"What to Know About Forming Better Habits?"

 

You’ve probably been in awe of people with strong habits, the people who wake up early, exercise regularly, eat well, and are successful at the end of the day. The main thing they’ll credit for their success is their habits and routines.

What Are Habits?

Habits aren’t active choices you make. They’re automatic responses. Deciding to go to the gym today isn’t a habit, but going without giving it a second thought is.‌

Habits aren’t easily labeled as “good” or “bad.” Many bad habits make you feel good. It’s more accurate to say that bad habits keep you from who you want to be, and good habits will help you get there. Habit formation is based on the discoveries of Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist. While researching how dogs salivate when fed, he accidentally discovered the concept of conditioning.‌

The famous experiment of Pavlov’s dogs in the 1890s revealed that you can train your brain to respond a certain way to specific stimuli. Because a bell was rung at dinnertime, dogs started drooling at the sound of the bell in preparation for their dinner.

For example, you may want to link the smell of lavender with bedtime. You can use a lavender room spray (stimulus), get into bed, and go to sleep (outcome). When you do this often enough, you train yourself to get sleepy when you smell lavender.

The more you can automate your decision-making, the more time you can give to what matters. Habits help you become the person you want to be. Putting together your habits makes a routine. Routines and habits determine your behavior. Your behavior determines your identity.

How Long Does It Take to Form a Habit?

It takes as long as it needs to take. The easier and more desirable the habit is, the quicker it will form. More difficult habits take longer. On average, it takes about 66 days for a habit to form. It’s less about the amount of time it takes and more about the repetition. A habit you practice every day will form much faster than a weekly habit.

Start with Small Habits

As with any new pursuit, you need to start small. Changing your behavior feels like a huge task. That’s why vague resolutions like “losing weight” are doomed to fail. The best place to start with a new habit is the smallest place. Think of the smallest possible thing you can do toward your habit and master it. Make it impossible not to do.‌

If your goal is to work out and lose weight, don’t start by following a workout plan. Instead, think about steps like:

• Put on your workout clothes
• Pack a gym bag
• Go to the gym (but don’t work out)
• Walk for 2 minutes‌

Set your expectations small to match the first step. If you only go to the gym, but that was your only intention, you did it! Do it a few more times for good measure, and then take the next step.

Other Tips for Forming Habits

Use your environment. If you want to eat more fruit, put fruit in plain sight on the counter. If you want to exercise more, keep your workout gear within reach. If you want to read more, always carry a book with you. To break a bad habit, do the opposite: Make it harder to do. Don’t keep soda or snacks around the house if you’re trying to lose weight.‌

Stack habits. Try pinning a new habit to one you already do by using the formula, “When I do X, I will then do Y.” When you eat a meal, go for a walk afterward. When you take a restroom break, drink a glass of water.‌

Make it enjoable. If you dread working out, try listening to your favorite podcast while you do it. If you hate vegetables, find tasty recipes that make you want to eat them. It’s hard to form a habit if you hate doing it. For a bad habit, make it so you don’t want to do it. If you’re trying to stop smoking, think of the good things that will happen when you quit. Make the act of smoking undesirable by comparison.

Celebrate your wins. There’s no better way to enjoy forming a habit than to celebrate them. Set up a reward system for when you do your habit every day, or a long-term reward if you do the habit for a week.

Be understanding. It’s OK to miss a day. There will be roadblocks during the process. Let it pass and try again tomorrow. You can take these moments and reevaluate your system. What caused you to miss a day? Is there a way to keep that from happening again? What can you do differently? No matter what, keep going.

MEDICALLY REVIEWED BY: Dan Brennan, MD, WebMD on November 27, 2021

SOURCES:

British Journal of General Practice: "Making health habitual: the psychology of ‘habit-formation’ and general practice." 

Clear, J. Atomic Habits, Penguin Random House, 2018.

Harvard Business Review: “What Does It Really Take to Build a New Habit?”

Iowa University Human Resources: “Habit Science.”

NPR: “'Tiny Habits' Are The Key To Behavioral Change.”

SimplePsychology: “Classical Conditioning,” “Pavlov's Dogs.”

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine, #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell #FeelFree2SignUpAndFollow

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.
 
"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.  

“Signs of a Bad Friend”

 

Friends are an important part of life — they make your life better by providing social and emotional support, providing companionship, and lifting your mood. Over your lifetime, maintaining positive friendships can lead to improved health and well-being — and even lengthen your life. However, not all friendships are beneficial. Some are toxic and stressful. A bad friend can be many things, but, typically, they lead to mental and emotional fatigue or a lack of general well-being. Research shows that negative or overly-aggressive social interactions can lead to increased inflammation within the body.

WHAT IS A BAD FRIEND? In short, a bad friend is someone who is stressful or exhausting to be around. They may be:

• Overly competitive with you
• Likely to encourage bad behaviors 
• Unreliable
• Combative (like to start fights)
• Rude
• Mean or degrading (make you feel bad)
• Prone to gossip
• Likely to bully you or others

Humans aren’t perfect, and this extends to friendships. However, when interactions with a friend are overwhelmingly negative, you may be dealing with a bad friend. While admitting you have a bad friend can be disappointing, there are steps you can take to move forward. Recognizing the types of bad friends and the signs of a toxic friendship, as well as moving on from the relationship, will lead to your improved health and well-being. 

TYPES OF BAD FRIENDS: While bad friendships always include negative interactions and damage to your emotional well-being, there is a broad range of the types of toxic friendships you may experience. Some examples include:

THE SELFISH FRIEND: This friend may only make plans when it is beneficial to them — or only when they are feeling lonely and bored. They may also seek constant attention or ask for unreasonable favors. Otherwise, they are unavailable or unreliable when you need them most. This friendship may feel largely one-sided or disappointing. 

THE OVERLY CRITICAL FRIEND: This friend may degrade you intentionally or unintentionally. If they share your personal stories or make derogatory comments (such as put downs) behind your back, you may have an overly critical friend who lacks a healthy filter. 

THE OVERSTEPPING FRIEND: This friend may have good intentions but lacks boundaries. An overstepping friend may insert themselves into conversations or issues with you and your partner, family, or other friends without being asked or initially included.

THE COMPETITIVE FRIEND: Competition can be healthy, but if you find that your friend is passive-aggressive when you find success, you may be dealing with an overly competitive friend who is unable to be happy for you. 

THE VICTIM: A common form of bad friend is the victim. While friends will need help from time to time, this person may have an unhealthy need for attention or sympathy from others. They may drain your capacity for compassion. 

SIGNS OF A BAD FRIEND: Every friendship has its problems, but a truly bad friend will follow a consistent pattern of toxic behavior. Several signs, however, can indicate that your friendship is damaging to you or your other relationships. Here are some of the signs to watch out for.

DISTRUST: If you find yourself with a genuine lack of trust toward a friend, it may be time to part ways. Another sign of a bad friend is a growing feeling of unease or dislike toward them. 

ABUSE: While it may seem obvious, it can be difficult to recognize abusive behavior in people you love or trust. Any form of abuse — physical, mental, emotional, or otherwise — is an occasion for ending the friendship and including professional help from law enforcement or other resources if needed. Abuse may not always seem obvious. Listen to your intuition (gut feeling). If you’re feeling degraded or mistreated by your friend, you are in a negative relationship that can damage your self-esteem and mental health. 

MALICIOUS BEHAVIOR: If your friend speaks to you or calls you names with the intent to hurt your feelings, you are experiencing a bad friendship. Malicious (hurtful) behavior can appear in the form of rudeness, the cold shoulder, or overt meanness. 

BAD INFLUENCE: One of the clearest signs of a bad friend is that your friend encourages criminal or dangerous behavior. 

DEALING WITH A BAD FRIEND: It’s not uncommon to feel stuck in a bad friendship. If you’re starting to feel as though your friendship is becoming negative or is damaging your mental health, you should:

END THE FRIENDSHIP IMMEDIATELY: It can be challenging to decide to end a friendship. If you’re feeling unsure about the nature of your relationship, you may ask yourself:

• Does this friendship make me feel valued?
• Do I feel encouraged by my friend?
• Do I feel happy when I’m with my friend?

If you cannot answer any of these questions positively, it is time to end your friendship and move on.

BUILD NEW RELATIONSHIPS: It is important to surround yourself with positive and meaningful relationships. If you’re feeling discouraged, you can meet new people by:

• Attending events 
• Volunteering 
• Extending and accepting invitations to others
• Taking up a new hobby
• Joining a community 
• Taking a walk 

MEDICALLY REVIEWED BY: Dan Brennan, MD, WebMD on November 17, 2020

SOURCES:

Innovation in Aging: “THE UNIQUE ROLE OF FRIENDSHIP FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING ACROSS LIFE AND AROUND THE WORLD.”

Mayo Clinic: “Friendships: Enrich your life and improve your health.”

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America: “Negative and competitive social interactions are related to heightened proinflammatory cytokine activity.”

Psychology Today: “Behind Frenemy Lines: How I’ve identified and dealt with toxic friendships.”

Psychology Today: “How to Spot a Bad Friend.”

“In life we never lose friends, we only learn who the TRUE ones are.” (Author Unknown)

“Some of the most poisonous people come disguised as friends.” (Author Unknown)

“Growing up means realizing a lot of your friends aren’t really your friends.” (Author Unknown)

“The biggest mistake I have made in my life is letting people stay in my life far longer than they deserved to.” (Author Unknown)

“Sometimes friends are like pennies, two-faced and worthless.” (Author Unknown).

“Be very selective when it comes to choosing friends. People nowadays don’t know the true meaning of friendship and loyalty.” (Author Unknown).

“Bad friends will prevent you from having good friends.” (Author Unknown).

“I’m not saying you’re a bad friend…you just aren’t a good one to me.” (Author Unknown).

“If I cut you off, chances are, you handed me the scissors.” (Author Unknown).

“Everybody isn’t your friend. Just because they hang around you and laugh with you doesn’t mean they’re for you. Just because they say they got your back, doesn’t mean they won’t stab you in it. People pretend well. Jealously sometimes doesn’t live far. So, know your circle. At the end of the day, real situations expose fake people, so pay attention.” (Author Unknown).

“Breaking someone’s trust is like crumpling up a perfect piece of paper. You can smooth it over but it’s never going to be the same again.” (Author Unknown).

“A close friend can become a close enemy.” (Author Unknown).

“Fake friends are like shadows. They follow you in the sun but leave you in the dark.” (Author Unknown).

“Don’t fear the ENEMY that ATTACKS you, but the FAKE FRIEND that HUGS you.” (Author Unknown).

“Distance sometimes lets you know who’s worth keeping and who’s worth letting go.” (Author Unknown).

“A true friend is someone who is always there for you, with no agenda other than the friendship itself. We rely on our friends to lift us up in bad times, to keep us grounded in good times, but most importantly, to be there for us when we need nothing at all.” (Tonya Hurley).

“True friends say good things behind your back and bad things to your face.” (Author Unknown).

 

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine, #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell #FeelFree2SignUpAndFollow

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.
 
"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.  

“What to Know About Forming Habits?”

 

You’ve probably been in awe of people with strong habits, the people who wake up early, exercise regularly, eat well, and are successful at the end of the day. The main thing they’ll credit for their success is their habits and routines.

WHAT ARE HABITS? Habits aren’t active choices you make. They’re automatic responses. Deciding to go to the gym today isn’t a habit but going without giving it a second thought is.‌ Habits aren’t easily labeled as “good” or “bad.” Many bad habits make you feel good. It’s more accurate to say that bad habits keep you from who you want to be, and good habits will help you get there.‌ Habit formation is based on the discoveries of Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist. While researching how dogs salivate when fed, he accidentally discovered the concept of conditioning.‌ The famous experiment of Pavlov’s dogs in the 1890s revealed that you can train your brain to respond a certain way to specific stimuli. Because a bell was rung at dinnertime, dogs started drooling at the sound of the bell in preparation for their dinner. For example, you may want to link the smell of lavender with bedtime. You can use a lavender room spray (stimulus), get into bed, and go to sleep (outcome). When you do this often enough, you train yourself to get sleepy when you smell lavender. The more you can automate your decision-making, the more time you can give to what matters. Habits help you become the person you want to be.‌ Putting together your habits makes a routine. Routines and habits determine your behavior. Your behavior determines your identity.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO FORM A HABIT? It takes as long as it needs to take. The easier and more desirable the habit is, the quicker it will form. More difficult habits take longer. On average, it takes about 66 days for a habit to form.‌ It’s less about the amount of time it takes and more about the repetition. A habit you practice every day will form much faster than a weekly habit.

START WITH SMALL HABITS: As with any new pursuit, you need to start small. Changing your behavior feels like a huge task. That’s why vague resolutions like “losing weight” are doomed to fail.‌ The best place to start with a new habit is the smallest place. Think of the smallest possible thing you can do toward your habit and master it. Make it impossible not to do.‌ If your goal is to work out and lose weight, don’t start by following a workout plan. Instead, think about steps like:

• Put on your workout clothes
• Pack a gym bag
• Go to the gym (but don’t work out)
• Walk for 2 minutes‌

Set your expectations small to match the first step. If you only go to the gym, but that was your only intention, you did it! Do it a few more times for good measure, and then take the next step.

OTHER TIPS FOR FORMING HABITS:

USE YOUR ENVIRONMENT: If you want to eat more fruit, put fruit in plain sight on the counter. If you want to exercise more, keep your workout gear within reach. If you want to read more, always carry a book with you.‌ To break a bad habit, do the opposite: Make it harder to do. Don’t keep soda or snacks around the house if you’re trying to lose weight.‌

STACK HABITS: Try pinning a new habit to one you already do by using the formula, “When I do X, I will then do Y.” When you eat a meal, go for a walk afterward. When you take a restroom break, drink a glass of water.‌

MAKE IT ENJOYABLE: If you dread working out, try listening to your favorite podcast while you do it. If you hate vegetables, find tasty recipes that make you want to eat them. It’s hard to form a habit if you hate doing it.‌ For a bad habit, make it so you don’t want to do it. If you’re trying to stop smoking, think of the good things that will happen when you quit. Make the act of smoking undesirable by comparison.

CELEBRATE YOUR WINS: There’s no better way to enjoy forming a habit than to celebrate them. Set up a reward system for when you do your habit every day, or a long-term reward if you do the habit for a week.

BE UNDERSTANDING: It’s OK to miss a day. There will be roadblocks during the process. Let it pass and try again tomorrow. You can take these moments and reevaluate your system. What caused you to miss a day? Is there a way to keep that from happening again? What can you do differently? No matter what, keep going.

SOURCES:

British Journal of General Practice: "Making health habitual: the psychology of ‘habit-formation’ and general practice." 

Clear, J. Atomic Habits, Penguin Random House, 2018.

Harvard Business Review: “What Does It Really Take to Build a New Habit?”

Iowa University Human Resources: “Habit Science.”

NPR: “'Tiny Habits' Are The Key To Behavioral Change.”

SimplePsychology: “Classical Conditioning,” “Pavlov's Dogs.”

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine, #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell #FeelFree2SignUpAndFollow

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.
 
"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.  

“Signs You’re Mentally Exhausted”

 

WHAT IS MENTAL EXHAUSTION? It’s kind of like physical tiredness, except it’s your mind instead of your muscles. It tends to show up when you focus on a mentally tough task for a while. You might also feel this kind of brain drain if you’re always on alert or stressed out. Your job, caring for children or aging parents, and other things can lead to mental exhaustion.

YOU’RE ANGRY OR IMPATIENT: Mental fatigue can put you in a bad mood. You may be short-tempered or irritated, snapping at people more often. It’s harder to control your emotions when you’re mentally tapped out.

YOU CAN’T GET WORK DONE: Everyone’s productivity goes up and down. But mental exhaustion can make it really hard to concentrate. It also saps your motivation. You might get distracted easily or start to miss deadlines. Even small tasks may seem overwhelming.

YOU ZONE OUT: This can look like mind wandering or drowsiness. It makes it hard to pay close attention to what you’re doing, and you may not react to things very fast. That can be dangerous in certain situations, such as driving. Mental fatigue is linked to car wrecks.

YOU DON’T SLEEP WELL: You might think it’d be easier to snooze when your brain is tired. But that’s not always the case. Research shows people who have jobs with a high “cognitive workload” report more symptoms of insomnia than those who don’t have mentally exhausting work. A lack of shut-eye can make mental fatigue worse. Tell your doctor if you can’t sleep or get really tired during the day. Treatment can help.

YOU DO UNHEALTHY THINGS: You may start to drink or use drugs more than normal. Mental fatigue can take an even harder toll on those who already have a substance use disorder. Experts think that’s because drug addiction changes parts of the brain that help you manage stress and control impulsive behavior.

YOU’RE DEPRESSED: You may not have any energy or feel like you’re moving in slow motion. Some people say they feel numb. That can make it hard to finish things at work or do daily activities. Tell your doctor if you have really low feelings or a sense of hopelessness for longer than 2 weeks. That can be a sign your depression is more serious.

YOU WORRY A LOT: Mental fatigue triggers your sympathetic nervous system. That’s your “fight or flight” mode. Anxiety is an alarm that tells you something is wrong. If you’re always mentally exhausted, you might start to feel panicked or worried all the time. That often happens alongside symptoms of depression.

EXERCISE FEELS HARDER: Experts aren’t sure why mental fatigue affects physical activity. Some think your tolerance for exercise might go down. So, it may seem like you’re putting in more effort than you really are.

YOUR EATING HABITS CHANGE: Mental fatigue can affect your appetite in different ways. You may snack more than normal and not pay attention to what you eat. Stress can also make you crave sugary, salty, or fatty foods. Or you may not be hungry at all.

YOU MAKE MORE MISTAKES: It’s impossible for your work to be perfect all the time. But mental fatigue lessens your ability to catch and fix your mistakes quickly or at all. That can cause serious problems in certain jobs, such as ones where you use machines, drive a vehicle, or fly a plane.

YOU FEEL MORE PAIN: Everyone is different, which makes it hard to say how mental fatigue will affect your body. But you might get headaches, sore muscles, back pain, or stomach problems. If you have an ongoing illness, such as fibromyalgia, you may hurt a little bit more than usual.

TAKE BREAKS: You might feel less drained if you take short breaks during long stretches of mental work. There isn’t an exact amount of rest time that works best for everyone. But you may want to recharge for a few minutes every 1-2 hours.

Some people like to use something called the Pomodoro Technique. Here’s how it works:

1. Set a timer for 25 minutes.
2. Focus on one task the whole time.
3. Take a 5-minute break when the timer goes off.
4. After the fourth 25-minute block, take a break for 15-30 minutes.

Repeat until your task is done (or your workday is over).

GET ACTIVE: There’s evidence that you may feel even more energized if you exercise during your breaks. Try some jumping jacks and stretches for a few minutes each. Or go for a 10-15 minute brisk walk.

FIND WAYS TO RELAX: It’s hard to avoid mental exhaustion completely. But you can learn to switch on your body’s natural relaxation response. You can get a massage. Or you can try meditating, yoga, or something as simple as watching a funny movie.  Reach out to friends, family, or a mental health professional if you need more support.

REVIEWED BY: Hansa D. Bhargava, MD, WebMD on February 25, 2021

SOURCES:

Human Factors: “The Role of Motivation as a Factor in Mental Fatigue.”

BMC Neuroscience: “The impact of mental fatigue on brain activity: a comparative study both in resting state and task state using EEG.”

Frontiers in Neurology: “How Physical Activities Affect Mental Fatigue Based on EEG Energy, Connectivity, and Complexity.”

Frontiers in Psychology: “The Relationship Between Burnout, Depression, and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” “Informal Caregiver Burnout? Development of a Theoretical Framework to Understand the Impact of Caregiving.”

Mayo Clinic Health Systems: “Emotional exhaustion during times of unrest.”

Mayo Clinic: “Job burnout: How to spot it and take action.”

Emotion: “Mental fatigue impairs emotion regulations.”

BMC Psychology: “Evaluation of the effect of fatigue on the coping behavior of international truck drivers.”

Behavioral Sleep Medicine: “Work-Related Mental Fatigue, Physical Activity and Risk of Insomnia Symptoms: Longitudinal Data from the Norwegian HUNT Study.”

Translational Psychiatry: “Dopaminergic involvement during mental fatigue in health and cocaine addiction.”

PLOS One: “A qualitative exploration of physical, mental and ocular fatigue in patients with primary Sjogren’s Syndrome,” “Fatigue symptoms in relation to neuroticism, anxiety-depression, and musculoskeletal pain. A longitudinal twin study,” “Sustained Attention is Associated with Error Processing Impairment: Evidence from Mental Fatigue Study in Four-Choice Reaction Time Task.” 

Cleveland Clinic: “How Stress Can Make You Eat More — Or Not At All,” “Are You Experiencing Coronavirus Fatigue?” 

Arthritis Care & Research: “The impact of mental fatigue on brain activity: a comparative study both in resting state and task state using EEG,” “Cognitive and Physical Fatigue Tasks Enhance Pain, Cognitive Fatigue and Physical Fatigue in People with Fibromyalgia.”

Behavioral and Brain Functions: “Mental fatigue caused by prolonged cognitive load associated with sympathetic hyperactivity.”

Recruiting & Retaining Adult Learners: “Stay focused and reduce stress while working from home, meeting virtually.”

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH): “The Pomodoro Technique: An Effective Time Management Tool.”

Stress and Health: “Comparison of rest-break interventions during a mentally demanding task.”

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: “Relaxation Techniques for Health.”

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine, #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell #FeelFree2SignUpAndFollow

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.
 
"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.