Left to Right: Leaders of the Black Heritage Celebration Nia Lartey, Guinevere Thomas, Bishop Walton and Raven Lucas said the funding will go toward nearly 20 events.

Updated: Feb. 3, 2020 at 10:01 a.m.

GWs 14th annual Black Heritage Celebration is kicking off with the most funding in its history and a slate of more than a dozen entirely student-led events.

Student leaders said this years theme, Reclaiming Our Renaissance: Our History, Our Culture, Our Legacy, honors the centennial anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance. For the first time since BHC launched in 2006, the celebration is entirely organized by students and received a record $29,000 to fund nearly 20 different events, like discussions on black womens self care and a step show, student leaders said.

The celebration will begin Monday with keynote speaker Brittany Packnett Cunningham, a social justice activist, followed by about five events per week throughout the rest of the month. BHC will round out Feb. 29 with a formal event at the L2 Lounge, according to the BHC agenda.

Raven Lucas, the BHC programming co-chair, said most of the events change every year to match the theme. In previous years, BHC centered on themes like Im Rooting for Everybody Black last year and The Revolution will be Televised in 2017.

I would say as programming chairs, we just wanted a diverse array of programs throughout the month, she said.

Students lead BHC with record funding The SA dished out $29,000 to the BHC for this months celebrations, which organizers said were put toward funding speakers, providing food at events and lowering the price of tickets for the final event.

That also speaks to increased diversity within the Student Association, which shows that its becoming more diverse and starting to reflect what the student body looks like and represents, Lucas said. Theyre starting to see the importance of having this programming.

Nia Lartey, the BHC programming co-chair and a former Hatchet reporter, said the BHC committee received several event proposals from dance teams, graduate student organizations and for the first time, from academic departments and LATAM@GW.

That was a big thing last year because a lot of non-black people who were wondering if they could come to BHC events or if they were for them, and we really wanted to stress this year that the entire community is welcome to anything that is happening in February, Lartey said.

In past years, Lartey said George Rice, the former associate director of the Multicultural Student Services Center, was the administrative force behind BHC, but no official replaced his role in the planning process when he left last year. Lartey said graduate student Cassandra Allen filled in as an adviser to oversee the planning process, but all of the people planning the month are students.

While it was daunting in the beginning that we had to plan the month without the powerhouses that we had in past years, everything happens for a reason, and I believe we were able to give this years BHC some much needed new love, she said. We have free t-shirts, extremely discounted finale tickets and events with organizations we havent had the privilege to partner with yet.

She said BHC organizers send a form to apply to host an event at the end of September, and student leaders considered the proposals in the first week of November. The events must relate to the theme of the month, and organizers give greater focus toward new organizations that want to be part of the celebration, she said.

Lartey and Lucas said the BHC marketing committee, a subset of the planning group, runs an Instagram account, @GWUBHC, where they counted down the days to the start of the celebration and provide updates about events. She said the marketing committee also posts flyers in residence halls and around campus to spread awareness for the month.

Lartey added that organizers gave away five tickets to attend the celebration finale later this month for the first time to help promote the event. Finale tickets are currently $10 and will go up to $15 on Feb. 15.

Lartey said the Multicultural Student Services Center also helped to promote the month and BHCs programming by including information about the celebration in its newsletters and website.

New events on tap For this years celebration, 22 student organizations, departments and Greek councils are hosting, sponsoring and participating in events most of which incorporate the word reclaim into their names. Leaders said all of the events this month are new, except for the second annual step show, the end of month finale, the keynote and the soul revue, an R&B and hip-hop performance.

The Organization of Latino American Students and the Black Student Union have teamed up to hold the first Best of Both Worlds brunch on Feb. 9 at the Phi Beta Sigma townhouse. The event will be divided into two parts throughout the day, beginning with conversation with our communities and allies to take part in bridging the gap and wrapping up with brunch and conversation, according to the event schedule.

The GW Association of Black Journalists will host the event, Reclaiming the Mic in the Jack Morton Auditorium next Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Radio personality Angela Yee from The Breakfast Club radio show and the Lip Service Podcast will join ABJ for a conversation about storytelling within the black community.

BHC will also honor Valentines Day with the event, Reclaiming Love on Feb. 14 in the Marvin Amphitheater at 7 p.m. RoughCut Productions will present The Golliwog, a student film directed by Guinevere Thomas, a senior in the School of Media and Public Affairs, a showrunner for RoughCut Productions and another BHC co-chair.

Thomas said she wants her film to inspire other people of color to create their own art. The horror film delves into how the black form is haunted by American history.

I want other artists to watch my film and feel empowered to create their own art because black children are so often told that this isnt a career choice for them and that there is no place for them in the creative space, and I wholeheartedly reject that, Thomas said.

During the event, guests will also hear from Imani Cheers, an associate professor at SMPA, on Feb. 14 as she examines the concept of double-consciousness and black female identity in film.

The Multicultural Business Student Association will host an interactive panel called Reclaiming Our Real Estate next Tuesday. MBSA treasurer and panel moderator Martin Haggray said the panels speakers will include black professionals from the commercial real estate industry who will explain the importance of black leadership and ownership in real estate.

I think the main goal is to bring a level of first-hand exposure for students to see professionals who are doing this business, who are vice presidents and directors at leading companies in D.C., Haggray said.

Howard Brookins, the president of the MBSA, said he has noticed a lack of black speakers coming to talk to students at GW, especially in connection to business and real estate. Brookins said panel focuses on encouraging people of color to pursue their goals in business or real estate by drawing attention to the people on the panel.

This is the whole purpose of the Black Heritage Celebration, to recognize that we are black and that we navigate through spaces differently and that there are people like us, who look like us, succeeding, Brookins said. You may forget that other people like you went through the same struggles.

This article appeared in the February 3, 2020 issue of the Hatchet.

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Student-run Black Heritage Celebration kicks off with record funding - GW Hatchet

Alan Dean, pictured Nov. 10, 2019, prior to attending the Remembrance Day ceremonies at Pointe-Claire City Hall. Dean passed away, Jan. 18, just shy of his 82 birthday. jpg

Alan Dean is being remembered in low-vision circles as a fellow who could get things done. Dean, who was president of the Low Vision Self-Help Association for 15 years, died Jan. 18. He was exactly one month shy of his 82 birthday.

I first met Alan in 2000. He was really struggling (with his vision loss) and was feeling pretty down, Irene Lambert said. I was able to pick him up and lead him through the process.

Lambert is a founding member of the 32-year-old Low Vision Self-Help Association a group that helps people with low-vision connect with the resources they need to live full and independent lives and organizes education and social events.

Dean soon became a large presence in the low-vision community.

He could get things done, Lambert said. He was great at organization.

Dean was born in Liverpool, the youngest of nine children. He had roots in Montreal through his mother and moved here in 1959 after serving as a Royal Air Force pilot, stationed in Singapore. He met his wife Norma at a dance at the downtown YWCA and they married in 1961. Norma Dean passed away in 2013. They are survived by three children and four grandchildren.

Dean was self-employed, working as an international freight forwarder.

He was an accomplished man, son David Dean said. And he was a good father. He was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader and was always trying to spark young minds.

Dean said his father loved knowledge and would set out to learn everything he could about a given subject, be it volcanoes or gems and minerals. He was an avid stamp collector and president of the Lakeshore Stamp Club. He played piano and was a great storyteller.

And then there were jokes, jokes, jokes, Dean said, laughing.

Deans stories were so good, he ended up as a guest on BBC Radio Merseyside on a show hosted by fellow Liverpudlian Billy Maher. (Not to be mistaken for American comedian and political commentator Bill Maher.)

LVSHA president John Ohberg first heard about Dean from a nurse who was caring for his wife Clora Delany, following her cancer diagnosis. (She passed away in 2010.)

The nurse was very impressed with Alan, what he could do, Ohberg said. He was the type of person people looked up to. When I first met him he was chairing the (low-vision) meetings and was completely blind. He was a man of many interests. He played the piano (at Chartwell Le Wellesley seniors residence in Pointe-Claire). He loved old movies. He was a collector. I was always impressed with how he managed himself.

Dean was diabetic and began to lose his sight in earnest in 1996, although there had been previous indications of vision loss. As his sight worsened, Dean became involved with the Montreal Association for the Blind, which, in turn, suggested he contact the Low Vision Self-Help Association.

Alan Dean sits beside a copy of the Canada Post braille stamp issued in April 2008, at the Montreal Association for the Blind. PHIL CARPENTER / The Gazette

Dean used his contacts in the stamp-collecting world to help facilitate the creation of a braille stamp to commemorate the centenary of the Montreal Association for the Blind in 2008.

He had an impact on different groups, the MAB, the low-vision association, the Lakeshore Stamp Club, Dean said. He was a man of action.

kgreenaway@postmedia.com

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Former low-vision president remembered as a fellow who got things done - Montreal Gazette

Getting a good night's sleep improves your health and mood.

You make the same resolution every January: Im going to take better care of myself this year. Its one of the most popular health-related goals. (The other three are quit smoking, exercise and eat healthier.) That looks a bit different for everyone, but a common and highly beneficial self-care strategy is getting more and better sleep. Its foundational to good health and happiness, and is worth considering if you havent yet.

Why Busy Adults Really Need Sleep

Why should you prioritize sleep as part of your self-care regimen? Even in the context of optimal nutrition, exercise and other factors, if you are not sleeping well your alertness, performance and mood will clearly suffer, declares Cathy Goldstein, MD, a sleep neurologist at Michigan Medicines Sleep Disorders Centers.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society recommend getting at least seven hours of sleep on a nightly basis, the doctor shares. Not getting enough can lead to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke, depression, pain, poor immune function, and greater mortality, she adds. It can also lead to poor functional outcomes (increased errors and accidents).

A few spontaneous awakenings at night are normal; it is unlikely that anyone sleeps continuously for seven hours, Goldstein observes.Awakenings are problematic when they are frequent (indicating an underlying sleep disorder like sleep apnea) or prolonged (insomnia). If youre plagued by either, consult with your physician or a specialist. For many adults, though, lack of sleep has more to do with lifestyle and environment than health.

Why Youre Not Sleeping Enough

So many of us say we don't have time to sleep, Goldstein says. Keep in mind that hopping into bed at 11 p.m. and setting an alarm for 6 a.m. is not seven hours of sleep; you need some time to unwind and ease into sleep. Sound familiar? I recommend a countdown to shut-down, she suggests. Here's what that looks like:

Its likely that your bedtime routine looks quite a bit different than the sleep doctors suggested model.

Optimizing Your Bedroom For Sleep

Our internal clock, which controls our sleep, is evolved to expect darkness after sundown. Your back-lit electronic devices are like miniature suns that you take into the sleep environment not good, Goldstein scolds. Try blue-blocking amber glasses during the last three to four hours before bed, she suggests. (Some electronics including phones, TVs and tablets have internal settings to automate this switch after dark.)

She recommends making your bedroom an electronics-free zone, if possible. Replace the notes function on your phone with a notepad if you tend to ruminate or plan in bed. Keep the phone charging in another room and watch TV elsewhere in the house.

Another source of light that can impact your sleep is outside your window, (and outside your control). You may have a street light that beams into your room, or perhaps youre on a heavily-trafficked road with headlights interrupting your sleep at odd intervals. Blackout window coverings can help with these, and are available as drapes, liners or shades.

Blackout window coverings help eliminate one sleep challenge.

Your bedroom and bathroom lighting may also be impacting your sleep; many fixtures you use just before bedtime employ energy-efficient LEDs or compact fluorescent bulbs. These are also blue light sources. Swapping to circadian-friendly warm light bulbs is one option. If youre using or considering smart home technology, look for a human-centric (also known as circadian) lighting component to tie into it. These HCL systems adjust automatically through the day to mimic the suns shift from cold and bright to warm and soft to help with your sleep cycles.

Having a supportive mattress and pillows help you sleep better too. If youre regularly waking up with a sore back or neck, one or both may need to be replaced. Your bedding also counts. Choose fabrics that can be machine washed regularly with nontoxic cleaners. This will keep dust mites and chemical irritants away when youre breathing deeply in sleep.

Last but not least, your bedrooms noise levels may be impacting your sleep. A fan or white noise machine is great, Goldstein says. Leafy plants and tall storage can also block out noise from the other side of a wall.

Bookcases and leafy plants can help muffle noise.

Bottom Line

The most important self-care resolution you can make this year is getting more sleep. Goldstein recommends that you devote eight hours in bed at about the same time daily including on your days off. Dont think about these eight hours as a loss of time in your day, but as an investment in your performance to come.

***

Here are the publication dates for the rest of the series:

(Part 1) Quit Smoking Monday, January 6

(Part 2) Eat Healthier Monday, January 13

(Part 3) Get Exercise Monday, January 20

See the original post:
How Your Home Can Help With Your Self-Care Resolution - Forbes

News release of The Lancet Global Health

A guided self-help approach that provides strategies for managing distress and coping with adversity is safe, and resulted in meaningful improvements in psychological distress and functioning compared to enhanced usual care over three months in female refugees living in a settlement in Uganda, according to a randomised trial involving almost 700 South Sudanese refugee women, published in The Lancet Global Health journal.

The study is the first randomised trial of a guided self-help group intervention in a low-resource humanitarian setting. Although longer follow-up is needed to determine the long-term effects of the intervention, the authors say that guided self-help could be a promising first-line strategy to address the vast gap in mental health support in areas where humanitarian access is difficult, such as South Sudan and Syria.

Refugees are at greater risk of developing symptoms of common mental disorders and other forms of disabling psychological distress. Although several psychological treatments have been shown to be effective among conflict-affected populations, they tend to target single mental disorders, require a substantial clinical workforce, and reach only individuals or small groups of people at a time.

Self-Help Plus (SH+) was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to meet the challenges of delivering evidence-based mental health support to large numbers of people both with and without mental disorders in hard-to-reach conflict- or disaster-affected areas. SH+ is a group-based self-help intervention guided by non-specialist facilitators with minimal training. It combines a five-session pre-recorded audio course with an illustrated self-help book designed for low literacy populations and can be delivered to groups of up to 30 people.

SH+ provides strategies for managing distress arising in the context of a range of adversities including interpersonal violence, armed conflict, and chronic poverty. The approach is based on acceptance and commitment therapy, a modern form of cognitivebehavioural therapy, that focuses on increasing psychological flexibilityprimarily through mindfulness exercisesand promotes behaviours that are in line with a persons values, explains Dr Wietse Tol from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and HealthRight International, USA, who co-led the research. [1]

According to co-lead author Dr Mark van Ommeren from WHO, Switzerland: By targeting psychological distress, regardless of whether people have mental disorders, while reducing reliance on scarce specialists and tripling the number of participants reached per session, guided self-help has enormous potential to improve reach and access to psychological support for people affected by adversity. [1]

The study included 697 female refugees from South Sudan with at least moderate levels of psychological distress living in the Rhino Camp settlement in north-western Uganda. No psychiatric diagnosis was required to be included in the trial, but participants assessed to be at imminent risk of suicide or showing observable signs of severe mental disorder (e.g., psychosis) were excluded and offered alternative support.

Researchers randomly assigned 14 villages in the settlement to either SH+ in addition to enhanced usual care or enhanced usual care alone. In the seven intervention villages, 331 women from randomly selected households received five weekly 2-hour audio-recorded group-based sessions (2030 refugees) delivered by briefly trained (8 days) lay facilitators supporting group discussions and demonstrating exercises, complemented by an illustrated self-help book that summarised key concepts of the course. The intervention group also received enhanced usual care consisting of one 30-min group psychoeducation session about how to self-manage distress and information on how to access existing mental health services. In the seven control villages, 363 women from randomly selected households received enhanced usual care alone.

All participants completed questionnaires to assess their levels of psychological distress and to measure changes in symptoms of distress, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), self-reported concerns, inter-ethnic relations, feelings of anger, functional impairment, and subjective wellbeing one week before the intervention, and one week and 3 months after the intervention had ended. On average (83%) of the women in the SH+ group participated in each session, which suggests that SH+ is acceptable to participants.

Compared to the control group, refugees in the SH+ group reported substantially greater reductions in psychological distress both immediately after the intervention and 3 months later.

At the 3-month follow-up, SH+ also led to improvements in PTSD and depression symptoms, explosive anger, functioning, and subjective well-being, and was equally beneficial among women with different trauma histories, levels of distress, and levels of exposure to gender-based violence (table 2).

Further analyses found that the vast majority of participants (84%; 582/694) rated their psychological distress as severe at the start of the study. Immediately after the intervention, women in the SH+ group were less likely to report severe levels of distress compared with the control group (110/331 [33%] vs 209/363 [48%]), and improvement in severe distress levels was maintained for 3 months (130/331 [39%] vs 174/336 [48%]).

Importantly, there were no reports of any adverse reactions related to SH+ after scrutiny by an independent data safety management board.

Despite these achievements, the study has some limitations, including that by randomising a limited number of villages, differences in unmeasured factors between the villages may have influenced the results; and the generalisability is limited to female refugees. Further adaptation and evaluation for male refugees is currently ongoing.

Our findings indicate that SH+ offers sizeable immediate benefits, which is very promising for an intervention that has high potential for scale-up, and can be delivered in areas with limited access to care, says co-author Marx Leku from HealthRight International in Uganda.

Co-author Dr Claudia Garcia Moreno from WHO, Switzerland notes: There are still critical questions left to answer, including why effect sizes reduce over time; whether benefits can be maintained by integrating SH+ into existing humanitarian programmes related to poverty, gender-based violence, or other community health concerns; and whether this approach is cost-effective compared with established psychological interventions. [1]

Discussing the implications of the findings in a linked Comment, lead author Dr Charlotte Hanlon (who was not involved in the study) from Kings College London, UK, says that the study has taken global mental health to a new and hopeful place, adding that, the question now is how can this promising and potentially scalable intervention be transitioned to make real-world impact?

She concludes: To allow for even greater reachguided self-help could be reconceptualised as a secondary prevention intervention targeted at people with psychological distress. In doing so, the mechanisms of action of the intervention should be further investigated, particularly to understand how to achieve greater psychological flexibility[so] that the intervention can be offered to all populations facing serious adversity, without the need to screen.

This study was funded by Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) Programme. It was conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA; HealthRight International, New York, USA; Arua, Uganda; WHO, Geneva, Switzerland; Arua Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda; University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Geneva, Switzerland; University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK in partnership with the Ministry of Health in Uganda.

Peer-reviewed / Randomised controlled trial / People

The labels have been added to this press release as part of a project run by the Academy of Medical Sciences seeking to improve the communication of evidence. More information here. If you have any questions or feedback, please contact The Lancet press office pressoffice@lancet.com

[1] Quotes direct from authors and cannot be found in text of Article.

Originally posted here:
Guided self-help intervention reduces refugees' psychological distress and improves wellbeing in humanitarian crises - World Health Organization

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Housing Kitsap's headquarters at Mickelberry and Bucklin Hill roads in Silverdale.(Photo: Meegan M. Reid / Kitsap Sun)

SILVERDALE New multifamily projects remain on holdas Housing Kitsap works to rebuild its finances. But Kitsaps housing authority is moving into Mason County with two self-help housing projects in the works for Shelton and Allyn.

Self-help housing allows families to build their own home alongside a group of neighbors, with the down payment covered by personal labor, help from Housing Kitsap staff and low-interest loans provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

However, the program has run up against Kitsaps skyrocketing property costs in recent years. Thats prompted Housing Kitsap to look beyond the countys borders, something the agency hasnt done in more than a decade.

Land is very difficult to find in Kitsap, said Dean Nail, Housing Kitsaps director of single-family housing. We would like to stay in Kitsap, but Shelton has a need for housing as well.

The two sites in Mason are still in their beginning stages. Housing Kitsap is still finalizing the purchase of the Allyn property, which is not expected to see construction until 2022. The Shelton property, on the other hand, is projected to start building this summer.

Housing Kitsap bought the Shelton property in June for around $510,000. That amounted to about $33,000 per lot far less than the going rate in Kitsap, which Nail says is more than $80,000.

One of the big things (Nail)does is look for opportunities, and hes looking all over, said Housing Kitsap Executive Director Stuart Grogan. Weve looked at a number of properties over the years and it's really exciting we have the two.

Those projects will mark Housing Kitsaps first ventures into Mason since 2006, when a self-help projectwith 22 homes was completed in Shelton. The Kitsap housing authority had previously coordinated self-help projects throughout the Olympic Peninsulabut has only focused on Kitsap sites in recent years, Nail said.

The self-help program is paid for by theUSDA,which provides low-interest loans to homeowners. Mortgage payments are subsidized based on household income. Housing Kitsap helpspackageconstruction loans for participants and provides assistance during construction.

There are currently three other self-help sites in the works by Housing Kitsap: Kingston's Maple Lane development, as well as Prosperity Park and Sherman Ridge, which are both in Port Orchard.

Constructiontakes around 12 months, withgroups of families working around35 hours per week on their home. Groups at Maple Lane and Prosperity Park are entering the final legs of building, and homes areexpected to be completed this spring. Another group at Prosperity started building a few months ago.

Brandon and Jessica Johnson move furniture to their new home at the opening ceremony of the Maple Lane Group One Kitsap Housing development in Kington on Friday, December 14, 2018. (Photo: Larry Steagall / Kitsap Sun)

This isn't the first time the region's hot housing market has prompted Housing Kitsap to take another approach.A few years ago, Sherman Ridge was the first batch of self-help projects where Housing Kitsap developed lots from scratchinstead of buying them at market rate.

The expansion into Mason comes on the heels of Housing Kitsap offloading several properties, part of the agencys three-pronged plan to regain financial stabilityafter emerging from near-financial catastrophe last year.

In recent months, the Housing Authority sold off the 550 Madison Avenue apartment complex on Bainbridge Island and undeveloped Olhava property in Poulsbo. The agency is still working on selling a third property, undeveloped Viking Crest land in Poulsbo. The agency has also moved toraiserent across its 17 properties.

For Grogan, the self-help projects in Mason allow Housing Kitsap to expandhomeownership in the broader region while staying focused on affordable housing options in Kitsap.

We have multiple needs and multiple interests for affordable housing. Sometimes it means rental housing is the right solution for a household and sometimes the opportunity to build and own a home longer term is really great, he said. But it's really important for all of those options are available.

Austen Macalus is the Kitsap Sun's social services reporter. He can be reached at austen.macalus@kitsapsun.com or 360-536-6423.This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up for a digital subscription.

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Housing Kitsap moves ahead with projects in Mason County - Kitsap Sun

A new course in adulting offered at the University of California, Berkeley, that teaches students basic life skills like self-care, self-love and sleep has gotten so popular that its having to turn hundreds of students away.

Students Belle Lau and Jenny Zhou launched the class in adulting last year with only 30 students in attendance. This spring, the class will be full with 80 students and an additional 200 had to be turned away, KTVU reported Tuesday.

Ms. Lau said the class will feature guest speakers on topics like managing time and money, fitness, nutrition, mental health and improving relationships.

Self-care, self-love and sleep, she added.

Ms. Lau said she was inspired to create the class after she moved to Berkeley from out of state and found herself struggling with the pressures of college life.

I felt stressed to want to accomplish so many things within a 24-hour day that I would feel helpless, she told the student-run Berkeley High Jacket. I know that I am definitely not the only college student who feels like this and thought it would be a great idea to have guest speakers come in to tell us ways to address and manage our stress without burning out or breaking down.

It seems many students are thankful for the help.

I want to feel prepared, like I know what Im doing and I know how to be an adult, 21-year-old Allegra Estrada told KTVU. You can know as much as you want about physics or biology or English but that doesnt help you when you need to do taxes or figure out what to eat.

Its harder to budget when youre not living at home because you have a lot more expenses, said 19-year-old Lauren Frailey. Im excited to learn how to manage my time better and that will definitely help me manage my stress as well.

The course is on a pass or no pass basis and is part of the DeCal program at Berkeley, which allows students to create and teach low commitment and unconventional classes, the High Jacket reported.

Read more:
Berkeley's new 'adulting' class teaches 'self-care, self-love and sleep' - Washington Times

What if optimal psychology is found in spirituality?

Last year, I proposed a unique perspective on trading and investing: the mistakes that we make in financial markets are not primarily ones of emotional disruption and cognitive distortion. Rather, they are the results of ego-attachment. Our financial investments become ego investments when we gauge our success and predicate our well-being on our profitability. Once that happens, we fear missing winning trades, refuse to exit losing ones, oversize positions, and cut winning opportunities short. No amount of self-help can truly help us if the self has been hijacked by the ego.

In the blog-book that I subsequently wrote and posted online, Radical Renewal, I expanded on this thesis, illustrating how sound decisions in financial marketsand indeed in all of lifespring from the soul, not the ego. This may initially sound mystical and unbearably touchy-feely, but is actually quite objectively observable. Consider the role of idea generation among portfolio managers at the worlds leading hedge funds. These managers develop robust processes for removing themselves from biases and distractions, connecting to valuable sources of information, and then processing that information in novel ways. This creative process is far from ego-laden. Indeed, it often springs from cognitive activities remarkably similar to meditation and prayer: dampening internal chatter and allowing a different voice to emerge. The idea advanced in Radical Renewal is that the worlds great religious and spiritual traditions are a veritable gold mine of practices for moving beyond ego-laden self-talk and discovering soul-full wisdom. These traditions are perhaps the greatest crowdsourcing experiment in history, revealing perspectives and practices that have inspired and guided self-aware individuals for millennia.

Typical traders and investors think of losses in financial markets as problems and failures, and they predictably respond with frustration or fear. Suppose, however, that the investor believes that life itself is a series of lessons, with a curriculum guided by a Higher Power. Now, all of a sudden, losses become learning opportunities. The spiritually-inclined investor can actually respond to setbacks with gratitude: each loss is there to teach a lesson. Perhaps the loss teaches something about the markets or strategies being traded; perhaps it illuminates something about the implementation of those strategies. When progress is measured in terms of learning and development, there is no longer the same ego-attachment to short-term financial returns. The goal becomes learning and improving; what makes us successful money managers now aligns with what will help us manage and navigate opportunities throughout life.

I was delighted to learn from the University of Pennsylvania that one of its graduate students, David Bryce Yaden, has co-authored a text that explores the psychological underpinnings of the worlds major religious traditions. Yaden points out that there is more than just mindfulness and yoga out there: traditions specific to various traditions point the way beyond self-actualization to self-transcendence. He offers the example of the Jewish custom of sitting shiva, where a community comes together in the home of a member who has lost a loved one. This channeling of the grief process becomes not only a way of healing, but a way of connecting to others and the meaning and significance of the lost relative. Imagine dealing with all our major losses in such a fashion!

If spirituality can guide performance in a field as inherently materialistic as investing and trading, what can it do for performance in other areas of life, from relationships to career development? We have just scratched the surface of best practices in peak performance psychology and, ironically, theyve been hiding in plain sight in the churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and spiritual communities of the world. Beyond self-help is a treasure of methods for self-transcendence.

Link:
What If The Key To Performance Psychology Is Spirituality? - Forbes

WSU student Mike Chan exercises next to a new therapy light in the Student Recreation Center. He believes therapy lights, currently being placed in high traffic areas on the Pullman campus, will help people combat the winter blues and improve mental health. Photo by Sarah Page, Division of Student Affairs.

By Steve Nakata, Division of Student Affairs

The cold weather and shorter days during winter months can leave even the best of us feeling tired, cranky and unmotivated. With that in mind, students, faculty and staff at Washington State University Pullman have been working on a variety of ways to improve mood and mental health.

Many people are familiar with what is known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that is related to seasonal change. The Mayo Clinic warns that symptoms can start out mild and become more severe as the winter season progresses.

Even if one does not have full-blown SAD, the shorter days can have a noticeable effect on mood, energy, and motivation, said Ellen Taylor, associate vice president for Student Engagement. Our students have expressed that this is a concern of theirs, so we want to address this aspect of student mental health this year.

The Division of Students Affairs, working with the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA), have planned two days of workshops this week that will get the WSU community moving and reenergized, as well as encourage you to focus on self-care through mindfulness and creative expression.

Beginning tomorrow, Jan. 28, at 5 p.m. in the Student Recreation Center, there are a variety of different activities to participate in from rock climbing, yard games in the pool, a fitness class, to dodgeball, painting, and enjoying mocktails and healthy snacks.

The following evening, Jan. 29, at 5 p.m., people can explore mindfulness as a technique for restful sleep, the art and craft of storytelling, and how to cook foods high in vitamin D. The evening will culminate with dinner, dessert, storytelling and stand-up comedy. All activities on Wednesday evening take place in the Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center.

We will give you tools to help you be present in the moment, calmer, less stressed, and kinder to yourself, said Veneice Guillory-Lacy, GPSA executive vice president and member of the planning team. With physical fitness, people tend to forget that exercise helps us feel more energetic, mentally sharp, sleep better, and makes us feel better about ourselves. It is important that you take care of yourself holistically through mind, body and soul.

Event details, times and locations for all Winter Blues Busting activities can be found on the University Recreation website.

To help deter symptoms of SAD, 14 new therapy lights are being installed across campus. Locations include the Compton Union Building (CUB), Student Recreation Center, Chinook Student Center, Terrell Library, the SPARK building, Todd Hall, and Smith Center for Undergraduate Education (CUE). Cougar Health Services has therapy lights available as well. Future locations might include dining spaces and residence halls.

The idea for purchasing and installing therapy lights came from student Melissa Torres, an at-large senator for the Associated Students of Washington State University (ASWSU). She helped draft and lobbied for a resolution that was recently passed by ASWSU.

It shows how one student with an idea, who ran for senate, turned it into something that will benefit students across campus, said Quinton Berkompas, ASWSU president. It is the essence of why we get involved with student government.

Light boxes simulate natural daylight and activate hormones that improve energy, mood, and sleep. They also help our internal body clocks regulate daily sleep and wake patterns. To use them effectively, people should sit 10 inches away from the light for 30 minutes, preferably in the morning or early afternoon so sleep patterns wont be disrupted.

When it comes to SAD or any mental health concern, receiving professional counseling is often a vital piece to assessing, diagnosing, and treating the symptoms. Access to mental health services is top of mind for students, faculty and staff.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) within Cougar Health Services has streamlined the process for students seeking same day counseling. Previously, students had to drop-by the clinic and wait for an available counselor. Now they can make a same-day appointment by calling CAPS as early as 7:45 a.m. This allows students to schedule a time that wont conflict with classes or work and avoid potential wait times.

Next month the WSU community will have opportunities to learn from Dior Vargas, a self-described Latina, feminist, and mental health activist. A resident of New York City, she is the creator of the People of Color and Mental Illness Photo Project, a response to the invisibility of people of color in the media representation of mental illness.

On Feb. 26, Vargas will conduct several workshops tailored for students, faculty and staff before delivering a community-wide keynote address at 7 p.m., in the CUB Senior Ballroom. Her speech, followed by a book signing, will be livestreamed. More information about the workshops and Vargas will be shared closer to the events.

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Bust the winter blues with a high dose of self-care - WSU News

Toledo, OHIO (WTVG) - Do you feel like January will never end and that Spring is simply a season many moons away? Turns out, you are not alone. In fact, the past six days marks the longest stretch of overcast skies since January of 2015 in Northwest Ohio.

For many, it's simply winter in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan but all of the days without sunshine can cause you to feel blue or searching for smile.

Some cope by heading outdoors for fresh air, others to the gym or even some self-care at the spa.

Massage Green Spa on Monroe Street has an infrared sauna. The sauna claims to help boost immunity, reduce stress and fatigue and help with muscle cramping.

"The heat is the main benefit of it and on the colder days it helps with muscle pains which you see a lot of in the winter too," says Kelli Wolf.

The constant clouds have others on the search for sunshine out of state.

"People just want to get out of town," says Sarah Rosenberger, a travel advisor with Central Travel.

In the past few days Rosenberger has spent time booking getaways for people to Mexico, the Caribbean and Florida ahead of spring break. Others want to leave immediately on the search for sun, surf and sand.

So if you are struggling to smile without sunshine there are some fun options to tide you over until Spring or you could just simply embrace the grey days of January knowing warmer weather will come.....someday.

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Coping with the longest stretch of overcast skies since 2015 - 13abc Action News

Windows 10 will last you a good, long time, but you need to know some facts.

Windows 10 has been around for five years, but it's only now that Microsoft's support for Windows 7 is dead and gone that the question arises: How long will Windows 10 last before Microsoft replaces it with Windows 11 or whatever comes next?

Luckily, we know the answer. Microsoft has a long-established Fixed Lifestyle Policy for many of its products, which begins when a product is released and ends when it's no longer supported. Knowing these dates can help you decide when you want to update, upgrade to a new device, or make other changes to your software or machine.

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For each version of its OS, Microsoft offers a minimum of 10 years of support (at least five years of Mainstream Support, followed by five years of Extended Support). Both types include security and program updates, self-help online topics and extra help you can pay for.

Windows 10 was released in July 2015, and extended support is slated to end in 2025. Major feature updates are released twice a year, typically in March and in September, and Microsoft recommends installing each update as it is available.

The latest Windows 10 version to come out was the November 2019 update, which added some new productivity features, like the ability to create events directly from the Calendar flyout on the Taskbar, without having to open the Calendar app.

Here's how Microsoft breaks down its updates:

* Windows 10, version 1703 for Enterprise, Education, and IOT Enterprise editions were released on April 11, 2017. ** Serviced for 30 months from release date per policy updated in September 2018.

Some people have hesitated to make the Windows 10 upgrade, as several bugs were reported in earlier versions. But Microsoft has slowed down its update schedule, giving the company more time to test, pause updates, and disclose problems.

Your experience updating to Windows 10 should be fairly smooth at this point, and will let you take advantage of Microsoft support. This is particularly important for the security of your device -- without Microsoft's security upgrades and patches, your computer is at greater risk of malware taking hold through a loophole.

We recommend upgrading to Windows 10 as soon as possible. However, if you're still running Windows 7 and don't want to upgrade,these 7 Windows 7 security tips will help protect your laptopuntil you make the switch.

To start your upgrade, you could buy and download Windows 10 through Microsoft's website for $139. But you can try this free method, too. While Microsoft technically ended its free Windows 10 upgrade program in July 2016, CNET has confirmed as of January that the free update is still available for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 users.

Check out our step-by-step guide on how to upgrade to Windows 10 free. Once you've upgraded, you can also check out 11 easy Windows 10 tricks you didn't know about.

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If you're a Windows 8.1 user, extended support for that OS will end in January 2023.

For more Windows 10 help, we show you how to customize 13 Windows 10 settings to your liking, and six simple security changes that all Windows 10 users need to make.

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How long Windows 10 will last before you need to replace it: 3 facts to know - CNET