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Researchers Explain How the Brain Copes With Uncertainty

December 26, 2021 by Lakeisha Ethans

Uncertainty has always been a topic of interest for researchers. For years scientists have tried to understand why it affects people the way it does. The question that has always been on their minds is How the brain copes with uncertainty.

Many believe that uncertainty is one of the scariest things the human mind can experience. But why would something that might not even happen scare people so much? And why hasn’t the brain developed a better defense mechanism against this feeling? In the last couple of decades, the body of research regarding this topic has grown.

The consensus seems to indicate that the brain needs to be afraid of uncertainty, and here is why.

What Is Uncertainty?

According to the American Psychology Association, uncertainty happens when the mind is unclear on what will happen next. It can also mean a lack of confidence in your ideas and capabilities. Psychologist Jerome Kagan defined it as an alerted state stemming from an inability to predict the future. Mazen Kheirbek, Ph.D., described it as “not knowing what’s going to happen.”

While this phenomenon has always impacted people’s minds, it has become increasingly more concerning since the beginning of the pandemic. The last couple of years has shown that the human brain is not wired to tackle a continuously changing environment. On the flip side, the pandemic context has provided valuable research possibilities that led to a better understanding of the human brain.

Humans have always been predictable creatures. Even when humans were simply hunter-gatherers, society still followed a specific order. Even back then, people felt the need to be organized, to have an authority figure, and to know their place in society. This desperate need to avoid uncertainty has translated into the modern world. As society evolves and becomes more complicated, the probability to face something unexpected grows higher.

Ever since the pandemic started, there have been more reports of people feeling anxiety than ever. The fact that people don’t know when and if the pandemic will stop doesn’t allow them to create the schedule they can stick to. And, without this order, the brain started to freak out.

An MIT Study Of The Causes Of Uncertainty

Neuroscientists at MIT have located vital brain circuits that guide decision-making when facing uncertainty. They believe that most of the cognition process means handling different types of luck. To assess the world, one needs to use and decode ambiguous information. So, the brain has allocated a particular part of the brain to deal with these issues.

The mediodorsal thalamus is the part that lights up when ambiguous information gets processed. The thalamus is a crossroads within the brain, as it connects distant brain regions. The mediodorsal area sends impulses to the prefrontal context, ultimately making decisions.

Researchers believe that understanding how the brain handles uncertainty is the key to understanding certain conditions, like schizophrenia. If they can understand how the brain is wired regarding uncertainty, they can develop a treatment for such situations. This is plausible, as the symptoms of schizophrenia seem to be partly because of an inability to assess uncertainty.

Patients with this disorder base their values on signals and information most people would consider meaningless. Delusions arise when they fail to understand how unlikely they are. Interestingly enough, the mediodorsal thalamus is less active in people with schizophrenia.

Of course, most people don’t have to deal with the effects of such a severe condition. But that doesn’t mean that feeling uncertainty is easy to deal with.

How The Brain Copes With Uncertainty

Here are the three main ways the brain deals with the unknown.

1. It Learns To Pay Attention To The Signals Around It

The whole process of cognition is based on receiving signals and responding to them. As people have evolved, they have learned to make this process more efficient by relying on past experiences. The brain learns to associate certain stimuli with reactions. It creates an unconditional reflex.

That way, it doesn’t have to go through the whole cognition process to arrive at the correct response. It looks at past solutions that are useable in the present, so it doesn’t have to create a new one. It applies that whenever contexts are similar. If you risk getting hit by something, you will automatically protect yourself by raising your arms in front of your face.

You do this without thinking about how to act in that situation. You already know based on past experiences that being hit is terrible and that you should avoid it. Your body automatically works to protect itself. Dealing with uncertainty eliminates all possibilities of relying on past experiences to arrive at the correct course of action for the present.

Information overload

When you’ve never had to deal with that set of stimuli and that context before, none of your past experiences will be able to guide you through the decision process. That means the brain has to pay attention to as many signals around it as it can. The more stimuli can interact with, the more prepared it can be to face the unexpected.

Realistically, there is much more information surrounding people that the brain can process. So, it has to find a way to filter what input it wants to compute and what information isn’t relevant. Without this filter, the sensory input would overwhelm the brain, rendering it unable to function. This is where attention kicks in.

Attention is a system that allows the brain to direct computational resources to a specific subset of information. This way, you maximize input while ensuring your brain doesn’t get overloaded. And, when you decide certain information is vital, you can make your brain direct all of its attention towards that.

When dealing with uncertainty, the process of attention is on high alert. The brain closes itself off from all unimportant issues, focusing on stimuli that regard that unexpected situation. Filtering information allows the brain to stay alert without overworking. Once this first step is done, the brain can move on to the second step.

2. It Decodes Ambiguous Information That Causes Uncertainty

Uncertainty is scary because you don’t know whether the outcome will be harmful or not. That’s why the brain associates high levels of anxiety and fear with uncertainty. But there are specific frameworks through which to decode ambiguous information.

MIT researchers found that a healthy brain tries to sift the information it receives by first deciding whether the situation is threatening or not. First, it determines whether that uncertain context is meaningful or not. For example, you might not be sure if it will rain or not, but if you stay inside all day, it doesn’t even matter, so that ambiguity won’t affect you. But if you decide to go outside, the weather conditions will matter. By receiving all the necessary information, the brain can start to understand what that ambiguity means to it. It knows whether to shrug it off or to take it seriously and try to gain some control over the situation.

This is how people create their reality. They sift information through pre-existing frameworks, and they decide whether to discard it or not. It also helps you prioritize situations based on how fast to resolve it. If you’re dealing with an uncertain event that won’t affect you for a couple of years, your brain will dismiss it.

It will come back to it only when it becomes relevant for your present life. If that uncertain context impacts you right now, your brain will make it a priority. It will send it up to the prefrontal cortex in hopes of coming up with a plan. And that’s how you get to the third and last step, dealing with the effects of the stimuli.

3. It Makes Conscious Decisions

The last step when dealing with uncertainty is developing a game plan for tackling the issue. That means deciding on a course of action based on the risk-reward trade-off. One thing to keep in mind is that the brain is often biased. It tries to rely on past experiences and pre-existing responses even when they are not applicable.

The brain is uncertainty adverse, so it will probably try to convince you to act as safe as possible and take no risks. In situations like these, you need to stay logical and make a fair analysis of the risk-reward trade-off. Don’t just give in to instincts, but try to think objectively about the information you’re assessing.

The prefrontal cortex will help you come up with a plan of action. You might feel jitters through this process, but that’s a good thing. That’s a result of the brain reconfiguring itself to maximize chances of success in the face of the unknown. As long as you stay rational, your brain will offer you all the tools you need to create the best plan.

The brain will start to create new pre-existing responses after seeing the outcome of this situation. What seemed uncertain before will now be something you’ve already been through. Your brain will be better suited to tackle a similar issue in the future.

Final Thoughts On How The Brain Copes With Uncertainty

Since the beginning of time, uncertainty has been one of the scariest things humanity has had to deal with. As society evolves and people’s lives become more and more complicated, the risk of uncertainty has increased substantially. Fortunately, the brain has devoted an entire circuit to dealing with the unknown.

Firstly, it pays attention to the signals around it while filtering the information it receives. It decides whether the information is relevant or not, and then it discards everything that’s not important. This way, it can focus and prioritize things that affect you. After that, it tries to decode ambiguous information by sifting it through pre-existing frameworks.

This aims to decide whether the information is threatening and how quickly to resolve it. Once that’s settled, the brain moves on to the last step, planning. It analyzes the risk-reward trade-off and aims to make the most fruitful decision for you.

7 Mindfulness Methods That Help Reduce Anxiety and Depression

December 25, 2021 by Lakeisha Ethans

Do you ever feel overwhelmed but everything that’s going on around you? Does the stress of daily life impact more than it should? Does it cause you depression and anxiety that you don’t know how to deal with? Mindfulness meditation might help you to reduce those harmful emotions.

For the average person, the idea of practicing mindfulness might not sound convincing. After all, how would the desire to be more positive help when it comes to solving mental health issues? Isn’t the problem that the brain is inclined to be negative? Aren’t these feelings something that you can’t consciously control?

In reality, mindfulness has been successfully used for decades. And it’s not just an old wives’ tale. It is a scientific method backed by loads of studies. But what are seven of the easiest and most efficient mindfulness methods that help reduce anxiety and depression?

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a type of meditation that aims to make someone aware of everything they’re feeling at a particular moment. It requires a positive mindset and an objective outlook not to interpret or judge what you’re feeling. It would help if you didn’t think about what you’re feeling. Instead, it would help if you allowed yourself to handle it.

A person spends all of their time planning or problem-solving on a typical day. Even when they’re not busy with work or other activities, chances are their head is filled with random thoughts. Because of how difficult life can be, these thoughts are often negative. This is why most of your days are filled with stress and negativity. Because of the increased stress levels, you become more likely to develop anxiety and depression.

Practicing mindfulness and using these mindfulness methods can help you get your mind off negative things. It can help you disconnect from the struggles of day-to-day life and connect with your feelings, emotions, and needs. It can help you engage with the world around you and reflect on its importance. Being more mindful lowers the psychological markers of stress, thus improving the brain’s ability to manage it.

Mindfulness does this by increasing connectivity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for attention and executive control. You can practice simple mindfulness methods anywhere and anytime. Most of them don’t require the use of anything besides your brain and body. And most of them can be done in five to 10 minutes.

7 Mindfulness Methods That Help Reduce Anxiety and Depression

You can try these mindfulness methods at home, or you can choose to do them when you feel like you need to calm down. When you start incorporating mindfulness methods into your life, your anxiety and depression will reduce significantly.

1. Set An Intention

Often, anxiety and depression stem from not having a guideline for how your day will be. Or maybe there is a conflict between your conscious desires and what you subconsciously do throughout the day. If you want to start your day off on the right foot, you might want to consider setting an intention for the day as soon as you wake up.

An intention is different from a goal because it’s non-binding. It doesn’t create expectations that have to be met no matter what. Instead, it is a general guideline to help you plan your day. Because an intention doesn’t have a required result, there is no additional pressure associated with setting one. It will only help you connect to a chosen course of action.

You need to reflect and align your conscious and unconscious brain to set an intention. Take a couple of minutes each morning and allow yourself to feel. What mood are you in, what are your desires for the day, and your needs for the day? And what can you do to fulfill your wants and needs? Maybe you’re feeling more ambitious than usual, so your intention might be to work towards a promotion. Perhaps you’re feeling down, so your choice might be to focus on your mental health.

You can spend the rest of the day doing what you need to do to feel your best. Whenever you want to do something, ask yourself, “Is this in line with the intention I have for today?”. This attitude will help you keep stress levels at a minimum.

2. Rewire Your Brain

As mentioned previously, about 95% of decisions are made by the unconscious or fast brain. This means that most of the things you do, you do on autopilot rather than making deliberate choices.

If you find yourself relying only on your fast brain, you need to rewire your brain. Make an effort to switch to using your slow brain. In simpler terms, start making conscious decisions instead of going with the flow. While being deliberate in your cognitive process takes longer, there is no reason for you to hurry.

By rushing things, you don’t have time to consider all the details or understand how certain stimuli make you feel. Rushing is especially bad in a professional environment because it increases the likelihood of mistakes occurring.

Throughout the day, slow down and be more conscious. If you find yourself rushing, multitasking, or just being head over heels busy, stop and clear your mind. Get rid of random, unimportant thoughts, and focus on one task at a time. As long as you stay conscious and use your slow brain, you’ll have time to focus on how you feel and manage your anxiety and depression.

3. Work out

Working out is most often associated with physical benefits. And while those are the most noticeable, there are clear psychological benefits linked to physical activity. And the psychological benefits only increase when you start working out mindfully.

Whether you choose to stay at home, go to the gym, or work out outdoors, you can still use mindfulness while you do it. It is compatible with every exercise, from cardio to weight lifting. The trick is to not simply go through the motions but focus on every action you’re doing. Pay attention to how your muscles feel, to your breathing, to your form, and to what you’re feeling.

Establish a mind-muscle connection, and go through the movements deliberately. Researchers have found that this works even better when you’re outdoors. Approaching your workouts like this allows you to reflect and focus on your emotions. This way, you’re in tune with your mind and body, and you can better understand what you need to be happy.

4. Breathing Exercises

Focusing on your breathing is the easiest way to calm yourself down in high anxiety situations. You don’t need any unique props, and you can do those breathing exercises anywhere, whenever you feel like you need to calm down. Breathing exercises are good because they clear your mind. They allow you to focus on the important and positive things.

Plus, the simple and repetitive motion of breathing can act as an anchor when you need to calm down. There are many different breathing exercises, so you need to find the one that works for you. For example, the US Navy SEALs use a technique that requires you to breathe in for four seconds and breathe out for four seconds. Whatever method you use, the trick is to take strong, deep breaths.

5. Art Therapy

It doesn’t matter if you have artistic skills or not; art therapy is still one of the best mindful methods out there. It works for all age groups and can help several issues, from PTSD to insomnia. Doodling, crafting, drawing, making puzzles, all these activities can help you externalize your feelings. They also make you focus on one task at a time.

Your mind clears all other negative and irrelevant thoughts, giving you the peace you need to deal with your emotions. This type of therapy helps you be more mindful and regulate moods, especially by lowering anxiety and depression levels.

6. Mindful Driving

Driving is often associated with stress. But that’s because most people only drive when they have to get somewhere. They usually face traffic and are under time pressure. Driving on an empty road because you want to, not because you have to get from point A to point B, is an entirely different story.

When you’re driving, you’re forced to engage with the process and focus on the motions. You have to pay attention to your surroundings, as you must pay attention to switching the gears properly. You have to do many things. But that means your mind is not allowed to wander and has to stay in the present.

This activity can be very relaxing and eye-opening. It can offer you a rush while clearing your head and allowing you to focus on simply feeling. Besides being good for your mental health, it has the side effect of making you a better driver.

7. Body Scan Meditation

This mindfulness method is one of the only ones requiring you to be at home or in a quiet environment to work. It aims to relieve the physical pain caused by stress, anxiety, and depression.

You need to lie down, close your eyes, and let your body tell you how it feels to do a body scan. You bring awareness to every part of your body, noticing any pain or discomfort. The goal is to understand where the pain comes from to manage it better in the future. It also aims to relieve some, if not all of the pain you’re feeling, on the spot.

Body scanning is good for your health because it breaks the cycle of physical tension created by psychological distress and vice versa.

Final Thoughts On Some Mindfulness Methods That Help Reduce Anxiety and Depression

Dealing with depression and anxiety every day can drain even the most influential person. Sure, therapy is the best way to manage these issues or even medication in extreme cases. But sometimes, they become so unbearable. You need to find other ways to manage them.

Mindfulness can help you calm yourself down, improve your mood, and relieve yourself of the stress you feel every day. These methods are quick, easy to do and encourage long-lasting improvements. Besides the immediate psychological benefits, they create new positive habits, thus achieving an overall happier life.

UCLA Psychologist Explains a 4-Step Method to Calm Your Mind

December 25, 2021 by Lakeisha Ethans

In the last couple of decades, a person’s everyday life has become increasingly hectic. Responsibilities start to pile up, and societal requirements become more complex. It can be harder and harder to stay calm and logical through all this pressure.

Especially since the beginning of the pandemic, peoples’ lives have flipped upside-down. It’s almost impossible not to get overwhelmed. Anxiety and stress levels have gone through the roof, and the isolation doesn’t help. But even before the pandemic, anxiety levels were higher than ever. In these difficult times, everyone needs to calm down and maintain a healthy mind. Thankfully, this psychologist from UCLA has created a four-step method to calm your mind.

What Agitates The Mind?

The main factor that leads to the brain getting agitated is stress. It makes people afraid. It makes them overthink and throws all the calm they feel out the window.

Stress is caused by several things, from external to internal factors. It affects everyone, no matter how their life looks. While some people are more predisposed to becoming stressed than others, stress is still a difficult thing to deal with.

The situations that lead to stress are called stressors. Stressors don’t inherently have to be negative. Of course, some stressors affect everyone and are also inherently harmful, like an exhausting workplace environment. But positive events, such as getting married, can also make someone feel anxious and overwhelmed.

One of the things that influence how stressed you get is perception. Some situations will not affect certain people but will stress the daylights out of someone else. For example, some people love being the center of attention. But for others, there is nothing as frightening as being noticed or having all eyes on them.

How Stressors Disrupt A Calm Mindset

Stressors can be external, induced by things around you, or internal, caused by your thoughts, feelings, and fears. The most common external stressors are life changes, work, relationship issues, and financial problems. When it comes to internal stressors, those are usually pessimism, rigid thinking, lack of self-compassion, and perfectionism.

But these are just a few examples. In reality, there are millions of stressors. Almost anything in life can stress certain people out. Some degree of stress will always be a part of life. As long as humans have emotions, they will feel pressured by different events. And one could argue that some degree of stress can even be good if used properly. In some cases, it can keep you on your toes, making you more motivated and sharper.

Unfortunately, this thought process is short-sighted. It doesn’t account for the long-term harms that come from feeling pressured. Being too stressed for your good is a thing. Dealing with a lot of stress stimulates the amygdala, triggering the body’s fight-or-flight response. In this situation, the amygdala will send signals to the brain to release stress hormones, like adrenaline. This response is autonomic, meaning you have no control over when it happens.

The Stress Response

The only thing you can control is your stress levels to ensure that the amygdala is stimulated less often. But when you start feeling stressed, there’s nothing you can do to stop the fight-or-flight response. When someone experiences stress, especially if it’s chronic, they will be impacted by the harmful effects of the stress response.

The physical symptoms of stress are aches, tachycardia, exhaustion, headaches, and high blood pressure. If you experience these symptoms often, you risk developing cardiovascular diseases, obesity, menstrual problems, and gastrointestinal issues, naming a few. There are also many emotional symptoms, like agitation, feeling like you’ve lost control, having difficulty relaxing, and low self-esteem. Long-term, you can start experiencing anxiety, depressive episodes, panic attacks, and overall sadness.

Besides stress, other factors like burnout and grief can agitate your mind. An agitated mind can also signify a medical condition, like hormonal imbalance, dependency, neurological disorders, anxiety, and more. But stress is the most common cause of the agitation. And even when it’s not the cause, it certainly doesn’t help. In fact, it can make an agitated mind even more nervous.

You can try many methods to lower your stress levels. From monitoring your environment and eliminating stressors to going to therapy, loads of things can help. But this UCLA psychologist has created a four-step method that you can practice whenever you feel overwhelmed. If you follow these steps, you will learn to calm your mind.

The SIFT Method To Calm Your Mind

Dr. Dan Siegel is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine. He is the founder and co-director of the Mindfulness Awareness Center at UCLA. Throughout his career, he has written several books, most of them discussing the topic of mindfulness. In one of his bestsellers, Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, he details a new calming method, SIFTing.

In general terms, SIFTing is used to calm the mind, slow it down, and connect with your emotions. It intends to help you be mindful and let go of all the built-up pressure. It allows you to fully understand what you are feeling and the root cause of your stress.

A calm mind allows you to stay logical and focused. You don’t just react anymore, but you can take a step back and respond with reason. When you don’t have to deal with pressure, you become more attentive. Instead of being self-absorbed, you can take the time and notice everything that’s going on. You will start to see how other people are feeling, thus allowing you to be more compassionate. You will also learn to communicate more effectively. A calm state of mind also means you can manage your energy in better ways.

The Four Steps Of The SIFT Method Can Calm Your Stress

These are just some of the few reasons why you need to calm your mind when tackling stress. But why is the mindfulness method created by Dr. Siegel one of the best brain exercises to help you be calm?

1. Sensations

The first step is to become aware of the sensations and feelings coursing through your body. Physical sensations are just signals from your body towards your brain. They can be positive, like certain gut feelings, or negative, like pain or a clenched jaw. These signals are just a way through which your brain tells you what it likes and what it doesn’t.

Sensations are just the effect of an external stressor. By focusing on them, you can start to understand the stressors. For example, if speaking in public makes you tremble, chances are this activity is an external stressor. Plus, when you start focusing on sensations, you have an anchor point that can help you start calming down.

2. Images

The second step is correlating stressful thoughts with images. Often, negative thoughts show up as a picture in the human brain. Or, the brain can at least associate them with something visual. They can be images from past events or just symbols of your fears. Someone afraid of getting embarrassed might associate an embarrassing thought with something awkward that happened to them in the past.

These images have a significant influence on how you feel. When you are aware of the images, you can correlate them with your thoughts. Thus, you can regain control over what you think. Those images won’t always accurately describe your thoughts, so you can even change them if needed.

3. Feelings

The third step is to notice what feelings are associated with those sensations and images. These feelings tell you a lot about how you interpret certain situations. When you acknowledge those feelings, you are a step closer to keeping them under control.

Feelings are subjective, so don’t try to suppress them. Most people will try to set up rigid frameworks that tell them how they should feel. But that’s not healthy. There is no right or wrong when it comes to feelings. The only thing you should be concerned about is whether those feelings affect you or not.

Allow yourself to feel a full range of emotions instead of bottling them up. The most important thing you can do is acknowledge and label them. By giving them a name, you can better understand what’s going on in your mind.

4. Thoughts

The fourth and last step is identifying your thoughts. Stress and agitation often stem from irrational and untrue beliefs. When you observe your thoughts, you can understand what your brain tells you. Is it clinging on to a lie? Or is there a valid reason as to why it’s feeling overwhelmed?

The secret to a healthy and calm mind is understanding the narrative you are nurturing. Instead of letting that narrative take control of you, you need to be proactive and take control of it first. When you analyze your thoughts, you will find flaws in your cognitive process. This way, your brain starts to understand that all the reasons why they are stressed are illogical.

Final Thoughts On The SIFT Method And How It Helps Calm The Mind

Stress is probably one of the most damaging emotions the mind can experience. If left unchecked, it can lead to horrible long-term harm. It damages both your mental and physical health. And in an environment such as the present society, you need to be prepared to face stressors. Most methods that can tackle stress are complicated and time-consuming.

For example, therapy is expansive and is just not available to everyone. But mindfulness brain exercises are easy and can help you calm down quickly. The SIFT method hasn’t gained its deserved popularity yet, so, chances are, you didn’t know about it before. But it is an excellent mindfulness method that you can use anytime and anywhere to calm your mind.

It is an easy four-step method that helps you have a healthy brain. It was created by Dr. Dan Siegel from UCLA. As a specialist in psychiatry, he explains that this method helps you stay focused when you feel overwhelmed and allows you to deal with stress rationally. All you need to do is be aware of sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts. This process only takes a few minutes, and, at the end of it, you will be left with a clear and calm mind.

Single Mom Saves Her Four Children From a House Fire

December 25, 2021 by Kristen Lawrence

Being a single mom comes with many challenges, but there is nothing a mom wouldn’t do for her children. One mother from Michigan proved this when she rushed into her burning home to save her four children. After running back and forth through the raging flames, she brought all her children to safety.

The woman named Mikala Vish repeatedly ran through the fire to ensure her kids made it out alive. The children were 12, 6, 4, and 9 months old when the fire broke out in the early morning of October 26. When the fire began spreading, everyone in the house was sound asleep. At 1 am, Mikala smelled the smoke and jumped into action.

By the time first responders arrived, the smoke had already begun seeping through the upstairs windows. Firefighters had their hands full, trying to put out the flames.

“When we first arrived on scene, we found a large structure on fire on the second floor,” Captain Scott Basar of the Chelsea Fire Department explained during a press conference, Click On Detroit reported. “A crew that arrived just before us was already battling the fire.”

Single Mom Rushes into Burning Home to Rescue Children

Meanwhile, Mikala ran alone through the inferno to save her children. First responders and neighbors witnessed the single mom repeatedly charging through the flames to find them.

Lt. Derek Klink, who also responded to the fire, called it “the most heroic thing I’ve ever seen.”

As firefighters usually do all the rescuing, they were in awe of Mikala’s unflinching courage. She would stop at nothing to ensure her children’s safety, proving that a mother’s love knows no bounds.

Klink added, “Sometimes, people call us heroes. And in this instance, in no way were we the hero. Mikala deserves all the credit.”

She showed incredible bravery during the harrowing ordeal, but unfortunately, the fire showed no mercy. First responders rushed Mikala to a nearby hospital, where she got treated for severe burns over 60% of her body. Her 6-year-old son also sustained burns, though not as bad as his mother’s.

As news of the heroic yet tragic story spread throughout the town, it caught the attention of Klink’s wife, Brynna. The single mom’s bravery moved Brynna so much that she launched a GoFundMe campaign to offer support. On the page, she revealed that the fire impacted her husband more than usual since they had children of similar age as Mikala’s.

She also said: “The mother, Mikala, has 2nd and 3rd-degree burns on over 60% of her body, and her 6-year-old son also suffered burns on his hands, feet, and back. I have never met the family, but after receiving approval from Mikala’s mother, Susan, we knew we wanted to help in any way possible. We are teaming up with Chelsea Area Fire Authority Local 1889 to support them as much as we can.”

So Far, Thousands Have Donated to Help The Mom Recover

As of December 8, over 4,000 people have donated nearly $280,000 toward the campaign. The funds will help support the single mom and her children on their road to recovery.

Brynna added: “Mikala has a long stay in the hospital ahead of her, but the donations will also go towards helping her start over once she is released. Funds will be given directly to Mikala’s mother, Susan Sutton, to help with anything the children may need during this time, and then will be transferred to Mikala once she is released from the hospital.”

Sutton told Fox 2 Detroit that her daughter’s response didn’t come as a surprise. She described Mikala as a “spitfire” with a driven personality and a devoted mother. According to Susan, Mikala endured the roaring flames until she located her 6-year-old son, Torin.

When Mikala arrived at the hospital, doctors immediately intubated her and treated the wounds. Both she and her son had to undergo multiple skin graft surgeries. However, they’re recovering nicely, according to an update from Brynna.

As of November 12, the single mom and her son Torin had shown incredible progress. Both had undergone several skin graft surgeries with successful results. Torin had been transferred to a pediatric rehab unit, where he completed several hours of physical and occupational therapy each day. He took 50 steps that week and couldn’t wait to recover enough to return home.

As for mom, the doctors removed her tubes, and she could finally communicate with loved ones again. While Mikala has a long road to recovery ahead, she showed signs of improvement and even took a few steps.

Hopefully, she and Torin will continue to heal with the support of their families and community. Mikala’s mom added that her daughter’s faith and determined nature also helped her through the ordeal.

Luckily, thousands of generous GoFundMe supporters have helped the single mom in her healing journey. In the spirit of the holiday season, please consider donating to Mikala’s campaign as well. Every donation counts in this devoted mother’s road to recovery.

Final thoughts on the heroic mom who saved her children from a fire

When a fire erupts, the only thing that matters is getting everyone out safely. A single mom took it upon herself to rescue her four children when her house went up in flames in Michigan. Her community called her a hero, and we could not agree more.

She sustained severe burns over half her body and is still recovering from the tragedy. However, she is just thankful to have her children by her side, safe and sound. While her 6-year-old son Torin had to undergo treatment for burns, he has also made remarkable progress. They have been working with physical therapists to help them return to everyday life.

This story, while undoubtedly devastating, proves that we never know our true strength until the Universe tests us. When flames engulfed her home, nothing else mattered at that moment to Mikala except saving her children. She risked her life to protect them, no matter the cost. The single mom showed immense fortitude, reminding us that not even nature can conquer a mother’s love.

Scientists Explain How a Woman’s Immune System Help Her Beat HIV

December 25, 2021 by Kristen Lawrence

A 30-year-old woman from Argentina became the second documented person in the world to beat HIV naturally. The woman, who chose to remain anonymous due to the stigma surrounding the virus, contracted HIV in 2013. Since being diagnosed, her immune system helped her defeat the virus without the help of medications.

Researchers have called the young mother the “Esperanza patient” after the Argentinian town she calls home. “Esperanza” means “hope” in English, a fitting name for this victory over a devastating illness.

She revealed to NBC News that she’s grateful to have beaten the disease naturally. She enjoys living a healthy life without the need for medications. For her, it’s as though she never got sick in the first place, a great privilege in her eyes.

HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, attacks immune cells that typically help the body ward off infections. A weakened immune system makes a person more vulnerable to contracting other illnesses.

What Causes This Virus?

According to HIV.gov, it spreads by contact with the bodily fluids with HIV. Most commonly, people contract HIV during unprotected sex with someone HIV-positive or through sharing injection drug supplies like syringes or needles.

If left untreated, HIV can eventually lead to the late-stage infection known as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. This occurs due to severe immune system damage caused by HIV. However, most people in the United States who have HIV don’t develop AIDS if they take medicine to stop the disease’s progression.

Currently, there’s no effective cure for HIV, so people who contract it will have it for life. That’s why the Argentinian woman’s case baffles scientists since she beat the autoimmune disease without help. Typically, the body breaks down due to the virus, but her immune system supports her recovery.

Why Scientists Have Struggled to Cure HIV

Researchers used advanced scientific methods and tests to search for traces of HIV in the woman’s body. However, after scanning over 1 billion of her cells, they came up empty-handed. Scientists believe the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine last month will enhance HIV research. Also, they hope the findings will assure the 38 million people estimated to live with HIV.

The “Esperanza patient” case provides living proof that the human body can potentially eradicate HIV naturally. Dr. Xu Yu, a viral immunologist at the Ragon Institute in Boston and lead author of the study, said it shows the “miracle of the human immune system.”

Now, scientists have the arduous task of uncovering the mechanisms behind this miracle. By doing that, they can figure out how to create a universal treatment for the virus. Currently, researchers are exploring multiple avenues to cure HIV. These include vaccines, gene therapy, and stem cell transplants.

So far, researchers have cured two people using stem cell therapy; however, it’s a complex and dangerous treatment method. Researchers say that it’s difficult to kill the virus since HIV infiltrates latently infected immune cells – known as the viral reservoir. Because these diseased cells can remain dormant for extended periods. The standard HIV treatment only works when infected cells actively create new copies of the virus.

Scientists Explain How a Woman’s Immune System Help Her Beat This Virus

However, this new study and prior research by Dr. Yu provide hope for the future. A paper published in August 2020 by Yu analyzed 64 people whose immune systems seem to control HIV naturally. Like the Argentine woman, these patients represent an estimated 1 in 200 people with HIV who can somehow suppress the virus to low levels without medication.

The study’s authors discovered that these individuals’ immune systems had destroyed cells capable of producing new copies of the virus. While the infected cells contained the viral genetic code, they couldn’t replicate the virus. One of the women in the study was Loreen Willenberg, a now-67-year-old Californian.

Diagnosed with HIV in 1992, she’s the only patient besides the Argentine woman whose immune system defeated the virus. After sequencing billions of her cells, scientists couldn’t find any intact viral sequences.

According to Yu, Willenberg’s case bears a striking similarity to the Esperanza patient’s. The virologist explained that both women may have produced a powerful killer T-cell response to the virus.

In 2019, Yu’s team began studying the Esperanza patient, analyzing her blood cells extensively for any sign of HIV. They also searched 500 million placenta-tissue cells after the woman gave birth to an HIV-negative baby in March 2020. In both instances, the team found no intact viral sequences despite using state-of-the-art genetic sequencing techniques.

The team hopes to uncover more of these patients to understand the phenomenon better. If they can pinpoint the mechanism driving the eradication of HIV, perhaps it could lead to a definitive cure.

“We’re never going to be 100 percent sure there’s absolutely no intact virus, no functional virus anywhere in her body,” Yu said of the Esperanza patient. “To bring what we learn from these patients to a broader patient population is our ultimate goal.”

Final Thoughts on the Woman Who Cured herself of HIV Naturally

Scientists recently performed a study on a woman who reported ridding herself of HIV without medication. The 30-year-old Argentine woman became the second documented patient whose immune system destroyed the virus. While lifestyle choices like clean eating and exercise can ward off diseases, this doesn’t work with HIV.

Currently, no cure exists for the virus because it lies dormant in infected cells. This makes it nearly impossible to target these cells since medication only works when the virus replicates. However, the recent study sheds light on the extraordinary capabilities of the human body. If we can heal ourselves of diseases, and scientists can document the process, perhaps illnesses will one day be a thing of the past.

It certainly is for the Argentine woman who somehow cured herself of HIV. Hopefully, we’ll soon know more about what caused this miracle so others can benefit from it.

Psychologists Find Link Between Childhood Trauma and Borderline Personality Disorder

December 24, 2021 by Kristen Lawrence

Borderline personality disorder, otherwise known as an emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), is perhaps the most misunderstood mental illness. Initially, doctors named the disorder because patients exhibiting this condition bordered two different states: neurosis and psychosis. However, many specialists today choose to call it EUPD because it is outdated and controversial. A borderline personality disorder displays continuous instability in moods, self-image, and relationships. Depending on the severity, people who have this disorder may have trouble holding down jobs or maintaining relationships.

BPD is the most common personality disorder, affecting an estimated 1.7% of the population. Nearly 75% of people diagnosed are women, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder

Intense fear of abandonment, both real and imagined
Unstable, passionate relationships that alternate rapidly between idealization (“I love him!”) and devaluation (“He’s so awful!”). Some psychologists refer to this as “splitting.”
Unstable, negative self-image includes moods, opinions, goals, and values.
Impulsive behaviors with potentially dangerous consequences include impulsive shopping sprees, gambling, unsafe sex, reckless driving, or substance abuse.
Self-harm, including cutting, burning, or suicide threats/attempts.
Depression, irritability, or anxiety for hours or days at a time.
Chronic feelings of emptiness, boredom, or detachment from others.
Inappropriate, volatile, uncontrollable anger, such as frequent outbursts or physical fights.
Periodic dissociative episodes—feeling disconnected from your thoughts, emotions, and perception of reality. This can cause stress-related paranoia, which can result in brief psychotic episodes.

Like most mental illnesses, doctors believe a combination of genetics, environment, family history, and brain structure contribute to BPD. Prior studies have found evidence of genetic predisposition regarding borderline personality disorder. Twin studies performed in 2000 and 2008 revealed a 50% heritability, which surpasses rates for major depression.

Psychologists Find Link Between Childhood Trauma and Borderline Personality Disorder

However, a new study suggests that childhood trauma contributes more than genetics to BPD development. The findings have been published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.

“It seems that females are more frequently affected from BPD, at least in clinical settings than males, with a ratio of about four to one,” said the study’s authors, led by Benjamin Otto of Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany.

The team wanted to understand better the complex relationship between childhood trauma and borderline personality disorder. To do this, the team recruited 95 adult women, 44 of whom had a prior diagnosis of BPD. The participants completed several psychological assessments, such as a life history questionnaire and personality test.

Additionally, they answered questions about aggressiveness, chronic stress, childhood trauma, and symptom severity. Finally, researchers determined the participants’ allostatic load, or wear and tear on the body due to chronic stress. To assess this, the team took participants’ blood pressure, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index measurements.

Since trauma often manifests in the body, researchers hoped these markers would give them better insight into how borderline personality disorder affects physical health.

Study Found People With BPD Have “Pace-of-Life-Syndrome”

The findings revealed how growing up in unstable conditions affects people later in life. Researchers observed that participants with borderline personality disorder had higher scores on the childhood trauma questionnaire than those without BPD. Because of these adverse events, research shows that children tend to grow up faster than their peers.

The study delved deeply into what causes BPD and how the disorder impacts development.

Study authors concluded that childhood trauma results in a “Pace-of-Life-Syndrome,” where individuals prioritize reproduction over body maintenance and tissue repair.

They also grow faster, have a higher metabolism, and risk developing stress-related illnesses like cardiovascular disease. Finally, research shows that, in clinical settings, people who have BPD have an 8.3-fold higher all-cause mortality compared to the general population.

All of these factors increase allostatic loads as the child progresses into adulthood.

“In line with expectations, BPD patients had significantly higher scores suggestive of a fast Pace-of-Life-Syndrome than controls. They were more aggressive, more burdened with chronic stress, and were exposed to more severe childhood adversity,” said the authors. “The present study thus provides direct evidence of psychological and somatic traits associated with the fast end of the PoLS spectrum in females with BPD.”

BPD Characterized by Distinct Personality Traits

Not surprisingly, researchers observed distinct personality differences between those with and without BPD. The team recorded higher levels of neuroticism and lower extroversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness in BPD patients. In addition, they found that people with borderline personality disorder exhibited less openness to new experiences.

They conclude,

The authors added that a fast Pace-of-Life-Syndrome isn’t specific to BPD. PoLS may indicate other mental health conditions, like ADHD, bipolar disorder, and addictive disorders. However, those with borderline personality disorder tend to have higher rates of comorbidity.

Final Thoughts on a Study Linking Childhood Trauma to Borderline Personality Disorder

Previous studies showed that genetics played a significant role in developing borderline personality disorder. However, a new study by German researchers found that environmental factors may contribute more to BPD. The findings showed that most participants experienced childhood trauma.

Overall, they also had higher chronic stress, which led to poorer physical health. Study participants exhibited “Pace-of-Life-Syndrome” due to their upbringing and stress response. Researchers hope this study highlights the need to treat this condition properly before it can cause lasting damage.

Only Pet Parents Will Understand How True These Vet Clinic Signs Are

December 24, 2021 by Kristen Lawrence

All pet parents can attest to how much they adore their sweet fur babies. There’s nothing like coming home to a pet after a long day to warm your heart. After all, who else gets so excited to see you that they jump on you the second you walk through the door?! We thought so.

Dogs, cats, or other pets add value and memorable moments to our lives. However, they also can test our patience and make us sometimes pull our hair out. If you’re a pet parent, you know the feeling. Let’s not even talk about trying to get them in the car for a vet checkup.

Since pets and pet parents get apprehensive about the vet, Carroll County Vet Clinic in Maryland had to get creative. They’ve been posting funny messages on their outdoor sign to keep people’s spirits up since 2005. So far, it seems to work because many of their signs have gone viral!

Only Pet Parents Will Understand How Accurate These Vet Clinic Signs Are

Here are a few that we thought perfectly captured the ups and downs of being a pet parent.

1 – Nothing compares to the unconditional love from a dog, after all.

Plus, isn’t it the best feeling when a random dog runs up to you and the owner says, “My dog never does that with strangers!” That always makes my soul happy.

2 – There isn’t a truer statement than this one. To any pet parents out there, you’ll definitely relate.

If you have a long-haired dog, you dread summer with every fiber. Maybe they call it the dog days of summer because of the countless hours vacuuming up dog hair?

3 – Everyone knows, cats are the head of the house. All decisions must be run by the cat for approval.

4 – We think it’s high time to end the stigma about black cats. What’s not to love about them, anyway?!

5 – Pet parents will agree with this one! It applies to any small dog, really, but especially Chihuahuas.

Don’t hate on them for barking so much, though. They have to make up for their size somehow!

6 – This one will hit all pet parents right in the feels. There’s just no animal that quite compares to a dog.

It seems like they have endless amounts of love to give, and we never get tired of receiving it.

7 – Perhaps this one’s been said many times before, but it’s still true. Ask any dog mom out there!

8 – Maybe we can learn a thing or two from cats. Don’t problems eventually disappear if you spend most of your day sleeping?

9 – Pet parents know the frustration all too well. Dogs just KNOW there’s something wrong with that lunch meat.

10 – Dogs are angels. Enough said.

We could definitely learn some lessons from our furry friends.

11 – Nothing makes the world stop quite like a cute cat sleeping in your lap. Those chores can wait until later, right?

12 – To the pet parents of birds reading this, we feel you.

If you’ve taught your bird to talk, you know how weird it seems at first!

13 – All dogs are the best doggos! How could we ever choose?!

14 – After these last couple of years, it’s perfectly acceptable to sleep through winter.

15 – Who made that rule, anyway?

16 – So beautiful, yet so messy at the same time.

Oh well, you take the good with the bad, right?

17 – I think nature kind of missed out on that opportunity.

18 – Have you ever met a trained cat? We didn’t think so.

19 – A cat will break your dishes, knock down plants and run marathons in your room with no remorse.

20 – Pet parents know dogs and cats have their own personalities.

Honestly, we wouldn’t want it any other way.

21 – Because pugs are simply irresistible with that cute face!

Other Things You Can Relate to If You’re a Pet Parent

You know the reality, let’s open up about some basic truths about pet parenting.

1 – Talking to your pet (especially dogs) in a “baby voice.”

Whether you have human children or not, any pet parent can relate to this one. The second you’re around a dog, do you find your voice gets more high-pitched? Do you say “awww” a million times and hyper-articulate vowels? We’ve all communicated with our dogs using baby talk at some point, and it’s perfectly normal. Some studies have found dogs actually respond well to this type of speech, so it seems we’re doing something right!

2 – Having more photos of your dog than anything else on your phone.

They look cute doing almost anything, so it’s important to snap a photo at every opportunity! Especially if you have social media accounts for your pet, you can relate to this.

3 – Ordering them treats at drive-thru restaurants.

If you go to Starbucks, you automatically ask for a Puppuccino (a small cup of whipped cream, of course!) You offer them some fries or a piece of meat at burger joints. After all, they deserve treats every so often for being such a good boy (or girl!)

4 – Pet parents plan dog or cat-friendly vacations so they can tag along.

Maybe you don’t bring them on every trip, but you try to include them as much as possible. They’re your best friend, so you want them to enjoy new experiences with you! We could write a book about pets, but we’ll stop here. Hopefully, the pet parents out there found something they could relate to in this list!

Final thoughts on these animal facts that only pet parents will understand

Owning a pet is a special privilege, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Yes, our pets make us laugh and brighten our days, but they’re also a huge responsibility. They need regular veterinary care, baths, checkups, walks, nutritious food, and love.

For pets, going to the vet probably tops the list of their least favorite activities. One Maryland vet clinic recognized that vets aren’t exactly a favorite destination. So, they decided to make the visits more appealing with funny signs outside their office. It seemed to do the trick, because their messages have gotten many laughs over the years. To the pet owners reading this, we hope you could relate and got a few chuckles from the list!

10 Traits of Mindful Thinking That Most People Don’t Know

December 24, 2021 by Lakeisha Ethans

In the past couple of decades, mindfulness has become prominent in western culture. It is a practice endorsed by psychologists and therapists alike. More and more people have incorporated mindful thinking into their day-to-day life.

Most people think of mindfulness as some easy trick to make them feel better in the moment. Some don’t even think it works, believing it’s just a placebo effect. Even the advocates for using mindful thinking don’t know everything about it. So here are ten traits of mindful thinking that most people don’t know.

What Is Mindfulness?

The origins of mindfulness go back hundreds of years, first appearing in Buddhist cultures. Eastern communities have enjoyed the benefits of mindfulness ever since its discovery. But it didn’t reach the west until a few decades ago.

Mindfulness is the ability of an individual to be fully present. It means being aware of where you are, what you’re doing, and feeling without being judgmental. Besides that, it involves introspection. Also, it aims to make people understand their environment rather than being reactive. It ensures you let go of biases and analyze everything properly.

The people who don’t engage in mindful thinking often go through life on autopilot. By using mindfulness, you can sharpen your cognitive abilities, thus allowing you to take control of your life. This can benefit all areas of your life, from your professional to personal life.

Mindfulness is often practiced through meditation. Mindful meditation involves letting go of judgment and biases and indulging in the brain’s natural curiosity. By reflecting in a non-judgmental way, you can start understanding your emotions.

10 Traits Of Mindful Thinking That Most People Don’t Know

These are the essential characteristics of mindfulness that most people are aware of. But mindfulness is much deeper than that. It’s a complex process through which one can improve all aspects of their life. So, here are ten lesser-known facts about mindfulness.

1. Mindful Thinking Is Not All In Your Head

Most people seem to think that mindfulness is just something that goes on in your head. That it’s just about your thoughts and doesn’t go beyond that. But mindfulness is more about connecting with your mind, body, and emotions. You have to engage mentally and physically to be truly mindful.

Meditation begins and ends in the body. Paying attention to what’s going on around you starts with being aware of your body. You have to be in tune with the stimuli your body gives you. Understand what you’re sensing, don’t just ignore it. When you get your body and mind are in line, you can better understand yourself.

Mindfulness meditation helps improve physical health in many ways. It helps relieve stress, treats heart disease, lowers blood pressure, reduces chronic pain, and improves sleep.

2. It’s Backed By Science

Some people don’t take mindfulness seriously, and they think it’s just a fairy-tale. In reality, it’s backed by science. Especially in the past couple of decades, there have been a lot of studies proving that mindfulness has pragmatic benefits.

A growing body of research shows that it reduces stress and anxiety, improves attention and memory, and promotes self-regulation and empathy. A study by Sara Lazar determined that mindfulness can change the brain’s grey matter and brain regions linked with memory, sense of self, and emotion regulation.

There are many more studies like this one, all proving that mindfulness is not just a buzzword. Using it as a therapeutic practice is supported by many psychologists. If you want to start seeing a therapist, expect them to suggest mindful thinking to relieve the symptoms of certain mental disorders.

3. Mindful Thinking Changes Your Brain

Mindfulness doesn’t just give you short-term benefits. It also reconfigures your brain in a way that improves your cognitive sharpness. Mindful meditation is especially useful in this process.

Studies have shown that the brain physically changes when you learn a new skill. Learning will restructure different parts of the brain, depending on the nature of that skill. Even skills that don’t seem relevant, like crocheting, will develop the brain.

Previous studies suggested that meditation is a skill that helps improve the parts of the brain responsible for attention. Mindfulness meditation increases the thickness of the prefrontal cortex and parietal lobes, which connects to attention control. Compassion-based meditation showed increases in the limbic system, which processes emotions. By practicing meditation daily, you can start to see a difference in how you see the world.

4. It’s A Lifestyle

Mindfulness is often mischaracterized and defined as a tool you can use when feeling overwhelmed. While you can use it like that, it’s intended to be used as a lifestyle. When you incorporate mindfulness as a part of your daily routine, you will see the best results.

To gain all the health benefits, like restructuring your brain and relieving anxiety, you need to live a mindful lifestyle. These changes are triggered by your thoughts and actions. They only surface when you shift your whole mindset. You have to train your brain to view mindfulness as a reflex rather than something it has to do consciously.

Mindfulness can expand to all areas of your life. You can mindfully do everything, from eating to exercising and working. This way of approaching tasks makes you pay more attention to everything. You will do everything with more care, making sure you gain benefits from life rather than mindlessly shuffling through it.

5. It Creates Better Habits

Adding on the idea that mindfulness has long-term benefits, it’s essential to know that it also helps create better habits. Because it forces you to be present, aware, and proactive, it helps motivate you to live better. Being aware of your feelings and impulses makes you better tools for battling bad habits.

Many past studies have compared the habits of individuals from a control group to the patterns of people practicing mindfulness. One study showed that the individuals from the mindfulness group significantly improved their healthy eating habits, tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis consumption, and sleep habits. Some specialists even suggest that mindfulness can be a powerful tool when battling addiction and eating disorders.

6. Mindful Thinking Improves Interpersonal Relationships

Improving relationships is one of the benefits of restructuring the prefrontal cortex using mindfulness. Mindful meditation develops some of the most critical skills for socialization, like attention and emotional regulation.

For a relationship to work, you need to communicate and be calm. By improving your attention, mindfulness can help you become a better listener. One trap people often fall into is talking about themselves and their needs, forgetting to check in on the other’s needs.

But, when you practice mindful thinking, you will avoid making that mistake. You will also be able to regulate your emotions better, thus helping you stay calm and logical in highly tense situations.

7. It Helps You Deal With Fear

Besides the prefrontal cortex and limbic system, mindfulness also changes the shape of the amygdala. The amygdala is the part of the brain responsible for the fight-or-flight response, amongst other things. Practicing mindful thinking shrinks the amygdala, making it easier to control your fear logically rather than giving in to instincts.

When that amygdala senses danger, it signals your brain to release stress hormones, preparing your body to fight or run away. Nowadays, that response stems from stress, fear, anxiety, and anger. When the amygdala shrinks, it becomes less active, thus giving the brain fewer signals. Your body won’t be flooded by as many hormones, making it easier to be rational when you feel afraid. The benefit is that you will be better equipped to deal with fear.

8. Mindful Thinking Helps You Be More Self-Compassionate

Compassion is a desirable quality, mainly because people are harsher than ever before. They think that they should always be critical of their actions, but that only leads to depression. Mindfulness helps you tackle that issue and learn to be self-compassionate.

Mindfulness makes you reflect, thus uncovering emotions that you’ve buried deep and making you deal with them. It shows you both the positives and negatives you possess as a person. When you interact will all sides of you, you start understanding that you are only human. You begin to acknowledge that humans are imperfect and make mistakes. It will incentivize you to start being kinder to yourself.

9. It Makes You More Empathetic

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the emotions others feel. By making you aware and attentive, mindfulness enables the development of empathy.

When you know your environment, you start making mental notes of the things around you. You stop ignoring the signs of distress you see in other people. Because you acknowledge others’ feelings, your brain will naturally want to help them. And, you will engage with a larger scope of emotions, thus making you aware of more hardships than just your own. You will become better at noticing when someone needs help, and you will start offering it when you can.

10. It Makes You More Patient

Patience is a quality that most people wouldn’t associate with mindfulness. But the broad perspective you get when you start being mindful can nurture a patient mindset. By making you live in the present, mindfulness will shape your personality to become more patient.

Mindful meditation allows you to understand what’s essential in life and prioritize everything. This way, you won’t feel the need to rush things. As a by-product of becoming more patient, you will also manage your anxiety and stress levels better.

Final Thoughts On Some Traits of Mindful Thinking That Most People Don’t Know

Mindfulness is one of the best therapeutic practices out there. But there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding it. Even the people who like mindfulness aren’t aware of all the benefits it can provide.

Besides the mental health benefits that most people know about, mindfulness also improves other areas of life. It sharpens your brain, helps create better habits and deal with fear, and makes you more accepting and empathetic, amongst other things. The best part is that it’s all backed by science and, if you practice it, it can become a lifestyle.

7 Gratitude Practices to Calm The Brain (and How to Start)

December 24, 2021 by Lakeisha Ethans

Do you wish you could find a way to stop feeling anxious and jittery all the time? Do you want to rewire your brain so that it isn’t naturally agitated? Are you looking for new things you can try out to trick your brain into being more positive and calmer?

Gratitude is one of the best emotions a human can experience. It’s proven to have a lot of mental and physical health benefits. For a long time, it was believed that some people are predisposed to feel gratitude while others won’t feel it.

And while it’s true that genetics play a role in returning how grateful you naturally feel, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn to practice gratitude. At first, you might be skeptical, but if you give these seven gratitude practices a shot, you will soon have a calmer and more positive life.

What Is Gratitude?

Gratitude is a positive emotion that involves being thankful and appreciative. When you experience gratitude, you feel grateful for something or someone in your life. You will also feel like you want to return the gesture by being kind and generous.

Gratitude stems from recognizing that something good happened, and it has two stages. First, you acknowledge that something good happened. Second, you try to understand where that goodness came from. Because of how it forms, gratitude is often spontaneous emotion that you feel in the moment. But the body of research has suggested that this emotion can be learned and incorporated into day-to-day life.

The primary way gratitude improves health is by facilitating a state of relaxation. According to psychologist Robert Emmons, appreciation fosters a more optimistic attitude. It amplifies positive emotions, such as joy, and makes you more resilient. Grateful people tend to be less depressed, less anxious, and less stressed.

Studies show that grateful people have more brain activity in the medial prefrontal cortex. That is the part associated with learning and decision-making. Grateful people tend to be faster learners and have better decision-making skills. This is the main reason why grateful people cultivate better habits.

Benefits of Having Good Gratitude Practices

They tend to have better diets, exercise, avoid risky behaviors, and be hard workers. As a by-product of lower stress levels And better habits, grateful people have also been shown to have a better immune system lower blood pressure. According to researchers Adam Grant and Francesca Gino, gratitude leads to stronger relationships and a sense of community.

People develop a sense of trust and companionship when they appreciate each other’s help. Being openly thankful towards someone will increase the chances of them liking you. Of course, these health and social benefits go a long way in making certain stress levels as low. By helping you develop better habits and get your life together, gratitude can ensure you’re always on the right path, thus keeping your brain calmer.

Seven Gratitude Practices to Calm The Brain (and How to Start)

It seems pretty straightforward: be grateful, and everything will go right for you. But practicing gratitude can sometimes be difficult if you don’t have the proper guidelines. So, if you want to calm your brain, here are seven gratitude practices that will help you (and how to implement them).

1. Write A Gratitude Journal

People tend to lose track of little things. If someone complimented you, it would probably slip your mind. Small gestures are easily missed, especially during a busy day. When you lose track of the good that’s going on in your life, you’ll never be able to practice gratitude properly. The safest thing you can do is write everything down to ensure you won’t forget it.

Journaling reminds you that the world is not as hostile as it seems. Having to write down what good things happened in your day physically will force you to acknowledge the positives in your life. The physical act of writing something down can also be a calming gesture whenever you feel anxious.

At the end of each day (or when you need an emotional lift), write down a few things you are grateful for. Savor the positive feelings that come when you think about them. Research shows that after eight weeks of doing this, you will have managed to rewire your brain for gratitude.

2. Spend Time With People You Care About

Spending time with people you love will open your eyes to the positives in your life. Use your free time to meet friends and family. It will boost your mood and make you more appreciative of what you have.

Spending time with people will make you acknowledge how much you have. If you want to be grateful, you need to share your appreciation openly. Tell your family you are thankful to have them around. Let your friends know how important they are to you. Remind your significant other how much you love them.

Always thank people who lend you a hand. And, if you can, repay their kindness. Focus on others and try to let go of selfish behaviors. You will feel much more fulfilled when you make someone else happy rather than when you make yourself comfortable. The more content you are and the more helpful you feel, the less stressed and anxious you will become.

3. Release Toxic Emotions

One of the main reasons people can be grateful is because there bottling up negative emotions. No matter how hard they try to focus on the positives, the negatives always overshadow them. To practice gratitude, you need to release all negativity from your brain and body consciously.

And this is a cycle. The more grateful you feel, the more able you would release toxic emotions. This happens because the hippocampus and the amygdala, the two main sites regulating emotions and memory, get activated by gratitude. Gratitude governs the level of dopamine in the body, failing people with more vitality and reducing subjective feelings of pain.

As long as you either release toxic emotions or practice gratitude, you should have no problem when it comes to regulating your mood. Studies have shown that people who wrote letters of appreciation to others recovered sooner from a mental issue.

4. Meditate as a Gratitude Practice

This seems to be the most generic suggestion that you will get when searching for ways to calm yourself down. But It’s always recommended precisely because it works and it’s very customizable. When it comes to learning to be more thankful, meditating is the best gratitude practice out there.

Find a quiet and comfortable environment, close your eyes, and start taking deep breaths. Focus on the rhythm of your breathing and on what your body is feeling. This will act as an anchor to keep you grounded and help you clear your mind of irrelevant things.

When your mind gets clear, you can focus on understanding precisely what you should be grateful for. The simple fact that you’re still breathing can be one of those things you’re thankful for. If you meditate regularly, you can become a grateful person by nature.

5. Pause And Reflect

Sometimes your brain starts overanalyzing and overthinking everything for no apparent reason. When you feel like you’re starting to be anxious and overwhelmed, the best thing you can do is pause and reflect.

Before tackling anything stressful, give yourself five minutes in which you do nothing but reflect on everything good that’s going on around you. Think about how finishing that task is going to get you fulfillment. Think about how lucky you are that you can do what’s required of you. When you charge yourself with positive energy, you can return to doing what you have to do.

6. Remember What You Have Been Through

Many people get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of responsibilities they have in life. Working, having a family, having a hobby, juggling all of these activities can stress your brain out. You might be tempted to give in to the pressure and just get overwhelmed. To avoid this, remember what you’ve been through and what you’re capable of.

When you take a minute and reflect on your past experiences, you’ll find that you’ve been through tougher times before. Remembering how much you’ve overcome can help you find the confidence to do what you need to do in the present. Plus, seeing how much worse your life could be will make you instantly grateful for the life you have now.

7. Create A Gratitude Practice Routine

At first, practicing gratitude constantly will seem like an impossible task. You will need to remind yourself all the time to pay attention to the goodness around you and not just dismiss it. So, it might be helpful to create a gratitude routine that works for you.

You could start by listing a few things you’re grateful for every morning before getting out of bed. Part of your gratitude routine could be giving at least five compliments every day. You can do whatever you want as long as you show did you acknowledge the positive and be thankful for it.

Practicing gratitude kicks off a self-perpetuating cycle in your brain. As psychology writer Christian Jarett says, the more you practice gratitude, the more attuned you are to it. After a while, gratitude will become part of your personality.

Final Thoughts On Some Gratitude Practices to Calm The Brain

Gratitude is one of the most beautiful can helpful emotions a human can experience. Unfortunately, as the world gets more hectic, people start being too busy for gratitude. If you feel overwhelmed and like your brain won’t calm down, you might benefit from implementing the gratitude practices described above in your life.

There are many ways through which people can learn to be grateful. But, at the core, gratitude means acknowledging the positives in your life and understanding why they happened. Appreciation has been shown to have numerous health benefits. The most obvious are the psychological ones, especially the reduction of anxiety levels.

It helps you have a generally more positive attitude towards life, thus allowing you to be happier. It also benefits a person’s physical health, like boosting the immune system. Overall, gratitude is necessary to have a healthy lifestyle and calm the brain.

Weekly tips, affirmations, and small actions to feel your best.

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!