【推荐2】How to Respond when Someone Judges You

Dealing with judgment from other people can be tough, especially when it’s coming from a friend, family member, or colleague. Judgmental people are unavoidable, but you can easily deal with their criticism using positivity and compassion.

Rid yourself of the judgment. Remember that a judgmental person’s words are a reflection of their own beliefs-and not yours. Critical people criticize themselves more than anyone else.     1    .

Be sympathetic. Practice sympathy to understand the source of this person’s judgment. It could be that they were judged by parents, family, or friends, in which case this person’s critical attitude would be something they learned(and not necessarily intentional). While that doesn’t excuse their behavior, having sympathy can inform your response. Say things like “    2    ,” or “I see where you’re coming from, but…” when you respond to someone’s judgment.

Ask for clarification.     3    . Ask this person to explain what they said, and find out their motivation for saying it. You could ask then, “What are you trying to say? If you have constructive criticism, I’m open to hearing it.” That way, you’re giving the other person a gentle reminder to phrase their words constructively.

    4    . Be polite but firm when you call out judgmental people. If somebody crosses a line and makes you feel criticized, tell them how you feel. If someone is giving you criticism you didn’t ask for, you could say, “    5    , and I have a plan that works for me.”

【推荐1】Given the opportunity, plenty of people would probably choose to get rid of stress entirely from their lives. Amazing new findings from the University of Georgia, however, indicate that a little bit of stress can actually be very beneficial to both body and brain.

When we’re stressed, we’re usually forced to deal with unpredictable or tense situations that can eat away at our bodies physically. While these scenarios (设想) are almost never fun in the moment, they serve to push us out of our comfort zones ― and that can be a good thing for the mind.

Researchers say that low to moderate (适度的) levels of stress appear to promote improved working memory, which refers to short-term information people use to complete everyday tasks. Not surprisingly, study authors stress that these benefits are limited to moderate stress. Once stress levels reach high levels, it can be dangerous to one’s health. “The bad outcomes of stress are pretty clear and not new,” says lead study author Assaf Oshri, an associate professor in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, in a university release.

The research team analyzed a series of MRI scans (核磁共振成像) of over 1,000 people from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Results show that people who experienced low to moderate stress levels had increased activity in the parts of their brains involved with working memory. Conversely, those dealing with chronic high levels of stress showed a decline in those same brain areas.

Study subjects were asked questions about how frequently they experienced certain thoughts or feelings. For instance, “In the last month, how often have you been upset because of something that happened unexpectedly?” and “In the last month, how often have you found that you could not deal with all tie things that you had to do?”

Participants’ social networks were also analyzed via a number of different measures. Examples include how they felt about their own ability to handle unexpected events, how satisfied they were that their lives matter and are meaningful, and the availability of friend-based support across their social networks.

To assess working memory, subjects were shown a series of four types of images of things like tools and individuals’ faces. Then, later on they were asked to remember whether they were the same photos they were shown before. Study authors analyzed MRIs showing subjects’ brains as they completed the tasks.

Notably, people who reported high levels of social support from friends and family were better able to deal with low to moderate stress levels in a healthy way .

“You need to have the right resources to be strengthened by misfortune and stress,” Prof. Oshri concludes. “For some people, being exposed to stress is a good thing. But for others, maybe not. It’s possible that you can sand more stress if you have a supportive community or family.”

【推荐2】Life presents challenges at every stage, leading to inevitable stress. Developing coping abilities and maintaining a positive mindset can greatly benefit emotional, mental, and physical well-being.     1    

When teenagers carry a lot of stress, it can create significant muscle tension within the body. Stretching and yoga, especially, will help to relieve this physical strain and provide a sense of release. Though, any type of exercise will do the trick, like jogging, stretching, weight training, etc.

Sometimes a walk outdoors with a soothing playlist is the best remedy (治疗法) to stress.     2     Listening to music will facilitate positive thoughts, social skills, and a sense of peace when stressed. Essentially, chill songs with a gentle melody will help to slow down a racing mind and heartbeat.

Believe it or not, complaining can have a positive impact on mental health.     3     Teens can choose to talk to a close friend, teacher, or another family member. As long as they’re talking about what’s on their mind and what’s stressing them out, the chances are they will feel like a load is lifted off their shoulders afterward.

Sleep and stress are directly related. When dealing with a particularly difficult situation, it can get in the way of a good night’s sleep. People who tend to internalize (内化) emotions may struggle to unwind, resulting in increased stress and sleeplessness. Learning to relax can manage stress at night.

Stress or emotional eating is a behavior a teen may experience during times of increased stress. But it’s contributing to a greater harmful cycle.     5     Instead, kids should focus on enjoying food and eating because they’re hungry, not because they’re stressed or overwhelmed.