Election Baby

Our educational system doesn't provide the mental tools to think about that kind of thing; I don't know what I want. I wish someone would tell me. The highest quality of life comes when you make your own self-approval more important than the approval of others--when you make what's most meaningful to you more important than what others expect of you. Structures in Your Life We thanked that doctor and left. There was silence as the three of us drove to the minister of health's office. He was our next interview. After our mentee had asked her questions, I posed a few of my own. I asked the minister, a medical doctor by trade, whether he had thought of rolling up his sleeves and helping out in the hospital we had just left. The situation is dire, as you know, I added. They don't have enough doctors. People are dying. He couldn't get us out of his office soon enough. I guess that was a no. Lessons begin on the sand, with you lying on your stomach and then standing on the board to get used to the feeling. One small step builds on another, all preparing you for something else. Make Your First Step Stand Alone In The ONE Thing, Gary Keller and Jay Papasan introduce something called the Focusing Question: What's the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary? Build your routine on a single action that makes all the following actions easier or unnecessary, and you'll feel prepared even when the routine gets cut short.

In fact, you might not need ten or twenty steps when the first one does such a good job. If you're wanting to be more productive when you sit down at your desk to work, there are likely a dozen things that can help you do that, but maybe playing a certain kind of music makes the lack of a to-do list or hot coffee motivating enough to get going. Explore what gives you the biggest bang for your buck, and begin your routine with that one step. Remember Where You're Going Once lists and steps enter the conversation, it's easy to forget they're not the point. Eastern Perspectives on Addiction According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), addictions cause the stagnation of chi (life force) in the liver. The liver cleanses the body of negative emotions, and chi stagnation in the liver contributes to feelings of anger and stunts creativity. Addictions also cause kidney and adrenal stress, which according to TCM leads to coldness in the body, frequent urination, and jing (vital essence) deficiency. TCM holds that when the kidneys are weak, the brain also becomes weak. Addiction causes derangement in the heart-mind-spirit connection, contributing to lack of concentration, agitation, and sleep disorders as well as general deficiency, causing lack of motivation, energy, paleness, thinness, and lack of appetite. Addiction also causes a deficiency in chi because the abuser focuses on the addictive substance rather than true nourishment. A chi deficiency can lead to a range of emotional, social, spiritual, and physical disharmonies. The feelings of well-being that neurotransmitters can induce are a large part of what attracts us to addictive substances. For example, alcohol, sugar, and many types of drugs stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. Goodness no! But I do think that if you are looking to build lean muscle you will want to choose proteins that are more efficient. All protein is broken down in the body to amino acids. Whey protein contains an essential amino acid called leucine, which gets into the system fast (unlike more inefficient proteins) and can be very useful for offsetting normal age-related muscle loss. If you're getting that afternoon slump or want some quick fuel before a workout, you will benefit from a protein-rich snack paired with a healthful carb so that you get a hit of all those wonderful nutrients and stay full for longer.

Here's how! One cup of cottage cheese or Greek yogurt will also provide about the same amount of protein. Of course, you can mix and match sources, too. You want to make sure you eat all your protein and eat just enough other food. Then make sure you consume enough protein at lunchtime and stay hydrated; Although TV in the bedroom isn't a great idea, it is fine to watch it in the living room. But don't fall asleep, and do make sure you go to bed when you are supposed to. What is the evidence that it works? Sleep restriction is not new. It was first tested as a way of treating insomnia in the 1980s by an American psychologist named Arthur Spielman. In a now classic study, published in 1987,67 he got 35 middle-aged patients who had been chronic insomniacs for more than 15 years and asked them to sleep restrict for up to eight weeks. Before they started, the insomniacs were spending an average of 8 hours in bed but, despite taking sleeping pills, they were only sleeping for 5 hours and 20 minutes. In other words, they were tossing and turning for an average of 2 hours and 40 minutes every night. Their sleep efficiency was a miserable 67%. Spielman didn't ask them to do anything else apart from cutting down to an average of 5 hours and 40 minutes in bed each night, slowly increasing that amount as the weeks went by. Giving non-verbal messages It can be difficult for those with Asperger syndrome to get facial expressions right, and knowing when to smile can be one problem. You may be telling your partner something quite serious and important, but when you glance at them they are smiling, leaving you thinking, `What are they smiling about? Eye movements may also appear odd, your partner perhaps staring for too long or looking away at an inappropriate moment. This lack of coordination with others' facial expressions can also show itself in body language.

Body language and personal space Some with Asperger syndrome do not have the natural ability to learn the unwritten rules regarding personal space that others take for granted. They will sometimes stand where they want to stand and seem unaware that they may be standing too close to someone. This may give out strange and sometimes threatening signals to someone who is not aware of the reasons behind this behaviour. Hand movements may sometimes be non-existent or exaggerated. Great examples include journaling, meditation, mindful creative coloring-in, and exercise. Strong Brain Tip for Moods #2: Incorporate activities you enjoy into your day to boost both your attitude and mood. Don't stick to activities that don't bring you pleasure - drop what doesn't serve you. When you start exercising, start at your level and slowly adjust your regime as your fitness improves - no need to `push it' just a simple consistent daily effort is more than enough. Enjoy your self-care, looking after yourself is not a chore, it is a supreme pleasure. If you approach it in this way you will make it a life-long habit, and that is all that is required for immense beneficial change to happen to you. Environmental Harmony The environment that you are in will obviously affect you both emotionally and physically. Reducing exposure to environmental toxins can reduce stress on the nervous system to allow for healing. Instead, use missteps as learning opportunities. Body posture also matters. Amy Cuddy's article Presence (2015) is built around the idea that how you hold your body is a source of personal power. She writes about both sighted and blind runners crossing the finish line with arms up in a V because it is hardwired to put our bodies into open and expansive positions when we feel powerful. As it turns out, the opposite might be true, too.

When we make ourselves more open and expansive first, we, in turn, feel more confident. A reason for this might be because bigger positions raise confidence hormones like oxytocin and decrease stress hormones like cortisol. In our workshops, we teach this idea to girls as a tool for feeling more self-confident in the moment. When feeling doubtful, you can simply sit or stand up straight, shoulders back, and reap the hormonal benefits! Coaching Exercise--Stubborn Gremlins Stress often comes from emotional blocks and overly hypothetical thinking. He explains: When we translate an experience into language, we essentially make the experience understandable. And by doing so, you free yourself from being mentally entangled in trauma Self-confidence Journaling about a positive experience allows your mind to relive it. And reaffirm your abilities when the ugly head of doubt appears. The release of endorphins and dopamine will increase your self-esteem and mood. These reflections can become a catalog of personal accomplishments to which you continue to return. As you work to incorporate the journal into your life, remember that the elephant eats one bite at a time better. Patience and consistency are essential in forming new habits. Limits on drinking, eating, or shopping are necessary for a healthy life. Same thing for social media. Set limits, have priorities. Turn off push notifications. If you want to see the latest, log in.