one of your daily exercises. If you run, you will be able to lose more calories because it requires you to move most parts of your body. It should be understood that the amount of calorie that you will be able to lose depends on the frequency of your run and the intensity you put into the activity. For people who wish to burn more calories, the terrain and the pressure should be considered. Uphill climb requires more energy and it can be the best way for you to lose more pounds.

A research done by the National Weight Control Registry has proven the connection between regular exercise and weight loss. It has been concluded that ninety percent of their respondents who have lost a considerable part of their weight attribute their success to their regular exercise. One of the weight loss exercises that were mentioned in the study that has a positive effect to weight loss is running. However, you have to do it right in order for it to work positively for your own benefit. Here are some of the things that you need to consider if you are going to start running to lose weight:

• Have a specific goal that you want to achieve. If it is to lose weight, decide about how much you should be shedding.
• Always start with your right foot. Running does not have to be done at a constant fast pace.
• Create a schedule for your run. If you are a beginner, you can consider running every other day. This way, you can give your tissues enough time to rest.
• Add distance and change your pace slowly. You should not push yourself to an activity that will only let you end up tired. You should avoid overtraining and just work at your own pace. 

Help promote weight loss

One of the main ways on how to lose weight is to speed up metabolism. Most people gain weight because their metabolism is not normal and also because of inactivity. Your diet is another reason why you gain weight. But there is a way that can help you control your weight; you just need to engage yourself in activities that will help you lessen the calories and fats. People who do not run or exercises are the ones who are mostly gaining more weight. With the body’s inactivity, the calories are not converted into energy and the body continues to gain more pounds. Regular exercise and daily runs in the park can be very helpful in maintaining your weight. 

Reduce cancer risk

Cancer only starts to manifest when the person’s immune system is no longer capable of protecting the body. This is why people who have a history of cancer in the family are encouraged to engage themselves in activities that will be beneficial to the body. Aside from eating natural and organic food, you need to engage yourself with a daily exercise. Running is effective because it does not only help you lessen fats but will also help in strengthening the body as a whole. A person who is physically active is usually healthier compared to people who are not exercising.

Dr. Anthony Komaroff affirmed that exercises can really help reduce the risk of cancer as posted by Harvard Health Publishing. It has been noted that the higher the physical activity of a person, the lesser the possibility of the risk of cancer to be developed. To relate it to running, it is one of the most common and the most famous exercise that everyone can do. Age does not matter if you really want to run and use it to improve your body condition. 

Boost your memory

There is a very interesting study conducted in 2016 that supports the connection of running and boosting the memory and your creativity. When the body is active, the person is more creative. So if you are experiencing problems that are connected to the memory, you can consider going for a run. This is scientifically proven by the fact that more oxygen is being inhaled by the person when he is running. The brain needs more of this in order for it to function well. Aside from that, it can also help you release yourself from anxiety and other stress. This way, you can easily become more creative and your brain can work more efficiently. Aside from that, another study proves that running can help produce hormones that enable the brain cells to grow. 

A recent study also showed that regular exercise has a direct and indirect positive effect on the brain. It can benefit the brain in a way that it can reduce inflammation and it also ensures that there is a growth of new blood vessels in the brain. With this, the survival of new brain cells is also being promoted. 

Increases your stamina

Do you ever wonder how seasoned runners were able to strengthen themselves and were able to maintain a strong body? The answer is through running regularly. At the beginning, of course, you will see yourself having difficulty breathing and you will also experience muscle pains. However, if you continue and make this activity a part of your everyday life, you will see the improvements. As you continue to put a little pressure on your routine, you will also witness how your stamina would be strengthened.

Your endurance depends on how many activities you are allowing yourself to do and sometimes, it is also dependent on your weight and body structure. With the connection between running and weight loss, it can be deduced that whenever you run, you are strengthening your body muscles. As you continue with this activity, you will notice how easier for you to do more activities as you become stronger. After a few months, you will also realize that you can do so much more without losing breathe. This is possible if you continue to add running as one of your regular exercises. 

Help you live longer

As a person ages, he also gets exposed to a lot of factors that can cause disease and other unhealthy conditions that can cause early mortality. This is why you also need to think about running as a regular activity because of many reasons. It helps lessen the possibility of developing chronic diseases. It also helps in improving your sleep. With this, the body gets enough rest and the body cells will easily regenerate.

A recent study published in 2017 has affirmed that running is indeed one of the secrets for long life. In this research, they have proven that 25 to 40 percent of runners were able to avoid premature mortality as compared to those who do not run. This is connected to the different results of running that include the prevention of chronic diseases. As you continue an active lifestyle, you will notice how much positive changes are going on to your body. This is also true with running. You should consider this as one of the regular exercises that you should be adding to your health list. 

Decrease cravings for unhealthy foods and substance

There have been a lot of researches that asked participants to engage in running to measure how this activity can help in their diet. After running, it was a recorder that the runners chose to eat healthier food instead of going for some junk food. With this, it was concluded that running can help you lessen your cravings for unhealthy food.

Whenever you run or do other exercises, you will notice how you become more conscious with what you are eating. For the beginners who are not eating the right food, it is noticeable that they easily get tired. This is because of the fact that the body does not have enough energy. If you really want to make running a habit, you have to make sure that you are eating the right food. As you embrace this activity, you will notice how you slowly change some other parts of your lifestyle including your eating habits.

Running for an hour regularly is really helpful to the body. The different benefits enumerated above are just a few of the many benefits you will get from this exercise. If you are planning to embrace a new improved healthy lifestyle, you should consider running as one of your activities. This will not only allow you to lose weight and improve your physical health. Running can also ensure you positive effects to the emotions. So whenever you are feeling down, you can wear your running shoes and get some air as you keep yourself mobile.

Recently, I had the pleasure of chatting with Sister Kate (Christine Meeusen) to pick her brain about the women’s work. As our conversation evolved, she dropped copious amounts of wisdom on the subjects of marijuana, the divine feminine, and how the mainstream media continues to re-hash a lie about cannabis being a “Holy Trinity.”

Watch the interview below:

A recap:

The Sisters of the Valley farm was founded in 2014, shortly after Sister Kate became known as “Sister Occupy.” During our interview, she relayed that she donned a nun’s habit in response to authorities declaring pizza (due to the tomato sauce) a vegetable. According to her, the development was further evidence of America being a conquered and oppressed nation.

She said,

“I learned from my travels in Europe that you learn to tell the difference between a conquered nation and the conquerers. Go to where the people are conquered, and you see a shabby version of the conquerers.”

After leaving Europe following a messy divorce, “America looked to me like a conquered people,” she said. “We dress like a conquered people, we act like a conquered people. Also, the sign of a conquered people is that you fight against your leadership instead of with it.”

“I was very disgusted,” she added.

When Sister Kate joined the Occupy movement, she felt as if she had finally found her “people.” Those she marched with encouraged her to follow through with her plan of donning a nun’s habit, so she did. “Within one visit, the Occupy movement had dubbed me ‘Sister Occupy’,” said Sister Kate. Before long, supporters began asking how they could join the movement she had inspired. Her response was, “No, you don’t understand! I’m an activist, anarchist, single nun!” 

But eventually, she realized something did need to be organized. “That led to about a three-year discussion before Sisters of the Valley was formed,” she said.

Before Sister Kate declared herself a nun, she spent most of her time delivering CBD oil to the sick and “raising, cooking and cleaning” for a family with six kids. Because of this, she already felt like a nun. As a result, she didn’t find the lifestyle transition too difficult.

Sisterhood and the Divine Feminine

In the interview, Sister Kate goes on to explain that though the women implement pagan practices into their ceremonies, they don’t align with any one religion. Rather, most of their inspiration is drawn from the Beguine nuns, who were the precursors to the Catholic nuns.

She explained that the Beguine nuns were self-empowered, spiritually empowered, natural healers, and scholarly women. Because of this, they were considered “dangerous” and many of them were burnt at the stake. The Sisters of the Valley look to the Beguine nuns as their role models, because they hope to empower new generations of women don’t degrade or cheapen themselves to get ahead.

Sister Kate added that now is a very important time for women in history. This is because change is not only desired by both men and women, it is needed. And finally, females have an opportunity to do better than their husbands, fathers, brothers, etc… This isn’t to say men aren’t needed — in fact, the contrary is true. For sustainable, positive change to result as is intentioned, men and women need to work together.

The REAL Holy Trinity

When the Sisters of the Valley began sharing their vision with the world, journalists were eager to interview the change-makers. However, one reporter made a mistake and wrote that the Sisters of the Valley consider the cannabis plant to be the real Holy Trinity.

As Sister Kate incredulously explains in the interview, one thing cannot be a trinity.

“I think it’s hilarious, because a newspaper reporter said the cannabis plant is our holy trinity. How can one thing be a trinity? No one in the media called him on it,” she said.

However, because the media wouldn’t stop “whispering,” she ended up inventing three traits that make the cannabis plant a trinity. Said Sister Kate,

“Because so many people have said that the cannabis plant is our holy trinity, I actually, in the last couple of days, came up with a cannabis plant holy trinity analogy. That is, that the plant is compassionate, it is cooperative, and it is intelligent.”

So there you have it.

Why Women Should Plant Cannabis To Eliminate Crime

In addition to sharing several compelling anecdotes from people who have improved their conditions with CBD oil and CBD-containing lotions and tinctures, Sister Kate relayed how women can rid the world of criminals by planting CBD-rich strains — which are legal in all 50 states. She said,

“Order from Attitude Seed Bank, out of the UK, strains of seeds that are meant to be under 1 percent THC and over 10 percent CBD. And every women should take the seeds and grow them inside and outside in their yard, and grow them everywhere… Because, one time a thief would steal that weed and try to sell it, and the thieves would be killed because they’re going to sell it like it’s going to get someone high. They’re going to sell it for $1,000/lb, and they’re going to get killed and bingo — we’ve just wiped out all the thieves, and we’re free to go forward.”

“So, my point is women need to grow this everywhere. And then dare the law to shut them down. Because all the laws were made for psychoactive cannabis, not for hemp,” she concluded.

Please watch the full interview above, as Sister Kate talks about many more topics, including why people should use CBD oil, why the nuns’ crops are legal in all 50 states and can be distributed to other countries, the organization’s plan(s) to cultivate marijuana in Canada, and much, much more.

It was an amazing experience connecting with this activist. Sister Kate is proof that one person can make a positive difference in the world. Hopefully, her efforts inspire you. Learn more by visiting the Sisters of the Valley website and Facebook page.

What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!

Here is what your messages may look like.

“Hey, I’d love to hang out with you! But unfortunantly I am really busy.”

“Sorry, I didn’t get back to you earlier! I have been so busy.”

“How am I doing? You know, just busy like always!”

If you haven’t guessed it already the trigger word that is slowly sabotaging your relationships is the word “busy”. Though it may seem harmless you are actually pushing your friends away every time you use it. There are 2 main reasons why you should find a way to cut this word and the underlying problems it represents from your life as soon as possible.

I just want to be clear that being active and engage in your life is nothing to be sorry for. Being busy in itself isn’t bad but there is a subtle underlying message that will unconsciously push your friends and family away.

Here are some things to remember.

1. Nearly Everyone is Busy.

We live in a fast-paced culture where nearly everyone is busy. Most people are in school, have jobs, take care of kids, or all of the above. There are extracurricular activities, projects, and hobbies that pile up and take time too.

Being busy is actually pretty close to saying that you are alive these days. You can be busy playing a video game, working, designed a new art project, vacationing, or simply painting your nails. Because the word busy is so widely used it has almost started to become meaningless.

The vague nature of the word busy can also lead other people to feel that maybe you are just not interested in spending time with them anymore.

2. Being busy It’s Open to an often Negative Interpretation.

When being busy is part of living a full life, saying you are busy starts to sound like your important activities are more important than someone else’s activities.

Even though you may be honest in what you are saying and may even be implying that you would rather be spending time with them rather than working so much they may be hearing the opposite.

There will be times that we are legitimately busy. Where what we are working on takes our full focus because we are engaged in something important to us. When we are busy it is strongly recommended that we find another way to word what we are doing so that our friends know that they are still important to us while we finish up what we are doing.

Here are some tricks to help you reduce your use of the word busy and stay connected with your friends.

1. Don’t be Vague.

The easiest way to keep connected with your friends without using the word busy is by telling them briefly what you are doing. It may take a bit more time, but it takes the guessing out of the relationship. Instead of your friend wondering what is going on and why they cannot get ahold of you keep them involved with your life by giving them an idea of what you are up to.

“I would love to hang out but, I am at Justin’s ball game. I hope you guys have an awesome time!”

“Tonight Rick and I are working on an awesome new solar panel technology! I am excited to hear how the movie is, I have wanted to see that one.”

Doesn’t that feel a lot better than “I would love to, but I am really busy.”

2. Set a Specific Time Frame if you can.

If you are going to be busy for a while because of finals or a big project at work, it can help to let your friends know when you will no longer be busy. That way they can reconnect with you once things get less chaotic and you can both look forward to some fun times.

Even if the timeframe has to be adjusted, letting your friends know how long you think you will be occupied will mean a lot to them in the end.

“Hey I have this big deadline for the new electric car designs at work this week but I should be free next weekend if you want to do something then?”

3. Check yourself to see if you actually are avoiding that person.

Sometimes we actually are avoiding spending time with or talking to a friend or family member. We look for excuses to avoid their call and make what we are doing sound a lot more important than it really is in order to stay away from them.

It’s almost like we subconsciously hope that they will just fade away into the distance and we won’t have to face whatever it is that we are really avoiding. Sometimes this type of being busy is called ghosting. It is where you distance yourself without even explaining why. Sometimes this is because of an argument or disagreement but other times it is more subtle than that.

I know I have been guilty of this one before. After being around someone who was draining emotionally, I used to find that I was too tired or busy for them the next time they called. It is times like this that I really need to be honest with myself about how I am feeling.

If this is why you are finding that you are busy then it might be time to have a heart-to-heart conversation with the person. It is much better for you and them if you sit down, be honest with how you feel and see if you can resolve the issue or if it is best to move forward seperatly.

In the end, we should phase out using the word busy and make sure the next time you are with your friend that you take the time to fully engaged and be present with them so that they can feel how much you care about them.

What do you do to keep good communication in your relationships? Let us know your experiences in the comments below.

Sources-

www.psychologytoday.com

Image Credit: huffpost.com

1. Practice Yoga

The benefits of Yoga are countless, and many of them are key for long-term health:

Stretching – Yoga poses work by stretching your muscles, making your whole body more flexible. Stretching is beneficial for general relaxation and tonification of your muscles. In one study, people improved their flexibility by up to 35% after only 8 weeks of yoga.

Increase Blood Flow – Twisting poses bring out venous blood from internal organs and allow oxygenated blood to flow in once the twist is released. Inverted poses encourage venous blood from the legs and pelvis to flow back to the heart, where it can be pumped to the lungs to be freshly oxygenated.

Increase Mobility and Flexibility – During your first class, you probably won’t be able to touch your toes, but if you stick with it, you’ll notice a gradual loosening, and eventually, seemingly impossible poses will become possible. You’ll also probably notice that aches and pains starting to disappear, and your posture getting better.

2. Practice Gratitude

When was the last time you woke up in the morning, and immediately smiled, suddenly overwhelmed by a massive wave of gratitude, just for being alive? With all the struggles of everyday life, we tend to forget about the blessings in our lives. While getting too busy fixing the things that are wrong, we forget about the things that are right.

However, gratitude is one of the pillars of a healthy life, and our mental health -just as important as our physical health-, can benefit a lot from living a grateful life.

3. Try New Supplements

Food nowadays is not as nutritious as the food our grandparents and great-grandparents grew up with, so an extra input of certain nutrients is often useful to prevent any deficiencies. These are some that might help improve your health:

• Vitamin D

It helps your body absorb calcium and also has a role in your nerves, muscles, and immune system. Deficiency can cause rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. Muscle aches and weakness, muscle twitching and light-headedness are common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency; and some studies have found that it is also linked to depression.

• Magnesium

Magnesium is required for the proper growth and maintenance of bones, for the proper function of nerves and muscles, among others. Magnesium supplements can help with irregular heartbeat, blood pressure, anxiety, fatigue, fibromyalgia, diabetes, kidney stones, headaches, PMS, asthma and hay fever, among many others

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include cramps, tremor, spasms, fatigue, loss of appetite, apathy, confusion, insomnia, irritability, poor memory, and reduced ability to learn.

• Fish oil

Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, known to reduce inflammation in the body among other health benefits. It is most often used for conditions related to the heart and blood system, lowering high triglycerides, and preventing heart disease and stroke.

• ZMA

ZMA is a natural mineral supplement made up of zinc, magnesium aspartate, and vitamin B6. These three nutrients in your system can build muscle strength and stamina, speed muscle recovery, and improve the quality of your sleep.

4. Drink More Water

Around 75% of people are chronically dehydrated. Are you drinking enough water? Signs of fatigue, poor memory, difficulty focusing, and sleepiness, might be telling you that you’re not. Your body is 70% water (your brain is almost 90%!); water is essential for proper digestion and circulation, numerous chemical reactions, nutrient absorption, waste elimination and flexibility of the blood vessels. It regulates body temperature and acts as an internal skin moisturizer, as well as preventing premature aging due to toxic buildup.

5. Eat More Greens

A plant-based diet includes more nutrient-dense foods that will help keep you full longer and give you more energy with less toxins, making you feel better overall. Switching to a natural plant-based diet like veganism or any of its varieties, has many other benefits for your body, the animals and the environment.

Can’t think of what to eat? There are various vegan meal delivery companies that could help start you on your journey. Give it a try and let the new flavors, textures and ideas change the way you’ve always thought about healthy eating.

6. Eliminate or Reduce Toxins

Reducing or completely eliminating toxins from your diet and lifestyle will make it easier for your body to recover its natural healthy state. The list of toxins to avoid includes tobacco, alcohol, caffeine and sugar, which have an acidic effect -the process of neutralizing this acid spends energy from other processes, which affects your energy levels and ability to focus. Plastics and other hormone disruptors are another kind of toxins to avoid as much as possible, in order to get healthier.

7. Aim to Sweat Everyday

With sweating comes great benefits: an increased heart rate works as a “heart workout”, which improves your general cardiovascular health, and increases the blood flow to major organs. Sweating from intense exercise also releases endorphins, which help you feel good and prevent depression, stress, and anxiety. Sweating helps filter your blood and rid the body of toxins through your skin, making you feel lighter and better.

8. Get a Blood Test

General fatigue, mood swings, skin issues, vision sensitivity, joint pain and muscular weakness are common physical signs of nutritional deficiency. Mind fog, confusion, difficulty focusing, poor memory, or sleep issues, could also be signs that something is missing.

The best way to find if you have any deficiency, is to get a complete blood test.

9. Do a 3 Day Juice Cleanse

One of the easiest ways to start a reset in your system and rid your body of toxins by cleaning out your organs, is to do a 3 day juice cleanse. This has the effect of mild fasting, without the risk of upsetting your blood sugar levels or being too extreme if you’re not used to it.

10. Add superfoods into your diet

Superfoods are nutrient-rich foods that are especially beneficial for your health and well-being. Some examples are:

Turmeric – Curcumin in turmeric has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and neutralizes free radicals. It also increases the growth of new neurons and fights various degenerative processes in the brain. Curcumin is beneficial for heart health, and helps prevent cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. It can also treat symptoms of arthritis, and alleviate symptoms of depression.

Matcha Tea – If you haven’t heard of matcha tea, this is going to be life changing! Matcha green tea has over 100 times the antioxidants of regular green tea. The health benefits of drinking matcha tea include improved mental alertness and clarity, stronger immune defense and detoxification. It also helps relaxation and prevents bacterial, fungal and viral infections, cancer and type-2 diabetes. It assists in maintaining cardiovascular health, gastrointestinal health and works as a superb energy booster.

Spirulina – Spirulina is a blue-green algae that is rich in protein, minerals, B vitamins, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, and gamma linolenic acid (an essential fatty acid). It also has a high supply of carotenoids, which have antioxidant properties.

Spirulina can be beneficial for anxiety, ADHD, depression, diabetes, fatigue, heart disease, high cholesterol, improving your immune system and memory, PMS, and assist in wound healing and weight loss.

What are your ways of resetting your health? Feel free to share with us in the comment section!

Sources:

38 Health Benefits of Yoga

Vitamin D Wikipedia

Magnesium WebMD

Magnesium Wikipedia

Fish Oil Wikipedia

ZMA Wikipedia

“The thing about people who are truly and malignantly crazy: their real genius is for making the people around them think they themselves are crazy. In military science this is called Psy-Ops, for your info.” –David Foster Wallace, ‘Infinite Jest’

When we utilize critical thinking and question whether what society tells us is true or not, we are called “paranoid.” When a major tragedy strikes, we are conditioned to automatically accept what authority figures and the media tell us without question, lest we wish to be cast into the tainted demographic of society known as “conspiracy theorists” –basically, a manipulation of the term “free-thinkers,” insinuating a person’s open mind is instead a psychologically deranged prison. When we feel sad, we put on brave faces like we were taught to do; and we certainly do not let others see us “break” down, as to do so would be socially unacceptable. We fail to realize this, in reality, is the very definition of weakness. The truly brave thing to do would be to embrace and listen to our feelings, otherwise known as embracing our innate human nature. Rarely do we consider that by repeatedly denying ourselves the opportunity  to “break” down and feel our emotions in their entirety, we are simultaneously sealing our fate to break down on a chronic basis in the future, as the accumulated negative energies within us from our repressed emotions will eventually reach full capacity and burst.

When we fail to thoroughly work through and resolve our emotions, their energies remain stuck within us and accumulate until all we feel is their collective darkness, as there is not much room left inside us for anything else. This, of course, is quite frequently the working definition of “chronic depression.” Since we masked our sadness and anger so many times, we seemingly have no root cause for our chronic depression. Once repressed emotions from various experiences become piled up within, it is close to impossible to distinguish one from another and trace each one back to their origin. As a result, there is no identifiable root cause of our now unrelenting depression –and rightfully so, as there are many. Of course, the doctors we go to when such depression befalls us typically only lend to the notion that there is no root cause, and in no way promote healthy methods of taking responsibility for the management of our emotions in the future. However, they nonetheless claim they can help us –and they do, they help us to further gloss over uncomfortable feelings by placing us on psychiatric medications such as anti-depressants. Unfortunately, anti-depressants not only take away feelings of sadness, they to some degree take away all feelings in general.

When it really comes down to it, the choice to escape darkness is at the same time the choice to escape light. To knowingly opt out of painful emotions is to unknowingly opt out of pleasurable ones as well. Unfortunately, this numb state of existence promoted by modern day society is all too easy to fall victim to –especially when medical experts we quite literally trust with our lives tell us it is a correct and healthy way of being, generously giving us substances to feed our desire to not feel pain of any sort. So, who and what is really crazy here?

“Our education from the start has taught us a certain range of emotions, what to feel and what not to feel, and how to feel the feelings we allow ourselves to feel. All the rest is non-existent.” –D.H. Lawrence, ‘A Propos of Lady Chatterley’s Lover’

Since we are taught from a young age which feeling are acceptable to feel, what emotions are safe to express, what heart driven behaviors are appropriate to act upon without deviating from the “norm,” doing otherwise seems incredibly dangerous and can easily invoke paralyzing fear. However, subduing parts of ourselves by cutting off certain feelings and prohibiting emotions from arising past a certain level is the truly dangerous thing to do. It prevents us from fulfilling one of our primary obligations in life –to give birth to all parts of ourselves, to emerge into the world as beings alive in every sense of the word, and to then share with the world our unique gifts stemming from the deep sense of luminous aliveness radiating within.

Allowing Ourselves To Fully Feel

How do we go about allowing ourselves to feel our emotions in their entirety though, and how do we do so without letting ourselves become consumed by the negative energy of the more painful ones? For starters, we stop telling ourselves that feeling any emotion too intensely is wrong, because perhaps there is actually no such thing as feeling TOO intensely, there is only feeling something intensely and not knowing how to then work through those feelings. Perhaps it is not the feelings themselves that are the problem, but our inability to deal with those feelings. Perhaps  there is no clearly defined right or wrong way to feel, there is only feeling what it means to be alive in its entirety. And whether or not those feelings are painful or pleasurable will not matter much in the end. What will matter is we can rest assured that we did not take life for granted, knowing we seized every opportunity to fully live.

Next, we must cease to resist strong emotions out of fear, often resulting from a subconscious awareness that surrendering to them will inevitably change us within on a deep level, as anything of depth in life always does –and we certainly must stop worrying that allowing profound changes within may cause others to no longer accept us. After all, any love with conditions is limiting, and thus does not embody the true definition of love. Those who do not love us unconditionally and who hold a firm picture of how we should live our lives do not serve our true nature, and should in no way be allowed to influence who we are or what we do or do not become. Ultimately, we must die to the false belief that a way of life that is safe even exists. As Michael Meade so eloquently put it, “a false sense of security is the only kind there is.”

Once we dissolve the fear of allowing ourselves to fully feel due to the desire to be socially accepted and the like, and begin the process of feeling our emotions in their entirety and journeying deeper into our hearts, we often run into the problem of subconsciously resisting from fully engaging in the process because it is uncomfortable at times. However, at this stage of journeying deeper into our hearts to reclaim our capacity to feel, it is crucial to acknowledge that the only reason we feel this discomfort is because we have been conditioned to believe we should avoid discomfort and pain –much less take responsibility for working through our pain, especially when emotional in nature- at any cost. Basically, we must become comfortable with being uncomfortable. A strange thing happens when we do this –feeling uncomfortable begins to dissipate entirely, as we have given ourselves permission to feel and surrendered to its existence, thus dissolving its power over us. No longer feeling uncomfortable over, well, the act of feeling in itself, sends a signal to our subconscious minds that there are really no “good” or “bad” emotions, there are just emotions. In this, we learn “good” and “bad” are merely a matter of subjective perception, and  many of our perceptions regarding what is good and bad are actually not our own that were born out of our own self-discovery and life lessons, but are ones that were instilled within us from a young age via conditioning from others.

It is our inherent birthright to explore life and use our personal experiences to formulate our own perceptions in life. In order to cultivate such experiences, the manner in which we live must stem from the deep sense of aliveness within that can only be accessed when we feel intensely and allow ourselves to be flooded with passion. Inevitably, this leads many to find there is really no such thing as “bad” feelings, in the sense that they are intended to harm us. Rather, the feelings we once revered as “bad” are intended to deliver specific messages to us, signaling certain areas in our lives are not in alignment with  the true nature of our souls.

Beginning to work with our feelings rather than against them, and exploring them to unveil the messages they are attempting to reveal, is the process of working  with our different ego states –not dissolving our egos entirely, but transforming them. Eric Berne, who developed the idea of Transactional Analysis and Structural analysis, was the first to really bring to light the idea of observable egoic states within individuals –the parent, adult, and child egoic states. Using this theory, we can begin to identify the different ego states within and learn what role each one plays, essentially allowing us to work with and nurture the expressions of all of them rather than suppress them. The ultimate goal is to bring to surface and heal the fragmented parts of ourselves we have repressed, and essentially reintegrate these parts of ourselves into the whole. You can learn more about this process and the different techniques for working with ego states and reintegrating fragmented parts of the self into the whole to cultivate a healthier internal state here.

To feel is to be human, to be alive. To not feel is to be less human, to be less alive. This is a grotesquely reckless way to live, as it involves taking life for granted. In fact, it may be one of the most damaging forms of abuse humans are capable of inflicting upon themselves. I in no way expect you to accept my words and the concepts they shape as absolute truths. In fact, I beg of you to do the exact opposite –to consider them, but not adopt them, and instead go out and find your own personal truths.

©2015 The Mind Unleashed, Inc, all rights reserved. For permission to re-print this article contact contactthemindunleashed@gmail.com , or the respective author.

How to Use Painful Emotions to Better Yourself

View your dissatisfaction with life as a message from your inner self: When an aspect of your life is not in alignment with your soul’s desires and your core beliefs and you continuously ignore it, your soul will often rise up in opposition and manifest itself as a debilitating condition such as depression, leaving you with no choice but to spend time in solitude. Isolation from debilitating depression demands you to explore every corner of inner turmoil, inevitably bringing to light the behaviors, actions, hobbies, or habits which are not in alignment with your fundamental beliefs. In solitude, you begin to explore the deepest parts of your inner self, which inevitably leads to the unveiling of the inner conflicts hindering your life. You may find you are unbearably miserable with your mind numbing job that has stripped you of your appetite for wonder, a romantic or platonic relationship, familial discord, the way you allow people to treat you, or a plethora of other things. Whatever it is, inner child work via hypnosis, meditation, and journaling can help you identify it.

Once you identify the root cause of conflict within, it is incredibly important to then take swift and immediate action to dissolve it. Otherwise, if you do not act, you risk worsening your depression by sending a message to your subconscious that although you know what is wrong and therefore what steps you need to take to take to begin healing, you do not think you are worth the effort to take them. Your subconscious is always eavesdropping on your thoughts, and responds accordingly.

Channel negative energy into creative expression: You are likely familiar with the stigma that artists are tortured, depressed souls. Of course, this is not true for every artist, but nonetheless many musicians, writers, painters, and other types of artists have long been known to draw their creative energy from deep within the murky waters of depression. Perhaps this is due to the fact that depressed people tend to ruminate over details of past experiences more so than the average individual. There are invisible dimensions of feelings in our day to day lives that we all feel, both good and bad. The average person dismisses lingering memories of the “bad” ones at their earliest convenience while creative people, especially those who are depressed, dive deep into those feelings. Going deep into the darkness of depression is unavoidable when the extent to which you feel things is far greater than the average person. Depression is able to consume you because it evokes such strong emotion. This makes it an incredibly powerful tool for channeling your energy into creative work, perhaps more so than most other emotions. When you use this monumental force of energy, you step aside mentally and allow the essence of the universe to flow through you to create a work of art — a painting, a song, poetry, a book, and so on.

Sharing your creative work with others helps you feel less alone. When others make an effort to pay attention to what you create, they likely identify with some part, or perhaps even all, of it. When this occurs, you contribute to an ever-growing and desperately needed collective movement to forge deep, compassionate connections with others in a world where we frequently separate and isolate ourselves from one another, often for surface reasons as trivial as race, political beliefs, disability, or societal status. When a diversity of people connect with the same work of art, whatever form it may take, the truth that we are all the same at our deepest levels becomes blatantly clear.

You do not have to share your creative work with others for it to be productive, though. There are many ways in which engaging in privately kept artistic expression can be productively used to harness the monumental flow of energy from depression into creative activity. For example, a research study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology showed journaling about upsetting experiences and aspects of your life for a mere 15 minutes a day for only three days boosts levels of happiness. [1] If you are more prone to expressing yourself freely if you know it will be kept private rather than shared with others, then you should absolutely choose that option —if you push yourself to share your creative work publicly regardless of your hesitation to do so, still engaging in private creative work on the side not only amplifies the benefits of committing to inner work, it may also diminish feelings of angst or fear fueling your hesitation to openly express yourself.

Both private and public creative expression are productive ways to minimize, if not overcome, depression. When you engage in creative expression fully, you drop into a meditative trance-like state. Although you do not realize it at the time, your consciousness makes contact with the inner demons hiding in your subconscious while in this state. When you emerge from this creatively induced trance-like state, so do the inner conflicts you uncovered within it, allowing you to finally acknowledge them and make peace with them.

Increase your gratitude: Yes, using depression as a vehicle to increase your sense of gratitude sounds paradoxical, but it is nonetheless very possible when a conscious decision to do so is made. This in no way means sitting around and waiting for something to happen that you can grateful for. It means discovering all of the things you already have to be thankful for. Intentionally practicing gratitude even when you don’t actually feel grateful reprograms the brain to focus on positive aspects of life more than negative ones. Keeping gratitude journals and engaging in gratitude meditations  are two excellent ways to do this.

Improve your physical health: Not surprisingly, when it comes to physical and mental health, the two go hand in hand. Boosting physical health also boosts mental health. So, striving to spend more time in the sun, eat healthier, and exercise more are often beneficial for combating depression — and at the same time, you improve the longevity and virtually every other area of your life to some degree, even if small, too.

Practice Mindfulness: Calming techniques, such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, hypnotherapy, and tai chi ease depression by helping you relax and clear your mind. Repetitively executing such techniques for depression does more than merely provide short term results like pharmaceutical antidepressants do (which, not to mention, often have harmful consequences in the long run), it also deeply instills a long lasting, life changing skill within you — a shift in consciousness, the ability to be more aware, more present, and ultimately more alive.

Of course, there are many other productive activities that may heal or ease symptoms of depression. I personally feel the above two require more inner work and thus generate the greatest results. Of course, everyone is different. Like most other things in life, productively working with your depression to alleviate it and improve your quality of life is a highly individualized path.

What it all comes down to is that at some point or another, in some way or another, we are all pushed to edge and consumed by darkness, by despair, by depression, by rage, and all of the friendly counterparts of pain. The vehicle that delivers us to this consumption differs –often significantly- among each of us. Regardless of how different the surface details of our painful situations may be, we all have our own form of rock bottom where we are ultimately forced to make a life changing decision: to gloss over our pain with medications and/or keep ourselves constantly busy with meaningless activity that allots us no time alone with our thoughts; or to stop, open our eyes, acknowledge the sickness of mankind in some way, in some aspect we were previously oblivious to, and let it change us on a deep level forever, for the better. From the moment of our first shutter of darkness, we all became one -cast out in some way and different, even if the shift within us is subtle, than we were before. The first time the spirits of those of us who allow ourselves to feel pain fully and let it change us are frosted with darkness, we sink beneath the glaciers of the lives we once knew and sink deeper, always deeper, into water so icy it burns the spirit like shards of shattered glass. Eventually, we hopefully begin to see that these shards of glass were but tools carving a passageway into the underlying invisibles of life where all things begin to shimmer with luminous particles not unlike the golden flecks that can be spotted in rays gleaming through windows as the scorching August sun begins to set.

Eventually, we see the burning of what we knew to be our spirits as exposed fallacies of a society struggling to place a word on something so deep -the invisible, wildness of the world. The place where we all must go, but to where no one can journey with us. The place pain, if fully felt, forces us to enter after we make it beyond the wall that we feel we simply cannot go past, one we all eventually hit at some point. Past that wall exists deeper realms so beautiful they possess no name, unattainable by the thinking mind, as it would only work to reduce these luminous things, these uncharted territories within, the ecstasy felt only once one has been seared with the hot iron whose board is made of feelings more painful and dark than we ever thought possible. The beautiful meanings we eventually find within our tragedies do not come to our attention at first. For some of us, it takes a few months. Others, years. Others, decades. Whether we acknowledge it or not, the truth is that within each of us lies the strength to adapt and withstand the relentless sting of passage from dark waters of emotions like deep depression -whose rapids, with time, push us off its smoothly surfaced sharp cliff, into the deep pleasure pain teaches us if and when we nobly follow it into the abyss.

REFERENCES:

1. http://www.m.webmd.com
2. http://m.everydayhealth.com