Article: Hand gestures can be a way to add more force to what you're saying. These are often known as "illustrative gestures." It can be used to convey intensity, confidence, and even be used to garner attention to a point you're trying to make. Use a solid shaking fist to knock home an extremely important point you're trying to make. Be careful to not use an irritated voice to accompany it or it can come off as anger. If you are giving a presentation, use your hand to highlight a particular paragraph or slide that contains important information. Pointing can be used to literally make a point , or to accompany something like, "This one's important," or "Let me tell you." It can also be used as playful gesture to acknowledge someone. Be careful about pointing directly at someone, though, as this can come off as rude or even aggressive. Make sure your hand gestures match up to your speech. Do not try to add emphasis to a point that is not worth emphasizing, or add force to a point that is not meant to be forceful. Whether you're speaking in front of a large group of people or one individual, hands facing up usually invite positive responses from people. Combined with an outstretching of your arms, it can communicate effectiveness, acceptance, and trustworthiness. If you use this gesture with a shrugging of the shoulders it can give off a feeling of uncertainty, so you will also want to monitor other parts of your body, too. Palms down typically gives others a feeling of confidence because they give you an aura of confidence or even dominance. Much like hands up front can show defensiveness, hands behind the back with an exposed torso shows confidence. This is especially an effective hand gesture if you are walking side-by-side with someone and communicating with them. This demonstrates that you are open to making yourself vulnerable, and not worried about protecting yourself with your hands. This gesture is especially useful to gain someone's trust.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Use hand gestures to add emphasis to speech. Use open hands and palms up for a positive effect. Keep hands behind your back to show confidence.
Article: Consider your decision to elope and make sure that you are doing it for the right reasons. There are plenty of people who elope in Las Vegas in the heat of the moment, but you might regret your decision if you don't consider it carefully. Keep in mind that your family and friends might be hurt by your elopement if they were expecting a wedding. You might feel ready at the age of 17, but Nevada law requires that each person be at least 18 years old to get married. There some special circumstances that allow minors to get married. In most cases, however, you need to be 18. You can marry at the age of 16 in Nevada with a parent's consent. You will need to get a Las Vegas Marriage License. Obtaining a marriage license is particularly easy in Nevada. You and your partner must bring proof of identity with you. You can download and print the marriage license application from the Clark County Marriage Bureau's website, but you must bring it to their office in person. The office is open from 8AM to midnight daily, including weekends and holidays. Keep in mind that you may have to wait an hour or more on busy holidays. The proof of identity can be a passport, driver's license, or social security card. Many chapels in Las Vegas will have someone there that is authorized to officiate the wedding. If you're eloping in a chapel, a clergyperson or court clerk is allowed to officiate the wedding. Keep in mind that on holidays, like Valentine's Day, many people will be eloping and you may have to find someone in the private sector to do the job. Residents of a country other than the U.S. can get married in Las Vegas, and the procedures and fees would be the same. Marriages performed in Nevada are recognized worldwide, but your home country may require a special document called an apostille to finalize your marriage. Apostilles are issued by the Nevada Secretary of State.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Think the elopement through. Make sure you're old enough to elope. Obtain a marriage license. Find someone to solemnize your wedding. See if your home country requires an apostille.
Article: Don't just think of depression as "feeling down." Instead, stress that depression is a treatable, medical condition. Hearing this from someone she trusts can help empower your girlfriend to get help. If you don't know whether your girlfriend's depression is episodic or chronic, encourage her to see a doctor so she can get the kind of care she needs. Remind her to separate herself from the depression. For example, if she says things like "I"m depressed." Help her reframe it by saying, "No, Cindy, you are someone who has depression. You are a kind, beautiful person who feels and experiences depression." Even if your girlfriend wants to get help for long-term or serious depression, her condition can make actually doing so difficult. There are many ways that you can help her connect to therapy and other kinds of help. For instance: Offer to help her research different kinds of counseling, therapy, and medical treatments. Listen to her thoughts, concerns, and questions about these treatments. Offer to go with her to the doctor or counseling sessions. If she is working with a therapist she doesn't seem to connect with, encourage her to find a new one. Once your girlfriend begins treatment for long-term depression, it's crucial that she sticks with it. Since you're in a relationship with her, you're in a position to help hold her accountable. Try things like: Creating a schedule to make sure she takes any medications her doctor prescribed. Offer to give reminders about when to take it, or to ask her if she did. Mark therapy appointments on a common calendar. Continue to ask her how she feels. Resist the urge to be her sole source of social support, which can create an unhealthy relationship dynamic. Not only that, it's unfair for both of you. Instead, help her seek out groups that can help her connect with others who've shared a similar experience. Check out NAMI.org, Mental Health America, or the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance at http://www.dbsalliance.org/. Each of these resources has listings of support groups online and in real life. Depression can take its toll on a relationship. If you and your girlfriend feel like the issue is causing problems in yours, you can try couples or relationship counseling. Behavioral Couple Therapy, for instance, is a developing form of counseling that can help couples learn to care for each other and reduce conflict. Even if your girlfriend is undergoing treatment for her depression, she may be at risk of harming herself or others. If you see any of these warning signs, seek medical assistance immediately: Changes in behavior that last more than a few weeks (like avoiding friends or activities, changes in sleep habits, or abusing drugs or alcohol) Mentioning death or killing herself Seeming to prepare for death (giving things away, talking about saying good-bye to people, etc.)
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Encourage her to think of depression as a medical issue. Help her seek counseling or therapy. Help her stay accountable for treatment. Encourage her to participate in support groups. Offer to try Behavioral Couple Therapy (BCT). Recognize the signs of a serious problem.