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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7667251/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30638308/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33224046/

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How Study Environments Foster Academic Procrastination: Overview and Recommendations

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Procrastination is common among students, with prevalence estimates double or even triple those of the working population. This inflated prevalence indicates that the academic environment may appear as “procrastination friendly” to students. ...

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Self Worth Theory: The Key to Understanding & Overcoming Procrastination | Nic Voge | TEDxPrincetonU

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An End to Procrastination | Archana Murthy | TEDxMarcusHighSchool

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Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator | Tim Urban | TED

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The anxiety is an illness or just a fashion problem (Recuperado automáticamente)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWloIAQpMcQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZidGozDhOjg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxzP1U5ZUvY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3Cyi3LxdP0

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How to cope with anxiety | Olivia Remes | TEDxUHasselt

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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1. https://www.ted.com/talks/estelle_gibson_the_true_cost_of_financial_dependence

2.https://www.ted.com/talks/nadine_burke_harris_how_childhood_trauma_affects_health_across_a_lifetime

3.https://www.ted.com/talks/skye_c_cleary_why_do_we_love_a_philosophical_inquiry

4. https://www.ted.com/talks/jane_goodall_what_separates_us_from_chimpanzees

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* https://youtu.be/WXBA4eWskrc

* https://youtu.be/Hu4Yvq-g7_Y

* https://youtu.be/n3kNlFMXslo

* https://youtu.be/II_Qyf0Vw9g

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The Philosophy of Time Management | Brad Aeon | TEDxConcordia

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https://medlineplus.gov/anxiety.html

In the previus articule we can see what is anxiety and what are the kinds of anxiety.

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/self-care/

In this one we can get knowledge about how you can deal with by your-self and some tips to control it.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961

There are some symptoms that we can identify to see if you suffer of anxiety.

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/anxiety-fear-panic/

How to deal with it

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Eating Disorders: Let's Talk About It | Kallista Wilson | TEDxUNB

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An Eating Disorder isn't Just a Girl Thinking She Looks Fat | Peyton Crest | TEDxYouth@MinnetonkaHS

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Eating Disorders: Let's Talk About It | Kallista Wilson | TEDxUNB

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Removing the Stigma of Talking About Eating Disorders | Gabrielle Bernstein | TEDxSaintAndrewsSchool

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Hidden Secrets: Eating Disorders | Rayo Cole | TEDxCrenshaw

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1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czg_9C7gw0o
2. https://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_curran_our_dangerous_obsession_with_perfectionism_is_getting_worsehttps://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_curran_our_dangerous_obsession_with_perfectionism_is_getting_worse

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soHn6t_jjIw

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhwlHTXteJY

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Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health? | Bailey Parnell | TEDxRyersonU

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Summary 1: Procrastination is the act of delaying or putting off tasks, usually because of a lack of motivation or focus. This habit can lead to stress, anxiety, and lower productivity levels. To overcome procrastination, one can try breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks, creating a schedule or timeline, setting specific goals, and eliminating distractions.

Summary 2: Procrastination is a common problem that affects many people, and it can be especially challenging for those who work from home or have flexible schedules. One effective strategy for overcoming procrastination is to create a daily routine or schedule, prioritizing tasks based on their level of urgency or importance. It's also important to identify any underlying reasons for procrastination, such as fear of failure or lack of confidence, and address those issues through positive self-talk and self-care.

Summary 3: Procrastination can have a negative impact on academic performance, career success, and overall well-being. To overcome this habit, it's important to develop good time management skills, such as setting specific goals and deadlines, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and using tools like timers and calendars to stay on track. It's also helpful to practice mindfulness and self-compassion, recognizing that everyone experiences setbacks and mistakes, and learning from those experiences to improve in the future.

Summary 4: Procrastination is a complex issue that can be caused by a variety of factors, such as perfectionism, anxiety, and lack of motivation. To overcome procrastination, it's important to identify the root cause and develop a personalized plan for addressing it. This may involve seeking support from a therapist or coach, practicing self-reflection and self-awareness, and using techniques such as cognitive restructuring and visualization to shift negative thought patterns. By addressing the underlying issues, individuals can develop healthier habits and achieve greater success in all areas of their lives.

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We know that social media has a huge advantage in our life, whereby we can communicate with our friends and relatives around the world, but in terms of mental health it is different to say that it produces a good reaction.

Young adults are more likely than older adults to have a social media profile and to have more of them, on more sites and more apps. Young people are also experiencing more mental health problems than any other age group. Between 2017 and 2021, 52.5% of 17-to-23-year-olds in England experienced a deterioration in their mental health.

Studies tend to only measure a correlation between social media use and mental health at one time point, rather than looking at the effects over time that can help us to understand whether social media causes mental health problems.

The findings are also mixed. Some studies highlight the increased exposure, for example, to harm, anxiety, depression and cyber-bullying that being online can bring.

We are currently exploring how to improve support for young adults seeking help for mental health issues that might be related to social media use. The effects social media has on our mental health may depend on how we use it. Here are four tips to help you stay in control.

Be mindful

Be active, not passive

Take a break

Take control

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Social media: how to protect your mental health

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The effects social media has on our mental health may depend on how we use it. Taking control, and knowing when to take a break, is crucial.

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Study author Phil Reed said, “We have known for some time that people who are over-dependent on digital devices report feelings of anxiety when they are stopped from using them, but now we can see that these psychological effects are accompanied by actual physiological changes.” Whether this is true of social media per se is unclear right now, but anecdotal evidence suggests it may be.

It can lead to jealousy—and a vicious cycle

It’s no secret that the comparison factor in social media leads to jealousy—most people will admit that seeing other people’s tropical vacations and perfectly behaved kids is envy-inducing. Studies have certainly shown that social media use triggers feelings of jealosy. They add that it can become a vicious cycle: feeling jealous can make a person want to make his or her own life look better, and post jealousy-inducing posts of their own, in an endless circle of one-upping and feeling jealous.

Moreover, the article mentions the connection between envy and depression in Facebook and how they can provoke a Facebook-depression link. That is, when envy is controlled for, Facebook isn’t so depressing. So it may be the envy that’s largely to blame in the depression-Facebook connection, or with other social medias.

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Health experts love to say that sitting is the new smoking. Given the number of diseases to which sitting is linked, and the number of people it apparently kills every year, sitting is one of the worst things we can do for health. But possibly as concerning is the thing that we often do while we're sitting: Mindlessly scrolling through our social media feeds when we have a few spare minutes (or for some, hours). And as we probably know intuitively, and as the research is confirming, it's not the best habit when it comes to our collective psychology.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned about the potential for negative effects of social media in young kids and teens, including cyber-bullying and "Facebook depression." But the same risks may be true for adults, across generations. Here's a quick run-down of the studies that have shown that social media isn't very good for mental well-being, and in some ways, it can be pretty damaging.
It's addictive
Experts have not been in total agreement on whether internet addiction is a real thing, let alone social media addiction, but there's some good evidence that both may exist. A review study from Nottingham Trent University looked back over earlier research on the psychological characteristics, personality and social media use. The authors conclude that "it may be plausible to speak specifically of 'Facebook Addiction Disorder'...because addiction criteria, such as neglect of personal life, mental preoccupation, escapism, mood modifying experiences, tolerance and concealing the addictive behavior, appear to be present in some people who use [social networks] excessively." (They also found that the motivation for people's excessive use of social networks differs depending on certain traits-introverts and extroverts use it for different reasons, as do people with narcissistic traits. But that deserves a piece of its own.)

And studies have confirmed that people tend to undergo a kind of withdrawal: A study a few years ago from Swansea University found that people experienced the psychological symptoms of withdrawal when they stopped using (this went for all internet use, not just social media). Their recent follow-up study found that when people stop using, they also undergo small but measurable physiological effects. Study author Phil Reed said, "We have known for some time that people who are over-dependent on digital devices report feelings of anxiety when they are stopped from using them, but now we can see that these psychological effects are accompanied by actual physiological changes." Whether this is true of social media per se is unclear right now, but anecdotal evidence suggests it may be.
It triggers more sadness, less well-being
The more we use social media, the less happy we seem to be. One study a few years ago found that Facebook use was linked to both less moment-to-moment happiness and less life satisfaction-the more people used Facebook in a day, the more these two variables dropped off. The authors suggest this may have to do with the fact that Facebook conjures up a perception of social isolation, in a way that other solitary activities don't. "On the surface," the authors write, "Facebook provides an invaluable resource for fulfilling such needs by allowing people to instantly connect. Rather than enhancing well-being, as frequent interactions with supportive 'offline' social networks powerfully do, the current findings demonstrate that interacting with Facebook may predict the opposite result for young adults-it may undermine it."

In fact, another study found that social media use is linked to greater feelings of social isolation. The team looked at how much people used 11 social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Vine, Snapchat and Reddit, and correlated this with their "perceived social isolation." Not surprisingly, it turned out that the more time people spent on these sites, the more socially isolated they perceived themselves to be. And perceived social isolation is one of the worst things for us, mentally and physically.
Comparing our lives with others is mentally unhealthy
Part of the reason Facebook makes people feel socially isolated (even though they may not actually be) is the comparison factor. We fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others as we scroll through our feeds, and make judgements about how we measure up. One study looked at how we make comparisons to others posts, in "upward" or "downward" directions-that is, feeling that we're either better or worse off than our friends. It turned out that both types of comparisons made people feel worse, which is surprising, since in real life, only upward comparisons (feeling another person has it better than you) makes people feel bad. But in the social network world, it seems that any kind of comparison is linked to depressive symptoms.
It can lead to jealousy-and a vicious cycle
It's no secret that the comparison factor in social media leads to jealousy-most people will admit that seeing other people's tropical vacations and perfectly behaved kids is envy-inducing. Studies have certainly shown that social media use triggers feelings of jealousy. The authors of one study, looking at jealousy and other negative feelings while using Facebook, wrote that "This magnitude of envy incidents taking place on FB alone is astounding, providing evidence that FB offers a breeding ground for invidious feelings." They add that it can become a vicious cycle: feeling jealous can make a person want to make his or her own life look better, and post jealousy-inducing posts of their own, in an endless circle of one-upping and feeling jealous.

Another study looked at the connection between envy and depression in Facebook use and, interestingly, discovered that envy mediates the Facebook-depression link. That is, when envy is controlled for, Facebook isn't so depressing. So it may be the envy that's largely to blame in the depression-Facebook connection.
We get caught in the delusion of thinking it will help
Part of the unhealthy cycle is that we keep coming back to social media, even though it doesn't make us feel very good. This is probably because of what's known as a forecasting error: Like a drug, we think getting a fix will help, but it actually makes us feel worse, which comes down to an error in our ability to predict our own response. One study looked at how people feel after using Facebook and how they think they'll feel going in. Like other studies suggested, the participants in this one almost always felt worse after using it, compared to people engaging in other activities. But a follow-up experiment showed that people generally believed that they'd feel better after using, not worse. Which of course turns out not to be the case at all, and sounds a lot like the pattern in other types of addiction.
More friends on social doesn't mean you're more social
A couple of years ago, a study found that more friends on social media doesn't necessarily mean you have a better social life-there seems to be a cap on the number of friends a person's brain can handle, and it takes actual social interaction (not virtual) to keep up these friendships. So feeling like you're being social by being on Facebook doesn't work. Since loneliness is linked to myriad health and mental health problems (including early death), getting real social support is important. Virtual friend time doesn't have the therapeutic effect as time with real friends.

* * *

All of this is not to say that there's no benefit to social media-obviously it keeps us connected across great distances, and helps us find people we'd lost touch with years ago. But getting on social when you have some time to kill, or, worse, need an emotional lift, is very likely a bad idea. And studies have found that taking a break from Facebook helps boost psychological well-being. If you're feeling brave, try taking a little break, and see how it goes. And if you're going to keep "using," then at least try to use in moderation.

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6 Ways Social Media Affects Our Mental Health

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Health experts love to say that sitting is the new smoking. Given the number of diseases to which sitting is linked, and the number of people it apparently kills every year, sitting is one of the worst things we can do for health.

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There is an apparent problem within this false world of idealism. Thousands of famous people and models on social media document their workout routines, eating habits, and other aspects of their lifestyle that contribute to the way they look. There is only one problem with this industry; it's all fake. for that reason, people started surfer eating disorders.

According to eating disorders statistics estimated by the National Eating Disorder Association, in the USA up to 30 million people suffer from an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder. Worldwide the figure is more like 70 million sufferers.

In essence, social media tells us that we need to be a beautiful person to be worthy which could not be further from the truth

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On the other hand, the pressure to keep up with what we see online has become a morbid cycle which is destroying lives one click at a time.

In particular, men and women have found themselves battling identity issues due to the unrealistic beauty standards set by what they see on social media.

Many have developed serious mental heath issues, identity issues and even body dysmorphia trying to emulate the beauty standards that are simply unattainable.

How do we distinguish reality from the fake and how do we protect ourselves form the dark side of social media?

Just as most of us use social media to promote ourselves, tons of celebrities, influencers, models and brands, also use it to sell themselves by creating an image of perfection.

It's hard not to see a multitude of perfectly toned beauties, flat stomachs, plump breasts, impossibly long legs and perky, perfectly rounded butts.

Thousands of Instagram accounts promote images of perfectly sculpted men and women.

Whilst we may believe we are mindlessly scrolling though such content, our subconscious is soaking it all up and before we know it, those perfectly formed bodies have become the standard by which we measure everything else.

There is an apparent problem within this false world of idealism. Thousands of famous people and models on social media document their workout routines, eating habits, and other aspects of their lifestyle that contribute to the way they look. There is only one problem with this industry; it's all fake.

An Instagram model can post a picture of herself in a bikini, showing off her taut stomach, holding up a weight loss tea supplement. Her caption reveals that said supplement is the secret to her honed physique.

This alone, sends a very dangerous message to millions of her followers, the majority of whom are impressionable young women.

It is spreading the idea that supplements, diet pills and detox teas are the best way to achieve her body type, when in reality, it could not be further from the truth.

More often than not, their looks are a combination of gym, plastic surgery and a generous amount of retouching.

Her job is to look perfect and promote merchandise. This creates an unrealistic beauty standard for all of her followers who believe that this product is their ticket to a perfect body.

In reality, a perfect body does not exist. An immense amount of planning, makeup and photo editing went into the final Instagram picture she posted. It's designed to sell a product, not support a healthy lifestyle.

Every day, we see the hashtag 'body goals' or 'thinspo,' which is supposed to serve as inspiration to acquire a thin body.

In essence, social media tells us that we need to be a beautiful person in order to be worthy which could not be further from the truth.

According to eating disorders statistics estimated by the National Eating Disorder Association, in the USA up to 30 million people suffer from an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder. Worldwide the figure is more like 70 million sufferers.

There is a positive correlation between the rise of social media and the rise in eating disorders among young men and women. Many desperately trying to emulate the types of bodies they see and ending up doing more physical and psychological damage to themselves.

In a kickback against the devastating effects of social media on, in particular on young people already struggling to understand themselves and where they fit in, a bunch of accounts have popped up on Instagram revealing the truth behind those 'perfect' pictures. Accounts such as @celebface may seem like they are picking on people but in reality, they are created to remind us that social media is nothing but smoke and mirrors and that those we hold in such high self-esteem are nothing but mere mortals.

Celeb Face will make you feel better about yourself and realise that 'celebs they're just like us!!!' You can see their pores and fine lines, and they too use FaceTune. The account also reveals before and after surgery shots of celebrities and influencers so that we can see that some of these 'ideal' bodies are mad-made. Overall, it reminds us not to be so hard on ourselves.

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The dark side of social media: How unrealistic beauty standards are causing identity issues

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On the other hand, the pressure to keep up with what we see online has become a morbid cycle which is destroying lives one click at a time. In particular, men and women have found themselves battling identity issues due to the unrealistic beauty standards set by what they see on social media.

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Nowadays the world revolves around social networks, and that leads to having advantages and disadvantages in the life of the human being, on this page some examples of this are explained.

The positive aspects of social media

While virtual interaction on social media doesn’t have the same psychological benefits as face-to-face contact, there are still many positive ways in which it can help you stay connected and support your wellbeing.

Communicate and stay up to date with family and friends around the world.

Find new friends and communities; network with other people who share similar interests or ambitions.

Join or promote worthwhile causes; raise awareness on important issues.

Seek or offer emotional support during tough times.

Find vital social connection if you live in a remote area, for example, or have limited independence, social anxiety, or are part of a marginalized group.

Find an outlet for your creativity and self-expression.

Discover sources of valuable information and learning.

The negative aspects of social media

Inadequacy about your life or appearance. Even if you know that images you’re viewing on social media are manipulated, they can still make you feel insecure about how you look or what’s going on in your own life. Similarly, we’re all aware that other people tend to share just the highlights of their lives, rarely the low points that everyone experiences.

Depression and anxiety. Human beings need face-to-face contact to be mentally healthy. Nothing reduces stress and boosts your mood faster or more effectively than eye-to-eye contact with someone who cares about you. The more you prioritize social media interaction over in-person relationships, the more you’re at risk for developing or exacerbating mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

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The role social media plays in mental health

Human beings are social creatures. We need the companionship of others to thrive in life, and the strength of our connections has a huge impact on our mental health and happiness. Being socially connected to others can ease stress, anxiety, and depression, boost self-worth, provide comfort and joy, prevent loneliness, and even add years to your life. On the flip side, lacking strong social connections can pose a serious risk to your mental and emotional health.

In today's world, many of us rely on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram to find and connect with each other. While each has its benefits, it's important to remember that social media can never be a replacement for real-world human connection. It requires in-person contact with others to trigger the hormones that alleviate stress and make you feel happier, healthier, and more positive. Ironically for a technology that's designed to bring people closer together, spending too much time engaging with social media can actually make you feel more lonely and isolated-and exacerbate mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

If you're spending an excessive amount of time on social media and feelings of sadness, dissatisfaction, frustration, or loneliness are impacting your life, it may be time to re-examine your online habits and find a healthier balance.

Speak to a Licensed Therapist

The positive aspects of social media

While virtual interaction on social media doesn't have the same psychological benefits as face-to-face contact, there are still many positive ways in which it can help you stay connected and support your wellbeing.

Social media enables you to:

Communicate and stay up to date with family and friends around the world.

Find new friends and communities; network with other people who share similar interests or ambitions.

Join or promote worthwhile causes; raise awareness on important issues.

Seek or offer emotional support during tough times.

Find vital social connection if you live in a remote area, for example, or have limited independence, social anxiety, or are part of a marginalized group.

Find an outlet for your creativity and self-expression.

Discover (with care) sources of valuable information and learning.

The negative aspects of social media

Since it's a relatively new technology, there's little research to establish the long-term consequences, good or bad, of social media use. However, multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts.

Social media may promote negative experiences such as:

Inadequacy about your life or appearance. Even if you know that images you're viewing on social media are manipulated, they can still make you feel insecure about how you look or what's going on in your own life. Similarly, we're all aware that other people tend to share just the highlights of their lives, rarely the low points that everyone experiences. But that doesn't lessen those feelings of envy and dissatisfaction when you're scrolling through a friend's airbrushed photos of their tropical beach holiday or reading about their exciting new promotion at work.

Fear of missing out (FOMO) and social media addiction. While FOMO has been around far longer than social media, sites such as Facebook and Instagram seem to exacerbate feelings that others are having more fun or living better lives than you are. The idea that you're missing out on certain things can impact your self-esteem, trigger anxiety, and fuel even greater social media use, much like an addiction. FOMO can compel you to pick up your phone every few minutes to check for updates, or compulsively respond to each and every alert-even if that means taking risks while you're driving, missing out on sleep at night, or prioritizing social media interaction over real world relationships.

Isolation. A study at the University of Pennsylvania found that high usage of Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram increases rather decreases feelings of loneliness. Conversely, the study found that reducing social media usage can actually make you feel less lonely and isolated and improve your overall wellbeing.

Depression and anxiety. Human beings need face-to-face contact to be mentally healthy. Nothing reduces stress and boosts your mood faster or more effectively than eye-to-eye contact with someone who cares about you. The more you prioritize social media interaction over in-person relationships, the more you're at risk for developing or exacerbating mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Cyberbullying. About 10 percent of teens report being bullied on social media and many other users are subjected to offensive comments. Social media platforms such as Twitter can be hotspots for spreading hurtful rumors, lies, and abuse that can leave lasting emotional scars.

Self-absorption. Sharing endless selfies and all your innermost thoughts on social media can create an unhealthy self-centeredness and distance you from real-life connections.

What's driving your social media use?

These days, most of us access social media via our smartphones or tablets. While this makes it very convenient to keep in touch, it also means that social media is always accessible. This round-the-clock, hyper connectivity can trigger impulse control problems, the constant alerts and notifications affecting your concentration and focus, disturbing your sleep, and making you a slave to your phone.

Social media platforms are designed to snare your attention, keep you online, and have you repeatedly checking your screen for updates. It's how the companies make money. But, much like a gambling compulsion or an addiction to nicotine, alcohol, or drugs, social media use can create psychological cravings. When you receive a like, a share, or a favorable reaction to a post, it can trigger the release of dopamine in the brain, the same "reward" chemical that follows winning on a slot machine, taking a bite of chocolate, or lighting up a cigarette, for example. The more you're rewarded, the more time you want to spend on social media, even if it becomes detrimental to other aspects of your life.

Other causes of unhealthy social media use

A fear of missing out (FOMO) can keep you returning to social media over and over again. Even though there are very few things that can't wait or need an immediate response, FOMO will have you believing otherwise. Perhaps you're worried that you'll be left out of the conversation at school or work if you miss the latest news or gossip on social media? Or maybe you feel that your relationships will suffer if you don't immediately like, share, or respond to other people's posts? Or you could be worried you'll miss out on an invitation or that other people are having a better time than you.

Many of us use social media as a "security blanket". Whenever we're in a social situation and feel anxious, awkward, or lonely, we turn to our phones and log on to social media. Of course, interacting with social media only denies you the face-to-face interaction that can help to ease anxiety.

Your heavy social media use could be masking other underlying problems, such as stress, depression, or boredom. If you spend more time on social media when you're feeling down, lonely, or bored, you may be using it as a way to distract yourself from unpleasant feelings or self-soothe your moods. While it can be difficult at first, allowing yourself to feel can open you up to finding healthier ways to manage your moods.

The vicious cycle of unhealthy social media use

Excessive social media use can create a negative, self-perpetuating cycle:

1. When you feel lonely, depressed, anxious, or stressed, you use social media more often-as a way to relieve boredom or feel connected to others.

2. Using social media more often, though, increases FOMO and feelings of inadequacy, dissatisfaction, and isolation.

3. In turn, these feelings negatively affect your mood and worsen symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.

4. These worsening symptoms cause you to use social media even more, and so the downward spiral continues.

Signs that social media is impacting your mental health

Everyone is different and there is no specific amount of time spent on social media, or the frequency you check for updates, or the number of posts you make that indicates your use is becoming unhealthy. Rather, it has to do with the impact time spent on social media has on your mood and other aspects of your life, along with your motivations for using it.

For example, your social media use may be problematic if it causes you to neglect face-to-face relationships, distracts you from work or school, or leaves you feeling envious, angry, or depressed. Similarly, if you're motivated to use social media just because you're bored or lonely, or want to post something to make others jealous or upset, it may be time to reassess your social media habits.

Indicators that social media may be adversely affecting your mental health include:

Spending more time on social media than with real world friends. Using social media has become a substitute for a lot of your offline social interaction. Even if you're out with friends, you still feel the need to constantly check social media, often driven by feelings that others may be having more fun than you.

Comparing yourself unfavorably with others on social media. You have low self-esteem or negative body image. You may even have patterns of disordered eating.

Experiencing cyberbullying. Or you worry that you have no control over the things people post about you.

Being distracted at school or work. You feel pressure to post regular content about yourself, get comments or likes on your posts, or respond quickly and enthusiastically to friends' posts.

Having no time for self-reflection. Every spare moment is filled by engaging with social media, leaving you little or no time for reflecting on who you are, what you think, or why you act the way that you do-the things that allow you to grow as a person.

Engaging in risky behavior in order to gain likes, shares, or positive reactions on social media. You play dangerous pranks, post embarrassing material, cyberbully others, or access your phone while driving or in other unsafe situations.
[Read: Dealing with Revenge Porn and "Sextortion"]
Suffering from sleep problems. Do you check social media last thing at night, first thing in the morning, or even when you wake up in the night? The light from phones and other devices can disrupt your sleep, which in turn can have a serious impact on your mental health.

Worsening symptoms of anxiety or depression. Rather than helping to alleviate negative feelings and boost your mood, you feel more anxious, depressed, or lonely after using social media.

Modifying social media use to improve mental health step 1: Reduce time online

A 2018 University of Pennsylvania study found that reducing social media use to 30 minutes a day resulted in a significant reduction in levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, sleep problems, and FOMO. But you don't need to cut back on your social media use that drastically to improve your mental health. The same study concluded that just being more mindful of your social media use can have beneficial results on your mood and focus.

While 30 minutes a day may not be a realistic target for many of us, we can still benefit from reducing the amount of time we spend on social media. For most of us, that means reducing how much we use our smartphones. The following tips can help:

1. Use an app to track how much time you spend on social media each day. Then set a goal for how much you want to reduce it by.

2. Turn off your phone at certain times of the day, such as when you're driving, in a meeting, at the gym, having dinner, spending time with offline friends, or playing with your kids. Don't take your phone with you to the bathroom.

3. Don't bring your phone or tablet to bed. Turn devices off and leave them in another room overnight to charge.

4. Disable social media notifications. It's hard to resist the constant buzzing, beeping, and dinging of your phone alerting you to new messages. Turning off notifications can help you regain control of your time and focus.

5. Limit checks. If you compulsively check your phone every few minutes, wean yourself off by limiting your checks to once every 15 minutes. Then once every 30 minutes, then once an hour. There are apps that can automatically limit when you're able to access your phone.

6. Try removing social media apps from your phone so you can only check Facebook, Twitter and the like from your tablet or computer. If this sounds like too drastic a step, try removing one social media app at a time to see how much you really miss it.

For more tips on reducing your overall phone use, read Smartphone Addiction.

Step 2: Change your focus

Many of us access social media purely out of habit or to mindlessly kill moments of downtime. But by focusing on your motivation for logging on, you can not only reduce the time you spend on social media, you can also improve your experience and avoid many of the negative aspects.

If you're accessing social media to find specific information, check on a friend who's been ill, or share new photos of your kids with family, for example, your experience is likely to be very different than if you're logging on simply because you're bored, you want to see how many likes you got from a previous post, or to check if you're missing out on something.

Next time you go to access social media, pause for a moment and clarify your motivation for doing so.

Are you using social media as a substitute for real life? Is there a healthier substitute for your social media use? If you're lonely, for example, invite a friend out for coffee instead. Feeling depressed? Take a walk or go to the gym. Bored? Take up a new hobby. Social media may be quick and convenient, but there are often healthier, more effective ways to satisfy a craving.

Are you an active or a passive user on social media? Passively scrolling through posts or anonymously following the interaction of others on social media doesn't provide any meaningful sense of connection. It may even increase feelings of isolation. Being an active participant, though, will offer you more engagement with others.

Does social media leave you feeling inadequate or disappointed about your life? You can counter symptoms of FOMO by focusing on what you have, rather than what you lack. Make a list of all the positive aspects of your life and read it back when you feel you're missing out on something better. And remember: no one's life is ever as perfect as it seems on social media. We all deal with heartache, self-doubt, and disappointment, even if we choose not to share it online.

Step 3: Spend more time with offline friends

We all need the face-to-face company of others to be happy and healthy. At its best, social media is a great tool for facilitating real-life connections. But if you've allowed virtual connections to replace real-life friendships in your life, there are plenty of ways to build meaningful connections without relying on social media.

Set aside time each week to interact offline with friends and family. Try to make it a regular get-together where you always keep your phones off.

If you've neglected face-to-face friendships, reach out to an old friend (or an online friend) and arrange to meet up. If you both lead busy lives, offer to run errands or exercise together.

Join a club. Find a hobby, creative endeavor, or fitness activity you enjoy and join a group of like-minded individuals that meet on a regular basis.

Don't let social awkwardness stand in the way. Even if you're shy, there are proven techniques to overcome insecurity and build friendships.

If you don't feel that you have anyone to spend time with, reach out to acquaintances. Lots of other people feel just as uncomfortable about making new friends as you do-so be the one to break the ice. Invite a coworker out for lunch or ask a neighbor or classmate to join you for coffee.

Interact with strangers. Look up from your screen and connect with people you cross paths with on public transport, at the coffee shop, or in the grocery store. Simply smiling or saying hello will improve how you feel-and you never know where it may lead.

Step 4: Express gratitude
[Read: Gratitude: The Benefits and How to Practice It]
Feeling and expressing gratitude about the important things in your life can be a welcome relief to the resentment, animosity, and discontent sometimes generated by social media.

Take time for reflection. Try keeping a gratitude journal or using a gratitude app. Keep track of all the great memories and positives in your life-as well as those things and people you'd miss if they were suddenly absent from your life. If you're more prone to venting or negative posts, you can even express your gratitude on social media-although you may benefit more from private reflection that isn't subject to the scrutiny of others.

Practice mindfulness. Experiencing FOMO and comparing yourself unfavorably to others keeps you dwelling on life's disappointments and frustrations. Instead of being fully engaged in the present, you're focused on the "what ifs" and the "if onlys" that prevent you from having a life that matches those you see on social media. By practicing mindfulness, you can learn to live more in the present moment, lessen the impact of FOMO, and improve your overall mental wellbeing.

Volunteer. Just as human beings are hard-wired to seek social connection, we're also hard-wired to give to others. Helping other people or animals not only enriches your community and benefits a cause that's important to you, but it also makes you feel happier and more grateful.

Helping a child or teen with unhealthy social media use

Childhood and the teenage years can be filled with developmental challenges and social pressures. For some kids, social media has a way of exacerbating those problems and fueling anxiety, bullying, depression, and issues with self-esteem. If you're worried about your child's social media use, it can be tempting to simply confiscate their phone or other device. But that can create further problems, separating your child from their friends and the positive aspects of social media. Instead, there are other ways to help your child use Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms in a more responsible way.

Monitor and limit your child's social media use. The more you know about how your child is interacting on social media, the better you'll be able to address any problems. Parental control apps can help limit your child's data usage or restrict their phone use to certain times of the day. You can also adjust privacy settings on the different platforms to limit their potential exposure to bullies or predators.

Talk to your child about underlying issues. Problems with social media use can often mask deeper issues. Is your child having problems fitting in at school? Are they suffering from shyness or social anxiety? Are problems at home causing them stress?

Enforce "social media" breaks. For example, you could ban social media until your child has completed their homework in the evening, not allow phones at the dinner table or in their bedroom, and plan family activities that preclude the use of phones or other devices. To prevent sleep problems, always insist phones are turned off at least one hour before bed.

Teach your child how social media is not an accurate reflection of people's lives. They shouldn't compare themselves or their lives negatively to others on social media. People only post what they want others to see. Images are manipulated or carefully posed and selected. And having fewer friends on social media doesn't make your child less popular or less worthy.

Encourage exercise and offline interests. Get your child away from social media by encouraging them to pursue physical activities and hobbies that involve real-world interaction. Exercise is great for relieving anxiety and stress, boosting self-esteem, and improving mood-and is something you can do as a family. The more engaged your child is offline, the less their mood and sense of self-worth will be dependent on how many friends, likes, or shares they have on social media.

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Social Media and Mental Health - HelpGuide.org

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Human beings are social creatures. We need the companionship of others to thrive in life, and the strength of our connections has a huge impact on our mental health and happiness. Being socially connected to others can ease stress, anxiety, and depression, boost self-worth, provide comfort and joy, prevent loneliness, and even add years to your life.

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Common thoughts suggest that being stubborn can lead one to experience the destructive impact in all their life’s fields, since its downsides provoke huge changes in a person’s behavior and, therefore, it will harm every single aspect of their day-to-day. This is because, as stubbornness is regularly assumed to be connected to certain features such as having an inflexible mind or having everything their way, now it is believed as a characteristic we shouldn’t have, assuming we look forward to following a pleasant and comfortable path in which we are more open-minded and empathic with the other ones. Nonetheless, as it has some disadvantages, it’s also plenty of improvement opportunities which people can’t complain about. Clearly, it’s essential to know what the origin of our stubbornness is, bearing in mind that it could well have been influenced by difficult external conditions like a problematic childhood environment and insecurities, or, on the other hand, by attributes that are part of each one’s nature (that can be useful or not). Then, by considering the aforementioned, people will be able to acknowledge whether the reasons behind their behavior are consistent enough or not. Consequently, if the answer is ‘no’, those could come up with a strategy that support them in the process of giving it a better purpose.

https://knowledge.insead.edu/leadership-organisations/fine-line-between-stubbornness-and-stupidity#:~:text=Stubbornness%20makes%20us%20persevere.,tend%20to%20be%20more%20decisive.

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Culture often blames eating disorders on fairly simplified explanations, such as the media's promotion of unrealistically slender models or poor parenting.

This article explores some of the risk factors that may increase a person's chance of developing an eating disorder, including the effect of environmental and genetic changes.

Psychological health danger components can include anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and traumas such as childhood sexual abuse.

Body image

Danger components involved with eating behaviors and body image may also be involved with the development of eating disorders.

Other components

However, families do not cause eating disorders in an easy and direct way.

While growing up in a dysfunctional home may increase the risk of various psychological disorders, including eating disorders, it does not condemn an ​​infant to an eating disorder or any other psychological disorder.

Coming from a family with a history of disordered eating can increase a person's risk of developing an eating disorder.

However, the finding from analysis, which can isolate the role of genetics, indicates that about 40% to 60% of the risk of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder arises from genetic predominance.

These findings do not imply that there is a single eating disorder gene or even that genes cause eating disorders. Several people have the possibility of inheriting aspects such as anxiety, fearfulness, perfectionism or bad mood that have been associated with the development of an eating disorder.

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When a person gets sick, it's natural to want to understand why. With eating disorders, which are associated with many myths and negative stereotypes, the question of causation can be especially confusing.

But research shows that families -longtime scapegoats-do not cause eating disorders, at least not in any simple, straightforward manner.

While growing up in a dysfunctional home could increase the risk for a number of psychological problems, including eating disorders, it does not condemn a child to an eating disorder or any other psychological disorder.

Scientists can't say for sure what exactly causes an eating disorder or predict who will develop an eating disorder. In general, most experts agree that eating disorders are complicated illnesses that stem not from a single cause but from a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. There are many different pathways to the development of an eating disorder from binge eating disorder to anorexia nervosa to bulimia nervosa.

Risk Factors for Eating Disorders

Many factors have been, or are being, studied as possible contributors to the development of eating disorders. Across all types of eating disorders, it is likely that mental health and body image-related factors play a significant role in causing eating disorders.

Mental Health

Mental health risk factors can include anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and trauma such as childhood sexual abuse. Social stressors, such as peer pressure and bullying, may also be involved.

Risk factors related to eating behaviors and body image may also be tied to the development of eating disorders. These could include weight-related teasing and critical comments about weight; having a fixation with a thin body; early childhood feeding, eating, or gastrointestinal problems; and body dissatisfaction.

Risk Factors for Specific Eating Disorders

Risk factor research focuses on identifying traits or experiences that precede the development of a specific disorder (not just the overall category of eating disorders). For a risk factor to be shown as a causal factor, the risk factor must be shown to come before the development of the eating disorder. It also must be capable of being manipulated to prevent the occurrence of the disorder. For example, smoking is a causal risk factor for lung cancer; it comes before the development of the disease, and not smoking reduces one's risk of developing lung cancer.

Because eating disorders are relatively rare and diverse disorders, it is difficult and expensive to perform the kinds of large and long-term studies needed to better assess risk factors.

To date, there is limited risk factor research that has successfully demonstrated causality, but a 2015 research study found these causal risk factors for eating disorders.

Anorexia Nervosa

People with anorexia nervosa restrict their food intake, have an intense fear of weight gain, and have a distorted perception of their weight and health. Having a low body mass index (BMI)-essentially, being underweight-has been identified as a risk factor. However, anorexia nervosa can still happen in people with a BMI in the normal range.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa, characterized by repeated episodes of binge eating and purging, has several identified risk factors. These include believing that thinness is equivalent to attractiveness (thin-ideal internalization), having a negative body image (body dissatisfaction), perceiving pressure to be thin, and dieting.

Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating disorder is similar to bulimia nervosa but without the purging aspect. This eating disorder was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in 2013. The 2015 study did not identify any causal risk factors for BED, but a 2017 study suggests that negative urgency (a "tendency to act impulsively when distressed") is involved. A study published in 2016 noted that in girls, depressive symptoms, low self-esteem, and body dissatisfaction in adolescence was associated with binge eating in adulthood.

Purging Disorder

Purging disorder is also similar to bulimia nervosa, but in this case, the behavior is limited to purging without binge eating. The only causal risk factor identified by the 2015 research is dieting. Other research has suggested that risk factors for purging disorder are similar to those for bulimia nervosa and binge eating.

Identifying actual causal factors for a specific eating disorder is complicated. Determining whether these factors are present in an individual can be difficult. Also, the presence of these factors predicts higher risk but does not guarantee the development of an eating disorder.

Genetic Factors

Coming from a family with a history of eating disorders can increase a person's risk of developing an eating disorder. A portion of this increased risk could be due to the modeling of eating disorder-linked behaviors within a family (e.g., observing a family member dieting). However, twin study research, which can isolate the role of genetics, has confirmed that approximately 40% to 60% of the risk for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder arises from genetic influence.

The largest and most rigorous genetic investigation of eating disorders ever conducted, the Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative (ANGI), is currently underway in the United States, Sweden, Australia, United Kingdom, and Denmark. This research could provide more information about the genetic profile that contributes to eating disorders.

These findings do not imply that there is a single eating disorder gene, or even that genes cause eating disorders. Some individuals may inherit traits such as anxiety, fear, perfectionism, or moodiness that have been associated with the development of an eating disorder. These aspects of temperament have also been linked to a number of other disorders.

For some people, variations in several different genes contribute to traits that, in turn, increase or decrease their risk for eating disorders.

Prevalence in Families

Some people with eating disorders are able to identify several other family members who also had eating disorders. There are certain families in which the risk of eating disorders is much higher than in the general population, but such families are relatively rare. Even a high-risk family history indicating an increased genetic risk does not mean that a person is destined to develop an eating disorder.

Conversely, not everyone who has an eating disorder can identify another family member with one. A clear majority of eating disorder cases are sporadic, with no family history. Given the smaller size of today's families, there is often not enough data to determine whether a specific individual has a genetic tendency. In addition, eating disorders are stigmatized diseases, and family members often do not share their struggles with their disorder.

Environmental Factors

Much of the earlier research on eating disorders examined environmental risk factors. As a result, they are frequently blamed for causing eating disorders. Environmental factors include events and influences in an individual's life, such as diet culture, the media, trauma, and weight teasing. Influences such as gender, ethnicity, or certain athletic settings can strengthen or lessen other environmental factors.

One model for understanding some of the socio-cultural risk factors for eating disorders is the tripartite model. It proposes that exposure to media, peer, and parental messages all contribute to whether a person idealizes thinness and engages in social comparison. These two factors (idealization and social comparison) may potentially lead to poor body image and various forms of disordered eating.

Society and culture do influence eating behavior as well as our concept of ideal body shape. However, such environmental factors cannot fully account for the presence of eating disorders. If they did, 100% of the people exposed to the environmental factor(s) would develop an eating disorder, which we know is not the case.

Protective Environmental Factors

Some environmental factors could help protect people from developing eating disorders. These could include family meals, eating breakfast, emotional regulation skills, and mindfulness techniques.

Techniques that help groups and individuals question and challenge unrealistic ideals of beauty (including the glorification of thinness and the stigmatization of overweight people) are also helpful and protective. Many of these environmental changes, such as improving the status and power of women, reducing the objectification of both men and women, and increasing respect for people of all sizes and shapes, will benefit everyone, not just those at risk for eating disorders. These changes help create kinder and safer-and likely more protective-communities.

Gene and Environment Interplay

Neither genes (nature) nor environment (nurture) cause eating disorders on their own. Eating disorders are likely the result of a complicated interplay of these factors. Even when a precipitating factor (such as a traumatic event) can be identified, there is almost always a combination of other contributing factors. The precipitating factor is most likely the trigger that tripped a cascade of events.

Genetic susceptibility may influence their response to certain stressors. For example:

A person who is genetically susceptible to an eating disorder may be more sensitive to weight-related teasing and have a heightened reaction to it (for instance, initiating a diet that snowballs into a disorder).

A person who is genetically vulnerable may continue dieting much longer than peers who diet and then stop.

A person who has the temperament that commonly underlies anorexia nervosa (anxious and perfectionistic) may seek out the types of social environments that contribute to the onset of dieting.

Epigenetics

The emerging field of epigenetics, the study of whether, how, and when genes are expressed, offers further insight. Epigenetics explains that certain environmental factors determine the expression of genes or even turn certain genes on or off in the next generation. Thus, stress to a parent alters not only their behavior but can actually turn genes on and off in offspring who were not even exposed to that stressor.

In terms of eating disorders, there is evidence that the longer a person has anorexia nervosa, the greater the chance they will have alterations in how their genes are expressed. It appears that malnourishment could turn on or off certain genes, which influence the course of the disorder. However, epigenetic studies of eating disorders are in their infancy.

A Word From Verywell

Just as environmental factors can increase a person's susceptibility to an eating disorder, the converse is also true: Changing the environment can facilitate prevention and recovery. For example, growing up with warm, nurturing parents could mitigate genes that predispose someone to anxiety.

However, chance and luck also play a role, and individuals vary in their genetic risk. Even in the face of every preventative measure, some people with extremely high genetic risks may still go on to develop an eating disorder after just one or two triggering events that are outside of their control. Others who have low genetic risk may show resilience to developing an eating disorder even in the face of many potential environmental risk factors.

When someone develops an eating disorder, it's no one's fault. The cause of eating disorders is too complex to attribute blame to any one person, event, or gene.

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Why Do Some People Get Eating Disorders?

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When a person gets sick, it's natural to want to understand why. With eating disorders, which are associated with many myths and negative stereotypes, the question of causation can be especially confusing. But research shows that families -longtime scapegoats-do not cause eating disorders, at least not in any simple, straightforward manner.

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Although the reasons are many and varied, we understand that individuals with eating disorders constantly use food and control over food in an attempt to compensate for feelings and emotions that might otherwise seem overwhelming.

Complexity to express emotions and feelings.

A history of being teased or teased in functionality of size, weight, or looks.

Social components that many feel may help eating disorders include:

Cultural pressures that glorify thinness and value obtaining the "perfect human body."

Narrow definitions of beauty that include only women and men of specific shapes and body weights.

Cultural rules that value individuals based on physical appearance, and not internal qualities and strengths.

Scientists are still investigating the likely biochemical or biological reasons for eating disorders. In several people with eating disorders, certain brain chemicals that control cravings, hunger, and digestion have been found to remain unbalanced.

Eating disorders are complicated conditions that can arise from a variety of probable reasons: physical, emotional, social, and family issues.

They are serious and complicated problems. We must be careful to avoid thinking of them in simplistic terms like "anorexia is just a demand for attention" or "bulimia is just an addiction to food." Eating disorders arise from a variety of physical, emotional, social and family problems, all of which have to be addressed for effective prevention and treatment.

Also,eating disorders aren't just a "ladies' problem" or "girly thing." Men who remain preoccupied with shape and weight also have the possibility of developing eating disorders as well as dangerous shape control practices such as the use of steroids.

As often as feasible, educational programs for schools, community businesses, and the like should be coordinated with opportunities for competitors to speak confidentially with a trained professional with expertise in the field of eating disorders and, where appropriate, receive referrals to sources specialized and competent care. .

Prevention efforts will fail, or worse, inadvertently encourage eating disorders, if they focus solely on educating the public about the signs, signs, and risks of eating disorders.

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Although the causes are many and varied, we know that people with eating disorders often use food and the control of food in an attempt to compensate for feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem overwhelming. For some, dieting, bingeing and purging may begin as a way to cope with painful emotions and a way to feel in control of one's life, but ultimately, these behaviors will damage a person's physical and emotional health, self-esteem and sense of competence and control.

Psychological factors that can contribute to eating disorders include:

Low self-esteem.

Feelings of inadequacy or lack of control in life.

Depression, anxiety, anger or loneliness.

A quest for perfection.

Interpersonal factors that can contribute to eating disorders include:

Troubled family and personal relationships.

Difficulty expressing emotions and feelings.

A history of being teased or ridiculed based on size, weight or appearance.

A history of physical or sexual abuse.

A history of being lauded based on size, weight or appearance.

Social factors that many feel may contribute to eating disorders include:

Cultural pressures that glorify thinness and place value on obtaining the "perfect body."

Narrow definitions of beauty that include only women and men of specific body weights and shapes.

Cultural norms that value people on the basis of physical appearance, and not inner qualities and strengths.

Scientists are still researching possible biochemical or biological causes of eating disorders. In some individuals with eating disorders, certain chemicals in the brain that control hunger, appetite and digestion have been found to be imbalanced. The exact meaning and implications of these imbalances remain under investigation.

Eating disorders are complex conditions that can arise from a variety of potential causes: physical, emotional, social and familial issues. Once started, they can create a self-perpetuating cycle of physical and emotional destruction. All eating disorders require professional help. All causes need to be addressed for effective prevention and treatment. The earlier an eating disorder is discovered and addressed, the better the chance for recovery.

The cultural context for eating disorders

1. Eating disorders are serious and complex problems. We need to be careful to avoid thinking of them in simplistic terms like, "anorexia is just a plea for attention" or "bulimia is just an addiction to food." Eating disorders arise from a variety of physical, emotional, social and family issues, all of which need to be addressed for effective prevention and treatment.

2. Eating disorders are not just a "woman's problem" or "something for girls." Males who are preoccupied with shape and weight can also develop eating disorders, as well as dangerous shape-control practices such as steroid use. In addition, males play an important role in prevention. The objectification and other forms of mistreatment of women by others contribute directly to three underlying features of an eating disorder: obsession with appearance, shame about one's body and low self esteem.

3. Whenever possible, educational programs for schools, community organizations and the like should be coordinated with opportunities for the participants to speak confidentially with a trained professional with expertise in the field of eating disorders and, when appropriate, receive referrals to sources of competent, specialized care.

Prevention efforts will fail, or worse, inadvertently encourage disordered eating, if they concentrate solely on warning the public about the signs, symptoms and dangers of eating disorders. Effective education programs must also address:

Our cultural obsession with slenderness as a physical, psychological and moral issue.

The roles of women and men in our society.

The development of an individual's self-esteem and self-respect in a variety of areas (school, work, community service, hobbies, creative activities, athletics, etc.) that transcend physical appearance.

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Perfect Illusions . What Causes Eating Disorders | PBS

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Although the causes are many and varied, we know that people with eating disorders often use food and the control of food in an attempt to compensate for feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem overwhelming.

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Over the past 20 years, various articles have posited a relationship between the skinny lady beauty ideal and the muscular masculine body ideal portrayed in the media with a variety of psychological symptomatology including body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. Studies have reported a significant change in the weight and magnitude of female and male role models portrayed in the media in Western society and the term 'perfect or ideal human body'. With the era, the cultural ideal for the lady's body size and shape has become considerably thinner and more slender, and the human's body size and shape have become stronger and more muscular.

Research studies have shown that adolescents often report body dissatisfaction, with girls experiencing more body dissatisfaction than boys. A meta-analysis of 25 studies involving women examined the impact of exposure to media images of the lean body ideal. Body image has been significantly more negative after viewing images of skinny media than after viewing images of average-sized models, oversized models, or inanimate objects.

In one analysis, 44% of the girls believed they were overweight and 60% were actively trying to lose weight, even though most of these teens were in the usual weight ranges.
Found that the value of being thin and trying to look like the ladies on TV, in tapes, or in magazines predicted that girls (ages 9-14) began to purge at least once a month. In another prospective analysis, this same set found that both boys and girls (ages 9-14) who made an effort to look like media figures were much more likely than their peers to develop worry. on weight and become people who constantly diet.

Doctors have to ask periodically about the behaviors involved with the media, such as watching television, watching video clips, using video games, the time they spend in front of the PC and listening to radio programs, and the types of magazines they read. Those concerned about the negative effect of the media on body image, self-esteem, food intake, diet and eating disorders need to consider a sequence of different interventions, such as health communication campaigns, edutainment, media promotion and media literacy training.

Media literacy, one exemplification of such participation, is a process of understanding and using mass media and has been shown to help adolescents evaluate program content and advertising more critically. Media literacy programs have been integrated into several Canadian schools and have the potential to integrate media activism. Another rather fundamental goal of media literacy is to educate and prepare parents to critically evaluate media content.

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The impact of the media on eating disorders in children and adolescents

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An eating disorder is a psychological health condition in which you use control over food to cope with emotions and other situations.

Unhealthy eating behaviors can include eating too much or too little or worrying about your weight or body shape.

The most common eating disorders are:

anorexia nervosa: trying to keep your weight under control by not eating enough, exercising enough, or both

bulimia: losing control over how much you eat and then taking drastic measures to keep from gaining weight

Binge Eating Disorder (BED): Eating huge amounts of food until you feel uncomfortably full

Ask if you have an eating disorder

If you or the individuals around you are concerned about having an unhealthy interaction with food, you may have an eating disorder.

problems with digestion, such as bloating, constipation

your weight is too high or too low for someone your age and height

Procedure for eating disorders

You can recover from an eating disorder, but it can take time and recovery will be different for everyone.

Your procedure will depend on the type of eating disorder you have, but it mainly includes talk therapy.

Your procedure may also involve working through a guided self-help program if you have bulimia or binge eating disorder.

Most individuals will be offered personal therapy, however individuals with binge eating disorder may be given group therapy.

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An eating disorder is a mental health condition where you use the control of food to cope with feelings and other situations.
Unhealthy eating behaviours may include eating too much or too little or worrying about your weight or body shape.

Anyone can get an eating disorder, but teenagers between 13 and 17 are mostly affected.

With treatment, most people can recover from an eating disorder.

Types of eating disorders

The most common eating disorders are:

anorexia nervosa - trying to control your weight by not eating enough food, exercising too much, or doing both

bulimia - losing control over how much you eat and then taking drastic action to not put on weight

binge eating disorder (BED) - eating large portions of food until you feel uncomfortably full

Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED)

A person may have an OSFED if their symptoms do not exactly fit the expected symptoms for any specific eating disorders.

OSFED is the most common eating disorder.
Find out more about OSFED on the Beat website
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

ARFID is when someone avoids certain foods, limits how much they eat or does both.

Beliefs about weight or body shape are not reasons why people develop ARFID.

Possible reasons for ARFID include:

negative feelings over the smell, taste or texture of certain foods

a response to a past experience with food that was upsetting, for example, choking or being sick after eating something

not feeling hungry or just a lack of interest in eating

Find out more about ARFID on the Beat website

Check if you have an eating disorder

If you or people around you are worried that you have an unhealthy relationship with food, you could have an eating disorder.

Symptoms of eating disorders include:

spending a lot of time worrying about your weight and body shape

avoiding socialising when you think food will be involved

eating very little food

making yourself sick or taking laxatives after you eat

exercising too much

having very strict habits or routines around food

changes in your mood such as being withdrawn, anxious or depressed

You may also notice physical signs, including:

feeling cold, tired or dizzy

pains, tingling or numbness in your arms and legs (poor circulation)

feeling your heart racing, fainting or feeling faint

problems with your digestion, such as bloating, constipation or diarrhoea

your weight being very high or very low for someone of your age and height

not getting your period or other delayed signs of puberty

You can read more about the symptoms of:

Warning signs of an eating disorder in someone else

It can be very difficult to identify that a loved one or friend has developed an eating disorder.

Warning signs to look out for include:

dramatic weight loss

lying about how much they've eaten, when they've eaten, or their weight

eating a lot of food very fast

going to the bathroom a lot after eating

exercising a lot

avoiding eating with others

cutting food into small pieces or eating very slowly

wearing loose or baggy clothes to hide their weight loss

Getting help for an eating disorder

If you think you may have an eating disorder, see a GP as soon as you can.

A GP will ask about your eating habits and how you're feeling, plus check your overall health and weight.

They may refer you to an eating disorder specialist or team of specialists.

It can be very hard to admit you have a problem and ask for help. It may make things easier if you bring a friend or loved one with you to your appointment.

You can also talk in confidence to an adviser from eating disorders charity Beat by calling their adult helpline on 0808 801 0677 or youth helpline on 0808 801 0711.

Getting help for someone else

It can be difficult to know what to do if you're worried that someone has an eating disorder.

They may not realise they have an eating disorder. They may also deny it, or be secretive and defensive about their eating or weight.

Let them know you're worried about them and encourage them to see a GP. You could offer to go along with them.

Read more about talking to your child about eating disorders and supporting someone with an eating disorder.

The eating disorder charity Beat also has information on:

Treatment for eating disorders

You can recover from an eating disorder, but it may take time and recovery will be different for everyone.

If you're referred to an eating disorder specialist or team of specialists, they'll be responsible for your care.

They should talk to you about the support you might need, such as for other conditions you have, and include this in your treatment plan.

Your treatment will depend on the type of eating disorder you have, but usually includes a talking therapy.

You may also need regular health checks if your eating disorder is having an impact on your physical health.

Your treatment may also involve working through a guided self-help programme if you have bulimia or binge eating disorder.

Most people will be offered individual therapy, but those with binge eating disorder may be offered group therapy.

Read more about the different treatments for:

Treatment for other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) will depend on the type of eating disorder your symptoms are most like.

For example, if your symptoms are most like anorexia, your treatment will be similar to the treatment for anorexia.

What causes eating disorders?

We do not know exactly what causes eating disorders.

You may be more likely to get an eating disorder if:

you or a member of your family has a history of eating disorders, depression, or alcohol or drug misuse

you've been criticised for your eating habits, body shape or weight

you're really worried about being slim, particularly if you also feel pressure from society or your job, for example, ballet dancers, models or athletes

you have anxiety, low self-esteem, an obsessive personality or are a perfectionist

you've been sexually abused

Find out more

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Read about the different types of eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, including what possible causes and treatments available.

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It’s normal to become emotionally invested in people you care about, but if you feel like you can't be happy without a certain person, you’ve crossed the line into emotional dependency. Emotional dependency can be difficult on you and on your relationships, but there are numerous ways in which you can reclaim your emotional independence. Our how-to guide will help you break out of that dependency so you can rebuild healthier relationships.

1. Identify the fear behind your dependency.
Most of the time, feelings of neediness are rooted in fear. Think about how you would feel if the person you’re dependent on left. Ask yourself what in particular scares you about that scenario.

2.Spend time alone.
Get in touch with your inner mind. Find a time when you won’t be interrupted, and sit quietly with yourself for a while. Notice where your mind goes and what kind of urges you experience. You may find some thought patterns or habits you weren’t previously aware of.

3. Strengthen your sense of identity.
Embrace your truest self. Think about who you really are when you’re not trying to please anybody else. Identify your core values, the things you want to achieve, and your idiosyncrasies. Work on building a sense of self that doesn’t depend on external validation.

4.Stop trying to control others.
Channel your energy into taking control of your own choices and thoughts. When you depend too much on other people, you may end up trying to control them – or feeling miserable because you can’t. Accept that other people have the right to their own thoughts, feelings, and choices, and realize that these won’t always involve you.

5.Get help breaking the pattern.

Talk to someone you can trust. If you feel locked in a cycle of emotional dependency and can’t manage to break out on your own, don’t be afraid to seek help. Talk to a trusted friend or relative, or get help from a counselor or therapist.

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It's normal to become emotionally invested in people you care about, but if you feel like you can't be happy without a certain person, you've crossed the line into emotional dependency. Emotional dependency can be difficult on you and on your relationships, but there are numerous ways in which you can reclaim your emotional independence. Our how-to guide will help you break out of that dependency so you can rebuild healthier relationships.

Look for the good in people, and keep your expectations reasonable. Don't get angry if someone occasionally disappoints you. Remind yourself that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses.

For example, no one is perfect. If a friend forgets your plans, give them the benefit of the doubt, especially if it's a one-off. Otherwise, it's like you expect everyone to be flawless while you are entitled to make mistakes.

Add New Question

How do you become more independent?

Klare Heston is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker based in Cleveland, Ohio. With experience in academic counseling and clinical supervision, Klare received her Master of Social Work from the Virginia Commonwealth University in 1983. She also holds a 2-Year Post-Graduate Certificate from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, as well as certification in Family Therapy, Supervision, Mediation, and Trauma Recovery and Treatment (EMDR).

You can become more independent by spending some more time thinking about your life and situation before asking others for advice. You can also do some deep breathing, relaxation, visualization and/or journaling. Using affirmations can also help--for example, "I believe in myself."

What are the signs and symptoms of dependent personality disorder?

Klare Heston is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker based in Cleveland, Ohio. With experience in academic counseling and clinical supervision, Klare received her Master of Social Work from the Virginia Commonwealth University in 1983. She also holds a 2-Year Post-Graduate Certificate from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, as well as certification in Family Therapy, Supervision, Mediation, and Trauma Recovery and Treatment (EMDR).

Dependent Personality Disorder goes beyond emotional dependency and represents an overall life orientation that has become entrenched. It is a mental disorder listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

What is an emotional dependency?

Klare Heston is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker based in Cleveland, Ohio. With experience in academic counseling and clinical supervision, Klare received her Master of Social Work from the Virginia Commonwealth University in 1983. She also holds a 2-Year Post-Graduate Certificate from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, as well as certification in Family Therapy, Supervision, Mediation, and Trauma Recovery and Treatment (EMDR).

Emotional dependency is crossing the line from love or caring into needing the other person to sustain yourself. You lose your own boundary and merge yourself with the other person.

This article was co-authored by Klare Heston, LCSW. Klare Heston is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker based in Cleveland, Ohio. With experience in academic counseling and clinical supervision, Klare received her Master of Social Work from the Virginia Commonwealth University in 1983. She also holds a 2-Year Post-Graduate Certificate from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, as well as certification in Family Therapy, Supervision, Mediation, and Trauma Recovery and Treatment (EMDR). This article has been viewed 74,583 times.

You can start working to overcome emotional dependency by learning to recognize and address your emotional needs. Instead of looking to others to make you feel a certain way, remind yourself that you are responsible for your emotions. For example, if you have a bad day, find a healthy way to make yourself feel better. You can go for a walk, write in a journal, or simply tell yourself that you are worth caring for. Keep reading to learn how giving to others can increase your sense of dependability.

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 74,583 times.

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15 Ways to Overcome Emotional Dependency - wikiHow

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It's normal to become emotionally invested in people you care about, but if you feel like you can't be happy without a certain person, you've crossed the line into emotional dependency. Emotional dependency can be difficult on you and on...

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It is often difficult to distinguish: Is it love or emotional dependency? Many people think that when it comes to love, it is perfectly normal to put your partner's needs and desires above your own. But if this goes too far, it can quickly become unhealthy.
Emotional dependency, also known as codependency, is a characteristic of an unhealthy relationship and can take on different facets. A lack of boundaries, always putting the needs of your partner before your own and making strong sacrifices for the relationship are all examples. Being significantly dependent on the other person to feel self-worth, over-investing in the relationship, and ignoring warning signs in the other person's behaviour can also be signs.
In addition to low self-esteem, there may be other contributing factors. One of the emotions that weighs heavily on those who are codependent is shame. They feel ashamed of their own perceived weakness and their inability to extricate themselves from the complicated situation. But this shame is unfounded. After all, emotional dependency is a learned behaviour whose roots in some cases go back to childhood.
As a young person, we absorb impressions like a sponge - including the behaviour of our own parents. If the mother or father already had problems with healthy boundary setting, did not stand up for their own needs or showed an unhealthy way of communicating, it can happen that their children also show similar behaviours later on. Emotionally inaccessible parents can also leave deep marks on the way their child later manages relationships. Those who longed in vain for love and approval as children often enter into similar relationships in adulthood

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Emotional dependency - Toxic relationships and why it’s so hard to let them go

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Is it love or emotional dependency? How to recognise and overcome codependency in relationships.

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Emotional dependency is a state of mind where a person is incapable of taking full responsibility for their own feelings. They do have emotions like sorrow, grief, heartbreak, anxiety, and depression but they cannot embrace, accept, or nurture these feelings.
Emotional dependency occurs when we rely on others to feel happy, which can lead to dangerous consequences that can affect our peace of mind and well being. Emotional dependence can be quite the challenge to overcome because it requires courage to tap into the strengths that will help us get beyond our needs to please others. However, it’s necessary to know how to be emotionally strong, if you want to reach your true potential.
When you are not taking responsibility for your own feelings and are unable to define your own worth, you end up depending on others. This state is nothing but being a victim of others' choices. Here, the individual needs to understand that

1. It is not others’ job to fill your emotional void or needs and you should realize that true emotional fulfillment can only be provided by loving yourself.

2. Emotional Dependency is a terrible state to be in because one never feels content, happy, or satisfied without another person’s approval.

SOME SYMPTOMS:

1.  The constant need to be close to other people

2.  Constant insecurity

3.  A feeling of not being good enough to be with the partner

4.  Obsessive fear of losing their partner

5.  Constant feeling of guilt if they don’t pay total attention to their partner

6. Acceptance of psychological and physical suffering, for fear of losing the relationship

7.  A constant and dominant feeling of anxiety

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Emotional dependency can take a toll on your friendships and relationships. Know how to become strong mentally and cope with it.

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Emotional support is one of the big benefits of having relationships, It’s normal to look to partners for emotional support and guidance, especially in a long-term relationship.
Emotional dependence, however, passes the point of support.
Most romantic partners depend on each other to some extent. But when you need your partner to meet all of your emotional needs, you’re probably not doing much to meet those needs on your own. This total reliance on another person can eventually take a toll on your relationship and overall well-being. Emotional independence rests on one end, completely independent people might resist all emotional support, preferring to cope with emotional needs alone, or even ignore them entirely.
When you can’t fulfill them on your own, then you might reach out to your partner. In other words, you depend on them for some emotional needs, not all of them.

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Emotional Dependency: What It Looks Like and How to Stop It

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Emotional dependency can take a toll on both partners in a relationship, but it’s nothing a little effort and compassion can’t fix.

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There is a cultural trend that suggests every moment of the day should be filled with a specific purpose, whether it be at work, school, or during leisure time. However, some argue that certain "time-wasting" activities, such as boredom, daydreaming, and play, have surprising benefits.

According to a new theory proposed by researchers from the University of Limerick, boredom can motivate people to seek out meaningful tasks, such as blood donations. Additionally, boredom has been linked to creativity. Doodling, often seen as a distraction, can actually help people concentrate and remember information. Daydreaming, a common pastime, has been found to have numerous benefits, including relaxation, increased productivity, and problem-solving. Lastly, playtime is crucial for children's development, both physically and mentally. Studies show that children who have daily recess breaks perform better in school and exhibit better classroom behavior.

While it may seem counterintuitive to embrace "time-wasting" activities, they may actually enhance productivity and overall well-being. Instead of constantly striving for purposeful activity, it is important to recognize the value of downtime and unstructured playtime.

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There's a feeling these days that if you're not actively doing something with a purpose, you're just wasting time. Schools get rid of recess. Weekends must be filled. Vacations are scheduled down to the minute. Not everyone thinks this way, of course. Google is probably the best example---the company lets employees spend 20 percent of their time on activities outside their job descriptions and has had great results, such as the creation of a Body Browser. And scientists are finding that many so-called time wasters are actually helping us:

Boredom is often thought to be bad, possibly associated with negative outcomes like aggression, anger, drug abuse, even pathological gambling. But Wijnand van Tilburg and Eric Igou of the University of Limerick are proposing a new theory on the subject, saying that bored people feel that their actions are meaningless and those feelings provide motivation for more positive things. "Boredom can paradoxically be a very strong motivator for people to seek out unpleasant yet meaningful tasks, such as blood donations," van Tilburg told the . Others have noted that boredom is often related to creativity.

Doodling may help people concentrate by preventing them from drifting off in a daydream. In one experiment, participants were asked to listen to a recording of names and places and later write down those they remembered. The people who were filling in shapes on a piece of paper remembered a third more names than those who simply sat and listened.

Not that daydreaming doesn't have its own benefits (though you should probably stick to doodling in meetings). Scientists say it can help you relax, boost your creativity and productivity, and even help in the maintenance of a healthy relationship. We spend about a third of our waking lives daydreaming, and during that time our brains are surprisingly active, according to a 2009 study. That might be because they're trying to tackle more complex problems, like how to find success in life.

Full-fledged sleep is also a good thing, as we covered a few weeks ago. Napping can have positive effects on visual, verbal and motor skills, blood pressure, memory, cognitive processing and creativity. Studies have even found that healthy nappers have lower death rates from heart attacks and strokes.

And for kids, the value of playtime is often unappreciated (why else cancel recess?). Play is how children learn the social and intellectual skills they need as adults. It helps their brains develop and bodies stay healthy. Playtime also helps kids to develop creativity and to pay attention. And a 2009 study found that a daily recess break of at least 15 minutes was associated with better classroom behavior and better performance in school. As the study's lead author, Romina M. Barros of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, told the New York Times, "we should understand that kids need that break because the brain needs that break."

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There's a feeling these days that if you're not actively doing something with a purpose, you're just wasting time. Schools get rid of recess. Weekends must be filled. Vacations are scheduled down to the minute. Not everyone thinks this way, of course.

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In a world where productivity is highly valued, taking time to engage in activities that feel like time-wasters can provoke a sense of guilt and worry. However, research suggests that there are essential benefits to individuals and businesses when they embrace the value of "wasting time". Humans are not equipped to work long hours while maintaining high productivity and consistent quality. The human brain can focus, but only for short periods. In between those focused sessions, people should be encouraged to waste a little time.

There are three categories of time-wasters: unavoidable work-related activities, activities that feel like wasting time but are beneficial to mental health and physical well-being, and activities that people tend to feel guilty about, such as playing video games or scrolling social media. It is important to know your limits, as a knowledge worker or someone who depends on mental insight to make a living, and take breaks to rest your brain. Brain rest helps reset, solutions come during breaks, and creativity requires wasting time. Innovation often happens when people are playing.

In conclusion, "wasting time" is a way for the brain and body to recalibrate and reset. Engaging in activities that feel like time-wasters can contribute to overall health, problem-solving, and innovation. People should ask themselves how much time they spend on tasks unrelated to work, what productive time-wasters they enjoy, and if there is a new one they'd like to try. The next time someone is stuck, exhausted, or stressed at their desk, they should set a timer for 30 minutes and waste a little time away from work. Chances are good they'll return to their tasks with renewed energy and focus.

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Peter Stewart, PhD, is a Business Psychologist and Managing Partner at Stewart Leadership.
Everywhere you look, books and publications are full of productivity hacks-ways to improve productivity, get more done and-very important-stop "wasting time." In a world that values productivity and results, a world where 70- and 80-hour work weeks are a badge of honor, the very concept of "wasting time" provokes a sense of guilt and worry. What if we take an hour to exercise and miss an important call? What if someone notices that we spent a few minutes browsing social media after hours of concentrated work?
What are your time wasters?
The truth is that there are essential benefits to people and businesses when organizations embrace the value of "wasting time." As it turns out, people are not equipped to work 16-hour days or even, perhaps, eight- or 10-hour days while maintaining high productivity and consistent quality. The human brain can focus, but only for short periods. In between those focused sessions, people should be encouraged to waste a little time.

Some of your time wasters may be unavoidable. These are work-related activities that don't require intense intellectual work or creativity. Activities such as required meetings or administrative tasks may feel like time wasters, but they are probably necessary to your overall function or role. (If they aren't, it may be time to talk about prioritizing and delegating!)

Some activities feel like wasting time but are quite beneficial to our work productivity, mental health and physical well-being. Exercise, reading, engaging in hobbies such as gardening or woodworking and connecting with friends and family all meet important basic needs we have as human beings. Engaging in these activities may feel like wasting time, but they contribute to your overall health.
Know your limits.
A third category is the activities we tend to feel most guilty about, such as playing video games, scrolling social media or binge-watching the latest Netflix series. These activities may give you a reason to feel guilty, but should they?

If you are a knowledge worker or in some way depend on your intellect and mental acuity to make a living, you probably only have about four to five hours per day of real focus available. When those hours occur can vary widely; some people are highly productive and focused in the morning, whereas others start to hit a state of flow in the evening.

Historically, many writers, scientists, artists and other bright people have split up their days into two or three small chunks of time where they can devote intense focus to work, using the remainder of their days for personal pursuits, long walks, family time or other passion projects.

Of course, knowing that Charles Darwin only worked about four hours per day may be interesting, but it may not be a convincing argument for slacking off for large portions of your workday. The bigger point is that long-term productivity that avoids burnout and exhaustion requires some amount of brain rest, and to get that kind of rest, you might need to waste a little time.
Brain rest helps us reset.
Here are three advantages to engaging in activities that feel like time-wasters:
Solutions come during breaks.
Your brain needs time off to recharge and prepare to refocus. That means both long breaks and short ones. Take a quick walk, read a chapter of a book, make lunch or get a snack away from your desk. Moving away from work-related tasks gives your brain a chance to recalibrate and prepare to dive back in.
Creativity requires wasting time.
How often have you been focused on a problem to no avail, then come up with a solution days later while doing something unrelated (taking a shower, jogging, driving, talking to a friend, etc.)? That's because even when we put away a problem, our brains still work on it in the background, like a program running behind the scenes on your computer. Taking breaks for something unrelated to work may help you solve vexing problems.

Innovation often happens when people are playing. Google's famous " 20% Policy " speaks to this idea. The policy asked employees to spend 20% of their time exploring or working on projects that had no promise of immediate pay-off. Innovations such as Google News, AdSense and Gmail came from this policy. This isn't to say that innovation will happen when you're binge-watching Netflix, but it may occur when you read a business book, watch a TED Talk or have a friendly conversation with a co-worker.

Remember, you are not a machine-and besides, even machines have to be reset and recalibrated occasionally. "Wasting time" is your brain and body's way of recalibrating and resetting. Ask yourself:

Do you feel guilty when you take time to care for your physical health during the day? Why?

How much time do you spend on tasks unrelated to work each day? Is it enough?

What are some productive time wasters you enjoy (exercise, reading, crafting, etc.)? Is there a new one you'd like to try?

The next time you are stuck, exhausted or stressed at your desk, set a timer for 30 minutes and waste a little time away from work. Chances are good you'll return to your tasks with renewed energy and focus.

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?

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Council Post: Why You Should Embrace The Concept Of "Wasting" Time

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Peter Stewart , PhD, is a Business Psychologist and Managing Partner at Stewart Leadership. Everywhere you look, books and publications are full of productivity hacks-ways to improve productivity, get more done and-very important-stop "wasting time."

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In the digital age, time is the greatest asset that people have, yet they often waste it mindlessly scrolling through social media, a “time sucker”. To prevent wasting time, people must know where their time goes each day, and identify and reduce activities that don’t add value, such as watching TV or working in an uninspiring job. By being proactive and setting meaningful objectives, we can avoid drifting through the day without accomplishing anything of value. Goal-setting and having a schedule help maintain focus and visualise the work that needs to be done, and scheduling prevents boredom and complacency. Multitasking, which gives a false sense of security, should be avoided as the human brain is not designed to execute it. Instead, providing adequate timings and schedules for all tasks gives individuals space to focus on and complete each task properly. Proper time management enhances well-being and productivity, and individuals should make the most of their available time by focusing on passion projects, side hustles, dream businesses, or hobbies. By implementing these strategies, we can boost our productivity and avoid wasting time.

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As the saying goes, "time is gold," but do we act like it? We feel guilty when we spend even $10 on something which turns out to be useless, yet we indulge in wasting time mindlessly scrolling through social media for 10 minutes during a work day.

The reality is time is your greatest asset. It can't be repeated, earned, or bought back, even with all the money in the world. If you watch your finances like a hawk, you should be mindful of how you spend your time all the more.

Wasted time isn't measured by your lack of activity. You can spend the day resting after a long work week, and it would still be a day well spent. But if you find yourself aimlessly hopping from one task to the next, even the busiest day will become a waste of time.

Here's what you can do from now on to stop wasting so much time.

How to Stop Wasting Time and Boost Productivity

1. Know Where Your Time Goes

If you don't know where your time goes, how can you stop wasting time? Having a clear view of where your time is spent each day gives you a clear baseline on where to improve.

Making the most of your time isn't just good for productivity; studies show that proper time management enhances your well-being to a greater extent.

2. Be Aware of Your 'Time Suckers'

Be ruthless in cutting out the activities which do not add value to your day. Being aware of where your 'time suckers' are is the first step to making the most of your available time.

You can start small, pinpointing moments during the day which are spent unproductively and work on reducing them.

Watching how much time you spend on social media is a key area to be aware of. Do you find yourself looking through your social media channels, only to realize an hour has passed without you knowing? If so, perhaps you should be limiting the amount of time you spend on the internet.

How about the amount of time you spend in front of the TV each day? If your daily routine involves coming home from work mentally exhausted, only to spend the next three or four hours mindlessly watching TV shows you have no interest in, you are wasting your time.

According to Statista, data shows that U.S. adults are estimated to spend an average of watching three hours of TV daily. That's 1,095 hours annually, which is also equivalent to about 45 days.

Think about all the passion projects, side hustles, dream businesses, or hobbies you can start and do with the extra time.

'Time Suckers' can also apply to bigger decisions as well, such as your job. You spend at least eight hours of your day at work; it doesn't have to be perfect, but it does have to inspire you to keep going back each day. If your current job does not inspire you, investing some time to find a vocation that does would be a good use of your time.

3. Start the Day Proactively

Maximizing your time involves taking a proactive stance. Start the day with intention by setting meaningful objectives. You can aim to kickstart a new work project with your team or simply buy groceries for the week. The objectives could be as big or as small as you like, so long as they are specific, realistic, and achievable.

On the other hand, not having any kind of plan makes for a waste of time. This is a reactive stance; you drift through the day, merely responding to people and events outside of your control. This will drain your energy and leave you accomplishing nothing of value at the end of the day.

Research shows that goal setting helps greatly in influencing proactive behavior. Having goals will keep you focused and completing your objectives for the day will inspire a lot of positive energy that will power you through the next.

Need some inspiration? Read this: 20 Personal SMART Goals Examples to Improve Your Life

4. Have a Schedule

After setting your goals, it's time to see how all the activities you need to make them happen fit into a schedule. Scheduling allows you to visualize all the work that needs to be done, preventing feelings of boredom and complacency from kicking in. It also stops you from wasting so much time thinking of which task to do first so you can focus on getting things done.

You can plan to spend thirty minutes of your morning exercising, one hour studying Italian, and a couple of hours meeting with your friends. Health and fitness, education, and relationship building are not wasteful activities. You've made great use of your time at only three and a half hours into your day!

Try these scheduling apps recommended by a productivity expert to help you stay organized.

5. Stop Multitasking

As ironic as it sounds, you're wasting time when you attempt to do more in less time. Multitasking is given high regard in the era of competitive business, but it actually does more harm than good.

According to research, the human brain lacks the cognitive and neural structures to execute multitasking. Our attention spans and areas of control are wired to focus on one thing at a time. The actual manifestation of multitasking is task-switching or shifting between two activities within a given period.

Multitasking wastes time because it gives you a false sense of security that you can juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. In reality, you might be doing the work but without the focus needed to do your work well. This puts you at risk of lackluster performance or worse, having to repeat the task repeatedly.

Providing adequate timings and schedules for all your tasks gives you the space to get things done right the first time. With enough planning, you have enough room to scrutinize the details without getting overwhelmed. This makes you more efficient and, as a result, puts your time to better use.

6. Reduce or Re-route Interruptions

From phone calls to impromptu meetings, the average worker is interrupted fifty times daily. This can't be helped. Not everything in life is planned - accidents happen, emergencies pop up, and navigating through these is a part of life.

Nevertheless, interruptions can disrupt one's concentration, and these are a waste of time to get back. If you can pinpoint the most frequent interruptions to your day, you can find ways to reduce or re-route them to more conducive setups to maintain your productivity without losing focus.

To reduce distractions, try shifting your workspace orientation to face away from the window. You can close your door during tasks with deep concentration or block off time in your virtual schedule to finish your tasks without interruption. If your attention is shot with every new email, don't uninstall your email, but simply set a designated time to open your inbox.

Final Thoughts

Life is short. Wasting time on online distractions, getting involved in meaningless discussions about things we have no control over, and drifting through our days with no plan or objective is like throwing away our hard-earned money. It's about time we give time the importance it deserves.

From now on, become aware of how you spend your days, pinpoint which activities are a waste of time, and start the day with a plan. While going about your day, stay focused by keeping to a schedule, stop multitasking, and minimize interruptions. You'll be surprised how much more you can get done in a day if you stop wasting so much time and set your mind to it.

Featured photo credit: NeONBRAND via unsplash.com

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How to Stop Wasting Time and Be More Productive - LifeHack

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As the saying goes, "time is gold," but do we act like it? We feel guilty when we spend even $10 on something which turns out to be useless, yet we indulge in wasting time mindlessly scrolling through social media for 10 minutes during a work day.

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Procrastination is a common issue that affects many of us. We all have deadlines and tasks that we need to complete, but sometimes we just can't seem to get started.

But why do we procrastinate? There are many reasons why, but the most common is fear. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of the unknown. We may feel like we're not good enough, that we'll mess up, or that we'll never be able to complete the task at hand.

Another reason we procrastinate is because of our habits. We may have developed a habit of putting things off until the last minute, and it's become so ingrained in us that we don't even realize we're doing it.

So how can we overcome procrastination? The first step is to identify the root cause of our procrastination. Is it fear? Is it habit? Once we know the cause, we can work on addressing it

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The notion that time-wasting is a negative behavior is challenged in this article. Although it is often associated with procrastination and laziness, the author contends that it can have benefits too. Studies are cited in the article which suggest that taking breaks and participating in activities that are not work-related can actually enhance creativity and productivity.

Moreover, the article points out that people frequently feel guilty about wasting time even when they are doing something enjoyable. However, the author argues that this guilt is unjustified and that people should appreciate the importance of leisure time. Engaging in hobbies, spending time with loved ones, and simply relaxing can all have positive effects on mental health and well-being.

It is important to differentiate between purposeful time-wasting and being unproductive, as the article warns. Purposeful time-wasting entails deliberately taking a break from work to engage in an enjoyable or relaxing activity. Procrastinating or avoiding responsibilities, on the other hand, can have negative effects.

Overall, the article encourages readers to change their perception of time-wasting and acknowledge the advantages that leisure time can offer. By engaging in purposeful time-wasting, individuals can improve their overall well-being and even increase their productivity in the long term.

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I found myself arriving 30 minutes early for an appointment, twiddling my thumbs in a waiting area and annoyed at myself for poor planning.

That morning, I'd been attending to various errands and thought that I had worked things out so that I would arrive at my accountant's office a few minutes ahead of schedule. What would I do for 30 minutes? I didn't have my phone with me. I hadn't brought a book. The magazines in the waiting area were excruciatingly dull.

The thought came over me that I really hate to waste time. From the moment I get up in the morning until the moment I go to bed, I engage in purposeful and productive activity. If I have an extra hour in the day, I can work on an article or read a book. If I have an extra 30 minutes, I can catch up on mail. If I have an extra 15 minutes, I can make phone calls. In an extra five minutes, I can review my "to-do" list. Both consciously and unconsciously, I have subdivided my day into smaller and smaller slivers of productive time use, down to five-minute units of efficiency.

When I am not filling up each of those five-minute holes with directed activities, I feel guilty. I feel slothful. I feel that I would not want my friends to see me goofing off. I feel that I am not living up to my capacity.

Rarely do I permit myself the hedonistic luxury of sitting quietly in a chair for 30 minutes without external simulation or visible activity. Rarely do I let my mind roam freely without schedule or purpose. Rarely do I "waste time." Of course, I am not alone in the frenzied, goal-oriented life that I lead.

I suspect that part of our guilt about wasting time lies deep in the Puritanical roots of our culture. Most of the Puritans who colonized America in the 17th century subscribed to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, written in 1646 and 1647 by a group of English and Scottish theologians. A portion of the Catechism reads: "The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission, or careless performance, of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness . . . "

In short, idleness was considered a sin against God. I believe that sentiment still lurks beneath the surface of our collective psychology.

Yes, teens are texting and using social media instead of reading books, researchers say

Beyond this deeply ingrained theological imperative not to waste time is simply the fact that it's hard to slow down in today's accelerated world. The pace of life has always been driven by the speed of communication, and human civilization has never before witnessed such an increase in that speed as in the past 30 years, with the advent of the Internet and the smartphone.

When the telegraph was invented in the 19th century, information could be transmitted at the rate of about three bits per second. By 1985, near the beginnings of the public Internet, the rate was about 1,000 bits per second. The rate is now about 1 million bits per second. The Internet is an avalanche of high-speed information, public stage, entertainment, scandal, images, sounds and adrenaline rush only seconds away. Most of us carry smartphones wherever we go, and we are tethered to those phones like drowning swimmers to their life jackets.

Then there's the time-equals-money equation, imprinted on us since the Industrial Revolution and the use of time to measure labor. Harry Triandis, an emeritus professor of social psychology at the University of Illinois, says that the time-equals-money equation, when combined with the higher productivity afforded by high-speed communication, creates an urgency to make every moment count. A survey of 483 professionals reported in the Harvard Business Review found that 60 percent of those who carry smartphones are connected to their jobs 13 1/2 hours or more each day on weekdays and 4 1/2 hours on weekends. That's 72 hours per week.

So, what exactly have we lost when we cannot slow down our lives and find periods of the day where we let our minds wander without purpose or goal? When we cannot find a few minutes to unplug from the grid and be alone with our thoughts? More personally, what have I lost when I cannot sit quietly and calmly in a waiting room for 30 minutes?

For one thing, I have endangered my creative activity. Creativity requires unstructured time and solitude, away from the bustle of the world. Composer Gustav Mahler routinely took three- or four-hour walks after lunch, stopping to jot down ideas in his notebook. Carl Jung did his most creative thinking and writing when he took time off from his frenzied psychiatry practice in Zurich to go to his country house in Bollingen. In the middle of a writing project, Gertrude Stein wandered about the countryside looking at cows.

The mind needs periods of rest to replenish itself. Some researchers believe that one benefit of sleep is to give the mind an opportunity to make sense of the input of the day. I would argue that constant external simulation during waking hours, without any time for quiet contemplation, is equivalent to sleep deprivation. The need to rest the mind has been known for thousands of years and can be found in the meditation traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Our hyperconnected lifestyle, without downtime, threatens our "inner selves." My inner self is that part of me that imagines, that dreams, that explores, that is constantly questioning who I am and what is important to me. My inner self is my true freedom. My inner self roots me to me and to the ground beneath me. The sunlight and soil that nourish my inner self are solitude and personal reflection.

Want to be happier? Stop scheduling your free time.

I suggest that the psychological destruction caused by our frenzied lifestyles, while subtle and sometimes invisible, may be as catastrophic as the destruction of our physical environment by our heedless pollution and consumption. Just as we developed a new habit of mind about smoking in the 1980s and 1990s, we need to develop a new habit of mind about our pace of life.

I have a friend, a former high school teacher in Arlington, Mass., who started something new with her students. At the beginning of each class, she rang a bell and asked her students to remain silent for four minutes. This small revision in the school day worked wonders. The students were calmer, more centered and more creative.

All of us can find ways to introduce moments of stillness in our day. Take a 20-minute walk every day and leave your smartphone behind. Unplug all devices during dinner. Try sitting quietly for 20 minutes before bed, with a book or with nothing at all, and just let your mind think about what it wants to think about. For the more ambitious, insist that your workplace have a "quiet room," where employees are allowed and encouraged to spend 30 minutes a day without external stimulation.

These suggestions may seem inconsequential, but they are part of changing our habit of mind. We must honor our inner lives. Otherwise, we are prisoners in the modern world we've created.
Alan Lightman is a physicist, novelist and professor of the practice of the humanities at MIT. He has written several books, including "In Praise of Wasting Time" and "Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine." Read more: Teens who spend less time in front of screens are happier - up to a point, new research shows This simple solution to smartphone addiction is now used in over 600 U.S. schools I thought grit would bring me success. It almost killed me.

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Perspective | Go ahead, waste some time - it's good for you. Here's why.

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I found myself arriving 30 minutes early for an appointment, twiddling my thumbs in a waiting area and annoyed at myself for poor planning. That morning, I'd been attending to various errands and thought that I had worked things out so that I would arrive at my accountant's office a few minutes ahead of schedule.

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Our dangerous obsession with perfectionism on social medias is getting worse

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Our dangerous obsession with perfectionism on social medias is getting worse

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In the same way, providing that the population insist on giving stubbornness a much better significance, it could be said that they will be perceived as the steadiest ones when it comes to pursuing their own goals and great challenges. But now, what is necessary to keep in mind is that the boundaries between being persistent and falling into the absolute ignorance are almost imperceptible to our eyes; even more when our wisdom is blinded and we justify our bad attitudes with the excuse of accomplishing our objectives. In such cases, it is your loads of personal values that you should think about since there’s a fair likelihood that doing so might boost yourself to act according to your own ethics, despite the fact that you’re still being stubborn. Apparently, both of these actions don’t have a relation at all, however, an exceptional headstrong and determined stubborn understands how profitable it is, and learns to master his/her own reactions in line with all they’re seeking. Furthermore, and as an important part of that awareness, flexibility can end up playing a significant role. There’s no sense on blaming ourselves when we cannot find feasible alternatives; all you need to do is to be smart enough in order to deal with those kinds of situations and trying not to dismiss the achieving power you still have.

https://www.shrm.org/executive/resources/articles/pages/being-stubborn-.aspx

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Now, regarding to the upsides that executing this conduct accurately can provide, it exists an endless list of ways to apply stubbornness, from which we can draw some inspiration in order to make it absolutely profitable and convenient depending on what our ambitions and intentions are. To exemplify it better, it is noticeable how tenacious and decisive people become, it is their decision-making power that is evidently enhanced and allow those to perfectly troubleshoot the difficulties they may face. Secondly, it is hugely believed that the best managers are pretty stubborn people and it leads them to have an exceptional leadership, whereby they are capable of motivating others by spreading their tons of passion and determination throughout pieces of advice, rewards and strategies so that the other ones can develop the same kind of abilities and, as a result, a positive progress.  Thirdly, their honest willingness to persevere when facing adverse times is tremendously advantageous to their subordinates considering that it also encourages people not to throw in the towel when it seems almost impossible to accomplish certain goals. Hence, as there are thousands of people whose skills are usually undermined by themselves, being directed by a good stubborn would be a great chance to boost both their self-confidence and self-esteem.
https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/general/turning-bad-mad-and-stubborn-into-positive-personality-traits/

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TED talks:
° https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4veYwewf9P0
° https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k14pRgig6Zg
° https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP4mOYMf6d8&t=365s
° https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8

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Undoubtedly, assuming you’re now eager to be a terrific stubborn, it is paramount to mention the features that may well be taken into account so that you keep yourself from ending up in the opposite and dark side. For doing that, what you should bear in mind is that it is fundamental to learn how to interpret criticism more objectively in order to set up an own action plan. For instance, it is shown every day that some people are truly pleased to offer you constructive criticism, from which you can always be immensely benefited since it will allow you to see yourself through others’ eyes and stop yourself from making the same mistakes over and over again. However, you must be careful when accepting that feedback because it is also common that there are ones who base their words in the big differences that exist between your processes or interests. Moreover, there are other ones who will follow the same path by establishing their reasons according to their own perception of you (a non-objective idea); in such cases, it’s suggested you set your own boundaries without resorting to rudeness. On the other hand, the most important characteristic to be highlighted is when externals constantly let you know that you’re confusing maturity with arrogance and also that the plans you’re carrying out are actually driving you to nowhere. That’s where you should stop and reconsider how your essence is and self-asses your actions.

https://thriveworks.com/blog/is-being-stubborn-a-good-or-bad-thing/