Governments with strong female leaders are more likely to deliver on campaign promises, according to new research from Rice University.
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The study examined campaign promises and policymaking by parties in power in the United States, Canada, and 10 European countries along with data on women in party leadership positions and elected offices. Bottom line: women leaders were more likely to not just talk the talk but also walk the walk and live up to their word.
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This research suggests the importance of women playing a larger role in the policymaking process. According to researchers, most female leaders are more effective at following through and staying true to their promises and purpose than male leaders —even when faced with the same social and political challenges. https://bit.ly/2VSI5lj
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If you’re dealing with unresolved childhood trauma or feeling chronically stressed and want to learn how to rewire your brain for health and build resilience back into your life, then click the link in my bio for my books and courses ❤️.

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#8 on the list of 8 Powerful Healing Tools to Overcome Trauma: Building social and emotional connections.
Across evolutionary time, being on one’s own meant being exposed to the elements, starvation, predators, and hostile tribes – making one much more likely to be physically wounded, and, as a result, at the mercy of infectious pathogens.
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Similarly in modern times, a sense of isolation or the feeling of being left out can, in turn, signal the immune system to go on alert and, over time, become over-activated. Healing professionals all report a surge of anxiety, depression, psychological distress, fear, and chronic pain in patients during the pandemic, due to periods of recent isolation and uncertainty about the future.
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The loss of social and emotional connections during the pandemic as well as the loss of social safety are the costs we’ve had to pay to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. Recent studies tell us that the pandemic has created a perfect storm – like pouring gasoline on a fire: for those with a history of trauma, adversity, depression, or anxiety, the consequences of social isolation on well-being have been especially dire. Recent neuroscience coupled with trauma science tell us that America is poised for an epic mental health crisis.
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At the start of the pandemic, I created a powerful, interactive online healing program offering an array of science-based tools for calming the nervous system and inner flourishing: Your Healing Narrative: Write-to-Heal With Neural Re-Narrating™. My goal was to help ease some of the suffering we’ve all experienced for both individuals and healing professionals. I’m very excited to announce that this fall I’ll be adding in a LIVE Q. and A. discussion to my course offerings – to help us all connect during the challenging year ahead as we navigate this next phase of pandemic life. Stay tuned! https://bit.ly/35Wxxnv
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If you’re dealing with unresolved childhood trauma or feeling chronically stressed and want to learn how to rewire your brain for health and build resilience back into your life, then click the link in my bio for my books and courses ❤️.

Thank you for being part of our community ❤️ Content by @donnajacksonnakazawaauthor

Restorative power of Tree Hugging. Yes, I feel a tad silly when I do it, and you might too. But it always leaves me feeling centered — as if I’ve filled my cells with a big happy smile. We all need moments of relief from our worried lives. Give it a try! (If you can’t hug a tree the next best option is Tree Staring: pick a tree and spend just two minutes watching the wind and light and shadows play through its branches and leaves.) Breathe. Notice how you feel! Do you feel any different?

A new study finds that two-thirds of romantic relationships begin as platonic friendships. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 1,900 university students and crowdsourced adults, and found that 66 percent reported their current or most recent romantic relationship began as a friendship.
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Nearly half of the students reported that starting as friends was their preferred way of developing a romantic relationship versus meeting at a party or online.
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We’re often taught that romance and friendship are dissimilar types of relationships that form in different ways and meet distinct needs. But this study reinforces the power of friendship, respect, feeling valued and known, as the seeds from which romantic love grows, blossoms, and flourishes. https://bit.ly/3lYfshF
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If you’re dealing with unresolved childhood trauma or feeling chronically stressed and want to learn how to rewire your brain for health and build resilience back into your life, then click the link in my bio for my books and courses ❤️.

Thank you for being part of our community ❤️ Content by @donnajacksonnakazawaauthor

The unpredictable stress you grow up with may cause epigenetic shifts to genes that oversee the stress response and how able you are to regulate your emotions.
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If you never know when the next stressful event is coming, you get stuck in the first half of the stress cycle, living in a low-grade, constant state of alertness, hypervigilance—essentially a low-grade state of fight, flight, or freeze.
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Over time, this heightened stress response leads to increased production of inflammatory chemicals and stress hormones, which can lead to long-lasting shifts in the genes that oversee the stress response. This, in turn, can lead to increased inflammation, physical illness, and mental health concerns in adulthood, including anxiety and depression.
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However, the adversity you've faced before (or are facing now) does not define you. Your biology is not your destiny. Neuroscience tells us that the wonderfully neuroplastic brain is exquisitely responsive to intervention once we figure out how to intervene.
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In my new course, I teach you how to harness the latest neuroscience by engaging in the processes of writing-to-heal and Neural Re-Narrating™. By working to overcome the impact of trauma, you can begin to create healthier neural connections in the brain. It’s a bit like doing physical therapy for your mind! https://bit.ly/35Wxxnv
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If you’re dealing with unresolved childhood trauma or feeling chronically stressed and want to learn how to rewire your brain for health and build resilience back into your life, then click the link in my bio for my courses ❤️.

Thank you for being part of our community ❤️ Content by @donnajacksonnakazawaauthor