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How to use mindfulness to be a rock star at relationships

How To Use Mindfulness to Be a Rock Star at Relationships

Relationships make the world go round. In fact, research shows that the number-one thing that leads to happiness is having great relationships with others; with spouses, boyfriends and girlfriends, best friends, co-workers, roommates, you name it. So where dos mindfulness come in? Does sitting in the lotus position automatically improve our relationships? Not quite, but here are some ways that mindfulness actually does impact our relationships in a big way. Listening mindfully, Understanding More When we are being present and in-the-moment with someone else, we actually hear what they are saying. We also pick up on all the non-verbal cues that complement conversation. When people understand us, we like them more and feel connected, safe, and respected. To do this effectively, focus your attention on whoever you’re talking with. When you notice your attention wander away (and it always will, don’t worry, that’s normal), notice that you’ve strayed and gently re-focus on whomever you’re talking to. It does take practice. Keep at it and you’ll be an amazing listener in no time. Mindful of yourself, Better communicator When you are mindful of what’s going on with you when you’re with others, you can choose to share your observations to communicate better with others. For example, maybe you notice feeling irritable whenever talking with your spouse about money. You can share that to lead to a deeper conversation and better understanding about what’s going on. For example: “Hey honey, I notice that I feel irritable when we go over the bills. Have you noticed the same thing? I think it comes from stress, what do you think? What are money issues like for you?” Much better than getting irritable and not really noticing until you snap at them: “Seriously, how many times do you need to go to Chipotle every week??” Mindfulness Practice, Better Emotional IQ Having your own mindfulness practice, which is just a few minutes a day of focusing your attention on the moment and what you notice, leads to a big boost of Emotional Intelligence. In other words, mindfulness helps you better process incoming emotional information. If you can recognize and process your own and others’ emotions in the moment, you don’t make assumptions about others, hold grudges or feel unheard. It breaks us out of being reactive and teaches us how to be responsive instead. People love being in relationships with people who have high emotional IQ.

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Depression Therapy

3 Signs You May Be Suffering from PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common mental illnesses in the world. PTSD occurs after witnessing or being involved in a traumatic event. It manifests in a variety of ways, including flashbacks, uncontrollable thoughts, nightmares, and depression. These symptoms often get worse over time becoming debilitating to those who aren’t getting help to overcome it. Let’s look at three of the most common signs of PTSD so you can begin fighting back. 3 Signs You May Suffer from PTSD There are two main types of symptoms of PTSD: Emotional and physical. Emotional symptoms present in a variety of ways, such as intense guilt, worry, depression, and feeling emotionally numb to the world around you. Physical symptoms also present in different ways, like headaches, sleeplessness, heart flutters, and tension throughout the body. Three of the biggest signs you may suffer from PTSD include: Re-experiencing the traumatic event Avoiding reminders of the event Increased emotional arousal and anxiety Re-experiencing the traumatic event and avoiding reminders of the event are the two big indicators you may be suffering from PTSD. By going out of the way to avoid triggers that make you relive the event, you’re affecting telling your brain you don’t want to deal with it. From there, your mind and body begin “dealing” with it in other ways, which leads to other emotional and physical symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Increased emotional arousal and anxiety will manifest, too. This can include angry outbursts, feeling suicidal, and extreme anxiety in even the easiest of circumstances. Other symptoms to look at for when suffering from PTSD include physical aches and pains, substance abuse, hopelessness, feelings of mistrust, and guilt or shame. PTSD can have short-term and long-term effects for sufferers. It’s important to determine if you need help after a traumatizing event, even if you’re not presenting emotional or physical symptoms. By going into therapy or on medication from the beginning, you can begin to learn the coping skills you need to overcome issues that arise from symptoms of PTSD.

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5 Signs You May Have a Substance Abuse Problem

Not everyone can tell they have a substance abuse issue. While others around you may notice you acting differently, you may not understand the signs and symptoms of a problem until confronted. Here are five of the most common signs you may have a substance abuse problem and what you can do to help yourself overcome it. 5 Signs You May Have a Substance Abuse Problem to Fight Cravings Intense cravings for drugs, food, drink, or other substances can be an indication you have an issue that needs to be addressed. Depending on the drug in question, you may find you not only crave the substance but food or drink as well when high. Physical Dependence A physical dependence on a substance can manifest itself in a variety of ways, sometimes mimicking withdrawal symptoms as well. As you become dependent on a substance, your body becomes dependent on it, too which means you’ll often feel bad or sick when not high or when not using regularly. Tolerance As time goes on, you become more dependent on a substance which builds your tolerance to it. You may need a higher dosage to get high. If you notice you need to drink more, smoke more, or partake in a substance in higher dosages, you’re building a tolerance which is cause for concern. Withdrawal Symptoms When you go without the substance, even for a brief period of time, you may experience mental, emotional, and physical symptoms of withdrawing. You’ll crave the substance like never before and until you get more, you may continue with withdrawal symptoms that make you feel horrible. This is always something to be on the lookout for, especially as tolerance for a substance grows. Isolation While some substance users feel more social when indulging, others isolate themselves so the world around them doesn’t see what the substance does to them. If you’re a social person and you start ditching your family and friends to indulge in your substance of choice, consider what’s making. Substance abuse problems are never easy to deal with, regardless of the support system around you. By being able to identify some of the signs yourself or with the help of others, you can set yourself up for overcoming them before your life becomes unmanageable.

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