Posts tagged Phenomenon
How to Stop Blushing
Oct 9th
There are plenty of reasons why people blush. We blush when we’re embarrassed, when we’re excited especially if you saw someone whom you like, when someone pays close attention to us, and many more. For some people, this phenomenon is normal but for others they find blushing as a curse particularly to shy people or to people who blush easily. For a person who blushes easily, they become to dread any social functions or meeting people thus making them go out and associate less towards the society. This situation would eventually lead into fear or phobia.
Blushing is normally caused by having an unconscious response to a situation. Blood vessels will tend to enlarge resulting to the increase supply of blood that will flow towards your face. Blushing can also be caused as a result of drug prescription or it could be a medical condition. Therefore, if you want to be cured of this phenomenon, ask the help or advice of your medical doctor on ways to prevent blushing.
In addition, you could also research in advance on the different ways to stop blushing but always remember to consult your doctor of the cure you want to be performed before you finalize your decision. Never make decisions on your own or else you might face another problem that is bigger than just blushing.
Here are some ways on how to prevent blushing. First, find out the reason behind your excessive blushing problem, under what conditions do you normally blush, how often does this dilemma occurs. Jot down on what you have observed. This will assist in seeing a pattern that causes you to blush uncontrollably. If it’s just a physical reaction of a person you admire, don’t evade that person. Use that person to aid you control your blushing problem. Staying away from that person will not help you solve your dilemma. Face that person and learn to practice to control your emotions when you happen to come across him/her.
Second, if it involves an embarrassing situation, just like the first tip I gave, don’t avoid the issue. Try taking a deep breath and then release it slowly. Do not overdo it or you might hyperventilate. Just do this breathing exercise calmly. Relax yourself and think of happy thoughts. Do this ritual again till you’re sure that you’re calm enough to face the issue without blushing. If this doesn’t work, you could ask the help of a psychologist to assist you on dealing embarrassing situations that you think you cannot control anymore.
Third, you can have cognitive behavioral therapy. This therapy will teach you to correct on how you react to the social norm. There are some people who have a vivid imagination on how the society reacts to situations that they deem as embarrassing thus making them react negatively. The more you resist, the more you blush. Instead of limiting your blushing, you only manage to worsen your dilemma.
Fourth, you can undergo hypnosis. This is one of the popular treatments that people with excessive blushing choose. Under hypnosis your body will tend to relax resulting to lessening of your anxiety level. This can also assist you in reprogramming your unconscious mind to stop blushing whenever you’re out in the community or interacting with people. There are some hypnotherapists who will not only help you on how to stop blushing but will also assist you in boosting your confidence. Therefore when you happen to come across an embarrassing situation, you would know how to handle yourself without giving away with what you really feel.
The fifth cure is Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy. This is a surgical procedure wherein your sympathetic nerve trunk is removed or cut. This last cure should only be considered if you have tried all other options and yet it seemed that it didn’t help you solve your problem. Ask your doctor about this whether it’s safe or not, effective or not, and what are its side effects. Although research suggests that this type of surgery is successful in curing excessive blushing, there are also reports that some patients have experienced unnecessary sweating. Therefore, when you decide to choose this option, prepare yourself of what the outcome might be in the future.
How to Cope With the Impostor Phenomenon
Oct 5th
The existence of a psychological state of mind called the “impostor phenomenon” was discovered by psychologists way back in the 70s. They had been able to establish the curious fact that quite a number of successful people actually privately believed that their success was not something they could really be credited for but something they just got away with, luckily or fortunately, because no one realized or discovered that what they accomplished had no “real value.” Because of that, in their mind, they saw themselves as mere pretenders – impostors so to speak, since they believed that they were recipients of accolades they did not really deserve.
Don’t get confused between true impostors and those who are suffering from the impostor phenomenon. A good illustration might be two authors seen by the reading public as both successful. One is an impostor – the truth is he actually employed a ghost writer in coming up with his work. The other author, who is afflicted by the impostor phenomenon, actually wrote the book for which he is being acclaimed but inwardly, he believes that the book is actually mediocre and does not deserve the distinctive reviews it is getting. One author is a real fake while the other thinks he is a fake.
What’s the importance of knowing that there is such a thing as an “impostor phenomenon?” Well, because the psychologist who discovered it found out that it is not a rare occurrence, it could be that without realizing it, you are in fact suffering from the impostor phenomenon.
Here are possible signs that you could be in it:
1. You often shy away from challenges you know you can handle because of a persistent doubt on your ability to do so.
2. You received an award or citation and you felt guilty about it because you believed there were others in your group who deserved the award better than you.
3. You have a talent that others notice and are encouraging you to develop but you downplay the whole thing claiming that it is really “nothing.”
4. You are threatened even by constructive criticism because inwardly you recognize it as a validation of the fact that you are inept.
5. You think your accomplishments are merely the result of luck such as being in the right at the right time on your part.
6. When you have succeeded in doing something, you somehow entertain the thought that you might not be lucky the next time around.
The more situations you can identify with above, the more the possibility that you are suffering from the impostor phenomenon.
What to do about it? Well, there is really nothing much you can do about it. While psychologists have identified it as an actually existing psychological phenomenon, they have stopped short from considering it as a psychological disease that needed to be cured. In fact its occurrence has been observed with people normally considered as successful, e.g, CEOs, academicians with high educational attainment, accomplished artists, etc. ( I suppose there is no point feeling like an impostor if you are a “failure.”)
However, it can affect the way you enjoy your own life. Outwardly people see you as “successful” but inwardly you doubt that and so at a very subjective level you are subjecting yourself to unnecessary mental suffering.
Should you find yourself identifying with any of the above or similar situations, the best thing to do is to simply recognize it as a probable manifestation of the impostor phenomenon. As such, it has no real bearing with who you are and what you can do. Suspend your self doubt and believe that other peoples’ positive perception of you and your accomplishments are valid. Basically, that’s all you need to propel yourself to more accomplishments.
