Start small. You can make an effort to make eye contact during conversations. You can also do something that you've never done before (eg. changing your hairstyle). This will make you feel and become bolder over a period of time, although it may seem strange and frightening at first. If you're having trouble coming up with a conversation starter, think of compliments you could give or questions you could ask. These will quickly get the other person talking. Enroll in a class to learn a new skill or join a group with similar interests. These are great opportunities to have regular interactions with strangers that could become friends.  Expect it to be awkward at first, but stick with it. Practice talking with people in the group every week. It will get easier and easier. One great organization for overcoming shyness and gaining confidence as a public speaker is toastmasters. If you find yourself struggling to come up with things to say, share what's going on in your life. Allow yourself to be the interesting person that you are and don't be afraid to let others know what's been happening with you.  Showing mutual interest in another person's life will also help spur a conversation on. With enough practice, a natural conversation will easily develop. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable in a conversation can be hard at first, but it will help you to create bonds with other people and it is a natural part of conversation. Learn breathing techniques or exercise to release anxiety. Close your eyes and take deep breaths to clear your mind. Try to learn tips that will help you in social settings. For example, you could learn visualization techniques. Close your eyes and imagine being happy and confident in an imaged scenario. This can actually make you more confident, or at least relieve some of your fear. Don't wait for the perfect situation to present itself. If you want to go from shy to confident, you first need to put yourself out there in order to meet people. Put yourself in social situations and practice speaking. Accept feeling awkward. Remember that becoming confident will take practice. Don't give up after one attempt at being bold. Repeated attempts will make it easier and easier to interact. Instead of focusing completely on your shyness and anxieties, distract yourself by considering other people. Take some time to help someone you know who needs it. You don't have to do something epic.  Just spending time with a relative that's lonely or sharing dinner with a friend who needs help can empower you and make others feel better. You can also show an interest in other people and ask them open ended questions to help take the pressure off of you during conversations. People usually love to talk about themselves, so this is a good conversation strategy and it will make them feel good about themselves. Talking slowly can also help to calm you down when you are feeling nervous. Practice on your own by reading something out loud slowly and then extend this into your conversations with other people and any public speaking that you have to do. If you catch yourself speaking rapidly, then stop and take a deep breath before you continue. Shyness is a common problem for many people, but in some cases it may begin to interfere with your daily life. If this happens, then you may need to seek the help of a therapist. For example, if you avoid social events due to shyness, cannot effectively perform at school or work, or if you feel extremely anxious as a result of your shyness, then you may want to see a therapist for help.
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One-sentence summary -- Have a game plan. Join a class or group. Don't be afraid to talk about yourself. Practice relaxation techniques. Spend more time around people. Do something for others. Practice slow talk. Seek help from a therapist if shyness is interfering with your life.


Unsweetened cocoa powder makes a beautifully rich, dark brown eyeliner. Spoon a little into a small container. Mix the cocoa with a few drops of water, jojoba oil or almond oil until it has a gel-like consistency, then apply it with your eyeliner brush. Spirulina powder is made from dried and ground algae, so it has a beautiful dark green hue. Pour some spirulina powder into a dish, then apply plain or mix it with water or oil to create a gel effect. While you might not want to wear bright red eyeliner, adding beetroot powder to activated charcoal or cocoa will create a pretty reddish hue that looks great with warmer skin tones. Beetroot powder is available at most health food stores. Mica powder comes in every color of the rainbow. It's a product used in all types of makeup, from eye shadow to lipstick. Do an online search for mica powder to find the color you like best. Use the powder the same way you'd use activated charcoal: mix it with water, aloe, or oil to create a gel you can instantly apply. Any eyeshadow can be converted into eyeliner. Take one of your old, cracked eyeshadows and dump it into a small container. Use a knife to break it up until it turns into a fine powder. Mix in a little water, aloe, or oil to create a gel, then apply the product with an eyeliner brush.
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One-sentence summary -- Use cocoa to make brown eyeliner. Try spirulina powder to make green eyeliner. Use beetroot powder for reddish hues. Buy mica powder to make colorful eyeliner. Convert old eye shadows into any color liner.


Standing upright can help your baby get in the ideal birthing position (the anterior position) so that labor will be quicker and easier. Constantly sitting at a desk or lying down during pregnancy alters the position of your pelvis, which can increase the likelihood that your baby ends up in the posterior position with the back of its head pressed up against your spine. This can cause lower back pain during labor and potentially delay giving birth as you wait your baby to make a 180 degree turn at your pelvis. One study conducted at the University of North Carolina found that pregnant women who got acupuncture at 40 weeks were more likely to go into labor naturally than those who didn't. As you near your due date, consider getting acupuncture to help naturally induce labor.
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One-sentence summary -- Spend plenty of time on your feet. Try acupuncture.


If you haven’t scraped or scratched a mole and it begins to bleed, call your general practitioner and make an appointment. Moles that spontaneously start bleeding can be a sign of melanoma or other types of skin cancer. Also make an appointment if your mole looks like an open sore, whether or not it’s bleeding, or if a scratched mole continues to bleed after you've applied first aid. Fortunately, if they’re spotted early, it’s easy to remove bleeding moles and all cancerous cells. Malignant moles tend to evolve over time. This means that their shape, color, and height will change. Along with bleeding, malignant moles often turn black. Tell your doctor how long your mole has bled for, whether or not it’s painful, and whether the mole has felt itchy or uncomfortable. If your mole started bleeding without any accompanying evolution, mention this to your doctor as well. If your doctor suspects that a bleeding mole may be cancerous—or if the mole is causing you pain and discomfort—they may suggest that the mole be surgically removed. Samples of the mole tissue will be sent to a laboratory and tested for malignant tissue. Since removing a mole is a relatively minor surgery, you’ll only be given a local anesthetic. The removal will likely be performed by your general practitioner. Even if the mole is cancerous, it’s very likely that surgery will remove 100% of the malignancy and leave you free of skin cancer. Even if you suspect that a mole may be cancerous, never try to remove it at home. Although moles are small, removing one is technically a surgical procedure and should only be done by a doctor. You could unintentionally scar your skin or cause an infection by trying to cut a mole off of your own body. An at-home mole removal is also likely to leave cancerous cells behind in your skin.
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One-sentence summary --
Visit your doctor if a mole starts bleeding without provocation. Describe the mole and related symptoms to your doctor. Ask your doctor if they recommend surgery to test the mole. Never attempt to remove your own mole at home.