Can You Treat Your Own Panic Attacks Without Medication?
A panic attack is a miserable experience. Having them regularly is even worse. They can interfere with your entire life when you suffer from them.
Medication is a popular way to control them, certainly something your doctor is likely to suggest, but is it the best way? Medication means dealing with side effects. These can be hard on you physically.
That depends. Do you want to rely on medication or do you want to do your best to control your panic attacks on your own, no medication required?
The most basic techniques involve deep breathing, and picturing things that help you to calm down. For some people this works. For others, more help is needed.
The key here is to figure out what causes your panic attacks. Most have some sort of a trigger. It can be a particular situation, for example. If you know when you are likely to have a panic attack you can either avoid the situation or prepare yourself mentally.
As you work through this, you can regain some of the things you had to give up due to anxiety. While not so for every sufferer, panic attacks can be severe enough to limit your lifestyle, whether it makes you avoid social situations you’d like to enjoy or it keeps you from making presentation at work that help you to advance your career.
It’s important to understand that you are not alone in suffering from panic attacks. Many people do. You can decide how to take control, whether it’s by taking medication or by learning how to no longer fear panic attacks when they happen. Learn to break the cycle of anxiety, and you make panic attacks much less of a problem.
My own feeling is that if you can control your anxiety on your own, it’s going to be a superior experience to relying on medication. Maybe that’s not true for everyone, but I believe it’s always worth a try. I’m always a fan of taking aim at the root cause of a problem, rather than just treating the symptoms. If that doesn’t work for you, the medications will still be there.
My own theory for handling my anxieties is to prepare myself mentally and handle them head on. It’s not the easy solution, but it’s a lot more fun than just allowing the suffering to take over my life. It’s particularly fun when I get out of my comfort zone and do something that I would have once considered to be nearly impossible.
Stephanie Foster runs http://tiredofpanicattacks.com/ for people who want to take control of their anxiety or panic attacks.
6 Steps to Take Before Starting a Home Business
A lot of people are thinking about starting a home business these days. In a poor economy, a home business can be your chance to bring in a bit or a lot of extra money and give you some extra security financially.
But it’s a risk too. You may not earn anything. You can lose money if things just don’t work out. And it takes more planning to succeed than many people will tell you.
These are some steps to take as you prepare to start a home business:
1. Plan out what you want to do.
I don’t mean in a general way, such as “I want to start a website about my garden.” That’s nice, but it’s not going to really get your business going.
How are you going to stand out from all the other businesses similar to yours?
Who do you want to attract as customers?
How will you earn money from it?
Will you quit your job (if you have one) or will you work your hours around it?
You don’t have to write these out if that’s not your style, but it helps. At the very least you need to have given these topics some serious thought.
2. Find out what’s really involved.
Most home business opportunities are surrounded by a cloud of hype that makes it sound far easier than it is. They hide just how much work is involved in having a chance at success, as well as the odds of success. You need to know what you really need to do.
This can have a huge impact on how enthusiastic you will be for a particular opportunity. When something turns out to be far harder than you planned for, it really slows down your success. It can even take away your passion for your project. Make sure you go into your home business with your eyes open as to the amount and kind of work it will take.
The wonderful thing about the internet is how much information there is out there on just about everything. There’s probably someone blogging about what you want to do or something sufficiently related. You may even be able to find a mentor in your industry to really give you a good view of the work involved, what works and what doesn’t.
3. Do your market research.
This is in more depth than the general planning in step 1. You need to have a clear idea as to who your potential customers are. What do they do? What will they buy? Where will you find them?
Forums can be very useful for market research, and even for marketing later on. Find one that has the kind of visitors you would like to have for your site. Do not start posting right away. Read what other people are posting. See how they interact. Pay attention to the questions that are asked.
This information can help you to understand what your customers want later on.
When you start actual marketing, don’t start posting blatant ads in the forums. Use the signature space in your profile, if permitted, to advertise your business. Otherwise, just be a regular member of the forum. Ask and answer questions. Chat. Be useful and friendly.
4. Use the information you’ve developed so far to build a business plan.
Most people find it helpful to write out their business plan. It should have the goals you’ve figured out in the first three steps, plus how you want to achieve them.
You can include both short term and long term goals in your business plan. Do not just include financial goals. Plan out things such as how much work you want to get done on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Plan out how you’re going to attract newsletter subscribers and what you’re going to send them. Plan out how you are going to go about marketing your business.
You do not need to make this formal unless you need to get a loan from a bank or other funding. For most home businesses, this will just be for your personal information and goal setting.
5. Get family support.
While it may seem as though you should get this before all your planning, it can help to have something to show your family about your plans before you talk it out with them too much. This can be particularly true if you’re expecting resistance to your plans.
Pay particular attention to objections. Encourage them, in fact. You need to know not only where things may be hard on your family but if they see any weaknesses in your plans.
6. Get the money together for your home business.
Many home businesses are cheap to start. That’s both good and bad. It means that just about anyone can start a home business. It also means that ANYONE can start a home business, and you may have tons of competition.
Be realistic about the money you need. It’s not just the startup cost. You will probably have marketing expenses. Some expenses will recur every month. Be prepared to deal with some surprises too.
Make sure you don’t invest more than you can afford to lose. There’s nothing wrong with taking a risk, but you don’t want failure to be an utter disaster for you and your family.
If you’re relying on the business for all your income, be prepared to live frugally and have several months’ living expenses available to you. You cannot afford to assume that success will come soon enough to not worry about how you’re spending your money overall.
Stephanie Foster runs http://www.homewiththekids.com/ as a resource for work from home parents. Get more tips on starting a home business at her site.
Simple Cooking for Beginners
If you haven’t done a lot of cooking in your life, it can seem pretty intimidating. Many recipes look really complicated. And of course we’ve all had to taste the results of cooking disasters. Why subject yourself to that?
One of the best reasons to learn to cook is that it gives you more control over what you’re eating. It’s also cheaper and generally healthier than eating out. How healthy depends on what you’re making, but at least you have the control if that’s what you want.
Fortunately some foods are very, very easy to make.
Pasta
Pasta in general is very easy to make. Fill a pot about half full of water. Put it on the stove and turn the burner on. When the water boils, add some pasta. You’ll need to guess at how much you need for the number of people eating and the size of your pot.
The pasta is done when it is tender. When I worked at an Italian restaurant, the chefs would check to see if the spaghetti was done by throwing individual pieces it at the wall. You don’t have to do that. Use a spoon or fork to retrieve a piece from the water when it starts to look about right (about 10-15 minutes in), and blow on it to cool it before tasting. If it’s not crunchy, it’s done.
You can finish this off with a jar of your favorite sauce.
Frozen Vegetables
Fresh vegetables are wonderful, but if you’re just getting started, practicing on the frozen ones can be easier. And all you really need to cook them is the microwave.
Put the vegetables in a microwave-safe container. That’s plastic or glass, in case you’re that far inexperienced, although I think most people can microwave now. Add just a touch of water and cover lightly. A plastic lid, plastic wrap or paper towel will do the job.
Cook time depends on quantity. When in doubt, remember that you can add to the cook time as needed. The water will help to steam the vegetables.
As you get comfortable with frozen veggies, you can give fresh ones a try. Chop them up first, and just add a little water for steaming. As you get more comfortable you can use olive oil or your favorite spices to make things a little more interesting. Garlic and lemon juice work well for many people.
A key thing to remember is that overcooked vegetables taste awful! Most are best if they are still just a touch crunchy. If there’s a vegetable you’ve always hated, it could well be that you’ve only ever had it overcooked. This is particularly true of vegetables such as broccoli which many people seem to overcook. It’s an entirely different taste if cooked for a shorter time.
Stir Fry
It doesn’t take long at all to master a basic stir fry. You chop up your meat and vegetables and cook until done in a frying pan with some olive oil, soy sauce and a bit of sugar to counteract the saltiness of the soy sauce. Add other spices and flavors to suit your taste. Use a spatula to keep stirring the food around until it’s all cooked.
Probably the only key thing I would add is that you will slowly learn which vegetables need to be in there the entire time, and which need much less cooking. Carrots, for example, take longer than zucchini to become tender.
Find Recipes You Want to Try
The big thing to remember about cooking is that you’re following directions. Start out just doing that with simple recipes you find, and work your way to whatever complexity you desire. As you get comfortable you can learn to play with the recipes a little and figure out what you can switch around for the flavors you prefer. Cooking can be a great way to express your creativity once you get comfortable with it.
Stephanie Foster runs http://www.makehealthymeals.com/ as a place to find healthy recipes. Find great chicken recipes and other meal ideas at her site.
One Dish Cooking with Cast Iron
One of the great things about cast iron cookware is that it can be used on the stove top and the oven. That can make for less mess as you cook.
Your typical one dish meal includes your vegetables, meat and/or grain all in one dish. Most of them are fairly simple to make. The crockpot is a common way to make one dish meals, but your cast iron cookware can do it too.
For example, consider this shepherd’s pie recipe:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup beef broth
2 bay leaves
dash thyme leaves
1 cup sliced carrots
1 sliced onion
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup beef broth
1-1/4 tbsp flour
2-3 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Brown ground beef in large skillet. Drain excess grease. Add 1 cup broth, pepper, bay leaves and thyme. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add carrots and onions. Cover and simmer until carrots are slightly tender. Add peas and corn and continue to simmer until all vegetables are cooked.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine 1/2 cup broth and flour. Mix until smooth.
Add to beef and vegetables. Simmer until slightly thickened.
Place beef mixture in bottom of casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 minutes.
When I make this recipe, I use my large cast iron skillet and put it into the oven instead of the casserole dish. It works great. If I need something deeper, then a cast iron dutch oven will do the job. The mashed potatoes can be made either from flakes in a bowl, or by microwaving potatoes and mashing them in a bowl. Strictly speaking, I suppose that’s a second dish, but it’s one that just goes in the dishwasher like the knives and cheese grater, so it doesn’t really add to the mess much.
This won’t work for every recipe that goes from stove top to oven, of course. If pasta is included, for example, you may need to boil the pasta in a separate pot and then add it to the ingredients you cooked in the cast iron.
It may take just a touch of extra planning to come up with meals that only need one dish, but it can be worth it. Once you have a good recipie, you have something to make whenever you don’t feel like dealing with the mess.
It’s always a delight to me to cook something that creates less of a mess. Well cared for cast iron is sufficiently nonstick that the cleanup after most recipes is not too bad. I also trust cast iron far more than other nonstick surfaces. I like knowing what might be going into my food.
Stephanie Foster runs http://www.buycastironcookware.com/ as a resource for people looking to shop for quality cast iron cookware. Find new and used cast iron skillets at her site.
Healthy Habits for Your Family
Spring is a great time of year to think about your family’s habits and what you can do to keep your kids healthy. The weather is getting better in most areas, and even when it’s bad you can think about what you would like to do as a family to build better habits.
Gardening
Whether you’re in a home or an apartment, gardening can be a fun, healthy habit. If you aren’t into digging in the yard or don’t have one, you can plant herbs and maybe some tomatoes in containers.
Growing your own herbs or other foods can encourage a lot of healthy habits. My kids love to nibble on freshly picked basil leaves and mint leaves, for example. They also add a great flavor to your cooking.
Get Outdoors
Turn off the TV and the computer and play or exercise as a family outdoors. A walk around the block is a wonderful family activity you can do in most areas. Alternatively you can go to a park or play in your own yard together.
Don’t Forget the Chores
Yeah, no fun and sometimes hard to enforce, but chores are good for the entire family. It helps to keep your home functioning and clean. Even very young children can help. The sooner you get started the more of a habit it will become for everyone.
If you’re having trouble getting anyone to do chores, consider a chore chart or other motivation. My kids love their magnetic chore charts, and we set rewards for accomplishing their chores on a weekly basis. It’s still possible to slip up and start ignoring the charts, but once you have the habit they’re quite helpful. Or you can consider alternatives that work better for your family.
Walk to School
At least where possible. I live within blocks of my daughter’s school, and due to the traffic involved, walking can actually be faster than driving there. It’s just about a 7 minute walk by myself, 10 with kids.
If it’s too far to walk, it may not be too far for riding bicycles with kids who are old enough. Schools in my area only allow that for grade 3 and up. You’ll save gas and get a nice bit of exercise.
Walking to school can also be a great time to have a conversation with your kids. They don’t have to be on any big topics, just whatever comes to mind.
Keeping your family active and cutting back on the TV and computer habits can help you to enjoy your time together more. Certainly there will be times that you need a break from doing things together, but overall it’s a good way to make special time together on a regular basis.
Stephanie Foster runs http://www.homewiththekids.com/ as a resource for stay at home parents. Get more ideas for free things you can do as a family at her site.