#straight a students: anxious. adhd. autistic.

[vermillioncrown]

ttbh snippet - the kids settle in (sorta)

more fuel for the fire 😎 the time being had is of ambiguous quality, but we're certainly here in collab w @rozaceous

they've been in canon-verse for a few days already, and the bats have updated their opinions on the mini-interlopers

After the dust settles, everyone seem to agree that it was eventually going to happen. None of them—not even Damian (who is indignant at the accusation)—ever aimed to make the kids cry. It’s understandable, however, that the events of the past few days have been overwhelming. For trained vigilantes used to worldending and multiversal threats, context helps but it’s still ten of them confined to one (admittedly large) manor and its surrounding property. For kids without any context or the wherewithal to understand it, being the equivalent of multiversal bookends means nothing to them.

The fact that they held their composure for this long is admirable. They are, overall, extremely easy kids to care for and well-behaved. Retrospectively, it was a trap in making them complacent.

Allie has the most detailed instructions attached. Food intolerances, strict preferences and diet, allotted time outside for being physical, time left alone to read and be quiet are simple enough needs to address once known. During outside time, she plays soccer with an oddly charming combination of vigor and systematization. When there’s too much activity around her, even during things she enjoyed doing, she’d retreat into quiet play until it’s back at a tolerable level. The giant set of crafting beads that Steph and Cass ran out to purchase on Day Two has been lovingly organized and curated during her shy periods. Korvin is the only one she lets into her space, then.

Korvin’s notes are extensive but disorganized and contradictory, as if multiple people threw everything they had at the dossier and didn’t bother cross-referencing each other. Food is straightforward—he eats everything on his plate, nothing more or less, always with a “Please” and “Thank you.” Suggestions on occupying him fall flat; Tim’s attempt to show off the 3D printers and computers was met with a wide-eyed stare and a shake of his head before he runs off after Allie. Hide-and-seek and Sardines worked for a bit until Alfred put his foot down because Korvin followed Dick onto the chandeliers. They don’t catch that some of the soaps in the manor were giving his skin blisters until they see him fidget non-stop under his oversized sweater sleeves.

Eventually, they leave the kids to their own devices; it seems to work better than hovering.

Steph’s the one that points out at their fretting, “Chill out guys, I think they have autism.”

“That’s—wow, Steph,” Tim looks taken aback and almost personally affronted. “That’s so rude. They’re just quiet kids.”

“Hm, kinda ableist of you, Tim,” Duke crosses his arms, frowning down at the now sputtering older vigilante. Cass catches his side glance exchange with Steph. It’s half-serious but entirely shit stirring.

“There is nothing wrong with them,” Damian throws in his two cents. “They are, in fact, more tolerable than most of my classmates despite their age.”

All of them—barring the kids, of course, and Alfred making sure they stay hydrated—are discussing the situation in the second floor parlor. The room overlooks the immediate garden area, and has a balcony they can all leap off safely. Allie and Korvin are chatting and giggling in the garden, inspecting flowers and bugs alike. On a closer look, Allie’s admiring the different flowers and Korvin is gently flicking worms back onto the dirt. A worm flies too close to Allie, who squeals, and Korvin profusely apologizes.

There’s a lot of exchanged glances that happen after Damian’s declaration. Tim looks reluctantly grateful at Damian, who purses his mouth petulantly.

“Woof, Dami,” is all Steph has in response. Duke has a pinched expression on his face and quickly looks away from everyone.

“Look, autism levels in the manor are off-the-charts,” Jason says blandly, disregarding Dick’s frantic motions to stop him. “Just look at that Bat filing system.”

“The ontology makes sense,” Tim can’t help but interject. His expression shows that he immediately regrets speaking.

Everyone looks at Dick, who finally gives up and gives in. “It makes sense but it’s also…” In lieu of finishing his statement, he wiggles his hand in the air.

Throughout the entire discussion, Bruce has been sitting in the corner of the parlor, giving careful glances outside with his peripheral vision. He’s the first to realize that Allie and Korvin always know when they’re being watched. And the few times they’ve been separated, he narrows it down to a slight difference: Korvin is hyperaware of his surroundings versus Allie being hypervigilant. They both get nervous when there are too many eyes on them, and Bruce was the first to point it out and be conscientious about it.

A sudden faraway shriek has everyone tense up and scan the area. They find nothing amiss despite the kids sprinting towards the nearest tree. Alfred calls out to them patiently but doesn’t seem alarmed.

“Oh, hah, it’s just a wasp,” Duke points out.

It’s too far away to see the perpetrator in question, but it apparently closes the distance to the kids and they shriek again, sprinting to another tree for sanctuary.

“Let’s stop with the whole ‘armchair diagnosis’, alright? It’s not helping anyone,” Dick returns to the topic for closure. He ignores the knowing look that Jason aims at his back.

#folie a deux #phd-verse #on ttbh #verm bits #when i was writing this scene #the brainstorming w roz was like. realizations about our childhoods #straight a students: anxious. adhd. autistic. #would certainly look odder in the 2nd childhood but lol the 1st one was telling enough #the scene following this snippet will be reserved for if/when this gets for real posted on ao3 #too powerful otherwise

[coffee-n-bagels-comic-universe]

[Ghostbusters] Brainwaves: Mini Bios (1984) C.U.P.S Professors & Students

Tagging @ariel-seagull-wings @spook-central and @soulman133 Let me know if you want to be tagged/untagged from Brainwaves posts. These are just bullet point bios for the main groups of characters, as in the female professors, Ghostbusters and Ghostbuster staff, the C.U.P.S students, Nova's family (some of them are in C.U.P.S, but won't be in this post) and then the others™ (e.g. Dickless, Dana)

Following Characters:

Heather Nieto-Jorge

May Keaton

Allison Wada

Nova Teufel

Jacob Blumenthal

Cecilia Hedlund

Long post so it's under the cut

Doctor/Professor Heather Nieto-Jorge, PhD. 'Nieto':

Face Claim / Actress: Jennifer Beals

Full Name: Heather Bárbara Yasmin Nieto-Jorge

Doctor / Professor / Miss. AKA: Barbie, Hettie, Nieto

32 in 1984. Born November 7th 1952 in Panama. Lives in NY, NY

Panamanian, Female, Bisexual, Catholic, Scorpio, Smoker

Speaks Spanish, English & Portuguese

5'8" and 152 lbs, Brown eyes, Black Hair with a Bleached streak

Matching rose tattoos on her hips, pierced ear lobes

Teaches Agriology, Anthropobiology & Demonology at Columbia

Doctor/Professor May Keaton, PhD. 'Keaty':

Face Claim / Actress: Tracy Chapman

Full Name: May Olive Keaton

Doctor / Professor / Miss. AKA: Livi, Keaty

33 in 1984. Born May 1st 1951 in Indiana. Lives in NY, NY

African-American, Female, Straight, Christian, Taurus

Speaks 15 languages to varying degrees, including English & Greek

5'4" and 145 lbs, Brown eyes, Black hair, no tattoos, pierced ears

Teaches Folkloristics, Genetics & Hepatology

Undiagnosed but possibly Autistic, ADHD/ADD

Doctor/Professor Allison Wada, PhD. 'Allie':

Face Claim / Actress: Cherie Chung

Full Name: Allison Saki Wada

Doctor / Professor / Miss. AKA: Ali / Allie / Ally

34 in 1984. Born April 9th 1950 in Saskatchewan. Lives in NY, NY

Japanese, Female, Straight, Non-Religious, Aries, Rarely Smokes

Speaks Japanese, English and Spanish

5'5" and 150 lbs, Brown eyes, Black hair, 1 tattoo, pierced ears

Tattoo of a Chinese dragon up her spine

Teaches Biophysics, Biochemistry and Haematology

Doctor/Professor Nova Teufel, PhD. 'Novocaine':

Face Claim / Actress: Meg Ryan

Full Name: Nova Eris Teufel. The Teufel Family are supposed Psychics

Doctor / Professor / Miss. AKA: Professor Goth, Novocaine

31 in 1981. Born January 2nd 1953 in Brooklyn. Lives in NY, NY

German, Female, Demisexual, Biromantic, Wiccan, Capricorn, Smoker

Speaks English, German, French, Spanish and Latin

5'8" (5'11" in her boots) and 152 lbs, Blue eyes, Blonde hair, Dyes her hair often

10 tattoos making up a 1/2 sleeve on her left arm, Ear Lobe & Helix piercings

Teaches Criminology, Mortuary Science & Eschatology

Misdiagnosed and given Anti-Psychotics, Undiagnosed but Autistic and Anxious

Grew up in Psych wards, now lives with her older brother Mars

Jacob Blumenthal. 'Jake':

Face Claim / Actor: John Belushi

Full Name: Jacob Jasper Cassidy Blumenthal

AKA Blue, Blue Man, Cas, Cassie, Coby, Jack, Jake, J.J

30 in 1984. Born January 24th 1954 in Chicago, Lives in NY, NY

White, Male, Straight, Christian, Aquarius, Smoker

Speaks English, Spanish, French and Japanese

5'8" and 222 lbs, Brown eyes, Black hair, stubble & lots of body hair

Has a smiley face tattooed on his left butt-cheek, no piercings

Has been in every classroom at least once, takes Nova's classes because he likes annoying her for attention

Cecilia Hedlund. 'Celia':

Face Claim / Actress: Gilda Radner

Full Name: Cecilia Juni Hedlund (Soon to be Solberg)

AKA Cece, Celia, Cilla, C.J

30 in 1984, Born June 28th 1954 in Sweden, Lives in NY, NY

Swedish, Female, Straight, Lutheran, Cancer

Speaks Swedish, English, Norwegian, French, Spanish and German

5'6" and 145 lbs, Brown eyes and hair, ears pierced, no tattoos

Engaged to an American

Part of the exchange programme & C.U.P.S

#ghostbusters #brainwaves #ghostbusters oc #ghostbusters 1984 #heather nieto-jorge #may keaton #allison wada #nova teufel #jacob blumenthal #cecilia hedlund

[magicalgirlagency]

Gin or Togo from Yuki Yuna is a Hero? The way they were both treated was pretty bad tbh

I’ve been waiting so long for a YuYuYu request, you have no idea... and I’ll do even better: I’ll make both girls.

Togo Mimori is now Morning Glory Togo, Assigned Gemstone is Kyanite, Essence is Light;

She is 14yo in canon, so no Magi Rank for her until she’s old enough (it’s best to avoid future traumas and child soldiers are a no-no);

Her Magi Title is a reference to her flower motif, the Japanese Morning Glory (Ipomoea nil);

She has been adopted by a wealthy lesbian couple of ex-Magis;

Togo is the Straight A student in the Magi Academy. She is anxious to get her Rank, and passionately looks up to her new parents/guardians;

In her new Magi Form, she still has her wheelchair and her ribbons have now become unusual weapons that can shapeshifted into muskets (similar to what Tomoe Mami from PMMM does);

Plus, her outfit is more kimono-like instead of that skin-tight thirst-fest that is her canon outfit;

She wants to go out and fight against evil, but she currently can’t since she’s still a minor. So, she comes up with the idea of forming her own Hero Club;

The rules of the Hero Club are still the same as in canon, with a newly added one: To beat up any perverted creep who dares to sexualize her (if anything else, it’s nice practice for her!)

And now, let’s go for Gin:

Minowa Gin is now Scarlet Peony Gin, Assigned Gemstone is Carnelian, Essence is Fire;

Just like Togo, she can’t wait to earn her Rank and fight against evil (but since she can’t, she helps her administrate the Hero Club);

Her Magi Title is a reference to her flower motif, the Moutan Peony (a regular Peony also works just fine);

Just like in canon, her energetic and tomboy-ish personality is a contrast to Togo’s ladylike and calm one;

While her friend relies on her brains, Gin relies on her brawn;

Her new Magi Form has been altered to similarly resemble Cure Sunny’s (from SmiPre), only with red as its predominant color;

She shares mascots/familiars with Togo (she has Shiranui and Kawabotaru, while Togo has Aobuzu and Gyobudanuki);

This detail above exists only to spite her death in the series, as it has led for the Taisha to give mascots to future Heroes.

BONUS: I’m gonna do Sonoko, since she’s also very close to both girls:

Nogi Sonoko is now Star Lotus Sonoko, Assigned Gemstone is Amethyst, Essence is Earth (Life)/Chaos (Creative);

Just like her friends, her Magi Title is also a reference to her flower motif, the Star Lotus (in the second season of the anime and beyond);

She has ADHD and is autistic. She spaces out a lot and thinks outside of the box, but her quirky personality often leads to brilliant ideas;

Sonoko starts off as Gin’s rival, but they eventually warm up to eachother and become best friends;

She was the one to come up with a name for the team: “Bouquet Heroines” (since they’re all named after flowers);

Just like in canon, she has more than ten mascots/familiars, and they are all very loyal to her. As you can see, her hyperfixation is everything related to fauna and flora;

Her new Magi Form is a purple Mori Lolita dress;

As excited as she is about hopefully earning her Rank, she’s not hurrying things up. She’s just following her own pace.

#wondarian bureau of multiversal rescue

[sherristockman]

Anxiety Overtakes Depression as No. 1 Mental Health Problem Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Anxiety is the new depression, with more than half of all American college students reporting anxiety.1 Recent research2 shows anxiety — characterized by constant and overwhelming worry and fear — is now 800 percent more prevalent than all forms of cancer. A 2016 report3 by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State confirmed the trend, finding anxiety and depression are the most common concerns among college students who seek counseling.4 Data from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suggests the prevalence of anxiety disorders in the U.S. may be as high as 40 million, or about 18 percent of the population over the age of 18, making it the most common mental illness in the nation.5,6 Fortunately, there are many treatment options available, and some of the most effective treatments are also among the safest and least expensive, and don't involve drugs. Anxiety — A Medical Condition Driven by Sociological Conditions? Commenting on the featured video, Huffington Post writes:7 "A person with high functioning anxiety can look calm on the surface, but underneath that practiced veneer, their thoughts are churning. That's the message behind a new video from 'The Mighty,' in which a young woman describes the experience of living with the condition, which is characterized by persistent negative thoughts, restlessness and even physical symptoms like muscle tension …" But what is at the heart of all this anxiety? What's causing all these persistent negative thoughts? Why the chronic restlessness? The New York Times addressed the rising prevalence of anxiety in a recent article, noting:8 "While to epidemiologists the disorder is a medical condition, anxiety is starting to seem like a sociological condition, too: a shared cultural experience that feeds on alarmist CNN graphics and metastasizes through social media … 'If you're a human being living in 2017 and you're not anxious,' [Sarah Fader, who has generalized anxiety disorder] said on the telephone, 'there's something wrong with you' … [I]t seems we have entered a new Age of Anxiety. Monitoring our heart rates. Swiping ceaselessly at our iPhones … Consider the fidget spinner: endlessly whirring between the fingertips of 'Generation Alpha,' annoying teachers, baffling parents … According to data from the National Institute of Mental Health, some 38 percent of girls ages 13 through 17, and 26 percent of boys, have an anxiety disorder … Meanwhile, the number of web searches involving the term has nearly doubled over the last five years …" United States of Anxiety Kai Wright, host of the political podcast "The United States of Anxiety," attributes the current trend to the fact that we've been at war for over a decade and a half, have faced two recessions in that same time frame, and have had to adjust to a swiftly changing digital landscape, which in turn has changed how we work and interact.9 "Everything we consider to be normal has changed. And nobody seems to trust the people in charge to tell them where they fit into the future," he says.10 Andrea Petersen, author of "On Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety," interviewed students at University of Michigan for her book, some of whom revealed the internal pressure cooker was turned on far earlier than you might expect. In his Times article, Alex Williams writes:11 "One student, who has ADHD, anxiety and depression, said the pressure began building in middle school when she realized she had to be at the top of her class to get into high school honors classes, which she needed to get into Advanced Placement classes, which she needed to get into college. 'In sixth grade,' she said, 'kids were freaking out.' This was not the stereotypical experience of Generation X … 'In addition to the normal chaos of being a human being, there is what almost feels like weaponized uncertainty thrown at us on a daily basis,' said Kat Kinsman, the 'Hi, Anxiety' author. 'It's coming so quickly and messily, some of it straight from the president's own fingers.' Indeed, Mr. Trump is the first politician in world history whose preferred mode of communication is the 3 a.m. tweet … 'We live in a country where we can't even agree on a basic set of facts,' said Dan Harris, an ABC news correspondent and 'Nightline' anchor …" Beware of Microwave Exposure We have had nearly an exponential increase in electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure from devices like our cellphones and cordless phones, Wi-Fi routers, baby monitors, smart meters and cellphone towers, which may turn out to be a primary driver for this increase in anxiety and depression. How you say? Good question. Due to the pioneering work of Dr. Martin Pall, we know that voltage gated calcium channels are over 7 million times more sensitive to microwave radiation than the charged particles inside and outside our cells. This means that the safety standards for this exposure are off by a factor of 7 million. When the EMF from the above listed devices hit your voltage gated calcium channels, nearly 1 million calcium ions per second are released into the cell, which then causes the cell to release excessive nitric oxide that then combines with superoxide to form peroxynitrate, which then forms the dangerous hydroxyl free radical that causes massive mitochondrial dysfunction. Guess which tissues have the greatest density of voltage gated calcium channels? Your nerves and tissues, like the pacemaker in your heart and, of course, your brain. When the channels in the brain are activated, it causes a major disruption in neurotransmitter and hormonal balance that can radically increase the risk for not only anxiety and depression but arrhythmias, autism and Alzheimer's. I am going to be massively expanding on this in future articles and interviews but in the meantime, please watch or rewatch my video below to help start you on the process of protecting you from microwaves. Do Fidget Spinners Work? In his article, Williams touches on the popularity of so-called fidget spinners, originally devised as a focusing aid primarily for autistic children and kids with attention deficit or sensory sensitivity disorders. The toy is now being used by all sorts of people of varying ages. But do they really help reduce anxiety? According to psychiatrist Pilar Trelles at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, the spinners can be quite helpful. Health Magazine quotes her as saying, "When someone is hypersensitive to the environment they might bite their nails, pull out their cuticles or pinch their skin. Fidget spinners offer a less harmful way to expend that nervous energy."12 The fidget spinner falls under a stress management category called rapid stress management technique, recommended for use in conjunction with other forms of therapy. That said, some schools have banned use of fidget spinners, on account that they distract teachers and other students. Medicine Net has also issued a warning that fidget spinners pose a choking hazard,13 as the round metal bearings could come dislodged. A 10-year-old girl had to have a bearing surgically removed from her esophagus after she accidentally swallowed it. Other Common Causes of Anxiety While genetics, brain chemistry, personality and life events play a role in the development of anxiety disorders, stress is a common trigger. Anxiety is a normal response to stress, but in some people the anxiety becomes overwhelming and difficult to cope with, to the point that it affects their day-to-day living. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) explains how your brain reacts to stress, and how the anxiety response is triggered:14 "Several parts of the brain are key actors in the production of fear and anxiety … scientists have discovered that the amygdala and the hippocampus play significant roles in most anxiety disorders. The amygdala … is believed to be a communications hub between the parts of the brain that process incoming sensory signals and the parts that interpret these signals. It can alert the rest of the brain that a threat is present and trigger a fear or anxiety response. The emotional memories stored in the central part of the amygdala may play a role in anxiety disorders involving very distinct fears, such as fears of dogs, spiders or flying. The hippocampus is the part of the brain that encodes threatening events into memories." A number of other situations and underlying issues can also contribute to the problem. This includes but is not limited to the following, and addressing these issues may be what's needed to resolve your anxiety disorder. For more information about each, please follow the links provided: ✓ Exposure to microwave radiation from devices like cellphones, Wi-Fi routers, portable phones, smart meters, baby monitors and cellphone towers ✓ Food additives, food dyes, GMOs and glyphosate. Food dyes of particular concern include Blue #1 and #2 food coloring; Green #3; Orange B; Red #3 and #40; Yellow #5 and #6; and the preservative sodium benzoate ✓ Gut dysfunction caused by imbalanced microflora ✓ Lack of magnesium, vitamin D15 and/or animal-based omega-3. (Research has shown a 20 percent reduction in anxiety among medical students taking omega-3s16) ✓ Use of artificial sweeteners ✓ Excessive consumption of sugar and junk food ✓ Improper breathing ✓ Exposure to toxic mold Breathing Has a Direct Influence on Anxiety The way you breathe is intricately connected to your mental state. I've previously published interviews with Patrick McKeown, a leading expert on the Buteyko Breathing Method, where he explains how breathing affects your mind, body and health. Here, I've chosen a video featuring Robert Litman, where he specifically addresses the relationship between breathing and anxiety. According to Buteyko, the founder of the method, anxiety is triggered by an imbalance between gases in your body, specifically the ratio between carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen. In this video, Litman explains how your breathing affects the ratio of these gases, and demonstrates how you can literally breathe your way into a calmer state of mind. A Buteyko breathing exercise that can help quell anxiety is summarized below. This sequence helps retain and gently accumulate CO2, leading to calmer breathing and reduced anxiety. In other words, the urge to breathe will decline as you go into a more relaxed state. Take a small breath into your nose, a small breath out; hold your nose for five seconds in order to hold your breath, and then release to resume breathing. Breathe normally for 10 seconds. Repeat the sequence several more times: small breath in through your nose, small breath out; hold your breath for five seconds, then let go and breathe normally for 10 seconds. McKeown has also written a book specifically aimed at the treatment of anxiety through optimal breathing, called "Anxiety Free: Stop Worrying and Quieten Your Mind — Featuring the Buteyko Breathing Method and Mindfulness," which can be found on Amazon.com.17 In addition to the book, ButeykoClinic.com also offers a one-hour online course and an audio version of the book, along with several free chapters18 and accompanying videos.19 Belisa Vranich, a clinical psychologist, has also written an excellent book called "Breathe." In it, she details a program that can help improve your physical and mental health. You can learn more about her breathing program in this recent interview. Nature Sounds Calm the Mind and Quell Anxiety In addition to addressing your breathing, consider spending more time in natural environments. Researchers at Brighton and Sussex Medical School found that nature sounds have a distinct and powerful effect on your brain, lowering fight-or-flight instincts and activating your rest-and-digest autonomic nervous system.20,21,22 Nature sounds produce brain activity associated with outward-directed focus, whereas artificial sounds create brain activity associated with inward-directed focus. The latter, which can express itself as worry and rumination about things related to your own self, is a trait associated with anxiety and depression. Nature sounds also produce higher rest-digest nervous system activity, which occurs when your body is in a relaxed state. Previous research has also demonstrated that listening to nature sounds help you recover faster after a stressful event. So, seek out parks, or create a natural sanctuary on your balcony, or indoors using plants and an environmental sound machine. YouTube also has a number of very long videos of natural sounds, such as the one featured above. You could simply turn it on and leave it on while you're indoors. EFT — A Potent Non-Drug Treatment Alternative Another potent treatment alternative that does not involve drugs is the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), one of the most well-established forms of energy psychology. It's akin to acupuncture, which is based on the concept that a vital energy flows through your body along invisible pathways known as meridians. EFT stimulates specific energy meridian points in your body by tapping them with your fingertips, while simultaneously using custom-made verbal affirmations. This can be done alone or under the supervision of a qualified therapist. By doing this, you reprogram the way your body responds to emotional stressors, effectively "short-circuiting" the event chain that leads to an anxiety or panic attack. Research confirms EFT can be a powerful intervention for stress and anxiety,23,24,25 in part because it specifically targets your amygdala and hippocampus, which are the parts of your brain that help you decide whether or not something is a threat.26 If you recall the NIMH's explanation above about how your amygdala and hippocampus are involved in anxiety disorders, you can see why tapping is such a powerful tool. In the video above, EFT therapist Julie Schiffman demonstrates how to tap for panic attacks and anxiety relief. For serious or complex issues, you may need a qualified EFT therapist to guide you through the process. That said, the more you tap, the more skilled you'll become. You can also try acupuncture,27 which like EFT bridges the gap between your mind and body. Other Treatment Options for Anxiety Considering the risks of psychiatric drugs, I would urge you to view them as a last resort rather than a first-line of treatment. In addition to the breathing exercises, nature sound therapy and EFT already mentioned, other far safer strategies to explore include: ✓ Regular exercise and daily movement ✓ Mindfulness training and/or a spiritual practice. Research suggests psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms, may be a game changer in the treatment for severe depression and anxiety, and the spiritual intensity of the experience appears to be a key component of the healing. Magic mushrooms are not legal, so this is not a viable treatment as of yet, but it highlights the importance and relationship between having a spiritual foundation that can provide hope and meaning to your life ✓ Optimizing your gut microbiome. Gastrointestinal abnormalities have been linked to a variety of psychological problems, including anxiety and depression. It is now well established that the vagus nerve is the primary route your gut bacteria use to transmit information to your brain,28 which helps explain why mental health can be so intricately connected to your gut microbiome.29 For example, fermented foods have been shown to curb social anxiety disorder in young adults.30,31 To learn more about this, please see "Poor Diet, Lack of Sunshine and Spiritual Anemia — Three Potent Contributors to Depression and Anxiety." ✓ Lowering your sugar and processed food intake. Research shows your diet can have a profound effect on your mental health.32,33 Pay particular attention to nutritional imbalances known to contribute to mental health problems, such as lack of magnesium, vitamin D, B vitamins and animal-based omega-3 ✓ Getting plenty of restorative sleep ✓ Being mindful of your exposure to EMFs and use of wireless technologies. At bare minimum, avoid keeping any of these gadgets next to you while sleeping ✓ Evaluating your toxic exposures. A common symptom of toxic mold exposure is anxiety, so ask yourself if there's any kind of pattern; do your symptoms improve when you spend time away from your home or office, for example? ✓ Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). They even offer CBT for young children these days.34 A number of universities offer Tao Connect35 to their students, but even if you're not a student, there are free online programs available that you can use. Some examples include MoodGYM,36 e-couch,37 Learn to Live38 and CBT Online39 Anxiety can significantly reduce your quality of life, so it's well worth it to keep going until you find a proper long-term solution. Last but not least, don't underestimate the value of social interactions — face-to-face, that is, not via social media. Lack of social interaction has become so widespread, some establishments have taken to turning off their Wi-Fi in an effort to encourage human interaction. Jimson Bienenstock, president of HotBlack Coffee in Toronto, explained his decision to turn the café into a cellphone-free zone to The New York Times, saying,40 "It's about creating a social vibe. We're a vehicle for human interaction, otherwise it's just a commodity." Indeed, like mindfulness and spiritual pursuits, social interaction helps foster meaning and purpose in life, thereby protecting and improving your mental health.

#VitalityPath