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'IN EQUILIBRIUM 9'        
                           
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CONTENTS           
    
THE REGULARS                  FEATURES      
Stress Tip Energy Through Humour
Quote Supplement of the Month- Brain Energy
Book Review    New Series: Al's Column:The Great British Pub
Humour From the Past
 
THE REGULARS
 
STRESS TIP
 
Ideas for Overcoming Shyness
 
Shyness is a feeling of unease around people - especially with people we don't know, or with those we feel insecure with.  It is very common, but it often stems from false beliefs about what others are thinking, (e.g. that they are making negative judgements about you) or negative beliefs about yourself (e.g. that you are not as good at communicating as others).
 
A negative result of shyness may be that others think you are uncaring or ignorant.  When the real problem is that you are so focussed on the difficulties of a situation that you are unable to pay sufficient attention to what people are actually trying to say!
 
Here are four suggestions for overcoming shyness:
 
1.  People who are worth having as friends will judge you on the kind of person you really are, you are made up of lots of different characteristics.  So try to stop thinking about what others are thinking about you.
 
2.  Think positively.  I know this is easier said than done, but how will you know if you don't try?  Rather than expecting perfection from yourself be realistic about your own strengths and weaknesses.  Life would be boring if everyone had the same opinions, if someone has a different viewpoint from you, it doesn't mean they have rejected you as a person.
 
3.  Learn to be sociable (at your own pace!)  Force yourself to smile, to greet others and to carry on a conversation.  Remember, asking people questions about themselves usually results in them speaking for a while!
 
4.  Set realistic and meaningful goals for yourself.   Make a list and try the easier ones first, as your confidence builds up build on your successes by doing the next one on your list.
 
Remember shyness affects most of us at some point in our lives, but if you are thinking negatively your predictions will automatically have a negative outcome.  The reality may actually be easier than you think!
 
QUOTE
 
People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.

Norman Vincent Peale
(1898-1993, American Christian Reformed Pastor, Speaker, Author)

In 1948, Norman Vincent Peale and the psychiatrist Dr Smiley Blanton, started the world's first stress clinic in New York.  Peale was the author of 'The Power of Positive Thinking', and not long before he died, wrote his last book, 'The Power of Positive Living' aged 94!
 
BOOK REVIEW

Overcoming Jealousy by Windy Dryden.

Anyone who has suffered from jealousy knows that it can take over at a moments notice and, in what seems like a whirlwind, remove all rational thought in its wake!

Jealousy can also become more than just a one-off event, and before you know it you are doing things to check your theories – analysing phone bills, telephoning at funny times of the day, turning up at the door unannounced.

Of course we all know that the more hung up we are on gaining proof that our loved one only has eyes for us, the less reassuring their answers begin to sound!

This book is useful for anyone who recognises that they feel jealous, whether it is something that only rears its head occasionally, or a problem which is driving your partner away.  It takes a cognitive behavioural approach, which basically means that the main priority is becoming aware of your own thoughts and the way that these thoughts escalate into behaviours, which you end up regretting.

‘Overcoming Jealousy’ looks at the difference between healthy and unhealthy reactions in a practical way, and if you are prepared to put some of the ideas into practice they can stop you from making yourself miserable and help you to get some perspective on a particular situation.  An important point to remember is that just because you feel jealous does not mean you have good reason to be jealous! 

This book is about the practical things you can do if you feel jealous – there is no unnecessary information in it – and it is small enough to carry around.  It isn’t expensive and I believe anyone who is having problems with jealousy will think of it as money well spent!

Overcoming Jealousy by Windy Dryden.

Review by Jan MacGregor

FEATURES
The latest article in the ‘increasing your energy’ series.... 
 
ENERGY THROUGH HUMOUR

Have you ever thought of starting a ‘Mirth Committee’ at your work, the sole intention being to come up with ideas on how to inject some light-hearted humour into your organisation.  The members of your committee can take turns at being the ‘Director of Mirth’ for a month at a time.  The ‘Director of Mirth’s’ job is to come up with humorous ideas for the committee to consider and choose from.  Examples of such light-hearted humour we have heard of have included the following: themed fancy dress days, keeping a journal of the funniest sayings people have said in the office, starting a humour bulletin board which is dedicated for cartoons, jokes, top 10 lists etc, starting a designated humour file into which employees can contribute humourous work related stories or jokes.

Such programs are being introduced by many organisations because they have recognised the value of having an energising atmosphere in the workplace, humour, and laughter specifically, provides this energy.  It is now accepted beyond doubt that a happy organisation is also an effective and profitable organisation. 

Humour releases tension, frees you up, builds relationships, stimulates creative thinking and can draw you out of a rut.  From a health point of view, laughing dilates the arteries, improves circulation and gets more oxygen and glucose to the brain, and most important of all it makes you feel good.  In the same way that it is practically impossible to feel stressed when you are physically relaxed, you are unlikely to feel stressed while laughing - the laughter response is diametrically opposite to the fight-flight (stress)response.

Did you know that there are over 400 Laughter Clubs in India?  Laughter Clubs are now popping up in America and the UK too.  They are based on the idea that the world has forgotten how to laugh, and that we don't appreciate the benefits of laughter and humour.  

Laughter Clubs differentiate between humour and laughter though:  As we all know, humour is something which is personal and subjective, not everyone finds the same thing funny, (imagine Graham Norton doing an after dinner speech for The Woman's Institute!) whereas laughter is universal, and the ability to laugh is virtually inborn in all human beings.  

In fact Laughter clubs encourage laughter without the aid of jokes - getting people to act as if they are laughing when necessary.  The catchphrase is that this simulated laughter becomes stimulated laughter. Or alternatively, fake it till you make it!

Traditionally, humour has been frowned upon at work.  I can remember as a young accountant chastising people for laughing too much in the office.  At that time I believed you couldn’t work hard and enjoy yourself at the same time.  How wrong I was!  Astute managers have always recognised the power of humour and used it to good effect.  How often have you arrived at an important meeting where the awkward tension has been broken by the introduction of some light humour, usually from the person in charge.  When this happens you can feel the atmosphere improve as people become more relaxed.

So have a laugh, and reap the benefits!

By Alastair Taylor.

Glutamine Complex - Brain Energy
 
 
I have used glutamine with patients who have been overdoing it, those who are recovering after surgery or those who have had a stressful period mentally or physically.  It is also very effective for people who have stomach problems, in fact Japanese doctors use it for treating stomach and duodenal ulcers.  I have found it to be particularly successful in helping people overcome fatigue states, and illness.
 
In fact, glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid found in the muscles of the body.  Because it can readily pass the blood brain barrier, it is often described as brain fuel (and we all need that from time to time!). 
 
Glutamine is the only nutrient used by the small intestine.  Glutamine deficiency in the small intestine leads to the wall becoming micro-porous, allowing minute particles of undigested food into the peritoneal cavity (the peritoneum is the layer, a bit like cling film, which covers the contents of the abdomen and is the part that becomes inflamed and infected in peritonitis). These minute particles of food within the peritoneal cavity are treated as foreign matter, and the body develops anti-bodies causing food allergy.  Extra glutamine is needed in people with conditions like crohns or ulcerative colitis.
 
When we are under physical or mental stress the glutamine in muscle tissues is released to go where it is most needed, and that is usually the brain, the intestines, the immune system and the skin.  It is precisely at these times of physical and mental pressure when you should make sure you have enough glutamine.
 
Glutamine helps control glucose levels in the brain.  If you have a particular time of day when your performance decreases, taking two 500mg glutamine capsules with a glass of water half an hour before hand can help the concentration.  In America and Japan many students take it to help with exams, and remember it is nutrition, not a drug.
 
Glutamine is not produced in enough quantity by the body.  It is found in many high protein foods including fish, meat, beans and diary.  However it is easily destroyed by cooking so that unless one eats sushi, raw eggs, or very raw meat (none of which are recommended), there will be deficiency when under extra pressure due to stress, long hours, illness, or surgery.  Glutamine also helps reduce scarring of wounds and in plastic surgery, and has even been shown to reduce feelings of addiction in alcoholics.
 
The added ingredients in Glutamine Complex 500 help to improve absorption of glutamine and the general effectiveness of the product.
 
Remember: You should always consult your doctor before taking any supplements.  (However in practice, many family doctors do not know about glutamine, as most research was done in Japan.)
 
Glutamine should not be taken by persons with cirrhosis of the liver, kidney problems, Reye's syndrome, or any type of disorder that can result in an accumulation of ammonia in the blood.
 
As with most supplements, you should avoid taking Glutamine Complex if you are pregnant.
 
 
AL'S COLUMN
THE GREAT BRITISH PUB

Pubs are great.  The best times of my life have been spent in them.  I met my best friend in one.  I love what they sell (ale).  They are absolutely wonderful!  Yes, sad as it may seem, I have a passion for pubs – real pubs, not the plasticky-designer-trendy-cocktails-lager type, but real pubs, pubs with a high ‘OCQ’.

OCQ is Old Codger Quotient.  Old Codgers by their very nature like a bit of comfort and tend not to worry too much about appearances, especially their own.  They’re happy to let things hang, or bulge, out a bit – a quality that rampant, hormone-driven young things don’t share.  You can be yourself in a good pub, and if that’s greying and a bit flabby, so be it.  And Codgers like quality and value, and don’t like bouncers on the door.  On a brief aside, I have this theory that bouncers attract trouble.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fight in a pub without bouncers.  Can that be a coincidence? 

What makes a great pub?  I’ve given this a great deal of thought and have discussed it in depth, usually in pubs with fellow devotees.  Trouble is I can never quite remember the conclusions we came to.  Something to do with the number of pints consumed I imagine.  The French are better at these things.  They have marvellous words like ‘ambience’.  Great pubs have that.  They just feel good.  I have noticed that they ‘sing’.  Pubs have a certain tone, a (musical) note, and that note tells you everything you need to know.  In great pubs, the note has, I think, magical qualities.  It conveys joy and laughter and friendship, and never conveys hostility.

Have you ever walked into a pub and thought ‘uh-oh’ this is just not right, I must get out quick.  Your instincts are almost always right about these things I find. 

Pubs are not about alcohol.  Pubs are about people, and about community and social life.  We all need this.  Social support is the number one buffer against stress as I’m always banging on about.  Don’t get me wrong, I like a pint (OK a few pints given the opportunity) but this is social drinking.  We are now drinking far more than we ever did in the past, but we are drinking on our own in our houses, getting depressed and lonely.  In fact, I think many of us drink because we are lonely!

Recently, psychologists made the altogether unremarkable and predictable discovery that pubs are good for your mental health.  Well, what a surprise!  Think about it – there aren’t many human institutions that have lasted hundreds, even thousands, of years.  Pubs have stood the test of time because we need them.  Ask any ex-pat what they most miss about Britain and what do you think they’ll say.  Yep, you guessed it.

So let’s rejoice in our national heritage, and the finest of all our institutions, the great British Pub.  Cheers! 

By Alan Bradshaw.

HUMOUR FROM THE PAST
 
During the war a German reconnaissance aircraft, a Focke-Wulf Condor, was going round and round a convoy in a clockwise direction, shadowing it and keeping just out of reach of the anti-aircraft guns.  A British Naval officer picked up an Aldis signalling lamp and flashed: ‘You are making me dizzy.’
 
The aircraft turned round and started going in an anti-clockwise direction.  As it came round from the first circuit, it flashed the signal: ‘Is that better?'

 

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You can telephone us on 0131 476 7183. 
Edited by Jan MacGregor.