How does personality affect your daily life?
Personality significantly influences various aspects of daily life, shaping how individuals think, feel, and behave in different situations. Here’s how personality impacts daily life:
1. Decision-Making
- Risk-Taking vs. Caution: People with more adventurous personalities (e.g., high openness) may take more risks in daily decisions, such as trying new activities or making bold career moves. Conversely, those with cautious personalities (e.g., high conscientiousness) may prefer structured, well-planned decisions.
- Emotional vs. Rational Choices: Those with a strong preference for thinking (e.g., in MBTI) may rely on logic and analysis in decision-making, while those with a preference for feeling might prioritize emotions and relationships.
2. Social Interactions
- Introversion vs. Extraversion: Extraverts are more likely to seek out social activities, enjoy being around people, and gain energy from social interactions. Introverts, on the other hand, may prefer solitary activities, require time alone to recharge, and engage in smaller, more meaningful social interactions.
- Conflict Resolution: Agreeable individuals tend to avoid conflict and seek harmonious relationships, often acting as mediators. Less agreeable personalities may be more confrontational or assertive in resolving disputes.
3. Work and Productivity
- Work Style: Conscientious individuals are typically organized, reliable, and focused on completing tasks efficiently. They may excel in roles that require attention to detail and consistency. Those lower in conscientiousness may struggle with procrastination or disorganization.
- Creativity: People with high openness to experience are often more creative, enjoying tasks that involve innovation, imagination, and problem-solving in unique ways.
- Leadership: Individuals with dominant, assertive personalities (e.g., high extraversion and low neuroticism) often take on leadership roles, guiding and motivating others.
4. Stress and Coping Mechanisms
- Emotional Stability: Those with high neuroticism may experience higher levels of stress, anxiety, or mood swings, affecting their ability to cope with daily challenges. Emotionally stable individuals tend to handle stress more calmly and effectively.
- Coping Strategies: Personality influences how people cope with stress. For example, those with a positive outlook (e.g., high extraversion) may use social support and humor to cope, while others may rely on solitude or introspection.
5. Relationships
- Communication Style: Personality affects how people communicate with others. Assertive personalities may be direct and clear in expressing their needs, while more reserved individuals might struggle with confrontation or self-expression.
- Attachment and Trust: Agreeable and emotionally stable individuals often build strong, trusting relationships, while those with high neuroticism or low agreeableness may find it challenging to maintain close bonds.
6. Lifestyle Choices
- Health and Wellness: Personality can influence lifestyle choices, such as diet, exercise, and sleep. Conscientious individuals are more likely to maintain healthy routines, while those high in openness may explore various health trends or alternative practices.
- Leisure Activities: Personality affects how people spend their free time. Extroverts may enjoy social activities, parties, or group sports, while introverts might prefer reading, writing, or solitary hobbies.
7. Learning and Personal Growth
- Approach to Learning: Open-minded individuals may be more curious and eager to learn new things, enjoying intellectual challenges and exploring diverse subjects. Those with a more practical, sensing approach may focus on learning skills that have immediate, real-world applications.
- Goal Setting and Achievement: Highly conscientious individuals are often goal-oriented, setting clear objectives and working diligently to achieve them. Those with less structure may take a more flexible or spontaneous approach to personal growth.
How does personality disorder affect daily life?
Personality disorders can significantly disrupt daily life by influencing thoughts, behaviors, and interactions with others. Here’s how they can affect various aspects of everyday functioning:
1. Interpersonal Relationships
- Strained Personal and Professional Connections: People with personality disorders often struggle to maintain stable, healthy relationships. Their behaviors may be seen as manipulative, overly dependent, or aggressive, leading to frequent conflicts and misunderstandings.
- Difficulty Trusting Others: Conditions like paranoid personality disorder cause persistent distrust, making it hard to form close bonds or feel secure in relationships.
- Fear of Abandonment: In borderline personality disorder, an intense fear of being abandoned can lead to clingy or demanding behaviors, making relationships unstable.
2. Emotional Instability
- Mood Swings: Rapid and intense changes in mood are common, especially in borderline personality disorder. A person might feel elated one moment and deeply depressed the next, making it hard for them to maintain emotional balance throughout the day.
- Difficulty Managing Anger or Anxiety: Explosive anger or constant anxiety can arise unexpectedly, disrupting daily activities and making social interactions challenging.
- Chronic Feelings of Emptiness: A persistent sense of emptiness or dissatisfaction can make it hard to enjoy activities or feel fulfilled.
3. Work and Professional Life
- Challenges in Teamwork: Personality disorders can hinder effective collaboration. For example, narcissistic personality disorder may lead to arrogance and a lack of empathy, making it difficult to work well with others.
- Difficulty Handling Criticism: Feedback or criticism, even if constructive, can be perceived as a personal attack, leading to defensive or hostile responses.
- Inconsistent Performance: Emotional instability or impulsive behavior may cause frequent job changes, missed deadlines, or poor performance at work.
4. Impulsivity and Risk-Taking
- Impulsive Decisions: People with borderline or antisocial personality disorder may make rash decisions without considering the consequences, such as quitting a job suddenly or engaging in risky behaviors like substance abuse.
- Financial Instability: Impulsivity can also lead to reckless spending, gambling, or poor financial planning, causing stress and potential debt.
5. Self-Image and Identity Issues
- Unstable Self-Identity: Individuals, particularly those with borderline personality disorder, may struggle with a shifting sense of self. They might frequently change their career goals, values, or even their sense of who they are, leading to confusion and an inability to make long-term plans.
- Low Self-Esteem or Grandiosity: Conditions like avoidant personality disorder often involve low self-worth, leading to social withdrawal. Conversely, narcissistic personality disorder may involve an inflated self-image, causing problems when reality does not match their self-perception.
6. Health and Self-Care
- Neglect of Physical Health: Some individuals may neglect personal hygiene, diet, or exercise due to depression, low motivation, or lack of self-worth.
- Substance Abuse: Many people with personality disorders turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with their emotional pain, which can exacerbate their symptoms and create additional health issues.
- Chronic Stress and Anxiety: Constant emotional turmoil can lead to physical symptoms like headaches, gastrointestinal issues, or sleep disturbances.
7. Social Functioning and Isolation
- Avoidance of Social Situations: Fear of criticism or judgment can lead to social withdrawal, especially in avoidant personality disorder. This isolation can exacerbate feelings of loneliness and depression.
- Conflict with Others: Antisocial or histrionic personality disorders may lead to frequent conflicts, aggressive behavior, or dramatic outbursts, making social gatherings tense or uncomfortable.
8. Legal and Ethical Issues
- Risky or Illegal Behavior: In antisocial personality disorder, a disregard for rules and norms can lead to criminal activities, substance abuse, or manipulative behaviors, resulting in legal troubles.
- Manipulation or Deception: Individuals with certain personality disorders may engage in manipulative behaviors, lying, or exploiting others for personal gain, which can damage their reputation and relationships.
9. Difficulty with Daily Routines
- Challenges with Organization: People with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder may get caught up in details, making it hard to complete tasks on time. Alternatively, those with disorganized or erratic thinking might struggle with time management and routine tasks.
- Procrastination and Perfectionism: High standards or fear of failure can cause procrastination, leading to stress and incomplete projects.
How to Cope and Seek Help
Personality disorders can significantly impair a person’s ability to function daily, but treatment and coping strategies can make a difference:
- Therapy (e.g., Dialectical Behavior Therapy or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): These therapies can help individuals learn to manage their emotions, improve relationships, and develop healthier thinking patterns.
- Medication: While no specific medications treat personality disorders directly, antidepressants, antipsychotics, or mood stabilizers may help alleviate certain symptoms like depression, anxiety, or mood swings.
- Support Systems: Building a strong support network of friends, family, or support groups can provide understanding, encouragement, and a sense of connection.
- Self-Help Techniques: Mindfulness, stress management, and emotional regulation skills can also help individuals gain better control over their symptoms.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a personality disorder, seeking help from a mental health professional can provide a pathway to better manage the symptoms and improve quality of life.
How does personality impact daily activities of life, particularly in health?
Personality traits significantly influence daily activities, especially in the realm of health and well-being. Your personality affects how you perceive health, approach self-care, respond to stress, and interact with healthcare providers. Here’s how different aspects of personality can shape health-related behaviors and overall wellness:
1. Health Behaviors and Lifestyle Choices
- Conscientiousness: High conscientiousness is often linked to healthier lifestyles. These individuals tend to be organized, disciplined, and goal-oriented, leading them to prioritize exercise, a balanced diet, regular check-ups, and adherence to medical advice.
- Impulsivity: Those who are more impulsive (often seen in lower conscientiousness or high extraversion) might engage in risky health behaviors, such as smoking, overeating, or substance abuse, due to a tendency for immediate gratification and a lack of long-term planning.
- Openness to Experience: People high in openness are more likely to try new diets, exercise routines, or alternative therapies. They may be more proactive in exploring different health options and willing to experiment with lifestyle changes.
2. Stress Management and Coping
- Neuroticism: Individuals with high levels of neuroticism tend to experience heightened stress, anxiety, and negative emotions. This can lead to chronic stress, which is associated with numerous health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, weakened immune function, and gastrointestinal issues.
- Emotional Stability: Those who are emotionally stable (low neuroticism) typically handle stress better. They are more resilient, less prone to anxiety, and have healthier responses to challenging situations, which can protect against stress-related health issues.
- Optimism and Extraversion: Extraverts, who are often optimistic, tend to have a positive outlook on life, which is linked to lower stress levels and better health outcomes. Their social nature can also provide strong support networks, which are crucial for coping with health challenges.
3. Adherence to Medical Advice
- Agreeableness: Highly agreeable individuals are cooperative and more likely to trust healthcare providers. They tend to adhere well to medical advice, follow treatment plans, and engage in preventative health measures, like vaccinations or regular screenings.
- Skepticism or Distrust: People with lower agreeableness or those with paranoid traits may be more distrustful of medical advice or skeptical of healthcare providers, making them less likely to seek timely medical help or follow prescribed treatments.
4. Physical Activity and Exercise
- Extraversion: Extraverts tend to be more active and enjoy engaging in social or group activities. They might be more inclined to join fitness classes, sports teams, or group workouts, benefiting their physical health.
- Introversion: Introverts might prefer solo activities like yoga, walking, or home workouts. While they may be less inclined towards group exercises, they can still maintain good fitness routines if they find activities that suit their preferences.
- Motivation and Persistence: Traits like high conscientiousness and perseverance positively influence consistent exercise habits. These individuals are more likely to stick to a workout routine and set long-term fitness goals.
5. Diet and Nutrition
- Impulse Control: Those with low conscientiousness or high impulsivity may struggle with overeating, binge eating, or making unhealthy food choices due to poor impulse control. This can lead to issues like obesity, diabetes, or cardiovascular problems.
- Openness to New Experiences: High openness can be linked to a willingness to try diverse and healthy foods, experiment with new diets (like vegetarianism or Mediterranean diets), and seek out nutritional knowledge.
- Conscientiousness and Planning: Conscientious people are more likely to plan their meals, make healthier choices, and monitor their dietary intake, reducing the risk of chronic diseases related to poor nutrition.
6. Sleep and Rest
- Anxiety and Neuroticism: High levels of neuroticism or anxiety can negatively affect sleep quality. These individuals may experience insomnia, restless sleep, or frequent waking due to excessive worry or stress.
- Routine-Oriented Individuals: Those with high conscientiousness often have a regular sleep schedule, which contributes to better sleep hygiene and overall health.
- Sensitivity to Environment: Introverts or those high in neuroticism may be more sensitive to noise, light, or disruptions, making it harder to get restful sleep in less-than-ideal conditions.
7. Preventative Health and Risk-Taking
- Proactive vs. Reactive Approach: Conscientious individuals are more proactive about their health. They tend to engage in preventative measures like regular check-ups, vaccinations, and screenings. Conversely, individuals with high impulsivity or low agreeableness may neglect these aspects, increasing their risk for undiagnosed or untreated conditions.
- Risk-Taking Behavior: Extraversion, particularly if combined with low conscientiousness, can be associated with risk-taking behaviors such as unsafe driving, substance use, or engaging in dangerous sports without proper precautions, increasing the likelihood of accidents or injuries.
8. Social Support and Mental Health
- Extraversion and Social Networks: Extraverts often have larger social networks and are more likely to seek and receive support during health crises. Social support is a key factor in mental health, recovery from illness, and overall well-being.
- Isolation and Mental Health Risks: Introverts, especially if they are high in neuroticism, may be at higher risk for depression or anxiety due to social isolation, difficulty reaching out for help, or a tendency to ruminate on negative thoughts.
Personality traits play a crucial role in shaping health behaviors, influencing everything from dietary habits and exercise routines to how a person manages stress and adheres to medical advice. Understanding how personality affects health can help individuals tailor their wellness strategies, make better lifestyle choices, and work more effectively with healthcare providers.
For instance:
- A highly conscientious person might excel at following structured health programs.
- An extravert may benefit from social support and group fitness activities.
- Someone high in neuroticism might need to focus on stress management and seek therapy to help mitigate the health impacts of chronic anxiety.
By acknowledging these personality-driven tendencies, individuals can make informed decisions that align with their natural inclinations, leading to healthier, more sustainable habits.
what areas of life can personality affect?
Personality is a fundamental aspect of who we are and can influence nearly every area of our lives. From how we interact with others to the decisions we make and the way we handle challenges, our personality shapes our experiences and outcomes in profound ways. Here’s a breakdown of key areas of life affected by personality:
1. Interpersonal Relationships
- Friendships: Your personality influences how you form and maintain friendships. Extraverted individuals tend to be more social and have larger friend groups, while introverts may prefer deeper, more intimate connections with a smaller circle.
- Romantic Relationships: Traits like agreeableness (being cooperative and empathetic) can make romantic relationships smoother and more harmonious, while high neuroticism (tendency towards anxiety and mood swings) can lead to conflicts and instability.
- Family Dynamics: Personality impacts how you interact with family members. For example, a person high in conscientiousness may take on a caregiving role, while someone with high openness might encourage new experiences and activities within the family.
2. Career and Professional Life
- Job Performance: Conscientiousness is a strong predictor of job performance. Organized, reliable, and diligent individuals tend to excel in their roles. On the other hand, those with high extraversion may thrive in roles that require social interaction, such as sales or public relations.
- Career Choices: Personality influences the type of work environments we are drawn to. For instance, highly creative individuals (high in openness) may prefer jobs in the arts or innovative industries, while those high in agreeableness might excel in supportive or caregiving professions.
- Work Relationships: How you communicate and collaborate with colleagues is heavily influenced by your personality. Agreeable people tend to work well in teams, while those with dominant or assertive traits (high extraversion) may prefer leadership roles.
- Stress Management: Neuroticism can make individuals more susceptible to workplace stress, while emotional stability and resilience can help others handle work pressures better.
3. Health and Well-being
- Physical Health: Personality affects health behaviors such as diet, exercise, and sleep. Conscientious people are more likely to engage in healthy habits, while impulsive individuals may struggle with maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
- Mental Health: Traits like high neuroticism are linked to increased risk of anxiety and depression, while high emotional stability can lead to better mental health outcomes. Openness may be associated with a greater willingness to seek mental health support or try new therapies.
- Coping Mechanisms: Personality influences how we cope with illness or stress. Optimistic and resilient people may handle health challenges better, while those who are pessimistic or prone to worry may find it harder to recover.
4. Decision Making and Risk-Taking
- Financial Decisions: Personality traits can affect spending and saving habits. For example, impulsive individuals (low conscientiousness) may be prone to impulsive spending, while those high in conscientiousness are more likely to save and plan for the future.
- Risk-Taking: Extraverts and people high in openness are often more willing to take risks, whether in their careers, investments, or personal lives. Conversely, highly conscientious or risk-averse individuals may prefer stability and careful planning.
- Problem-Solving: Your approach to problem-solving can be shaped by personality. Analytical, open-minded individuals might excel at creative problem-solving, while those who are detail-oriented and methodical may prefer structured, logical solutions.
5. Social Life and Hobbies
- Choice of Activities: Extraverts may gravitate towards social activities, like parties, sports, or group hobbies, while introverts might prefer solitary activities such as reading, painting, or hiking.
- Engagement in Community: Those with high agreeableness and extraversion may be more involved in volunteering or community events, driven by their desire to connect with others and contribute to social causes.
- Exploration and Learning: High openness to experience leads individuals to seek out new hobbies, travel, and explore different cultures, while those low in openness might prefer familiar routines and traditional activities.
6. Parenting and Family Life
- Parenting Style: Personality traits affect how people parent. Highly conscientious parents may be more structured and consistent with rules, while those high in agreeableness might be more nurturing and empathetic. High neuroticism may lead to overprotective or anxious parenting.
- Family Dynamics: The way you communicate and interact with family members is shaped by your personality. Extroverted parents might encourage more social activities, while introverted ones might foster a quieter, more introspective environment.
- Conflict Resolution: People with high agreeableness tend to be better at resolving conflicts in family settings, while those with high neuroticism might struggle with managing their emotions during disagreements.
7. Educational and Learning Experiences
- Learning Style: Openness to experience can lead to a preference for abstract and creative learning, while conscientious individuals may excel in structured, organized learning environments. Extraverts might prefer group studies, while introverts might excel in solitary study settings.
- Academic Achievement: Conscientiousness is a strong predictor of academic success, as these individuals are diligent, organized, and persistent. Conversely, those high in neuroticism might struggle with test anxiety or stress, affecting their academic performance.
8. Personal Growth and Self-Improvement
- Adaptability to Change: People high in openness are often more adaptable and willing to embrace new ideas or changes in their personal lives. In contrast, those low in openness might resist change and prefer familiar routines.
- Motivation for Self-Improvement: Conscientious individuals are often goal-oriented and motivated to improve themselves, whether through career development, fitness, or learning new skills. High extraversion might drive people to seek new social experiences and networking opportunities for growth.
- Resilience: Emotional stability (low neuroticism) often leads to greater resilience in the face of setbacks, helping individuals bounce back from challenges and pursue personal growth.
9. Conflict and Conflict Resolution
- Handling Disagreements: Personality affects how you approach conflict. Agreeable individuals may seek compromise and avoid confrontation, while assertive or dominant personalities may be more direct and confrontational.
- Problem Solving in Conflicts: Those with high emotional intelligence, often associated with agreeableness and openness, tend to navigate conflicts constructively, seeking solutions that satisfy all parties involved.
Personality impacts virtually every aspect of life, shaping how we interact with others, make decisions, handle challenges, and pursue our goals. Understanding your own personality traits can help you navigate life more effectively by playing to your strengths and addressing areas where your personality might present challenges.
By recognizing these patterns, individuals can make more informed choices, whether in relationships, careers, or health, leading to a more fulfilling and balanced life.
What is the impact factor of personality and mental health?
The impact factor of personality on mental health is a significant and well-researched area in psychology and psychiatry. Personality traits are closely linked to mental health outcomes, influencing the risk, onset, severity, and recovery from various mental health disorders. Here’s a closer look at this impact:
1. Risk of Mental Health Disorders
Personality traits can predispose individuals to certain mental health conditions. Research has shown that specific traits can increase the likelihood of developing mental illnesses:
- High Neuroticism:
- Impact: Strongly correlated with a higher risk of anxiety disorders, depression, and mood disorders.
- Why: Individuals high in neuroticism experience more intense negative emotions and are more sensitive to stress, making them more susceptible to these conditions.
- Low Conscientiousness:
- Impact: Linked with impulsive behaviors, poor self-regulation, and a higher risk of substance use disorders and mood disorders.
- Why: Low conscientiousness can lead to difficulty maintaining healthy routines and a lack of planning, which can contribute to unhealthy behaviors.
- Low Extraversion (Introversion):
- Impact: Associated with a higher risk of social anxiety, depression, and loneliness.
- Why: Introverted individuals may struggle with social interactions, leading to social withdrawal and increased vulnerability to depressive symptoms.
- Low Agreeableness:
- Impact: Correlated with higher rates of interpersonal conflicts and may be associated with personality disorders like borderline personality disorder (BPD).
- Why: Low agreeableness can lead to difficulty maintaining positive social relationships, increasing stress and emotional distress.
2. Onset and Severity of Symptoms
Personality traits can influence the onset and severity of mental health symptoms. For example:
- Stress Sensitivity: High neuroticism makes individuals more prone to experiencing stress and interpreting everyday challenges as more severe, often leading to an earlier onset of anxiety or depressive symptoms.
- Resilience and Coping: Traits like emotional stability (low neuroticism) and high conscientiousness are linked to better stress management, making these individuals less likely to experience severe symptoms or prolonged episodes of mental health issues.
3. Coping Mechanisms and Stress Response
The way a person copes with stress is closely tied to their personality. Effective coping can mitigate mental health issues, while ineffective coping can exacerbate them:
- Problem-Focused Coping: Common among those high in conscientiousness, this approach involves actively addressing the source of stress, which can reduce the likelihood of developing chronic mental health problems.
- Emotion-Focused and Avoidant Coping: Individuals high in neuroticism may rely on emotional coping mechanisms like rumination, denial, or substance use, which can worsen anxiety and depression over time.
- Social Support Seeking: Extraverts are more likely to seek social support, which can buffer against stress and reduce the impact of mental health symptoms.
4. Impact on Treatment Outcomes
Personality traits play a role in how individuals respond to mental health treatments:
- Treatment Engagement: High conscientiousness and openness to experience are associated with better engagement in therapy and adherence to treatment plans. These individuals are more likely to follow therapeutic advice and complete treatment.
- Response to Therapy: Personality influences how people respond to different types of therapy:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Individuals with high conscientiousness and emotional stability may respond well to structured approaches like CBT, as they can adhere to the process and focus on changing negative thought patterns.
- Exploratory Therapies: People high in openness may benefit from therapies that involve introspection, like psychodynamic therapy or mindfulness practices, as they are more willing to explore and understand their inner experiences.
5. Long-Term Mental Health Outcomes
Personality traits can influence the chronicity and long-term outcomes of mental health disorders:
- Chronic Conditions: High neuroticism and low conscientiousness are associated with poorer long-term mental health outcomes. These individuals are more likely to experience recurrent episodes of depression or anxiety and have a harder time recovering from mental health setbacks.
- Positive Outcomes: High agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion are linked to better recovery rates, improved resilience, and higher overall life satisfaction, even in the presence of mental health challenges.
6. Interaction with Environmental Factors
Personality interacts with external factors, such as life stressors, social support, and trauma, to influence mental health:
- Gene-Environment Interaction: Personality traits, especially neuroticism, can amplify the effects of stressful life events, making individuals more vulnerable to mental health issues. Conversely, traits like emotional stability and high agreeableness may serve as protective factors.
- Protective Factors: Positive traits such as resilience, optimism (high extraversion), and strong social skills (high agreeableness) can buffer against the negative effects of environmental stressors, reducing the likelihood of developing mental health disorders.
7. Quality of Life and Life Satisfaction
Personality traits also impact overall well-being and life satisfaction, both directly and indirectly:
- Direct Impact: Traits like high extraversion, high agreeableness, and low neuroticism are associated with greater life satisfaction, higher self-esteem, and better mental well-being.
- Indirect Impact: Personality influences lifestyle choices, such as forming social networks, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and engaging in fulfilling activities, all of which contribute to better mental health.
Summary of the Impact Factor
The impact of personality on mental health is considerable:
- Predictive Power: Personality traits can be strong predictors of mental health outcomes, often as much as, or more than, certain genetic or environmental factors.
- Vulnerability and Resilience: Personality contributes to both vulnerability (e.g., high neuroticism) and resilience (e.g., high conscientiousness, high emotional stability) in mental health.
- Influence on Treatment and Recovery: Personality affects how individuals engage with mental health services and their overall prognosis, making it a crucial factor in personalized care approaches.
Implications for Mental Health Interventions
Understanding the role of personality can help in tailoring mental health interventions. For example:
- Targeted Therapy: Clinicians may choose specific therapeutic techniques based on a client’s personality profile (e.g., CBT for those high in neuroticism).
- Prevention Strategies: Programs can be designed to help at-risk individuals (e.g., those high in neuroticism) develop healthier coping mechanisms and reduce the risk of mental health issues.
Overall, the relationship between personality and mental health highlights the importance of considering individual personality profiles in mental health assessments and interventions. This understanding can lead to more effective, personalized care and better mental health outcomes.
Conclusion
Personality affects nearly every aspect of daily life, from the way people interact with others to how they approach work, handle stress, and make decisions. Understanding your personality can help you leverage your strengths, address challenges, and navigate life more effectively.
If you’d like to explore how your specific personality traits might be influencing your daily life or need more personalized advice, feel free to ask!