What cleanliness says about your mental health

What cleanliness says about your mental healthWhat cleanliness says about your mental healthOne of the things Ive always admired about myself is that sometimes my behavior, when overly stressed or anxious, can feel beneficial. A few minutes to whisk the vacuum across the living room floor, and its like I meditated give me a sponge and a grimy bathroom, and Ill give you shine and calm.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreLooking at a spotless and tidy home, whatevers bothering me feels temporarily paused. Cleanliness translates tolower stress and anxiety for me- and a flawless home for my family growing up, my roommates in college, and my husband now - how lucky are they?Cleanliness As a CompulsionAccording to aUniversity of Connecticut study, while they might be lucky, I should be cautious about this behavior. In 2015 researcher Martin Lang had 62 students from Masaryk University i n the Czech Republic as the subjects of an experiment on this subject. When the students arrived, they were all fitted with a heart-tarif monitor and an accelerometer on each wrist. They were then split into two groups and asked to sit around a table with a small metal statue on top of it.Half the students were informed that they would have to give a short talk about the object to an art expert. The other half were asked to study the object and think about a list of questions but were told they wouldnt have to do any public speaking. Lang chose public speaking as the differentiator becausemany people have a fear of it.All participants were asked to polish the metal statue with a cloth until they thought it was cleaned thoroughly. Then researchers told participants who were supposed to give a speech that they wouldnt have to do it anymore. Analyzing their cleaning behavior, Lang noticed anxious people focused on smaller areas of the object and cleaned them more meticulously. He concl uded that in times of high stress and anxiety,people default to repetitive behaviors(such as cleaning) because it gives them a sense of control during a chaotic period.This behavior has its benefits. Your mind is telling you to take precautions and control your environment, youre doingsomethingtrying to mitigate surprises that could cause you emotional harm. You feel safer and freer in your space. And, of course, the benefit of a clean space. The issue is when it turns into compulsive perfectionism.By trying to control everything within your home,you can start to lose control of your life.When Does Some Cleaning Become Too Much Cleaning?Theres nothing wrong with being a neat freak, and its OK if cleaning feels calming - we all have ways to decrease our anxiety. Its an issue when it starts interfering with your life. For example, if you dont socialize because you havent completed your cleaning rituals, its affecting your physical health, feels obsessive, or is making you late for ot her obligations - it may represent an issue.However, its important to note that these are only a sample of adverse behaviors that could result in obsessive cleaning, and they dont necessarily mean a diagnosis of another mental disorder just as OCD.Has Your Tidiness Gone Too Far?If youre unsure as to whether your cleaning habits are constructive or not, the best thing to do is totalk about it with an expert. On your own, it can be hard to recognize symptoms or rituals. A therapist can help you reduce your anxiety symptoms and recommend practices to help you gain the control youre seeking.And while you dont have to put the Swiffer away forever, you can make other lifestyle changes that will make a difference when youre not talking with an expert. Below are a few ideas to try.Get your heart rate upJust like your cleaning schedule, develop an exercise schedule that will ensure youre physically active 3-5 days a week. While exercise is by no means a substitute for psychotherapy, medicat ion, or psychiatric care, it can diffuse excess anxious energy.Do what you can to sleep wellMake sure youre getting enough sleep and feel rested. Not sleeping can exacerbate any mental condition..Eat healthily and avoid alcoholHealthy eating, focusing on a Mediterranean diet of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish, which may be linked to reduced anxiety. This could be because complex carbohydrates are metabolized more slowly than processed ones, therefore helping maintain a more even blood sugar level, which in return creates a calmer feeling. A balanced diet is also good for brain health.If the sign of a spotless home eases your stress, that isnt a bad thing. After all, clutter can be distracting. But be mindful to make sure your habit of tackling chores isnt serving as a crutch. Life is full of surprises, and while grabbing the Windex can you give a sense of control, it wont keep the unpredictable from happening. It can be hard to diagnose your own habits or behaviors, howev er, so dont be afraid to ask family or friends what they think, ora professionaltherapist for help.This article first appeared on Talkspace.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

4 good jobs for people with social anxiety disorder

4 good jobs for people with social anxiety disorder4 good jobs for people with social anxiety disorderSearching for a job is hard enough on its own. Add in a social anxiety disorder diagnosis and it can feel nearly impossible. However, jobs for people with social anxiety are not as difficult to find as you may believe.

Pretty comes at a price for attractive woman in business

Pretty comes at a price for attractive woman in businessPretty comes at a price for attractive woman in businessThe femme fatale has long been glorified in pop-culture. Think Sharon Tate in Basic Instinct. She is the femme fatale personified The male fantasy transformed into a nightmare.The mystique of the femme fatale certainly has its draws in media. Yet, the sexualized representation of the femme fatale we see on screen is notlage as innocuous when attributed to women in the real world.When applied to the corporate ladder, the femme fatale effect has some pretty toxic consequences, especially for women in high-level positions.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreHighly attractive women can be perceived as dangerous, said Leah Sheppard, an assistant professor at W.S.U. and lead author of a paper in the journal Sex Roles. Sheppard has coined this phenomenon the femme fatale effect w hen attractive businesswomen are considered less trustworthy, less truthful and more worthy of being fired than less attractive women.The studySheppard and Stefanie Johnson, an associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulders Leeds School of Business, conducted a series of six studies. The first four asked participants to rate the truthfulness of women and men announcing layoffs in fictional news accounts. Regardless of their industry or title, the attractive women were consistently considered less truthful than the non-attractive women.In the fifth study, participants were first primed by being asked to recall a relationship in which their partner was both committed and trustworthy. The results found that ansicht primed participants now perceived the attractive women as being just as trustworthy as the less attractive women.The final test was conducted using both the primed, sexually secure participants and the sexually insecure. The secure participants viewed every woman equally, while those primed to feel insecure named the more attractive women as being more worthy of being fired, suggesting that sexual insecurity is the true cause of bias.The study subverts the notion that beautiful women are merely underestimated or dismissed at the office. Instead, it unveils how bias against attractive women may originate from primal sexual insecurity, jealousy, and fear.The primal roots of biasThis bias goes way back its rooted in our evolutionary instincts. According to Shepard, primitive men viewed attractive women as an asset, which fueled competition amongst other men. Because beauty was a sort of commodity for men, they worried that their attractiveness may make their mates more inclined to be unfaithful.While it may seem far stretched to apply this behavior to contemporary office power plays, the logic makes sense. This is why both men and women may discount an attractive colleagues success and may be inclined to think that she has used her sexuality t o get promotions, favorable work assignments, etc, said Sheppard.Counteracting the femme fatale effectEvidence may affirm the added challenge for attractive women in business, but thats not to say that ansicht hurdles are insurmountable. Oftentimes, people are unconscious of the stereotypes they apply to others. This suggests that a femme fatale can shirk this innate bias by adjusting their actions.Ladders sat down with Anna Poulson the owner of Manhattans newest Indo-Danish inspired coffee shop and auxiliary nonprofit, The Good Kind. During the shops construction period, Poulson remarked on feeling especially aware of her status as a woman CEO. The part I didnt anticipate was how difficult it is as a woman to have to delegate orders to my employees. I hate to generalize, but I did not feel as respected as I should have been, said Poulson.Once she recognized this bias, Poulson quickly discovered a powerful tool she used to her advantage fashion.I feel that my clothing choices make a huge difference in how others perceive me. It got to the point where I questioned whether I had to intimidate them the construction workers in order for them to listen to me. As a woman, if I ever show up to the job wearing sneakers, leggings, and a t-shirt, Im not treated with the same respect if I had worn a pant-suit, said Poulson.According to a study in Social Psychological and Personality Science, people who wear more formal clothes tend to feel more powerful. Today, the pantsuit is a popular choice among powerful businesswomen, getting a nod from notably powerful women in the industry such as Anna Wintour.Altering your physical appearance only goes so far. While a polished physical appearance may play a part in perception if youre considered an attractive woman, Poulson stresses the importance of self-acceptance. Aspiring entrepreneurs, feel like they need to have a polished exterior. Its ok not to have this. Ignore any discomfort, said Poulson.From an evolutionary standpoin t, attractiveness may trigger distrust, but it still has social advantages in the workplace. Attractive women can wield their looks to get certain advantages, whether deserving of them or not.Establishing trust may be more difficult to come by for attractive women but, thats not to say that they cant do it. said Sheppard. Its just that trust is probably going to form a bit more slowly.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people