Don't forget to take a couple of minutes to complete the midterm course eval located under the USD getting started tab on D2L!
Because you are all doing a great job on the blog (and it's around midterm time), this week will be a light one. All I want you to do is find a recent news article OR think of an experience you have had recently and apply it to course material we've learned up to this point. This is your chance to really show that you can apply course topics. Think outside the box and really push yourself to make these connections.
- Find and article. You can use Huffington Post, BBC, etc. Provide a link to your article.
- OR talk about an experience you have encountered recently that you can relate to course material.
- Briefly summarize the article and/or give details about your experience and explain its connection to course material.
- Create a list of keywords...really try to stretch yourself here and strive to use more concepts from class than you have in previous weeks.
There are NO comments due for this week. Completing the above assignment will earn you credit for both your blog reaction and blog comments, so 20 points!
Part 2:
Part 2 is optional. If you have missed doing a blog assignment thus far throughout the semester for whatever reason, here is your chance to make one up. All you need to do (in addition to Part 1 to receive credit for this week) is go back to a previous week that you missed and complete that assignment. You can also make up one week of missed comments in the same way.
**You cannot make up week 1 assignments - the week 1 assignment did not have any associated comments as it was just an introductory post.**
If you want credit for make up assignments, please leave a comment on this post including your Part 1 assignment, as well as what posts you made up. For example,
I commented on Blog Assignment - Week 3, Do Good Feel Good, and Mindfulness.
If you don't tell me what posts you commented on for your make up assignments, you may not receive credit. I anticipate it being difficult to keep up with and I may miss one if you don't tell me where to look.
Also, if you are submitting make-up work and do not want other students to know you have missed assignments, you are free to email me your work rather than posting on here for privacy sake.
Part 1 and Part 2 (make up assignments) are are due on Monday, October 21 at 11:59p.
Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/guy-winch-phd/building-self-esteem-_b_3953771.html
ReplyDeleteThe article “A Simple Self-Esteem Boost That Improves Emotional Strength” is about self-esteem. A person’s self-esteem is unstable. It can fluctuate from time to time, but for the most part, our self-esteem is around the same. People with higher self-esteems are more confident, stronger emotionally, and resilient to stresses from the environment. People with lower self-esteems and self-efficacies have a harder time getting over problems and rejections. People with lower self-esteems have more stress and anxiety. The author of the article suggests that our self-esteems are like an emotional immune system. If we have a higher self-esteem we have more pliability to rejection, failure, anxiety, and stress. The author also suggests that if we write down 5 positive qualities about ourselves each day and why that is important, it will boost our self-esteems.
Keywords: self-esteem, confident, emotions, stress, self-efficacies, anxiety, immune system
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/judith-johnson/judging_b_1302791.html
ReplyDeleteJudith Johnson writes an article entitled, :Why You Should Break the Habit of Snap Judgements." Snap judgments are judgments that are made by an individual within the first 5 seconds of approaching something or someone. Snap judgments are made to show our approval or disapproval for whatever or whomever we are observing or experiencing. These judgments happen so fast that we rarely have time to distinguish them between actual and reality. Our point of view is based on thousands of minor snap judgments. They are a form of positional thinking where we either except of reject something or someone. Snap judgments can be a very influential part of the way we view certain situations and how we go about handling those situations. These allow for people to have their own ideas and judgements but you need to build up an attitude that allows you to see the different ways that people act, portray themselves, and the abilities that each individual obtains.
Key Terms: Snap Judgments, Shortcuts, Initial Contact, Viewpoints, Judgements
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kyle/the-dangers-of-overcelebrating-our-children_b_4026368.html
ReplyDeleteThe article "The Dangers of Over-Celebrating Our Children" is about children and self-esteem. The article talks about the overzealous embrace of the positive self-esteem movement. Lately, children are addicted to excessive and unearned feedback. The article shows that excessive or unwarranted praise does not always boost the confidence in children. It may actually do the opposite. The children who are being praised for everything that they do may actually feel less confident. The children are also denied opportunities to learn real knowledge, skills, and humility. When the children are praised for what they do it doesn't necessarily mean that they are learning real knowledge and skills. Children can develop an inflated sense of competency and importance regarding their personal contributions. Lastly, children are less likely to develop an honest assessment of their own work. The best thing to do is praise the children when they can actually earn the feedback. In class we learned that self-esteem is strongly and consistently connected with happiness. People that have high self-esteem are more likeable, have better relationships, and make better impressions. There is a positive correlation with persistence in situations of failure and coping with setbacks. In the case of the article, the children were getting too much unearned and excessive feedback which in turn can make the children feel less happy and less confident. This article is connected to course material because we learned about self-esteem in chapter 6.
Key Words: Self-esteem, Confidence, Adjustment, Happiness
You can throw positive correlation into your keywords too...we've talked about research methods this semester. You don't have to do it now, just something to think about in the future.
DeleteSince we had the day off Monday, my roommate and I were catching up on homework. She explained that her week was going to be very busy and stressful. I told her that I have an application on my IPod that was created to relieve stress. It only takes 20 minutes and it makes you feel very relaxed. Even though my roommate was foreseeing acute stress towards her week, I wanted to help her cope with it in a healthy way. After we finished our assignments, we took time to listen and follow the directions of the voice on the application. We turned off the lights and made sure we were in a room without any distractions. The voice first tells us to stretch individual body parts, and then relax afterwards. The voice told us to focus on our breathing, such as inhaling through our nose, holding the oxygen for a few seconds, and exhaling through our mouths. In the background of the males voice is the sound of soothing music. The background noise made it a more calming environment around us. When doing this meditation session, it lowered our heart and respiration rate, increased focus, lowered stress levels, and improved our moods. The 20 minute meditation actually had my roommate and I almost fall asleep because it was so relaxing. Once it was done, she explained how relaxed it made her body and mind. The aftereffect actually makes you feel refreshed and rejuvenated for the future. If you are interested, the application is called it is called Relax +.
ReplyDeleteKeywords: Stress, meditation and relaxation, acute stress, healthy coping, better mood,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/judith-johnson/judging_b_1302791.html
ReplyDeleteThe main discussion of this article is snap judgments and how they effect you and people around you. Snap judgments are often made without realizing because we are making judgments based on people that we don't know. In the article they talk about the meaning of the word judgment and how this is defined as taking place in a court of law and that people make these snap judgments because they don't have this same authority in every day life. While snap judgments are normally seen as negative conclusions on person perception, they are not all bad. Saying something as simple as "I think that girl's sweater looks really cute on her" is a snap judgment that isn't portrayed as negativity. The article does explain, though, that a majority of these judgments are negative and it is a habit that a lot of people have acquired. A lot of the time snap judgments are a way of communication and most of the judgments are done without speaking so that means that they are nonverbal. In class we learned that nonverbal communication can be portrayed differently across the world and a lot can be communicated without even saying anything. Concepts such as eye contact, facial expressions, and body language can be a part of snap judgments of people. The idea of snap judgments can also be due to the attributions that we pair with the people that we are judging. For example, if you see a homeless person on the street you may jump to conclusions as to why they are homeless or judge why they are still homeless. These snap judgments can be internal and external attributions that you are jumping to conclusions with. Towards the end of this article, it is discussed that negative snap judgments create a negative environment both for yourself and the people around you and that by seeing things from another person's point of view, such as through a systematic judgment, you might understand their situation before judging them so quickly. These quick judgments seem innocent and less than hurtful but for the people who are being judged, it can have a large effect on them and their self-esteem.
Keywords: self-esteem, snap judgment, systematic judgment, internal/external attributions, person perception, nonverbal communication, viewpoints
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-goleman/a-parents-full-focus-is-a-form-of-love_b_4101247.html
ReplyDeleteThe article “A Parent’s Full Focus is a Form of Love” talks about how parents are with their children today. How work is not just a 9-5 day and it follows parents’ home. Kids are using their body language to signal to their parents that they want attention. They close laptops, take papers, or stare down parents to for some eye contact and acknowledgement. Child developers stated that parents who are more engaged in their children’s lives have a secure base with their kids. Having that secure base helps to motivate their self-esteem and help them do better in school and other activities. The article states that love and attention is not something only kids seek but it is something that everyone craves. Furthermore paying attention to each other is a key ingredient. This can relate to class by showing how kids are using their non-verbal’s with their body language to seek attention of their parents. By showing how many adults are stressed and they bring many stresses home from work and continue to work. One might also be able to compare the different parenting styles to see if the hard-working parent is neglectful or authoritative. I feel that most working parents are authoritative with their children and are trying to give them the best by over-working. The article states that by giving children more attention and love it helps to boost their self-esteem so hopefully that will be a motion for parents to be more involved.
Terms: body language, self-esteem, non-verbal, stressed, parenting styles, neglectful, and authoritative
This past week in lecture we discussed the topics of communication and personal space. I think these two topics go together because they both deal with interacting with people. We interact with people on a daily basis and do not realize all the parts that go into it. Personally, I am very big on personal space and very much dislike it when mine is invaded. For example, the other day I was riding in the car with multiple people to an away football games. I enjoy being able to spread out and have my own space, but instead I was crammed into a seat with too many people and had very little personal space. Eventually, I become too uncomfortable and got into a really bad mood. This was because people were invading my personal bubble. Also, we learned about communication and the different parts of it. Being a cheerleader we are required to talk to alumni of the university. It is very important to have good communication skills when talking to them. These skills should be good eye contact and keeping the conversation ball rolling. I pride myself on having such good communication skills. Having good communication skills are very important to have in professional and personal situations.
ReplyDeletekey terms:
self-esteem
non verbal communication
emotions
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/annemarie-louw/eating-disorders-media-self-esteem-_b_2082323.html
ReplyDeleteThis article discusses the media's play into the rise of eating disorders. The skinny models being seen as role models is a huge issue. Feeling inadequate compared to the skinny stars is something many women can relate to. Comparing an eating disorder to an abusive partner telling you you're not good enough is something the article discusses. Back in the day, those suffering from eating disorders used to hide their bodies under baggy clothes while those today flaunt it. "Celebrities are idealised and expected never to suffer from low self esteem or self doubt." Stating that celebrities have these expectations to live up to can stress them to the point of eating disorders. Once they have this disorder, it may be even harder for them to admit they have a problem. "Our society is sick," is what Lady Gaga has said about eating disorders and the ideal look that models seem to so easily possess. This ideal is what causes so many teens and those easily influenced by pop culture to have self-esteem problems. The teens who believe the look is worth all the trouble with eating disorders may suffer developmental issues biologically because their bodies are still growing and nutrition is that much more important in this time period.
Key terms: eating disorder, role model, self-esteem, self-doubt, stress
Throughout this course we have discussed the fundamental attribution error and how often we resort to such behaviors. At the time I was unaware how often this problem actually arises. When I was at the Drag Show this last weekend I realized I succumbed to the fundamental attribution error. When the host introduced one of the drag queens she stated that she has been performing in this manner for longer than we have been alive. I was expecting her to come out entirely prepared as if this were second nature for her. Once she reached the stage she basically just stood there and her body movements were off beat. Each time it was her turn to have the stage I monitored her body language and it appeared as if she was lacking confidence and self-esteem which really brought down the crowd's excitement. I was kind of disappointed and assumed she just wasn't as great of a performer as the younger ones. At the close of the show the host brought each performer up individually and when she introduced this particular person she went on to say that she did an excellent job for being almost entirely deaf. Once that was stated I turned to my friend and said, "I feel so bad! Fundamental attribution error in effect." With that being said, looking back on the situation I could tell that she was struggling with the appropriate movements throughout her performances which seemed to make her feel slightly embarrassed. I then remembered the host making a few comments throughout the show regarding the quality of our sound system. Overall, I failed to take situational factors into account and that maybe she was unable to feel the rhythm of the music because our sound system was of poor quality.
ReplyDeleteKey Words:
Fundamental Attribution Error
Behaviors
Body Language
Confidence
Self-Esteem
Situational Factors
Throughout this course we have discussed the fundamental attribution error and how often we resort to such behaviors. At the time I was unaware how often this problem actually arises. When I was at the Drag Show this last weekend I realized I succumbed to the fundamental attribution error. When the host introduced one of the drag queens she stated that she has been performing in this manner for longer than we have been alive. I was expecting her to come out entirely prepared as if this were second nature for her. Once she reached the stage she basically just stood there and her body movements were off beat. Each time it was her turn to have the stage I monitored her body language and it appeared as if she was lacking confidence and self-esteem which really brought down the crowd's excitement. I was kind of disappointed and assumed she just wasn't as great of a performer as the younger ones. At the close of the show the host brought each performer up individually and when she introduced this particular person she went on to say that she did an excellent job for being almost entirely deaf. Once that was stated I turned to my friend and said, "I feel so bad! Fundamental attribution error in effect." With that being said, looking back on the situation I could tell that she was struggling with the appropriate movements throughout her performances which seemed to make her feel slightly embarrassed. I then remembered the host making a few comments throughout the show regarding the quality of our sound system. Overall, I failed to take situational factors into account and that maybe she was unable to feel the rhythm of the music because our sound system was of poor quality.
ReplyDeleteKey Words:
Fundamental Attribution Error
Behaviors
Body Language
Confidence
Self-Esteem
Situational Factors
For this week’s blog assignment I decided to relate our class concepts to a recent situation I had. My situation had to do with one of my friends that had an enormous amount of stress from both acute and chronic stressors. Some acute stressors she had were financial issues, self-image, and grades. Her chronic stressor is she has a family member that has been terminally ill for about a half year. She really sees herself as a member of an out-group because she believe that she isn’t “cool” and “pretty” enough to have a lot of friends. Therefore, the stereotypes herself as ugly and has no chance for a husband someday. Initially, I found myself making snap judgments thinking she was weak because every college kid deals with the same things. However, as I listened more and more, I could tell from her body language that she was really down on herself. Her shoulders were slouched, and she was crying. It was obvious that her coping mechanisms had been used up. After I made this realization, I found myself making a systematic judgment looking at both her emotional state and the difficulties she has been facing in her environment. I was just emotionally supportive to her and let her know everything was going to be alright.
ReplyDeleteKey Terms: out group, acute stressor, chronic stressor, self-image, coming mechanism, snap judgment, systematic judgment, nonverbal communication, stereotype
Ashley, you did an EXCELLENT job incorporating many aspects of class. Keep up the great work!
DeleteI find myself applying the things I learned about stress to my everyday life. When I’m stressed about something I think to myself is this caused by an acute stressor or a chronic stressor? Last week I had many stressors. I had the acute stressor of homework needing to be done, an anticipatory stressors of two big tests coming up and a chronic stressor of not knowing what I want to major in or even what career I want to peruse. With my stress of choosing a major I was battling the internal conflict of Approach-Avoidance. With the stress of my homework and tests I was experiencing the Avoidance-Avoidance style of which was more important. During this time I was trying to problem solve and cope in a healthy way. To relieve my stress I go to the gym and run. While running I think out my options and what to do next, this is how I cope with stress. I also use constructive coping when I’m stressed. I use the appraisal focus, and emotion focus styles. I tell myself that I have time to decide what major I want to do and that I don’t have to decide right this second. I also tell myself that everything will work out in the end and maybe since I’m sure about my current major that means that I’m not meant to do that one.
ReplyDeleteKey Words: acute stressor, chronic stressor, internal conflict, approach-avoidance, avoidance-avoidance, healthy coping, constructive coping, appraisal focus, emotion focus.
My mom turned 50 about 2 weeks ago. For her 50th birthday party my family and I wanted to throw her a surprise party. This was a very stressful event to plan. My sisters and I don’t always see things eye to eye. For example, my oldest sister always has to be in charge where the middle sister doesn’t really care too much about anything. Looking back on this I can see how birth order could explain how all of us sisters are so different. My sisters and I not seeing eye to eye on everything caused added stress and anxiety to the situation. Part of this I think is because I experienced learned helplessness. The arguing and fighting got so bad that I believe that the situation was unchangeable and beyond my control.
ReplyDeletePsychology class did come to the rescue. During this time in my life we were learning about how optimistic people usually handle stress better and get though situations better. Learning this actually made me text my sisters and say “lets just agree to disagree and finish planning this party.” Its crazy how college can actually help! Deciding to change the problem, me and my sisters fighting, was problem focused coping. I believe that this was one thing that kept the idea of this party alive.
The party ended up being a wonderful surprise for my mom. I learned a lot from this partying planning and I think that it will be awhile before the Srstka sisters plan another event.
Key words: stress, birth order, anxiety, learned helplessness, optimistic, problem focused coping.
Good work...I love it when psychology is useful, which in my biased opinion, is always :)
DeleteStress has become a huge issue this year compared to other years. Not only do I have the stress of school and work, but I also had the anticipatory stressor of applying to grad school for physical therapy and preparing for interviews. Even though I know I should be confident in what I have accomplished so far in college, it always runs through my head, what if I don't get into grad school, then what am I going to do.
ReplyDeleteSchool also causes a lot of stress in my life because I am preparing to graduate, so I have to make sure that I have everything finished and a plan in place for what I am going to do next year. I am also under a lot of pressure mostly from myself, but also from my parents to get good grades so that I am able to get into grad school. Most of the pressure is self-induced, but I also feel like I do not want to disappoint my parents.
Work is a huge chronic stressor right now because we are short staffed so part-time staff are expected to pick up more hours even though many of us are already stretched to the max. Even though it would seem like this would be only temporary, we have been short staffed since May so many people have lost hope that the openings will be filled and there really is no end in sight for the shortage. The job is starting to lead to job burnout which is the case in many healthcare careers. I used to love my job, but watching the people I support decline and need more support with daily cares is starting to take a tole on everybody. With my job, I have had to use the approach-avoidance conflict method to decide if I want to stick with my job or quit and attempt to find a new job. There are many pros to my job such as great co-workers and individuals I support, but there are also cons such as not having as much time as needed to devote to school work. I have had to weigh both to see which will make the biggest impact.
List of terms: stress, anticipatory stressor, burnout, approach-avoidance conflict, pressure, confident, chronic stressor
Sounds like a lot of stress piled on top of more stress! Make sure to take time for self-care!
DeleteRecently in class we have talked about personal space and communication. I am the type of person where is something is bothering me I will say it or confront someone who is bothering me and I like my space but I'm no the person who just wants to sit in my room alone. Well one of my roommates is the complete opposite as me, she hates confronting people and loves her own space. And my other roommates is just like me, when something is wrong we are going to talk about it and get over it and we are always together. Well last week she was in all kinds of moods and was acting very weird. So myself and the roommate like me were constantly asking her what was wrong and she just kept saying that she was fine and blowing us off but then would just come home from class and go right to her room without saying anything. So then we knew that something was up even though she refused to tell us anything. I get that she likes her space but we wanted to know what was wrong so we even went into her room and ask but yet she wouldn't say anything. Long story short, she still loves her space and still will not tell us what is wrong with she gets into those moods. We still have no idea if we are the problem or not, but I guess we will never know. I like to get things off my chest when something is bothering me. I wish she would be like that because then I would not feel as if I need to tip toe around her because its my apartment too and we all just need to get along and work out our issues.
ReplyDeleteKey Terms: Stress, nonverbal communication, emotions, personal space
I commented on blog assignment- Week 8, Understanding body language, and Are one-sided conversations distracting.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24548023
ReplyDeleteThe article I found is called "Can kindness movements make a difference?" At the beginning it focuses on a young woman in Singapore who walks the streets weekly and picks up trash. She is doing it on behalf of the Singapore Kindness Movement which seeks to promote courteous behavior amongst its people. The article then continues to give examples of other organizations that also contribute random acts of kindness. What I noted from the article was that it stated that kindness and charitable acts have declined in the past couple years due to the global recession. Richard Davidson from the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests that children should be taught how to be more empathetic via the education system. Barbara Oakley from the University of Oakland disagrees. She states that "Helping people is about your own narcissism. What you think people need is often actually not what they need."
I found this article to be interesting especially since we had discussed volunteering and altruism in a previous blog post. What I liked about the article was that it presented different sides to the situation which I felt increased its credibility like we discussed in class. In regards to the article's content I found it slightly sad that charitable acts have decreased in the recent year. However, that does not seem to be the case here on campus. Many students that I know are involved with the SERVE program on campus or are involved in some way with the local community. Maybe Ms. Oakley is right in that at times we do acts for our own selfish purposes. We use them to build our self-esteem and better our perceptions of ourselves. However, I think that most people do it for the right reasons and are sympathetic in nature. We use our interactions with those who are different from us to reduce stereotypes and the occurrence of the Fundamental Attribution Error. By engaging in charitable acts we create positive attitudes and also gain positive reinforcement to do more altruistic acts.
Keywords: behavior, organizations, empathy, narcissism, needs, volunteering, altruism, credibility, self-esteem, perceptions, sympathy, stereotypes, fundamental attribution error, attitudes, reinforcement.
Great job...I particularly like that you made a connection way back to the beginning of the semester when discussing volunteering/altruism!
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/03/single-moms-health-proble_n_871180.html
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about the stressors of being a single parent. The article mainly talks about females but I am probably sure it can go either way as a single dad. The researcher's in this study followed Hispanic, white and African American females who were single mothers and the study took place over 30 years. It talks that being a single mother has long term affects on their health. When these women get into there 40's the health risk increase. It doesn't state what type of health problems though. It talks that a lot of these single mothers all became single parents in different ways; divorce, widowed and just a absent father. It goes on to say that some people think that the best thing to do is get married but it was showed that that isn't always the answer. Several of the mothers stress levels increased due to know they have another partner to worry about, and if they marry another single parent now they have added stressor of extra children in the house. Sometimes it is easier to just stay single and raise the kids on your own. When the stress level is high and if you add a mixed family the stress level increases. A lot of these single mothers have very high self-esteem. It is just hard to be judged by people when they find out that you are a single parent.
Terms: behavior, stress, stressors, self-esteem
Although you said it doesn't state the specific health problems, what would you suspect these would be?
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/25/how-to-be-stress-free-and_n_853473.html
ReplyDeleteSince it is around midterm time, I thought that this article was pretty appropriate. This article is titled “How to be Stress-Free and Successful in College”, and honestly it has some tips that I will probably try to apply to my life more often. The article states to try to choose at least one class that will lift your spirits, however this doesn’t really seem like something I would do due to the fact that I don’t want to pay money just to be stress free. Another tip this article gives is to buy a planner or agenda, and to actually use it, which is something that I swear by. I could not get through a week without my planner, and by using one I know what I need to get done that week and I stay more optimistic about what I will realistically be able to accomplish. Tip three is to keep your living spaces organized and clean. For me, cleaning and organizing usually occurs when I’m either bored or procrastinating, but I will vouch for it and say that I do feel much better walking into a clean and organized room. The final tip is to not only take good notes, but to focus on making them look nice to keep you from zoning out in class. I also agree with this one, and I always appreciate being able to go back and read my notes instead of the scribbles that occurred from not paying attention or falling asleep. We have learned quite a bit about stress so far in this class, including how to use laughter to help with stress as well as how social media such as Pinterest or Facebook can actually cause more harm than good by causing use to socially compare ourselves against the status updates and pictures that we see.
Since we all know that college will never completely be stress free, I think it is important to keep in mind any tips and tricks that help to eliminate stress during those times when you wish you had stayed in bed.
Keywords: stress, procrastination, laughter, stress management, optimism, social media, social comparison theory
I also commented on the week 8 main blog post, in addition to Google Glass and Autism and Are One Sided Conversations Distracting to make up for my missed posts during week 8
Great tips...I know I'd be lost without my Google calendar and tasks and my house is never more clean than when I have big projects to work on!
DeleteFor the three-day weekend, I heavily debated going to Rapid City with my boyfriend or going home. Instead of concentrating on my Pathophysiology exam, I found myself stressing out about the decision of whether to go or not. I literally procrastinated with the decision until last minute. I threw everything into a bag and headed off to Rapid. After picking up his sister, we arrived late on Friday night, and his parents greeted us with hugs, one of my favorite ways to non-verbally communicate. Although, I am not usually an affectionate person, I found this to be the most welcoming and comforting thing to ask for. As the weekend went on, I was very happy to get to know his family better, especially his youngest nephew. I also thoroughly enjoyed the relaxation time on the couch with my boyfriend. On Sunday, we celebrated his dad’s birthday with cake and a surprise trip to visit his dad’s mother in Texas. I always enjoy watching someone’s facial expressions, so I was in charge of recording the event. My boyfriend’s dad’s eyes filled up with tears from the happiest of emotions. I was honored to share such a special time, and overall, I could have not asked for a better weekend. The weekend definitely relieved stress and brought lots of smiles to my face.
ReplyDeleteThe terms I used include the following: stress, procrastinated, non-verbal communication, relaxation, happiness, facial expressions, emotions, and smile.
Sometimes all it takes is a weekend away to rejuvenate you!
DeleteOne of the things we've talked about in class are stereotypes. I feel like this is a good topic for me because being a Native American I do deal with stereotypes a lot in my life. With the government being shut down last week and this week there were a lot of things going on throughout the U.S. but some things that really caught my attention were articles about Indian Reservations. Reservations are very poverty stricken but its really offensive when people think its because Native Americans are lazy or alcoholics. I think that is a stereotype that affects everyone of this ethnicity because that is always the snap judgments people have right away. But the articles from the government shut down were nothing but negative judgments towards Native Americans. All they talked about was how people were going to survive without the government's SNAP benefits or general assistance and other things. The thing that really offended me is Native Americans aren't the only people who use these benefits from the government. I didn't understand why we were the only people pointed out in that time of need. I have been apart of many negative stereotypes and I still don't understand why they all have to be negative.
ReplyDeletekeywords: stereotypes, snap judgments,
Good job incorporating psychology with current events!
Deletehttp://www.bbc.com/future/story/20131014-the-touching-moments-we-all-need
ReplyDeleteThis article starts off by explaining the concept of allogrooming. Allogrooming is when animals, chimpanzees specifically, groom each other in order to secure food, sex, power, and other things that they may want. Touch can be used to show power. Grooming also dictates the social hierarchy of chimpanzees. One thing that I thought was interesting was how female chimpanzees will keep a fight from happening between males by going and grooming both of them. Reading this part of the article reminded me a lot of how human women generally want to remedy conflict as soon as it comes up. Gender roles (and stereotypes) are not only part of the human world, they are a part of the animal world as well.
Humans do not engage in allogrooming. However, our species has other ways to show in our society what allogrooming does in that of chimpanzees. What chimpanzees gain in grooming, we gain through language. We use our words to get what we want. This doesn’t mean that touch isn’t as important for us. We communicate a lot through touch. Touch is often used to show affection, support, or power. Within our society, we dictate who is close to us or who we want to be close to by using touch. When we are touched by people we love, we feel positive emotions such as happiness and when people we don’t like touch us, we often have feelings of anxiety.
The article also discussed the Harry Harlow monkey experiment we talked about a few weeks ago in class. It talked about how baby monkeys would choose a cloth mother with no food over a wire mother with food. The experiment showed just how important touch is to adjustment, not only in monkeys but with humans as well. A recent Canadian experiment duplicated these findings.
Overall, this article helped emphasize the point that touch is a huge part of relationships. Humans and animals all need and rely on it. This universal concept is really interesting – it doesn’t affect just humans. It affects a lot of the animal life on our planet.
Key Terms: gender roles, stereotypes, adjustment, Harry Harlow, touch, happiness
Very interesting choice!
DeleteThe article "How To Stop Procastinating by Using the 'Two-Minute Rule'" talks about some processes that help in combaiting procastination. I know that I personally have a major struggle with procastinating but reading James Clear's article has sort of helped in combating procastination. In his article James states that there are two parts to the Two-Minute Rule. The first part is finishing or doing tasks that take less than two minutes to do. This combats procastination because we tend to push such little tasks away because they are easy to do and take less time and we tend to push them back until much later, something I would agree that I do too many times. The second part to the 'Two-Minute Rule' is that when starting a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do. James states that when we start doing something within two-minutes we then see ourselves doing it constantly, we just have to put our minds to doing it for two minutes and we see ourselves going for minutes or hours and before we know it, it becomes a constant habit of ours and becomes part of our behavior. I would say that this is a good coping mechanism for stress also because when we get stressed some of us tend to just give up and don't want to do anything about it. Little steps like this help in handling situations such as this.
ReplyDeleteKeyword: Procastination, Stress, Behavior, Coping.
Link to the article chosen from the Huffington post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-clear/stop-procrastinating_b_3342758.html
Very interesting concept....I can see where the first part of the rule would be beneficial from a different standpoint. Specifically, we advise people to start with "small" goals that are easily attainable in order to boost their confidence in their ability to accomplish larger goals in the future. In the context of procrastination, maybe getting small things done works in a similar way, where it bolsters your esteem and gives you the sense that you are getting things done, which translates into more productive work later.
Deletehttp://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013310160033
ReplyDeleteThe article I read should hit us all close to home because it is something that happened very recently and right here at our school, USD. Not long after D-Days USD made the front page in the Argus Leader and it definitely wasn't for a good football game but about a racial incident that happened during the parade. Alexis Oskolkoff, a senior at USD majoring in anthropology and Native Studies, and her 10 year old son Joseph were dressed up in tribal regalia and students from a near by float yelled out, "Look at those Indians," and were making war whoops with their hands to their mouths. Alexis said the look on her son's face was heart-breaking. Oskolkoff mentioned she is used to racial things being said to her, which is very sad to read, but she yelled back at the students to stop because she had to put her foot down when it was being done to her son. In an interview Alexis described it is sad because kids that hear those things don't forget about them and could easily grow up having racial expressions towards the people that did that to them. This article relates to our class talking about microaggressions, prejudice and discrimination. It's really sad to see how far we have come in the instances of African Americans being slaves to having an African American President, women not being allowed to vote or work to women holding just as many and the same type of jobs as men when it comes to pay and importance; and yet we still encounter these problems everyday. You could also say stress and coping could play a role in this story. Joseph's mom said he was very hurt by the things that were said to him and being ten years old that could cause a lot of stress and confusion for a young child. We hope in this situation Joseph is able to cope with this appropriately. And as far as the Strollers Organization goes, the group responsible for the float which the racial slurs came from, they turn themselves around and fix this. I hope they realize their behavior was wrong and when they agreed to take this as a lesson and help out in the learning and teaching of cultural diversity on campus they meant it and this doesn't turn into a bad behavior that goes unpunished.
Keywords: microagression, behavior, prejudice, discriminating, stress, coping
Good job applying concepts to things happening around campus...try to use your own words when summarizing articles whenever possible!
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/14/happiness-mistakes_n_4080099.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular,less-stress-more-living
ReplyDeleteThis article describes nine mistakes that can hinder an individual’s happiness. The list is as follows:
1. You’re placing too much emphasis on fulfillment.
2. You’re keeping it all in.
3. You’re sharing too much.
4. You’re on Facebook (and your smartphone) all the time.
5. You’re trying to “have it all.”
6. You’re not reflecting on the past.
7. You’re not moving.
8. You’re resisting change.
9. You’re not being mindful.
Almost all of these topics relate to things we have discussed in class. We’ve discussed stress and catharsis relating to several of these mistakes. We have debated several times the negative effects of constant technology, Facebook and smartphones. We have also discussed change and coping with stress. I think this article is very interesting and a good reminder. Sometimes it is easy to make the mistakes on this list. Being aware of the mistakes (not being mindful is actually a mistake listed) will help prevent them from occurring. It also demonstrates the underlying balance that is essential for happiness. One mistake is keeping it all in, but quickly following is sharing too much. There is a delicate balance that is optimal for happiness. Additionally, it is important to reflect on how far you have come and be satisfied with what you have, in contrast to trying to have it all, so you can have confidence and find happiness.
Key Words: Stress, Coping, Mindful, Catharsis, Confidence
I read this article called 7 Reasons to Take a Texting Sabbath Today:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/20/cell-phone free_n_4121940.html?utm_hp_ ref=mostpopular
and I think it can really incorporate a lot of what we have talked about in class. The first reason to “take a texting Sabbath” is because it can help you sleep better at night. Everyone knows that staring at your phone in the middle of the night can cause insomnia and poor sleep, but this article states that even texting during the day can inhibit sleeping patterns and increase stress.
The second reason is because “your divided attention can keep you from what’s really important.” Being constantly worried about our phones and all the facebook, email, texting junk in them can really mess with our priorities. Also, as we talked about in class, even the sound of another person’s conversation can be distracting and cause a decrease in performance, so how distracted are we by text messages? Consider an instant when you were waiting for a specific person to respond; you cannot focus.
“Your posture is suffering.” Leaning over your phone all day not only impairs your posture, but think of your body language as you walk down a hall, hunched over your phone. You can your phone are the in-group, and everything else is the out-group. I am guilty of completely ignoring /not even noticing friends when I was looking down at my phone. Your nonverbal communication while texting often says “Leave me alone, I’m busy.”
“It disrupts your driving.” It’s amazing that this one still needs to be said. So many people are killed in car accidents that are the result of texting, but it keeps happening because so many feel invincible; “It won’t happen to me.” It can almost be described as a narcissistic behavior, putting so many in danger for just one message that cannot wait.
Next, we should all take a break from our devices because “it makes you a less responsible pedestrian.” People who are texting are more likely to ignore crosswalk/lights at intersections and jaywalk. In addition, I would think phones could increase the bystander effect. People find it so easy to hide behind a phone, becoming instantly absorbed in it when in an uncomfortable situation.
“Your school/work performance suffers.” Texting and using social media on a phone greatly decrease productivity and increase procrastination. It can be a good idea to turn off your phone completely when you really need to complete a task.
And, finally, because “it can prevent you from really enjoying the activities you cherish.” Cell phones create ambient stress. They are a constant and distracting reminder of schedules, emails, drama. The article mentions a girl who turns her phone off for ballet class in order to rid herself of the distraction and enjoy ballet more fully. Having the constant urgency of a cell phone can prevent you from getting into your flow and realizing the here and now, rather than stressing about something that may be weeks from now or miles away.
Terms: Insomnia, gestures, body language, nonverbal communication, stressors, ambient stress, flow, bystander effect, narcissism, distraction, procrastination, social media
I can definitely attest to having sleep problems in relation to my phone. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back asleep, so I check my email and Facebook. But if I get an email that I need to respond to, I can't go back to sleep without responding. Even if I try, I just lie there and think about what I'm going to say in my email and end up having to reply before I can go back to sleep. I try not to check my phone anymore in the middle of the night for that very reason!
DeleteI'm going to use this blog post to talk about something I've experienced recently rather than picking out an article.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to talk about behavior influencing the self and how I've come to realize a few things about myself after learning about these things in class. The book defines self-regulation as the process of directing and controlling one's behavior. There are many ways that one can do this, and all of the ways you control the way you behave and think affect how events take place in your life. My example is going to be running. Last year I came to USD as a freshman to run cross country and track, and I entered my first cycle of training injured. After learning about self-efficacy in class, I have come to see that my freshman year of running could have gone a lot better if I had different beliefs about how I was going to perform. I had a very negative attitude. I had very bad shin splints and issues with weight when I came in, and I used to DREAD practice everyday. I used to get sick to my stomach thinking about how bad my shins were going to hurt on the run, would I make it the whole 40 minutes on an easy day, was I going to be able to hit times on the track, was I going to be able to finish the whole track workout... etc. It's hard to remember that ALL runners never feel perfect all the time- we all get tired or aches and pains and fight through injury all the time. I had convinced myself that I could not perform well with an injury. Instead of knowing I would struggle performing at my best, I just told myself there was no way I was going to do well if I didn't feel better. I kept getting worse and/or not getting better, and I was stuck in a rut for a while. I'm not sure what triggered a change in my attitude towards second semester last year, but I started to learn if I stayed positive and quit questioning my abilities and just apply myself at the best I could, I was going to get through it and maybe even perform well even if I wasn't feeling well. I ended up running a personal best race right at the end of the year last year, and cross country is going so much better this year than last year. I'm still not where I used to be before I got injured, but I now look forward to workouts, and when I finish them I feel really good about it. I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but I used to use self-handicapping, the tendency to sabotage one's performance to provide an excuse for possible failure, quite a bit back then. I used to quit workouts early, even if I probably could have pushed through the pain. I just didn't like knowing I wasn't going to hit times feeling good, or hit times at all, but instead of still trying to hit times and get through the workout, I'd limp and say I'd need to go bike. I thought it was easier to avoid the defeat rather than experience it. I used basically all of the behavioral-theories in the book, now that I read back through them. Self-serving bias - blaming my success on my "hard work" and my bad days on my injuries, etc. I basked in reflected glory when my team did well and then liked to avoid talking about running when people asked about me and my personal performances.
I've come to realize a lot in the past year and a half about how in control I am of my environment and what happens to me if I stay in the right mindset and use the knowledge of these theories to my advantage.
Key Terms:
Self-serving bias
basking in reflected glory
self-handicapping
self-regulation
self-efficacy
Very good lesson learned!
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sack-md/children-self-esteem_b_1822809.html
ReplyDeleteThe article “Could Your Children Have Too Much Self Esteem” discusses the harms of the positive self esteem movement, similar to the video we watch in class, and gives tips to help parents encourage their kids to have good self esteem without destroying work ethic. Parents fear that by criticizing their children's actions they will cause them to get a poor self image and cause them commit acts of rebellion and delinquency. However, new research shows while poor self esteem is harmful for children's mental health, too high self esteem can be just as if not more harmful by causing narcissistic qualities, superiority complexes, lack of responsibility, and a decrease in motivation. The way that parents can help their children be well rounded individuals is to instead of praise everything their child does or criticize everything he/she does, find the “middle ground” and praise them only for their accomplishments and help them overcome their failures, not ignore them. Also, avoiding comparing children to each can help not create such a competitive atmosphere. Rather, encourage them to embrace their own strength and take risks either within in those strengths or to try new things.
Key Words: Narcissism/Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Self Esteem, Parenting Styles, Confidence, Adjustment
I also completed Blog Assignment 8, and the Comments for Week 8 One Sided Conversations and It's Your Choice
This past week was midterm week, as many know. It wasn’t going too bad until Wednesday hit. Then the last minute assignments and projects were assigned and almost sent me over the edge with how stressed I was. A six part project was due on Friday, and my Spanish project that took me 6 hours I had to re-do because my professor said I didn’t do it right and that was also due on Friday; along with an in class Spanish composition that I needed to research and study for. These acute stressors would be over in a matter of days, but at the time it felt like it never ended. I was constantly moving and doing things I didn’t have time to relax and calm down. I was actually on the point of burning out I’m pretty sure. My internal conflict was avoidance-avoidance, because I didn’t know what task to try to accomplish next due to them both being unappealing. I just had to buckle down and do one or the other. I tried to accomplish as much as I could on that Wednesday night so my Thursday wouldn’t be too bad. There was so much to do, the aspects I did Wednesday night only helped a little. I was getting so frustrated and was having emotional responses due to my stress. It was about 8:00 pm and I still had a ways to go.
ReplyDeleteMy friend Caitlin came over and tried to relax with me during a study break because she was going through the same thing. We actually decided to go to the Wellness Center on campus and we played basketball for almost two hours. It was so nice to just go have fun and clear our minds from schoolwork and those acute stressors. We laughed and had a great time while working out. When I arrived back at my house at 10, I felt refreshed and a whole lot less stressed than before. That little break we had was exactly what I needed, because after we did that it seemed as if the work was a little easier to do. I finished everything on time and felt really good about them too. Even though I had more work to do after playing basketball, my stress was relieved and I could focus better. I wasn’t mad or upset at my assignments anymore and completing those tasks made my weekend so much better. I relieved my stress in a healthy way and it benefited me.
Key Terms: Stress, Acute Stress, Internal Conflict, Social Support, Burnout, Emotional Responses, and Coping
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/guy-winch-phd/building-self-esteem-_b_3953771.html
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about how self-esteem boosts and helps improve your emotional strength. Our self-esteem is something that is rarely ever stable. It is important to have a good self-esteem because it does more for us than giving us confidence. People with higher self-esteem were found to be stronger emotionally and more resilient. When a person has low self-esteem they experience a greater drop in motivation after a failure. The way that our self-esteem functions could be described as an emotional immune system. The best thing that a person can do to boost their self-esteem would be self-affirmations. The article recommends that you make a list of at least 5 qualities that you know you have and believe that are valuable and write why they are important. This applies to what we have learned in the class so far by describing how someone may cope in different ways depending on the emotional state that they are currently in. By boosting your confidence, you will feel better about yourself and will have less stress and anxiety about things that shouldn’t even be a worry.
Terms:
Self-esteem
Confidence
Stress
Anxiety
Emotional Immune System
Self-affirmations
That's a very behavioral way to approach the problem. It is also helpful to have this list to not only boost your confidence when writing it, but to look back upon when feeling down. Sometimes when people feel down it's hard to think of positive things about themselves and their lives, but having a list readily available can make a big difference!
DeleteThe article I found is called “Weight Gain Tied to Personality Changes, Impulsivity: Study.” The article starts off saying that since your mind and body are intertwined, if one changes, if one changes you should expect the other one to. A study was done over a ten year span with more than 1,900 participants; the study analyzed body weight and personality traits at the beginning and end of a ten year period. At the end of the study, they associated a ten percent weight increase with an increase in two different personality traits: impulsiveness and deliberation. The article compared this study to another study done prior saying that Type A personalities were more likely to have a higher BMI and other information.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/06/weight-gain-personality-changes-impulsivity_n_3225331.html
Key words: personality, study, personality traits
We discussed health psychologist briefly this year (the lady from the TED Talk video about stress was a health psychologists). Is this a topic you think falls under the realm of health psychology? Just something to think about.
DeleteThe article I chose dealt with a mayor who use the word "queer" in social media. The mayor spoke out through social media saying she didn't want gay marriage "shoved down" her throat. This article reminded me a lot of most of our book. Watching the video the woman seemed very narcissistic. the video also caused sever stress on the town. The mayor also said that her status was taken out of proportion. This could have been in part because she was communicating without non-verbals. By posting a status like that, she is hurting the self-esteem and confidence of so many people. Furthermore, her snap-judgments created a huge uproar within the community. This article in the Huffington Post shows that people should always think about the consequences of there actions before they post things as well as think about there snap-judgments.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/17/south-carolina-mayor-gay-_n_4116387.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-marriage
Last weekend I was on my way home for the three day weekend and I stopped for gas at a gas station in Murdo. I’m already not a fan of people that are discriminatory towards other people, but when they show aggression towards that person or group really gets my blood boiling. Well it just so happens that I’m was filling up with gas as there were tree cutting vehicles filling up as well. The occupants in the vehicles were Hispanic. A man walked out of the store and went right up to the vehicle with one male and two female Hispanics. He used verbal microaggressions by saying, “What do you think you’re doing?” and had a very angry facial expression. Now this might not seem like he did anything wrong, but I saw nothing wrong with the picture so I told him, “They did nothing wrong”. He then went on to tell me that I didn’t know what they did, which to make a long story short is, “They don’t belong here, they are taking over our country.” Mind you, I have a Spanish minor and I am enthralled with the Spanish culture and language. If they have a visa and don’t overstay its worth, then they have the same rights as you and me to be in this country. That amount of hatred and discriminative behavior towards a minority group is a serious issue we have in America. Our country is known as a melting pot and that’s what we have always been, a safe place for immigrants but our nation is filled with so many racist that I’m questioning if this really is a safe place. Statistics show that discriminatory behaviors are getting better in time, but are they really? I overhear people talking poorly about or making snap judgments over people who are different than them quite regularly. Sure most people don’t go to the extremes of killing them nowadays, but they are still using microaggressions to make the minority group feel unwanted and this could lead to some serious stress issues. From feeling like you aren’t fitting in could cause stress and then those people would have to deal with how to cope with the aggressions made against them. To think all of this starting with me getting gas, and ended with me getting an overwhelming feeling of dislike and a mind filled with snap judgments.
ReplyDeleteKeywords: discriminate, aggression, verbal microaggressions, facial expression, minority, racist, snap judgments, stress, cope
It is definitely sad that this type of behavior still exists, and most people (bystanders) just let it happen. It's commendable that you stood up for the Hispanics in this situation based on what you believe in.
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/caroline-dowdhiggins/how-to-manage-introverts_b_4026668.html
ReplyDeleteIn this article, an introvert talks about how manage introverts in the working world. It started with some of the myths of introverts, such as not liking to be around people and not friendly. When the truth is they love people and they have to recharge their energy by being alone. Also, another aspect of introverts is they have to be able to analyze and process everything and they prefer to handle one problem or task at a time. Also, when it comes to meetings, introverts need time to prepare in advance; they do not do well with brainstorming spontaneous ideas. Also, agendas are a very important thing for introverts to help them organize their thoughts and ideas and give them an idea on how things are going to run. At the end of the article, the writer really emphasizes the importance of knowing the difference between introvert and an extrovert when in the work place.
“Why We Indulge in Emotional Eating.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/25/emotional-eating-science_n_909173.html
This article discusses the reasons one overindulges themselves in highly emotional situations. The article starts off by talking about different hormones in our stomach that communicate with our brain when we eat food. The researchers did an experiment on how these hormones would work if the food had no interaction with the tongue what so ever. They connected a feeding tube to the subject to ingest different saturated fats directly into the stomach and then had them listen to sad music. It was found that the subjects were much more happy after listening to the music. The article then goes on to discuss how these hormones are what kept us alive when food was scarce and in this day in age is now killing us. It is making us eat when we are not hungry. An interesting thing pointed out in this article is that obese people’s hormones in their stomach may not be connecting to the brain as well as they should be. This means that obese people will not feel full, and will not have the happy effects of saturated fats, resulting in their body biologically striving for this “happiness.”
Stress
Happy
Coping Strategies.
Emotions
Very interesting...what are some implications of the findings tied to the biological reasoning surrounding why obese people may overeat? For example, might knowing there is a biological basis for their eating difficulties change stereotypes of this population?
DeleteThis past week discussing Chapter 8 really got me thinking about the importance of body language. I'm one of those people who talk with my hands and pay really close attention to other people's body language when having a conversation. I'm really big on "vibes" and tend to read people's body language to really figure out what they are saying (or not saying). The message of the conversation depends equally on the sender and how the receiver interprets body language. It was interesting to learn again that 70%, give or take, is the amount of communication that happens through nonverbals. When we talked about relationship satisfaction, I agree that it's super important to have good communication-both verbal and nonverbal-and I also see this true with friendships. My best friends are the people who know what I have to say even when I don't say it and are the ones who can point out if something is wrong or if I'm excited based on my body language and vice versa. I think body language, facial expression, and even tone of voice and posture are important parts of interpersonal communication.
ReplyDeleteKey words: communication, interpersonal communication, message, sender, receiver, nonverbals
I commented on Week 4 about stressors.
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-michaelis-phd/meditation-practice-_b_3880400.html
ReplyDeleteIn this article titled Meditation, Purpose and the Happiness Police by Ben Michaelis, Ph. D. he explains how people are constantly trying to be happy because our society puts a great emphasis on the idea of happiness. But in reality, people who are only looking to be happy may find themselves more unhappy in pursuit of this happiness which can cause stress, anxiety, and/or depression. In reality, all of us are happy in some aspect of our lives but in comparing ourselves with others and their accomplishments and goals, we forget about our own happiness. The author then states that we should be more focused on our purpose. Having purpose means to connecting with and working for something larger than yourself. Michaelis also explains purpose as exploring and knowing our individual consciousness to understand what truly matters to us. One way of finding your own purpose it meditation, like discussed in class. Meditation can help focus the mind and bring you in touch with your mind and body. This can help you to find your purpose and help to decide what you want to accomplish and how you want to go about doing things for yourself.
Key Words: Happiness, Meditation, Anxiety, Purpose
I was thinking about this exact thing this morning - find happiness within yourself and don't let your happiness depend on other people!
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/13/sunday-night-blues_n_4086390.html?utm_hp_ref=less-stress-more-living
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about "Sunday Blues" and ways to keep the "Sunday Blues" away. Statistics show that 78 percent in a national survey have the "Sunday Blues" while in the United States the percent is 47. The "Sunday Blues" are shown to cause anxiety and stress. This connects to our material because one of the ways to rid ourselves of the "Sunday Blues" is to write what you are feeling down, to release strong emotions or catharsism. Another way to avoid the Sunday Blues is to unplug or get away from Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest for a couple of hours to get away from the stressful week. The final example of how to avoid the Sunday Blues is to organize for the upcoming week. To do this you organize your work area before you leave on Friday. By doing this it may make your weekend more relaxed and not make you so stressed come Sunday.
Key Words: Catharsism, anxiety, stress
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI completed Week 8 blog part 1, body language and one-sided conversations.
DeleteI use what I learn about stress and apply it to my everyday life. I make primary and secondary appraisals for each test or assignment. This helps me to plan my week, strategizing what classes take priority. Also, identifying events as acute, chronic, or anticipatory help me plan for these events. To avoid a cumulative impact of all these stressful events, I know I have to cope and manage my stress in healthy ways. I try to eat well and exercise daily to relive stress. I have been attending yoga class twice a week, which really helps me relax and calm down. I also have tried to apply the behavior modification to reduce my procrastination in my online class. This class taught me to target my problem behavior and create a program to change that behavior. I have made a weekly schedule to stay on top of notes, lectures, and studying for the class. Since the last exam, I have noticed that my scores have improved and I feel less anxiety and stress. The class has also helped me to realize that stress isn’t a completely negative concept and that there are positive benefits. I often feel like pressure of today’s society to succeed, but recognizing the positive effects of stress make me feel empowered when I do well in school and other life aspects. This has helped me build up my stress tolerance and has enabled me to conquer future events. I know that I will always be faced with stressful situations throughout my life, but this class has equipped me with the proper tools to face and cope stress successfully.
ReplyDeleteStress, primary and secondary appraisals, acute, chronic, and anticipatory stressors, coping, behavior modification, pressure, stress tolerance
Paige, this is great! Behavior modification is great if you just stick with it, which it sounds like you have figured it out.
DeleteI’ve been assisting one of my friends with a project on diversity in USD. The project is a documentary for one of the education courses. I feel that this tied in very easily with the chapter we recently discussed on prejudices. My friend’s project focused more heavily on the issue of diversity in our university and if there is anything being done in order to improve the diversity. On my sports talk show on KAOR (the campus radio station) we’ve discussed the recent issue of the Washington Redskins’ name and mascot. There has been a huge debate within the Redskins’ organization in order to change the name, the Oneida organization has made it their personal mission in order to lessen the derogation from the mascot. My education friend and I have had many discussions on the issues of the derogatory meaning behind the Redskins’ name as well as the prejudice found in USD. There was a recent incident at the Dakota Days parade in which a Native family was the target of offensive remarks from a student organization. The tie ins from prejudice to natives in South Dakota to Washington and other professional organizations that have already changed their names to avoid further offense is quite interesting.
ReplyDeleteInteresting Links:
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9763922/tribe-washington-redskins-name-plans-dc-meeting
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9797628/dan-snyder-defends-washington-redskins-name
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/letter-from-red-cloud-indian-school-on-the-washington-redskins-name/2013/10/11/e24044ba-32bc-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.html
I heard about the Redskins "controversy" but haven't heard the latest news on it. I know when I was in high school many local school districts were asked to change the name of their mascots for this same reason. It'll be interesting to see how this turns out.
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/18/unhealthy-healthy-foods-superfoods-sins_n_4098839.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living
ReplyDeleteThe article is not necessarily related to social psychology directly but the way food affects are everyday living is related to psychological health. The article opens with examples of how people think some chocolate is healthy and the extent to which people make healthy foods unhealthy. Cooking in oil that is the wrong temperature can lead to excess absorption in whatever is being cooked. Also fried foods can absorb more oils. Emotional eating is a very bad psychological problem and knowing what foods are right and how to make things healthier will not prevent the eating but decrease the unhealthiness. Yogurt covered foods, such as raisin, are still considered candy. Stereotyping is another factor that influences people and eating. Thinking a food is healthy just because it is a vegetable can be dangerous. The way it is cooked and what it is served with can cause it to be even unhealthier than the other choice. For example I have had friends order fried green beans and act like it is healthy. Also lean meats are healthy but when served smothered in sauce that almost defeats the purpose. Snap judgments are another think that people need to take into account. Like blueberry muffins, blue berries are super good for you but when they come in store bought pastries that in another story. People often make snap judgments after hearing one healthy ingredient thinking the whole food item is good. Overall people need to be careful of the extras that are not normally thought about. Butter on popcorn, artificial flavoring, over seasoning, and adding extras really defeat the purpose or cancel out the healthiness factor. Overall stress can cause emotional eating, so knowing what is healthy can help. Also people tend to be depressed or have anxiety when they are overweight, so knowing little things that can help in weight loss and control could be beneficial.
Stereotypes
Emotional eating
Snap judgments
stress
I did an extra credit blog on body language!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/11/stress-avoidance-strategies-taking-your-mind-off_n_3575211.html
ReplyDeleteThe article discusses how running away from your problems could help those that are stressed. Usually when most people tackle problems that are stressful head on but they are finding research that says that taking your mind off the stressful events could help. People who did not think about their problems were more likely to be less stressed about the situation whether it be school, work, or home. They conducted a study showing undergraduates who used avoidance strategies were able to cope better and were able to enjoy activities better. Avoidance can also help a person's mental and physical health. They do make a point that avoidance is a break which is for a short period of time. Trying to escape situations is not good for a person. It is good to clear the mind and come back with a fresh start.
Key terms: stress, acute stressors, chronic stressors, avoidance, coping
What are the long-term effects of avoidance though? In the research I've read, avoidance can be good in the short-term for reasons suggested in your article, but avoidance doesn't solve the issue or get your homework done. Sooner or later you'll likely have to face the issue again, so is avoidance really THAT helpful in the long run? Just something to think about.
DeleteI recently encountered a situation that would relate to some topics in this class. The topics discussed are stereotypes and fundamental attribution error.
ReplyDeleteThis past weekend I got to hang out with a friend from high school. She brought along two of her friends from college. As we were talking to get to know each other, I mentioned I enjoy volunteering at homeless shelters/food pantry services. One of her friends was very curious about why I do that. Her belief was that homeless people should not be cared for because it is their own fault for getting a job and they are lazy, smell bad, and dirty. She thought that volunteers shouldn’t waste their time volunteering there because homeless people were not worth it. She continued to describe her reasons, but I would not like to share them all because they were not very nice. Needless to say, I was not impressed by this girl. However, I handled the situation very calmly. I told her that there are homeless people who are homeless because of personal choices, but that is not the case for all. I proceed to tell this young lady that the majority of people who are homeless (at the shelters I volunteer at) were homeless because of outside factors (i.e. PTSD veterans, cancer survivor, lost everything in divorce, etc.). It was not necessarily their fault; it just happens to people sometimes. I was very frustrated by this girl because it was the first time I met her and here we are disagreeing about this. I understand that this was her opinion and I didn’t want to change that; I just wanted her to understand the other side of the situation.
Key words: first impression, stereotypes, fundamental attribution error, external attribution, power of persuasion, attitude, volunteer
Sounds like a classic example of the FAE!
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/abercrombie-dress-code_n_3943131.html
ReplyDeleteI decided to read an article about discrimination in an Abercrombie or Hollister clothing store. The article shocked me. I had no idea that a store could have that much control over somebody. The article talked about how a young girl was wearing a Hollister shirt, jeans, and flip flops to work one day but was asked to remove her necklace that had a small cross on it. The girl removed it and put it in her pocket. The article also discussed another situation in which a young girl had a head wrap on because of her religion and she always had to work in the back of the store so that nobody else could see her and when the manager arrived at the store and she was asked to remove the head wrap she refused and was escorted out of the store and asked to leave. I believe that this is discrimination and that it should not be allowed. I think that if something is part of one’s culture than it is beautiful and should be expressed freely, especially when it is a topic such as religion. I think that there is already a stereotype behind Hollister and their workers. I often times hear about how everybody who works there has to be a model or look like one and that nobody eats who works there. After reading this I was disappointed in the characteristics behind Hollister. The manager even said that he upholds what he thinks is best for his store. If anything, I think diversity is more important than sticking to status quo.
When thinking about discrimination it made me think of my family experience that I had a few years ago. I really had never been around many African American people before until I came to college that is. However, my cousin announced to our family two years ago that she was going to marry a running back from NDSU and that he was African American. He was such a nice guy and they were deeply in love. I was shocked to find out that my aunt and uncle refused to help pay for the wedding because they were extremely upset that he was African American. My family got into a huge argument and became upset with my aunt and uncle. They definitely were holding a stereotype against him. Their small group of famers was somewhat of an ingroup because they refused to see the opinions or sides of anybody else they only believed what they wanted to. Stress was very high for a while but finally they opened up. We all love him and my aunt and uncle finally came around. I am not predjudice and I never discriminate so it was weird to actually go through an experience like that.
Key words:
Discrimination
culture
religion
stereotype
diversity
ingroup
stress
prejudice
Two great examples.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/21/inner-child-gps-guide_n_4124754.html?utm_hp_ref=less-stress-more-living#slide=3025253
ReplyDeleteThe article I read, “GPS Guide: Fulvia Morales's Tips For Tapping Into Your Inner Child,” was very short, but at the same time, very insightful. This article discussed the importance of reconnecting with your inner child. It also gave some very good examples of how to do so. One of these examples included doing activities you did as a child such as going to the playground or playing hide-or-seek. By doing either of these activities, one can increase their fitness and also it can help reduce stress. Something that people can also do is stop obsessing over every single thing because it can only lead to more stress and pressure one oneself. Then comes my favorite one; don’t stress over calories. Treating oneself to a sweet treat can help boost ones mood and energy. The rest of the examples have to do with turning chores into fun, having slumber parties, celebrating small victories, and singing in the shower. These can all help to reduce stress in one’s life and also help boost one’s mood and energy, and therefore overall happiness. This relates to the class in the fact that we discuss a lot of different ways to help lower stress and to improve overall health. Some people get so wrapped up in their lives and as stress increases, the chances of depression also increases, so this is a great article to read and to take some advice from.
Key Terms:
Stress
Depression
Pressure
I choose to read an article that discusses whether or not exercise helps depression and ways that exercise does the brain good. Although researchers need more studies on the relationship between depression and exercise, exercise can be effective at reducing symptoms of depression. They also cannot tell if the benefit of exercise for patients with depression stops once the patient stops exercising. Although there are many uncertainties about exercising and depression, research has shown that exercise can affect the brain in positive ways.
ReplyDeleteOne way exercise boosts the brain is producing more of the protein that helps with learning and memory. Second, exercise may help brains that are still developing alleviate ADHD symptoms because of the production of the protein previously mentioned. Exercise also helps with motor memory, generating new neurons by running and increases the body’s threshold for cortisol which makes it easier to handle stressors.
Key words: stressors, exercise, learning and memory, ADHD, motor memory, depression
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/15/exercise-depression-symptoms_n_3902149.html
I also did Week 8 "Understanding Body Language" and "Google Glass and Autism"
DeleteYou may also be interesting in learning more about exercise and its relation to what we typically refer to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (or major depression with seasonal pattern as the DSM 5 defines it).
DeleteI recently got a new job at Old Lumber Company. I am a senior here at USD and up until this point I had not worked during the school year; college had been my job. This summer however, I had a lot of unexpected bills and was not able to save as much as I was used to. So about a month ago I applied and was hired at Old Lumber Company as a bartender downtown. However I signed on about a week before D-days, the bar’s busiest week of the year. Although I had originally asked for 10-20 hours a week, OLC had me working 30-45 hours a week for the first few weeks. I didn’t complain, because I needed the money, but it has greatly affected my health and life. I haven’t been able to work out for the past few weeks, which has destroyed my drive to continue working out. Other acute stressors like overtime, managers, insomnia, and missing class due to it all suddenly became major players in my life. Some of those acute stressors have become chronic stressors (for example, my manager will always be a bitch ahah) but I have also figured out how to deal with them. My second week at OLC I was having troubles falling asleep before 5am, and this lead to me missing a lot of class. Now, I have given up previous methods of entertainment I enjoyed before I acquired a job, because I realized I now no longer have the time. I have been able to adapt to my stressors, through healthy means of coping like exercise. They say idle hands are the devil’s play things, having a job has forced me to constructive cope with my new restrictive time allowance. Even though I had a lot on my plate, I like to think I can attribute my high levels of stress tolerance to my carefree and relaxed attitude. In my mind, things will always work out, but work is still required for that to happen. Thanks for reading.
ReplyDeleteAcute stressors, Chronic stressors, Stress tolerance, Constructive coping
Sounds very stressful...be sure to take time for self-care!
Deletehttps://www.openforum.com/articles/5-body-language-poses-that-can-sabotage-success/?extlink=of-syndication-tab-p
ReplyDeleteThe article I chose was “5 Body Language Poses that can Sabotage Success” by Julie Davis. It discusses five poses that communicate nonverbally to co-workers and bosses unsuccessfulness. The five sabotaging postures are 1. Crossing your ankles while standing – this gives off a shy and insignificant message. 2. Fig leaf pose with hands while standing – this gives the impression of unimportance. 3. Tipping or tilting your head – This can confuse others as to what you’re really thinking. 4. Coy eye contact – this gives off a flirty vibe that is unprofessional, holding one’s head level to the ground and make good eye contact to be more professional, and 5. Nervous habits – things such as fiddling with a necklace or phone, tapping a foot, or fidgeting can make you come off as unconfident and nervous. Kinesis and learning what you do and do not do can help you to become more successful, especially as a woman in the workforce. Often times these nonverbal communications are read with snap judgments, and the reader of these nonverbal habits might not even realize that they are making these insinuations but they are. Fixing these poses and creating posture that gives off more confidence can even lead someone to have greater self-esteem which in turn will help with their success at work as well. Word list: Nonverbal communication, Kinesis, snap judgments, self-esteem.
How The Brain Leans Successfully, Even Under Stress
ReplyDeleteThe Huffington Post. By Carolyn Gregoire
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/31/learn-under-stress-brain_n_3678222.html
I chose this article/ topic because I found the effects of stress very interesting, especially what we learned in the Ted Talk entitled “How to Make Stress Your Friend” by Kelly McGonigal. This new article focuses on the findings of German researchers and the receptors that the brain uses to moves us from conscious to unconscious learning when under stress. These layers are in reference to the 3 layers of awareness, the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious. The study says that when we acquire new knowledge under stress, it employs the unconscious rather that the conscious learning process by utilizing mineralocorticoid receptors, which are activated by the adrenal gland in response to the release of stress hormones. The researchers tested what exactly influenced participant’s conscious reasoning of thinking and finding correlations and the unconscious reasoning of using ones gut instincts. Even though you are still learning the material, the brain functions optimally when it is not under stress, especially chronic stress, which has been linked to poor memory. The researchers suggest that to minimize stress and supercharge your brain power, we must incorporate mindfulness into our life and to be aware of what stresses us and how our body is reacting to that stress. Being in college this is very hard to keep in check, I feel like the times I try and study/learn the most are the times when I am most stressed. Figuring out how to get the optimum learning capacity by not stressing, say around finals, and to utilize the potential of my brain.
Word list: Stress, Layers of Awareness, Conscious, Preconscious, Unconscious, Adrenal Gland, Stress Hormones, Instincts, Chronic Stress
Interesting biological look at stress.
DeleteThis afternoon I took the GRE, which in fact has been a major stressor in my life the past few weeks. Trying to find time to study for the exam has been extremely difficult, as I also have other exams to study for, homework to do, and am working constantly. Without the use of coping skills, and my great social support, I would have really struggled these past few weeks. The GRE is incredibly difficult, especially if you have not studied much for it. Although I am okay with the scores that I received, I am planning on re-taking the exam, to ensure I score the highest of my ability and hopefully enable myself to get into the school of my choice. While taking this exam, I was under an extreme amount of pressure, as they have very tight security with someone walking around and standing behind you constantly to ensure you are not cheating, as well as pressured to do well so that I can get into graduate school. I felt this experience was relatable to class topics because we have been talking a lot about stressors and the coping process.
ReplyDeleteKey words: stressors, stress, coping, pressure, social support
Oh the dreaded GRE! I find that approaching it with a positive attitude (especially if you disagree with being required to take the GRE) is extremely helpful, at least it was in my case.
DeleteThe link to the article I chose is http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/05/cell-phone-hurts-relationships-study-university-of-essex_n_1855930.html.
ReplyDeleteIn this article researchers claim that a cell phone being in the room can cause distraction from a close personal connection, even if the phone is not being used. This experiment was conducted by asking pairs of strangers to discuss a specific topic for ten minutes while leaving their belongings in a waiting area and being sent to a private booth. In the booth there were two desks, one where the strangers faced each other and another with a book and a second item. Some pairs had a cell phone on the desk while other had a notepad. After the discussions the strangers were asked to fill out a questionnaire about the connection they had experienced. Pairs with the presence of a cell phone reported lower relationship quality. In a second study, participants were asked to discuss either a casual or meaningful subject and again found that a cell phone’s presence impacted the relationship quality, trust and empathy in meaningful conversations, though determining whether or not cell phones affected casual conversation was deemed undeterminable. The fact that even the presence of a cell phone can affect close relationships is a scary thought after considering how many people have cell phones on them at all times. It is believed that a balance between personal connections and cell phones is very possible, but difficult due to the fact that the number of people suffering from nomophobia (fear of being without a phone) is increasing daily. This ties into our course material due to the fact of the importance of interpersonal communication. Effective listening cannot be accomplished if someone is distracted by a phone being nearby and nonverbal communication may not be as noticed, causing the lowered closeness in relationships.
Keywords: empathy, interpersonal communication, effective listening, nonverbal communication
I commented on Week 2’s assignment as well as Improving Academic Performance and Do Good, Feel Good from week 2.
Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mequilibrium/exercise_b_3534465.html
ReplyDeleteThe article I chose to look at discusses how exercise can reduce your overall stress levels. The article looks at ways you can use exercise to help de-stress and detox your life. The main part of your body that benefits from this detoxification is your lymphatic system. The benefit of exercise is that it increases your breathing and muscle contractions allowing your lymphatic system to better process materials. Recently I have experienced first hand the stress relieving effects of exercise, or should I say lack thereof. Since D-Days I have been sick with a sinus infection and was feeling too sick to get into the gym. It took me a few days to realize that my increased feelings of stress were because I hadn’t exercised. I was becoming more stressed about trivial everyday things that should not have normally stressed me. Not only were my stress levels higher but also my overall levels of anxiety increased as well. It wasn’t until this week that I felt good enough to go back to exercising and this also allowed me to get back into a normal rhythm with homework. I find that if I am able to workout then my stress and anxiety levels are lower allowing my productivity levels to be higher.
Keywords: Stress, exercise, stress levels, anxiety, productivity
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/21/fitness-personality_n_4110442.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living
ReplyDeleteIn this article, it discusses the importance in finding a workout you enjoy doing not just doing a workout to do a workout. The reasoning behind this is if you are in love with doing the activity you are doing, you are more apt to continue completing the activity with a more positive attitude, which in turn boosts attitude for the remaining part of your day! I think this article relates back to self-esteem and self-regulation. It goes back to self-esteem because what else does working out do..besides make you healthier. I know for sure that working out definitely raises my self-esteem. I typically find myself much happier (and I know that comes from releasing of endorphins as well) and more self-confident. Self-regulation is important in this concept as well because self-regulation is "the process of directing and controlling one's behavior". Working out takes a lot of directing and controlling, at least it does to me. It is important to be able to direct your emotions in way that will keep you motivated. Directing your feelings towards your workout and controlling the way it effects your body is important.
Making your body aware of the emotions, using self-regulation, influences your self-esteem.
Word List- self-esteem, self-regulation, awareness
For the past 5 semesters I have been a Community Advisor and it has had many challenges to it. On a daily basis I have to deal with roommate disagreements, homesick students, and freshman that are struggling with schoolwork. Not only are all of those things hard and mentally taxing on my residents it is also very tough to deal mentally with everything myself. I not only have my own 16-18 credit hour class load with homework, working roughly 10-15 hours a week at the front desk, and outside extracurricular activities, I have to deal with all of their issues. All of these things qualify as acute stressors as I won’t have them forever. In a semester I will be graduating and it will all be just a memory.
ReplyDeleteI have learned a lot about of things through this job. I have probably learned the most in the area of interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence. I have had to learn how to read my residents emotions. For example if a very outgoing sociable resident pulls back and is in their room a lot it is probably a good idea to go check on them and make sure they aren’t struggling or depressed and if there is anything I can do for them. Another example is when I am dealing with roommate disagreements both people are more than likely angry and fed up with each other by that point so I have to be able to read their level of anger and ability to work on a conclusion.
The way I communicate is also extremely important. I have to be seen as open or my residents will not come to be with issues they may be having. At the same time I have to be an authority figure or my floor could turn into complete chaos. I work a lot on my eye contact. With a majority of people I use direct eye contact but I am aware that it is not appropriate with people from all cultures. I also have to be very aware of my tone whether I sound approachable, angry, calm, or happy is very important to how my residents will respond to me. Gestures are also very important. I naturally talk with my hands so watching and controlling my gestures when necessary is a skill I have been working on.
My job as a CA has taught me many things and has also helped me learn about myself. Although it is a stressful job it is worth it when a group of students makes it through their freshman year of college.
Key Words
Acute Stressors
Interpersonal Communication
Emotional Intelligence
Depression
Eye contact
Tone
Gestures
Throughout this class I have learned a lot about stress and stress management, which has really helped me get through these past couple weeks. Recently, I took on more hours at work. I work for SESDAC, an agency in Vermillion that supports people with a wide array of developmental disabilities. I work 10-13 hour overnights, depending on the day. Originally I was only working overnights every Thursday and every other Friday and Saturday, but a few weeks ago I started working overnights every Monday and every other Tuesday as well because of some staffing problems that arose. I don't mind helping, and with bills and various other expenses I could definitely use the money. Unfortunately though, it has already been very physically and emotionally tolling on me and it's only been a few weeks. This has created a lot of stress for me, especially in regards to school. I almost feel a sense of anxiety in regards to when I'll sleep and when I'll do my school work and study. I have found that I am tired in class and therefore pay less attention. I have also been stressed out in my personal life because I have less time to do things with friends and family than I previously had. Over the past week I have been finding ways to adjust to my new schedule and have noticed that with these adjustments, my stress levels have slowly been decreasing. I think once I can make a full adjustment and figure out a new schedule that works for me, I will be much better off.
ReplyDeleteKey words: Stress, Anxiety, Studying, Scheduling/ Adjustments
Be sure to make appropriate time for self-care...we've seen the detrimental impacts of stress!
DeleteIn this article they explain 10 things to give up in exchange for happiness, they are as follows: give up what others care about you, trying to please everyone, participating in gossip, worrying, insecurity, taking everything personally, the past, materialism, anger, control, giving a brief reasoning on the benefit of quitting each of these unnecessary pitfalls to our wellbeing, such as when it explains anger as a hot coal that burns the hands of the one who holds it. the article states that all of these things are based on misconceptions and only detrimental if you chose pursue them and encourages one to let go. It also states that these things are what complicate are lives to a point where we wouldn't even be able to recognize happiness if it were right in front of us.
ReplyDeleteword list- happiness, flow, stress, self-esteem, confidence, coping, catharsis.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tamara-star/exchange-these-for-happiness_b_4073396.html
DeleteI posted on week 3 blog assignment
DeleteDo you have any personal experience with any of these? Strive to make those applications!
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/19/mindfulness-blood-pressure-hypertension-stress_n_4117700.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living#slide=1725532
ReplyDeleteThe article I read was called “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Could Help Lower Blood Pressure”. It talks about how the practice of mindfulness can help you lower your blood pressure and help relieve your stress. Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of and focusing on the present and what is happening right now and around them. Studies show that weekly sessions of mindfulness help people with hypertension decreases their blood pressure. I think mindfulness would be very helpful to reduce ambient stress, so that you forget those outside stressors and focus and what is going on around you right now.
Keywords: stress, stressors, mindfulness (ch.16), ambient stress
I commented on blog assignment- week 8
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/14/happiness-mistakes_n_4080099.html?utm_hp_ref=less-stress-more-living
ReplyDeleteThis article explains the pursuit of an individual's happiness, and why that pursuit is often led astray due to common mistakes we tend to make. The article ties in nicely with our discussion on happiness earlier in the semester, although it conflicts with it slightly. One of the points the article made was its theory, according to a University of Denver study, that a portion of our unhappiness is due to the fact that many of us are so focused on reaching future happiness, that we don't allow ourselves to be momentarily happy. This is something I absolutely agree with, as it relates to happiness based on reaching our expectations, which is less fulfilling. Furthermore, the article stresses the negatives of both venting and repressing your emotions and experiences. It explains the positives of physically releasing your pain through both crying and exercise, while also pointing out the negatives of us relying on social media and technology to validate ourselves; self-disclosure is considered a major factor as well, pertaining to the fact that we often share too many details of ourselves with others, which, in turn makes us seem slightly less unique and special to others. All in all, this article makes many excellent points, some of which we've gone over in class, while others have yet to be discussed. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone with any further interest on the topic!
Key terms : Happiness, Venting, Technological Communication, Self-Disclosure
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/21/tv-children-self-esteem-black-white_n_1616957.html
ReplyDeleteThis article by Michelle Marques, entitled "Watching TV Can Lower Children's Self Esteem, Study Finds," addressed the issue of low self esteem in children who are exposed to too much television. As parents do laundry, make dinner, or clean the house, it is all too easy to turn on the TV and expect kids to watch and keep quiet. What parents do not consider, however, are the harmful images bombarding children's minds as they watch. In fact, self esteem was negatively impacted for all children with the exception of white males. Television programs have a habit of reinforcing stereotypes and potentially causing the early formation of these exact stereotypes in the innocent minds of young viewers. White males, for example are almost always portrayed as being powerful, intelligent, and rich, without much explanation as to how these males acquired such wealth. In comparison, female youths see very little diversity in the roles played by their gender, and African American boys are often portrayed as criminals and/or unintelligent. Not only does this hurt the self-esteem and self-worth of young viewers, but it subjects them to societal pressure via television at a very early age. Seeing individuals of their race and gender regularly displayed in certain ways could lead to patterns of thinking that simultaneously hinder potential and generate misconceptions about others. This, in turn, could lead to cases of stress and depression later in life. That's not to say all television is bad; rather, a balance between TV and family time is key. Watching shows together that promote diversity can positively influence children and pose discussion topics for family conversation.
Key Terms: self-esteem, stereotypes, diversity, family
I commented on Blog Assignment Week 2: What happy people do differently, and The paradox of Progress. I also did the main blog assignment for Week 2
ReplyDeletehttp://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-10-07/features/ct-talk-brotman-holocaust-20131007_1_aaron-elster-former-children-holocaust
ReplyDeleteThis article basically discusses how five holocaust survivors; Chaya Roth, Aaron Elster, Isaac Daniel, Marguerite Mishkin, and Stark remember their grief-stricken pasts and work together to verbalize their tragedies into a book entitled, "Out of Chaos: Hidden Children Remember the Holocaust." The book was published by Northwestern University Press.
I thought the article presented itself to be a good example of humanism. The holocaust survivors essentially had a very unique past that not just everyone experiences but takes a specific, strong person to remember and to further discuss it. They overcame this with their own unique way of personal growth by writing a sort of autobiography of themselves in terms of what happened in Europe "as darkness fell."
Keywords: humanism, holocaust, strong unique
Also, I made up "Blog Assignment - Week 8", "It's Your Choice! (Week 8)", and "Google Glass and Autism". Thanks.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/eat-right-sleep-tight-and-keep-life-from-pushing-your-buttons/2013/10/01/6907cc88-0c35-11e3-9941-6711ed662e71_story.html
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about the importance of avoiding adrenal fatigue. Nearly 80% of adults experience this in their lifetimes and it takes a toll on them. A person can overwork their glands by producing an excess of stress hormones by going through their day to day routine. In today's world, it has become more normal to be stressed out and live a fast-paced lifestyle without taking a break. At the end of the day, most folk don't get enough sleep or healthy sleep without distractions of electronics even. This makes our body skip out on repairing itself. The result is exhaustion, broken sleep patterns, and bad cravings.
It is important to eat regularly, in moderation, and make healthy choices. Including protein in each meal is a must. Getting at least 7 hours of good, healthy sleep definitely helps. Caffeine and processed sugars are very harmful to the body so try to skip these if you can. With the help of these tips, you can avoid adrenal gland overload and live a healthier and happier life.
Keywords: sleep patterns, adrenal glands
Also, I made up Blog Assignment Week 6, and commented on "Suicide Prevention"
ReplyDelete& "Stereotyping on TV"
I think the most interesting thing we learned about this semester is self-esteem. When looking at oneself we can look at the different aspects of how we view ourselves and how other people view us. This year past year I have been thinking a lot about how I view myself and how other people view me as a person. I have spent time looking at what I think are self-attributes. I have been looking at my internal attributes such as my emotional side. With looking at the emotional side I can not only look at what I feel in the inside but how I portray myself on the outside. These external attributions can almost say more about a person then how they feel in the inside. When I am comparing myself to others I can either compare myself down to people that I feel that are not as good as me to make myself better by using a downward social comparison. Other ways to make myself feel better I can look at my successes such as getting an A on the test or working hard and making money I can by a car. When I look at my success I can give credit to where it is needed or I can take it all myself. Such as giving credit to my teachers for giving good examples of learning, or credit my dad for a good work ethic. After my I achieve my goal I can either give thanks for how blessed I am or I can bask in my glory and just think about how good I am. If I don’t reach my goals I can self-handicap myself and give reasons why I am not good enough, or why I couldn’t reach them because of some other factors not my own.
ReplyDeleteSelf attributions , internal attributions, external attributions, self enhancement, downward social comparison, self-serving bias , basking in reflected glory. Self handicapping
Nice job! A little self-reflection here and there is never a bad thing :)
Deletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/eat-right-sleep-tight-and-keep-life-from-pushing-your-buttons/2013/10/01/6907cc88-0c35-11e3-9941-6711ed662e71_story.html
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about the importance of avoiding adrenal fatigue. Nearly 80% of adults experience this in their lifetimes and it takes a toll on them. A person can overwork their glands by producing an excess of stress hormones by going through their day to day routine. In today's world, it has become more normal to be stressed out and live a fast-paced lifestyle without taking a break. At the end of the day, most folk don't get enough sleep or healthy sleep without distractions of electronics even. This makes our body skip out on repairing itself. The result is exhaustion, broken sleep patterns, and bad cravings.
It is important to eat regularly, in moderation, and make healthy choices. Including protein in each meal is a must. Getting at least 7 hours of good, healthy sleep definitely helps. Caffeine and processed sugars are very harmful to the body so try to skip these if you can. With the help of these tips, you can avoid adrenal gland overload and live a healthier and happier life.
Keywords: sleep patterns, adrenal glands
I commented on week two's article "What Happy People Do Differently" as well.
ReplyDelete