Color And Its Effects On Your Mood

By: Jade Small

Source: http://www.the-open-mind.com/color-and-its-effects-on-your-mood/

THE EFFECTS OF COLOUR IN OUR DAILY LIVES

RED

The color red grabs your attention, and increases your blood pressure, pulse and breathing, according to the Paint Quality Institute’s website. Red is the color most often associated with passion and love. Red also can stimulate your appetite, which makes it a good color choice for your dining room. Red clothing can be energizing, and will earn you second looks. Mix red with white, and it transforms into a romantic and relaxing color–pink.

ORANGE

Orange conveys excitement and energy. In ancient cultures, orange was used to heal the lungs and increase energy levels. While orange is attention-grabbing, it also is bright, friendly and reminiscent of beautiful fall colors. Use orange–and its more muted cousin, rust–to create a welcoming room.

YELLOW

Yellow represents sunshine, cheer, optimism and clarity. Yellow enhances concentration, according to InfoPlease.com. Although it usually is considered a cheerful color, yellow can have negative effects. Of all the colors, yellow is hardest on the eyes, and it may stimulate your frustration and anger.

BLUE

Blue, the color of sky and water, represents calmness and serenity. Fashion consultants often recommend wearing blue for a job interview, since it conveys loyalty, reliability and productivity, says David Johnson in the article “Color Psychology” published by InfoPlease.com. You may wish to use this color in your bedroom for its soothing effects. An overabundance of blue, however, can feel cold and depressing.

GREEN

Green, the color of nature, is refreshing and relaxing. Hospitals and doctors’ offices often use green because it’s considered a healing color. Schools and businesses frequently employ this color in their decor for its stress-relieving effects. Green is an easy color to live with in any room of your home.

PURPLE

In its deepest shades, purple conveys richness, majesty and drama. Its connection to royalty dates to ancient times when purple dye was so expensive only by the wealthy could afford it, according to the Institute for Interactive Technology. Choose lighter shades of purple for a creative, feminine and sophisticated room.

BLACK AND WHITE

While black and white may be considered neutral, each has powerful associations of its own. Black can represent power and elegance. You may love wearing black for its sophisticated, slimming effect. In decorating, black can give a room depth. White connotes cleanliness and purity, and, as a wall color, it provides a clean background for other colors.

5 Super Foods For The Brain

Freshly Brewed Tea: Up to three cups of freshly brewed tea a day can provide the brain with a modest amount of caffeine that can enhance memory, focus and mood.

Blueberries: They can improve memory and motor skills. They may help reduce the effects of age-related conditions.

Avocados: They promote brain health and contribute to healthy blood flow. They also lower blood pressure.

Pomegranate Juice: It has antioxidant benefits, which protects the brain from the damage of free radicals.

Wild Salmon: It is rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are necessary for brain function.

Psychological Blessings of Tarawih

Ramadan is the month of multiple blessings. It is the time of fasting and of extensive spiritual exercise. It is the time when we change our everyday routine and set a new one: revolving around our religious duties more than around the worldly affairs.

During Ramadan, Muslims make special effort to find time for recitation and study of the Holy Quran, for supererogatory prayers, such as Tarawih, and other charitable deeds.

The rewards in the Herafter (akhira) for the good deeds done in Ramadan are manifold, but there are also more immediate benefits of Ramadan worship.

It is widely known that people who fast enjoy spiritual and psychological wellbeing and that fasting is of great advantage to physical health. But it is not only fasting that profits our mind and spirit during Ramadan.

Tarawih, the extra night prayers performed by the believers usually after Isha (evening prayers) and lasting from eight to twenty rakahs, bring great spiritual and psychological comforts, despite the physical and mental effort required to practice them.

Ibrahim B. Syed, doctor of medicine and the president of the Islamic Research Foundation International, in his essay ‘The Medical Benefits of Tarawih Prayers’ published on the IRFI website, mentions the multiple benefits of tarawih for physical, emotional  and mental health.

Mood & Mental State

According to Syed, tarawih prayer, as indeed any prayer performed by Muslims, has the same effects on body and mind as gentle exercise. Therefore tarawih improves mood, thought and behaviour in the same way as the exercise does.

Furthermore, the exercise of tarawih “induces greater sense of well-being and energy, reduces anxiety and depression, influences mood favorably and contributes to self-esteem and an aura of confidence; improves memory in the elderly especially with constant repetition of the Ayaat”.

The relaxed state of mind achieved through tarawih may be partly due to the chemical response of brain to the combination of repeated muscular activity with repetition of recited words over a certain period of time.

The physical exercise, but also other activities such as meditation and prayer, leads to the secretion of neurotransmitters such as Endorphins and Encephalin positively affecting the brain.

The release of encephalin and Beta-endorphins (Endogenous Morphines) acts on the central and peripheral nervous systems to reduce pain and has a calming effect on the mind. The encephalin is one of the most potent opiate-like substance naturally occurring in body.

The endorphins too have an analgesic effect, but also reduce the negative effects of stress, bring feelings of euphoria and enhance the immune system.

Relaxation

Syed mentions in his essay that tarawih helps achieve ‘relaxation response’ of the brain. Relaxation response is theory developed by a Harvard professor, Dr. Herbert Benson, who studied the impact of spirituality for physical health and whose work serves as a bridge between religion and medicine and mind and body.

According to Benson, continuous repetition of certain words, as in prayer or meditation, or a muscular activity coupled with passive disregard of intensive thoughts, leads to the lowering of blood pressure and reduction in heart and respiratory rates.

In words of Benson “the relaxation response is a physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress”. Relaxation response puts the mind at ease, reduces effects of stress and induces the attitude of acceptance.

And while Benson never actually examined the effects of tarawih or any other Islamic prayer, focusing rather on the transcendental meditation of Yogis, his theory seems to be well applicable in explanation of the soothing effects of tarawih and dhikr on Muslims.

According to the study “Effect of Tarawih Prayers on Mental Health and Self Control” conducted by Quadri Syed Javeed, Head & Associate Professor in Psychology at M.S.S. Art’s Commerce & Science College, in Jalna, India, published in the February 2013 issue of Golden Research Thoughts, the tarawih prayer significantly improves mental health and self-control.

In his study Javeed examined the mental health of fifty respondents aged 18-30 before and after the prayer using Mental Health Inventory and Multi Assessment Personality Series Inventory, and the results upheld his hypothesis of the positive effects of tarawih on mental and spiritual well-being.

Brain Activity

Yet another explanation of the beneficial effects of tarawih on mental health may be found in the results of the studies conducted by a University of Missouri neuropsychologist Brick Johnstone and by the Professor and Director of Research Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine Andrew Newberg.

The studies on the brain activity of Francescan nuns and Buddhist meditators during their prayer and found that during spiritual experiences the activity of right parietal lobe of the brain is significantly decreased.

Right parietal lobe is a small region near the back of the brain that constantly calculates a person’s spatial orientation, the sense of where one’s body ends and the world begins, in other words, it is a part of the brain responsible for the sense of self.

During intense prayer or meditation, and for yet unknown reasons, the right parietal lobe becomes a quiet oasis of inactivity. “It creates a blurring of the self-other relationship,” said Professor Newberg, “If they go far enough, they have a complete dissolving of the self, a sense of union, a sense of infinite spacelessness.”

Decreased activity of right parietal lobe induces the sense of selflessness, and the experience of selflessness, in the opinion of Johnstone positively affects the psychological health especially among people with strong faith in God.

“Our research focused on the personal experience of spiritual transcendence and does not in any way minimise the importance of religion or personal beliefs, nor does it suggest that spiritual experience are related only to neuropsychological activity in the brain,” Johnstone said. “It is important to note that individuals experience their God or higher power in many different ways, but that all people from all religions and beliefs appear to experience these connections in a similar way.”

The functioning of the brain during spiritual exercise is yet a field in which very little research has been done. The results of the studies of Johnstone and Newberg, the relaxation response theory of Benson and the neurotransmitters explanation of Syed, only partially answer the question of how prayer in general, and tarawih prayer in particular, benefits the mental health and the spiritual well-being.

Yet even though the ‘how’ is still largely unknown, the positive effects of tarawih during Ramadan and of everyday salat in the lives of Muslims are obvious even without scientific data to prove it.

After all Allah tells us in the Quran: “Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success, and remembers the name of his Lord and prays” (Surat Al-A`la: 87:15-16), and “O ye who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for Allah is with those who patiently persevere.” (Surat Al-Baqarah: 2:153).

THE SCIENCE OF MENTAL ILLNESS (IMAGE)

Discovering the Secret Strength and Joy in Solitude

“Stop the world! I want to get off!”

Can you relate?

This can be a very overwhelming feeling. You see, our humanity has this flaw that you will not find in other creation. We want to do all things, all at once! Multi-tasking, they call it. Supposedly a super human trait; but is it really? If so, then why do we need multivitamins and supplements to help us stay awake and alert? Why do we not get our proper 6-8 hours of sleep required to keep our bodies healthy? Why are so many of us suffering from stress and depression?

We do not function optimally because we do not serve our purpose. What is our ultimate purpose in life? Serving Allah  and His deen (religion).

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” [Qur’an: Chapter 51, Verse 56]

Learning About Life from Salmon

Animals know their path and stick to it. Bears hunt and feed in summer, then hibernate in winter. The salmon, WOW! What an amazing creature!  A salmon’s life purpose is to be born in the fresh water lakes where its parents die. Then a young salmon journeys to the vast ocean to feed on the nutrients available there until it becomes full grown. Only to make the journey back to the spawning grounds, in the fresh water lakes where they were born. This is no easy feat. The swim upstream is already a challenge in itself; but they cannot make this journey without falling prey to the many perils along the way: predators at every turn, shallow waters, late rains and many more. The salmon cannot move on in their journey if the rainfall does not fill the rivers and create flow. All the while, their bodies are adjusting to the change from salt water to fresh. Many are not strong enough and their bodies will not survive. The low levels in the rivers mean they will easily be spotted by bears and foxes on the hunt. Their numbers steadily decline. Suddenly the season changes, the rains come, the rivers fill up and the salmon’s journey continues. Eventually they will reach the spawning grounds in the great lakes; tired, energy depleted, but their purpose must be fulfilled. They must immediately lay their eggs. This, the waters of their birth, of their predecessors’ death, will deal them the same fate, but it is not in vain. Their protein and nutrient enriched bodies will serve as food for humans and animals alike. The dead salmon will wash to the edges of the water and decompose to provide food for plants and birds too.

 And so it is with us:

“And He is the one who gave you life; then He causes you to die and then will [again] give you life. Indeed, mankind is ungrateful.” [Qur’an: Chapter 22, Verse 66]

The journey in between is our life. The ocean is our early life full of salt (knowledge and lessons). Hasan al-Basri  said:

“The effect of learning at an early age is like engraving on a stone.”

Swimming upstream is our challenges in life. The danger and the perils of predators that attack are our bad habits like procrastination, worrying, cowardice, depression and the delusion of this life like the verse of the Qur’an says:

Laughter, Practical Way to Enhance Your Mood

We have all heard the saying: “laughter is the best medicine!” Yes, laughter releases endorphins. A hearty laugh engages several muscle groups throughout the body. Sometimes we laugh so hard that our cheek muscles and abs hurt. That’s because they are contracted during laughter. After a hearty laugh, the body is left in a more relaxed state, and our mind and mood happy. So, lighten up and laugh it up as often as you can. If you have children have a tickle fight, a pillow fight or share some funny childhood story about yourself.

We can also easily find some funny family-friendly Muslim standup comedy on YouTube such as:

• Allah Made Me Funny
• Waseem MoeMoney: Hilarious Arab Muslim Comedian!
• Hani Al Madhoun: Humor U, BYU Stand-up Comedy – Mormon, Muslim
• If you like slapstick you can look for Laurel and Hardy classics

Click to read more: http://productivemuslim.com/enhance-your-mood/#ixzz2prB61Lwo
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IN SMALL DOSES, CAFFEINE HAS POSITIVE HEALTH EFFECTS

Drinking 1-2 cups of coffee a day is harmless to your organism, unless you have some specific medical conditions. The substance has been known to have positive effects like increasing your ability to learn, comprehension, memory, reflexes, and thought clarity. Caffeine causes your brain to have a higher sense of alertness, improving your feeling of well-being and your mood.

Don’t mix bad words with your bad mood. You might be able to change your mood, but won’t get the opportunity to replace the words you said.

 Don’t mix bad words with your bad mood. You might be able to change your mood, but won’t get the opportunity to replace the words you said.
 No mezcle las malas palabras con su mal humor. Usted puede ser capaz de cambiar su estado de ánimo, pero no obtendrá la oportunidad de sustituir las palabras que dijiste.
 Dan slechte woorden niet mengen met je slechte humeur. Je zou in staat zijn om uw stemming te veranderen, maar krijgt de gelegenheid om de woorden die je zegt te vervangen niet krijgen.
 Ne mélangez pas les mauvais mots avec votre mauvaise humeur. Vous pourriez être en mesure de changer votre humeur, mais n’aurez pas la possibilité de remplacer les mots que vous dites.
 Verwenden Sie keine schlechte Wörter mit der schlechten Stimmung. Möglicherweise können Sie Ihre Stimmung ändern, aber nicht die Möglichkeit, die Wörter, die Sie sagte ersetzen zu bekommen.
 Bùyào hùnhé shǐyòng zānghuà yǔ nǐ de huài xīnqíng. Nǐ yěxǔ kěyǐ gǎibiàn nǐ de xīnqíng, dàn bù huì dédào jīhuì qǔdài nǐ shuō dehuà.
 Blanda inte fula ord med din dåligt humör. Du kanske kan ändra ditt humör, men kommer inte att få möjlighet att byta ut de ord du sa.
 Ne smeshivayte plokhiye slova s plokhim nastroyeniyem . Vy mogli by izmenit’ vashe nastroyeniye , no ne poluchite vozmozhnost’ zamenit’ slova, kotoryye vy upomyanuli.
 Kötü ruh hali ile kötü kelimeleri karıştırmayınız. Siz ruh halinizi değiştirmek mümkün olabilir, ama dedi kelimeleri yerine fırsatı almazsınız.
 Non mescolare brutte parole con il vostro cattivo umore. Potreste essere in grado di cambiare il tuo stato d’animo, ma non sarà possibile ottenere la possibilità di sostituire le parole che hai detto.
 Jangan mencampur kata-kata buruk dengan bad mood Anda. Anda mungkin dapat mengubah suasana hati Anda, tapi tidak akan mendapatkan kesempatan untuk menggantikan kata-kata yang Anda katakan.