INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Take time for yourself by doing things you enjoy or that make you happy. It can be hard to take time for yourself, especially if you’re someone who tends to put other people first. It might also be challenging if you have a life situation such as having small children at home or taking care of someone who is ill. But always remember to “secure your own oxygen mask before assisting others.” You are the best caretaker when you are your best self.  If music makes you happy, listen to music. If reading books makes you happy, take a little time to read in a calm environment. Go look at a beautiful view, take yourself to a museum, or watch a movie that you enjoy. Stay active doing the things that bring you pleasure. This is a great way to focus on the positive. No one else is watching or judging your review of your day and yourself, so there’s no need to worry about seeming arrogant. You don’t have to be good at something or please others in order to enjoy it.  If you’re good at cooking, admit to yourself that you’re a talented cook. Likewise, you don’t need to be able to charm woodland creatures in order to enjoy singing. Observing moments of satisfaction, pride, contentment or joy in your life and the activities that cause them is a good way to make sure you can repeat them again in the future. You are not like other people, so there’s little reason to judge yourself based on other people’s standards. You may enjoy things that other people don’t enjoy. You are certainly “allowed” to define for yourself what success means for your life. Your view of yourself is very different from your view of other people, just as viewing a Monet painting from one foot away is very different from viewing it from twenty feet away. Realize that the image of someone else that you see may be a contrived image that he or she strives to project. This image may only partially reflect reality. Let go of measuring yourself against other people and basing your self-worth on other people’s opinions. This will help you make less subjective inferences about other people’s behavior. For example, if you have a negative interaction with a casual acquaintance, don’t assume that they don’t like you. Rather, assume that there was a miscommunication between the two of you, or that something else is frustrating your acquaintance.

SUMMARY: Do things you enjoy. Take time to think about moments of satisfaction. Worry less about others. Avoid comparing yourself to other people.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: One of the main signs of heavy bleeding (also called menorrhagia) is having blood clots in your flow. For this diagnosis, blood clots the size of a quarter or larger are considered to be connected to heavy bleeding. Check your pad, tampon, and the toilet for blood clots.  Blood clots will look like regular menstrual blood, except they will be more solid, almost jelly-like. Smaller blood clots are normal, and you don't need to worry about them. If you're changing your pad or tampon more often than every 2 hours, you have what's known as heavy bleeding. Heavy bleeding can prevent you from doing things you love, if you're constantly worried about overflow. For instance, if you're changing your pad or tampon every hour (for several hours in a row) and its soaked each time, that's considered heavy bleeding. Generally, periods last 3 to 5 days, though 2 to 7 days is also fairly normal. If your period is lasting longer than 10 days at a time (that is, if you're bleeding for that long), that is a sign that you're having heavy bleeding. Cramping can also be a sign of heavy bleeding. As noted, large blood clots are a symptom of heavy bleeding. These blood clots can be difficult to pass, causing heavier cramping. Therefore, if you notice heavy cramping, that could also be a sign of heavy bleeding. Anemia is when you don't have enough iron in your blood. It often occurs in people who lose large amounts of blood. Usually, the main symptoms are tiredness and lethargy, as well as feeling weak. "Anemia" can actually refer to any type of vitamin deficiency, but generally, low iron is the most common when it comes to menstruation problems.

SUMMARY:
Look for blood clots. Notice how often you change your pad or tampon. Pay attention to the length of your period. Look for cramps. Watch for the symptoms of anemia.