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Scientists Explain How a Woman’s Immune System Help Her Beat HIV

December 25, 2021 by Kristen Lawrence

A 30-year-old woman from Argentina became the second documented person in the world to beat HIV naturally. The woman, who chose to remain anonymous due to the stigma surrounding the virus, contracted HIV in 2013. Since being diagnosed, her immune system helped her defeat the virus without the help of medications.

Researchers have called the young mother the “Esperanza patient” after the Argentinian town she calls home. “Esperanza” means “hope” in English, a fitting name for this victory over a devastating illness.

She revealed to NBC News that she’s grateful to have beaten the disease naturally. She enjoys living a healthy life without the need for medications. For her, it’s as though she never got sick in the first place, a great privilege in her eyes.

HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, attacks immune cells that typically help the body ward off infections. A weakened immune system makes a person more vulnerable to contracting other illnesses.

What Causes This Virus?

According to HIV.gov, it spreads by contact with the bodily fluids with HIV. Most commonly, people contract HIV during unprotected sex with someone HIV-positive or through sharing injection drug supplies like syringes or needles.

If left untreated, HIV can eventually lead to the late-stage infection known as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. This occurs due to severe immune system damage caused by HIV. However, most people in the United States who have HIV don’t develop AIDS if they take medicine to stop the disease’s progression.

Currently, there’s no effective cure for HIV, so people who contract it will have it for life. That’s why the Argentinian woman’s case baffles scientists since she beat the autoimmune disease without help. Typically, the body breaks down due to the virus, but her immune system supports her recovery.

Why Scientists Have Struggled to Cure HIV

Researchers used advanced scientific methods and tests to search for traces of HIV in the woman’s body. However, after scanning over 1 billion of her cells, they came up empty-handed. Scientists believe the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine last month will enhance HIV research. Also, they hope the findings will assure the 38 million people estimated to live with HIV.

The “Esperanza patient” case provides living proof that the human body can potentially eradicate HIV naturally. Dr. Xu Yu, a viral immunologist at the Ragon Institute in Boston and lead author of the study, said it shows the “miracle of the human immune system.”

Now, scientists have the arduous task of uncovering the mechanisms behind this miracle. By doing that, they can figure out how to create a universal treatment for the virus. Currently, researchers are exploring multiple avenues to cure HIV. These include vaccines, gene therapy, and stem cell transplants.

So far, researchers have cured two people using stem cell therapy; however, it’s a complex and dangerous treatment method. Researchers say that it’s difficult to kill the virus since HIV infiltrates latently infected immune cells – known as the viral reservoir. Because these diseased cells can remain dormant for extended periods. The standard HIV treatment only works when infected cells actively create new copies of the virus.

Scientists Explain How a Woman’s Immune System Help Her Beat This Virus

However, this new study and prior research by Dr. Yu provide hope for the future. A paper published in August 2020 by Yu analyzed 64 people whose immune systems seem to control HIV naturally. Like the Argentine woman, these patients represent an estimated 1 in 200 people with HIV who can somehow suppress the virus to low levels without medication.

The study’s authors discovered that these individuals’ immune systems had destroyed cells capable of producing new copies of the virus. While the infected cells contained the viral genetic code, they couldn’t replicate the virus. One of the women in the study was Loreen Willenberg, a now-67-year-old Californian.

Diagnosed with HIV in 1992, she’s the only patient besides the Argentine woman whose immune system defeated the virus. After sequencing billions of her cells, scientists couldn’t find any intact viral sequences.

According to Yu, Willenberg’s case bears a striking similarity to the Esperanza patient’s. The virologist explained that both women may have produced a powerful killer T-cell response to the virus.

In 2019, Yu’s team began studying the Esperanza patient, analyzing her blood cells extensively for any sign of HIV. They also searched 500 million placenta-tissue cells after the woman gave birth to an HIV-negative baby in March 2020. In both instances, the team found no intact viral sequences despite using state-of-the-art genetic sequencing techniques.

The team hopes to uncover more of these patients to understand the phenomenon better. If they can pinpoint the mechanism driving the eradication of HIV, perhaps it could lead to a definitive cure.

“We’re never going to be 100 percent sure there’s absolutely no intact virus, no functional virus anywhere in her body,” Yu said of the Esperanza patient. “To bring what we learn from these patients to a broader patient population is our ultimate goal.”

Final Thoughts on the Woman Who Cured herself of HIV Naturally

Scientists recently performed a study on a woman who reported ridding herself of HIV without medication. The 30-year-old Argentine woman became the second documented patient whose immune system destroyed the virus. While lifestyle choices like clean eating and exercise can ward off diseases, this doesn’t work with HIV.

Currently, no cure exists for the virus because it lies dormant in infected cells. This makes it nearly impossible to target these cells since medication only works when the virus replicates. However, the recent study sheds light on the extraordinary capabilities of the human body. If we can heal ourselves of diseases, and scientists can document the process, perhaps illnesses will one day be a thing of the past.

It certainly is for the Argentine woman who somehow cured herself of HIV. Hopefully, we’ll soon know more about what caused this miracle so others can benefit from it.

Psychologists Find Link Between Childhood Trauma and Borderline Personality Disorder

December 24, 2021 by Kristen Lawrence

Borderline personality disorder, otherwise known as an emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), is perhaps the most misunderstood mental illness. Initially, doctors named the disorder because patients exhibiting this condition bordered two different states: neurosis and psychosis. However, many specialists today choose to call it EUPD because it is outdated and controversial. A borderline personality disorder displays continuous instability in moods, self-image, and relationships. Depending on the severity, people who have this disorder may have trouble holding down jobs or maintaining relationships.

BPD is the most common personality disorder, affecting an estimated 1.7% of the population. Nearly 75% of people diagnosed are women, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder

Intense fear of abandonment, both real and imagined
Unstable, passionate relationships that alternate rapidly between idealization (“I love him!”) and devaluation (“He’s so awful!”). Some psychologists refer to this as “splitting.”
Unstable, negative self-image includes moods, opinions, goals, and values.
Impulsive behaviors with potentially dangerous consequences include impulsive shopping sprees, gambling, unsafe sex, reckless driving, or substance abuse.
Self-harm, including cutting, burning, or suicide threats/attempts.
Depression, irritability, or anxiety for hours or days at a time.
Chronic feelings of emptiness, boredom, or detachment from others.
Inappropriate, volatile, uncontrollable anger, such as frequent outbursts or physical fights.
Periodic dissociative episodes—feeling disconnected from your thoughts, emotions, and perception of reality. This can cause stress-related paranoia, which can result in brief psychotic episodes.

Like most mental illnesses, doctors believe a combination of genetics, environment, family history, and brain structure contribute to BPD. Prior studies have found evidence of genetic predisposition regarding borderline personality disorder. Twin studies performed in 2000 and 2008 revealed a 50% heritability, which surpasses rates for major depression.

Psychologists Find Link Between Childhood Trauma and Borderline Personality Disorder

However, a new study suggests that childhood trauma contributes more than genetics to BPD development. The findings have been published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.

“It seems that females are more frequently affected from BPD, at least in clinical settings than males, with a ratio of about four to one,” said the study’s authors, led by Benjamin Otto of Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany.

The team wanted to understand better the complex relationship between childhood trauma and borderline personality disorder. To do this, the team recruited 95 adult women, 44 of whom had a prior diagnosis of BPD. The participants completed several psychological assessments, such as a life history questionnaire and personality test.

Additionally, they answered questions about aggressiveness, chronic stress, childhood trauma, and symptom severity. Finally, researchers determined the participants’ allostatic load, or wear and tear on the body due to chronic stress. To assess this, the team took participants’ blood pressure, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index measurements.

Since trauma often manifests in the body, researchers hoped these markers would give them better insight into how borderline personality disorder affects physical health.

Study Found People With BPD Have “Pace-of-Life-Syndrome”

The findings revealed how growing up in unstable conditions affects people later in life. Researchers observed that participants with borderline personality disorder had higher scores on the childhood trauma questionnaire than those without BPD. Because of these adverse events, research shows that children tend to grow up faster than their peers.

The study delved deeply into what causes BPD and how the disorder impacts development.

Study authors concluded that childhood trauma results in a “Pace-of-Life-Syndrome,” where individuals prioritize reproduction over body maintenance and tissue repair.

They also grow faster, have a higher metabolism, and risk developing stress-related illnesses like cardiovascular disease. Finally, research shows that, in clinical settings, people who have BPD have an 8.3-fold higher all-cause mortality compared to the general population.

All of these factors increase allostatic loads as the child progresses into adulthood.

“In line with expectations, BPD patients had significantly higher scores suggestive of a fast Pace-of-Life-Syndrome than controls. They were more aggressive, more burdened with chronic stress, and were exposed to more severe childhood adversity,” said the authors. “The present study thus provides direct evidence of psychological and somatic traits associated with the fast end of the PoLS spectrum in females with BPD.”

BPD Characterized by Distinct Personality Traits

Not surprisingly, researchers observed distinct personality differences between those with and without BPD. The team recorded higher levels of neuroticism and lower extroversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness in BPD patients. In addition, they found that people with borderline personality disorder exhibited less openness to new experiences.

They conclude,

The authors added that a fast Pace-of-Life-Syndrome isn’t specific to BPD. PoLS may indicate other mental health conditions, like ADHD, bipolar disorder, and addictive disorders. However, those with borderline personality disorder tend to have higher rates of comorbidity.

Final Thoughts on a Study Linking Childhood Trauma to Borderline Personality Disorder

Previous studies showed that genetics played a significant role in developing borderline personality disorder. However, a new study by German researchers found that environmental factors may contribute more to BPD. The findings showed that most participants experienced childhood trauma.

Overall, they also had higher chronic stress, which led to poorer physical health. Study participants exhibited “Pace-of-Life-Syndrome” due to their upbringing and stress response. Researchers hope this study highlights the need to treat this condition properly before it can cause lasting damage.

Only Pet Parents Will Understand How True These Vet Clinic Signs Are

December 24, 2021 by Kristen Lawrence

All pet parents can attest to how much they adore their sweet fur babies. There’s nothing like coming home to a pet after a long day to warm your heart. After all, who else gets so excited to see you that they jump on you the second you walk through the door?! We thought so.

Dogs, cats, or other pets add value and memorable moments to our lives. However, they also can test our patience and make us sometimes pull our hair out. If you’re a pet parent, you know the feeling. Let’s not even talk about trying to get them in the car for a vet checkup.

Since pets and pet parents get apprehensive about the vet, Carroll County Vet Clinic in Maryland had to get creative. They’ve been posting funny messages on their outdoor sign to keep people’s spirits up since 2005. So far, it seems to work because many of their signs have gone viral!

Only Pet Parents Will Understand How Accurate These Vet Clinic Signs Are

Here are a few that we thought perfectly captured the ups and downs of being a pet parent.

1 – Nothing compares to the unconditional love from a dog, after all.

Plus, isn’t it the best feeling when a random dog runs up to you and the owner says, “My dog never does that with strangers!” That always makes my soul happy.

2 – There isn’t a truer statement than this one. To any pet parents out there, you’ll definitely relate.

If you have a long-haired dog, you dread summer with every fiber. Maybe they call it the dog days of summer because of the countless hours vacuuming up dog hair?

3 – Everyone knows, cats are the head of the house. All decisions must be run by the cat for approval.

4 – We think it’s high time to end the stigma about black cats. What’s not to love about them, anyway?!

5 – Pet parents will agree with this one! It applies to any small dog, really, but especially Chihuahuas.

Don’t hate on them for barking so much, though. They have to make up for their size somehow!

6 – This one will hit all pet parents right in the feels. There’s just no animal that quite compares to a dog.

It seems like they have endless amounts of love to give, and we never get tired of receiving it.

7 – Perhaps this one’s been said many times before, but it’s still true. Ask any dog mom out there!

8 – Maybe we can learn a thing or two from cats. Don’t problems eventually disappear if you spend most of your day sleeping?

9 – Pet parents know the frustration all too well. Dogs just KNOW there’s something wrong with that lunch meat.

10 – Dogs are angels. Enough said.

We could definitely learn some lessons from our furry friends.

11 – Nothing makes the world stop quite like a cute cat sleeping in your lap. Those chores can wait until later, right?

12 – To the pet parents of birds reading this, we feel you.

If you’ve taught your bird to talk, you know how weird it seems at first!

13 – All dogs are the best doggos! How could we ever choose?!

14 – After these last couple of years, it’s perfectly acceptable to sleep through winter.

15 – Who made that rule, anyway?

16 – So beautiful, yet so messy at the same time.

Oh well, you take the good with the bad, right?

17 – I think nature kind of missed out on that opportunity.

18 – Have you ever met a trained cat? We didn’t think so.

19 – A cat will break your dishes, knock down plants and run marathons in your room with no remorse.

20 – Pet parents know dogs and cats have their own personalities.

Honestly, we wouldn’t want it any other way.

21 – Because pugs are simply irresistible with that cute face!

Other Things You Can Relate to If You’re a Pet Parent

You know the reality, let’s open up about some basic truths about pet parenting.

1 – Talking to your pet (especially dogs) in a “baby voice.”

Whether you have human children or not, any pet parent can relate to this one. The second you’re around a dog, do you find your voice gets more high-pitched? Do you say “awww” a million times and hyper-articulate vowels? We’ve all communicated with our dogs using baby talk at some point, and it’s perfectly normal. Some studies have found dogs actually respond well to this type of speech, so it seems we’re doing something right!

2 – Having more photos of your dog than anything else on your phone.

They look cute doing almost anything, so it’s important to snap a photo at every opportunity! Especially if you have social media accounts for your pet, you can relate to this.

3 – Ordering them treats at drive-thru restaurants.

If you go to Starbucks, you automatically ask for a Puppuccino (a small cup of whipped cream, of course!) You offer them some fries or a piece of meat at burger joints. After all, they deserve treats every so often for being such a good boy (or girl!)

4 – Pet parents plan dog or cat-friendly vacations so they can tag along.

Maybe you don’t bring them on every trip, but you try to include them as much as possible. They’re your best friend, so you want them to enjoy new experiences with you! We could write a book about pets, but we’ll stop here. Hopefully, the pet parents out there found something they could relate to in this list!

Final thoughts on these animal facts that only pet parents will understand

Owning a pet is a special privilege, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Yes, our pets make us laugh and brighten our days, but they’re also a huge responsibility. They need regular veterinary care, baths, checkups, walks, nutritious food, and love.

For pets, going to the vet probably tops the list of their least favorite activities. One Maryland vet clinic recognized that vets aren’t exactly a favorite destination. So, they decided to make the visits more appealing with funny signs outside their office. It seemed to do the trick, because their messages have gotten many laughs over the years. To the pet owners reading this, we hope you could relate and got a few chuckles from the list!

10 Traits of Mindful Thinking That Most People Don’t Know

December 24, 2021 by Lakeisha Ethans

In the past couple of decades, mindfulness has become prominent in western culture. It is a practice endorsed by psychologists and therapists alike. More and more people have incorporated mindful thinking into their day-to-day life.

Most people think of mindfulness as some easy trick to make them feel better in the moment. Some don’t even think it works, believing it’s just a placebo effect. Even the advocates for using mindful thinking don’t know everything about it. So here are ten traits of mindful thinking that most people don’t know.

What Is Mindfulness?

The origins of mindfulness go back hundreds of years, first appearing in Buddhist cultures. Eastern communities have enjoyed the benefits of mindfulness ever since its discovery. But it didn’t reach the west until a few decades ago.

Mindfulness is the ability of an individual to be fully present. It means being aware of where you are, what you’re doing, and feeling without being judgmental. Besides that, it involves introspection. Also, it aims to make people understand their environment rather than being reactive. It ensures you let go of biases and analyze everything properly.

The people who don’t engage in mindful thinking often go through life on autopilot. By using mindfulness, you can sharpen your cognitive abilities, thus allowing you to take control of your life. This can benefit all areas of your life, from your professional to personal life.

Mindfulness is often practiced through meditation. Mindful meditation involves letting go of judgment and biases and indulging in the brain’s natural curiosity. By reflecting in a non-judgmental way, you can start understanding your emotions.

10 Traits Of Mindful Thinking That Most People Don’t Know

These are the essential characteristics of mindfulness that most people are aware of. But mindfulness is much deeper than that. It’s a complex process through which one can improve all aspects of their life. So, here are ten lesser-known facts about mindfulness.

1. Mindful Thinking Is Not All In Your Head

Most people seem to think that mindfulness is just something that goes on in your head. That it’s just about your thoughts and doesn’t go beyond that. But mindfulness is more about connecting with your mind, body, and emotions. You have to engage mentally and physically to be truly mindful.

Meditation begins and ends in the body. Paying attention to what’s going on around you starts with being aware of your body. You have to be in tune with the stimuli your body gives you. Understand what you’re sensing, don’t just ignore it. When you get your body and mind are in line, you can better understand yourself.

Mindfulness meditation helps improve physical health in many ways. It helps relieve stress, treats heart disease, lowers blood pressure, reduces chronic pain, and improves sleep.

2. It’s Backed By Science

Some people don’t take mindfulness seriously, and they think it’s just a fairy-tale. In reality, it’s backed by science. Especially in the past couple of decades, there have been a lot of studies proving that mindfulness has pragmatic benefits.

A growing body of research shows that it reduces stress and anxiety, improves attention and memory, and promotes self-regulation and empathy. A study by Sara Lazar determined that mindfulness can change the brain’s grey matter and brain regions linked with memory, sense of self, and emotion regulation.

There are many more studies like this one, all proving that mindfulness is not just a buzzword. Using it as a therapeutic practice is supported by many psychologists. If you want to start seeing a therapist, expect them to suggest mindful thinking to relieve the symptoms of certain mental disorders.

3. Mindful Thinking Changes Your Brain

Mindfulness doesn’t just give you short-term benefits. It also reconfigures your brain in a way that improves your cognitive sharpness. Mindful meditation is especially useful in this process.

Studies have shown that the brain physically changes when you learn a new skill. Learning will restructure different parts of the brain, depending on the nature of that skill. Even skills that don’t seem relevant, like crocheting, will develop the brain.

Previous studies suggested that meditation is a skill that helps improve the parts of the brain responsible for attention. Mindfulness meditation increases the thickness of the prefrontal cortex and parietal lobes, which connects to attention control. Compassion-based meditation showed increases in the limbic system, which processes emotions. By practicing meditation daily, you can start to see a difference in how you see the world.

4. It’s A Lifestyle

Mindfulness is often mischaracterized and defined as a tool you can use when feeling overwhelmed. While you can use it like that, it’s intended to be used as a lifestyle. When you incorporate mindfulness as a part of your daily routine, you will see the best results.

To gain all the health benefits, like restructuring your brain and relieving anxiety, you need to live a mindful lifestyle. These changes are triggered by your thoughts and actions. They only surface when you shift your whole mindset. You have to train your brain to view mindfulness as a reflex rather than something it has to do consciously.

Mindfulness can expand to all areas of your life. You can mindfully do everything, from eating to exercising and working. This way of approaching tasks makes you pay more attention to everything. You will do everything with more care, making sure you gain benefits from life rather than mindlessly shuffling through it.

5. It Creates Better Habits

Adding on the idea that mindfulness has long-term benefits, it’s essential to know that it also helps create better habits. Because it forces you to be present, aware, and proactive, it helps motivate you to live better. Being aware of your feelings and impulses makes you better tools for battling bad habits.

Many past studies have compared the habits of individuals from a control group to the patterns of people practicing mindfulness. One study showed that the individuals from the mindfulness group significantly improved their healthy eating habits, tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis consumption, and sleep habits. Some specialists even suggest that mindfulness can be a powerful tool when battling addiction and eating disorders.

6. Mindful Thinking Improves Interpersonal Relationships

Improving relationships is one of the benefits of restructuring the prefrontal cortex using mindfulness. Mindful meditation develops some of the most critical skills for socialization, like attention and emotional regulation.

For a relationship to work, you need to communicate and be calm. By improving your attention, mindfulness can help you become a better listener. One trap people often fall into is talking about themselves and their needs, forgetting to check in on the other’s needs.

But, when you practice mindful thinking, you will avoid making that mistake. You will also be able to regulate your emotions better, thus helping you stay calm and logical in highly tense situations.

7. It Helps You Deal With Fear

Besides the prefrontal cortex and limbic system, mindfulness also changes the shape of the amygdala. The amygdala is the part of the brain responsible for the fight-or-flight response, amongst other things. Practicing mindful thinking shrinks the amygdala, making it easier to control your fear logically rather than giving in to instincts.

When that amygdala senses danger, it signals your brain to release stress hormones, preparing your body to fight or run away. Nowadays, that response stems from stress, fear, anxiety, and anger. When the amygdala shrinks, it becomes less active, thus giving the brain fewer signals. Your body won’t be flooded by as many hormones, making it easier to be rational when you feel afraid. The benefit is that you will be better equipped to deal with fear.

8. Mindful Thinking Helps You Be More Self-Compassionate

Compassion is a desirable quality, mainly because people are harsher than ever before. They think that they should always be critical of their actions, but that only leads to depression. Mindfulness helps you tackle that issue and learn to be self-compassionate.

Mindfulness makes you reflect, thus uncovering emotions that you’ve buried deep and making you deal with them. It shows you both the positives and negatives you possess as a person. When you interact will all sides of you, you start understanding that you are only human. You begin to acknowledge that humans are imperfect and make mistakes. It will incentivize you to start being kinder to yourself.

9. It Makes You More Empathetic

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the emotions others feel. By making you aware and attentive, mindfulness enables the development of empathy.

When you know your environment, you start making mental notes of the things around you. You stop ignoring the signs of distress you see in other people. Because you acknowledge others’ feelings, your brain will naturally want to help them. And, you will engage with a larger scope of emotions, thus making you aware of more hardships than just your own. You will become better at noticing when someone needs help, and you will start offering it when you can.

10. It Makes You More Patient

Patience is a quality that most people wouldn’t associate with mindfulness. But the broad perspective you get when you start being mindful can nurture a patient mindset. By making you live in the present, mindfulness will shape your personality to become more patient.

Mindful meditation allows you to understand what’s essential in life and prioritize everything. This way, you won’t feel the need to rush things. As a by-product of becoming more patient, you will also manage your anxiety and stress levels better.

Final Thoughts On Some Traits of Mindful Thinking That Most People Don’t Know

Mindfulness is one of the best therapeutic practices out there. But there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding it. Even the people who like mindfulness aren’t aware of all the benefits it can provide.

Besides the mental health benefits that most people know about, mindfulness also improves other areas of life. It sharpens your brain, helps create better habits and deal with fear, and makes you more accepting and empathetic, amongst other things. The best part is that it’s all backed by science and, if you practice it, it can become a lifestyle.

7 Gratitude Practices to Calm The Brain (and How to Start)

December 24, 2021 by Lakeisha Ethans

Do you wish you could find a way to stop feeling anxious and jittery all the time? Do you want to rewire your brain so that it isn’t naturally agitated? Are you looking for new things you can try out to trick your brain into being more positive and calmer?

Gratitude is one of the best emotions a human can experience. It’s proven to have a lot of mental and physical health benefits. For a long time, it was believed that some people are predisposed to feel gratitude while others won’t feel it.

And while it’s true that genetics play a role in returning how grateful you naturally feel, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn to practice gratitude. At first, you might be skeptical, but if you give these seven gratitude practices a shot, you will soon have a calmer and more positive life.

What Is Gratitude?

Gratitude is a positive emotion that involves being thankful and appreciative. When you experience gratitude, you feel grateful for something or someone in your life. You will also feel like you want to return the gesture by being kind and generous.

Gratitude stems from recognizing that something good happened, and it has two stages. First, you acknowledge that something good happened. Second, you try to understand where that goodness came from. Because of how it forms, gratitude is often spontaneous emotion that you feel in the moment. But the body of research has suggested that this emotion can be learned and incorporated into day-to-day life.

The primary way gratitude improves health is by facilitating a state of relaxation. According to psychologist Robert Emmons, appreciation fosters a more optimistic attitude. It amplifies positive emotions, such as joy, and makes you more resilient. Grateful people tend to be less depressed, less anxious, and less stressed.

Studies show that grateful people have more brain activity in the medial prefrontal cortex. That is the part associated with learning and decision-making. Grateful people tend to be faster learners and have better decision-making skills. This is the main reason why grateful people cultivate better habits.

Benefits of Having Good Gratitude Practices

They tend to have better diets, exercise, avoid risky behaviors, and be hard workers. As a by-product of lower stress levels And better habits, grateful people have also been shown to have a better immune system lower blood pressure. According to researchers Adam Grant and Francesca Gino, gratitude leads to stronger relationships and a sense of community.

People develop a sense of trust and companionship when they appreciate each other’s help. Being openly thankful towards someone will increase the chances of them liking you. Of course, these health and social benefits go a long way in making certain stress levels as low. By helping you develop better habits and get your life together, gratitude can ensure you’re always on the right path, thus keeping your brain calmer.

Seven Gratitude Practices to Calm The Brain (and How to Start)

It seems pretty straightforward: be grateful, and everything will go right for you. But practicing gratitude can sometimes be difficult if you don’t have the proper guidelines. So, if you want to calm your brain, here are seven gratitude practices that will help you (and how to implement them).

1. Write A Gratitude Journal

People tend to lose track of little things. If someone complimented you, it would probably slip your mind. Small gestures are easily missed, especially during a busy day. When you lose track of the good that’s going on in your life, you’ll never be able to practice gratitude properly. The safest thing you can do is write everything down to ensure you won’t forget it.

Journaling reminds you that the world is not as hostile as it seems. Having to write down what good things happened in your day physically will force you to acknowledge the positives in your life. The physical act of writing something down can also be a calming gesture whenever you feel anxious.

At the end of each day (or when you need an emotional lift), write down a few things you are grateful for. Savor the positive feelings that come when you think about them. Research shows that after eight weeks of doing this, you will have managed to rewire your brain for gratitude.

2. Spend Time With People You Care About

Spending time with people you love will open your eyes to the positives in your life. Use your free time to meet friends and family. It will boost your mood and make you more appreciative of what you have.

Spending time with people will make you acknowledge how much you have. If you want to be grateful, you need to share your appreciation openly. Tell your family you are thankful to have them around. Let your friends know how important they are to you. Remind your significant other how much you love them.

Always thank people who lend you a hand. And, if you can, repay their kindness. Focus on others and try to let go of selfish behaviors. You will feel much more fulfilled when you make someone else happy rather than when you make yourself comfortable. The more content you are and the more helpful you feel, the less stressed and anxious you will become.

3. Release Toxic Emotions

One of the main reasons people can be grateful is because there bottling up negative emotions. No matter how hard they try to focus on the positives, the negatives always overshadow them. To practice gratitude, you need to release all negativity from your brain and body consciously.

And this is a cycle. The more grateful you feel, the more able you would release toxic emotions. This happens because the hippocampus and the amygdala, the two main sites regulating emotions and memory, get activated by gratitude. Gratitude governs the level of dopamine in the body, failing people with more vitality and reducing subjective feelings of pain.

As long as you either release toxic emotions or practice gratitude, you should have no problem when it comes to regulating your mood. Studies have shown that people who wrote letters of appreciation to others recovered sooner from a mental issue.

4. Meditate as a Gratitude Practice

This seems to be the most generic suggestion that you will get when searching for ways to calm yourself down. But It’s always recommended precisely because it works and it’s very customizable. When it comes to learning to be more thankful, meditating is the best gratitude practice out there.

Find a quiet and comfortable environment, close your eyes, and start taking deep breaths. Focus on the rhythm of your breathing and on what your body is feeling. This will act as an anchor to keep you grounded and help you clear your mind of irrelevant things.

When your mind gets clear, you can focus on understanding precisely what you should be grateful for. The simple fact that you’re still breathing can be one of those things you’re thankful for. If you meditate regularly, you can become a grateful person by nature.

5. Pause And Reflect

Sometimes your brain starts overanalyzing and overthinking everything for no apparent reason. When you feel like you’re starting to be anxious and overwhelmed, the best thing you can do is pause and reflect.

Before tackling anything stressful, give yourself five minutes in which you do nothing but reflect on everything good that’s going on around you. Think about how finishing that task is going to get you fulfillment. Think about how lucky you are that you can do what’s required of you. When you charge yourself with positive energy, you can return to doing what you have to do.

6. Remember What You Have Been Through

Many people get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of responsibilities they have in life. Working, having a family, having a hobby, juggling all of these activities can stress your brain out. You might be tempted to give in to the pressure and just get overwhelmed. To avoid this, remember what you’ve been through and what you’re capable of.

When you take a minute and reflect on your past experiences, you’ll find that you’ve been through tougher times before. Remembering how much you’ve overcome can help you find the confidence to do what you need to do in the present. Plus, seeing how much worse your life could be will make you instantly grateful for the life you have now.

7. Create A Gratitude Practice Routine

At first, practicing gratitude constantly will seem like an impossible task. You will need to remind yourself all the time to pay attention to the goodness around you and not just dismiss it. So, it might be helpful to create a gratitude routine that works for you.

You could start by listing a few things you’re grateful for every morning before getting out of bed. Part of your gratitude routine could be giving at least five compliments every day. You can do whatever you want as long as you show did you acknowledge the positive and be thankful for it.

Practicing gratitude kicks off a self-perpetuating cycle in your brain. As psychology writer Christian Jarett says, the more you practice gratitude, the more attuned you are to it. After a while, gratitude will become part of your personality.

Final Thoughts On Some Gratitude Practices to Calm The Brain

Gratitude is one of the most beautiful can helpful emotions a human can experience. Unfortunately, as the world gets more hectic, people start being too busy for gratitude. If you feel overwhelmed and like your brain won’t calm down, you might benefit from implementing the gratitude practices described above in your life.

There are many ways through which people can learn to be grateful. But, at the core, gratitude means acknowledging the positives in your life and understanding why they happened. Appreciation has been shown to have numerous health benefits. The most obvious are the psychological ones, especially the reduction of anxiety levels.

It helps you have a generally more positive attitude towards life, thus allowing you to be happier. It also benefits a person’s physical health, like boosting the immune system. Overall, gratitude is necessary to have a healthy lifestyle and calm the brain.

5 Mindset Shifts That Can Stop the Brain’s Negative Thought Loop

December 23, 2021 by Lakeisha Ethans

Have you ever wondered why your brain is genetically programmed to be negative? Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in a negative thought loop and you don’t know how to get out? Would you like to shift your mindset and break this loop?

The human brain is predisposed to falling into an endless loop of negativity. Coupled with the fact that there’s a lot of negativity in the world, this can burden you. People have to deal with many responsibilities that create a lot of stress and anxiety. Negativity is horrible for your mental and physical health. So, what can you do to stop this negative thought loop? What is the one mindset shift you need to implement in your life?

What Is The Negative Thought Loop?

The brain is a feedback loop system. In fact, it isn’t just the brain, but the whole body is a feedback loop system. Whenever there is a difference between what a person experiences and the ideals you set for yourself, the brain urges you to correct the situation.

The brain is wired to know what’s wrong. It notices mistakes, errors, mismatches, and things out of order. The cognitive dissonance between what you want and what happens incentivizes the brain to take action. Yet, the brain doesn’t notice when you get what you want. Or, to be more precise, it detects, but it doesn’t give any value to that achievement.

When the brain doesn’t generate a signal, you don’t even notice that you achieved something you desire. Of course, there are some exceptions. When you finally get what you want after a long time of struggling, you feel positive feelings, like relief. The brain only signals when something’s wrong. Because of this, you can quickly get overwhelmed by negative thoughts.

When something negative is troubling you, you tend to think about it repeatedly. That’s when a negative thought loop occurs. When you focus only on the negative, you’ll begin to see everything in a bad light. You even start to judge yourself negatively for no apparent reason. Neuroscientists have theorized that the brain has a negativity bias.

This term means the human brain is wired to be negative. They also found that your thoughts can affect your health because of the mind-body connection. Negative thoughts cause stress and anxiety, which in turn can impact your physical health. Because of this negativity bias, the only way to effectively break a negative thought loop is by rewiring your brain.

How To Shift Your Mindset And Break A Negative Thought Loop

You need to override the genetic predisposition of your brain and train yourself to engage in positive thinking. Here are five ways to effectively rewire your brain and stop negativity loops.

1. Create A Positive Environment

Your surroundings greatly influence what kind of thoughts run through your head. To avoid nurturing negative thoughts that the brain can use to create negativity loops, you need to surround yourself with positivity.

People who struggle to keep positivity in their life are often influenced by externalities. The most overwhelming influence often comes from the people you surround yourself with. If your friends and family are negative, that will inevitably affect your thoughts.

Negative people can destabilize you psychologically. They can bring issues into your life that you wouldn’t otherwise have. You risk getting into fights often and having to deal with negativity constantly. This situation can trigger a negativity loop.

If you struggle to keep your positivity, it might be helpful to reflect on the company you keep. If your closest friends and family are the reason you struggle with optimism, it’s time to put some distance between you. Some of the people around you are straight-up toxic, and you will need to cut ties with them for good. When you make space for positive people in your life, they will give you reasons to become more optimistic.

Your hobbies and daily activities can also determine how much positivity you experience. If you engage in harmful activities daily, negativity will become part of your new normal. To harvest positive thoughts, you need to do things that bring you joy. This way, you will prove that it can achieve positivity in your brain.

2. Practice Gratitude

How you think and engage with the situations around you determines how you view life. If you start being thankful for all the good in life, your brain will start seeing everything through a positive lens.

Gratitude is born from the recognition that something good happened in your life. It is the process through which you acknowledge and appreciate the goodness you have. This emotion usually appears spontaneously. Some people are genetically predisposed to feel gratitude. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn to practice it.

There are three main steps if you want to learn to be grateful. First, you need to observe and notice what makes you feel good. The second step is to affirm the good you receive. When something positive happens, please make a note of it. Lastly, you need to acknowledge the benefits those positives bring to your life. Studies have found that one way to go through these steps is to keep a gratitude journal. Writing things down can improve your optimism and sense of well-being. So, if you have trouble learning to be grateful, start keeping a gratitude journal.

There are many other ways through which you can practice gratitude. You can meditate, you can make a list of things to be grateful for, you can reflect on the past. It doesn’t matter how you do it as long as you create a gratitude routine. At first, you will need to make a conscious effort to be grateful. But after a few weeks of practicing it, you will find that your brain will be rewired to be thankful.

Practicing gratitude will make you more observant of the positives. It will make you let go of negativity easier, thus helping you stop the brain’s negativity loop.

3. Be Aware Of Negative Thoughts

Many people struggle with harmful and toxic thoughts because they aren’t aware of them. In today’s society, negative thinking has been normalized, sometimes even praised. Many people think that being pessimistic will prepare you for the worst while motivating you. In reality, all it does is make people accept negative thoughts instead of getting rid of them.

There are a few negative thinking patterns that people seem to think are normal. Overgeneralisation, labeling, emotional reasoning, and jumping to conclusions are just a few of them. They are patterns that go through everyone’s brain.

All these types of thoughts are irrational. They often stem from misconceptions about how you should evaluate and judge situations. Or they are the result of certain stereotypes. Because of this, it’s hard for people to understand how negative they are.

All these thought patterns trigger a negativity loop. And they have harmful effects on your day-to-day life. For example, blaming yourself Can trigger depression or anxiety and make you less confident in your abilities. And all a negativity loop does is normalize these thinking patterns further.

Write down those negative thoughts. That way, you can’t allow yourself to ignore them, and you can keep track of just how negative you are throughout the day. Once you write them down, try to figure out how they affect you. Understand why those thoughts form, and try to address the root cause.

When you work on the root cause of your negative thoughts, you can start letting go of them. Thus, you can break the negativity loop and make room for positive thoughts.

4. Be Proactive In Breaking the Negative Thought Loop

Being aware of what bad thoughts you have is a start. But if you want to break a negativity loop, you need to be proactive. The best way to take action is by using self-improvement techniques.

Try to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the essential human ability to be fully present. It means being aware of what’s happening around you and inside your head. It relies on the idea that you should be analytical rather than reactive. Mindfulness is an ability that every human possesses. But that doesn’t mean you should depend on your genetic predisposition towards mindfulness. Instead, it would be best if you tried to practice it every day.

Mindfulness is often practiced through meditation. Take a few minutes at the beginning of every day to sit in a quiet place and reflect on your thoughts and feelings. Try to be connected to your feelings and listen to your body. Doing this daily will help you rewire your brain, thus inducing a mindset shift. It will make you more aware of your needs and desires. Therefore, it enables you to start acting in your interest rather than reacting to your environment.

Practicing mindfulness through meditation is a great way to train your brain to be more positive. To release negative thoughts and break the negativity loop, you need to act positively. And the best way to do this is by being proactive.

5. Use Thought Stopping Techniques

Sometimes, the best way to break a negativity loop is by using thought-stopping techniques. Distractions can be precisely what you need to calm yourself down and reset your brain.

When you feel overwhelmed by negativity, you sometimes don’t have the energy to fight those thoughts. At that moment, you need a break. It would help if you stopped those thoughts until you feel ready to tackle them head-on.

To distract yourself, you can exercise, read, cook, or whatever else you feel will relax you. Focus on that activity, and try to ignore the negative thoughts. And if that doesn’t work, you can use thought-stopping mantras. For example, you can use visualization techniques, like picturing a stop sign.

After you take that break, you can come back to tackling the negative thoughts with renewed energy.

Final Thoughts On The Mindset Shift Can Stop the Brain’s Negative Thought Loop

Negative thought loops are very harmful to your mental health. They get you stuck thinking about something troubling over and over again. They make you feel weak and powerless, and they don’t allow you to feel joy.

To break these negative thought loops, you need to shift your mindset and rewire your brain for positivity. Contrary to popular belief, positivity can be learned, and you will be able to do it if you follow the five steps presented above.

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Only Pet Parents Will Understand How Accurate These Vet Clinic Signs Are

1 – Nothing compares to the unconditional love from a dog, after all.

2 – There isn’t a truer statement than this one. To any pet parents out there, you’ll definitely relate.

3 – Everyone knows, cats are the head of the house. All decisions must be run by the cat for approval.

4 – We think it’s high time to end the stigma about black cats. What’s not to love about them, anyway?!

5 – Pet parents will agree with this one! It applies to any small dog, really, but especially Chihuahuas.

6 – This one will hit all pet parents right in the feels. There’s just no animal that quite compares to a dog.

7 – Perhaps this one’s been said many times before, but it’s still true. Ask any dog mom out there!

8 – Maybe we can learn a thing or two from cats. Don’t problems eventually disappear if you spend most of your day sleeping?

9 – Pet parents know the frustration all too well. Dogs just KNOW there’s something wrong with that lunch meat.

10 – Dogs are angels. Enough said.

11 – Nothing makes the world stop quite like a cute cat sleeping in your lap. Those chores can wait until later, right?

12 – To the pet parents of birds reading this, we feel you.

13 – All dogs are the best doggos! How could we ever choose?!

14 – After these last couple of years, it’s perfectly acceptable to sleep through winter.

15 – Who made that rule, anyway?

16 – So beautiful, yet so messy at the same time.

17 – I think nature kind of missed out on that opportunity.

18 – Have you ever met a trained cat? We didn’t think so.

19 – A cat will break your dishes, knock down plants and run marathons in your room with no remorse.

20 – Pet parents know dogs and cats have their own personalities.

21 – Because pugs are simply irresistible with that cute face!

Other Things You Can Relate to If You’re a Pet Parent

1 – Talking to your pet (especially dogs) in a “baby voice.”

2 – Having more photos of your dog than anything else on your phone.

3 – Ordering them treats at drive-thru restaurants.

4 – Pet parents plan dog or cat-friendly vacations so they can tag along.

Final thoughts on these animal facts that only pet parents will understand

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1. Mindful Thinking Is Not All In Your Head

2. It’s Backed By Science

3. Mindful Thinking Changes Your Brain

4. It’s A Lifestyle

5. It Creates Better Habits

6. Mindful Thinking Improves Interpersonal Relationships

7. It Helps You Deal With Fear

8. Mindful Thinking Helps You Be More Self-Compassionate

9. It Makes You More Empathetic

10. It Makes You More Patient

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What Is Gratitude?

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Seven Gratitude Practices to Calm The Brain (and How to Start)

1. Write A Gratitude Journal

2. Spend Time With People You Care About

3. Release Toxic Emotions

4. Meditate as a Gratitude Practice

5. Pause And Reflect

6. Remember What You Have Been Through

7. Create A Gratitude Practice Routine

Final Thoughts On Some Gratitude Practices to Calm The Brain

What Is The Negative Thought Loop?

How To Shift Your Mindset And Break A Negative Thought Loop

1. Create A Positive Environment

2. Practice Gratitude

3. Be Aware Of Negative Thoughts

4. Be Proactive In Breaking the Negative Thought Loop

5. Use Thought Stopping Techniques

Final Thoughts On The Mindset Shift Can Stop the Brain’s Negative Thought Loop

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