【推荐1】How to Overcome Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is a common type of anxiety disorder.     1    . So they want to be unattractive, hiding away from others in a social event. Here are a few tips that can help you to overcome it.

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A lot of people with social anxiety feel ashamed of getting help from a professional, but regular visits with a therapist(治疗专家) will help in so many ways. There are many therapists who specialize in dealing with social anxiety, so try to get help to properly deal with the anxiety attacks.

List down the things that stress you out

List down all your situations that can cause anxiety according to its levels you feel.     3    . Make it a habit to list down how you react to those situations as you progress. Then move your way up the list. Practise doing this regularly and you will find that you have made great improvements.

Create realistic and objective goals

Set a realistic and objective goal for every plan you make. Make sure that you are setting your goals correctly.     4    . Always remind yourself of this goal every day and keep your eyes on it until you get the result you are aiming for.

    5    , because social anxiety is a battle in the mind. You just have to reprogram your thinking approaches.

【推荐2】Measles (麻疹), which once killed 1450 children each year and disabled even more, was nearly wiped out in the United States 14 years ago by the universal use of the MMR vaccine (疫苗). But the disease is making a comeback, caused by a growing anti-vaccine movement and misinformation that is spreading quickly. Already this year, 115 measles cases have been reported in the USA, compared with 189 for all of last year.

The numbers might sound small, but they are the leading edge of a dangerous trend. When vaccination rates are very high, as they still are in the nation as a whole, everyone is protected. This is called “herd immunity”, which protects the people who get hurt easily, including those who can’t be vaccinated for medical reasons, babies too young to get vaccinated and people on whom the vaccine doesn’t work.

But herd immunity works only when nearly the whole herd joins in. When some refuse vaccination and seek a free ride, immunity breaks down and everyone is in even bigger danger.

That’s exactly what is happening in small neighborhoods around the country from Orange County, California, where 22 measles cases were reported this month, to Brooklyn, N.Y., where a 17-year-old caused an outbreak last year.

The resistance to vaccine has continued for decades, and it is driven by a real but very small risk. Those who refuse to take that risk selfishly make others suffer.

Making things worse are state laws that make it too easy to opt out (决定不参加) of what are supposed to be required vaccines for all children entering kindergarten. Seventeen states allow parents to get an exemption (豁免), sometimes just by signing a paper saying they personally object to a vaccine.

Now, several states are moving to tighten laws by adding new regulations for opting out. But no one does enough to limit exemptions.

Parents ought to be able to opt out only for limited medical or religious reasons. But personal opinions? Not good enough. Everyone enjoys the life-saving benefits vaccines provide, but they’ll exist only as long as everyone shares in the risks.

【推荐3】Nowadays, children spend less time in the fresh air. Many of them are addicted to a screen either on a computer or a TV—they seem to be living in a virtual world. They have lost touch with nature.

But now 400 organizations in the UK, from playgroups to the National Health Service, are encouraging children to have some “wild time”. They want kids to swap at least 30 minutes of watching TV or playing computer games for time playing outside. Activities such as building dens, climbing trees, rummaging for conkers and playing hide and seek are just some of the things kids can do. Even if they live in a city, they can go on adventures in the garden or the park.

Children often need a helping hand from mum and dad. They need to be shown what to do and where to go. Andy Simpson from National Health Service says, “We want parents to see what this magical wonder product does for their kids’ development, independence and creativity, by giving wild time a go.”

So despite the complicated world that young people grow up in now, it seems that going back to basics and experiencing “nature’s playground” is what modern children need. David Bond from Project Wild Thing says, “We need to make more space for wild time in children’s daily routine, freeing this generation of kids to have the sort of experiences that many of us took for granted.”

This might sound a bit old-fashioned to you or maybe, like me, it’s made you think about sticking on your boots, getting outdoors and reliving your childhood. There’s no age limit on enjoying yourself!

【推荐2】While we may think it feels good to complain, complaining has some bad effects associated with it.

Why isn't complaining beneficial? Research shows that it connects our brain with negativity. The brain is designed to work efficiently. This means that when we repeat a thought, negative or positive, the nerve cells form a bridge between each other to pass information in a higher speed. Therefore, the next time we have a similar type of thought, it is more easily passed. This explains why certain thought patterns become habits.

Yet the harmful effects don't stop there. A study shows that complaining causes the hippocampus (海马区), which plays a vital role in problem-solving, to become smaller. In addition to causing brain damage, complaining also releases a stress hormone: cortisol, a kind of chemical the body produces when we meet with some danger. Constantly having a high level of cortisol results in high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and lower immunity.

The ill effects of our complaining aren't just limited to ourselves: they also involve those around us. We tend to mirror the moods of our friends. For this reason, we should be cautious about having stubborn complainers in our circle of acquaintances and companions.

The best way to deal with constant negativity is to develop a sense of gratitude. Just like complaining acts as a poison, gratitude acts as a medicine. Research shows it lowers cortisol levels by 23 percent, as well as reduces blood pressure and blood sugar. It also decreases tiredness and depression. Gratitude is the perfect cure for complaining, a behavior that steals our brain power, happiness and physical well-being.

What have you observed about the effects of complaining in your own life or in the lives of others? Have you noticed that when you are grateful, you feel better all over? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.