All of us have hopes and dreams for the future that become part of our identity. But then reality gets in the way. Your passion may fade, or the obstacles to realising the dream may become too big to overcome. You may have feelings of regret and failure, or fear how others will judge you.
We should take comfort in knowing that being adaptable and flexible in our ambitions is just as important as being gritty and determined.

When lifelong dreams crumble

Psychologists see goal adjustment capacity as a beneficial form of 'self-regulation' or 'self-management.' 
It contains two parts:
<ol>
<li>The ability to disengage from fruitless goals</li>
<li>The ability to know when and how to change to new, more productive goals.</li>
</ol>
Those who are flexible and adaptable are generally happier, perform better. They often get promoted. If you are thinking of giving up your dream, it suggests you have a healthy willingness to adjust and adapt.

Goal adjustment capacity

As you let go of your dream, you may fear you're making a mistake.
<ul>
<li>There's no calculus for knowing when to give up. If pursuing your dream comes at great personal cost to your relationships and other goals in life (which is different from a 'harmonious passion'), that would suggest it was wise to give it up.</li>
<li>Success is not all or nothing. You may not have fulfilled your dream, but you likely learned much along the way, giving you a chance to redirect your energy and passions in new ways.</li>
</ul>

Come to terms with your decision

Giving up your dream will hurt, at least for a time. To drop this vision of your future-self is to drop a piece of you.
To help you move on, It helps to focus on the negative implications of your dream. If we are realistic, many of our dreams are romanticised. We may think of doctors as healing people, but their daily reality is far more mundane.

Be realistic about what you're giving up

When letting go of an impossible dream, you're freeing yourself up for a potentially more rewarding project.
If you dreamed of playing professional football, you could become a coach (and still play for your local club at the weekends). Or you might find a completely different direction more appealing.

Find a new passion

You can relieve the sense of regret you feel about giving up a dream by doing the following exercise:
<ul>
<li>On the first day, spend some time writing about friends and peers you know have regrets about dreams they've let go.</li>
<li>On day two, write about the external factors beyond your control that led to you giving up a dream.</li>
<li>On day three, write about your new dreams, why they're exciting and enjoyable, and how they benefit others in your life or community.</li>
</ul>

Moving on from past dreams

Adaptability is as much of a virtue as grit. Overcome any feelings of loss or failure by pivoting toward a new passion

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Personal Development

health

Health

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

communication

Communication

How to let go of a lifelong dream | Psyche Guides

UV light comes from the sun and is transmitted in waves or particles at different wavelengths an frequencies.
It makes black-light posters glow, and is responsible for summer tans. But too much exposure to UV radiation damage living tissue.

Ultraviolet light is a type of electromagnetic radiation

EM is the broad range of wavelengths. It is divided into seven regions and ordered in decreasing wavelength and increasing energy and frequency, namely radio waves, microwaves, infrared (IR), visible light, ultraviolet (UV), X-rays and gamma-rays.
Ultraviolet light falls is the range of the EM spectrum between visible light and X-rays.

The electromagnetic (EM) spectrum

<ul>
<li>UVA, or near UV (315-400 nanometers)</li>
<li>UVB, or middle UV (280-315 nanometers)</li>
<li>UVC, or far UV (180-280 nanometers)</li>
</ul>
Radiations with wavelengths from 10nm to 180nm are sometimes referred to as vacuum or extreme UV.

UV is generally divided into three sub-bands

UV radiation has enough energy to break chemical bonds. UV photons can cause ionization, meaning chemical bonds will break that otherwise would not.
It can be useful, for instance, in disinfecting a surface, but it can also damage materials and living tissues, particularly the skin and eyes that are affected by UVB and UVC radiation.

Ionization

Most natural UV light comes from the sun. Only 10 % of sunlight is UV, and only one-third of it gets through the atmosphere.
Of the solar UV energy that reaches the equator, 95% is UVA, and 5% is UVB. No measurable UVC from the sun gets to the Earth's surface, because ozone, molecular oxygen, and water vapour in the upper atmosphere absorb the shortest UV wavelengths.

UV effects

A suntan is a reaction to exposure to UVB rays. When the body senses sun damage, it sends melanin, a pigment in the body, to absorb UV light and protect the body from more damage, resulting in a darkened skin.
Continued exposure to UV radiation can damage the body's DNA. When the body senses this destruction, it floods the area with blood and inflammation to help with the healing process. Sometimes the cells with DNA mutated by the sun's rays turn into problem cells, known as skin cancer.

UV radiation and sunburn

Substances like minerals, plants, fungi, microbes, and organic and inorganic chemicals, can absorb UV radiation, causing electrons to jump to a higher energy level. When the electrons return to a lower energy level, they emit a portion of the absorbed energy as visible light.
<ul>
<li>Fluorescence is used for signs, safety vests, and other applications in which high visibility is important.</li>
<li>In fluorescent tubes, an electric current is passed through mercury vapour, producing ultraviolet radiation along with a blue light.</li>
</ul>

Fluorescence

There are also other celestial sources of UV radiation.
Very large young stars shine most of their light in ultraviolet wavelengths. But the Earth's atmosphere blocks much of the UV radiation, and observations are conducted using high-altitude balloons and special orbiting telescopes equipped to observe the UV region of the EM spectrum.

UV astronomy

Some skin conditions can be treated using UV light.
PUVA (psoralen ultraviolet light treatment) is used to treat lymphoma, eczema, psoriasis, and vitiligo. Patients take a drug or apply a lotion to make their skin sensitive to light. Then a UV light is shone on the skin, slowing down the growth of the skin cells.

UV light as a cancer treatment

history

History

What Is Ultraviolet Light? | Live Science

Adding apples to our daily intake can improve various aspects of our health, as they are loaded with fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals.
Originating from a proverb in 1866, the phrase ‘An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away’ was coined in 1913. The original quote was: Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.

An Apple A Day

Eating an apple lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, inflammation as it contains flavonoids. The soluble fibre reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
The antioxidants and flavonoids also lower the risk of various kinds of cancer. It is also proven that a diet which has lots of fruits and vegetables protects us against many types of cancer.

Apples: Health-Rich Fruits

<ol>
<li>The fiber in apples supports weight loss due to the feeling of fullness.</li>
<li>Increases bone mineral density.</li>
<li>Helps keep the brain healthy.</li>
<li>Protection against asthma and Type 2 Diabetes.</li>
</ol>
Apples are unlikely to have any downside, though too much of it could have some side effects. It is better to include other fruits in our plate for a healthy, balanced diet.

Health Benefits Of Apples

Apples are highly nutritious, but you may wonder whether they can really keep the doctor away. This article takes a close look at the old proverb and whether it holds true.

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Food

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away — Fact or Fiction?

The human brain is not static, but is shape-shifting, upgrading, maintaining and housekeeping itself all the time.The constant rewiring, adapting and upgrading is happening not just in our formative years, but through the course of our lifetime. This neuroplasticity of the brain can be nurtured and stimulated for further development.

Neuroplasticity: The Brain’s Ability To Adapt

While neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to form fresh connections and to rewire itself, neurogenesis is the brain’s ability to grow new neurons.Experiments in the 1960s discovered that traumatic events, stress and anxiety are detrimental to the neuron cells of the brain. This led to new understandings about the brain being a regenerative organ, where cells can regrow and replenish, also known as neurogenesis.

The Reason For Neuroplasticity: Neuron Cells

Neuroplasticity has two broad types:<ul><li>Structural neuroplasticity: When the synapses or the strength of connections between neurons changes.</li><li>Functional neuroplasticity: When learning and development lead to permanent changes in the synapses.</li></ul>Just like medications and chemicals change our brain, neuroplasticity has the potential to reinvent oneself and get over the traumatic events of the past. It has the power to dissolve our hardwired memories which are fear-based.

Principles Of Neuroplasticity

When the brain learns new things, it connects neuron cells and creates new pathways. Learning new facts may not be very useful, but if one learns a new language, skill or a musical instrument, the neuron magic starts to happen and the rewiring begins.If we have a growth mindset, where our skills and abilities can be consciously developed, the magic of the brain’s neuroplasticity starts to happen.

Neuroplasticity and Learning

<ul><li>The brains of children are extremely adaptive and start to form patterns and connections as soon as they are born.</li><li>The exponential growth is then refined when the child grows up.</li><li>The neuron cells can be adaptive to learning special skills or recovering from injuries, impaired due to genetic/acquired disorders, and excessive negative growth due to incorrect pathway connections.</li><li>These abilities are present in adults though to a lesser degree.</li></ul>

The Age Factor In Neuroplasticity

Apart from forming new pathways and connections, neuroplasticity can also:<ol><li>Recover the brain from strokes and injuries.</li><li>Rewire functions if one area is damaged.</li><li>Heighten the senses of a particular function if the other is damaged.</li><li>Increase memory and cognitive abilities, helping in learning.</li></ol>

The Benefits Of Neuroplasticity

One can boost or enhance neuroplasticity by:<ol><li>Fasting: Increases synaptic adaptation and promotes neuron growth.</li><li>Travelling: Exposing the brain to new environments.</li><li>Memory Training: Memory exercises enhance connectivity & prevent memory loss.</li><li>Learning something new: New neural connections are formed when learning a music.</li><li>Using the non-dominant hand: New pathways are formed </li><li>Reading fiction: Stories that are imaginative enhances the connectivity of the brain.</li><li>Drawing: Creating artworks enhances the default mode network (DMN), increasing introspection, empathy, attention and focus.</li><li>Dancing</li></ol>

How To Rewire Your Brain

Patients with severe brain damage are able to rapidly heal themselves, practically remodelling the brain a few days or weeks after the trauma.What’s weird is that a brain injury is a great time to take advantage of the rapid reorganization, recovery and other significant changes that a brain can perform on itself. During stroke recovery, learning something new or even re-learning something can result in significant gains.

Healing with Neuroplasticity After A Traumatic Experience

Psychiatric disorders, stress, anxiety and depression are by itself neuroplasticity, but in a negative, destruction-oriented way.The damage caused to the brain by these mental disorders encourages unhealthy and dangerous pathways.Breathing exercises, body awareness, changing thought patterns using meditation and memory exercises can help with the reversal of the negative neuroplasticity caused by mental disorders.

Neuroplasticity: Depression And Anxiety

Depression and anxiety can be regulated and reversed by certain exercises:<ol><li>Memory games, crossword, or sudoku.</li><li>Juggling, or learning to play a new musical instrument.</li><li>Learning a new language.</li><li>Yoga.</li><li>Meditation.</li><li>Regular exercise of the body.</li><li>Learning a new subject in a short time.</li></ol>These techniques can also be used for treating ADHD, OCD and autism. Online games and apps work more or less the same if the other aspects like learning and exercising are also engaged with.

Neuroplasticity Exercises for Anxiety and Depression

Neurons are by themselves responsible for the experience of pain. The brain can adapt and manage chronic pain by:<ol><li>Mild electric shocks in the brain to stimulate certain areas.</li><li>Magnetic stimulation of the brain.</li><li>Fasting intermittently.</li><li>Glucose supplements.</li></ol>Apart from these, there are some regular things that we can do to treat chronic pain: exercising, avoiding junk food, quitting smoking, keeping the mind engaged and practising mindfulness.

Chronic Pain and Neuroplasticity

<ul><li>Meditation has a profound effect on the neuroplasticity work inside the brain, with some regions like the hippocampus or certain parts of the amygdala becoming significantly larger.</li><li>Music lifts our mood and is a highly impactful way to facilitate structural and functional changes in the brain, like improving cognitive skills.</li></ul>

Neuroplasticity: The Importance Of Meditation And Music

What is neuroplasticity? Here you can read more about the theory & psychology of neuroplasticity + the best books, TED talks & exercises.

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Problem Solving

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Science & Nature

What is Neuroplasticity? A Psychologist Explains

Play fetch with Fido or sneak in a few cuddles with your kitten. Interacting with your pets can release oxytocin in the brain ― you know, the “warm and fuzzy” hormone ― resulting in that joyous feeling.

Spend time with furry friends

<div>There’s nothing like a little thankfulness to boost your mood. Research shows expressing gratitude <a href="http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier">can make you happier</a>. Try writing down three things you’re thankful for at the end of each night.</div>

Count your blessings

<div> Studies show <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140307111016.htm">self-acceptance is crucial to a happier life</a>, but it’s a habit we barely practice.</div>

Remind yourself how great you are

<div>Research suggests hearing your<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/12/stress.mother.voice.call/"> mom’s voice can help reduce stress</a>. And less stress means a happier you.</div>

Call your mom

<div>Research shows that allowing yourself a few moments of zen-like escape each day <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/meditation-wiring-brain-happiness/story?id=14180253">may make you happier</a>.</div>

Meditate

<div>Research shows that trying to boost your mood while listening to music actually can help <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17439760.2012.747000#.Uyic061dVvB">lift you to a more positive state</a>. Studies also suggest listening to sad music can help boost positive feelings.  </div>

Listen to music

<div>We didn’t get to where we are without a little help, so why not extend that same generosity to someone else? Not only will your kindness influence others, but studies show it’ll also <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/generosity-health_n_4323727">make you happier, too</a>.</div>

Give back

<div>A fulfilling life doesn’t lie in our possessions, it’s found in the experiences we have and the people we share them with. Spend money on a trip, a concert or any other experience that will bring you joy. Science says <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/10/happiness.possessions/">you’ll be happier in the long run</a>.</div>

Spend money on experiences

<div>Work for that promotion or take on that marathon. It’s a lovely treat for your mind, according to Gretchen Rubin “The brain is stimulated by surprise, and successfully dealing with an unexpected situation gives a powerful sense of satisfaction.”</div>

Challenge yourself

<div>More sleep = A happier you. Too little shuteye <a href="http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/emotions-cognitive">slows down our cognitive processes</a> and increases the risk of depression. </div>

Get enough sleep

<div>Most people wish they could avoid aging, but studies show that we’re <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120106135950.htm">happier as we get older</a>. Experts theorize this could be because the older we get, the more we reflect on positive experiences. </div>

Embrace the aging process

<div>Give someone else a compliment. Your generosity will make your day and theirs.</div>

Show your appreciation

<div>Research shows recording these everyday events may make us happier later on because we appreciate them <a href="http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/03/keep-a-one-sentence-journal-be-happier.html?om_rid=AAEMg8&om_mid=_BVCcs2B9AAn94f">a lot more when they’re revisited</a>. In other words, if you ate a scrumptious chocolate brownie on Wednesday, write it down.</div>

Keep a one-sentence journal

One study on <a href="http://www.livescience.com/14635-impression-smell-thoughts-behavior-flowers.html">how scent affects joy</a> found that participants who were in a floral-scented room selected three times as many happiness-related terms than negative terms.

Stop to smell the flowers

<div>Residents of Denmark, one of the <a href="http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/denmark/">happiest countries in the world</a>, spend less time than most Americans in the office. Only 2 percent of Danes work long hours, which is categorized as 50 hours per week. And full-time workers still devote 66 percent of their day to self-care, like eating and sleeping.  </div><div></div>

Try to cut back on work

<div>There’s power in small moments. “I think when we take time to notice the things that go right — it means we’re getting a lot of little rewards throughout the day,” Susan Weinschenk, author of How to Get People to Do Stuff.</div>

Celebrate little victories

Sometimes it can feel hard to keep up a happy state of mind. The emotion, like all the others, isn't always permanent. But there are ways to keep it up or boost it when you need it ― and luckily, they're simpler than you think.

Ways To Be Happier Instantly

Self-sabotage can be defined as the action through which you undermine your worth and goals. Even though you want something, you do actions that are contrary to achieving your target. There are mainly two types of self-sabotaging behaviors, as follows:
<ul>
<li>conscious self-sabotage: you do the actions that will end up undermining your goals consciously.</li>
<li>unconscious self-sabotage: you do actions that will end up undermining your goals without being aware of this.</li>
</ul>

Self-sabotage

Self-sabotage can appear in our lives under many shapes:
<ul>
<li>procrastination: putting off what we should be doing now</li>
<li>substance abuse: consuming alcohol and drug often leads to us not reaching our goals</li>
<li>chronic lateness: this will usually result in you being perceived as a not so trustworthy person</li>
<li>stress eating: we all know the end of this one- poor diet or even illness</li>
<li> intimacy and commitment issues: the negative consequence refers to you ending up alone.</li>
</ul>

Self-sabotage and its diversity

Studies revealed two main causes of self-sabotage:
<ul>
<li>modeling: individuals tend to self-sabotage as they grew up seeing this in their parents' behavior</li>
<li>power: persons may tend to self-sabotage by entering into relationships with people who are, one way or another, inferior to them</li>
</ul>

Self-sabotage and its causes

In order to stop the self-sabotage, have a look at the below four steps:
<ul>
<li>get to know and understand why you feel the need to self-sabotage</li>
<li>once you have identified that need, check out ways you can fill it without having to involve self-sabotage</li>
<li>if you have already found the proper alternative, think about ways to identify and overcome possible obstacles</li>
<li>build up tolerance when dealing with unpleasant feelings</li>
<li>make sure you really know your values and goals </li>
</ul>

Avoid self-sabotage 

Do you often find yourself undermining your own goals and best intentions? If so, you may be experiencing self-sabotage. This guide will help.

Understand yourself and those around you.

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Psychology

habits

Habits

mentalhealth

Mental Health

Self-Sabotage: Why You Do It and How to Stop for Good

<ul>
<li>Discovered in 1957, Dopamine is one of 20 major neurotransmitters, brain chemicals that communicate between nerves and cells. </li>
<li>In the 50s the chemical was associated with physical movement, which changed 30 years later when new experiments proved it to be associated with mental stimulation, addiction, desire, sex drive and ambition.</li>
<li>Dopamine is crucial for movement control, memory, mood, cognitive activity, sleep and attention.</li>
</ul>

Dopamine: The Brain Chemical Of Desire

Companies, advertising agencies and tech giants slowly realized the power of dopamine. 
Tech companies which already rely on persuasion lapped up this ‘sex, drugs and rock’n’roll’ molecule, essentially hacking the human mind after learning about its basic vulnerability, using the knowledge to increase the rate at which people use their services.

Dopamine: The Celebrity Molecule

If a reward is provided on a regular basis, the brain takes the same as a given, but if the same reward is irregular, the brain is primed to check again and again about the same. This is the same technique that is used in slot machines at gambling casinos. 
Social media has been tremendously successful as it has been able to exploit this desire and addiction towards social affirmation, with random, irregular rewards.

Persuasive Technology: Irregularly Timed Rewards

Silicon Valley is keen to exploit the brain chemical credited with keeping us tapping on apps and social media

technologyandthefuture

Technology & The Future

Has dopamine got us hooked on tech?

When we look at our calendar, we often notice that every hour is filled with something - almost as if we don't like being left alone with ourselves with nothing to do.
But our inner lives are in great need of attention. It takes the absence of an agenda to really learn about ourselves. It takes quiet and time.

Our schedules are filled to the brim

Once a week, clear your calendar, remove any social obligations, turn off your notifications, let your projects sit idle and make space for what could happen.
You matter without the stuff, the outside approval, without the career, or the friends. It is worth having a "do nothing" day just to be you.

A "do nothing" day

<ul>
<li>Set the day aside and make it known to people close to you so that they can support you.</li>
<li>Don't stress about it. Wake up, and resist the urge to do stuff.</li>
<li>Pay attention. Notice when you have an urge to check your phone or make a call. Depriving yourself of everyday stuff will reveal what you really need.</li>
<li>Listen to your heart. Don't just do something, Wait. Ask yourself if this is something you really want to do?</li>
<li>Spend some time in silence.</li>
</ul>

Tips for a “do nothing” day

The importance of being intentional and giving yourself a much needed day of rest.

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Productivity

timemanagement

Time Management

How a “Do Nothing” Day Changed My Life

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”

Life has challenges, misery and struggles for everyone inhabiting this planet, and it is our choice to be happy or unhappy, because our behaviours, thoughts and attitude are what makes our condition good or bad.
By counting our blessings and focusing on the good things in life, instead of the one bad thing that has happened and is the center of attention, we choose to have power over the situation and stir life towards happiness, in spite of the circumstances.

Contentment: The Choice Is Ours

<ul>
<li>When we feel a sense of contentment, our satisfaction influences our overall happiness.</li>
<li>A simple, minimalistic way of life can help us curb many unwanted desires that cause misery in the future (including financial troubles).</li>
<li>The contentment over our significant other boosts any relationship and avoids our efforts to change others into versions we like.</li>
<li>Contentment leads us to accept our children and love them as they are, instead of imposing undesirable conditions on them.</li>
<li>Being content with a good job helps us avoid being a complaining, grumpy person, leading to more opportunities in the future.</li>
<li>Social change is possible if we are content with ourselves and can therefore work positively in the bigger issues that plague the earth.</li>
</ul>

The Process Of Transformation Through Contentment

<ul>
<li>Focus on and give gratitude for what you have, and not what you have lost.</li>
<li>Take a deep breath when you try to change someone, understand that their faults are part of the package.</li>
<li>When you have an urge to buy something, wait for 30 days.</li>
<li>Appreciate your life, reflecting on the moments like a good walk in nature in the morning, looking at the rising sun.</li>
<li>Give people a smile and thank them for their work.</li>
<li>Just breathe and smile, taking the time to pause for calmness and serenity.</li>
</ul>

Moving Towards Contentment

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

The Incredible Power of Contentment

Any food is generally promoted to a ‘superfood’ status when it has a generous amount of desirable nutrients, disease-killing abilities, and has other health benefits apart from the nutritional value.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a superfood as “a food (such as salmon, broccoli, or blueberries) that is rich in compounds (such as antioxidants, fibre, or fatty acids) considered beneficial to a person’s health.”

Superfoods: A Primer

Marketing and promotion of the first identified superfood, the banana, originated during World War I when the United Fruit Company started promoting it as being:
<ol>
<li>Cheap and nutritious.</li>
<li>Easily digested by the body.</li>
<li>Available throughout the year everywhere.</li>
<li>Sealed naturally.</li>
<li>Good cooked and uncooked.</li>
</ol>
Later The American Medical Association further promoted bananas to be a staple of a child’s diet, fueling the banana diet craze.

The First Superfood: Banana

Many natural foods are heavily marketed as Superfoods, resulting in exponential sales.
The foods are often promoted as a must-have product, that is helpful in preventing many lifestyle diseases and health problems. It is a good idea to enjoy a varied diet instead of buying in the hype.

Superfoods Are Profitable

Apart from fruits, various grains, seeds, vegetables and even seaweed are promoted as Superfoods. Some examples:
<ul>
<li>Chia seeds</li>
<li>Almonds</li>
<li>Avocado</li>
<li>Blueberries</li>
<li>Eggs</li>
<li>Garlic</li>
<li>Pomegranate</li>
<li>Wheatgrass</li>
<li>Ginger</li>
<li>Turmeric.</li>
</ul>

Recently Marketed Superfoods

There’s no scientifically based or regulated definition for superfood, so where did the term originate? Learn more about the history of superfoods.

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Marketing & Sales

Superfoods or Superhype?

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