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Tag: self-esteem

  • Radiate Confidence: Transformative Self-Care Practices – Aha!NOW

    Radiate Confidence: Transformative Self-Care Practices – Aha!NOW

    There’s a saying that self confidence is a super power. Once you start to believe in yourself, magic starts happening. Definitely, confidence means feeling sure of yourself and your abilities. But how does one go about radiating confidence. Here are some self-care practices that can help you transform into a confident person. ~ Ed.

    Self-care is not just some hipster term du jour, it is key for boosting self-esteem and self-improvement. Practicing self-care helps you heal yourself not just on a physical level, but also in aspects of your mental health, emotional health, and spiritual health.

    Such an approach toward self-care ultimately gives you the courage to stand tall despite this reality and let your inner strength express itself as a pure light that exudes confidence— which others seemingly cannot escape.

    12 Transformative Self-Care Practices

    This article will examine some life-changing self-care practices that will help you shine confidence from your core.

    Practice Mindfulness to Promote Mental Health

    However, one of the most effective self-care practices out there is mindfulness. This means fully living in the moment, not judging yourself for what you are thinking and feeling or perceiving. This will help reduce stress and increase attention and mindfulness in your emotions.

    Clarity of mind gives you the mental strength to take on challenges and live with a composed tranquil mind. Gradually, this mental control would be an excellent way to build your self-confidence as you can manage your life turbulence easily.

    Practice Positive Self-Talk

    Confidence is the language you use with yourself. Many people fall into negative self-talk which leads to lower levels of self-esteem and ultimately limits their success. The only way to feed confidence is to shut the door on negative thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations.

    Every day remind yourself of your strengths, successes, and all that you can accomplish. This way, you can better stave off any naysaying thoughts and conquer challenges with more confidence as a byproduct. Confidence comes from inside out and it begins with self-talk.

    Fill Your Body with the Good Stuff

    One of the primary self-care tips is to make yourself physically well by eating a balanced diet, staying hydrated, and getting regular exercise. The right diet and exercise will give you energy and keep you in a good mood, all of which improve your confidence.

    Exercise can also release endorphins, which are natural lifters of our mood. Both your physical body health and emotional health will be enhanced through movement whether that is a morning yoga routine or walking with the dog in nature.

    Establish Regular Sleeping Patterns

    Sleep can do wonders in terms of transforming you confidence-wise. Good, proper sleep is the key to a clear thinking process. Try to regulate your emotions and stay healthy. Rested means you are present, aware, and capable of navigating a curve ball easily. Create a calming pre-bedtime ritual — whether it is reading, meditating, or practicing gratitude that allows you to relax and get ready for a good night’s sleep. Also, this keeps you in a good mood, and productive and enhances your confidence as well.

    Personal style as Self-Expression

    Your style is also a reflection of your confidence. This is all to say if you wear something that reflects who and how you are when no one is looking, it will always make a good day better. Whether or not you are into fashion trends, and you would feel 100 percent as comfortable in this tank if it were made two weeks ago or ten years ago, wearing clothes that give you a natural “superwoman” or “superman” feeling can seriously help your self-esteem.

    One of the examples is certainly hair – trying out new hairstyles, like baby bangs or micro bangs, can be fun and you’ll feel better in your skin (just make sure you know what the difference between baby bangs and micro bangs is).

    Establish Boundaries to Guard Your Energy

    Boundary setting is integral to self-care, particularly with your time and energy. This is an excellent step towards securing your mental health and a better deed for your self-esteem as well. Picking the right person, place and thing gives you the energy to focus on what matters.

    Often it is the word “no” that gives you the power to put yourself first and live a life that works for you emotionally. This over time builds self-esteem by your confidence in controlling your life to maintain pieces.

    Boosting Your Confidence with Skill Building

    This may require you to learn new competencies or increase proficiency in existing ones. Something I have learned is doing something new boosts your self-esteem and makes you feel good about yourself.

    Be it a follow through on a distant whim of wanting to take up some course learning that language you always wanted to or getting good at your hobbies — the act of growing can in itself change your perspective. You become more competent when you focus on becoming better at what you do through self-improvement in education and skill-building which in turn, increases your confidence.

    Foster Healthy Relationships

    Your support system massively contributes to your self-esteem and overall happiness. Good, positive relationships help give us energy and feed our ego while toxic/poisonous relationships diminish us. Look at your relationships as a part of self-care, and judge if any are serving you well.

    Spend more time nurturing relationships with those who uplift you and encourage your growth and less time around those who can only bring negativity. This makes you feel stronger and be able to live a more beloved life.

    Image with captions Self Care Isn't SelfishImage with captions Self Care Isn't Selfish

    Practice Gratitude Daily

    One of the easiest habits that can have the most dramatic impact on your way of thinking and sense of self is gratitude. Spending a little time daily to think about what you are thankful for can shift your awareness from a scarcity mindset, the things that are missing in your life, to an abundance mindset or all things positive.

    This changed perspective also unleashes negativity and the birth of a happier, more holy life that no longer consists of dwells on negative circumstances. Give thanks for what you have, not focusing on what you wish were different, and confidence will come naturally.

    Prioritize Self-Reflection

    Such an honest self-reflection is fundamental to growth. Reflecting on the lessons you learned, how far you have come, and your emotional growth provides perspective on these patterns.

    This reflection is essential in identifying things you can do better and celebrating victories, big or small. You could do things like journaling, meditating, or just introspect a bit more regularly. The more you know about yourself, the easier your decisions will be.

    Create a Self-Care Ritual

    Self-care becomes a ritual of receptiveness. Then it can be a day at the spa once a week, to spend some time outdoors in nature every day, or your joyful hobby that you do every single day; they all give a sense of grounding and peace.

    These rituals give you the intensity to replenish and reconnect with your being. With regular practice of these habits, they become gentle reminders to yourself about the value you bring and how important it is for you to trust in them.

    Be Compassionate to Yourself

    Finally, one of the most powerful forms of self-care that you can cultivate is to simply be nice to yourself. When things don´t go as expected it is very easy to put ourselves down but practicing self-compassion helps you realize that we all make mistakes and it´s ok… this is being human.

    Give yourself as much grace as you give others, and accept that it is through setbacks and mistakes that we grow. Confidence is not perfection, confidence is believing that you can face a challenge and keep pushing forward.

    Over to You

    What is your plan for daily self-care to help you expand your sphere of confidence? Take a moment to reflect on which of these habits resonates most for you and how you might integrate them into your day bit by bit. It starts with that very first step onto the path of being your most confident and empowered self. What will yours be?

    In conclusion, incorporate these life-changing self-care habits into your daily routine and before you know it, you will become both a more confident person and one that is truly happy and healthy. Reminder: Self-care is not self-indulgent; it is essential for growth and mental health. The more you practice, the higher your vibrations of confidence expand to every corner of your life.

    Disclaimer: Though the views expressed are of the author’s own, this article has been checked for its authenticity of information and resource links provided for a better and deeper understanding of the subject matter. However, you’re suggested to make your diligent research and consult subject experts to decide what is best for you. If you spot any factual errors, spelling, or grammatical mistakes in the article, please report at [email protected]. Thanks.

    Drew Allen

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  • The Narcissistic Culture of “Image” and Excessive Self-Monitoring

    The Narcissistic Culture of “Image” and Excessive Self-Monitoring

    In a world obsessed with public image and attention-seeking, learn about the cultural forces propelling society to become more narcissistic – and how this influences us to be in a constant state of self-scrutiny.


    The idea that our culture is becoming more narcissistic and self-centered is not new.

    Historian and social critic Christopher Lasch’s book The Culture of Narcissism was first published in 1979. By that time, the 1970s were already dubbed the “Me-generation.” Americans were increasingly shifting focus to concepts like “self-liberation,” “self-expression,” and “self-actualization,” while untethering themselves from past traditions and social responsibilities.

    Interestingly, Lasch traces the narcissistic roots in America back way further, starting with the early days of the Protestant work ethic and its singular focus on labor, money, and wealth-building, including the old “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mantra.

    This early thread of American hyper-individualism continues into the New Age movement at the turn of the 20th century with its focus on personal happiness and spiritual fulfillment, as well as the popularity of Ayn Rand’s “virtue of selfishness,” and the rise of celebrity-worship and fame-seeking that still characterizes much of American life today whether it be in politics, sports, art, or entertainment.

    Things appear to be getting worse. The book was written over 40 years ago, but a lot of the observations in it seem strangely prophetic when looking at the world today. Lasch accurately describes how narcissistic trends have evolved on a societal and cultural level, and you can perfectly extend his theories to explain our modern culture.

    Before you continue reading, remember this is a cultural analysis of narcissistic tendencies and it isn’t focused on clinical or psychological definitions of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).

    Many people act more narcissistic because that’s what our society rewards and that’s how people think they need to act to get ahead in today’s world.

    One can even look at certain narcissistic tendencies as a survival strategy in an otherwise competitive, atomized, isolated – “every man for himself” – world.

    Now let’s dive into how our modern culture amplifies and rewards narcissism.

    The narcissist craves an audience

    First, the most defining characteristic of a narcissist is that they depend on the attention and validation of others to feel good about themselves.

    Contrary to the popular myth that the narcissist suffers from excessive self-love, the truth is they are deeply insecure and lack true confidence and self-esteem. The main reason they brag, show off, or puff-up-their-chests is only to appear strong when deep down they feel weak.

    As a result the narcissist is obsessed with their image and appearance. They feel they need to “win people over” to be accepted and liked by others, and this requires a carefully manufactured persona they create for the public.

    This deeply rooted “need for attention” plays a central theme in Lasch’s analysis:

      “Narcissism represents a psychological dimension of dependence. Notwithstanding his occasional illusions of omnipotence, the narcissist depends on others to validate his self-esteem. He cannot live without an admiring audience. His apparent freedom from family ties and institutional constraints does not free him to stand alone or to glory in his individuality. On the contrary, it contributes to his insecurity, which he can overcome only by seeing his ‘grandiose self’ reflected in the attention of others, or by attaching himself to those who radiate celebrity, power, and charisma.”

    Without an audience to appreciate them, the narcissist struggles to find their self-worth. They don’t believe in themselves – they need “proof” they are a good or important person through the eyes of others.

    To the narcissist, any attention is better than none at all; even negative attention like gossip, drama, and criticism feeds into their egos by letting them know they are still front and center.

    In a society that rewards attention for the sake of attention (including fame and notoriety), the narcissist grows and thrives. Who knows, that next scandal with a famous celebrity may be their big breakthrough – whatever gets them into the limelight!

    Image-centrism: The society of the spectacle

    One major contributor to the rise of narcissistic tendencies is that our culture is becoming more image-centric.

    Popular ideas on what true “happiness,” “success,” “fame,” “beauty,” and “achievement” look like are based on outward images and appearances increasingly fed into our culture through photographs, movies, television, and advertising:

      “[One] influence is the mechanical reproduction of culture, the proliferation of visual and audial images in the ‘society of the spectacle.’ We live in a swirl of images and echoes that arrest experience and play it back in slow motion. Cameras and recording machines not only transcribe experience but alter its quality, giving to much of modern life the character of an enormous echo chamber, a hall of mirrors. Life presents itself as a succession of images or electronic signals, of impressions recorded and reproduced by means of photography, motion pictures, television, and sophisticated recording devices.”

    This book was written before the internet and social media which have only increased our “image-centrism” tenfold. Selfies, avatars, memes, filters, photoshop, and AI have all continued to add more layers to this hyper-reality between manipulated images and how we choose to present ourselves.

    This constant barrage of cultural images shapes our beliefs and map of reality. It subconsciously puts ideas in our heads about what “happiness,” “success,” and “beauty” are supposed to look like.

    Once these social images are set in our minds, we naturally feel the desire to live up to them.

    Narcissists can often be the most sensitive to these social images because they fear their true self isn’t good enough, so they take society’s picture of “success” and try to mirror that image back to others.

    On the surface, the narcissist is a crowd-pleaser. They don’t trust their own judgement, so if society says this is what “happiness” or “success” looks like, then they will try to mimic it the best they can.

    Everyone has an audience now

    Technology, internet, social media, cameras, and recording devices have created a world where everyone feels like they have an audience all-the-time.

    Family photo albums and home videos were early stages in turning “private moments” into “public consumption,” but now we have people over-sharing every meal, date, and shopping spree on their social media feeds.

    Lasch correctly identifies this trend back in the 1960s-70s, including a mention of the popular show Candid Camera, which was one of the first “hidden camera” TV shows:

      “Modern life is so thoroughly mediated by electronic images that we cannot help responding to others as if their actions – and our own – were being recorded and simultaneously transmitted to an unseen audience or stored up for close scrutiny at some later time. ‘Smile you’re on candid camera!’ The intrusion into everyday life of this all-seeing eye no longer takes us by surprise or catches us with our defenses down. We need no reminder to smile, a smile is permanently graven on our features, and we already know from which of several angles it photographs to best advantage.”

    Life is recorded and shared now more than ever before. Today everyone has an audience and many people can’t help but see themselves as the “main character” of their own carefully edited movie.

    Unfortunately, we have this audience whether we like it or not. Every time we are out in public, someone may whip out their phones, capture an embarrassing moment, and upload it to the internet for millions to watch. You never know when you may go “viral” for the wrong reasons. The rise of online shaming, doxing, and harassment puts people in a perpetual state of high alert.

    That’s a stressful thought, but it perfectly represents this state of hyper-surveillance we are all in, where there’s always a potential audience and you feel constant pressure to showcase the “best version of yourself” in every waking moment, because you never know who is watching.

    Self-image and excessive self-monitoring

    In a world that rewards people solely based on the “image” they present, we naturally become more self-conscious of the image we are projecting to others.

    This leads to a state of endless self-monitoring and self-surveillance. We see ourselves through the eyes of others and try to fit their image of what we are supposed to be. No matter what we choose to do with our lives, the most pressing questions become, “How will this make me look?” or “What will people think of me?”

    While people naturally want to present themselves in the best way possible and form strong first impressions, an excessive degree of self-filtering and self-management can cause us to lose our sense of identity for the sake of superficial acceptance, internet fame, or corporate climbing.

    At worst, we increasingly depend on this these manufactured images to understand ourselves and reality:

      “The proliferation of recorded images undermines our sense of reality. As Susan Sontag observes in her study of photography, ‘Reality has come to seem more and more like what we are shown by cameras.’ We distrust our perceptions until the camera verifies them. Photographic images provide us with the proof of our existence, without which we would find it difficult even to reconstruct a personal history…

      Among the ‘many narcissistic uses’ that Sontag attributes to the camera, ‘’self-surveillance’ ranks among the most important, not only because it provides the technical means of ceaseless self-scrutiny but because it renders the sense of selfhood dependent on the consumption of images of the self, at the same time calling into question the reality of the external world.”

    If you didn’t share your meal on social media, did you really eat it? If you didn’t update your relationship status online, are you really dating someone?

    For many people, the internet world has become “more real” than the real world. People don’t go out and do adventurous things to live their lives, but to “create content” for their following.

    Who looks like their living their best life? Who is experiencing the most FOMO on the internet? In a narcissistic world, we start seeing our “digital self” in competition with everyone else – and the only thing that matters is that it looks like we are having a good time.

    More and more, we consume and understand ourselves through these technologies and images. We depend on photo galleries, reel clips, and social media posts to chronicle our life story and present the best version of ourselves to the world. If the internet didn’t exist, then neither would we.

    In the sci-fi movie The Final Cut people have their entire lives recorded through their eyes; then after they die, their happy memories are spliced together to give a “final edit” of the person’s life. Many of us are perpetually scrutinizing and editing this “final cut” of our own lives.

    The invention of new insecurities

    Everything is being observed, recorded, and measured, so we have more tools than ever to compare ourselves against others.

    This leads to the invention of all types of new insecurities. We are more aware of the ways we’re different from others, whether it’s our jobs, homes, relationships, health, appearances, or lifestyles. We can always find new ways we don’t “measure up” to the ideal.

    New technologies create new ways to compare. Before you know it, you have people in heated competitions over who can do the most steps on their Fitbit, or consume the least amount of calories in a week, or receives the most likes on their gym posts. The internet becomes a never-ending competition.

    Of course, measuring your progress can be a valuable tool for motivation and reaching goals. The problem is when we use these numbers to measure up against others vs. measure up against our past self. Always remember that everyone is on a completely different path.

    It’s well-known that social comparison is one of the ultimate traps when it comes to happiness and well-being. You’ll always be able to find someone who has it better than you in some area of life, and with the internet that’s usually an easy search.

    These endless comparisons touch on all aspects of life and heighten self-scrutiny and self-criticism. Finding and dwelling on even “minor differences” can spiral into a cycle of self-pity and self-hate. If we don’t remove ourselves from these comparisons, then we have no choice but to try to live up to them and beat ourselves up when we fail.

    Conclusion

    The goal of this article was to describe some of the key forces that are making society more narcissistic and self-centered.

    Different cultural beliefs and attitudes incentive certain personality traits over others. Our current world seems to continue moving down a more narcissistic path, especially with the increased focus on “image” (or “personal brand”) that we build for ourselves through the internet and social media.

    Most of the ideas in this article are based on the book The Culture of Narcissism which, despite being written over 40 years, is an insightful look into how these social forces continue to grow and evolve.

    Do you feel like our current society is getting more narcissistic? How have these social forces influenced the way you live?


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    Steven Handel

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  • I Believe, Therefore I Can — How to Build the Self-Efficacy You Need to Start Your Own Business | Entrepreneur

    I Believe, Therefore I Can — How to Build the Self-Efficacy You Need to Start Your Own Business | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Why do you think so many people don’t own their own business? It’s hard, there are challenges, and this fact is undeniable. You may even be thinking to yourself that these challenges are ones only certain people can tackle. You know, the kinds of people who excelled all through high school and had the confidence to jump into anything head first. But what if I told you that the only thing that separates you from them is yourself? Ah, that’s obvious, you might be thinking. But let me challenge this notion a bit more. It isn’t you as a person, it’s your beliefs — those ideas in your head of what you can and cannot do.

    The only thing which differentiates that guy in high school who became captain of the football team and you is the fact he believed he could do it. That is all there is to it. The good news? You can do whatever you want, and it is completely in your control. Let me introduce the concept of self-efficacy.

    Related: Using the Power of Self-Belief to Create Success

    Self-efficacy: Your beliefs about you

    Let’s do a thought experiment together. Think of something uncomfortable to you. It might be getting back into the gym after some time. Or it could even be something like going out on a date. What makes it uncomfortable? Is it the activity itself? Actually, it’s your belief about what you can and cannot do. If you believed that you would be able to go back to the gym on day one and nail it, you would probably go.

    We all have beliefs about ourselves — some helpful and others that aren’t as helpful. This is called self-efficacy: your beliefs about your ability to do a certain task. When you don’t think you can do it, the task seems more daunting, and you put it off. It might even make you develop even more unhelpful beliefs about yourself because you now feel bad about your belief you can’t do it! But what if we flipped this notion on its head, and instead of thinking we can’t, we start thinking we can? This leads to challenging those beliefs you have about yourself.

    Beliefs are not truths — You define your truth

    Okay, another thought experiment. Think of a task you have perfected. Something you can do so well now which you couldn’t before. Even something as simple as the fact you can ride a bike would fall into this category. Let’s go back in time to the version of you who just started to learn how to ride a bike. What would they say? “I’m not very good at this” or “This is too hard” or any variation of these statements. But you did it, right? I guarantee 100% you have conquered something like this in your life.

    What does this mean? Your thoughts are not the truth, and the thoughts you have about yourself may not be the truth either. You have thought many unhelpful things of yourself throughout your life, which without your awareness, you have proven wrong. This awareness helps us realize that all the things we think about ourselves are indeed not facts. And it allows us some space to challenge these thoughts.

    Related: 5 Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt as an Entrepreneur

    Put your thoughts to the test — You’re in control

    So, you have identified that you have thoughts about yourself, some helpful and some unhelpful. You also know now that those unhelpful thoughts are not always true because you have proven it to yourself. So, how do we get you to challenge your present thoughts about yourself on what you want to do now? Here is a step-by-step approach on how to turn your self-beliefs around:

    Step 1. Identify the thought

    You can’t work on something when you don’t know it’s there. And I know, it’s uncomfortable to admit to yourself that you don’t think you’re smart enough or strong enough or whatever quality it is to start your own business. Don’t worry about this step, though. Remember: Your thoughts are not truths. When you say to yourself, “I realize I am thinking I am not good enough to start my own business,” also say to yourself, “It’s my thought, but it is not the truth.” You just need to know you’re thinking it to begin to tell that thought, “You’re wrong, I know I can.”

    Step 2. Externalize yourself from the thought

    Remember how your thoughts are not the truth about you? Guess what? They aren’t even you. We have thousands of thoughts come into our heads every day from all different sources. Maybe someone said something negative to you, and you contemplated it. It’s just a thought, it’s not you. Now you need to take that thought and give it a name. It just needs to have a label. You could call it anything. When you label something, you see it not as yourself. And then you can start to see it for what it really is. This is called externalizing — this is when you say my thoughts are not me, they are a thing I experience.

    Step 3. Challenge that thought

    Get that thought now, call it by its label, and analyze it. What validity does it really hold? Let’s say, for example, you have a thought that you’re not smart enough to start your own business, and this thought is called Not Smart. You are now going to tell Not Smart how not smart it is. What does Not Smart tell you? It might be telling you, “You don’t have the intelligence to do this.”

    “Okay, Not Smart, how do you know?” It might say back to you, “Well you remember how in your first job you got the least amount of sales in the team?” And you say, “So what?”

    Not Smart might say back, “Yeah, well how do you think you’re going to start a business then?” You just say back to Not Smart, “That’s true, that did happen, but why does one mistake mean I am going to make mistakes forever?”

    Keep challenging it! Keep saying back, “I haven’t even done anything like that since then, and it made me grow, and now I actually have so many skills to do what I want.” Or say back, “Okay, I don’t have the answers, so what? I can learn them. What’s stopping me?”

    The truth is that Not Smart or any of these thoughts are actually your mind trying to protect you. Your mind has a good ability to detect threats from the past and project them into your future to try and do what it seems to think is keeping you safe. If you did get the lowest sales in your first job, your mind will say, “Okay we need to avoid anything with business because this hurt you before, and I don’t want you to hurt again.” What you need to tell your mind is that “It’s okay, it’s not going to hurt me. This is actually what is going to bring me the most happiness in the end.”

    Step 4. Create a new narrative, and assign a new meaning

    It’s not enough to just tell Not Smart that it’s wrong — you’ve got to give it a whole new story to rewrite the old one. And this story needs to be exactly what you want it to be. Let’s give it a go together.

    So, Not Smart told you that you’re not intelligent enough to run your own business, and you proved to it that its logic is actually flawed and that you do have the intelligence. What you need to do here is create a new story on this narrative. It could go something like this: “I haven’t always been number one in my sales roles, but that is why I am going to prove to myself and everyone else that I can be successful and run my own business. I’m going to make sure I get the knowledge on how to do it because it’s accessible to anyone. I am going to use my previous failure to be my driving energy to succeed.”

    And there you go, you now have yourself a new narrative. Write it down. You need to have this written down, and you need to go back to it whenever Not Smart comes back up again. Go back to your new narrative, and feel your narrative in your body through your emotions. This is your new story now, and soon enough, it will become your new belief.

    Related: Believe in Yourself and Entrepreneurial Success Will Follow

    Just to end on a thought-provoking note, do you know the story about Beethoven? One of the most famous classical composers of all time was actually deaf. But he still composed. He didn’t just compose, either — he wrote his most famous piece of music at this time. What if he believed he couldn’t do it? Or what if he thought, “What’s the point?” Even without hearing, he still became one of the greatest composers in history.

    Now it’s time for you to make your own history and start that business you have been dreaming of. Trust me when I say this, and I really mean it when I do: There is nothing stopping you but those funny little beliefs you have about yourself. Make your own story, and rewrite your future. You’ve got this.

    Mikey Lucas

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  • Cutting Down on Social Media Brings Quick Boost to Teens’ Self-Image

    Cutting Down on Social Media Brings Quick Boost to Teens’ Self-Image

    By Cara Murez 

    HealthDay Reporter

    THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) — All those images of beautiful-looking people on social media can deflate a young person’s self-image, but there may be an easy fix: limiting time spent on TikTok, Instagram and the like.

    A new Canadian study finds that teens and young adults who already had symptoms of anxiety or depression and who cut their social media usage by about 50% experienced a significant improvement in how they felt about their overall appearance in just a few weeks. They also felt better about their weight.
     

    “I don’t think it completely surprised me,” said study co-author Helen Thai, a PhD student in the psychology department at McGill University in Montreal.

    Past research on traditional media and the impact of unattainable beauty and body ideals has obtained similar results, Thai suggested.

    “Not only are there celebrities and influencers on there, but it’s also people within your social circle,” Thai said about social media, “which can make comparison a bit more easy.”

    The authors estimated that youth spend about six to eight hours each day on screens. A lot of that time is spent on social media sites, where they may see hundreds or thousands of images, internalizing them.
     

    In a news release about the study, lead author Gary Goldfield, a senior scientist with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, said that whether people who already have body and mental health issues simply spend more time on social media or whether social media leads to greater issues had not been known.

    For this study, the researchers worked with 220 undergraduate students ages 17 to 25. About 76% were women, 23% men and 1% other.

    Participants needed to regularly use social media for at least two hours each day on their smartphones.

    “I think before asking the why, we wanted to ask who would be most vulnerable to it, and so that’s specifically why we targeted youth who are at risk of body image concerns,” Thai said.

    These were students who had symptoms of anxiety and depression.

    Each was asked to respond to statements about their appearance, such as “I’m pretty happy about the way I look” or “I am satisfied with my weight” on a 5-point scale at the start and end of the experiment.

    “Especially if you’re feeling vulnerable and you don’t think that great about yourself, seeing all these people who look, in your eyes, more beautiful than you or more whatever is just going to make you feel worse and worse,” said study co-author Chris Davis, a professor in the psychology department at Carleton University in Ottawa.

    During the first week, all participants were asked to use social media as they typically would. A screen-time tracking program measured their usage.

    After that, half were asked to use social media for no more than 60 minutes a day.

    The participants who were asked to restrict their social media usage got it down to 78 minutes a day on average. The control group averaged 188 minutes daily.

    After three weeks, those who reduced their social media usage had a significant improvement in how they regarded their overall appearance and body weight after the intervention, compared with the control group, which saw no significant change, the researchers said.

    Nancy Mramor, a psychologist in Pittsburgh, said that when you compare yourself to others, you’ll have a 50-50 chance of feeling bad about yourself. Mramor was not involved in this study.

    In everything, she said, it’s important to compare yourself only to yourself. That’s true of social media, sports performance, academics or social standing, she said. For example, don’t compare your weight to that of someone you see online but instead to what it was like for you last week.

    “Focusing on your inner feeling about yourself, rather than outside images creates an opportunity to see yourself from the inside out, not just the outside. When images are not fed to you on your phone, you have a breather to notice what is important to you,” Mramor said.

    For minors, the best way to limit social media is with extreme parental supervision, Mramor said. Block the sites on their phones that you think will be harmful.

    For adults, Mramor said it’s possible to view media carefully, but to do so consciously.

    To do this, you have to take a step back from what you’re viewing and ask yourself if it’s making you feel anxious or upset. If you decide it’s not good for you, then decide what to do about it, she said.

    One solution is simple. It’s exactly what the students in the study did: Cut back on the amount of time you use social media.

    Davis suggested choosing what hour you’ll use social media and then putting your phone down and doing something else enjoyable, such as getting together with friends.

    “There’s nothing like face-to-face interactions, going out and doing something with your friends to really strengthen those bonds,” Davis said.

    The study findings were published Feb. 23 in the journal Psychology of Popular Media.

    More information

    Pew Research Center has more on teens and social media.

     

    SOURCES: Helen Thai, PhD student, Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal; Chris Davis, PhD, professor, Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada; Nancy Mramor, PhD, psychologist, Pittsburgh; Psychology of Popular Media, Feb. 23, 2023

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  • Mental Illness and Unconditional Love | LoveAndLifeToolBox

    Mental Illness and Unconditional Love | LoveAndLifeToolBox

    Tom Smith lost his daughter to mental illness in 2003.  He touches on the importance of self-esteem in a society that often compares, continuing to shed light on mental health stigma.  

    Unconditional love lies at the heart of helping a loved one with mental health issues develop positive self-esteem. But as a society we are geared toward conditional love: in overt and subtle ways, we learn how to love on the condition that someone else’s behavior and attitudes meet our expectations.

    But the delicate line between necessary, healthy expectations and conditional love is hard to identify and even more complicated to apply effectively. Parents, for example, generally expect that their children meet certain behavioral, educational, and social standards. At the same time, they strive to love their children unconditionally. It’s common to hear adults recalling their own childhood and testifying to their parents’ failure to separate their expressions of love from their performance or behavior expectations for the child.

    We don’t always learn unconditional love at home.

    Through adolescence and into adulthood, we may not experience unconditional love, either. Competition at school, the workplace, in sports, in social circles, and even in entertainment and arts — all contribute to a society that constantly compares. Someone is “better” (which means someone else is “worse”), someone wins while others lose, some people presumably succeed and others fail. This message is everywhere — in popular media, in advertising, and in our language. We are expected to behave, think, and feel in particular ways, or be shunned, minimized, ignored, or condemned.

    The stigma against mental illness thrives in this environment, unfortunately. Nor does this atmosphere promote learning how to love unconditionally. But loving unconditionally is precisely what family and friends of people with mental illness need to do.

    How do we do this?

    Maintain a positive attitude. Compliment your loved one often. Avoid making comparisons. Don’t take the person’s insults, disrespect, anger, and rejection too personally. Make a habit of showing that you genuinely care about their well-being. Wish them well in all their endeavors, help them achieve appropriate goals, listen to them closely and try to understand the world from their perspective.

    To love unconditionally means to care for, respect, understand, and forgive another person regardless of their response to your efforts. “Regardless” is the hard part. Loving a person with mental health problems requires a commitment to this kind of love, even as we know that we will sometimes fail.

    A healthy self-esteem is essential to a balanced life, and this strategy is worth lots of time, discussion, and effort. Self-esteem is an immeasurable asset to people with mental illness. It can be the emotional anchor that allows them to monitor their medication, use counseling effectively, regulate their schedule, know their strengths and limits, and seek and accept help when needed.

    Family and friends are in position to help with this development, since they are in regular contact. They know their loved one’s personality, thought patterns, habits, preferences, and feelings. Practicing unconditional love, they can create a supportive environment where their loved one has the best chance of experiencing the benefits of a healthy self-esteem.

    —–

    Tom Smith is the cofounder of the Karla Smith Foundation, which supports parents and loved ones of mentally ill people. He is author of several articles and books, including God on the Job and Alive in the Spirit.

    Lisa Brookes Kift, MFT

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  • Why Personal Growth Also Boosts Business Achievement

    Why Personal Growth Also Boosts Business Achievement

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    You’ve probably heard it said that the greatest investment anyone can make is in themselves, and this is unquestionably true. Certainly with respect to business, before you can effectively engage in anything or with anyone, investing in yourself is mandatory. This process can consist of reading and attending conferences and seminars that cater to your niche or industry — learning from people who are already crushing it and/or enrolling into a mastermind of like-minded individuals who have the same or similar goals.

    We all know that growing any business is not an easy feat. However, there are several ways to make incredible things happen along the way, and they all start from within.

    Jose Flores

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  • Why Can’t I Stop Rooting for a God-Awful Basketball Team?

    Why Can’t I Stop Rooting for a God-Awful Basketball Team?

    When I attended a Washington Wizards open practice at D.C.’s Capital One Arena earlier this month, the focus was more on spectator entertainment than Rocky-style workouts. The season opener was a week away, and the players ran drills at half speed and engaged in silly skills competitions for fans, including a basketball version of Connect Four. But as a lifelong Wiz devotee, I was having an awestruck, love-you-man moment. Here I was posing for a photo with Phil freakin Chenier. Franchise royalty. My childhood idol. Back in the 1970s, when Chenier was draining jumpers and sporting a Richard Pryor mustache, the team routinely chased titles. These days? Not so much.

    Being an NBA fan who loves the Wizards is a little like being a foodie who adores turnips: It just doesn’t make sense. Since the 2000–01 season, only the Knicks and Timberwolves have lost more games. The franchise last advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs in 1979 (back when they were called the Bullets), and they’ve missed the playoffs 16 of the past 25 years. We fans have endured 40-plus years of frustration and disappointment, mainly from the typical issues—bad defense, bad draft picks, bad trades—but sometimes from … weirder ones: One All-Star player was charged with a gun felony involving a teammate, and another was once suspended without pay for being overweight. It’s all #SoWizards, to use a Twitter hashtag.

    And yet, I made it out to the open practice with a few hundred fans on a Tuesday night, wearing a Wizards T-shirt and feeling the faint, irrational warmth of preseason hope. Anyone can root for a winner. That’s easy. Last season, the NFL teams with the top-selling merchandise were the Cowboys, 49ers, Patriots, Steelers, and Chiefs. Each team finished with a winning record. In Philadelphia, the currently undefeated Eagles and the World Series–bound Phillies have generated a 20 percent or more increase in business for local restaurants, sports bars, and memorabilia stores.

    But rooting for the middling Wizards takes guts at best and is downright masochism at worst. Still, even though the team is more likely to bring me agony than elation, I can’t fathom supporting any other franchise. The same is surely true of my fellow Wizards fans—and many fans of other perennial losers (hey, the Detroit Lions somehow still have fans). So why do we stay hooked?

    My Wizards fandom began in the D.C. suburbs in the ’70s, when I was a Bullets-crazed kid devouring box scores on the sports page, shooting jumpers on a backyard dirt court, and pretending to be Chenier. I was 12 when the Bullets paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue to celebrate their only title, and the subsequent 44 years have brought lots of bad memories: Last season, the Wizards somehow blew a 35-point lead against the L.A. Clippers. The worst part? I wasn’t surprised.

    Recent pain should feel stronger than childhood joy, I would think—even for fans like me, whose support was passed down geographically. But these deep, die-hard roots can influence our adult behavior. “Early learning is incredibly powerful and hard to erase,” Chris Crandall, a psychology professor at the University of Kansas who has studied fan allegiance, told me. The team’s success 50 years ago may have boosted my childhood loyalty, Crandall explained, and their subsequent failures did not remove it. A new attitude (“Wow, these guys stink”) essentially “lays over the old one, but the old one is still there,” Crandall said. “And it’s very difficult to get rid of it.”

    I’m at least old enough to remember the team’s lone championship. The top memory for Wizards fans in their 30s is probably John Wall’s dramatic game-winning three-pointer in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Wizards, of course, then lost Game 7. But one reason fans stick around is the perverse pride they have in their fandom, Edward Hirt, a professor at the University of Indiana who has studied sports-fan psychology, told me. Rooting for the Lakers or the Dallas Cowboys is like wearing khakis: You hardly stand out in a crowd. Loving the Wizards gives me a defiant sense of individuality. “Do you want to be like everybody else, or do you want to be different?” Hirt said. “The answer is neither. We want to be a little bit of both. We like feeling like we belong, but we don’t want to be seen as a clone of everybody else, either.”

    Supporting a loser satisfies both of those desires. I can commune with fellow fans at a sports bar or game, but when I walk through an airport, even in D.C., I’m often the only guy wearing a Wizards cap. And honestly, I like that. My Wiz fandom, Andrew Billings, a sports-media professor at the University of Alabama, told me, sends a message to the world: “How loyal am I? I root for the Washington Wizards.” (Which, let’s be real, would be a great T-shirt). In a 2015 study of students from seven universities, football fans were 55 percent less likely to wear team apparel following a defeat compared with a win. But those who do are making a statement: I’m not a fair-weather fan; I’m dedicated and trustworthy.

    Those noble qualities explain why fans of lousy teams despise fair-weather fans, Hirt added. Bandwagon fans skip the suffering but embrace the glory. If the Wizards somehow reached the NBA Finals this year, I’d be both thrilled and infuriated by the mobs of rapturous fans at downtown watch parties. Where were these bandwagon yahoos in 2001, when the team finished 19–63?

    But maybe winning matters less than we think—even for die-hard fans who react to each loss with a primal scream. In one 2019 study, fans of a college football team felt a two-day rise in self-esteem after a victory. But self-esteem levels didn’t drop significantly among losing fans. One of the reasons: Even if your team loses, you can raise your self-esteem simply by commiserating with friends, Billings, a co-author, said.

    Yes, suffering sucks, but suffering together has some upsides. It can be a social glue that intensifies bonds with the team and fellow fans. “Going through this hardship with your sports team makes you much more likely to stick with them,” Omri Gillath, a psychology professor at the University of Kansas, told me. Fans don’t just bask in reflected glory, or BIRG, as psychologists call it; they also BIRF—bask in reflected failure. “It’s about having a community of people that understand you and like the same thing that you do,” Gillath said.

    Last season, a friend and I attended the Wizards’ home finale, and they got shellacked by the equally lousy Knicks. But my friend and I enjoyed laughs over pregame beers. We made sarcastic comments as the Wiz turned a 10–0 lead into a 22-point deficit. I bought an end-of-the-season discounted T-shirt at the team store. Listening to Knicks fans hoot about their victory was annoying, but we had fun. And we bonded.

    But rooting for a losing team may be a dying phenomenon. Sports betting and streaming have made sports more solitary and less tied to where you live—undercutting some of the reasons fans endure their god-awful teams. “Geographic loyalty is particularly powerful for older generations, partly because they weren’t nearly as mobile with their jobs or their careers as younger people are,” Billings said. “I live in Alabama. If I wanted to be a Golden State Warriors fan, I could access all 82 of their regular-season games in a way that was not possible for older generations when they built their fandom.” Younger fans may also be more likely to follow a single player than a particular team, Billings believes.

    Let’s be clear: Winning is way better than losing. A 2013 study found that on the Monday after NFL games, fans of losing teams were more likely to consume saturated fats and sugars compared with fans of winning teams. But I truly believe—and maybe this is loser talk—that my decades of Wizards fandom have made me a better human. I have well-developed coping skills. My friends and I are like Statler and Waldorf, the crusty hecklers on The Muppet Show: We manage head-smacking losses with well-timed quips. I don’t get too elated after a victory—although victories mean more when they’re rare—or too down after a defeat. Hell, maybe it’s even made me more empathetic to people’s challenges. After all, most of us in life can relate more like the constantly struggling Wizards than the trophy-hoisting Warriors.

    Even though I know better, I’m optimistic this season won’t be a #SoWizards year. Maybe the team will jell. Maybe the young players will develop. Maybe the veterans will stay healthy. Or, you know, maybe not. A struggling sports franchise, I’ve decided, is like your idiot brother or jackass uncle. Despite all their obvious flaws, you still love them. And so I’ll cherish disco-era Bullets memories, celebrate the unexpected victories, cling to foolish hope, and brace myself for the worst. If they miss the playoffs—again—well, there’s always next year.

    Ken Budd

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  • 10 Reasons You Need Therapy Now | LoveAndLifeToolBox

    10 Reasons You Need Therapy Now | LoveAndLifeToolBox

    The stigma around seeing a therapist is not nearly what it once was.  In fact, many understand that going to therapy doesn’t mean there is “something wrong with you” but rather there are things you may not be able to see or understand in yourself that a therapist can help illuminate, then guide you to remove the obstacles that have held you back individually and/or in your relationships.

    When I first started my private practice many years ago, it was more common to see shame and embarrassment come up for people when they began therapy.  They were less likely to talk about it with others as they feared the perception of that would be negative.  Over the recent years, however, this has changed.  Many freely talk about their therapists and that they are in individual and couples counseling.  Needing a little support doesn’t have the same negative connotation it used to which I believe was a repellent to seeking help.    The education around mental health has helped push that along immensely.  “It’s ok not be okay,” has been instrumental in that.  The challenges that we have faced societally in the last few years has also exacerbated the need for intervention around anxiety and depression, also normalizing these conditions.

    More couples are coming into my therapy practice without being in crisis yet, which is so helpful.  I more often hear them say they want to avoid bigger problems later, music to my ears, as I know the consequences of letting relationship challenges build up.  The couples who have waited until resentment is high, emotional safety is low and their communication is ineffective,  have a deeper hole to dig out of.

    Whether there are obstacles blocking you in the way you see yourself, how you feel, how you relate to others or unhealthy relationship patterns, the benefit of beginning this work is clear.  Those who have the ability to hold a mirror up to themselves and own their role, can look at the impact of their past and stay focused on making changes in their lives now, can reap the benefits of the rest of a life finally being unstuck.  Why wouldn’t you?

    Here are 10 reasons you need therapy now.

    1. Your self esteem is in the toilet.  It’s time to look at why that is and challenge any faulty beliefs about who you are.
    2. Your conflict avoidance creates problems for you.  The consequences of not dealing with situations are high over time, internally and in your relationships.
    3. You are emotionally unavailable.  Where did you learn it was not safe to be vulnerable?  You can learn to be more emotionally available and connect with others in a more rewarding way.
    4. You keep getting into bad relationships.  Have you considered the possibility that it’s less about the problematic partners you have had and more about your choices?  Why do you lean in towards unhealthy situations?
    5. You are a perfectionist.  Where did you learn that you had do do things perfectly?  Is it possible this was learned as a way to feel more in control in a world you felt out of control?  Perfectionism is a set-up as life isn’t perfect and things happen.
    6. You struggle to manage your anger.  Do you need to look at your history and what that anger is really about?  Did it serve you at one time and no longer does?
    7. You abuse substances.  Are you using substances to medicate uncomfortable feelings?  What emotionally needs attention?
    8. Your relationship is disconnected.  Couples who slowly move further apart from each other emotionally often have unresolved hurt feelings or unmet needs between them.  The longer the disconnection, the more at risk your relationship is.
    9. You are possessive and jealous.  Where did you learn that the people you care about might leave you?  It’s time to look at your vulnerability in relationships to stop behaving in ways that may ultimately push your partners away.
    10. Your worry overtakes you.  What can your history tell you about why you assume the worst or get preoccupied over the possibility that things will go wrong?  Future-tripping around things that haven’t even happened can be exhausting.

    These are just some of the common issues that lead people to seek help.  The reason I suggest that you might “need therapy now” is that I want to encourage you to minimize your own suffering as soon as possible.  I also understand that despite therapy being more acceptable, there are still many things that can block people like fear of facing difficult things, a belief that looking back won’t be helpful or possibly being uncomfortable with the idea of sharing their lives with a stranger.  But I still hope to provide you a kernel of inspiration to try.

    If you don’t have any therapist referrals handy, check out the Psychology Today Therapist Directory to begin your search.  If you reside in California, see my California Online Therapy practice.  Wherever you live, if you have a specific question, I offer email Emotional Health / Relationship Consultations as an additional resource.

    1

    Lisa Brookes Kift, MFT

    Source link

  • 10 Reasons You Need Therapy Now | LoveAndLifeToolBox

    10 Reasons You Need Therapy Now | LoveAndLifeToolBox

    The stigma around seeing a therapist is not nearly what it once was.  In fact, many understand that going to therapy doesn’t mean there is “something wrong with you” but rather there are things you may not be able to see or understand in yourself that a therapist can help illuminate, then guide you to remove the obstacles that have held you back individually and/or in your relationships.

    When I first started my private practice many years ago, it was more common to see shame and embarrassment come up for people when they began therapy.  They were less likely to talk about it with others as they feared the perception of that would be negative.  Over the recent years, however, this has changed.  Many freely talk about their therapists and that they are in individual and couples counseling.  Needing a little support doesn’t have the same negative connotation it used to which I believe was a repellent to seeking help.    The education around mental health has helped push that along immensely.  “It’s ok not be okay,” has been instrumental in that.  The challenges that we have faced societally in the last few years has also exacerbated the need for intervention around anxiety and depression, also normalizing these conditions.

    More couples are coming into my therapy practice without being in crisis yet, which is so helpful.  I more often hear them say they want to avoid bigger problems later, music to my ears, as I know the consequences of letting relationship challenges build up.  The couples who have waited until resentment is high, emotional safety is low and their communication is ineffective,  have a deeper hole to dig out of.

    Whether there are obstacles blocking you in the way you see yourself, how you feel, how you relate to others or unhealthy relationship patterns, the benefit of beginning this work is clear.  Those who have the ability to hold a mirror up to themselves and own their role, can look at the impact of their past and stay focused on making changes in their lives now, can reap the benefits of the rest of a life finally being unstuck.  Why wouldn’t you?

    Here are 10 reasons you need therapy now.

    1. Your self esteem is in the toilet.  It’s time to look at why that is and challenge any faulty beliefs about who you are.
    2. Your conflict avoidance creates problems for you.  The consequences of not dealing with situations are high over time, internally and in your relationships.
    3. You are emotionally unavailable.  Where did you learn it was not safe to be vulnerable?  You can learn to be more emotionally available and connect with others in a more rewarding way.
    4. You keep getting into bad relationships.  Have you considered the possibility that it’s less about the problematic partners you have had and more about your choices?  Why do you lean in towards unhealthy situations?
    5. You are a perfectionist.  Where did you learn that you had do do things perfectly?  Is it possible this was learned as a way to feel more in control in a world you felt out of control?  Perfectionism is a set-up as life isn’t perfect and things happen.
    6. You struggle to manage your anger.  Do you need to look at your history and what that anger is really about?  Did it serve you at one time and no longer does?
    7. You abuse substances.  Are you using substances to medicate uncomfortable feelings?  What emotionally needs attention?
    8. Your relationship is disconnected.  Couples who slowly move further apart from each other emotionally often have unresolved hurt feelings or unmet needs between them.  The longer the disconnection, the more at risk your relationship is.
    9. You are possessive and jealous.  Where did you learn that the people you care about might leave you?  It’s time to look at your vulnerability in relationships to stop behaving in ways that may ultimately push your partners away.
    10. Your worry overtakes you.  What can your history tell you about why you assume the worst or get preoccupied over the possibility that things will go wrong?  Future-tripping around things that haven’t even happened can be exhausting.

    These are just some of the common issues that lead people to seek help.  The reason I suggest that you might “need therapy now” is that I want to encourage you to minimize your own suffering as soon as possible.  I also understand that despite therapy being more acceptable, there are still many things that can block people like fear of facing difficult things, a belief that looking back won’t be helpful or possibly being uncomfortable with the idea of sharing their lives with a stranger.  But I still hope to provide you a kernel of inspiration to try.

    If you don’t have any therapist referrals handy, check out the Psychology Today Therapist Directory to begin your search.  If you reside in California, see my California Online Therapy practice.  Wherever you live, if you have a specific question, I offer email Emotional Health / Relationship Consultations as an additional resource.

    1

    Lisa Brookes Kift, MFT

    Source link

  • Read-With-Me Books Publishes New Illustrated Book ‘I’ll Go Rhythm’ That Takes a Child’s Look at the Complicated World of Social Media Algorithms

    Read-With-Me Books Publishes New Illustrated Book ‘I’ll Go Rhythm’ That Takes a Child’s Look at the Complicated World of Social Media Algorithms

    Algorithm, meet Charlie.

    Press Release
    –

    Nov 2, 2021


    SEATTLE, November 2, 2021 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Journey down the rabbit hole of the internet through the eyes of Charlie, a creative kid who loves to play drums and hang out with friends. Charlie meets AL, an algorithm who can promise Charlie everything and anything, but at what cost? Follow Charlie on a path of self-discovery and the realization that the online world isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be….

    This is the debut book for publisher Read-With-Me Books and author Justin Webb, who dreamed up the story during a long run through the winding trails surrounding his home in Middle Tennessee. “I hope this book helps parents like me who struggle with finding the right balance between the many screens that are omnipresent in our kids’ lives and having rich, full lives full of family, friends and real-life adventures. At it’s core, ‘I’ll Go Rhythm’ explains the importance of not basing your own self-worth on your online presence and is a good reminder of the importance of spending real time having real conversations with the ones you love.”  

    This is illustrator Kayla Stark’s sixth illustrated children’s book. For “I’ll Go Rhythm” she experimented with using a combination of cut paper and acrylic paint on watercolor paper. Texture and shape are prominent in the illustrations as is the exploration and elevation of a simpler, more childlike illustration style. Among her previous titles are “Friends at the Firehouse”, “Mr. Rat Pack Really Wants That”, “Trying Again (My Feelings, My Choices)”, “Bread for Words: A Frederick Douglas Story” and “The Fox and the Crow”.

    The hardcover edition of “I’ll Go Rhythm” is available for immediate purchase on Amazon or local booksellers and at read-with-me-books.com; the electronic version is available on Amazon, Apple, Google and other major e-book retailers.

    For a complimentary hardcover or electronic copy of the full book to review/feature, contact us at info@read-with-me-books.com

    Read-With-Me Books is dedicated to providing interesting materials for adults and kids to enjoy reading together and learning the power of the printed word while spending quality time learning the power of personal connections.

    Press Contact: Jerome Baker 904-710-9816

    Read-With-Me Books, 2015 2nd Avenue, Suite 2505, Seattle, WA 98121

    833-RWITHME (833-794-8463) * Info@read-with-me-books.com * Read-With-Me-Books.com

    Source: Read-With-Me Books

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  • Transition to Traditional School is Easier for Staunton, VA Homeschool Student After LearningRx

    Transition to Traditional School is Easier for Staunton, VA Homeschool Student After LearningRx

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Aug 26, 2019


    STAUNTON, Va., August 26, 2019 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​LearningRx (www.LearningRx.com), the world’s largest personal brain training company, is celebrating the success of Sahara, who saw significant changes in test-taking, confidence, and transitioning from homeschooling to a private Christian school after enrolling in a LearningRx personal brain training program.

    “After the transition from five years of homeschooling to attending a private Christian school, we quickly learned that she was not prepared for test-taking,” says Sahara’s mom. “She needed some help with studying and learning how to study. I think it played out in her life as a challenge. If she thought she couldn’t do something, she convinced herself she couldn’t do it. It was hard to get over that hump. She needed more confidence.”

    When Sahara’s parents enrolled her in LearningRx personal brain training, their biggest goal was to build her self-esteem.

    Since completing LearningRx brain training, so much has changed for Sahara!

    “LearningRx has definitely changed her attitude, confidence, and ability,” says her mom. “She participates in market animal shows and livestock judging with the local 4-H. She is more confident in the show ring. That is something that she really enjoys. I think the best part of her experience was her trainer. She built a relationship with her trainer, Studley, and she has adjusted very well to her school setting and she finished up with good grades. We always knew that she could accomplish anything she set her mind to, and now she has better tools to reach those goals.”

    Watch Sahara and her parents talking about her experience with LearningRx personal brain training: http://studentshoutouts.com/2019/08/13/transition-school-easier-homeschooler-learningrx-staunton-harrisonburg-va-review

    Way to go, Sahara! We’re proud of you!

    About LearningRx

    LearningRx, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the largest one-on-one brain training organization in the world. With more than 70 Centers in the U.S. and 48 international locations, LearningRx has helped more than 100,000 individuals and families sharpen their cognitive skills to help them think faster, learn easier, and perform better. Their on-site programs partner every client with a personal brain trainer to keep clients engaged, accountable, and on-task—a key advantage over online-only brain exercises. Their pioneering methods have been used in clinical settings for over 35 years and have been verified as beneficial in peer-reviewed research papers and journals. To learn more about LearningRx research results, programs, and their 9.6 out of 10 client referral rating visit http://www.learningrx.com.

    Source: LearningRx

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  • Eagan, Minnesota Struggling Student Improves in Math and Boosts Confidence With LearningRx

    Eagan, Minnesota Struggling Student Improves in Math and Boosts Confidence With LearningRx

    Third-grade Girl Named Finalist in National Contest for Exceptional Brain Training Results

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Aug 12, 2019


    EAGAN, Minn., August 12, 2019 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​Eagan, Minnesota third-grader Eme Dietz has been named the second Runner Up in LearningRx’s national Student of the Year competition, celebrating the top brain training results across the country.

    Eme’s parents, Christina and Kyle, initially wanted to enroll her in LearningRx personal brain training because she was struggling with math.

    “At the end of second grade, Eme confided in us that she didn’t feel comfortable with her grade-level math,” explains Christina. “We investigated a few programs that had more of an emphasis on math, but after speaking with some friends whose daughter went through LearningRx, we made an appointment to talk to Rich at the Eagan center.”

    After speaking with Rich, Christina and Kyle saw the value in retraining the brain to think and process differently, rather than solely focusing on math. They enrolled Eme in a LearningRx personal brain training program.

    “From day one, she was ready to put in the work,” says Eme’s trainer. “Her progress was slow and steady, but her confidence and ability to solve problems improved immensely. She was enjoying reading and writing more and feeling a lot more successful with her math scores, but then suddenly, something just clicked. With about five weeks left in the program, Eme’s ability to do math facts came bursting through. We were suddenly flying through Memory Hold! The pride on her face was priceless.”

    According to Christina, Eme’s math scores have continuously improved and the confidence she has now is “indescribable.” “She learned to calm her frustrations, that making mistakes is normal and that quitting wasn’t an option,” says Christina. “We loved the consistency of the 1:1 student/trainer ratio. She’s acquired tools that she can take with her to middle school, high school and beyond. We couldn’t be happier with the investment in LearningRx.”

    Eme says she wants to be an astronaut. With her newly sharpened brain skills and confidence, we know she can do it!

    Watch her submission video: http://studentshoutouts.com/2019/08/08/struggling-student-improves-math-boosts-confidence-learningrx-eagan-savage-eden-prairie-shoreview-woodbury-maple-grove-mn-review/

    About LearningRx

    LearningRx, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the largest one-on-one brain training organization in the world. With more than 70 Centers in the U.S. and 48 international locations, LearningRx has helped more than 100,000 individuals and families sharpen their cognitive skills to help them think faster, learn easier, and perform better. Their on-site programs partner every client with a personal brain trainer to keep clients engaged, accountable, and on-task—a key advantage over online-only brain exercises. Their pioneering methods have been used in clinical settings for over 35 years and have been verified as beneficial in peer-reviewed research papers and journals. To learn more about LearningRx research results, programs, and their 9.6 out of 10 client referral rating visit http://www.learningrx.com/.

    Source: LearningRx

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  • LearningRx Reviews Impact of Brain Training on Reading Struggles

    LearningRx Reviews Impact of Brain Training on Reading Struggles

    Girl experiences three-level increase in reading after program and makes the honor roll!!


    INDIANAPOLIS, June 4, 2019 (Newswire.com)
    –
    LearningRx (www.LearningRx.com), the world’s largest personal brain training company, is celebrating the success of Callie, who saw significant changes in grades, academic enjoyment and confidence after completing a LearningRx program.

    Callie came to LearningRx because she was struggling in school and she thought she was “stupid.” She had tried afterschool tutoring with her teacher and was in a special reading group in school, but she still had significant issues with reading and felt that her brain wasn’t working.

    When she came to LearningRx, a cognitive skills assessment showed that Callie’s auditory processing skills were weak. (It’s the most-needed skill for reading!)

    She enrolled in six months of LearningRx and saw drastic improvements. Her math got easier, her reading went up THREE levels and she made the honor roll at school!

    “The more I played the games, the easier they got,” says Callie. “Math got a lot easier and reading got a lot easier.”

    Callie’s mom says, “She was definitely more confident. Beforehand, when she was struggling, she would say things like ‘I’m stupid’ and ‘I just can’t get this.’ The more she came—probably after the third or fourth week—she didn’t say those negative things anymore. You hear people say it’s life-changing, but until you experience it … I mean, it really IS life changing.”

    Watch her video: http://studentshoutouts.com/2018/12/26/547/

    About LearningRx

    LearningRx, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the largest one-on-one brain training organization in the world. With 80 Centers in the U.S. and locations in 39 countries around the globe, LearningRx has helped more than 100,000 individuals and families sharpen their cognitive skills to help them think faster, learn easier, and perform better. Their on-site programs partner every client with a personal brain trainer to keep clients engaged, accountable and on-task — a key advantage over online-only brain exercises. Their pioneering methods have been used in clinical settings for over 35 years and have been verified as beneficial in peer-reviewed research papers and journals. To learn more about LearningRx research results, programs, and their 9.6 out of 10 client satisfaction rating visit http://www.learningrx.com/.    

    Source: LearningRx

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  • After Car Wreck, Colorado Springs, CO Student Reviews LearningRx Brain Training Improvements

    After Car Wreck, Colorado Springs, CO Student Reviews LearningRx Brain Training Improvements


    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 3, 2019 (Newswire.com)
    –
    LearningRx (www.LearningRx.com), the world’s largest personal brain training company, is celebrating the success of Caleb, who saw significant changes in job performance, processing speed and confidence after completing a LearningRx program.

    As a young boy, Caleb struggled socially and academically and said he didn’t really have any friends as a child. On his way home from college in 2017, Caleb was in a car accident, something he says was due to his slow response time and reflexes. He says he had been in and out of jobs, couldn’t hold down a job and had no confidence.

    Although Caleb had never heard of LearningRx, he’s thrilled he enrolled in a program and says it has changed his life!

    “I made such awesome progress,” he says. “I could do things better, remember better and perform better in the job field. Since brain training, I definitely think the results and everything I know now and know about myself is going to allow me to go so much further in life. It works! It’s one of those things where I kind of just blew myself away. It’s made a huge difference in my life so I don’t see why it wouldn’t in anyone else’s.”

    Watch his video: http://studentshoutouts.com/2019/01/04/car-wreck-student-reviews-brain-training-experience-learningrx-colorado-springs-co

    About LearningRx

    LearningRx, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the largest one-on-one brain training organization in the world. With 80 Centers in the U.S. and locations in 39 countries around the globe, LearningRx has helped more than 100,000 individuals and families sharpen their cognitive skills to help them think faster, learn easier, and perform better. Their on-site programs partner every client with a personal brain trainer to keep clients engaged, accountable, and on-task — a key advantage over online-only brain exercises. Their pioneering methods have been used in clinical settings for over 35 years and have been verified as beneficial in peer-reviewed research papers and journals. To learn more about LearningRx research results, programs, and their 9.6 out of 10 client satisfaction rating visit http://www.learningrx.com. 

    Source: LearningRx

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  • Student Improves Reading Skills With Help From Family | LearningRx Brookfield, Appleton & Green Bay, WI Review

    Student Improves Reading Skills With Help From Family | LearningRx Brookfield, Appleton & Green Bay, WI Review

    Girl goes from struggling with reading and academics to soaring confidence and reading fluently!


    WOODBURY, Minn., May 28, 2019 (Newswire.com)
    –
    LearningRx (www.LearningRx.com), the world’s largest personal brain training company, is celebrating the success of Melanie, who saw significant changes in reading, confidence, academics and participation after completing a LearningRx program in Wisconsin.

    When Melanie’s parents noticed she was struggling academically in first grade, the teachers told them that “everyone grows differently” and that Melanie would “grow out of it” and “catch up.” But Melanie continued to struggle for a few years, spurring her parents to enroll her in LearningRx personal brain training.

    Once they saw the results of Melanie’s cognitive skills assessment, they decided to enroll her in the program, where she would do some brain training at the LearningRx. She also did some training with her grandmother at home.

    Since completing LearningRx, Melanie is much more willing to participate in school and try new things. She has also started cooking more because she is able to read the recipes.

    “I feel like I am out of the shadows,” says Melanie. “I’m in the classroom like a regular person.”

    As for whether she’d recommend LearningRx to other kids who are struggling, Melanie says yes, “because it’s such a great learning tool,” especially kids whose parents are trying to “make them do something they don’t know how to do—no offense to parents!”

    Way to go Melanie. We’re proud of you!

    Watch Melanie, her grandmother and her mom talking about Melanie’s experience: http://studentshoutouts.com/2019/05/22/learningrx-student-works-family-improve-reading-skills-brookfield-appleton-green-bay-wi-review

    About LearningRx

    LearningRx, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the largest one-on-one brain training organization in the world. With 80 Centers in the U.S., and locations in 45 countries around the globe, LearningRx has helped more than 100,000 individuals and families sharpen their cognitive skills to help them think faster, learn easier, and perform better. Their on-site programs partner every client with a personal brain trainer to keep clients engaged, accountable, and on-task—a key advantage over online-only brain exercises. Their pioneering methods have been used in clinical settings for over 35 years and have been verified as beneficial in peer-reviewed research papers and journals. To learn more about LearningRx research results, programs, and their 9.6 out of 10 client referral rating visit http://www.learningrx.com.

    Source: LearningRx

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  • Award Winning Writer and Teacher Aaron Braxton’s ‘Jesse and the Caterpillar Who Got Its Wings’ Reaches New Audiences

    Award Winning Writer and Teacher Aaron Braxton’s ‘Jesse and the Caterpillar Who Got Its Wings’ Reaches New Audiences

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Mar 14, 2018


    LOS ANGELES, March 14, 2018 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong? Jesse is an intelligent, sensitive, yet socially awkward kid, who has a vivid imagination, a hard time fitting in, and desperately needs help making friends. Facing the added pressures of fifth grade, his whole world changes when his teacher brings caterpillars to class.

    Find out how Jesse uses their magical shape-shifting metamorphosis – from humble earthbound creatures to graceful, winged beauties – as a lesson for life, love, tragedy, and healing in “Jesse and the Caterpillar Who Got its Wings.”

    Braxton, who wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed and internationally award-winning solo show, “Did You Do Your Homework?” is no stranger to social commentary about the trials and tribulations of diverse youth, growing up in urban communities, and experiencing self-doubt and transformation. “I grew up poor, in an abusive household where I saw my alcoholic father throw my mother down a flight of stairs and my manic stepfather put a lock on the refrigerator door,” says Braxton. “I was told daily by my stepfather that I would never amount to anything, but I kept telling myself differently.” Braxton’s novel, “Jesse and the Caterpillar Who Got its Wings,” is about inspiration, finding the greatness inside, and allowing it live. “I used to take profound, often painful experiences from my past and make them a basis for inspiring my students. I told them that everything worth achieving is only accomplished through hard work and perseverance and that by purposefully directing their energies positively rather than negatively scattering them, they can be far more productive. I want to continue to be an example of my convictions.”

    Hailing from Roxbury, MA, and growing up in Santa Rosa, CA, the former Los Angeles Unified School District educator, who holds a BA degree in Speech Communications from San Diego State University and an MA degree in Education from the University of Southern California, now calls Los Angeles his home.

    “When there’s greatness inside you, who says you can’t fly?”

    Aaron Braxton’s, “Jesse and the Caterpillar Who Got its Wings” is available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and all major book outlets!

    For more information contact: Robert Levy, Talk of the Town PR-LA, 323-546-4598, 1Talkofthetownpr@gmail.com or Aaronbraxtonspeaks@gmail.com.

    Source: A.K.B. Communications

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  • As Dilma Rousseff Struggles to Save Her Career, an American Author Worries About Brazil’s Smartest Woman

    As Dilma Rousseff Struggles to Save Her Career, an American Author Worries About Brazil’s Smartest Woman

    Book News: For Steven Carter, the current political turmoil in Brazil is an opportunity to re-focus his writing, and dedicate his new book to President Dilma Rousseff.

    Press Release
    –


    updated: May 2, 2016


    Los Angeles, California, May 2, 2016 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​​​​​​Steven Carter never expected his writing would bring him face to face with the president of Brazil.  And, flipping through a copy of “What Smart Women Know” at a local bookstore, a typical reader wouldn’t know they are reading one of the most successful American books ever published in Brazil.  “What Smart Women Know” soared to the top of Brazil’s bestseller lists in 2008 and held its place for 110  weeks — regularly holding the #2 position — joined later by its celebrated sequel, “Men Like Women Who Like Themselves.”  Brazil was changing quickly, and the women of Brazil were embracing that change.

    For American author Steven Carter, those were dizzying times. First came the highly publicized appearances at the Bienal do Livro. Traveling from city to city, often talking to sold-out crowds, he met Brazil’s most revered authors and artists. He viewed the panoramas of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo with Marcos and Tomas Pereira, founders of the publishing giant Editora Sextante.  And twice each year he would return to Brazil, ultimately joining President Dilma Rousseff at the Rio Bienal to celebrate the ‘Year of the Woman.’

    It was all very heady stuff, often thrilling.  “Rousseff was smart, powerful and inspiring,” Carter recalls. “Meeting President Rousseff reignited my passion for writing.”  After their meeting, more books would follow.  “I feel I owe her so much,” he added, “and today I have the chance to thank her in my work.”

    As new titles were released, international praise for Steven Carter’s work kept building. But after five years of uninterrupted success, the world suddenly turned, leaving Carter to helplessly watch the Brazilian juggernaut stall. As Brazil’s economy slumped, book sales faltered.  “I could feel the might of Brazil begin to disappear,” Carter remembers. “I feared the need for a scapegoat — economic decline is a bitter pill.”

    Back in the United States now, Carter worries about Rousseff’s future — he knows too well from his research and writing the risks and rewards of being a strong, smart woman.  He also wonders if there will ever be another “Brazil Story” in his lifetime. Will there ever be another great nation with an emerging middle class filled with working women who eagerly embrace his message? The author watches and laments as Dilma Rousseff struggles to hold on to her power and her position. Within the pages of “What Smart Women Know” there is a gentle wisdom that seems to predict the fate of successful women who have the courage to lead.

    Today, on his cluttered desk, there sits a copy of “Love & Self-Esteem:  What the Smartest Women Know.”  Steven Carter hopes that this book — a book inspired by the smart women of Brazil, and now dedicated to their leader — will soon find a new audience, even if that audience is far from his home in Los Angeles.
     

    Source: C.A.S. Publishing

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