Dieting Lifestyle

Welcome to Ben Greenfield’s Weekly Roundup and Cool New Discoveries!

Ben Greenfield’s discoveries from the latest news from the fronts of fitness, nutrition, health, wellness, biohacking and anti-aging research. I also recap my upcoming events and special announcements so you can keep up with giveaways, discounts, and more!

New Discoveries Of The Week: Cool New Things I’m Trying, Books I’m Reading, And More!

– New Workout I’m Doing

A relatively recent study conducted by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), discovered that, when it comes to heart rate and oxygen expenditure, bouncing on a mini-trampoline for less than 20 minutes a day is just as good for you as running, although participants reported that it made them feel better and was a lot more fun than actually running.

In the study, researchers gave a group of 24 participants a mini trampoline workout in the form of a 19-minute trampoline workout. They then measured the jumpers’ heart rates and oxygen expenditure each of the 19 minutes.

They specifically found that trampolining is rated as a “moderate-to-vigorous intensity” exercise that produces the same physiological benefits as running six miles per hour, cycling, or playing football, basketball, or ultimate Frisbee. But as I mentioned above, when the participants were actually asked to rate how they felt during the trampoline workout, they reported that the workout felt far easier than it should have based on their cardiovascular response and calorie burn.

This isn’t actually groundbreaking news. In fact, trampoline-based exercise, also known as “rebounding” has a quite a colorful history as both a recreational sport and exercise modality. For example, during World War II, trampolines were used to help increase the spatial awareness and balance abilities of pilots. NASA has studied trampoline training for astronauts and found it to be (similar to this latest study) just as effective as running, with no significant differences in maximal heart rate, maximal oxygen uptake or energy expenditure when exercising on a mini-trampoline compared to treadmill running.

For these reasons, I’m a fan of having a trampoline tucked away somewhere in the home or office. You’ll find that when you feel like doing absolutely nothing at all, and definitely don’t feel like exercising, just two minutes of jumping on a trampoline can give you a burst of energy, and it’s a wonderful tool to have on hand for a recovery day too. And you don’t just have to “bounce”: you can do jumping jacks, high-knee running, squats, planks and plenty more. The best rebounder models are made by Jumpsport (it’s the one I own).

-The Trampoline Workout I Do:

Having an orgasm is a powerful, full-body experience. Your muscles contract, your breath quickens, and you might even break a sweat.

Which is why you may have wondered at one point or another: How many calories does an orgasm burn? Your heart's pumping like you're running a marathon and you're clenching your core like you're busting out an ab workout, so it's got to be something, right?

Determined to figure it out, I put on my Sherlock Holmes cap and reached out to Dr. Uchenna Ossai, a pelvic health physical therapist and sex educator for LifeStyles Condoms. Here's what she had to say.

How many calories does an orgasm burn?

To answer my question, Ossai pointed to a 2013 study — we've written about it before — on the number of calories men and women burn during a full sex session. Published in the journal PLOS ONE, it found that the average male burns around 4 calories a minute, and the average female burns around 3.

"With the average sexytime session lasting about 6 minutes, that only allows for 18 to 24 calories," Ossai reasoned. "So if we are looking at a measure of heart rate, and your orgasms are lasting anywhere from 10 to 60 seconds, you can expect a maximum calorie burn of 4 calories [during an orgasm]."

Even if you've mastered the art of having multiple orgasms, you're still not exactly on your way to working off that cheat meal. Sorry, pal.

But wait! There's good news. Even if orgasms don't burn many calories, they still have plenty of health benefits. They can relieve pain, help you sleep, improve your cognitive function, and boost your mood.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

"Orgasms are stellar tools in the never-ending battle with stress and anxiety," Ossai said.

And here's something you probably didn't know: "Even though ejaculation is not necessary for orgasms, research does indicate that regular orgasms and ejaculation can be a protective factor against prostate cancer," she added. (It's true: Check out these studies from 2004 and 2006.)

The takeaway? Orgasms are great — just not in the calorie-burning department. That's fine, because sex isn't about working out, anyway. That's what the glorious post-sex gym session is for.

Source: https://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/a23024142/how-many-calories-does-an-orgasm-burn/

When you’re dealing with depression, even something as small as getting out of the house feels like an impossible task. You’re not alone: Depression affects more than 16.1 million American adults every year.[1] Therapy helps. According to a growing body of research, exercise helps you feel better, too. The best part? You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to reap the benefits of weight training for mental health. Here’s what you should know, including five workouts to get started — even on days when you don’t want to get out of bed.

If you’re struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please talk to someone. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. You can also use the 24/7 confidential chat option on their website.

How exercise boosts your mental health

It’s time to reframe the way people think about wellness. It’s limiting to think that exercise is just a way to lose weight or build muscle. In reality, exercise supports your brain health, hormonal function, and self-esteem. It also improves your mood, which is why it’s an important part of any self-care routine, whether you’re depressed or not.

In fact, studies shows that exercise effectively reduces symptoms of depression, anxiety, and panic disorders.[2][3][4] Researchers don’t yet understand the antidepressant effects of exercise, and it’s tough to pin down specific answers because mood disorders as a whole have many different causes. Here’s what researchers do know: According to a 2018 review of over 33 randomized clinical trials, resistance training significantly reduced depressive symptoms among adults, regardless of how much weight they lifted or how much strength they gained.[5]

That’s a big deal because the term “resistance training” is super broad — it can define workouts that use equipment like exercise machines, resistance bands, free weights, or even your own body weight. Based on the review, any workout that improves muscular strength and endurance can ease symptoms of depression. Those symptoms include anxiety, poor sleep, fatigue, and low self-esteem.[6]

Related: For Better Sleep, Upgrade Your Exercise Routine

If pushups and planks aren’t your thing, that’s OK, too. A seminal study on aerobic exercise and depression found that moderate cardio — just 30 minutes, three days a week — worked as well as antidepressants in staving off symptoms, and was more effective than drugs at preventing relapses.[7]

Benefits of exercise for depression

Here are a few prevailing theories to explain how working out helps your mental health:[8]  

• It releases feel-good hormones: Exercise releases endorphins, hormones that improve your mood and contribute to a positive sense of well-being. Endorphins even help relieve pain, which often accompanies depression. [9][10][11]
• It modulates important neurotransmitters: Depression diminishes the neurotransmitters associated with mood and stress response (serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine). Exercise increases the availability of these essential neurotransmitters, which may restore healthy brain function and help you feel better.[12][13]
• It boosts your self-esteem: Depression contributes to negative thoughts and feelings of low self-worth. However, exercise has been shown to enhance self-efficacy — your belief in yourself and your abilities.[14]
• It’s relaxing: Raising your core body temperature through exercise may reduce muscular tension and make you feel relaxed, which alleviates symptoms of anxiety and stress.[15]

These findings supports decades of other research that establish exercise as an effective treatment option for mood disorders. That’s great news for people who are seeking ways to boost their mood with or without prescription medication. Approximately 322 million people live with depression worldwide, but not everyone has easy access to a doctor.[16] While exercise alone may not cure depression, it can help you feel better.

Related: How to Fight Depression Without Medication

5 mood-boosting workouts you can do anywhere

Ready to take charge of your mental health? Your goal is to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day, three times per week.[17] Start slowly and pick a form of exercise you enjoy. Even just 10 minutes of physical activity can make a difference. And, yes, brisk walking counts.

It’s a good idea to keep track of your workouts to monitor what you’re doing and the way you feel on days you work out. Set small, achievable goals, like trying a new workout or exercising for at least 10 minutes. These are great goals to share with a therapist or a close friend.

Research suggests the most effective, mood-boosting exercises target your large muscle groups and work your body at moderate intensity. [18] However, that’s not always feasible when you’re dealing with depression, and that’s totally fine. Below, you’ll find a mix of workout ideas to stretch your muscles and get your blood flowing.

1. 7-minute yoga routine

Don’t want to get out of bed or off the couch? Follow this soothing bedtime routine to unwind and relax. Stretching, focusing on your breathing, and being mindful about your movements can help you clear your mind and find happiness.

2. Simple resistance workout

This is weight-bearing workout hits every major muscle group. You can do it with a dumbbell, kettlebell, barbell, or exercise machine.

Do 10 reps of each exercise with a rest in between. Repeat this circuit up to four times.

• Push-ups
• Squats
• Pull-ups
• Deadlifts

This workout comes straight from the Bulletproof Exercise Roadmap. Click here to download the illustrated guide, plus a bunch of other free resources.

3. The “Big 5” workout

Perform one set of each move. Take each set to muscular failure (that’s gym talk for until you can’t do anymore).

• Seated Row
• Chest Press
• Pull Down
• Overhead Press
• Leg Press

The Big 5 workout appears in “The Bulletproof Diet” for a reason: It’s an effective way to build muscle without spending tons of time at the gym. The video above explains the workouts, and you can follow the workouts here. Listen to an interview with the creator of the “Big 5” workout, Doug McGuff, MD, on this episode of the Bulletproof Radio podcast.

4. No-equipment bodyweight workout

Repeat this circuit 10 times:

• 30 seconds burpees
• 30 seconds walking in place

Burpees are a full-body workout that hit multiple muscle groups. They’re also great for cardio, and the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) structure of this workout will give your energy a boost. Learn more about the benefits of HIIT.

Not sure how to do a burpee? Check out this video:

5. Full-body HIIT workout

Do each exercise for 60 seconds. In between each workout, walk in place for 30 seconds.

• Jog in place
• Walk in place
• Bodyweight squats
• Walk in place
• Push-ups
• Walk in place
• High jumps
• Walk in place
• Sit-ups
• Walk in place
• Burpees
• Walk in place

Exercise is a great way to boost your mood and help relieve symptoms of depression. But remember that it’s OK to reach out and talk to someone if you feel like you need a helping hand. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or use the 24/7 confidential chat option on their website.

Per-person spending on insulin doubled in a recent five-year period, according to a report released Tuesday.

Individuals with type 1 diabetes spent an average of $5,705 on insulin in 2016, compared with $2,864 in 2012, according to a study from the Health Care Cost Institute.

The dollar amount represents the combined amount paid by a patient and their insurer, and doesn't include discounts given later. 

The spending jump is largely driven by price increases, the authors wrote, and not because more people are using insulin. 

Between that period, average daily insulin rose a modest 3 percent, the report says.

For an individual using an average amount of insulin, the price increased from $7.80 a day in 2012 to $15 a day in 2016. 

Price increases have the biggest impact on the uninsured and those with high deductible health plans, which requires that customers pay a certain amount toward their health care before insurance kicks in.

Rising drug prices have caused national outcry in recent years, with the new Democratic House majority vowing to investigate. 

The House Oversight and Reform Committee last week sent letters to a dozen drug companies seeking detailed information and documents about how they price their medications.

Several Democratic committee chairmen have also said they will call in drugmakers to explain price increases. 

Minnesota's attorney general filed a lawsuit in October accusing the three main insulin drug manufacturers of deceptively raising prices.

You just woke up on a Sunday morning after spending another Saturday night out late drinking and eating with your best pals. You’re about to open the group chat and see who’s down for getting some late-morning, greasy brekkie when your eyes glance over to your kitchen counter that is currently being used a storage space for your incoming mail. Phone bill, Internet bill, credit card statement, etc. The envelopes are piling up, and once you realize the first of the month is just around the corner, you suddenly have a weird feeling in your stomach that you don’t think is caused by your 2 AM McDonald’s binge.

“Will I have enough money this month to cover my expenses?” you think. You vaguely remember a coworker mentioning her monthly budget the other day and, to your surprise, your thoughts are no longer on the potential eggs benedict and large coffee you could be eating, but rather, “How do I create a budget for myself?”

How do you start a budget?

Starting a budget from scratch can be daunting. Checking your bank balance can be a messy ordeal itself, and now on top of that, you have to search out the best budget app or a budget template, but when you do you’re overwhelmed with features and colors and pie charts and graphs and potential emails that will tell you you’re overspending in all your categories (again).

Before getting involved with any online app service, I recommend getting to know your own finances by creating a simple budget spreadsheet.

Some Basic Accounting Principles

My monthly budget follows the design of a simple accounting income statement. For those of you who have never taken an accounting class before, the concept is pretty simple. An Income Statement is a report of a company’s revenue minus their expenses, to find their net income.

In human words, your monthly paychecks minus your monthly spending equals what you have leftover at the month. To start, create two lists: a list of your necessary expenses and a list of your not-necessary expenses. Necessary expenses are those you can’t get around paying. They are fixed amounts you pay every month. For me, my lists look like this:

Necessary Expenses:

• RRSP Contribution (retirement savings — in the U.S., this would be something like a 401k or IRA)
• TFSA Contribution (other long-term savings — in the U.S., the closest thing might be a Roth IRA, though it is more limited than a Canadian TFSA; this part of your budget might also go to something like a high-yield savings account for your emergency fund)
• Rent
• Renter’s Insurance
• Tuition Payment
• Phone Bill
• Metropass
• Gym Membership

Not-Necessary Expenses:

• Groceries
• Personals (toiletries, self-care, etc)
• Miscellaneous (restaurants, theatre tickets, etc.)

Find the sum of your necessary expenses and add that to the sum of your not-necessary expenses, to find your total expenses. Your total expenses should always be less, or, if need-be, equal to your monthly income. If your expenses are greater than your income, you will be in a deficit at the end of every month. The goal here is to find budget amounts that work for you and your lifestyle, but don’t cause you stress or worry. For example, my groceries budget is $300 month, which breaks down to $75 a week.

On my spreadsheet, I create tables for my not-necessary expenses that I update when I spend in that category, to ensure I am staying on track for the monthly amount I’ve allowed myself. Below is a personal spreadsheet budget example, complete with some fake dollar amounts to show how the formulas work.

Practice Makes Perfect

Once you’ve tracked your spending for a month or two, you may feel brave enough to venture away from the spreadsheet to one of the highly favored apps that are out there. But I recommend steadily tracking your expenses so you really see where it is your money is going each week. You shouldn’t be feeling down on yourself if in the first while you find that you’re consistently going over your ideal budget.

Rather, use this as a way to step back and potentially evaluate and make changes to your different categories. Are you always going over on your Restaurants category but consistently have large amounts left over in your Groceries section? Maybe next month, change those budgets and lower your grocery limit and heighten your restaurant limit. There is not one “right amount” everyone should allocate to categories. Your allocations can also change month-to-month. Oh, your birthday is in June and you know Grandma is giving you an extra $100 that month? Add it to your income, and then up your Shopping category!

Budgeting is not an exact science, but I promise once you start writing down every dollar you spend, it’s only going to get easier and clearer as time goes on.

Here are some other budgeting resources for newbies:

Hailey is a homebody. Follow her social medias @hailmast.

Image via Unsplash

Like this story? Follow The Financial Diet on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily tips and inspiration, and sign up for our email newsletter here.

Source: https://thefinancialdiet.com/how-to-make-a-budget-when-youve-literally-never-thought-about-money-before/

Having a headache is a pain—literally and figuratively. And it’s even worse when your headaches feel constant and as if pain is nagging you all the damn time. You might be surprised to learn that there’s a fairly lengthy list of causes of constant headaches. Some reasons behind chronic headaches are not serious, while other causes can signify a deeper health issue is at play.

What causes a headache?

Experts don't completely understand what's happening in our skulls when a headache hits, but the most likely explanation is that something causes the blood vessels to swell, subsequently stretching the nerves around them and firing off pain signals.

There are three primary types of headaches: migraines, tension, and cluster, Susan Hutchinson, M.D., director of Orange County Migraine & Headache Center, tells SELF. Here’s a quick summary of each type:

Cluster headaches: This type occurs usually on one side of the head, causes one eye to tear, and leaves you feeling extremely agitated. They are not very common and seem to run in families, Dr. Hutchinson says. An “attack” may last weeks or months, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The cause is unknown, but cluster headaches may occur if something with the body’s biological clock is off, per the Mayo Clinic. Also, cluster headaches generally aren’t triggered by certain factors, like stress or hormonal changes, the way tension headaches and migraines can be. (The exceptions: Certain medications and alcohol may trigger cluster headaches, per the Mayo Clinic.)

Migraines: Migraines typically cause pain (sometimes so intense that it affects a person’s ability to function) on one side of the head and possibly nausea and/or sensitivity to light, the Mayo Clinic explains.

It’s not totally clear what causes migraines, but it’s possible that they have to do with “changes in the brainstem and its interactions with the trigeminal nerve,” the Mayo Clinic says. (Changes in serotonin levels in the brain may also play a role, but more research is needed to determine how and why.) Experts believe migraines are primarily genetic.

Tension headaches: Anyone can get a tension headache, which is caused by muscle tightness in the head, neck, or scalp, according to MedlinePlus. "Unlike migraines, which we think are genetically predisposed, tension headaches are pretty universal," Dr. Hutchinson says.

Tension headaches can be caused by everything from dehydration and workplace stress to undiagnosed diabetes or an autoimmune disease. A tension headache feels tight, like your head is in a vice, and can occur on both sides and commonly hits later in the day as tension builds. "It's a tight, oppressing feeling," Dr. Hutchinson explains.

If you're experiencing constant headaches, chances are they're either tension or migraines.

So what does it mean if your headaches are constant or chronic?

Technically, for your headaches to be considered chronic, they need to go on for 15 days or longer per month, for at least three consecutive months, SELF reported previously. That being said, if you have recurring headaches for, say, two weeks, that doesn’t mean you should discount your pain—you should still see your doctor.

The causes of constant, headaches—whether tension or migraine—range from totally minor to pretty major. Here are 10 things your headaches could reveal about your health.

1. You're stressed.

"Unresolved stress can really contribute to headache," Dr. Hutchinson says. As mentioned, tension headaches happen when the muscles of the neck and scalp tense up, and this can be a physical response that your body has to stress and anxiety, MedlinePlus explains.

If you're suffering from headaches, stop and think about what's going on in your life. How stressed are you? And are you just pushing your stress under the rug instead of dealing with it?

Fix it: This is where stress management and self-care techniques become crucial—and possibly therapy. Psychotherapeutic interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy can help you better cope with anxious thoughts. Everyone’s stress and anxiety management methods are different, as SELF reported previously; but oftentimes a mix of techniques that you can do on your own and/or with a mental health professional is best.

2. You're dehydrated.

"With any kind of headache, a person needs to look at their health habits," Dr. Hutchinson says. One important thing to look at is water intake, as dehydration can cause headaches. The exact connection is unknown, but experts believe it has to do with the way blood volume drops when you're not getting enough water. Lower blood volume means less oxygen is getting to the brain.

Fix it: Keep an eye out for obvious signs of dehydration, including having yellow pee, feeling thirsty, and having a dry mouth. Then, drink more water (of course). You can also up the amount of foods with high-water content in your diet (think: celery, watermelon, and tomatoes).

The amount of fluids you need to consume depends on different factors, like your age and physical activity levels. But as a general rule of thumb, women should consume about 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of water (from drinks and food) each day, and roughly 3.7 liters (125 ounces) of water daily for men, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

3. You're anemic.

Anemia is a condition where you lack enough red blood cells to properly transport oxygen to tissues throughout your body, the Mayo Clinic explains. It can bring on symptoms including fatigue, feeling weak, shortness of breath, and others. "More severe anemia can cause headache," Dr. Hutchinson says.

There are different causes of anemia, including having an iron deficiency, having lower-than-normal levels of B-12 and/or folic acid, or having a chronic health condition that leads to anemia.

Fix it: If you’re having symptoms of anemia, bring them up with your doctor. From there, they may decide to test your red blood cell levels to determine whether you are anemic (or they may choose to do other tests or examinations to rule out other possible underlying health conditions).

Luckily, if you suffer from iron- or vitamin-deficiency anemia, it's reversible by upping iron or vitamin intake. Your doctor will guide this course of treatment.

4. You have a chronic disease.

Headache is a common side effect of many chronic health conditions like fibromyalgia, lupus, and diabetes.

Fix it: If you have chronic headaches, it's always worth talking to your doctor if anything feels off with your body to figure out if an underlying condition could be causing your issues. Even if you’re unsure and think it may be something minor, don’t delay seeking medical attention and be your own health advocate.

5. You’re dealing with hormonal issues, like menstruation.

Thanks to the drop in estrogen right before menstruation, many women experience PMS-related headaches. In fact, menstruation is one of the biggest migraine triggers for women.

But it's not the only time a change in estrogen levels can cause a headache—both perimenopause and postpartum periods are marked by a significant drop in estrogen, and as a result, often come with headaches. Pregnancy, too, affects estrogen levels, so you may notice that your headaches worsen (or disappear in some cases) during this time, the Mayo Clinic says. "Any time of hormonal change is a vulnerable time for headaches," Dr. Hutchinson says.

Fix it: If you notice that your headaches appear to be cyclical and coincide with your period, it’s worth bringing this up with your doctor, who may suggest going on hormonal birth control or switching your current birth control.

As the Mayo Clinic explains, hormonal birth control can have an effect on your headache patterns; and for some people, hormonal contraception may make headaches less frequent and intense because they reduce the drop in estrogen that happens during your menstrual cycle.

For short-term headache relief around your period, typical headache remedies can help, like using ice or a cold compress, practicing relaxation techniques, or taking an over-the-counter pain relief medication.

It’s worth noting that if you’re dealing with chronic headaches during pregnancy, you should consult your doctor first about what solutions make sense for you, as some headache medications are not safe for pregnant people, the Mayo Clinic says.

6. You have a sinus problem.

Sinus headaches are not that common, Dr. Hutchinson notes. "Most sinus headaches are just migraines with sinus symptoms," she says. So if you have recurrent headaches in your sinus or facial area, chances are it's a migraine. In fact, studies have shown that approximately 90 percent of people who see a doctor for sinus headaches are found to actually have migraines, according to the Mayo Clinic.

But if your headache is paired with fever, phlegm, or any other indication you might be sick, an underlying sinus infection may be to blame.

Fix it: If you do have a sinus infection, the headache should go away after taking antibiotics to knock out the infection—so pay a visit to your physician.

7. Your body clock is off.

Ever wake up for a super early flight and notice a nagging pain in your head? Disrupting your body's schedule can trigger headaches, Dr. Hutchinson says.

Getting up earlier (or later) than usual can throw off your circadian rhythm. "Travel in general is a trigger," she adds. The stress of traveling, change in barometric pressure, change in time zones, and just being at an airport can all trigger a headache.

Fix it: While sometimes it’s just not possible to maintain the exact same sleep-wake schedule (say, if you’re traveling abroad), it’s important to try to keep as close to your typical routine as possible. This way, you’ll limit the disruption to your body clock, and in turn, keep headaches away, or at least more infrequent.

Also, stress relief practices are especially important in hectic travel settings—like loud, crowded airports—to keep nagging head pain under control.

8. You drink too much caffeine.

Caffeine causes vasoconstriction in your blood vessels, meaning they get a little narrower. If you drink coffee or other caffeinated drinks every day, your body gets used to it, Dr. Hutchinson explains. So when you skip it one day, your blood vessels don't become constricted and can make your head hurt. It becomes a vicious cycle, slugging back a mug to find relief, and just further deepening your need for caffeine.

Fix it: "It's unrealistic to tell all headache patients to avoid caffeine," Dr. Hutchinson says. She recommends moderation—a maximum of two caffeinated drinks in one day—to avoid that withdrawal headache when you go without. (Keep in mind, that means two small-size coffees, not jumbo cups.)

9. You're taking too many headache meds.

Headache treatments can potentially backfire. "Sometimes, the thing you’re taking for headache starts working against you," Dr. Hutchinson says. Overdoing it on painkillers can actually make the pain worse—and the caffeine in some medications like Excedrin can cause withdrawal headaches, compounding the effects. Overuse of any pain medication to treat headaches can cause what's called a rebound headache.

Fix it: If you've been taking a lot of OTC medications, try stopping for a day or drastically limiting your intake. "If you're able to then have a day without a headache and don’t need to take anything, then you can say you’re out of the rebound," says Dr. Hutchinson.

10. In rare cases, constant headaches could be a sign of a brain tumor.

Googling your headache symptoms may result in a self-diagnosis of brain tumor. Rest assured: They're rare, so chances are you don't have one. But it’s a possibility, and something you don't want to miss, Dr. Hutchinson says. "If a patient’s had a regular headache pattern [for months] and it hasn’t changed, it's usually not a red flag," she says.

If headaches are a new thing for you, are the most severe you've ever experienced, or are changing or worsening over time, these are signs your doctor may order a brain scan. But if you're ever worried about what's causing your headaches, it's worth discussing with your doctor.

Michael Hernandez/EyeEm via Getty Images

“The brain’s fear circuit works very quickly, and it doesn’t always pause to differentiate between good anxiety and bad.”

- Carla Marie Manly, California-based clinical psychologist

Acknowledge that your anxiety is getting triggered

d3sign via Getty Images

Allow yourself to feel your anxiety

Slow down for a moment

Thomas Barwick via Getty Images

Expect — and take in — the good

Talk to someone

Hero Images via Getty Images

Using effort in classical mindfulness meditation typically means working to bring our attention back to whatever is the present-moment experience. We rigorously and faithfully return our attention to our main focus, typically our breathing. The moment we notice we've gotten lost in thought, we deliberately redirect our attention back to our breathing. It can be very hard work. I've seen meditators covered in sweat, straining to be aware.

This type of overexertion in meditation is too extreme. In classical mindfulness meditation, we need to be balanced between effort that leads to clear seeing and too much effort that doesn't really serve us. Some meditators experience a lot of self-judgment, believing that they're not trying hard enough.

Classical mindfulness meditators typically report that focusing gets easier over time. They can stay aware of their breathing for extended periods, or they find that they return their attention to their breath more quickly when it wanders away. Some people call this ease effortless effort—an experience in our meditation practice in which we are making an effort, but it doesn't seem hard to do at all.

Relaxing effort to shift into natural awareness is a little different. It means that we rein in the tendency to try to put our attention on our breath or other objects, and instead we just be with the objects as they arise.

I think a common concern of many meditators is that if they stop trying, then nothing will happen. Meditators also worry that their mind will wander all over the place if they are not making any effort to do something with it. Well, just sitting down and not doing anything wouldn't be natural awareness practice; it would be sitting down and doing nothing. So that's not what we're trying to do here. Dropping or relaxing effort is very different in that we are tuning in to the awareness that is already present, without trying hard to get there. We also don't necessarily have a wandering mind because we relax effort on the heels of having worked hard to pay attention.

Think of shifting into natural awareness like riding a bicycle. Often we pedal really hard, but at a certain point, we stop pedaling and begin coasting. The bike stays upright, and we continue to head wherever we're going, but we're not working so hard. In fact, it's usually quite exhilarating to coast on a bicycle. The coasting is dependent upon the earlier pedaling stage, just like effortlessness in meditation is dependent upon the effort you made earlier—particularly the effort to concentrate your mind.

So what does relaxing effort feel like in meditation? It feels like stopping the attempt to wrestle with your unruly mind, to bring it effortfully back to the present, and instead resting, relaxing, and exploring the awareness that is already present. It often feels like things are just happening on their own, and we're witnessing them. It can feel immensely relaxing and joyful to stop the struggle. We may lose the effortlessness, and then it takes a bit of effort to return to it (such as deliberately returning our attention to our breath for a few moments—or, to return to our bicycle analogy, pedaling for a block or two), but for the most part we are coasting, not pedaling. This relaxing of effort is one way to access a natural awareness:

Anyone who has ever slept next to a partner knows being part of a unit can affect how well you sleep—from dealing with the other person's weird tossing and turning all night to battling for your fair share of the blanket to trying to get some shut-eye when you're still halfway through a fight with the person lying next to you and you can't stop thinking about it.

Past research has shown your relationship can affect your sleep, but a new study published in the Personal Relationships journal has now found an even deeper connection between your love life and sleep: Apparently having a history of stressful relationships may make you more likely to have poorer sleep quality.

Researchers analyzed existing data that had been collected on over 260 people born in the mid-1970s regularly from the time they were born until mid-adulthood. These participants were asked questions about their lives periodically, including being surveyed and interviewed about their recent romantic relationships, experiences with stress, and sleep quality. Analyzing these people's responses between ages 23 and 37, the researchers discovered a trend: People who'd had better relationships during their early adult years dealt with fewer and less disruptive stressful life experiences at age 32, and that led to having better sleep quality at age 37. That was true regardless of depression status, gender, ethnicity, income, education, and even how much stress people currently had at age 37.

In other words, having a history of good relationships as a young adult—that is, stable long-term relationships where there's mutual care, trust, emotional closeness, and sensitivity to each other's needs and where conflicts are resolved in a healthy and satisfying way—tended to lead to less stressful experiences throughout adulthood, which in turn led to better sleep over time.

It's understandable why stressful life experiences (like job changes, health issues, legal battles, and interpersonal conflicts) would take their toll on a person's sleep quality; a lot of past research has shown that having a lot of stress can seriously disrupt your sleep. But why might having a better love life lead to having fewer of these types of seemingly unrelated tough life events, or at least having them be less stressful?

"One explanation is that people who possess the interpersonal competencies necessary to maintain relationships marked by mutual caring, trust, conflict resolution, and other positive characteristics are also more likely to have other traits that may mitigate their exposure to and reduce the severity of those stressors when they occur," the researchers write in the paper. "For instance, people who score high in romantic relationship effectiveness may be more likely to demonstrate caring and responsiveness in other types of relationships (e.g., with family or co-workers), which might reduce exposure to conflict. Moreover, when stressful events due to uncontrollable sources are encountered (e.g., unemployment, death of a family member), people high in relationship effectiveness may also be more likely to possess intrapersonal and interpersonal resources, allowing them to cope better with the stressful life event and reduce its severity."

So people who are good at romantic love are probably good at dealing with people in other parts of their life, and those skills and emotional experiences set them up to either avoid stressful occasions or deal with them well when they occur.

"Cues of social belongingness and emotional security can facilitate a sense of protection that down-regulates stress reactivity and promotes better sleep," the researchers explain. "Given that romantic relationships are an especially potent source of social belongingness and emotional security in adulthood, one's experiences, tendencies, and engagement in his or her romantic relationships should have a particularly strong impact on sleep patterns."

This is all pretty hard news to hear for anyone who feels like they've had a pretty unlucky love life thus far. But don't worry: The point here isn't that if romance isn't the easiest for you, you're doomed to a life of stress and bad sleep. Rather, this study simply reinforces one of the most important benefits of being in a relationship: being able to learn about how to communicate better, navigate conflicts, take care of another person, and take care of yourself. Relationships are far less about validating your worth as much as they are about learning how to become a better human being.

The good news? You can totally do that without a partner, too. Romantic relationships happen to be a great place to learn those lessons, but so are so many other parts of our social lives—our family relationships, our friendships, our professional connections, and more.

If your sleep and mental health are important to you, then your social relationships should be too. Interfacing with other people is pivotal not only to learning how to deal with stress and conflict but also to having a support system in place during all those bad times. That stability seems to be the real key to being able to have a secure, peaceful night's sleep over time.