clarytells

[clarytells]

Mental Illness is Real

📌 🧠 For Mental Health Matters!

Here’s a piece of writing for all warriors out there!  🤗 ❤

[clarytells]

The Seasons of Losing a Loved One

For without a doubt, missing someone in heaven is a different kind of pain.

Normally, the four seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter—follow one another regularly. But when it comes to losing a loved one, there is no proper order as grief comes in waves and seasons, and each one may experience a certain “season” first than the others and know that it is completely okay. 

  ❄️ 🍁 ☀️ 🌷 

🚩 Remember, grief comes in waves and seasons and we must learn how to swim and make the most out of our days and it is important to be kind to yourself. 

Dear, remind yourself that by living and surviving you are already making your lost loved one(s) proud and happy.

[clarytells]

Why Do We Fear Failure?

❓ “Have you ever been so afraid of failing at something that you decided not to try it at all? Or has a fear of failure meant that, subconsciously, you undermined your own efforts to avoid the possibility of a larger failure?” 

❓ “Should we fail at something, what becomes of our dreams? If we are so hopeful of realizing our desires, what would become of us should we fail in our attempts?” 

💡 It is without a second thought that no one wants to fail and everyone want to succeed in their own chosen paths. However, reality is not a piece of cake and one’s destination in life is never predicted. And these uncertainties in life and career is an indispensable factor why we are all afraid to fail in anything we do, because for many of us, failure is not an option as it leads to a long queue and laundry list of negative consequences.

📚 Fear of failure (also called "atychiphobia") is when we allow that fear to stop us from doing the things that can move us forward to achieve our goals. In view of this, here are 20 of reasons why you are afraid to fail.

YOU ARE AFRAID OF FAILURE BECAUSE:

1️⃣ Mustering the determination to actually overcome defeat can be challenging.

2️⃣ You believe that if there is a chance of failing at something, there is no point in even trying to do it.

3️⃣ You have difficulty eliminating a deep-seated sense of insecurity.

‎4️⃣ You suffer greatly from numerous debilitating emotions which holds you back and steals your chances of living a life true to your dreams and desires. 

5️⃣ You look to our future and you envisage the emotional pain you would suffer were you not to succeed in your endeavors.

6️⃣ Whether right or wrong, you believe that failing will be seen as a negative thing in the eyes of others.

7️⃣ You would not be able to pin the blame on anyone else but yourself which contributes to your self-doubts, frustrations, anxieties, and lesser self-esteem.

8️⃣ Stepping outside your comfort zone becomes terrifying.

9️⃣ You have lived with hyper-critical adults during your childhood and/or adulthood which caused you to internalize damaging mindsets.

🔟 You have been routinely undermined or humiliated in childhood, so you carry those negative feelings into adulthood.

☑️ For perfectionists, failure is so terrible and humiliating that they do not try.

☑️ You have difficulty accepting the inevitability of making mistakes, nor recognize the importance of trial and error in finding the most creative solution.   ☑️ You are reluctant to try new things or get involved in challenging projects due to your ‘self-sabotage’ and low self-confidence.

☑️ You see failure as "the end of the world" or as proof of just how inadequate you are.  

☑️ Because this fear is accompanied by a fear of  shame which gets to the core of our egos, our identities, our self-esteem, and our feelings of emotional well-being.

☑️ You might have experienced a traumatic event at some point in your life.  

☑️ Failing makes you worry about how smart or capable you are.

☑️ Failing makes you worry about your ability to pursue the future you desire.

☑️ Failing makes you worry about disappointing people whose opinion you value.

☑️ Failing makes you worry about what other people think about you.

⚠️ Warning: Sometimes, being afraid of failure can be a symptom of a more serious mental health condition.

📌 Overcoming this fear may be challenging and nerve-racking as many of us perceive that if we fail in one way or another, we will not only fail as a student or worker, but it correlates in failure as a child, sibling, parent, person, and as member of one’s society as we believe that our failures will define who we are and what can we do.

📌 You must remember, most of us will stumble and fall in life and often, valuable insights come only after a failure. A failure to one person might also simply be a great learning experience for someone else because we all have different benchmarks, values, and belief systems. Your fears are valid as an indicator of how much you care about your life and future, however, do not succumb to this fear which may hinder you from living your best life and reaching all of your aspirations in life.

📌 YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! And in case nobody tells you that, let it be yourself!

Read more at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201306/10-signs-you-might-have-fear-failure; https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/fear-of-failure.htm; https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/how-fear-of-failure-destroys-success.html

[clarytells]

💡Vision Basics: The 20/20 Vision, Eye Health, and Eye Care Tips

👀 📌 Sense of sight or vision is probably the most important of the five primary senses for human beings. However, this gift is often taken for granted which leads to complications and damage to the nerves in the eyes, and without proper care, one may even lose their ability to see for the rest of their lives.

We often hear about  “20/20 Vision” but what does it really mean? How about  visual acuity, eyesight, and vision?

🔭  Visual acuity, eyesight and vision: What's the difference?

🗒️ Visual acuity is the sharpness of your vision. Visual acuity is measured by your ability to identify letters or numbers on a standardized eye chart from a specific viewing distance.

🗒️ Eyesight. Depending on which dictionary or other resource you check, it can mean "ability to see," "the sense of seeing," "vision," "range of sight" or "view."

🗒️ Vision. This is a broader term than visual acuity or eyesight. In addition to sharpness of sight or simply a description of the ability to see, the term "vision" usually includes a wider range of visual abilities and skills. These include contrast sensibility, the ability to track moving objects with smooth and accurate eye movements, color vision, depth perception, focusing speed and accuracy, and more.

🔭 Visual Acuity: What is 20/20 vision?

☑️ 20/20 vision is normal vision acuity (the clarity or sharpness of vision) measured at a distance of 20 feet. If you have 20/20 vision, you can see clearly at 20 feet what should normally be seen at  a distance. If you have 20/100 vision, you must be as close as 20 feet to see what a person with normal vision can see at 100 feet. 

🔭  Does 20/20 mean perfect vision?

☑️ No. 20/20 vision only indicates the sharpness or clarity of vision at a specific test distance. Other important vision skills, including peripheral awareness or side vision, eye coordination, depth perception, focusing ability and color vision, contribute to your overall vision ability.

🔭  Is 15/15 vision better than 20/20 vision?

☑️ No. 15/15 vision means normal sharpness of vision at 15 feet, just as 20/20 indicates normal sharpness of vision at 20 feet. 

🔭  Why do some people have less than 20/20 vision?

☑️ Many factors affect visual acuity. Vision conditions, like nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, or eye diseases affect clarity of vision.

🔭 If my vision is less than 20/20, what can I do?

☑️ In a comprehensive eye examination, a doctor of optometry can diagnose what causes, if any, are affecting your ability to see well. In most cases, your doctor of optometry can prescribe glasses, contact lenses or a vision therapy program that can help improve your vision. If the reduced vision is due to an eye disease, your doctor might prescribe eye medication or another treatment.

🚩  How Do You Correct Vision?

There are many safe and affordable choices:

☑️ Eyeglasses are the most traditional form. They bend light to improve your sight. They’re practical, affordable, and safe.

☑️ Contact lenses are good if you have an active lifestyle or don't like wearing eyeglasses. They work the same way as glasses but stay in place when you’re on the move. Plus you can wear sunglasses with them, which helps if you spend a lot of time outside. There are many different brands, colors, and materials, so get yours fitted by an eye health pro.

☑️ Corrective surgery changes the way your eye bends light. You don’t get it done for looks. You do it because it helps you depend less on glasses or contacts. You may not need to correct your vision at all after it.

↓↳➜⇢➤ Let’s now proceed to the Eye Health and Care Tips!

Eye Care Tips! There are things you can do to help keep your eyes healthy and make sure you are seeing your best:

✅ Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Your diet should include plenty or fruits and vegetables, especially deep yellow and green leafy vegetables. Eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut can also help your eyes.

✅ Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or having obesity increases your risk of developing diabetes. Having diabetes puts you at higher risk of getting diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma.

✅ Get regular exercise. Exercise may help to prevent or control diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. These diseases can lead to some eye or vision problems. So if you exercise regularly, you can lower your risk of getting these eye and vision problems.

✅ Wear sunglasses. Sun exposure can damage your eyes and raise your risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Protect your eyes by using sunglasses that block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation.

✅ Wear protective eye wear. To prevent eye injuries, you need eye protection when playing certain sports, working in jobs such as factory work and construction, and doing repairs or projects in your home.

✅ Avoid smoking. Smoking increases the risk of developing age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts and can damage the optic nerve.

✅Know your family medical history. Some eye diseases are inherited, so it is important to find out whether anyone in your family has had them. This can help you determine if you are at higher risk of developing an eye disease.

✅ Know your other risk factors. As you get older, you are at higher risk of developing age-related eye diseases and conditions. It is important to know you risk factors because you may be able to lower your risk by changing some behaviors.

✅If you wear contacts, take steps to prevent eye infections. Wash your hands well before you put in or take out your contact lenses. Also follow the instructions on how to properly clean them, and replace them when needed.

✅ Give your eyes a rest. If you spend a lot of time using a computer, you can forget to blink your eyes and your eyes can get tired. To reduce eyestrain, try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds.

Do note! Your eyes are an important part of your health. Most people rely on their eyes to see and make sense of the world around them. But some eye diseases can lead to vision loss, so it is important to identify and treat eye diseases as early as possible. You should get your eyes checked as often as your health care provider recommends it, or if you have any new vision problems. And just as it is important to keep your body healthy, you also need to keep your eyes healthy.

Sources: US National Library for Medicine. (2017). Eye Care.; https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/vision-and-vision-correction/visual-acuity?sso=y; https://www.allaboutvision.com/eye-exam/2020-vision.htm; and https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/vision-basics. 

[clarytells]

Are you Ready to Battle a Typhoon?

🔊 📢 Reiterating what to do BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER a typhoon 

Graphics by: M2Comms PR Agency Philippines

📍 Philippines experiences at least 20 typhoons per year, some of which are considered to be the strongest and most destructive typhoons in the world. Given its geographical location near the Equator in the Pacific Region, this makes the country more prone to typhoons especially during the rainy season.  Hence, to lessen possible damages that typhoons can cause, below are reminders that we should keep in mind.

📝 Let’s start with the Disaster Preparedness Tips!

Graphics by: Philstar.com/Jonathan Asuncion

📝 Everyone must also note these Rainfall Advisories!

Now, let’s proceed to what to do BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER a typhoon.

   🌀 🚩 What to do BEFORE a typhoon 

It is important to monitor updates about the weather especially if there is a possibility of a low pressure area (LPA) to develop into a typhoon and if your area will be affected by it.  Here are things that you should do before a typhoon hits your area:

✅ Listen to weather updates and advisories. ✅ Keep watch for warnings and plans regarding evacuation in your community. ✅ Check your house’s condition and make necessary repairs. ✅ Keep your typhoon kit in an area where you can easily get it in case of emergency. ✅ Bring your pets and livestock in the designated evacuation area for animals. If not, keep them in a safe place. ✅ Evacuate immediately once asked by the authorities to do so.

🌀 🚩 What to do DURING a typhoon

During a typhoon, listen to weather updates if possible, stay alert for any sign of threat in your area and do the following:

✅ Remain calm and stay inside your house or the evacuation center. ✅ Turn off main switch for utilities like water and electricity. ✅ Have a flashlight or lamp in hand in case of emergency and loss of electricity. ✅ Keep away from possible dangers like glass windows.

🌀 🚩 What to do AFTER a typhoon

Even after a typhoon has passed, we should still be alert and cautious because its aftermath can still post danger to us. Here are things to remember after a typhoon:

✅ Before returning home, wait for authorities to announce that it is safe to go back to your area. ✅ Keep away from danger (structures with damages, fallen trees, damaged power lines, etc.) ✅ Give way to rescue and emergency teams. ✅ Be extra careful when making repairs at home. ✅ Before switching the electricity on, make sure there are no wet or submerged outlets or appliances. ✅ Check for possible breeding places for mosquitoes and remove rainwater.

🚩 Remember, typhoons causes damages not only in peoples’ properties but it also results to loss of human lives. Typhoons are inevitable natural phenomenon and the only way to somehow outweigh its effects is to always be prepared whenever it comes. Therefore, everyone must be encouraged to learn disaster response, management, and preparedness, be knowledgeable in first aid, be environment literate, and always be vigilant once a typhoon is already approaching the Philippine Area of Responsibility. 

🚩 Do note that the only way you can battle and win against a typhoon or any calamity/disaster is to always be prepared!

Sources: Afinidad-Bernardo, D.R. (2018, September 18). What to do before, during, after typhoon. The Philippine Star. Baguio City Guide. (2019, September 03). What to do before, during, and after a Typhoon.

[clarytells]

Why do you feel like you are stuDYING?

To be able to study and be educated is a basic human right and oftentimes considered as a privilege. But still, many students feel like they are “stuDYING”. You are stuDYING because:

1. You are consumed by thoughts like, “Am I learning or merely complying?”

2. You let your tasks control you than you having control to your tasks.

3. You forget that doing your best does not mean working until you become empty.

4. You are pushing yourself way too hard which makes you to overwork and overthink.

5. You are deeply overwhelmed by your family, friends, and society’s expectations of you.

6. You succumb to the pressure being put on you and this pressure knocks you down.

7. You have a constant fear of failure because you are worried of what others will think of you.

8. You are somewhat a perfectionist but not everything will go according to your plan and this upsets you because you know you can do better.

9. You are disappointed with yourself because the outcomes of your efforts are not fruitful/ satisfying enough.

10. You are losing your confidence and courage to go on no matter what because you question your own abilities and you do not believe in yourself.

11. You drown yourself in a sea of doubts, frustrations, and mistakes.

12. You let the fire in your heart to reach your dreams and aspirations in life burn you out.

13. You feel like your self-worth and reputation will only be based on your academic ability and success.

14. You forget that it is okay to rest and to be not okay.

15. You forget to be gentle, take care, and be kind to yourself.

16. You indulge too much in thinking, “Why do we even study if we will end up dying anyway?”

Young soul, learn to breathe, live, and survive! Know when to take a rest and when to fight again. Remember, what matters most is you stay kind to yourself because all of the blood, sweat, and tears you poured for your dreams would be in vain if you will be gone.

Do note: Having a fear of failure is actually an indicator that you care about your life and your future and “the struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow.”

[clarytells]

20s, The Quarter of Life Crisis

In your 20s, you will feel as if you need your life figured out,                            

The time when you drown in endless thoughts and waves of doubt,                  

When you think about whether you are left behind or maybe not,                        

And you are just filled with contempt in a world full of ‘but’.

In your 20s, you will find yourself wide awake at wee hours,                            

Questioning about your existence and purposes,                                              

Your nerves will get to you but learn to recompose,                                              

And in worries and self-doubts, you should not overdose.                                  

In your 20s, you may compare yourself with different faces,                                  

But do not overthink as everyone have unique cases,                         

And learn that it is completely okay to go through phases,                                

Because life is endless and you have your own pages.

In your 20s, you will feel threatened and frightened of the world,                          

But you should find your strengths and will to keep a hold.                                

Be open to experience, learnings, and things you are told,                                

You just transitioned into young adulthood, you are not ‘that’ old.

In your 20s, you will feel a surge of overwhelming crisis,                                      

Thinking how ‘should you be’ and how to ‘do that, do this’,                                  

Whether to follow your passion, be practical, or take a risk,                                  

But, believe it, one day for sure, you will be in a state of bliss.

In your 20s, remember to breathe, live, and survive,                                          

You can be where you want to be as long as you thrive,                                      

And for opportunities and new aspirations be willing to dive,                                

You never know, you will reach everything you hoped when you were five.

In your 20s, far more greater things are waiting for you,                                  

Though for the most part, be confident and believe it too.                                      

It is okay if you are still identifying what you really want to do,                            

Just have faith in yourself and in Him and you will get through.

In your 20s, your failures may outweigh your success—                                      

But let them happen and learn to let it go.                                                        

What matters most is you rise again and grow,                                                    

Believe you are exactly where you wanted from years ago.

In your 20s, you will be put in countless quest and test,                                    

So, know how to fight, find your resolve, and when to take a rest.                        

As long as you are trying, you are already doing your best,                                

You are a masterpiece, with a unique destination only life can guess.