Ana – Portfolio #3

The placebo effect is taken in great skepticism among people.Scientist and doctors have been trying to prove its miracle mechanism even though they haven’t yet been proved by the current science. Several illnesses and health problems solved have been attributed to this powerful sugar pill, but there still are contradictions of what has caused it.

The Latin word, placebo, means “I shall please,” which denotes a positive meaning. This placebo treatment is mostly known as a sham medical intervention that leads the patient to believe in its effectiveness and, mysteriously sometimes the illness is cured. For example, according to a study of gastric and duodenal ulcers, placebo treatments, in many cases, were as effective as active drugs: Of the 1692 patients treated in 31 trials, 76% of the 916 treated with the drug were healed, and 48% of the 776 treated with placebo were also healed.

On the other hand, in 2001, a published study showed no evidence of important placebo effects, except in the treatment of subjective outcome, such as pain. Despite the contradictions, there are two main theories about how placebo effect takes place. First, it is believed that what occurs is a positive belief from the patient in which the treatment works and he will be healed; as a result, the patient tends to be biased and he really feels better,which shows an important role of the brain in the treatment of illnesses.

The second theory is that the positive effect caused by the placebo treatment is simply a conditioned response of the patient to the treatment. This conditioned response is a proven result of Pavlov’s experiment, where he rang a bell before giving food to a dog several times and after some time, when he just rang the bell the dog would salivate because he would associate the bell’s ring with receiving food, although there was no food stimulus whatsoever. Similarly, from conversations with the doctor, articles read, comments of other people, or any previous experience, the patient is led to believe that something is going to happen and it triggers his nervous system response.

In contrast, there are many religious people who believe that the placebo effect is nothing more or less than God’s invisible hand choosing their lives outcome. Meanwhile, other people think that placebo effect does not exist, and it’s simply a natural progression of the disease. In spite of all beliefs, what cannot be denied is that the placebo effect really occurs and it’s better to believe on it, so we may have this chance to be cured. As Shakespeare stated: “there are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Ana #8 – Supernatural

The placebo effect is taken in great skepticism among people.Scientist and doctors have been trying to prove its miracle mechanism even though they haven’t yet been proved by the current science. Several illnesses and health problems solved have been attributed by this powerful sugar pill, but there still are contradictions of what causes it.
The Latin word, placebo, means “I shall please,” which denotes a positive meaning. This placebo treatment is mostly known as a sham medical intervention that leads the patient to believe in its effectiveness and, mysteriously sometimes the illness is cured. For example, a study of gastric or duodenal ulcers found that placebo treatments, in many cases, were as effective as active drugs: Of the 1692 patients treated in 31 trials, 76% of the 916 treated with the drug were healed, and 48% of the 776 treated with placebo were also healed. On the other hand, in 2001, a published study showed no evidence of important placebo effects, except in the treatment of subjective outcome, such as pain. Despite the contradictions, there are two main theories about how placebo effect takes place. First, it is believed that what occurs is a positive belief from the patient in which the treatment works and he will be healed; as a result the patient tends to be biased and he really feels better,which shows an important role of the brain in the treatment of illnesses.

The second theory is that the positive effect caused by the placebo treatment is simply a conditioned response of the patient to the treatment. This conditioned response is a proven result of Pavlov’s experiment, where he rang a bell before giving food to a dog several times and after some time, when he just rang the bell the dog would salivate because he would associate the bell’s ring with receiving food, although there was no food stimulus whatsoever. Similarly, from conversations with the doctor, articles read, comments of other people, or any previous experience, the patient is led to believe that something is going to happen and it triggers his nervous system response.
In contrast, there are many religious people who believe that the placebo effect is nothing more or less than God’s invisible hand choosing their lives outcome. Meanwhile, other people think that placebo effect does not exist, and it’s simply a natural progression of the disease. In spite of all beliefs, what cannot be denied is that the placebo effect really occurs and it’s better to believe on it, so we may have this chance to be cured. As Shakespeare stated: “there are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Ana #3 – Leaving Responsibilities to the Last Minute

Having a penchant for leaving tasks to the last moment is normal behavior to the majority of the people. Such practice happens mostly because they consider the work they were assigned boring so they put off doing it. But it doesn’t always mean that leaving work for later is always a negative behavior or that the person who is doing it is lazy and irresponsible.

There are a group of people who don’t do well under pressure and can’t do their work as well as if they were sitting down relaxing, having a lot of time to work on that project. They feel that their productivity level dwindles and the lack of time for having things done just stresses them out. For these people, who don’t know how to cope with tasks so well under stress, deadlines and little time to get things done, the best solution is to do is to have the work done as fast as they can so it’s not a problem for them afterward. Additionally, these people’s worries may interfere with their flow of ideas, making them unable to come up with new, creative ideas.

Mark Sarkozi, 42 years old, doesn’t cope well with stress and little time, and realizing that, he frequently sets up clever plans to avoid putting off assignments when he has a tight schedule and says this new habit has brought positive results not only to his work but also in managing his personal life time as well.

In contrast, amazingly, working under pressure for some people makes their work better. People who fall into this category have this ability to stand out, making them cope with disadvantages wonderfully and not mislead their productivity. Moreover, these people not only can keep up with their projects under pressure, but also feel more driven and concentrated on their activity when they are subjected to these rough conditions. Considering this “work-good-under-pressure” group of people, no one would want to spend more time working if they spend less time and the quality of his work is just the same.

Thus, we must recognize that our type of reaction and behavior when we are faced with deadlines to meet so as to organize ourselves to perform the best job quality we can. These resolutions would definitely avoid extra headaches and unsatisfactory time spent working, saving time and also increasing productivity.

Ana #3 – Leaving Responsibilities to the Last Minute

Having a penchant for leaving tasks to the last moment is a normal behavior to the majority of people. This is mostly because they consider the work they were assigned boring so they procrastinate it. But it doesn’t always mean that leaving the work for later is always a negative behavior or that the person who is doing it is lazy and irresponsible.

There are a group of people that don’t do well under pressure and can’t make their work as good as if they were sat down relaxing having a lot of time to work on that project. They feel that their productivity falls down and the lack of time for having things done just stress them out. For these people, who don’t know how to cope with tasks so well under stress, deadlines and  little time to have things done, the best thing to do is to have the work done as fast as they can so it’s not a problem for them afterward. Additionally, these people worries may interfere with their flow of ideas, turning out to make their ability to come up with new, creative ideas a disaster.

Mark Sarkozi, 42 years old, is an example of these group, and realizing that, he frequently sets up clever plans to avoid putting off assignments when he has a tight schedule and says this action has brought positive results not only on his work but also in managing his personal life time as well.

In contrast, amazingly, working under pressure for some people makes their work better. The people who fall into this category have this stand out ability that makes them cope with disadvantages wonderfully and doesn’t mislead their productivity. More over, these people  not only can keep up with their projects under pressure but also they feel more driven and concentrated on their activity when they are subjected to these rough conditions. Considering that, no one would want to spend more time working if they spend less and the quality of his work is just the same.

Thus, we must recognize our type of reaction and behavior when we are faced with deadlines to meet, so we can organize ourselves to perform the best job quality we can. These resolutions would definitely avoid extra headaches and unsatisfactory spent-time working, save time and also increase productivity.

Ana – Portfolio #1

Some person, unaware, can depict Lisa as a normal looking woman. However, her pale face floods mystery and sensuality, which brings me a frenzied thrill down my spine. Her prominent cheek bones and small delicate mouth add up to her sparkly light brown close-set eyes, make her expression ambiguous and staggering. Her thin, curly, brown hair portrays her to be somewhat fragile. I just stared at her for some minutes, amazed at her incomprehensible appearance. As time goes by, I experience the sensation that her oval face matches in unison with her sharp nose and also every little inch of Lisa’s face. Not too long afterward, and I get upset with my incapacity of unveiling her feelings throughout that astounding physiognomy. Then, so fast and unexpectedly, she disappears in the haze.

Ana #8 – Supernatural

The placebo effect is taken in great skepticism among people.  Scientist and doctors have been trying to prove its miracle mechanism, even though they haven’t yet been proved by the current science. Several illness and health problems solved have been attributed by this powerful sugar pill, not only this; the placebo effect can be attributed to medical procedures as well.

The word placebo from Latin for “I shall please” which denotes a positive meaning. This placebo treatment is mostly known as a sham medical intervention that leads the patient to believe in its effectiveness and, mysteriously sometimes the illness is cured. For example, a study of gastric or duodenal ulcers found that placebo treatments, in many cases, were as effective as active drugs: of the 1692 patients treated in 31 trials, 76% of the 916 treated with the drug were healed, and 48% of the 776 treated with placebo were also healed. On the other hand, in 2001 was publish a study that showed that was no evidence of important placebo effects except in the treatment of subjective outcome, such as pain.

Despite of the contradictions, there are two main theories about how placebo effect takes place. First, it is believed that what occurs is a positive belief from the patient that the treatment works and he will be healed; as a result the pacient tends to bias and he really feels better or in other cases he is cured. It shows an important role of the brain in the treatment of illness.

The Second theory is that the positive effect caused by the placebo treatment is simply a conditioned response of the pacient to the treatment. This conditioned response is a proven result of Pavlov’s experiment, where he ringed a bell before giving food to a dog several times and after some time, when he just ringed the bell the dog would salivate because he would associate the bell’s ring with receiving food although there was no food stimulus whatsoever. Similarly, from conversations with the doctor, articles read, comments of other people, or any previous experience, the patient is lead to believe that something is going to happen and it triggers his nervous system response.

In contrast, there are many religious people who believe that the placebo effect is nothing more or less than god’s invisible hand choosing their lives outcome. Whereas, other people think that the placebo effect does not exist, and it’s simply a natural progression of the disease. In spite of all beliefs, the answer to this issue is kept to the future, for now, as Shakespeare stated: “There are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Ana – Portfolio #2

Boundaries at work regarding personal life are insidiously blurry to employees. Making phone calls at work, using the work phone to call their loved ones, going to the bathroom to send and receive text messages, giving excuses to get off earlier are common mistakes, that surely would jeopardize the employee’s image before his employer. A massive number of people mix both sides of their lives very often, and this habit damages productivity at work as well as soothing moments of leisure with family. Maintaining work life apart from personal matters seem to be a tricky issue for most people, when it should not be.

Employees should prioritize what comes first to them at the moment, if it is sticking with their job or taking care of their children, for instance. Feeling guilty for not being present enough when someone has a child ought not to happen. The employee has to balance tasks and not give up his personal life at the same time, or else it will gradually become overwhelming. Dwelling on what is going on with your child at work harms self-steem and stresses people out. Due to this, people should always be organized and have a backup plan in case they have to work an extra hour or their child is sick or if the child needs extra care. Therefore, employees wouldn’t have to make phone calls during the work time, because they wouldn’t be worried about what’s going on with their child.

Rebecca Fernandes, a single mother, has a sick 2-year-old daughter at home and has no one to take care of  her child. However, she calls her parents or relatives to take care of her baby while she’s at work, and when they cannot she hires a professional nanny agency for these hours. She emphasizes that it’s an enriching experience because it turned out to be grandparent’s time with the baby.

What cannot happen is being unhappy, incensed and overpowered at having to go to work everyday. If people are not happy with her job they should give it up or find another one, because it’s almost certain that these people won’t be able to climb the success ladder in their career. Going to work has to be pleasant or else it will be a sing that the employees’ future in the company is bound to fail.

Ana #7 – Work versus Private Life

Boundaries at work regarding personal life are insidiously blurry to employees. Making phone calls at work, using the work phone to call the loved one, going to the bathroom to send and receive texts, giving excuses to get off earlier are common mistakes, that surely would jeopardize the employee’s image with his employer. The massive amount of people mix both sides of their lives very often, and this damage productivity at work as well as soothing moments of leisure with family. Maintaining work life apart from personal matters seem to be a tricky issue for most people, when it should not be.

Employees should prioritize what comes first to them at the moment, if it is sticking with their job or taking care of their children, for instance. Feeling guilty for not being present enough when you have a child ought not to happen, the employee has to balance tasks and not give up his personal life at the same time, or else it will gradually become overwhelming. Dwelling on what is going on with your child at work harms self-steem and stresses out, due to this, people should always be organized and have a backup plan in case they have to work an extra hour or their child is sick or if the child needs extra care. Therefore, Maria wouldn’t have to make phone calls during the work time, because she wouldn’t be worried about what’s going on with her child.

What cannot happen is being unhappy, incensed and overpowered at having to go to work everyday. If Maria is not happy with her job she should give it up or find another one or, on the other hand, it’s almost certain she won’t escalate the success ladder in her career. Going to work has to be pleasing or else it’s a sign that your future in the company is bound to fail.

Ana #1- Portfolio

Some unaware person can depict Lisa as a normal looking woman. In my personal view of her, her pale face floods mystery and sensuality which brings me frenzied thrill down my spine. Her prominent cheek bones and small delicate mouth add up to her sparkly light brown close-set eyes, making her expression ambiguous and staggering. Her thin, curly, brown, hair portrays her to be somewhat fragile. I just stared at her for some minutes, amazed at her incomprehensible appearance. As time goes by, I experience the sensation that her oval face matches in unisson with her sharp nose and also every little inch of Lisa’s face. Not too long afterwards, and I get upset with my incapacity of unveiling her feelings throughout that astounding physiognomy. Then, so fast and unexpectedly, she disappears in the haze.

Ana # 5 – Description

Some unaware person can depict Lisa as a normal looking woman. In my personal view of her, her pale face floods mystery and sensuality which brings me frenzied thrill down my spine. Her brown eyes, prominent cheek bones and small delicate mouth add up to her sparkly hazel eyes, making her expression ambiguous and staggering. Her thin, curly, brown, hair portrays her to be somewhat fragile.

I just stared at her for some minutes, amazed at her incomprehensible appearance. As time goes by,  I experience the sensation that her round face matches in unisson with her sharp nose and also every little inch of Lisa’s face. Not too long afterwards, and I get upset with my incapacity of unveiling her feelings throughout that astounding physiognomy. Then, so fast and unexpectedly, she disappears in the haze.