I Am Janice Boles- Advocating Mental Wellness

Over the years, Safer Internet Day has become a landmark event in the online safety calendar. Starting as an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004 and taken up by the Insafe network as one of its earliest actions in 2005, Safer Internet Day has grown beyond its traditional geographic zone and is now celebrated in approximately 190 countries and territories worldwide.

From cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns.

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Types of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are serious illnesses that are associated with disruptions in people’s eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. Preoccupations with food, body, weight, and shape may be signs of an eating disorder. Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.

Anorexia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa
Binge eating disorder
Avoidant or restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
Risk Factors for Eating Disorders

Risk factors for eating disorders can include various biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. Some of the most commons risk factors include:

Body dissatisfaction
Bullying
Appearance ideal internalization
Anxiety disorder
Limited social networks
Historical trauma
Having a close relative with an eating disorder
Sexual trauma in childhood
Experience of violence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Food insecurity

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Psychiatrists say being kind offers benefits for you, too!

•Fuels personal energy and self-esteem
•Makes you happier.
•Good for your heart.
•Helps you live longer.
•Decreases the harmful chemicals in your body

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We know that love is more than a feeling; no matter how you define it, it’s essential to ensure you’re on the same page with your partner about the definitions and boundaries of your relationship. Teens and young adults express their love for one another in many ways, which differ from person to person or community. All expressions of love are valid. However, the essential aspect of “Love Like That” calls on us all to create a world of positive actions to express and show healthy love in various ways.

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So, if you suffer from clinical depression, or simply feel your self-esteem could use a boost, there are ways you can help yourself. Some methods may fit better for you than others. Yet, they are all worth a try.

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Mindset Development

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is observed every year to raise awareness about the plight of the victims and the practices that can be regularised in order to save these lives. As we gear up to observe the special day for this year, here are a few facts to keep in mind.

Every year, National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is celebrated on January 11. This year, the special day will be observed on a Thursday.

History:
Forced labour, forced criminal activities, forced sexual exploitation, removal of organs and smuggling are some of the reasons why people are trafficked. Slavery still exists in the world, even though sometimes we are not aware of it. In 2007, National Human Trafficking Awareness Day was declared by the United States Senate to be celebrated on January 11. The then President Barack Obama dedicated the entire month of January 2010 for raising awareness about human trafficking.

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This year, it takes place from January 15 to 19. People have been called unpleasant names for their weight, height, intelligence, sexual orientation, and others things they have little or no control over. While some consider name-calling harmless fun, victims of such names generally feel insecure, ashamed, and bullied, to extents that cause them to lose their self-esteem, feel unwanted in their immediate environments, and suffer emotional distress.

HOW TO OBSERVE NO NAME-CALLING WEEK:

Join your school's anti-bullying program
Schools around the U.S. organize programs during the week to inform students about name-calling. Participate in one or all the programs.

Make a signpost
Make a signpost that tells readers of the dangers of name-calling and why it is important to stop it. See how it contributes to the day.

Stop name-calling
They say change starts with you. What better way is there to celebrate this week than to resolve within yourself to stop calling others demeaning names? Let the change begin with you this week.

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How to Engage in National Mentoring Month

1. Get Educated
Understand the benefits of mentoring for mentors, mentees and the organization – whether that’s in the workplace, academic institutions, non-profit organizations or professional associations.
2. Share Your Experience
Share about your mentoring experience with your mentor or mentee on social media using . Make a short video, share a quote or tell a quick story about mentoring’s impact on you.
3. Connect with Your Mentoring Partner
Reach out to your mentoring partner and set up your next meeting. Prepare ahead of time what you want to talk about, the goals you want to establish and how you can support them in return. Looking for questions to ask your mentor?
4. Start a Mentoring Program
Set up a mentoring program in your organization. We know that mentoring in the workplace, academic institution and beyond helps to retain, develop and grow talented people. Get started today!
5. Promote Your Mentoring Program
Start promoting your existing mentoring program to desired participants. Use the guidelines and templates in our toolkit to make things simple and effective.
6. Become a Mentoring Champion
Talking about your mentoring experience with a friend, a colleague or in a team or company meeting can entice others to participate or seek out mentoring for themselves.

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It seems appropriate that January is Mental Wellness Month. After all, what better way to start the new year (and recover from the non-stop hustle and bustle of the holiday season) than with a reminder to recharge your mental health?

Establish emotional balance
Emotional or mental wellness doesn’t mean you always have to be happy. That’s just not realistic. Part of the beauty of being a human is experiencing and learning from all emotions – the ups and downs, the good and the bad.

Emotional balance is the act of being aware of and experiencing your emotions instead of bottling them up inside. Here’s how it works:

Acknowledge body and emotional changes. Take a moment to notice that you’re experiencing some type of emotion. You don’t have to identify it right away.
Feel your feelings. Close your eyes and take a deep breath to help you identify your feelings. Do you have butterflies in your stomach? Do you feel a warmth or glowing feeling inside?
Name the emotion. Words have power. By simply saying, “I feel anxious” or “I feel happy” you can start to respond productively instead of reacting unconsciously.
Practice mindfulness. Being mindful can help you find emotional balance. Try meditation, yoga or breathing exercises to stretch your mindful muscle. The more you practice, the easier it will become to notice and name your emotions.

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When the General Assembly adopted the Declaration, it was proclaimed as a "common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations", towards which individuals and societies should "strive by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance".

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets out a broad range of fundamental rights and freedoms to which all of us are entitled. It guarantees the rights of every individual everywhere, without distinction based on nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, religion, language, or any other status.

Although the Declaration is not a binding document, it inspired more than 60 human rights instruments which together constitute an international standard of human rights. Today the general consent of all United Nations Member States on the basic Human Rights laid down in the Declaration makes it even stronger and emphasizes the relevance of Human Rights in our daily lives.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, as the main United Nations rights official, and the Office of the High Commissioner play a major role in coordinating efforts for the yearly observation of Human Rights Day.

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On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I call on the entire international community to mobilize so that persons with disabilities may actively contribute to the response to the crisis and to the generation of new possibilities.

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The world can end AIDS, with communities leading the way. Organisations of communities living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV are the frontline of progress in the HIV response. Communities connect people with person-centred public health services, build trust, innovate, monitor implementation of policies and services, and hold providers accountable.
But communities are being held back in their leadership. Funding shortages, policy and regulatory hurdles, capacity constraints, and crackdowns on civil society and on the human rights of marginalised communities, are obstructing the progress of HIV prevention and treatment services. If these obstacles are removed, community-led organisations can add even greater impetus to the global HIV response, advancing progress towards the end of AIDS.

This World AIDS Day is more than a celebration of the achievements of communities; it is a call to action to enable and support communities in their leadership roles.

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What Is Seasonal Depression?
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a form of depression triggered by seasonal changes. It can cause bouts of fatigue, depression, and social withdrawal due to a biochemical imbalance in the brain.

Most people who experience this condition reside far from the equator, where there is less daylight during the winter. However, other causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder include:

Oversleeping
Limited mobility
Lack of social support
Withdrawal from friends or relatives
Overeating, which frequently leads to weight gain.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is more than the “winter blues.” According to the non-profit organization Mental Health America, it affects approximately 5% of the population, or more than 16.4 million Americans.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is most commonly associated with fall and winter. However, it is more likely to affect adults with major depressive or bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, this condition can also be inherited.

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For many, the winter holidays can be the most stressful time of the year. The pressures to keep up with social occasions and make others happy can lead to physical and mental exhaustion. Here are some simple ideas for cutting holiday stress.

•Don’t seek perfection. People often maintain an idealized image of how the holidays should be. However, everything about your holiday season doesn’t have to be perfect or just like last year.

•Simplify wherever possible. Be realistic about what you can do during the holidays.

•Eliminate some tasks or social functions so that you have more time to enjoy the people you value most.
Avoid social media. Others posting images of lavish dinners and perfect parties can lead us to feel we’re not measuring up.

•Continue your workout routines. Exercise helps bust stress and burn off calories that accumulate so quickly at this time of year.

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The Holidays can be a not so happy time for many. Grief is not just a death experience but Grief is experiencing loss whether relationship, health, pet, job, financial, or estrangement a you journey thru.

64 Tips for Coping with Grief at the Holidays - Whats your Grief We asked our readers to share their tips for getting through the holidays after a death. Here are 64 ideas for coping with grief at the holidays.

I would like to thank Everyone for telling me how to do the bypass. I wondered where everybody had been!
This is good to know: It's ridiculous to have over 540 friends and only 25 are allowed to see my post.
It WORKS!! I have a whole new news feed. I’m seeing posts from people I haven’t seen in years.
Here’s how to bypass the system FB now has in place that limits posts on your news feed.
Their new algorithm chooses the same few people - about 25 - who will read your posts. Therefore,
Hold your finger down anywhere in this post and "copy" will pop up. Click "copy". Then go your page, start a new post and put your finger anywhere in the blank field. "Paste" will pop up and click paste.
This will bypass the system.
If you are reading this message, do me a favor and leave me a quick comment...a "hello," a sticker, whatever you want, so you will appear in my newsfeed‼️

Activities You Could Get Involved In On Kindness Day
The trend with this day is for you to commit around three random acts fo kindness to others.
Some of the activities you could do include:
Giving compliments- Smile at strangers passing by, hold open a door, give up your seat on public transport, or compliment someone sincerely on something they have done or have changed such as wearing a new top or new hair cut. Even these small gestures are a nice way of showing kindness to others.
Give extra long hugs- Sometimes people just need that extra little bit of care, so if you give out any hugs today make them extra long and meaningful. Connections and kindness go hand-in-hand. You may find that some people wonder what’s got into you, but they will certainly appreciate it.
Write a love letter or poem- This is a great one for your significant other half. We can often take them for granted so show your kindness in a letter or poem.

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This year's Anti-Bullying Week takes place from 13-17 November, and has the theme of 'Make A Noise About Bullying', an idea which came about following consultation with teachers and pupils. According to the Anti-Bullying Alliance the theme was chosen because "too often, we are silent when we see bullying take place, silent about the hurt bullying causes, and silent when we hear bullying dismissed as ‘just banter'. It doesn't have to be this way."

An easy and fun way to get involved in Anti-Bullying Week is Odd Socks Day, which is taking place on Monday 13 November. To take part, all you need to do is wear odd socks! It's a simple way to celebrate what makes us all unique.

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Every person deserves food on their plate and a roof over their head.

Unfortunately, hunger and homelessness are a reality for far too many people. The U.S. is the richest nation in the world, but 37 million Americans are at risk of suffering from hunger and more than 500,000 Americans are homeless on a typical night.

This week is Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, an annual opportunity to shine a spotlight on the problems of hunger and homelessness and organize our communities to take action.

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What is National Career Development Month? -
National Career Development Month is a month-long campaign that emphasizes the significance of career development and planning. It aims to educate and inspire individuals to explore career options, set goals, and make strategic decisions about their professional futures.

When is National Career Development Month 2023? -
National Career Development Month is observed throughout the month of November each year. In 2023, it will span from November 1st to November 30th, providing a month of opportunities for individuals to engage in career-related activities and self-discovery.

History of National Career Development Month -
National Career Development Month was established to address the need for comprehensive career guidance and support. It is endorsed by career development organizations, educational institutions, and professionals who are dedicated to helping individuals make informed career choices.

Over time, National Career Development Month has grown into a nationwide initiative that encourages lifelong learning, skill development, and career exploration to promote personal and professional growth.

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In October, Americans observe National Disability Employment Awareness Month by paying tribute to the accomplishments of the men and women with disabilities whose work helps keep the nation’s economy strong and by reaffirming their commitment to ensure equal opportunity for all citizens.

People with disabilities have long strengthened our economy and expanded our Nation’s possibilities. During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we recognize the immense contributions of disabled Americans, and we recommit to delivering America’s full promise of equal dignity, respect, and opportunity for every American.

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