Zen Mind: How to Declutter By Leo Babauta One of the things that gives me most peace is have a clean, simple home. When I wake up in the morning and walk out into a living room that has been decluttered, that has a minimalist look, and there isn’t junk lying around, there is a calm and joy that enters my heart. When, on the other hand, I walk out into a living room cluttered with toys and books and extra things all over the place, it is chaos and my mind is frenetic. I’ve been a simplifier and a declutterer for years now (probably 8-9 years) and I’ve gotten pretty good at it, but I’ve found that you have to keep coming back to revisit your clutter every once in awhile. Here are my top decluttering tips: Do it in small chunks. Other posts about decluttering elsewhere:
It's Allright - SANE America’s Epidemic of Unnecessary Care It was lunchtime before my afternoon surgery clinic, which meant that I was at my desk, eating a ham-and-cheese sandwich and clicking through medical articles. Among those which caught my eye: a British case report on the first 3-D-printed hip implanted in a human being, a Canadian analysis of the rising volume of emergency-room visits by children who have ingested magnets, and a Colorado study finding that the percentage of fatal motor-vehicle accidents involving marijuana had doubled since its commercial distribution became legal. The one that got me thinking, however, was a study of more than a million Medicare patients. It suggested that a huge proportion had received care that was simply a waste. The researchers called it “low-value care.” But, really, it was no-value care. Could pointless medical care really be that widespread? I decided to do a crude check. To my surprise, it appeared that seven of those eight had received unnecessary care. “I said, ‘Are you fucking kidding me?’
Math game scores with students “It’s really helped them out, because the kids are so good with games and technology,” algebra teacher Sue Cheung said. “[But] to be a serious gamer you have to answer the question correctly, so your math has to be there. And if you don’t answer correctly, you might be playing, but you’re not going to be the high scorer.” Cook, who recently left her traditional teaching position to become the school’s math coach, said she first used the virtual game in her classroom four years ago. She hosted her own class competitions over the years and decided to turn the game into a learning community competition for the first time this year, modeled after the House Cup competition in the Harry Potter series of books and movies. “This tournament is just to help the kids come together as one and kind of have pride in their ‘house’—in their smaller learning communities—and just support each other in math,” she said. Freshman Brycen Lee, a member of the winning house, Invictus, agreed.
15 Common Cognitive Distortions What’s a cognitive distortion and why do so many people have them? Cognitive distortions are simply ways that our mind convinces us of something that isn’t really true. These inaccurate thoughts are usually used to reinforce negative thinking or emotions — telling ourselves things that sound rational and accurate, but really only serve to keep us feeling bad about ourselves. For instance, a person might tell themselves, “I always fail when I try to do something new; I therefore fail at everything I try.” This is an example of “black or white” (or polarized) thinking. Cognitive distortions are at the core of what many cognitive-behavioral and other kinds of therapists try and help a person learn to change in psychotherapy. Cognitive Distortions Aaron Beck first proposed the theory behind cognitive distortions and David Burns was responsible for popularizing it with common names and examples for the distortions. 1. 2. In polarized thinking, things are either “black-or-white.” 3. 4. 5. 6.
If your friend threatens to end their own life Having a friend who is feeling suicidal can be a pretty confronting thing to deal with. If you think they are in immediate danger, there are services you can call. Sometimes it can be tough if your friend needs your help, but there are always things you can do to help. This might help if… you’re worried about your friend you think your friend is suicidal you’re not sure what to do What you can do right now If you need help now please call Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 or Lifeline on 13 11 14. How can I be sure they need my help? If your friend tells you they are feeling suicidal or that they want to end their life, it’s important to take it seriously. Things you can do Don't keep it a secret Your friend may have asked you to keep it a secret or made you promise not to tell anyone. The situation puts a lot of pressure on you - so the best thing to do is to talk to a parent, counsellor, teacher, or doctor. If your friend refuses to see someone Keep encouraging them to see someone. Finally
Half Somersault Or Foster Maneuver | A DIY Home Exercise for Vertigo Feds investigating makers of cell-phone apps for kids More than 20 percent of the apps examined included links to social media services, meaning children could post comments, photos, or videos that could harm their reputations or offend other people. The government is investigating whether software companies that make cell phone apps have violated the privacy rights of children by quietly collecting personal information from mobile devices and sharing it with advertisers and data brokers, the Federal Trade Commission said Dec. 10. Such apps can capture a child’s physical location, phone numbers of their friends, and more. The FTC described the marketplace for mobile applications—dominated by online stores operated by Apple and Google—as a digital danger zone with inadequate oversight over online privacy. In a report by the FTC’s own experts, it said the industry has grown rapidly but has failed to ensure that the privacy of young consumers is adequately protected. The FTC did not say which or how many companies it was investigating.
Fixing Cognitive Distortions Cognitive distortions have a way of playing havoc with our lives. If we let them. This kind of “stinkin’ thinkin’” can be “undone,” but it takes effort and lots of practice — every day. If you want to stop the irrational thinking, you can start by trying out the exercises below. 1. We need to create a list of our troublesome thoughts and examine them later for matches with a list of cognitive distortions. 2. A thorough examination of an experience allows us to identify the basis for our distorted thoughts. 3. An alternative to “self-talk” that is harsh and demeaning is to talk to ourselves in the same compassionate and caring way that we would talk with a friend in a similar situation. 4. Instead of thinking about our problem or predicament in an either-or polarity, evaluate things on a scale of 0-100. 5. We need to seek the opinions of others regarding whether our thoughts and attitudes are realistic. 6. 7. 8. Reference: Burns, D.D. (1989). Dr. APA Reference Grohol, J. (2009).