Select Page
5 Powerful Steps To Reduce Worrying

5 Powerful Steps To Reduce Worrying

Why We Worry?

Worrying is when you allow anxiety and fear to pop into your head. It is an invisible activity we all do one time or another. It usually has no limits. So why do some of us spend so much time worrying?  Well, sometimes worry could be a good thing to help us get on top of matters by allowing us to play out different scenarios and create various plans to overcome uncertainties. We need the inbuilt ability for anxiety to deal with danger and fundamental threats to our basic survival. But more often than not, it is like a broken record that keeps coming back to us and is exhausting. When this happens, we need some positive actions to reduce worrying and anxiety.

What is Worry

Worry is the act of feeling unsettled and being troubled over a particular problem or situation. It is a self-talk activity that originates from anxiety and fear for the unknown, where we are bothered by a problem and project possible negative scenarios that may happen now or in the future in which we are afraid, or feel we are unable to handle.

A little bit of worrying from time to time is a normal part of life as we face life’s daily trials and tribulations. However, when you experience constant worry and negative thinking repeatedly, and if you cannot disengage, it can take its toll on your health and interfere with your daily life. Being stuck at pondering your worries

  1. does not help you, and
  2. makes it impossible for you to focus in the present moment.

Cause of Worrying

Worry may be triggered by stressful events that occur in your life, especially major changes, such as:

  • Work problem
  • Health problem
  • Personal problem
  • Relationship problem
  • Loss of job
  • Financial difficulty

With the world locking down and everyone having to stay home, many individuals are released by their employers to cut cost, as establishments and businesses close temporary. Many have lost their source of income. On top of this, some may be fighting illnesses, including the latest most rampant infection COVID-19. The healthcare system is strained and many of us are bored from staying home, angry and/or depressed that this is ongoing and worry sets in.

Working through Worries

Worry is a type of thought-pattern where our mind repetitively focus on the problem and the consequences that may arise from the problem. To work through this, we need to understand:

  1. Our negative thoughts that derive from worrying are not the problem. It is how we respond to our thoughts that creates the problem of worrying too much. 
  2. The mind does not differentiate between imaginary and reality.
  3. Thoughts are just our ideas, impressions, and beliefs we have about ourselves, others and the world around us. They are mental cognisance that creates the perception of our views on any given situation, experience or person (for better, worse, or neutral). Thoughts are often shaped by life experiences, upbringing, genetics, and education. If you are conscious of your thoughts and attitudes, you can choose to change them. 

We can’t prevent worrying but we can learn to balance this negative act with positive actions.

Here are 5 Powerful Steps to Reduce Worrying and Anxiety

  1. Observe your thoughts and feelings. When you worry, admit you are vulnerable and that a bad scenario might happen.
  2. Separate your thoughts from reality. The goal is to pay attention to your worry thought instead of looking through it. View your worry thoughts as separate from you, and remind yourself that your thoughts are not reality, they are not actual events and they may or may not happen.
  3. Label your worry, accept it is there and let it go. When a worry pops up, label it as “a worrying thought.” It is not you. Do not identify with it nor let it overtake you. Think realistically of the “what if” worst scenarios. Write them down and put them as your thoughts. Pay attention to your emotions as you are thinking those thoughts. How do you feel? Write them down too.  Learn to observe your thoughts and emotions as you are doing this. Reflect on how you can take charge of them.
  4. Control where your thoughts lead you. Actively shift your mind to focus on more positive aspects of the situation. Is there anything you can do? What steps can you take if it happens? Take your time in mindfully looking at the scenario and come up with a positive realistic plan based on your values. The more clarity you have (about your values and direction), the more willing you are to do the work. Trust your plan will succeed to overcome the situation of worry you have.
  5. Practice mindfulness to feed your mind with the right food. Channel your thought energy into gratitude, improvement, and positivity. Learning to control and direct your thoughts to the present moment and gratitude will greatly help you to reduce anxiety and depression.

Your attitude towards coping with worry and anxiety is important. 

Remember, your thoughts and worry are not you.

Learn to Observe them, Control them and Rule over them.

Whoever is stronger wins.

Mindfulness On The Infection Prevention of COVID-19

Mindfulness On The Infection Prevention of COVID-19

Today, I am writing about mindfulness on the infection prevention of COVID-19. In times of this COVID-19 crisis, it is more adamant that we need to practice mindfulness. It is crucial to be mindful in our thoughts and actions and to consciously build thought seeds that will lead to positive deeds and outcome of this crisis. Mindfulness in our everyday life helps us to be in the moment and to be aware of our surroundings and others.

Mindfulness in Sharing Information

Be vigilant to share only validated news and information.

While some fake information on how to prevent the coronavirus are shared by well-meaning individuals, sometimes it can do more harm than good. Take for example, the viral information that is passing around, informing that gargling with salt and drinking warm water every 15 minutes will help dislodge the virus from our throat and pushes it down to the stomach where our stomach acid will kill it. People who think that this is true will believe that they are safe as long as they drink warm water and gargle with salt. The truth is doing this does not dislodge nor kill the virus.

By spreading what we think are “helpful” but in turn are fake information or news, we are only creating more confused and ignorant people.

Stop Fake News Mindfulness Chart

When we are careful on how we disseminate information, we ensure only true facts are shared and this will also reduce inundating chats and social medias with viral rubbish.

As I mentioned in my previous blog on the topic of the COVID-19 pandemic, let’s be mindful to only share COVID-19 health information that has been validated by CDC or WHO.

Mindfulness when Sneezing and Coughing

  • Always cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief or a tissue.
  • Throw the used tissue straight into a bin.
  • Wash your hands or use a hand sanitizer immediately.
  • Wash your handkerchief with warm soapy water.
  • Sneeze into your inner elbow if you cannot cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or handkerchief.
  • Most importantly, do not sneeze or cough into another person’s face or presence and onto open air.

Mindfulness in Our Contact with Others

The COVID-19 transmits easily from human to human within the community, especially between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).

It also spreads through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes where these droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

Some spread might come from an infected person who is not showing the COVID-19 symptoms.

Apart from that, you may also get infected by touching contaminated surfaces and objects, and then touching your face, eyes, nose or mouth.  A recent study has also shown that the virus is also spread through faeces.

Social distancing/self isolation/lockdown

Think of the health professionals and law enforcement officers who are working tirelessly to curb the pandemic and save life. It is paramount that we be mindful to do our civic duty in social distancing, stay home and self isolation if need be. We must conscientiously work together to stop the spread of the virus and to avoid infection. We need to help reduce the burden on the health workers, volunteers and the health system so that we may return to normality sooner.

  • Avoid close contact with people unwell with cold-like symptoms.
  • Be careful to stay away from crowds and if for any reason, you need to go out, wear a mask and try to keep at least 6 feet from another person. When you get home, immediately wash yourself very thoroughly as a caution to prevent contaminating your home and protecting your loved ones.
  • However hard, please self isolate yourself for the minimum 14 days recommended if you are feeling unwell (especially if you have flu or cold like symptoms) or if you have travelled. If you are showing symptoms of the COVID-19, call the hotline or visit the nearest health authority in your community.
  • If the country is in a lockdown, abide by the law and do your duty as a good citizen.

General Daily Mindfulness on the Infection Prevention of COVID-19:

Wash/sanitize your hands correctly. 

  • After touching common/public area surfaces and objects.
  • Before and after you eat.
  • Before and after using the toilet.
  • When you return from your outing.
  • Before brushing your teeth or washing your face.
  • Anytime you feel you should clean your hands, and consciously before touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Be extra mindful to only turn the tap on to wet your hands and to rinse the soap lather off to cut water wastage.

Check this educating video on how to wash or sanitize your hands thoroughly. 

Keep frequently touched surfaces clean and disinfect where required.

  • Clean common areas and surfaces often.
  • Use a disinfectant spray or prepare your own bleach solution to disinfect surfaces that are high volume usage such as the door handles, taps, toilet flush handle, bathroom sink, shower, kitchen sink, table tops, etc.
  • Try using the back of your hand, elbow or knuckle to turn switches or taps on to reduce the risk of contamination on surfaces.

For some great tips on how to disinfect your home, check out this video.

Note: Never use vinegar and bleach or ammonia together or right after each other because it creates a toxic gas.

Don’t touch your face, eyes, nose and mouth.

If you watch the videos that are going  around the world where leaders are advising and talking about COVID-19, you will notice some are mindlessly licking their finger to flip their speech pages.

I cannot stress enough that our hands are the most likely channel of passing on germs and viruses. So be very aware of what you do with your hands. Be conscious about how your hands are behaving. Train yourself not to touch public surfaces such as railings or walls as you walk. Now more than ever as we move towards being mindful on the infection prevention of COVID-19, make better effort in kicking the habit of touching any parts on your face.

Boost your immune system.

  • Get adequate sleep. Sleep allows your body to recover and rejuvenate, to grow muscle, repair tissue, and synthesize hormones.
  • Eat healthy to build up your immune system. Have plenty of vegetable and fruits and a balance diet.
  • Stay hydrated. Drinking enough water every day is important for many reasons. It helps to regulate body temperature, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to cells, lubricates joints,  removes waste and supports organs functionality properly. Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood.

Keep fit.

At the point of writing this, many countries have started some sequence of lockdown and social distancing. I come across many “I am bored” posts in social medias and my messages are all bogged with “boredom” insanity texts. So if we can’t go for walks or run about, how do we keep fit in mind, body and soul?

If you are on lockdown, self isolation or staying home:

  • Use some “me” time to read a book, paint, write or do something that you meant to do but never found the time for.
  • Spend quality moments with your family who are at home with you. Play board or card games. Find things to do together. Talk to each other. It’s great family bonding.
  • Expel some energy within the house. I run or walk up and down my stairs 20 times. I do my sun salutations every morning and evening. I work on my garden and enjoy the fruits of my labour. How about you?
  • Try online exercises. You will find plenty on You Tube.
  • Connect via video chats with your friends and family who are not with you. Bring chats alive, sing, dance and exercise with each other online.
  • Cook. Many of my family and friends are actually trying out new recipes and the best part is the household gets to cook and enjoy the food together.

I could go on endlessly with this list. Lockdown and staying home on our part to help curb this pandemic is simple and gratifying when we focus and appreciate the positive things we can now do and enjoy, thanks to this pandemic crisis. What will you choose to do? How will you exercise your mindfulness on the infection prevention of the COVID-19?

Dramatic situations require creative dramatic actions.

Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic 2020

Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic 2020

So much has happened since Wuhan, China first reported its coronavirus outbreak to the World Health Organization (WHO) on 31st December 2019.  The outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency a month later as it spread around China and new cases were discovered in other parts of the world. WHO named the coronavirus COVID-19 on the 11th Feb 2020.

By 11th March, COVID-19 became a worldwide phenomenon after spreading through 114 countries and killing more than 4000 people. WHO then classified it as a pandemic. The large outbreaks at this point were in Italy, South Korea and U.S.A. 

Updated COVID-19 cases around the world: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

I believe this is nature’s way of bringing the world back to a balance again. Throughout history, we have had devastating contagious diseases and sickness such as the plague, cholera and influenza that reduced the world of its population. Only the fit, healthy and strong survive. With research, improved knowledge. vaccination and medication, human have been able to better survive catastrophe such as these. 

So now everyone around the world is affected by COVID-19 one way or another. Panic pandemic has joined the world where everyone is stockpiling and fighting each other for toilet rolls, pasta, milk, bottle water and more. There is no escape as everyone allows fear for basic mundane survival to take over.

Unfortunately, right now, the only way to prevent this illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. I cannot foresee this virus going away in the short term. Amidst all this, I can only say there is one caution. We need to be mindful and be vigilant to bring this crisis to a plateau and allow our scientists and medical experts to find the source, vaccine and perhaps a possible cure.

Let’s not let fear and ignorance blind us during this time. Instead, let’s focus on how we as individual can come together to overcome this crisis.

How to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

  1. Stop spreading fake news.  We all mean well when we get new information on the news of COVID-19 but we should only share information that has been validated by CDC or WHO.
  2. Be mindful of how you sneeze and cough. Cover your mouth and nose with tissue, handkerchief or use the inside of your elbow. Throw the tissue directly into a bin and wash your handkerchief with soap and hot water. Do not sneeze or cough into another person’s face or open air.
  3. Practice social distancing. Reduce the need to be in a crowd or near to anyone.
  4. Avoid close contact.  A distance of at least 6 feet or 1.5m is recommended.
  5. Self isolation for 14 days or more when you have been exposed to crowds and/or travel.
  6. Wear a face mask if you are sick or looking after a sick person.
  7. Avoid touching surfaces when outside. Use hand sanitizer to clean your hands if you do touch public surfaces.
  8. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as the bathroom sink, kitchen sink and table tops, etc.
  9. Boost your immune system. Remember to eat healthy and keep yourself hydrated.
  10. Keep fit. Keep the mind and body healthy by positive thoughts, meditation and, simple breathing and movement exercises.
  11. Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth with your hands. Our hands are the most likely channel of passing on germs and viruses.
  12. Wash your hands properly and frequently. Lather soap for at least for 20 second covering the in-between your fingers, under the nails, palms and back of your hands right up to the wrist. Reminder to save water while washing your hands. Only turn the tap on to wet your hands and to rinse the soap later off. 

Please do stay safe and do the right things to protect yourself and your loved ones. When each and every one of us plays our part together in unity simultaneously against COVID-19, we will slowly but surely win this battle.

Remove Gallstones Without Surgery

Remove Gallstones Without Surgery

In the past two years, I have come across a few friends and relatives who have been diagnosed with gallstones problems. So what exactly are gallstones?

Types of gallstones:

  1. Cholesterol stones –  mostly 80% cholesterol.
  2. Pigment stones – about 20% cholesterol plus a mixture of bilirubin and calcium salts that are found in the gallbladder bile.
  3. Mixed stones – contain 20% to 80% cholesterol and a mixture of other components found in the gallbladder bile.

It has been noted that women are at a higher risk (especially before menopause) and  the risk increases as we age, especially for those of us who are over 40 years old. Guess in our modern busy world, we have less time to focus on proper diets and most of us do not drink enough water in a day to flush toxins from our body. Although it has not been proven that there is a link between diet and gallstone formation, it seems wine and whole grained bread may decrease the risk, whilst low fiber and high cholesterol diets, including rapid weight loss, constipation, skipping meals, and not enough of folate, magnesium, calcium and vitamin C may increase the risk of gallstones formation. Of course, genes do play a part too. If you have family members who has or had gallstones before, the chances are you will be quite prone to the condition too.

Recently, Kathy, a long time friend from school went for the gallstone surgery and although she is recovering, it has been a painful and slow process. She was not so fortunate to avoid surgery as I did not know about her condition till after.

Another friend of mine, Omzie, was luckier. He was diagnosed for surgery but I managed to give him this recipe and he avoided being hospitalized for surgery, which saved him a bit of money as well.

Symptoms of Gallstone Problem

Most people with gallstones show no symptoms at all until the gallstones become inflamed. When this happens, some of the symptoms below may be experienced:

  • Pain in the upper right side of the abdomen
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Pain between the shoulder blade or below the right shoulder
  • Lower back pain

So, please do share the recipe below to flush out gallstones, even in very severe case, as in the case of Omzie, he flushed the gallstones out and avoided surgery by following through with the recipe.

Removing Gallstones Without Surgery (Natural Recipe)

Day One to Day Five – keep to your normal diet but throughout the day, every day:

  • Drink four glasses of pure apple juice (yummy)
  • Eat 5 apples (heard that green apples work better as they have higher concentration of pectin)

Day 6 

  • Have your normal breakfast , then start fasting.
  • At 6 pm – take Magnesium (Epsom Salt) – 1 teaspoon in a cup of water.
  • At 8 pm – take another dose of Magnesium as you did at 6 pm.
  • Before bedtime, drink a mixture of 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice mixed with 1/2 cup of olive oil.

 By the next morning, you should be able to pass a number of green and brown stones which you will be able to see floating in your toilet bowl. 

Been told this works for liver cleansing and kidney stones as well……and what’s the harm in trying something natural to keep our body healthy and well.

Please share your comments here if it works for you, as it is through the power of sharing that we are able to disseminate information and easily gain knowledge, thanks!

Jin Ji Du Li Exercise

Jin Ji Du Li Exercise

What I am about to share here probably has been shared around the world many times. Today I’m going to talk about Jin Ji Du Li or Golden Rooster Stands On One Leg; a simple and yet effective Chinese exercise that originated from Shaolin’s San Lu Pao basic training.
Healthcare has always been my number one priority as I believe that without health, we cannot enjoy life to the fullest. And I am a firm believer of living life to its fullest!
This effective exercise only takes up less than 3 minutes of our daily time with huge positive impact! It is said that that when “Jin Ji Du Li” exercise is practised daily, it can help heal many illnesses and diseases such as hypertension, high blood sugar/diabetes, neck and spinal problems, and even dementia.
“Jin Ji Du Li” is practised by standing stationary on one leg with your eyes closed. This may sound easy but try doing it, and tell me how you did!
According to Zhong Li Ba Ren, a Chinese Master on this technique, diseases appear because the coordination between the various internal organs encounter problems and the body loses its balance. If we are over forty, and we cannot maintain our balance for more than 10 seconds, it means we have an aging body of sixty plus! “Jin Ji Du Li” can re-adjust the inter-relationship and functions between these organs, and helps to regress and improve the situation.
“Sifu” Zhong has written a book titled “Self Help is Better than Seeking Doctors’ Help” that teaches simple practical health tips, which has become the best seller in China. In this book, he promotes this one leg standing technique or “Jin Ji Du Li” exercise. He recommends that this exercise be done with your eyes slightly closed. He also points out that there are 6 important meridians passing through our legs. By standing on one leg, the weak meridians will feel sore and will get the required massage, and the corresponding organs along these meridians and their pathways will receive the appropriate “treatment”.
You do not actually need to lift your leg high as it is said that if your internal organs are unbalanced, even lifting your leg a teeny weeny bit will make you wobble. However, if you are a beginner, do expect this effect as your body is just not trained to maintain a standing balance with one leg and eyes closed!
Master Zhong has pointed out that many people are unable to stand on one foot with their eyes closed even for 5 seconds, but with daily practice, eventually we will all be able to balance for more then 2 minutes! As you gain the ability to stand for a longer period, the feeling of “heavy head and light feet” will disappear. The quality of sleep improves and the mind clears up with significant memory improvement.
Right now, the most apparent benefit of doing the “Jin Ji Du Li” for me is the ability to maintain my balance and equilibrium. With practice, I hope to stand for 5 minutes a day, and start having a balanced body!
So get off your butt now, have some fun and put some practice into this technique and do the “Jin Ji Du Li” 🙂
Caffeine Coffee And Wine Lovers

Caffeine Coffee And Wine Lovers

Coffee And Wine Is Good For Health.

This is definitely great news for coffee and wine lovers. Coffee, mostly a morning drink; wakes us up and wine, a dining accompaniment may relax us in the evening.What better way to begin and end the day! I certainly enjoy my cup of coffee every morning, and definitely not decaf ……pfft – decaf is not real coffee! I could not imagine starting my day without real coffee, and a glass of wine would be lovely with my dining when the mood dictates.

According to research as posted in Real Age, these two beverages not only keep the mind young, but in moderation may prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Both these drinks contain substance that could help ward off dementia.

It seems animal studies have shown that  coffee contains granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) a substance that recruits cells from bone marrow to help sweep out the plaques (beta- amyloid deposits) that cause Alzheimer’s symptoms. And the polyphenols found in red wine reduces the levels of peptides that contributes to the beta-amyloid deposits.

On top of that, coffee and wine may help to strengthen the brain by helping the nerve cells (neurons) build new connections and protecting it from the neurotoxic effects of Alzheimer’s plaques.

If you are already a coffee drinker or a wine lover, this additional benefit is certainly welcoming news.  Enjoy your drinks, but please do not get overboard as too much will have ill effects.

So how much is too much?

It entirely depends on your metabolism rate, and unless you can rate how fast your metabolism can do its job,  moderation is always the best.

For coffee drinkers:


On an average, two to four cups of normal brewed coffee (about 95mg of caffeine per cup) and no more than 500mg of caffeine per day is considered a safe level of consumption. Kids, adolescents, pregnant women and those who may be having conditions or taking medications that may be affected by caffeine more easily should cut back even further. Too much coffee may cause headaches, restlessness, insomnia and aggravate acid reflux. To check out how much of your favourite coffee you should drink, use this guide from Mayo clinic.

For Wine Lovers:

Research by NIH has shown that frequent heavy or binged drinking can be detrimental to your cognitive performance/development and may cause brain damage and liver disease. Pregnant women who drink heavily are also more likely to have children with with serious cognitive deficits. So again, I would say please do enjoy your wine….a glass a day is good for your heart.

So here I make a toast that we may all all drink wisely to our health. Cheers!

error: Content is protected !!