Y7 Magazine - October Issue

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October 2016

Should Hacking be Taught or Kept Secret?

Moving Out Of Your Parents Home!

Everything you need to know!

Do Long Distance Relationships Work?

We all know at least one person who is in one, but do they really work out ?

Is There a Such Thing as Too Much Water?

The Science of Sound d n a r Hai

a C n i Sk

! s p i re T

Hello to all of our valued readers -- new and old. We really hope you enjoy this month‘s issue of Y7 Magazine. We have collected an array of different lifestyle articles to feature this month, with a few being published in Y7 Humanities. We sincerely appologize for the late publishing of this issue. It is highly unlikely that such an event will happen again -- buy nationwide cyber attacks are very unpredictable. We promise you, it was totally worth the wait!!! Enjoy!

Y7 Staff

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The Science of Sound Have you ever heard of “The science of sound”? I bet you haven’t yet until now.

The science of sound is a truly amazing study. And even if it sounds a little bit weird, but when you take a second look to think about how much sounds affect our everyday life, you’ll be able to realize that there is more to it than meets the eyes. Let us discover the fascinating psychology of sound.

Perception is the way we see, hear or interpret something by using our senses. By altering the frequency of our voice when using a sentence, we could be making a statement, being sarcastic or simply asking a question.

For example: “A woman without her man is nothing” vs “A women, without her, man is nothing”. Perceptions also differ when we whisper a sentence softly or shout it aggressively.

Sounds can be interpreted in a dramatically different way depending our mood. For example, if you are having a bad day, the sound of the phone ringing, colleagues gossiping or loud music playing can bother or infuriate you. Alternatively, these above examples may put you in a good mood depending on how the week has panned out, especially if it was a good one.

Music is considered as a cognitive appraisal because it is often linked to memories, even distant ones. For example, when a particular song comes on, it may change your mood to the better or the worse depending on whether it reminded you of the good times or the bad ones.

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“Music regulates emotion...”

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Sounds have a negative impact on one’s concentration. In a study, the University of Nebraska showed that volume isn’t the only cause of distraction and lack of concentration, but even the tiniest sound can make us loose our concentration.

Music regulates emotion by stimulating our amygdala activities which affect vital functions in our body such as breathing, heart rate and digestion. Plus, many researches proved that music may treat many neurological conditions such as Parkinson, Alzheimer, strokes, brain injuries, anxiety and depression.

Sounds have a negative impact on one’s concentration.

In a study, the University of Nebraska showed that volume isn’t the only cause of distraction and lack of concentration, but even the tiniest sound can make us loose our concentration. Therefore, when it comes to learning, researching or revising, it is best they are

done in silence.

When it comes to being productive, many types of music may help, especially music with a beat. Also, when a person listens to music through headphones, he completes more tasks quicker with better ideas because of the better state of mind he is in. For example: for deep thinking, mellow music is recommended and for efficiency Bass & Synth music is proven to be beneficial.

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Tsometimes. Therefore, ear buds are a perfect solution because they can insulate you from the outside.

The comfort that sounds provide is not the only positive thing, but taste is also affected. It is known as “sonic seasoning” and “modulating taste”.

For example, high frequency noises enhance sweetness, low frequency noises bring out bitterness and loud background music minimizes your overall enjoyment of food (food tastes less salty or less sweet).

Finally, the science of sound is a really interesting subject to discuss because our usage of sounds can convey a completely different meaning; from whispering a sentence softly to shouting it aggressively or even when you pause during a speech. Sounds don’t just impact our lives during a simple conversation or when we are watching TV; it is much more than that as they affect every aspect in us.

By Carla Al-Haddad

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Being together!

Good relationships are never devoid of conflict; antagonism can very well be the spice that keeps the flame burning.

But once it reaches an unbearable plateau of malice, it can cause heartbreak when the house of cards falls down. Before delving into such traitorous waters, it should be because of a genuine affection and not a slip of attraction that would have died out in a glimpse of an eye if left unexplored.

A thirst for control was the final nail in the coffin of many relationships.

While most of us would find it hard to conceive how anyone can cope with a character hellbent on control, it’s as common as dew drops on leaf blades. A manipulative person doesn’t start out as such; there is a long grooming process that takes months and even years in the making. This characteristic is more prevalent in men, but women are known to have their own fair share of thirst of control.

Sexual gratification and power lie at the heart of this desire. Men and women would use sex as a weapon to keep the other person hypnotized. They isolate them from all friends and family to remove any emotional support that can compromise their reign. No matter how men try to be mo-

dern and open-minded, at their heart, most they are sexist and wouldn’t easily lose the privileges the patriotic society gives them. They especially condone society’s view of forgiving men’s extramarital affairs while women have to bear the stigma for the rest of their lives.

Controlling people will reject any strong partners because they cannot deal with those immune to their manipulative ways. Instead, they go for weak-willed people who can be molded into docile subjects. Love isn’t about controlling others with apron strings because it ultimately becomes toxic for both. No matter how close a couple become, a certain margin of autonomy must be preserved.

overcome. They will try whatever works; either bullying her into submission or filling her head with empty flattery. Even when caught cheating, men will twist things around to make it seem it was the woman’s fault or that they are just acting out because they are missing her. That being said, women are also promiscuous and greedy for male attention. Whatever that was said about men can also be applied to women. It’s a human depravity rather than a gender issue.

A good relationship is one where each one keeps their autonomy with all the love and care needed to flourish. Control and deception have no place between two people intent of building a life together.

Because of the desperation, most women seem to suffer from, men are progressively feeling more entitled. They presume that each woman they choose to favor with their Written by interest has to be deeply flattered and respond Fady Al-Hashem enthusiastically to their attentions. This has unleashed their voracious appetite for sexual promiscuity, and they have taken to dating many women at the same time.

If any woman should reject them, they take it as a personal insult to their manhood, and they regard her as a personal challenge that must be

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You Are You Are...

My light in the shadows My shelter from the storm The air when it‘s hard to breathe That keeps me going on

The stitches when I‘m hurt The „way home“ when I‘m lost The clear-blue of the river The bridge so I can cross

The moments that become memories The sound so I can laugh My protector when I‘m threatened You are my other half

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Is There a Such Thing As Too Much Water?

Y7 Staff

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Drinking enough water is essential for the human body to function, but drinking too much can be just as dangerous as drinking too little. A panel of 17 experts from around the world collaboratively wrote guidelines outlining the safest way to drink water without going overboard. The new guidelines were accompanied by warnings, published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, and announced at the International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference.

“Our major goal was to re-educate the public on the hazards of drinking beyond thirst during exercise,” the guideline’s lead author Dr. Tamara Hew-Butler, an exercise science professor at Oakland University, said in a statement. “Every single EAH death is tragic and preventable,

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if we just listen to our bodies and let go of the pervasive advice that if a little is good, than more must be better.”

Athletes are particularly at risk. According to the experts, 14 deaths of marathon runners, football players, and other athletes have already been attributed to drinking too much water or sports drinks during a physical activity. The condition is known as exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH), in which the kidneys become overwhelmed by the large quantity of liquid it’s forced to process. The body‘s naturally occuring sodium can’t keep up with the amount of water, leading to swelling in the cells and in severe cases, death. The panel recommends preventing hyponatremia by being in tune with your body and drinking when you’re thirsty — no more, no less.

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Overdosing On Water Flooding the body with too much water can eventually lead to death.

Using the innate thirst mechanism to guide fluid consumption is a strategy that should limit drinking in excess and developing hyponatremia while providing sufficient fluid to prevent excessive dehydration,“ according to the guidelines, published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.

Watch for signs of EAH by knowing common symptoms, which include lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea, puffiness, and weight gain during a physical activity. In severe cases, vomiting, headaches, confusion, agitation, delirium, seizures, and comas may occur, which can be life-threatening. EAH has been known to strike people who are in physically challenging athletic events, such as marathons, triathlons, military exercises, hiking, football, calisthenics during fraternity hazing, and even yoga.

Water is a key chemical of the body, which is why it needs to remain within a healthy range in order to balance the body.

The human body loses water every day through breathing, sweating, urinating, and having a bowel movement, according to the Mayo Clinic. In order to replenish the body with enough water without overwhelming the cells, the Institute of Medicine determined the ideal amount is approximately 16 8-ounce cups (3.7 liters) for men and 11 8-ounce cups (2.7 liters) for women.

For athletes or anyone about to engage in a physical activity that will make you sweat, drink 1.5 to 2.5 extra cups of water to compensate for the fluid loss. Because sodium is lost through sweat perspiration, drinking a sports drink that contains sodium will help replace and balance out the increased water intake while reducing the chances of developing hyponatremia.

The following tips may help you prevent dehydration.

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Drink plenty of water before, while, and after you are active. This is very important when it‘s hot out and when you do intense exercise. You can drink water or rehydration drinks.

Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise.

Take a container of water or sports drink with you when you exercise, and try to drink at least every 15 to 20 minutes.

Use a sports drink if you will be exercising for longer than 1 hour.

Do not take salt tablets. Most people get plenty of salt in their diets. Use a sports drink if you are worried about replacing minerals lost through sweating.

Stop working outdoors or exercising if you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or very tired.

Wear one layer of lightweight, light-colored clothing when you are working or exercising outdoors. Change into dry clothing as soon as you can if your clothes get soaked with sweat. Never exercise in a rubber suit.

Encourage your child to drink extra fluids or suck on flavored ice pops, such as Popsicles.

Avoid high-protein diets. If you are on a high-protein diet, make sure that you drink at least 8 to 12 glasses of water each day.

Avoid alcohol, including beer and wine. They increase dehydration and make it hard to make good decisions.

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Charitable Giving: To Whom to Donate?

There are few things more gut-wrenching to witness than the image of a homeless person struggling on the streets. Most people are driven to donate to homeless people and/or the charities that take care of them, but that will hardly be much of a solution.

sical samples like that will almost always find a recipient while money can easily be poured elsewhere. This is particularly true if one is giving to the individuals directly instead of charities. Homeless people are stuck in a vicious cycle and are often incapable of using the help they receive to create some sort of strucIt’s best to give money to charity versus indivi- ture for their lives. duals. Many homeless people having drinking Charity is given out of empathy and should only be rewarded to those most in need. and gambling problems and could use the money for reasons other than food, clothing, Be careful who you donate to and who you choose to support. But no matter how much and shelter. Choose a renowned charity that has been licensed by the government instead money is thrown at the problem, it won’t be of one that operates without proper authori- fixed unless the underlying causes are discuszation. They are also more likely to have prosed thoroughly and conceivable solutions are perly investigated the individuals and families applied. they help and tend to give to the neediest.

While charity is commendable, you can never be 100% sure that your money is going to the right cause especially with the corruption infesting everything. It is safer to buy groceries and supplies instead of donating money. Phy-

By Dr. Toufic Ajaka

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Is Cohabitation a Trend?

Randa Saliba Chidiac

On the other hand, unmarried cohabitants don’t enjoy the same rights as married individuals, mainly with regards to property acquired during the relationship. Marital property laws don’t apply to unmarried couples, even in long-term relationships. Moreover, laws regarding distribution of property of one spouse to another at death don’t apply to unmarried couples. So, unlike marriage, cohabitation is not sanctioned by the state, and persons in non-marital unions do not have specific legal rights and obligations through their union. Without a formal ceremony and legal documentation, a couple is not married even if they have lived together for many years.

As to children of unmarried couples, they are considered “illegitimate” and don’t benefit from the same legal rights as children of married couples.

Cohabitation is when an unmarried couple lives together in a long-term relationship outside marriage. Couples cohabit, rather than marry, for different reasons.

Cohabitating couples can be opposite-sex or same-sex, and sometimes cohabitation may be the only solution. The law hasn’t traditionally looked favorably upon individuals living together outside marriage, nor has religion, and in many cases religion continues to disapprove of living together outside of marriage.

In some way, unmarried cohabitation today can be beneficial from a legal perspective.

Unmarried partners may define the terms of their relationship without being bound by marriage laws that can restrict the marriage relationship.

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Even though nowadays cohabitation has become widespread especially in Europe and North America, it is still not socially acceptable as marriage. Cohabitation is socially tolerated in part because it is expected that cohabiting partners will eventually become married.

Although cohabitation has existed throughout history, modern trends are especially important because they are part of a broader pattern of social transformation affecting the family. The institution of marriage remains the dominant form of family living, but the rapid increase in cohabitation suggests this could change.

In conclusion, marriage is a permanent institution, and should be the only form of family organization. In our society, cohabitation is not acceptable and as the old saying: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”.

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Growing Your Hair Starts With...

Y7 Staff

Do you have hair that isn‘t exactly where you want it?

As a woman, I know first-hand about having a bad hair day. Many men and women know what it is like to have a day where your hair won‘t seem to do what you want it to.

But what if we could cut out some of those bad hair days with certain foods?

Eating healthy can lead to a healthy weight, which can boost confidence.

Also, eating healthy can bring happiness and healthiness to our hair.

Below is a list of foods that you can include in your diet, to help bring you healthier hair:

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Vegetable Oil Do you have dry hair? Summer months can be just as daunting as winter, if you live in a place where the summer heat is dry rather than humid. Oils like olive oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil are some things to include in your diet. Using a teaspoon a day will help with dry hair.

Fruits and Vegetables Another great remedy for dry hair? Adding another helping of fruits and vegetables. Not only will you be adding vitamin C help your body with iron, it also helps dry hair. Broccoli, green peppers, and strawberries are some examples of food to include in your eating regimen.

Oysters Suffering from thinning hair or hair loss? Start eating some

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oysters. Oysters offer zinc that in turn helps with hair loss and keeps your hair healthy and shiny. Crab, liver, and clams are also great choices that are loaded with zinc.

Eggs A great choice for breakfast, a snack, and also good for your hair and scalp. Eggs are rich in biotin (which is a B vitamin), which can help with hair growth and scalp health.

Lean Red Meat Iron is always a great choice for a healthy body, and the same goes for our hair. If you‘re low in iron, that can lead to baldness. So to avoid hair loss, add lean red meats as well as egg yolks, turkey, and dried fruits to your diet.Bitius audam rati anda quas estia vendis et exceatur sus sumendis aut harum eatem doloreicia niatem. Ga. Ut esciisit, aut doloreh enectorest, nobitaspedi culliqu odipsunt et fugiaepel illuptatem volenes acerrum fugia porem quam, quas ea im hicipis sequo mod ut magnihit reperes tibus.

Make Sure You Have a Clean Comb Too! It’s a good idea to invest in good quality combs and brushes, but it’s even more important to keep them tidy. This will keep your hair clean and healthy. Everyday combing accumulates hair, build-up of natural oils, dry skin, dandruff, dirt and dust.

Dirty combs/brushes will transfer the grime and germs back to your washed hair.

During my college days one of my flatmate would bathe her comb every time she would wash her hair. I didn’t pay any heed then, but over the time I have come to realize how important it is to keep your combs and brushes neat and clean. Now me too wash them every time I shampoo my hair, which is about 2 to 3 times a week.

How to wash your comb/hairbrush: The entire process should not take more than couple of minutes, unless your comb/brush is very dirty. In that case please spend some time to clean them.

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1. Before you begin washing your brush, remove any trapped and tangled hair. You can use a comb or another hair brush or similar blunt object. Slide the comb through the bristles to help loosen out the trapped hair, so they can be removed easily.

2. Wet the comb/brush with warm water. Place the soap or shampoo on the comb/hairbrush and then rub them with your fingers to remove dirt or grime. Alternatively you can use a toothbrush (have a toothbrush designated to clean the combs) to clean the hairbrushes/combs and remove any stubborn debris.

3. Rinse the comb/hairbrush under warm running water.

4. Let the comb/hairbrush air dry.

Some combs/hair brushes come with a special instructions to avoid using water. However it makes more sense to buy hairbrushes/combs which can be cleaned regularly.

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Corrective Vision Do you prefer contacts or glasses?

And which is better?

Whether you choose to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses for vision correction mostly depends on personal preferences. Lifestyle, comfort, convenience, budget and aesthetics should all factor into your decision-making process.

down of the advantages and disadvantages of each type of eyewear to help you choose.

Before deciding between contacts and glasses, keep in mind that one is not necessarily better than the other; each has its pros and cons in terms of vision, ease of use and eye health.

✔ Contacts conform to the curvature of your eye, providing a wider field of view and causing less vision distortions and obstructions than eyeglasses.

Eyeglasses offer many benefits over contact lenses. They require very little cleaning and maintenance, you don’t need to touch your eyes to wear them (decreasing your risk for eye infections), and glasses are cheaper than contact lenses in the long run since they don’t need to be replaced as often.

✔ Contact lenses don’t get in the way when playing sports and exercising.

Glasses also can act as an extension of your personality and make a great fashion statement!

That being said, contact lenses have many advantages over glasses. Contacts sit directly on your eye, so vision, particularly peripheral vision, is unobstructed. You can participate in sports and outdoor activities without fear of eyeglasses getting in the way, falling off or breaking. You can even change the color of your eyes with color contact lenses.

So which are better for your particular needs and lifestyle — glasses or contacts? Here’s a break-

CONTACT LENSES PROS AND CONS Advantages Disadvantages

✔ Contact lenses won’t clash with what you’re wearing. ✔ Contacts typically aren’t affected by weather conditions and won’t fog up in cold weather like glasses. ✔ If you want to see how you would look with a different eye color, you can experiment with color contact lenses. You can even purchase special-effect contacts to match your Halloween or fancy dress costume! ✔ Some contact lenses can reshape your cornea while you sleep. Overnight orthokeratology (Ortho-k) temporarily corrects myopia, so you can see clearly the next day without the need for glasses or contacts.

✖ Some people have trouble applying a contact lens to their eye (but proper technique and practice should rectify this in most cases). ✖ Contacts reduce the amount of oxygen reaching your eye and can cause or increase the severity of dry eye syndrome. ✖ If you work at a computer often, wearing contact lenses will likely contribute to symptoms of computer vision syndrome. ✖ Contacts require proper lens care and lens case cleaning each day, to avoid potentially serious eye infections. If you can’t commit to the care and recommended replacement cycle of your contacts, consider daily disposables. ✖ If you accidentally fall asleep while wearing daily wear contacts, your eyes typically will be dry, gritty, red and irritated when you wake. If you find yourself frequently falling asleep with your contacts in, consider extended wear contact lenses — some extended wear contacts are approved for up to 30 days of continuous wear.

EYEGLASSES PROS AND CONS Advantages Disadvantages ✔ Wearing glasses reduces the need to touch your eyes, which in turn reduces the likelihood of irritating your eyes or developing an eye infection. ✔ If you have dry or sensitive eyes, glasses won’t exacerbate the problem like contact lenses can. ✔ Eyeglasses generally are cheaper than contact lenses over the long

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term. You don’t need to replace glasses as often (unless you break them!) and if your prescription changes over time, you may be able to keep your current frames and just replace the lenses. ✔ Frames are fashionable and can speak volumes about your personality and style — the look of your glasses can make a bold statement.

Keep in mind, though, that if you wear contact lenses full-time, you also should have an up-todate pair of glasses — in case you need to stop wearing contacts due to an eye infection or irritation, or you simply want to give your eyes a break.

✔ Glasses offer some protection from environmental factors such as wind, dust and debris. ✖ Eyeglasses sit about 12mm (about a half inch) from your eyes, so peripheral vision can be distorted. Many people also report difficulty focusing on objects and blurry vision when they first start wearing glasses or change prescriptions. ✖ Some people don’t like how they look in glasses and feel it detracts from their facial aesthetics or hides their features. ✖ If you have a strong prescription, the edges of your lenses may be thick and unappealing or your glasses might make your eyes appear unnaturally minified or magnified. ✖ Eyeglasses can be affected by the elements — your vision can be obstructed or blurred by precipitation collecting on your lenses or when they fog up in cold weather. ✖ Some frames can exert constant pressure on your nose and behind your ears, leading to headaches and general discomfort.

Contact Lenses, Eyeglasses... Or Both?

Thanks to advances in contact lens technology, most people these days can wear contacts successfully, even if they prefer to wear glasses as their primary form of vision correction.

So the decision to wear either contacts or glasses — and when to wear them — usually is a matter of personal preference.

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What is Hacking?

Hacking is unauthorized intrusion into a computer or a network. The person engaged in hacking activities is generally referred to as a hacker. This hacker may alter system or security features to accomplish a goal that differs from the original purpose.

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Hacking: Should it Be Taught or Kept Secret?

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These days, the need to utilize a practical and applicable arranged methodology in data security training is essential. Also, hands-on learning through lab practices assumes a key part in data security training. Truth be told, security training educational programs that do not give understudies the chance to explore security methods can‘t set them up to have the capacity to ensure the proficiency, confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer systems and assets.

To execute this reasonable learning approach, universities are required to set up state of the art security and networking research centers to permit instructors to furnish understudies with sufficient and fundamental hands-on lab experience. In any case, security and networking equipment, including for the most part firewalls, intrusion detection, switches, and routers, are normally viewed as impractical gadgets for scholastic foundations. This is further complicated by the financial struggle that most scholastic institutes have to cope with where tight spending and budget cuts might prevent establishing and updating such a research facility.

A wealth of security research, exercises and conferences are being organized periodically. These events are usually paid to make them beyond the reach of most students. Furthermore, there are no platforms where students can test and improve their skills. Also, such contests are usually focused on a particular area such as web security where participants had to exploit vulnerabilities in a web application and the realism involved in such events is quite questionable. These contests require physical presence, and students are often incapable of traveling due to academic, financial or other commitments.

Several CTF style ethical contests tailored for students are organized annually such as iCTF by University of California, Santa Barbara, Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition and CIPHER CTF by RWTH, Aachen, RuCTF and RuCTFe by Ural State University. However, not all of these contests are on an international scale.

average student.

Protecting students is particularly important as they are often unaware of the gravity of their actions with respect to hacking. A recent study revealed that both white-hat and black-hat hackers understand the consequences of illegal hacking, however, college students do not. The study notes, “Hackers are keenly aware that if one were caught engaging in illegal hacking activities, his/her life would be seriously disrupted. This shows the success of the United States government in communicating the seriousness of engaging in illegal hacking activities to the hacker community.

Meanwhile, the college student population is not getting the same message (Young, Zhang, & Prybutok, 2007,).�

There is also a significant concern as to whether students gain the experiences they need to understand how to effectively apply the ethics gained as part of the ethical hacking programs.

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SkinCare Tips!

by Dr. Melony Jenkins The number one skincare question that I get from women of color is „how do I get rid of dark spots?“ In order to understand how to fade dark spots, it‘s important to understand why and how we get them.

Put simply, acne or any type of inflammatory trauma to the skin can lead to excess production of melanin which causes post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (dark spots). A good skin care regi-

a pre-cleanser containing baobab and marula oils onto your face. Then massage in a few drops of water to your face to create a very light 1. Pre–cleanse your skin — lather. Rinse your face with Excess sebum, debris, and lukewarm water. make-up can clog your pores and lead to hyperpigmenta- 2. Cleanse — Use a cleanser tion. Using a pre-cleanser based on your skin type. For prior to your cleanser is cal- normal skin, use a cleanser led double cleansing me- that is for normal skin and for thod. Double cleansing will oily and combination skin, remove the excess oil and use a gel-based or foam-bamake-up and prep your skin sed cleanser. If you have dry further treatment. Massage skin use crème-based cleanmen is important to treat this condition. The six elements below will help you achieve a clear, even skin tone.

ser. Cleansers with glycolic acid, lactic acid, or salicylic acid are great for acne-prone skin. Be sure to wash your face twice a day. Never go to bed with make-up! It can lead to acne and hyperpigmentation. Massage your cleanser into your face in a circular motion and then rinse with lukewarm water.

3. Use a toner — With a cotton ball wipe your face with a toner containing glycolic acid,

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salicylic acid and/or witch hazel to remove any extra debris that was not removed from cleansing. The toner will soften your skin in preparation for the moisturizer and treatment serum.

4. Moisturize— Your skin needs moisture to maintain its health. Choose a moisturizer that contains ingredients that will help your skin retain moisture like hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid, or emollients like baobab oil and carrot oil.

Massage your moisturizer in an upward motion on your face and neck.

are the ‘hero’ products for address hyperpigmentation.

Look for treatment serums that contain glycolic acid, retinol, kojic acid, and/vitamin C. Ingredients like glycolic acid will do a chemoexfoliation on the skin to increase cell turnover and remove excess melanin on epidermal layer. Retinol, kojic acid, and vitamin c help to reverse the reaction that causes the dark marks.

turized your skin.

Remember to be patient with the process. It takes about 6 – 8 weeks to start seeing the results of your skin evening out.

6. Always wear sunscreen — To prevent the dark marks from darkening even further, wear a sunscreen with an SPF 15 to 30. Apply your sun5. Apply a treatment serum screen in every morning 5 daily —Treatment serums minutes after you have mois-

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Do Long Distance Relationships Work?

Distance is one of the main hurdles that can alter the course of love, as it can be very difficult for a couple to enjoy a relationship when they are separated miles away. However, it is possible to maintain a longdistance relationship, as long as each party holds an open mind and keeps some points in mind.

First of all, a fruitful relationship involves the investment of time and attention, whether a couple lives together under the same roof, or are separated by cities, oceans or continents. It is necessary in this case to adopt a hands-on approach and struggle to keep the lines of communication at all times, initially by scheduling regular telephone calls and communicating through emails and live chat resources.

Simply by interacting regularly with your partner, a long-distance relationship can flourish for as long as necessary.

Second, with technological advancement, the couple can ben-

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efit from an innovative range of affordable, real-time communication methods. Resources such as Facetime, WhatsApp, Skype, etc. have subsequently made it easier and cheaper than ever to make international or long-distance calls, meaning that the couples can remain in contact with each other, regardless of their location.

By embracing these developments, there is a strong possibility that the relationship remains strong despite the distance.

Third, trust plays a crucial role in maintaining a solid relationship. As absence can create serious feelings of insecurity and fear, especially if the partner is transferred for work purposes and has to socialize with new friends and colleagues; here comes the role of honest and direct communication with the partner.

The couple should talk openly and honestly about everything leaving no place to doubt. Therefore, always remember the reason why

you choose this person to be your partner, and why you are engaged romantically with your partner in the first instance.

Moreover, it is crucial to remain motivated and energized for the good of the relationship, and ensure that the sparks of physical and romantic attraction are present at all times.

As a final point, if your partner is the center of your social life, this does not mean that you have to become a solitary person who spends time waiting by the telephone once they have relocated.

In fact, it is important to remain active and commit to enjoying a rich and busy social life even after your partner has moved. This will extremely help the transition process, while it also helps you to maintain perspective and remain positive about your situation.

By Dr. Randa Saliba Chidiac

MAGAZ INE TEMPL ATE / O C TO B ER 2013 / w w w.your magaz i ne.co m

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5 Ways to Be Inspired

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For nearly five years I walked the same two blocks to my train stop twice a day—morning and evening, passing the same houses, the same piles of trash, the same parked cars.

Those two blocks became so dull.

Every day the same thing. Nothing new to see. Sometimes, whole days could go by like that—everything the same. Nothing new to see.

Of course this is not true, but it’s very easily the mindset we can slip into, eased into the routines of the day, all too familiar with our surroundings.

It’s that mundaneness that can stifle creativity. After all, what is creative thinking but exploration?

On the good days walking those same two blocks, I would look up for a change and notice the vibrant new spring leaves or cross the street to see that same stretch from another vantage point or take a different, longer route altogether. Those tiny explorations could make an otherwise mundane walk exciting.

“Exploration happens best by accident, not by following a schedule,” says John Stilgoe, professor of the history of landscape at Harvard and author of the book, Outside Lies Magic.

And exploration is important because it goes hand in hand with creativity.

“How does one learn to be creative?”

Stilgoe asks in his book. “How does one develop the ability to produce lots of new ideas, to respond to problems easily and energetically?”

His answer: Go outside. Look around.

Walk. Notice. “Exploration encourages creativity, serendipity, invention.”

Here are five ways that taking time to wander and explore the landscape around you can spark your creative mind: 1. FEED YOUR CURIOSITY. Noticing new details is a perpetuating cycle. The more we pay attention

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to details around us, the more we discover and want to pay attention. “After a weekend or so of exploring, after looking around three or four or 20 miles from home, the explorer grasps at the magic peculiar to riding with eyes and mind open,” writes Stilgoe.

2. LEARN TO MANAGE RISKS AND FIND A BALANCE. Letting yourself step away from your work to take a walk shouldn’t be an activity reserved for only sunny beautiful afternoons. What if you went out in the rain, in the cold, in the snow? “Direct contact, face-to-face with warm breezes and freezing rain, sometimes vulnerable, the explorer learns to weigh risk, to balance exertion and danger and discovery and relaxation,” writes Stilgoe. Coming into contact with the most basic of resistance—a strong wind or a storm—boils what it means to face a challenge down to its most basic elements.

3. START TO UN-PROGRAM YOUR THINKING. We tend to follow a regimented schedule, even when we are taking time away from work to exercise. Yoga at six.

The treadmill for half-an-hour. Kickboxing every Tuesday night. What if, on occasion, you allowed that time of exercise to be unregimented? According to Stilgoe: “Unprogrammed exercise and a rediscovery of what schools and employers and television and computers suffocate blend into some larger whole that reorients

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the mind, that offers a reward greater than any posted by pure physical exercise.”

4. MAKE CREATIVE EXPLORATION YOUR M.O. Make a habit of noticing the details around you, of going out of your way to make small new discoveries and you will notice that they begin to appear almost on their own. This doesn’t require changing the entire way you live your life. It’s a subtle shift. “Exploration is a second nature,” writes Stilgoe, “easy enough to recover any weekday evening, any Sunday morning, any hour snatched away from programmed learning, from the webs and nets that invisibly and insidiously snare.”

5. SCRUTINIZE THE UNFAMILIAR. We tend to let our eyes graze over the things we don’t know answers to when we’re out and about. But you can walk down a path to find out where it leads or pick up a scrap of paper on the ground to discover what’s written on it.

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Why Are We Hooked on French Fries?

You smell them in the back in the car. You can’t drive all the way to your destination without eating a little bit, right?

We feel you.

After being harvested and cut, the fries are then blanched, dried, fried for 45 seconds and then frozen for shipping to your local fast food restaurant. But’s what’s really in this delicious treat that makes them so addictive? You can’t just eat one can you?

Well, it starts with the brain. There is a system in our brain called the reward system.

This system was designed to “reward” us when we do things that encourage our survival. This includes primal behaviors like eating.

The brain knows that when we eat, we’re doing something “right,” and releases a bunch of feel-good chemicals in the reward system, such as the neurotransmitter dopamine – interpreted by our brains as

pleasure.

The brain is hardwired to seek out behaviors that release dopamine in the reward system.

When you have fewer receptors, you need more dopamine to reach the same effect, which causes people to start eating more junk food to reach the same level of reward as before.

The thing about food like McDonald’s french fries is that they can cause a reward that is way more powerful than anything we were ever exposed to in nature.

If you have fewer dopamine receptors, then you will have very little dopamine activity and you will start to feel unhappy if you don’t get your food “fix.”

Whereas eating an apple or a piece of steak might cause a moderate release of dopamine, eating a large fry is so incredibly rewarding that it releases a massive amount.

Multiple studies in rats show that they can become physically addicted to junk food in the same way as they become addicted to drugs of abuse.

When people repeatedly do something that releases dopamine in the reward system, the dopamine receptors can start to down-regulate.

When the brain sees that the amount of dopamine is too high, it starts removing the dopamine receptors in order to keep things “balanced.”

Take a look at the specific ingredients in McDonald’s french fries that cause that ohso-good dopamine reaction: VEGETABLE OIL (BLEND): To make the famous french fries, you have to deepfry some potatoes, an otherwise healthy carbohydrate, in something fatty and greasy. McDonald’s spuds get dunked in an oil bath twice. According to Ochner, the manufacturers cut and boil them and

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greasy. McDonald’s spuds get dunked in an oil bath twice. According to Ochner, the manufacturers cut and boil them and possibly fry them once before freezing them and shipping them to restaurants, where they are fried again. Here’s what goes into that piping hot potato bath: a) Canola oil: This commonly used

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cooking oil is generally considered “good for you” when compared to others in its category, but it’s still loaded with calories and therefore will make you gain weight if you consume too much of it. It’s hard to tell how much of this particular oil is used versus the less healthy, and even fattier options. b) Hydrogenated soybean oil: When

regular soybean oil goes through a hydrogenation process, its unsaturated fats become saturated fat, which in turn makes it easier to cook with and helps boost preservation. The downside is the new fat also becomes a trans fat, which has been strongly linked to heart disease.The FDA’s definition of “zero trans fat per serving” means less

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in lots of foods, is what may be helping citric acid keep food from decay. Though it’s also said to be safe, animal studies have linked it to stomach ulcers and damage to DNA. DEXTROSE: Another word for sugar, this is third ingredient, following potatoes and oil, in McDonald’s fries.

It makes it taste better and it also increases addiction and cravings.

New research shows that the body may convert the sugar found in foods into body fat more easily than it can convert fat found in foods into body fat. So sugar may be worse for you than fat.

SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE: This preservative is the reason McDonald’s fries will retain a fresh-looking golden brown color rather than turn black when placed in a jar for two months.

Yuck. This same ingredient is often found in commercially prepared cake, pudding, waffle, pancake and muffin mixes, and it is also added to refrigerated dough products, flavored milk, cured meats, potato products and canned fish.

than 1 gram per tablespoon, and that McDonald’s found its loophole and still continues to serve a relatively low amount of trans fat in its fries. c) Natural beef flavor: Some 50 years ago, McDonald’s cooked its fries in beef fat. When it switched over to a vegetable oil blend, it didn’t want the fries to lose their famous flavor, so they opted to add natural beef flavor to the blend. Hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk are used as starting ingredients of the flavoring.

Shockingly enough, these fries are

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not vegetarian. In 2002, McDonald’s paid $10 million to members of a vegetarian Hindu community who had sued the chain for failing to disclose how the food was prepared. d) Citric acid: This common preservative is considered safe to ingest, but it’s also one-third of the ingredient that makes the fries last for months without breaking down at all, continuing to look like you bought them yesterday. e) TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone): This super potent preservative, found

DIMETHYLPOLYSILOXANE: What’s an anti-foaming agent doing in your fries? Bizarrely enough, this silicone serves a purpose: McDonald’s manufacturers likely add some to the water when boiling the potatoes before frying and freezing them for shipment. This more than likely helps speed up the process and cuts back on cleanup afterward.

Now that you know the above, will you still crave that golden crunch?

Moving Out of Your Parents Home: Here‘s What You Need to Know

If you can’t wait to move out of your parents’ home and start living on your own, you’re not alone. Independence is amazing, but enjoying that newfound freedom can be more expensive than you might think. Fortunately, there are tons of helpful websites and mobile apps that can make managing your finances fun. And by incorporating these tools in your everyday life, you can develop a realistic budget and start saving money for the things you enjoy.

If you’ve been asking yourself “How much money do I need to move out?” here are a few tips to help you start adulting like you’ve been at it for years.

Common Mistakes When Moving Out for the First Time Perhaps the biggest mistake young adults make when moving into their first apartment is not making a budget. The principle is simple: First find out how much income you’re earning each month, and determine how much you’re spending and on what.

Then, based on those numbers, set aside a certain amount of

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each paycheck for rent and utilities, and actively track your spending so you don’t run out of cash.

Budgeting apps like Mint automatically import and categorize your expenses (like how much you spend on fast food and concert tickets each month), giving you a bird’s-eye view of your financial standing in seconds. You can also use a notebook or spreadsheet to track your spending if you prefer to kick it oldschool. The point is, creating and sticking to a monthly budget is the single best thing you can do to prevent a financial catastrophe. It might even be among the most valuable life skills you’ll ever develop.

Another big mistake young adults make when first moving out of Mom and Dad’s is not saving any money. You might wonder what the point of saving is if you only have a handful of dimes left over from each paycheck. But even saving just $5 a week is better than not saving at all. And you’ll definitely thank yourself for having stashed away that cash when your car starts making weird noises or if you sprain your ankle at a music festival.

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Paying bills late is also common among the newly independent.

Avoid this nasty habit by setting up reminders on your smartphone or using an online calendar to alert you a few days before bills are due. Or, better yet, start paying your bills as soon as they arrive. Not only are late-fees crazy expensive, but if you regularly miss due dates, you could be crippling your credit score. Paying a bill late, even if only by a day or two, makes it more expensive to borrow money when you want to finance a car, house or some other major purchase. Look out for your future self by paying your bills promptly.

like vehicle registration and tax preparation. To create a realistic budget, you should first spend some serious time looking at last year’s expenses to make sure you’re not missing anything. „Living on your own for the first time can be an epic--and expensive--experience. Learn how to move out the smart way by budgeting like a boss.“ -MintLife Blog Money-Saving Tips for Moving Out at 18 Here are a few basic ways to cut back on expenses during your first years of independence.

Preparing for Expenses You Hadn’t Considered

1. Don Your Chef’s Hat

In order for a budget to work, it has to account for everything you spend money on. This includes little things like parking lot fees, late-night drive-thru meals and random convenience-store purchases. Like to rent movies on the weekend? Add it to your budget. Tend to drop a few bucks on mobile apps or lotto tickets each month? Include those as well.

Cooking your own meals on a daily basis can save you more money than just about any other change in your behavior. Knowing how to make five basic meals (say, chili, tacos, chicken and vegetables, spaghetti with marinara sauce, and a slow-cooked roast with veggies), and having a microwave handy for reheating leftovers, can cut your food expenses in half. An added bonus: Homemade food is almost always healthier than prepared meals.

Those living away from home for the first time are bound to face a flurry of unexpected expenses during their initial months of independence. In the kitchen alone, you’ll likely need to invest in dishes, cookware, and a dozen ingredients to stock your pantry.

And when it comes to keeping your home looking good, it’s easy to underestimate the cost of cleaning supplies. Netflix and Spotify subscriptions are also often overlooked, as are annual bills

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2. Kill Some Kilowatt Hours Get into the habit of turning off—or even unplugging—lights, appliances and electronics when you aren’t using them. And consider getting a programmable thermostat to keep heating and cooling costs down.

3. Quit Using Credit

hardship later on.

Only carry one credit card, and commit to only using it in absolute emergencies. Using cash or a debit card for day-to-day expenses prevents you from overspending and accruing budget-busting interest charges.

Learning how to make a budget isn’t the most exciting thing you’ll do when first moving out and living on your own, but it can mean the difference between just getting by and making the most of your money.

4. Explore Other Avenues Consider all your transportation options. Do you really need to drive everywhere, particularly if you have to pay for parking once you get there? And with Uber, Lyft, Car2Go and other ride-sharing services now widely available, city dwellers might even consider ditching their cars completely. The cheapest gallon of gas is the one you don’t use.

Things to Include in Your First Budget Show Mom and Dad you know how to move out the smart way by creating a monthly budget and sticking to it. Here are some items you’ll probably want to include.

Rent: most likely your largest single expense Utilities: electricity, gas, water, cable TV, internet, etc.

Meals: supermarkets, restaurants, drive-thrus and delivery Transportation: flights, cab rides, fuel, auto insurance, vehicle registration, etc.

Medical: prescription drugs, co-pays, etc.

Entertainment: date nights, impromptu adventures, vacations Clothing and toiletries: new threads, soaps, shampoos, shaving cream, etc.

Subscriptions and memberships: gym, magazines, online movie or music services Gifts: birthdays, weddings, baby showers and holidays Pet Care: annual checkups, flea medicine You Need a Financial Cushion A good rule of thumb you might’ve heard is, in the event of an emergency, everyone should have a financial cushion substantial enough to cover three- to six-months of living expenses. And while there’s no arguing the soundness of that advice, many people think that’s simply not possible and they don’t even bother trying.

But even if you don’t have half a year’s salary chilling in your bank account, having some money set aside is better than none.

There are countless ways to work toward building an emergency savings account, from setting aside loose change at the end of every day and depositing it in the bank at the end of the month, to having a percentage of your paycheck automatically stashed away in your savings account. Many first-timers use the simple 50/20/30 rule of budgeting to ensure a balanced bank account. Start now, and even if you only save a few dollars a week, it will add up over time, and help you avoid financial

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Don’t Let The Flame Burn Out on Your Relationship: Here’s How to Save it!

Stop reading for a moment, and think back to the first few weeks after you met your spouse or love partner.

Actually try to visualize an early date where you were cuckoo for CoCo Puffs about this amazing person. And they felt the same about you.

Remember how it felt falling in love, how happily distracted you were, how you couldn’t wait to see her — how everything he said was interesting and funny.

Remember how you felt the two of you were special? Meant for each other. Destined to be together.

And now . . . not so much.

Now you’ve been together for a while — maybe years. And the bloom is off the rose. What was once endearing or funny now gets under your skin like a bad rash. The differences you found so appealing now divide you like a knife.

It’s past time to rekindle your relationship.

Frustration, resentments, hurt feelings, and unmet needs are always simmering just below the surface. One wrong word, one sideways glance, one exasperated sigh is all it will take to cause the lid to blow. And blow it has — many times. Too many times to count.

Bickering is a daily sport and fullblown fights dot the landscape of your marriage like bleeding soldiers on a battlefield. Whether your particular fighting style is a head-spinning screaming match or a silent treatment freeze-out, both of you are exhausted, hurting, and so tired of living this way.

How did it come to this? What happened to the joy, the fun times together, the great sex, the intimate talks?

Where are those two people who fell

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so head-over-heels in love?

mance, and your mental health.

If you spend more time in your love life fighting or feeling angry, hurt, or resentful than you do enjoying the connection, then it’s past time to take action. Right now you must do something about it if you want to save the relationship.

Respect the individual

Do you truly want to have a happy, healthy, intimate connection with this particular person?

If the answer is no, and you’ve been with this person a long time, go to counseling anyway to be absolutely sure it’s not just your anger clouding your judgment. Get professional support to help you navigate this huge decision whether to end the marriage or not.

You are an individual unique person with your own beliefs, feelings, desires, and habits. Your spouse also is that same unique individual. Everyone has the innate right to be who they are and to feel free with their most intimate partner to express their true selves.

Just because you’ve come together as a couple doesn’t mean you should expect your partner to be someone else, meet all of your needs, or view the world in the exact same way you do. You are two distinct people, two adults, who fell in love and chose to live their lives together.

Both you and your spouse or partner must embrace this foundational premise: your relationship together takes priority over everything else in your life.

Your expectations and treatment of each other should reflect this truth.

Once you accept and respect the other person for who they are, then you can find a way to work through differences thoughtfully and kindly. When you love Mike (fill in your spouse’s name) simply because he is Mike, then you are offering unconditional love and acknowledgment of his authentic self.

That includes your children, your parents, your friends, your work, your hobbies, your chores, your television, your computer, and your egos.

Have you suffered with emotional or verbal abuse? Click here to get your free Emotional Abuse Test. Find out your emotional abuse score.

The relationship itself must be viewed as a separate living, breathing force that the two of you are charged with care taking. I’m not suggesting you lose your individuality. But as two individuals, you are jointly responsible for nurturing your connection as you would your child.

You love and accept him just the way he is.

However, if the answer is yes, and you know with certainty you want the relationship to work, then read on.

If your relationship isn’t solid, everything else in your life will be negatively impacted. Your happiness as a couple is essential to the security and happiness of your children, your job perfor-

This is the foundation from which you can handle the differences between you and the difficulties life throws in your path.

Lead with kindness I firmly believe the simple act of kindness could save most couples from breaking up. If you begin from the position of always trying to be kind and

respectful toward your partner, you’ll resolve conflicts more quickly and less painfully. And you will sew the seeds of joy in your life together.

is trust. You trust your spouse to have your back, accept you as you are, treat you with dignity, and love you unconditionally.

Small acts of kindness on a daily basis translate into heaping portions of positivity and happiness, which is essential for lasting relationships.

You lose that trust when your partner puts you down, betrays you in some way, tries to control you, or becomes disengaged from the relationship. Real intimacy is impossible without this trust, and emotional intimacy is what keeps marriages thriving.

According to marriage expert and psychologist John Gottman, Ph.D., it takes five positive interactions to every one negative interaction for a marriage to last. Through his extensive research on couples, Gottman discovered that marriages are in danger of leading to divorce when the ratio of positive to negative interactions falls below five to one.

Even if you are feeling angry or upset about something, you can still be kind by not being overtly unkind. You don’t have to go for the jugular in disagreements. There’s no need to make disparaging remarks or speak condescendingly.

Kindness is an advanced emotion — one that requires conscious choice.

You must choose kindness over winning an argument or making your partner feel worse than you do.

Seek a mediator Every couple experiences difficulties they can’t unknot on their own. Sometimes we become so entrenched in our needs or point of view, we can’t see a way toward compromise or resolution.

If this happens, don’t allow the issue to fester and cause resentment.

Seek out a professional couples counselor who can help you find the best course of action. Asking for this help doesn’t mean your marriage is bad or you might not get what you want.

It’s like bringing in a consultant who’s detached and can help you both see the bigger picture and the way toward resolution.

Dont’ avoid counseling because you think you should be able to work it out on your own. If you haven’t, you likely won’t be able to. So take action.

Practice emotional intimacy The foundation of emotional intimacy

You express emotional intimacy in a variety of ways.

You have it when you can be vulnerable in front of your partner, and you accept your partner’s vulnerabilities.

You have it when you share physical affection and non-sexual touching.

You have it when you share meaningful experiences, laughter, and fun times together.

You have it when you can talk with each other about your day, your opinions, your feelings — and know your partner is really listening.

Emotional intimacy is also expressed in sexual intimacy with eye contact, spoken words, and open communication about how to please one another.

Even when you disagree, you can practice this intimacy through humor, touching, and kindness.

Don’t argue in anger This might be the most difficult change to adopt, but it will be the most life-changing. When you feel angry at your spouse, and you want to yell and scream and say something really hurtful or snarky, walk away instead.

When your anger grows to the point you can’t control it, have a rule with yourself you will step away from your partner until the anger dissipates.

Words spoken in anger are poison to your close connection. They might feel good in the moment, but they often cause irreparable harm.

If a disagreement begins to escalate into a full scale fight, tell your spouse you’d like to wait to finish the conversation until cooler heads prevail. If you want to get your angry feelings out, write them down and then tear them up. Or go for a run or a long walk.

Walking away from angry interactions is part of putting the relationship as a priority over your ego.

Create opportunities for fun Life can be so serious and demanding.

This is particularly true when you have children at home. Your days are filled with work and child rearing, and in the evenings you’re exhausted and just want to veg out in front of the TV or on the computer.

Prioritize having fun and adventure together over some of the seemingly more important activities of your life.

Your house and yard don’t have to be perfect. Your kids don’t have to be in dozens of extracurricular activities.

You don’t have to volunteer for every school organization.

Put fun time with your spouse ahead of all of these things. Go on regular date nights. Take weekend excursions.

Put up a tent in your back yard, and watch the stars together. Try to reconnect to the feelings you had when you first fell in love, when the world was your oyster and life had a rosy glow to it.

Think about your partner as your boyfriend or girlfriend, and find ways to spend time together just as you did when you first met. Yes, your life is more complicated now. But that will make the fun times all the sweeter.

If your relationship is valuable to you, and you don’t want it to linger in malaise or fall apart completely, then take the initiative to overcome your problems as a couple. Ask your spouse or partner to read this article with you.

Discuss together how you can put your intimate connection as the number one priority in your life.

Write down ways you can express more respect, kindness, emotional intimacy, and fun. Talk about strategies for a cooling off period when anger erupts. And decide whether or not you need the support of a counselor with any particular issue.

Take care of your relationship, and fall in love all over again.

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