Disclaimer
Self Awareness
Every week I observe human behavior. It may be through my clients, friends, or just watching people in general. As Friday approaches I witness women getting their nails done, waxing, eyelashes, hair done in hopes to meet the right man for the weekend and hoping to make him her partner. They also "feel" better by their appearance. My question is how long does that feeling last? Is it possible to work on Self first so that we may become connected and grounded. Recognizing the same viscous patterns we keep repeating and allowing ourselves to go through is not the answer for growth along on our journey.
Men have their own rituals they go through with primping and hoping to have enough money to spend on a woman over the weekend. However, many men already have money that goes to alimony, past bills (from previous relationships) and child support for ex wives.
My question is when will people become aware to see that you are only "fixing" the outside. What matters is healing your spirit from the inside. Always working on the outside will not give you the complete satisfaction you are seeking. How has it worked out for you thus far?
If people came to me and made appointments to heal themselves as much as they make appointments for making their outside look good I would have no appointments available. However, it takes the human spirit to be broken down and the human to surrender and say I have had enough of suffering. I am ready to change my life.
mental health
The human brain is a wonder. Through folds of tissue and pulses of electricity, it lets us perceive, attempt to understand, and shape the world around us. As science rapidly charts the brain’s complex structures, new discoveries are revealing the biology of how the mind functions and fails. Given the centrality of the brain to human health, its malfunctions should be a priority, separated from stigma and treated on par with the diseases of the body. We aren’t there yet, but the transformation is underway.
Mental disorders affect nearly 20 percent of American adults; nearly 4 percent are severely impaired and classified as having serious mental illness. These disorders are often associated with chronic physical illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. They also increase the risk of physical injury and death through accidents, violence, and suicide.
Suicide alone was responsible for 42,773 deaths in the United States in 2014 (the last year for which final data are available), making it the 10th leading cause of death. Among adolescents and young adults, suicide is responsible for more deaths than the combination of cancer, heart disease, congenital anomalies, respiratory disease, influenza, pneumonia, stroke, meningitis, septicemia, HIV, diabetes, anemia, and kidney and liver disease.
Self apperance
Clear skin: we all want it. But, between hormones, pollution and other pore-clogging aggressors waiting to wreak havoc on our complexions, achieving a clearer, blemish-free complexion can seem like an impossible feat. Fortunately, though, clear skin is totally attainable according to dermatologists—but it does require a few lifestyle changes to get your skin right back on track. To find out for ourselves what women with clearer skin do (almost) every day, we sought the advice of three top dermatologists.
Here are the top dermatologist tips on how to clear blemish-prone skin:
1. DO: Use a Cleansing Brush
If you want clear skin, you’re going to have to cleanse better. According to board-certified dermatologist and author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist, Dr. Debra Jaliman, a cleansing device is the best way to start, “as it takes off more dirt, bacteria and makeup from your skin.” In addition to providing the skin with a deep cleanse, cleansing brushes exfoliate the surface of the skin, leaving it looking and feeling softer and smoother, thus revealing a more clear complexion.
Try: FOREO LUNA™ mini
2. DON’T: Use Just Any Face Wash
On top of cleansing your complexion with a sonic cleansing system, Dr. Jaliman suggests switching to a mild cleanser specifically designed for acne-prone skin. If you are experiencing breakouts, the right face wash allows you to cleanse your complexion thoroughly without stripping the skin of its natural oils. This can often lead to an increase in oil and more breakouts. Since mild cleansers are more gentle on the skin, you can follow up your regimen with a stronger acne product that targets breakouts.
Try: Obagi CLENZIderm M.D. Daily Care Foaming Cleanser
3. DO: Use a Toner
If you aren’t already using a toner in your morning and evening skin care routine, now is the time to start. Dr. Jaliman suggests choosing “a toner with glycolic acid or salicylic acid to unclog the pores for clearer skin.” In addition to promoting clearer skin, toners can also balance the skin’s natural pH level and soothe your complexion.
Try: SkinCeuticals Equalizing Toner
4. DON’T: Pick, Poke or Pop Pimples
We know you’ve probably been told this a thousand times, but we thought one more reminder wouldn’t hurt. According to Director of Clinical Research at the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York, Dr. Jeremy Brauer, picking, poking and popping your skin will not get you the results you’re looking for. If you have a pimple that you’re desperate to pop, try applying a spot treatment or pimple cream to the affected area instead of picking. After all, pimple creams are designed for this sort of skin care woe.
Try: Peter Thomas Roth Acne-Clear Invisible Dots
5. DO: Apply Topical Retinoids Before Bed
If you are experiencing a bout of acne, Dr. Brauer suggests giving topical retinoids a try. Applying a topical retinoid made from antioxidant-rich vitamin A to your complexion as part of your nighttime routine can help to unclog follicles and, in turn, may help acne treatments work better and faster.
Try: SkinMedica Age Defense Retinol Complex 1.0
6. DON’T: Skip Sunscreen
Frequent sun tanning doesn’t just increase your risk of developing skin cancer, it also triggers breakouts on those with acne-prone skin. “Sun, heat and humidity can cause oil glands to become overactive, which can lead to acne breakouts,” says board-certified dermatologic surgeon and associate at Manhattan Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, Dr. Dendy Engelman. Another skin sin that you’re probably guilty of? Not applying sunscreen! To make sure you don’t break out, choose an oil-free, non-comedogenic sunscreen.
When it comes to breakout-prone skin, finding a sunscreen that works with your skin type and lifestyle and doesn’t cause new blemishes is actually easier than you may think. Dr. Brauer suggests choosing the broad-spectrum kind, meaning an SPF that will protect your skin from both UVA and UVB sun rays.
Try: EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46
7. DO: Use a Clay Mask
Need a facial but don’t have time? Dr. Jaliman suggests treating your complexion to a weekly at-home clay mask facial. You can use your favorite bentonite-infused face mask or create your own! To DIY your own clay mask, Dr. Jaliman suggests combining two tablespoons of all-natural calcium bentonite clay powder with one tablespoon of water and one tablespoon of honey to form a paste. Apply it onto the skin and let it work its magic for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing off with a warm washcloth. Pat the skin dry and voilà! “This will leave your skin feeling smooth, yet hydrated,” says Dr. Jaliman.
Not a DIY-er? Try: Herbivore Botanicals Blue Clay Detoxifying Treatment Mask
8. DON’T: Neglect Your Diet
As much as we hate to admit, we’re all a little guilty of splurging on junk food every once and a while. And while it may be satisfying to our cravings, junk food is not beneficial for our skin. Dr. Jaliman suggests cutting down your processed food, sugar and dairy intake since those can lead to breakouts and recommends “eating a diet rich in antioxidants instead.” That being said, you can still succumb to your sweet tooth with a healthy sweet, like antioxidant-rich fruits and berries.
Also Try: jane iredale Skin Accumax Single Pack
9. DO: Consider LED Light Therapy
If you feel like your topical acne treatments aren’t working fast enough, consider bringing out the big guns—we’re talking about handheld LED devices. “LED (light emitting diode) therapy is a form of low-level light energy that penetrates the skin to cause different reactions and target different issues,” explains Dr. Robin Evans, board-certified dermatologist at Southern Connecticut Dermatology. “This type of energy in the wavelength spectrum of 600–1300 nanometers can penetrate deep into the skin and be absorbed. This can result in skin rejuvenation, repair of tissue and promotion of wound healing. The energy can also target bacteria, inflammation and stimulate collagen.”
Try: Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro
10. DON’T: Skimp on Sleep
Easier said than done, right? But, for the sake of clear skin (and your sanity), Dr. Brauer says to make it a point to get a better night’s sleep. When you sleep, the skin works to restore itself through a process called regeneration, and lack of sleep can lead to a tired-looking complexion, dark circles, puffy under-eye bags and sometimes even breakouts. Whether this means turning your phone or TV off an hour earlier than usual, taking a relaxing bubble bath before bed or giving meditation a try, you’ll be glad you did!
For a restful sleep, try: This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray
11. DO: Sanitize Your Gadgets
We hate to break it to you, but your cell phone could be one of the reasons for your breakouts. According to Dr. Jaliman, the bacteria on your phone will cause breakouts. Her solution? “Don’t rest your phone against your face, use earbuds instead!” In addition to earbuds, you should also consider wiping your phone down with a disinfecting wipe or cotton pad dampened with rubbing alcohol.
unloved appearance
Have you ever been startled by catching your reflection in a store mirror or window? You hadn’t realized, perhaps, that your face looks quite so stern or your hair (or roots) so gray. Try as we might to focus on people’s inner qualities, it’s difficult not to have at least some preoccupation with the way we, and others, appear.
Some individuals go so far in emphasizing their appearance as to base much of their self-esteem on how good they think they look. Individuals high in what psychologists call appearance-contingent self-worth will go to great lengths to maintain what they consider an attractive look. In a society that emphasizes appearance, it’s easy to let your feelings about looks overtake all other aspects of your self-esteem. Women are particularly vulnerable to high appearance-contingent self-worth due, some believe, to the way women's bodies and faces are objectified in the media. Such women may go to great lengths to look good, sometimes at the cost of being, or seeming, competent.
Separate from appearance-contingent self-worth is your appearance self-esteem—the feelings of satisfaction you have with the way you look. If you’re high in appearance-contingent self-worth, then your overall self-esteem will be heavily influenced by your appearance self-esteem. Otherwise, you might be perfectly content with the way you look, but this won’t matter to the way you feel about yourself as a person.
Aging presents a particular challenge for women’s appearance self-esteem because with each passing year, the media define their beauty as fading away. Cleopatra may have been able to avoid this fate, according to Shakespeare's play, in which it was said, "Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety.” For the rest of us, though, our seeming fate is to wither away steadily—at least according to our current representations of aging women. And women high on appearance-contingent self-worth will be particularly vulnerable to the effects of aging in a society that equates youth with attractiveness.
Unloved Self appearance for juniors
To the teenage girl that hates her body,
I know what it's like to be you. I know the pain you feel. I know how hard it is. I know it all too well.
I know what it's like to grip the extra skin around your tummy, your thighs, your hips, your upper arms, and wish you could just cut it off with a pair of scissors. I know what it's like to suck in your stomach to the point of being uncomfortable. I know what it's like to step on the scale and feel nothing but hatred towards the number you see. And yourself.
As so many teenage girls do, I hated my body as I grew up. Hated every inch of it. My stomach had rolls, my boobs were too big, my thighs were too wide, my arms were too untoned, my calves were too bulky, my shoulders were too broad, the list goes on. I remember looking in the mirror as a sixteen year old girl and trying so hard to find something on my body that I liked. I settled for my eyes. That was it. The only part of my body I liked was the color of my eyes.
I felt ugly. Looking in the mirror, such a simple action, became almost impossible for me. I wondered to myself, would I ever get past this and find love in myself? That, too, felt impossible.
But it wasn't.
Now, as a twenty-year-old woman, I find myself beautiful. I love myself. In fact, there's not a single part of me that I don't love. I have grown immensely, and it took only one thing--one thing that completely changed my life: positivity.
Focusing on positivity and teaching my anxiety-ridden self not to be negative all the time is what helped me learn how to love myself and the skin that I am in--the skin I'm lucky to be in. Instead of looking for all the things I hated about myself, I looked for things to love.
Like I said earlier, I love my eyes because they're bright, bright blue. I learned to love my pale Irish skin, which I previously hated. Now, I look at it as it makes me unique. I used to hate my thighs and hips and how wide they were. Now, I appreciate the curvatures of my body and how good I look in a pair of high waisted jeans. I used to hate how large my chest was. Now, my body is so much more proportionate and it brings out a confidence in me that I never knew I had.
Your body is your temple. Your forever home. Your body pumps the blood through your veins, breathes the air into your lungs, holds your precious brain that you use to think and create and feel and contribute to the world in your own way. Your body sustains you and continuously fights for you. How could I hate something that had done so much for me?
I know it's so hard to look past all your flaws, especially in a society like ours where beauty is everything; or their definition of "beauty." But who says you have to follow that? A size 0 is just as beautiful as a size 12. Beauty doesn't have a limit. Once you find the beauty in you and the love in yourself, it will shine out of you for everyone to see. And I cannot describe a more freeing feeling.
*CREDITS TO OWNER*
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