Picture Storytelling

What is going on in this picture?

Retrieved from www.nytimes.com via this link

What's going on in this picture? Look closely at the image above (or the full-size image) and tell us what you see by posting a comment on our class blog. Share your thoughts and ideas with other students. You are also invited to respond to someone else by posting another comment.

Think about these three questions:

• What is going on in this picture? (Note: This image is a photograph. It has not been Photoshopped.)
• What do you see that makes you say that?
• What more can you find?

Use your imagination! You may also be inspired to write a short story for this picture. Please, share it with us here on our class blog!

Note: Adapted from a post at www.nytimes.com

SAVING TIME

          There is an old proverb 'Time is Money'. Actually, time is even more worth than money, because money spent can be earned again, but time wasted can never be restored again. Therefore, maybe there is a better common saying than the previous one and it says 'Time and tide waits for none'. Time just flies away. No one can stop it and it never waits for anyone. Time is precious and priceless for everyone. We should all learn to use our time properly and in a positive way to fulfill some purpose. We should value and respect the importance of time in every single moment of our life. Sometimes it takes just one moment of time to make a difference in your life. For good or for bad. Each and every moment of our life brings a lot of opportunities for us, we just have to use our time in the best way we can and take our chances.

          Good time management is an essential skill for the 21st century. We live in a busy and bustling world where time is very precious. The lists of things to do are becoming longer and longer each day and in order to 'survive' we have to learn to manage our time well. Otherwise, we would find ourselves stretched out between our reponsibilities and possibilities. We have all experienced the feeling that there are simply not enough hours in the day and we just need more time to finish everything we have started/planned for that particular day. But imagine what you would be able to do if you had at least one hour of extra time every day. How would your life be different?

          Actually, the idea of providing an extra hour in daytime is not something new. We do that with Daylight Saving Time. It is the practice of turning clocks forwards one hour in spring, and turning them backwards one hour again in autumn/fall. Daylight Saving Time happens in most countries around the world, but at different times during the year. The main purpose of this practice is to make better use of daylight. As we move our clocks ahead for an hour in spring, we actually move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening, and therefore provide more opportunities to enjoy sunny summer evenings outdoors.

          The idea of Daylight Saving Time was first conceived by Benjamin Franklin in 1784. But this idea was not put into effect until 1916, during World War I in Europe, and America began using the system in 1918. The main rationale for this practice was that it was envisaged as a way to help farmers work in their fields earlier in the day, but that was never proposed or supported by farmers themselves as it did not make their work or life any easier.

There are reasons for and against the practice of Daylight Saving Time. Proponents believe that this practice not only adds more sunlight hours to the standard day, but it also saves money and energy as people don't use as much electricity during daylight hours. Additionally, longer afternoon sunlight hours boost many businesses and recreational activities outdoors and this practice is also thought to reduce traffic accidents as people commute more in daylight than in darkness. On the other hand, opponents  of Daylight Saving Time believe that the main idea of preventing money and energy loss does not stand any more, because we have different ways of heating and cooling nowadays than it was the case when Daylight Saving Time first began, and the lengthy morning darkness during  parts of Daylight Saving Time can actually do more harm than good to some enterprises, like farming.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Daylight Saving Time. You can read more about the rationale and original idea of DST, as well as about its basic misconceptions by following these links:

Rationale and originalidea of Daylight Saving Time

The Greatest Mythsabout Daylight Saving Time

Here are some questions for our online class discussion on this blog:

How important is time in your life?

Do you think that there are enough hours in the day? Why? / Why not?

What would you do with one or even more hours of extra time each day?

What are your tips for good time management?

Do you think that Daylight Saving Time is a good or bad idea?

How does it affect you and your life?

Feel free to share your comments with other classmates here on the blog!

STRESS

          Unfortunately, stress has become an inevitable part of our everyday life. Whether we are neglecting our healthy diet, trying to achieve or take on more than we are able to do, worrying too much about the things we can't control, having difficulties in making decisions or just feeling irritable or anxious about everyday problems at home, work, school, etc., the diagnosis may well be that we all find ourselves falling victims to unmanaged stress.

          There are different kinds of stressors, or causes/resources of stress, e.g. responsibilities, a long list of things to do (or we impose ourselves to do), work, school, family, children, bills, pressure, moving house, marriage/divorce, etc. The list becomes longer and longer every day. These stressors may affect individuals differently, or individuals may respond to them in a different way. Our body immediately reacts when we are stressed out, e.g. we may experience stomach upset and increased heart and breathing rate, our palms may sweat, we are 'fueled by adrenaline' and our body becomes physically ready for 'a threat'. In that way, we become ready for 'the fight or flight response'.

          Unfortunately, a prolonged or unmanaged stressed-out condition can lead to long-term health repercussions. Therefore, an important part of dealing with stress and anxiety is our ability to recognize stress and develop personal strategies for dealing with stress. There are healthy and unhealthy ways of dealing with stress. While the healthy ways (e.g. meditation, exercise, healthy food, time management, asking for help, etc.) may help you to reduce stress and relieve symptoms, the unhealthy ways (e.g. unhealthy food, alcohol, smoking, caffeine, physical violence, bottling up your emotions, etc.) may actually mask the symptoms and causes of stress, and even introduce some new stressors or increase the effects of stress in the future.

It is important to remember that stress is a normal reaction to the demands of life. We should all find out our own best ways to manage stress and decrease its negative effects in our lives. We should think about how we can incorporate healthy stress management into our everyday lives. 

Discuss these questions with your classmates on our blog:

What are the most common situations that make you experience stress in everyday life?

How do you feel when you are stressed out? What are the most common symptoms in your case (e.g. emotional (feelings), physical, mental (thoughts))?

What is/are your way/ways of coping with stress?

Mental Health

Mental health is defined as 'a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community' (WHO). Thus, being 'mentally healthy' means being able to achieve the balanced development of the individual's personality and emotional attitudes which enable him/her to attain the inner feeling of well-beong and to live harmoniously with other people.

The question is how much do we really take care of our mental health. Many of us focus more on our physical health, trying to stay fit while eating proper food and exercising more. But good mental health is very important, too. A healthy body is useless without a healthy mind. Actually, we can say that physical health and mental health are interdependable and they are both very important to us to live a fulfilled and happy life. If you manage to achieve a good balance between the two, you can enjoy your life and manage problems in a better way.

As with physical health, for a healthy mind it is also important to eat right, exercise, get the right number of hours of sleep and keep stress at bay. Nutrition is crucial to keeping both your body and mind healthy. The food we consume directly effects on energy levels and our physical and mental health. A healthy diet with the right amount of calories to ensure a healthy weight and enriched with various essential nutrients, but with very little salt, sugar and fat, can help you feel energized and make your body and mind feel good. There are also various vitamins and minerals to support good health of your mind, e.g. vitamin B12, calcium, folate, iron and omega-3. Regular exercise is also essential to stay fit, both physically and mentally. Exercising on a regular basis and over a long period provides long-term health benefits. Exercise produces hormones known as endorphins, also referred to as 'feel good' hormones, which can help you relieve stress and improve your mood. And finally, the proper number of hours of sleep is essential for good mental health. It enables your body and mind to relax and heal itself before the start of a challenging new day.

Good mental health is necessary to enjoy life as it provides a feeling of well-being and gives us strength to face any odds and live day to day. You should focus on positive things in your life, work on yourself, move your mental boundaries, surround yourself with people who love and support you, and try to find the peace and balance with your inner self.

Think about these questions and share your story with us here on the blog:

1.      What is your recipe of keeping a 'healthy mind'?

2.      How do you cope with everyday stress?

3.      Do you think that talking about mental health issues is a taboo?