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GET REEL®: Produce Your Own Life

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Click here to listen to an interview on Hayhouse Radio

Get Reel and Produce Your Own Life with Deb Scott and Dr. Nancy
Produce Your Own Life! Gettin

Before you click the remote one more time, let me tell you that media is one of the top three things that shape your life. Let me also tell you that this news could be the best news you have ever heard, if you know what to do with it! Think of the power you have will have to make decisions! After your parents and teachers, the television, Internet and movies shape what you think, who you become and your level of happiness. Why does it matter? Because your goals, ideas, motivations, thoughts, and personal strengths and insecurities have been influenced by your media viewing choices.

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Why are Hallmark Christmas movies so popular?

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Join Dr. Nancy with reporter Nikki Battiste on CBS This Morning
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hallmark-channel-lgbtq-christmas-movie/

Hallmark must be doing something right; millions of people watch their Holiday movies and say that it is part of their holiday tradition.  But why? It’s partly because the brain likes things that are familiar! The plot of the hero/heroine, who meet, experience some tension before getting together, have helpful friends and finally have a happy ending after the final conflict is a story as old as time.  And it’s good storytelling!!  Remember the Wizard of Oz, the Star Wars movies, and many romantic comedies, like When Harry Met Sally, Moonstruck, and Sleepless in Seattle?  We love the story and we especially love the happy ending. And the brain feels safe and secure, and especially familiar when all ends well. It’s what is called in mythology, The Hero’s Journey.

If you are feeling well, it magnifies your feelings, but if you are feeling down, it uplifts you.  And as you see familiar actors in different movies, you feel that they are like family, since they are so often in your living room! Some of the actors are even actors you saw as a child or teen, so they are especially comfortable to see again. Even the props and settings feel familiar as all the films are taped in the same studio.

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It’s Time I Posted a New Blog about Social Media

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From an interview with John Hopkins

Why talk about social media when it already takes over too much of your time?

Because after working with media and mental health for over 30 years, I am finding that the effects of social media have taken over as a mental health and emotional influence, more powerful than some print and televised media. When I completed my research in the 80’s on the positive influence of TV to help children manage stress, there was no social media. Then, when  I released my book Get Reel: Produce Your Own Life in 2015, social media was taking off as a major influence in individual lives.

What do you really need to know?

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WAYS TO BE HAPPY NOW

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We are all in this together.
If you feel isolated or thrown off your normal routine, remember that most of us have had major life changes during the health challenge. Finding ways to navigate uncharted territory and sudden change takes a supportive team and we can all work together to find old and new ways to support one another. You deserve it and your sense of well-being is more important now than ever. In addition to the good advice of social distancing and hand washing, here are some for you to try to help you have the best experience possible while taking care of yourself and others.

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TEXTING VS. YELLING AT HOME: HOW TO STAY HAPPY

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Dr. Nancy was interviewed by USA Today in April 2019 on this topic. 

Would you believe that there are some positive benefits to texting at home? Sometimes the most complex and the simplest things are suitable for texting. For example, if you want to approach a difficult topic but want to give the person some lead time to think about it, you could text them in advance, stating what you want to discuss and asking them to get back to you with a time to talk. Or you might just be saying that dinner is ready, or asking if you left an item in another part of the house. It can be practical to send short simple texts to address any of these topics. But if you are texting rather than talking as if the person is not in the house, then you are risking becoming distant and misunderstood. The same level of connection cannot be maintained electronically that you can have in person, and the message can too easily be misinterpreted. For these types of communications, it is important that you do exist separate from your device and that certain things don’t require electronic devices. Texting too often implies that the sender assumes that you are constantly with one of your devices. And that assumption alone can be dangerous for your social connection to real people in real time.

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Fake news and other scary stuff for kids

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In an interview with Fox News, Dr. Nancy explains hoaxes online and what you can do about them.

Some factors get in the way of children feeling safe when they hear news or see things on the Internet that aren’t real. Why?

Children don’t distinguish fantasy from reality. When their big brother tells them that the boogeyman is out to get them, or that there is a tooth fairy, they take it at face value, so exposure to a myth about an image can really take hold in a child’s mind. It is unhealthy for children to be exposed to such frightful ideas that can stay with them for a period of time, challenging their feelings of safety. This phenomenon even occurs with adults who watch way too many crime shows; they feel less safe than those who don’t and may avoid venturing out due to these feelings.

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Build Lasting Confidence

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Originally appeared in Inspiring Lives Summer 2018

Health articles in the media ask the question, “Do you know how to believe in, love and accept yourself?” It is an important question; without self-love and acceptance you cannot maintain a long-term vision and learn to walk in your own shoes. Knowing who you are and which shoes fit the best comes before setting out toward confidence. So begin with some soul-searching.

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TOO MUCH SOCIAL MEDIA MAY HARM A WOMAN’S BODY IMAGE

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Originally appeared on HealthDay.com May 2018
Too Much Social Media May Harm a Woman’s Body Image and WebMD at: Social Media May Harm a Woman’s Body Image

SOCIAL MEDIA

WHY ARE THE EFFECTS OF MEDIA ON WOMEN’S SELF-IMAGE AND HEALTH SO DAMAGING?

Award-winning author, Dr. Nancy Mramor Kajuth

I was not surprised to learn, as a media expert, that a study at the University of South Wales showed that over an hour a day on social media can lead to increased body image issues for women, as health and media are so closely related. Why is this and what can you do about it?

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Social Media is Confusing to the Brain

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Original comments for an interview in Esquire Magazine with Luke O’Neil

Animal videos, family news, staying connected and innocent jokes were the original intent of social media but when you deviate, there is the potential for problems for you and others. Fake news, political arguments, hostile or inappropriate content and even enhanced images can confuse social media. And when you are switching back and forth, for example from an image of a mistreated animal to a funny video and then back to a more serious post, the brain has to multi-task and switch quickly which may not be good in the long run.

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Music: how and why it works for better health

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Originally from an interview with Jenna Birch at Fitbit   

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MUSIC’S EFFECT ON YOU?

The potential benefits of music as a therapeutic and healing tool are endless!  The ways that music affects you can have a big impact on health, happiness and personal growth, or they can just be a way to reduce stress and enhance mood.  Some of the specifics about music include:

-This is Your Brain on Music” (Plume/Penguin, 2007) tells us that listening to and playing music increases the body’s production of the antibody immunoglobulin A and natural killer cells — the cells that attack invading viruses and boost the immune system’s effectiveness. Music also reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

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