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Removing These Words from Your Vocabulary Can Increase Positive Thinking

April 24, 2022 by Lakeisha Ethans

Words seem like such a given in life that most people don’t even realize how powerful vocabulary can be. Of course, most people realize that words are essential for communication, but they do more than that. They aren’t just a way to tell someone else what you think. Your vocabulary and choice of words can also affect how you feel, not just what you communicate externally.

Words convey both emotions and meaning. That’s why people enjoy reading poems and stories. Because certain words make them feel happy, others feel sad, joyful, lost, or euphoric. But words can also fundamentally change how you view the world around you and even yourself. This is clear if you look at what words other people use.

A kid raised by parents who always called them dumb will believe they are dumb. And they’ll always use derogatory words to describe their intellectual capacity. Someone who always uses words with a negative connotation will generally be more harmful. But removing certain words from your vocabulary can help you increase positive thinking.

The Connection Between Your Vocabulary and Positive Thinking

Positive thinking is probably the essential component of a positive attitude towards life. And, contrary to how it sounds, positive thinking isn’t about being ignorant of the negative aspects of life. It’s not about seeing everything in shades of pink and believing everything is just rainbows and butterflies. Positive thinking is about being optimistic and getting the best outcome out of every situation. And according to many experts, positive thinking is rooted in positive self-talk.

The endless stream of thoughts constantly going through everyone’s heads is known as self-talk. These thoughts are often automatic. For example, if you see a flower on the street, you’ll probably see its name in your head. You’ll probably think of the word house if you see a house. And if you look at yourself in the mirror, your brain will probably fire off a string of adjectives to describe how you see yourself.

An overly negative person who has always been surrounded with negative words will instantly think that they are ugly. Or maybe they’ll believe they are fat, their face is uneven, their teeth are crooked, or a million other harmful things. This perception can happen with anything, not just body appearance. It can be about your intelligence, your personality, and more. This type of self-talk arises from misconceptions you create or preconceived ideas you have yet to get over.

But the other part of self-talk comes from logic and reason, so you can permanently rewire your brain to be more positive. Positive thinking has many effects on someone’s health. For example, optimistic people may live longer. That’s mainly because they have lower rates of depression and lower levels of distress. Aside from improving your general psychological well-being, positive thinking can impact your physical health. Optimistic people generally have better resistance to illness and better cardiovascular health.

Thus, optimism reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and stroke. But it also reduces the risk of death from cancer, respiratory conditions, and infections. Additionally, positivity helps you improve your coping skills and stress management skills. This seems to be because positive thoughts affect your mentality and psychological condition. But it’s also been shown that optimistic people are usually the ones who have healthier lifestyles. They have better diets, work out more, and typically have a better work-life balance.

But even though being positive has clear benefits, it’s not that easy to change your whole vocabulary. If you’ve grown up around negative people and have internalized negativity, it can be a challenge to replace certain words. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. There are always ways to change your mentality and your vocabulary.

How to Remove Negative Words from Your Vocabulary

Stop allowing these phrases and habits to creep into your head or out of your mouth.

1. Be Aware of Your Negative Self-Talk

Most people use negative words when they think without even realizing it. They believe that negative words aren’t that nig of a deal. But it’s also because most people internalize these words, and they don’t even realize how negative they are. It’s hard to stop and listen to your inner voice, especially when you’re always on the move, always busy.

One of the first things you need to do is designate some time in your day when you don’t have any responsibilities, and you can review your thoughts. But you can even take time to listen to your thoughts throughout the day. Instead of listening to music while driving, you can go in silence and allow yourself to be aware of your thoughts.

Or, instead of watching videos while you eat, focus on what’s going on in your head. Listening to what your inner voice is telling you will make you more aware of your vocabulary. You might catch yourself being negative in many instances. You would have never thought you’d be negative. This makes you more aware of your language and can help you avoid negativity.

You can even keep a thought log if you think that will be a better incentive to change your vocabulary. Keep a small notebook with you and write every time you negatively describe yourself. You can even record what triggered that thought. That way, you can tackle your vocabulary issue from the root.

2. Stop Blaming Yourself by Using Negative Vocabulary

Most people who engage in negative self-talk are always blaming themselves. And even if they’re not directly blaming themselves, they’re probably catastrophizing or criticizing themselves. Even if you make genuine mistakes, you still don’t need to blame yourself. Just because you stumbled a little, that doesn’t mean that the world will end.

And it doesn’t mean that you are a terrible person or that your skills are subpar. But there’s so much pressure on people to be perfect that most of them forget that making mistakes is a normal part of being human. Being optimistic might be something you can do while your life is going smoothly. But it’s much harder to do when your life isn’t going quite as planned.

Because of this, you need to remove phrases like “it’s all my fault” or “I messed everything up” from your vocabulary. Being self-critical never helped anyone, contrary to what society seems to think. A self-critical person will always point out what’s wrong with themselves, but they won’t have a plan to better themselves. This way, you will destroy your confidence and motivation.

But when you accept your humanity, that’s when you can take responsibility without tearing yourself down. Don’t play the blame game because the truth is, the blame doesn’t matter in most cases. It doesn’t matter if you failed because someone else distracted you. You can still learn something from the whole situation. You can learn how to tune out better people who want to make you lose focus.

That being said, you can still learn to love yourself. One way to do that is by incorporating positive phrases into your vocabulary. Things like “I can still do it” or “I can overcome this hurdle” will lift you.

3. Shift the Perspective

When it comes to positivity, the key is learning how to frame everything in a way that can benefit you. Objectively, missing a deadline is a negative thing. But an optimist will always look for the silver lining. Even though you missed that deadline, now you can start working on your time management, which will help you in every project you tackle.

And the same goes for self-talk. If you feel the urge to criticize yourself for something, look for the silver lining. Instead of thinking, “look how fat I am,” focus on the features you like. Think, “wow, my eyes are beautiful” or “my hair is nice and soft.” And if you are unhappy with something about yourself, don’t beat yourself up over it. Just try to devise a plan to change that you think you don’t like.

The most important thing you need to understand is that negativity will never help you, no matter who it’s directed towards. If you are negative towards someone else, you risk ruining their day or crushing their confidence. If you always talk yourself down, you will lose your motivation, and you even risk developing depressive thoughts.

But when you try to stay positive and to always talk kindly, you can start becoming a positive thinker. Just make an effort to shift your perspective over certain situations. For example, having a few extra pounds isn’t something to be ashamed of. Your body is your home, and you should cherish it no matter what. No situation is so bad that it requires you to be mean towards yourself.

Final Thoughts on How Removing Negative Words from Your Vocabulary Can Increase Positive Thinking

Many words people use daily carry more weight than it might seem at first glance. Words like “ugly,” “lazy,” and “stupid” are just some of the words that people use almost every day to describe themselves. And in most cases, they don’t even realize that they use them. Negative self-talk is something that most people have internalized, and they even think of it as usual.

Or, they don’t even have time to focus on their thoughts because of how busy people have become. They aren’t even aware of how negative they currently are and how changing a few words can make you much more positive. Becoming aware of what your self-talk looks like is the first step in changing it. Take some time to focus solely on your thoughts, even write down whenever you are being negative if you think that helps. That way, you can identify why you are harmful and what words you should change.

The second step is to stop blaming yourself and stop catastrophizing. Instead, take responsibility without being mean to yourself. It’s way better to motivate yourself than to tear yourself down. Lastly, it would be best if you worked on shifting your perspective and searching for the silver lining even in objectively bad situations. Going through these steps will help you become more positive. But what you need to remember above all else is that you need to stop criticizing yourself and start being kinder.

Psychologist Explains 6 Ways to Help When Someone Is Struggling in Life

April 23, 2022 by Lakeisha Ethans

Watching someone struggling is tough, especially when you care deeply about them. Your heart tells you to help, but you’re also aware that you could mess up, and maybe you’re not sure you can genuinely be of help. If you can’t directly relate to their struggle, it’s tough to say and do the right thing, and empathizing with them may not come naturally.

There are many different ways that someone might be struggling. Brown Girl Therapy founder Sahaj Kaur Kohli, an expert in clinical mental health counseling and advocacy, has a few suggestions of her own. Writing for TED, she outlines some methods to help someone who is struggling.

It’s worth noting that this expert’s work focuses on mental health struggles. However, her words can be applied to other struggles, too, and is, in this article, supplemented by other good advice! Here are six ways to help when someone is struggling in life.

1. Be A Good Listener

People who are struggling will appreciate feeling heard and understood by you. When asking them questions, be sure to fully listen and express that you believe them and think their feelings and struggles are valid. Empathize with them with sympathetic and kind (but not coddling) words. Even something like “That sounds difficult” can be sufficient.

Remember to come from a place of genuine desire to understand. You should not bring your harsh judgment with you to the party. Don’t compare their struggles to other people’s, minimize their suffering, or try so hard to “fix” the problem that you neglect to validate them entirely.

If the person in your life is having trouble opening up, research suggests that this may be because of the stigma surrounding struggles, especially mental health ones. You can help remove the stigma by maintaining an open dialogue about mental health so they feel safe coming to you.

2. Learn More About The Issue They’re Facing

One of the biggest missteps people make when trying to be helpful is well-meaning ignorance. This outcome happens when you want to help and your intentions are positive, but you have no idea what you’re dealing with. So, as a result, you say disrespectful things to someone struggling, give bad advice, invalidate them, or make things worse.

You can be so out of your depth even if you don’t fall into the trap of well-meaning ignorance. If you don’t know anything about their struggles, you can’t help them. You should try to learn more about those struggles if you want to help someone. Here are some ways to do so:

· Educate Yourself On Why They Are Struggling

Whatever that person is struggling with, do more in-depth research about it. For example, if they have depression, read up what you can about it, researching scientific explanations and personal accounts from others with it. Or, if they’ve lost their job due to discrimination, look up information on how discrimination in the workplace happens and how that may continue to affect them going forward. Try to get more than a rudimentary understanding of the topic. After all, there are countless ways you can find information online!

· Don’t Act Like You Know More Than Them

Each situation is unique, and the person you’re trying to help understands their position more than you do. Your theoretical knowledge from research can’t compete with your real-life lived experience! Use your knowledge as a guide instead of a set of rigid rules as you learn more from the actual person’s practical experience. Even among similar struggles, not all issues look the same. You should remember that well!

· Suggest Relevant Resources

If the struggling person is having trouble finding resources, look some up, research their backgrounds, and suggest them to the person if they fit their needs. Resources may come from aid organizations, charitable causes, or information. If some of these resources require in-person visits, you can offer to go with them for added support.

3. Keep In Touch With Them

A lot of struggling people push those around them away. They tend to feel guilty that others take care of them or look after them. This guilt makes them self-isolate, worried about taking up other people’s energy and time.

Show this person in your life that you want to be there for them by regularly keeping in touch. Check in to ask how they’re doing. To be a companion, make time to hang out with them, even when you’re not helping. Remind them that you care about them and will be there for them. These things seem simple, but they mean the world to someone who’s struggling!

In addition, if they tend to isolate themselves, don’t stop inviting them out. They might always say no. But they will appreciate that you still think of them.

4. Help Somone Struggling With Everyday Tasks or Errands

When people struggle, it’s not the vast gestures or big jobs that are often the most difficult. The small, simple, everyday tasks sneak up on them. It sounds strange – these tasks usually don’t seem that difficult. But somehow, you can always tell when someone is struggling based on how clean their home is, their hygiene levels, and how behind they are on something seemingly mundane.

Struggling individuals often feel overwhelmed by all the big things they have to do. This feeling makes everyday errands and chores seem almost impossible. They don’t have the time and energy to organize their to-do list and get everything in order, so they put it aside. By the time they can turn to do these tasks again, they realize that everything has piled up a lot, and they cannot tackle them all.

This is why one of the best ways to help someone struggling is by helping them with everyday tasks. They seem tedious and trivial, but they can make or break someone’s day. Studies show that those with mental health struggles lack quality of life. Try looking around to see what needs doing, then fill that need.

Here are some ways that you can pitch in when you see someone struggling:

Clean their house; even a bit of dusting, sweeping, and light decluttering session can completely transform the vibes of someone’s living space.
Offer to drive them somewhere or be their chauffeur for a day of errands.
Cook a good meal or two or buy them some takeout that will last a few days in their fridge.
Send them a gift card for necessities, such as groceries or meals.
Accompany them on potentially nerve-wracking but essential appointments.
Babysit or petsit for them.
Do their grocery shopping for them.
Just ask if there’s any help they need and be willing to take them up on their request, within reason.
Make them an excellent care package with valuable items to show you care.

5. Communicate Any Noteworthy Concerns Well

People who are struggling still need to hear the truth where necessary. They’re not absolved from accountability, even if you understand that they may need some leniency in this trying time. Honesty must still be present.

As someone helping them, you have to communicate reasonable concerns that you have in a way they would be most receptive to. Here are some tips for navigating these difficult, complex conversations with healthy communication:

· Engage In Timely Communication About Their Struggling

Don’t break difficult news to a struggling person when they’re at their worst. Wait for a calm, relatively relaxed moment if possible. This will ensure that they’re in a suitable headspace to hear you out.

· Express Concerns With A Focus On Behavior

To get through to someone struggling, focus on their actions instead of making assumptions. Don’t throw out diagnoses left and right by saying, “I think you have anxiety” or similar things. Instead, zoom in on specific behaviors and highlight why they concern you. Emphasize your worry for them instead of casting any judgment.

· Don’t Take Anything Personally

Don’t take it personally if the struggling person lashes out at you because of your communication. They’re doing this as a defense mechanism, and it has nothing to do with you. If they refuse to listen, take a step back and let them be. (Do note that you should listen to their grievances about your communication to ensure that the issue isn’t on your side. Judge this with rationality and openness!)

6. Maintain Your Boundaries as You Help Someone Who Is Struggling

Helping someone who’s struggling is tiring, and if you overdo it, you could feel very drained. Your charitable acts also have limitations, and you need to have boundaries. If you don’t, you’ll be too exhausted to continue helping them and may even start struggling. Worst of all, you could begin resenting that person for how much you’ve had to do for them.

This is where maintaining boundaries comes in. It would be best to determine where your limits lie and what lines you won’t cross. When possible, openly communicate these boundaries to the person you’re helping. If they attempt to make you feel bad for setting limits, you may want to reconsider your decision to help them. It sounds harsh, but compromising on your limitations will only make things harder for you.

It’s also a good idea to ensure you don’t spend too much time with this one person. Continue to take time for yourself to unwind, do some acts of self-care, and spend time with other people in your life. You shouldn’t end up sacrificing your life to help someone who’s struggling. Remember, you can’t help someone if you’re not in a state where you can do so.

Final Thoughts On Some Ways To Help When Someone Is Struggling In Life

It’s difficult to help someone struggling in life, but you can certainly do it if you try! Be a good listener, take time to learn about their struggles, and keep in touch with them. You can also communicate your concerns healthily and pitch in with everyday tasks. Finally, don’t forget to maintain your boundaries for your health and safety–and theirs!

Nutritionists Reveal 12 Tips to Break Your Stress Eating Habit

April 23, 2022 by Chris Butler

Do you grab a cookie or two or three for comfort during a stressful day? It’s a common problem for many people. Stress eating is emotional eating. It’s a way to cope when you’re under stress. It usually has nothing to do with actual hunger, but you seek comfort when you feel sad or in a difficult situation. You may want to stop stress eating but feel stuck in this habit. Here are twelve tips nutritionists say can help break your stress eating habits.

Stress Eating Is Common

You might feel you’re the only person who grabs a bag of potato chips when you’re stressed, but it turns out you’re not alone. Studies show that roughly 40% of adults in the United States eat food when stressed. This intake means excess calories and weight gain. If you struggle with stress eating, here are some ways nutritionists say you can break your stress eating habit.

What causes stress eating?

Stress causes emotional responses. Stressful experiences include the following:

Personal conflict
Loss of a loved one
Unemployment
Illness
Drugs
Food deprivation

Even so-called “good” stress causes you to eat more. Researchers say that women are more likely to turn to food when stressed, while men are more prone to turn to tobacco or alcohol when under stress. Obesity is more common in women because of stress eating than for men.

Nutritionists Reveal Twelve Tips to Break Your Stress Eating Habit

Here are twelve changes that can help you free yourself from snacking when you feel overwhelmed.

1 – Meditation

Some forms of meditation help lower your stress. Plus, meditation causes you to be more mindful of what you’re eating. Pay attention to what you’re doing the next time you feel tempted to grab a bag of chips because of stress. Take a deep breath and stretch. Meditation increases relaxation and reduces your impulse to eat when you feel stressed.

2 – Exercise

Your stress comes from work, home, financial pressure, health issues, relationships, and other life situations. Anything you go through may produce stress. Regular exercise blunts the effects of stress. Getting your body moving releases chemical changes in your brain that help you feel happier. If you think you don’t have time to go to the gym, don’t worry. You can find exercises that don’t require a gym membership, such as the following activities:

Walking
Riding your bike
Gardening
Jump rope
Cleaning your house
Running up and down your stairs at home

When the temptation to snack hits because you feel stressed, try taking a quick walk around your block.

3 – Drink lots of water

Sometimes when you think you’re hungry, you’re thirsty. It’s essential to drink water during the day to stay completely hydrated. Adults should drink at least 4 to 6 cups of water a day. What are the benefits of staying hydrated?

Water carries oxygen and nutrients to your blood cells
Water helps flush out bacteria in your bladder
It aids your digestion
It prevents constipation
Helps regulate your blood pressure
Cushions your joints
Helps stabilize your heartbeat
Protects your tissues and organs
Helps regulate your body temperature
Maintains your electrolyte balance

The next time you’re tempted to grab an unhealthy snack, reach for a glass of water. Squeeze a little lime or lemon into the chilled water for an extra flavor boost.

3 – Social support can ease stress eating

Is stress eating your little secret? It’s humbling to admit it, but you’ll be surprised how others struggle with similar issues when you tell others about your eating stress. It’s easier to break the habit if you have someone to talk with about your feelings. You can text or message them when you’re feeling stressed. Or you can find a support group with people who struggle with stress eating habits. Having people to talk with gives you hope for change to break the habit.

4 – Keep a food journal

Many people suggest keeping a food journal to break your stress-eating habits. Stress eating is mindless eating. When you write every bit of food, you eat in one day. You’ll be surprised how long the list is! Keep a food journal for one week. Then review the times of the day when you stress ate. Was it when your kids left for school? When you get home from work? A food journal reveals patterns and bad habits. This gives you a better understanding of yourself and when you need to be on guard against stress eating.

5 – Know your stress eating triggers

Do you know your stress triggers? Everyone is different, and they find other things stressful. A better understanding of what triggers your stress levels helps you not give in to stress eating. You’ll be able to identify the circumstances and prepare yourself to either avoid the situation or avoid eating because of it.

6 – Beware of boredom

Do you stress eat because of boredom? Boredom is a feeling of being dissatisfied or restless. When you feel unchallenged, you feel bored. When you’re feeling bored, food is an escape. It helps you cope with your feelings by distracting you. Consistent boredom is associated with eating disorders. Come up with strategies to fill your time when you’re bored, so you’re less apt to stress eat.

Take a walk: Walk for fifteen minutes to pass the time–take your dog along with you, too.
Knit or crochet: These crafts keep your hands busy. They’re easy to pick up or put down, so you knit a few stitches if you’re bored.
Pick up your phone: Chat with someone you know who needs cheering up.
Play a game: Find a puzzle or game you enjoy and play it when you feel bored.
Paint by number: Perhaps this sounds like something your grandmother did, but paint-by-number kits have come a long way. Check out the latest ones online or at your local arts and crafts store.

7 – Stick with healthy snacks

Try to make better food choices for your snacks. Swap out some juicy apple slices dipped in almond butter instead of chips or ice cream. Stress eating leads to poor nutrition and weight gain. Avoid foods that are predominately sugar. Instead, choose protein-rich snacks such as the following:

Cheese sticks
Vegan cheese or plant-based chicken
Smoked tofu warmed up and served on gluten-free crackers
Popcorn topped with parmesan cheese
Celery dipped in peanut butter

8 – Intuitive eating

Intuitive eating is sometimes called mindful eating. It means you are attentive to what you’re eating and why you’re eating it. You listen to signals in your brain and your gut. Listening to your natural clues helps you determine when you’re having a craving or need to eat something. You can say “no” to your desires because you’re basing your decision on your signals rather than stress or your emotions.

9 – Remove tempting foods

Having high-calorie, sugary foods in your home sets you up for failure. It’s easy to slip into stress eating when you have unhealthy snacks at your fingertips. Remove tempting foods like candy, cookies, and chips. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a sweet treat once in a while, but try to make it a healthy substitute, such as:

Nuts or seeds
Frozen blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries
Strawberries
Mango chunks
Pineapple chunks

10 – Get a pet

What does a pet have to do with stress eating? Plenty. Pets improve your life. Owning a dog or cat lowers your stress. When you play with your pet, it causes your brain to release serotonin and dopamine. These chemicals make you feel happier. Your furry friend forces you to get outside for walks. Plus, owning a dog is a great way to meet your neighbors because everyone wants to meet your little buddy. One study found that people experiencing stressful situations recover better when they have a pet. So, if you’re going to break your stress eating habit, maybe it’s time to find a furry friend.

11 – Don’t restrict your eating

One thing that nutritionists suggest is to not strict about eating. Overly strict eating leads to binge eating of high-calorie foods or overeating. Restrictive diets seem like a good way to stop stress eating. However, it rarely breaks the habit. It’s an ineffective way of weight loss and can trigger stress in your body.

12 – Understand the timing of your stress eating

It’s thought that stress eating happens at certain times of the day. For instance, the afternoon or evening is a high-risk time for people to overeat. When you add stress into the mix, it creates a recipe for binge eating. Pay attention to your snacking habits. Do you overeat in the afternoon when you’re bored? Or tired? Figure out when you’re more likely to snack compulsively. Come up with healthy snack ideas and stick to a specific time to eat those snacks.

Final Thoughts on Breaking Your Harmful Stress Eating Habit

Stress eating relies on food to comfort yourself when you’re feeling sad or having a hard day. It’s a common problem; women fall into this habit more than men. If you try to cope with stress eating, hopefully, these tips break you free of your stressful eating habit. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re not alone in your effort to break your stress eating.

How Playing Outside Helps Kids Learn Practical Risk Assessment Skills

April 23, 2022 by Sarah Barkley

Children thrive when playing outside and learn about practical risk assessment skills. While it’s tempting to keep them indoors and away from risk, it won’t help them grow or develop.

Developing practical risk assessment skills require kids to undertake challenges in the world around them. Through outdoor play, kids learn about and process the benefits of specific activities and the risks involved. The real dangers that they handle lead to powerful and memorable learning experiences.

The challenges a child encounters could be physical, psychological, or both. Additionally, the challenges might include real risk with immediate consequences or perceived threat. Whether it is accurate or perceived, it helps children understand the likelihood of risk and the effects of its negative consequences.

What are Practical Risk Assessment Skills

Practical risk assessment isn’t a skill that can be graded, but it is still essential for children to learn. When they learn that small actions at the moment lead to severe outcomes, they’ll learn to assess each situation as it occurs. Then they will understand which movements to avoid altogether.

You can calculate the risk of any situation by multiplying the consequence by the likelihood of occurrence. A child must learn this method and determine the worst possible outcome to consider how likely it is.

One example is taking a child to play near a body of water. Without training, supervision, and a flotation device, the risk is high, and the consequences are severe.

However, if you take your child into the woods and let them play on fallen logs, the consequences aren’t as high. Even if the child falls off, the outcome isn’t as severe as what could occur in the water.

Learning these skills during childhood can protect the child and help them understand what is safe and what isn’t. You won’t always be right by their side to guide them, so allowing them to build the necessary skills is essential. Kids need time to explore and learn about risks and consequences.

These learning opportunities cannot occur if a child isn’t allowed to explore the environment. They must have the chance to use their bodies in complex ways rather than always playing safely indoors. Risk assessment can’t be taught with a book, but it is an invaluable skill that requires adults to give a child the time and space to do so.

Is It Safe?

While you don’t want to see a child get hurt, children are made for this type of learning. They have more bones than adults because their cartilage hasn’t hardened and connected the bones yet. This difference makes children more flexible than adults, and they can handle things like falls better.

Children also have a different chemical composition in their bones than adults do. Adult bones are more likely to break because of their makeup, as they are more brittle. The chemical composition of children’s bones makes them heal quicker, making it the best time to develop a practical risk assessment.

Kids are closer to the ground and weigh less, and their bone structure is also different than adults. Their bodies are made to withstand twists, turns, and tumbles during childhood. When playing outdoors, kids learn about consequences and levels of severity that occur during their experience.

Use Your Best Judgment in Letting Kids Gain Risk Assessment Skills

Letting your child engage in risky play outside doesn’t mean putting them in situations that can cause serious harm. Instead, it means allowing them to explore and move in a natural environment. You know the things that won’t benefit a child, so use your best judgment.

You’ll find comfort knowing that your child can take risks without the potential of severe injuries. It’s best to remove things like:

Sharp edges
Unstable heavy structures
Things their head can get stuck inside

Additionally, children gravitate toward natural elements like water and fire, but you shouldn’t take these activities lightly. Adults should be with children when there’s the risk of severe consequences, guiding children instead of letting them learn the hard way. Children also enjoy learning about dangerous tools like saws, but again, those are things that they shouldn’t do alone.

How Playing Outside Helps Develop Risk Assessment Skills

Here are some excellent reasons to let your kids explore the outdoors.

They Can Experiment with Movement and Outcomes

When children play outside, they experience complex movements with different outcomes. They’ll get bumps, bruises, or scrapes to teach them what happens when they move a certain way.

If the child falls, they eventually learn that falling on concrete is different than falling on the grass. They’ll also discover that falling from a higher surface will likely hurt more than falling when closer to the ground. Given a chance, children will learn many differences about their environment.

It Prepares Children for Future Risk Assessment Experiences

Experts say that playing outside prepares children for the future by helping them do the following:

Have the chance to try again
Learn to cope and self-regulate
Develop self-esteem and confidence
Challenge themselves
Succeed
Express creativity
Become independent
Understand personal boundaries and limits
Develop social skills
Improve body awareness
Boosts motor skills
Understand the environment

It Promotes Growth and Development

Allowing children to play outside and learn practical risk assessment skills will stick with them forever. Risks are everywhere, and people must know how to manage them appropriately. As babies learn to walk, they often get bruises and experience falls.

When children learn to ride a bike, there are likely a few injuries. If those falls didn’t occur, the child wouldn’t have learned to master the task. The same idea persists well into adulthood, with the practical risk essential for growth and development.

Teaches the Risk Assessment of Uncertain Hazards

To teach children about assessing risks and managing them appropriately, you must allow them to climb, jump, play with sticks or rocks, and do other things when playing outdoors. Risky play gives children the opportunity to experience uncertain and unpredictable hazards that they can learn from.

They Learn About Likelihood

Children learn about likelihood as they grasp how likely it is that something might occur. If it happens once, they’ll start to realize that it can happen again. The more often they experience the same outcome, the more they grasp the idea of likelihood.

Kids can determine which risks are worth the potential outcome and how likely it is to occur. This thought process helps them make choices in situations they’re unsure of. It helps them stay safe while also learning developing.

Getting Your Children Outside

Think back to your childhood and make a note of what you recall. This exercise shows that their most memorable moments were spent outside for many adults. However, children in current times don’t experience the same opportunities for outdoor play.

Screen time is becoming more prevalent, and children spend less time outside playing. This problem is common because adults tend to worry about bad things happening more than they did before. Adults keep children inside when the adult can’t join them outside because of traffic, kidnapping, injuries, and other scary situations.

While being cautious in this regard is good, it’s also essential that children get time outside to learn about the world. When adults constantly regulate and control what a child does, the child doesn’t get the opportunity to explore. The best course of action here is to find a reasonable compromise.

If you work from home, consider taking your laptop and other material outside while your child plays without you. That way, you’re nearby to prevent the things you worry about, but your child still gets the independent exploration they need for learning. Plus, you still get your work done and don’t have to put your child in front of a screen to keep them occupied.

If you don’t work from home, you can be creative in finding ways to get your child outside more often. However, you must be willing to allow your child to take risks. You might think that removing all risks is best, but it hinders your child’s learning and development.

Risk-taking is a positive aspect of play and learning, and not allowing it comes with consequences, including:

Less physically fit
Poorer motor skills
Unable to manage daily risks
Lack of resilience
Mental health issues

What You Can Do

Children gravitate toward certain aspects, and they need to have the freedom to explore them. Children must learn about:

Heights, including balancing, hanging, or climbing
Speed, including running, biking, or going down a slide
Rough play, including wrestling and play fighting
Getting lost by playing in woodlands or other areas

You can encourage your child to learn practical risk assessment skills by providing what they need to make it happen. One idea is to add a climbing structure to allow height exploration and resiliency. Adding a trampoline will encourage them to experiment with speed and movement.

Letting children explore woodlands encourages freedom, independence, self-confidence, and respect for nature. Bikes, scooters, balls, and swings help with motor skill development. Rough play allows children to use risk assessment skills, develop social skills, be creative, and identify feelings.

When children don’t have these opportunities, they’ll start looking for them in other ways. They might do it unsupervised or in unsafe situations. However, if you allow them to take risks while playing outside, they won’t be as likely to look for the opportunity elsewhere.

Final Thoughts on How Playing Outside Helps Kids Learn Practical Risk Assessment Skills

While you want to ensure that the children in your life are being safe, you don’t want to take away every risky opportunity. Children must learn about the world around them and experience consequences when necessary.

Use this information to make your yard child-friendly, leaving opportunities to develop practical risk assessment skills. By doing so, you help the child develop and grow with beneficial skills.

Doctors Explain 12 Things That Help if You Live With Lupus

April 23, 2022 by Chris Butler

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes skin, joints, kidneys, brain, blood cells, heart, and lungs inflammation. Like other autoimmune diseases, your immune system attacks your body’s tissues. Lupus means “wolf” in Latin. A 13th-century doctor first used this word to describe the facial lesions he found on a patient because they reminded him of a wolf’s bite. Living with this disease is challenging.

Statisticians estimate that approximately 1.5 million Americans suffer from this painful disorder. If you or someone you know has lupus, doctors suggest these twelve tips for living with lupus.

Diagnosing lupus

Diagnosing an autoimmune disorder isn’t easy. Some lupus symptoms are similar to other autoimmune diseases. A diagnosis may take weeks or months. The most accurate test is a blood test looking for autoantibodies. Your doctor will also do a biopsy of your kidneys or skin. Your doctor will evaluate your long-term medical history to see if you have other risk factors that point to lupus. Once the physician reviews necessary blood tests and biopsies, your doctor can determine if you have it.

Common symptoms of lupus

Lupus is most common in women of childbearing age. However, men, teens, and children can also develop it. It attacks many parts of your body, but some common symptoms exist.

Extreme fatigue
Painful joints
Swollen face, hands, and feet
Low fever
Headaches
Sensitivity to sunlight
Chest pain
Skin problems
Hair or scalp problems
A rash shaped like a butterfly on your face or across your nose
Balding of your hair
Mouth or nose sores
Toes or fingers turn blue or white when stressed or cold
Feeling numb in your fingers and toes
Depression

What is the cause of lupus?

It’s not clear what causes lupus, but doctors think it develops from a response to several factors inside and outside your body, including the following:

Hormones

Hormones regulate your body’s activities. It’s thought that because so many people with lupus are women, there could be a relationship between estrogen and lupus. Some women have lupus symptoms before their menstrual period or when estrogen levels are highest during pregnancy. Still, no real connection seems to exist between estrogen and lupus. More women than men get an autoimmune disease, but doctors don’t know why.

Genetics

Genes could be part one significant risk factor, especially if your family has a history of autoimmune diseases in family members. Certain ethnic groups are more prone to lupus, including the following:

Native Americans
Hispanic
African
Asian
Native Hawaiian
Pacific Island descendants

Environment

The environment may be another cause of this autoimmune disorder. It’s not clear what specific environmental things could be the cause. Silica dust, industrial chemicals, UV rays from light bulbs, sulfa drugs used in antibiotics, or viruses are all possible environmental causes.

Lupus flares

At times, lupus symptoms can get worse. This is called a lupus flare. Lupus flares come and go, making you feel sick. Sometimes, there’s a clear cause, but often they show up for no reason.

Twelve tips for living with lupus

If you have lupus, you can try these tips to help reclaim control of your life. However, if you get treated in a hospital and need more care afterwards, you can always get assistance from a post-hospital care service.

1. Learn all you can about lupus

The first tip for living with lupus is to learn everything you can about the disease. The more you know about lupus, the better chance you can take care of yourself and manage your symptoms.

2. Don’t ignore lupus triggers

Learn what triggers your flare-ups. Once you understand your triggers, you can avoid them or at least lessen their effect. Common triggers to avoid include the following habits:

Lupus triggers

Working too much
Not resting
Being stressed
Infections
Too much sunshine
Exposed to fluorescent lights
Injury
If you stop taking your medication

3. Set realistic goals for yourself

Once you’re diagnosed, your life will change. You won’t be able to do things you used to do. Your friends may want to go out for drinks after work, but you must go home and rest. Family members may expect you to join them for a vacation at the beach. But you shouldn’t have extended periods in the sunlight. You’ll need to take good care of yourself to avoid worsening symptoms. It’s all part of life with this disease.

4. Eat healthy foods

There’s a strong connection between lupus and a healthy heart. Eating nutritious foods and exercising reduces your risk of heart problems. Consume many veggies, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains for optimum health. Other health considerations you should know about lupus include:

You can’t be in the sunlight, so try to eat vitamin D foods, such as dairy foods, orange juice, sardines, beef livers, salmon, or cod liver oil.
If you have hyperlipidemia-too high of fat in your blood, you’ll need to eat a low-fat diet
If you’re on steroids, you’ll gain weight

5. Find a support group

Dealing with lupus isn’t easy. Find local support groups to meet other people with this condition. Having the support of these people who genuinely understand what you’re going through will help you not feel alone on your journey with the disease.

6. Reduce stress

Like other autoimmune diseases, stress affects how you feel when you have lupus. It would help if you reduced stress as much as possible. Otherwise, your symptoms worsen, and you can have a lupus flare. Sometimes stress is unavoidable, but you can lessen your pressure with things like

Deep breathing
Going for a walk outside
Yoga
Meditation
Talking to a counselor

7. Limit your time in the sun

Limit your sun exposure and your time under fluorescent lights. A study found that skin exposure to ultraviolet light worsens symptoms of lupus. A single exposure to UV light sets off inflammation and injury to the kidneys. Many people living with lupus notice their other symptoms get worse when exposed to UV rays of sunlight. Exposure to sunlight causes severe symptoms, including:

Mouth sores,
Fevers
Extreme fatigue
Hair loss
Scalp sores
Anemia

Avoid the sun as much as possible. Wear sunglasses, long sleeves long pants, and sunglasses if you need to be outside.

8. Get enough sleep

Sleep is essential to offset your lupus symptoms. Not getting enough sleep increases your inflammation, depression, and joint pain. Lack of sleep adds to your extreme fatigue. Try to allow yourself at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Set up a regular bedtime routine to help you fall asleep.

9. Exercise

When you have lupus, it’s okay to do moderate exercise as long as your doctor gives you the okay and you’re feeling well enough to do it. Try things like

Walking
Gentle yoga
Biking
Swimming

10. Regular doctor visits

If you’re feeling well, skipping your regular doctor visits is tempting. But they’re essential to stay connected to your doctor so they can evaluate how you’re doing and recommend changes to your medication or routines. Plus, if you have a flare-up that requires hospitalization, as they sometimes do, your doctor will be up to date on your condition.

11. Be happy

Lupus is a lifelong disease, but you don’t need to give up. Like so many things in life, your perspective often changes the quality of your life. You can live relatively everyday life as you understand lupus and learn to watch for its triggers. Many people with lupus lead fulfilling, happy lives, and you can too.

12. Take advantage of the lupus resources

There are many local and national lupus programs and resources to help you. When you’re dealing with a chronic condition, it’s helpful to have others to talk to. The Lupus Foundation of America offers people living with lupus help.

Is lupus a fatal disease?

Even though there is no cure for this autoimmune disorder, and some people die from the disease, many people living with lupus can lead a routine life. This disorder varies in its intensity and symptoms. Some individuals have mild or moderate cases, while others have more severe symptoms. Severe flare-ups can be life-threatening, which is why management is so important.

Final thoughts on taking control of your life with lupus

Once you find out you have this disorder, your life will be different. You’ll want to find ways to deal with living with this autoimmune disease, such as learning as much as you can about lupus, eating healthy foods, and being sure you get enough rest and sleep. Because of better treatment and early diagnosis, lupus isn’t a death sentence. Still, it would be best to take precautions to avoid flare-ups. Most of all, don’t despair if you receive this diagnosis. Many people with lupus lead happy, fulfilling lives, and you can, too.

Experts Explain Why It’s Okay to Disappoint People Once in a While

April 22, 2022 by Sarah Barkley

Wanting to please others seems beneficial, but it can lead to issues. It’s okay to disappoint people occasionally when it means you can do what you want.

Letting people down is part of setting healthy boundaries in your life. You might give in to many things you don’t want to do out of fear of disappointing someone, but it shouldn’t be about that. When you do something only to avoid disappointing others, it wastes much of your time and energy.

Many people experience stress and fear, trying to please everyone around them. However, this urge comes from personal fear of being let down. Your natural desire for peace and empathy makes it hard to turn things down, but you must remind yourself that disappointing people is okay sometimes.

Why It’s Okay to Disappoint People Once in a While

You might want to make everyone around you happy, but it’s important to remember that it’s okay to disappoint people sometimes.

1 – It’s Not Natural to Please Everyone

Experts say that being a people pleaser is a learned behavior. Children learn from an early age to be obedient and compliant and see adverse reactions when they don’t do so. Adults often react critically when a child doesn’t please them; that lesson sticks with people forever.

As these people become adults, the learned behavior doesn’t become any less prevalent. Employers expect you to take on anything without questioning the reason, and you often aren’t allowed to say no.

These situations make it hard to accept that it’s okay to let people down sometimes. However, remember that it isn’t natural to go along with everything, so get comfortable saying no.

2 – It’s Good for You

While being friendly is usually good, it becomes detrimental when you never disappoint anyone. Some people will take advantage of you if they know you’ll never let them down. They might request unreasonable demands that give them more power over you.

Never saying no to someone creates issues because you never get what you want out of the relationship. You’ll continue being accommodating, only to have the other people ignore your requests or desires.

When you constantly give in and never put yourself first, it suppresses what you want in life and creates frustration, anger, and sadness. It also sometimes causes financial issues and mental health problems. Giving in to others cause you to lose sight of what you want to achieve, hindering your progress.

Some of the signs that you should disappoint people sometimes include:

Thinking that you don’t want to do something as you say yes
Going along with the wishes of others even if you don’t want to
Pretending everything is okay when you’re unhappy
Feeling bad for standing up for yourself
Apologizing when things aren’t your fault
Not doing what you want because you’re doing other things
Feeling intense guilt at the idea of letting other people down
Losing belief in yourself or not knowing who you are anymore
Feeling unappreciated or taken advantage of
Never receiving reciprocation

3 – Never Disappointing Others Leads to Self-Disappointment

While you want to help others so that you don’t disappoint them, it causes you to disappoint yourself. Giving all of your time and energy to things you don’t want to do sets you up for failure and pain. It makes it hard to be yourself and live authentically.

Plus, using all your time on other people and situations can leave you in a bind. When you’re overwhelmingly busy, it can lead to making mistakes and missing deadlines.

When you give all your time to others, you don’t have any left to invest in yourself. You don’t have to keep living for other people where there is a world of possibility to explore.

It’s okay to disappoint people sometimes because it’s how you can live your life passionately. Speaking up, prioritizing what’s important to you, and taking care of yourself should always take precedent. Your life won’t always align with others, and you won’t always want or be able to do things.

4 – The People Who Matter Will Understand That You Might Disappoint Each Other Some Times

You can still be mindful and empathetic as you disappoint others. The people who mean the most to you will understand when you can’t be there for every little thing.

In genuine relationships, you can comfortably ask for what you want, count on others, and trust people. These things are all essential to living a healthy, fulfilling life. You might not want to disappoint the people you care about, but it’s necessary sometimes.

5 – The Other Person Might Not Be Thinking About You at All

When you’re worried about disappointing someone, you’re likely not considering everything. Sure, the person might have a fleeting thought of the change, but it might end there. You could be guilt-tripping yourself while the other person isn’t even thinking about you.

Remember this thought the next time you don’t want to do something. Don’t waste your time and energy on someone who doesn’t think about you throughout the day.

If You Feel Like You Disappoint People, Here Are Some Tips to Make Positive Changes in Life

Disappointing people is unavoidable if you want to experience your journey. It will help with growth, self-discovery, authenticity, and overall fulfillment. These tips can help you put yourself first and determine who and when to let down.

1 – Think About What’s Important to You

If you had to prioritize the people and things in your life, it would be a clear sign of who to let down. Once you’ve prioritized, think about how much you’ve missed out on because you won’t disappoint anyone.

You could have focused more time and energy on the things and people at the top of your list. However, that time went to less important things instead. Prioritizing and considering how things could be different helps you feel confident about saying no to people.

2 – Practice Being Honest and Saying No

The more often you practice saying no, the easier and more natural it becomes. People-pleasers will struggle the most with this, but you must force yourself to do it to improve your life. Decline requests to do things you’re not interested in, and don’t be afraid to remove items from your schedule.

3 – Set and Enforce Boundaries Now So You Don’t Disappoint Others Later

When you know what you want and need, you must set boundaries. Be open about your limits, and enforce them no matter who you’re dealing with. Don’t let people push the limits, or they’ll begin taking advantage of you.

4 – Don’t Be Afraid to Speak Up

Many people fear asking for what they want or need and miss opportunities. They don’t want to disappoint others, so they stay quiet instead. However, you never know when the person you speak to will respond positively.

You’ll never get what you want if you are afraid to ask for it. Don’t worry about disappointing someone by advocating for yourself.

5 – Start With the Easy Answers

When a situation is presented, you likely have an initial reaction to the opportunity. Listen to your gut feeling and be honest about your thoughts.

If you don’t want to do something, don’t be afraid to say so. Don’t go along with anything you can easily say you don’t want to do.

6 – Use Your Intuition

Sometimes you’ll initially be okay with an opportunity, but you start second-guessing it. If you start feeling bad about the experience, it might be best to back out. Listen to your intuition every time because it could save you a world of trouble or wasted time.

7 – Consider Things You’re Unsure About

If you aren’t sure if you want to do something or not, it’s okay to say so. You don’t have to give a definitive answer whenever someone suggests an idea. Instead, be open that you’re undecided, and the other person won’t be as angry later.

Additionally, saying you’re unsure can help you if something comes up. If you know you have to work that morning, don’t give a definite answer just in case things run longer than you expected.

8 – Let It Go

Once you know who to disappoint and what to take off your schedule, it’s time to let it go. Don’t waste time worrying about how the person will react. It’s best to get it over with and tell the other person that things won’t be going as they’d hoped.

Once you tell the other person, don’t guilt-trip yourself about it. Let it go so you can feel better and move on to things you want to spend time on.

Final Thoughts on Experts Explain Why It’s Okay to Disappoint People Once in a While

No matter how hard you try, you will always disappoint people. You can’t do everything and be everywhere, so, inevitably, disappointment occurs occasionally. However, you don’t have to feel bad about it because you can prioritize other things.

Remember why it’s okay to disappoint people the next time you get asked to do something you don’t want to do. Put yourself first and do what you want to do. You only have one life to live, making it meaningful and fulfilling.

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