Independence

Independence is not a simple thing to describe it is seen by different people as different things depending upon their personal circumstances. The dictionary defines independent as:

1. - not influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion, conduct, etc.; thinking or acting for oneself.

2. - not dependent; not depending or contingent upon something else for existence, operation, etc.

3. - not relying on another or others for aid or support.

There are other terms that we associate with being independent including:

Free - able to act at will; not hampered; not under compulsion or restraint
Self-sufficient; self-sufficing; self-sustaining - able to provide for your own needs without help from others
Self-supporting - financially independent
Autonomous; self-directed; self-reliant - (of persons) free from external control and constraint in e.g. action and judgment

As adults to be independent mostly seems to mean not needing help or assistance from anyone or anything, being able to survive and stand on one's own and being able to think and make decisions for yourself.

Independence can be broken down into three different aspects: Mental independence, Behavioural independence and Survival-based independence:

Mental independence
Mental independence is being able to think for yourself regardless of what others think and say. It involves accessing your internal resources, listening to your inner voice, weighing up all the facts and feelings about an issue, as honestly as possible, and forming opinions based on this. It is not just following the social norms or rebelling and choosing the opposite opinions as these are controlled by others and external influences. Mental independence is the basis of independent thinking, independent decision-making, and leads to independent actions and behaviour.

Behavioural independence
This is based on mental independence, because it’s only after you can think independently, that you can make independent choices in life. These can range from very simple day to day things such as what to wear, what to eat etc., to life changing choices such as what to do for a living, whether to have children, where to live etc. In other words, mental independence enables you to act independently. Behavioural independence also involves acting in way that’s not controlled or overly influenced by others.

Survival-based independence
The whole point of independence is having the knowledge and the tools to be able to survive successfully in the world. This involves:

§ Financial independence: This entails earning money yourself to allow you to buy food, clothes and pay for shelter
§ - Safety-related Independence: This involves knowing how to maintain your safety, how to avoid dangerous situations and how to handle them if they do occur.
§ - Self-care-related Independence: This entails knowing how to look after yourself to maintain your good health and fitness, and taking care of all your needs, including social ones.

Independence is an important ingredient for developing positive self-esteem and therefore is an important ingredient for your happiness. Feeling that you know what you’re doing and where you are going in life, that you’re in control, that you know how to take care of yourself and how to survive and how to think for yourself is very empowering. It boosts self-belief and self-respect.

These ideas of independence however have to be flexible; confidence and previous abilities may be lost when people get older or people may have accidents or disabilities that cause the loss of some forms independence. Some people are inhibited from 100% independent living due to physical or mental restrictions which mean they require someone to assist them. In these cases, independence may have to take on different definitions to accommodate a person’s condition. It may still be possible for people to be independent by maintaining their mental independence to allow them to decide upon behavioural decisions, even if the behavioural decisions can only be achieved with some assistance. This is highly important as becoming dependent and feeling needy can reduce self-belief as well as potentially leading to feeling angry and resentful about losing independence.

People however aren’t islands and everyone generally lives with some level of interdependence on others whether that comes from parents, carers, partners or businesses. This interdependence is needed even for the most independent people. Independence is all in your point of view, and dependence (or interdependence) isn't always a bad thing as long as people are free to make that choice.

Chosen Charity: Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is a chosen Charity of StairSteady Ltd, we know how having a safe roof over your head is important all across the world.

As part of our support of Habitat for Humanity, our Managing Director, Ruth Amos will be going out with the charity in October 2012 to work hands on, on one of the projects in Zambia.

as part of the project Ruth needs to raise £2200.00

to get this started we are supporting the 200for10 campaign. asking 200 people to donate just £10, this can be done online http://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/ruthamos

Please donate just £10 and make a real difference to someones lives.

Thank You!

Cold Weather Safety Tips

Protect Yourself:

-Dress in several layers of lightweight clothing, which will keep you warmer than a single heavy coat.
-Mittens provide more warmth to your hands than gloves. Wear a hat, preferably one that covers your ears.
-Wear waterproof, insulated boots to keep your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing in ice and snow.
-Take frequent breaks and stay hydrated.
-Seek medical attention immediately if you have symptoms of hypothermia including confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering.
-Seek medical attention immediately if you have symptoms of frostbite including numbness, flushed gray, white, blue or yellow skin discoloration, numbness, or waxy feeling skin.

Protect Yourself at Home:

-Be careful with candles – do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. Use flashlights only.
-Prevent frozen pipes - when the weather is very cold outside, open cabinet doors to let warm air circulate around water pipes. Keep the thermostat set to a consistent temperature.
-Check smoke alarms once a month by pressing the test button and replace batteries as necessary.
-Don’t overload your electrical outlets.
-Don’t forget your pets – bring them indoors. If you can’t bring them inside, provide adequate shelter to keep them warm and make sure they can get to unfrozen water.
-If you plan on using an alternate heating source, never use a stove or oven to heat your home.
Keep a glass or metal fire screen around the fireplace and never leave a fireplace fire unattended.
-If using a space heater, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to safely use the heater. Place it on a level, hard, nonflammable surface. Turn the space heater off when you leave the room or go to sleep. Keep children and pets away from your space heater and do not use it to dry wet clothing.

Hints from the Red Cross

Internet safety

- Don’t give out any personal information - Guard your home address, date of birth, bank or credit card information and phone numbers.

- Use caution when opening attached files - A file attached to an e-mail is a common way for a virus to spread. Think first before opening attachments even if you know the sender, and check with the sender if you’re not sure about an attachment.

- Use chat rooms that have moderators. You can usually tell if a site is moderated when you sign up or enter the chat room. Report incidents of bullying, sexual exploitation or other fraud to the chat room moderator straight away.

- Make sure your personal information is protected. Read a site’s privacy statement before you give out any personal information or download software. Check for signs that the Web site protects sensitive data; look for “https” in the Web address and for a yellow padlock or an unbroken key in the lower-right corner.

- Use strong passwords. Strong passwords have at least eight characters; include letters, numbers, and symbols; and are easy for you to remember but tough for others to guess. Protect your passwords, and change them regularly.

- Keep your computer current A computer that’s up-to-date is far more likely to be secure. Use a firewall and install antivirus software. You can find a selection of antivirus software providers reviewed at: http://anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com/index.html
Although this site quotes prices for all products some are available for free or as trials.