Can music act as a performance enhancing drug?
Brian is a Lifehacker who covers all sorts of tips for life. He is also fascinated with new technology. Contact him at brian@lifehack.org
Showing posts with label Improve. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Improve. Show all posts
Monday, February 17, 2014
Thursday, October 24, 2013
13 Things To Do During Weekends To Improve Your Life
Weekend at last! Something you’re so looking forward to after a brutal week at work. Because there are so many things to do during weekends to help you either decompress or get energized for the week ahead. Whatever your plans are, it’s important to make the effects last as long as possible to improve your life in the long run.
Here are 13 tips of how you can make the most of your weekends.
As tempted as you may be, oversleeping affects your biological rhythm. We all need that beauty sleep, but don’t overdo it. Otherwise you’ll feel exhausted and cranky Monday morning. Make a habit to always wake up at the same time every day. Include naps in your weekend routine as well, whether it’s for 10 minutes or 45. Why? Because naps help purging negative emotions, increase alertness, and enhance your abilities to learn.
Reconnect with family members or friends you neglected lately. Don’t do it out of guilt or because you have to. Do it because you want to. Reach out to them to see how they are doing. Don’t call them only when you need them. Return their calls if you were busy when they last tried to reach you. Talk to them. Listen to them. Be there for them. The importance of human connection (hugging, touching) is vital for your well-being.
And if — for whatever work or life circumstances — you don’t have the family around you and not too many friends either, reach out to people who share your interests. Get to know them. Hang out with them even if it’s just over a coffee or dinner, or plan a group city break. You’ll feel so much better and rejuvenated than spending time by yourself or worse, wallowing in loneliness.
Stay away from TV, iPad, iPhone and any other electronic devices. Unplug! Your brain needs to clear up from all the stress you’ve put on yourself during the week. Why not read a book instead? A paper one. Seriously, when was the last time you did that?
Make friends with nature again. Pay attention to its beauty. Breathe in the fresh air. Anything goes, from a simple walk on the beach to a hiking trip. Just look for the best outdoor pursuits in your area for the weekend.
There’s no rush to go to the next meeting or finish that presentation by the end of day. You’re not on schedule. Feel the taste and smell of what you’re eating. Enjoy it. Simply be in that moment without putting your mind in overdrive again and thinking already of what you’ll be doing next.
Did you miss preparing yourself that green juice because you were always on the run to get to work? Now you have no excuse. It only takes a few minutes.
All you need is: organic celery, a peeled cucumber, some romaine, kale and a pear. A push on the juicer’s button and off it goes. When you’ll see how tasty it is, you’ll turn green juicing into a habit that will last longer than a weekend. Other than that, eat more fruits and veggies. If you don’t feel inspired, NYT Best-Selling author and wellness activist Kris Carr has some of the best and healthiest recipes for you on her blog.
If you still have some energy left from the past week, try simplifying your environment a bit. That closet door won’t shut? Is your paperwork all over the place? Is the bathroom piled with tons of products? A few suggestions should help, even though you may not be able to sort everything out in one weekend. What matters is that you’ll make great progress.
Look at what your favorite clothes are. This should make it easier to consider what to toss and donate to a charity. Organize your paperwork in filing cabinets and try to build some additional storage space if needed. Next, get rid of old bath and makeup products in the bathroom. Get more organized by using a simple glass containers set, or a woven basket strategically placed under the sink.
Put that “what if” mindset aside. Refrain from worrying over things you can’t control like the government shutdown, the economy, the weather or anything like that. Instead you can control yourself. List the things that worry you and set an action next to each of those you can control. Have you gained too much weight lately? Make a plan to do something about it. Struggling with a deadline? Write down the steps you must follow to get that project done.
You don’t have to be a practicing Buddhist to meditate. It’s all about paying attention to the present moment. Meditation improves your creative thinking, helps you focus and find happiness in your life. The regular practice of meditation is the best way to handle your stress and energy level. Yoga is also a form of meditation that helps tremendously fighting stress and achieving peacefulness of body and mind.
What are they telling you? What is the vibe that you’re feeling? It can either be a positive or a negative one, never both of them in the same time. If your thinking falls towards the negative side, try change the words you use in your thoughts. Michael Losier, the author of Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t, recommends we should stop using the words no, not and don’t to attract more of the things we want. Our response to the words we use instead will change completely. “Stay calm” sounds way better than “don’t panic,” right?
Best. Medicine. Ever. You can never have enough of it. Humor improves mood in so many ways. It helps you cope with stress, strengthens your immune system and you are 40 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, says Richard Wiseman in his brilliant book 59 Seconds: Change Your Life in Under a Minute.
This is something you should be doing every day, not only on weekends. Be grateful for your family, friends, health, for the food you put on the table, the clothes you wear and the roof over your head. You can be grateful for so many little things: a new beginning, the sunshine, the air that you breathe, a baby that smiled at you. Just try to avoid comparing what you have with other people. It neither helps you nor them. Gratitude is the main source of happiness. When you’re happy, you radiate it on all those around you.
Whether you like snapping photos, baking bread, painting, writing poetry, playing piano or gardening, give yourself the benefit of spending time doing something you find enjoyable. You get the much needed mental relaxation and the satisfaction of pursuing your interests, which leads to a sense of fulfillment.
There you are. 13 things to do during weekends that will have a positive long term effect on your life. Put them into practice and you’ll beat the Monday Blues!
What are other ways to spend the weekends that work for you?
Below you’ll find 60 small ways to improve all areas of your life in the next 100 days. 60 Small Ways to Improve Your Life in the Next 100 Days
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
10 Simple Things You Can Do Every Day to Improve Your Life
Perhaps one of the most underappreciated aspects of life is this: every day you’re here is another chance to be better than you were the day before.
Day-to-day trivialities often get in the way, however, and we get bogged down with mundane tasks. There comes a time for most of us, however, when we embark on a quest for greater fulfillment in our lives. If you seek to continually improve your life, here are 10 simple things you can do every day, starting today.
For most of us, there aren’t many things in this world more important than the relationships we have with those we’re closest to, so make it a point to spend quality time with your loved ones every single day. Don’t let geographic boundaries deter you either—pick up the phone or send an email if you can’t see someone in person. Reach out to a friend or family member you haven’t spoken with in a while. Let them know you’re thinking about them.
These days it seems like we live in a “It’s all about me” world. While having good manners may be a lost art, practicing politeness daily can make life a little better for those you interact with. And this, in turn, can help improve your life. The world is a crazy place filled with dreadful acts of violence and sadness, but one small action can set in motion a far-reaching chain of events that can yield miraculous results. Make a someone’s day by thanking them and telling them how much you appreciate them.
Laughing is one of the most therapeutic things you can do for yourself every day, according to research, so spend time with funny friends or watch your favorite television comedy. And when you’re wasting a few minutes watching a funny video at work, definitely do not feel bad about it.
There’s a direct correlation between the foods you eat and your level of happiness. Spend time preparing one (or more) healthy meals every day, and try eating more of these foods:
VegetablesFruitsNuts and seedsWhole grainsLean meats and fishExercise may not be on the top of your priority list some days, but here’s why it should be: exercising every day (even just 15 minutes) can help you lower your blood pressure and reduce your body fat.
Think about someone you’ve lost in your life whom you cared about deeply. What’s the one thing you would say to him/her if you had the chance? You’d probably tell him/her how much you loved them, right? Don’t take time for granted … because you never know when yours will be up.
Jamming some tunes is another scientifically-proven way to improve your life and make every day a little better. Classical music, in particular, has been shown to help improve your mood, lower your blood pressure, and help you sleep.
Let’s face it: helping other people feels good. If you want to improve your life, help others improve theirs first, so give a dollar to a homeless person. Compliment someone at your office. Offer to do a friend a favor without asking for anything in return. The universe will reward you back many times over.
Improving your life means cultivating positive thoughts on a regular basis. To do this, you need time to let go and recharge. Try this: spend 5 minutes when you wake up and 5 minutes before you go to bed relaxing. Lay there and focus on taking slow, deep breaths. Let the thoughts flow through your head like clouds. Do this every day and you’ll be amazed with the results.
People who are content with their life share this in common: they never, ever stop learning. Make it a point to feed yourself knowledge every day, whether it be in the form of books, websites, television, etc. While you’re here, learn as much as you can about as much as you can.
Something about life you may not know about: The Top 10 Things Everyone Needs To Know In Life
Featured photo credit: Portrait of a smiling little girl on the beach/Theme Travel via Shutterstock
Scott Christ shows people how to be healthier and happier on his website The Healthy Eating Guide. Subscribe to his newsletter (it's free) and get instant access to 48 healthy recipe cards and his eBook, “The Ultimate Healthy Eating Roadmap”.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
5 Ways Introvert-Extrovert Couples Can Improve Communication
If he’s the yin to your yang, there’s a good chance you are partnered with your exact opposite. In the beginning, this introvert-extrovert connection is delightful as you experience an attitude different from your own.
Over time, though, it can test your patience and make you question your compatibility.
Your mate wants to socialize while you want to stay home together. Aren’t you enough for him?He wants to talk things out while you need time to process. Can’t she give you space to breathe?It hurts your feelings when she tells you she needs time to herself. What is she not telling me?It’s easy to take these differences personally or think your mate is just being difficult. That’s how my husband and I felt for a long time. It wasn’t until we began traveling the world together in 2010 – working, traveling, and being together 24/7 – that we learned the lessons it might have taken us years to notice and absorb in our old lifestyle.
Before you get to the communication hacks we’ve learned from being together 24/7 the past few years, first take the introvert-extrovert test to verify your hunch about yourself and your mate from introvert expert and author Susan Cain.
I was sitting in a farmhouse in Slovenia, visiting with a friend at her kitchen table about books, life, and love. It was an introvert’s dream: a calm setting and an intimate conversation catching up with a friend I hadn’t seen in some time.
As we were discussing relationships and life, I mentioned that I’d recently learned the difference between introverts and extroverts through a book. It helped me realize what I needed to function at a better level, and I’d been implementing some new strategies with good result. My friend, also an introvert, shared her experience.
During our conversation, my husband walked through the kitchen, overhearing a part of our conversation. Later that night as we were lying in bed, he told me it was the single most important bit of information he’d ever learned about me. (And we’ve been together for 10 years.) It was like a light bulb went on in our relationship, erasing the shadows that were distorting our actions.
You see, when I told him earlier I was an introvert, he didn’t quite understand what I meant and I didn’t fully explain it. I also didn’t bother to figure out he was an extrovert. We both missed the introvert-extrovert connection that could drastically improve our communication.
Introverts get their energy from being alone and it is drained by being with other people. This doesn’t mean introverts don’t like being around people or that they are shy, just that the effort of being around them is a drain on their energy.Extroverts get their energy from being with other people and it is drained by being alone. This doesn’t mean extroverts cannot be alone or that they are social butterflies, just that the interaction with other people is what energizes them.Most people fall closer to the middle of the continuum from introvert to extrovert, so you needn’t worry that extroverts need to talk all the time or introverts just want to be left alone. But when you know where your partner is coming from and what helps them be at their best, it’s easier to create the right environment for them to excel (and reap the reward of having them at their best more often).
When you know how your mate needs to recharge and honor it, you’ll notice a drastic improvement in the mood and level of tension in your relationship.
Need to talk about something important with your partner? For the most productive outcome, pick your timing based on his or her best mood, not yours. This is especially true if you have a complaint or bad news to deliver.
If your mate is an extrovert, you have to allow plenty of time to talk it through. You can’t drop a bomb on the way out the door from work and expect to pick up the conversation later after you’ve had a chance to mull it over. He or she doesn’t want to mull. They want to work it out with you.
If your partner is more of an introvert, he or she will want some time to process and think things through, so giving them a heads up about a conversation beforehand will give them the necessary time to think it through before talking it out.
It’s not about you. Your mate is who he is independent of you. Her need to talk things out when you want to be quiet, or his desire to go to the garage and tinker when you want to be together is not about you.
It is simply the way they recharge and get energy.
Once you understand it’s all about them, it makes it easier to manage and less of a personal attack. In fact, once you start noticing your mate’s energy levels and how they recharge, you’ll want to encourage what they need so you can have more of them at their best.
In an introvert-extrovert relationship, your way is not the best way, and neither is your mate’s. It’s simply a different way of being in the world.
It’s one thing to know your introvert/extrovert status and manage your own energy levels. It is an entirely other thing to merge that style with your mate.
After all, you can’t demand that since you’re an introvert, all conversations are scheduled out so you can have time to think them over. If you’re an extrovert, you can’t keep working to bring your mate ‘out of her shell’ because that’s never going to happen. We are who we are, and even though there are some very social introverts and somewhat shy extroverts, the way we get our energy doesn’t change.
In a relationship, this means compromise. The introvert has to talk about things before she gets enough time to process. The extrovert has to give his partner some space when he wants to be together.
It’s hard to strike a 50/50 balance, so the more reasonable goal is to lean a bit one way or the other on an alternating basis. The extrovert gives the introvert space on a Saturday afternoon before a party so she can relax and recharge. The introvert stays at the party an hour longer for her partner so he can socialize more.
It doesn’t take much effort to reach a compromise when you understand what your partner needs to function at their best. And you know this small favor on your part will reap huge dividends for your partner and your relationship.
He’s the yin to your yang, and her influence makes you a better person. He may draw you into more social situations than you like, but it gives you the chance to meet more people you can then follow up with one-to-one and develop great friendships. She may be quieter and more observant, and you benefit from her keen insight into challenging situations.
Different is good, and appreciating how your mate differs from you can add a richness to your life you don’t have on your own. Rather than working to change the other person, it’s important to realize how your mate is changing you simply by being part of your life.
Once you know where you’re mate is coming from, you can much more easily travel down life’s road together.
Are you in a introvert-extrovert relationship? What is your favorite communication hack?
Further Reading: Learn how to be a happy introvert How To Be A Happy Introvert
Further Reading: Learn how to make introverts happy and extroverts shine How To Make Introverts Happy And Extroverts Shine
Featured photo credit: Closeup of a hands of a couple held together via Shutterstock
Betsy Talbot has been lifehacking her way around the world since 2010 with her husband Warren. Learn her secrets for getting more out of life, love, and your bank account at Married with Luggage.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Train Like A Professional Athlete And Get In Shape With These Easy Ways To Improve Your Athletic Stamina
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Monday, September 30, 2013
How To Motivate Yourself and Improve Focus, Organization and Productivity to Reach Your Goals
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Wednesday, September 4, 2013
8 Ways to Improve Your Company’s Efficiency
It’s safe to say that every company out there wants to run their offices as efficiently as possible. That is, the idea is to offer the most and best products and services at the lowest cost. One mistake commonly made by administrators is to confuse quality with quantity.
Whether you’ve been faced with the task of improving a company’s overall efficiency, or if you just want to see where you can improve, the following tips will surely help. Here are several ways to streamline any company’s efficiency while improving quality.
If your company has implemented an “open door policy,” you’re already pointed in the right direction. This is a great start, but think about taking it a step further. Too often, “open door policies” end up being hollow, rarely-used entries in employee handbooks. These are typically skimmed at best on the first day on the job. Create a culture of true open communication, and productivity will improve as a result of a more positive office morale.
Encourage communication, collaboration, and feedback between departments, as well as between management and staff. This will liven up the stream of ideas, resulting in a more productive team overall.
Smartphones, tablets, and other smart devices are an exceptionally effective step toward enhancing productivity. Provide sales staff with smartphones to help them keep in touch with the office via phone and emails while out on sales calls. Tablets give them the ability to create and modify presentations on the go, and there are countless apps available on both these devices that are designed to improve productivity by helping to combine and prioritize tasks.
When you implement a smart mobile device management system, you will put your company on the fast track toward more effective procedures. This will (in turn) bring a better-quality experience for clients and employees alike, resulting in a stronger bottom line.
Your employees have opinions. Encourage the entire company to embrace feedback, both positive and negative by creating an outlet for it. It’s a good idea to designate a general hub in the building for staff to communicate and make suggestions about the company. Many choose to do this through a specific website centered around human resource issues, serving as a one-stop-shop for work-related issues and updates.
For startup companies and small businesses, a more personal — and affordable — approach to this is to hold weekly or monthly meetings to share ideas. You could also use a bulletin board in a central part of the office as a place to share ideas.
Take a look around your main office space. Are your employees typing on 10-year-old monitors connected to antiquated computers? It will undoubtedly seem like a major cost at first glance, but updating employee computers and software periodically is an absolute must. Considering the most basic factor of productivity is speed, equipping office computers with the most efficiently run software and hardware should be the first thing you improve.
You may be able to get by with a simple hard drive upgrade or RAM boost, but those computers will need regular maintenance, and some in-depth attention every few years. If it has been more than six, it’s time to upgrade the system entirely.
Have you analyzed employee workspaces for ergonomic standards? It will certainly be in your best interests to brush up on ergonomic standards, and to educate staff on the basics. Bring in a professional and hold a seminar to fill them in on standards. If that’s not in the budget, educate yourself on the key points, and make sure the lifeblood of your company are taken care of in this aspect.
Supply staff with office equipment that comply with these standards, such as chairs, foot rests, and keyboards. Don’t look at this as an expense; rather, it’s an investment that will likely yield profitable returns through enhanced employee productivity and lowered worker’s compensation claims.
Social media is proving to be one of the most viable marketing tools available these days. It’s most certainly a hot topic, and one that isn’t to be ignored. Utilizing these platforms to promote your business is extremely important, but really shouldn’t be a major time concern. A few hours spread out each week ought to be enough to adequately keep up social media accounts for the average company.
Do yourself a favor and urge your social media coordinator to utilize streamlining apps like HootSuite, Sprout Social and MarketMeSuite. These programs combine social network accounts onto one convenient dashboard, making it easier to control and post to each in a timely manner.
Take a poll of your current employees to gauge their overall efficiency. Have direct supervisors spend an hour or so with each department to determine how each team handles individual tasks. Then meet with these supervisors to compare notes, and discuss whether there is a faster, more efficient way of doing things.
This activity will be greatly enhanced by the increased communication practices mentioned earlier. When everyone collaborates like this, more work gets done. As an added bonus, there is a bigger sense of ownership when employees are able to take part in modifying procedures.
Once all of these tweaks and changes are made, it’s time to set some realistic goals. Set over-arching, broad goals for the entire company, and then work with department heads to decide which goals to set for each department, and finally, for each employee.
Setting realistic, tangible goals this way will provide much-needed motivation. To bring this whole process full circle, once these goals are met, plan a company-wide activity such as a potluck, where everyone can relax and enjoy each other’s company, while celebrating their success.
The task of improving a company’s efficiency can certainly be a daunting one. Don’t be intimidated by the enormity of the situation. Rather, consider this a chance to make your company one that anyone would want to work for, and make it more efficient at the same time.
Are you efficient, effective, or efficiently effective? Effective is Not the Same as Efficient
Featured photo credit: andrewbasterfieldvia Flickr
I am a graduate from San Diego State University, with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Public Relations. I am currently working with a computer firm in Houston, Texas. In my free time he enjoys freelance writing about technology products, as well as Scuba Diving, White Water Rafting, and taking Road Trips.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Improve Your Credit Score By Avoiding These Top Credit Blunders All Americans Make
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Tuesday, July 16, 2013
6 Tips to Improve your Face-to-Face Networking
There is an old saying, “It is not what you know, it is who you know.” You can significantly increase your chances of success in almost any field if you know or can get in touch with the right people. Most jobs are not advertised, they are filled through personal contacts. Most important business deals are done person-to-person. This is the power of networking. You can network over the internet using social media sites and LinkedIn. You can also network face-to-face either with friends and colleagues or with strangers who become new contacts. You can meet new people at networking events such as trade shows, exhibitions, professional association meetings, chambers of commerce, etc. Let’s focus on these kinds of opportunities. Here are some tips to improve your face-to-face networking.
Do not go to a networking meeting aimlessly. Have a purpose. Your goal is to meet people that you can help and people who can help you. You do not know who they are yet, so you have to mix with a fair number to improve your chances. But you must have an overall goal. It helps other people to help you if they know what you are looking for.
Don’t be too serious. People might see you as threatening if you are too intense and plunge straight into a heavy topic. Lighten up a little and give people your best smile.
Start with a friendly, safe question. Ask about themselves and their interests. Gradually, the conversation will turn to you, and then you can give a little background and introduce your focus. Remember that you are there to help others and that you have useful information and contacts for some of the people you meet.
Always have plenty of business cards. If you are out of work and looking for opportunities, have some cards printed with your name, email, and phone number. You can leave the title blank or put ‘consultant’ or ‘looking for the next opportunity.’ It is important to exchange cards with people so that the contact details are not forgotten.
Don’t stay the whole time making comfortable small talk with the first group you meet. After a while make a polite excuse e.g., “Nice to meet you, but please excuse me. There is someone else I need to speak to.” Move around the room spending, say, 10 minutes with each new person. You will find that you can leave conversations without being brusque. Networking means circulating, and most of the people at the meeting are aware of this.
Always email the people you met within a couple of days of meeting them. Remind them of what you are interested in and offer to help. Ask if they would like to link on LinkedIn. Try not to send a standard email. Mention something you discussed.
Build your network list using email follow-up, LinkedIn, and other social media. Send people useful links and other information. Politely ask people in your network for help when you need contacts or information. Stay in touch and help other people to connect. You can become an expert networker and connector. It will help you to be successful.
Life, to me, is all about human connections: 7 Epic Strategies for Introverts (by Introverts) to Ignite Your Social Skills
Featured photo credit: Portrait of two cute little girls o beach talking on mobile phones. via Shutterstock
Paul Sloane is an author and professional speaker. He helps organizations improve lateral thinking and innovation. His books include How to be a Brilliant Thinker, The Innovative Leader and Lateral Thinking Puzzlers.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
6 Ways to Improve Relationships by Tackling Self-Consciousness
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Wednesday, May 22, 2013
8 Ways to Improve Your Sleep
Depriving yourself of sleep is never ever a good idea, even though in our go-go-go society people take pride in going strong on 4 hours of sleep and tons of coffee. While everybody needs his personal amount of sleep to wake up rested and refreshed, the average human being still needs about 8 hours of sleep per night. You might trick your body into needing fewer hours of sleep by flooding it with caffeine, or by having high stress levels that keep you bouncing around, but you’re wreaking havoc on your long-term and short-term performance. In fact, sleep deprivation muddles your ability to judge a situation, and as a result you might judge your mental clarity as OK, while you’d be performing poorly in tests.
Allowing yourself adequate sleep should be a no-brainer; it should feel natural to all people and we should reclaim it as our right. Sleep is one of the most important non-negotiable elements in your self-care, but it takes courage to go against the flow of 24/7 alertness and allow your body its necessary rest so that it can rejuvenate.
Ideally, your sleep cycle should follow the natural patterns of sunset and sunrise as much as possible. You know that you have had enough sleep when you can consistently wake up at the same time in the morning without an alarm clock, feeling rested and refreshed. Besides the length of your sleep, the quality of your sleep is very important as well. Your sleep cycle consists of different levels, with deep sleep as the phase in which most restoration occurs. If your sleep is disrupted, you might find it very difficult to reach the state of deep sleep.
While exercise wears out your body, it also causes a boost of adrenaline through your body that makes your mind all wired, and causes your body temperature to rise. Have you taken a 9pm spinning class and then found yourself tossing around your bed without being able to sleep? It’s directly related to the unfortunate timing of your workout. Try a workout in the late afternoon instead.
A full stomach makes sleeping difficult. Ideally, you should plan your dinner no later than three hours before your bedtime. Focus on protein and healthy fat for dinner, and reduce carbs. Keep your dinner light—you typically won’t need much fuel for the rest of your day anymore at dinnertime. Instead, start having larger meals for breakfast and lunch, when you actually need that fuel.
While the opinions are divided on what the ideal bedtime is, and if there is a general ideal bedtime or if its personal, most health and fitness websites recommend to sleep between 9pm and 10pm, and it’s a common Dutch saying that “the hours before midnight count double”. Try to sleep around the time your body starts to secrete melatonin, which is typically around 9:30 pm. Turn off the TV and your laptop, and make your sleep a priority!
Too much light in your room, either blue light from electronics or light peering through the curtains from outside, will interfere with your sleep and the secretion of melatonin. If you can’t eliminate certain electronics from your room, nor change to darker curtains or fully-shutting blinds, then invest in a good sleep mask. Don’t forget to take your sleep mask along for long flights as well.
Your body cools down naturally during sleep, so a lower room temperature will support your sleep as much as possible. Switch off your heating at night, as it might leave you waking up at night feeling overheated. Leave your window ventilation open, even in winter, to allow fresh air and oxygen to enter the room. The ideal room temperature for sleeping is recommended to be 12 degrees Celsius (54 F), while other experts claim a temperature between 60 – 65F is ideal.
Ease into sleep by doing relaxing activities: journal, read a book, burn a candle, do some stretches, meditate, so that you can prepare yourself mentally for sleep. Create a sunset in your house by bringing down the intensity of the lights half an hour to an hour before your intended bedtime. Listen to a CD with soft music, get into your pajamas some time before you plan to sleep, and have some herbal tea or hot milk. Don’t expect that you can run all day and then press the off-switch on yourself and drift off to sleep right away!
If you have the space for doing so in your house, take all electronics (including that TV) out of your bedroom, and turn it into a sanctuary for your sleep. Decorate your bedroom with images that invoke sleep and sweet dreams. Use quality bedding and a mattress your truly enjoy, and add fresh, crisply washed sheets to your bed. If you live on a much more confined area and your bedroom equals home office, storage room and pet house, then try to keep at least your bed welcoming and free of clutter.
Plan your next day before you go to bed, so that you don’t find yourself going over everything you need to do the next day while trying to fall asleep. If necessary, write down your worries before bedtime as well. Ideally, write your goals for the next day at the end of your work day into your planner. Think positive thoughts before you sleep, and keep gratitude and success lists to reflect on your day from a positive standpoint.
RELATED: 10 Common Sleep Mistakes to Avoid
Featured photo credit: Sleeping Tiger via ShutterstockWednesday, March 13, 2013
The 5 Minute Trick to Dramatically Improve Quality Time with Your Kids
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Wednesday, February 6, 2013
5 Simple, Yet Little-Known Ways to Improve Your Productivity
You already know that you should wake up early to become more productive, and perhaps you have also heard that you shouldn’t check your email first thing in the morning. While this advice is good and well-documented, there is also another kind of productivity advice that is as effective as well. Even if the tips are less-known and somewhat counter-intuitive, you just have to give them a try and see how they work for you.
Your environment doesn’t have to be 100% quiet if you want to get work done. Let’s say that you are working from home and you have kids. Let’s also assume that you don’t have a dedicated workspace in your home to do your work. Naturally, you could decide to do work during the quiet hours (before the rest of the family wakes up), but not all of the tasks have to be done then.
The fact is that there are certain tasks which allow more distraction than others, and when you know this, you can plan your days more efficiently. In fact, you could dedicate those quiet hours to working on something valuable while the rest of the time (when your family is awake) you can finish less valuable tasks. For instance, I can check most of my social media accounts, do some simple blog-related maintenance tasks or check my e-mail (most of the time) even if my son is pulling my sleeve or if the TV is on in the background. When I know that certain tasks do not require my full concentration, it’s easier to plan my days with that knowledge in mind.
Want to boost your afternoon productivity? Then take a caffeine nap! According to a study by Jim Maas, PhD, professor of psychology at Cornell University, combining coffee and napping time can have a big improvement in one’s personal productivity. Coffee enters your bloodstream approximately 20 minutes after you have consumed it. The minute figure is exactly the same as the length of your nap, so these two play well together. In order to implement this technique, do this:
Drink a cup of coffeeTake a 20-minute nap right afterwardWake-up refreshedIf you are not a coffee drinker, that’s fine too: even with a 20-minute nap alone, you can feel super-fresh and productive as well.
It’s so funny to think that the places that seem like the last ones in which to get anything done are the best for productivity. I’m talking about trains, and when I travel alone, I look forward to getting work done there. The effect is almost like working in a coffee shop, where people come and go and there is some distraction around all of the time. This kind of ambience is the same on trains, but the distraction doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I have done a lot of work during my trips when I’m moving from one place to another. To maximize your train working experience, prepare yourself in the following way:
Have your material ready (for e.g. I have outlined all my blog posts before I start writing them)The material can be used offline if necessary (download the documents and other files to your local computer in advance)Have a mobile Internet access with youHeadphones (for listening to podcasts and educational material, or even listening to music when working)An e-book reader (if for some reason your laptop batteries die down, you can use your time productively)Finally, decide in advance what you want to do. For instance, I have been writing e-books, blog posts or going through some educational materials while I travel. When you plan your train time, you can get started with your tasks right away and no time is spent on figuring out what to do when you should be already working.
It may sound funny that closing the curtains can improve your productivity but it’s actually true. For instance, I might do some work at the dining table where there is a window to the left of me. Since I can see the nearby parking space through the window (and the people and moving cars as well), the movement might catch my attention, so the simplest way to prevent the distraction is to close the curtains. That way I’m not able to sense the movement and I can put all of my attention to my work. If you have similar kinds of experiences, do this simple thing to fix the situation.
Would you believe me if I said that multitasking can make you more productive? Well, that’s what I’m telling you and I’ll let you know how. In normal circumstances you should focus on one thing at a time: for instance, if you are creating something (like writing a blog post), you should focus on the writing part and nothing else. But what about those boring tasks that you have to do—no matter what? Let’s imagine that you have to do manual data input work and there is no way around that. To make things a little bit easier, you could do something that is referred as “mindful multitasking,” which is a term I have learned from a great book by Lucy Jo Palladino (“Find Your Focus Zone”) and the basic idea is to use multitasking to get the boring thing done.
In our example, when you are doing a data entry task, you could check your Facebook page or your e-mail every once in a while to make you more alert. When you do this, you are more energized to take care of the boring tasks. The mindful part comes from understanding that you are indeed multitasking. You also realize that this is decreasing your performance, but at the same time, you are willing to accept the costs, since it helps you to get the tedious work done.
It’s interesting to learn more about the unconventional ways to improve personal productivity. I know that there are other tips like this, but now it’s your turn: list your own unconventional productivity tips on the comments area. We all would love to learn more!
SEE ALSO: 50+ Personal Productivity Blogs You’ve Never Heard of Before (and about a dozen you probably have)
Featured photo credit: crossing finish line via ShutterstockLifehack Deal: 8 Free Mac Apps To Improve Your Productivity
Lifehack Deals presents - 8 Mac apps for you to improve your productivity in 2013. Enjoy! They are only free for a limited time so get it quick!
Brian is a Lifehacker who covers all sorts of tips for life. He is also fascinated with new technology. Contact Brian at brian@lifehack.org, Google+ Saturday, February 2, 2013
Friday, February 1, 2013
30sec Tip: How to Improve Your Mood Easily?
Click on the image to download a wallpaper sized 30 Second Tip!
Practice Gratitude. Think of Every Positive Thing That Happened to You at the End of the Day. It Increases Your Mood.
Featured photo credit: girl very splashing in the water at the beach via ShutterstockDo you think happiness is a state that only a few can achieve?
I think Happiness is your birth right, it is available to each and every one of us.
But if this is true why does it elude so many?
It eludes so many of us because our habits don’t support a life of harmony and happiness. I have heard it said that our collective habits determine the quality of our lives, in that case we need to ensure that our habits are positive and help us work towards creating an overall habit of happiness
There are many constructive habits that will help bring us more joy.
Brian is a Lifehacker who covers all sorts of tips for life. He is also fascinated with new technology. Contact Brian at brian@lifehack.org, Google+ Sunday, January 13, 2013
5 Small Hacks to Improve Your Health in 2013 and Beyond
Getting fit, eating right and living a healthy lifestyle are always some of the top resolutions every New Year. We all know in our guts that we should be living healthier happier lives and every year many of us find ourselves with the same predicament: we start off strong and then by February we’ve given up. Four weeks go by and we’ve come up with every excuse in the book to avoid getting off our bums and eating right—life gets in the way, work is taking too much of our time, we have to take care of our families, our friends think we’re nuts, etc. etc.
One solution that I have found incredibly helpful is to make small changes that really add up over time. We can allow incredible shifts to occur if we commit to taking small simple actions toward a bigger goal.
Below you’ll find easy and simple ways to improve your health through 2013 and beyond.
Beginning a meditation practice is one of the easiest ways to reduce stress and help with a multitude of emotional, mental and physical road blocks. The best part? It’s completely free! All you need is a few minutes and your breath. If you’re not sure where to start ,check out some Meditation Motivation tools to help you begin, and to keep your own meditation practice going through 2013.
Making green juices or smoothies for breakfast is probably the easiest way to ensure that you’re getting enough greens in your diet. The advantages of greens are endless, including changing the body from acidic to alkaline, helping with bowel issues, clearing up skin, and refreshing cells in the body.
For recipes, information on juicers, and more, check out Kris Carr, Healthy Cooking Camp, or any of Victoria Boutenko’s books.
Not having time to work out is one of the biggest excuses people use to not get off their bums. Here’s some news for you: if you’ve got 10 minutes free, you have enough time to work out. The best part? There’s no fancy expensive gym membership required! YouTube makes it extraordinarily easy to make sure you get in a good workout, even if you only have a few minutes. Simply do a search for your favorite fitness guru, or try one of several YouTube fitness celebrities. With time you’ll be able to make your own No Excuses Workout playlist.
If you’re not sure which workouts to aim for check out this fitness hack guide.
I’m a big believer in the advantages of making forgiveness a daily practice. If we hold on to stuff that makes us angry, we only fuel negative thoughts, which in turn leads to emotional and even physical problems. Sometimes, forgiveness is easier said than done. Fortunately there are plenty of people out there who have tried to make it practical for daily life—my favorite being author and speaker Gabrielle Bernstein.
Instead of driving everywhere, try walking, biking, or taking public transit. This is one of my favorite fitness hacks because it forces you to get off your behind and move. If you live two blocks from the pharmacy or the grocery store, try walking there. If you can make it happen, take the bus, subway or train to work, and if you can walk or bike to the gym, even better!
Health isn’t just about the physical body—it involves your mind and soul as well. By taking small actions to keep your overall health, in check you’ll soon find yourself taking on bigger initiatives to make your healthy lifestyle really stick.
Here’s to a happy and healthy 2013 and beyond!
Featured photo credit: beauty girl drink water via Shutterstock
Amanda Abella is a Gen Y blogger, freelance writer and life coach that has been featured in online publications such as Forbes and The Consumerist. Her blog, GradMeetsWorld.org, was also named one of the 100 Blogs You Need in Your Life by Leaving Work Behind. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaabella Saturday, January 12, 2013
Will Drinking Fewer Lattes Really Improve Your Finances?
For many working folk, that $4 morning latte is more than just a pre-work caffeine fix—it is a sort of reward to oneself, either for making it out the door in time to stop at the coffee shop, as a treat after an early morning workout, or maybe for simply getting out of bed at all. Whatever the excuse we make to splurge on expensive coffee, that little cup acts as a symbol of our working selves, in a way, and of the sacrifice of eight or more hours of our lives each day to our jobs. Unfortunately, it is also symbolic of the many unnecessary ways we find to waste money and stunt financial growth in our daily lives.
A common bit of financial advice over the past few years has been to reduce the number of trips to the coffee shop, but people often wonder if cutting out the grande vanilla lattes can really help get their finances on track. Aside from looking at the amount of money saved by not going to Starbucks or your local café on a daily basis, how can cutting one everyday expense change the way we think about our budgets?
First, let’s look at the obvious: fancy coffees such as flavored lattes and cappuccinos can cost upwards of $4 a pop at many chain coffee shops, and if you add in those tempting pastries, you could be dropping $7 before you even get to the office. For those who make this a daily habit, that’s anywhere from $20 to $37 a week! Squirreling that money into a savings account instead could get you an extra $960 a year (and that’s on the low end) to put toward a mortgage, new car or a vacation. In his Lifehack guest post, Charles LaReaux explains how you can save $18,000 over the lifespan of your mortgage by cutting out a $3 cup of coffee each day. If your caffeine habit calls for pricier drinks, imagine how much more you can save by quitting!
Aside from the savings on the coffee itself, however, cutting out one needless expense may just change the way you look at your spending as a whole. Realizing that survival is possible without a daily mocha, many come to see the other non-essentials eating up their paychecks: trivial everyday expenses like eating out, paying for cable television and buying only name-brands waste hundreds of dollars a month. Becoming frugal in one aspect of life may inspire a re-examination of your spending as a whole.
Discovering cheaper alternatives to getting a caffeine fix can lead to finding cheaper ways to provide many daily rituals: making coffee or tea at home saves a bundle, with a pound of whole or ground beans costing as little as $10 and a box of 25 black or green tea bags running as low as $5. That’s nearly a month’s supply of caffeine for what you would spend in a day or two at a coffee shop.
The same savings apply to entertainment and groceries. Monthly movie streaming services like Netflix cost under $10 a month, which is less than the price of one movie theater ticket, and far less than a monthly cable bill. Buying non-perishable groceries like rice and paper goods in bulk is often much cheaper than paying for smaller packages each time you hit the store. When at the grocery store, look at what items you are spending the most on: buying fewer pre-made, name-brand items and meat can reduce your bill significantly, and you’ll find that fresh produce and other whole foods are much cheaper, not to mention much better for our bodies.
Speaking of the health and budget connection, cutting out fancy coffee drinks may also improve your health, thereby reducing costly medical bills in the future. Not only are caffeinated beverages contributors to increased heart rate, insomnia and heartburn, expensive designer coffees like lattes and mochas are packed with extra fat and sugar, adding unnecessary pounds and increasing risk of diabetes. As Lifehack writer William Masters points out, cutting out certain dietary and habitual vices does not just save money on the items themselves, but also reduces the associated health risks and costs that come with them—things like cholesterol medication, insulin and surgeries. Remember that the more health conditions you have, the higher your insurance premiums will be.
Having said all of that though, think of ways to make the real behavioral changes automatic. Contribute to your company’s 401K straight from your paycheck so you don’t have to exercise the willpower to save each month, and set aside automatic savings in a separate account which you don’t have easy access to. Willpower is finite, and while resisting the daily latte helps, don’t waste your willpower on small tasks if you can put it to better use to effect meaningful change.
Featured photo credit: latte on a wood table via Shutterstock
Thursday, January 10, 2013
How to Set up Your Android to Improve Battery Life or Improve Productivity
Just received a new Android device? or do you find that the battery doesn’t last as long as you need it to? How about if you need it to help improve your productivity? Well, this Lifehack lesson by Trevor Dobrygoski is for you, it provides detailed information about how to set up and configure your android phone to get the best out of battery life or productivity. What apps to install that speed up what you are doing, or apps that help you to prevent unwanted apps from sucking up your battery, and how to configure your homescreens so that they are more efficient for your needs.
The lesson is free for 7 days. After which to get access to it, as well as all the other Lifehack lessons, it only costs $4.99 per month.
Here’s an excerpt from the preview-
Want to get the best out of your Android Device? The best way to configure it to save juice and make it much more easier, productive and last longer? Here’s how you should set up your Android device based on what you are trying to achieve. I’ll describe what you should do and then go into the details of how to do it.
Certain settings will be ideal for both productivity and saving battery. As most Android owners can tell you, anything you can do to save battery is a good thing.
Less home screens
Whenever you get a new Android device, it will have anywhere from 5 to 7 home screens with icons and widgets scattered all over. Ideally what you want to do is condense all of the home screens down to as few as possible. What this will do for you is create less scrolling from screen to screen looking for an application or widget.
Use a different home screen launcher
Home screen launchers are one of the easiest ways to change how it Android tablet operates. The home screen launcher can change the cosmetics of the application icons, add application docks at the bottom of the screen and add more functionality to the home screens. Some of the functionality can be gestures (which I’ll talk about later), different widgets and other customization.
Featured Photo Credit – Robot With Cardboard Box via Shutterstock
Sunday, April 15, 2012
3 Easy Ways to Improve Your Brain Power
Google "improve brain power" and you'll find all sorts of tips, techniques, books, and games explaining how you could improve your brain power. Most of them involve physical exercise, balanced nutrition and complex mental exercises.
While it would be cool if everyone could incorporate these tips, I highly doubt that after reading such advice you will start jogging for one hour every morning and change your diet to incorporate more fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Some people don't do that even when they are at risk of having a heart attack!
For the lazy crowd looking to give a little boost to the brain functions, is there anything easier? Luckily yes.
Switch the side of your mouse-pad
Yes, it is as simple as that.
By switching the side of your mouse-pad you will force yourself to use your non-dominant hand. This, in turn, will stimulate the neural connections between the right and left hemispheres on your brain. Scientific research confirmed that people that use both hands equally have 10% more nerve fibers joining the two sides of the brain.
Ideally you want to perform as many activities as possible with your non-dominant hand, but some of them might become cumbersome. I tried to brush my teeth using my left hand for one week or so, only to find out that the tartar was building up.
Using the mouse with the opposite hand is something that you can easily integrate into your life. During the first couple of days it will feel weird, and you might need to switch back when using programs that require intense "clicking" sessions. After this adaptation phase however, you'll be navigating the computer just as efficiently with both hands.
Force yourself to remember things
Sometimes you want to remember the name of a song that is playing or the name of an old acquaintance that passed by . It is right there, on the tip of your tongue, but you can't remember it. What would you normally do in such situation? Probably ask some nearby friend for the name, and upon the revelation you will even shout marveled, "Oh yeah! That is it."
The next time this happens force yourself to remember that name. The brain can be stimulated just like your muscles and the more you exercise it the stronger it will get.
Do not limit yourself to remembering names. Are you calling your mother to get the phone number of your uncle? Forget pen and paper - you can memorize it. Try to look at the keyboard of your phone in order to create a mental picture of what the sequence of numbers looks like.
The worse that can happens is that you will need to call your mom again...
Play games that involve some thinking
You don't need to participate in the Mathematical Olympic Games in order to stretch your brain capabilities. Oh no, games and activities as simple as sudoku or crosswords will already have a tangible impact upon your brain performance.
Regularity is very important here, so try to incorporate these games or exercises into your routine. You could bring a crosswords book with you on the daily commute, for instance. Personally I like to play a chess match every day before I start working. It takes around 15 minutes, but it ensures that my brain gets a kick-start every morning.
Written by Daniel Scocco, the author of Daily Blog Tips, a blog focused on web design, online marketing, SEO and monetization tips. .
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