Summarize the following:
If you find yourself caving to others’ demands on a regular basis, you may need to learn the art of boundary-setting. Boundaries are consequential to leading a healthy life with reduced stress, and they also are the foundation of healthy relationships.  Think about what you want and whether your life circumstances are aligning with that. Listen to your thoughts regarding your relationships or work demands. Do you feel like you have too much responsibility? Do you find that others don't respect your need for personal space? Now, notice your feelings. Do you feel frustrated? Angry? Ignored? Use this information to guide on the types of boundaries you need to set. Identify your limits. Recognize the actions and behaviors of those around you that make you uncomfortable or overwhelmed. Communicate and enforce your limits. Let those around you know when they are violating your personal space or crossing a boundary. For example, if you asked your parents to give you advanced notice before visiting, point this out when they show up unannounced. Say, "Mom? Dad? I like when you all come over to visit, but it would help me out if you could call first just so I have time to prepare. Can you do that for me?" If you must take part in an activity or event that drains you, follow steps to prepare yourself mentally and physically. When you do this, you decrease the odds of you having a stress meltdown, and build better coping mechanisms for difficult situations. For instance, if you are invited to a social gathering, ask if an understanding friend can join you there to keep you calm. Do deep breathing exercises in the days leading up to the event. Visit the location beforehand to feel comfortable with the environment. Introverts may feel stressed out when they have to constantly switch back and forth between dissimilar tasks. You may lose focus and require a great deal of time to return to full productivity. To minimize this issue, batch together similar tasks so that you don’t have to adjust to new demands. For example, if the dishes need washing, the mail needs sorting, the bills need paying, and the carpet needs vacuuming, put the paperwork tasks together and the cleaning tasks together. This allows you to boost productivity and increase your focus on the tasks at hand.

summary: Set and enforce personal boundaries with others. Prepare in advance for activities that deplete your energy. Practice batching work tasks and personal chores.


Summarize the following:
Nothing makes you look happy quite like a smile. Smile even if it feels insincere. After a bit, it might actually be real. The trick to smiling convincingly is to smile with your eyes, not just your mouth. Practice smiling with your eyes in the mirror. Whether you’re happy or not, smiling can actually help you improve your mood. If you’re trying to lift yourself out of a rut, smile as much as you can. People may wonder if something is up if you refuse to look them in the eye. Eye contact is important to maintaining conversations and communicating interest and  attraction. Make eye contact with people, especially when you speak. Avoiding eye contact may look suspicious or make people think that you’re avoiding something. When making eye contact, try to smile and appear interested, engaged, and happy. Your body language may give away if you’re feeling sad or upset, so appearing open is important to looking happy. If you’re sitting or standing, avoid hunching your back or looking down. Hold your head up high, sit or stand up straight, and push your shoulders back and together. Exude confidence in how you carry yourself, sit, stand, and walk. Appearing small may make people wonder if something is wrong. Crossing your arms or legs might make you appear closed off to others or like you’re hiding something.  If you want to appear happy, keep your arms by your sides. If you don’t know what to do with your hands, hold something like a cup of coffee or a water bottle.

summary: Smile. Make eye contact. Appear open in your posture. Keep your arms uncrossed.


Summarize the following:
If you live close to your grandparent, then decide how often you can realistically visit him.  If you are a youth and cannot drive yet, this will depend on your parents' availability to drive you to your grandparent's house. Consider whether you can go after school or work and how many times per week. Maybe you can only commit to once per week, or maybe you have availability to visit a few times per week. If you live far away, always make an effort to visit your grandparent in person when you are in town. Even if you live close to your grandparent, you could still create a habit of calling once or twice per week. If you live far away, you will want to do this regularly.  If you have a commute of 20 minutes or more to/from work or school, you could easily spend that time chatting with your grandparent. Bluetooth devices and Bluetooth accessibility in cars are both very common today to make talking while driving safe. Call whenever you know your grandparent is available and whenever you have time. If your grandparent is an early riser and you have time in the mornings, call then. On the other hand, if you cannot call until the evening, call at an appropriate time for your grandparent. If your grandparent is tech savvy, he might be up for learning how to use a video calling service.  If you live far away, this is a way for you to catch up with your grandparent and for you to see each other. When you visit your grandparent in person, take a couple of hours to teach him how to use the service and practice. Your grandparent will love getting a card or letter from you, and he will appreciate that you took the time to write to him.  You can send a card for his birthday, anniversary, or other holiday. Your grandparent will like being remembered and recognized on days like Veteran's Day, if he was a member of the military. You can also simply send a note “just because,” to catch your grandparent up on what is going on in your life.
summary: Visit your grandparent in person when you can. Call your grandparent whenever you have time. Teach your grandparent how to use a video calling service, such as Skype. Send cards, notes, or letters as another way to stay in touch.