Top 10 Facts You Need To Know About Life In The Fast Lane | Healthy Living slideshows | Well Being center

Social Media

Too many friends on Facebook? Too many tweets? Spending your time tapping your PDA to keep up with everything? You may be a Facebookoholic or a Tweetoholic. Studies have shown that social media is the new form of addiction, and interestingly it has all the clinical features of dependence. When you keep on using it you don’t have the same feeling you first had with half an hour in FB in a few weeks (tolerance). If you are off the grid and have no way to connect you miss FB (withdrawal features). First you started with 10 minutes online but now you spend half your day online (similar to alcohol dependence - progressively larger amounts for longer). You try to cut down on your online time but you can’t. Other responsibilities go unfulfilled. You keep on going online despite clear knowledge of what it is doing to your life.

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Oxford textbook on psychiatry

Too Many Emails

As electronic data transfer improves, many organizations opt to work online with emails and web. A recent study revealed that many workers feel a lot of stress when they see a full inbox first thing in the morning at work. This is not helped by various organizations that flood your email account with unnecessary junk. The aforementioned study also revealed that many feel frustrated by having to sort through all the junk mail to get into important ones and the mere fact of having to delete junk mail gets up on one’s nerves. According to researchers, loosing the password to an email account has become one of most stress inducing incidents.

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Managing workplace stress by S Cartwright and L Cooper

Cell Phone

Many organizations provide their workers with a mobile phone in addition to the personal mobile for better connectivity, sometimes paid for by the company. Would you like to hear the company phone ringing in the middle of your well-earned vacation? Mobile phone radiation has been categorized as “possibly carcinogenic” by the IARC. Mobile phones generate a lot of heat. While the brain has an excellent thermoregulatory system, the cornea of the eye does not. In animal studies prolonged exposure was associated with cataracts. Studies have shown that brain cells closest to phone used up glucose faster than others. A leakage of albumin through the blood brain barrier also has been linked to prolonged exposure.

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Cellular and molecular neurophysiology by Constance Hammond

Multitasking

While the ability to multitask is valuable in today’s busy schedule, certain task combinations are known to be dangerous. Taking on the mobile phone while driving is one of most common dangerous combinations we encounter. Studies have shown that while the brain can cope with multiple tasks at the same time, due to the action of the thalamus and higher centers the focus tends to fluctuate between tasks according to the brain’s perception of prioritization. For example a driver will definitely break hard if he sees an obstacle even if he is totally absorbed in the conversation. Most of the time productivity and efficiency will suffer in multitasking.

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Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology by Constance hammond

Stress

Stress is how the body reacts to a challenging situation. Cortisol released as a tress response increases blood sugar levels, reduces insulin sensitivity of cells and suppresses the immune system. Noradrenalin dilates the pupils, increases the heart rate, elevates blood pressure and increases muscle tone. Stress related secretion of serotonin is associated with fear and anxiety. Prolonged stress levels will have a lasting physical response resulting in more damage. Stress also affects the cyclical hormonal changes and this is the main reason for stress related irregular menstruation. In is important to note that stress and its effect run in a vicious cycle.

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Effect of coping responses on stress by Jaym Weiss

Nagging Thoughts

Usually caused by some unfinished business work related or otherwise, nagging thoughts increase stress and distract you from your main goals. Although everyone has had nagging thoughts at one time or another, nobody is capable of forgetting all the troubles and concentrating on work at the same time. In many cases, the drive to work harder comes from nagging worries. While it can be a positive force in life sometimes, it can also lead to clinically detectable psychiatric conditions such as depression, hallucinations and delusions. Nagging thoughts will preoccupy you and will keep you awake at night.

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Oxford textbook on psychiatry

Fatigue

Fatigue can be either physical or mental. Physical fatigue is the inability to maintain peak efficiency in exertion. Mental fatigue is the blunting of higher brain function after prolonged cognitive activity. The manifestation of mental fatigue is thought to be due to the response of the reticular activating system of the brain. Autoimmune, cardiac, respiratory, renal, hepatic, hematological conditions as well as depression and sleep deprivation can cause fatigue. Therefore fatigue itself is a very vague and non-specific feature, diagnostically speaking. Regular adequate sleep and diet are the best treatments for fatigue. People suffering from mental fatigue generally simply need a break from their hard work.

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Cellular and molecular neurophysiology by Constance Hammond

Depression

Depression is characterized by a low mood, lack of energy and lack of enjoyment in tasks that were previously pleasurable. Lack of sleep, lack of appetite, reduced sex drive and reduced self-care as well as psychotic features such as delusions and hallucinations are known associations of depression. Many individuals with depression have a history of a significant negative life event or a persistent problem always bothering them. In severe depression there is a high risk of suicide. Addressing the causative factor is essential. Drugs like fluoxetine, paroxetine, TCAD as well as electro-convulsive therapy may be indicted according to the severity of symptoms.

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Oxford textbook on psychiatry

Hunger

Life in the fast lane is a busy life always on the run while having no time for anything pleasurable. Skipping meals is a common consequence. Skipping meals increases the net intake of energy because you tend to overeat whenever you get the chance. Some individuals use eating as a stress management method (comfort eating). Grabbing whatever possible on the run will promote unhealthy eating habits, something that will eventually result in overweight and then obesity. More fat tissue means insulin insensitivity. It is important to remember that hunger is one of the three cardinal features of diabetes mellitus.

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Oxford textbook on psychiatry
A review of medical physiology by Ganong

Medication

Popping pills has become a daily routine for some. Anxiolytics and sleeping tablets to help you sleep, food supplements and vitamins to replace the reduced dietary intake, and even “fat burning” pills to cover for the unhealthy eating habits will slowly creep into your life. Studies have shown that many people follow a prescription for conditions that are actually caused by their “busy schedule”. In addition to the financial effects of following an expensive prescription, the regular consumption of medication may alter the body chemistry and physiology resulting in various metabolic disorders. Most of the time, stress is the cause for all the troubles and once rid of it many lead a new life.