Megan Santiago's Blog, page 16
May 2, 2022
All You Need To Know About How To Be Happy Again.
We all have our blue days when nothing seems right, and we find ourselves going into a vicious cycle of sadness and dismay. But when this feeling becomes persistent and starts affecting our daily life, productivity, and health, there is something wrong. In this case, getting help from a professional is essential. Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions in which an individual undergoes feelings of hopelessness. They also don’t feel like doing anything, and everything feels like a burden. In this article, we’ll focus on how to be happy again and find relief from depression through simple yet effective lifestyle modifications.
If you have dealt with trauma, grief, or long-term stress or anxiety then it may seem like you will never be happy again. However, there are some ways that you can work to lift yourself up so that you are not permanently in distress from those situations. Therapy is always recommended here, this does not supplement therapy, but these are some tips you can utilize on your own to be happy from within.
These tips are helpful for any range of anxiety symptoms or disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and even OCD. A stress disorder is something oftentimes overlooked as being serious. However we have these
Write Down Your Feelings
Every day, you should take some minutes and write in a journal. It could be anything that is going on in your thoughts. It will instill in you a sense of self-awareness, and then you will be able to identify why and how you are feeling the way you think. When done continuously, you will begin to see patterns and replace raw thoughts with wise, rational thoughts.
Ultimately, you will be able to minimize the negative thought processes in your brain, and you will feel much happier than before. When writing, don’t blur or edit any thought; instead, let it flow and understand the rawer you are, the better it would be for you to process and heal. It is another way of hearing out your emotions, and it acts as a catharsis. So, do consider writing down your feelings in a journal or any electronic device you use.
Journaling can be a great way to get all of your thoughts out onto paper and to help you actually see where some of them are coming from. This is a healthy coping mechanism that allows you to process whatever it is that you may be worried about.
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One of the ways depression negatively impacts our lives is when we keep our feelings to ourselves and bottle them all up. We may think we are burdening others with our problems and nobody has the time to dwell on and listen to our rants, but this should not be the narrative. Instead, talk about your issues with a rational approach to those who care about you. They would help you analyze why you are going through a negative feeling.
Often, simply sharing your problem mitigates the problem, and you feel much better that way. Naturally, humans are built with the intensive need to share their thoughts and experiences, and when they feel genuinely heard, they begin feeling less lonely and more satisfied. If you want to be happier than you are, consider sharing with a loved one instead of bottling it all up.
Spend Time in Nature
Nature is undoubtedly the best healer. When you take some time out of the day and feel the wind blowing on your hair, see the lovely colors of the flower, and feel the fresh grass on your feet, you tend to feel a lot new and happy. On the other hand, when you spend the whole day locked up inside a room or a building in front of a screen, you will naturally end up sad, tired, and grumpy.
So, take some time out of the day and unwind yourself as you take your senses to a relaxing mode in a garden or simply on a terrace. If nothing is possible, maybe try investing in indoor plants and spend some time near a window where you can get sunlight. To add, spending some time in sunlight is now evident to provide you relief against gloominess and feelings of depression.
You can do this by using grounding techniques and bringing yourself back down to your center.
Relaxation TechniquesThese are great to do when you are in a stressful situation and you are having some unhelpful or irrational thoughts that have not been corrected.
Start by sitting in a quiet, comfortable place with some light music if that helps. Close your eyes and take some full, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Do this at least three times and make sure they are very full breaths to where your chest expands fully and you get a nice stretch.
Then start by clenching the muscles in your feet and holding them for 5-10 seconds and then releasing them. Then do this in your calves and then release them, then move to your quads and hamstrings. Do this all the way until you get up to your head and do this with your face muscles.
After you are done notice if you feel any tension in your body, if you do, try to think about releasing that tension. You can add in some yoga or stretching if you are having a hard time releasing that tension.
Take Some Time Off-Screen
Actively observe how much screen time you spend in a day. It might be you are not working in front of a computer all day, but watch how many hours you keep scrolling on social media. Endless scrolling is a harmful habit that affects your physical health and influences your mental health.
In addition, social media interaction aggravates feelings of depression as you are constantly being fed unrealistic things, driving you into capitalism and competition. So, when you have free time, put your phone away and make yourself busy with a calming book or listen to music.
Anything that lifts your mood can help. For example, if you think doing skincare would make you feel happier, take some time to wash your face and apply any product lying on your dressing table for weeks. It will instantly help in boosting your mood.
This is especially important if you struggle with insomnia which can affect your energy, mood and more.
Do Some Physical Activities
It is a fact that a sedentary lifestyle leads to feelings of depression. You will feel different symptoms of depression with more severity, given you are not physically active. For example, stiffness in muscles is a common problem in a sedentary lifestyle. You might feel like not doing anything, but the best way to stop it is to discipline yourself to do physical activity, no matter how ordinary or little it may seem.
So, make sure you do some physical exercises and see an instant boost in your mood. It is typically because more oxygen supply, dopamine release, and minor cortisol hormone release all add up to elevate your mood, kicking the blues away. So, do include something that makes you breathe fast for a while as it would make you happy.
Exercise is shown to work as a natural anti-depressant there is tons of research showing how it is beneficial in increasing your neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters help us to be motivated and satisfied and they are what are targeted in antidepressant medications oftentimes.
Eat Fruits and Vegetables
The depression diet, or the Mediterranean Diet, has been known to have fantastic health benefits for the brain. The diet is rich in antioxidants, which help the mind feel fresh, young, and happy. If you want to get rid of sad feelings, make sure to include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet, so you begin to feel more energized and ready for the day.
So, do include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet to keep feeling energized and fresh. The fiber in these foods will be fermented in the gut by the microbiota naturally present in it, producing short-chain fatty acids. These short-chain fatty acids will improve your overall health and alleviate depression in your brain.
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Buy Now We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Do Some Meditation Daily
One of the ways you can get happy again is to practice mindfulness and do some meditation daily. Not only will it help you relax but also it would help in clearing your mind. You would become more aware of the toxic trail of negative thoughts going in your brain. What’s more important, you try to navigate through the thought process that stops you from feeling your best.
When you practice meditation daily, you get to have a more profound approach toward life in general that would help you stay happy and satisfied. So, try practicing meditation daily to get the best results.
Take deep breaths and focus on where you feel any tension in your body and actively release that tension. If you feel it in your jaw, think about releasing it in your jaw and doing some deep breathing exercises to help calm your heart and make you feel happy and relaxed.
Don’t Take everything too Serious.
One of the simplest yet underrated things to understand is that we don’t have to take everything too seriously in life. We need to acknowledge that many things are going on in our lives that are beyond our control. When we realize that we don’t have control over everything, we take a back seat and tend to enjoy life as it comes.
In that way, we also become aware of how we can focus on the things under our control. The best way to practice it is through the art of changing ourselves and adapting to the environment instead of trying to take everything under our control and expecting everything and everyone around us to change.
Although it may seem challenging to be productive and take breaks and have fun in life. However, when you feel good and you are happier, those tasks may not seem like such a big deal and those chores you once dreaded may not seem as bad. They are just another “problem” that needs your attention but it doesn’t define you and it should not steal your joy.
Seek Psychological Help
If you are not satisfied with your scale of happiness and want your life to get better terms of it, then there is no shame in seeking the help of a psychologist. They are trained professionals who help you navigate, understand, and rectify your thought patterns and behaviors through psychotherapy.
With the use of different techniques, talk sessions, and modules, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, they help you in finding new and better perspectives on life by taking your pre-made mindset about everything that may influence your happiness level—in that manner, seeking help from a professional remains among the best strategies to help you gain more insight into things and be more efficient and satisfied with life in general. So, you don’t have to worry about the items which don’t seem to be under your control.
Positive psychology can help you focus on positive aspects of life such as fulfilling your hierarchy of needs which are all of the categories you require in order to reach self-actualization and satisfaction. If you are lacking in certain areas then you may not feel joy and happiness like you would like to. True happiness comes from within and you can learn to pursue happiness and things that genuinely make you happy.
“Happiness is a choice” is what some psychology theorists will say, just like we choose to depress ourselves. This may sound odd, however, a large portion of what we become anxious about is wishing that our situation was different no matter what the situation is, instead of enjoying what is good in it.
Worries and fears can seem like something that controls us and we don’t know how to get past them. This contributes to feelings of depression and anxiety because you feel out of control and your phobias are limiting your ability to enjoy life.
That’s why talking to a therapist can be helpful to shift your mindset and help you gain back the person who you want to be.
How do I find my joy again?Joy can come from internal contentment. When you feel accomplished and happy, together you can feel feelings of joy. I like to say that trying to deal with or avoid things that “steal our joy” can be helpful to find the things that do matter most to us and prioritizing them.
Although struggles can be hard, they are the only way we truly grow.
That is how our neurotransmitters serotonin (happiness) and dopamine (motivation) play a role in our satisfaction in life.
Creating an actual written to-do list like in a journal or planner can be very helpful to increase your dopamine and feel satisfaction in accomplishing things. By writing it out and seeing that you checked off so many things, it will help you feel better about your situation.
Positive affirmations are simple sayings that remind your brain of who you are and why you are worthy and deserving of love and appreciation. Positive affirmations can help you replace all of those negative thoughts you have about yourself throughout the day. Such as “why should I even try, I am going to fail anyway”, thoughts like that are very unhelpful and steal our joy.
HomeworkTo improve your overall life, it takes small efforts to be done repeatedly. So my recommendation is to start with reading what you can and learning about how to be happy and implement small changes.
Start off small and do one or two things until you’ve mastered those then you can move on to the next habit.
Once you have mastered meditation and you are implementing even 10 mins first thing in the morning then move on to the next thing.
Summary
These are some things that need to be kept in mind by someone who is looking to get happy again or knows someone who struggles with mental health problems. The best practice regarding attaining a healthy mind is planning your goals and deciding which areas you need to focus on. Is it your trail of thoughts that are a result of overthinking? Do you have a pre-made mindset about certain things driven by societal implications? Whatever be the case, rest assured that your mind has the ultimate capacity to be reprogrammed, and you can live a healthier and more fulfilled life.
Ashwagandha Benefits: 9 of the Best To Reduce Stress, Build Endurance, & Enhance Sleep
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an Indian herb (Indian Ginseng) known for its adaptogenic benefits; it is a valuable part of Ayurvedic Medicine. (Singh et al., 2011) You’ll find it in stress or adrenal supplements or used as a standalone herb. Many ashwagandha benefits help heal the body and work together to regulate your natural body processes.
Ashwagandha Benefits
1. AnxietyAshwagandha works to create balance in the body as other adaptogenic herbs do. It helps lower cortisol and reduces stress, and it also gives you energy if you are fatigued. But on the other hand, it has anxiolytic effects, and it increases GABA naturally, which is a very calming neurotransmitter.
A study compared the use of Ashwagandha in reducing anxiety versus the use of psychotherapy alone. According to the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, the results showed that the Ashwagandha decreased feelings of anxiety even more than psychotherapy alone. Therefore, the combination of Ashwagandha and psychotherapy could significantly reduce feelings of anxiety. (Pratte et al., 2014)
Cortisol is the hormone that helps wake us up in the morning, but constantly high cortisol levels throughout the day can be fatiguing. As shown in the research, Ashwagandha lowers cortisol and improves overall resistance to stress. (Chandrasekhar et al., 2012)
2. Supports Children’s CognitionsAs parents, we often assume that our children are just not listening and being “bad” or “ignoring” us. However, on the flip side, we could look at it from their perspective that they may be dealing with stress and the inability to focus. Therefore they are being punished for something negatively affecting them that is essentially out of their control.
Ashwagandha’s anti-stress benefits and its cognitive promoting effects helped children improve their memory. (Singh et al., 2011) Stress or trauma can contribute to poor memory function, and children are vulnerable to stress and anxiety and adults. Ashwagandha can benefit children who struggle with ADHD as memory is typically a concern.
One of Ashwagandha’s unique benefits is that it improves immediate memory and overall memory function. Not to mention it improves attention and information processing speed, helping adults and children be able to understand and respond more effectively. (Choudhary et al., 2017)
3. Anti-InflammatoryInflammation can come from stress, poor diet, injury, exercise, and other sources. However, many mental health illnesses improve by reducing brain inflammation as well. Ashwagandha is an effective anti-inflammatory with properties shown to be effective against airway inflammation by downregulating inflammatory cell infiltration. (Zhao et al., 2019) It reduces the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which causes the maturation of inflammatory cytokines and other inflammatory responses. (Sharma et al., 2021)
4. CancerCancer is the second cause of death in the US; Ashwagandha has antitumor benefits for multiple forms of cancer, including breast, prostate, ovarian, lung, colorectal, and other forms of cancer. It activates p53 in tumor cells to create apoptosis (cell death) and slow growth.
In breast cancer, Ashwagandha has anti-estrogen and anti-metastatic behaviors. In colorectal cancers, there is an anti-carcinogenic effect from the use of Ashwagandha, and it is said to have chemopreventive benefits by shrinking tumor cells by 59%, according to research. Ashwagandha induces apoptosis (cell death) in non-small cell lung cancer, which around 85% of all lung cancer cases are. (Dutta et al., 2019)
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Buy Now We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. 05/03/2022 12:14 am GMT 5. Improves MemoryAs mentioned above, Ashwagandha can improve a child’s memory, but it is also beneficial for adults. Research shows that supplementing with 300mg of Ashwagandha twice daily for eight weeks significantly increased memory in participants. The Wechsler Memory Scale III was used to assess memory and executive functioning. (Choudhary et al., 2017)
6. TestosteroneDespite common beliefs, all genders have testosterone and need it for muscle mass, cardiovascular health, and energy. A patented form of Ashwagandha (KSM-66), a water-based extraction process, was used in a study. It increased testosterone levels significantly in eight weeks by supplementing 600mg per day. It raised serum testosterone levels in the study participants. (Smith et al., 2021)
7. FitnessAshwagandha boosts energy and endurance by significantly improving VO2 max (max aerobic capacity). The Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes (RESTQ) assessment showed that the participants improved their fatigue recovery, lack of energy, fitness analysis, and even their antioxidant levels. (Tiwari et al., 2021)
High antioxidant levels are essential in recovery because although exercise is a healthy form of stress, it still causes oxidative stress. In addition, just living, breathing, and our daily bodily functions contribute to the oxidative stress in our bodies and the toxins we breathe in, etc.
8. Insomnia
If you have insomnia, it could be anxiety or depression, physical pain, or ailment. However, not being able to go to sleep or fall asleep can be a problem. Most people take melatonin to help them sleep, but you may have tried it and are looking for something else. Sleep is critical for healing, mental health support, and energy. Ashwagandha helps by improving sleep duration and quality, making it easier to fall asleep.
9. Heart HealthHeart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, and there are many things we can do to improve our heart health. Including exercising, improving sleep habits, changing our thoughts and perspectives, and adding Ashwagandha to increase our body’s antioxidant levels to protect our heart. Stress contributes to many health conditions, especially heart conditions.
Ashwagandha increases heart-protective antioxidants, and it helps repair the damage from heart attacks and ischemia (insufficient blood flow to an area of the body). It reduces myocardial injury and increases superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione, catalase, and peroxidase. (Gupta et al., 2004)
Ashwagandha Side EffectsThere are possible interactions with other medications, such as diabetic medications, because Ashwagandha lowers blood sugar. (Chukwuma et al., 2019)
There is not much research done on the side effects of Ashwagandha; however, studies promote its safety unless you are taking medications that you would want to consult with your doctor. By knowing the benefits of Ashwagandha and the uses for drugs you are taking, you will have an easier time avoiding any side effects.
However, if you take Ashwagandha for stress, sleep, blood sugar, hormones, etc., your doctor may need to lower your dosage of any medications you are taking for those concerns over time.
How Much Ashwagandha Do I Take?Most studies administered were for the included benefits listed above and used 300mg of Ashwagandha twice per day. Therefore 600mg of Ashwagandha per day for at least eight weeks is beneficial, according to the results of the research studies.
SummaryAshwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that creates balance in our bodies to minimize stress and boost energy. It is beneficial for many health concerns, and it is continuously studied extensively. Check with your doctor if you are taking any medications working towards the same health goals as any medications you are on.
References:
Choudhary, D., Bhattacharyya, S., & Bose, S. (2017). Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal) Root Extract in Improving Memory and Cognitive Functions. Journal of dietary supplements, 14(6), 599–612. https://doi.org/10.1080/19390211.2017..., K., Kapoor, J., & Anishetty, S. (2012). A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian journal of psychological medicine, 34(3), 255–262. https://doi.org/10.4103/0253-7176.106..., C. I., Matsabisa, M. G., Ibrahim, M. A., Erukainure, O. L., Chabalala, M. H., & Islam, M. S. (2019). Medicinal plants with concomitant anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive effects as potential sources of dual-acting therapies against diabetes and hypertension: A review. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 235, 329–360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2019.02..., R., Khalil, R., Green, R., Mohapatra, S. S., & Mohapatra, S. (2019). Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) and Withaferin A: Potential in Integrative Oncology. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(21), 5310. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms2021531..., S. K., Mohanty, I., Talwar, K. K., Dinda, A., Joshi, S., Bansal, P., Saxena, A., & Arya, D. S. (2004). Cardioprotection from ischemia and reperfusion injury by Withania somnifera: a hemodynamic, biochemical and histopathological assessment. Molecular and cellular biochemistry, 260(1-2), 39–47. https://doi.org/10.1023/b:mcbi.000002..., M. A., Nanavati, K. B., Young, V., & Morley, C. P. (2014). An alternative treatment for anxiety: a systematic review of human trial results reported for the Ayurvedic herb ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 20(12), 901–908. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2014.0177..., N., Bhalla, M., de Jager, P., & Gilca, M. (2011). An overview on Ashwagandha: a Rasayana (rejuvenator) of Ayurveda. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines: AJTCAM, 8(5 Suppl), 208–213. https://doi.org/10.4314/ajtcam.v8i5S...., B. R., & Kanneganti, T. D. (2021). NLRP3 inflammasome in cancer and metabolic diseases. Nature immunology, 22(5), 550–559. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-021-00...May 1, 2022
Emotions Wheel Brilliant Ways To Use Them
Children also experience complex emotions as adults do. They feel a myriad of emotions ranging from frustration to excitability, nervousness to sadness, jealousy to worrisome, embarrassment to anger, and whatnot. However, unlike adults, we see that young children don’t have the total capacity to communicate their emotions with others. Instead, there are different ways other than speaking they use to share feelings. Children can express their feelings with the help of different things involving their body, facial expressions, gestures, behaviors, and play. Often, it is customary to see them acting out in ways such as throwing tantrums.
Emotional skills and learning are crucial aspects of a child’s development in their early years. This time, they need to fully identify, manage, and express their feelings to do it healthily once they grow to be adults. Some of the ways they do include different relationships and social interactions with other people, especially adults, that surround them most of the time.
As a parent, you have a significant role in helping your kids genuinely understand their emotions and behaviors. Children need to be guided by their parents on managing their emotions in healthy and positive ways.
The Emotions Wheel tool is from the clinical psychologist Robert Putchik. The wheel comes with eight primary emotions, put into different categories. As the Emotions Wheel for children needs to be simple, it would not have any other classes. Children of all ages should be able to use the Emotions Wheel specifically designed for them. Children who struggle to express and communicate their emotions may find it helpful.
Upon regular use, Emotions Wheel will aid children in identifying the ever-changing dynamics of their emotions. It will also help them identify the possible triggers for specific emotions.
Ideally, the emotions wheel is designed for children ages 4 to 11 and is used individually. However, before using the resource with a kid, you need to know how to use it correctly. You can download a printable version here.
How to Navigate the Emotions Wheel
The feeling wheel or the Emotions Wheel has a center, the bullseye, representing the primary emotions one faces. So, these would be like the descriptors the toddler would utilize. These include being sad, scared, happy, and so on. When we move outside of the center, we come to know more in-depth findings that may help us constitute the mainstream emotions we face.
The Advanced Emotions Wheel also has empty spaces in the outermost rings where users can fill in the feelings of their choice. Children having a tough time identifying their emotions can use this open space to express themselves.
The central and peripheral rings represent feelings in more detail which may constitute the mainstream emotions. What’s more, the Emotions Wheel is also expressly made to reflect any contrasting feelings. For example, the opposite of feeling fear is peace and calmness.
Also, sad is the opposite of happy. So, such contrasting feelings get put on the opposite corners of the circle. What’s more, it helps enlist the emotions on a visual scale that helps in separating and grouping them. For example, your kid may indicate a feeling for light intensity with a pastel color and a heavy intensity represented by a dark color.
However, as parents, our jobs not only end with an Emotions Wheel. We would also need to analyze how our children get affected by different situations critically. Strategic advantages through various tools can help us do so.
How Can You Implement an Emotions Wheel for Your Kids?
There are several implementations of the Emotions Wheel for your kids. Let’s identify some of them.
Go to The Root Cause of the Misbehavior
Misbehavior is a complicated outburst of emotions in your child. You will have to understand the possible triggers, situations, and the whole history behind a tantrum that your kid throws so that you can navigate through it and solve the issue effectively. It is now evident that misbehavior is not something of a negative trait but an indicator that there is something wrong. Most importantly, misbehavior in children results from poorly managed and expressed emotions.
It might be possible that they feel unwelcome in their peer group. On the other hand, they might feel less important because of emotional neglect from their family. They might also feel there is a lack of control over things they do and how they feel. Consequently, it would tempt the children to act out in a way that calls for attention from everyone. It doesn’t matter if the attention is negative; they feel in control and power when something seems to go right.
Instead of confronting or making them feel about what they are doing, try to help them sit with their emotions. Emotions Wheel is a helpful tool that allows them to identify their emotions and manage them effectively. Eventually, you will see your kid opening up more about the situation as they get the help they need.
This way, you will be able to identify the root cause behind their misbehavior – that it helps in maintaining peace and sanity around. It will also eliminate the need to use negative parenting actions such as criticizing the child.
Choose Problem Solving as the Solution
Punishment is the behavior many parents use routinely whenever their children tend to act out. Unfortunately, it only leads to more disruption as it focuses on the action instead of the preliminary signals that led to the actions. As you can see, punishment doesn’t help identify problems, so you cannot use it as a solution.
Emotions Wheel is helpful as it keeps your parenting role proactive rather than reactive. For instance, you wouldn’t have to spank your toddler deliberately smearing your toothpaste over the sink to catch your eye. Given your rage at that moment, it might be tempting. However, it will not put a stop to your toddler’s misconduct.
Instead, consider the emotions of your toddler doing so. Implement the emotion wheel to identify the exact emotions behind it. Then, try to determine the precise opposites of the feelings your child might be indicating. You may then try instilling in them the emotion they want to feel. So, instead of punishing your child, you empathize with them and solve the problem with a rational mind. As your child learns to talk, communicate with them about the possible ways they can manage their emotions. Doing so will instill a spirit of problem-solving without depending on attention and power-seeking.
As You can see, kids have a plethora of emotions that lead them to act in a certain way. So, the best way to help them feel comfortable with their emotions is to make them understand why they are feeling the way they are or help them healthily communicate their emotions. Then, with the help of labeling through the Emotions Wheel, the kids can feel less overwhelmed.
On a positive note, the Emotions Wheel helps us see that irritation, frustration, and anger are closely associated. So, we can get down to the level of our kids, wait for their response to subside, and help them understand what is making them feel worse.
How to Use Emotions Wheel for Kids
Let’s see the best practices for Emotions Wheel l for your kids:
As a parent, you want to use the Emotions Wheel with your kid to ask them about their day, for example, if they are at school and then come home. Let them share how they feel about the different experiences they shared with you. Now, label the emotions on the wheel and record accordingly.
Refer to Emotions Wheel discussing how you or people surrounding the child might have felt in a particular case. It would instill empathy in them.
Hang the Emotions Wheel as the checkpoint for the kids and yourself to be more expressive about your conversation. In addition, it will help the family members open up with each other as they share their different experiences.
You may also want to make your child choose a song and associate it with a specific emotion.
Final Word
As you can see, there are different benefits and implications to an Emotions Wheel for kids. Not only can you make your children emotionally stable and intelligent, but also you help the whole family get more open with one another. In addition, children facing psychological development delays may also benefit from the Emotions Wheel.
April 29, 2022
How to Make Rose Water at Home Benefits & Diy Recipes
While most people recognize the beauty in an expensive bouquet of beautiful roses, they have much more potential than sitting around our home in vases. Rosewater has seemingly unlimited uses and learning how to make it at home will give your wilted roses a new purpose and save you money!
Making your DIY rose water will allow you to keep this versatile ingredient on hand for use on its own or as a welcome add-in to a variety of homemade beauty products.
What is Rose Water?
Rosewater is a liquid made from roses and water with many different uses and benefits. Its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and the Middle East has been a long-time staple in natural beauty products and boasts a myriad of health and therapeutic benefits.
You may be surprised to learn rose water is not just an ingredient commonly found in beauty and skincare products like hair products, facial toner, and perfume; it can also be used as a room spray, added to food and drinks (if made with a rose that is safe to ingest), and as a staple in various religious ceremonies.
Natural Beauty ProductsRosewater is an excellent addition to any homemade beauty products such as DIY setting spray, natural perfume, and face masks. Adding homemade rose water to your hair care routine can act as a natural astringent for the scalp, aid in hydration for dry hair, and even help with hair growth problems.
In addition, rose water has anti-inflammatory properties and is especially good for people with sensitive skin types. People with skin conditions such as skin irritation or inflammation may find natural rose water a particularly valuable part of their skincare regimen. Its low pH can help naturally balance the skin’s pH levels.
Herbal TeaUsing dry rose petals to make rose tea has also been known to be beneficial to your health by lowering the risk of chronic diseases, plus it packs immunity-boosting properties.
Suffice it to say, the uses and benefits of rose water are extensive. So instead of shopping for your favorite rose water toner at the store, making it yourself using one of these easy DIY recipes is a great way to save money, especially if you use it often.
How to Make Rose Water – 3 Easy DIY MethodsRose water can be made in multiple ways, each method being relatively quick, uncomplicated, and inexpensive. And while there is no shortage of rose water products to be found online and in stores, if you prefer to make your own beauty products, these simple DIY recipes will walk you through the process.
Before You BeginTo make rose water, you’ll want to use distilled water. Available in any grocery store, distilled water is the best option as it is free from any harmful chemicals you want to avoid ingesting or putting on your skin. Bottled or purified water can be substituted if necessary. As a last resort, boil filtered or tap water to kill any harmful bacteria (let it cool before using).
Choosing the Right RosesAside from using the essential oil method, you’ll also need about 3-4 cups of fresh rose petals (or about half that amount of dried rose petals.) Using roses from your garden is the best option (unless sprayed with pesticides), and cutting your roses in the morning will yield the most fragrant blooms.
If purchasing roses, choosing organic is preferred as they will be free from pesticides. You may want to cut and display your roses first until the petals begin to wilt, then use them to make rose water.
The number of roses you’ll need to make a cup of rose petals will vary depending on the size and type of roses you use. Typically, 2-3 average-sized flowers should provide around one cup of rose petals.
If using the essential oil method to make rose water, it’s important to choose a high-quality essential oil. Since the FDA does not regulate essential oils, choosing an essential oil labeled as “100% pure” and containing only one ingredient (in this case, rose oil) will ensure you’re using a quality product.
Lastly, you’ll need a container for storing your rose water. An air-tight glass jar or spray bottle is the best option, depending on your intended use. Avoid metal or low-quality plastic, or risk your rose water being compromised by harmful toxins or chemicals leaching from the container.
Once you’ve gathered these items, you’re ready to get started. Here are three easy ways to make your own soothing and aromatic rose water.
Method 1 – How to Make Rose Water Using Essential OilsTechnically, rose water made with essential oils isn’t considered proper rose water. However, this method is the best way if you don’t have access to rose blossoms or are short on time.
Stuff You’ll Need:Glass bowlDistilled waterCarrier oil (such as fractionated coconut oil or almond oil)Rose essential oilStorage container or spray bottleSteps to Take:In a small glass bowl, add 10-12 drops of rose essential oil to 1 tbsp of carrier oil, mix wellAdd 1 cup of distilled water to a glass jarAdd the oil mixture to the water, close, and shake to mixHelpful Tips:No refrigeration is necessaryDo not ingest rose water made with essential oilsMethod 2 – How to Make Rose Water with the Distilling MethodUsing this method, also called steam distillation, will yield true “rose hydrosol” but takes longer to prepare.
Stuff You’ll Need:Fresh rose petalsDistilled waterLarge pot (with snug-fitting glass lid)Ice cubesHeatproof bowlStorage container or spray bottleSteps to Take:Remove 3-4 cups of rose petals from stems, and rinse well. Add petals inside the pot around the bowl (not inside the bowl).Pour enough water into the pot to cover the flower petals.Put the lid upside down on top of the pot and fill it with ice cubes (throughout the process, add more ice cubes to the top of the lid as they melt).Turn the burner on and heat to boiling.Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until the petals have lost their color.Turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.Remove the lid and pour the accumulated liquid in the small bowl into a storage jar.Refrigerate for 3-6 months.Helpful Tips:Be sure to keep the bowl inside the pot empty – as the water simmers, steam will pool on the lid and drip into the bowl.Make sure the lid is cool before handling to avoid burns.After transferring the rose water from the bowl, you can discard the water and petals in the pot.Method 3 – How to Make Rose Water by SimmeringThis method requires more time than the essential oil method but less effort than the distillation method.
Stuff You’ll Need:Fresh rose petalsDistilled waterLarge potStrainerStorage container or spray bottleSteps to Take:Remove 3-4 cups of rose petals from stems, and rinse well.Add petals to the pot and add enough distilled water to cover the petals.Turn heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the rose petals lose their color.Turn off the heat and allow rose water to cool to room temperature.Strain rose petals from the liquid and discard.Pour rose water into the storage container.Helpful Tips:Once strained, you can place the petals into a piece of cheesecloth or a clean tea towel to squeeze any remaining liquid into the container.FAQs About Making Your Own Rose WaterHere are the answers to a few questions frequently asked about making your DIY rose water.
Can You Make Rose Water With Any Rose?Yes, however, the scent will vary greatly depending on the roses used. In addition, you’ll want to avoid using roses grown with harmful chemicals or pesticides. If planning to ingest rose water, be sure to research the types of roses safe for ingestion.
Is Homemade Rose Water Good for Skin?Yes. As noted above, rose water has anti-inflammatory properties and soothes the skin.
How Long Does Homemade Rose Water Last?The shelf life of rose water will vary depending on how it’s made and stored. Typically, rose water made without preservatives will last around 5-7 days or anywhere from 3-6 months if refrigerated.
Is Rose Water Clear or Pink?Both the color and the fragrance of your rose water will depend on the type of rose you use. As a good rule of thumb, the darker the color of the rose petals, the more color your rose water will have.
Is Rose Water Good for Hair?Yes. As noted above, rose water can hydrate dry hair and help hair growth issues.
Can I Sleep with Rose Water on my Face?Rose water tends to be unproblematic for most; however, testing the rose water on a small skin area (patch test) would be a good idea before keeping it on your skin for a long time. If no allergic reaction occurs, using rose water before bed as a toner or facial mist should have no adverse effects.
Regardless of which method you use to make your rose water, the result will be beautifully fragrant, cruelty-free, and vegan. Use it often to spoil your skin, freshen up your linens, or pour it into your tub for a relaxing, luxurious bath.
After making rose water yourself with just a few natural ingredients, you’ll never want to go back to purchasing sub-par products in the store.
This article originally appeared on Wealth of Geeks.
April 26, 2022
Career Aptitude Test : 7 Reasons to Take One
Are you fresh out of college and unsure about what job opportunities are suitable for you or do you struggle with social anxiety and you need the best job for people with social anxiety? Or do you want to make a career change? A career quiz can help you discover which career would best suit your personality, skillset, and interests.
Understanding what career options work best for you is crucial. Without a test to help you find a suitable career path, there is a chance you might end up regretting your choice and feeling unfulfilled at the workplace.
Read on to learn why you should take a career test and discover some highly-rated test platforms that can help with suitable career choices.
What is a Career Aptitude Test?According to Statista, more than half of the U.S population feel frustrated at their jobs (sometimes, often, and very often). It would be best if you didn’t have to endure or “manage” your job when you can enjoy it.
A career aptitude or personality assessment test is a tool that helps participants discover their interests, passion, personality type, and suitability for a career or job. These tests also measure one’s probability of succeeding or performing optimally in any occupation.
Career tests are helpful because they don’t only tell you what jobs aren’t suitable for you but can also help you choose a career based on your answers and strengths. There is a caveat, though; you have to answer all questions honestly. No half-truths! It is not an exam, and there are no wrong answers.
While career assessment tests are not 100% accurate, they offer objective and sound advice to match your career interests and aid your career choice.
Why Take a Career Aptitude Test?Many people choose careers or jobs based on the size of the paycheck or other benefits, but that’s a myopic way to determine a suitable career. You should always prioritize your mental health, passion, interest, values, etc. And an assessment test will help you determine which career path suits your personality type.
The following are some reasons to take a career test before going job-hunting or making a career transition.
Helps You Understand Your StrengthsThat is arguably the most crucial aspect to consider before choosing any career. Career tests help identify your unique strengths and attributes and explore your interests. With this, you can choose the right career path.
It would help if you always played to your strengths, but you can’t do that if you’re unsure what those strengths are. If this is your experience, you need an aptitude test.
Some people even have a misguided notion about their strengths. After taking a non-subjective aptitude test, the truth becomes apparent.
Helps You Avoid FrustrationNot just frustration, it can help with depression too! Every day, people get burnt out at their jobs, regretting their decisions and looking for an escape. You don’t want to invest time and other resources in pursuing a career that doesn’t bring internal peace and fulfillment.
If you want to enjoy your career, an aptitude test should be part of your decision-making process. Since these tests factor in your strengths, personality, and interests, it’s unlikely you’d get harmful recommendations. Remember that frustration at the office can lead to frustration at home and in your personal life. So taking a career quiz is one of the best decisions to find the right job and achieve career satisfaction.
Something I recommend if you are frustrated and fearful when applying for jobs it may be because you don’t feel confident you will get those positions “so why even try?”. Positive affirmations is a simple but easy way to build up your confidence and go after careers you may not have normally pursued out of fear.
Saves Time and MoneyYou can make lost money again. Time? Nope. If you believe both resources are essential, isn’t it a great idea to do something that helps you save both?
When you don’t know the best career to pursue, you will spend resources pursuing anything. In exploring and “figuring things out,” you’re losing time and money (and even patience). If you’re not careful, this could lead to frustration too.
Now let’s flip it. Knowing the career that suits your personality type means you’d begin to invest your resources in that field. You will also have laser focus which is crucial for success.
So, which is better? Go about it blindly, waste time and money, or get reliable data and focus your energy? Choose the latter!
Get Objective ResultsWant the best advice? Don’t ask yourself or those around you – friends, family, (and probably the odd passerby). These groups of people will likely be biased, affecting the advice they give to you. Don’t get it wrong; their inputs should count, but let it not be the all in all.
Career tests are scientifically objective, and these tools will give you actionable results based on your interests. You won’t only get actionable results but information that isn’t tainted due to affiliation or external factors. And that’s why these tests are highly rated.
If you compliment your instincts and friendly advice with the results from aptitude tests, you’re more likely to make the right move.
Career Tests are Not DefinitivePeople who get the best results from career assessment tests do multiple tests, and this is because aptitude tests are not definitive or final, or absolute. And so, it is best to try other tests to get a better overall assessment of one’s personality.
If the data is consistent across two or three tests, you know what you’re supposed to do. So if you’ve been holding yourself from taking a test because it may not reflect your actual personality traits and career tilts, this settles it.
Confidence BoosterThere’s nothing as empowering and motivating as knowing one’s purpose and what one loves doing. It is a massive confidence booster. You’d find that you have more commitment and passion for pursuing your career. That’s what assessment tests can help you achieve.
Confidence plays an integral role in helping you excel in your career and workplace. The more confident you are, the more success you will likely achieve. Confidence also helps with decision-making and handling career pressure. Take a test today and boost your confidence.
Prepares You for SuccessCompleting a career test, discovering your true nature and career path, and following through will help you succeed. It is almost inevitable that you will enjoy the experience, having gained clarity, confidence, and purpose.
If you have atychiphobia (fear of failure), taking a test can help alleviate that fear and position you for success. Consider taking a career test today.
Note: It is best to work with a career counselor/psychologist to help analyze the test result and ensure you’re making the right choice. Career coaching is underrated but has many benefits.
How to Find Free Career Aptitude Test PlatformsThere are numerous career tests online, and we will briefly discuss the best free ones below.
CareerExplorerCareerExplorer is one of the best assessment tools anyone can use to discover themselves and career compatibility. The company boldly claims they help unlock the future you.
After taking the assessment, the platform will suggest careers for you to consider. There are also bits of information on each one to guide you. You can even browse industry options, from health to arts, sports, music, etc. Click the Take The Test button at the top of the screen.
123 Career TestThis career assessment platform is another popular and reliable option for you. This tool will help you discover what occupations and work environments best suit your personality.
123 Career Test also provides recommendations you can use after taking the test. And you don’t have to wait for results; you get them as soon as you complete the process. Read the test instructions on the homepage before proceeding to take the test.
Truity Career Personality ProfilerYou can find a career you love with the help of Truity career profiler. This tool will assess your interests and skills and match them to real-life profitable jobs.
This platform also offers a unique photo quiz section that helps you determine your ideal career through photos. You have to choose the images that appeal to you, and the system will do the rest.
CareerHunterCareerHunter helps you hunt down and match you with your ideal career. There are six tests involved in this process, but note that only the first one is free. If you decide to proceed with the other tests, you’d be required to pay a fee.
However, how the first test is set up can help you discover your interests and identify suitable jobs. The first test entails 27 questions and 135 statements about work stuff, and it is a comprehensive test and can take up to 15 minutes to complete.
For those who want to complete all six tests, the tool will help you discover your ideal career and suggest up to 250 career paths. CareerHunter also provides detailed information about each one, including course recommendations, qualifications, salary, etc. In a nutshell, you get a complete report package to help with self-discovery.
Closing ThoughtsCareer aptitude tests are instrumental in helping people discover their personality traits and match them with ideal careers.
Whether you’re a student, a job seeker, looking to change your job, or you want to understand your current job compatibility better; assessment tests are helpful. Consider taking a test today and identify your ideal career.
This article originally appeared on Wealth of Geeks.
April 25, 2022
How to Make Money Online For Beginners: 11 Easy Ways To Start
The internet presents employees with a dream scenario: the ability to make money from anywhere, at any time. For many people, though, this remains an elusive concept. After all, just 30 years ago, the internet didn’t even exist! If you had a job, you went to the office. The idea you could earn a living at home in your pajamas or on a tropical beach while sipping margaritas would have been laughable to employees in the 80s, but now, it’s a reality that many people are starting to pursue.
Nevertheless, the novelty involved can make it hard to know where to start. So how do you leverage the internet to generate a full-time income? That’s the question we’re going to answer today. Read on for a comprehensive look at making money online for beginners.
1. Perform Your Current Role RemotelyOne of the simplest ways to start making extra money online is to negotiate a remote role with your current employer. Of course, you may be in this position already due to COVID-19, in which case you could request to make the change permanent. Even if you’re still working in the office, you might be surprised at how amenable your boss is to the idea. Prove to them you can deliver the same results from afar, and you could be making money online in no time.
There are numerous benefits to this approach. For instance, doing your current job remotely means there’s no need to retrain. You already understand the nuances of the role, allowing you to pick up at home (or abroad) where you left off in the office. You also avoid the stress and uncertainty of changing roles or applying for new online positions, which some people face when starting online.
2. Become a FreelancerFreelance work is another tried-and-tested option for anyone wondering how to make money online for beginners. The idea is simple: you work on a self-employed basis, lending whatever skills and expertise you have to clients who need such support. While you lack the stability of a monthly paycheck, you become your own boss in a given discipline; operating outside the constraints of a full-time contract.
There’s no end to the possible roles you can perform online as a freelancer. From writing and marketing to graphic design and administrative support, you’ll undoubtedly find a freelance position to match your talents, interests, and experience.
3. Become a ConsultantConsultancy would be a good choice for people who enjoy their current role but can’t or don’t want to perform it remotely. A prime example of freelancing is you’d start working for yourself in the industry – marketing your services to clients who wish to leverage your insights without hiring someone full-time.
The pay does vary depending on factors such as your level of experience and reputation, but there’s no denying that consulting can be a lucrative way to earn cash online. Whether you bill by the hour or project, companies are willing to pay top dollar for skilled consultants who can help them out of a bind.
4. Become a Virtual AssistantAnother possible freelance option is that virtual assistants do precisely what their title implies: working as an assistant online rather than in the office.
While the salary is unlikely to get anywhere close to a consultant’s, it’s a much more accessible way to make money online. Generally speaking, you don’t require specific skills or years of experience in a given discipline. If you’re conscientious, good on a computer, and know your way around a spreadsheet, you could start advertising your services as a virtual assistant today.
Websites like Fiverr and Upwork are good places to do exactly that. These platforms enable freelancers of any kind to promote their skills to the countless potential clients who use them. Gaining traction in the so-called “gig economy” can take time, but it remains a viable (and popular) option.
5. Tutoring OnlineOnline tutoring has risen to prominence in recent years to make money online. So whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned professional, budding students are looking for your support at this moment!
Websites like TutorMe and Skooli help tutors find clients and take a commission. Classes are usually via video call, and, as you’d expect, what you teach depends on your specific skillset. Language tutors are in particular demand, though, with international students hoping to improve their English. If you’re a proficient English speaker and acquire a qualification (such as TEFL) in teaching it, you could soon be making money online.
6. Create and Sell Online CoursesSelling courses online doesn’t just offer a means of earning an income online. Unlike the options we’ve discussed thus far, it provides a way to make a passive income online. In other words, you don’t have to trade your time for money.
The premise is simple. You compile all of the insights you’ve accrued on a given topic into a course that people can do on their computers. You then post it on course-sharing websites like Udemy or sell it directly through your website!
However, don’t expect the money to start rolling in overnight. Countless people are selling courses online already (or attempting to), which makes competition fierce. Success takes time, requires strong marketing skills, and usually involves developing a loyal following beforehand.
7. Write and Sell E-BooksThis idea of making money online for beginners follows on from the last. Another popular source of passive income, writing and selling e-books, involves a similar set of challenges to creating and selling digital courses. But, again, competition is intense, standing out from the crowd isn’t easy, and success takes time!
But don’t let that put you off. For people with a penchant for writing, e-books present another powerful opportunity to earn a living. Thanks to platforms like Amazon, it’s never been easier to self-publish a book. Furthermore, if you have a loyal social media following or can generate enough interest via a strong marketing strategy, you can and will make money online this way.
8. Start a BlogBlogging has long been a go-to strategy for online entrepreneurs. While establishing a lucrative blog can take years of hard work, the financial rewards justify the time and effort. Thanks to sponsored posts, digital ads, and affiliate marketing (more on this later), webmasters in any niche stand to earn a sizeable income that’s almost entirely passive.
Another advantage to starting a blog is that it entails minimal risk. Basic web hosting packages cost a few dollars each month, and the rest is good old-fashioned sweat equity. Platforms like WordPress and Squarespace make the design process straightforward too, which means you don’t have to be a graphic design grandmaster to create a modern and eye-catching blog.
9. Start a YouTube ChannelContinuing with the theme of content creation, YouTube offers another fantastic method of income generation to anyone who enjoys being in front of a camera. Upon gaining 1,000 subscribers and getting 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months, the YouTube Partner Program lets creators monetize their channel with paid advertisements. As your channel grows, you can also attract sponsorship deals from brands who’ll pay you to promote their products/services.
Once again, this doesn’t happen overnight. However, for creative people who love filmmaking, opportunities to make money online don’t get much better. Likewise, YouTube’s immense popularity makes it relatively easy to attract viewers.
10. Start Affiliate MarketingAffiliate marketing involves promoting a brand’s products or services on a commission basis. So every time someone purchases through your referral, you get paid! The primary hurdle to overcome with affiliate marketing is two-fold:
First, you have to build a following, and second, you have to cultivate a relationship with them whereby they both trust and want to hear from you. Neither is easy- especially in a world where people have grown tired of spam, snake-oil sales, and mass marketing. Affiliate marketing’s 100% possible and can be incredibly profitable when it’s done right.
11. Flipping Items on eBay for ProfitThere may be profitable items that you can flip and resell on eBay for profit right in your neighborhood. When the weather is nice, you can almost always find garage sales within a few miles of your home. Often at garage sales, people are looking to get rid of stuff and don’t consider the actual value of the items. That is a great way to turn a hobby into a side hustle.
Bring your smartphone, and as you are browsing items at garage sales, you can also look up how much they could potentially sell on eBay. Then you can purchase those items and list them for sale. You might be surprised how many things you can find at garage sales that you can flip online for a profit.
How to Make Money Online for Beginners in 2022The World Wide Web offers employees a compelling alternative to the usual office-based environment. Suddenly, the world is your oyster. With a computer and a Wi-Fi connection, you can work from home, your favorite coffee shop, or a tropical paradise on the other side of the planet. There are so many online business ideas.
The tricky part now, particularly for someone entirely new to remote work, is recognizing the available roles.
We hope these ideas on making money online for beginners have been helpful if that’s a struggle you can relate to. But, believe it or not, this list only scratches the surface of the slew of online money-making opportunities nowadays. So, if none of these options appeals to you, don’t worry. There are dozens more waiting to be discovered. This article originally appeared on Wealth of Geeks.
Originally posted 2021-04-29 15:42:01.
Empathy Vs. Sympathy: The Eye-Opening Guide to Caring For Others
Do you know why empathy and sympathy are essential and what role they play in our life? Both these words are often used interchangeably, but in reality, both hold entirely different meanings, and only one of them is used as a tool to help people connect with others deeper than surface level. So let’s have a better understanding of what the difference between empathy vs. sympathy is.
Empathy vs. Sympathy vs. Compassion
It is not just a courtesy word, the Greek phrase that lends empathy its meaning is “passion from feelings or emotion.” Empathy holds within one word lots of feelings, thoughts, and emotions sensitively. It is one of the essential aspects of creating solid relationships and emotional awareness in an objectively explicit manner.
Empathy means to feel what the other person is feeling in the same way as if you are in the same situation as they are. It is an ability to see people’s problems from their point of view rather than what you think about them.
When talking about empathy, you are more emotionally into the situation; it’s more like putting yourself in the sufferer’s position to understand what and how they are feeling.
Most of us have this feeling of empathy, but displaying it is tricky and not in practice. Nevertheless, one cannot underestimate the power of empathy because there are so many benefits that many people aren’t aware of.
Sympathy means feeling sorry for someone and not forming a deeper connection with their pain. It just involves feelings of sorrow, grief, and sadness for others facing difficulties or has lost their loved ones, etc.; in such cases, we speak sympathetic words to sympathize with them but do involve ourselves as we do in empathy.
Essentially empathy is a deeper feeling than sympathy and it helps you be able to see that the person’s struggle is hard for them even if you don’t think their problem is major or if you’ve never been through it.
Compassion is a strong feeling of sympathy or essentially empathy but you have the desire to help them make changes.
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Buy Now We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. What is better empathy or sympathy?Empathy is a deeper feeling than sympathy, allowing yourself to feel a little bit of a person’s pain. Sympathy takes less effort to an extent because it is something that the person can naturally relate to the other due to similar experiences. Verses empathy takes more out of the person empathizing because they have to envision the hurt that the other individual is enduring and almost take on those feelings of pain or struggle.
Therefore empathy would be the “better” feeling because you are able to care for someone else even if you don’t fully understand them.
On the contrary, if you empathize too much it is possible to carry other people’s burden rather than hearing them out. This can contribute to anxiety and burnout from “taking on other people’s problems”.
Critical Characteristics of Empathy and Sympathy
Both the words share the same suffix, “pathy,” which originates from the Greek word “pathos” pathos means “emotions or feelings and sometimes suffering,” making them both showcase emotions but in a different manner. See below for an easy way to know the difference between both the terms is:
Sympathy refers to feelings you share with others, and it is derived from a Greek word meaning “with feeling,” i-e, just a way we share someone else’s feelings without any deep involvement.
On the other hand, empathy is understanding why another person is upset over a situation. So you don’t just express your feelings. Instead, you share the other person’s feelings by showing involvement.
Empathy is a more meaningful term than sympathy because a person can perceive what the other person is feeling even if they haven’t experienced anything similar.
A person who feels sympathetic does not build a deep connection with the sufferer but instead offers surface-level understanding and does not allow you to see from their perspective.
Whereas someone who feels empathetic knows how to walk in the other person’s shoes, it makes them capable of helping that other person better.
If you are empathetic, you can listen carefully to the other person without being judgmental, regardless of your personal experiences.
Unlike empathy, sympathy can lead to unsolicited advice to deal with other person suffering, which often includes judgments.
Types of Empathy
In an attempt to define and discriminate empathy from sympathy, empathy is divided into three main types that are:
Emotional/Affective Empathy– is the ability to share other persons’ emotions in a more profound
sense. Affective empathy is an appropriate response to others’ emotions that leads to a state of personal distress.
Somatic Empathy-refers to the physical response you feel when you hear about someone Else’s suffering. If you have somatic empathy, you take the material impact of others’ experiences, and you can feel what they are feeling.
For a better idea of this type of empathy, consider a situation you might have experienced, like a sudden feeling of blush or butterflies in your stomach when something embarrassing happens with the other person around at the workplace or home.
Cognitive empathy– is the capability to realize the mental state of the other individual in a particular situation rather than just emotionally feeling their pain. This kind is more focused on mental conditions than what they think in response to the circumstances. A type that can be called the theory of mind, in which you think about what someone else’s is thinking in the scenario they are facing.
Sympathy is divided into two major types:
Active sympathy- is a kind of response to someone else’s situation where you feel the urge
To help them come out of the situation than just feeling sad for them. It is responsible for the impulse to protect, console, and help others overcome their condition.
It is just like you see a beggar around you, and if you pay them, it is the result of your active sympathy as you try to help make other people feel better by giving them what they need.
On the other hand, passive sympathy is linked with sympathetic induction with zero or
no intention to help the other person. It is simply the arousal of certain feelings depending on the condition of the other person’s experience. Here when you see a beggar, you feel bad for them but won’t try to help them out.
Passive sympathy is further sub-divided as:
Positive sympathy related to delight and gladness
Negative sympathy related to distress, pain, or fear
How to Express Sympathy
Here we will explain how you can express your emotions correctly—knowing whether you are being sympathetic or empathetic.
1. By Just Showing-Up
Supporting someone grieving, meeting them in person, and feeling sorry for their situation are examples of being sympathetic. Likewise, you can sympathize with anyone facing a challenging problem by simply showing up when needed, making them feel not alone, and having someone caring out there.
2. By Writing Expressive Notes or Messages
Another gesture most commonly adopted by many of us is writing a condolence note or congratulation message to express your feelings depending upon someone else’s state of affairs. It is our usual practice to send a notification as soon as we hear a piece of good or bad news. This is because of the sympathy we have inside us for the people around us. Writing a note full of love to support your loved one is one of the most effective ways of expressing your sympathy!
How to Express Empathy
Expressing empathy is entirely different and requires little more than feeling and being friendly. Follow the below-mentioned habits to express empathy successfully. Sometimes it can be challenging to empathize with someone if you really can not relate or maybe because you feel depressed and you are low on your serotonin or dopamine, then it may be challenging for you to feel the way you should.
Sometimes, we need a good listener who can listen to what we feel rather than focusing on what to say next. So often, we are indulged in our thoughts and lose our focus on what the other person is saying.
If you wish to practice empathy correctly, you need to fully and actively listen to the words and other non-verbal indications. Carefully observe the body language and tone to understand what the other person is going through.
This is something therapists do and it is a great skill for everyone to feel heard and respected no matter how they feel about a situation.
Let them finish what they want to say, take a moment to process the information, and then decide what you should speak to empathize.
2. Rephrase What You Hear in Your Own Words
Another easy way to express your empathy is by carefully choosing your words and rephrasing what you have heard about someone in your own words—making it easier for you by quoting an example of how to ask in a more empathetic way. Hey dear, what am I hearing is that you feel incapable of completing the task? Does that sound right?
This is another therapist tip that we are taught, to repeat back what we hear the person saying to make sure we are understanding correctly.
When we assume instead of ask, we will have a harder time helping someone feel heard and respected and we could also create some cognitive distortions or false beliefs.
You are asking someone about their problem in a way where you take the burden on yourself and not them, giving them a chance to correct you if you heard wrong without getting hurt or disturbed.
3. Avoid Being Judgmental
The critical factor in discriminating empathy from sympathy is not being judgmental. The best way to show empathy is to try not to be judgmental in your behavior. It is human nature to assume as soon as you hear about others’ situations, to express empathy, you need to be more focused on showcasing your support by responding in a peaceful manner rather than reacting.
Learning to come from a place of gratitude and understanding can be very helpful in helping you empathize with others.
When you are taking care of your needs and filling your cup up, then it is much easier to help fill up others cups or just to be there for them.
A great way to do that is to start a gratitude journal so you can write about everything you are grateful for and you can be mindful of how you feel about certain things you value and it will help you understand why others may value what they value.
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For those who wish to be empathetic, there is no other way as best as giving your help to meet the needs of others in distress. Taking the quick action of helping someone in a particular situation achieve what they need is the most significant gesture of empathy.
When you need to express sympathy, empathy, or both throughout your life, make sure you’re knowledgeable in the way described above. These simple gestures can help people heal and feel better in a short time.
So, this was the main difference between Empathy and Sympathy. If you enjoyed this article, we do post new articles weekly. So check back for more information on mental health, stress, parenting and more.
April 22, 2022
Top 10 Best Choices of Travel Workout Equipment
It’s fair to say that most people are at their happiest when their mental, physical, and emotional health is well balanced. Yet, this is easier said than done and can be challenging to put into practice, especially when you spend a lot of time traveling as health and fitness become less and less of a priority when you’re on the road.
However, the good news is that just because traveling may have messed with the exercise regime you had back home, it doesn’t mean you cannot work out and stay fit and healthy when you’re on the move.
Nowadays, we are fortunate enough to have access to portable workout equipment that is lightweight and takes up little room in our luggage, which means you can use them in a hotel room, a park, or a beach and still get a fantastic workout.
What Is the Best Travel Workout Equipment?Choosing the best travel workout equipment for you depends on your level of fitness and space allowance; however, some companies provide superb portable workout equipment.
Furthermore, combined with cardio being as accessible as it already is, you no longer need an excuse not to exercise.
I will share a list of the best travel workout equipment, so health and fitness can now become a priority for you.
I’ll cover jump ropes, resistance bands, yoga mats, and everything else available.
Who needs a gym to stay in shape when you’ve got travel workout equipment.
Lightweight Yoga MatThese days, portable yoga mats are incredibly lightweight and perfect for those who want to practice yoga and stay in shape on the move.
Yoga mats have advanced so much that they can weigh as little as 2 pounds, are easily foldable, and can be neatly packed in your suitcase, carry-on bag, or car, making it a simple bit of kit to tag along with you without taking up much space.
TRX All-In-One Suspension Training SystemThe TRX All-In-One Suspension Training System is a simple set-up and provides a full-body workout using only a few easy straps.
Unbelievably, it weighs less than a yoga mat at a mere 1.7 pounds, ideal for carrying in your bag while traveling.
Two different anchors come with the set, easily secured to any door, tree branch (if you’re working out in the park), beam, or rafter for a fantastic indoor or outdoor workout.
Another benefit of the set is that it only includes five items: a door anchor, a suspension training strap, a suspension anchor, a small mesh travel pouch to make it easily portable, and a 35-page workout guide.
You will likely use the training strap the most to perform upper body moves using only your body weight. It is also good to support and balance your feet for lower-body moves like lunges.
Jump RopeSkipping is a great cardio workout that improves agility, balance, endurance, and coordination. Once you become consistent with it, you’ll see results quickly.
The beauty of skipping is that it can be done anywhere and doesn’t require much space. You will always find room at most hotels or take yourself down to the local park instead.
Skipping is a full-body workout, engaging the quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, abs, oblique muscles, forearms, biceps, triceps, shoulders, back muscles, and chest.
Resistance BandsOver the last ten years, resistance bands have become increasingly popular.
Fitness and health experts have been shouting their benefits from the rooftop, and they deserve a place in accompanying you on your travels.
Ideally, you want a set that contains four or five resistance bands, each having a different resistance level ranging from 2 to 30 pounds.
Most brands’ resistance bands come with two soft-grip handles and sometimes two ankle straps, which adequately cover you for upper and lower body workouts.
One final thing to look out for with a resistance band set is if there is an anchor included. It is ideal for those who travel as the anchor allows you to fasten your resistance bands to a doorway, making the workout more challenging.
Water Filled DumbbellsIn normal circumstances, dumbbells would be the last thing you’d read on a travel workout equipment list, given a large percentage of them are cast iron, meaning they are neither light nor portable for most travelers.
However, cast iron dumbbells are not necessary when you can use water-filled dumbbells.
Water-filled dumbbells are affordable and portable and allow you to still get in a great workout when you’re on the road.
Ab WheelThe ab wheel is perfect for those who travel as it is small, light in weight, and is a killer piece of equipment to add to your workout.
However, don’t be fooled by the name, as an ab wheel doesn’t just work the abs; it is more beneficial than that.
It works the core muscles, such as the abs, transverse abdominus (the front and side ab muscles), the spine stabilizers right the way down to your tailbone, the triceps, and lats (back muscles).
For these reasons alone, the ab wheel is worthy of being a part of anyone’s travel workout equipment.
Mini Foam RollerA quality mini foam roller is an essential piece of travel workout equipment.
It’s no good exercising if you’re stiff and sore for days following, and this is where foam rollers work their magic. They have a rollable surface that targets small and large muscle groups, allowing faster recovery.
Furthermore, many of those who travel suffer from stiffness and cramp, particularly in their legs, back, and feet.
However, fear not, as you can use the foam roller to self-massage any knots out of those body parts to help you feel looser and fresher, enabling you to continue enjoying your travels.
Typically, foam rollers are large and occupy a lot of luggage space, yet if you shop around, you will find much smaller, portable ones available, ideal for traveling.
Hand GripperSmall enough to fit in any carry bag, the hand gripper is a great little device to work on your grip, and it’s not just beneficial for weightlifters or rehab patients to use; it’s ideal for anyone who would like improved hand strength.
Never underestimate the importance of hand strength as it is necessary for most sports and activities such as lifting, baseball, golfing, rowing, and climbing. It is also helpful for other outdoor activities.
These days, most hand grippers are incredibly durable and robust, built to last a long time. Also, most come with 8-10 different strength levels, making them suitable for beginners to world-class athletes.
Rotating Push Up HandlesIf push-ups are a staple part of your workout, whether you’re at home, in a hotel, or outside in nature, push-up handles are a great option as they aim to reduce strain on the joints, allowing a more effective push-up.
Push-up handles are portable and affordable and perfect for all levels of fitness. They also feature comfortable rubber grips and a non-slip base, making them safe to use on many surfaces.
The telling benefit of this product is that it significantly reduces the pressure on the hands and wrists, which helps increase the strength in your arms, shoulders, chest, and core muscle groups.
Fitness TrackerFitness trackers are an excellent tool for keeping you accountable and increasing your motivation by tracking your activity and steps each day.
The benefit of wearing one when you travel is that you can keep motivated and get those steps in, regardless of whether certain days are more sedentary than others. For example, if you are flying, you can do a few laps of the aisle to increase your daily activity.
Every little bit helps.
Another plus of wearing a fitness tracker is that it helps you monitor your heart rate, breathing, amount of calories burned (although this is a rough estimate), and even quality of sleep patterns, which most travelers struggle with at some point.
Final ThoughtsWhile traveling can be a fun part of a vacation for some people, it can also be stressful and tiring, especially for those who travel a lot with their job.
However, if left unmonitored, traveling can impact your diet. It is easier to opt for poor food choices such as fast food and candy for convenience while on the move.
Having some travel workout equipment with you allows you to exercise while you are away can offset some of the damage by burning some additional calories and helping keep you in shape. Exercise is vital for releasing endorphins that can boost your mood, ideal for lowering stress levels that may come with traveling.
Commit to setting achievable daily goals and get the family involved to make it fun. There is plenty of portable workout equipment to choose from on this list, so use this as a reason to keep up with your exercise regime wherever you are going.
This post originally appeared on Savoteur.
April 20, 2022
Cognitive Skills: Hack Your Mind into Happiness & Fulfillment
Cognitive skills are essential your brain’s ability to think, memorize, process, interpret information and in response create a behavior.
They are often suppressed by incorrect thinking and negative beliefs.
What are examples of Cognitive Skills?
Memory allows you to keep a record of events that occurred, knowing how to complete a task or learn a new skill.
Creativity allows us to come up with new ideas, problem solve, and it gives us joy and fulfillment.
Motivation pushes us to do the things we want to do or even things we don’t want to do but are responsible for doing.
Optimism is actually a skill that you can learn if you want to work on being happier. It is the ability for your mind to pull from positive memories or beliefs and fuel your thoughts with those insights.
Attention is your ability to put your thoughts and behaviors into a certain task or thought.
There are many more cognitive skills that cognitive psychologists focus on.
How Do You Train Your Cognitive Skills?This is where cognitive behavioral therapy or rational emotive behavioral therapy comes in hand.
Cognitive therapy was developed by Aaron Beck who created the Beck-Depression and Beck-Anxiety scales. Cognitive therapy looks at problems we face as being an exaggeration that we have created in our mind, also known as cognitive distortions. Cognitive therapy helps us be more mindful of our unrealistic thoughts and poor behaviors. (Corey, 2021)
So essentially you have to first make yourself aware of what a negative or unhelpful thought is. Then when you hear it you can acknowledge it as being unhelpful and replace it with a more helpful thought.
This helps you be able to reach goals you have in your life that you may not be pursuing to the best of your ability because of these cognitions.
How to improve cognitive skills in a childChildren are mostly a blank slate when they are first born, they know some basic skills, but they are so impressionable. They learn feeding after practicing and help from their parents, speaking they learn from hearing the words of others.
If you want to teach your child how to improve their cognitive skills it is wise to teach them we are imperfect and we can give ourselves and others grace. The reason I say this is based on the belief that we “should” be meeting certain expectations. A child “should” be “good” and “listen” to their parents when they go out in public.
However, a child is not a mind reader and does not know what good is and they don’t typically have the best active listening skills.
So instead of holding them to a standard of what they are not, show them how to look at a problem as an opportunity to learn. Encourage them to use their mind and be creative more than learning to just follow rules and obtain societal norms.
Practice things that you believe are important for them to know over and over again. If you want them to remember it better help them focus by using bright colors or a moving object to help them, remember a subject.
How does Cognitive Therapy help?Cognitive therapy helps you change your perspectives on your abilities and helps you strive for what you truly want. By adding in the behavioral change aspect of cognitive behavioral therapy you are then making changes based on the cognitions you had.
So, let’s first address some unhelpful cognitions that we have that slow down our ability to utilize our cognitive skills to the best of our ability.
For example, if I say “I won’t remember this” then I won’t remember it. This is because I am using a cognitive distortion that is unhelpful to my thinking and it shuts down my memory because I’m telling myself not to remember it.
A more helpful alternative would be to tell myself whatever it is that I’m trying to remember over and over again to help myself remember it and tell myself I will remember it. This takes using my optimism but also believing in myself.
I recommend adding in some positive affirmations to help you solidify your evidence on your cognitive skills. I know they may sound silly to some, however that is how you can work on changing your cognitions and improving them by telling yourself that you are going to improve them.
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Buy Now We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. 04/21/2022 12:15 am GMT When the only information available in our minds is from the negative cognitive triad of a negative view of oneself, a negative view of the world and negative view of the future then our brains and body shut down.
We choose not to live up to our fullest potential and we greatly contribute to our feelings of anxiety and depression by allowing that to be the information we pull from when a negative or stressful situation occurs. (Corey, 2021)
References:
Corey, G. (2021). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Cengage.
April 19, 2022
Reasons Why Positive Affirmations Is Getting More Popular in The Past Decade.
Times come when you struggle hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and you can’t go out of the confusion or negativity. We all have gone or have seen our loved ones go through such times, which is quite usual. Yet, in moments of dismay, we fail to understand that we do need to follow a series of practices that help us fight off the negative energy in our lives. One of the most effective yet most straightforward techniques we may apply in such times is the art of positive affirmations. This article will see what positive affirmations are, how they influence our lives and positively impact us, and, most importantly, how we apply those affirmations in our real lives.
On a psychological note, we mean a repetitive sequence or a phrase of words when we mention the word affirmation. Apply it with a positive note, and we get positive affirmations.
Positive affirmations tend to be the notes or the phrases that we repeat to ourselves in different forms frequently to channel positive energy. As a result, we begin to see a decrease in our sad thoughts and negative feelings by replacing them with feelings of happiness, liberty, positivity, and much more.
These are the positive statements that help us challenge our thoughts that are not productive – these are self-sabotaging, negative, and unhelpful for us.
They can be used to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression by giving you evidence that your coping mechanisms may be creating unhelpful problems for you.
Why don’t positive affirmations work?
They don’t work if you believe that your current way of thinking is correct.
However, write down in a journal how you felt about the events that went on in your day. Highlight all of the negative words you used to describe that day. Such as, “my day was terrible, someone cut me off in traffic.”
That is a cognitive distortion which gives you unhelpful ways of looking at life. You may have been irritated about being cut off in traffic, but the rest of your day was great.
Now if you minimize the severity of negative events and look at them as a problem you have to address rather than “it’s the end of the world”, then you will have an easier time convincing yourself that your positive affirmations are true.
You would be very surprised to see how many times per day you assume and look at something negatively without realizing it.
Positive affirmations can help create a buffer when we are stressed out by protecting your self-image when you are threatened.
In order to be able to make positive affirmations work, you have to write down what you accomplish, what you are good at or what you try hard at and give yourself credit as much as you can.
I find that creating a to-do list and checking off every single little thing you do, helps you see how much effort you give in a day. It’s a very easy reminder that I may not be accomplishing my major goals currently, but I am definitely putting in the work.
I like to use this “to-do” list planner that helps me be more aware of my worth and accomplishments. Even if it’s just “making my kids smile” or “putting a load of laundry in the wash”. I still am contributing to my life and the life of others, and I NEED to give myself credit for that.
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Buy Now We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. 04/20/2022 12:11 am GMT Research shows that filling our minds with positive affirmations helps us define our self-worth and increase our confidence. By repeating it over and over again we are giving ourselves something positive to pull from. (Cascio et al., 2016)
How to Practice Positive Affirmations
Now, there are different ways through which we can practice positive affirmations. Below you will find various tips on including positive affirmations in your real life with some real-life examples that you may use. But, first, let’s see what those positive affirmations are.
1. Convince Yourself
Speaking will reinforce our overall learning experience and would improve our probability of actually hearing out the affirmations we send in space. So, this way, you are including multiple senses to get involved in positive affirmations.
It will help you anchor firmly to your environment, and in time, you will see that your mind will get activated with lots of positive affirmations around you. That way, your neural connections would get much more potent than before. This thing points to the idea of habit formation; when you involve more of your senses to make one thing a habit, it becomes second nature to you.
So, let’s say you chant every morning, “I am beautiful, and I love the way I am,” you will automatically start feeling more confident about yourself. It would become second nature to say it and feel it when you hear your own words processing in your mind.
2. Say Your Affirmations in the Present Tense
Although we want to instill the positive energy we anticipate, and it may take time to get to that level, we say our positive affirmations in the present tense. Doing otherwise would lack clarity, and it comes as an obstacle to feeling those things. Eventually, you start losing focus on your words, and it becomes just a sentence you say.
In other words, you don’t feel connected to the things you are trying to feel. So, the best way to form that connection is by using the present tense in your affirmations. Feel as if you are living through your affirmation rather than anticipating it.
Instead of saying, “I will become happy soon,” try replacing it with the present note: “I am as happy as I desire to be.” This will make your mind think that you are already in the state you want and would respond in that note.
In psychology, we understand that positive affirmations said in the present are an effective way of reprogramming our brains into thinking more positively about the situation and ourselves.
3. Avoid Using Negative Terms in Affirmations
When you are practicing the art of positive affirmations, make sure you don’t persist in including negative terminologies in it. For instance, if the positive affirmation is something like, “I don’t feel unhealthy anymore,” your mindset focuses on avoiding the adverse outcomes rather than following the excellent aspect.
On the same note, if you chant, “I will avoid toxic relationships,” it might backfire on you. This is because instead of focusing on healthy relationships, your mind will be fixating on thinking about negative relationships.
So, make sure that the words you choose in your positive affirmations hold a positive meaning so that you attract what you anticipate, not what you tend to avoid or grow apart from.
Your utmost goal in these chants or phrases is to put your desires to the front instead of the dissatisfaction you want to avoid. Therefore, you will need to select your message rather carefully to stay optimistic about the present and the future.
4. Create Something Meaningful
Meaning in one’s phrases is something somewhat subjective than objective. So, when you say “I am confident,” it may mean something else to you than it would mean something to another person. That is why you need to make sure the phrases you choose for yourself hold good value in your life.
If feeling confident is something you value in your life and situation, you may want to include that in your list of positive affirmations you practice daily. Go for something that feels positive and true to your life rather than selecting a phrase that doesn’t spark up much fire in you. So, the more individualistic you go in your chants, the better it becomes to focus on meaningful affirmations for yourself.
5. Be Direct and Simple
The conscious brain is aware of the desires, and the dreams you want to see become true. However, your unconscious mind should also agree on it thoroughly to bring it to fruition. Therefore, you need to improve the element of specificity when it comes to it.
For instance, if you want to say, “I make a million dollars in a year from my business. I think I have a lot of time and energy for doing things that I love”, that would drive away the attention from the core. So instead, try to get more specific about it.
For example, you may want to write down multiple times in your journal in the simplest terms and understand what you want. If it wouldn’t make you feel more positive about yourself, you will need to work on your affirmation again.
The more straightforward it is, the easier it will be to stay focused and be confident in yourself. Then, you wouldn’t feel that you have lost your desire and concentrate on what you want.
6. Include Passion in Your Affirmations
Positive affirmations with a strong belief and emotion come with a considerable impact. When you truly feel the change you want, your positive affirmations will tend to work more powerfully. That is why you need to say “I am happy” and truly focus on the time that you experienced the feeling of happiness and genuinely get in touch with what you are feeling.
Now, try savoring the sensation and making the most of it that you possibly can.
Come with words such as “I am happy,” and make sure to feel through the words as you chant. When positive emotions are coupled with positive words, the overall energy that you attract is hugely influential.
7. Add Visualization
Another way of strengthening your positive affirmations than speaking is to use your conscious mind for visualization. The art of visualization is a tangible way to embed your message into your subconscious mind. So, let’s say you say, “I am successful,” then visualize what you decipher in that order. So, in this case, you might want to imagine how it feels to be successful – how would your house look, how happy you see yourself and your family with you, how easily you would be able to buy the things you need from the money you get.
Add more and more details as you practice visualization daily. For example, try including different smells, colors, and sensations you want to see in the anticipated future as you chant your thoughts. This is one of the best ways to visualize.
?Final Word
As you know now, positive affirmations are about reprogramming your brain and taking time. So, remind yourself if you forget – sticky notes, a painting, or a mobile phone lock screen can act as good reminders for positive affirmations. Also, you will be able to manifest your affirmation in your subconscious mind that way. So, practice all these things and create positive affirmations that help you gain the success you need.
References:
Cascio, C. N., O’Donnell, M. B., Tinney, F. J., Lieberman, M. D., Taylor, S. E., Strecher, V. J., & Falk, E. B. (2016). Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 11(4), 621–629. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsv136
