Spider mites will weaken your plant, and the leaves will often form small yellow or brown dots. You may also notice leaves drying up and falling off your plant. Spider mites will leave webs under the leaves and stems on the plant. Look at your plants daily to see if there is webbing on any of your plants. Since spider mites are less than 1 mm in size, they can be hard to see with the naked eye. Purchase a magnifying glass from a department store or online and examine the leaves on your plants. If you see small specks moving on the leaves, there's a good chance you have spider mites. If you don't have a magnifying glass, you can use a white sheet of paper to see the mites. Hold a piece of paper under the leaves of your plant and then shake them. If you see green, brown, or black specks start to move over the surface of the paper, you have spider mites. You can also crush the bugs with your finger. If they streak green, they are plant-feeding mites. If they are orange or yellow, they are probably beneficial predators.
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One-sentence summary -- Look for yellow or brown dots on your plant's leaves. Examine your plants for webbing. Search for mites with a magnifying glass. Shake your plant's leaves over a white piece of paper.


Some people can develop maladaptive ways of thinking about social interactions, which can increase loneliness and decrease your ability to be content while alone. For example, you may be sensitive and pay more attention to negative information from the environment, such as a strange look from someone.  Identify your negative thinking habits. For example, you may have a tendency to think people are laughing at your or giving you dirty looks. Find disconfirming evidence. If you think someone is giving you a harsh look and thinking negatively about you, think of another alternative. For example, perhaps the person just looks that way or is having a bad day. It may have nothing to do with you at all. Humans need social relationships to thrive. Connecting with others can help you feel less lonely and fearful, while increasing your sense of happiness.  How you think about the quality of your relationships is an important part of maintaining well-being. If you believe that you have enough friends and quality social connections, you may feel better. If you don't believe this you can work toward cultivating healthy friendships and relationships with others. Having a large social network may increase feelings of loneliness. Instead of having many acquaintances, focus more on the close personal relationships you already have. Peer relationships are important in developing a sense of happiness and being able to tolerate being alone.  Make social plans. Don't wait for people to contact you. Focus on the person and the connection or conversation rather than on activities that limit social connection, such as watching movies or television. Get social support when you are feeling lonely or negative while alone. Ask a friend to spend time with you or talk about it. Limit destructive relationships. Having negative or abusive relationships can increase your sense of loneliness even if you are not alone. Social skills are important in reducing loneliness and increasing social connection. In order to make new friends you can increase your opportunity for social interaction. For example, join a group of some kind such as a gym class or book club. Maintaining a positive connection with others even when you are alone can help you feel less lonely and increase your happiness about being alone.  Use the internet and social media sites to feel connected when you are alone. This can help increase your well-being when you are alone. Be careful not to use the internet as most of your means of social connection because this can lead to increased loneliness. Everyone feels lonely at one time or another; however, there may be circumstances in which you need additional help and should seek counseling. If you are feeling depressed or your time alone is the result of social anxiety disorder, a mental health professional can assist you with these issues.  Signs of depression include: persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feeling; loss of interest or pleasure in activities; feelings of hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness; difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much; and feeling fatigued or slowed down.  Signs of social phobia or social anxiety disorder include: feeling anxious about being around people, feeling afraid to speak with people even though you want to, avoiding other people, fearing judgement of others, feeling sick or nauseous around others, and worrying for weeks about an upcoming event where you know there will be people.  If you are experiencing these or other symptoms, contact a counselor or mental health professional for a diagnosis. They can help you figure out treatment for these conditions.
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One-sentence summary --
Change the way you think about social interactions. Nourish your relationships. Spend time with your friends and loved ones. Make new friends. Connect when alone. Know when to get help.