Thursday, February 19, 2015

"Social Media Stress?"...does it actually exist?

The young lady was quite distraught.
"I'm having palpitations... my heart races for no apparent reason... and I just can't...can't eat anything," she said.
"Any fever or chills? Any chest pain?" I asked.
"No...no..but I just feel tired...fatigued," she said, wringing her hands.
"How long has this being going on?" I asked, while examining her.
"I don't know....probably a few weeks," she said, seeming to settle down a bit now.
Her exam was essentially normal.
"We can run some blood tests. Any stress going on in your life these days?" I asked.
"No, nothing specific. Just routine stuff, you know... kids, work, social media stress---"
"Did you say Social media stress?" I interrupted her. "What is that?"
She looked at me with disdain.
"Well doc, if you usually get 50-60 likes on every picture you post on Facebook, and then suddenly you get only get 5 or 6, won't you be anxious?" she asked.
"Oh... absolutely," I replied, when I realized that she was serious. And then it all came together. "So are those the days you get palpitations and feel anxious?" I asked hesitantly.
I'll leave the rest of the conversation to your imagination.

How much does Social Media effect our daily lives?

We all, being human, like attention. Some of us actively seek it and a small minority will crave it. The latter category suffer from the "COW" syndrome (Center Of the World syndrome!) in which case, one mistakenly believes that the world in their immediate vicinity revolves solely around them, and for them alone! A lot of us post pictures, messages and comments on Social media to share and inform. A few will post stuff to get attention, and when that rush of "Likes", "Tags" or "Pokes" does not materialize, stress follows!

Recent studies at the University Of Gothenberg (Sweden) revealed that the if one spends more than average time on Facebook or any other social media outlet, he or she is more likely to be depressed, anxious, irritable and unemployed. And the percentage of people who embellish their posts and stories on social media sites? 81%..... that's not a misprint. So enjoy all the stories and take in the pictures of facebook friends with a grain of salt.....!!

I personally think Facebook is a revolutionary innovation that comes along only once in a few generations. But I think if the users control its use, rather than the media outlet controlling you, the results would be very productive & satisfying.


"I am not addicted to Facebook or Whatsapp. I just use it when I have Time -- like lunch Time, dinner Time, break Time, this Time, that Time and all the Time!!" ~ Author unknown






Sunday, February 1, 2015

"Z" is for the importance of catching up on the 'Zzz's......'

The young man in my office was fidgety. He seemed very restless.
"All your test results are normal," I said.
"But I feel so tired, doc," he replied.
"Are you worried about anything? Any stress?" I asked.
"No, doc. Life is busy, but good."
"How busy? Are you getting enough sleep?" I asked.
"Well, I make sure I get at least 3-4 hours of sleep every night," he said.
"Just 3-4 hours? That's not enough. That's probably the reason you are so tired."

You can imagine how the conversation went from there on. We all need enough hours of sleep to recharge, reinvigorate and rejuvenate. Constantly being on the up & go will often sap one's soul and strength. On an average, the consensus of most Sleep Researchers is that we need at least 6-8 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period, to have a normal, physiological functioning of the human body. 

That brings us to dreams and dreaming. In ancient times, dreams defined social and political discourse. If a king had a dream that one of his ministers was plotting to overthrow him, he would have that minister imprisoned the next day! Since those times, the science behind dreams has evolved to a whole new level. Did you know there is active research going on now about Dream Control? Yes, that's right--- there might be a day not too far from today when you will be able to control your dreams. For those of you who are interested in this aspect of your dreams, look up MILD! (Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams). 

"Some people can't sleep because they have insomnia. I can't sleep because I have internet connection!" This quote is more true these days than you can imagine. And for those who are constantly trying to lose weight, lack of adequate hours of sleep has been well documented to lead to weight gain. 

"Long time ago, people who sacrificed their sleep, family, food, laughter and other joys of life were called Saints.
These days, they are called Facebookers!" ~ anonymous