₦airaland Forum

Yessssssss

yesssss!!!

My apologies to the admin.
But it felt real gooooooooood.

timmy2409:


https://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/537/976/57b.jpg

badt guy

Yes oh

BEST FORUM TOPIC EVER.

Some pics are nice but these pics are twice as nice and just in time to give a wow effect.
Enjoy.

1. If you didn't kill earthworm with salt.
2. If you didn't play rubber band.
3. If you never bathed in the rain.
4. If nobody told you about India vs Nigeria 99-1.
5. If you didn't sleep on the couch and wake up on
the bed.
6. If you didn't go 2 steal cashew and guava in d
next street and the owner's dog comes through the
backyard waiting for you to come down from the
tree.
7. If you didn't throw your milk tooth on the roof for
the lizards to take it and give you new ones.
8.If you didn't just wash your hands
and legs instead of bathing when going to school.
9.If you didn't act film in uncompleted building or
under bed
with friends.
10. If you never flew a kite.
11. If you didn't use ur two legs to build houses
with sand.
12. If u didn't write ur name on paper and insert it
into ur pen so that no one will steal it.
13. If u didn't close d fridge door really slowly to
see when d lights went off.
14. If u neva waved @ white birds expectin ur nails
to b whiter
15. If u neva heard of a ghost dat stays under
mango trees @nights
16. If u didn't drive a single car Tyre with a stick
and called it ur car!
17. If u didnt mix garri n sugar in ur pocket and eat
while walking in the street.
18. If u never did mama and papa play i.e. cookin
grass nd sand witout fire.
19. If you didn't play table soccer. with bottle
cover.....
.....then I guess ur Childhood was LAME...
Oya which ones did you do?

afolag:
a job well done

thanks

HOW COME THIS MADE FRONT PAGE?

I weep for nairaland.
Seun look around and see the competition.

Kano Central Mosque Bomb Blast

Many are feared dead in a bomb blast that
occured at Kano Central Mosque on Friday
during Juma’at prayers.

Kano Central Mosque is where the Emir of
Kano usually leads prayers on Friday.

lilmaydee:
Nice tips

thanks

1. “I will not hold the past against myself.” – Your problems, your
weaknesses, setbacks, regrets and mistakes teach you if you’re willing to
learn, or they will punish you if you’re not. So let them teach you, every
day. Take everything as a lesson learned. If you regret some of the
decisions you have made in the past, stop being so hard on yourself. At
that time, you did your best with the knowledge you had. At that time, you
did your best with the experience you had. Your decisions were made with
a younger mind. If you were to make these decisions with the wisdom you
have today, you would choose differently. So give yourself a break. Time
and experience has a wonderful way of helping us grow and learn to make
better choices today, for ourselves and those we care for.

2. “I will own my life and never deny responsibility for it.” – Through the
grapevine, you may have learned that you should blame your parents, your
teachers, your mentors, the education system, the government, etc., but
never to blame yourself. Right? It’s never, ever your fault… WRONG! It’s
always your fault, because if you want to change, if you want to let go and
move on with your life, you’re the only person who can make it happen.
It’s YOUR move to make. It’s YOUR responsibility. Own it!

3. “I will speak kindly and consciously to myself.” – Wait, what did you just
say to yourself? Were they the inspiring, encouraging words you would
speak to a friend? Or were they the belittling remarks you might shout to
an enemy if you had no heart. Or the negative assessments about life you
would utter if you had no faith? All day long we speak silently to ourselves,
and a part of us believes every word. So stay mindful, and ask yourself, “If
I had a friend who always spoke to me in the same way that I am speaking
to myself right now, how long would I allow that person to be my friend?

4. “I will listen to what my heart and soul is telling me.” – When something
feels right, that means it is right for you (at least it is worth looking into).
And if you genuinely feel deep down that something is wrong, it probably
is. Pay attention to your authentic feelings, and follow where they lead.
When you’re following your inner voice, doors tend to eventually open for
you, even if they mostly slam at first.

5. “I will live a life that feels right to me, not one that looks right to others.”
– Give yourself permission to follow the path that makes YOU happy. And
realize that some people in your life will refuse to walk beside you as you
embark on this journey; they simply won’t approve no matter what you say,
and that’s OK. Sometimes when you commit yourself to creating your own
happiness, it clashes with the perceptions of others. Sometimes when you
gain something great, you have to let go of something else. And sometimes
this ‘something else’ is a relationship that only wants you to do what they
want you to do.

6. “I will let go of relationships that are obviously not meant to be.” – Most
people come into your life temporarily simply to teach you something. They
come and they go and they make a difference. And it’s OK that they’re not
in your life anymore. Not all relationships last, but the lessons these
relationships bring to you do. If you learn to open your heart and mind,
anyone, including the folks who eventually drive you mad, can teach you
something worthwhile. Sometimes it will feel weird when you realize you
spent so much time with someone you are no longer connected to, but
that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. You are exactly where you’re
supposed to be. We all are.

7. “I will not let any situation permanently steal my smile.” – Even when times
are tough, take a moment to pause and remember who YOU are. Take a
moment to reflect on the things that have real and lasting meaning in your
life. And then smile about how far you’ve come. Honestly, nothing in this
world is more beautiful and powerful than a smile that has struggled
through the tears. Any fool can be happy when times are easy. It takes a
strong soul with real heart to develop smiles out of situations that make us
weep. No matter how long it takes, it will get better. Keep going. Tough
situations build strong people in the end.

8. “I will celebrate and appreciate the life I have.” – Too many people
overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are. Don’t be one of
them. Take a breath of fresh air. The past is behind you. Focus on what
you can do today, not on what you could’ve or should’ve done yesterday.
Remember, for everything you’ve lost, you’ve gained something else.
Appreciate what you have and who you are today. Life does not have to be
perfect to be wonderful. Count your blessings, not your troubles. It costs
nothing to be positive, and it changes things for the better. Your thoughts
are yours to control, so make good use of them to give your actions and
your life a powerful advantage.

9. “I will realize and use my power to make a difference.” – The most
common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have
any. Don’t do this. The world needs you. In a world filled with doubt, you
must dare to dream. In a world filled with anger, you must dare to forgive.
In a world filled with hate, you must dare to love. In a world filled with
distrust, you must dare to believe. And once you do, I promise, you will
find that power you once thought you lacked.

10. “I will dedicate myself to personal excellence.” – Anything worth doing, is
worth doing right. And excellence is never an accident. It’s the result of
high intention, focused effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution, and the
vision to see obstacles as opportunities. It’s also important to note that
excellence cannot be judged by looking at where you are at any given point
in time, but by measuring the distance you have traveled from the point
where you started. It’s about being diligent and making progress – either a
step forward or a lesson learned – day in and day out.

11. “I will keep stretching myself beyond my previous level of comfort.” – Just
because you’re struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing. Every great success
requires some type of worthy struggle to get there. Know this! When you’re
struggling, that’s when you’re growing stronger and smarter. The more
time you spend there, the faster you learn. It’s better to spend an extremely
high quality ten minutes growing, than it is to spend a mediocre hour
running in place. Every day, you want to practice at the point where you are
on the edge of your ability, stretching yourself over and over again, making
mistakes, stumbling, learning from those mistakes and stretching yourself
even farther.

12. “I will embrace the changes I know I need to make.” – Life is a balancing
act of holding on and letting go – of staying put and moving on. We strive
to make the right choices, but how do we know when it is truly time to
move forward with our lives? The signs aren’t always easy to accept, but
they are there and you know it. Relationships, jobs, and even the cities we
live in have expiration dates. Sometimes we hold on to what’s not working
out of fear that we won’t be able to adapt to necessary changes. And thus,
the outcome is always the same: more pain, immense frustration, and
lasting regret. Be smarter than that. Embrace the changes you know you
need to make.


AFTERTHOUGHTS
In a world where vows are often left unfulfilled – where making a pledge means
less than it used to – where promises seem like they’re made to be broken – it
would be nice to see words come back into power, wouldn’t it? Yet, words can
be twisted into any shape, so you must be careful not to be careless. Remember
this when you make promises to yourself. Your promises must be backed by
devoted action.
The image you have of yourself in the future depends on the actions you watch
yourself take today.


Promise yourself and then prove it!

guy games reach 1000 for PSP oh.
trust me I know.
you can't possibly play all the games.

And,yeah the online gaming thing is like u said.
They have moved on.

But PSP games are very on point.
I can't get enough of mine.

AT LEAST five people are feared dead.
Is it that they wanted more?
That grammar is annoying.

that's not the symbol for the supposed star of David.

fpt

StrongPenis:
No Nigeria and super eagles

I hate retarded people like you.

Sweta Dhankar, India’s District Police Chief, on
Tuesday, said 30 villagers have been arrested for
allegedly stripping a woman and parading her
naked on a donkey in an Indian village to humiliate
her.

The police officer said in New Delhi that the
Council of Elders in the village in Rajasthan state
ordered the punishment after she was accused of
killing her 45-year-old nephew.

Dhankar said the cause of the man's death was not
clear as his body was cremated before authorities
could examine it, but circumstantial evidence
pointed to suicide.

He said some of the man's relatives later accused
the aunt of killing him.

Dhankar said a large group of villagers dragged the
woman out of her house, stripped her, blackened
her face with charcoal and paraded her through the
village on a donkey.

He said the woman's husband filed a complaint
and police arrested 30 villagers, including nine
relatives of the dead man.
He added that "they are now in police custody and
are being questioned.
"The woman is quite traumatised, at first, we sent
her to a shelter for counselling, later we asked her
to tell the police her own side of the story before
resettling her at her parents' house in another
village.’’

The police chief said it was not uncommon in
Indian villages for women suspected of practicing
witchcraft or having extramarital affairs to be
punished by being stripped and paraded around,
especially in tribal areas.


He said "sometimes, they are humiliated for other
reasons such as unpaid loans and children eloping
with partners from different castes.’’
Dhankar said village councils have no legal powers
in India, but in many communities, they still mete
out such punishments.

Na wah oh
source:BBC

A female suicide bomber has blown herself up at a
college in north-central Nigeria, witnesses say.
The bomb exploded as the woman was about to
enter a hall packed with students at a college in
Kontagora town, the witnesses added.

Casualties numbers are unclear, but lecturer
Andrew Randa told the BBC he had seen four
bodies - some of them decapitated.
Militant Islamist group Boko Haram is waging an
insurgency in Nigeria.

The group has declared a caliphate, or Islamic
state, in areas it controls in north-east Nigeria.
It has carried out a spate of bombings and
assassinations in north-east and north-central

Nigeria since launching its insurgency in 2009.
Mr Randa said he heard a deafening blast and then
there was pandemonium as people ran away from
the scene.
Soldiers rushed to the college and sealed off the
area, he said.
Three of the four bodies he had seen were of
women, Mr Randa added.

Other witnesses said the bomber died in the blast,
and there were many casualties.

At least seven people were wounded and rushed to
hospital, they told the BBC Hausa service.
There have been several bombings in Nigeria over
the last two weeks - the worst of which was a
suicide attack on a school in Yobe State on
Monday, killing 46 teenage boys.

Boko Haram is opposed to Western education, and
believes that Muslim boys and girls should only
receive an Islamic education.

God have mercy

source:BBC

ok

Coming out of laspotech this afternoon and trecking down to the nearest bustop to board a bus,I saw a woman (age should be between 25-35) with her child of approximately 6 month sitting on the bear ground looking hungry and unkept.
I was moved and decided to give the woman 20 naira because the remaining 100naira left with me was my T-fare.
Lo and behold,for the first time in my life of alms giving,my money was rejected by the woman.

With a bordered mind I left there and was wondering what I did wrong.

Please what do you think about this?
I can't get it off my mind.

The U.S. Government has been urged to urgently
supply arms to the Nigerian military to effectively
fight Boko Haram terrorists.

The Chairman, House of Representatives
Committee on Civil Society and Donor Agencies,
Prof Ini Udoka, made the appeal in Abuja on
Monday.

He spoke during the signing of 9.2 million dollars
grant to 15 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in
Nigeria by the U.S. Government.

His remarks came against the backdrop of
Monday’s attack on a school in Potiskum, Yobe by
the Boko Haram sect, in which several students
were killed.

The legislator said it was worrisome that the U.S
Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle had been
credited as saying that the U.S may not be able to
sell arms to Nigeria.

According to Udoka, Entwistle was reported as
saying that this was due to alleged human rights
abuses by the Nigerian military.
"I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the
government of the United States to reconsider the
stance on the issue of insecurity in Nigeria.
"This morning, we received very sad news that
many students of Comprehensive School in
Potiskum have been slaughtered by a suicide
bomber during the morning devotion.
"We know that the assistance of the U.S. in
combating insurgency in Nigeria would help us to
a large extent to curb some of these atrocities.’’
The lawmaker thanked the U.S. government for the
grant to civil society groups and challenged the
grantees to live up to expectations reposed in
them.

He, however, advised that in undertaking the
assignment, civil society groups must avoid
partisanship in their conducts and actions.
"My attention has been drawn to the fact that
some consider advocacy for good governance to
mean disparaging government and aligning with
political opposition.
"Your ability to exercise independence of thought,
conditioned by international best practices, should
engage your advocacy to government personalities
and institutions to ensure that expected reforms
are undertaken in the country.’’
In a swift reaction, Entwistle said the report in
some sections of the media was fabricated.
"The comments he (Udoka) was referring to was at
a press conference I gave in Adamawa.
"I didn’t say what was attributed to me; those
comments came from an article in the Guardian
newspapers which was a complete fabrication.
"We have asked them to retract and they have not.
"We have put out op-ed in almost every
newspaper explaining what I actually said, which I
think the Chairman (House Committee on Civil
Society) didn’t have time to read.
"We have made it clear that my government stands
firmly with the Nigerian government in the fight
against terror and in the fight against Boko
Haram’’, Entwistle said.

The envoy added that Nigeria and the U.S had "a
rich military and security relationship’’ and
reiterated U.S. commitment "to the non-military
aspect of the struggle.
"We are committed to helping the Internally
Displaced Persons (IDPs), we are committed to
working with your government to ensure that those
displaced by this conflict were not
disenfranchised.’’

On the grant, the U.S envoy challenged the
recipients to partner with government at all levels
to improve the rule of law, reduce corruption and
strengthen health and education.

He urged CSOs in Nigeria to set the agenda and
advocate issues that politicians need to address in
their manifestos in the build up to the 2015 general
elections.

The envoy appealed to Nigerians to denounce
violence before, during and after elections.
He underscored the key role of CSOs in ensuring
political, economic and development success in
Nigeria.
He cited the role civil societies played in ending
apartheid in South Africa and abolition of slavery in
the U.S.

Also, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of
Education, asked government officials to stop
seeing CSOs as irritants.
Ezekwesili advised civil society groups not to
relent in demanding good governance and
accountability from the government and those in
public positions.

"CSOs in this country must be determined to keep
everybody that holds public position on their toes.
"The U.S functions in its democracy because of the
power of civil societies; it makes the biggest of
difference.

"No matter what laws and agencies you create,
until you get effective demand and scrutiny,
demand for accountability in the performance of
those agencies, they will not transform into
institutions’’, she said.

The grant to 15 Nigerian CSOs was awarded under
the US Agency for International Development’s
(USAID) "Strengthening Advocacy and Civic
Engagement Project.’’

According to USAID, the grant will support the
CSOs’ efforts to promote democratic reforms
through greater transparency, accountability and
good governance.

Some of the projects will focus on public finance
management, local governance reform, youth
empowerment and advocacy, among others. (NAN)

source:AIT website

In a statement gotten from
the blog of the Defence
Headquarters, the
helicopter was said to have
crashed four minutes after
take-off.

The statement reads, "A
Nigerian Air Force
Helicopter with call sign
Shark 23 on a training
mission executed a
controlled forced landing 4
minutes after take-off at the
runway approach end of
Yola International Airport
today at about 0930hours.

"There is no casualty
recorded as all the crew
members have been
recovered back to the base.
"The Nigerian Air Force
Headquarters has already
set up an investigation
panel to unravel the
circumstances that led to
the incident."

source:AIT website

At least 46 students have been killed by a suicide
bomber at a school assembly in the north-eastern
Nigerian town of Potiskum, police have said.

The explosion at a boys' school in the town is
believed to have been caused by a suicide bomber
dressed as a student.
The militant group Boko Haram is believed to have
carried out the attack, police said.

The group has targeted schools during a deadly
five-year insurgency aimed at establishing an
Islamic state.
It is waging a sustained campaign to prevent
children from going to school. It believes girls
should not attend school and boys should only
receive an Islamic education.

'Devastating attack'
The explosion ripped through the assembly hall at
the Government Science Secondary School,
reports say.
Police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu told the BBC
Hausa service the attack had left 47 people dead,
including the suicide bomber. Another 79 were
wounded.


Analysis: Will Ross, BBC Nigeria Correspondent


By setting off the bomb during the morning
assembly, the militants clearly aimed to kill as
many students as possible.
Few of the attacks here are ever claimed by any
group but Boko Haram will once again be
suspected. The jihadists have carried out
particularly brutal attacks on schools before.
Chibok is known in many parts of the world
because of April's mass abduction of girls from
that remote village. But there have been many
other horrific attacks on schools which have
received less attention - including last February's
raid on Buni Yadi, in Yobe State.


Dozens of boys were burnt to death, shot or killed
with knives in the dormitory. Female students were
spared but told to never attend school again, go
off and get married. Boko Haram wants the
education of boys to be limited to strict Koranic
studies only.

The insecurity in the north-east is so rampant,
with entire towns and villages now in the jihadists'
hands, it will be extremely hard for other
bombings to be prevented.


"At about 08:00am [07:00 GMT], a suicide bomber
disguised himself as one of the male students and
while the school was holding its normal assembly,
the bomb went off," Mr Ojukwu said.
He added that police were investigating the
explosion.
One student told the BBC he saw the mutilated
bodies of fellow students at the scene, where
emergency operations were ongoing. A resident
reported seeing parents wailing at the sight of their
children's bodies at the hospital.
Soldiers who attended the site of the explosion
were met with fury by the assembled crowds who
pelted them with stones and accused them of not
doing enough to halt Boko Haram's insurgency.
A grieving relative told the BBC: "My brother, a
student in the school, died in the blast. He was
about 16 years old... We buried him at about
11:00am [10:00 GMT] today."

"The government needs to be more serious about
the fight against Boko Haram because it is getting
out of control," he added.
Potiskum is no stranger to attacks - last week a
suicide bombing there targeted Shia Muslims
Schools in Yobe state have been frequently
attacked by Boko Haram militants.

The state is one of three in Nigeria that have been
placed under a state of emergency as a result of
the group's activities.
Potiskum, one of the largest towns in Yobe, has
been targeted before by Boko Haram.
Last week, a suicide bombing killed 15 people in
the town.

The bomber joined a religious procession of the
rival Shia Muslim sect, before blowing himself up.
In April, Boko Haram sparked global outrage by
abducting more than 200 girls from a boarding
school in Chibok town in Borno state.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has
dismissed government claims to have agreed a
ceasefire, under which the girls would be released.
He says the children have converted to Islam, are
learning to memorise the Koran and have been
married off.

source:BBC website

Ablutophobia- Fear of washing or bathing.
Acarophobia- Fear of itching or of the insects that
cause itching.
Acerophobia- Fear of sourness.
Achluophobia- Fear of darkness.
Acousticophobia- Fear of noise.
Acrophobia- Fear of heights.
Aerophobia- Fear of drafts, air swallowing, or
airbourne noxious substances.
Aeroacrophobia- Fear of open high places.
Aeronausiphobia- Fear of vomiting secondary to
airsickness.
Agateophobia- Fear of insanity.
Agliophobia- Fear of pain.
Agoraphobia- Fear of open spaces or of being in
crowded, public places like markets. Fear of leaving
a safe place.
Agraphobia- Fear of sexual abuse.
Agrizoophobia- Fear of wild animals.
Agyrophobia- Fear of streets or crossing the street.
Aichmophobia- Fear of needles or pointed objects.
Ailurophobia- Fear of cats.
Albuminurophobia- Fear of kidney disease.
Alektorophobia- Fear of chickens.
Algophobia- Fear of pain.
Alliumphobia- Fear of garlic.
Allodoxaphobia- Fear of opinions.
Altophobia- Fear of heights.
Amathophobia- Fear of dust.
Amaxophobia- Fear of riding in a car.
Ambulophobia- Fear of walking.
Amnesiphobia- Fear of amnesia.
Amychophobia- Fear of scratches or being
scratched.
Anablephobia- Fear of looking up.
Ancraophobia- Fear of wind. (Anemophobia)
Androphobia- Fear of men.
Anemophobia- Fear of air drafts or wind.(Ancraopho
bia)
Anginophobia- Fear of angina, choking or
narrowness.
Anglophobia- Fear of England or English culture,
etc.
Angrophobia - Fear of anger or of becoming angry.
Ankylophobia- Fear of immobility of a joint.
Anthrophobia or Anthophobia- Fear of flowers.
Anthropophobia- Fear of people or society.
Antlophobia- Fear of floods.
Anuptaphobia- Fear of staying single.
Apeirophobia- Fear of infinity.
Aphenphosmphobia- Fear of being touched.
(Haphephobia)
Apiphobia- Fear of bees.
Apotemnophobia- Fear of persons with amputations.
Arachibutyrophobia- Fear of peanut butter sticking
to the roof of the mouth.
Arachnephobia or Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders.
Arithmophobia- Fear of numbers.
Arrhenphobia- Fear of men.
Arsonphobia- Fear of fire.
Asthenophobia- Fear of fainting or weakness.
Astraphobia or Astrapophobia- Fear of thunder and
lightning.(Ceraunophobia, Keraunophobia)
Astrophobia- Fear of stars or celestial space.
Asymmetriphobia- Fear of asymmetrical things.
Ataxiophobia- Fear of ataxia. (muscular
incoordination)
Ataxophobia- Fear of disorder or untidiness.
Atelophobia- Fear of imperfection.
Atephobia- Fear of ruin or ruins.
Athazagoraphobia- Fear of being forgotton or
ignored or forgetting.
Atomosophobia- Fear of atomic explosions.
Atychiphobia- Fear of failure.
Aulophobia- Fear of flutes.
Aurophobia- Fear of gold.
Auroraphobia- Fear of Northern lights.
Autodysomophobia- Fear of one that has a vile
odor.
Automatonophobia- Fear of ventriloquist's dummies,
animatronic creatures, wax statues - anything that
falsly represents a sentient being.
Automysophobia- Fear of being dirty.
Autophobia- Fear of being alone or of oneself.
Aviophobia or Aviatophobia- Fear of flying.

Which phobia do you have?

Add yours.

Welcome to Nigeria.

The land where the rich are praised regardless of the source of their ill-gotten wealth.

Welcome to Nigeria.

The land that the common 20naira thief is roasted alive because he can be reached.

Welcome to Nigeria.

The land where the politicians are worshipped and cannot be probed about how they siphoned money that was meant for me and you.Why? because he can't be reached like the 20naira thief.

Welcome to Nairaland

A site filled with people with brilliant minds,writers,future leaders,comedians,business minded people,young achievers.

The youths have been neglected for so long.
We should disagree to the popular saying that we are the leaders of tomorrow.
WHY NOT LEADERS OF TODAY?

God bless Nigeria.

Depression is a fact of life. So the first thing to
recognize is that while it is natural to feel shame
when experiencing depression, World Health
Organization statistics show that 15% of people
living in high-income countries report having a
depressive episode over their lifetime.
One common misconception about depression is
that it is caused by low serotonin—the
neurotransmitter associated with mood regulation.
While it's true that depressive disorders are often
correlated with low serotonin levels, this does not
prove causation.


Unfortunately, the medical industry reaches for
easy solutions to try and help people coping with
depressive/mood disorders, which has resulted in
epidemic overprescription of SSRIs and other anti-
depressant medications.

While antidepressant prescription still dominates
treatment, recent independent meta-analyses show,
however, that the placebo effect is as high as 80%
when it comes to pharmaceutical intervention.
That tells us that the belief that taking something
is going to have a beneficial effect is 80% effective
as the actual ingestion of a drug!
In other words, the physiological effect medication
may have to alter mood/anxiety neurotransmitters
can be actuated without them being present, as the
body can kick in its own natural production of
these neuro-hormones.


So you can see how the negative thoughts,
feelings and low energy associated with depression
can be turned around. This is not as simple as
saying just think positive—it requires a holistic
approach involving mind, body and life changes.
Here are some simple, powerful, daily actions to
take that can stimulate and engage your mind/
body process to restore balanced mood, self-
esteem and well being:


1. Call a friend or help someone.
Reaching out has some powerful effects. First of
all, it counteracts the downward spiral of shame
and self-loathing that goes with isolation. Part of
what triggers and feeds depression is a childhood
deficit of bonding experiences, which can make us
prone to being low in levels of serotonin (mood),
dopamine (safety, well-being) and oxytocin
(bonding/attachment).
Connecting with someone who knows you can
break through that bubble, lift your spirits, and give
you warm validation. Acts of kindness and service
also stimulate areas of the frontal cortex
associated with empathy and compassion, and
help stabilize mood!


2. Go for a walk.
Research shows that walking actually releases
oxytocin, the hormone released during childbirth,
bonding and lovemaking. The mild exercise will
also clear your head, increase oxygen flow to your
brain, and boost your serotonin. Add #1 to this
and you double the effect!


3. Make a list.
Negative thoughts can escalate into a completely
irrational pervasive state of shame and low self-
esteem, much like lingering pain in the body after
an injury has been treated. One way to cut through
this negative feedback loop is to make two lists:

(1) Write down five things that other people love
about you. This makes it impossible to self-
sabotage, since it's based on other people. If you
get stuck, ask them!
(2) Make a list, and be
honest, of things/people/situations in your life that
no longer work for you, and imagine what it would
feel like if they were no longer present in your life
—kind of like spring cleaning!


4. Deep breathing/meditation.
A few minutes daily of breathing deeply from your
belly, holding in and out for 8 seconds, is a
powerful agent. When your body is not getting
steady oxygen, noxious gases build up in your
blood, triggering anxiety and fight-or-flight reflexes
in your nervous system.
Secondly, without proper oxygenation, your brain
is starved of circulating blood and is prone to poor
function. Deep breathing slows down your heart
rate, restores blood flow to the brain, and calms
your nervous system. Notice how the anxiety/
depression eases!


5. Stabilize your blood sugar/take your EFAs (fish,
flax oil).
Depression can drive down your serotonin levels
making your body seek to replenish, which can
lead to emotional/stress eating patterns (simple
carbs, sugar, alcohol) and addictive behaviours,
oversleeping, etc.

Make sure you eat small amounts every three
hours and to stay hydrated to counteract that fight/
flight state or bottoming out of blood sugar levels.
Taking 3 to 4g of EFAs (Omega 3, 6, 9) has been
clinically proven to treat depression as, like deep
breathing, it restores normative function to your
brain, particularly in the areas where irrational
thoughts/feelings can overwhelm you.
It may take a little while to feel these effects, but
like exercise, step by step you begin to feel better,
and we get better by doing more of the positive
things versus trying to avoid the negative!

Stay excited