Giving and taking is an important part of developing and sustaining strong friendships. At times, you may be the one providing comfort, and at other times, you may be at the receiving end. 

Friendships can be strengthened by expressing your concern and appreciation for them. It’s just as important for you to be a good friend as it is for you to have great friends. We all have different types of friendships with different people where we face a lot of ups and downs as a friend. But have you ever thought about nurturing your friendships? If not, we got your back!

Quality not Quantity 

The first and foremost way to nurture your friendship should always be to make fewer but real friends. It’s difficult enough to maintain one or two friendships, but maintaining a dozen “best pals” can be tiring. Think about which of your connections brings you the greatest joy and devote additional attention to maintaining those bonds. Allow casual acquaintances to remain as casual acquaintances.

Let’s be honest, if you have three real friends who love you and understand you the best, why would you need ten different people for that? 

Be Kind

We cannot stress this enough when we tell you that kindness goes a long way in any relationship. Don’t you think the same? Successful relationships are built on the foundation of kindness. Consider friendship as a savings account for your emotions. This account gets credited with every act of kindness, and statements of gratitude, while criticism and negativity deplete it.

Be a Good Listener

As much as your friends are there for you to listen to your rants, they are expecting the same from you! Randomly ask about what’s going on in their life to keep a check on them. Be sympathetic when your friends share specifics of terrible times or experiences, but don’t provide counsel unless they specifically request for it. Some of your friends are only looking for your shoulder to keep their head on! After all, we all need someone to tell us it’ll all be okay, don’t we? 

Show That You Can be Trusted 

Forming good friendships requires being responsible and dependable. Ensure you keep the promises you have made to your friends because that’s what real friends do! When you and your buddies discuss confidential information, keep it private instead of going on and telling it to other people. 

Make Some Time for Your Friends

Yes, your schedule is already jam-packed, but you still need your girl-gang (or bros). What’s better than a gossip session with your friends? We all need a reality check from time to time! There will never be enough hours in the day to do everything you need to do, but you must schedule time for friends where you can rant about all your day-to-day situations and get the most realistic solutions.

Don’t Take Things Personally

When a friend cancels, it’s usually due to a lack of availability or personal concerns. Instead of assuming the worst-case scenario, such as “I’m unlikeable,” recognize your worth. If someone consistently disappoints you, you may not want to invest in a long-term friendship with them (they aren’t worth the heartbreak!).

Remember That Most People Are Nice

If you had a terrible childhood, you might not have seen the best characteristics of human nature up close and personal, and you may be fearful of rejection. 

Although the world is filled with suffering and rage, most individuals are empathetic and enjoy assisting others. It’s exceedingly uncommon that someone appears to have it all together; instead, it’s a successful disguise. On the other side, human nature’s imperfections bind us together and maybe a major source of support and encouragement.

Credit: Lukas via Pexels 

Alt = “A clear dimple stein beer mug filled with beer.”

Lent is a time to fast and practice self-discipline. One way that you can do that is to quit a not-so-healthy habit for forty days. If you’re not sure what habit to give up this year, here are some ideas to inspire you:

Frivolous Spending

Have you noticed that your budget is really tight? Do you drain your checking account long before your next paycheck is due? Then maybe you should think about quitting frivolous spending for Lent. 

The best way to cut your frivolous spending is to do a no-spend challenge — this is a personal challenge where you don’t spend a thing on non-essentials. This could mean no takeout dinners, no coffee shop beverages and no impulse buys at the checkout counter until Easter passes. 

Why is this a good idea? First, taking on a no-spend challenge for Lent will help you be more mindful of your spending. Second of all, it can help you set aside savings for more important financial goals, like putting together an emergency fund. 

Right now, you might not be living with an emergency fund. If an emergency expense crops up, you might not have enough savings to pay for it. In that case, you could use a credit card to cover the expense and then pay down the balance later. Or you could apply for a cash loan online. Click here to see what the biggest benefits of quick cash loans online are. Applying for one might be a good option in an emergency.  

Smoking

We all know that smoking isn’t good for us. But when you have built this habit, it can be hard to quit. Smoking can be highly addictive, so it may take a few attempts to figure out what works for you.

Along with reducing your daily intake, you could also consider switching to vaping. Vaping is much less harmful than smoking, so looking for the best online vape store to try it out could help. You could also consider nicotine products to help you kick the habit for good too.

It’s all about looking to remove the toxins from your body and be healthier overall.

Alcohol

So, you missed Dry January — don’t worry, you can detox from drinking for Lent! How can you start? Start by getting rid of the alcohol in the house. You won’t be tempted to grab a drink when your supply is nowhere nearby. It will be out of sight and out of mind. 

If you’re worried that you’ll miss your favorite drinks, look up delicious mocktail recipes and other non-alcoholic alternatives that you can sip on instead. 

Why is this a good idea? There are plenty of health benefits of quitting alcohol, from getting better quality sleep to lowering your blood pressure. 

Social Media

Are you addicted to social media? If you find that you’re spending too much time glued to your phone and scrolling through your feeds, you should try to take a break. Log out of your social media accounts and delete the apps from your phone. You can also download website blockers to keep you from looking up the sites on your browser, too.

Why is this a good idea? You might find that your break from social media brings you a lot of time to do more productive, enjoyable things. 

Negative Thinking

Do you have a bad habit of seeing the negative side of everything? Then, you may want to see what it’s like to look on the bright side. 

How can you do this? These are a few things that can help you quit negative thinking:

• Write in a gratitude journal every night.
• Surround yourself with positive people.
• Counter negative thoughts with compassion. For instance, after thinking “I’m so stupid” for making a small mistake at work, you can tell yourself that you’re human, which means you’re going to make mistakes. 

Why is this a good idea? Negative thinking can increase your stress levels and impair your ability to enjoy yourself. 

You might find that your life is a whole lot better after giving up these habits for Lent. You might even give them up for good. 

Personal injury law cases are helpful when someone is injured due to no fault of their own. The laws apply according to the case type and event that caused the injuries. Negligence, criminal acts, and direct failures are common causes of these injuries. A personal injury attorney helps claimants seek compensation for financial losses through the court. 

What Must the Claimant Prove?

In a personal injury claim, the claimant must prove that their injuries weren’t their own fault. A premises liability claim, for example, starts because a property owner didn’t remove hazards around or inside the property and someone fell and sustained an injury. In this example, the claimant has to prove that there weren’t any warning signs around the hazard and the property owner knew about the hazard and didn’t correct it. Claimants visit mottazsiskinjurylaw.com for more information about personal injury cases. 

Should the Client Talk to the Defendant?

No, the claimant should not talk to the defendant, their attorney, or their insurance provider. Once the person hires an attorney, all communications should go through the attorney. If not, the party could trick the claimant into agreeing to a settlement that is far lower than is deserved. Once the worker agrees to any settlement, there is no longer a chance to take the case to court and collect compensation. The worker shouldn’t answer any phone calls or letters from the defendant or anyone representing the party.  

What Is Included in the Monetary Award?

The monetary award includes funds to pay for all medical expenses, auto repair costs, and lost wages. Different cases generate varying types of compensation. The case type defines what monetary award the client receives if they win. However, the claimant must prove that the injuries were not their fault, and the injuries meet the requirements as outlined in personal injury laws.  

Could the Claimant Recover Compensation Through An Insurance Claim?

When starting a personal injury claim, there is an opportunity to collect through an insurance provider. An auto accident case presents this option if the at-fault driver has auto coverage, and the attorney negotiates with the insurer to get the money owed to the claimant. In medical malpractice cases, the hospital board offers settlements based on what their insurance coverage offers.   

Could the Claimant Get a Settlement?

Most defendants do not want to go to court with these cases and will present an offer to the victim through the attorney. If the settlement is fair and reasonable, the attorney may recommend accepting the settlement. If the defendant presents a low settlement offer, the case will more than likely go to court. The purpose of negotiations is to get the victim the most appropriate settlement for their injuries and financial losses.  

Personal injury cases help injured parties get monetary awards, including payments for their medical treatment. After an injury, the victim must get a medical assessment to generate records of the injuries. The attorney also needs invoices for medical costs and auto repair estimates if applicable.

The case type defines what evidence must appear in the claim and what type of damages the claimant receives. Medical expenses and lost wages are among the most common losses that are recovered through a personal injury claim. Punitive damages are available through a medical malpractice case. Non-economic damages are available when a victim suffered a life-altering injury. To find out more about personal injury claims, contact an attorney right now!

Presented by BetterHelp.

Dementia is becoming an all too common condition in older adults. It affects every aspect of cognitive functioning, from memory and communication to moods and behavior. The affected person will depend on family for help and may experience significant personality changes. This can all be very confusing to a child who doesn’t understand this condition. 

Therefore, it is essential to discuss the situation with your child with empathy, openness, and honesty. They will depend on you for information and emotional support during this time. However, that doesn’t mean that this is an easy conversation to have. Below are some tips to consider when explaining dementia to your children. 

When To Have The Talk

Ideally, you should discuss your family member’s diagnosis as soon as possible, preferably right after the diagnosis or once your child starts noticing the symptoms. If you wait too long, the situation may become severe, leaving your child very confused. 

Timing is even more essential if the family member is going to be living with your family. Your children need to understand why the family member is moving in and how it will change their day-to-day life. Though the conversation may be uncomfortable, it needs to happen sooner rather than later. 

How To Explain Dementia To Your Children

Explaining dementia is never an easy discussion. It is a heartbreaking condition that will affect the family member for the rest of their lives. Your child may be perplexed and may not understand the gravity of the situation. Therefore, the condition needs to be discussed so your child can better understand what’s happening. Here are a few tips on how to have that discussion. 

Allow Open Communication

Explaining dementia is not going to be a one-off conversation. Dementia causes frequent changes as it is a progressive condition that will eventually affect much of the brain. Therefore, the symptoms they are exhibiting now may be different from those they show in a few months or a year. Therefore, ensure your child knows that you are always open to discussing the situation and can answer any questions they have. 

Answer All Questions Honestly

The truth is that your children will probably have many questions. Chances are, that they have never witnessed someone live with dementia before, so they may not thoroughly understand what is happening. It’s essential to answer all their questions honestly so they have as much information as possible to navigate the situation. Don’t hide information from them or lie about your family member’s condition to protect them or their feelings. Children need to understand how serious the situation is and won’t understand the gravity of the condition if you don’t make that clear. 

Explain The Changes They Can Expect

It’s important to educate your child about what comes with dementia. They should know the basics of what the condition is as well as some of the most common symptoms they will witness in their loved ones. Unfortunately, dementia will probably affect all their interactions with the family member, so they should be prepared for what’s coming. Some common symptoms you should prepare them for are:

• Forgetting names, people, and dates
• Wandering off
• Repeating questions or comments
• Struggling to finish sentences or follow conversations
• Increased irritation or aggression
• Stubbornness
• Apathy
• Depression

Furthermore, you should also point them to age-appropriate resources so they can learn more on their own. For some basic information about dementia, you can head to the link below: 

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/dementia/

Remind Them That Their Family Members Still Love Them

The most heartbreaking aspects of dementia are that the person slowly loses their memory of their loved ones and begins to behave in a manner that is unlike them. These changes can make it seem like the family member no longer loves their loved ones or is an entirely different person altogether. This can make for some difficult interactions that your child may take personally. 

Make sure your child understands that although their family members are going through these heartbreaking changes, deep down, they still love them. Furthermore, any frustrating or confusing interactions should not be taken personally. The person with dementia slowly loses control of their memory or actions, so nothing they do is personal or meant to hurt anyone, including your child. Make this clear to your child so they know that they aren’t always necessarily to blame for their family member’s reactions or moods.  

Common Reactions From Children

Children may have mixed reactions to the news that their loved one has dementia. On the one hand, they may be sad that their loved one is changing, but they may also feel frustrated or resentful that the family member needs so much help. Assure them that their emotions are valid, but make sure they don’t act out or behave inappropriately. 

You should also be prepared for their emotions to change frequently. Some days they may be more understanding and helpful, while other days, they may be more resistant and act out. Be as patient as you can, as children often struggle to communicate their emotions calmly or appropriately. 

Some common reactions that children have to this news include: 

• Sad that their family member is struggling 
• Curious about dementia and accompanying diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s
• Confused about the person’s change of behavior
• Frustrated or resentful that the person takes up so much time or resources to help
• Embarrassment of their behavior, especially if their friends or visitors witness the behavior

No matter how they react, it is important to honor their emotions. You probably have conflicting emotions yourself, so you need to understand how confusing this situation is to a child. Though you should encourage the healthy expression of all their emotions, do not punish them for feeling a certain way. 

Final Thoughts

A dementia diagnosis affects everyone in the family, not just the diagnosed individual. The changes in the person’s behavior will leave children confused. Explaining dementia to them early on can help them prepare for their family member’s changes and help them navigate the situation better. Remember to be empathetic, open, and honest with each other as the two of you navigate this diagnosis together. 

This post was developed via a partnership with BetterHelp.

Depression is one of the most common mood disorders in the world. However, although most people know that many adults live with this condition, its prevalence amongst children is not as well known. This is primarily because some adults and parents dismiss children’s mental health as “just a phase” or something “they’ll get over.” However, mental illnesses do not just go away, and children do not grow out of them.

Childhood depression is a serious and common issue that can cause significant distress throughout adolescence (and even adulthood) if left untreated. Therefore, it’s important to understand depression so you can identify it if it shows up in your child. This article will give you a good introduction to depression in children, including causes, symptoms, and treatment options. 

What Is Depression?

Depression is a mental illness that can cause perpetual feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or despair. However, it is more than just “feeling down” for a day or two. The feelings experienced in depression are very intense and overwhelming. Furthermore, this condition can last weeks, months, or even years or decades if left untreated. 

Despite common belief, children and adults with depression cannot just “get over it.” The intense feelings can completely overwhelm and take over their life, affecting their social lives, school, and physical health. They may also lose interest in their hobbies and struggle to feel any sense of happiness or joy. A child’s demeanor and personality can completely change if they experience depression for long bouts of time. 

What Causes Depression In Children?

We all know that adulthood can be difficult, so it is understandable when we find out our peers live with depression. However, children have difficulties, too, that can cause depression. Not every child has a joyful childhood filled with wonder and love. Some children with depression experience rough childhoods, while others experience events, genetics, or other situations entirely out of their’s or their parents’ control. The most common causes and factors of depression in children include:

• Substance use
• Problems at home
• Illness
• Stressful life events
• Trauma
• Genetics

Signs And Symptoms Of Depression

If your child lives with depression, they may not open up to you about their struggle. What’s worse is they may not even understand what’s going on themselves! When adults realize that they have a condition, they may open up to their family, peers, or therapists about the problem. However, children don’t always think to do this or know how to vocalize their struggles. 

Therefore, you will need to be aware of any behavioral or mood changes to determine if something is wrong. Some common symptoms of depression that show up in children include: 

• Continuous feelings of sadness, despair, hopelessness, worthlessness
• Isolation and social withdrawal
• Behavioral problems at school, during extracurricular activities, or when spending time with their peers
• Apathy, boredom, and loss of interest in their favorite activities
• Increased irritation, anger, or crankiness
• Changes in appetite
• Difficulty concentrating 
• Fatigue
• Pains that have no cause and don’t respond to treatment (such as headaches or stomachaches)
• Increased number of tantrums, outbursts, or crying episodes
• Thoughts of death or suicide**

**If you or your child are experiencing suicidal thoughts, reach out for help immediately. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255 and is available 24/7.**

Anxiety is often concurrent with depression in children. Therefore, if your child is struggling with depression, they may also exhibit anxiety symptoms. These include: 

• Persistent feelings of worry or nervousness
• Negative thinking
• Difficulty concentrating
• Sleeping issues or disorders
• Quick to anger
• Clinginess and separation anxiety

Depression and anxiety are very common among adolescents. About 13% of adolescents live with depression, and it is estimated that about 31% live with anxiety. Both conditions can affect your child’s school performance, social life, and overall happiness, so you should help your child as soon as possible. 

How To Treat Your Child’s Depression

If you notice your child exhibits any of the symptoms of depression, then you shouldn’t hesitate to seek treatment. Your child deserves to be happy and treat their feelings of despair. 

There are multiple treatment options to seek out, depending on the cause, severity, and length of your child’s depression. Below are a few of those options. 

Counseling

Counseling is the most common form of treatment for both adults and children living with depression. A therapist can get to the root of your child’s depression and provide a safe space to discuss their problems and obstacles in life. They can also help your child find ways to cope with their stressors so that they can ease their symptoms and prevent them from worsening when life becomes stressful. Furthermore, a counselor can teach your child how to rewire their brain to be more optimistic and resilient. 

Medication

In some cases, it may be best to have your child take medication. However, this is a decision that a professional should make, and only after assessing your child and spending time counseling them. Mental health medication can only be prescribed by a psychiatrist, who your child’s therapist can recommend if they believe this is the best treatment option. 

Healthy Lifestyle

Though a healthy lifestyle probably won’t cure your child’s depression, it may help ease the symptoms. Exercise, a good diet, and plenty of sleep often result in happier, healthy, and more energetic children. If your child is struggling, work to create a more healthy lifestyle for everyone in the house to encourage better overall mental well-being and physical health. 

Bottom Line

Depression is more common in children than most people think. Unfortunately, mental health for children is often dismissed as “just a phase” and not important. But recognizing the signs of depression is critical so that they can receive the treatment they need. Hopefully, this article helped you understand if your child is experiencing depression and what treatment options are available. For further reading on depression, you can find more information and resources at the link below:

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/depression/

The article is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.

**Content Warning: This article discusses domestic violence and abuse. If you have or are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for help and resources.** 

There are very few situations or events as traumatic as domestic violence. Abuse can leave you with physical and emotional scars that can last a long time. This can cause significant distress and difficulties, even long after the abuse has ended. 

However, though it may not always feel like it, the truth is that a more positive future is waiting for you. Once you have left your abusive situation, you are free to heal and find the joy that you deserve. Read on to learn how you can begin to rebuild your life and heal after surviving domestic violence. 

Create Stability

Your first priority after surviving domestic violence is finding a sense of stability and security. It has probably been a long time since you felt safe or had any stability or sense of autonomy. Therefore, you need to care about your basic survival needs before doing anything else. 

Make sure you have a safe place to live, a stable job, and the money to buy all your essentials. Create a sense of independence and security so that you aren’t tempted to go back to an abusive situation again just to get your needs met. Being on your own and creating a solid foundation with clear the path forward to further healing and recovery.

Process Your Experiences

Once you are safe and have a solid foundation, it is time to process your experiences. Ignoring your pain or trauma will not make them go away. The emotional scars will remain until you find ways to process the distress you experienced. 

Talking with a counselor is the best way to start this process. They have the training to help abuse survivors work on their limiting beliefs and develop strategies that will ensure a better future. They can also treat any mental health conditions or other consequences of domestic violence, such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. 

However, you can also process the emotions on your own. For example, you can write in a journal to analyze your thoughts, practice mindfulness or meditation, or partake in other activities that facilitate emotional healing. 

Find A Support Network

It’s also essential to create a support network so that you don’t experience your healing journey alone. This can include going to a support group for domestic violence survivors or reconnecting with friends and family. 

Abusers will often isolate their targets from their friends and family so that no one can help them. Therefore, once a survivor leaves an abusive situation, they may feel isolated and alone. It is crucial to reconnect with loved ones or create a new support network so you are no longer alone. 

Create Goals To A Happier Future

As you progress on your healing journey, you should start planning for a more positive future. When experiencing domestic violence, survivors often lose their sense of individuality and any hope for their future. Their dreams may be squashed by their abusers, or they become so focused on survival that they don’t even know what their dreams are. Now that you are safe and taking control of your life, you can plan for a happier future. 

If you don’t know what your dreams are, take some time to think about what you want from life. You can use a journal or ask your counselor for help with this. When we spend months or years under the control of someone else, it can take some time to figure out who we are and what we want. Therefore, there’s no shame in taking time to do this or consulting with a professional along the way. 

Once you have an idea of what you want, start setting goals to achieve your dreams, and then take baby steps to reach those goals. It is essential to be patient with the process and set achievable goals. The path to any dream can take a long time and require an enormous amount of energy. However, by creating goals that are achievable, you will find yourself on the path to progress soon enough. 

Practice Self-Compassion

The path to healing is rarely straightforward. It comes with challenges and setbacks that can stumble you along the way. That’s why no matter what is happening, you should practice self-compassion.

Don’t beat yourself up for being emotional or struggling with basic tasks. Domestic violence can affect you long after the abuse has ended, so know that your challenges are normal. Furthermore, your emotions are valid, and it may take a while to heal fully. Remind yourself that this is okay, and keep working on your healing strategies. 

You should also find ways to motivate and empower yourself when life seems difficult. Though you may have some bad days, having strategies to recover and keep being positive will keep your momentum going. 

Furthermore, no matter what is happening, always take time for self-care. Eat nutritious food, get plenty of rest, and exercise often. Also, take time to relax, treat yourself, and set appropriate boundaries to ensure you have plenty of “me time.” 

And, of course, remember that your past does not define you. Though the experience may have been traumatic, you can heal. The healing process is not a race; it is a journey. So make sure to be patient and compassionate with yourself every step of the way. 

For more guidance and tips on healing from domestic violence, click on the link below: 

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/domestic-violence/

This article was developed via a partnership with BetterHelp.

We all have our own ways of dealing with stressful situations. Depending on our upbringing and past experiences, we may have healthy and effective mechanisms or use strategies that cause more harm than good. However, it’s not always easy to identify these unhealthy defense mechanisms, as they are often unconscious behaviors. 

The problem is that unhealthy defense mechanisms can cause unnecessary tension and rifts within the family. If either a parent or child consistently uses them, the family will struggle to work through conflict or overcome challenges together. This is why it is so important to identify unhealthy defense mechanisms early and treat them. In this article, you will learn about some of the most common harmful defense mechanisms and learn how to create better strategies for coping with stress. 

Common Unhealthy Defense Mechanisms

Defense mechanisms are behaviors or ways of thinking that are used to handle or distance oneself from uncomfortable or stressful situations. Unhealthy defense mechanisms are often used to rewrite reality in one’s mind or find other ways to avoid or skirt around the issue. These mechanisms often create more harm than good, damaging relationships, worsening one’s mental health, or even making the issue much worse than it initially was. Below are a few harmful defense mechanisms that you may encounter often. 

Denial

Denial is probably the most well-known defense mechanism. It is a pathological defense mechanism used when someone refuses to accept reality as it is. They will block the uncomfortable or inconvenient facts as a way to protect themselves from the resulting stress or other negative emotions. 

Though everyone experiences denial at some point in their lives, denial is only harmful when it is a persistent defense mechanism. For example, someone in grief may experience denial when they first hear news of losing their loved one but will transition into other emotions and acceptance. This is a normal part of grief and does not necessarily indicate that someone uses denial as a consistent defense mechanism. 

Projection

As with denial, projection is a defense mechanism used to rewrite reality to avoid distressful facts or emotions. People who use this defense mechanism will misattribute their actions or uncomfortable thoughts and emotions to someone else. They do this because they struggle to own up to their own behaviors and feelings and therefore need to put them onto someone else to make themselves feel and look better. 

Repression

Someone who uses repression will hide painful memories or thoughts, hoping to forget them altogether. This is commonly experienced amongst survivors of abuse. They will try to hide the traumatic events in hopes that they can cope better if they “forget” about those memories. Repression often occurs subconsciously as a way to protect the mind from further pain or distress.

However, repression rarely works. Even if someone does not consciously remember the traumatic event, their subconscious will have memories of it. As a result, they will do things or have certain thoughts that self-sabotage their goals, cause them great distress, or repeat the trauma in some way. 

Acting Out

Have you ever experienced someone reacting completely out of proportion to a particular situation? For example, maybe they were angry at someone, and instead of communicating, they threw an object against the room. Instances like these are called “acting out.” 

Acting out is very commonly attributed to children but often occurs in adults too. It is an extreme reaction to emotion or situation. The person feels intense emotions but doesn’t know how to process them, so they do something drastic to release the pain. However, people who use this defense mechanism rarely think before acting and may harm themselves or their loved ones as a result. 

Displacement

Displacement is the act of taking out distressing emotions on someone or something that is not seen as threatening. The person rarely has anything to do with the situation causing the distress but is seen as “an easy target” for someone to take their emotions out on. 

For example, a person who is frustrated at work may be silent and bottle up their emotions at the workplace but take out their anger at home. This can include snapping at their partner for tiny inconveniences or even becoming violent or abusive. 

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for help, guidance, and support. 

How To Treat Unhealthy Defense Mechanisms

Don’t worry if you identified any of these defense mechanisms in yourself or your family. We learn these mechanisms based on our upbringing and experiences but aren’t glued to them for eternity. Furthermore, children commonly express unhealthy defense mechanisms but grow out of them with proper education, stress management techniques, and discipline. But if you are witnessing these defense mechanisms in your family, there are a few things you can do to start working on them right away. 

First of all, it is essential to teach your family about mindfulness. Mindfulness encourages one to be aware of their emotions and be present with their coping strategies. Furthermore, this practice promotes feeling your feelings rather than running from them. In turn, this encourages you to make better decisions when looking to heal or release painful emotions rather than just react to them. 

Second, discussing your situation and defense mechanisms with a therapist can be quite beneficial. Your therapist can teach you and your family healthier ways to handle your obstacles and show you how your actions affect each other.  

Finally, you can also educate yourself on healthy defense mechanisms so that you can work towards healthier behaviors. You can start learning about these healthy mechanisms by clicking on the link below: 

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/defense-mechanisms/

Final Thoughts

We all have our own ways of adapting and reacting to stressful events. However, we should always aim to develop strategies that will not cause further harm. By identifying the unhealthy defense mechanisms in you or your family, you are already taking an essential step towards choosing healthy behaviors that will help you manage stress effectively. 

If you’re looking for an easy way to store your belongings, drive up storage units are a great choice. You can drive right up to the unit and unload your belongings without having to carry them very far.

With drive up storage units in mind, we shall examine here the types of items that are useful for storing as opposed to using just a standard lock-up situation. 

Though we might have 24/7 security and climate control, we still need to be able to conveniently get our items into or out of the self-storage unit. Access is everything when you have a storage unit. You will want it nearby and have a situation where it is as easy as possible to transfer items between your home and the unit.

Vehicles

Many self-storage units will house vehicles, and we will want to drive them straight into our larger-sized unit. We are talking about commuting and recreational vehicles such as:

• Cars
• Motorcycles
• ATVs
• Boats
• RVs
• Trailers

Second vehicles are popular for putting into self-storage units. Also, where a family grows and there are more car owners, it can become a necessity to have somewhere else that is secure enough to store them rather than risk leaving them out on a driveway or at the side of a road.

Heavy and Awkward Furniture

If you’re like many people, you may have heavy or awkward furniture to store that’s difficult to move. 

With drive up access, you can easily drive your car or truck up to your storage unit to load or unload your belongings. This is especially helpful if you have large or heavy items to store. You can also drive up to your unit to access your belongings anytime you need them.

Be sure to secure your furniture properly to your vehicle using plenty of rope to ensure there are no accidents on the way to the self-storage unit. It may not be far, and hopefully, it isn’t, but you do not want to take any chances with safety or break any rules of the road.

Disabled Users

For those with any kind of disability or who find it difficult to lift, it is useful to have a self-storage unit with easy access. You will want it not on the top floor but at ground level so that a vehicle can be driven as close up to it as possible.

Anyone with asthma or a breathing complaint such as COPD will appreciate not walking too far with objects they are dropping off at a self-storage unit.

Those without much help will want good access to their storage unit. An item may not require so many bodies moving it when there is less distance to have to take it.

Knowing that there are drive-up storage units is a peace of mind for those looking to store awkward objects or have other factors to consider when renting a storage unit. The first consideration might be how big the storage unit is but then we will want to know that we can easily move our objects and position them where we want within the unit. Careful placement of those objects will be what protects them best from each other and makes retrieval easier.

Drive up storage units are a good option for many, who find it well worth paying for the facility, and the extras many come with. Who can begrudge paying the extra when it is for our convenience? We will then not think twice about putting a certain object into self-storage when we know that we can much more easily retrieve it any time we need it.

Word games are perfect for kids because they keep them entertained but also teach them new words. If you would like your children to spend less time in front of a screen and watching videos, then maybe an exciting word game can be the way to go. And let’s be honest, no one likes spelling exercises at school, but if there is some competitive element, perhaps your kids will want to be more involved. In this article, we will show you 5 great word games for kids. 

I spy with my little eye

This game is very easy to play and therefore perfect for young children. The idea is that one of the players will look around the room, the park, or wherever you are right now and will choose an object. Then they will say, “I spy with my little eye something …..” and will continue the phrase with some characteristic of the object they chose. The other players will have to try to guess which is the object or ask for more clues. 

Unscramble the words

The name says it all, but you will have to unscramble as many words as you can in this game. It is very easy to play with since you don’t need anything but a pen and paper. You can come up with some easy and not so easy keywords, scramble them, and put the scrambled letters on a piece of paper. Then your kid will have to guess the word, and maybe they can even come up with a couple of ones with the letters that are available. If the child has trouble guessing the word at some point, they can use a Wordle cheat until they get the hang of it and can unscramble the words by themselves.

Hang Man

Probably there is no need to explain to you how this game is played, but maybe you forgot some of the rules, so let’s cover the basics. Hang Man is another game that you can play only with pen and paper. One person is going to be the main player in each round. They will have to think of a word, count the letters in it, and add a line on the paper for each letter. Then the other players will have to count how many letters there are and try to guess which are the letters inside. If they guess correctly, the letters are added to the paper, but the main player will draw one part of the hangman if they guess wrongly. If the word is not guessed before the whole body of the hangman is drawn, then the main player wins a point. And in case the word is guessed, the player that found out the word will win the point.

Scrabble for kids

Scrabble indeed can be a very complicated game for kids, but some versions are adapted and made very kids-friendly. Scrabble is another perfect game to encourage kids to learn new words, especially their spelling. The rules will be pretty similar where they will get tiles with letters on them. They will try to come up with the longest possible word and put it on the board with those tiles. Each player can also use the letters of the words that are already on the board, similar to crossword puzzles. Of course, there are some tweaks in the game to make it easier for kids. There are many other board games that you can get for your little ones to play by themselves or with you.

Alphabet

Alphabet is a very simple game suitable for young children. Each kid will have to come up with a word that starts with each alphabet letter. They should try to be more creative because only the words that don’t match the other players’ ones are counted. Also, they shouldn’t skip or misplace a letter, or they will lose a point. You can try to put a time limit and see if the kids will be able to come up with a word for each letter on time. It is a perfect game to practice the alphabet and your kids’ creativity. 

So, Shapewear and Waist trainers are two undergarments that are in a trend or fashion you must have in your closet. The working of these two items are different but they are everyone’s need in today’s world.

We are going to cover the difference between shapewear vs waist trainers. The main facts that we explain are their results. 

Lets see which one is best for you and why?

Difference of Shapewear Vs Waist Trainers:

The Shapewear is that type of undergarment which provides an instantly slimmer look and temporary results. It gives you a sexy and smooth figure in any outfit you wear. 

So the shapewear is suitable for everyone who’s looking for the best and shape figure at any event, outing, parties etc. On the other hand, The waist trainers are the one which can permanently fix your body figure by trimming and melting your water fat.

Lets See both of their workings in detail.

Shapewear: How does it work?

As we said above, the shapewear is designed for giving the body a smooth and curvy look that everyone wants. It can be worn easily in any outfit or dress if you want a slimmer and tight figure.

Most of the Women prefer it to wear at work, events and casual outings parties etc.

The main reason that you need shapewear the most in your wardrobe is because of today’s unfigured body type and not having time to slim your body naturally.

It has the ability and the reason for making these undergarments is to save time and instantly change your body figure. You can hide your problems by using shapewear at any time.

So, it also has many types like tummy tuck, butt, thigh fats etc. Choose the one best shapewear for women preferably from the website Hidethatfat.com.

according to your need and choice.

Some shapewear types are below:

• Tummy Tucker Body Shaper:

This tummy tucker best shapewear for lower belly pooch is specifically designed for only hiding the tummy area fat that makes a problem when wearing any outfit. So these are the ones which are used for lower abdominal areas.

• Hiding Butt Fat Bodysuits:

It is made for hiding only butt area fat that is looking extra to the whole body whenever you wear any dress. It looks weird. These bodysuits are especially for this problem.

• Thighs Fat Body Shaper:

Most of the Women’s have big thighs that make them look attractive and sexy. The high thigh fat body shapers are made for these problems and instantly gives you relief from this issue.

Waist Trainers: How it works and benefits?

Now the Waist Trainers are the one which mainly helps your body in the long term. It is purely made from highly compression neoprene materials that have the ability to produce more sweat and melt fat quickly.

It can also control your body to expand more and best for reducing waist size or achieving perfect hourglass body figure.

Just like shapewear, Waist trainers also help in making you slimmer instantly and give a perfect look. You can achieve an hourglass look permanently if you use it in a consistent way.

You should use it at least for about 8 hours a day to get maximum results from it. You just have two options, if you want a temporary fix then you have to opt for shapewear. However, if you want a permanent solution you can go for a well-constructed best waist trainer.

The working of waist trainers improves your posture and figure. Also, it helps you to achieve the best figure that boosts your confidence at any event.

So if you want a permanent solution you can go for waist trainers as per our suggestion and if you want temporary results you can select shapewear.

Some types of Waist Trainers Are:

• Lower Abdomen Waist Trainer:

It is the most commonly used waist trainer that is special for losing belly fat and gives you a perfect hourglass shape. The lower belly waist trimmer produces more sweat at 2x level and burns the extra fat within 1-2 weeks.

• Post Pregnancy Waist Girdles:

These types of waist trainers are made for mommies who have the C-section and their figures are disturbed after surgery. The pregnancy waist trainer is made for these women to attain back their original figure and stand out freely anywhere.

• Muffin Tops Waist Trainer:

So, this is also one of the most common problems for each woman. This waist trainer of muffin tops specifically works on trimming the big muffin tops that show back of your waistline and looks very weird in every outfit.

FAQs:

Is shapewear and waist trainer the same?

No, They both are different in the long run. If you want instant results then they work the same but we suggest shapewear for instant or quick results.

Can you use shapewear as a waist trainer?

No, Shapewear only hides the extra fat on your body that makes you feel weird and your figure does not look good. You can not use shapewear as a waist trainer as each of them have different workings.

Which is a better waist trainer or corset?

Waist Trainers are the best solution for your problems in the long run. It trims your extra fat as a result of sweat and shapes your body as its original shape.

Does waist training flatten your stomach?

Yes, Waist training is the best solution for a flatter stomach as there is no other solution. Instead of that, You can use a waist trainer with exercise and diet to flatten your stomach within 1-2 weeks.

Overall Conclusion:

As we stated, The Difference of Shapewear Vs Waist Trainers is which one is best for you. You can choose according to your goals, and your needs.

We have explained all the aspects regarding waist trainers working, their results and shapewear as well so consider according to your taste.