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7 Things Couples Need to Do Everyday

December 5, 2015 by Power of Positivity

You and your partner are already committed to each other and you love doing things together that help you feel even more connected. Strengthening your bond to each other can only help you to grow as a couple. With that in mind, here are seven things that couples need to be doing more.

Seven Things Couples Need To Be Doing More

Do you and your love exhibit these seven behaviors?

1. Kissing

Of course, you enjoy a nice smooch with your partner. Kissing is a wonderful way to connect with each other or even start something more. Andrea Demirjian, author of Kissing: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about One of Life’s Sweetest Pleasures, names a few benefits of kissing that will make you want to do it even more.

Demirjian says that kissing can reduce blood pressure. Although heart rate often increases with kissing, blood vessels dilate, reducing the blood pressure. Kissing can help prevent cavities by getting your saliva flowing as well as giving you a mini facelift by working your facial muscles, especially through deep kissing.

Kissing also increases your self-esteem by making you feel loved. This ego boost was studied by Dr. Arthur Szabo, a German researcher who found that men whose wives kissed them before they left for work made more money than those whose wives did not kiss them. A kiss before leaving the house was also correlated with fewer car accidents.

2. Hugging longer than twenty seconds

Hugging comes naturally to couples who are in love, but it gives us many benefits as well. An embrace gives a sense of security and reduces stress. When we hug, we encircle our partner in our arms, which gives them a feeling of protection. This reduction in stress helps our physical health and mental well-being.

Hugging stimulates the release of several neurotransmitters in our brains; serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Dopamine is a pleasure hormone that gives us a good feeling. Serotonin is another naturally produced drug that makes us feel good, reduces pain, and increases feelings of happiness. Oxytocin helps us feel trust and a sense of safety.

3. Listening

We have two ears and only one mouth so we should listen twice as much as we speak, but we rarely do. More often, when our partner is speaking, we are only waiting for our turn to speak rather than listening to what they have to say. Good communication is very important for couples and improving our understanding of each other begins with listening.

Listening is more than just hearing the words that your partner says. When you listen, try to understand your partner. When they have finished speaking, ask yourself, what was the meaning that they were trying to get across? What were they feeling as they spoke? What is important to them? Then ask any questions that you need to that will help clarify their meaning.

4. Cuddling

Both males and females release the “cuddle hormone” oxytocin, in response to cuddling. Oxytocin is linked to positive aspects of pair bonding and it has other fascinating connections as well. Oxytocin is linked to increased trust in strangers, increased eye contact, and also improved ability to accurately interpret subtle facial expressions.

Unlike hugging, cuddling is not defined by arms and bodies connecting in a specific way. Cuddling could be anything from touching foreheads together, leaning against each other, or sitting side by side with an arm around your partner.

The physical closeness of your partner to you is what makes this important to your relationship. Touching is physically intimate. Allowing your partner into your personal space is an act of trust.

5. Forgiving

Mistakes happen and when your partner says “I’m sorry,” harboring resentment will only make you unhappy. Punishing your spouse by withholding forgiveness will eventually eat away at your own inner peace.

Forgiveness releases the tension between you and allows you to start over. You may need a period of rebuilding trust, which can be painful, but you’re starting by accepting that your partner is a human being. Forgiveness is what you would want if you made a mistake, so give your partner this gift.

6. Laughing

They say that laughter is the best medicine and whether or not we need it for healing, we should definitely be laughing more often. You don’t need to perform a comedy routine for your partner, but if you already know how to make them giggle, see if you can increase how often you do it.

Find humor in daily situations and share it with your partner. If you put on two mismatched socks, show your partner your silly mistake and have a laugh at your own expense. Laughter relieves tension and creates an emotional bond of joy with your partner.

7. Saying “I love you”

How often you tell your partner that you love them doesn’t equate to how much you love them, but doing it more will strengthen your bond. Expressing your love out loud is a way of confirming that you care.

More often, you demonstrate your love through your actions, like preparing meals with love or buying your partner’s favorite brand of soap. Actions speak louder than words but don’t forget that words have tremendous power also.

Final Thoughts on Small Signs of Affection Couples Must Show Every Day

These seven things are small actions that loving couples can take to strengthen their relationships. These activities don’t take much time, so see how many you can fit in today. Your partner will love the change and your relationship will enjoy the benefits.

Are You A Type A Or Type B Personality?

December 5, 2015 by Power of Positivity

Are you ambitious, driven, impatient, or more relaxed about life? Your disposition and personality traits can reveal whether you have a Type A or Type B personality, a theory discovered in the 1950s by cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman.

They believed that having a Type A personality put individuals at a greater risk of developing coronary heart disease, and while many scientists disagree with this correlation, the discovery played a significant role in the health psychology field later on.

Research on the personality types remains ongoing. But the implications of having a Type A or Type B personality are distinct. This article should help you figure out which personality type you have. Read on to learn more about each one.

Are you a Type A or Type B personality?

Type A

As you might have guessed from the earlier association of the Type A personality with the risk of heart disease, people with this personality have a great competitive drive and don’t take well to losing. They play to win, and when they don’t achieve the desired results, they usually beat themselves up mentally for it.

Type A’s have a detailed schedule planned out for each day, and when something happens unexpectedly, they tend to freak out about it. Extremely organized and conscientious, they enjoy routine and structure and get anxious when their day doesn’t go as planned. Type A’s also have a tendency to develop anxiety disorders due to their rigid mindset and high expectations of themselves and others.

Type A people have a serious disposition, and because of this, they make great leaders and politicians. They have no problem telling others what to do and will go to almost any lengths to achieve their goals. Type A personalities spend most of their time at work because setting and meeting goals make them the happiest. Their self-worth comes largely from their achievements, so they immerse themselves in anything dealing with winning.

Type A’s usually take on more work than they can reasonably manage. But that makes them prone to a slew of illnesses related to stress and exhaustion. Type A’s also tend to let their anger get the best of them. If you couple extreme impatience and addiction to achievement, this can spell out disaster for people with this personality.

If you believe you have a Type A personality, try to take some time for yourself each day. Please remember that your worth doesn’t come from just your achievements, status, or the money in your bank. Allow yourself to have fun and enjoy life at the moment sometimes because at the end of the day, you will hang on to the memories you make, not the awards you win or goals you achieve.

Type B

As you can imagine, people with a Type B personality fall on the totally opposite end of the spectrum. They have a more relaxed, carefree disposition, and could care less if they win or lose. They live life at the moment and don’t always need to reach a milestone to feel satisfied with their life.

Because they aren’t goal-oriented and achievement-driven, people with a Type B personality enjoy careers that require creativity and can be performed at a slower pace. Many people with a Type B personality choose a career as a writer, artist, musician, therapist, or actor.

They tend to reflect inwardly more than people with a Type A personality and have an abstract mind. They don’t see things in black and white. Instead, they notice all the aspects of life that fall into the grey areas. Because of their ability to slow down and notice the details, they usually shy away from anything that involves a significant amount of stress or pressure.

They prefer to just go with the flow and see where life takes them without getting caught up in knowing all the answers.

Most people fall somewhere in between a Type A and Type B personality; most people do enjoy reaching goals and achieving something in life. But not everyone lets their aspirations and accomplishments totally consume them. If you’d like to know which personality you have, you can take a quiz here to find out.

8 Signs You’re Becoming Depressed

December 5, 2015 by Power of Positivity

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 280 million people worldwide become depressed, making it the leading cause of disability. Approximately 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal affective disorder during the winter months. That condition comes from a lack of sun exposure, which can reduce circadian rhythms. With winter fast approaching, depression can set in without much warning. So, getting out of that mindset can sometimes seem virtually impossible at times.

Here are eight signs you’re becoming depressed:

Depression can seem debilitating and suffocating. But if you know the signs to look out for, you can take steps to prevent it. At the very least, you’ll understand how to treat yourself well.

1. You’ve lost interest in activities you used to enjoy.

Many people with depression find that they have no interest in doing much of anything. Indeed, just getting out of bed can seem like an insurmountable task most days. People who are depressed try to engage in things they once found enjoyable. However, they don’t find these activities pleasurable anymore. For example, if you once loved to dance, but just the thought of getting up and moving seems like torture, you might be depressed.

If you find you’ve lost interest in almost everything, including friendships, social outings, exercise, food, and sex, consider using positive affirmations, meditation, yoga, and natural remedies to help you regain control of your mental health.

2. You have lost your appetite or overeat regularly.

Another common symptom of depression is either overeating or losing interest in food altogether. Gary Kennedy, MD, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York, says, “A sudden change in weight, either gaining or losing, can be a warning of depression, especially in someone who has other symptoms of depression or a history of depression.”

Both scenarios can lead to severe complications, so if you notice yourself having no appetite or eating to appease your emotions, you could be depressed.

3. You’ve developed insomnia.

Many adults with depression have trouble falling or staying asleep. Patients who have chronic insomnia have triple the chance of developing depression compared to those who don’t suffer from insomnia. Many doctors believe that by treating insomnia, most patients would see a drastic decrease in their depression symptoms. While a couple of nights of tossing and turning don’t signal depression, being unable to fall and stay asleep over weeks or months could point to a deeper issue.

If you find that you have trouble sleeping most nights, and you’ve noticed this happening consistently over a long period, you might suffer from depression.

4. You feel tired all the time.

One of the most significant warning signs of depression is a lack of energy, which stems from the inability to sleep at night or the constant feelings of hopelessness and despair that plague the mind. Both of these can cause severe exhaustion, which makes it difficult for those with depression to get out of bed most days. However, you can combat these feelings by eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, exercising, and socializing even if you don’t feel like it. Also, make sure you don’t schedule too much in one day so that you don’t become overwhelmed.

5. You isolate yourself more often than not.

Many people with depression find that they don’t feel like being around friends and family as much. In fact, socializing with anyone can seem almost painful. That’s because the patient feels as though they cannot connect with anyone anymore. However, isolating yourself will only make the depression worse. So try to go out with a small group of friends fairly regularly, and tell them how you’re feeling.

Most of all, don’t feel ashamed of being depressed. Indeed, many people go through it from time to time in their life. So even if you have chronic depression, you have options for treatment.

Being alone with your thoughts all the time will only perpetuate the illness, so try to socialize even if it feels uncomfortable. Humans are social creatures, and cannot survive without some interaction, so don’t deprive yourself of these experiences.

You should also consider joining a support group for depression, as talking about it can help you to discover new thinking patterns and ways of coping with the illness.

6. You have difficulty focusing and listening to others.

Depression can make you feel like you have a constant fog inundating your brain, making it hard to concentrate or remember important facts and events. You might also find yourself tuning in and out of conversations, and having trouble formulating responses.

“Research has suggested that processing speed — the ability to take in information quickly and efficiently — is impaired in individuals who are depressed,” said Natascha Santos, PsyD, a psychologist and behavior therapist in Great Neck, N.Y.

Without proper treatment, serious cognitive impairments can occur over time. Meditation and relaxation techniques can help greatly with mental clarity and focus, so make sure to give yourself time each day for self-care and mindfulness training.

7. You feel sad, hopeless, and worthless.

Everyone feels these emotions occasionally, but those who are depressed feel them much more frequently. People with depression can get sucked into a vortex of negativity. So finding their way out can seem overwhelming and impossible. Getting a grip on these feelings doesn’t happen overnight. But you can shift into a more positive mindset with proper affirmations, relaxation, and mindfulness meditation.

Also, don’t hesitate to talk about your feelings with loved ones. They can support you through difficult times, and offer advice when you need it the most.

8. You have regular headaches and digestive issues.

According to Everyday Health, 40% of people with migraines also suffer from depression. Many people don’t attribute chronic headaches to depression, but the two go hand in hand in many cases.

“Migraines and depression have common underpinnings in the brain, which can develop due to environmental factors, genetic causes, or a combination of both,” Dr. Lipton, a professor and vice chairman of neurology and a professor of epidemiology and population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, says. “Migraine pain and depression are also linked because both conditions respond to some of the same medications.”

Also, your brain and gut are connected, and linked together by the vagus nerve. This nerve sends signals from your stomach to your brain, affecting hunger cues and overall appetite. Your emotions have a profound effect on your digestive health. For instance, have you ever noticed that when you feel anxious, your stomach feels tied up in knots, and you might have an upset stomach? This clearly shows that our emotions powerfully affect our mental health. So, by calming our minds and regaining mental clarity, we can control what sort of signals our gut sends to our brain.

5 Things Hopeless Romantics Need to Know

December 4, 2015 by Power of Positivity

A hopeless romantic is a seeker of love. Their ideal is a love that Shakespeare wishes he could write about. Lovers of love around the world share these 5 great lessons in their hopeful pursuit of enduring romance.

“There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.” – Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever

Hopeless Romantics Need to Know These 5 Things:

1. You don’t want a happy ending, you want a happy beginning.

Hollywood has gotten it all wrong. Hopeless romantics know that when the movie ends, the real romance is just starting. When couples fall in love, that’s just the beginning of their adventure together. The rest of their romantic movie won’t be about how they first got together, but about everything else that happens after.

Drinking coffee, eating breakfast and making the bed don’t make for great movies, but each waking and sleeping moment that a hopeless romantic spends with their partner is like a fantasy to them. The dreamy smile on the face of a hopeless romantic in love makes other romantics sigh with hope and appreciation for their own romance when they see it.

2. You can’t have the love of your life unless you are the love of your life.

“We accept the love we think we deserve.” – Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Loving yourself is the best way to find the love that you are meant to have. Self-love is healthy and it is also important to a hopeless romantic’s mindset. Clinical psychologist Dr. Deborah Khoshaba says that “When we act in ways that expand self-love in us, we begin to accept much better our weaknesses as well as our strengths, have less need to explain away our short-comings, have compassion for ourselves as human beings struggling to find personal meaning, are more centered in our life purpose and values, and expect living fulfillment through our own efforts.”

When you know yourself very well, you know what kind of partner is the right fit for you. Knowing your quirks, tastes, values, and beliefs is important before you can connect deeply with someone who is different from you. If you’ve learned from past failed relationships and you know what mistakes not to make again, you’re ready to meet another hopeless romantic.

3. Love really is all around us, if you know where to look for it.

Hopeless romantics are actually full of hope for love and romance. They see it everywhere. They know that the grand gesture of an over-the-top proposal is not what most love is made of. It’s the small everyday gestures that are the most romantic; the husband who lets his wife chose the movie that they’ll see, the wife who presses her husband’s pants with the crease just the way he likes, and the couple who lean against each other waiting in line at the store.

When you look for it, you can see romance happening everywhere. Most people overlook these small things as just a part of daily life. Hopeless romantics know that the small daily things add up to a lifetime of deep love and appreciation for their partner.

Touching, hand-holding, laughing and flirting is just as intimate to the romantic as love-making is. Hopeless romantics don’t cringe at sappy love songs, they serenade their partners with them. Romantics point out the birds cuddling together in the trees and the squirrels chasing each other in the park.

4. Great love is someone who can love you at your worst.

“I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.” ~Marilyn Monroe

No one is perfect and a hopeless romantic knows that there will be bad times along with the good ones. They will be there for their partner when the going gets rough. When a hopeless romantic finds their match, they are in it for better and for worse.

Working through difficult times can be emotionally stressful, but real romantics know that the bond with their partner will be stronger after they’ve overcome the obstacles that are in their way. Together they will look back at all that they were able to overcome and know that they can handle whatever their future holds.

5. Commitment is so romantic.

Those old couples who are dancing at their grandchild’s wedding, so lost in each others’ eyes that the rest of the room disappears to them. Those are traits of hopeless romantics. A true romantic’s vow to their partner is unbreakable and they know that they have what it takes to maintain a powerful love well into old age and beyond.

Honor, integrity, and steadfastness are traits of the hopeless romantic. They value their partner’s love and are hopelessly devoted to that one special person. They will protect their love even across great distances. When they reunite after an absence from each other, hopeless romantics are secure knowing that their partner never even thought of being unfaithful. They can’t wait to celebrate their 50th anniversary together.

21 Things That Should Never Be Accepted In Your Relationship

December 4, 2015 by Sarah Barkley

They say that hindsight is 20-20, and looking back on past relationships, it is often easier to see the things you overlooked at the time but now seem so wrong about your partner’s behavior.

Although emotions are normal, a healthy relationship does not cause hurt, fear, or anger regularly. It might be time to take a step back and reevaluate your relationship if you’ve started to accept these things as usual.

21 Behaviors You Must Not Accept in Your Relationship

Never assume these things as expected from your partner.

1. Broken Relationship Boundaries

You have made it clear to your partner that you have certain boundaries that are important to you, but your partner keeps crossing them. Their lack of respect for what is important to them is not part of a normal, healthy relationship.

Clinical psychologist Ryan Howe says that partners in a healthy relationship “ask permission, take one another’s feelings into account, show gratitude and respect differences in opinion, perspective, and feelings.” Howe says that “Boundaries in romantic relationships are especially critical because, as opposed to other relationships, partners inhabit each other’s most intimate spaces, including physical, emotional and sexual.”

2. Aggression

Physical violence, verbal, sexual, or emotional abuse is never routine in a relationship. If you have said no to sex, but your partner forced it on you anyway, that could constitute rape, even within a marriage. Anything that hurts you or feels wrong should never be considered normal for a relationship.

Fearing your partner’s behavior is a sign that you need to separate yourself from them, get to a safe place and possibly report their actions to the police. Contact the national domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233, document the abuse, and protect yourself from further harm.

3. Controlling Everything in the Relationship

Some people who have a Type A personality will feel more comfortable having significant control over things. But your partner shouldn’t be the only person making all of the decisions for you.

A relationship is a partnership, and you both should have a say in your day-to-day activities, meals, shopping, etc. If your partner feels the need to control every decision that affects you, you should not assume that their behavior is expected.

Talk with your partner to express your frustration over not having control. Pick one or two most important things for you to control, and ask them to let you have a say in those.

4. Accusations

If your partner not only distrusts you but accuses you of cheating without any grounds to do so, their jealous behavior is not normal. If you’ve not given your partner any reason to be concerned, but they accuse you of having a wandering eye or flirting too much with someone, it is most likely their insecurity that is causing them to talk to you this way not your behavior.

5. Lies

Some lying is normal, but not where your security is concerned. In a study where people kept track of how many lies they told for a week, the average was one to two lies per day. Typically, people lied to prevent hurting someone’s feelings, such as telling someone they looked good when they didn’t think they did. Researchers believe that small lies are usual for maintaining positive social relationships.

Being lied to by your partner creates an environment of distrust. It isn’t easy to feel safe, secure, and loved without trust. Whether you’ve caught your partner in a lie by finding evidence that they’ve hidden, or your gut is telling you that something’s not right, your intuition knows that you are being deceived.

You have a right to have an honest relationship. If you believe that your partner is lying about sex, money, or dangerous behavior like drugs or alcohol, your safety is potentially at risk. In this case, the lie could hurt you by exposing you to disease, financial insecurity, or potentially violent behavior.

6. A Relationship Filled With Demeaning Language

No one deserves to be treated disrespectfully. If your partner has used racial slurs, cursing, or belittling language against you, it should never be considered a normal part of a relationship. Sure it’s normal for couples to argue, but putting someone down to win an argument is not okay.

Even if your partner discounts your ideas as silly or stupid, that is not normal in a relationship. You deserve to be with someone who will support and defend you, not put you down and make you feel bad.

Being your advocate in an unhealthy relationship can be difficult. Especially if you feel that you have no power to change things. Communicating with someone who won’t listen is not going to work.

Seek the help of a trusted friend or a licensed counselor as an excellent step to help yourself heal from a bad relationship. Put it behind you and know that your next relationship will be better now that you know normal.

7. Physical or Emotional Abuse

Abuse often creeps up in a relationship, catching the victim off guard. It doesn’t happen immediately, but once it does, it continually intensifies. Many people stay in the situation, but it’s something you should never tolerate.

Physical abuse isn’t the only form, as emotional or mental abuse is also prominent. It destroys your self-esteem, makes you second-guess yourself, and is detrimental to your overall well-being.

8. Gaslighting

It’s never okay if your partner tries to convince you that you’re wrong when you’re not. They might tell you that you’re crazy to make you back down and question yourself. Your partner might also tell you they were joking or imply that you need to let something go.

Gaslighting partners often makes you feel like you’re wrong for having feelings. They’ll dismiss your concerns and continue behavior that hurts you. If you notice these things in your romance, it’s time to end it. You don’t deserve to deal with gaslighting, and it’s detrimental to your well-being.

9. Judging and Shaming

If your partner judges or shames you, it’s a bad sign. It shows that they lack respect for you, and they aren’t being kind. A healthy relationship involves a partner who respectfully helps you improve who you are but doesn’t judge and shame you.

On the other hand, an unhealthy romance involves a partner who constantly points out what’s wrong with you. They might make remarks about your personality, body, or abilities. Judging and shaming are ways for someone to exert control, but you don’t have to tolerate the disrespect.

10. Interrupting or Talking Over You

If your partner constantly talks over you or interrupts, it’s negative. It shows that they lack respect and don’t actively listen. Communication is essential to a healthy relationship, so don’t accept anything less.

11. A Relationship That Isolates You

Anytime your partner tries to control who you spend time with, it’s a sign that this partnership isn’t meant to be. It’s okay if you have close relationships with friends and family members, and it’s not okay for your partner to say otherwise. Independence is essential to a healthy romance, including having a life outside your partner.

If your partner isolates you, it shows that they want to assert their dominance by interfering with your happiness and self-care. When your partner doesn’t want you to spend time with people you love, it indicates they have something to hide.

They might think the people close to you will notice flaws and point them out. Additionally, they might be insecure and get jealous of your other relationships. No matter what their reason is, your relationships still matter.

You might notice that they don’t support your friendships and refuse to spend time with them. Their refusal will eventually result in them asking you to stop seeing that person, too. They might also dismiss or insult your family, creating a barrier that is hard to overcome.

12. Jealousy, Neediness, and Being Clingy

Being in a relationship with someone who is obsessively jealous, needy, or clingy is never desirable. Everyone has moments of jealousy, but it shouldn’t occur constantly or involve them calling you repeatedly while you’re with friends.

Clingy behavior shows a lack of self-esteem and insecurity and can be challenging to handle. You might feel suffocated to the point of exhaustion. It isn’t your job to fix people, and you shouldn’t have to deal with these issues if they don’t seek help.

13. Stonewalling

Stonewalling is a demeaning behavior that ignores your feelings and shuts you out. If your partner does it, they might refuse to answer, or they’ll walk away during a conversation. Your partner should be willing to have an open discussion and improve their detrimental behavior.

14. Lying or Breaking Your Trust

Honesty is essential in a healthy relationship, and you shouldn’t tolerate anything else. There are many ways your partner can break your trust, including bad-mouthing you or not following through on commitments. Additionally, lying is always unacceptable unless they’re throwing you a surprise party.

If your partner cheats, you must address and deal with the problem. Every situation is different, but you must take care of the situation either way.

15. Belittling Your Career Aspirations

You can’t have a healthy relationship with someone who doesn’t believe in you or support your dreams. If your partner continually insults your work, mocks your achievements, or tells you to give up, they’re not the person for you. You want someone who will only provide constructive criticism and constant support.

16. Never Apologizing

Healthy relationships have partners who apologize when they’re wrong. It’s not a good look if your partner thinks the world revolves around them. When something goes wrong, they blame others and never own up. If you allow this behavior, it’ll erode your self-esteem.

17. Invalidating Your Feelings or Experiences

Don’t tolerate your partner trying to convince you that your feelings or experiences are untrue or insignificant. Additionally, if you vocalize how you feel and your partner responds by saying it’s not a big deal. They might also belittle you for not being open enough.

A partner in a healthy relationship should strive to learn about the issues you face. They should want to understand what upsets you rather than telling you to let it go.

18. Irrational Comparisons to a Past Relationship

Everyone doubts themselves sometimes, but your partner should never make it worse by comparing you to others. Your partner should cherish you and your imperfections. Comparing you to others depletes your self-esteem, and it’s something you should never tolerate.

19. Not Publicly Acknowledging Your Relationship

If you’re in a committed relationship, your partner should be willing to acknowledge it publicly. Your romance shouldn’t be a secret, so don’t tolerate hiding your romance. You spend your time on the partnership and deserve it to be public.

If your partner asks you to keep it quiet, consider why they might want that. It could be that they don’t want to be tied down if someone else comes along, or they might have multiple partners. Additionally, you’ll have to wonder if they are embarrassed. Despite the reason, it shows a lack of respect for you, and it’s never okay to behave that way.

20. Constant Negativity

You can tolerate some negativity, but eventually, it’ll drag you down. Constant negativity gets frustrating, leading to yelling and other forms of disrespect. If you don’t tolerate negativity, your romance will become much better.

21. Arrogance and Entitlement

It’s okay to have a certain level of self-pride, but it can go too far. If your partner exhibits self-centeredness and arrogance, it might be time to rethink things. Your partner’s arrogance and entitlement are draining and unhealthy, so make it clear that you won’t tolerate it.

5 Steps to a Healthier Relationship

If there are aspects of your relationship that you can’t or shouldn’t accept, you can make positive changes. These steps will help you build a stronger, healthier, and happier partnership.

1. Focus on Positivity in the Relations

When you focus on the positive, you’ll notice a quick improvement in your relationship. Compliment your partner, acknowledge their hard work, surprise them, or do anything else to make them happy.

Doing simple things like telling your partner that you appreciate them can make a difference. It’ll help them feel satisfied, releasing some negativity between you.

As you focus on positivity, make sure to have a positive relationship with yourself. When you feel good about yourself, your romance will also improve. Identify the good things about yourself and remember that you are worthy.

2. Spend Time Together

Spending quality time together while remaining fully present is one of the best ways to create a healthier relationship. Turn your phone off and limit other distractions so that you and your partner can focus on one another. Choose activities that allow you to engage and have fun, such as taking a nature walk or preparing a meal together.

3. Encourage One Another to Accomplish Your Goals

If your partner wants to lose weight or exercise more, encourage them to make it happen. Be part of their support system by holding them accountable, keeping them motivated, and cheering them on. Encouraging your partner is a sure way to make a beneficial change.

4. Engage in Frequent Physical Contact

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been together, but you must still engage in frequent physical contact. Hug each other whenever you can, especially when one of you returns home. Hugging improves your relationship, decreases depression, boosts the immune system, promotes sleep, and reduces stress. You and your partner are sure to benefit from the physical contact.

5. Communicate and Express Yourself

Don’t be afraid to talk to your partner about anything, including issues you feel need addressing. A healthy relationship requires communication and self-expression, so don’t hold back. Remember to be kind and respectful as you communicate so that you don’t worsen the problems.

Express your thoughts and feelings without restraint, so your partner knows what you want and expect. Make sure you give your partner the same opportunity for expression so that they feel heard, too.

What Type of Intelligence Do You Have?

December 4, 2015 by Power of Positivity

In school, you probably remember taking an IQ test of some sort to determine your intelligence. If you got a low score, you likely felt inadequate and inferior to your peers who may have scored higher. However, did you know that there are nine different types of intelligence?

Howard Gardner, Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, discovered these nine areas of intelligence in 1983. Dr. Gardner calls this the theory of multiple intelligences, believing that everyone falls under one or more of them to some degree.

So, just because you can’t quite grasp quantum physics and geometry doesn’t mean that you lack intelligence. You just might excel more in things like emotional intelligence or music or philosophy. With that said, read on to find out which type of intelligence best describes you.

What type of intelligence do you have?

1. Linguistic

If you have linguistic intelligence, you always find the right words to convey your thoughts. You excel in language, so you likely love to read and write, possibly even give speeches. According to Dr. Gardner, linguistic intelligence is the most common type of intelligence in humans.

2. Logical-mathematical

This type of intelligence means that you use logic and reason to solve problems and perceive connections. These types of people are very analytical and practical, and excel in math, science, detective work, and experiments of any kind. Logical-mathematical intelligence involves identifying patterns, using sequential reasoning, and relying on factual evidence and proven theories to solve a problem.

3. Bodily-Kinesthetic

This type of intelligence requires the perfect harmony of mind and body and precision and accuracy in movements. Athletes, dancers, and surgeons exhibit this type of intelligence, as they must use their mental and physical strength to perform their jobs.

4. Intra-personal

Intra-personal intelligence means that you have a high level of understanding and awareness of yourself. You can connect with yourself and dissect your thoughts and feelings, using that information to guide you on the right path. People with this sort of intelligence feel great compassion for themselves and have learned how to love themselves despite their flaws. They have a profound understanding of humans, which makes them great psychologists, philosophers, or spiritual teachers. They often have a shy or introverted personality and are highly contemplative and inwardly driven.

5. Interpersonal

This type of intelligence sits on the opposite end of the spectrum of intra-personal intelligence. Yet it requires some of the same skills. Instead of looking inward, these people focus their attention outward and relate deeply to how other people feel. They can connect well with many people, using their communication skills to consider various opinions and perspectives, and showing sensitivity and compassion for everything they encounter. These types of people make wonderful teachers, social workers, politicians, or anything that requires leadership skills.

6. Naturalist

As the name suggests, naturalists have an innate curiosity and understanding of the world and can discern between many types of plants and animals. They love to study all the different features and landscapes of the natural world, making them wonderful botanists, chefs, farmers, biologists, or anything that requires a close relationship with nature.

7. Existential

This type of intelligence involves considering and trying to solve life’s biggest questions, such as the meaning of life, how we got here, why we die, and those types of profound topics. These people also make great philosophers, who don’t shy away from deep questions like these.

8. Musical

Obviously, this intelligence has to do with demonstrating and understanding various aspects of music, from playing different instruments to singing to composing and everything in between. From a young age, these types of people showed a great interest in playing instruments and probably sang to themselves or drummed on any surface they could find to create music. They can differentiate between pitches and rhythms in a song with no trouble and reproduce the music easily.

9. Spatial

Artists of all kinds exhibit high levels of spatial intelligence. This involves seeing the world around you in 3D and using your imagination to create new images or ideas. These people demonstrate a great understanding of the graphic arts, and their profession might involve painting, architecture, sculpting, or piloting a plane. These individuals have great creative intelligence and use that to convey their perspective and understanding of the world around them.

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Seven Things Couples Need To Be Doing More

1. Kissing

2. Hugging longer than twenty seconds

3. Listening

4. Cuddling

5. Forgiving

6. Laughing

7. Saying “I love you”

Final Thoughts on Small Signs of Affection Couples Must Show Every Day

Are you a Type A or Type B personality?

Type A

Type B

Here are eight signs you’re becoming depressed:

1. You’ve lost interest in activities you used to enjoy.

2. You have lost your appetite or overeat regularly.

3. You’ve developed insomnia.

4. You feel tired all the time.

5. You isolate yourself more often than not.

6. You have difficulty focusing and listening to others.

7. You feel sad, hopeless, and worthless.

8. You have regular headaches and digestive issues.

Hopeless Romantics Need to Know These 5 Things:

1. You don’t want a happy ending, you want a happy beginning.

2. You can’t have the love of your life unless you are the love of your life.

3. Love really is all around us, if you know where to look for it.

4. Great love is someone who can love you at your worst.

5. Commitment is so romantic.

21 Behaviors You Must Not Accept in Your Relationship

1. Broken Relationship Boundaries

2. Aggression

3. Controlling Everything in the Relationship

4. Accusations

5. Lies

6. A Relationship Filled With Demeaning Language

7. Physical or Emotional Abuse

8. Gaslighting

9. Judging and Shaming

10. Interrupting or Talking Over You

11. A Relationship That Isolates You

12. Jealousy, Neediness, and Being Clingy

13. Stonewalling

14. Lying or Breaking Your Trust

15. Belittling Your Career Aspirations

16. Never Apologizing

17. Invalidating Your Feelings or Experiences

18. Irrational Comparisons to a Past Relationship

19. Not Publicly Acknowledging Your Relationship

20. Constant Negativity

21. Arrogance and Entitlement

5 Steps to a Healthier Relationship

1. Focus on Positivity in the Relations

2. Spend Time Together

3. Encourage One Another to Accomplish Your Goals

4. Engage in Frequent Physical Contact

5. Communicate and Express Yourself

What type of intelligence do you have?

1. Linguistic

2. Logical-mathematical

3. Bodily-Kinesthetic

4. Intra-personal

5. Interpersonal

6. Naturalist

7. Existential

8. Musical

9. Spatial

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Rise and Shine On! Master Your Day with the Ultimate Positive Morning Guide + Checklist

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Us

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Master Your Day with the Ultimate Positive Morning Guide + Checklist