Interesting stuff...
Published August 23, 2023
Open Self Blind Self
info about me that I know info about me that I don't know
& so do others & others
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clouds are like moods ever changing
If you are feeling low or anxious, always remember, moods change. Think about how you will feel tomorrow. Have their been times in the past where you felt bad? How did you cope then?
Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Talking things through with a professional will help, give a new perspective.
Johari Window
The Johari Window was developed by Psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham.
The idea to increase self-awareness, a major component of therapy.
It can be used either individually or for team building.
Open Self - Aspects of yourself that you & others are aware of. The area builds clarity & trust.
Hidden Self - Aspects of yourself that you are aware of, but may not want others to know.
This being the persona you want to show to the world, but may not be the real you.
Blind Self- What others notice but you don't.
This can include not being aware of or valuing your strengths, feedback can help you to appreciate your positive traits as well as helping you uncover the negative.
Unconscious - What is unknown to you and others.
Self awareness offers us choice.
You can see how this could be useful, so many of us do not appreciate our good points or what we can achieve. We may have a tendency to be our worst inner critic.
Becoming more aware of traits or aspects of ourselves that are negative or unhelpful opens up the possibility for change.
Mood
In my experience it is very common to be unable to put a name to our mood or emotion and how or why we feel the way we do.
You may feel angry or low & not really be able to figure out why.
This can be upsetting and confusing. Even more frustratingly, how can
we do anything about it, if we do not know what is wrong.
Why not try Mood Cards (which are available on line) which can help
you be more aware of your moods, feelings and emotions, allowing you
to express them more appropriately.
Each mood asks pertinent questions to help resolve, why you may be feeling this way and how these feeling may be affecting you.
There are also affirmations for more positive thinking, continuously challenging our negative ways of thinking that can bring about change.
They can help you to achieve happier more balanced thoughts and emotions.
Social media overload...
It has been well documented that the positive interaction we get from the use of social media notification releases a chemical in the brain called dopamine which is associated with reward-motivated behaviour, in the same way that eating, exercise and some addictive drugs and gambling do, and is an addictive behaviour.
However, not all social media interaction is positive, in fact it can be quite negative. Trolling, negative content, fear of missing out, making comparisons with ideal lifestyles as purported on these media, which can cause anxiety, depression and feeling bad about oneself.
Too much time spent online can also affect our sleep, an enormously important component to our health and wellbeing. A recent survey by researchers at the University of California, reported poor quality of sleep in adults causes memories to stay stuck in the hippocampus and not reach the frontal cortex, this plays a vital role in storing memories. The result is forgetfulness and difficulty in remembering names.
What is important here is the word social - we are social animals and our relationships with self and others is imperative for our mental health. Instead we are spending more and more of our precious time interacting with a logarithm which is in effect trying to control your behaviour, rather than natural human interaction. The result is that we can end up feeling more alone and isolated.
Whilst there are amazing benefits from being able to stay in contact with family and friends and have all the information in the world at the touch of a button, having relationships with people is what counts, and balance in our lives.
Mindfullness
Compelling results from research from Harvard, C. Congleton, B. K Holzel & S W. Lazar
In as little as 8 weeks, mediation changed people's brains for the better.
There was thickening of several regions of the brain, including the left hippocampus (involved in learning, memory and emotional regulation); the TPJ (involved in empathy and the ability to take multiple perspectives); and a part of the brainstem called the pons (where regulatory neurotransmitters are generated).
Plus, the brains of new mediators saw shrinkage of the amygdala, a region of the brain associated with fear, anxiety and aggression. This reduction in size of the amygdala correlated to reduce stress levels in those participants.
