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screwpinecaprice · 4 years ago

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It couldn't be too bad if I indulge myself to love her.

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It's a distant future diamond connverse AU boiiiiiis

We're calling this as an AU because I'm 1000% sure this ain't happening in canon.

So, this takes place pleeeenty of years into the future, and follows the theory that the pink Steven will reappear as an independent entity once Steven dies without passing down his gem. (Although, I'm not actually partial with this theory. I have a different theory regarding that and this is just the product of an imagination of a connverse trash that entertained the idea.)

(Warning though, I’m not great at explaining stories but I tried, ok.)

So, setting takes many years in the future.

A year after Steven Maheswaran's* death, his gem revived itself, taking the likeness of his 25 year old human form, but pink and stoic to near emotionless. (Basically like the first time we saw him.) After some reflection he concluded that Steven's story has ended with his death, and declared that he is a different person; A new person who desired other ambitions. He soon left Earth to find his place in space. Although he seemed to have lost most of his empathy along with his human half, he valued the life he had prior so he brought a few souvenirs on his departure; trinkets, weapons, Connie's ashes, etc.

Maybe call it fate, because not long after this event, an intergalactic war broke out and Homeworld needed him to step in as a leader.

(Yes there is war in this story, ladies. --War. War never changes.-- )

--Not sure who the enemy is here though. Maybe a different species of aliens that wanted to stake claim on their part of the galaxy? Or a different colony of gems, with their own Diamond matriarchs, and they're much more advanced because they never had the Pink Diamond drama which catalyzed a series of stagnation and degradation of gem efficiency? Yeah. Maybe we'll be going with the latter. ---

The war had kept going for so many years, many gems had been shattered, the Sun and it's Solar System was eventually destroyed, friends and allies sacrificed their lives, and the only diamond left (on our side at least) was the pink Steven; now called (the new) Pink Diamond. His empire was losing the fight and their fate looked bleak. Suggestions were thrown here and there until a plan was agreed: They need to lay low for a while to replenish their own army --a stronger one than what they currently had. And in order to make these level of gems, they must revert back to the traditional way of producing them. They haven't done this since Era three when they had discovered different ways to create Gems, but the old way instantly made more physically stronger soldiers and they badly needed the leverage.

However this is just step two of the plan. To make progress faster, they need at least one more diamond. So they made a new Diamond.

---I don't know how to make them sentient Diamonds, man. I'm just assuming it's not easy, and they need, like, a very special star or something like that. If this gets debunked, I'm just going to say this is an alternate way.---

With Pink managing over their ridiculously costly and admittingly very risky project, they found a special bright star and said, yepp this is the one. And drained it and hollowed it's planets, I guess.

Maybe there's some ulterior motive behind Pink enthusiastically approving this course of action out of all the suggestions presented on the table. His confidants were having a suspicious feeling upon learning that he insisted they mainly use Connie's cremated ashes to make the gem itself, (Aside from the realization of actually having used 'enthusiastically' to describe him.) moreso when it was revealed that in doing so will not create a new person other than what the ashes used to be.

--- As Connie was Steven's lover/wife, (You know what I'm implying here.) her biological construct had gradually changed, altering every part of her to the bones. Now, Gems have gemstones as their core being, yeah? (duh) Everything they physically and mentally are are in their gem. But as a human being, the only hard mineral Connie has in her body is her bones. So, like, her bones basically dual-stored the information her brain and DNA has because her bones partially acted like the equivalent of a gem. But nobody knew of this until recently. ----

According to him, he wanted to make sure he can get along with the new diamond, and based on his memories as Steven, he was sure a very familiar character like Connie Maheswaran would do just fine. ( Also, Connie has BAMF DNA. We need that passed down if we're fighting in an intergalactic war. Just sayin'. )

So, yeah, they made a new diamond by bringing Connie Maheswaran back from the dead.

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Although Connie, renamed 'Bluebell Diamond', retained the character traits she had in her past life, her memories seemed lost. It was an uncertainty how much 'info' she has intact, and there was a possibility that memories were left out. But Pink is relieved in the meantime. He's falling in love with her and he's afraid that if her memories were kept, she won't like how different he is now to the man she loved and married.

(spoiler alert: Of course she eventually gains her memories back! And a lot of things are overwhelming. I mean, one day you are a working wife of a domestic home, then the next you're instantly a queen of an empire that you had to get through to a losing war, among other things.)

More about their relationship happens, drama stuff I guess. You bet your kidneys it affects the whole in a way. How, i dunnoh yet! Why have I created this setting???? I did dig my own grave?

I can already feel the plotholes dancing on the tip of my nose that unfortunately I can't see. But crossing my fingers that I could get around it. But there might be a few alterations if I couldn't.

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ANyway. This was not what I had originally planned to post. It was suppose to be a 3-4 paneled comic that kind of made more sense as an intro to this AU. And I were to post it before the year end. But I effed up on my scheduling (turns out, it was a seriously horrendously stupid idea for me, a slow drawer, to attempt drawing full painted comic pages under four days during the rush of a holiday), and to make it worse I also effed up with the fourth page and I got stuck on it until now. Plus, I have pending commissions to focus on. I couldn't post the other pages without the last so I made this simpler one instead.

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festfashions · 5 years ago

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Giving Back - PLUR Outside the Festival

Happy 2020 fam! It’s a new year, which means it’s a clean slate and time to feel fresh and ready to hit the ground running! While you’re working on your resolutions or goals, I wanted to share a 2020 goal you should consider adding to your list: giving back to the community!

Giving back, doing charity work or finding ways to help others not only supports what PLUR really stands for, but makes you a happier person. It’s proven, you feel happier and better about yourself when you do things for others! So give back, and do good!

There’s lots of ways to participate in this within the EDM community, so I want to highlight a few ways the community is giving back and some ways you can contribute as well!

Insomniac Cares

Insomniac Cares is dedicated to making a positive impact on issues facing the communities and neighborhoods where Insomniac Events are held. For every event that sponsors Insomniac Cares, $1 per ticket transaction and all guest list attendees are required a mandatory donation which helps fund the programs.

Since 2011, Insomniac Cares has partnered with over 50 local and national charities and community organizations, donating over $2 million. Projects in the past have focused on defunct children’s art and music programs, providing housing for homeless youth, funding cancer research, and reforesting local parks.

Each year, the milestone event for Insomniac Cares is their EDC Las Vegas Charity Auction. Hosting numerous items up for bid from helicopter rides into the venue to artist meet and greets, the Charity Auction is an awesome opportunity for artists to give back AND fans to contribute in a larger way to the community!

In 2019 alone, the EDC LV Charity Auction raised $70,000 for Communities in Schools of Southern Nevada, a nonprofit devoted to working with schools and providing resources that are needed to help low-income students in K-12 succeed.

You can learn more about Insomniac Cares here.

Tomorrowland Foundation

Insomniac isn’t the only events company that gives back, the Tomorrowland Foundation is also doing amazing things to send good back to the world. They focus on children and young people ages 40-21, living in developing countries or regions in crisis, with parents that are preoccupied with ‘survival’ or with unequal chances in life.

These children are very often raised in poverty and have a high risk of spending themselves their whole life in poverty. The Tomorrowland Foundation wants to break this vicious circle by giving them chances to express themselves creatively and work on their self-esteem.

On April 18th 2018, the first Music & Arts School opened in Sekha, a small Nepalese village situated in the heart of the Himalayas. This Music & Arts School features four fully-equipped classrooms, a central courtyard and a stage. Teachers offer the children instruction in music, dance, art and theatre.

This school is 100% funded with the gifts of our festival goers and was officially opened by Lost Frequencies who represented the People of Tomorrow.

In 2019-2020 the Tomorrowland Foundation will collaborate with Mobile School, a nonprofit organization focused on working with street children all over the world. There are currently 57 mobile schools in 30 countries across four continents. Thanks to Tomorrowland Foundation they are able to continue and expand their great work around the world.

Tomorrowland Foundation is funded by a yearly contribution from WeAreOneWorld (the organization behind Tomorrowland) and attendee contributions. During the festival there are Donate Here carts where visitors have the opportunity to donate 2 “Pearls” (the Tomorrowland currency) to directly support the foundation. Plus all guest tickets require a mandatory contribution to the foundation.

Even cooler, each year, a secret restaurant is hidden inside the magical Tomorrowland Mainstage, where an exclusive dinner created by a world-class chef and his team is served to a select group of people. The full price of this experience is 100% donationed to the foundation.

You can learn more about Tomorrowland Foundation here.

There’s also lots of artists that have started their own foundations or organizations or unique ways to give back.

Bassnectar’s Be Interactive

Bassnectar is notorious for encouraging his fans to give back to their communities in various ways. For two decades the Bassnectar Team has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity and invested countless hours in creative campaigns which catalyze giving, good deeds, and volunteer DIY charity activism.

In 2018 he the team established Be Interactive -- a nonprofit organization inspiring ‘the empathic to make an impact through radical kindness, respectful creativity, volunteering, and charity.’ Four times a year they announce a new theme to rally around, and ways fans can collaborate with them. They also give money they raise from shows back to the community by funding projects directly in a grant application that anyone can apply for.

Funds come from $1 for every ticket sold to a Bassnectar-produced event, as well as fundraising events or donations made at the Love Here booth at Bassnectar Events.

Learn more about Be Interactive here. Be sure to follow their Instagram too if you want to stay up to date.

There’s also a lot of DJs doing charity that we don’t hear about at times until something major happens and they use their social platforms as a speaker box.

Recently, with the wildfires destroying Australia, lots of DJs have made a point to talk about how they are donating or how fans can as well. Flume (an Australian native, spoke about his personal donation, and Alison Wonderland updated her store for the month of January so that 100% of all profits will go towards helping.

Sometimes finding out how your favorite DJs are giving back is all about following their socials and seeing what they’re up to.

Matoma announced something awesome on his socials on Jan 15 about the importance of climate change and the effect touring has on the planet. He announced that his next tour of the US will be the first tour in the WORLD to use carbon drawdown initiatives to remove the carbon footprint it creates. He’s done work like this before, with is 2018 tour which was climate positive, as certified by the United Nations.

I think Matoma is onto something great, and we should all pressure our favorite artists and events companies to look into doing something similar.

Many events work really hard at sustainability and focusing on their environmental impact. This is something we should all consider when we attend an event, and do our part to positively impact the environment. Whatever event you’re attending, check out their website for details on how they are giving back, and if you can’t find anything, maybe reconsider that event. We need to put pressure (with our dollars) on event organizers to think about this stuff ahead of time!

I could literally turn this article into a book with the ways you can give back, be sustainable and help out the community via EDM. It is so easy to spread PLUR outside the festival. Our EDM community is already a great one, so doing some charity work or donations with groups in the community just helps show others how special we are. What will you do to give back this year? Share in the comments below some opportunities I didn’t mention!

#words #text #plur #EDM community #matoma #flume #Alison wonderland #Tomorrowland 2020 #Tomorrowland foundation #insomniac events #insomniac cares #sustainability #bassnectar #be interactive #EDC #Pasquale rotella #charity

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xaeneron · 5 years ago

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A Smol Nerd Talks about Backstory and Character Development

Hello frens,

I had someone ask about how I write character backstories, but since they included their discord information in the ask, I thought it might be better to answer that privately and put up this as a public post because the more I wrote, the more obnoxious it got. And because I thought it was interesting! I don’t claim to be an expert at any of this, especially since this is purely a hobby to me, but I do absolutely love character design and development and it makes me happy that the characters that I’ve put time and effort into are encouraging others to develop their own. So this is absolutely a post to skip if you’re not interested, but read on if you’re curious as to how my weird little brain works.

Essentially: Bits of insight into how I write character backstories, which blends a lot into character development and creation. Not really a step by step process, more word vomit.

...under a cut because holy fuck it got long. I’m sorry, I talk too much ><

Visualizing Characters

I’m not sure there’s really a starting place beyond “I would like this character to exist,” but I think it’s important to first stress how I view my characters in perspective to myself. No one method works for everyone, but it is kind of relevant to my own process.

My friends in undergrad made fun of me for this constantly, but for me, characters sort of...how do you put it, take up space in the mind. Even though they are functionally me since I created them, they’re...not? They exist as their own entities, telling me what they like and don’t like, what they’d like to do next, etc. Ive, who has dominated this space for years, has a tendency to claim any music that I listen to as his own (so I associate it with him), throws parties, and wants to play and write more stories when I want to sleep. I get that this is a really weird way of looking at characters because I’m essentially blaming myself for keeping myself awake, but I think it’s the best way to describe how I see the characters that I create. They’re friends that talk, and they develop their own opinions instead of me dictating what it is that they say (even though...well, I am. I’m sorry this is really fucking weird LOL).

Obviously I’m not saying that this can or would work for anyone, but it’s just how my brain works. It helps me visualize them, along with details like how their voices sound, the facial expressions they tend to make, the tone that they take when saying the same phrase as someone else, etc.

Assembling Personalities...

I know the original question was essentially just about backstories, but backstory writing and character creation bleed into each other a lot. Enough that I don’t really think you can do one without the other, and why as a result I’m kind of writing about both.

So that being said, when assembling those characters, I tend to go piece by piece and let things happen, instead of distilling in all the characteristics I want them to have. That’s a pretty surefire way to make a Mary Sue, and I have plenty of experience with making Mary Sues. A lot. It’s embarrassing. ;A;

Let’s take Ive, for example. His initial personality when I first made him was a happy-go-lucky, debonair, massive flirt without a care in the world. He waltzed through life, never getting attached to anyone or anything. A fairly simple and shallow character base. As I played, pieces just kind of came together - some from the Commander’s in-game characterization, and some from my own ideas. I let him pick up different facets of his personality over time, some good, some bad.

This works because Ive’s personality wasn’t set in stone from the get-go and changed drastically as time went on, but if you do have a personality you have your heart set on, then make sure your character responds to new challenges accordingly. Consistency is key, and the way they act in the present can also help you road map their past, figuring out how they got to where they are. And who knows, if you take another look, they might surprise you.

...Including the Weird Shit

Sometimes the tiniest quirks help make characters memorable to you, and help shape who they were and grow up to be. One of my OCs, Beck, is an obfuscating idiot who legitimately knows his way around a blade and is insanely clever when he wants to be. He also has a random deadly allergy to mangoes. Does he have a story that he (somewhat) fondly looks back on where his adopted daughter chases him around with a mango in retaliation for making fun of her? By golly yes he does. Is it important to the overall narrative? No. But does it establish more of his relationship with his daughter, even when she’s an adult? Yes. It also is the sort of anecdote that can snowball - what was he saying that was bad enough for her to chase him with tropical fruit? How did she even get a mango in the first place? Does she have a crush on someone? What sort of person is that? Is it someone new in town, or is it a stranger? What makes them different? Is Beck just assuming, and if so, is it because he’s dense or because he’s just trying to be a doting father? Even little things count, especially when sometimes it’s the anecdotes and sides stories that help make the world and characters you’re creating feel more real.

Write What You Know

This is pretty common advice, but it’s also pretty solid advice. It’s also something that I do often. None of my characters are straight self-inserts (arguably), but many of them have one or more facets of my personality, which makes it much easier for me to write them. Anyone who knows me personally will attest to this, particularly when you begin to note the amount of deadpan snarkers that my cast contains. My primary OCs (who don’t show up much here unfortunately) range from politely snarky to full on deadpan. Ive and Etiery are prime examples of this, while Richter also has his moments. Sharing traits with you helps writing their dialogue and motivations more organically, because again, it’s not what you want them to do, it’s how they would react as a living individual. If you’re not a naturally sarcastic person, it’s going to be harder to develop and accurately write a sarcastic character, etc. (Flashbacks to when I was a kid and my attempt at sarcasm and wit was “Go home old man, nobody needs you.”) Not impossible, of course, but something to keep in mind.

It’s not just personality, either. Rayne (one of my OCs) and Etiery are a chemist and engineer respectively because that is what I am. Part of the way their brains work stems from the fields that they choose to specialize in, and as someone in that field, I do have a certain amount of experience in thinking from that perspective. It’s okay to base characters on yourself or people you know, or take bits and pieces from people here or there. Again, it grounds you, and if you can write a realistic personality, you can write a more fleshed out backstory for said character, taking into account their motivations and decision-making.

Balancing Story vs. Personality

Part of storytelling is, well, getting across the story that you want to tell. In that, characters are instruments to help you move that plot forward. But if you’re fleshing out your characters, you also want the plot to be a vehicle to help them develop. Really, it depends on the story you want to tell and how you want to tell it, but if you’re like me and you focus first on characters, then my mindset is probably more applicable.

Essentially though, find a balance. You might need someone to do something for the sake of the plot, but think about if the one you’re picking is a good candidate for it, or if it’s better suited for someone else. If no one fits, maybe you need to take a look at the story step you’re making, or at the characters you’ve created. Remember also that although it’s easy to look at things objectively as an author and say things like “that’s so obvious, they shouldn’t go that way,” a character may still make that choice in the moment. Judgment - present, past, or future - can be questionable as it happens.

Pay Attention to the Timeline

This one’s pretty straightforward. One of the easiest things to mess up is to make your character too old or too young to be doing the things that they’re currently doing. Check and double-check. If you’re writing into an established timeline like GW2′s, make sure your character’s timeline fits with the established lore (unless you are very specifically breaking it for some reason). Ive, for example, is not one of the older generations of sylvari, but he is older than the sylvari protagonist in-game to account for his extra time spent training to compensate for his lack of eyesight. Keeping track of when events happen, often simultaneously, will help you decide how characters act and react - Etiery would not have been so kind (relatively speaking) to Ive had she met him before her fallout with her father, and as a result, they might never have become best friends, or friends at all.

Look at Things from All Angles

It’s important to look at a character and ask where they got certain characteristics from - are they naturally this kind/sarcastic/flirty/angsty/mean/etc., or did something happen that catalyzed that? If you’re writing backstory to explain that, take a look at the world you’re in or that you’re building - does the story you’re telling fit reasonably? Really challenge yourself to stay within your (universe’s) rules, instead of being tempted to bend them to make your character (and their story) exactly what you want. All universes have rules, and unless it is a specific plot point to break them, make sure you follow them! Making impossible loopholes to make sure your character has a degree by age 12 or can resurrect someone perfectly when the magic is explicitly stated to not exist can weaken your story and your character!

Richter is a good example of my personal thought process, being a glasses-wearing necromancer whose backstory is a street rat. He’s tall and awkward as an adult, so it’s not unreasonable that he was once a tall and gawky kid, the kind of kid whose arms are too long and everyone picks on. How does a kid like that survive on the streets? One of his major traits is the fact that he’s a bookworm: if he was orphaned, where did he learn to read? If he had parents long enough to teach him rudimentary reading skills (which he did), how much practical experience did he lose out on since he spent less time alone on the streets? As someone with a strong moral compass, Richter had to find a way to justify committing crimes to survive. A child like that would probably be too frightened to ask Grenth’s clergy or anyone at the schools in Divinity’s Reach (which he could not afford) to teach him in necromancy. How does he learn as a result? Is he afraid of his powers? Do people treat him differently because of them?

It’s kind of what I mean when I say pieces start falling into place. Start with a detail that you want for sure, and build up from that while maintaining its feasibility in the world that you’re working in.

And Don’t Ignore the Random

Seriously, I think this is my favorite part. Sometimes the things that you don’t expect sneak up on you and make it in. Fun fact for anyone fond of Ive: he originally wasn’t blind. OG Ive had nothing physically wrong with him. One day I was showing my friend my GW2 characters, including Ive in his full Rubicon set. I was nervous that she wouldn’t think it was as cool as I did, so I joked (although I would have anyway) that I didn’t know how he would see with the brim of the hat pulled so low. She replied, “Well, what if he has the hat pulled so low because he’s blind and it doesn’t matter to him?”

I chewed on that idea for the next day and a half, and suddenly a lot of things fell into place - why Ive and Eet get along as well as they do, more justification for Ive’s growing, below-the-surface jaded personality, an obstacle for him to overcome. I drowned in feels and texted her, and to this day it is still very much her fault that Ive can’t see.

His lack of vision is now one of the central pillars of his character, and it’s something I hadn’t even considered before my friend mentioned it in jest. So don’t ignore random inspiration!

#xae replies #anon ask response #character development #backstory #a lot of word vomit under the cut #i'm sorry in advance #I think about this shit a lot #lolol #I also love talking about my characters #so #ask away #conversation is welcome!#thanks if you bothered to read all of the vomit LOL

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paleorecipecookbook · 6 years ago

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How to Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Health

What if it’s chronic anger, frustration, anxiety, sadness, or grief? Do those emotions also affect your health? And how can you let go of them?

The short answer is yes—positive or negative, your emotions do impact your health. The good news is that through positive psychology, you can retrain your brain to follow healthier, more beneficial emotional patterns and learn to let go of negative ways of thinking.

Here’s how you can use positive psychology to rewire your brain and improve your mood and your health.

Anger, sadness, frustration, or grief can, if left unchecked, wreak havoc on your health. That’s where positive psychology can help. Check out this article for more about positive psychology and get tips on how to change your thinking. #healthylifestyle #wellness #changeagent

What Positive Psychology Is and What It Can Do for Your Well-Being

Positive psychology is an evidence-based area of psychology famously championed by Martin Seligman. While president of the American Psychological Association, Seligman publicized positive psychology as a way of joining the more clinical, conventional side of psychology—the part that focuses on what’s “wrong” with a patient—with the people-oriented side of the discipline. (1) According to Seligman:

The aim of Positive Psychology is to catalyze a change in psychology from a preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life to also building the best qualities in life. (2) [emphasis added]

Seligman—and followers of the positive psychology movement—build those qualities through character strengths. Character strengths are patterns of behaving, thinking, and feeling that we all have within us.

Why You Should Know Your Character Strengths

Seligman, together with psychologist Chris Peterson, described 24 different character strengths in their exhaustive work, Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification. While the unique combination of character strengths differs from person to person, they can include traits like:

Creativity

Bravery

Fairness

Kindness

Humility

Gratitude

Hope

Zest

And many, many more

Your individual character strengths color how you see the world and how your brain processes new experiences. Understanding your personal strengths can give you a greater sense of authenticity, and using your strengths in your day-to-day life can help you feel more engaged, productive, and positive.

If you’re curious about your character strengths, I recommend taking this free survey from the VIA Institute on Character. If you need help, a health coach trained in positive psychology can assist as you identify your strengths and learn to embrace a more positive mindset.

Why It’s Worth It to Refocus Your Thoughts

Practicing positivity and embracing character strengths—even for a short period of time—have been shown to lessen feelings of depression and increase a sense of happiness. (3) Research also shows that happiness has a positive impact on your overall health and longevity. (4) Positivity has been linked to: (5)

Immune system health

Cardiovascular health

Lower levels of cortisol and a healthy hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis

Better wound healing

Potentially protective effects on telomeres, the end caps on your DNA that prevent damage during replication

Positive emotions also appear to be connected with a person’s ability to bounce back from a stressful event. Experiencing positivity—even from watching a short, happy film clip, for example—can undo some of the cardiovascular effects associated with stress and anxiety, like increased heart rate and blood pressure. (6) Imagine what long-term positivity could do to improve your body’s resilience.

The Driver behind Positive Psychology: Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is the ability our brains have to change based on stimuli like thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. The structure of your brain and the synaptic connections between your neurons can grow stronger or weaker based on your habitual patterns. In their book, The Emotional Life of Your Brain, Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D., and Sharon Begley state that neuroplasticity explains why expert violinists show extra development in the brain regions that control dexterity, why cab drivers in London tend to have great spatial memory—and why your thought patterns and emotional habits can affect your health. (7, 8)

Positive psychology builds on that concept by encouraging you to switch your mindset. If you traditionally focus on the problems you’re facing or the things that feel “wrong” in your life, changing this one aspect of the way you interact with the world can make a difference.

Three Small Steps to Rewire Your Brain for Positivity

Sometimes, just taking one small step toward positivity is enough to make a difference in your life. With that in mind, here are three easy techniques you can try out today to change your focus.

1. Choose Your Words Carefully

If you’ve been stuck in a pessimistic pattern for a while, it will start to come out in the way you think and speak. You may tend to frame everything negatively, or you instantly consider what could go wrong in any given situation.

Think about a recent challenge you encountered, remember how you thought and spoke about it, and take a look at the table below. Which column did you fall under? Can you try changing your internal dialogue to a more positive view?

Pessimistic Thinking Optimistic Thinking Your problems are permanent.

“This is always going to be a problem for me.”

Your problems are temporary.

“This will pass.”

Your issues are pervasive.

“This is catastrophic.”

Your problems are local.

“This isn’t the end.”

Your problems are personal.

“It’s all my fault.”

Your problems aren’t personal.

“This is a common problem for many people.”

Your problems are uncontrollable.

“There’s nothing I can do.”

Your problems are at least somewhat controllable.

“One step at a time.”

Changing the way you think isn’t a simple endeavor—but it’s well worth the effort. Mindfulness can help you challenge negative thoughts as they occur to you.

Being mindful means you’re aware of your body, your sensations, your thoughts, and your feelings as they occur. Mindfulness can improve your positive emotions while lessening feelings of negativity or stress. (9) The practice also helps you feel more compassionate—toward others and yourself. (10)

For tips on how to start practicing mindfulness, check out my article “How to Avoid a Near-Life Experience.”

2. Remember Your Past Wins

Positive psychology is a success-focused movement. Instead of thinking about all of the things that could you wrong in your current situation, you focus on what could go right—and you develop a clear plan to help you reach that success.

One of the best ways to do this is by thinking about a past success you enjoyed. It could be a promotion you earned at work, a time you overcame a fear or apprehension, or the last time you felt healthy and fulfilled. With that memory in mind, ask yourself:

What led to your success?

What did you learn?

Who helped you reach your goal?

What resources did you use back then, and can you use them again?

Often times, the same strategies that worked for us in the past can work for us again. Even if your past success doesn’t directly apply to your current situation, giving yourself credit for a time when you overcame obstacles to reach your goal can motivate you to keep trying now.

3. Try a Happiness Intervention

A happiness intervention is a simple writing exercise that can be helpful if you’re struggling with something that’s particularly challenging. It’s a great way to stop negative thoughts from taking over and reorient yourself toward positivity. Here’s how to do it—and be sure to get a pen and paper ready, as you’ll be writing by hand for this.

Think about what your life looks like several years in the future. Imagine yourself as reasonably successful. You’ve accomplished some of your big goals, and your life has improved.

Set a timer for five minutes and write about your future life until your time is up. Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, or sloppy handwriting. Just get as many details down as possible in the given timeframe.

After you’re done, take a look at what you’ve written. How do you feel now? Did you learn anything about the challenges you’re currently facing? Do you feel motivated to take any small steps now to get to the future you wrote about?

If you enjoyed that happiness intervention, there’s no need to stop there. Try one of these techniques:

Write down three things that went well every day for one week. Be sure to note the reasons they went well too.

Determine your top five signature character strengths. Over the course of a week, try to use each strength in a new way every day. Record your results.

Write a thank-you letter. Take time to express gratitude to a friend or family member who helped you in the past.

The more often you complete a happiness intervention, the more effective it will be for you.

Need Help? Work with a Health Coach

If you’ve given these techniques a try to no avail or you’re fighting against years of negative habits, it may be time to work with a health coach.

A health coach can act as a guide as you learn how to reframe your thoughts and adopt a different mindset. And that mindframe switch can make a huge difference in your health and happiness. That’s why, in the ADAPT Health Coach Training Program, all of our health coach graduates are trained in positive psychology and character strengths.

Even if you’re facing serious negativity, a health coach trained in positive psychology can help reorient you toward a more success-focused conversation.

Now, I’d like to hear from you. Have you tried using positive psychology before? Do you plan on implementing any of these tips in your daily life? Leave a comment and let me know!

The post How to Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Health appeared first on Chris Kresser.

Source: http://chriskresser.com December 05, 2018 at 01:50AM

#paleo #recipe #food #delicious #healthy #yum #diet

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laconservancy · 7 years ago

Text

Forty Years of Leadership: A Conversation with Margaret Bach and Wesley Phoa

The Los Angeles Conservancy turned forty years old on March 20, 2018. As part of the year-long celebration of this milestone, the organization is looking back and ahead—reflecting on how it has evolved while looking forward to its role over the next forty years.

On Thursday, April 5, Larry Mantle of KPCC's AirTalk will lead a provocative discussion about the future of historic preservation in Los Angeles. Panelists include Christopher Hawthorne, current architecture critic for the Los Angeles Times and soon to be the city's first chief design officer; Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell; Luis Hoyos of the national Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; Michelle Magalong, a leader in the preservation of culturally significant places; and Margaret Bach, the Conservancy's founding president.

In advance of the panel, Cindy Olnick of the Conservancy asked our Bach and our current board chair, Wesley Phoa, for their perspectives on the past and future of the Conservancy and preservation in L.A.

Current board chair, Wesley Phoa, and our founding president, Margaret Bach. Photo by Cindy Olnick/L.A. Conservancy.

Cindy Olnick (CO): Margaret, what was the preservation climate in L.A. when you and other concerned citizens formed the L.A. Conservancy in 1978?

Margaret Bach (MB): Preservation was a fledgling movement at that time, and L.A. was trying to define itself. Bunker Hill had just been redeveloped, and I think there was ambivalence about where the city was going.

There were big ideas in the air: the legacy of the political activism of the ’60s and ’70s. The environmental movement, which underscored the importance of conservation and stewardship. Our dismay at the failures of urban renewal, and, dare we admit, of the modern movement (despite its recent resurrection). And we woke up to the extraordinary urban landscape of our city, from internationally renowned landmarks to the quintessential vernacular.

Statewide, important moves were afoot. Californians for Preservation Action (now the California Preservation Foundation) emerged, and our friends to the northeast launched Pasadena Heritage [both in 1977].

In Los Angeles, we faced serious threats to landmarks that defined our city—the Central Library, Watts Towers, the Pan Pacific [Auditorium]. [We also had] fresh remembrances of losses sustained—the Dodge House, Angels Flight, Bunker Hill, the Richfield Building. It was a time when, as so aptly described by architecture critic Joseph Giovannini, “No less than City Hall was trying to sell the ground out from under one of its major historic monuments, the Los Angeles Public Library… There was a void of cultural leadership about how to handle the city’s built patrimony.”

In this context, the Los Angeles Conservancy was born. We were not sentimentalists but saw historic preservation as an essential tool to create an urban future, with a vibrant mix of old and new.

The Art Deco Richfield Building in 1968, one week before scheduled demolition. Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library.

CO: What challenges did the Conservancy face as a young organization?

MB: Number one, identifying and building a constituency. We were twenty- and thirty-somethings, fresh from protesting the Vietnam War, concerned about the environment and passionate about architecture, asking, ��What’s important about Los Angeles?”

Also, how were we going to get the word out? This was in the dark ages, before the digital world. And, Who’s doing the work? We were all volunteers. We identified some real allies in those early years. One was Alan Sieroty, who said, “Take an office in the Eastern Columbia Building, which my family owns.” That was really important first step for us. [The pioneering preservation developer] Wayne Ratkovich was very important as well. We sought advice from near and far, and many people generously gave their time and expertise.

Obviously, funding was a challenge. Somehow, we managed by the early ’80s to hire our first executive director, Ruthann Lehrer. She had that passion for preservation—the fire in the belly—hugely important to our young organization. We all shared a sense of urgency that Los Angeles needed an organized voice for preservation.

Another challenge was reaching the decision makers, because L.A. was experiencing the fallout of the redevelopment mentality—tear it down and build anew—and that thinking started to migrate over to the Central Library.

In those early years, we had the benefit of major allies like Wayne and Alan, and institutional allies like the American Institute of Architects, which became a leading advocate for the Central Library as the Conservancy was emerging.

The tide was turning, and the Conservancy was out there beating the drum for changing the conversation. It wasn’t just the Conservancy; there was a convergence of forces who challenged the status quo and came together to save the library. But I believe the Conservancy played a major role in catalyzing opinion at that point. It created a new mindset—a new way of thinking about Los Angeles.

The Central Library in 1977. Photo by William Reagh, William Reagh Collection/Los Angeles Public Library. The threat of demolition of the Central Library helped spur the creation of the Los Angeles Conservancy.

CO: In many ways, the Conservancy has changed dramatically in the past forty years. Wesley, what kinds of challenges do you see these days?

Wesley Phoa (WP): We’ve become so much more established. But that’s the risk for us, I think. We should not be seen as a stodgy organization that just stops things from happening. That’s not what it’s about. What preservation is really about here is helping Los Angeles bring its history, its past, into the future.

It’s very easy to spend all of our energy on individual advocacy issues, because L.A. is just full of beautiful buildings and important places, and something is coming up every day. But we need to continue to step back from that as well and see the forest for the trees—to play a broader role in making sure L.A. keeps what’s precious about the past and brings it into the future. We’ve done this for years—for example, helping cities create and improve their preservation programs, fueling downtown’s revitalization through the Broadway Initiative, participating in re:codeLA, and working with residents to conserve the character of their neighborhoods.

Some things haven’t changed [since our founding]. One of the really staggering things [I noticed in] joining the Conservancy is just how many people have dedicated so much of their lives their energy, and continue to do so, for the Conservancy. We couldn’t exist without that. We have an army of enthusiastic people who [as volunteers] are showing people in the city what they have—and what they have to lose.

The other thing you mentioned, Margaret, is about strategic allies, which is just as important now as it was then. Preservation issues are complex, each with different stakeholders and variables, and we can’t solve them on our own. Our ability to identify allies and to work with them is really important.

We have a process that—when people engage thoughtfully and participate in good faith—works very well and delivers good outcomes for the city, the county, and the people here. That’s a big strength.

The Conservancy has worked for years to bring revitalization to downtown’s Broadway district through the Last Remaining Seats series, our Broadway Initiative, and working with partners such as Bringing Back Broadway. Image from Bringing Back Broadway’s Night on Broadway event in January 2018. Photo by Mike Hume.

MB: At its core, preservation is about making a livable city. We sensed this in 1978—and today, in the face of issues around housing, homelessness, density, and the environment, the issue of livability becomes even more urgent.

As the Conservancy reaches age forty, what is its role apart from recognizing and helping to preserve great places? What about the great place that is Los Angeles—the urban fabric—with the need for densification and housing?

WP: What’s interesting is that preservation is not in opposition to all these practical challenges that Los Angeles faces. Very often, preservation helps to offer a solution to problems like a lack of housing, homelessness, environmental difficulties, traffic problems—because it makes you think about those problems in different ways.

Maybe it’s a good thing that if you have an old, beautiful building that functions very well, the footprint of reusing it in an intelligent way, environmentally, is going to be a lot smaller than the footprint of starting from scratch. So I don’t see any inherent conflict between preservation and these very important social and economic objectives for the city.

Preservation is about making a city a livable place and making sure it continues to be a livable place, and a meaningful place to live. I think that L.A. is only going to remain an economically vibrant place if it’s a great place to live—if people want to come here and stay here, and can live interesting and meaningful and fulfilled lives here. We have to think a lot about our built environment, and about what surrounds people, in order to make sure it stays like that.

L.A. is also a very easy place to feel alone, and preservation helps you not be alone. You know that you’re part of this historical river, that what you’re doing means something, that you are the future of those people who were there before, and you’re helping to be part of the future of the people who are going to be here in forty years’ time.

MB: That’s the existential question, Wesley. You talked about making Los Angeles not only a livable but also a meaningful place.

WP: That’s why we don’t preserve just beautiful buildings. We preserve sites that mean something—where people did something important.

MB: Yes. And this meaning cuts across a whole swath of human activity. It’s meaning from the grand mansion to the shotgun house, and neighborhoods and places that are infused with history and complexity. We have new definitions of significance—that’s something that’s changed; how you view preservation. It’s not just beautiful buildings, although they’re certainly important. Significance exists on many levels. Our work is about creating a meaningful urban existence for people who live here.

The Black Cat Bar in Silver Lake is an example of an architecturally modest building that holds important history. In February of 1967, hundreds of people gathered outside this bar in one of the first documented demonstrations for LGBTQ civil rights. In 2008, The Black Cat became the first L.A. landmark designated for its association with LGBTQ heritage. Photo by Laura Dominguez/L.A. Conservancy.

CO: What kind of impact do you think the Conservancy has had over the past forty years?

MB: In terms of individual accomplishments, the Conservancy has saved many important buildings and had led many successful campaigns. For example, the Preservation Report Card and the kind of advocacy work the Conservancy’s been doing—putting pressure on municipalities in the region to up the ante on their preservation programs. The Conservancy has emerged as a respected, credible voice for preservation in the Los Angeles region.

And let’s not underestimate the fact that the Conservancy has also been a training ground for people who’ve taken positions in the public sector and other organizations. The Conservancy has been an incubator for great ideas and great talent that have made additional impact.

WP: That’s a long game that plays out over decades.

MB: I also think the city has matured in a really interesting way. L.A. has become an incredibly culturally vibrant place. The past forty years have seen a remarkable development of cultural institutions and the creative community. There is a process of discovery, and of re-discovery—I love seeing how younger generations discover the richness of Los Angeles. The Conservancy is very much a part of that, and it has encouraged a tremendous interest in the city.

WP: Forty years ago, you wouldn’t have said L.A. was a cultural capital of the world, and now you absolutely would. And to keep on being that, it needs the built environment and a variety of places, of venues. You can go to some small venue, and [for example] Schoenberg played here, and now some new composer is having a premiere in the same place. That’s really fantastic.

CO: What else has changed in terms of preservation in L.A.?

MB: Well, the emergence of neighborhoods. Forty years ago, Angelino Heights was our one recognized historic neighborhood. And soon there was West Adams, and now Los Angeles has more than thirty-five historic districts, formalized in Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, or HPOZs. It now seems as though Los Angeles has become a collection of villages, the Reyner Banham idea of Los Angeles, where he compared our metropolitan area to London. I believe this trend has brought a great deal of vitality to the city—the rediscovery of neighborhoods.

And speaking of neighborhoods, the revitalization of downtown L.A. is largely due to the adaptive reuse of historic buildings—finally the marketplace has caught up with the aspirations of preservationists. The Conservancy’s first walking tour was titled “Can You Believe Downtown L.A.?”—and now, we can!

And lastly, while there was certainly an awareness of the cultural diversity of Los Angeles when the Conservancy was founded, it wasn’t firmly embedded in the preservation ethic at that point. Both locally and nationally, the preservation movement has matured and gained a much more multi-dimensional awareness of what makes places important.

Victorian homes in Angelino Heights, the City of L.A.’s first HPOZ. Photo courtesy of the City of Los Angeles Office of Historic Resources.

WP: We’re not doing this to save a bunch of buildings. We’re doing this for the community. And in order to do that—to carry out our mission effectively—we really need to understand what different parts of the community care about, what matters to them. Having a diverse board is a tremendous advantage when we’re trying to learn about different perspectives and see things from different points of view. And that’s what we need to do, in order to put together solutions that really work.

CO: What do you think the Conservancy needs to succeed in the next forty years?

MB: Engaging people so that they feel like they have some responsibility, a stake in what happens. Maybe you engage with the Conservancy by joining or increasing your financial support, and you use the Conservancy as your advocate, your voice for a more vibrant Los Angeles. But the idea of ownership, of engagement, seems really important. And partnership. Who does the Conservancy need to partner with to be effective, to deepen its engagement with the people of Los Angeles?

WP: In another way, we need the same things that we’ve always needed. We need members who care about preservation. There’s no selfish reason to join the Conservancy—you only join if you care about your community.

We need resources, because L.A. is booming. More and more issues come up every day, for good reasons—it’s a really vibrant place. But we need to be able to participate constructively in those [issues]. And we need partners. The different issues we face are complex and require a lot of people to come together to solve.

Explore the future of preservation in L.A. at the Conservancy's panel discussion on Thursday, April 5

#40 years #40th anniversary #LAC40 #Q & A #Q&A #historic preservation #los angeles history

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jesseneufeld · 6 years ago

Text

How to Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Health

What if it’s chronic anger, frustration, anxiety, sadness, or grief? Do those emotions also affect your health? And how can you let go of them?

Here’s how you can use positive psychology to rewire your brain and improve your mood and your health.

What Positive Psychology Is and What It Can Do for Your Well-Being

Why You Should Know Your Character Strengths

Creativity

Bravery

Fairness

Kindness

Humility

Gratitude

Hope

Zest

And many, many more

Why It’s Worth It to Refocus Your Thoughts

Immune system health

Cardiovascular health

Lower levels of cortisol and a healthy hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis

Better wound healing

Potentially protective effects on telomeres, the end caps on your DNA that prevent damage during replication

The Driver behind Positive Psychology: Neuroplasticity

Three Small Steps to Rewire Your Brain for Positivity

Sometimes, just taking one small step toward positivity is enough to make a difference in your life. With that in mind, here are three easy techniques you can try out today to change your focus.

1. Choose Your Words Carefully

Pessimistic Thinking Optimistic Thinking Your problems are permanent.

“This is always going to be a problem for me.”

Your problems are temporary.

“This will pass.”

Your issues are pervasive.

“This is catastrophic.”

Your problems are local.

“This isn’t the end.”

Your problems are personal.

“It’s all my fault.”

Your problems aren’t personal.

“This is a common problem for many people.”

Your problems are uncontrollable.

“There’s nothing I can do.”

Your problems are at least somewhat controllable.

“One step at a time.”

Changing the way you think isn’t a simple endeavor—but it’s well worth the effort. Mindfulness can help you challenge negative thoughts as they occur to you.

For tips on how to start practicing mindfulness, check out my article “How to Avoid a Near-Life Experience.”

2. Remember Your Past Wins

What led to your success?

What did you learn?

Who helped you reach your goal?

What resources did you use back then, and can you use them again?

3. Try a Happiness Intervention

Think about what your life looks like several years in the future. Imagine yourself as reasonably successful. You’ve accomplished some of your big goals, and your life has improved.

If you enjoyed that happiness intervention, there’s no need to stop there. Try one of these techniques:

Write down three things that went well every day for one week. Be sure to note the reasons they went well too.

Determine your top five signature character strengths. Over the course of a week, try to use each strength in a new way every day. Record your results.

Write a thank-you letter. Take time to express gratitude to a friend or family member who helped you in the past.

The more often you complete a happiness intervention, the more effective it will be for you.

Need Help? Work with a Health Coach

If you’ve given these techniques a try to no avail or you’re fighting against years of negative habits, it may be time to work with a health coach.

Even if you’re facing serious negativity, a health coach trained in positive psychology can help reorient you toward a more success-focused conversation.

Now, I’d like to hear from you. Have you tried using positive psychology before? Do you plan on implementing any of these tips in your daily life? Leave a comment and let me know!

The post How to Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Health appeared first on Chris Kresser.

How to Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Health published first on https://drugaddictionsrehab.tumblr.com/

0 notes

edsenger · 6 years ago

Text

How to Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Health

What if it’s chronic anger, frustration, anxiety, sadness, or grief? Do those emotions also affect your health? And how can you let go of them?

Here’s how you can use positive psychology to rewire your brain and improve your mood and your health.

What Positive Psychology Is and What It Can Do for Your Well-Being

Why You Should Know Your Character Strengths

Creativity

Bravery

Fairness

Kindness

Humility

Gratitude

Hope

Zest

And many, many more

Why It’s Worth It to Refocus Your Thoughts

Immune system health

Cardiovascular health

Lower levels of cortisol and a healthy hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis

Better wound healing

Potentially protective effects on telomeres, the end caps on your DNA that prevent damage during replication

The Driver behind Positive Psychology: Neuroplasticity

Three Small Steps to Rewire Your Brain for Positivity

Sometimes, just taking one small step toward positivity is enough to make a difference in your life. With that in mind, here are three easy techniques you can try out today to change your focus.

1. Choose Your Words Carefully

Pessimistic Thinking Optimistic Thinking Your problems are permanent.

“This is always going to be a problem for me.”

Your problems are temporary.

“This will pass.”

Your issues are pervasive.

“This is catastrophic.”

Your problems are local.

“This isn’t the end.”

Your problems are personal.

“It’s all my fault.”

Your problems aren’t personal.

“This is a common problem for many people.”

Your problems are uncontrollable.

“There’s nothing I can do.”

Your problems are at least somewhat controllable.

“One step at a time.”

Changing the way you think isn’t a simple endeavor—but it’s well worth the effort. Mindfulness can help you challenge negative thoughts as they occur to you.

For tips on how to start practicing mindfulness, check out my article “How to Avoid a Near-Life Experience.”

2. Remember Your Past Wins

What led to your success?

What did you learn?

Who helped you reach your goal?

What resources did you use back then, and can you use them again?

3. Try a Happiness Intervention

Think about what your life looks like several years in the future. Imagine yourself as reasonably successful. You’ve accomplished some of your big goals, and your life has improved.

If you enjoyed that happiness intervention, there’s no need to stop there. Try one of these techniques:

Write down three things that went well every day for one week. Be sure to note the reasons they went well too.

Determine your top five signature character strengths. Over the course of a week, try to use each strength in a new way every day. Record your results.

Write a thank-you letter. Take time to express gratitude to a friend or family member who helped you in the past.

The more often you complete a happiness intervention, the more effective it will be for you.

Need Help? Work with a Health Coach

If you’ve given these techniques a try to no avail or you’re fighting against years of negative habits, it may be time to work with a health coach.

Even if you’re facing serious negativity, a health coach trained in positive psychology can help reorient you toward a more success-focused conversation.

Now, I’d like to hear from you. Have you tried using positive psychology before? Do you plan on implementing any of these tips in your daily life? Leave a comment and let me know!

The post How to Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Health appeared first on Chris Kresser.

How to Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Health published first on https://brightendentalhouston.weebly.com/

0 notes

shapesnnsizes · 6 years ago

Text

How to Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Health

What if it’s chronic anger, frustration, anxiety, sadness, or grief? Do those emotions also affect your health? And how can you let go of them?

Here’s how you can use positive psychology to rewire your brain and improve your mood and your health.

What Positive Psychology Is and What It Can Do for Your Well-Being

Why You Should Know Your Character Strengths

Creativity

Bravery

Fairness

Kindness

Humility

Gratitude

Hope

Zest

And many, many more

Why It’s Worth It to Refocus Your Thoughts

Immune system health

Cardiovascular health

Lower levels of cortisol and a healthy hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis

Better wound healing

Potentially protective effects on telomeres, the end caps on your DNA that prevent damage during replication

The Driver behind Positive Psychology: Neuroplasticity

Three Small Steps to Rewire Your Brain for Positivity

Sometimes, just taking one small step toward positivity is enough to make a difference in your life. With that in mind, here are three easy techniques you can try out today to change your focus.

1. Choose Your Words Carefully

Pessimistic Thinking Optimistic Thinking Your problems are permanent.

“This is always going to be a problem for me.”

Your problems are temporary.

“This will pass.”

Your issues are pervasive.

“This is catastrophic.”

Your problems are local.

“This isn’t the end.”

Your problems are personal.

“It’s all my fault.”

Your problems aren’t personal.

“This is a common problem for many people.”

Your problems are uncontrollable.

“There’s nothing I can do.”

Your problems are at least somewhat controllable.

“One step at a time.”

Changing the way you think isn’t a simple endeavor—but it’s well worth the effort. Mindfulness can help you challenge negative thoughts as they occur to you.

For tips on how to start practicing mindfulness, check out my article “How to Avoid a Near-Life Experience.”

2. Remember Your Past Wins

What led to your success?

What did you learn?

Who helped you reach your goal?

What resources did you use back then, and can you use them again?

3. Try a Happiness Intervention

Think about what your life looks like several years in the future. Imagine yourself as reasonably successful. You’ve accomplished some of your big goals, and your life has improved.

If you enjoyed that happiness intervention, there’s no need to stop there. Try one of these techniques:

Write down three things that went well every day for one week. Be sure to note the reasons they went well too.

Determine your top five signature character strengths. Over the course of a week, try to use each strength in a new way every day. Record your results.

Write a thank-you letter. Take time to express gratitude to a friend or family member who helped you in the past.

The more often you complete a happiness intervention, the more effective it will be for you.

Need Help? Work with a Health Coach

If you’ve given these techniques a try to no avail or you’re fighting against years of negative habits, it may be time to work with a health coach.

Even if you’re facing serious negativity, a health coach trained in positive psychology can help reorient you toward a more success-focused conversation.

Now, I’d like to hear from you. Have you tried using positive psychology before? Do you plan on implementing any of these tips in your daily life? Leave a comment and let me know!

The post How to Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Health appeared first on Chris Kresser.

0 notes

denisalvney · 6 years ago

Text

How to Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Health

What if it’s chronic anger, frustration, anxiety, sadness, or grief? Do those emotions also affect your health? And how can you let go of them?

Here’s how you can use positive psychology to rewire your brain and improve your mood and your health.

What Positive Psychology Is and What It Can Do for Your Well-Being

Why You Should Know Your Character Strengths

Creativity

Bravery

Fairness

Kindness

Humility

Gratitude

Hope

Zest

And many, many more

Why It’s Worth It to Refocus Your Thoughts

Immune system health

Cardiovascular health

Lower levels of cortisol and a healthy hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis

Better wound healing

Potentially protective effects on telomeres, the end caps on your DNA that prevent damage during replication

The Driver behind Positive Psychology: Neuroplasticity

Three Small Steps to Rewire Your Brain for Positivity

Sometimes, just taking one small step toward positivity is enough to make a difference in your life. With that in mind, here are three easy techniques you can try out today to change your focus.

1. Choose Your Words Carefully

Pessimistic Thinking Optimistic Thinking Your problems are permanent.

“This is always going to be a problem for me.”

Your problems are temporary.

“This will pass.”

Your issues are pervasive.

“This is catastrophic.”

Your problems are local.

“This isn’t the end.”

Your problems are personal.

“It’s all my fault.”

Your problems aren’t personal.

“This is a common problem for many people.”

Your problems are uncontrollable.

“There’s nothing I can do.”

Your problems are at least somewhat controllable.

“One step at a time.”

Changing the way you think isn’t a simple endeavor—but it’s well worth the effort. Mindfulness can help you challenge negative thoughts as they occur to you.

For tips on how to start practicing mindfulness, check out my article “How to Avoid a Near-Life Experience.”

2. Remember Your Past Wins

What led to your success?

What did you learn?

Who helped you reach your goal?

What resources did you use back then, and can you use them again?

3. Try a Happiness Intervention

Think about what your life looks like several years in the future. Imagine yourself as reasonably successful. You’ve accomplished some of your big goals, and your life has improved.

If you enjoyed that happiness intervention, there’s no need to stop there. Try one of these techniques:

Write down three things that went well every day for one week. Be sure to note the reasons they went well too.

Determine your top five signature character strengths. Over the course of a week, try to use each strength in a new way every day. Record your results.

Write a thank-you letter. Take time to express gratitude to a friend or family member who helped you in the past.

The more often you complete a happiness intervention, the more effective it will be for you.

Need Help? Work with a Health Coach

If you’ve given these techniques a try to no avail or you’re fighting against years of negative habits, it may be time to work with a health coach.

Even if you’re facing serious negativity, a health coach trained in positive psychology can help reorient you toward a more success-focused conversation.

Now, I’d like to hear from you. Have you tried using positive psychology before? Do you plan on implementing any of these tips in your daily life? Leave a comment and let me know!

The post How to Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Health appeared first on Chris Kresser.

How to Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Health published first on https://chriskresser.com

0 notes