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How to Make Homemade Immunity Gummies To Help Fight Illnesses

April 5, 2021 by Kristen Lawrence

If you want to protect yourself from colds or other illnesses, these immunity gummies will do the trick. There is no need to buy expensive herbal supplements or powders; you can make these right from your kitchen. Of course, you’ll need a few ingredients, but you’ll get more per serving than you would from store-bought gummies. No one likes getting sick, so why not do all you can to prevent illnesses?

In addition to a healthy diet, exercise, fresh air, sunshine, and quality sleep, these gummies will boost your immune system. They taste pretty good, too – a bonus!

Here are several recipes for homemade immunity gummies to prevent sickness:

First, gather these kitchen tools:

Large bowl to mix ingredients
Spoon
Squirt bottle
Molds of your choice for the gummies
Cutting board
Knife
Large pot
Strainer

1 – Elderberry immunity gummies

Ingredients:

1 cup elderberry syrup
1/4 cup gelatin powder
2/3 cup hot water

How to make them:

Pour 1 cup of elderberry syrup into a large bowl.
Next, gradually add in 1/4 cup of gelatin powder, stirring to combine.
Then, pour in 2/3 cup hot water.
Once you’ve stirred the ingredients thoroughly, transfer the liquid to a squirt bottle.
Grab the mold you’re using to make the gummies, and fill each one with the mixture.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.

2 – Citrus immunity gummies

Ingredients:

One grapefruit
1 lemon
1 orange
2 tbsp honey
6 tbsp gelatin powder

How to make them:

Cut an orange, grapefruit, and lemon in half. Remove the seeds, and use a juicer to make citrus juice. This should make about 1 cup of liquid.
Next, pour your juice into a large pot of hot water.
Add in the 2 tbsp of honey, and mix with a spoon until fully combined.
Slowly add in the 6 tbsp of gelatin powder until it’s completely dissolved in the juice.
Transfer the liquid to your squirt bottle, and use a different mold to create these immunity gummies.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.

3 – Apple juice immunity gummies

Ingredients:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 tbsp gelatin
3/4 cup apple juice

How to make them:

Pour the apple cider vinegar, water, and apple juice into a large pot. Turn the heat on low.
Next, gradually mix the gelatin until thoroughly combined.
When the gelatin is fully dissolved, transfer the liquid to a squirt bottle.
Once again, fill up your molds with the gummy mixture.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.

4 – Lemon honey ginger immunity gummies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup water
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 cup honey
1 tbsp gelatin

How to make them:

Pour the lemon juice and some of the water into the pot, and bring to a boil.
Next, take it off the heat and mix in the ground ginger. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix the rest of the water and gelatin until fully combined.
Once that’s done, grab your filter, and strain the lemon-ginger mixture into the other bowl.
Stir the liquid and then add in the honey until thoroughly combined.
Once again, transfer the liquid to a squirt bottle and fill up your molds.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.

You can store the remaining immunity gummies in a glass mason jar in the fridge. Adults should have 2-3 per day, and children should have one. All of the gummies contain powerful immune-boosting ingredients to ward off illnesses. Below, we’ll go over the many benefits of these natural medicines.

Health benefits of the immunity gummies

ELDERBERRY: You’ve probably seen elderberry syrup, gummies, and other natural remedies in your local health foods store. People have been using elderberry for thousands of years to treat colds, cases of flu, swelling, inflammation, and pain. This powerful plant contains many nutrients and antioxidants, explaining why cultures have used it for medicinal purposes. It’s rich in Vitamin C, which is known for its ability to keep colds and flu cases at bay. It also contains high amounts of phenolic acids and anthocyanins, both antioxidants which reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.
GELATIN POWDER: Gelatin, a protein that comes from collagen, has plentiful health benefits. Not only is it almost entirely comprised of protein, but it also contains almost all the essential amino acids. Gelatin helps improve joint and bone health, support healthy skin, hair, and nails, and even boost brain function.
ANTIOXIDANTS: Just half of a medium-sized grapefruit contains 64% of the RDI of Vitamin C, and 28% of the RDI of Vitamin A. Vitamin C helps protect the cells from bacteria and viruses, and Vitamin A aids in lowering inflammation in the body. Grapefruit also contains other powerful antioxidants such as lycopene and flavanones.
LEMONS: Lemons also contain tons of Vitamin C, over half of your RDI in just one piece of fruit. They also improve digestive health and help prevent kidney stones.
ORANGES: Oranges are the ultimate powerhouse for fighting colds, containing 80% of the RDI of Vitamin C in one orange. They’re also high in flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral benefits.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: ACV contains probiotics due to yeast and bacteria formed during the fermentation process. It also is rich in B-vitamins and polyphenols, which bolster the immune system.
GINGER: This powerful root has been used in traditional medicines for millennia. It’s mostly been used to treat nausea, indigestion, infections, and pain.
HONEY: Honey is also known for its antioxidant content and is commonly used to ward off colds, coughs, and respiratory illnesses. It also can help heal wounds and burns as it’s a powerful anti-inflammatory.

Final thoughts: These immunity gummies can help you stay healthy

The immune-boosting ingredients in all of these gummies will ensure you don’t come down with a nasty cold. Or, at the very least, they will help you get over illnesses much faster. Plus, the adorable gummy form makes them seem more like candy than medicine! Here’s to your continued health!

Why Every Parent Needs a Day Off, According to Counselors

April 5, 2021 by Sarah Barkley

Parents are pushed to their limits every day and tend to feel bad for taking a day off. It can be hard for parents to enjoy themselves when they have free time because they feel like they should be doing something else. If you find yourself in this position, counselors say that there are certain reasons you need a guilt-free break.

Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your family and being dedicated to your job. Recognize when you need a day off so that you can work on self-care and bettering yourself.

You are an individual with needs of your own, and it is important to meet them. Giving yourself a day off once in a while is a part of self-care, and it will help you in many ways. It will help your family, too, which makes it all the more beneficial.

Why Every Parent Needs a Day Off

Society tends to make parents think they have to do it all without taking a break. It is impossible to find a balance in your life if you live that way, though. Counselors have made it a point to explain why you should take a much-deserved break from parenting for a day.

Things are Different Now

Things are different now, and parents are expected to do much more than parents did decades ago. In the past, it was typical that mothers stayed home and ran the house while the husband went to work and paid the bills. Now, both parents are expected to work, maintain the house, and cater to their families more than ever.

While it is now normal for both parents to work, they are also expected to spend more time parenting. According to research, parents spend nearly 50% more time with their kids than parents did decades ago. This means that if you need a guilt-free day off, you should take it.

If you stay at home while your partner works, you have to do so much. Taking care of yourself, your children, your home and ensuring all needs get met is a big job. The extra parenting expected of modern-day parents will be up to you most days, which can lead to burnout pretty quickly.

You Can’t Do It All

It is impossible to find balance in life if you aren’t taking time for yourself. Stress is inevitable, and if you don’t give yourself a day off, you will experience burnout quickly. Counselors explain that parents are drowning in stress, with moms being affected more than fathers.

The reason for this overwhelming amount of stress is easy to figure out. Parents want to provide for their families, but they also want to care for and raise their children. Finding a way to excel at both aspects of life is nearly impossible.

For stay-at-home parents, the stress comes from different problems. Feeling the pressure to be a perfect parent, have a clean home, and be responsible for others’ well-being all day is draining. It’s hard to find time to relax and to let go of the worry of daily life.

Society sets unrealistic standards for parents today. It seems that parents have to be the perfect parent and the best employee. They are supposed to help their children learn and develop as they work toward climbing the ladder themselves.

This idea is typically unrealistic. The time it takes to devote yourself to your family doesn’t leave enough time to dedicate yourself to your career goals. If you focus on your career goals, you will feel like you aren’t doing enough with your family.

You can’t blame yourself for not being perfect when you have to give so much of yourself. When you have pulled in so many directions, the stress will continue to pile up. Give yourself a guilt-free day off so that you can overcome some of this stress.

You Deserve a Break, and it Will Benefit You Both.

You spend so much time taking care of others that you have earned a day off. Of course, you are there for every part of your child’s life, and while you love it, it can take a toll after a while.

As you focus on getting the kids ready for school, cleaning up after them, and helping with homework, you are wearing yourself thin. Then add in going to extracurricular activities, preparing meals, getting the kids in bed, and everything else, and you truly deserve a break. Counselors say that taking time away from caring for your child will help both of you and help your relationship.

It will help your child see that you are more than just a person that does things for them. They will appreciate you more, and your relationship will strengthen. Plus, it will help you remember that you are an individual and not just responsible for getting the snacks.

Parents must take guilt-free time off from their kids to do something they enjoy. It doesn’t mean that you aren’t a committed parent, and it simply means that you need a break from all you do.

There is no Down Time in Parenting.

It seems that you can’t do anything without having a child underfoot or calling out your name. Simple things like doing something on your phone can become an impossible task because you can’t focus. Kids pull your mind in many different directions, and getting a second to yourself seems impossible.

All of the non-stop work of being a parent can quickly lead to brain overload. It seems that kids are always talking, asking questions, needing something, or wanting you to play. Of course, you expect this as a parent, but it can still take its toll if you don’t get a break once in a while.

Even when you are sick, you still have to show up as a parent. Someone has to cook the meals, see the kids off to school, and deal with everything else.

Dealing with that each day earns you the right to a guilt-free day off. You need to recover some time, and you need a bit of time to focus on yourself.

You Will Have More Energy

While you may think alone time is selfish, you have to remember that taking care of yourself isn’t selfish. Giving yourself a much-needed break will help increase your energy levels, allowing you to be a better parent.

Parents often don’t sleep through the night, even when their children begin to. You might wake up thinking you hear crying, only to find that everything and everyone is at peace.

Even as your children get older, you aren’t likely to feel fully rested. With teenagers come many other worries and concerns that might keep you up at night.

Additionally, taking a guilt-free day off will help you re-energize. Without a break, parents aren’t able to be the best they could be, and this includes you. If you want to continue being a great parent to your children, you must take a break once in a while.

Even just a few hours away can re-energize you for more parenting when you are reunited. You will be ready for storytime, endless questions, and playing with toys before you know it. Then, you will see that you are more patient and attentive to your child now that you have had a break.

Not Taking a Break Can Cause Mental Health Issues

If you feel like you need to take a break, not taking one can cause mental health issues. Listen to what your body and mind are telling you, and take care of yourself. Otherwise, you are at risk of developing depression, anxiety, insomnia, and other disorders.

Sometimes parent burnout becomes so bad that the parent-child relationship suffers. The parent may begin to feel detached from the child and feel like a failure at the same time.

Your Life Should be More Than Just Parenting

Parenting is, without a doubt, the biggest part of your life. It shouldn’t be the only thing you do, though. Make other areas of your life a priority, too.

By opening up your life to more than parenting, you will help yourself avoid burnout. Spend time working on your other relationships, your health, and your hobbies. Doing things without your kids is a way to remember who you are as an individual.

Final Thoughts on Why Every Parent Needs a Guilt-free Day Off, According to Counselors

Now that you know you don’t have to feel guilty for taking a day off, it’s time to start setting it up. Make a plan for the kids and decide what you want to do with your much-deserved break.

Take time for yourself and do what makes you happy aside from being a parent. Recall the reasons discussed here if you begin to feel guilty, and you’ll remember that this is beneficial for everyone.

Even if you have an overloaded to-do list, make the time for a guilt-free day off. You might find that you come back more focused and determined than before.

15 Behaviors That Reveal Someone with Emotional Maturity

April 5, 2021 by Power of Positivity

Do you consider yourself a person of emotional maturity? Or do you feel that you have some room for growth? Learning to navigate the emotional spectrum is undoubtedly something that you should strive to do, but it’s often a daunting task. How many times do you let your emotions get the best of you?

Assume you’re at the grocery store, and the parking lot is a zoo. You finally see a car that is pulling out. You put your turn signal on to indicate that you’re going to take that space as soon as they leave. Before you know it, some lady whips her car into the spot at the last minute.

An emotionally mature person would move onto another spot and think that she must have really needed to get into the store quickly. However, were you the person honking the horn and making gestures to let her know how angry she made you? It’s these little situations like this that test your maturity daily.

Fifteen Behaviors That Reveal Emotional Maturity

The goal is to strive to do better in situations when life hands you lemons. You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it. Once you gain this level of maturity, you will look at the world differently.

According to the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, being emotionally mature is essential to solid relationships.

Here are 15 signs that you’re conquering emotional maturity and you’re getting a handle on your reactions.

1. You Don’t Complain When Life Doesn’t Go Your Way

No one likes to hear someone complain all the time. If you dwell on the negative aspects of your life, it can cripple your emotions.

When you learn to look at the glass half full rather than empty, it changes your whole perception. When the things that often cause you to complain suddenly don’t send you into a tailspin, you are entering into emotional maturity.

2. You Never Holds Grudges

When someone does you wrong, it’s only natural to want to avoid this person. Holding grudges is effortless when you feel you’re justified. However, maturing means that you learn to forgive and get past these issues and not let them fester.

3. You’re Eager to Admit When You’re Wrong

A significant sign of maturing is that you can admit when you’re wrong. Have you ever known someone that will not admit how wrong they are, no matter how guilty? Realizing something that you said or did that was inappropriate or hurtful is a giant step in becoming a bigger and better person.

4. You Don’t Judge by First Impressions

Have you ever heard the saying that you shouldn’t judge a book by the cover? Some of the most wonderful people have an outward appearance that doesn’t match the inside. Someone who is emotionally mature doesn’t always look at the clothes and hairstyles but looks beyond the exterior to see the beauty within.

5. You Never Expect Others to Be Perfect

If you expect others to be perfect, then you will be greatly disappointed in life. Entering emotional maturity allows you to realize that humans are fallible and going to make mistakes. Additionally, it would help if you gave yourself the same consideration when you stumble and fall.

6. You’re Aware of Your Flaws and Shortcomings

Since you know you’re not perfect, you will also begin to embrace your shortcomings when you mature. Rather than denying issues, you learn to acknowledge and work on things like being late all the time, spending too much money, and having a short fuse with your temper.

7. You Develop a Realistic Perspective on Love and Relationships

Relationships start as physical feelings of attraction, but they soon develop into something deeper as the connection grows. Your perspective on love and your partner morphs into something different the longer you are together. Once emotional maturity begins to take hold, you will have a more realistic view of relationships and love.

8. You Allow the Inner Child to Have Moments of Playfulness

Everyone has an inner child that loves to come out occasionally. It’s fun to forget about the job, bills, family, and responsibilities and have fun. Someone growing into their maturity isn’t afraid to let their hair down and have joy.

Why does life have to be so serious anyway, as there are almost always times where you need to be a kid for a while.

9. You Show Empathy to Others

When someone is down, you should always show empathy. The key is that you never know when it will be your turn to go through some turbulent times, and you will need the support of your friends and family. Empathy and sympathy are words that are often used interchangeably, but they’re quite different.

Anyone can sympathize with a person in pain, but empathy takes it one step further by feeling the individual’s emotions. When you learn to show compassion, it’s a sign that your emotions are maturing.

10. You Understand That Happiness is a Lifelong Process

Wouldn’t it be great if life were all sunshine and roses? However, it’s not realistic to think that life won’t be without its fair share of complications. When you reach a mature level, you realize that it’s the difficult times and storms in your life that teach you more than sunshine and rainbows.

11. You’re Flexible and Can Adapt Accordingly

Are you flexible and can adapt to many situations? Have you ever seen someone that falls to pieces when the plan doesn’t go accordingly? Becoming mature means that you realize that nothing is ever going to go according to your plans, and you learn to roll with the punches.

If you expect everything to go the way you intend, you have an unrealistic perception of life. Learning to embrace the challenges and see them as opportunities for growth is signs of maturing emotionally.

12. You’re Focused on Personal Growth

Personal growth is a constant process. Rather than focusing on what’s wrong with everyone else, an emotionally mature person will focus on the areas where they need growth. There are no perfect people in this life, and everyone has things that they need to alter to grow and change.

When a person gains maturity, they learn that they have many flaws and things they should work on. When you start enhancing your personal growth, others around you can’t help but notice.

13. Accepts Alternate Views

Do you remember when you were younger and felt your views and opinions were the only ones that mattered? Thankfully, as you grow and mature, you will start to embrace the differences of others. There is much diversity in the world, and when you begin to learn and embrace the differences, it can make your journey here on earth more enjoyable.

14. Appreciate the Little Things in Life

A country songwriter did a song that talked about the little things. She was writing about relationships and the connection. She specified things like rubbing her back, making her laugh, and holding her while she dreamed that was important to her.

When you reach emotional maturity, you realize that life isn’t about big houses or fancy cars. Some of the most precious gifts you’re given are a note that tells you how special you are, a card that tells how much you’re loved, or your partner cooking your favorite meal when you’ve had a hard day.

Your perceptions certainly change when you age and mature, and you learn how much people and the little things they do mean to you.

15. Lives a Value-Driven Life

Folks will know you by your values and principles. If you’re always honest, then they will know they can trust you. If you’re loyal to friends and family, then they will know who to call when they need guidance. Your values make you a better person, and others will appreciate those things about you.

Understandably, the values you had when you’re eighteen are not the same as when you’re forty. With physical maturity also comes emotional development.

Final Thoughts on the Fifteen Signs of Emotional Maturity

Emotional maturity is complex and subjective. This growth encompasses your self-image, compassion for others, and respect for yourself and humanity. Most folks see their youth as a carefree period, In fact, it is at this time of their life when it’s okay to be a little zany.

How many times have you heard your parents or other authoritative figure say things like, “oh well, they’ll grow up, they’re still young and have a lot of learning to do?” Sadly, this type of maturity is not something that you are born with, but it’s a skill that you develop as time goes on.

How would you rate your emotional wellbeing, and do you think you’re improving? Try journaling a list of ways that you can grow positively. Implement some goals for personal growth so that you can make progress in your journey. Chances are if you start working on your inner self and your emotions, you will be a different person in no time.

10 Reasons Why Chronic Complaining Can Ruin Any Relationship

April 5, 2021 by Power of Positivity

Strolling through the rolling fields of life, some people are like lambs, while others tend to be more like goats. As the lambs peacefully munch on the green grass, the goats will often complain about the quality of their food. The goats represent those who have problems with chronic complaining, and they’re not always the easiest people to be around.

Why Chronic Complaining Will Ruin Your Relationships

When you give “goats” positive statements, they are quick to say, “Yeah, but…” and voice their criticism. These perpetually butting goats ruin the whole atmosphere at home, work, and on dates with their depressive, negative comments. If you are in one of these toxic relationships, you’ll succumb to the negative influence, or you will exit the relationship.

A study by the Psychoanalytic Review says that some people can become addicted to negativity. As with other psychological and physical addictions, relationships are often strained and broken.

Here are ten reasons why a grumpy attitude can spoil any relationship.

1. No One Likes to Be Surrounded by Negativity All the Time

Remember the old saying that nobody likes a party pooper? Think of a person who everyone seems to avoid. The reason may be that their chronic complaining is pushing others away.

When you are around somebody who is constantly bellyaching about something, you’ll notice that your mood is soon dampened. If all your other friends listen to the miserable whining, who will feel like celebrating and having a good time?

When you come into the room, do people tend to scatter or find an excuse to get away from you? Perhaps it’s time to check your attitude and listen to the words that come from your mouth. You may be smothering the positive vibes with your cranky fault-finding.

2. It Diminishes Your Gratitude

Most parents instruct their children that they can’t expect the Universe to give them anything else in life if they aren’t grateful for their blessings. When was the last time you had heartfelt gratitude for all the prosperity you enjoy? According to a study published by Psychiatry Edgemont, gratitude can positively affect your overall well-being.

Does a lack of appreciation and thankfulness result in a state of chronic complaining? Once you start counting your blessings, you may soon realize that they outweigh your burdens. One of the best ways to increase your grateful spirit is to keep a gratitude journal.

3. Complaining Keeps You Stuck in The Past

As you analyze your thought patterns and conversations, try to notice your verb tenses. Do your conversations usually relate to the past? Even when you’ve enjoyed a splendid childhood and early years, living in the past stalls your ability to be present at the moment.

However, if you constantly dwell on trauma and negativity in the past, you’ll exist in a perpetual loop. With each whine and grumble, you lose the blessing that’s before your eyes now. Plus, chronic complaining about the past can make you more apt to develop anxiety disorders and depression.

4. Negativity Brings About More Negativity

If you’ve studied the law of attraction, you realize that your attitude can draw more of the same to you, whether good or bad. Think of your life as planting a garden, and your attitudes and conversations are the seeds. Your life’s garden depends on the seeds you plant and how you cultivate them.

Negativity can be like an invasive vine. A few seeds can grow a stubborn plant that takes over the whole garden and chokes out the good seedlings. You can’t keep sewing negative thoughts and words and think you’ll get anything but a negative return.

When you want marigolds to grow, then you plant marigolds. You water, fertilize and ensure that they have proper sunlight. You are quick to snatch up any weeds that try to creep in the way. If you want positive things to come into your life, you attract them with a positive mindset. Negativity breeds negativity.

5. The Vicious Cycle of Pointing Fingers Is Hard to Handle

A problematic issue with chronic complainers is that they often refuse to own a mistake or fault. Instead of being responsible adults and accepting the blame for something they did, they pass the buck. You’ll often hear them blame others for any of their shortcomings or hurtful actions.

Their lives become a revolving door of bitterness and blame, yet they are faultless in their own eyes. They are quick to point at family, friends, and coworkers when they fall short on responsibility. Chronic grumblers blame events from the past instead of learning from them.

If this toxic behavior is left to its own, it will only lead to more frustration and more of the blame game. They are blinded by past bitterness and refuse to have the courage to apologize and make amends. For these chronic complainers, the future has nothing to offer but more negative backlash.

6. You Can’t Deal with What Life Throws at You

It’s been wisely noted that the only constant in life is that aren’t any constants. The very process of life includes growth, change, and coping with the unexpected. There are many things in your journey that are beyond your control.

Instead of moping and griping about what you can’t change, use your ability to change your attitude about these road bumps. Just as you must train your body to be physically fit, you can also train your mind for mental fitness. If you lie in the swamp of ingratitude and negativity, your mind will be defenseless against a crisis.

Strengthening your brain with positive thoughts and a good attitude will make a big difference when life throws a curveball.

7. No One Wants to Be A Part of Your Downward Spiral

Chronic murmuring and whining affect more than just the miserable person. Often, you’ll notice that their rotten attitude has bled over into their personal and professional life. Their partners may seem deflated, and the kids may take on a mopey effect. Coworkers dread being assigned to their project groups or working nearby.

Do you see this pattern in your life? You may be tangled in the blame-shifting game and think people are jealous and “don’t like” you. When you are honest with yourself, the blinders will be gone, and you’ll realize that your nitpicking and grumbling are to blame.

8. You Make Your Partner Feel Unappreciated and Unworthy

The need for love and appreciation is just as much part of human necessity as food, water, and shelter. However, some people think that if they provide their partner and family’s basic material needs, their job is finished. However, a person who constantly nags and criticizes their partner does nothing to provide esteem and spiritual needs.

How do you feel when your partner is always riding your back and finds fault with everything you do? It leaves you feeling sad, alone, and unworthy. You may feel that you can’t do anything that will make them happy, and the relationship lies in the ruins of love left undone.

9. People Will Stop Listening to You

Do you feel like people hear you but aren’t listening? True, some people have poor active listening skills. However, they may have given up on listening to those opinions laden with criticism and useless grumbling.

Even if you are an expert or have a lot of solid experience, people may stop listening because of your negative attitude. If you are grumpy with how you give instructions and then nitpick others to pieces when trying something new, don’t expect any admiration. Soon, the only person you’ll be growling to is yourself in a lonely space.

10. You Might Find Yourself All Alone in Your Unhappiness

When do you come to a dead-end road where nothing makes you happy? You protest and murmur about everyone and everything under the sun. As these by one become faded memories, what will be left? If nothing makes you satisfied, then the universe wants to make you happy and gives you that: absolutely nothing.

For some, this harsh realization is enough to clean up their lives and start to rebuild damaged relationships. It’s not a quick fix nor a task that’s easy to do. Sometimes, people need treatment options from a mental health professional to overcome chronic griping and a general lack of satisfaction.

Final Thoughts on the Negative Outcomes of Chronic Complaining

You are the only person in the world who is responsible for your joy. If you are drowning in a muck of fault finding and chronic complaining, then your personal and professional relationships will suffer.

It takes a loving eye and a grateful heart to look beyond the dark rain clouds and wait for the beautiful rainbow. If you dwell in the darkness and negativity of the valleys of life, it will affect you and those around you.

15 Grocery Shopping Habits That Promote Weight Loss

April 5, 2021 by Power of Positivity

Your grocery shopping habits can determine the outcome of your weight loss efforts.

Do you want to lose weight and improve your health? Many experts would tell you that you need to start with a balanced diet and a good exercise plan, but others would say that the journey begins as you shop each week.

It would help if you learned some tips and tricks to grocery shopping because losing weight is more about making changes to your lifestyle than getting caught up in fad diets.

Grocery Shopping Habits to Help You Lose Weight

If you think about your last trip to the supermarket, how did you fare? Did you make a list and only buy the things on your plan, or did you overspend by making impulse purchases?

If you’ve ever found yourself walking out of the supermarket with more items than you planned for, you’re not alone. Many of us end up tossing extra snacks, beverages, or products that weren’t on the list, making impulse purchases that add up to an unexpected total.

The key to sticking to your grocery budget is preparation, but sometimes it’s also about finding a more affordable and efficient way to shop. For those looking for budget-friendly alternatives, shopping near me at bin stores can be a game changer. These stores often offer deeply discounted prices on a variety of food items, including pantry staples, dried goods, and sometimes even fresh produce.

Because of their overstock nature, bin stores can offer great deals on bulk items, which allows for more controlled shopping and can help reduce the temptation for spur-of-the-moment purchases. With a bit of planning, bin stores can become a smart option for those seeking to stretch their grocery budget without sacrificing quality or nutrition.

Dieting and losing weight is hard, but it’s more of a commitment to a lifestyle change than anything else. Here are 15 tips for your next grocery shopping trip that can help you in losing weight.

1. Make a List and Stick to It

Start by making a meal plan that includes healthy food choices. You want to shop smarter, not harder, so this is the place to start. Next, you make a list from the meal plan, and you only want to buy the items on that list.

By shopping smart, you can buy nutritious foods and save money too. Most people impulse buy and forget half of the things they need, which often requires a second visit.

2. Shop the Outside Perimeters of the Store

If you notice how your supermarket is laid out, you will see that the produce and healthy selections are almost always outside. On the inside aisles is where you will find candy, chips, and other convenience foods. Try not to stray from the perimeter too much unless you’re going into a specialty section that will benefit your weight loss journey.

3. Devote Time to Fresh Produce Section

You should spend most of your time in the fresh produce section. If you’re serious about getting healthy, then this is the area to start in. You need to eat a wild variety of veggies, and make sure to pick lots of different colors for all your nutritional needs.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, you need a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet because of the nutrients they provide. While some veggies provide vitamins and fiber, some fruits provide potent antioxidants. All these nutritional aspects are necessary for weight loss and overall good health.

4. Eat Before You Go

If you go to the store on an empty and rumbling stomach, then you’re more likely to make impulsive buys based on your hunger. The last thing you need is to give in to temptation and buy a massive bag of cookies or a quart of ice cream when you’re trying to get healthy. Eat a nutritious meal before you go, and you will probably spend less money.

5. Stay Out of The Candy Aisle

Though you may be tempted to go down the candy aisle for your children or spouse, it’s one area that you should avoid at all costs. Even if you’re looking for a candy bar that is 80-90 percent dark chocolate, it’s still not a wise choice to venture into this area. The smells and feelings that chocolate gives to people may be too overwhelming for you to resist.

6. Use A Click List Program

Click list programs have become popular these days. For dieters they can make your grocery shopping much more manageable. When you use these programs, you don’t even have to get out of your car. There will be no chances to mess up when you’ve everything loaded and already pre-chopped for you.

7. Read the Labels

Don’t be fooled by labels. Did you know that manufacturers can put anything they want on the packaging to make you try their product? There is little regulation about using marketing terms to sell food. So, it would help if you were wary of items that say:

Fat-free
Low carb
Keto-friendly
Sugar-free
Not a low-calorie food

Many of these products use unhealthy substitutions that aren’t going to lower the calorie content or favor your diet.

8. Avoid Impulse Buys at The Register

The registers were designed for impulse buying. How many times do the children beg for candy bars, lip gloss, or magazines? If you are trying to diet, it’s the one place that you will come face-to-face with all the things you’re not supposed to eat.

It’s best if you focus on the task at hand, unload the cart, pay the cashier and leave. Better yet, you might want to do a self-checkout. Not only will you get a good workout loading and bagging the groceries, but these areas have minimal impulse-buy displays.

9. Shop Early in The Morning

According to Today, the best time to do your grocery shopping is in the mornings. The produce is always the freshest and less picked over, and there will be more supply. As the days go on and people pile into the store, the selection will become less attractive.

So, the key is to shop early, like right after breakfast, for better results.

10. Load Up on Seeds

Seeds are a friend to a dieter. Trying adding flax, chia, and hemp seeds into your daily eating plan. Not only are these loaded with fiber that will help you eat less, but they can also lower blood sugar levels, glucose and keep you feeling fuller for more extended periods.

Chia seeds can swell up to 15 times their size, so if you eat a handful of these before a meal, chances are you will consume much less.

11. Shop Organically

While it won’t affect your weight loss, try to shop organically when you go to the supermarket. You will avoid produce and other foods that use preservatives or pesticides. Have you ever seen the amount of wax that’s on a regular apple from the store?

It’s overwhelming when you realize all the extras they add to keep things fresh. Your body doesn’t need these “extras.”

12. Avoid Processed Bars and Diet Aids

Though you may be tempted to buy these diet bars and other aids, you don’t need them. Most of these bars use artificial sweeteners along with MSGs. Did you know that many of these chemicals are deadly to a dog or cat? If a dog or cat cannot eat them, then why should humans?

13. Just Say No to Sugar Alcohols

Okay, so you’re trying the keto plan, and you want to eat healthily, but you have a nagging sweet tooth. So, the first thing you do is go to diet-friendly snacks. One thing you will notice is that they use sugar alcohol instead of sugar.

The body does not digest sugar alcohols, and they can bloat you. If you see words like erythritol, arabitol, xylitol, mannitol, and isomalt, then you should avoid it. These products are all hybrids of sugars and alcohol together, and they’re useless additives.

On top of the bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea you can get from these products, you can also get headaches and nausea. Plus, according to Diabetes Strong, since these products act like sugar, some will raise your glucose levels.

14. Buy Yogurt but Check for Sugar Content

Yogurt is an excellent product that can help fill you up and keep you healthy. Buy one that has prebiotics for gut health, as well as one with low sugar content. Just read your labels, but yogurt is a versatile product that can fit into any diet plan.

15. Avoid Freezer and Convenience Foods

It may seem like the easy way out, but don’t fill your cart with convenience and processed foods. Even if these foods claim to be diet-friendly, they’re not the best option for you. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, frozen is better than canned as it has less salt and shelf-stabilizers added to them. However, most things are better made fresh.

Final Thoughts on Grocery Shopping for Weight Loss

Grocery shopping is a chore that most people hate. Thankfully, things have changed drastically over the years that make this daunting task a bit more manageable. Before you head to the supermarket to get things for your household, make sure you’ve eaten and are full.

It would be best to make a meal plan for the next week and then make a grocery list based on this meal plan. Having a checklist keeps you accountable for your purchases, and it allows you to focus on just the items needed.

If possible, frequent farmer’s markets and other such establishments that offer fresh produce. These are usually organically grown in your area rather than being shipped from all over the world. The local farmers pick their produce fresh, so you get the best offerings locally.

While losing weight is the goal, your journey must be about lifestyle changes. Diets don’t work, and many people quickly become yoyo dieters because they cannot go with these programs for the long haul. The key is to enjoy still the foods you want, but you must learn how to make them more healthily.

Woman Immigrates to US with $300; Now Leads NASA Mars Rover Team

April 5, 2021 by Kristen Lawrence

Many people, including Diana Trujillo, immigrate to the US seeking a better life and more opportunities. She grew up in Cali, Colombia, and had a strong interest in science and outer space from an early age. Little did she know how far those dreams would take her a few decades later.

She turned her vision of having a science career with NASA into a reality. She is an aerospace engineer, leading a 45-person team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. Her team worked on creating the robotic arm for the Perseverance Mars rover.

As a little girl growing up in Colombia, Diana longed to explore and understand the universe more. This fascination led to her taking a huge leap of faith to achieve her dreams.

She knew she wanted to pursue a career in science but saw many hurdles. Being a Latina woman in a male-dominated field, Diana felt unsure how far she could advance her career. However, her Dad thought that being able to speak a second language would give her an advantage. He became her biggest cheerleader, suggesting she live with her aunt in Miami while attending school.

So, she decided to immigrate to the US at only 17 years old to pursue a science career. She only had $300 in her pocket. But she vowed to become successful in her new country. She took jobs in housekeeping to pay her way through school at Miami Dade College. There, she took English classes and also enrolled in aerospace engineering courses.

She never complained while she struggled through school, sometimes taking six buses to get to class. Despite having to clean bathrooms for her job, she was grateful for the chance to achieve her dreams.

Diana persevered to become the first Hispanic woman at NASA Academy

Photo: NASA on The Commons, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

“I saw everything coming my way as an opportunity,” Diana told CBS News. “I didn’t see it as: ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this job at night, or “I can’t believe that I’m cleaning a bathroom right now.’ It was just more like, ‘I’m glad that I have a job and I can buy food and have a house to sleep… ’”

However, she had another reason for wanting to immigrate to the US to study science. She also felt motivated to become an aerospace engineer to prove some of her family wrong.

“I wanted my — especially the males of my own family — to recognize that women add value,” she said, adding, “it came from wanting to prove to them that we matter.”

However, when she got to college, she had a different motivation to succeed. The day she had to declare her major at the University of Florida, she remembered not knowing what to choose. Then, when Diana reached the dean, she looked over at a magazine cover with female astronauts on it. Right then and there, she knew she wanted to pursue aerospace engineering.

She also noticed hardly any Hispanic students or women stood in line with her. At that moment, she remembered a part of why she decided to enroll in college in the first place.

Diana continued her studies, majoring in space science at MDC. Her professors recognized her efforts and encouraged her to apply to the prestigious NASA Academy. The training program eagerly accepted her, and she became the first Hispanic immigrant woman in the academy. She excelled, and NASA offered her a full-time job along with just one other student from the academy.

Diana defied the odds to work for NASA, but she has a bigger mission in mind.

While enrolled at the NASA Academy, Diana got to know robot expert Brian Roberts. He immediately saw her potential, asking her to join his NASA space robotics research department at the University of Maryland. There, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and graduated in 2007.

“By moving to the University of Maryland, I was a year behind in my career, but it was worth it because I managed to get into the NASA education department as the Academy’s operations manager,” she told the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo.

Later that year, she became a NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center member in the Constellation program. She also began working in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on human and robotic space missions. Since being hired at NASA, Diana worked to become the Flight Director for the Mars Rover.

She hit a career milestone in 2014 when she led the operational safety team for Curiosity Rover. She developed a dust removal tool during this mission to help scientists explore Mars’ surface better. This significant achievement earned her recognition as one of the 20 most influential Latinos in the technology industry. Since then, Diana has only kept setting the bar higher.

Diana provided commentary for the historic event when the Mars Perseverance rover landed on Mars last month. This marked NASA’s first-ever Spanish-language transmission. Following that, Diana hosted NASA’s first-ever Spanish-language broadcast called Juntos perseveramos (Together we Persevere). Since it streamed live last month, it has garnered over 2.5 million views on YouTube.

Final Thoughts: Diana became the first Latina immigrant at NASA and hopes to inspire other women

Since she decided to immigrate to the US, Diana has accomplished so much. According to the Student Research Foundation, Hispanics comprise only 8% of the STEM workforce, of which 2% are women. Diana encourages women, especially minorities, to pursue their dreams, regardless of their background. She believes greater visibility of minorities in STEM will inspire more children to pursue careers in this field.

“The abuelas, the moms or dads, the uncles, los primos, like everyone has to see this,and they have to see a woman in there, too. So, that they can turn around to the younger generation and say, ‘she can do it, you can do it.'”

Diana dreams of one day being an astronaut and going on space missions. However, her mission now is to encourage more women to pursue careers in science and engineering.

25 Hard Lessons People Learn From Life

April 5, 2021 by Power of Positivity

Welcome to the school of hard lessons called life. It’s during this ongoing course that you will learn many things. Some of your classes will be a breeze, and you will pass with flying colors. However, other courses will challenge you and make you feel as if you’re losing your sanity.

No matter where you’re on this educational journey, you will undoubtedly have some hard times. Oddly enough, the people who start this trek with you probably won’t be by your side when you complete your mission. Thankfully, you will pick up many bits of wisdom as well as some new friends along the way.

25 Hard Lessons That People Take Away From Life

What life lessons have you learned through your time on this planet? Have you gained wisdom, developed perception, and have a different outlook?

Perhaps, you thought money grew on trees when you were a child, but you’ve been hit with the hard reality that anything you want takes hard work. Age and maturity help mold you into a better person, and the hard times are when you learn the most.

Here are the 25 most common hard lessons that you learn as you grow and mature.

1. Not Everyone Is Your Friend

Many people won’t stand beside you when the going gets tough. Those you think are your true friends may just be in your life for a season.

2. If You Don’t Stand for Something, You’ll Fall for Anything

You need standards and morals in life, and if you don’t take a stand for what you believe, then you will fall for anything that comes your way. It’s okay to break the mold and to be different than those around you.

3. Doing Wrong Is Always Easier Than Doing What’s Right

It’s always the most difficult to go against the grain. Doing what’s right may cause you to go against family and friends, but you will feel much better about your choices in the end.

4. Choose Your Friends Wisely

Being a friend doesn’t have the same meaning to each person. Some of the worst hurts and disappointments in life will come from those that you call a friend.

5. Love Doesn’t Always Last Forever

When you’re in love, you feel like it might last forever. However, according to a survey referenced by Marie Claire magazine, the average person falls in love four times in their life.

6. Some Folks Aren’t Worth Fighting For

You may put a lot of time and effort into someone who isn’t worth the fight. Not all people are good for you, and you should always choose your friendships carefully.

7. Those Closest to You Can Hurt You the Most

The sting of betrayal is often deeper by those that you love and care about the most. Why is it that the ones closest to you can hurt you greater than anyone else?

8. You Need A Perfect Balance of Work and Play

Your life can’t be all about work. It would help if you had time to refresh and renew your mind, body, and soul. If you don’t take time to rest, your body will force you. So, make sure that you have a well-balanced life.

9. Never Jump to Conclusions or Make Assumptions

It’s easy to make assumptions about others or jump to conclusions, but you will often embarrass yourself when you make these leaps.

10. High School and College Aren’t the Best Times of Your Life

Some people believe that high school and college are the best days of your life. However, others would agree that when you walk down the aisle to promise your love to someone special and look into the eyes of your baby for the first time, those things can’t even compare to juvenile fun.

11. It’s Okay to Ask Lots of Questions

Even though you may seem like a pain for doing so, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask many questions. The more questions you ask, the better you understand things.

12. Always Read the Fine Print

Before you sign any contract or make a significant purchase, always read the fine print. It’s always those little details that get you in the end, and you may not realize what you’re signing.

13. Never Date Those You Work With

Getting involved with people in the place you work is just messy. If things go sour, then you’re going to have a rough time going to the place that provides your income.

14. Your Happiness Is Not Dependent on the Opinions of Others

Do whatever makes you happy in life, even if it makes everyone else around you angry. You only have one life to live, and it’s yours to live as you see fit.

15. Never Do Business with Family or Friends

Doing business with family and friends can cause major rifts. Even if it’s the smallest of deals, one of the hard lessons you will learn is that family and business don’t mix.

16. College Isn’t Always A Requirement

Did you know that many people don’t go to college and still become successful? The mastermind behind Apple Products, Steve Jobs, never went to college. He was one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time. According to Money Magazine, he was worth over $10 billion at the time of his death.

17. You Don’t Have to Like Everyone

You’re not going to like everyone in life. There will be people you work with and live next door you to that rub you the wrong way. No law says you must like them, but you should still be civil.

18. It’s Easy to Fall into Love, But Hard to Get Over

Some of the hardest lessons to learn are about love. You can fall in love overnight but getting over that love once you break up can take a lifetime. True love puts an imprint on the heart and soul.

19. Your Parents Weren’t Wrong About Most Things

You’ll soon learn that your parents knew what they were talking about all along. The hard lessons come when you try to defy their age-old wisdom to create a new path. Why is it that at some point in almost everyone’s life, they must go back to mom and dad and tell them that they were right?

20. People Are Struggling Worse Than You

Even when you feel like life has knocked you down, there is always someone who has things much worse than you. It’s easy to have a pity party and feel sorry for yourself, but you don’t have to look far to see that your life isn’t nearly as bad as it seems.

21. You Don’t Know Everything

One hard lesson you learn pretty quickly is that you don’t know everything. A “know it all” attitude will rub many people the wrong way, especially if you still have a lot of learning to do.

22. Rock Bottom Is Meant to Teach You Lessons

If you didn’t fall on hard times and get knocked down occasionally, then there would be no growth. It’s those seasons in your life when you’ve hit rock bottom where you grow and change to become a better person.

23. True Friendships Are Hard to Come By

If you find one true friend in life, then you’ve found a gem. A recent survey states that the average American has 16 friends. Now those friends can be from a mere acquaintances to someone you see every day.

However, if you find one true friend that sticks by your side through thick and thin, then you’ve found a gift.

24. Your First Love Probably Won’t Be Your Last

Though your first love feels like the real deal, it’s often not the person who will be with you for life. Puppy love usually occurs when there’s still a lot of growing up to do, and most people don’t marry their first love.

25. Nothing Is for Certain in Life

There are two things in this life that you can count on: death and taxes. Sadly, anything else is uncertain. Your life can do a 180-degree turn in a matter of minutes. It would help if you learned to roll with the punches to keep you from going mad.

Final Thoughts on Learning Lessons the Hard Way

Remember Frank Sinatra’s song that talks about how he did things his way? Well, sometimes doing things the way you want in life will cause you much pain. Everyone learns hard lessons as they age, but some of the worst problems you will encounter come when you’re being headstrong and won’t listen to sage advice.

Too many times, people wait for life’s storms to pass so that they can breathe again, but these hard lessons come to teach you something. Find out what the Universe is trying to tell you and embrace the ability to make changes to become a better you.

24 Reasons Someone Prefers Being Single Over A Relationship

April 5, 2021 by Chris Butler

Remember the old saying from Alfred Lord Tennyson that stated it was better to have loved and lost than for you to have never experienced love at all? Love is a beautiful thing, but sometimes love isn’t enough. Many folks prefer to stay single rather than enter into a committed relationship.

Do you prefer to live alone, or do you have issues from past relationships that make you feel uneasy about starting over? It’s estimated that 110.6 million Americans prefer a single life, according to the US Census Bureau.

24 Compelling Reasons for Being Single, Instead of in a Committed Relationship (at least for right now)

There’s nothing better than having someone to snuggle up with on a cold winter night or to have someone to help carry your burdens in life. However, there are plenty of reasons why people don’t want to get married, and here are the most common ones.

1. Being Single Means You Have No Need to Share Money

Money is always a big issue in a relationship. It’s no wonder that in the United Kingdom, an article posted in the Independent lists financial woes as the number one cause of marriages ending, and American statistics are similar.

2. Previous Bad Relationships

Some folks choose to be single because they’ve already been there and done that regarding relationships. They have been burnt before and don’t decide to put themselves through the trouble again.

3. Sexual Dysfunction

Sometimes, there are sexual issues that stem from abuse or medical issues. If a person feels unable to keep up in the bedroom, they may prefer to live a single life rather than complain about it.

4. Poor Self-Esteem

If you have poor self-esteem, you may not be interested in looking for someone. Love can happen when you least expect it, but you’re not putting yourself out there where you can meet and mingle with other singles.

5. Poor Dating Skills

Some people don’t know how to find a love interest. They have poor dating skills and don’t know how to improve them. These people often put little effort into finding someone because they are socially awkward.

6. Being Single Means Freedom When You’re Not Committed to One Partner

You have freedom of choice when you’re not tied down with someone. If your plans differ, you call the shots, there are no arguments. To a strong and independent person, freedom is everything.

7. Fear of Rejection

There’s always the fear that you will be rejected if you put yourself out there. If you’ve experienced rejection, the fear of this happening again may be too much for you to handle.

8. Work and Career Driven

Some people are married to their job. They have what it takes to be a good partner but don’t want to bring someone into their life because of their career. This is often seen in doctors, lawyers, and other high-power positions that require so much of a person’s life it leaves little time for other things.

9. Being Single Empowers You to Battle Any Addictions

If you have a substance abuse issue, you might not be in the right frame of mind to have a relationship. You may occasionally prefer a fling, but your addiction is the driving force in your life. You know that being committed is not imminent for you until you conquer your addiction.

10. Always Picks the “Loser.”

Have you ever heard the term “loser magnet?” Some people feel that they always attract individuals going nowhere and have nothing to offer. No matter how hard you try, you may attract people that aren’t good for you. It’s easier to stay single rather than engage in all this pain.

11. Fear of Commitment

You may want a relationship, but the fear of becoming committed keeps you from moving forward. This is often observed when people have lived through horrible divorces or watched their parents have terrible marriage problems. The fear of history repeating itself is too much to handle.

12. Being Single Give You Time to Improve Poor Finances

Romance without finance isn’t happening, and no man or woman wants to be with someone who is a financial disaster. So, it’s commonplace that someone who is in a complex financial state would avoid relationships.

Additionally, if someone lives with a disability or has other issues that cause them to live on meager means, they may struggle to take care of themselves. They feel they don’t have the resources to add anyone else to the mix.

13. Can’t Get Over A Past Love

How many times have you thought about your first love? Whether it’s your first love or the mother/father of your children, you may not want to move on because you love someone else. Unrequited love is a significant heartache to manage, and you can die of broken heart syndrome, according to the National Institute of Health.

14. You’re Introverted

Introverts keep to themselves. While some might think this person is shy, it’s not always true. Many introverts stay single because they don’t want to step outside their comfort zone and meet new folks. The very thought of leaving the house to go to a club or other social gathering is terrifying to them.

15. Don’t Want to Be Tied to One Person

Finding someone to share your life with doesn’t appeal to everyone. Some people find it horrifying that you would spend all your days with one person. If you prefer to play the field or like to date around and make no commitments, then you should stay single.

16. Being Single Can Mean You Will Stress Less

Even in the best relationships, issues that can be stressful always come up. It’s not as troublesome when you’re only responsible for yourself and your actions. Some people love flying solo because they feel it’s a life filled with less drama.

17. You Consider Yourself Too Selfish for a Committed Relationship

Some folks are just selfish by nature, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to cater to your needs. If your time, money, home, and future don’t have room for another person, staying single’s better than making someone else miserable. Knowing that you must put your needs first- at least right now- is a sign of emotional intelligence.

18. Relationships Are Hard Work

No relationship doesn’t take work, even those that seem to fit together like a sock and a shoe. If you don’t have it to put all this work into being a couple, you may choose a single life.

19. Like Living Alone

When you move another person into your space, you must share everything. Your bathroom, dresser, and closet are not your own but your time. Some folks prefer to live alone and not have to share all their things. Relationships require a lot of give and take, and many people are unwilling to do either one.

20. Kids from A Previous Relationship

You may prefer to fly solo if you have kids from a previous relationship. Think of the movie stereotypes, where the evil stepmother and stepsisters haunted this child, are certainly typical. You may choose to be single because you prefer to ensure no one comes between you and your kids. Staying single until the kids get older might be the brightest idea for your family.

21. Fear of Divorce

Some people don’t want to take a trip down the aisle because they fear divorce. Maybe you have wealth that you don’t want to share or don’t want to go through all the drama. If you’ve been divorced before, it might scare you enough to keep you single.

22. Afraid to Lose Individuality

You must say and do certain things when you’re in a relationship. Some people aren’t willing to compromise as they feel they will lose their individuality.

23. Being Single Might Improve any Mental Health Issues

If you struggle with depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns, it may be easier for you not to bring someone into your world. Sadly, many folks don’t understand mental illness, and you might not want to subject someone to this life.

24. Too Picky

Finally, one of the common reasons why people remain single is because they’re too picky. They want to choose a partner that checks all the boxes on a proverbial list; however, they inflate their self-worth and undervalue others.

Final Thoughts on Reasons for Being Single Instead of Entering a Committed Relationship

While marriage and being connected with someone were commonplace in the old days, people are more open about their options in today’s society. You can choose a single life and don’t have to answer to anyone else.

Scarcely a person on this planet hasn’t been in love at least once. However, these relationships may have ended badly, leaving a sour taste in your mouth. If you want to fly solo in this life, then it’s your choice to make.

Some people aren’t the marrying kind, while others wait their whole life to take those life-changing vows. No matter where you stand on the spectrum, you might find that some of these issues may keep you from a committed relationship, even if you desire one.

7 Habits That Cause Acne Scarring (and what to do instead)

April 5, 2021 by Sarah Barkley

Acne scars are permanent marks on your face that happen in response to an acne-related wound. Since no one wants to experience acne scarring, it is essential to learn the habits that cause it. Plus, knowing what to do instead is helping to help get the problem under control.

As much as you want to get rid of your acne, you should know that many of the methods you use might be making the problem worse. With worsening acne and not treating it properly comes the dreaded acne scars. You must begin breaking bad skincare habits if you want to prevent any further acne scarring.

Acne is a problem for many people, so there is plenty of research out there about it. Dermatologists have figured out what causes acne scarring and ways that it can be prevented. It is up to you to follow their advice, though.

Much of their advice should be easy to implement. While your bad habits might be hard to break, you can make it possible by remembering that you don’t want acne scarring.

What Are Acne Scars?

Acne scars are what appear when your skin experiences deep trauma from anything related to acne. The scars may appear as indented skin areas or even raised skin but never flush with the rest. Acne scars don’t often improve overtime as other scars do, making them permanent features of your body.

When you have acne, your body naturally tries to heal itself. When your acne ruptures, the liquid inside comes into contact with the rest of your skin, causing inflammation and irritation. The skin will become red and tender to touch.

Once this has happened, your body continues the healing process by producing collagen fibers. If there isn’t enough collagen or there’s too much, then scars form. Only when the perfect amount has been produced will your skin be clear of scarring after healing.

Not all acne is prone to scarring, though, so you might be safe. It is best to be safe either way, though, and do what it takes to prevent acne scarring.

The type of acne most often causes scarring is inflammatory acne, which involves deep cysts or nodules under your skin. Any acne can cause scarring if you are guilty of any of the habits discussed below.

Seven Habits That Cause Acne Scarring

Don’t do these things if you want to prevent scars on your skin.

1. Squeezing Pores to Remove Blackheads

No one wants to have blackheads, especially if they are highly noticeable. Please resist the urge to squeeze them, though, because it can cause permanent scarring. Squeezing your pores can make them larger or damage them completely.

If the pore ruptures as you squeeze it or remove the blackhead, the bacteria go into deeper skin layers. When it goes into the deeper layers, it causes an inflammatory response and scarring. Plus, when you remove blackheads, you also run the risk of new bacteria getting into your pores.

2. Over-Irritating Your Acne

You might be willing to do whatever it takes to eliminate your acne, but over-irritating it is not the answer. Some over-the-counter acne medications will irritate your skin, and many home remedies will, too.

Some methods will make your skin feel better immediately but then cause issues later on. By putting the wrong products on your face, it could cause worsening conditions or permanent scarring. You could end up preventing your pores from naturally releasing oil, trapping bacteria inside.

Any product or remedy containing alcohol is likely to irritate your skin, too. Alcohol dehydrates your skin, which makes acne worse and leaves you prone to other conditions. Be wary of anything containing lemon or tea tree, too, which can also cause problems.

If you aren’t sure where to begin, you could ask a dermatologist which ingredients are safe for you. They may even recommend an all-natural treatment that is safe and effective.

3. Popping Pimples

It is tempting to squeeze your pimples, but popping them will make the problem worse and cause scarring. When you pop a pimple, the skin around it becomes inflamed and is at risk of infection. If that happens, scarring occurs.

Plus, any liquid that comes out of the pimple can get into other pores, causing even more pimples to appear. Squeezing a pimple can also cause the bacteria to move further into the skin, making it worse. Keep in mind that you expose your open skin to new bacteria from your hands as you pop a pimple.

4. Not Treating Acne Right Away

You may hear that you should ignore your acne and leave it alone to get it to go away. Leaving it alone is bad advice, though, because acne needs treatment if you want to prevent scarring.

Leaving acne untreated can cause the blood capillaries near the surface of the skin to become permanently dilated. When dilation occurs, the result is the development of scars and red marks on your face that never go away.

5. Using too Much Makeup Overtop of Acne

When you have acne, you might be self-conscious about it. Covering it up with makeup seems to be the easiest fix, but it makes the problem worse.

Putting makeup over your acne to cover it up blocks your pores and traps oil and bacteria in them. Not only does this make your acne worse and cause scarring, but it also can make existing acne scars worse.

Many makeup products contain oil or unnatural ingredients, too, adding additional problems. The oil from your makeup will make its way into your pores, hindering any possibility of improving your skin.

Read up on why being a DIY pimple popper is harmful.

6. Touching Your Face

It might seem harmless to touch your face, but it is a bad habit that can cause acne scarring. Every time you touch your face, you are exposing your pores to new bacteria. It increases the risk of a breakout while preventing a breakout means preventing acne scars.

Touching your face might be a hard habit to break. Many people absentmindedly rest their face on their hand or touch existing pimples. These small gestures can cause problems quickly, so find a way to limit them.

Even when you wash your hands regularly, touching your face is a problem. Your hands also have oil on them, causing excess oil to get into your pores.

7. Picking at Scabs or Trying to Cover Them

When you have a scab on your face from acne, leave it alone. Don’t pick at it, and don’t put anything on top of it, including makeup. Scabs protect your open wounds and help them heal properly and more quickly.

If you pick the scab before the wound heals, it makes the healing process longer. Plus, it increases the risk of scarring.

Four Things to Do Instead of Picking and Popping at Your Skin

Here are a few solutions you can try at home.

1 – Treat Acne Immediately

Getting your acne under control helps prevent acne scars. Use safe products to treat it and, if they don’t work, consider visiting a dermatologist. The key is to find what works for you and remember that everyone’s skin is different.

2 – Minimize Inflammation

Inflamed blemishes tend to scar your skin more often than non-inflamed breakouts. Please do what you can to reduce the inflammation and avoid making it worse. Don’t use aggressive skin scrubs or overly-irritating products at this time.

3 – Visit a Dermatologist

If nothing else works, you need to seek help from a professional. A dermatologist can help you find the products that work for you and help treat the issue effectively. This way, your skin can heal without scarring.

4 – Minimize Oil

If you can minimize excess oil on your skin, you can help reduce and heal acne. Since you need acne to develop acne scars, preventing breakouts is the best way to prevent scarring.

To minimize excess oil, there are a few things you can do. First, keep your hands always clean and keep them away from your face whenever possible.

Next, find the right skincare products for you. Find a face wash and moisturizer without oil or other unnatural ingredients and use them regularly. Consider exfoliating your skin once a week to remove oil buildup in your pores.

Final Thoughts on Habits That Cause Acne Scarring (and what to do instead)

If you have acne, you will likely develop at least some scarring. You can minimize the amount of damage, though, by avoiding the bad habits that cause acne scarring. Work on implementing the tips for what to do instead to give yourself a better chance of clear skin.

No one wants acne scars on their face, but remember that it is common everywhere. Don’t feel bad if you have some acne scarring because now you know how to minimize the risk of it happening again. While you can’t change what has already happened, you can change what you are doing now.

Keep in mind that what works for one person might not work for another. Everyone has different skin, so you might have to try various methods until you find the one that works. Work on changing your habits, and your skin will likely improve quickly.

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

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