A few types of meditation:

1. Guided meditation: meditation session conducted with verbal instruction from a teacher
2. Moving meditation: quieting the mind and giving direct undivided attention  to what you are doing 
3. Sensory meditation: involves focusing the mind on sights, tastes, sounds, and other physical stimuli. 

It is important to determine what kind of meditation works for you, which may include utilizing more than one type of meditation. Sometimes you may not have a quiet room to sit in and may have to deploy a different meditation strategy. 

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Coping is investing in ones own conscious effort, to solve personal interpretation problems in order to try to master, minimize or tolerate stress and conflict. 

Coping: the cliffnotes

Sometimes we find ourselves in a position where we have to decide how to react. Coping is not about what happened but how we handle what happens. As children, most of us are essentially taught to turn the other cheek. Some people find this easy to do while others react differently. There are many ways to positively cope. When immediately presented with a situation that makes you feel angry or upset some quick strategies are deep breathing, walking away, or count to 10. When faced with stress built up over time some ways to cope are to meditate, take a mental health day from work, dance, take a nap, organize your space, hit something, write out thoughts on paper, get some fresh air, cry, laugh, sing, listen to music, read, yell, and/or seek help from a licensed therapist or counselor. Laughter is especially good for coping, because laughing can reduce muscle tension and produce endorphins. 

Coping: The specifics

As you can see there are endless ways to cope. Some may seem childish or like they would be ineffective. In this case one should continue to try different outlets until they find what works even if that means seeking therapy from a professional. There are different types of way to cope, read below and see if you can relate. 

The first is appraisal-focused coping strategies. This coping strategy is for those carefree people. These individuals are able to modify the way they think, and brush things off. Some people do this by laughing or simply distancing themselves from the situation. 

The second is adaptive behavioral coping strategies. These people use problem focused strategies to attempt to deal with the cause of the problem. This would mean first figuring out the problem at hand, then learning or figuring out how to manage the problem. This approach focuses on eliminating the initial problem.   

The third strategy is called emotion-focused coping. This strategy deals with facing the problem by addressing and managing the emotions that elicit stress. This works by minimizing, reducing, and preventing emotional components of stressor. Ways to do is are to engage in activities like meditation, releasing pent up emotions, distract oneself, relaxing and any other mindful practices. 

Lastly is Reactive and proactive coping. This coping strategy involves preparing oneself by anticipating and reacting to a future stressor. By anticipating the possibilities one is able to determine how to respond when the time comes. This person is probably very cool under pressure. Being able to adjust expectations can help eliminate stress.

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The limbic system is the section of the brain that is responsible for moods. The two key components of the limbic system are the hippocampus and the amygdala. The hippocampus is where long term memories are stored. Such memories include sensory information like taste, touch, and smell. Smell happens to be a very effective way of recalling long term memories; and these smells can elicit positive or negative feelings or moods. While the hippocampus holds the memories, the amygdala gauges how to store these memories. It allows us to recall memories with a strong emotional connection more quickly than memories with less emotions. Now to get to the chemistry of it all! We all possess hormones and neurotransmitters, which are responsible for generating the emotions that we feel daily. There are 3 hormones to focus on in terms of mood and emotions. 

The first is serotonin, or the happy hormone. Serotonin works with receptors in the brain to elevate mood, sharpen memory, and even encourage healthy sleeping habits. High levels of serotonin lead to feelings of happiness, content, and alertness; while low levels lead to sadness, lethargy, and sleepiness. Foods high in tryptophan, exercise, and sunlight exposure are all simple ways to boost serotonin levels. 

Next is cortisol or the stress hormone. There exists two types of stress. The first is eustress, which means good stress. The other is distress, which is bad stress. Stress releases the cortisol hormone. Eustress leads to feelings of invigoration, alertness, and determination; with cortisol levels returning to normal.  Distress, on the other hand elicits feelings of uneasiness, tension, and anxiety; with cortisol levels rising and staying high. Eustress includes activities such as trying to beat the boss on your favorite video game or crossfit training. When you are in distress it is good to exercise or talk with a loved one. 

The last hormone is oxytocin, better known as the love hormone. This hormone is produced in the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the portion of the brain that regulates hormones. Oxytocin is disbursed throughout the body via the pituitary gland. Oxytocin is responsible for creating feelings of trust and love. Such experiences as a new relationship or physical touch can bring forth this hormone. It can aid in relieving physical pain by maintaining a sense of calm. Increasing levels of oxytocin are simple and include such activities as embracing loved ones, intimacy with partner, or any positive social interactions.

Simply put you can enhance your overall mood by not taking on more than you can handle and doing more of the things you enjoy.

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Wouldn’t it be great if you could consume happiness. Well you are in luck, because you can! There are many ways to fix your moods.

Serotonin is the hormone that makes us happy. And guess where this hormone is predominantly  located, in the digestive system. Therefore eating the right kinds of food can help aid in your happiness! These foods in particular contain the amino acid tryptophan which is a key component in making serotonin. Check out foods that fix your moods!

Salmon, nuts, seeds, poultry, eggs, tofu, soy, milk, cheese, pineapple, green tea, chocolate, and spinach are some of the most popular foods that contain serotonin. If for some reason these food items are unacceptable there is always the option of taking tryptophan supplements. All of these foods can boost your serotonin levels naturally and effectively! Many of these food items can be thrown in your purse or backpack, making them easily accessible if you find yourself in need of a mood boost!

Low serotonin can lead to mental health issues which include depression, stress, unexplained irritability, and panic attacks.

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