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Studies show that nearly 50% of all jobs today require some degree of technology, and it is predicted that number will rise to 77% within the next decade. Furthermore, Vision Council states that as many as 95% of Americans spend at least 2 hours or more each day on a digital device. Nearly one-third of Americans spend 9 or more hours a day. Between the amount of technology required for jobs and the number of people becoming addicted to the internet, it’s safe to say that technology is at the forefront. According to CBS News, many Americans report eye problems including dryness, irritation, and blurred vision. If you’ve experienced these things, you may have also experienced frequent headaches, back pain, neck strain, and more. Another report titled Diverse: Issues in Higher Education states that increased technology use has caused us to difficulty interacting with one another in person - while the ideal circumstance would be for us to cut down our use of technology, this is not always feasible. However, are there are some steps that we can take to ensure our health alongside our productivity:

With the recent shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida, many are questioning whether mental illness is really to blame for the devastating shooting of 17 people. The 19-year-old responsible was shown to have displayed very aggressive, violent behavior throughout the years, with several neighbors reporting him to security on various occasions. This brings to light 2 main arguments posed by the public: Is mental illness to blame, and how can gun laws be altered with more security measures to prevent horrific situations such as this? A widespread debate has been that gun laws should be restricted to those with mental illness. Could this be effective? The American Psychological Association (APA) published a book with many insights that relate to this issue. Chapter 4 of the book, titled “Mass Shootings and Mental Illness” proposes several suggestions based on research. For example, the book states that restricting gun laws to those with mental illness not only perpetuates the stereotypes that those with a mental illness are dangerous, but it also holds little value because people who engage in mass shootings do not often have a history of hospitalization or other incidents which would lead them to the diagnosis of a mental illness or treatment for one. Furthermore, the book states that less than 3% of situations with gun violence are attributed to mental illness. Thus, restricting gun use to this population would not protect people from individuals who do not classify as having a mental illness. PBS News Hour stated that President Trump believes that mental illness leads to gun violence. In a tweet just a day after the event, he stated, “So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior. Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!” Dr. Louis Kraus, forensic psychiatry chief at Chicago’s Rush University Medical College, believes this is off-track. He stated, “The concept that mental illness is a precursor to violent behavior is nonsense. The vast majority of gun violence is not attributed to mental illness.” Overall, it seems that more needs to be in place for individuals attempting to buy a gun, and signs of a dangerous person need to be reported immediately and through various routes. The more we all take a stand against violence, the safer we make our communities.

On Valentine’s Day this year, after being expelled, a 19-year-old came back into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and shot 17 people. This tragic event has caused many of the high school’s students and parents to speak up about gun laws. According to CNN, young survivors are organizing advocacy for gun reform. Darren Levine, a teacher of the high school, stated, “They can change the world, and we can only go with them.” Furthermore, there will be several official meetings with law enforcement, school administrators, teachers, and mental health experts to determine better ways to protect the safety of students within schools. The high school will be reopening in phases as the school will run on a modified schedule to ease students back into classes within 1 week. Some students opened up about the terror they experienced within the high school that day. As stated on People Magazine, Lorena Sanabria, a student of the school, explained, “We were all desperate. We were all crying. We were on our phones trying to stay in touch with our families and read the news.” Her mother stated, “I heard the gunshots. My daughter was talking to me and I was hearing the gunshots.” Time Magazine notes that people from all over the country are in protest, hoping to place added pressure on Congress due to the aftermath of this horrific event. Over 100 students from the high school are heading to Florida’s capital to urge lawmakers to take action on gun laws as to prevent a repeat of the event that happened on Valentine’s Day. Another group of protesters in Los Angeles rallied for stricter background checks and other safety-related measures, with some even holding up signs that said “Our Children Are Counting On You”. Thus far, the Senate is preparing a package that includes increasing the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21, establishing a waiting period to purchase a firearm, creating gun-violence restraining orders, and more. Hopefully with more people speaking up, we can persuade Congress to take a stance for children - and everyone - all over the country. Placing more safety measures could potentially prevent some of what has unfortunately happened already this year.

It can be disappointing to hear a loved one say they will seek help, and then you witness no change. We want the best for our loved ones, and it becomes a stressful situation when we cannot control whether they actively seek help or not. If your loved one has spoken to you about seeking help but has done nothing to prove they are serious, they could be in the pre-contemplation or contemplation stage. Researchers C. DiClemente and J. Prochaska developed a five-stage of model of change to help professionals understand what motivates people to make a change. The 5 stages are:

A 2011 study conducted by researchers from Pennsylvania stated there are 5 factors that characterize human flourishing: 1) positive emotion, 2) relationships, 3) engagement, 4) achievement, and 5) meaning. There are a variety of elements that can impact these things, and music can be a significant influence. Research has shown that listening to music we enjoy increases positive emotions and feelings, leaving us with contentment, happiness, and interest, according to Psych Central. Conversely, music that focuses on sadness or anger can cause us to feel more of these things, making it even more important to fuel our thoughts with positive music. If you’ve been seeking some positive music to help you boost your mindset, look no further; here are some wonderful artists that exhibit music that is mostly aimed at love, happiness, and growth:

A 2012 feature on the American Psychological Association’s (APA) states that group therapy has become more popular over the years due to the efficacy of it; more and more research is proving the benefits of group therapy. Group therapy has been used for a variety of issues, such as for survivors of trauma, people who have been diagnosed with an addiction or mental disorder, anger management, personal growth, anxiety management, and a host of other concerns. If you haven’t experienced group therapy yet, there are a variety of aspects you’ll find helpful:

Imagine this: You’re in a crowded room, and you look around. Everyone seems to be talking with one another – perhaps you arrived by yourself or you came with friends. Laughter fills the air, and your self-awareness heightens. You realize that you are just standing there, and you feel distanced from the rest of the people in the room. You feel as though everyone could walk right through you, as if you weren’t there. You think to yourself, “Maybe I’m just not meant to fit in”. Deepak Chopra, an American author, public speaker, holistic therapy advocate, and prominent figure in the New Age movement, explained on Oprah Winfrey’s website that there are different kinds of invisibility, and you must first understand what you are feeling and what it is about you that you feel is being unseen or unheard. For example, are you not feeling heard when you speak, or do you feel your opinions are being discredited? Once you can pinpoint the situations that make you feel invisible, you can go on to do something about them. The Huffington Post notes that most of the time we develop this sense of “wounded self” – it’s a view of ourselves that we let affect us based on how our parents, teachers, friends, family members, and strangers treated us in the past. There are a number of things we must do to overcome feelings of invisibility:

According to Medical News Today, neuroticism is the tendency to be in a negative or anxious emotional state. It is not a medical condition, but a personality trait. Individuals with this personality trait tend to experience more guilt, envy, anger, and anxiety more frequently and more intense than those who do not carry the trait. Environmental stress can greatly trigger a person whose tendencies lean towards neuroticism, and the person may be self-conscious and shy. Neuroticism can be scored and identified by personality tests. Although our personality is embedded into the nature of our being, there is one thing we can do to combat our negativity and anxiety: mindfulness. A 2017 study conducted by researchers from Charles Darwin University in Australia found that mindfulness, or thinking more intensely about one’s experiences, could help highly neurotic people. As stated on Psychology Today, you can take a mindful approach in the following ways:

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), interventions are a safe, often effective way to confront a loved one with an addiction. Often people with an addiction are in denial, and an intervention allows the person to receive a structured opportunity for them to accept and to make changes before their situation gets worse. Interventions are often staged by friends and family, but coworkers may be involved at times as well. An addiction specialist often serves to intervene and help moderate the conversation. There are several benefits and challenges that come with interventions: The Good

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), an estimated 54 million people have used medications for non-medical reasons at least once in their lifetime. Drug misuse varies among age, gender, and other factors, but a likely cause of this is easy access. If you are concerned about prescription drug misuse in your home, there are several preventative measures that you can take:

Whether you have a mental disorder or not, maintaining your mental health is so important to leading a happy life. A lot of times we place our mental health on the back-burner without even realizing it – we may push ourselves too hard at work or may be critical of ourselves. When this happens, we hinder our ability to live our lives to the fullest extent. Furthermore, a 2012 study published in the British Medical Journal stated that people with even mild mental health problems may have a lower life expectancy. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that positive mental health helps you achieve the following:

There’s no question that our diet influences not only our physical wellbeing, but our mental health as well. Research has shown that eating lots of fried foods from fast food restaurants has been linked to anxiety and depression, in addition to weight gain. When it comes to recovery, the food we eat is important because it is what fuels us while we are getting back into clarity and making room for learning and growth. Sugar has been an important topic for discussion because many people who recover from addiction crave sweets. Healthline, a website that provides information on all things health-related, has noted several reasons why too much sugar is bad for you: 1) it can damage your teeth, 2) it can damage your liver, 3) it can cause insulin resistance and lead to Type 1 diabetes, 4) it can progress to Type 2 diabetes, 5) it can lead to cancer, 6) it can promote weight gain because it doesn’t hold nutritional value or give a “full” effect, 7) it can be highly addictive because of the rush of dopamine it gives, 8) it can lead to obesity, 9) it raises your cholesterol levels, and more. As you can see, there are several health consequences that eating too much sugar can cause on your body. Dr. Zachary Bloomgarden, a professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City told Live Science Magazine, “Sugar is bad for you because it has calories, and because if you have diabetes or a diabetes-related condition – let’s say high blood fat levels – then having sugar will increase your blood sugar and your triglycerides, which is a risk factor for heart disease”. This doesn’t mean that if you don’t have a diabetes-related condition that you can never eat sugar, however. A little bit every now and then should be fine, but you will want to speak with a doctor to get exact directions that fit your health situation. If you’re in recovery, consider speaking with a nutritional therapist so that you can have more control over your diet. What you eat holds great weight to how your mind and body function throughout the day and, when it comes to recovery, you want them to be working optimally.