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How to Soothe Your Anxiety While Traveling

Traveling is mostly associated with fun, relax, and thrill. But for people with anxiety or panic disorders, being in a new place can be triggering. There are some steps you can take to ease your symptoms. Read on for some of the most recommendable and easy-to-execute tips.

  1. Bring your favorite films and shows with you.

If you’re not traveling with a laptop, you can get the Amazon Fire Stick. Simply plug it in any TV and you can access all the films and shows you love. The portable $39 gadget gives you access to Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and a host of other streaming services that will help distract you from your anxiety. Keep in mind that some content might be blocked in your destination. To make sure you can access everything you need, use a VPN for Amazon Fire Stick.

  1. Drink responsibly or avoid alcohol altogether

There is an endless list of non-anxiety reasons why taking alcohol before a flight is a no-no. For starters, magine how difficult it would be getting the ever-busy hostesses to attend to you or finding your missing luggage at the destination. If you have anxiety, you would be brewing a mental disaster for yourself during or after your flight. Studies show that alcohol is more likely than not to worsen your symptoms. If you have to take anything, let it be water, coffee, or soda instead. Save the alcohol for when you arrive and are familiar with your destination.

  1. Remember the facts

If you have flight anxiety, remind yourself of how minute the chance of an air disaster happening is. In case you didn’t know, the probability of being involved in a plane crash anywhere in the world is around one in three million. If you travel once every day, you will need over 2,700 years to accumulate one million flights, which is obviously impossible. It is certainly a good idea to avoid disaster news if you have flight anxiety, but reading up basic crash stats and facts beforehand can go a long way toward calming you down ahead of your flight.

  1. Exercise before travelling

Exercising a few moments before boarding a plane can relax your muscles and brain and distract you from your anxiety. And, by exercising, we don’t necessarily mean doing a full-fledged Crossfit workout; you just need to give your body a proper stretch and you are good to go. Sitting idly before the flight may lead to a wild build-up of your nervous energy, which would start showing when it’s finally time for the flight. Use every minute you get before and in between flights to keep your muscles engaged, ideally by taking short walks.

  1. Do not fight your feelings

This may seem bizarre, but, apparently, going with your feelings is a thing when it comes to fighting anxiety. According to studies, the tactic of digging in emotionally and trying to override the panic from the core does not always work. That war with yourself is likely to cause you to pay more attention to the detrimental facet of your fears and inflate your anxiety several times over. Recognizing and acknowledging your anxiety or panic can help you get around it without breaking a sweat. Remind yourself of the times you have had the feeling and managed to pull through perfectly. This tactic helps with bringing your thoughts and feelings back under your control. It may take longer to work for abrupt panic attacks but it is almost always bound to work in the end.

  1. Watch a funny video

No alleged anxiety remedy beats listening to relaxing music for minutes on end. However, watching a video of one’s favorite comedian has been shown to have similar effects on the brain. The science behind it is simple: philosophy doesn’t think it is plausible to be anxious and laugh at the same time. One has to pave way for the other. So, if you can manage to have a collection of comedy videos at the ready before your flight, you can counter your anxiety even before it strikes. The body will remain relaxed up to hours after having a genuine laugh, so you don’t necessarily have to wait for the symptoms of anxiety to take out your phone and watch that video.

Anxiety is a complex experience that doesn’t always warn before hitting. You have to be ready at all times. These tips can help you halt your fears in their tracks and regain control of your feelings in an instant. Know which ones work for you best and ensure you can access them during and after the flight. If it is music, download the playlist and save it in your phone early on. Also, regardless of the length of your journey, be sure to fully charge your phone, tablet, or laptop for good measure.

Is Second-Hand Vaping Bad For You?

vaping

It’s not uncommon to spot somebody vaping in public these days. People are vaping at the parks and while shopping in grocery stores, as well as in some workplaces. Vaping is a relatively new phenomenon. It’s just about a decade ago that electronic cigarettes appeared in Europe and U.S markets. What’s more, no study has comprehensively revealed the long-term effects of vaping.

Therefore, though some people argue that vaping is less harmful when compared to traditional smoking, they are not justified to expose non-vapers to second-hand vapor. That’s because there could be negative effects on the health of the non-vapers they expose to second-hand vapor.

Second-Hand Vapor is Not Smoke

This is vapor that people exhale after inhaling from their vapes vapingdaily.com learn here. Technically, this is the aerosol that a vaper releases to the atmosphere. Just like second-hand smoke from a smoker, this vapor lingers in the surrounding air for some time. That means a person near the vaper can inhale it. This is more likely to happen if a person vaporizes in a small room.

However, bystanders do not inhale second-hand smoke. That’s because vaping does not involve smoking. Therefore, no smoke is produced. Smoke is produced when a cigarette is combusted. Burning leaves, wood, tobacco, or building, produces carcinogenic particles, volatile gasses, or carbon monoxide. Tar is also produced.

But, second-hand smoke may not have the same level of dangerous effects with first-hand smoke. However, prolonged exposure to second-hand smoke is a serious hazard.

Vaping produces vapor when e-liquid is heated using an atomizer. The atomizer has a metal coil that turns e-liquid into the vapor that a person inhales. Unlike smoke, this vapor does not have tar or carbon monoxide. But, research has shown that this vapor has dangerous metals and chemicals. Nevertheless, they are in small amounts.

Therefore, vaping exposes a person to a tiny toxicants level when compared to smoking. That means even the dangers of second-hand vapor are lower than those of second-hand smoke.

Composition of Second-Hand Vapor

When a person uses the best vape in a room, second-hand vapor comes from their mouth and lung then into space. Vaping does not have side stream vapor or smoke like smoking a traditional cigarette. When a person smokes a traditional cigarette, smoke is emitted constantly. This is not the case with vaping.

For a vaping device to produce vaper, the user must inhale. By the time a person exhales, the substances found in the vapor are relatively low. That’s because the vaper absorbs most of these substances via the throat, lungs, and mouth. Second-hand vapor, therefore, might not be a serious thing for bystanders since they get very little content.

Glycerin and propylene glycol are the basis of most e-liquids. But, apart from these, the vapor that is exhaled by a vaper does not have a high level of toxicants. Research has shown that though the contents of electronic cigarettes vapor that a user inhales justify monitoring, there is little contamination that is exhaled in it. Thus, people that inhale second-hand vapor are less likely to be at risk.

What a vaper doesn’t inhale usually falls to off. And if a person is concerned about third-hand nicotine, it usually lands on furniture and floors if it is not absorbed. Thus, the only case that can be made here is about vaping around pets or kids that may lick the nicotine from those surfaces. Nevertheless, settle residue doesn’t have much nicotine.

Therefore, as long as, a person uses one of the best types of vapes, there is no way they can endanger those around them with second-hand vapor. That’s because the components of second-hand vapor are very low and they don’t have a plausible mechanism by which they can enter the human body.

What’s more, particles released from vaping are in liquid form and not solid form like is the case with smoking. And, these particles do not seem to affect the quality of the air at all. This was revealed by a study conducted in 2017 at the University of California, San Diego. This research involved homes of families with low incomes. Researchers established that smoking marijuana or tobacco, burning candles, and cooking affected the counts of particles in these homes. However, vaping didn’t have a measurable effect on the quality of indoor air.

Studies on the effects of second-hand vapor have also been done in vape shops where the best vapes on the market are sold and used. These have also shown that toxicants levels are below the limits of occupational exposure.

So, How Bad is Second-Hand Vaping?

Considering the findings of the studies cited in this article and others, there are no health risks associated with second-hand vapor via a comprehensive scientific study. Exposure to second-hand vaping is likely to be an order of magnitude less and therefore doesn’t pose apparent concerns. This means that exposure to second-hand vapor toxic chemicals is very light to a level where it can’t pose a real threat.

When a person uses the best vape, the risk they expose themselves to is likely to be 10 times, 100 times, 1000 times, or even 10,000 times lower the risk they expose bystanders to. But, does this give vapers the right to expose bystanders or non-vapers to second-hand smoke? The answer is an absolute no!

Though no research has conclusively proven that second-hand vaping is harmful to the people around a vaper, it’s important to respect their concerns. So, if you vape at home and your friends or family members are concerned about exposure to second-hand vapor, respect their concerns. Thus, if your spouse or even visitor objects having you vaporize around them, be thoughtful and courteous enough to go and enjoy vaping away from them. Most importantly, if you have a family member with a medical condition like asthma, avoid vaping around them. That’s because some flavorings and propylene glycol can irritate their airways, leading to asthma attacks.

Additionally, children don’t have much choice. Therefore, use your judgment and be cautious when vaping if you have them around.

The Bottom Line

No study has conclusively proven that second-hand vaping is harmful to other people. However, vapers should not experiment with children or their loved ones. What’s more, vapers should read the best vape reviews to buy quality devices. This will enable them to enjoy great vaping experiences without exposing others to toxicants.

 

21 Things You Need To Do If You Want To Live A Happy And Meaningful Life

Things You Need To Do If You Want To Live A Happy And Meaningful Life

How can I achieve happiness? Am I trying hard enough to achieve my goals? What else should I do so that I can feel that I am content with my life? – are questions we are all familiar with.

Unfortunately, there are many people who are not aware that they do things that prevent them from achieving happiness and success. Are you wondering what those things are?

Here are 21 things you need to do if you want to live a happy and meaningful life:

1. Live your life in accordance with your own beliefs, principles, and values. You’re the only one who can direct your own life.

2. Stand up for yourself when someone is criticizing you and judging you.

3. Stick to the people that matter to you. Make sure you keep the people who make you feel happy and fulfilled always in your life.

4. Distance yourself from people who drain your energy and suck the happiness out of you.

5. Learn how to be in touch with your emotions. Learn to embrace your negative feelings and never be ashamed of them.

6. Spend less time on social media.

7. Forgive those who have done you wrong and hurt you. Carrying resentment and bitterness in your heart will never do you any good.

8. Accept and love yourself just the way you are. Embrace your annoying habits, quirks, insecurities, fears, and wounds.

9. Don’t try to always be there for everyone around you. Not every person you help will appreciate that.

10. Don’t blame yourself for your mistakes. Instead, learn from them.

11. Never compare your own happiness and successes to those of other people.

12. Never forget to practice self-care and self-love.

13. Always be yourself!

14. Find the strength to give up your bad habits and develop new ones that will contribute to your health and happiness.

15. Treat other people with kindness, compassion, respect, and dignity.

16. Treat yourself the same way as well.

17. Let go of everything that is not important to you in life.

18. Always tell others the truth, no matter how harsh and painful it might be.

19. Never let what other people think of you determine your worth.

20. Never blame others for your mistakes and shortcomings. Instead, take responsibility for all your actions.

21. Ask yourself if you’re the person you’ve wanted to be. If you are not, keep working on it.

How to Actually Enjoy a Formal Party When You’re an Introvert

Fall has just begun, and before we know it, it’ll be the holiday season, which can often bring with it lots of parties and events, sometimes including large, formal parties, depending on your job and your group of friends. While many people misunderstand introversion as meaning that introverts don’t actually like social events at all, and don’t enjoy parties of any kind, most introverts do prefer to socialize in smaller groups where they don’t need to be introduced to lots of people at once and make small talk, and can also find the pressure of more formal parties such as black tie galas stressful.

If this sounds like you, and rather than looking forward to these annual events, you’d rather find an excuse to stay at home or just spend a peaceful evening with your friends in a less extravagant context, then you may sometimes dread these social obligations. However, if you plan ahead and focus on the right aspects of the occasion, it can easily be possible to enjoy the party just as much as the social butterflies. Here are some tips:

Choose Something to Wear That Makes You Feel Great

One of the best things about formal events is that you can dress up and look your best, and it can be quite satisfying to see all the people you see every day at work, or in other ordinary situations when you’re feeling like you look a lot more special. Christmas parties can give you an excuse to wear the most glamorous clothes, and so you can have a lot of fun choosing a dress for the occasion, trying on stuff you wouldn’t normally have an excuse to wear and even taking inspiration from red carpet fashion.

Whether you’re interested in fashion in general or just want to enjoy yourself and feel good at the party, shopping for a look for the event can be enjoyable, and of course, it’s also something you can do online if you don’t feel like dealing with the stores in the run-up to the holidays!

Check out Jovani, who have an amazing range of stunning evening dresses and formal gowns perfect for black tie parties and glamorous work events. If you want to, you can even go for something that really fits the Christmas mood, like velvet green dresses. For instance, there’s these Jovani velvet green dresses that can give you a glamorous look that is seasonal and classy, and just putting on a gorgeous dress like one of these will have you feeling positive and ready to have fun!

Get the Mingling Out of the Way Early

If you find chatting with people you don’t know very well or have just met stressful or exhausting, but are obligated to do it because of the party having a networking element, then it’s a good idea to do this early when everyone is first arriving and having drinks. This lets you do the rounds while your social energy levels are at their highest, and will mean you can spend the later parts of the evening, when you may be less energized and have a lower tolerance for small talk and introductions, with the people you know best or the person you brought as your date or guest, allowing you to enjoy a more intimate celebration.

Look Forward to Some of the Features of the Party

Rather than feeling stressed in the run-up to the party about all of the social interactions you imagine you’ll be forced to tolerate, instead think about the bits of the party you will enjoy the most. Will there be a really entertaining after-dinner speaker? Will there be a delicious meal? Are there going to be any exciting announcements, or things like industry awards given out, which can be interesting and fun?

Even if you are only looking forward to the dessert, or the champagne, or the funny speeches, having something in your mind that you know you’re going to like at the occasion and thinking about that instead of the aspects you don’t think you’ll like so much, can help you talk yourself into actually feeling positive and excited about going. It can also make you feel more like joining in conversations with others who seem to be looking forward to the party, rather than feeling left out for not being as hyped for it as they are.

Social occasions can take more work to enjoy for introverted people, but it is definitely possible to have a lot of fun at a formal event and also to spend the run-up to it looking forward to it rather than wishing that you didn’t have to go! Why not try some of these ideas for your big holiday events this year?

Everything In Life Happens For A Reason: Here’s Why You Should Believe In This Philosophy

Everything In Life Happens For A Reason

“Everything in life happens for a reason” is a concept we are all familiar with. And yes, it’s a concept which is difficult to understand or believe in when life hands us lemons, but it couldn’t be truer.

Every person that comes into our lives, every person that leaves, every choice we make, every result which arises from these choices, and every problem, loss, and pain we experience – all of these happen for a reason. They are all blessings given to us to learn from.

The truth is that regardless of how much we try to control every aspect of our lives, there’re things which we just can’t have control over. Life doesn’t always go according to plan. The universe or fate, or you name it, can throw our way challenges, temptations, problems, and pain when we least expect it.

And all these are not coincidences or mistakes. They are blessings given to us to learn from. That’s why we have to be open to the difficulty and pain. We have to be open to what it’s we’re supposed to learn from an experience. We have to understand that everything which happens in life happens for a reason.

Here are 6 reasons why you should believe in this philosophy:

1. It makes it easier for some people to deal with adversity.

Thinking that everything in life happens for a reason makes it easier for some people to deal with health issues, financial crises, relationship problems, loss of a loved one, and even natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes. Thinking that such events can be perceived as the outcome of accidents, and maybe even of chance gives them the strength to face adversity and move forward.

2. It alleviates your pain.

It might be hard to believe that there’s a reason behind losing a loved one. When you’re faced with such pain, it’s easier to blame someone or something than believe that everything which happens in life happens for a reason.

But, believing in this philosophy can alleviate your pain and enable you to heal.

Everything In Life Happens For A Reason

3. It gives you closure.

When certain things don’t go according to plan, we tend to regret them and we sometimes even blame ourselves for not trying to control the outcome better.

For instance, let’s say you’ve recently broken up with your boyfriend/girlfriend.  While it’s normal to feel disappointed about it and feel a deep sense of loss at first, you can choose to use this painful experience as an opportunity to learn something new about yourself and about how relationships work.  You can learn from this experience what behaviors benefit relationships and what behaviors can cause even the strongest relationship to fall apart.

4. It leads you to the transformative moments of your life.

If you’ve ever had that “aha!” moment in your life, then you know what I’m talking about. Instead of being stuck on a difficulty, pain, or negativity, you have chosen to believe that everything in life happens for a divine purpose and reason.

When you experience your most transformative and defining moments, you realize that everything finally makes sense. You realize that these transformative moments give your life new direction and change the connection you have with other people as well as with yourself.

5. It helps you understand the chaos in your life.

We have all experienced hard and painful situations when completely nothing makes sense. Thinking that everything in life happens for a reason can be very comforting when bad things happen. It’s soothing to believe that there’s a purpose or a plan behind every problem, loss, or pain we face in life.

This philosophy allows us to focus on those parts of our lives that do make sense. And this makes us make better decisions in the future and gives us purpose, strength, and motivation to move forward.

6. Last but not least, it teaches you important lessons.

As I’ve already said – every problem, loss, and pain we experience in life is a blessing and a valuable lesson given to us to learn from. Although it’s difficult for us to understand why certain things happen when life gets difficult at first, there always comes a moment when we realize that there’s a divine purpose and reason behind everything that happens to us.

Because everything that happens to us allows us to learn new things about ourselves and the world around us. It allows us to change and grow. It allows us to transform ourselves into a better version of ourselves.

12 Ways to Relieve Anxiety

Anxiety is something we may experience from thinking forward too much. We might try to imagine how something will play out or what will happen. While we may attribute anxiety to specific events, it’s long-term anxiety that keeps us from the things we enjoy, making it difficult to appreciate our time.

We can manage and decrease the effect of anxiety in our lives. Everyone has a preferred way of coping with their anxiety. Nonetheless, here are a few tried and true ways if you’re still finding yours.

1) Stay in the Present

Anxiety often comes from the perspective of thinking about the future and trying to find the answers to things we can’t predict. It preys on our general sense of concern or worry. It’s important to examine these anxious thoughts and conjectures. This way, we can choose to live in the present, focusing on one task at a time and using planning methods.

2) Examine the Source

Anxiety is often a fear response that can come from blowing things out of proportion. One way to examine the source of your anxiety is to fact check the things you’re stressed about. It can also help to talk with others who have gone through similar experiences.

3) Straighten Your Posture and Breathe Evenly

Straighter posture not only gives you a rush of confidence, but it also allows your lungs more space to fully inflate. Additionally, breathing techniques are a proven way of reducing stress and managing anxiety levels.

4) Make Actions Toward Accomplishing Goals

Anxiety and fear may often cause us to procrastinate and put off our goals. Procrastination, while it may seem comforting at the time, only elongates and exacerbates certain kinds of anxiety. Rather than procrastinating, take some time to understand and plan out your approach, this will make you feel more solid and sure of yourself when you step out into uncharted territory.

5) Get Another Perspective on the Issue

Sometimes a little talking on the subject can go a long way toward relieving your fears. Getting an alternate perspective can help you to think about the problem differently. At the same time, talking to someone else about it can help you to feel a much-needed sense of support and safety.

6) Find a Way to Get a Good Laugh

Laughing offers us a physical release of stress and anxiety, and having lots of laughter in your life can benefit your overall mental health. Find yourself a way to laugh, whether it’s enjoying some comedy or chatting with a friend who always knows how to make you smile.

7) Get Some Exercise

Endorphins from physical activity will not only lighten your mood, but they will also give you a confidence boost. This helps with motivation and self-efficacy. Next time you’re feeling anxious, go for a walk, take a hike out in nature, flow into yoga, or even lift some weights in the gym.

8) Be Aware of What You’re Eating

Avoid eating too much sugar, which can worsen anxious feelings. At the same time, keep track of how much caffeine you consume. Instead, when you feel your energy starting to lag, reach for some water and stretch your legs in a brief walk.

9) Keep a Journal

Writing can help you identify the source of your feelings while also giving you an outlet to vent any frustration and personal needs or desires. It doesn’t have to be frequent, but having a safe space that you can pull out whenever you’re feeling a lot of doubt or anxiety can offer huge mental health benefits.

10) Spend time with Your Loved Ones

Social support can go a long way toward helping us tackle our problems. But aside from that just spending time with the people we care about, including our friends and family, can help to relieve anxiety and give our lives a sense of purpose.

11) Regulate Your Sleep Cycles

Sleep cycles do more than determine how much energy we have in a day. They also regulate our ability to focus, how stressed we feel, bodily processes that we may take for granted, such as hormone balance and metabolism, and our overall mood. If your anxiety is linked to irregular sleep cycles, it might be time to make a more regular bedtime and morning alarm.

12) Take Some Time for Yourself

In the end, if you’ve been working too hard or dwelling too long in a state of anxiety, one of the best options for you could be to take some time away. Time away helps you to regain perspective, compartmentalize the things that bring you down, and open up wider and more fulfilling aspects of your life. For some, this might mean using a handheld massager to relieve accumulated muscle tension, taking a screen-free day, and truly decompressing. For others it will mean adventuring, indulging in a favorite hobby, and finding avenues of personal expansion.

Anxiety is personal, tied to individual experiences and the way we react to them. This also means that anxiety relief is a personal matter. Try out a few different methods, allow yourself to really engage with them, and see what works for you.

Why Is It A Really Good Idea To Read Self-Help Books?

Specialists recommend that you read at least one part of a personal development book per day. This means that you end up reading a few pages, around one chapter, when you feel comfortable to do so. It can be in the morning or in the afternoon. Also, with the help of services like Blinkist you can read more because of the way in which they summarize books, including self-help titles.

Specialists do tell you to read self-development books but most people do not do this. Why is that? It is because there are different benefits that are gained when you do this. The most important ones are presented below.

A More Positive View Of The World

Self-help books are inspiring. When you read passages from inspiring books every single day, the brain is practically flooded with uplifting concepts and positive words. Simply put, you end up feeling better every single day and you have more mental strength to tackle whatever the world throws in your direction.

Taking More Positive Actions

Reading self-help books inspires you to take more positive actions and make the better choice. And you do them more often. Most of the personal development titles on the market include prompts and exercises that make you think about choices made and the reason behind them.

It is always really important to honestly evaluate one’s life. This frees your mind and inspires you to make really good choices. At the end of the day, you end up feeling a lot better about you and the actions that you take since you are aware of why you actually take them.

You Enhance Your Life

People will tell you that reading inspiring books every day aims to improve life. In reality, it is much more than that. This practice can enhance your entire life.

Personal development always aims to expand those things that you got. You do not improve things that you lack. By reading self-help books you become aware of the difference between enhancing and improving. You end up being more focused on the things that matter.

You Destroy Limitations

Self-help books help you to actually believe that you will be able to do more. Many do not improve simply because they have mental blocks. They think that they cannot experience more or do more. Inspiring words pouring towards you every day inspire you to explore limits, capabilities and actually destroy the identified limits.

You can only become better and stronger when you take a risk and you dare to go towards an area of your life that you do not know. You want to experience something that is new to you. However, this is impossible if you are not inspired to do it. You also want to be confident. Self-help books help with this, a lot more than what you might initially think.

Conclusions

As you can see, reading self-help books every single day helps. You should make this a habit and you should take those needed steps to improve your life.

Social Emotional Learning Curriculum for Adults: Is it too late?

Quick answer: No. Social emotional learning curriculums are mostly prepared for children. However, adults need them as much as children do!

According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), social emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which students develop and apply the skills they need to process and manage their emotions, set and achieve positive goals, be empathic towards others, make good decisions, and build and maintain good relationships.

A social emotional learning curriculum is usually developed and offered to children but that doesn’t mean adults can’t learn from these programs, too. In fact, adults would need them just as much as kids would.

Social Emotional Learning Curriculums for Kids and Adults: What’s the Difference? 

Although SEL curriculums all aim for the same thing, the way they are taught or presented will depend highly on the students’ needs and capabilities. In this case, a child’s needs and capabilities are different from an adult’s.

Correction

Compared to children, most adults are very much experienced in handling or dealing with social situations. Whether these experiences are good or bad would depend on their social and emotional skills.

By adulthood, many people would have learned skills and behaviors that do not necessarily contribute to their SEL growth.

In a social emotional learning curriculum for adults, these behaviors must be corrected – they should be addressed and unlearned. This, of course, will not only take time, but also a lot of effort from both the student and the facilitator.

Children would only require very minimal to no correction at all. This makes it easier for them to learn. So, a curriculum for adults must take this in consideration.

Repetition

It’s a well-known fact that children learn faster than adults. The fact of the matter is: children are just built to learn. They’re fresh minds – sponges.

Adults, on the other hand, can be expected to be more distracted and to have a more challenging time learning and retaining all that they’ve learned.

A scientific explanation for this would be the development of a person’s prefrontal cortex. Children, with their still-developing prefrontal cortex, are able to think and perceive things more creatively. Adults, with their developed prefrontal cortex, tend to see things as they are – no imagination or creativity required.

When learning a new thing, this can definitely become a blocker for adults. So an SEL curriculum for adults should be focused on repetition and retention to address this blocker and be truly effective.

Impact 

Children in school don’t really have much to worry about but school. Most adults would have 10,000 other responsibilities to take care of as soon as they step out of their SEL class. Because adults are exposed to more diverse social situations, you can expect that an adult SEL class would contain more advanced lessons.

SEL programs for adults are made to be more impactful so as to make a real difference in an adult’s day-to-day life – teaching them how SEL can have positive effects on their decision making skills, work/professional careers, relationships with others, family life, etc.

Being able to apply SEL in the many different aspects in the life of an adult helps students retain their learnings better.

How Adult SEL Programs Help Develop SEL Programs for Children

Although teaching SEL to children is more preferred than teaching SEL to adults, the latter actually helps in the development of programs to do the former.

Think about it. Who facilitates social emotional learning curriculums for kids? Adults, of course!

So before schools even think about promoting SEL to children, they focus on strengthening adult SEL. Aside from focusing on helping adults develop emotion and stress management skills as well as other social and emotional skills, they also work hard to foster a supportive staff, classroom, and school environment to develop social and emotional competence of the adults facilitating SEL programs for children.

According to CASEL, schools find it easier to teach and even reinforce SEL to children when SEL for adults is also cultivated. The success of the SEL implementation in a school greatly depends on how the staff facilitate the SEL instruction and model their own social and emotional competence.

Adult SEL: Implementing Social Economic Learning  Curriculum in School 

To properly implement social emotional learning curriculums in school, the participation of a great number of adults would be needed. This doesn’t only involve teachers, too. All adults in the school – from the principal to even the lunchroom and janitorial staff – must participate.

This won’t just be helpful for SEL programs for children, this also promotes and nurtures a work environment for everyone to feel supported and able to build and strengthen their social and emotional skills in a personal and professional setting.

Proper implementation of an SEL program would require the following from every adult in the school:

Learning Efforts 

Each adult in school should be actively learning to build their own capacity for SEL as well as their capacity to support SEL in their co-workers and students.

This would require them to reflect on their personal SEL skills, practice self-care, and create personalized SEL learning plans.

 Collaborative Efforts 

Adults in school are taught to be team players. They are expected to support each other via internal structures like professional learning communities and peer mentoring circles.

These structures allow adults to collaborate – discuss SEL strategies, support and encourage each other’s SEL growth, and integrate SEL into staff meetings. 

Setting an Example 

Each adult is expected to set an example as the school implements its social emotional learning curriculum. They are to model SEL competencies, showcase SEL mindsets and strategies, and practice their skills throughout the entire school community – this means that they have to be a good role model to their fellow peers, their students, and even their students’ families.

One challenge schools face is the actual implementation of SEL programs for adults. It’s not an easy feat and in some cases, it could take years of consistent training.

The benefits of an adult SEL program far exceed the challenges, though, and it’s something all schools should definitely look into!

Autumn Suit Ideas

Autumn is the season when everything changes. The days become shorter and cooler, and the leaves on the trees turn a gorgeous shade of gold! It’s also a time of the year when you need to put away those summer suits you have been wearing to work and for evenings out, and move on to your autumn wardrobe.

Of course, autumn days can be a mixture of cold mornings and surprisingly warm afternoons, so you need to make sure your autumn suits are adaptable. Sweaters come into play in the late months, too, so you might want to have a close look at what’s in your wardrobe now to be prepared!

What do we mean when we talk about autumn suit ideas? We’re talking not quite winter-heavy clothing, but that which bridges the change between summer and autumn. An autumn suit should look smart and yet lean towards the casual side, while affording you ample warmth for when you need to tackle those chilly mornings and evenings! Let’s look at some practical ideas, and see how you can find the very best autumn suit.

Why Tweed is In

Autumn and tweed simply belong together! We’re not saying that wearing a tweed suit is an autumn-only fashion idea – they look great all-year around – but that this is the time of year when a tweed suit really comes into its own. Furthermore, tweed suits are generally a touch heavier and warmer than the summer suits you’ve been wearing, and they look very classy, with an almost rural appeal that endures.

Worn with a plain shirt – it can be overwhelming if you pair a patterned tweed suit with a check or pattern shirt – this is a look that will make you the one who stands out, and looks smart yet just that little touch below the formal, a sort of semi-formal look.

Tweed suits have also been made more popular thanks to featuring as the suit of choice for the characters on the hit TV show ‘Peaky Blinders’, and if you click here you’ll see some good examples from Cavani, who have a large range of tweed suits. It’s a good place to start looking for ideas and inspiration. You can easily carry off the look, so what do you need to make a tweed suit look the part?

How to Wear a Tweed Suit

Do you want to wear a two piece or three piece suit? That’s the first question to ask yourself. You will find that when you shop online for a tweed or other suit, you will be offered a waistcoat as part of the package. We think that a tweed suit looks best with a waistcoat, but there may be occasions when you want to wear it as just the jacket and trousers. For a full formal occasion, three-piece is the way to go, as it really is the classiest and most elegant look for a man, and one that is simply timeless.

Back to Peaky Blinders, the gang topped their tweed suits off with a tweed flat cap. This is another item that has been given a boost by the success of the TV show, and one that you might want to try. Worn with a tweed suit, a flat cap gives you the added adornment that makes it a complete outfit, and there are plenty to choose from.

The great thing about a tweed suit jacket is that it not only looks great with the suit, but will also cut it when worn with a shirt and a pair of jeans. It’s the ultimate smart-casual look for the cooler autumn months, and with a wealth of colours and patterns to choose from, you really can’t go wrong with tweed.

 

Of course, there are other garments you can wear with your tweed suit – perhaps a thin sweater for added warmth would be a good choice – and there are other types of suit that you can choose, but the simple fact is that tweed is very much in vogue, so why not have a look around and see what you can find that takes your eye, and look the part in tweed this autumn.

Are Electric Unicycles Legal?

The electric unicycle is a relatively recent arrival on the market, and as a personal transport device – as well as a leisure vehicle – these clever and innovative little machines have kicked up something of a storm! You may have seen one – perhaps being used by someone in a city or town near you to get around more quickly than walking – or perhaps read about them and are here because you want to know more.

Either way, the fact is the electric unicycle is too versatile a device to overlook, and it is certainly going to become more popular in the near future. One of the concerns that potential buyers have is that of the legality of electric unicycles: are they legal to use in towns and cities of the USA, and are there specific laws relating to them? Below, we look at why there may be concerns among city councils and other such bodies as to the use of electric unicycles on city streets.

Fast and Agile

First, let’s look at what an electric unicycle is, and why it might be seen as a problem when used on, for example, the streets of New York. The electric unicycle is a compact device that consists of a solid body, within which is an electric motor and other systems designed to make it easy to ride. A USB-rechargeable battery is a part of the package, but the clever bit comes in the shape of how the device balances.

Bearing in mind you have only one wheel, you might think that balancing it – as with when you first learn to ride a bicycle – might be something of a dark art. In fact, and this is the very clever bit, the electric unicycle balances itself! It does so by way of gyroscopes and accelerometers – these are found in a variety of devices that require help with balance – leaving the rider free to control the device.

So, why is there a problem with them in the city? Most people will, of course, ride them on the sidewalk, where there will be people walking. The highest-performing electric unicycles can reach speeds of as much as 30mph. Even the less powerful can reach 15mph. If someone were foolish enough to ride at 15mph among crowds of commuters or shoppers, you can imagine the potential for accidents to happen.

The Law and Unicycles

Being relatively new to the market, the electric unicycle is in something of a grey area when it comes to the law. The law regarding riding them in built-up areas will also vary from state to state – even town to town – so it is advisable that you check out the law regarding unicycles where you happen to be thinking of using one.

In New York, for example, while there is still some confusion, it is a fact that another form of personal electric transport – the hoverboard – is not permitted for use within Manhattan (and other areas). It would follow, then, that the same is so for the rest of the New York boroughs, and that it is likely other large cities and towns will follow suit.

However, look around, and you will see riders in all areas of Manhattan. One rider, for example, attempted to test the law by riding close to police officers; they did nothing. When he spoke to them, they were either unaware of laws banning unicycles, or there were none.

We wouldn’t advocate breaking the law, so our advice is to be sensible if using your unicycle in a town or city, keep your speed down, and make sure you pay attention to others around you.