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Earlier, we talked about how thinking about alternate solutions to a problem can help find creative solutions. Here's an exercise to help you practice this technique.

Imagine that you are a detective. Try to come with at least 10 different possible causes of the following situations:

1. You return to your car to see the windshield broken and an apple sitting on the seat.
2. You pass a man on the street that is wearing two different shoes.
3. A perfectly healthy tree has fallen over.
4. A pile of precariously stacked stones is discovered in the park.

fas-tid-i-ous

adj :: Showing or demanding excessive delicacy or care.

"Joe was very fastidious in his construction of the model airplane."

There are many recent studies that show that drinking green tea may have beneficial affects on the brain. Green tea contains a bioflavonoid called catechin, which is a powerful antioxidants that can help prevent damage to the brain caused by free radicals. This damage can lead to problems such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Green tea is also one of a handful of substances that can reduce levels of nitric oxide in the brain. Nitric oxide is an important neurotransmitter that contributes to memory formation, but too much nitric oxide can cause certain neurodegenerative disorders.

Some research even indicates that green tea may protect against Parkinson's disease by cleaning up excess iron in the nervous system.

Other studies have suggested that the antioxidant characteristics of green tea may also help to prevent against certain types of cancers, heart problems, high cholesterol and hypertension.

Black teas contain most of the beneficial elements of green tea, but to a lesser extent depending on how the tea is processed. For people sensitive to caffeine, there are many decaffeinated brands on the market that preserve the positive properties of the tea.

Many people use the words 'anxiety' and 'stress' interchangeably, and although they are related, they do not mean the same thing. Anxiety is a feeling of fear or apprehension about future uncertainties, which may contain unknown dangers. Anxiety can cause sweating, heart palpitations, nausea, chest pain, shortness of breath or trembling.

Stress is a larger term that includes anxiety as well as feelings of frustration, anger or nervousness. Stress and anxiety are highly personal things. What makes one person feel stressed or anxious may not make someone else feel the same way.

Anxiety disorders are strong cases that have a serious negative impact on a person's life. Some common anxiety disorders are phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder. For many of these conditions there are drugs or treatments that are effective.