Readings-3: Self-Compassion and Care
Topics Covered in Module-3: Readings-3:
- Cultivating Self-Compassion
- Mindfulness- Relaxation Practices
- Changing Lifestyle-Habits and Moving toward Wellness
The What and Why of Self-Compassion
Don't beat yourself up! One of our most pernicious mental habits is being excessively hard on ourselves around our own flaws, mistakes, and shortcomings.More than a decade ago, researcher Kristin Neff wondered what kind of toll this habit takes on our happiness, and she started to explore whether there might be a healthier way of relating to ourselves. This led her to do pioneering research on the concept of "self-compassion," which she defines as quieting one's inner critic and replacing it with a voice of support, understanding, and care--in other words, treating yourself with the same kindness and support that you show to other people.
In this next video, I've provided some context for why self-compassion is such a novel and significant idea, identifying some of the cultural forces that run counter to the practice of self-compassion. Are you compassionate towards yourself in the face of failure? Do you have any knee-jerk reservations about practicing self-compassion? What social, cultural, or psychological factors might give rise to those reservations and prevent you from extending compassion toward yourself?
I would like you to hear directly from Dr.Kristin Neff in the following important areas within Self-Compassion:
- Self-Compassion vs. Self-Esteem: How many of us truly feel good about ourselves? Why Self-Compassion Trumps Self-Esteem?
Self-Compassion Vs. Self-Esteem (Guest Lecture Video by Dr.Neff)
- The Three Components of Self-Compassion: In this next video, Dr.Neff explains what she means by "self-compassion," zeroing in on its three core components. Kristin Neff: The Three Components of Self-Compassion
- Benefits of Self-Compassion: Researcher Kristin Neff reveals the benefits of going easy on yourself: less anxiety, less conflict, and more peace of mind. Read the article here.
- Objections to Self-Compassion: Some of the main objections to treating yourself with kindness. Dr.Neff helps us to overcome the objections to self-compassion. Click here to listen to her talk (such a soothing voice, isn't?).
In the following section, we are going to expound a little more into the topic of Mindfulness.
Mindfulness: Help Serve to Savor Each Moment
Mindfulness: In the video excerpt below, I'll walk you through two commonly used definitions of mindfulness, one from Jon Kabat-Zinn that describes the actual state a person is in during a moment of mindfulness and another from Shauna Shapiro that describes more broadly the qualities that arise from being a more mindful person. Both Drs. Kabat-Zinn and Shapiro have published key studies about how being a mindful person and engaging in mindfulness-based practices affect health, well-being, and relationships.
Mindfulness Overview (Brief lecture video describing definitions of Mindfulness- by Dr.Pris)
- Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn founded the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1979, and he is largely credited with bringing the ancient practice of mindfulness into a modern, secular context. Over the past 35 years, the MBSR program has grown exponentially, implemented and emulated in a wide variety of settings; in the video below, Jon Kabat-Zinn explains what he means by mindfulness.
What is mindfulness? (Lecture video by Dr.Kabat-Zinn 2 min)
- The seven attitudinal factors of mindfulness “constitute the major pillars of mindfulness practice” (Kabat-Zinn, 2004, p. 32) of MBSR and MBCT training and practice.
- I, Me, and Mine: In the next video, Jon Kabat-Zinn challenges us to explore the habits and boundaries of our own awareness, and suggests that constantly seeing the world through the lens of self-reference can be limiting. Notice he uses the terms meditation, cultivating mindfulness, and developing awareness interchangeably--a reflection of how dynamic and cross-disciplinary the science of mindfulness is.
The Stars of Our Own Movie (Jon Kabat-Zinn's Lecture Video-3 min)
- Shauna Shapiro explains in this video: Mindfulness Meditation and the Brain. She talks about the encouraging research behind meditation and its potential to change the makeup of our brains and our level of happiness.
Mindfulness medication and the Brain (Dr.Shapiro Lecture Video 6 min)
- Applications of Mindfulness Research: Mindfulness research is not only valuable for the insights it has provided into personal health and happiness. In recent years, it has also impacted a wide variety of social institutions. Often inspired by Jon Kabat-Zinn's work with MBSR, leaders in the fields of education, health care, criminal justice, and beyond have developed mindfulness-based programs for their fields, with encouraging results.
In this next video, I'll highlight some of the many real-world applications of mindfulness research that have blossomed over the past decade. In many cases, these mindfulness programs have helped people in highly challenging circumstances: new parents, men and women in prison, veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. As you watch, can you think of any other areas where mindfulness "interventions" might be particularly relevant and effective?
Applications of Mindfulness Research (Real world application- explained by Guest Lecturer Dr.Dacher- 6 min)
To see an example of how the Mindfulness exercise looks like, pause this reading here. Go to the Mindful Breathing-Optional Activity tab, provided at the end of the Module 3. It is an optional activity, meaning it is not required for grade. However, to help with your own mental health and well-being, be sure to check it out and experience them.
1. Which Kind of Mindfulness Meditation is Right for You? A new study compares the effects of sitting meditation, body scan, and mindful yoga on health and well-being. Read this article by Hooria Jazaieri.
2. Jill Suttie knows the benefits of mindfulness, but she still doesn't practice it. What holds her back? If you are like her having trouble with mindfulness; knowing it is important to practice, but not doing it- read the article.
Self-Care: Focused Holistic Health and Wellness
Having examined mindfulness practices, we will now go more deeper and broader into the area of health and wellness. Abundant scientific research demonstrates the close connection of the mind and body. Positive lifestyle factors including exercise, nutrition, sunlight, and sleep are associated with improved mental well-being and lower incidence of depression and anxiety.We can learn more about the research on each of these areas and practical tips that can be applied to increase our physical health, by selecting one of the topics below (click on the picture here and you should be re-directed to the web-page with associated content):
Exercise
Nutrition
Sunlight
SleepFor additional tips and resources on physical health specific for college students, refer to the online student health and wellness guide.
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Let's Discuss: Reflection Questions
[Address these questions in a "COMMENT" using the Rubric on the Assignments page in Canvas]
1. In a paragraph (about 5 sentences) summarize your learning from the Self-Compassion section of the Module.2. (a). You've just read about several approaches to bringing mindfulness into real-world contexts. Are there other settings or situations where you think mindfulness would be particularly valuable? (Note: I've just scratched the surface of what's out there!) Do any criticisms come up for you that you think people trying to develop or implement mindfulness programs might want to address--or be aware of?
(b). Mindfulness, meditation, contemplative practice, centering prayer, attention skills, inner awareness...There are many terms, practices, or exercises that comes up in conversations about mindfulness. Where does mindfulness fit into your life experience, and how do you think increasing it might increase your happiness?
3. Analyze the role of exercise, nutrition, sunlight, and sleep in relation to the findings of the World Happiness Index 2018 report, and give your findings (has to be informed by Science).
4. (a). List out reasons why exercising has an impact on happiness. Your response has to be based on what reasons researchers have found from the science.
(b). According to the Science of Happiness, what has sunlight to do with happiness? From the tips suggested by the researchers, what can you pally to your life in relation to the sunlight.
(c). From the studies mentioned within Nutrition section, which one stands out to you and why? How can you adapt those findings and implications to your life? Specify your response.
(d). What are some suggested ways (by researchers) to improve ones sleep hygiene. How will you apply those measures to your own life?
5. List 5 important new learning that has occurred for you personally as a result of this Module's readings. [You have to indicate the source (from where) of the learning in each of your points].
ReplyDelete1. We are ourselves worst critic. That is something widely known everywhere you go. We can easily talk down about ourselves, judge ourselves, critic ourselves without even blinking an eye. I will admit that I struggle with this about everyday. It is easier to pick out what we see in ourselves that we do not like than it is to really encourage, support and understand ourselves. What I learned from this section is that instead of consistently critiquing ourselves we need to place it with encouraging words, kindness, and support. I think that is one of the hardest things to do, but it is capable of achieving.
2. (a). After watching these videos about mindfulness and what the benefits are from it I do think there are other setting and situations it could be valuable in. Such as in a church setting, I would highly encourage prayer everyday. We already do a good job at it, but I think we could do better. Another setting would be at your job. Most people do not realize what an impact mediation does for the body and mind, but if the work environment could encourage that for all their employee’s I think that would reduce the amount of negativity, stress and pressure built around the work environment.
I would say for someone trying to develop or implement mindfulness programs I would just encourage them to really focus on the benefits mindfulness brings to the table. Most people are skeptical about mindfulness and mediation etc. so I would focus less on those “words” and more the results and benefits.
(b). As I think of where mindfulness fits into my life it is a little challenging. One way that I would say I fit mindfulness into my life is by centering prayer. I try to make the time of day for my quiet time with the Lord, whether that is through prayer, listening to worship music or journaling. I sometimes just pray, and listen and remain silent and just sit in the Lords presence. Not only does that build our relationship, but it also brings peace to my mind and heart and it just makes me feel happier. After spending time in prayer, or mediation I feel better about my day, I am happier and more energized just because I took the time to breath, and live moment by moment. After watching the videos on mindfulness I took a few quotes that I though were spot on about the definition of mindfulness and what it is.
“Mindfulness is about living your life as if it really mattered, moment by moment by moment by moment.” - Jon Kabat-Zinn
“Although changing exterior circumstances does not change our “set” levels of happiness, changing our interior landscape, through training the mind, can.” -Shauna Shapiro
“A part of cultivating mindfulness if actually gratitude, appreciating things at the moment and recognizing.” Jon Kabat-Zinn
These quotes are to me are spot on in order to experience mindfulness. If someone were to ask me what they thought mindfulness was I would most likely rely on these quotes and explain what I learned from them.
3. After analyzing the World Happiness Report of 2018, I noticed how many of the people who were migrating to what was a considered a happier country had increases in their overall happiness. I do not now if it had to do with exercise, sleep, sunlight etc. but just moving to a country where they felt safe, secure and welcomed it increased their happiness tremendously.
4. (a). 1.) It releases what are called endorphins which are called “feel-good” chemicals.
Delete2.) Exercising has a positive impact on peoples moods, it was proven that is it is a “diversion from negative thoughts”.
3.) It is an alternate treatment to traditional antidepressants, which is very encouraging and helpful to those who have a fear or suspicion about medicine.
4.) It lowers anxiety and depression as well as stress.
5.) If you are on a team it help with social interaction and teamwork which improves your emotions and can boost your confidence because of the the support and encouragement you are receiving from teammates.
6.) You get better sleep and feel more restful, which increases your chances of feeling and being happy the next day.
(b). From the tips suggested by the researchers, what can you pally to your life in relation to the sunlight.
In this study it is said that a person who is dealing with SAD can benefit from the exposure to bright light in the morning, and that sunlight treatment may have a bigger impact and can be more effective than antidepressants. It says that sunlight in the morning can increase your happiness and mental health jus try the exposure from the morning sun. Sunlight also allows us to make what is called Vitamin D which helps support of physical health in many different ways.
From the tips suggested by the researchers I will take away with me that I should get out in the morning more often, maybe go for a walk to increase my Vitamin D and stabilize my mental health.
(c). One study that stood out to me was about the Omega 3 fatty acids. The meta-analysis confirmed that Omega 3 is a very effective treatment with patients dealing with depression. And that they may prevent the development of dementia, and have a role in the treatment of ADHD. I found it interesting because I have not read about many people taking Omega 3 fatty acids while also dealing with depression, so I found this one very interesting.
With this information I guess I would take away the impact that Omega 3 fatty acids have on peoples lives. It would really help just maintain my health.
(d). 1.) Avoid high exposure right before bed. (Television, computer screens etc.)
2.) Avoid a very vigorous exercise routine before bed.
3.) Avoid time in bed during the day.
4.) Exercise during the day.
5.) Watch caffeine intake after 3pm.
I already try to apply these in my life to this day. The one that is hardest to apply is avoiding light exposure before bed, I normally am doing homework, watching the news, or just on my phone before I turn my lights out and go to bed. I will try to better at all of these things to gain better sleep.
5. List 5 important new learning that has occurred for you personally as a result of this Module's readings. [You have to indicate the source (from where) of the learning in each of your points].
1.) One thing I learned that I thought was important was the exercise page. I knew how important exercise was for the body, but I did not think about what mental benefits you can have from even the easiest of workouts.
2.) Second, I found the sunlight portion of this module highly educating. I realize now how important it is for someone in the winter to get the exposure of sunlight right away in order to help with SAD. Even if you are not experiencing SAD, it is still important for you to expose yourself to sunlight.
3.) Third, the self-compassion section of this module was very interesting. I learned something new today that could play a big part in my life and that is encouragement from myself. Instead of filling my head with what I could do better at, I can encourage myself instead.
4.)Fourth, I already knew what sleep can do for your body, but this just gave me a better sense of what the lack of sleep and the lack of proper sleep hygiene can do to your body. It just reminded me that everyday I should do my best to help my body get the rest and exercise it needs.
5.) Lastly, the nutrition section was very interesting as well. It gave me new ideas on what I should eat, and what can help keep my body healthier. It also shed some light on the negative impact that sugar can have on your body. We already know as a society that sugar is not good for your body, but to know that is increases hunger, tiredness etc. it really encourages one to stay away from it. This section also gave great information about what has good sugars, like fruit.
Delete1. From the self-compassion section, I learned that self-compassion is “embracing yourself as you are, flaws and all,” whereas self-esteem is “a judgment of your self-worth.” Self-compassion is about self-acceptance, not self-improvement. As Kristin Neff explains in her article “Why Self-Compassion Trumps Self-Esteem,” self-compassion provides the same benefits as self-esteem without the drawbacks of things like narcissism, self-righteous anger, and prejudice. According to Neff, there are three elements of self-compassion: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. Another thing that Neff discusses in her lectures is how we cannot give ourselves compassion until we’re aware of the pain that we are causing ourselves through our self-criticism. Each of these concepts stood out to me while working through the self-compassion section, painting self-compassion in a new light that I hadn’t seen it in before but that I will strive to adapt my mindset to from now on for my own well-being.
ReplyDelete2a. In his lecture video, Dr. Dacher mentions some mindfulness intervention programs that already exist, including programs for childbirth and parenting, teachers, veterans, and health-care professionals. He also discusses using mindfulness with prison inmates. It seems that mindfulness programs are used a lot with populations with high stress levels or trauma. I think that mindfulness interventions could be helpful in many populations that social workers work with. Dacher already mentioned veterans and prison inmates, but I think that intervention methods could also be used with victims of abuse who have high levels of stress and trauma. It could be useful in helping them reduce those high levels while also possibly helping them find some level of peace. Maybe it could be used for people who are of a lower socioeconomic status or people who experience stress and trauma as a result of some kind of oppression or discrimination. It seems that there are many areas that mindfulness practices could be used to help people. I think that people implementing mindfulness programs should be aware of the fact that everyone comes from different multicultural backgrounds. What works for one person might not work for someone else. Likewise, what works for one population may not work for another population. That is something that they should keep in mind. It may also be useful to be aware of different religious practices related to mindfulness, such as prayer and meditation. Clients of different religions will likely feel most at ease performing methods closely related to their own religion.
2b.I think that mindfulness plays a part in my own life through prayer and inner awareness. My faith is a foundational part of who I am, so I try to pray multiple times every day. Of course, there are days where it’s easier to do so than others, but praying always gives me a sense of peace and assurance of knowing that I am loved and accepted by God. Regardless of how I may be feeling beforehand, prayer always makes me feel better overall. Jon Kabat-Zinn describes mindfulness as “the presence of heart,” or being present in the moment. Living in the moment is something that I haven’t always been great at, but I am trying to increase my awareness and appreciate each moment that I have in life. I’m a writer, and I have a tendency to get lost in the stories I write in my head, but in doing so, I often lose sight of what’s right in front of me. I think that being more present and aware will help my well-being by keeping me from getting lost in my thoughts or simply going through the motions as well as helping me to appreciate each moment for what it is. Jill Suttie’s article discussed how mindfulness can improve focus, which I think would also help with increasing my awareness.
3. The World Happiness Report 2018 shows that the happiness levels of immigrants “depends predominantly on the quality of life where they now live.” Immigrants who migrated to countries with a higher quality of living exhibited higher levels of happiness. The study shows that the top four countries with high happiness levels are Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, and Finland. Notably, the United States is not among the top contenders for happiness. The World Happiness Report end with an entire chapter dedicated to the topics of increasing obesity and depression in the US. These issues likely contribute to why immigrants here are not as happy as they are in other countries. Generally, exercise and nutritional habits are not utilized as they should be in the United States, and obesity is the result of such unhealthy habits. Likewise, American society has accepted this stigma that not getting enough sleep or spending time outside in the sunlight is okay. These are the kinds of stigmas that immigrants migrate to in the United States, so it is not too surprising that other countries rank higher than the US in terms of immigrant happiness.
Delete4a. Studies have shown that exercise does have an impact on happiness levels and overall well-being. Some reasons that researchers at the Pursuit of Happiness website found were that exercise releases endorphins in the brain, acts as a diversion from negative thoughts, can improve mood based off of growth and goal attainment, and provides social interaction through team sports. Researchers have also found that exercise can act a treatment for depression. Because of each of these reasons that researchers have found, exercise is clearly very important to improving well-being.
4b. According to the Pursuit of Happiness website, Paul Desan has found through research that the sunlight can increase Vitamin D, improve moods, and act as an antidepressant. I tend to spend a lot of my time indoors, so I think I would benefit from going outside more, even if for just a few minutes every once in a while. Not only would going outside increase my Vitamin D levels, it could also increase my mood if I’m having a bad day. I also think that it can be peaceful to just go out into my backyard and read or write. I find that sitting outside can be peaceful, and I don’t have a good reason for not doing it more.
4c. One of the things that I know I could be doing better at is eating healthier. In the article on nutrition, one thing that stood out to me was that sugar’s effect on the brain “resembles that of highly addictive drugs like cocaine.” That surprised me. I knew that sugar isn’t very healthy for us, but I didn’t realize it had such a dramatic effect on the brain. The article mentioned that this is why we might crave sugar when stressed. Knowing this information now, I am going to be more careful about my sugar intake and try to limit the amount of sweets I eat, especially when stressed. Instead of eating cookies or candy now, I will plan to start eating healthier options like fruits for snacks when I get hungry in the middle of the day.
4d. Researchers have found that getting enough sleep is important for maintaining well-being. Some of their suggestions for getting enough sleep at night is to avoid exercise, exciting activities, or too much light exposure from your cell phone before bed, monitoring your caffeine intake, avoiding time in bed during the day, and going to bed around the same time each night. As a long-suffering insomniac, I have already adapted many of these methods to my own life. I try not to spend too much time on my phone before bed. I also do not drink any caffeine after 7 pm because it will keep me up at night if I do. Lastly, I’ve developed a routine every night that I do before going to bed at around the same time. The routine helps my body see that it’s time to start settling down and get some sleep. These methods have worked well for me over time.
5. I learned many things from the reading. From Kristin Neff’s article and lecture videos, specifically her TED Talk, I learned that self-compassion is about accepting and loving yourself, realizing that you are human and allowing yourself some grace when you mess up because you’re human and everyone makes mistakes. I learned from Jon Kabat-Zinn’s video “What is Mindfulness?” that mindfulness is a form of meditation, of being present in the moment. From Shauna Shapiro’s lecture, I learned that “our repeated experiences shape our brain,” and that mindfulness can help create new neural pathways in our brain, helping us to develop new habits. I also learned from Dr. Dacher that mindfulness can be used in many different ways with many different groups of people, including veterans and prison inmates. Lastly, I learned from the Pursuit of Happiness website that the amount of sunlight you take in can affect your happiness, even acting as a type of antidepressant for people diagnosed with clinical depression. Each of these new bits of information have served to broaden my perspective on well-being, and I do think that they will stick with me. Not only are they interesting, but I can see how these things can impact my well-being, and I plan to take these things, particularly self-compassion and the knowledge about sunlight, and adapt to them in my life to overall improve my well-being.
Delete1. In society we have learned to be better than everybody, or to beat people to the top. In Kristen Neff’s article on self-compassion she stated facts about self-compassion, “…But I slowly came to realize that self-criticism—despite being socially sanctioned—was not at all helpful, and in fact only made things worse.” I related a lot on this quote because I do it all the time and I thought about when I had first realized it. In elementary we had NHS which was a test that was given and if you scored above the score you were considered NHS and you got to go to school field trips, and if you didn’t score good of course you were in. Already that started a rivalry on who is better than the other. Self-compassion is what I should have used as far as not beating myself up that I was not in NHS and that I will eventually get it if I try again; encouraging myself.
ReplyDelete2. A) Right now I would choose school, and the workplace, since these are the two things I’m at most of my day. I know for a fact that if I work on meditation by releasing all negativity before coming in contact with others that they will feel that vibe and before you know it, the environment has become a little happier. Anything dealing with a better environment I feel that there shouldn’t be any criticisms, but of course not everybody feels the same way. I would say be aware of any predispositions that others might have on meditation, that might help.
b. One thing that I try to do is be kind to other regardless of how they treat me. I just recently started this and it is really hard to do especially when people are just plain rude. My heart races during my thought process on whether I should retaliate or be kind. I have found that I end up a little happier when I choose to be kind. It is crazy to think that you could be happy in what could have been a bad situation, but I chose to take the better route. Song is what comes to mind when thinking of inner awareness, centering prayer, meditation. I love singing it brings about a relaxation/peace within me. My sisters and I sing together in church especially when we go out of town to fellowship with other churches since we were little girls. I think about Saul in the bible when God had put an evil spirit upon him and King David played the harp to soothe him. I have learned and experienced that a lot of people pray through songs. Since I love songs/music I am at ease with myself. I feel better after and then it’s like I don’t want to leave that feeling. Increasing it would make me a better person. In Dr. Shapiro’s research it showed that people who practice meditation become happier. If I practice what is good it strengthens that pathway to happiness.
3. In my finding it shows that each of these components had good effects on people who were going through life difficulties, and if they practiced good exercise and nutrition their quality of life went up. Found in the pursuit of happiness reading it showed this, “Courneya’s study in 2003 was identified as a key study because it examined the positive association that oxygen input, from exercise, has on the quality of life in breast cancer survivors.” When looking at the amount of sunlight and sleep, they decreased stress and depression. In the World Happiness Index, it showed that people changing their scenery/environment reported to be happier in their lives. Findings found that it is not the rich society that is the happiest, but the countries with a more balanced set of social and institutional supports for better lives.
4. (a. Research shows according to the pursuit of happiness reading that exercise has an impact on happiness, it produces endorphins. It has also been said that exercise was used as an alternative treatment for depression rather than antidepressant medication. It has been shown to show some positive impact on a person’s well-being as well. It reduces stress, decreases anxiety and depression; it boosts energy, slows down cognitive decline when we get older, it gives more self-confidence and it shows to improve social skills. I knew that exercise was great for physical health, but to know that it is actually used as an alternative treatment is amazing. Medication is already expensive for one, and to be able to do something that is free, knowing that it shows to reduce things like depression, is a huge bonus.
Deleteb. Research shows according to the pursuit of happiness reading in reference to sunlight that sunlight helps make Vitamin D. The vitamin/hormone helps support our health; it also helps in terms of depression. The research also informs us that living near the equator is a great benefit, as far as light exposure. I had no idea of this but it shows people who suffer from SAD, light exposure is what can help that. What I will take with me is exposing myself to the light as it the sun sets, at-least catch some sun. The sun really does seem to suck all the energy I have in my body.
C. One that stands out to me is finding depression is associated with inflammation that fats actually play an important role the body contributing to this. Also Omega 3’s can prevent the development of dementia. The way things are going I have seen a lot of people being diagnosed with dementia, and if they had of known that certain types of foods can prevent this I feel that they would have taken it to their advantage to avoid this situation. After reading this I will definitely put things like salmon, or eating spinach to help prevent those outcomes. Even in the end if it doesn’t work, at least I will know that I did everything I could have to prevent it.
D. When reading the pursuit of happiness, it shows in the sleeping component, that there needs to be some monitoring on our sleep hygiene such as avoiding exciting behavior just before bedtime. Go to sleep around the same time every day, and try to avoid lounging in the bed during the day and no caffeine after 3. Sleep is one factor that I have no problem getting, as a matter of fact; I can’t seem to get enough sleep. I could sleep all day if people would just let me. I could drink coffee all day, lie in bed all day, and fall asleep during an exciting event.
5. List 5 important new learning that has occurred for you personally as a result of this Module's readings.
1. According to the Pursuit of happiness reading, I have learned that exercise reduces depression.
2. I learned according to Dr. Neff’s video about self-compassion vs. self-esteem that we need to become more self-compassionate and not so much self-critical to ourselves. We can be our own worst enemy. My deal is exactly this; I have become too hard on myself that I don’t allow a lot of fun.
3. In Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s video on mindfulness we have to become aware of what we truly want, “Presence of heart” That is something that I don’t recognize much, because selflessness is what was drilled into my head.
4. In Dr. Shapiro’s Lecture we have to practice on becoming better, we have to strengthen those good traits in order to see results. My goal is to practice gentleness, and encouraging myself more.
5. What I learned in the pursuit of happiness reading in the sleep component is that not the right amount of sleep can cause family issues, school troubles, physical problems, and depressive symptoms. Since sleeping isn’t an issue for me, thankfully I don’t experience any school troubles, or depressive symptoms.
1. After reading and watching the videos about self-compassion, I learned some really important information about what exactly self-compassion and its components, why we need self-compassion, and some steps I can take to practice it. I learned from Dr. Pris’s self-compassion video that self-compassion developed from society thinking that self-criticism or flagellation are more important than what they really are because of the drive we have for competition. I also learned from the lecture that Kristin Neff shaped the idea of self-compassion and she states that self-compassion is a practice that brings out more support for oneself instead of the critic. In Neff’s article she talks about the different components that go into self-compassion and they are self-kindness vs. self-judgement, common humanity vs. isolation, and mindfulness vs. over-identification. An animation shows an exercise where people can take at least fifteen minutes to practice self-compassion.
ReplyDelete2. After learning about mindfulness, I believe that mindfulness is extremely helpful in situations that can involve high anxiety or stress for some people, so things like exams or job interviews. People who have social anxiety or generalized anxiety disorder could benefit from practicing mindfulness. I think one criticism might be one that is associated with self-compassion and that is some people may take mindfulness too harshly and might begin to practice mindfulness in a way that is incorrect. I say this because personally during times of meditation where I am looking back on situations that didn’t exactly turn out well for me, I begin to over think and over analysis something that I can’t change. However, practicing things like meditation or attention skills do increase my overall happiness because if I do it right, it decreases my anxiety and excessive worrying.
3. The World Happiness Report 2018 shows that countries that ranked high in happiness also had high levels of variables that support well-being, which includes a healthy life expectancy. A healthy life expectancy can stem from having a healthy role in role of exercise, nutrition, sunlight, and sleep.
4. Exercise is beneficial for happiness because it releases endorphins, can reduce the amount of time people think about negative thoughts, and that exercise increases personal growth and goal attainment. Sunlight is associated with happiness because light can impact mood. In relation to the tips in the sunlight section, I personally spend a lot of time sitting outside in the warmth with my sister. We really enjoy doing it mostly because we feel really good after. The the nutrition section, the thing that stood out to me the most was “Evidence suggests that Omega 3’s may prevent the development of dementia, and that Omega 3’s have a role in the treatment of ADHD (Fares et al., 2014).” This stands out to me because ADHD and dementia are two things that plenty of people worry about, and there are endless people searching for answers and solutions. I think that just by incorporating more fruits and veggies into my diet, I can improve my mental health. Some ways to improve sleep would be to get enough sleep each night, avoid vigorous exercise, exciting activities, or light exposure before bed, go to bed at a similar time every night, exercise adequately during the day, and avoid time in bed during the day, and lastly watch the caffeine intake.
Delete5. During this module, I noticed that I learned some things that I didn’t really know before. One of the first things that stood out to me was from Dr. Neff’s Ted Talk and the information from there was that there is an epidemic in narcissism in college students, and there may be a correlation between increased narcissism and the self-esteem movement that was pushed in schools. Personally I don’t remember if there was a self-esteem movement while I was younger in school, however I noticed that we do have a drive to try to be better than our peers simply because getting into college is harder and social media could play apart as well. So this brings me to one of the next important things I learned from Dr. Pris’s lecture video on compassion and that is that our society has created this view of being harsh oneself and accepting and dealing criticism, and that it also stems from views in history. I also noticed that a lot of our readings and modules have studied information about college students and I think that is really important because I can easily relate the information back to myself and compare it to myself. Another thing from Dr. Neff’s Ted Talk (and her article) and that is that self-esteem and self-compassion aren’t necessary interchangeable. The difference being that self-compassion is more about being nice to yourself without the idea of putting yourself over others. The next thing being from the animation, which is how to practice self-compassion. This is a really important one for me because I personally need to practice some self-compassion, I beat myself up a lot when I don’t achieve my goals so I really look forward to doing the self-compassion exercise. I knew that exercise, hygiene, and sunlight can improve and maintain happiness however, I didn’t know that the foods you ate could impact you more than what I believed before.
1) In our society everyone has their own little critic in their head and it is there self’s and it’s the worst critic. It is very easy for us to show kindness and compassion to others and also support. In our minds we are really harsh on ourselves for anything instead of being nice to ourselves or understanding. I learned that we need to be in a sense nicer to ourselves and not be so hard we need to be kind like we are to others to ourselves because when that happens bigger thing will come from it. Such as more positivity in a certain situation.
ReplyDelete2) (a) After learning about the concept of mindfulness. School would be a place where mindfulness would be partially valuable because school is extremely stressful especially collage. Mindfulness would be great and I also believe that it is made for situations that are crazy such as a situation that you have been waiting to get here but it finally has and its stressful such as finals. One criticism would be the criticism of friends and family asking them and telling them why are you doing that it doesn’t even work. They should prepare for stuff like that.
(b) Because of my Christian background, the way mindfulness would fit in my life would be centering prayer. I believe by practicing this more will help me make peace with myself. Such as center prayer is internal silence because sometime I need to stay quiet and meditate to myself and go over things in my head this will also help me in the present and not think about the future or the past but the present and what it offers. I fell that it increases my happiness because I fell happier at the end and all of my stress is gone I feel new and ready to attack the day positive.
3) The world happiness report 2018 shows that internal migrants are only a bit happier than the locals it is only a 0.1 out of 10 which is not a lot. I would expect this number to be higher because these people are migrating for a certain reason so I expected them to be happier.
4) (a) 1: exercise releases dopamine in the brain a chemical that's associated with the feeling of happiness.
ReplyDelete2: energy booster this impacts out happiness because if we are energized we are able to do more things and be more positive and not groggy and grouchy.
3: exercising more boosts our self-confidence and makes us happier because if we exercise and look good we will feel good and it will me us happy.
4: exercise will help you be more social helping you make friends and be happy because you get to meet new people.
5: exercising will help you enjoy the outdoors which will make you happy because if you run outside and see nature it will make you happy seeing the birds and hearing them church and seeing the sun rise or the sun set.
(b) according to the research sunlight is a great way to help people that deal with SAD. sunlight treatment according to the research has a greater effect than antidepressant medication which a great thing for some people because medication is expensive. It also talks about how getting sunlight in the mornings even if you do not suffer from SAD, is important for you wellbeing in the winter months. The sunlight helps us make vitamin D, this vitamin/ hormone helps support our physical health in different ways. It's shown to have a beneficial effect on depression.
The thing I can really pally in my life according and in relation to the sunlight is that I can really get out of bed early in the morning and get some sunlight to start my day off right and get my daily dose of vitamin D to help my mental health. this will also help with my stress.
C. The study that really stood out to me was the one about sugars. This really stood out to me because I am an athlete and I need to try and stay away from stuff like. It stood out to me that there were two different types of sugars the first is the simple sugar that triggers a large and rapid release of insulin a hormone that lowers blood sugars. The other type of sugar is a complex sugar which is in your fruits and vegetables and take longer to break down which is better for your body because it won't release so much insulin. The way I can apply these finding in my life is to eat less simple sugars and eat more complex ones so my body won't have a rush of energy with simple sugars that would than just die out before the day is almost over which would probably make me more negative because all I would just want to go home. What I would do is eat more complex sugars to help me have a healthier lifestyle.
D. Some ways researchers suggest to improve one’s sleeping hygiene is to avoid vigorous exercises, exiting activity’s or light exposer just before bed time. The way I would apply these in my life is by not looking at my phone right before I go to sleep. I know it will be hard but it’s a challenge I’m willing to take to help my sleeping hygiene.
5) 1. According to the pursuit of happiness reading that talks about nutrition I learned that there are two types of sugars.
2. I learned from Dr. Kabat-Zinn about mindfulness what mindfulness really was and he said it was presence of the heart.
3.i learned from the pursuit of happiness about sleep hygiene I didn’t know it was a bad thing to look at your phone before you go to bed or any sort of light.
4.i learned from the pursuit of happiness about the two different types of sugars this will help me in my walk to getting healthier in my life and helps me by showing me what foods to try and stay away from.
5. I learned the effects of different types of meditation from the article of Hooria Jazaieri and which one is best for me this will help me in the future when I choose what meditation.
1. Self-compassion is having self-care towards oneself and addressing the need for a mental break from being such a hard critic towards ourselves. As said in the video by the School of Life, “you are not only your achievements.” It is a first instinct to care and tend to others needs when they are struggling or in a time of need, yet whenever the issue is within our own lives, we will judge ourselves to a much higher standard and shame why we were not successful. Self-compassion is an explanation to why we do that and how we can fix that issue. There is a difference between self-compassion and self-esteem. The words seem similar, yet self-esteem can be a cause of depression and suicide if someone has an extreme case of low esteem. If a person has too much esteem, they seem like they act better then everyone around them to make themselves feel better. As for self-compassion, it is giving yourself a positive mindset to help in aiding how a person can re-direct the way they treat themselves after something does not go according to plan or stress, depression, etc. From the words of Kristin Neff, “self-compassion provides a stable sense of self-worth and being valuable to yourself.” She goes on to say that self-compassion is encouraging yourself to be happy to a certain extent to better one’s self.
ReplyDelete2. A)
Jon Kabat states that “mindfulness is the presence of heart”, and that can be taken into multiple ways. As I was listening to the video by Dr. Dacher, the whole time I was thinking about how first responders go through a lot of stress and how mindfulness programs would be extremely beneficial in their line of work. When he addressed how firefighters and military personnel have been treated with mindfulness programs, it gave me a better understanding of how the programs can be used. I think the programs would also be beneficial to students because they go through stress while they try to do everything for their classes as well as working and other aspects of their life to keep in order. Also, I think another setting that should have mindfulness programs set up would be for pilots and employees of customer service. In my opinion those careers seem very stressful because with a pilot, other people’s lives are under their control and as for customer service, those workers must deal with individuals constantly and figure out what the issue is and come up with a solution quickly. However, I feel like some individuals taking the mindfulness programs would believe that they would be a waste of time and not really give a full effort towards it if they have a determinate mindset that the program will not be of any help to them. I would also say that the mindfulness program is not going to cure things like PTSD, but it can help with that process and how to alleviate some of that tension in their life.
B)
In my life, I would say that mindfulness would be centered around the terms attention skills and inner awareness. My mind likes to wander off when I am trying to think of things and it can be hard to focus if I am distracted. I must train myself to center my attention on whatever I am doing that way I can finish or understand what is going on. I also have the term inner awareness because I can catch myself sometimes thinking about self-hateful ideas or other things that I do not want to have going through my head. Having the mindfulness of inner awareness can be beneficial to not have those thoughts or ideas which gives me the reassurance of relief and not having to feel stressed or depressed over what I was thinking. Mindfulness for me is a way to feel relaxed for a certain amount of time because it makes the worries go away for a while. If I increased my mindfulness, I think I would not feel as anxious all the time and by doing that, I would be able to live more openly. It fits in my life whenever I am sitting alone in my room thinking to myself and realize that there are some things out of my control that I should not have to think about and that is when I try to calm myself down and relax through nicer thoughts.
1. I learned many things in this section on self-compassion, I got a lot of things that I think would be good to start applying in my own life. The first was about stopping being an inner critic, by this I mean that we need to treat ourselves like we do others when we make mistakes. Another point that I took out of this section is that according to Dr. Neff is that self criticism taps into our threat defense system and it is a threat because we become both the attacker and the attacked. Another major point I learned about was that self-compassion offers the benefits of self-esteem without the pitfalls. Another major point that I learned is that meditation and mindfulness can have serious positive effects on your happiness. One more major thing that I learned in this section was that exercise and nutrition can do wonders for your happiness.
ReplyDelete2a. I think that school is a place in which mindfulness techniques could be very helpful. I know that Dacher talks about the Mindful Schools Program in which students are taught how to cultivate calm and focus. I think that this is a great program that could be used in many schools. I know in my high school we have a full hour for lunch and there are clubs during this time. I think that I could be a great idea to start a weekly club in which a school counselor could teach students mindfulness techniques. I would say that something for people trying to develop mindfulness programs to pay attention to I that life tends to move extremely fast nowadays, so the programs could not be too long not only because people like myself sometimes have a short attention window, but also life can get extremely busy. This is why I really liked the animated video’s 15 minute exercise.
2b. Mindfulness does not really fit into my life experience, not by choice, but I really had no exposure to these techniques until I read this module. I absolutely think that increasing my mindfulness would increase my happiness. I am definitely going to start meditating in my prayer life and meditating by myself. I really liked what I heard about the animated videos 15 minute technique in which you have an entirely positive mindset. I think that this technique is extremely practical and easy to work into my daily life.
3. After looking through the World Happiness index 2018 report, I did not see any way in which exercise, nutrition, sunlight, and sleep had any effect on this report, not to say that they don’t play a part in counties happiness, they just weren’t included in this instance. However there were three major things that may be hampering happiness (especially in the U.S.) which are the opioid crisis, depression, and obesity. I don’t know about the opioid crisis, but depression and obesity are definitely affected by exercise, nutrition, sunlight and sleep. Sunlight, nutrition, sleep, and exercise all can help get rid of depression. For obesity, exercise and nutrition definitely have effects. The fact that obesity and depression are major issues would seem to suggest that exercise, nutrition, sleep, and sunlight may not be of importance to the world's happiness.
3. After looking through the World Happiness index 2018 report, I did not see any way in which exercise, nutrition, sunlight, and sleep had any effect on this report, not to say that they don’t play a part in counties happiness, they just weren’t included in this instance. However there were three major things that may be hampering happiness (especially in the U.S.) which are the opioid crisis, depression, and obesity. I don’t know about the opioid crisis, but depression and obesity are definitely affected by exercise, nutrition, sunlight and sleep. Sunlight, nutrition, sleep, and exercise all can help get rid of depression. For obesity, exercise and nutrition definitely have effects. The fact that obesity and depression are major issues would seem to suggest that exercise, nutrition, sleep, and sunlight may not be of importance to the world's happiness.
Delete4a. I found based on research that exercise releases endorphins that are known as the feel good chemical . That participating in team sports contributes to personal satisfaction and mood enhancement. Also exercise has a strong impact on alleviating depression.
4b. Sunlight has been proven to give you more energy. It has also been proven to be an antidepressant. It also helps those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder. You also receive vitamin D from the sun which helps to keep you in shape. You can pally waking up in the morning and going outside to get light early to give you a good boost of energy with your life. Research shows that you tend to be happier and healthier the more time you spend in the sunlight, within reason. I know from experience that sunlight always makes me feel better, there is a huge difference in my attitude when it is cloudy and rainy compared to sunny.
4c. The study on omega 3 fatty acids stuck out to me most. I found it very interesting that it can be an effective treatment for people with depression. I also found it really amazing that that it can prevent the development of dementia. The main reason that I was so interested in this study was because research shows it has a role in treating ADHD. I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was younger, and I find it fascinating that Omega 3 fatty acids can help with ADHD. I do not suffer as severely as I used to, but some days can be tough. I am seriously thinking about taking some of these pills to see if they may help.
4d. Ways to improve your hygiene according to the reading are getting adequate sleep each night, don’t do things like watch TV because of the light exposure and don’t do vigorous exercise, to go to bed at a similar time, and to limit caffeine intake after 3pm. I already do a pretty good job of getting enough sleep each night and going to bed at a similar time every night. However I do watch an episode of a tv show every night before I go to bed as a way of decompressing from the day. I am definitely up for trying new things so I may try to forgo watching TV before I go to bed for a while. I also love my coffee at all times of the day, but again I am willing to stop drinking it after 3pm because it may help with my sleep hygiene.
4d. Ways to improve your hygiene according to the reading are getting adequate sleep each night, don’t do things like watch TV because of the light exposure and don’t do vigorous exercise, to go to bed at a similar time, and to limit caffeine intake after 3pm. I already do a pretty good job of getting enough sleep each night and going to bed at a similar time every night. However I do watch an episode of a tv show every night before I go to bed as a way of decompressing from the day. I am definitely up for trying new things so I may try to forgo watching TV before I go to bed for a while. I also love my coffee at all times of the day, but again I am willing to stop drinking it after 3pm because it may help with my sleep hygiene.
5. One thing I learned was from Dr. Neff’s video on Self-Compassion vs. Self-Esteem. I learned that we can show ourselves self-compassion by treating ourselves the same way that we would treat a friend who made a mistake instead of being so hard on yourself. Another thing I learned was from Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s video Stars of our own Movie. I learned the importance of being present in the moment during meditation, also stop focusing on yourself and suspend your judgements about yourself. I learned another thing in Dr. Shapiro’s Mindfulness Meditation video. I learned that research from the control group of 41 people shows that if one changes their interior landscape, they can also change their happiness set point, this fact is astounding to me simply because of how groundbreaking it could be. I also learned from Dacher’s video on Applications of Mindfulness in the Real World that in most cases he talked about, mindfulness reduces stress and depression. I feel like this is just further proof of how important mindfulness can be in one's life and how important it can be to one’s happiness. I also learned the importance of exercise and nutrition for one’s happiness from The Pursuit of Happiness paper.
Delete1. People tend to be unreasonably hard on themselves. We are way harsher on ourselves than we are on our peers when they fail. This is probably because we have this misconception that we have to be the best at everything in life, but the truth is, that just is not possible. An early field in psychology called behaviorism even says that you have to punish your undesired behavior. We also have a misconception that high self-esteem equals a healthy person psychologically, but sometimes self-esteem can be toxic. In order for us to have high self-esteem you we have to feel special and above average. Self-compassion offers something different, and it is not to be confused with self-pity. Self-compassion is a way of relating to ourselves kindly. Kristin Neff defines the three components of self-compassion as self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. Self-kindness offers an understanding to our self, not punishment. Common humanity gives us a sense that everybody goes through this; to be human means to be imperfect. Mindfulness is neither ignoring nor exaggerating the feeling of failure. It is important for us to have compassion for ourselves, it is good for our psychological health and it gives us a sense of self love.
ReplyDelete2a. There are clearly many benefits to using mindfulness in real world settings. In one of the videos it is mentioned that mindfulness has been used any many different areas such as personal relationships, parenting, schools, prisons, and people who are or have been in the military. Using mindfulness in these areas helps reduce stress and cultivate calmness, as well as boost happiness and reduce anxiety. This sounds like something that can be applicable in literally every area of life. The point of mindfulness is to have awareness that arises by paying attention on purpose in the present moment non-judgmentally. This could be used in counseling settings to help counselors have reduced stress about the clients they are working with. I also thing CPS case workers could find this useful due to the high stress environment they work in. Musicians and artist can use this skill. I think that we need to teach people how to practice mindfulness at a young age so they can live a happier life that involves less stress.
Delete2b. I think the biggest area in my life where mindfulness fits is in prayer. My relationship with Jesus is huge in my life, and He is where I find my strength and peace. In any struggle I go through prayer helps me find some peace and reduce stress.
3. When looking at the world happiness report, it showed that migrating to another country had an impact on happiness. Migrating to a safer country had a positive impact on happiness, which I would expect. The report shows that happiness changes according to the quality of the society in which people live. The impact of happiness from sunlight, exercise, sleep, and nutrition is unclear in this report, however it would make sense for these things to play positive role on happiness. In the report happiness is often increases with greater warmth in families, and closer relationships. I think it is reasonable to say that close relationships, as well as having more sunlight, exercising, having a good sleep schedule, and being properly nourished would mean that someone lives in a higher quality society and that they are probably happier. The end of the report even points out things that threaten happiness such as the opioid crisis, obesity, and depression. Obesity can easily be linked with poor nutrition and not exercising, so I feel like that indirectly points out that those things lead to happiness. In the past I have even heard people say that in places like Alaska where it is sunny for a long period of time, and dark for a long period of time, that people tend to get depressed during the dark time.
Delete4a. Exercise has an impact on happiness because it increase the dopamine in the brain, which is associated with feelings of pleasure. Exercise has also been found to lower anxiety and depression, it boost your energy and it helps reduce stress. This is only a few of the benefits of exercise on happiness, it also does various other things such as boost your self confidence.
Delete4b. It has been found that people who live in non-equatorial latitudes experience more depressed symptoms in the winter versus the summer due to decreased exposure to light. Studies show that light exposure is very important to our well-being. During the warmer seasons it is important for us to expose ourselves to a bunch of sunlight. It is also important to try to go outside some during the day if you work indoors so you can be exposed to direct sunlight, which is not only associated with increased mood, but also increased levels of vitamin D, which is important to our physical health, and has also shown to be beneficial in treating depression.
4c. In terms of nutrition, something that really stood out to me is how sugar effects us. I've actually been really interested in learning how sugar affects us lately, and it is interesting to see how it can affect us mentally as well. One thing I have been trying to do to improve my overall health is to cut down on my daily sugar intake.
4d. Some ways to improve sleep hygiene is to avoid exercise, exciting activities, and light exposure before bed. Sometimes it is hard to do all of these things as a working college student, but my goal is to working on getting a full nights sleep every night so I am rested. When I don't get the sleep I need for long period of time it always makes me more stressed. I also need to stop playing on my phone before I go to sleep.
5.
Delete1) One important and valuable thing that I learned is Kristin Neff's Ideas of self-compassion. I tend to beat myself up over things that I would show grace to other people on, so I need to learn how to show myself grace too. I've also never really thought about how toxic self-esteem can be, and how it can be so unhealthy in certain situations. Self-compassion on the other hand just shows us that we are all human, therefore we are all imperfect, and that we need to treat ourselves kindly. It is not self-pity.
2) Jon Kabat-Zinn helped me learn about mindfulness. I like how he describes it as a can of mediation. I learned that mindfulness helps us reduce stress and it helps cultivate calmness.
3) I learned Neff's components of self-compassion which are self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness.
4)I found it really interesting reading about all of the ways exercise helps us in the exercise section. That section touched not only on some physical benefits, but the mental benefits as well. I always knew that it helped some with stress, but I never knew it helped increase dopamine levels. Exercise is so important and I think it should be incorporated into everyone's life.
5) In the section on nutrition I learned that reduced sugar intake can improve ADHD symptoms, and that sugar also affects us almost the same way that cocaine would. It is better to consume complex sugars because our body doesn't burn through them so fast.
1.)We as people are raised to believe that we have to be perfect if we want to be loved. No one says it but we all know it’s being thought. Self compassion is loving ourselves despite our shortcomings. It is giving us room to fail and still being able to care for ourselves at the end of the day. It goes hand in hand with self esteem except with self compassion we don’t have to be perfect and it doesn’t come with the setbacks like a big ego or vanity. I like what Kristin Neff said in her article “The good feelings of self compassion do not depend on being special and above average, or on meeting ideal goals. Instead, they come from caring about ourselves- fragile and imperfect yet magnificent as we are”. I found this to be very poetic and true to heart.
ReplyDelete2.)Mindfulness would be very valuable when you are taking care of children. When you are babysitting or with your own children, they want your full attention, but instead your mind is far away thinking “oh I need to go to the bank” or “did I leave the stove on” when you should be in the moment because with kids you blink and that moment is gone and they are all grown up. I think that people who are developing mindfulness programs want to be aware that we are a busy people. We never really stop moving so it is all about finding the little moments like sitting in your car for like five minutes before going inside to work or even just taking a minute to zero back in because with everything that we do all the time we forget to pause for a second.
Mindfulness in my life comes into play when I am in the thick of it. Finals, busy work schedule, family issues. That is when I need to come back to center instead of worrying about things that are either in the future or I have no control over. If I increase this type of behavior then I would without a doubt have lower blood pressure and feel more confident in my actions as I do them.
3.)The top countries included in the World Happiness are countries that are much healthier than America by a long shot as we are one of the leading countries struggling with obesity. The World happiness report stated that “Studies have found that obesity is a significant predictive factor for subsequent depression, while depression is a predictive factor for subsequent obesity” this being there is a back and forth game going on in America which can wound the mind and the body through the amount and kinds of foods that we eat.
Delete4.)Exercising impacts happiness by releasing endorphins in the brain to make us feel better and lets us trail away from our own negative thoughts. It even “improves mood by virtue of the personal growth and goal attainment that results from efforts to master a physical skill”. Sunlight affects our happiness by creating vitamin D which is a hormone/Vitamin that supports our physical health and even has effects similar to antidepressants. I actually work in a tanning salon and some of the beds that we have help the body create extra vitamin D by the kind of light that is being placed on the body. I would definitely suggest going outside more often because not only is it good for your vitamins, it is also good to get out of our sad little cubicle homes and stretch our legs. The nutrition study about Omega 3’s stand out to me because for the longest time I was severely depressed and although I didn’t have the energy to help myself my sister would have tried anything to get me back on my feet. Adding Omega 3 strong foods into my life today would be a good idea so as to keep me going and help me to practice healthier eating for my body as well. Ways to improve your sleep hygiene include not exercising right before bed, nothing too exciting in the activities area and not exposing ourselves to too much light before bed which at the moment I am failing to do. I don’t really have to worry about the exercise because I never do that, what I need to pay attention to is leaving my phone and other electronics off and away at least 30 minutes before bed which will definitely help me sleep easier.
5.)In this module I learned that it’s ok to love yourself even if you aren’t the most successful.( Self compassion video) It is also good to take a step back and recenter yourself often so you don’t get overwhelmed.(Mindfulness) You should try to do things that promote both physical health and mental health.(self care) Self esteem and self compassion may start with the same word but they are not the same.(benefits of self compassion) And yes I can finally tell my mom sleep is good for me. (Self Care)
4. Sleep has a role in the key of happiness because in a study done in 2013, sleep deprivation can be closely associated with mood instability, thus lowering the individual’s happiness. Having the recommended sleep amount can potentially improve the mental well-being of an individual because they are able to think clearer and have better cognitive abilities than those that do not have the adequate amount of sleep (Killgore, 2010). The recommended amount of sleep a person should get is 8 hours, but that number has recently been lowered to 6.7 hours. In my life I hope to attain this recommendation by doing all of my work at an earlier time if possible and getting to bed at a reasonable time. Exercise can also help an individual with their happiness because it can improve a person’s mood and their well-being. Fox found that in their study it was consistent that exercise had a positive impact on the individual’s mood and the physical activity releases a chemical in the brain that makes the individual feel good while exercising. It gives the individual something to do and focus on so it becomes a diversion of the negative and bad thoughts that can potentially be filling their mind. Exercise can be argued that it improves the mood based on the growth and goal attainment for the individual, and even for some, the satisfaction of the exercise can be a mood enhancer rather than the exercise alone. However, exercise can have an effective way of reducing depressive symptoms (Cochrane Review). Nutrition can also be a factor of happiness by eating the right types of food and a balanced diet. In a study by Grosse, it is claimed that the supplement of Omega 3 can be an effective treatment for depression because of its direct effect to the brain. I had never heard of the Omega 3 before so that was interesting to me, but what was shocking was that sugar can lead to happiness, but it can also be bad for our health when it is addictive. It is also claimed that sugar can partake in the mental and physical well-being of an individual due to the release of dopamine sugar has on the brain. Sugar gives the body energy which can lead to happiness, but in some cases, it can be addictive and lead to bad habits of consumption. I know that I like candy and sugar so when I have it, I just want more of it so that is why I have to take out like three to four pieces of the candy I want and then put the bag away so I am not tempted to continue eating the candy. Sunlight is another factor in the happiness of individuals because it is important for mental health. Dr. Desan believes that light can affect the mood and when an individual does not have sufficient amounts of sunlight, they can become depressed. Sunlight can be an effective form of antidepressant medication. A person can get supplements if they do not receive enough sunlight and that can also help from getting depressed from lack of vitamin D.
ReplyDelete5. 1) The most important thing I learned was about getting enough sunlight. I never really understood how much of an impact that it can make in a person’s life. A while back when I went in to the doctor for my yearly check-up, they said that I was insufficient in my vitamin D and I needed to take the supplement to make up for it. After reading the information about it, I thought it was interesting to realize how important it really was and now I will make sure to take the supplement every day like I am supposed to.
2) I also learned that there is a difference between self-compassion and self-esteem. Self-compassion is something that a person can do to help themselves rather than self-esteem is what an individual thinks of themselves
I learned that it is okay to have self-compassion and it is not seen as being weak or simply just pitying oneself. We do not always have to be hard on ourselves and we can be kind to ourselves just as we are kind to other people.
ReplyDelete4) Another thing I learned was that there are multiple kinds of ways to be kind to our mental health and body. Exercising may not seem fun to all people but it can benefit a person in more than one way. I understood that it can help a person become fit, but I did not know that it can also help a person have a positive mindset and enlighten their mood.
5) I learned that mindfulness can be a nice way to sit back and realize that there are things that we cannot control and we have to be able to be okay with that. There are programs to help people with things that stress them out and try to provide a better atmosphere in their mind from that to help their mental and physical happiness.
I realized that I left out question 3 when copying and pasting my answers from my word document because of the 700 word maximum...here it is
ReplyDelete3. According to the World Happiness Index report, it claims that happiness in immigrants depends on the quality of life of the location of where they live. It is said that immigrants that are the most happy, are not from places that are necessarily financially well, however, they are countries that have a better balanced social and institutional support to have better lives. Happiness can be derived from the immigrants and the surrounding people in the general population. Meaning, if the community is accepting towards the immigrants because they are not native born, however, whenever the migrant value is higher, it can be associated with greater happiness for both the immigrants and the naïve born citizens. I found it interesting that the places with the most happiness come from countries that are not rich and they were happy with that. I hate how the world has become so revolved around money to make themselves happy even though they know that money will never be able to satisfy all of their needs they are expecting. If countries can be happy with what they have and not be critical towards others that are not native born, there could potentially be more happiness throughout the people in that population. In America, the dream made by most people is to have money and be rich that way they can have a lot of nice things. Having nice things can mean well, but it can harm an individual from getting the things they need like the essential amount of sunlight, sleep, nutrition, and exercise. Kids are staying inside so they can be on their phone or play videogames instead of playing outside and thus not getting the right amount of sunlight, decreasing their happiness. People also like to go out to eat at fast food places or nice sit-down restaurants, but they are not getting the quality nutrition they are needing in order to satisfy their body. With all of the technology that has been developed, it is shown that individuals spend a lot of time on them and would rather be on technology than exercising or sleeping. There have been countless times that I would wake up in the middle of the night and could hear my brothers playing video games in the room across the hall. Not that having money is a bad thing that will lead to depression or stress, but the need for appreciating what people have should be enlightened that way everyone will recognize the need for maintaining a healthy lifestyle to attain their happiness instead of finding happiness through objects and possessions.
1. In the middle section of Dr. Kristen Neff’s, I felt the idea of mindfulness was really interesting. It is strange how we are not more aware of how critical we are of ourselves. This area of the TED talk really made me think about myself. I also liked how it seems each individual sees themselves as probably a little more unique than they really are. I do not mean to sound rude or anything but based on the way her talk went. It sounded like people either make their lows seem lower than others when discussing common humanity (I think that was the term), but our highs needed to be seen as higher than they really are for our self-esteem to be boosted.
ReplyDelete2. I feel mindfulness could be great for anyone who does not realize what it is. Especially for someone who has had an extreme setback. Information about happiness levels proves that your happiness will come back. I feel a problem with mindfulness could be that people could become too self-centered if they are focused on themselves so much that they lose compassion for others or at least most others around them.
I really do not see where mindfulness fits into my day aside from right before I sleep. When I am lying to down I usually go through a checklist of my past day and to do list for tomorrow. It isn’t 100% accurate by any means because I do it all in my head with my eyes closed. However, I read somewhere that it is really good for your ears to sit in silence for a few minutes a day. I feel like meditating or some form of mindfulness could increase my happiness. I really like the idea of meditation if I could find the time to do it every day.
3. Based on what I found in the World Happiness Index 2018 report. It seems immigrants that migrate to new countries or even just to a new city see increases in income, safety, and overall happiness due to factors like these. The Index does not really seem to discuss anything with sleep, exercise, nutrition, or sunlight. However, based on moving out of danger it can be assumed that things like sleep and nutrition. Are boosted due to less oppression and more safety. Moving to towns and cities rather than rural areas could also cause a change in sunlight due to working less outdoors in the city. Exercise probably sees an increase in an urban area due to the number of gyms and connections that can be made there.
4. A. It has been proven that physical activity stimulates the release of “feel-good” chemicals in the brain, called endorphins (Fox, 1999). It has been proven that chemicals in your brain can make you feel good. We also have the power to cause them to be released.
ReplyDeleteB. It has shown that less light in the winter time causes people to be sleepier and more depressed during this season. However, in the summer, when there is plenty of light, these feelings go away and are replaced by brighter moods.
C. I found it to be interesting that sugar has a drug-like effect that causes an addictive element to it. This is possible to explain why people eat sweets when stressed (Barclay, 2014). I have definitely fallen victim to the sweet tooth when stressed and find it as a great explanation because my sweet tooth is normally low until I am stressed. It has become a habit to get a milkshake when I am overwhelmed. I may have to watch it next time I am stressed and tone it down to a candy bar or some fruit.
D. I did not realize sleeping at a similar time every night could improve sleep. This is something I have been trying to work on as a general thought, but now I feel it would be really good for me to try this.
ReplyDelete5. 1) I really enjoyed Dr. Shapiro’s discussions on mindfulness and meditation and how your brain has an average level of happiness.
2) I liked learning about the sleep consistency in the pursuit of happiness website. It is now one of my priorities.
3) I really want to try exercising like the website recommends 30 minutes a day to boost my happiness. Right now, I only do about 2-3 times a week and I feel like I don’t get much out of it.
4) I don’t remember which specific video, but I liked that Dr. Neff referred to self- compassion, and compassion as one in the same. This really struck home to me as I am definitely my own worst critic.
5) It was interesting as well to learn in Dr. Shapiro’s mindfulness video that things that are external like winning the lottery or losing a loved one will still not affect your happiness level long-term.
1. A major component to self-compassion that kept reoccurring throughout this section is showing the same compassion and kindness you show others to yourself! As Kristin Neff stated, “Self-compassion is a way of relating to ourselves kindly, embracing ourselves as we are- flaws and all.” We tend to be our own worst critic and judge ourselves much harsher than we would to someone we may not particularly care for; I know I am guilty of this, too! However, in doing so we deprive ourselves of the self-compassion we need to flourish; “Self-compassion is very strongly related to mental well-being”. This is something I strongly stand by. When Kristin Neff gave the example of a father and son where the son brings home a bad math grade, I felt like she was talking to me. If my father had talked to me the way I talked to myself about my math grades in high school, I never would have flourished. Thankfully I have very compassionate parents, and because of them I ended up passing college algebra with an A! With that being said, I never realized just how harmful my own critical voice in my head truly is. Overall, self-compassion is not selfish, it is necessary to keep our hearts open for ourselves in order to keep our hearts open to others and flourish.
ReplyDelete2.(a). I feel that mindfulness would be particularly beneficial in the school setting for me. Anxiety is something that I deal with on a daily basis, I believe that if I was able to take time to meditate before class I would have significantly less anxiety and an easier time speaking up in the classroom! The only criticism I have for those developing mindfulness programs is that they need to keep in mind how little time some of us have to step away from the chaos of the day and take time to practice mindfulness.
Delete(b). Mindfulness plays a big role in my life, but after this module I realize I still have A LOT to work on! Currently, mindfulness is something I practice on a daily basis. I have an app on my phone that’s called “headspace”, it sends me reminders throughout the day to be present, to take a moment and practice my breathing, things such as that. Headspace also has tons of videos of mindfulness meditation practices to utilize at any time. I believe that practicing mindfulness even more consciously without having to be reminded, would significantly increase my happiness! For instance, as I was working on this assignment I found myself trailing off in my thoughts and my eyes closing, so I took a step back and laid down on my couch and told myself it was okay to be sleepy and to be mentally tired- I have felt drained and that is okay. I thought, “Jenny, I know you are exhausted and that is normal, it is okay to take a break for yourself and relax your mind. Breathe- take 10 minutes and try again”, and that is exactly what I did! Afterwards, I felt MUCH more energetic and happy with myself for taking the time to just be present and to be in sync with how I was feeling so I could properly respond. As Jon Kabat-Zinn stated, “It’s about living your life as if it really mattered, moment by moment by moment by moment.”
3. Based on the World Happiness Index report, I noticed that the United States did not make the cut as one of the top happy countries. The happiest happy levels are in Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, and Finland. I believe that this is due to the unique culture America has in comparison to these other countries. America is high in our obesity rates, indicating that our nutritional intake is extremely unhealthy and that we do not have an efficient awareness of the importance of nutrition and exercise in our everyday lives. Additionally, I feel that our society places such a major emphasis on work that things such as junk food, minimal exercise, and lack of sleep are almost praised and used as indicators of how dedicated we are to our working lives. Sleep is a major factor that is over looked and seemingly celebrated when we are deprived of it. Sleep deprivation appears as a sign of hard work in our society, and that is extremely harmful. It is not surprising that the US is not among the top countries that exhibit high happiness levels- our perception of what is good and healthy has been vastly skewed.
Delete4. (a). In the reading, it states that exercising releases the “feel good” chemicals, endorphins, in the brain and can help us divert the negative thoughts we have! Additionally, the Cochrane Review found through a large meta-analysis that that exercise has a large clinical impact on depression. The report found that when comparing exercise to medication treatment, exercise had the same depression reducing effects as medication.
Delete(b). Sunlight is believed to have a direct impact on our moods. When people lack efficient light, they can experience lower energy and more depression during the winter months. Some people who are affected by SAD (Seasonal affective disorder) significantly benefit from light exposure therapy when treating their depression! From the light we obtain vitamin D, vitamin D has various physical health benefits and has been linked to improvement of depression. Based on the tips from this article, I believe that if I spend more time outside during the day, especially during winter, my depression symptoms will most likely dissipate quite a bit! I know for a fact that I can apply this in my life given that as a student, I spend most of my time in doors working on assignments! The researchers not only recommend getting as much sunlight as possible during the winter, but to make sure we are getting sunlight if we work indoors most of the time. The last tip, to discuss our vitamin D levels with our doctor, is actually something I took initiative in doing this week at my doctor’s appointment. After bringing up my concern my doctor ordered me to have some blood work done so that he could assess my levels and decide what to do from there!
(c). From the studies over nutrition, the thing that has stood out to me the most is the sugar study done by Tandel and another by Barclay. I had absolutely no idea that sugar had such a negative impact on our brain and subsequently our bodies. The study indicates that it is both unhealthy for your physical health as well as your mental health. Barclay revealed that sugars effects on the brain is closely related to the way our brains respond to cocaine! That is why we tend to crave sugar instead of nutritious things. I can apply these findings to my life very well! It may be difficult, but sugar is such a normal everyday consumption for me, from my coffee to a little sprinkle of sugar on my oat meal. I believe that I can begin to slowly use less and less until I am able to be completely satisfied without any sugar at all! I feel that would actually make a very big difference on my overall health.
(d). In the literature, the researchers suggest that in order to improve our sleep hygiene, we need to make sure we are getting adequate sleep at night, thus, avoiding vigorous exercise, exciting activities, or light exposure right before bed. Additionally, they suggest that we have a scheduled time to go to sleep, exercise during the day, to avoid sleeping during the day, and to carefully watch out caffeine intake after 3pm! I specifically need to work on making sure I am avoiding light exposure just before bed. It is so easy to watch tv and play on my phone at night as I am winding down, but I am genuinely curious to see what happens if I actively eliminate the use of my phone and tv before bed. I usually have a difficult time getting to sleep, so I believe that this may actually help me get into a better sleep pattern and ultimately help improve my mental well-being.
5.
Delete1. If I talk harshly to myself I will wilt and eventually give up. However, if I am understanding and give myself the time to be open and embrace what I am feeling, I can approach situations with an open mind and heart and tackle it successfully with a strong mind. I was able to come to this conclusion after watching Kristen Neff’s “Self-compassion vs. Self-esteem” video.
2. Something that really hit me hard was in Jon Kabat-Zinn’s video “The stars of our own movie”. He simply began talking about how fragile our mind really is. He referenced his father who has Alzheimer’s and as soon as he said that I began thinking about how prevalent that disease is in my family. He said, “So all of the knowing and the cognitive knowing and the larger noncognitive can be lost.” I spend so much time taking for granted what I have in the present, especially the power of my mind. Yet, the mind is so fragile and can be lost so easily. I realized how much I have to be grateful for, and how much time I need to actually spend in the present- not the past or the future. Now is what matters, and now is what is going to help foster my happiness in the future, not my thoughts of the past or what I expect the future to be like.
3. One thing I found to be particularly interesting that I was not aware of is from Shauna Shapiro’s video, “Mindfulness Meditation and the Brain”. She referenced a study done by Jon Kabat-Zinn on the brain and meditation. They found that when they brought a monk in and analyzed his brain, they found that he had the highest left to right ratio than any other person they had studied, and that his ratio increased when he was practicing compassion. Furthermore, they did a controlled study and found that after 4 weeks of meditation practice there was a significant increase in left brain activation. I think that it is fascinating that meditation can quite literally change the way our brain operates.
4. I found it particularly interesting that, in regards to nutrition, the American diet is high in our consumption of Omega 6’s and low in Omega 3’s. I did not know before hand that Omega 6’s was PRO-inflammatory and Omega 3’s acted as inti-inflammatory! Not only is Omega 3 and anti-inflammatory, but It has shown promise in preventing dementia! For me this is a really interesting revelation given the prevalence of dementia in my family.
5. Lastly, I found it very interesting and slightly alarming how many negative consequences an insufficient amount of sleep can result in. According to the nutrition literature from “pursuit of happiness”, not obtaining the appropriate amount of sleep can lead to issues with the family, school, physical health, and depression! I knew sleep was extremely important, especially for retaining memories, but I had no idea just how negatively sleep could impact our entire lives.
1. In the self-compassion section, I learned that we tend to criticize ourselves more than we criticize others. I found it interesting when Kristen said that self-compassion is there for us when self-esteem deserts us. Whenever we fail or we feel inadequate self-compassion takes over right when self-esteem lets us down. I also learned that according to the science, self-compassion does in fact appear to offer the same advantages as having a high self-esteem, with no discernable downside. Self-compassion like self-esteem is associated with significantly less anxiety and depression, as well as more happiness, optimism, and positive emotions.
ReplyDelete2.(a). Dr. Dacher mentions in his video lectures several different mindfulness intervention programs that already exist. These programs include health professionals, veterans, teachers, and childbirth and parenting all which are highly stressful situations or deal with trauma. I think an area where mindfulness would be greatly beneficial would be in a setting of women and adolescents that have or are dealing with some type of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse. I think that mindfulness will help them be more aware of themselves as well as their surroundings. Another situation that I think would benefit from mindfulness would be children and young adults who have and suffer from autism and/or ADHD and their parents. I know first-hand what it is like to deal with a child that has autism. Both of my boys were diagnosed with autism a year ago and it has been a challenge. There are days that I just want to give up but know that I have to stay strong. I think that mindfulness would be beneficial because it can help a child who has autism be more mindful and possibly teach them how to avoid situations that are triggers. I think that it is important for someone that is trying to develop or implement a mindfulness program to take into consideration that everyone is different and we all have different needs.
2. (b). As of right now mindfulness does not fit into my life experience except for when it comes to how I was raised you could say. Growing up I remember my mom constantly practicing centering prayer. Having a Christian background, I think that I need to really find myself again and start implementing centering prayer in my life. I think that this will be extremely beneficial and will help increase my happiness. I still remember how happy I was every time I came home from church camp, therefore I think that implementing centering prayer and having a stronger relationship with God will indeed increase my happiness level.
3. After analyzing the World Happiness Index, in order to determine the happiness of immigrants living in different countries and coming from different, other countries three fact come into place. First it said that in the typical country, immigrants are about as happy as people born locally. Second, the happiness of each migrant depends not only on the happiness of locals but also on the level of happiness in the migrant’s country of origin. Third, the happiness of immigrants also depends importantly on how accepting the locals are towards immigrants.
4. (a). Researchers have consistently found that exercise has a positive impact on mood. Exercise release the “feel good” chemicals in the brain called endorphins. In people who suffer from depression, exercise has been studied as an alternative treatment to medication and CBT.
Delete(b). According to research sunlight affects our mood. People who live in a region that receives light sunlight experience lower energy, depressed mood, increased sleepiness, and greater appetite. Sunlight allows us to make Vitamin D which helps support physical health and has shown to be beneficial to people who suffer from depression. I think that I can start implementing more time outside especially when my kids want to go outside and play.
(c). The study done on sugar stands out the most to me. I already am familiar with the effects of sugar and know that as a family I need to eliminate a lot of our sugar intake. I feel that by offering healthier choices for me and my daughter to snack on instead of sugary treats we will be able to see a significant change in our energy levels as well as our overall well-being.
(d). Some suggested ways to improve ones’ sleep hygiene is to avoid vigorous exercise like hitting the gym and avoid light exposure such as screen time just before bed. For me and my family we have a tendency to watch tv or be on our phones right before bed. I think by reducing and eliminating screen time we will be able to improve or sleep hygiene.
5. I feel that I learned a lot of new things in this module that I didn’t know before.
1. In Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s lecture I learned that mindfulness deals with living your life in the moment.
2. In Dr. Sharpiro’s lecture I like how she says that changing our exterior circumstances doesn’t change our happiness level but changing our interior landscape can increase our happiness. This can be done through training the mind.
3. In the self-compassion section, I learned that it is important to be more compassionate than to criticize. Instead of putting someone down tell them how can I help you improve this area.
4. Also in the self-compassion section I learned that boys have better self-esteem as compared to girls. And that girls once they reach third grade their self-esteem and self-image decreases.
5. I learned a lot of different thing in the pursuit of happiness reading that I can implement into my daily life for me and my children. For example, less screen live, more daily sunlight exposure, and be more cautious of what we are putting in our bodies.
1. There is a difference in Self-Esteem and Self-compassion; self-esteem has led to an epidemic of narcissism Neff explained in her video. To be a self-compassionate person it means to see how you are like other people and that means being human which means you are imperfect. Self-compassion means you understand that you will mess up and do things wrong but you should not punish yourself for it every single time. We need to offer ourselves some encouragement and kindness just as we would if we were talking to a best friend who had just made the same mistake we did. I agree with the definition given “Self compassion is the practice of quieting the inner critic, and replacing it with a voice of support, understanding, and care for one’s self.”
ReplyDelete2. a) After listening to the video and hearing the different scenarios of mindfulness one that popped in my head would be using mindfulness to help children who are processing traumatic events that they are currently in or have been in before. I think using mindfulness would help them to focus and ease the anxiety they are exposed to and experiencing. I think someone who decides to use this technique on children would have to be cautious on what they decide to do and how because children require so much caution when working with them.
2. b) Mindfulness in my life would fit in best at the end of the day when I’m unwinding from usually a long day at work at the church and processing everything that has gone and planning for the next day. Working at the church I oversee vacation bible school which is something I have never done before and adds a lot of stress. Using the technique of mindfulness allowing myself to focus would help alleviate some stress and that would overall help my happiness.
3. The World Happiness Report pooled results from Gallup World Poll surveys from 2015-2017, which show both change and stability. All the top countries tend to have high values for all six of the key variables that have been found to support well-being: income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust and generosity. a ranking of countries according to the happiness of their immigrant populations is almost the same as for the rest of the population. Looking at this shows that the happiness comes from the satisfaction of needs met and how good of a life these people are living.
4. a) Scientists have consistently found that it has a positive impact on mood. It has been proven that physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins in the brain. Some researchers argue that exercise acts as a diversion from negative thoughts. Exercise has also been studied as an alternative treatment to the traditional antidepressant medications and cognitive-behavioral therapies used for depression. Based on collective evidence, it was concluded that exercise has a “large clinical impact” on depression.
4. b) Most people in non-equatorial latitudes experience lower energy, depressed mood, increased sleepiness, and greater appetite, in the winter months as compared to the summer. Afflicted individuals often benefit dramatically from exposure to bright light in the early morning, and such light treatment may be much more effective than antidepressant medications. Tip 2 is the one I can incorporate into my daily life, since I work at a church I spend a majority of my time trapped inside an office. However, after school we have children at the church for an afterschool program and I can go outside with them when they are out there which will allow me to have adequate amount of sunlight. Also when I am inside I can have all the windows open since we have a lot that shine into our office.
Delete4. c) The thing that stuck out to me the most was the fact that too much sugar causes big problems. Sugar leads to direct stimulation of the brain by triggering the release of dopamine, the “feel good” neurotransmitter. In fact, sugar’s effect on the brain resembles that of highly addictive drugs like cocaine. This really stuck out to me because often I feel like we don’t see sugar as something dangerous or something we should watch carefully but it truly is. Ways I can adapt a change is cutting back on the amount of dr. pepper or mtn. dew I drink, because these are very high in sugar and cutting back would help me stay in an appropriate range and I think would drastically help my health.
4. d) the tips they list are:
• Try to get adequate sleep each night.
• Monitor your sleep hygiene: for many people it is important to avoid vigorous exercise, exciting activities, or light exposure (computer screens, television, etc.) just before bedtime.
• Go to bed at a similar time every night, exercise adequately during the day, and avoid time in bed during the day.
• Watch your caffeine intake, especially after 3pm.
The main ones I can incorporate are going to sleep at a similar time each night because I rarely ever do this my sleep schedule is very sporadic and no consistency at all with it. The other one to incorporate is exercising throughout the day, because of an injury I hadn’t been able to do this for a little while and I can see how it has affected my sleeping at night.
5. 1) In the introductory video Dr. Selvaraj defined Self Compassion as practice of quieting the inner critic, and replacing it with a voice of support, understanding, and care for one’s self.” 2) Jon Kabat-Zinn discusses that mindfulness is like a form of meditation which are about the presence of heart. 3) Dr. Dracher discussing the real life application of mindfulness to help those such as war veterans that have PTSD and the effect it has had in increasing their happiness and allowing them to cope. 4) Dr. Neff discussing the difference in Self-Esteem and Self-compassion explaining that because of self-esteem we have an epidemic of narcissism, and too much self-esteem has negative effects. 5) Dr. Neff also taught us that we should treat ourselves with the same compassion as we treat others as part of having self compassion.