Independent Reading Journal 1_2018 week 3 6031006188 sec 5

Reading Journal By Lalida Yajai 6031006188This journal is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirementsfor English reading and writing 1 course of Liberal Arts in English Program, Mae Fah Luang University First semester 2018

How to stop being annoyed by lifeBy David G. Allan, CNNUpdated 1731 GMT (0131 HKT) August 9, 2016 (CNN)Do you get easily annoyed? At times, does that emotion quickly escalate to anger?You are not alone.You shouldn't live with it, though. Beyond improvements to your general mood and happiness, taming your anger can haveimportant benefits to your health. Constant stress and aggravation is linked to a range of issuesincluding overeating, insomnia and depression, and angry outbursts increase the risk of heart attacksand strokes. Despite how common it is for us humans to become annoyed and angry -- from road rage toair rage and work frustrations to parenting -- there are few easy solutions. Maybe we've just acceptedoutsize irritation as a part of life, or maybe simple answers are antithetical to a problem that can beingrained. Easily getting bent out of shape, even angry, is my problem, too. It was happening more thanI wanted and was cumulatively stressing me out, which is why, a couple of years ago, I set a goal tocome up with an easy system, based on sound psychology, that I could employ in moments ofannoyance. Anger \"is like a blazing flame that burns up our self-control,\" the Zen master Thich NhatHanh wrote. I aimed to teach myself how to rob it of oxygen and snuff it out.\"We all have a 'fight or flight' trigger,\" explained Dr. Mark Crawford, a clinical psychologist. \"It isadaptive. Some of us have a more sensitive one than others. However, the good news is that we canalmost 'reprogram' this by techniques like breathing and particularly mindfulness meditation.\"For me, that reprogamming was best achieved by gaining perspective. Page 2 of 11

Below are the 10 simple steps I use to give perspective to, and gain distance from, unbridledirritation and anger. Employing them has significantly reduced the number of instances in which Iget irritated, or at least has shortened their duration. It's important to note that these are progressive steps. I rarely need to escalate through all 10. Many smaller annoyances (someone cutting in line, traffic jam, kids not listening) can betackled with just the first step. Others (unfair parking ticket, public rudeness) may send you halfwayup the steps. And bigger situations (a blow-up with a family member, being denied a promotion atwork) may require the collective effort of them all before it is defused.You may also find it more effective to change the order, or a step itself.Step one: 10 breaths At the first moment you realize you are experiencing annoyance or anger, just breathe. Tenslow, deep, even breaths do wonders. Sometimes, the annoyance will have passed in just that time.Even if it hasn't, the breaths still help. Diaphragmatic or abdominal (as opposed to shallow) breaths,in which you breathe from deeper inside your belly and fill your lungs, deliver more oxygen to yourbody, which stabilizes blood pressure and helps invoke your body's relaxation response. It may help to add a mantra (\"I have the patience of the Buddha\" is one I like to use when thekids' bedtime-delaying tactics are keeping me from relaxing on the couch) or a calming image tohold in your mind. I sometimes accompany my 10 breaths with a memory of a surfer I once watchedpaddling into the sunset of the Pacific Ocean. He is often capable of pulling my annoyance out tosea with him.Step two: Explain it to yourself If the breaths don't make a dent, try explaining what's happening to yourself. \"I'm annoyedright now because ...\" is a good sentence to finish. Articulating the issue changes your response fromemotion to logic. Page 3 of 11

The explanation itself may be all you need, either because it creates an even longer mentalbreak from the situation than just breathing or because when you say it to yourself, it makes moresense. It may even sound petty or even funny.Step three: Walk a meter in their shoes Make use of this step when another person is part of the reason you are upset. Try hard to seethe situation from their reality and invent a subjective theory for why they did what they did.Your theory will probably be rooted in a cause that's benign or about them, not you. Next timesomeone cuts you off in traffic, maybe you can think about an emergency that might be affectingtheir behavior.Step four: Role model grace Think beyond the annoyance, or annoying person, and focus on your own behavior. Bythinking of how you can be a model for grace under pressure, you help yourself to become one.What would the most diplomatic, logically thinking version of yourself do next? Do that. It may helpto think of a cool, calm and collected pop culture icon such as James Bond, Ellen Ripley, Cary Grant,Pam Grier or Obi-Wan Kenobi.Step five: This too shall pass Whatever it is that is getting your goat, it is temporary and manageable. You won't alwaysfeel this way. It's just a question of how long. Acknowledging that your annoyance is finite and in your control, and that the winds ofchange will blow again in your favor (sooner or later), helps frame the scope of the problem, nomatter how large.Step six: What really matters? How important is the matter upsetting you? How does it stack up against the things in lifethat you know matter? What is important (loved ones are a good example) can be the antidote towhat troubles you now -- as long as you can bring them to mind in this moment. Page 4 of 11

Turn your attention in that direction, and you won't just be distracted but connected to somethingmore important that brings you happiness. Scrolling through the photo stream on your phone is aquick way to do this.Step seven: A funny thing happened on the way Whatever the annoyance, make a joke about it, even if it's a bad one. If you can find somegrain of humor in the situation, smiling, laughing and even being silly can all defuse anger andannoyance. It's not psychologically possible to experience two emotions at once. This technique is great when my child is making me wait to brush her teeth because she \"has\"to brush her stuffed penguin's teeth first. Even if you're not feeling it, the fake-it-until-you-make-it trick of smiling to boost happinessreally works.Step eight: Seek solutions If you've made it this far up the steps and you are still really peeved, here's a good (ifseemingly obvious) question to ask yourself: \"Is there something I can do to make it better?\" Evenif the answer is a small step that may not seem that effective, just taking action gets you out into theframe of acting, not reacting. If you can then come up with a successful solution, so much the better. You will be the agentof change that fixes the situation and discover that you have more power than you think. Just pauseto make sure your solution won't create another problem. (Hint: Sleep on that angry email response.) If you can't come up with anything, that's useful, too. Knowing that you can't changesomething is the first step in accepting it. Cue the Serenity Prayer.Step nine: Trust in time In the future, it is possible that you will see this particular anger-causing situation differently.Look at past problems and see how they've been a catalyst for change or even a blessing in disguise. Page 5 of 11

You may even look back at a difficult situation with fondness, humor or gratefulness (for havingovercome it). It's worth keeping in mind that what seems bad now won't always be so.Step 10: Call a lifeline If you've hit No. 10, it's time to talk about the frustration with someone you trust who is notinvolved in the situation. Start by telling them what you did in the previous steps and why they didn'tfully work. Another person, by definition, gives you an alternate perspective; the more outside yourframe they are, the better. If they are a good friend or mentor, they will indubitably have advicetailored to you and your situation that has eluded you. There are also professionals to talk to, especially if you feel that anger is often out of yourcontrol. Reflect on the severity and frequency of your anger, because an expert may be what youneed if these episodes are disrupting your life. There is one more step, but it's a bit dramatic and not so simple. It's an Eskimo custom ofdealing with anger, as noted in Rebecca Solnit's surprisingly fascinating book on the history ofwalking, \"Wanderlust.\" It not only combats the anger, it is also good for your heart. Exercise in general is good forreducing stress and anger. As for me, my inner Hulk shows its ugly face a lot less than it used to before I practiced thistechnique. Triggers are reduced as well. And I, and everyone around me, am better for it.https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/14/health/stop-being-annoyed-wisdom-project/index.html Week 3 Title: How to stop being annoyed by life Author: David G. Allan Page 6 of 11

Source:https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/14/health/stop-being-annoyed- wisdom-project/index.html Summary The annoyed and anger can effect to your health. Stress and aggravation is cause of many issuesincluding overeating, insomnia and depression, and angry outbursts increase the risk of heartattacks and strokes. This story has 10 steps to solve problem for the people who are annoyed andangry easily. For example you just breathe ten slow, deep, even breaths do wonders. Sometimes, theannoyance will have passed in just that time .Exercise in general is good for reducing stress andanger. My reaction/reflection: Story content and vocabularies are easy to understand. It’s the good story that can help everybody who suffer from being annoyed by life. Page 7 of 11

New words learned: (At least five new words that you have learned) New Words Definitions1. Insomnia (n.) the condition of being unable to sleep Insomnia and depression, and angry outbursts increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.2. Meditation (n.) the practice of thinking deeply in silence, especially for3. antithetical(adj.) religious reasons or in order to make your mind calm The good news is that we can almost 'reprogram' this by techniques like breathing and particularly mindfulness meditation. opposite to or completely different from something Maybe we've just accepted outsize irritation as a part of life, or maybe simple answers are antithetical to a problem that can be ingrained.4. diplomatic(adj.) connected with managing relations between5. Peeved (v.) countries (= diplomacy) What would the most diplomatic, logically thinking version of yourself do next? annoyed If you've made it this far up the steps and you are still really peeved, here's a good (if seemingly obvious) question to ask yourself: \"Is there something I can do to make it better?\" Page 8 of 11

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Articles Rubric for Independent Reading Journal (10%) 5 12341. Summary (4 %)2. Reflection (3%)3. Vocabulary Learned (3%) Scores Total scores _______ ÷ 5 = _____ marksCriteria for the above categories1. Rubric for Article SummaryCategory 5-4 3 2 1-0Summarizing Provides a very Provides a clear Provides a clear but Provides a somewhatthe content thorough and clear and concise shallow summary of muddled, unclear and and concise summary of the the article; may be rambling summary of summary of the article context excessively brief or the article. article context and and content. may include some content. extraneous information.Identifying Student recalls Student recalls Student is not able to Student cannot locateDetails several details for details for most locate most of the details with accuracy. each main point. main point. details of the main point. Is characterized byParaphrasing Is characterized by Is characterized Is characterized by the substantial paraphrasing of the by paraphrasing the substantial copying of main idea and of the main idea copying of key indiscriminately significant details and significant phrases and minimal selected phrases or details paraphrasing sentences.Spelling & There are few or There are some There are serious Serious errors inGrammar no errors in usage, errors in usage, errors in usage, mechanics, usage, grammar, grammar, grammar, grammar, or spelling punctuation, punctuation, punctuation, that make the sentence sentence sentence fragments, summary difficult to fragments, or fragments, or or spelling. understand. spelling. spelling.Total ________/20 ÷ 5 = 4 %2. Reflection on the Articles (3%)Students who have completely and clearly responded to the guided questions stated in the reading journalform will get 3 marks.3. Vocabulary Learned (3%) Page 10 of 11

All correct = 3 marks ≥ 70% correct = 2 marks 1 ≤ 70% = 1 mark Page 11 of 11