Social Cognitive - Locus's of control

Some of the ideas put forth by social-cognitive theorists, including Bandura's concept of self-efficacy, are almost like traits that describe an individual's characteristic way of thinking. An example is Julian Rotter's concept of locus of control. A person can be described as having either an internal or an external locus of control. People with an internal locus of control feel as if they are responsible for what happens to them. For instance, they tend to believe that hard work will lead to success. Conversely, people with an external locus of control generally believe that luck and other forces outside of their own control determine their destinies. A person's locus of control can have a large effect on how a person thinks and acts, thus impacting their personality. A number of positive outcomes have been found to be associated with having an internal locus of control. As compared with externals, internals tend to be healthier, to be more politically active, and tend to do better in school. Of course, these findings are strictly based on correlational research (no cause & effect relationship), so we can't conclude that locus of control causes such differences. 

Regular exercise is important for maintaining overall health and fitness but can also have a very positive effect on your mood. It has also been shown it may help prevent stress, depression, and mental health in general. Continual exercise has even been shown to produce euphoria or a “runners high”. Exercise can help tremendously with somebody struggling with self esteem issues,  just 5 minutes of activity can enhance their mood and even make a stressful day wash away. Routine physical exercise can help improve a variety of bodily functions such as sleep and cardiovascular activity, it has also been known to help maintain a healthy weight, muscle strength, joint mobility and even strengthen the immune system. Exercise can also contribute to the prevention of many deadly diseases and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and even stress. The way we perceive our bodies and health means a lot to some of us, not only our self image is important but our health too which is why exercise should be a routine part of anyone’s day so that their body and mind can function to its full potential. So whenever something has you down, instead of retreating  to your bed in tears, lace up and see your day improve ahead of you.

 

A drug is a substance that when inhaled, smoked, absorbed or consumed causes a physiological change in the body. Individuals use drugs for a variety of reasons such as an escape from reality or just to fit in although they can have harmful effects on our bodies and minds.  Repeated use of a drug can cause the user to develop a tolerance because the body adapts to the presence of the substance requiring the user to ingest more of it for the same effect. Continued use of these substances can lead to dependency or addiction. Addiction occurs when a users body and mind is so used to functioning under the effect of a substance that when the drug is not active in their system they get sick or have withdrawals. Withdrawals or fear of not having enough of a substance to get high can lead to addicts stealing from friends or even family to support their habit. Not only can drugs harm the users mentality and body but also their family. Close friends and family can become depressed at the sight of their loved ones sick or in trouble and in even some cases, blame themselves for their addiction. Temptation and cravings are all around us in life and can be enjoyable as long as we don’t let them overwhelm or distract us from our priorities.

Memory is the process in which information is stored, organized, and retrieved in our brains. We use our existing memories everyday to remember when to wake up, what homework is due, and what classes we have to attend. Besides remembering daily routines we also have a long term memory which can store much larger amounts of information for potentially a whole life time. Our brains sometimes forget moments and past interactions just as often as it keeps them. Transience is the degrading of memories due to the passing of time while absentmindedness is the failure to retain a memory so it is impossible for your brain to retrieve them later. Other factors such as stress and sleep can affect how easily and effectively your brain encodes and stores information, sleep strengthens the neural connections in our brain making it easier to stabilize and retain memories. Memories can be complex and kept in our brains for long periods of time or simple such as looking at an item and recognizing it immediately after, this is not a cognitive control and is an automatic response of our brain taking note of our surroundings. Diseases associated with the mind can destroy memory and other important mental functions, Alzheimer disease causes brain cell connections to degenerate and die eventually discarding memory and many of the other brains' significant  operations. Remembering things can be difficult and time consuming but without it we wouldn't be able to remember the important people, places, and information our vast world is constantly throwing at us.

Sleep is a naturally occurring state of mind described by altered consciousness, partially inhibited sensory activity, inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles and a big part of our day. Most people spend one-third of their lives sleeping and still scientists don't fully understand why we need sleep although it is known to help our brains retain information better. Our bodies require long periods of sleep to restore and grow muscle, repair tissue, and synthesize hormones. This is why children grow more over the summer, they also have more time to relax and do not have the stresses of the school year. Many people do not receive the amount of sleep necessary and some even suffer from sleep disorders or parasomnias, such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and night terrors. These disorders often disrupt the sufferers sleep cycle, prevent sleep in general, or cause intense nightmares that prompt them to wake up. Besides being able to lay in bed for hours at a time and forget all your problems, sleep is actually very important for you health mentally and psychically. Sleep is involved in the healing of the heart and repair of its blood vessels, lack of sleep is also contributed to a large amount of health problems such as heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Without a proper sleeping schedule you might find it harder to pay attention in school or even on the road! Sleeping rests your exhausted brain to prepare it for the next day, a person’s brain that did not receive enough sleep will lose brain cells and not work to its full capacity.

Color Psychology

Colors are powerful communication tools and can be used to signal action, influence mood, and cause physiological reactions. Certain colors have been associated with increased blood pressure, increased metabolism, and eyestrain. However, most colors have different representations depending on one's personal experiences and one's culture. For example, the color white is used in many Western countries to represent purity and innocence, yet it is seen as a symbol of mourning in many Eastern countries. Certain colors even affect your emotions, as well as breathing. The color red, for example, stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. The color blue, however, does the opposite in that it relaxes one, slows one's breathing. The color white, as commonly used by doctors, also implies sterility. Color influences perceptions because each color creates a specific type of perceptual capacity or level of intelligence. Often your favorite color might tell you what your favorite mood is and certain colors make you feel a certain way. This is how ads in the markets take advantage of the way certain colors make you feel, and use certain colors to sell you a product. The color Red-Orange is said to be the most appealing color to someone who is shopping for something. Colors were often used in several ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and the Chinese, to heal, through chromotherapy. Chromotherapy is referred to as light therapy or colourology and is still used today as a holistic or alternative treatment. In this treatment: 

Red was used to stimulate the body and mind and to increase circulation.

Yellow was thought to stimulate the nerves and purify the body.

Orange was used to heal the lungs and to increase energy levels.

Blue was believed to soothe illnesses and treat pain.

Indigo shades were thought to alleviate skin problems.