Q: Sometimes anxiety arises from negative or unhelpful thoughts. One way to identify anxiety triggers is to go back to the thoughts that occurred right before the anxiety. Identify any negative thought patterns you have. Then, notice how you respond to these thoughts. How do your thoughts expand or feed your anxiety? For example, you may catastrophize situations or assume the worst possible outcome. You may think, “If I don’t study enough for this exam, I’ll fail this class, not do well in college and I’ll never get a job.” These thoughts can make you feel anxious and lead to physical and emotional symptoms. When you feel anxious, write down the thoughts you have and your responses to feeling anxious. Start with a situation you know makes you feel anxious, such as public speaking or taking a test. What thoughts come up? How do you deal with them? How do you deal with the situation once you’re near it or in it? As you gain more awareness, do this with each anxiety trigger you come across. As you keep writing about your anxiety experiences, periodically go through your journal and notice any common themes. You may find themes in your anxiety triggers, such as anxiety from being around strangers, issues related to work or school, problems related to your family, or anxieties related to health. A therapist is trained to help you cope and work through difficult emotional situations. Working with a therapist can be beneficial in identifying your anxiety triggers and helping you cope with them. Your therapist may have you recall or reenact situations to work with your anxiety triggers.  If you’re interested in working with a therapist, check out How to Prepare for a Session With a Therapist. Sometimes your friends and family can help you out. Ask people close to you whether they notice certain things that bring on anxiety for you. The people who know you best can often provide valuable insight to you. Just be ready to accept whatever response they give you, whether you agree with it or not. Say, “I know that I struggle with anxiety, and I’m doing my best to work on it. I’m trying to discover what triggers anxiety, can you help me? When do you notice my anxiety emerging?”
A: Recognize negative thoughts. Journal about your anxiety experiences. Work with a therapist. Talk to someone.

Q: For the martini, you’ll need a traditional martini glass. To keep the cocktail cold, it helps to chill them before preparing the martini. Place the glass in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours or until some frost develops on it. If you don’t have several hours, leaving it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes can help chill it, though it won’t develop any frost. To make the martini, you’ll need a cocktail shaker with a lid. Add enough ice to fill it completely. If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, a mason jar with a lid can also work well. When the shaker is filled with ice, add 1 ½ parts vodka, 1 part blueberry liqueur, simple syrup to taste, and 1 part water. Place the lid on the shaker, and shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds.  The more simple syrup that you add, the sweeter your martini will be. It’s best to start with just 1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 ml) to avoid making it too sweet. To make simple syrup, add equal parts water and granulated sugar to a saucepan. Heat the mixture on the stove over medium-high until it comes to a boil, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve. Reduce the heat to low, and continue simmering the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved, which should take about 5 minutes. Let the syrup cool completely before using it in the martini. Once you’ve shaken the martini well, take off the shaker’s lid. Place a cocktail strainer over the mouth of the martini glass, and pour the mixture through to strain out the ice. Take 3 fresh blueberries and thread them on a toothpick or cocktail skewer. Place the berries in the martini as a garnish, and serve.
A: Chill a martini glass. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Combine all of the ingredients except the berries and shake well. Strain the martini into the glass. Garnish the martini with the blueberries.

Q: Wet a beauty sponge with lukewarm water and dab it into your pressed powder. Use the makeup dampened sponge to apply your powder, gently dabbing the sponge against your skin as you work from the center outward. This will provide heavier makeup coverage if you have widespread blemishes or lots of discoloration you want to hide. This technique should be used before applying any pressed powder foundation with the foundation brush, if desired. Doing so after could cause your makeup to look cakey.
A: Use a damp beauty sponge for heavier coverage.

Q: Both species have short, sharp calls.  However, if you listen carefully, you can detect slight differences in the calls.  The Downy Woodpecker's pik call is a rapid string of high-pitched notes that descends in pitch toward the end.  Their call typically lasts about two seconds.  Hairy Woodpeckers, however, make a similar short sharp note, described as more of a peek sound.  It is slightly lower in pitch and does not descend at the end as the Downy's call does.  Hairy Woodpeckers also have a rattling or whinnying call. The males and females of both species use their bills to drum on trees as a means of communication.  However, Downy's drum is slightly slower than that of a Hairy, about 17 beats per second as opposed to the Hairy's 25 beats per second. Both species primarily eat insects, along with some fruit and seeds. But there are some differences in how the two species feed that may help you identify them.  Because of their smaller size, Downy Woodpeckers can eat foods that larger woodpeckers can't access, like insects in the stems of larger weeds.  Hairy Woodpeckers never feed on weeds. Hairy woodpeckers like to drink the sweet sap of trees.  They may even peck into sugar cane to drink the sugary juice within. This can be tricky because both are found in woodlands and may often flock together.  However, the Downy Woodpecker favors smaller branches while the Hairy spends more time on large branches or trunks.
A:
Listen for differences in their calls. Listen for different drum sounds. Pay attention to different eating habits. Consider differences in location.