Do Video Games Really Rot Your Brain?

Until this past weekend, I have been against video games. I always thought they were a pointless waste of time and energy (both energy from the person playing as well as energy that is costing me money). Sure, I've played video games before. I grew up with an original Nintendo then my brother got the original PlayStation for Christmas one year. I always played games with him, but thought they were stupid because I could never win. Eventually my teen years took over and I forgot about video games altogether.

It wasn't until this past weekend when my boyfriend purchased a PS3 that I realized video games could actually be beneficial to not only the person playing them, but to others surrounding them as well. He purchased a PS3, a new Samsung 32 inch television, and three games to play which are Call of Duty MW3, Sonic Unleashed, and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. Sure I've heard of these games because when they come out, my Facebook blows up with constant posts on how "awesome" and "sweet" the graphics are and such. I watched my boyfriend hook everything up in the guest bedroom then I left him alone when he started playing the games.

A gaming system is an amazing thing. Not only does it keep the attention of males for up to 6 hours at a time (possibly more, depending on the game and how tired/hungry/or how full the bladder is) it keeps them quiet and out of the way. I can't think of a time where I got so much work done in one day than last Saturday afternoon. I cleaned the kitchen, both bathrooms, living room, and I did the dishes. I wrote five pages on a paper and finished research notes for another class completely uninterrupted. It was truly amazing. I felt accomplished and full of energy.

Now I'm not mocking video games because since that Saturday I have dabbled in all three games and also borrowed SkyRim from a friend. I think video games are a good release from reality but shouldn't become someone's life. Unfortunately this does happen and this is the only downfall of having a gaming system in the house. You have to weigh the pros and cons though and usually the pros do outweigh the cons on this matter. PS3 even has educational games that I can teach my son to play.

All in all, video games are in fact, not the devil as I had previously thought, but rather, a blessing in disguise. They are entertaining and educational (well, sometimes) and a good stress reliever. They help develop problem solving skills as well as boost creativity. And they keep your man (or your kids) out of your hair for a few hours. For now, I'm on the video game bandwagon, but that could always change.

I Have Found The Answer

Now that I am getting used to this whole blogging thing. I feel as if I want to share more. So I'm going to share. Over the years, especially during high school, I have become quite lazy. Laying around the house and watching television or movies was the top priority once Friday night came and I had the weekend to relax. I was also starting to eat badly and gain a little weight. Fast food made me feel sluggish and gross, not to mention tired all the time. Soda gave me a quick boost of energy then left me tired in a span of just a few hours. I knew that I needed to change my lifestyle or I was going to end up with no ambition to do anything but eat gross food and lay around waiting for the next cooking show to come on. So I started exercising.

Sure, exercising sounds boring. It sounds un-fun. How can running in place, lifting weights, and sweating while straining your body be exciting? Well I'm here to set the record straight: It's not. I'm not one of those exercise freaks that will lie to you and say, "Oh exercising is awesome! I love it so much I wish my life consisted of just working out!" (This statement could be true if your a personal trainer, but if you're average like me, it's not). Exercising is hard. It's hard to get into and it's hard to keep up with. What is exciting about it is the results that you get once you've begun to lose weight and tone your body.

I tried many different workout routines. The Rack, The Bender Ball, Yoga, and Running. None of them were interesting nor did they seem to be working. They made me sweat a little and my muscles were sore when I was done, but I wasn't getting any results. Then my gracious friend who is a Playboy Model (yes, I know be jealous) sent me a link to Bodyrock.TV. "What is this crap?" I thought to myself. Then I took a closer look and realized that it's working out using only your body and a timer. "How can this possibly be effective?" I was deceptive, but I am an open person who enjoys trying new things so I figured I'd give it a go. The first thing I did was the Fit Test which is a video from January 3rd, the first day of a 30 day Body Rock challenge. Now by no means am I overweight nor do I have health problems, but this test that lasted only eight minutes caused me to be drenched in sweat, out of breath, and on my knees praying for mercy. I didn't understand how this could be. I was hooked the moment I started sweating after the first exercise.

Lisa-Marie, Sean, and Freddy are all average people with amazing bodies because they push themselves to the limit which is what this type of workout is all about. You don't stop when you're tired. You don't stop when your legs are shaking and you're gasping for breath. You push through until the end. The workouts they create are different everyday. You never do the same routine twice. They change it up and make things interesting which is what keeps me coming back for more. It's only been a month, but I have lost nine pounds and I can now do ACTUAL push-ups. This may not seem like an accomplishment to most of you, but I've never been able to do a real push-up in my entire life. I always have to do the girly ones where you balance on your knees. These three people also explain the importance of healthy eating what supplements to take to maximize your weight loss and toning potential.

If you are looking for a workout that is going to make you huge, this isn't the workout for you. If you're looking for a workout that is going to disipline your life, give you strong, defined muscle structure, and make you feel great on a daily basis, then go to BodyRock.TV and check it out. The exercises are simple and easy to understand. They do use equipment in some of the videos, but they always give you an alternative if you don't have the equipment they use. You can work out at home, for free. All you need is internet access and the mindset that you can achieve a great body. Most likely, the rest of my blog posts are going to be about working out/healthy eating/healthy lifestyle because it's something I'm extremely passionate about and I love sharing it with others.

Why Worry? You Shouldn't!

Worrying is something that every person does on a daily basis. Whether it’s worrying about homework, about a relationship that is strained, a relative that is currently sick, or even if the basketball team you love is going to make it into the playoffs. Why must we do this stress inducing activity? What compels our mind to run at a speed that is uncontrollable and gives us wrinkles in our 30’s? I’m here to tell you today that you can put a stop to worrying on a daily basis.
               

First let’s talk about the consequences of worrying too much. Not only does it induce stress which causes headaches but it can also cause ulcers, insomnia, and depression among other things according to C.S. Clarke. From my experience (and personal worry woes) I have come to realize that a lot of my attitude about worrying comes from a lack of self-confidence. Not the kind of self-confidence that comes from the way you look, but the kind that motivates you to perform; to act and carry out your responsibilities on a daily basis. For me, if I wake up and it seems like it is going to be a great day, it usually is. If I wake up and the day does not get off to a great start, my whole day is usually ruined and this is when I begin to worry. I have come up with a few ways to beat the worry thoughts and conquer the day, even if it doesn’t get off to a great start. Dale Carnegie also has great tips on how to stop worrying (and what causes it). If you follow my advice (and Dale’s) you can be worry free in no time at all.

1.   Stretch. That’s it. If you stretch when you wake up (and I’m not just talking about putting your arms over your head) then you will immediately feel less stressed about the day ahead. When I stretch I like to do toe touches, arm circles, and even a few jumping jacks in the morning. This gets your blood flowing and it helps put you in a better mindset because it energizes you.

2.  Write down everything. Well, maybe not everything. Get a notebook or day planner and write down things that are important. On Sunday night, I plan out my week by writing down assignments that are due, appointments, and other things that need to be done. Since it’s written down, I can’t forget it which causes less worry. Leave yourself notes around the house like I do (dry erase boards work great) so you remember to do everything you need to do.

3.   Meditate. Meditation isn’t just for Buddhists. I take just five minutes a day to clear my mind. Morning or evening is the perfect time because it can clear your mind for the day or clear your mind so you can sleep. By letting go of your worries (even simple ones) you will feel more relaxed and you can sleep better.

I also eat well and exercise five times a week which is proven to help with stress levels. Trust me, doing small things to help yourself really does work in the long run. It’s easy to do the three things that I listed. I used to worry daily; I was even on medication. Now I can happily say that I no longer worry about things that are out of my control because I have changed my lifestyle for the better.

Children and Advertising

As many of you may or may not know, I have a three year old son. I'm with him when I am not attending classes which allows me to see his development both physically and mentally on a daily basis. We do many activities together like molding Play-Doh, lining up hundreds of Hot Wheels cars then wrecking the rows with gigantic monster trucks, and coloring pictures of Spiderman. Another activity that we do is watch movies and television together.

Up until recently, I hadn't really paid attention to the commercials that aired in between his favorite shows like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Go Diego Go!, and Good Luck Charlie. The other day as I was folding laundry, a commercial caught my eye (as well as his). Bake Pops™ are easy to make and fun to eat. At least that’s how the commercial makes it look. I’m sure if I purchased this product it would wreck havoc on my kitchen in less than 10 minutes and I’d end up with a room full of smoke and squishy balls of inedible chocolate goop. Yet adults fall for this infomercial almost as fast as their children. Why does this happen?

As adults, we know that everything is not as it seems. Advertisers appeal to our senses. They tell us to work at jobs we hate to buy things we don’t need to impress people we hate. Or wait, was that someone else? (Tyler Durden). Kids don’t understand this concept because they haven’t gone through the pain of learning that Santa isn’t real and that having a drivers license isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Kids make decisions based off of what they see and hear. They see advertisements daily whether their parents want them to or not. Should we as parents try to protect our children from the advertisements that they are constantly seeing either on television or in magazines or on billboards? Or is this kind of exposure good for their growth and experience in life?

In my opinion, my son has enough exposure as it is to daily life. It seems as if parents want their children to grow up faster, to be better, and to excel further. They aren’t giving them time to be children. My son is turning four soon, and it seems like yesterday he was just a few weeks old, lying in my arms sleeping soundly. I don’t want him to grow up any faster than he already is. Exposing children to advertising without an explanation of what is it and what it does is like saying “Here, watch this and let it create an identity for you.” Because children can’t make educated decisions at the age of three (no matter how smart you think they are) us as parents need to help guide them and teach them the ins and outs of even the simplest things in life such as commercials. Whenever my son sees a commercial then says, “I want that!” I always interrogate him on why he wants it, what he will use it for, would it make him happy, etc. By asking these questions I am teaching him to be inquisitive and to learn about things which in turn will help him make smarter decisions when he gets older. Advertising and advertisements are not bad, but when it is left unattended in the hands of children, it can have a detrimental outcome on the way they grow up and how they perceive the world as well as themselves.