Tag Archives: psychology

Commune, Coursera and Duolingo

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Commune, Coursera and Duolingo

I’m back in Mexico and that means I’m back on line taking courses again. There are so many of them out there and it’s hard to choose. But here are the three I’m doing now.

Duolingo. I’ve been doing this one for years now to improve my Spanish. When I go up north for a few months every year I always take a break from Duolingo. But seeing as I’m the only gringa in my neighborhood, I really need my Spanish. I have friends learning other languages on this site, but for now I’m quite content with Spanish only.

Commune. This is a new one to me. There are a variety of guest speakers on this site primarily geared toward women. Breathing, body image and yoga have shown up in the first couple of days. So far it’s been interesting. I haven’t yet decided if I’ll sign on for the full course. I’ll make that decision once the free trial ends.

Coursera. I’ve taken several courses on this site in the past. While I’m mainly interested in psychology, I have taken other courses in writing, philosophy, anthropology and sociology. Right now I’m taking a course from Yale called The Science of Well Being. I did the preliminary survey and discovered that I’m not as happy as I thought I was. Interesting. Once the course ends I get to do the survey again and then compare the results with the preliminary one.

So this is what I’m doing at the moment in my quest for learning. I highly recommend taking courses online. As a bonus, when you audit there are no tuition fees and there is no exam stress. Instead it’s possible to learn at your leisure. And at this stage of my life, this is a great way to keep on learning from the comfort of my home.

Proud Of Me

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Proud Of Me

Yep. That’s me. And oh the changes I’ve made in my life! And how wonderful I feel about myself! And then there’s that peaceful feeling in my heart!

There was a time when I lived my life for others. I never put myself first. I was afraid of doing the wrong thing and offending someone. It was easier to do what others expected of me rather than what I would have preferred to do. And I was caught up in the world of creating a good impression.

Does this sound familiar?

One of the most difficult changes I made in my life was learning to say No! and not just when asked to do something I didn’t want to do. Closely related was venturing off in a completely different direction than the one others had advised me to take.

Conformity is no longer a word in my vocabulary. I am free to make choices and couldn’t care less about being judged or criticized by others. Bring on the adventures!

It’s not an easy path that I’ve chosen. It is filled with struggles and challenges. But it is more than overflowing with strength and growth.

Here’s the result.

And I wouldn’t trade her for anything!

Coursera and Telcel

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Coursera and Telcel

Coursera is a fabulous site where you can find a variety of courses to study at your own speed. Throughout the years I’ve taken courses in psychology, sociology, writing and so much more.

On Sunday I started a psychology course dealing with anxiety in light of COVID-19. This course is being given by a professor at the University of Toronto in Canada.

In my last post I discussed the importance of caring for our mental health. This course is another tool I’m using to do just that.

Did I mention that these courses are all offered free of charge?

Another thing I did on Saturday was renew my phone plan. This is huge for me because I have a plan that includes unlimited international calls to the USA and Canada. This allows me to connect with family and friends on a regular basis. The state of the world right now due to the virus makes this connection even more important than ever.

I was pleased to see that only one person at a time was allowed into the building to access the cashier. People lined up outside were spaced far apart. Physical distancing is definitely being enforced by Telcel.

These are two things I’ve done this weekend to take care of myself.

What have you done to take care of yourself?