It's disheartening (удручающе) how sometimes the pain we experience isn't met with understanding. You might have been told, "If you don't stop crying, I'll give you something to cry about." But the truth is, your tears are never a weakness. They're a release, a language your heart speaks when words fail. Your emotions are valid, and it's okay to express them without the fear or judgment.

Let's read an article and talk about sadness!

Vocab:

🟢shed a tear = пустить слезу
🟢a silent sob = тихое рыдание
🟢ponder = обдумывать, размышлять
🟢press mute on your emotions/mute your emotions = заглушить наши эмоции
🟢outward expression of emotions = внешний проявление эмоций
🟢console her = утешить
🟢a wailing woman = рыдающая женщина
🟢spill out your feelings = выплеснуть чувства
🟢get misty-eyed = на глаза наворачиваются слёзы
🟢hold back tears = cдерживать слезы
🟢keep our feelings/wants/needs under wraps = держать чувства/желания/потребности в тайне
🟢process feelings = проживать чувства
🟢tear up = разрыдаться
🟢talk it through = обсудить

Share with us: are you more likely to opt for a silent sob when no one can witness your sadness or cry in front of other people?

👉 Ready for Part 4? Part 4 of our self-discovery series is here in the comments! Don't forget to share your impressions!

Just in case:
Part 1 Shadow Work
Part 2 Shadow Work
Part 3 Shadow Work

#shadow_work

The science of optimism & how you can cultivate it

Vocab:

🟢inborn = врожденный
🟢pervasive = повсеместный
🟢find the silver lining = найти плюсы
🟢a middle ground = золотая середина
🟢reap the benefits = пожинать плоды
🟢a happy-go-lucky place = радостное и беззаботное место
🟢burn bridges = сжигать мосты (уничтожить связи)
🟢address the elephant in the room = затронуть неловкую тему
🟢be in denial = быть в отрицании

Key takeaways:

🔮 Optimism is not just an inborn trait, but can be learned and cultivated.
😊 Optimism is good for your mental health because your beliefs influence your behaviors and your emotions.
🌱 Learning optimism involves understanding and accepting both the good and bad parts of yourself. It involves shifting from thinking the whole world is bad to recognizing that bad things happen, but good things will also happen in the future.
🌈 Optimists don't deny negative events but rather acknowledge them while choosing to focus on the potential for improvement.

Share with us: Is the glass half empty or half full?

😀 Let's talk about toxic positivity - what happens when we're told to just "look on the bright side" and ignore the tough stuff. In this article we'll explore why it's crucial to embrace the full rollercoaster of emotions life throws our way.

💥Vocab:

🟢brush aside emotions = не обращать внимания на эмоции
🟢devastated = опустошенный
🟢you’re on the verge of bursting into tears = вот-вот разрыдаетесь
🟢put on a happy front = притворяться счастливым
🟢place demands on people = предъявлять требования к людям
🟢get over your difficult feelings = преодолеть сложные чувства
🟢dissuade people from seeking support = отговаривать людей обращаться за поддержкой
🟢dismiss pain = игнорировать боль
🟢exacerbate = усугублять, обострять
🟢put you in danger = подвергать опасности

💥 Key takeaways:

🟢It's okay not to feel positive all the time. While positivity is valuable, it shouldn't overshadow genuine emotions. Accepting and working through difficult feelings is an essential part of growth.
🟢Toxic positivity arises from discomfort with negative emotions.
🟢When people approach you with their problems, prioritize listening and understanding over immediately trying to solve problems.

🔔The Psychology of Habits. Part 1.

➡️Interesting facts about habits:

🟠Your life is to a large extent the sum of all your habits – good or bad.
🟠You can assert control (=установить контроль) over your life by changing your habits.
🟠It’s hard to shake off a habit (=избавиться от привычки) since it takes an average of 66 days before a new habit takes root in our brain.
🟠Habits, once ingrained, never truly vanish. They are just overpowered by other habits.
🟠40 percent of your actions are not conscious decisions but habits.
🟠Cravings (=пристрастия) are the brain’s motivator. For something to become a habit, our brain must crave (=страстно желать, жаждать) it.

➡️How do habits form?

The collection of behaviors that could be as simple as having coffee when we wake up or as complicated as running away from problems when they come. These habits didn't emerge (=появляться) overnight; rather, we gradually incorporated them into our lives (=внедрили их в нашу жизнь) until they became second nature (=вторая натура).

Habits are our brain’s way of increasing its efficiency. By transforming daily actions into habits, our brain automates these processes, enabling us to execute (=выполнять) them with minimal cognitive effort – thus freeing up our brainpower for other more important challenges.

This strategy of our brain offers remarkable advantages, allowing us to function better in life. Just imagine if you have to ponder (=обдумывать) every single task or reaction – it would leave us with little time for anything else but constant contemplation (=размышление)!

If you noticed, the first time you did something, it required a substantial amount (=значительное количество) of concentration and mental effort. However, through repetitive practice, the task gradually became more effortless. This process is called “chunking” – and it forms the foundation of habits. Every day, we rely on these “chunks” of behavior unconsciously.

#habits

🔔The 3 Step Loop of Habits. Part 2.

➡️To be able to change a negative habit, we have to understand how it forms. In the 1990s, a group of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discovered a neurological process that is at the core of every habit. This simple 3-step loop is very powerful – it is hard-wired into our brain (=это прочно вошло в наш мозг). So, to change the rules, you have to know the rules first.

➡️ Cue – is any trigger that tells your brain when and which habit to use.
➡️ Routine – is an activity, emotion or behavior.
➡️ Reward – is how your brain determines if a loop is beneficial to you or not.

For example:

➡️ Cue – You’re feeling bored.
➡️ Routine - You grab a bottle of wine.
➡️ Reward – You feel relaxed and happy.

The cue and the reward play a significant role in the formation of habits. They trigger cravings and lead to the repetition of specific behaviors or actions. So, if you aim to alter (=изменять) a habit, what would you need to do?

⚙️ If you only focused on changing the routine such as abstaining from (=воздерживаться от) drinking wine, it would lead to dissatisfaction. Your brain may perceive the loop as ineffective, reinforcing (=подкреплять) the existing habit of drinking. Our brain craves fulfillment and satisfaction. To be able to alter a negative habit, it is essential to replace the routine within the loop with an alternative that provides a comparable (=сопоставимый) reward. Instead of opting for a bottle of wine in moments of boredom, consider activities like jogging or watching a captivating movie. These activities yield the same reward (=приносит одинаковое вознаграждение) – you will feel relaxed afterwards. Your brain will think that this particular loop works. As you do it more often, and experience the same reward, your brain will gradually replace the old loop associated with reaching for wine when bored.

This 3 step loop shows you that you have the power to change a bad habit that’s causing you more harm than good.

#habits