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How Cats Make Humans Happier and Healthier (Infographic)

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Really Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs

Alexa, Busy Supervising my Book Reviews!

If you’ve read any of my blogs or have bumped into me on social media, you know one thing for certain about me – I am ALL about my cats! They’re family and I’m not the least bit embarrassed to say that I love them wildly.

In addition to spoiled rotten indoor cats, we also have a healthy number of outside cats – we live in the country and have loved/sheltered a feral colony of cats for years. While we provide the best food on the market for our furry babies, as well as a steady stream of new/creative cat toys, love/attention, and daily fresh water (confession time: I refrigerate it in the summer months)… our cats give us far more than we give them.

Benefits of Cats

  • They are 24/7 entertainment. Cats are little toddlers which means they’re little clowns. Even when a cat isn’t trying to be funny… she can’t help but be exactly that!
  • Cats are purrfect stress-relievers. Petting a cat or, if they aren’t as fond of petting as they are playing, playing with a cat makes the cares and worries of the day float away.
  • Cats are a CURE ALL for loneliness. I often (often, often, often, often) hear from parents who are either facing an empty nest or have kids who had the audacity to grow up (Crazy Kids!!) – one of the first pieces of advice I offer is this: “If you have the room and means to care for her/him, go to your local shelter and adopt a cat or two. Focusing love and attention on this new furry family member will help heal you in ways you didn’t think were possible. Giving a furry baby a forever home and forever family is a WONDERFUL thing to do… but, trust me, in a few months you’ll wonder….’Okay, who exactly saved who?!‘”
  • You can’t underestimate the physical and health benefits of a cat, either. When they’re so beneficial for your emotional health, it only makes sense that they’re beneficial for your physical health.

A Few Precautions for Those New to Cats in the Family

  • Always be certain that you (as well as your family members) do not have cat allergies before bringing one home. It would be heart-breaking for all concerned (especially the cat!) to have to turn around and take her back to the shelter.
  • If you aren’t familiar with cats, allow this cat mamma to prepare you for something – they are unlike any animal you are familiar with. They are incredibly unpredictable – which, in my opinion adds to their charm and high level of entertainment value. Although there are exceptions, most cats do NOT like to snuggle and cuddle. They’ll often grace you with their presence by laying in your lap, but if you try to push it (by, say, petting too much!), they’ll bolt. You just have to get to know your own little one and let her/his personality and temperament call the shots.
  • No two cats are exactly the same. One of our cats (Guennie) had three kittens and they are the PERFECT example of how different cats can be. One of the three (Dokkie) cannot get enough attention and affection. She seeks it out! She thinks nothing of jumping right up on your chest and nuzzling under your chin – purring so loudly the other cats wonder what’s up. Another one (Huckleberry) loves affection nearly as much as Dokkie but her idea of a good time is playing. She’ll snuggle for a few minutes, but she’d much rather attack your feet, hands, or anything else you have to offer. You could pick up either of these two kittens and carry them for 2 miles and they’d never say a thing about it – however the third kitten (Tulip) is, shall we say, more tightly wrapped?! She is, in fact, more like the typical female cat. She will sit in your lap and allow you to pet her, but if she thinks you’re pushing your luck. she’s liable to meow loudly at you and stomp off. She’s just as adorable, just as lovable, and just as appreciated as her sisters – she’s just different. NEVER take a cat’s temperament or personality personally – they are not trying to be difficult and they are not insulting you (Judging? Absolutely! Insulting? No.)

The infographic below (from https://www.catological.com) will show you (adorably!) 22 ways cats make humans happier and healthier. Enjoy!

 

How Support Dogs (and Other Things) Can Improve Your Emotional Well-Being

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Joey

“If you’re going through seriously rough times having a companion to rely on can help you through.”

by Amanda Green

Being Daily

The mind and body work together as one. Just as important as taking care of your physical health, your emotional well-being must be cared for daily. As life sends you through trials, tribulations, celebrations, and victories, the mind must learn to adapt – which isn’t always easy. Learning how to keep your mind clear of clutter and finding ways to mentally stimulate the joy within can often help you to see life in a new light. Below are seven suggestions on how you can improve your emotional well-being.

  1. Meditation

The art of meditation can do wonders for the mind. It is a process of clearing the mind of negative thoughts and filling it with peace, tranquility, and silence. Meditation can reduce stress, improve concentration, increases self-awareness, and ultimately helps to improve happiness. Just 15 minutes in the morning can help clear your mind of whatever is weighing it down, so you’re better equipped to handle the day.

  1. Words of Affirmation

Whether you’re mentally unhealthy, struggling with low self-esteem, or dealing with depression, part of healing the mind is changing the way you think. If you want to improve your emotional well-being, words of affirmation can do the trick. Rather than looking to other people or things to make you feel happy, your own words could help improve self-awareness and build confidence. Choose a few positive things to say about yourself, your life, or your goals that can be said every morning. Ideas might include, “today will be a good day”, “I am worthy”, “I am a good person”.

  1. A Support Animal

If you’re going through seriously rough times having a companion to rely on can help you through. Unlike people who can sometimes bring you down, a support animal is there to provide you with the unconditional love you need. If you’d like a support animal, you’ll need to meet with a therapist who can write a recommendation letter for emotional support animals on your behalf. Your beloved dog or cat will be there to give you love, help boost your confidence, and keep you safe.

  1. Read

When they say reading is fundamental, they were telling the truth. One way to improve your emotional well-being is to read more. Instead of reading about the news and current events which can sometimes be depressing, try reading about positive things. Read a quote about happiness. Pick up a motivational book by a celebrity or speaker you enjoy. Or perhaps read religious materials to strengthen your faith.

  1. Unplug

From the internet to the television screen, being plugged in all the time can impede your path to emotional well-being. Seeing too much negativity, lifestyles you wish you could have, and other data all the time can make seeing reality and living your own life happily a lot more difficult to accomplish. Unplug from TV, your computer, and your cell phone at least once a week. Take this time to reflect on everything positive in your life. Take a walk and be one with nature, spend time talking with your family, just make sure that whatever you do, you’re not engaged in screen time.

  1. Write it Down

Believe it or not, journaling can be a great way to improve your emotional well-being. When you’re able to get your innermost feelings and thoughts out on paper, you feel a lot better. Write motivational pieces, poems, or even some goals and ideas you may have had on your mind. Going back to reflect on these later can give you the mental boost you need to get through everything.

  1. Exercise

Exercising helps your emotional health in more ways than one. Not only does the increase of physical activity increase the production of endorphins responsible for improving mood, but routine exercise helps to boost confidence, improve memory, improve sleep, and strengthen the body. Whether you join a gym, jog every day, or follow an exercise tape at home, you’ll start to feel energized and on top of the world.

As they say, the mind is a terrible thing to waste. Whether you consider yourself to be mentally well or you’re going through trying times that has you emotionally drained, these tips will help you improve your mood. Every day, take small steps towards finding inner peace, removing the negativity, and improving upon yourself as an individual. In the end, you’ll find that life, even the difficult times, are a lot easier to get through.

Nacho“Your beloved dog or cat will be there to give you love, help boost your confidence, and keep you safe.”

7 Ways to Deal with Freshman Depression

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In higher educational institutions, students come with a certain amount of knowledge, skills, abilities, and stereotypes of behavior and attitudes, concerning their interaction with teachers. Students become attached to the idea, that the teachers and parents are interested in their success. However, students tend to be more independent, and interested in their own success, for one simple reason: independence is the main aspect of the individual’s will development, and therefore, knowledge comes not just because of it, but through increased internal work and, as a result, of passing through life crises and conflicts.

The statistics show that almost a half of college and university students have serious psychological problems, and depression and anxiety are the most frequent diagnoses among students. The cultural phenomenon of perfectionism and extra responsibility in the United States gave birth to a new generation of children and their parents, who are fixed on the success but do not know how to lose.

Therefore, anxiety, low self-esteem, frequent depressions for introverts, and irritability for extroverts increase. However, since introverts and extroverts do not exist in the pure form, it can be said, that all of the disorders, mentioned above, affect almost all freshmen. Often they are the first cause of poor academic performance.

Fighting anxiety and depression is not easy. But, it is possible! Here are 7 ways to fight depression.

1) Meditation

Scientists have proved that meditation activates areas of the brain that are responsible for self-control and pleasant emotions. Meditation programs that are used in psychotherapy (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, etc.) show tremendous results in getting rid of the depression. If you ask yourself “How to fight depression and anxiety?”, meditation is an efficient way.

2) Love Yourself

Often, depression makes people hate themselves and doubt their own abilities or skills. Therefore, try to concentrate only on your positive qualities and on how you can help others, instead of cherishing self-hatred and self-flagellation. Depression is a state which most of us pass during our life. Loving yourself improves relations with others. Loving yourself means self-acceptance. If you treat yourself well, you will treat others well. The more you accept yourself, the easier it will be for you to accept other people, and focus on them.

3) Visualization

Visualization is the creation of desired reality images in your imagination. This is one of the most powerful tools for achieving your goals. Visualization is a basic technique, which helps to get rid of your depression. Dreams and fantasies are examples of visualizing your desires. Imagine what you want to achieve every day in all details, and you will definitely get what you want!

4) Daily Exercise

That is a great way how to deal with depression in college. Body movement will give your head time to rest. Scientists have proved that physical exercises help to reduce feelings of anxiety and ease depression. For example, you can do yoga, swimming, walking or cycling every day. However, it is not as you are trying to lose weight. Do not make daily exercises become your punishment. Concentrate on pleasant sensations during exercising, on how your heart beats, and breathing accelerates. Moreover, you can find a partner to exercise together. It can be really fun!

 

5) Help Others

Here is another way how to not be depressed in college. Do good things and help others to solve their problems, like this site does. In this way, you will not have time to be stressed and have evil thoughts, while you are busy helping others.

6) Take Vitamins

Among the causes of depression, there is a banal lack of vitamins. The fact that the lack of vitamins causes depression was scientifically proven. Nevertheless, self-medication is not desirable; vitamins should be prescribed only by an experienced doctor. It is important to remember that depression is not just a bad mood, which happens to everyone and regularly. Depression, in fact, is a disease that needs to be treated. The longer a person delays the treatment, the harder it will be for this person to get out of this condition.

7) Smile

Wake up in the morning, and welcome your reflection in the bathroom mirror with a smile. Smile causes a certain physiological reaction – you automatically become happier! Every time you frown, or when tears come to your eyes, smile to yourself and say, “I love myself.”

 

Infographic: How Dogs Improve Your Health!

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I am a bona fide animal-lover if there ever was one. I’m pretty sure you could tell from all the pictures of animals on Self Help Daily or in my Twitter timeline, but I thought I’d write it out loud just in case.

Left to my own devices, I’d have at least two of every animal known to man, but my cats (and husband, for that matter) don’t share my off-the-hook enthusiasm. What’s more, we are, primarily, a cat family. We are blessed to live out of the city, so we’re able to take in cats who need a forever home, a forever family, and all the love they can stand.

How much are we committed to these cats? Well, for one thing, forfeited our entire carport to house a couple of (heated in the winter, of course) cat houses, cat food stations, chairs, and toys… lots of cat toys. Their set-up is ridiculously sweet. At any rate, this is the only reason I don’t have a dog, or two, or twenty. Dogs are amazing, loyal, beautiful, sweet, intelligent…. but woefully an enemy of our cat family.

Dogs aren’t just wonderful and loving family members, they’re actually very healthy for you. Just one of the ways I’ve found this to be true has been with dogs I’ve had and loved in the past (before the cats took over our hearts and yard!). Over the years, I have, without question, walked more frequently (and for longer periods of time) when I’ve had a canine companion. They love it so much, you just don’t want to stop their fun!

The great infographic below tells more ways dogs are actually very healthy for you. As for my opinion on the matter – I think that dogs (like cats) add to your joy and happiness – and that, fellow-animal lovers, is a key component of having a healthy and worthwhile life.

If you are able, I wholeheartedly suggest heading to your local shelter and allowing a RESCUE to take place. Just be warned, it won’t be the dog (or cat) that’s rescued!

How Dogs Improve Your Health Infographic

Infographic Credit: A Place for Animals!