I thought of a handful of different topics for the “H” letter of the A-Z Blogging Challenge and then I thought well then H is for Handful!

H is for Happiness

Happiness is important to me. Not everyone sees happiness as a goal … some people see it as a byproduct … but it is a goal for me. I would rather be happy than successful. I would rather be happy than rich. Not that these things are mutually exclusive but for me happiness is the ultimate goal. To that end I am always exploring ideas of what makes me happy, how to change my thinking to increase happiness and how to manage unhappiness to minimize it as much as possible.

Do you see happiness as a goal or the pleasant byproduct of other goals?

H is for Health

Because not much matters if you don’t have decent health! And it sure is hard to be happy without it.

H is for HubPages

I have to throw in a mention for HubPages because I really like writing for the site. I have written there for four years and recently reached a milestone of having written more than 1000 articles on the site. I earn passive income on the work I’ve done there through Adsense and some affiliate programs. I write about the topics that interest me most at any given time.

Right now HubPages is running a contest where you can earn money for writing about long tail topics. Check it out!

H is for How To

The first “H” that came to mind was “how to”. I write a lot of “how to” articles for a lot of different sites. And when I don’t know how to do something the first thing I’m likely to do to remedy that is to look up a “how to” in Google. I noticed that a lot of other people chose this phrase for the H of their A-Z blogging challenge too!

Tags: a-z blogging challenge, happiness, how to, hubpages

If you are one of those people that can’t wait for the latest show on criminals, criminal minds and why they do what they do then a degree in forensic psychology will be the first step in landing your dream job. This mental health degree program is really a crossing of two distinct careers, one of a psychologist and one in the criminal justice system. As a professional you will be involved in understanding why someone does what they do and preparing information for court testimony on mental health findings.

One of the major roles of a forensic psychologist in the criminal court system is to assess and evaluate a person’s ability to stand trial. In other words you will be responsible for determining a person’s competency in understanding right from wrong and legal from illegal. This leads into the second major task of a forensic psychologist, which is being able to give testimony in court about the accused person’s mental state at the time of the crime, which may be very different from their current mental state. These two aspects are critical in determining if a trial can proceed as well as assisting with sentencing and long term treatment plans for the individual if found guilty.

Not all forensic psychologists work in the criminal justice system with offenders and those accused of crimes. They may also have a focus in family courts, specifically in custody cases involving children. The forensic psychologist in this case looks into the family history, competency and capacity of both parents and also completes written custody evaluations or visitation risk assessments if there is a finding of abuse or family violence. Many work with families and children in therapeutic psychotherapy sessions through the courts or by private referrals.

Getting Started

Typically a forensic psychologist has a Bachelor level degree, often in psychology or a related field, and then at least a Master level degree. Many students also have a dual degree at the undergraduate or graduate level in criminal justice or law, but this is not a requirement. Most individuals will go on to complete a Master level degree in clinical psychology or forensic psychology, depending on the school at which they study. Not all psychology departments offer a specialization in the forensic field. Each state in the United States also has different licensing boards and different requirements for forensic psychology. Check with your state board to determine just what you need to have to meet licensing requirements.

Most forensic psychologists will also complete a Doctorate level degree within their focus area. This allows the student to really become immersed in both the legal as well as the psychological issues in their specialization. Those with a PhD in forensic psychology may themselves choose to go into teaching, research or running local, state or national programs for rehabilitation of those in the criminal justice system or other related fields.

Typical Courses In The Degree Program

Every college or university that offers degrees in forensic psychology will offer both core courses of study as well as electives. Core courses are required for all students to earn the degree while electives allow you to focus on areas of interest and specialization.

The core courses for the program will include studying human development and behavior, developmental and social psychology, abnormal psychology, clinical courses as well as criminal investigation and the law. Elective courses may include such diverse topics as public policy, child development, probation and parole systems, criminal justice, organizational consultation, law enforcement, treatment of adult and juvenile offenders, victims’ rights and treatment, behavioral science and general treatment and assessment of mental and emotional disorders.

If you haven’t looked into the field but it sounds like something you would like then you may want to find a forensic psychologist in your area and talk to them about what courses you can take to prepare and what the job really entails on a day to day basis. After all, not all forensic psychologists are going to do the same job, which is part of why it is such an interesting field of study.

So, do you still think a degree in forensic psychology is right for you? What areas or specializations are you most interested in?

Kitty Vogen is a writer who researches information about college degrees of all kinds including the forensic psychology degree.

Tags: college degrees, forensic psychology, forensic psychology degree, Mental Health

Sometimes people who know me well are surprised to find out that I love “To Do” lists. On the one hand, I love a really free unstructured life and schedule. On the other hand, I find that there’s a benefit to imposing some self-structure. One of the ways that I have always done that is with To Do lists. However, I have been moving towards a shift lately in which the To Do list is beginning to serve a different purpose in my life than it has up to this point.

I use versions of the To Do list in many different ways. Each week I make my To Do list for work which includes when I plan to do different writing jobs. It also includes items that aren’t deadlined but that I’d like to do such as researching writing contests or looking for new clients, etc.

I often make a weekly To Do list (in calendar form) of the other things that I want to do with my week. Sometimes this is very structured. I get these ideas in my head about what I should be doing in order to have the life that I want. Then I create To Do lists that reflect these ideas. For example, I decide that I should be going to yoga three times per week, hiking once a week, attending at least one cultural/educational event per week, doing something artsy once per week, etc. Then I make a calendar-based list of specifically what activities I’m going to do that week and when.

I also sometimes make monthly To Do lists. These reflect the same types of things as the weekly list but Keep reading…

Tags: goals, lists, organizing life, to do list

As I sit down to write this, I am asking myself, “what is the smartest thing you’re thinking about right now?” I want to cut through the mess and share smart thought-provoking thoughts here. But the truth is that my smarts are kind of scattered right now.

During the times when I feel healthiest, I am enjoying a routine. I journal in the mornings. I read a bit in the morning as well. Then I work for a short period of time. I go to yoga or for a walk. In the evening, I do something creative (crochet/collage) while watching a movie (foreign/documentary). I go out a few times a week with friends for discussion and entertainment. The entertainment is often educational/artsy/cultural.

However, I fall out of this pattern as often as I fall into it. At the moment, the routine has faded. There are still a lot of smart, creative things happening in my life but they feel more scattered. There are books on my bed but none are succeeding in capturing my daily interest. I’m watching addiction shows (Intervention/Hoarders) more than the movies in Spanish I really want to be watching. I’m working more than usual and going to yoga less.

It used to be that I’d beat myself up when I fell into times like this. I felt like the routine way of doing things was “right” and this was “wrong”. That’s changed in the past year or so, though. I know that the routine feels better in a lot of ways and I aim for that. However, I also know that sometimes ideas and thoughts and understanding emerge from the messiness of less routine times.

I do think that I need to make a concentrated effort to journal more and go to yoga more. Those things bring me back to myself so that I can actually analyze and understand and articulate what’s going on in my head. The rest will sort itself out.

And honestly, I think that might be the smartest thought that I can offer today … to aim for great things for yourself but cut yourself a lot of slack when you aren’t doing precisely what you think you ought to be doing.

Tags: diary of a smart chick, smart

We've come a long way from mood rings!

I read an interesting article earlier this month about so-called Smart Clothing. This is clothing that would be able to determine what your mood is and then improve your mood by responding to you. It’s still in prototype form and is debuting in museums while it’s being worked on but the basic idea is this:

• Moods are programmed into your clothing based on responses to what’s happening in your body. For example, an increased heart rate may be one sign that you are getting anxious.
• The clothing is pre-programmed to respond to these moods. Responses may include a text message, image or video that displays on a sleeve or an audio recording of the voice of a loved one.
• Your clothing is set to read your mood throughout the day and to respond with the pre-programmed responses. For example, if your clothing believes that you are feeling anxious, it may provide an audio tone that you’ve recorded of a calming affirmation.

Smart clothing original article

Tags: depression cure, interactive clothing

I was just reading an article in a design magazine about a very unique design approach that has been taken by a Japanese mental health clinic located in Tokyo. The design uses a variety of different tricks that would likely confuse the mind. For example, there are doors located all throughout the mental health hospital but the doors don’t actually open. How do you get into the rooms if the doors don’t open? Well, there are hidden doors located behind bookcases and in the center of walls adorned with decorations.

It sounds almost like a form of torture doesn’t it? Here you are, trying to gather together your sanity, and everything that should be normal around you is different from the way that it’s supposed to be. It sounds confusing. It sounds frightening. But perhaps it’s exactly the opposite. Perhaps this unique approach to design could be the thing that helps to heal patients.

The thinking behind this design is that it’s a truly hands-on, day-to-day method of getting everyone in the facility to think outside of the box. When your normal surroundings are altered in a very unusual way like this, you are forced to think differently. You are forced to be more creative. This could have a very beneficial impact on altering the negative states of mind of the patients who come to receive help at the mental health clinic. It might even have a positive effect on the thinking patterns of staff and visitors.

As beautifully described by the magazine:

“By providing alternate perspectives for viewing the world, and avoiding being trapped by pre-existing perceptions, the interior allows visitors–and staff members–to experience opening new doors in their hearts, one after the other.”

It’s a fascinating idea isn’t it?

Tags: design, hidden rooms, japanese design, mental health clinic, unique design

One of the things that I think is most important to learn how to do as an adult is to learn to take time out for yourself on a regular basis. I think it’s important to learn to take a few moments each day to just breathe and to be still with yourself. I think it’s important to learn to take a half day out of your week to do something alone that you truly enjoy. And I think it’s important to learn to take vacations or pursue long-term goals that allow you to take time for yourself in a bigger way throughout the year.

When you take time for yourself, you recharge your batteries. You get in better touch with yourself. You understand your needs and wants and emotions better. Taking time for yourself therefore allows you to give more to the people around you because there is more of you available to give. It allows you to be more productive while simultaneously allowing you to be more creative anmd flexible in your productivity.

Sure, it’s possible to fail to take time for yourself and to give your all to something in a productive way for awhile. Some people can even do this for long stretches of time. But you can’t do it forever. At some point, something’s got to give and then you burn out because your body and mind demand the attention that they need. Instead of doing that, we should take time out every day to be with ourselves and to be kind to ourselves so that we can keep going day after day without sacrificing our positive experience of life.

Tags: business, health, self care, taking time for yourself, time management, wellness

I always find it funny when people say that they don’t have the time to relax. It’s funny to me because of the irony of the fact that those people who have the least time are the ones who most need to relax and yet they don’t feel like they can. What I’ve discovered is that learning to take time away from your obligations is the single biggest thing that can allow you to be most productive in the times during which you are busy.

Learning to take time for yourself doesn’t mean that you have to give up any of your daily obligations. Take a look at my tips for ten ways to destress yourself in ten minutes or less. Each of these tips can be used throughout the day to decrease destress and yet none of them takes so much time that any part of your day should be hindered as a result of taking that time to chill out.

In fact, you will most likely find that the rest of your day goes much better because of the fact that you have taken a little bit of time to yourself. When we spread ourselves too thin, we don’t offer our full selves to anything that we are doing and everything suffers as a result of that. When we manage to take the time to care for ourselves, we do better in all that we do even if it technically seems like we have less time to give to things.

Tags: destress, health, hubpages, kathryn vercillo, life, relaxation, stress, stress tips, wellness

Anyone who is interested in yoga, meditation and general wellness should make it a point to check out the many different articles that were recently submitted to the Roundup of Yoga, Meditation and Personal Development blog carnival. There was a lot of useful information provided there!

My own post was on the many benefits of yoga was included in this carnival. Of course it was in the yoga section along with posts on bikram yoga, face yoga, yoga for beginners and the internal strength built by yoga. Also in the yoga section were two chakra-based posts on the root chakra and the heart chakra.

Another topic covered very well in this blog carnival is the topic of meditation and spiritual growth. This includes posts on the zen of clearing your mind, the law of attraction, consciousness and mysticism.

Additional posts in this blog carnival ran the gamut of topics including happiness, hypnosis, making the most of life through gratitude, forgiveness and optimism, making good eating choices (like papaya), your subconscious mind, having children, addictive drugs, anorexia, creativity and life goals.

Which of these posts made you feel most at peace?

Tags: best blogs, blog carnival, blogs, health, kathryn vercillo, personal development, spirituality, wellness, yoga

My health and diet post about yoga being so much more than just a physical thing has been included in the stress subject section of the Total Mind and Body Fitness blog carnival. Other articles on stress that were included were about rush hour traffic stress, destressing at work and finding satisfaction in life.

This blog carnival isn’t just about stress relief, though. It’s about all aspects of fitness and wellness. Other posts included:

• Posts on the brain including those related to memory, positive thoughts and brain plasticity.
• Tips, warnings and hints for dating online as well as offline and dealing with issues like cheating
• Exercise posts on yoga, the body (especially abs) and using ellipticals
• Beauty posts on cosmetic fillers and hair oil
• Food and nutrition posts on alcohol, pizza, health shakes, cholesterol and tea
• Financial wellness information on online banking, business and volunteerism
• Some seemingly random posts on Montana, PhotoLab, gold investing and remarkability

Wellness is a really important topic to read about so hopefully you’ll find some helpful information from the other articles that were included in this blog carnival!

Tags: blog carnival, blogcarnival, exercise, fitness, health, kathryn vercillo, life, stress, yoga