Finding an Outlet for your Negative Energy

Positive psychology is on a rise and becoming more and more popular. It is a good thing, right? Unfortunately, many people interpret the main idea of positive psychology as that negative feelings are bad and need to be avoided. Well, if you can avoid them entirely then you are very lucky and very unique. Regrettably, most of us cannot. Can we still be happy? Here’s a secret that many happy people already know – everyone deals with negative feelings from time to time (or a lot of the time).  Okay, so maybe that’s not so secret.  But what do happy people know that unhappy people seem to forget?  We all need an outlet in which to channel those unhappy feelings.  Because we are never (and I mean never, no matter how hard you try) going to avoid negativity, we need to find an effective way to deal with it in order to truly be happy. 

One of the best ways to channel that negative energy is to find something positive to engage in.  And depending on who you are and what you like, this can be a variety of different things.  There is no need to fret or worry about what you choose for an outlet – so long as what you choose makes you happy and does not harm anyone else.  For example, maybe your best friend loves to indulge in a hot cup of tea and a good book when she is faced with stress and adversity; however, maybe the idea of reading a book makes you even more stressed out.  No big deal – you can still be best friends and have very different outlets.

Maybe you are still trying to figure out what might relieve your stress, worry, anxiety or negative energy…..here are a few suggestions:

Yoga – This is my go-to activity for stress relief and relaxation.  No matter how bad of a day I’ve had, no matter how many worries are running through my head, by the time I lay on my mat for the last pose of the session (known as savasana), I literally feel the tension ooze out of my body.  My head is clear, my heart is full, and I leave class with a new outlook on life.  Even if you don’t have the time for a formal class, take 10 or 15 minutes to do a few poses in your living room.  The stretching and breathing is likely to have a calming effect on you, making it easier to forget your troubles and go about your day.

Meditation – This is another great way to focus your mind and energy onto something positive.  The practice of quiet breathing has an amazing calming effect on the mind and body.  You can enhance the experience even further by burning essential oils during a meditation session; some great choices for a relaxing effect are lavender, rosemary or chamomile. 

Gardening – There is something soothing about becoming one with and using the Earth around us.  The art of tilling the ground, preparing the soil and sowing the seeds can be so peaceful for some people.  Tending to the garden and nurturing the plants can provide focus and balance to an otherwise chaotic life.  And reaping the benefits of the garden can provide ultimate satisfaction.  If you have access to a plot of land that can be used for gardening, give it a try.  If you live in a city or apartment, you still have options.  Join a community garden in your area (if there is one), which allows you to cultivate a small plot of land in a shared garden.  If nothing such as that exists in your area, try growing a small herb garden or tending to a plant you can keep in your home or apartment. 

Volunteering – Helping people who are less fortunate than you can help you better appreciate your own life.  When the going gets tough for you, reach out to someone who has bigger problems.  Spend time at a local shelter, talking with people or simply lending a listening ear.  Offer to serve food at your Church’s soup kitchen or ask your local hospital if they need donations or assistance in any way.  When you see life in a different way, through the eyes of someone who is struggling more than you are, it can have a way of bringing your own problems into perspective. 

The above list is an extremely small list of ideas that can help you channel negative energy into positive.  Other suggestions include any type of exercise, listening to your favourite music, calling a friend or talking a long (or short) walk.  Remember, the outlet itself does not matter as much as the feeling you get from it.  Find your inner passion and work it – you’ll be glad you did.  

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstar/526078304

Autism Research on Detecting Emotions

Reprint of my article published by HealthyPlace.com on January 28, 2014.

More often than not, when people see others yawning, they find themselves yawning as well. This phenomenon is known as social yawning and it involves a deeper set of emotions. Yawning in this scenario reflects a person’s empathy for another. Such instinctual display of empathy usually strengthens the social group and the relationship among individuals. However, recent research shows that contagiousyawning is not always the case for people on ASD spectrum.

Research offers many explanations for the deficiency to perceive emotions typical for ASD population. Most dominant one is that autistic children tend to confuse the expressions being displayed and therefore find it difficult to interpret them successfully. 

In 2011, I was visiting MIT Media Lab and met Dr.Rosalind Picard, an MIT Professor, who leads a number of research projects on assistive technologies for people with autism. Dr. Pickard tells us that many autistic children are brilliant in reading facial expressions if they analyze them on a computer or observe another person from a distance. The distinction, however, arises when we try to measure face-to-face interaction. An autistic child focuses hard on comprehending what we are saying when we talk to them and therefore ignores our facial expressions. 

To help autistic children counter these challenges, Picard and her team at MIT Media Lab are trying to develop special assistive technology for expression analysis. The software uses six affective-cognitive mental states defined by Professor Baron-Cohen from the University of Cambridge: Agreeing, Concentrating, Disagreeing, Interested, Thinking and Unsure. The technology tracks the facial points, monitors face transitions, records the head poses and extracts the facial features. As the facial expressions change, the software keeps recording the degree of each emotion as seen in the different expressions. Professor Picard emphasizes the importance of dynamic analysis for face transitions. The problem is that static face expressions are not always representative of the expressed emotion and it is the history of face transitions that gives us cues to deciphering another person. For example, if someone looks confused as they didn't understand or missed something in our speech, we might mistakenly perceive their facial expression as disagreement with our statements.

"Emotional Intelligence, Technology & Autism", Rosalind Picard, MIT

It turns out that, based on the dynamic analysis of facial transitions, the computer can easily detect what the person is feeling. When tested on different categories of contexts and behaviours, the computer software developed at MIT Media Lab appeared to be more successful in recognizing facial transitions than people in general. This technology is a scientific breakthrough and marks a significant step towards availability of mainstream assistive tools for individuals with Autism.

Dr. Mari Davies and Dr. Susan Bookheimer, neuropsychology researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, conducted a study to compare the brain activity of 16 typically developing children and 16 high-functioning autistic children. These children were subjected to a series of faces showing emotions of anger, fear, happiness and neutral expressions while undergoing Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Half of the faces had their eyes averted, the other half stared directly back at the children. 

It was found that, Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex (VLPFC), the part of the brain which evaluates emotions, became active when the direct-gaze faces came up and quieted down when the averted-gaze faces were displayed to the typically developing children. However, the autistic children showed no reaction to either set of faces. This shows that autistic children do not perceive any difference in emotion whether the face stares back at them or looks away from them.

Emotions are of second nature to the typically developing children; however, for autistic children recognizing emotions is a very difficult process. Yet, autistic children are often able to recognize simple emotions. In a study conducted by Professor Baron-Cohen, it was found that autistic children could make out faces that showed happy or sad emotions but had difficulty identifying faces carrying expressions of surprise or fear. 

According to Dr. Angelique Hendriks from Radboud University, the reason for this deficiency could be a weak central coherence. This term defines the inability of autistic children to combine the parts of information or signals they receive into one whole coherent picture. This is why they treat different parts of information separately and are unable to connect and relate them to the situation at hand.

Dr. Ellie Wilson in her PhD research at Macquarie University tested the hypothesis of whether autistic children can match images onto real life people. The study demonstrated that the key difference with neurotypical children is in the way autistic children move their eyes around the face. It may be possible that training might improve their recognition skills, though the results from a few training studies in the past haven’t been particularly convincing. 

Among many problems faced by autistic children, having no perceptual ability to read facial expressions is the most serious and pressing of them all. Researchers and technologists are working together to develop mechanisms which will aid the learning of autistic children and help them navigate in the social world.

Understanding Learning Disabilities

Reprint of my article published by MedHelp.org on Jan 18th

According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2.4 million children in the United States are diagnosed with a learning disability and receiving special education services.  Within this staggering number, you might be wondering if your child’s poor grades, lack of interest in school or other intellectual or emotional problems are something more than poor study habits and boredom.  If you are concerned that your child may be suffering from a learning disability, read on.

Learning disabilities encompass a number of specific conditions, ranging from mild to severe.  Learning disabilities are different from other disabilities, such as intellectual disability (also known as mental retardation), autism and sensory (vision/hearing) problems.  Most people who are diagnosed with a learning disability have average (or even above-average) intelligence, but they struggle with certain skills in particular areas. 

The main sign of a learning disability is a disconnect between a person’s level of ability versus his or her level of achievement.  For example, a child may be perfectly capable of learning the alphabet, yet he or she struggles to say the letters in order.  Or a person might be on the developmental level of learning to read, but for some unexplained reason, he or she cannot seem to get through a paragraph.  Learning disabilities tend to affect abilities in one (or more) of the following areas:

• Hearing/listening
• Speech
• Reading
• Writing/Spelling
• Deductive reasoning
• Math
• Executive Function

Many times learning disabilities are hereditary; if a family member (such as a parent or sibling) has LD, the child is more likely to suffer from one.  Other causes of LD include problems during pregnancy (i.e. drug/alcohol use during pregnancy, premature birth or low birth weight and prolonged labor, which could lead to a lack of oxygen), head trauma and poor nutrition. 

If you notice changes in your child’s school performance or behavior, you may want to consider having your child tested for a learning disability.  Even a mild learning disability can have a major impact on your child’s education and self-esteem.  The sooner the problem is discovered, the sooner a plan (often known as an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Individualized Service Plan (ISP)) can be developed and implemented. 

Start by keeping a log of your child’s behavior and school performance.  This helps you (and your doctor) determine if there are any patterns in his or her behavior/performance and what could be triggering them.  You can also schedule a meeting with your child’s teacher(s) to discuss any problems or concerns they may have.  Getting everyone in your child’s life on the same page is an important first step towards determining if your child does indeed have a learning disability. 

Prior to any formal testing being completed, you and your child’s teacher(s) might be able to devise and implement interventions to assist your child academically, behaviorally, or both, if necessary.  Just because your child is struggling in some areas of learning does not necessarily mean a diagnosis of LD is inevitable.  However, if after the implementation of a plan your child still struggles, you might want to consider more formalized testing to determine the nature of the problem. 

There is not one specific test to determine if your child does indeed have a learning disability.  In fact, your child may require several screenings, tests and/or diagnostic interviews to determine the cause, type and extent of the problem.  Most testing starts with some form of intelligence testing, such as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale or the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children.  An intelligence test helps educators and psychologists determine your child’s intellectual functioning; it can also provide clues as to what areas your child may struggle or have a deficiency in.  After intelligence testing is complete, your child may be given other, more specific screening tools/tests to assess his or her ability in a particular area. 

Once the area of deficiency is identified and your child’s level of functioning is determined, you will sit down with a team – who usually consists of you, your child (if old enough), your child’s teachers, a psychologist and anyone else who will be working with your child – to develop a plan of action to assist your child.  This might include modifications to your child’s education (such as being given more time during a test or using visual aids to help your child learn more effectively), as well as perhaps a teacher’s aide or tutor to help keep your child on task and focused.  These modifications might start off rather heavy-handed to help your child reach his or her potential, and they can be gradually tapered off as your child gets older or learns more skills. 

Remember, you are your child’s best advocate.  If the school does not seem to believe there is a problem or refuse to test your child, you can always seek a second opinion.  Speak with your child’s pediatrician if you have concerns that are not being addressed.  He or she can usually write out a referral for formalized testing; you can then show the results of this testing to the school for further action. 

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstar/4418249819

Researchers suggest few strategies to improve self-control

Reprint of my article published by "Live Bold and Bloom" on Jan 7th

So you have a goal in mind, but you can’t seem to meet it.

No matter how hard you try, you keep getting sidetracked.

Maybe you’re trying to get a project for work completed, but the incessant “ping!” of a new email or text message arriving to your phone has you glancing away from the task. Or maybe you’re working toward a healthy weight target, but those cupcakes in the kitchen are calling your name. The diversions of self-control are all around us, tempting us to forgo our intentions and goals.

Are some people more predisposed at pushing those deterrents to the background?

Is there a way to boost our ability to control ourselves and strengthen our willpower?

How can we keep distractions from bogging us down?

There are, in fact, scientists working to answer these questions, and we can use their findings to benefit our pursuits. Recent evidence suggests that the ability to resist temptation is stronger in some people than others. According to survey conducted by American Psychological Association, only about 15% of people have impenetrable willpower, focus and control over their actions, and about just as many give in to almost anything that crosses their path.

The remaining two thirds are about equally prone to straying from the control we seek to have over ourselves, sometimes resisting temptation, other times not. Despite this statistic, it is a worthwhile pursuit to try to become better at resisting temptation and have more willpower.

The positive outcomes of self-control

Studies have shown that self-control is often associated with other positive traits. In the April, 2004 issue of the Journal of Personality, Tangney, Baumeister and Boone found that young people with higher scores on their measure of self-control had higher grade point averages, higher self-esteem and confidence, less psychopathological problems, less eating problems, and lower ratio of drug and alcohol addictions.

They also had better relationships and interpersonal skills and more optimal emotional responses.  It is important to keep in mind when reading these correlations that they do not imply simple causation. In other words, these positive traits were associated with self-control, but they were not necessarily caused by it.

So what can we do to boost our willpower and ability to lean away from instant gratification?

Evidence suggests that keeping your focus on concepts rather than details can help. Research findings of Dr. Kentaro Fujita, an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the Ohio State University, suggest that using self-control to do something difficult or undesirable now (for benefits in the long run) can be made easier by keeping in mind WHY we’re doing it, rather than focusing on the details.

A global perspective

That is to say, taking a long-term perspective or viewing the goal from a distance can help. This is referred to as high-level construal. It allows us to think about the ends rather than the means. In his study, participants were asked to take this approach by reminding themselves of the reasons that they chose to maintain good physical health.

This is in contrast to what psychologists call low-level construal. This approach forces us to look at the means rather than the ends of our goals that require self-control. Such an approach is not beneficial to self-control as it has us bogged down in the minutiae. Fujita’s participants in this condition of his experiments were told to think about how they maintain good physical health.

Fujita’s findings offer additional suggestions on ways to increase self-control. In a 2008 article in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, he advises global processing, abstract reasoning and high-level categorization.

Global processing suggests that we should see the whole forest (not the trees) and consider each choice as part of a long-term goal.

Abstract reasoning means thinking philosophically – avoiding the details and focusing on how everything fits into the larger scheme of things. So when you want to maintain a regular gym regime, for instance, you may imagine your ideal self or how exercise connects mind and body.

High-level categorization helps self-control because it encourages us to categorize components that need to be achieved in order to maintain self-discipline and stay on track with our objectives.

Each of these strategies instructs an individual to think more globally and abstractly so as not to get easily side-tracked.  In this way, one does not get deterred or put off a goal and self-control becomes more manageable. As you learn to delay gratification, improve your willpower, and exhibit more self-control, you’ll accomplish more and feel better about yourself. Your confidence and self-esteem will improve dramatically as a result.

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstar/526078304