You go to the bathroom because you have to. The need to drive to and from work derives from a life choice. You watch the TV because you choose to and even though it sometimes may not be a good use of time, you get some entertainment from it. It is important to realize that worrying is also something you choose to do but it always makes you feel bad, it can stop you from concentrating on other activities and can drain your energy in unproductive thoughts.

Worrying is the worst time waster there is because it not only uses time which could be used more productively but it also makes you feel bad. It is worth doing anything that takes your mind off worrying, watch a movie, watch TV, go out with some friends, whatever you like to do, but avoid spending time worrying.

If you are like me however, whatever the worries may be, they will come back to you when you have nothing else to do, like when you are standing in line at a super market or when just before you go to sleep at night. So how do you avoid worrying in the long term? First you have to realize that you worry about things that you fear.

The answer to dealing with these worries is to them and the reasons for them out into the open. It is like exorcising your demons. The best outlet for your worries will depend on what type of worries they are. Worries can be put in two categories as follows:

1. Worries about things that require action

2. All other worries

In the first case the worries about things that require actions, there are two ways you can deal with them:

1. Simply do the thing that needs to be done, even though it might cause some personal discomfort, once it is done it is out of the way and won't hang around to haunt you.

2. Put the thing that worries you on a 'to do' list. Often we cannot do something right away and putting it on a 'to do' list will remind you to do it later. This is particularly effective when your worry is precisely that you might forget to do the thing that you are supposed to do.

The key thing about 'to do' lists is that you need to make a habit of reviewing your 'to do' list every day. I recommend that you don't write your 'to do' list in a note book or scraps of paper but rather in an electronic organizer on using software on a computer that you are always using for work or at home.

Other worries that do not require action may be worries about what people think of you, worries about things you have done or what people think about things you have done. Or they may be worries about new situations or even that you or a loved one may be seriously ill.

For these types of worries you can do about them:

1. Talk to somebody about them, this might be your friends, your spouse, other family or even a counselor if needed. This might be spoken or through some electronic media.

2. Write them in a journal, if you are worried about things you think are too private, or you think other people will think the worries are silly then this is a really good way to get things off your chest.

As with the 'to do' list you need to get into the habit of reviewing your journal on a regular basis. One important benefit of keeping a journal is that it can give you a sense of perspective, what might have been worrying you a week ago may not seem important anymore.

Whatever the outlet once you have brought your worries out into the open (even if only to yourself). It will feel like burdens are being lifted from you and you will find that you are occupying much less of your time with your worries. This is time that can be used more productively at work, doing things you like and spent on things that interest you.

More importantly less time spent worrying is less time feeling bad and in a negative state. And less time feeling unhappy, means that you will be generally happier in your life.

Take care, Simon

The first obvious cause of a loss of hearing is repeated exposure to high levels of noise. Many people work in jobs where they are around large pieces of machinery that emit an extreme amount of noise. If you wish to protect your hearing, you should make sure that you use protective equipment whenever you are around this level of noise.

There are some medications that can cause a hearing loss and this is called ototoxic hearing loss. There are some painkillers such as Vicodin that can cause a loss of hearing for those who are taking it for a long period of time. If you are concerned about a hearing loss, you should check with your doctor to find out if any of the medications that you are taking will cause you to lose your hearing.

There are some genetic factors when it comes to hearing loss as well. Researchers have discovered a genetic link between hearing loss and those who have it. Once researchers are able to discover the causes of hearing loss, it might be possible for it to be avoided.

Many people believe that there is a hearing loss that can be associated with old age and aging. However, researchers have found that the cause of hearing loss in older people has more to do with the aging brain than with aging ears. There is also the genetic factor that is involved with hearing loss in older people.

Women who are taking a hormone replacement may suffer from a hearing loss as well. For women who are considering taking a hormone replacement, they may want to consider other more natural alternatives to prevent the hearing loss that is associated with female hormones. Check with your doctor to determine if you have reason to be concerned about hearing loss from female hormones.

Researchers are busy trying to determine the reasons for a variety of types of hearing loss. When there is research in an area like hearing loss there will be many things that can be done to prevent the problem from occurring. If you know what is causing the problem you will be able to prevent it.

One of the best ways to prevent a hearing loss is to protect your ears whenever you are exposed to high levels of noise. It is important that you wear protective equipment such as plugs and muffs to keep your hearing intact. Repeated exposure to lower levels of noise will also damage your hearing so you should keep this in mind when you are in an environment with a decibel level over ninety.

Your hearing is important and you should do what you can to find out the causes of your hearing loss if you are experiencing a loss. Find out what could be the cause and do what you can to avoid the situation any further.