The Top 3 Things All
LONELY ON VALENTINE’S DAY? TRY THESE 3 TRICKS TO IMPROVE YOUR MINDSET If you feel like the “before” actor in a Match.com commercial right now, you’re not the only one. Valentine’s Day causes an epidemic of loneliness. But contrary to those cheesy commercials, the feeling isn’t exclusive to people struggling to find a date — and it won’t necessarily be solved by one. desires for social connection and actual experiences of it.” That means you can get lonely any time you crave a deeper connection to someone, even if you’re married and have 500 Facebook friends. If COVID-19 lockdowns and canceled holiday celebrations have left you frustrated and sad, you’ve caught the loneliness bug. How can you fight the feeling? • Work out your social muscles. If you don’t push yourself to connect with others regularly, it’s easy to fall into the trap of loneliness and depression. You have to commit to your social life just like you would to an exercise routine. To do this, try blocking off time in your calendar to call your friends or loved ones, or join an online group with regular Zoom meetings you’re committed to showing up for. • Add more art into your social life. Researcher Jeremy Nobel, the head of The UnLonely Project, says that getting creative with other people could help reverse loneliness. If you’re feeling disconnected, try collaborating with your sibling, roommate, friend, spouse, or child on something artistic. You can paint together, have a jam session, take photos, or write a poem. Whatever you choose, getting creative will bring you closer. • Find and fix your negative behaviors. Does scrolling through social media make you feel like you’re missing out on all the fun or leave you feeling like a zombie? If so, it’s probably time for a hiatus. As you go about your day or week, keep a notebook with you and write down what you’re doing when you feel loneliness creep in. By identifying those negative behaviors and swapping them with positive ones, you can turn your thoughts around. What is loneliness, really? Psychology Today defines loneliness as “the state of distress or discomfort that results when one perceives a gap between one’s Loneliness is serious: It’s a predictor of premature death, and one leading researcher compared its health impacts to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. If you’re coping with loneliness, try the tips above, and if you continue to struggle, reach out to a counselor near you.
BEFORE THEY GET S
Spouses are our partners in life, so it’s difficult to imagine our lives without them. But preparing for the inevitable is what the estate planning process is all about. It’s unpleasant to think about your partner getting sick, becoming incapacitated, or passing, but we want to encourage you to have these uncomfortable discussions before it’s too late. Talk about what your wishes are in the event that you become sick or pass unexpectedly. Determine how to manage your finances and what medical decisions you would like to be made on your behalf. The good news is that with the help of an elder law attorney, you can have these discussions with an expert who is well- versed in these decisions and your options. As the experts, our team at Trinity Elder Law recommends all couples discuss several important details before the issue arises. Here are our top three. 1. Know the Financials: We often see that one spouse is an expert in the couple’s finances. Typically, they are the ones paying the bills and managing investments. They also often know all the passwords to online
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