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Science Explains What Happens to Your Body When You Go Through Menopause

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When women reach a certain age, they experience menopause. While it is common knowledge, not many people know what happens to your body when you experience it. It causes many changes, resulting in a variety of symptoms.

Menopause can increase the risk of osteoporosis and other conditions. While it’s a normal part of life, it’s a milestone that signifies the time to watch out for other health issues. Do whatever you can to prevent worsening symptoms.

Learning all you can about this time in life can help you handle it gracefully. You’ll know what to expect and find comfort in understanding what’s happening to your body. Adjusting to the hormonal changes will be challenging, but you can do it.

What is Menopause?

Menopause signifies the end of a woman’s fertility cycle. It is safe to say you’re menopausal when your periods have stopped for a consecutive year. Their ovaries no longer produce estrogen and progesterone, both essential to fertility.

Most women stop having periods between 45 and 55, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes the beginning stages can begin years before periods stop, too. In other cases, women will continue having their periods into their late 50s.

early menopause

The Difference Between Perimenopause and Menopause

Perimenopause is the time right before menopause begins when the transition starts. Hormone production starts to decline, causing some of the symptoms and causing an irregular menstrual cycle. The period doesn’t stop entirely during this stage, and women can still get pregnant.

When your periods cease completely, you’ll have officially entered the menopausal stage. It’s hard to know when it’s happening because periods might be irregular before they stop. You must wait a year to know for sure, but you’ll experience the common symptoms of the change.

It is also essential to discuss postmenopause, the third and final stage. Once you’ve gone twelve months without a period, you’re referred to as postmenopausal. After a year without periods, any vaginal bleed is abnormal.

What Causes Premature Occurrences

While menopause occurs naturally with age, it can also stem from other causes. These instances include surgery such as a hysterectomy, disease treatment, or an illness. When the reason isn’t natural, it is induced menopause.

A condition called premature ovarian failure can also cause early failure. It occurs when ovaries stop releasing eggs prematurely, and the hormone levels change. When premature ovarian failure causes perimenopause, it’s another example of induced menopause.

Additionally, some sources indicate that the age of onset is genetically predetermined. However, things like chemotherapy or smoking can speed up ovary decline, causing it to occur early.

Signs and Symptoms of Menopause

Decreased production of estrogen and progesterone in the ovaries leads to many symptoms. These symptoms include:

  • Irregular or nonexistent menstrual cycle
  • Hot flashes
  • Weight gain
  • Vaginal atrophy and dryness
  • Mood swings and unexplained irritability
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Sweating
  • Racing heart
  • Frequent headaches
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Discomfort during sex
  • Sore breasts
  • Frequent need to urinate
  • Dry eyes, skin, or mouth

The later stages include all of the above symptoms, but also a few others, including:

  • Fatigue
  • Depression
  • Muscle and joint pains
  • Crankiness
  • Hair loss

Everyone’s symptoms are different, so some might require medical attention and others don’t. You can discuss your situation with your doctor to determine the best course of action. What works for other people might not work for you, even if you are in the same family.

What Happens to Your Body in Menopause

When women are born, they already have their eggs stored in their ovaries, and they won’t produce more. Over the years, the ovaries produce estrogen and progesterone, releasing eggs once a month. The release of these eggs is called ovulation, when menstruation occurs.

When the body stops producing estrogen and progesterone, ovaries stop releasing eggs, and menstruation stops. It leads to many other changes in the body, drastically changing a woman’s life.

Your Body Temperature Rises

When you experience a hot flash, your body temperature rises quickly, making you uncomfortable. It affects the top half of your body, and your skin might become red or blotchy. Increased body temperature causes sweating, heart palpitations, and dizziness.

Hot flashes can occur multiple times a day, but you can learn your triggers and avoid them. Common triggers include:

  • Drinking alcohol
  • Consuming caffeine
  • Eating spicy foods
  • Being in a hot environment
  • Experiencing stress

It Affects Bone Health

When estrogen production declines, it affects the calcium in your bones, too. As the calcium decreases, it interferes with bone density, causing osteoporosis. This condition makes you more likely to suffer from hip, spine, and other bone fractures, and bone loss accelerates.

You want to make sure to eat plenty of foods with calcium, including dairy products and leafy greens. Another way to keep your bones healthy is to take daily vitamin D supplements.

menopause self care

It Links to Heart Disease

Menopause can cause dizziness or cardiac palpitations, contributing to heart disease. The low estrogen levels affect the retention of flexible arteries, impacting blood flow.

You can reduce your chances of developing heart conditions by doing the following:

  • Watch your weight
  • Exercise regularly
  • Eat a well-balanced, healthy diet
  • Stop smoking

You Might Gain Weight

Hormonal changes can cause you to gain weight, and aging contributes, too. When menopausal, you might notice that you put on some pounds, but it doesn’t have to happen. Be extra vigilant about eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

Diagnosis of Menopause

You will likely suspect that you’re menopausal when your menstrual cycles stop and you experience other symptoms. Discuss the experience with your doctor, and they might make a diagnosis based on what you told them. It will help track your periods and share the patterns with your doctor.

If you’ve had a hysterectomy or an endometrial ablation, you won’t be able to use your periods as a way to tell. Your period ceases after these procedures, so you’ll have to watch for the other symptoms instead. The most telling sign you’ll notice is hot flashes.

Additionally, a doctor can request blood tests to check your hormone levels. A decline in your thyroids can cause irregular periods and cause similar symptoms. Your doctor might check to rule out a thyroid issue instead.

A doctor might also test for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) because it increases when you’re getting close. They might also do an estradiol test showing how much estrogen your ovaries produce, allowing a doctor to recognize a failure. Checking estrogen levels can also show if you’re at risk of osteoporosis, and a bone density test might follow.

Finally, the anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) test gives insight into the eggs in your ovaries. Your body produces it in your reproductive tissues. When it declines, it indicates an ovary failure.

How to Ease Menopause Symptoms

While the symptoms are unpleasant, there are ways you can treat them. They will go away eventually, but you don’t have to suffer through them right now. It’s sometimes as simple as making lifestyle changes, and the sooner you start, the better you’ll be.

One of the ways to ease the symptoms is to make healthy lifestyle changes. Eliminate unhealthy habits like smoking and excess drinking, and avoid caffeine or spicy foods. If you’ve noticed any other triggers, do what you can to avoid those, too.

Additionally, dress in layers to help with hot flashes no matter where you are. If you notice mental health issues such as depression, you’ll want to address them immediately. Some people use meditation and relaxation techniques to reduce stress and improve their symptoms.

Other healthy lifestyle changes you can try include the following:

  • Weight loss or management
  • Regular exercise
  • Reduce the room temperature
  • Drinking a cold glass of water to ease hot flashes
  • Use a lubricant for vaginal dryness
  • Do Kegel exercises
  • Acupuncture
  • Breathing exercises

Doctors can prescribe medication, but it isn’t necessary for everyone. It depends on the severity of your symptoms, bone loss, and overall health. However, it’s always best to make lifestyle changes to see if it helps first.

Your doctor might also use combination hormone therapy (HT) or replacement therapy (HRT). Both treatments help stabilize levels and help with night sweats and hot flashes, and they can help prevent osteoporosis. Some people shouldn’t use replacement therapy, so it’s essential to be open and honest with your doctor.

menopause self care

Final Thoughts on Science Explains What Happens to Your Body When You Go Through Menopause

As a natural part of a woman’s life, understanding menopause is essential. As hormones fluctuate, you’ll experience many changes that might be hard to handle at first. Easing the symptoms can make all the difference, and you can also do things to stay healthy throughout.

Lifestyle changes are often all it takes to overcome all the changes occurring in your body. However, discuss your symptoms with your doctor so that they can tell you if what you’re experiencing is normal.

Knowledge is power, and understanding what’s going on with your body will make you feel better. You don’t have to be afraid of this time if you apply what you know to make the milestone more comfortable.

7 Dangers of Setting Unrealistic Goals in Life

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Everyone wants to be able to have a plan for their life. Having a checklist and expecting to hit certain milestones can give you hope and meaning in life. Goals are crucial for boosting your motivation. But with all good things, you’ll find a catch – unrealistic goals.

There’s a lot of pressure on people in today’s society. If you aspire to be an artist, most people will tell you that it’s a waste of time. That you won’t be able to make any money. Or even that being an artist is not a meaningful career path. And that happens with a lot of choices. If you want to take a break, people might say you are weak. If you don’t aspire to make millions, people might think you are lazy.

There’s so much stigma and pressure in this world that people start molding their lives in a way that matches what others expect of them. Instead of doing what they want, they set unrealistic goals in life. Or maybe it’s not even about the pressure. Perhaps it’s about them not realizing the extent of their abilities. Setting goals can be a challenging task, but that’ll only hurt you if your goals are unrealistic. So, here are seven dangers of setting unrealistic goals and how to avoid them.

Healthy Goals And How To Set Them

When people set goals for their lives, the main mistake is trying to set those goals believing it would fix whatever is wrong in their lives. Unrealistic goals are often set with certain flaws in mind. Some people might think they are ugly, and that’s why their goal is to work out and lose a lot of weight. And while working out is a good goal, you should never set a goal because you are trying to “fix” yourself. Instead, just like exploring hobbies such as playing games on an 온라인 슬롯 사이트, your goals should be about finding enjoyment and fulfillment. You should fix goals because they will bring you happiness in life, not just mask your insecurities.

You must set a healthy goal because you are trying to better your life. But you shouldn’t set it because you don’t like who you are, and you believe that goal will change you. That goal is set because you have a desire, and you are trying to fulfill it. When trying to set a goal, you need to understand why you want to be healthier why you want to do more. If it’s because you genuinely want to be happier, that’s great. But, if you do it because you don’t like yourself, maybe don’t set a goal. Maybe start by making peace with yourself before starting to set goals.

unrealistic goals

Healthy goals need to be attainable and measurable. For example, having “fly in outer space” as a goal might not be very realistic. Or “be more intelligent” is not that easily measurable. But a plan that’s about nutrition, physical health, or career will do you a lot of good. For example, one of the most straightforward goals you can set is to drink more water. Or go on 15-minute walks every day. Or trying to get a promotion in the next couple of years. And, what you need to remember about goals, is that you should never beat yourself up if you don’t achieve them.

Seven Dangers of Setting Unrealistic Goals in Life

Simply working towards them will do much good, certainly better than doing nothing. But this is the best-case scenario when it comes to setting goals. Most of the time, people set goals in a very unrealistic way. They force themselves to aim higher than realistically achievable. They beat themselves up if they don’t achieve everything they want. Unrealistic goals can destroy your life if you are not careful, and here are seven ways in which that could happen.

1.    Unrealistic Goals Don’t Allow You To Experience Things

When you have unrealistic goals, chances are you become obsessed with them. They can take over your whole life. All you can think about is reaching that goal, and nothing else matters. You don’t allow yourself to have fun. You don’t allow yourself to enjoy life. All you do is work endlessly until that goal is met. Being this obsessed with a plan will take all your free time. You won’t have time to experience things anymore. You won’t stop taking in the feelings that life offers you.

If you don’t meet your goal, you will beat yourself down. This kind of living will only make you feel bad about yourself. You won’t be in the moment anymore. Your mind will always be focused on the future instead of experiencing the present. And, if your expectations aren’t met, that will only cause you that much more harm.

2.    They Lead To Disappointment

Disappointment is a normal part of human life. But most people get disappointed every once in a while. People with really unrealistic expectations are the ones who not only get disappointment often, but they set themselves up for it.

When your expectations are too high or unattainable for some reason, you put a lot of pressure on yourself. All that pressure builds up, and when you eventually fail, everything will shatter around you. All that pressure will crash on you like a wave, and the disappointment will be too much to handle. And, continuous disappointment can lead to feeling guilty and ashamed.

3.    Unrealistic Goals Shatter Your Confidence

When you set unrealistic goals, chances are you won’t meet most of them. That’s precisely why they are unrealistic. Because, for your context, those goals are just not suitable. That doesn’t mean you aren’t capable of doing great things. You don’t know how to set the right goals for yourself. And, all that failure can make you feel like you aren’t good enough.

When you see that, no matter how hard you try, nothing seems to work, that can take a toll on your confidence. You will probably think you are not enough, like you can’t get anything right. When you lose your faith, it will be harder for you to take on new goals.

4.    They Don’t Let You Be Flexible

unrealistic goals

Sometimes, unrealistic goals can be so strict that you end up mapping your whole life based on them. If your goal is to work in finance, but along the way, you find you are passionate about art, chances are you’ll stick to finance. Even though art would make you happier, your goal is finance, so you’ll stick to it no matter what.

Unrealistic goals make you lose all flexibility. You will find yourself striving towards the same goals for ages, even though your desires might have changed. You won’t be as spontaneous anymore. You’ll lose out on opportunities. If you keep this up, you might find yourself stuck in an unfulfilling life, with many regrets haunting you.

5.    Unrealistic Goals Cause You Stress

The more unrealistic your expectations are, the more pressure you will feel every day. You will feel like you have to reach those goals no matter what. In addition, you’ll have to juggle other responsibilities, like work, family, and friends. All these tasks combined can lead to a spike in stress levels.

When you are stressed, that affects your mental health and your physical health. When your body secrets stress hormones, like cortisol, your body is affected. The heart rate goes up, your breath quickens, and your head starts hurting. All these short-term effects can cause heart conditions and other issues in the future. And, if you are stressed, you are bound to feel less happy and sometimes even perform worse.

6.    They Affect Your Relationships

Sometimes, you become so obsessed with your goals that you start neglecting the people in your life. As long as they don’t play a specific role that helps you achieve your goal, you might be inclined to push them away.

When your expectations are too high or unrealistic, you tend to spend all your time working to achieve them. And that doesn’t leave you enough time for quality relationships with friends and family. If you are a workaholic, chances are you will put your family in a secondary place. Even if you think that it’s only temporary, in reality, you might never be able to mend those relationships again. So, it’s best to make sure you don’t ruin those relationships in the first place.

7.    Unrealistic Goals Make You Vulnerable

Most people tend to use unrealistic expectations as a defense mechanism. If you have high expectations, you have the strength and confidence to stand your ground. Or at least that’s what you think. You feel like if you loosen your expectations, you will get hurt. But that’s not the case.

Unrealistic expectations can make you more vulnerable. Those high expectations can make you desperate. This makes it harder to see signs of exploitation and manipulation. If someone promises to help you with your goal, you might be inclined to do just about anything for them. With more manageable expectations, you can get out of your head. This will allow you to read people better, which will make you less vulnerable.

unrealistic goals

Final Thoughts On Dangers of Setting Unrealistic Goals in Life

Having goals is all fun and games until they become so unrealistic that they are simply unattainable. In a desperate attempt to be perfect, many people set goals that are impossible to reach. And these goals can negatively impact your whole life.

Having unrealistic goals forces you to become obsessed with planning your future, so much so that you forget about the present. They set you up for disappointment, which in turn shatter your confidence. It can make you feel like a failure like you are not enough no matter how hard you try. These expectations don’t let you go with the flow and remove all your flexibility. You won’t do things on a whim. Instead, you will pass on all opportunities that don’t match your goals.

Unrealistic expectations can ruin your relationships. When you can’t make time for the people who love you, they will eventually distance themselves. Plus, when you focus on those goals, chances are you will push them away yourself. Lastly, these expectations can cause you stress, making you vulnerable. As soon as you learn to set healthier expectations, you will find that many areas of your life will improve significantly.

6 Signs of Love Addiction (and How to Stop Chasing Partners)

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Love addiction is a real thing. When you fall in love, it can feel like you’re on top of the world. It’s the best feeling anyone could ever experience. Having someone there for you through thick and thin can make you feel safe and understood. Love is one of the things that can give meaning to someone’s life. Most people are in a continuous search for true love. Some find what they are looking for early in their life. Some have to wait a little longer. For some, true love gets away. But some people jump from one relationship to another not because they are looking for the right one. They do it because they are addicted to love. In essence, they suffer from love addiction.

Love addiction is a subject not taken seriously enough in today’s society. Most people dismiss it or don’t even know it’s a thing. But this addiction is as real as it gets, and it can drastically affect your life and wellbeing. But, like any other addiction, you can work towards curing it. As long as you work towards getting better, you can learn to break this vicious cycle. So, here are six signs of love addiction and how to stop chasing partners.

What Is Love Addiction?

Love addiction is a behavioral issue that causes someone to develop an unhealthy obsession with a partner or love interest. This pattern usually develops in a romantic relationship, although it can also occur in platonic relationships from time to time.

People who develop love addiction are usually afraid of being alone or rejected. Still, oxymoronically, they are also the people who never seem to hold on to a relationship. They get wary of real emotional connections, and they are more attracted to the chase. They like falling in love. But relationships don’t seem to last long past the honeymoon phase. They spend time “hunting” for the one, or so they think. They display unhealthy behaviors.

love addiction

These people can develop the most toxic obsessions with people who show them even the tiniest sign of attention. And when they do eventually end up in relationships, they feel like they need to be in control of everything all the time. They don’t know how to engage with a partner healthily. That’s because they don’t clearly understand what boundaries are and why they are essential. They don’t build their relationships on trust and understanding. Their relationships receive fuel from desire and a love of the chase.

Although it doesn’t involve any substances, this addiction is also based on a person’s desire to feel the rush of endorphins. And, when the relationship becomes “boring,” and that need for endorphins isn’t fulfilled, they jump on to the next one. If you suffer from love addiction, you will never find yourself truly happy and content with someone. You will never be able to settle down, and your relationships will be toxic and emotionally draining. If you discover the addiction and accept that you need to work through it, you will finally find true love.

7 Signs of Love Addiction

Watch for these red flags that may indicate you’re in a toxic union.

1.    Always Switching Partners May Reveal A Love Addiction

It’s normal to switch some partners throughout your lifetime. But these people don’t just end relationships because they don’t work anymore. They either get bored or get dumped.

Because they aren’t interested in having stability, they don’t value their qualities in a relationship. For them, a partner who has a stable job and is kind to them isn’t enough sometimes. They need thrill, excitement, passion. All those seem like they’d have their place in a relationship, but you should never build a relationship based on just those qualities. Those qualities are fleeting. In a long-term relationship, you will sometimes have to deal with some off days.

But, because sunshine and rainbows are all that love-addicted people desire, they will only stay in a relationship as long as the honeymoon phase is still going strong. They give up on the relationship and start searching for a new rush when that fades away. And that’s in the best-case scenario when it comes to love addiction. Unfortunately, these addicts tend to be so toxic that they get dumped in many cases.

2.    Controlling Behaviors

For love-addicted people, falling in love is like a drug. They need it if they want to feel happy and complete. So, when they find someone who can offer them that, they try to cling to them as hard as possible. And, they don’t know how else to make sure their partner will never leave them besides engaging in controlling behaviors.

They are the people who always need to know where their partner is, what they are doing, who they are with. They will bombard you with tons of texts and calls, and they always need to be in touch with you. These behaviors create toxic relationships that can take over your whole life.

If you feel anxious or try to dictate what your partner is doing, chances are you suffer from love addiction. In that case, you should try setting some boundaries and giving the other person the space they need.

3.    People Who Have a Love Addiction Often Have Past Trauma

Like all other addictions, this addiction doesn’t form out of anywhere. In most cases, it’s a behavior that a person develops due to traumatic experiences they have lived through.

Usually, people abandoned or neglected as kids develop separation anxiety. This can fuel the love addiction, as they constantly need to feel desired. Or, it might be that they feel like they aren’t in control of their life, so they try to control someone else’s. Low self-esteem can also be a factor, as relationships make these people feel worthy.

When your past influences your idea of how relationships should look, chances are you won’t be able to solve that alone. If you feel like you have some unresolved trauma, reach out to a psychologist and get the help you need. If you heal the root issues, you will be one step closer to getting rid of the addiction.

love addiction

4.    Co-Dependency

If you are struggling with love addiction, chances are you are displaying co-dependent behaviors. This behavior is often learned, and it’s a condition that doesn’t allow you to have healthy relationships.

This behavioral condition often makes people settle for relationships in which they are abused or mistreated. These relationships are one-sided and fuelled by the victim’s need to “fix” their partner. The people affected by co-dependency usually go into survivor mode. They develop toxic coping mechanisms. They don’t share their problems with family and friends. Nor do they stand up for themselves. They lose their sense of self and focus their energy on their partner.

But, love-addicted people can also be the perpetrator. They can also be the ones who display abusive behaviors. They make their partners display co-dependent behaviors. Ironically, they don’t intend to be offensive. They become that way because of their trust issues and trauma. So, if you find yourself in any of these cases as a victim or abuser, you need to change something about yourself. Try to break out of those toxic relationships and force yourself to be alone for at least a couple of months.

5.    They Can’t Spend Time Alone

Love addiction can affect all areas of someone’s life. It doesn’t just lead to an unhealthy relationship, but it makes it impossible for the addict to be alone. Whenever they are alone, they feel neglected, and they experience symptoms similar to withdrawal.

If they aren’t with their loved ones, they need to be surrounded by people. They have a constant need for attention. At the same time, some love-dependent people isolate themselves whenever they are with someone. But, as soon as they are single again, they will try to return to the friendships they have given up on to be in that relationship. And, as soon as they go through with a breakup, they start searching for a new relationship. They can’t be happy and content when they are single.

If you think you might be addicted to love, ask yourself how much time can you last as a single person? Is it just a couple of weeks until you start feeling like something’s missing? If that’s the case, you need to work on loving yourself and learning to be happy regardless of your relationship status.

6.    Love Addiction May Cause You To Avoid Intimacy

Even though someone who has a love addiction needs to be in relationships all the time, they still stray away from creating meaningful relationships. They focus on keeping things light and fun to avoid the struggles and sacrifices that come with an actual bond.

Even though they are obsessed with their partner, they still refuse to open up and trust the other person. They are scared of emotional intimacy, which would mean showing who they are. They are afraid of being abandoned and have low self-esteem. Thus, they choose to be more guarded. They can control the narrative as long as they do not open up. They can act perfectly and show their partner the best possible version of themselves. This is a defense mechanism.

If you know that you avoid having deep, meaningful interactions with your partner at all costs, that might be because you have a love addiction. Try to work on your fears and force yourself to open up little by little.

love addiction

Final Thoughts On Signs of Love Addiction (and How to Stop Chasing Partners)

Love addicts are obsessed with the idea of being in love. The hunt for a partner is their drug, the thing that makes them feel worthy and fulfilled.

More often than not, this behavior is due to trauma, like neglect, abandonment issues, and low self-esteem. These people don’t know what a genuine, meaningful relationship looks like, so they fall into toxic patterns. They are controlling, obsessive and afraid of being alone. But they are also scared of being intimate, and they feel like they need to help “fix” someone to be worthy.

The best way to get over this addiction is to fix the core issues. Go over your trauma and fears, and try to cope with them. Talk to friends and family about your problems, and, if needed, even seek professional help.

10 Ways Writing in a Mood Journal Can Increase Positive Thinking

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When you feel emotional or need to vent, you don’t always want to share your private thoughts with those around you. Keeping a mood journal is an ideal way to express your feelings in writing. You may be surprised at how it may help your overall well-being.

Ever since language development, humans have shared their lives, experiences, and traditions in oral histories. These stories were passed on through generations. When writing was discovered, folks began putting things on paper to preserve the legacy of their civilization.

Thanks to wise and creative people throughout history, we get a glimpse of the events and thought processes in the past. Historians have gleaned valuable information from diaries that were preserved. If Samuel Pepys hadn’t kept his iconic diary, we might not have known as much about the Black Plague in Europe as we do.

The reflections of countless other people, both famous and familiar, have provided a chain of human history. Of course, your journey may not prove to be historically relevant to society that’s centuries into the future.

How Can Mood Journaling Benefit You?

Journals and diaries are as varied as the people who keep them. Some folks enjoy keeping entries of their daily activities. You can also keep a journal that chronicles your travels and other interests. Other people keep a record of milestones in life, such as school years, college, marriage, and births.

Mood journals can be a combination of all these types. The only difference is that you can weave more of your thoughts and feelings into it. The only rule for journaling is that there are no rules. Your diary is a visual extension of your mind and spirit, and you can create it however you please.

Recording your memories, thoughts, and feelings needn’t be a difficult chore. It’s much more than the dreaded school essay on what you did over the summer. Keep reading to discover ten ways that keeping a mood journal can help minimize negative energy with positivity.

pop meme1. Lower Your Stress Levels

The evolution of humans includes a hard-wired survival mode. When you are confronted with a threat, real or perceived, your brain goes into autopilot. It signals your body to dump hormones like adrenaline and cortisone into your bloodstream. They boost your body’s strength to survive by fighting, running, freezing, or fainting.

Whenever you are stressed, your brain reacts accordingly. These stress hormones are only meant for temporary life-sustaining events. However, chronic stress overwhelms your body with these hormones and can be detrimental to your health, says an article published by National Institute of Health.

Do you want to lift your spirits and possibly lower your risks for certain diseases? Reducing your stress levels is a good start. When you keep a mood journal and document your feelings, it can help relieve tension and undue stress.

2. Boost Your Creative Potential

Whether you realize it or not, everybody has a bit of creativity in their genes. It’s just more pronounced in some people. What better way to have a creative outlet than journaling? Since you make the rules, the creativity you express in your mood journal is limitless.

Here’s a chance for you to channel your inner writer or artist. Feel free to compose poetry or stories. Draw pictures or cut ones out of magazines that add color and fun to your journal. Add quotes or anything that gives you joy as you write your life’s story.

3. Express Your Thoughts More Effectively

Perhaps you are one of the plethora of people who are better at writing their feelings. It’s especially true when you are coping with subjects that are hurtful or make you uncomfortable. Your mood journal is an outlet to express your emotions and thoughts as they come to you.

As you get used to writing your thoughts, you’ll find it easier to express them more effectively. Maybe your journal will be a springboard for learning how to speak up for yourself. The more open you are with your journaling, the more confidence you can have in speaking.

4. Help You Achieve Your Goals

Consider the classic analogy of life being a journey. If you haven’t decided on a destination, how are you going to get there? Will you know if you’ve arrived or not?

Setting goals is your way of choosing your destination. It’s up to you to plan the steps required to achieve your dreams. Think of these steps as a roadmap.

Now, let your journal help you define your goals and break them into smaller achievable steps. As you make decisions about your life, refer to your goals. Are your choices bringing you closer or farther from your best life?

5. Build Your Self-Confidence

Although toxic people can do much to break your spirit and make you think you are nothing, the choice is yours. You have the power to create confidence in your character, skills, and abilities. Nobody can rob you of that power unless you willingly give it to them.

When you’re writing in your mood journal, consider making a list of your attributes and all your achievements. Be honest and compassionate and see yourself for the beautiful person you are. You’ll soon discover that you’ve been worthy and more than enough all along.

pop meme6. Gain a Broader Perspective

Sometimes, you get stuck between the four walls of your mind and can’t see beyond them. It’s often difficult to see solutions to your problems when you’re too close to the situation.

Keeping your thoughts and observations in a journal is an excellent way to brainstorm. As you review past entries, perhaps you’ll get a better perspective of how to manage your life. Solutions to your problems can be evident with a bit of soul-searching.

7. Charts Your Emotional and Spiritual Growth

The purpose of charts and graphs is to present a visual aid for progress or digression. When you think of your life as brain waves, you’ll see that it’s all ups and downs. The only time the line is flat is when you’re deceased.

Everyone has these mountains and valleys, and it’s part of learning and growing. Your journal work can help you discover how you are maturing emotionally and spiritually. When you’re discouraged, you can read about some of your past victories.

8. Builds Self-Discipline

Anything you want to achieve in life requires self-discipline. Nobody can force you into wanting to be a better person or to do more with your life. Those choices are in your hands.

Remember that you have no set rules for how or when to journal. However, you can decide how often to write, and it makes you responsible for yourself. When you define your goals in your writings, it gives you the urge to continue on the right path.

9. Gives You an Emotional Outlet

According to an article published by News in Health, your physical health is linked to your mental well-being. If you keep your emotions bottled up, they are bound to cause you physical, emotional, and spiritual issues.

If you don’t feel like talking about a problem, it might be easier to share it in a journal. You can rant, rave, and say whatever is on your mind. Use this venue to pour out all the hurts and disappointments you have. You needn’t share it with anyone unless you want to.

Many people find relief after they’ve given voice to their deepest emotions. Take a deep breath and revisit your emotional entries later. Can you see your problems from a fresh perspective, and are you open to healing?

Emotions were meant to be expressed and not stored in your mind’s cellar. As you explore your feelings and thoughts, you may see changes you need to make. If you can’t change a situation, then recording your emotions may help you be more accepting.

10. Develop Your Intuition

Have you ever heard the admonition to trust your gut feelings? In most cases, your inner voice is correct. Have you ever met someone attractive, kind, and intelligent, but you had a feeling that you weren’t right for each other?

Another benefit of journaling is to help develop your intuition. Don’t second guess yourself as you record your feelings and thoughts about people or situations. You may see how your inner voice was right, and you dodged a complicated issue.

Of course, we are all guilty of being too cautious, and maybe you judged a person or issue prematurely. Keeping a journal can help you decide if that was the case. However, learning to listen to your inner voice is a habit you won’t regret.

mood journalFinal Thoughts on Keeping a Mood Journal

Whether you keep your notes in a binder or on a thumb drive, a mood journal offers many benefits. You learn more about yourself and can better express how you feel. Not only will this be helpful to you personally, but it may help dispel negative energy in your relationships.

3 Types of Non-Verbal Communication, According to Science

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Although non-verbal communication exists, their minds immediately picture talking when people think about communication. Words are the only thing people focus on when trying to convey a message. But everyone seems to forget that there are many other ways to communicate.

There are three ways of communicating non-verbally, which means that your body, gestures, tone, and other aspects play a significant role. Sometimes, non-verbal communication can be even more important than words. Sometimes, your tone can share so much more than words ever could. They can make the difference between a genuine and a false statement. They can better understand what someone is trying to tell you.

Non-verbal communication is vital, but it’s often overlooked. People often forget about its importance, and they use non-verbal communication intuitively. But this can lead to many misunderstandings, as a harsh tone can change the whole meaning of your words, for example. But you can learn to master non-verbal communication at all times, and here are the three types you must know about.

Three Types of Non-Verbal Communication

Understanding the non-verbal cues you send out can be a game-changer.

non-verbal communication

1.    Body Language

The first and most prominent type of non-verbal communication is body language. Analyzing body language can offer the listener extra information about your intentions, your feelings, and more. Body language isn’t always something you can control. For example, in stressful situations, everyone will exhibit some telling body language, like the furrow of a brow. Because you can’t always control it, it can be the most reliable way to deduce whether someone is genuine.

By body language, most people mean facial expressions, gestures, posture, and other signals, like shrugging. It can also be about movement or how much space you put between you and the listener. The more relaxed a person seems, the more likely they are to be genuine and open. But, if they start to strain, to appear stressed and tense, that’s a sign that something’s up.

For example, if someone sits straight, that’s a sign they are engaged in the conversation and actively listening to you. They are probably anxious or angry if they slump, have tense shoulders, or bend over. The same goes for the arms and legs placement. If their arms are by their side or rested on a table, and their feet are flat on the ground, they are open to communication. On the other hand, arm or leg crossing can signal that the person who is listening is closed off and anxious.

How Gestures Are Important To Non-Verbal Communication

One of the most common body language tools is gestures. They are the most expressive and intentional part of non-verbal communication. People use them to emphasize a point you want to make. Finally, they show if you are angry, exasperated, or excited about communicating. For example, using a “thumbs up” is quite common when showing their affirmation.

Gestures are interesting because they can be related to culture. For example, a study showed that Japanese people use smiles to mask their negative emotions. This differs from Americans, who don’t try to hide their disgust or horror.

Space is also relevant when it comes to analyzing body language. A person who keeps their distance might try to be respectful, but that distance might also signal discomfort. A person who tries to stand closer to the person they’re talking to might try to be comforting or to show that they trust you.

Lastly, facial expressions are always something to look out for. Most facial expressions are unintentional and can’t necessarily be controlled. A subtle furrowing of a brow can signal confusion. A slight rise of a corner of the mouth can show satisfaction. Facial expressions can also be used intentionally. For example, smiling shows that people are happy or content.

2.    Paralanguage

Paralanguage is a type of non-verbal communication that refers to voice modulation. It includes the non-language elements of speech, like pitch, talking speed, tone, intonation, voice cues, and more. These elements are used to mold the meaning of your words and convey emotion.

Paralanguage is very important and can entirely change the meaning of your words. It can tell a lot about the speaker. Some attributes like gender and age are easier to guess, but with the help of paralanguage, you can understand intent and meaning. You can even guess things like their occupation. A study showed that when 4,000 listeners heard nine different speakers, they could consistently guess the field the speakers work in. Actors and clergy members were identified more than any other profession.

About 38% of communication is done using voice cues and tone. And, when it comes to communicating emotional responses, over 90% comes from paralanguage. The words that you use are important. But they only make up 7% of the whole meaning of a phrase. For people, it’s not helpful at all to hear the words “I’m sorry” if they are said monotonously. What’s truly important is to convey emotions through those words.

When you are holding a work presentation, paralanguage might be less critical than it is in personal conversations. But that doesn’t mean you should forget about it. Talking too fast having an aggressive tone, all these characteristics can completely change how your words are viewed.

communication

Why Tone and Pitch Matter in Paralanguage

Almost every phrase in the world can have a different meaning, depending on what tone. Pitch and intonation you use. Even “I love you” can come from a place of genuine care or out of sheer desperation. A harsher tone and a faster talking speed can usually be irritated or angry. A gentler tone with a regular pitch can show compassion. A very high pitch can show exasperation.

Most people don’t think about how they are using paralanguage. They are just going with the flow and saying things as they come. But that can lead to a lot of misunderstandings. Maybe someone annoyed you, and you want to ask them to give you some space, but your tone is venomous. You might have just wanted to be left alone. Instead, you come across as mean and angry. Be careful with how you use paralanguage, or you could end up in trouble.

3.    Touch

Using touch to communicate non-verbally is also known as haptics. After the vision, touch is an essential sense. It’s a crucial way to understand and interact with the world. Touch offers the brain the details it cannot get through vision alone. It’s also associated with one’s sense of body ownership. Touch links to the way through which each individual conveys feeling.

Touch is essential in a professional setting, as it has a functional purpose. For example, handshakes are always used in professional settings. At first, you might think it’s just part of etiquette, but it’s much more than that. It’s a symbol of respect and can signal an agreement. But that’s not even the most crucial part. The way someone shakes your hand can tell you a lot about who they are as a person. For example, a confident person will always give you a firm handshake.

Someone anxious might have a lighter grip. Some people try to assert dominance through the handshake, and others do it just because they have to. In the past, refusing to shake hands with someone indicated disagreement with that person. There are many other meanings to human touch. A hug can comfort someone or show someone how much you care about them. A pat on the back can reassure a person.

What Touch Means In Non-Verbal Communication

Touch can be used to communicate that you love someone on a platonic level or even on a romantic level. Romantically, people share through hand-holding or kissing. Or you can even use this language to communicate to the outside world that they are together.

The things considered an appropriate touch vary from culture to culture and even from individual to individual.

For example, it’s common for Eastern Europeans to greet each other with kisses on the cheek. But this wouldn’t be as acceptable in the United States, where people prefer a simple handshake. Or, it reveals that men don’t mind being touched by a female stranger. But the same can’t be said the other way around. When a male stranger touches a female, they get more uncomfortable.

Touch can mean many things depending on the situation, the person, and the culture. To use it efficiently in communication, you need to understand the other person’s boundaries. So, touch is an area where you will need some training before using it in your favor.

non-verbal communication

Final Thoughts On Knowing These Three Types of Non-Verbal Communication

As scientists have proven, communication is 55% body language, 38% paralanguage and touch, and only 7% words. Nonverbal communication is crucial not only for sending a message but also for receiving it. Without it, one wouldn’t be able to convey any message accurately.

Words only have as much meaning as people give them. And a listener needs to understand the intent and feelings behind those words before assessing their meaning. If non-verbal communication didn’t exist, every meaning would be arbitrary. The meaning of your words would be left at the mercy of the listener, as they would be able to understand whatever they want to. This leads to many misunderstandings, which can cause a lot of personal and professional conflicts.

To avoid misunderstandings, you have to perfect your non-verbal communication skills and listen to the non-verbal signals the other person sends you. There are three main types of non-verbal communication: body language, paralanguage, and touch (or haptics). Most people use these three ways of communicating without being aware of what they are doing. They act intuitively. But each of these three areas can change your message.

If you want to improve your communication skills, you need to take control of these areas. It would be best if you started learning how to gesture, how to modulate your voice, how to touch people respectfully. As soon as you realize that, you will find that your communication will improve significantly.

UC Psychologist Explains How Mindfulness Can Refocus a Wandering Mind

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Many people find that they have a wandering mind in today’s world. Endless distractions, duties, and chores make it hard to stay on task and avoid overthinking.

Some research indicates that people under chronic stress may use mind wandering as a coping mechanism. You tend to think about anything other than the present moment when you want to escape reality. However, the study showed that people with a wandering mind also reported worse psychological well-being.

Therefore, staying focused is essential even when reality feels uncomfortable or painful. The feeling will pass, and you’ll come out the other side with renewed strength and resilience.

The study from University of Cincinnati psychologists confirms the importance of mindfulness in daily life. Research shows that between 30-50% of our thoughts arise from a wandering mind state. Being unfocused throughout the day can cause harmful side effects like poorer memory or performance at work.

What the Experts Say

wandering mind

“While zoning out for a few minutes during a meeting may not hurt, it can impact you negatively if it goes on for long periods of time,” says Lynley Turkelson, a University of Cincinnati doctoral student and lead author of the study published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement.

“When distracting thoughts or feelings come up, mindfulness helps us gently set them aside and refocus on what is right in front of us,” says Turkelson.

Mindfulness includes practices such as meditation, breathing techniques, or yoga. Or, one can practice it by simply increasing awareness of sensations in the present moment.

For instance, Turkelson gives the example of focusing intently on how you feel while eating a meal. Staying in the present moment and experiencing it fully will bring a wandering mind back in focus.

“You may start by noticing the smell of the food before you eat it, what it feels like as you bite into it, how it feels in your mouth and the taste. Or perhaps you pay attention to the flow of breath in and out of your lungs or on the sensations you experience in various parts of the body.”

UC Psychologist Explains How Mindfulness Can Refocus a Wandering Mind

Turkelson, a doctoral student and fellow in UC’s Department of Psychology, and co-author Quintino Mano, Ph.D., a UC associate professor of psychology, collaborated on the study. They performed a systematic review of research to analyze how mindfulness impacts a wandering mind.

They found that mindfulness, or focusing intently on the present moment, can effectively reduce mind wandering. However, the degree of effectiveness depended on the research methodology used.

For example, when people feel distracted or restless, they’re usually not aware of their behavior. So, self-reported examples of a wandering mind wouldn’t be accurate in most cases. The study found that measuring mind wandering using computer-based testing was more reliable.

“During COVID, people are facing even more distractions than normal, so it is important to find research-based ways to decrease mind wandering and improve attention,” says Turkelson.

Turkelson says that their comprehensive review analyzes and synthesizes research results on this topic to determine consistency. However, more studies are necessary to gain more insight into how mindfulness helps a wandering mind.

For now, the study highlights the importance of practicing mindfulness in our daily lives. We could have a more peaceful world by surrendering to the present moment instead of fighting it.

It’s natural to want to avoid pain and seek out pleasure, but in doing so, we neglect reality. Instead of running from problems and adversity, we should try our best to weather them and then let them go. Problems are inevitable in life, but going through trials and tribulations will help you grow. It’s our dwelling on pain and difficulties that causes us suffering.

So, by being in the moment and watching it pass, we can approach difficulties from a healthier perspective. And, being mindful will make you feel calmer and appease a wandering mind.

How to Bring Mindfulness into Your Life

It’s harder than ever to stay mindful of the endless distractions of modern life. You can turn on Netflix or scroll Facebook for hours when you want to escape reality. But, the next time you do this, put down the remote or phone first and check in with yourself. Are you watching a show out of genuine curiosity or because you’re trying to escape pain?

With that said, we’ll give you a few pointers on becoming more mindful:

  • Refocus on the task at hand. You might have the habit of multitasking, but switching between tasks means it will take you longer to accomplish them. By focusing on one thing at a time, you’ll perform better and complete duties in a more timely manner.
  • Many people find uncomfortable thoughts during downtimes and want to escape them somehow. But, writing out how you feel can have a therapeutic effect and help you process these painful feelings. Instead of drowning your sorrows in technology or other unhealthy coping mechanisms, sit with your emotions. Feel them, and then let them go. Feeling emotional makes us human, and hiding how you feel will only hurt you in the long run.
  • Let go of expectations. Suffering arises when we think reality should appear different than it does. When you approach life with a non-attached mindset, simply dealing with problems as they come, you’ll feel much freer. Instead of allowing our emotions to carry us away, confronting reality head-on would help restore balance in our daily lives.

wandering mind

Final Thoughts on How Mindfulness Helps You Refocus a Wandering Mind

Do you find that you have a wandering mind? Most of us probably do, even during our work or school days. However, we can bring healing and peace to our stressed-out world by surrendering to the here and now. If you think about it, we can never be anywhere but in the present moment, so why fight it?

You don’t even need any techniques to practice this, except simply being. Try it out, and we guarantee you’ll have a more focused mind before you know it.

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