Heavy smoking causes faces to look older

'Smoker's Face,' a condition where smokers look older than they are, is just one of many negative effects caused by heavy tobacco usage.

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Meet the Man Who Has Broken 129 Guinness World Records in Just 4 Years

This 34-year-old electrical engineer has set the world record for everything from throwing a tortilla the farthest to fastest half-marathon while juggling.

The post Meet the Man Who Has Broken 129 Guinness World Records in Just 4 Years appeared first on Good News Network.

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After Resale Store Worker Finds $7K Tucked into Secondhand Jacket, She Immediately Returns it to Owner

When this Plato's Closet employee found $7,000 in cash tucked inside of a jacket pocket, she knew she had to do the right thing and return it to the owner.

The post After Resale Store Worker Finds $7K Tucked into Secondhand Jacket, She Immediately Returns it to Owner appeared first on Good News Network.

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‘My Lucky Day’: Man Wins Top Lottery Prize On His Way to Last Chemotherapy Treatment

The stars aligned for Ronnie Foster as he was on his way to the hospital for his final round of chemotherapy in North Carolina this month.

The post ‘My Lucky Day’: Man Wins Top Lottery Prize On His Way to Last Chemotherapy Treatment appeared first on Good News Network.

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After Adaptive Bike for Teen With Special Needs is Stolen, Watch the Community Step In To Help

After a special needs teen had his adaptive bike stolen from his backyard in Mesa, AZ, the community turned a “bitter” experience into a heartwarming one.

The post After Adaptive Bike for Teen With Special Needs is Stolen, Watch the Community Step In To Help appeared first on Good News Network.

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A stretchable stopwatch lights up human skin

Imagine a runner who doesn't need to carry a stopwatch or cell phone to check her time: She could just gaze at the glowing stopwatch display on the back of her hand. Such human-machine interfaces are no longer science fiction, but they still have a way to go before becoming mainstream. Now, researchers have developed a stretchable light-emitting device that operates at low voltages and is safe for human skin.

from Skin Care News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/34cLlqK

Prenatal air pollution exposure linked to infants' decreased heart rate response to stress

A mother's exposure to particulate air pollution during pregnancy is associated with reduced cardiac response to stress in six-month-old infants, according to new research. This study is among the first to find that particulate air pollution exposure in utero can affect heart rate variability, which is a known risk factor for health issues.

from Alternative Medicine News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2NkZkUE

Increased depression, suicidal thoughts and stress are reported in patients with chronically itchy skin

Itch is a very common symptom in patients suffering from skin diseases. In a new study on the psychological burden of itch, investigators report that the presence of itch in dermatological patients was significantly associated with clinical depression, suicidal ideation and stress. They recommend providing patients with access to a multidisciplinary team to prevent and manage problems associated with itch.

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7 Strategies to Keep Employee Motivation High

Highly motivated employees are essential to the success of any business. Most people spend a third of their lives at work.((Gettysburg College: 1/3 of your life is spent at work)) That’s a significant amount of time away from home, apart from the people who make us happy and the things we love to do. So keeping employee motivation high is essential for creating an office environment that gets the best out of our people. But do you know what motivates your people? It’s simple:

• Is their work stimulating?
• Does it challenge them?
• Is there room to grow, a promotion perhaps?
• Do you encourage creativity?
• Can they speak openly and honestly with you?
• Do you praise them?
• Do you trust your staff to take ownership of their work?
• Do they feel safe in their work environment?
• And more importantly, do you pay them properly?

Every one of these factors contributes to the general happiness of your employees. It’s what motivates them to come into the office each day and work hard, hit goals, and get results. In contrast, an unmotivated employee is typically unhappy. They take more sick days, they’re not invested in seeing your business succeed, and they’re always on the lookout for something better. Stats show that 81 percent of employees would consider leaving their jobs today if the right opportunity presented itself.((HAYS: US workers willing to compromise on salary for the right benefits, company culture, and career growth opportunities)) So it’s up to you to set aside time and energy to create a work environment that benefits every one of your employees. These seven strategies will help you motivate your people to consistently deliver quality work and, more importantly, to stick around for the long term.

1. Don’t Mess Around with Your Employees’ Pay

Never mess around with your people's salary. As a business owner or high-level manager, it's easy to forget that most people live from paycheck to paycheck. Delayed compensation can mean a missed bill payment, which could result in costly penalties they can't afford or hits to their credit score. So it's your job to ensure that you pay your people on time.

2. Create an Awesome Company Culture

There’s no denying that company culture trickles down from the top. Your leadership and attitude massively influences the attitudes, work ethic, and happiness of your staff. If you’re always stressed-out, overly demanding, and unreasonable, it’ll create tension in your office which will adversely affect your employees’ motivation levels. In fact, the HAYS “US What People Want Survey” found that 47 percent of staff who are actively looking for a new job, pinpoint company culture as the driving force behind their reason to leave. So if you have high staff turnover, you need to determine whether your company culture might be the motivating factor behind your churn rate. Here are four ways to build a culture that keeps your employees highly motivated.

• Be conscious of the image you present. Your body language and attitude can positively or negatively impact your employees. So come to work energized. Be optimistic, friendly, and engaging—this enthusiasm will spill over to your people and motivate them to be more productive and efficient.
• Appreciate your people and be reasonable. Celebrate your team's achievements. If they're doing a good job, tell them. Encourage them to challenge themselves and try new things. And reward when deserved. If they're struggling, help them. Work together to find solutions and be a sounding board for their ideas.
• Be flexible. Give your people opportunities to work remotely—this is highly motivating to staff, particularly millennials. They don't want to be battling traffic each day on their way to work. They don't want to miss their kids’ baseball games or ballet rehearsals. Stats show that companies that offer flextime and the ability to work from home or a coffee shop have happier and more productive employees.
• Create employee-friendly work environments. These are spaces that inspire and ignite the imagination. Have you ever been to Google's offices? No headquarter is the same. From indoor slides and food trucks, to hammocks, and funky work pods on the wall, gaming rooms, and tranquil interior gardens, there's something for everyone. It's a space where people want to be, catering to their need for creativity, quiet, or team building; you name it.

So take a look at your company culture and ask yourself, Is my business an attractive workplace for talented professionals? Does it inspire commitment and motivate my people? What could I do to improve my company culture?

3. Be Someone They Can Rely On

You rely on your people to turn up to work each day, to come to you when they have a problem they can't solve, to be honest, and to always engage professionally with customers. But this is not a one-way street. You, too, need to be someone your team can rely on. They trust you to have their backs when a client is unreasonable, to know that the decisions they make are in your best interest, and to make good on your promises. If you say you'll attend an important meeting, be there. If your company makes a profit and you've said you'll pay a bonus, pay it. The goodwill of your people is something you never want to test, let alone lose. Be reliable; it's astounding how much this motivates your people.

4. Touch Base with Your Team Weekly

Make time for your people, whether you run a remote business or work in an office, set aside time each week to talk to your people one-on-one. It's non-negotiable. When there's an open line of communication between staff members, work gets done. Don't believe me? A study by Gallup found that 26 percent of employees said feedback from their leaders helps them to do a better job.((Gallup: Re-Engineering Performance Management)) Your people want to feel trusted. They want to take ownership of their work, but they also need to know that when they have a question, they can reach out and get answers. If you're unwilling to make yourself available, your team will quickly become unmotivated, work will stagnate, and your business will stop growing. So block off time on your calendar each week to touch base with your people, even if only to let them know that what they're working on matters.

5. Give Them the Tools They Need to Do Their Jobs Well

Imagine trying to run your business without electricity. How would you contact your clients? What would happen when your phone or computer battery died? Technology is super critical to the success of your businesses. It allows you to work more efficiently, to be more productive, and to handle matters on-the-go. That's why you need to give your people tools that will make their jobs easier. Make sure their equipment is in good working condition. There's nothing more frustrating than a laptop that takes ages to boot up. It's got to go. Replace outdated software with new software. Don't make your designer work in Coreldraw; give them access to the most up-to-date version of Adobe Creative Suite. Take it a step further and buy them a subscription to Shutterstock or Getty Images. Make working for you a pleasure, not a pain; and watch your employees' motivation levels rise.

6. Provide Opportunities to Learn and Upskill

Would you believe me if I told you that 33 percent of people cite boredom and a need for new challenges as the top reason for leaving their job?((Korn Ferry: Breaking Boredom: Job Seekers Jumping Ship for New Challenges in 2018, According to Korn Ferry Survey)) If you want to retain your talent, you need to upskill. Thanks to technology, we live in a rapidly evolving world that demands we change with it. A copywriter is no longer just a writer; they now need to be experts in SEO, Google Adwords, CRMs, and so much more. A pastry chef needs to be a food stylist, photographer, and social media manager. An entrepreneur needs to be a marketer—or at least take ownership of the marketing message for their business—if they hope to scale. Technology makes all of this possible. No matter your location, your people can continuously expand their knowledge and gain new skill sets—something that's highly motivating to employees. They want to know that there are opportunities to grow and develop themselves. If you won't invest in your people, then your business becomes just another job to tide them over until they find where they truly belong. So be the company that sees value in developing its people.

7. Monitor Their Workload

Overworked employees tend to be unproductive and unhappy. Your people cannot be at full capacity every day, month to month. Something's got to give. They'll become deflated and their work will eventually suffer, which will negatively impact your business. What I like to do is implement a traffic light system. It helps me to keep a finger on the pulse of my business. So there's red, yellow, and green:

• Red means they're fully loaded.
• Yellow means they're busy, but they can potentially take on more.
• Green means they haven't got enough to do.

I use this traffic light system because I don't want my team members to be stressed out of their brains all the time. If they are, they won't make good decisions and they won't do good work. If my people are regularly overloaded, I have things to think about. Perhaps I need to hire a new person to help ease the load or take a closer look at what projects are good to go, and which can take a back seat. And this is why #4 is essential. If I'm regularly engaging with my people, I'll know that while they're coping with their workload, it is impacting their performance and health, and I'll take action.

The Bottom Line

A motivated team is an asset to any business. These people never give up. They get excited about coming to work each day and can't wait to test a new theory or tackle a particularly tricky challenge. They're proud of the work they do. And more importantly, they have no reason to leave. Wouldn’t you rather be part of their success story than the business that drove them away?

More About Employees' Motivation

• How the Productivity Formula Can Motivate Employees to Work Efficiently
• If You Want an Invincible Team, Make Them Feel Safe
• Tips for Increasing Employee Motivation
• How to Motivate Employees and Boost Team Productivity

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7 Strategies to Keep Employee Motivation High

Highly motivated employees are essential to the success of any business. Most people spend a third of their lives at work.((Gettysburg College: 1/3 of your life is spent at work)) That’s a significant amount of time away from home, apart from the people who make us happy and the things we love to do. So keeping employee motivation high is essential for creating an office environment that gets the best out of our people. But do you know what motivates your people? It’s simple:

• Is their work stimulating?
• Does it challenge them?
• Is there room to grow, a promotion perhaps?
• Do you encourage creativity?
• Can they speak openly and honestly with you?
• Do you praise them?
• Do you trust your staff to take ownership of their work?
• Do they feel safe in their work environment?
• And more importantly, do you pay them properly?

Every one of these factors contributes to the general happiness of your employees. It’s what motivates them to come into the office each day and work hard, hit goals, and get results. In contrast, an unmotivated employee is typically unhappy. They take more sick days, they’re not invested in seeing your business succeed, and they’re always on the lookout for something better. Stats show that 81 percent of employees would consider leaving their jobs today if the right opportunity presented itself.((HAYS: US workers willing to compromise on salary for the right benefits, company culture, and career growth opportunities)) So it’s up to you to set aside time and energy to create a work environment that benefits every one of your employees. These seven strategies will help you motivate your people to consistently deliver quality work and, more importantly, to stick around for the long term.

1. Don’t Mess Around with Your Employees’ Pay

Never mess around with your people's salary. As a business owner or high-level manager, it's easy to forget that most people live from paycheck to paycheck. Delayed compensation can mean a missed bill payment, which could result in costly penalties they can't afford or hits to their credit score. So it's your job to ensure that you pay your people on time.

2. Create an Awesome Company Culture

There’s no denying that company culture trickles down from the top. Your leadership and attitude massively influences the attitudes, work ethic, and happiness of your staff. If you’re always stressed-out, overly demanding, and unreasonable, it’ll create tension in your office which will adversely affect your employees’ motivation levels. In fact, the HAYS “US What People Want Survey” found that 47 percent of staff who are actively looking for a new job, pinpoint company culture as the driving force behind their reason to leave. So if you have high staff turnover, you need to determine whether your company culture might be the motivating factor behind your churn rate. Here are four ways to build a culture that keeps your employees highly motivated.

• Be conscious of the image you present. Your body language and attitude can positively or negatively impact your employees. So come to work energized. Be optimistic, friendly, and engaging—this enthusiasm will spill over to your people and motivate them to be more productive and efficient.
• Appreciate your people and be reasonable. Celebrate your team's achievements. If they're doing a good job, tell them. Encourage them to challenge themselves and try new things. And reward when deserved. If they're struggling, help them. Work together to find solutions and be a sounding board for their ideas.
• Be flexible. Give your people opportunities to work remotely—this is highly motivating to staff, particularly millennials. They don't want to be battling traffic each day on their way to work. They don't want to miss their kids’ baseball games or ballet rehearsals. Stats show that companies that offer flextime and the ability to work from home or a coffee shop have happier and more productive employees.
• Create employee-friendly work environments. These are spaces that inspire and ignite the imagination. Have you ever been to Google's offices? No headquarter is the same. From indoor slides and food trucks, to hammocks, and funky work pods on the wall, gaming rooms, and tranquil interior gardens, there's something for everyone. It's a space where people want to be, catering to their need for creativity, quiet, or team building; you name it.

So take a look at your company culture and ask yourself, Is my business an attractive workplace for talented professionals? Does it inspire commitment and motivate my people? What could I do to improve my company culture?

3. Be Someone They Can Rely On

You rely on your people to turn up to work each day, to come to you when they have a problem they can't solve, to be honest, and to always engage professionally with customers. But this is not a one-way street. You, too, need to be someone your team can rely on. They trust you to have their backs when a client is unreasonable, to know that the decisions they make are in your best interest, and to make good on your promises. If you say you'll attend an important meeting, be there. If your company makes a profit and you've said you'll pay a bonus, pay it. The goodwill of your people is something you never want to test, let alone lose. Be reliable; it's astounding how much this motivates your people.

4. Touch Base with Your Team Weekly

Make time for your people, whether you run a remote business or work in an office, set aside time each week to talk to your people one-on-one. It's non-negotiable. When there's an open line of communication between staff members, work gets done. Don't believe me? A study by Gallup found that 26 percent of employees said feedback from their leaders helps them to do a better job.((Gallup: Re-Engineering Performance Management)) Your people want to feel trusted. They want to take ownership of their work, but they also need to know that when they have a question, they can reach out and get answers. If you're unwilling to make yourself available, your team will quickly become unmotivated, work will stagnate, and your business will stop growing. So block off time on your calendar each week to touch base with your people, even if only to let them know that what they're working on matters.

5. Give Them the Tools They Need to Do Their Jobs Well

Imagine trying to run your business without electricity. How would you contact your clients? What would happen when your phone or computer battery died? Technology is super critical to the success of your businesses. It allows you to work more efficiently, to be more productive, and to handle matters on-the-go. That's why you need to give your people tools that will make their jobs easier. Make sure their equipment is in good working condition. There's nothing more frustrating than a laptop that takes ages to boot up. It's got to go. Replace outdated software with new software. Don't make your designer work in Coreldraw; give them access to the most up-to-date version of Adobe Creative Suite. Take it a step further and buy them a subscription to Shutterstock or Getty Images. Make working for you a pleasure, not a pain; and watch your employees' motivation levels rise.

6. Provide Opportunities to Learn and Upskill

Would you believe me if I told you that 33 percent of people cite boredom and a need for new challenges as the top reason for leaving their job?((Korn Ferry: Breaking Boredom: Job Seekers Jumping Ship for New Challenges in 2018, According to Korn Ferry Survey)) If you want to retain your talent, you need to upskill. Thanks to technology, we live in a rapidly evolving world that demands we change with it. A copywriter is no longer just a writer; they now need to be experts in SEO, Google Adwords, CRMs, and so much more. A pastry chef needs to be a food stylist, photographer, and social media manager. An entrepreneur needs to be a marketer—or at least take ownership of the marketing message for their business—if they hope to scale. Technology makes all of this possible. No matter your location, your people can continuously expand their knowledge and gain new skill sets—something that's highly motivating to employees. They want to know that there are opportunities to grow and develop themselves. If you won't invest in your people, then your business becomes just another job to tide them over until they find where they truly belong. So be the company that sees value in developing its people.

7. Monitor Their Workload

Overworked employees tend to be unproductive and unhappy. Your people cannot be at full capacity every day, month to month. Something's got to give. They'll become deflated and their work will eventually suffer, which will negatively impact your business. What I like to do is implement a traffic light system. It helps me to keep a finger on the pulse of my business. So there's red, yellow, and green:

• Red means they're fully loaded.
• Yellow means they're busy, but they can potentially take on more.
• Green means they haven't got enough to do.

I use this traffic light system because I don't want my team members to be stressed out of their brains all the time. If they are, they won't make good decisions and they won't do good work. If my people are regularly overloaded, I have things to think about. Perhaps I need to hire a new person to help ease the load or take a closer look at what projects are good to go, and which can take a back seat. And this is why #4 is essential. If I'm regularly engaging with my people, I'll know that while they're coping with their workload, it is impacting their performance and health, and I'll take action.

The Bottom Line

A motivated team is an asset to any business. These people never give up. They get excited about coming to work each day and can't wait to test a new theory or tackle a particularly tricky challenge. They're proud of the work they do. And more importantly, they have no reason to leave. Wouldn’t you rather be part of their success story than the business that drove them away?

More About Employees' Motivation

• How the Productivity Formula Can Motivate Employees to Work Efficiently
• If You Want an Invincible Team, Make Them Feel Safe
• Tips for Increasing Employee Motivation
• How to Motivate Employees and Boost Team Productivity

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Projected doubling of Americans living with dementia

The number of Americans living with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias will double to nearly 13 million over the next 20 years, according to the new report.

from Healthy Aging News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/330FVyU

Cognitive screen paired with odor identification predicts lack of transition to dementia

A new study has found that performing well on two brief tests measuring cognitive ability and ability to identify odors indicates very low risk for Alzheimer's. We know that these tests can help predict the risk of developing dementia, but didn't know if they could help rule out those unlikely to develop Alzheimer's.

from Healthy Aging News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2NjUaIs

High rates of dementia, Alzheimer's observed among older people with Down syndrome

A study of Wisconsin Medicaid enrollees with Down syndrome has found that more than half of those ages 55 and older have filed at least three claims for dementia and nearly a third have filed at least three claims for Alzheimer's disease.

from Healthy Aging News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/36n7MeS

One avocado a day helps lower 'bad' cholesterol for heart healthy benefits

New research suggests that eating one avocado a day may help keep 'bad cholesterol' at bay. According to the researchers, bad cholesterol can refer to both oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and small, dense LDL particles.

from Vegetarian News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2BV4yAZ

Mentally ill die many years earlier than others

New research confirms that people with mental disorders have an increased risk of premature mortality. When compared to the general population, average life expectancy is respectively 10 and 7 years shorter for men and women with mental disorders.

from Healthy Aging News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/31Is8vn

Breakthrough in understanding rare genetic skin condition

A breakthrough has been made in understanding a rare genetic skin disease that causes progressively enlarging skin tumors over the scalp, face and body.

from Skin Care News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/362OA5I

MRI may help doctors differentiate causes of memory loss

A new study finds that, with the use of MRI scans, it is possible to distinguish between memory loss caused by Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury.

from Healthy Aging News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/31Gx3Np

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with poor muscle function in adults aged 60+

New research shows that vitamin D deficiency is an important determinant of poor skeletal muscle function in adults aged 60 years and over. While resistance exercise is known to preserve muscle function, there is growing evidence that adequate vitamin D status may also be protective.

from Healthy Aging News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/340AkbN

Reduced food intake in old mice can no longer improve health

Reduced food intake helps both animals and humans to improve health in old age and can prolong life. But when do you have to change your diet to achieve this benefit in old age? Scientists have now shown that mice only become healthier if they start food reduction early and eat less before entering old age. The scientists conclude that healthy behavior must be established earlier in life in order to improve health in old age and extend lifespan.

from Healthy Aging News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2MHp8ew

Stressing cancer with spice

A new study reports how an experimental drug agent stops cancer cells from growing. A little over a decade ago, scientists first reported pentagamavumon-1 (PGV-1), an analogue of a molecule found in turmeric and that has been since discovered to have anti-cancer effects. In the new study, tests on cancer cells and animals reveal that these anti-cancer effects come from PGV-1 inhibiting a series of enzymes responsible for the metabolism of reactive oxygen species. This finding is expected to clarify how modifications to PGV-1 will lead to its use for cancer treatment.

from Alternative Medicine News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2p770BN

Pacifier biosensor could help monitor newborn health

Wearable biosensors that non-invasively monitor health and fitness are growing in popularity among adults. But adapting this technology for use with babies is difficult because the devices are often bulky or have rigid surfaces that could harm infants' delicate skin. Now researchers say they have developed a pacifier-based biosensor that tracks real-time glucose levels in saliva. It could ultimately help diagnose and treat diabetes in the smallest of patients.

from Skin Care News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/33SV0Th

With this new alpha-gel, the cream of all skin creams could be here

Mixtures called alpha-gels are thick, do not flow easily, and can hold much water. Therefore, many skincare products are based on them. A group of scientists from Japan has made an alpha-gel with a compound resembling a main component of the moisture-holding layer on our skin. The characteristics of this alpha-gel indicate that it will make possible environment-friendly and effective skincare products at low energy-costs.

from Skin Care News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/33UVCYw

Looking inside the body with indirect light

Scientists report an imaging technique that gives finer details of blood vessels in live patients in real time than current diagnostic machines used in the clinic. The technique depends on capturing and analyzing non-epipolar light, which carries scattering information useful for detailing objects under the skin's surface.

from Skin Care News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2oXKY4y

Greater understanding of Alzheimer's disease

Scientists have made an important discovery in understanding the role a particular protein plays to impair memory in Alzheimer's disease, which could lead to more effective treatment in future.

from Healthy Aging News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2qDP02p

In Alzheimer's research, scientists reveal brain rhythm role

In the years since her lab discovered that exposing Alzheimer's disease model mice to light flickering at the frequency of a key brain rhythm could stem the disorder's pathology, a neuroscientist and her team have been working to understand what the phenomenon may mean both for fighting the disease and understanding of how the brain works.

from Healthy Aging News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2W7Q0Y5

How to Complete Any Task in the Most Time Efficient Manner

It’s not just you: We’re all busier than we used to be. Whether you’re a working mom, a college student, or a small business owner, managing your time can be challenging. Between classes, meetings, doctor appointments, and kids’ after-school events, how does anyone find time for exercise or, heaven forbid, fun? We all get 24 hours in a day. So how do some people seem to breeze through their tasks while the rest of us flounder? They’ve learned how to be both time efficient and effective.

What Does it Mean to Be Time Efficient?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “efficient” as, “Capable of producing desired results with little or no waste (as of time or material).”((Merriam-Webster dictionary: Efficient)) But what does it mean to actually be efficient in how you spend your days? To me, “efficiency” means negotiating each day’s circumstances while ensuring I have enough time for non-negotiables like sleep and self-care. This nuance is especially important for working professionals. Efficiency doesn’t always mean sitting down at a desk in the morning, whittling down a to-do list, and leaving the office by 5 p.m. Efficiency means doing your best despite internal and external factors, leaving ample time to take care of yourself. I start my work days by writing down my deliverables. Inevitably, though, I get roped into an unexpected meeting or investor call. Yes, I could stay up all night doing the work to hit my deadlines — but if I did, I’d be too tired the next day to get anything done. That’s being effective, not being efficient (we’ll talk more about that later). To be efficient, I might divide the work with a colleague, or complete half the assignment and request an extension. When you’re juggling work, parenthood, and a social life, you have to continuously optimize your days and hold yourself accountable. But of course, you still have to be effective as well.

Effective vs. Efficient: What’s the Difference?

There’s a fine line between what it means to be effective and efficient. Let’s start with the dictionary definition: “Effective” means “producing a decided, decisive, or desired effect.”((Merriam-Webster dictionary: Effective)) Put simply, being effective is about accomplishing a specific result; being efficient means accomplishing that result without wasting time or effort. In theory, you have to be efficient in order to be effective, but that’s not always the case. Look at it this way: You have a task to complete that should take you an hour. But between distractions like the internet and office chatter, that task winds up taking you four hours. You accomplished your end goal, but you didn’t exactly do so efficiently. If you think about it, we’re all “effective” in one way or another. If you have a job that keeps a roof over your head and food on your table, it means you’re effective enough at work to get a monthly paycheck. But your paycheck probably doesn’t reflect how much time you spend on social media each pay period. The exception is entrepreneurs and freelancers. To make more money, people who own a business need to be not only effective, but efficient. So how do they do it?

6 Ways to Be Both Efficient and Effective

Effectiveness is a byproduct of efficiency. Although it’s safe to say that most entrepreneurs are efficient, it’s a skill that takes practice. Even if you aren’t trying to run a profitable business, you can still benefit by operating the way successful business leaders do:

1. Set Measurable Goals

Although every entrepreneur has his or her own method, productivity experts suggest setting SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-dependent goals promote both efficiency and effectiveness -- not only can they be realistically achieved, but progress toward them can be quantitatively checked.((Calendar: How to Set Business Goals You’ll Actually Reach)) Say you want to bring in $100,000 per quarter. You might set weekly milestones of $8,000, making the goal more manageable and giving you a cushion in case you fall short one week. Setting goals helps you be efficient because it focuses your energies on what you want. That, in turn, improves your ability to achieve those goals. And if you’re a leader, you set the example for how your employees can get more done, too.

2. Communicate on Your Terms

Whether it’s meal-planning or product development, most projects take a team. But that doesn’t mean you have to refresh your email every five minutes for updates. Working professionals waste an average of 21 minutes per day simply over-checking their inboxes.((Harvard Business Review: How to Spend Way Less Time on Email Every Day)) Over four work weeks, that’s nearly 7 hours a month you could claw back. Entrepreneurs, in particular, need to be careful with email. Investor messages might merit a quick response, for example. Does it actually matter how quickly you read that employee-welcome email you were copied on, though? If an employee needs something immediately, ask that they call you or stop by your office in person. Dedicate one or two hours per week to combing through your full inbox to ensure you don’t miss something crucial.

3. Default to Trust

Even if you aren’t working with a team, you still depend on others. When my wife and I added a laundry room upstairs in our home, I had to trust that the contractors I’d hired to do their jobs. I had to trust my wife to answer all those “Where do you want it?” questions that inevitably came up. If I hadn’t defaulted to trust, I would’ve slowed the project down and perhaps even scrapped it completely. Learn to trust others the same way you would your romantic partner. Be clear about your intentions. Make sure your actions match your words, and assume others’ do as well. Be sincere in how you communicate. Most importantly, accept that others are their own people. Not everyone works or communicates in the same way, and that’s okay. That doesn’t mean they’re failing you or attempting to undermine your efforts.

4. Take Regular Breaks

The more time you spend on a project, the faster you accomplish it, right? Not necessary. Research suggests that the most productive workers actually take the most breaks. A study by the Draugiem Group showed that the ideal work rhythm is actually 52 minutes followed by a 17-minute break.((Inc: For the Most Productive Workday, Science Says Make Sure to Do This)) Although the study didn’t look at other types of work, it’s a fair bet that breaks promote efficiency across the board. Set a timer to remind you once an hour to take a break. If shorter intervals are more appropriate for your task, try the Pomodoro Method. Work for 25 minutes, then do something else for the following five. Not only will you get more done, but you’ll be less stressed to boot.

5. Use Your Resources

Not long ago, I had to cut down some trees in my yard to protect my house. I could have pulled out the bow saw and spent the next hour slowly slicing my way through the trunk, but I didn’t. Why not? Because I had a chainsaw sitting in the garage. Once I fired it up, the tree work took about ten minutes. Take the same approach at work. If you need to transfer information between multiple browser windows on your computer, you could constantly click back and forth between multiple tabs. Or you could hook up the spare monitor sitting in storage, which would help you work quicker and make fewer errors.

6. Know When to Say ‘No’

Small projects have a bad habit of ballooning into bigger ones. If all you set out to do is mow your yard, stick to that. Don’t tell yourself (or let anyone else tell you) that you also have to trim the bushes and pull weeds. Get done what you want, and move on. That’s being effective as well as efficient. What if it’s a work project? You may not be able to say “no” directly to your boss, but you can suggest alternatives. If you’re worried a task is a waste of time, throw out a different idea. If you truly don’t have time on your calendar, ask your him or her to help you prioritize your project list. Get it right, and your boss may thank you for saving company time. Having a full understanding of time management is key to knowing when to say “no” and when something could make sense for a time investment.

Bottom Line

Planning is key. Whether you’re an entrepreneur like me or a stay-at-home dad, you’ve got a job to do. The work itself may differ, but the value of being efficient and effective does not. If you want to succeed — and have time for yourself to spare — think before you grind the day away. Working wisely is better than working hard. Learning to trust others is more important than the outcome looking exactly like what you had in mind. Efficiency and effectiveness may differ definitionally, but both boil down to two things: having a plan and pivoting as needed.

More About Time Management

• 20 Quick Time Management Tips to Super Boost Your Productivity
• 10 Practical Ways to Improve Your Time Management Skills
• How to Be Productive at Work: 9 Ground Rules

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Dementia patients' adult kids diagnosed earlier than their parents

A new study indicates that people with dementia -- whose parents also had dementia -- develop symptoms an average of six years earlier than their parents.

from Healthy Aging News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2MEDYCu

Wake-up call: Cellular sleep isn't as harmless as once thought

New research into the mechanics of cellular sleep and shutdown could shed light on the aging process and how to potentially intervene.

from Healthy Aging News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2WaE6wH

Combination of more hospitalizations and brain pathologies linked to faster cognitive decline

Older people who experienced more hospitalizations and also had more Alzheimer's pathology in their brain experienced the fastest rates of cognitive decline, according to a new study.

from Healthy Aging News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/31Bg7bg

A blood factor involved in weight loss and aging

Aging can be delayed through lifestyle changes (physical exercise, restricting calorie intake, etc.). Researchers have elucidated the properties of a molecule in the blood - GDF11 - whose mechanisms were previously unknown. In a mouse model, they showed that this molecule could mimic the benefits of certain calorie restrictions - dietary regimens that have proven their efficacy in reducing cardiovascular disease, preventing cancer and increasing neurogenesis in the brain.

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8 Reasons Why You’re Unhappy at Work (And What to Do)

Work isn't great right now. Do you remember when you were so excited to get this job? But now, the excitement of change and accomplishment has worn off, and you find yourself in a general state of unhappiness at work... Why are you really unhappy at work? There are plenty of reasons to be unhappy in your job role and it is easy to place blame on other people or things out of your control. What is the real reason, underneath your excuses and the feeling of just knowing you aren't happy? And why don't you just quit? That is always the go to move, isn't it? You don't like your job, quit it and find another. But after a few jobs, you find that the problem isn't the job, it is like no matter what dream job you get, you end up back here. Unhappy. Even if this job was your dream before, the crushing reality that it is not all you thought it would be is setting in. And in reality, not all of us can just quit our jobs and flit off and get their dream job, we have lives and responsibilities. So I compiled a helpful list of all the top 8 reasons people are unhappy at work and what to do about it to help you move forward towards a happier life in your current job role.

1. You Hate Your Boss

Your boss, thou who decides thy fate doth hath the uncanny ability to rub you up the wrong way. Not everyone likes their boss, we all dream of this perfect boss who doesn't micro manage and isn't incompetent. But nobody is perfect, not even your dream boss. Your boss controls your work environment, they organize work, define your job role and is your support network and back up if you reach a problem. If you have an issue with your boss, it's time to take some responsibility and do something about it. You are not responsible for your boss' behavior but you can control your reactions, actions and attitude moving forward. If you walk into the office every day committing to hate your boss, there is no room for growth or amending fences. You need to decide to find a way to make this work, here are the 3 things you can do to help you take control of your happiness at work:

• Discuss your issues with your boss and find a way you can both work together. Team up and create a plan so that you can both work and not vex each other.
• Improve your communication skills with them. We all communicate in different ways, you need to find a way to see eye to eye. Find out how they communicate and learn to communicate in that way so that they will respond to you better because they feel heard and understood.
• Step up. If you can't reason with your boss and they keep shutting you down, find a way to work around them so you don't have to rely on them. Take on more responsibility.

2. You Hate Your Co-Workers

We ALL have co-workers we do not like, they drive us up the wall in ways you couldn't even imagine. Your happiness is dependent on your environment and, if you spend 40+ hours of your week in an environment that doesn't make you happy, you will be unhappy. Co-workers play a huge part in this, as social creatures, we crave social interaction and we are forced to socialize with our co workers simply by proximity. If we are surrounded by negative people who don't make us feel good about ourselves, unhappiness and a drop in self confidence follows. What can we do about this? We have two options when dealing with annoying co workers:

• Change your attitude about them. Realize that the things your co-workers are doing that annoy you are just reflections of your own inner judgement. For example, Brenda from accounting tells lots of white lies and it drives you mad because you hate lying. That is an issue with your experiences with lying and not something you can control. You can't control their actions (the white lies) but you can control your reactions (your very obvious eye roll and comment). Instead of responding negatively to them, change the narrative to a more positive judgement and release the negative one. Re-write who you think they are and see the other side of the picture. So when Brenda tells a small white lie, think about how she does it to make someone else feel better, even if she doesn't believe it herself, she's compassionate and focus on the good.
• Avoid them. Some people are just incompatible, it can't be helped and if you can't change them or accept them for who they are, simply avoid them at all costs. Requests to move desks if you have too, find a way to not be around them if they are causing you this much pain and stress.

3. Your Job Isn't Fun or Rewarding

Your job isn't always going to be fun and games; and when it no longer becomes rewarding, you are going to feel unhappy. Human beings thrive on rewards and entertainment and we love competition. By making your work environment fun and rewarding, you will start to enjoy going to work. How can you make your job more fun and rewarding?

• You can try creating games for yourself to play, friendly competitions with your co workers (if you like them!)
• Create a rewards system so if you hit a target or goal, you get a coffee from Starbucks or another small treat. An example of this would be, if you close 3 files by 5pm, you get to have a cocoa nib; or if you win today's sales target, you get to have the victory trophy on your desk for the day.

4. You Don't Believe in the Work That You Are Doing

This one is one of the core reasons you're unhappy in a job role; you are living out of alignment of your core values. If your job role doesn't match up with your core values, then you will be miserable. If you value helping people and you work in program coding, you will struggle to be happy, unlike someone whose values problem solving. It isn't impossible to enjoy your job if your values don't align with your work. You could reason that by doing program coding, you are helping someone, be it your co-workers or the people who will eventually use your project. You can always flip your perspective. Learn what your core values are and find a way for them to align with your job role, in doing so changing the motivation that drives you to do your work. For example, to help people or to problem solve. And if you can't, maybe it is time to start to consider a career change into a job you have always wanted to do secretly, deep down.

5. You Feel Stagnant in Your Job Role and You Are Bored

Your job isn't going anywhere and you feel like you are wasting your time on this earth, feeling utterly unfulfilled. We love being safe and secure but we also love progression, we get bored of the same ol' same old, we want new challenges and things to do. If you are just pushing through papers, day in day out, you will become unhappy so what can you do about it?

• Apply for a promotion or ask for new challenges from your boss.
• Mix up your attitude, find ways to make it more fun and exciting.
• Shop around for a promotion at another firm.

6. You Are Underpaid

You feel underpaid for the work that you are doing and it is making you feel unhappy because all the hard work you are putting in isn't being appreciated enough. If it was, you wouldn't feel underpaid. Let's ask the hard question, are you really being underpaid? Or do you just feel unappreciated or overworked? Maybe it is because you have taken on additional responsibilities and you feel like you aren't being rewarded accordingly. People who are unhappy because they feel underpaid are stressed about money, they are working hard and it is going unnoticed and unappreciated. The key component at play here is stress. Increasing bills and expenses in their personal life, general life stresses, more and more work is coming in and it is being unrewarded and you feel like you need a reward for handling all this stress. And you do, but you have been purchasing stress relief for a while and you need more money to pay for more stress relief, as more stresses get dropped into your inbox each day. If you feel underpaid, it is because you don't love your work and it's is not worth the amount of stress for your salary. Have you heard that famous quote:

Working for something you don't care about is called Stress. Working for something you do care about is called Passion.

Here are things you can do to spark happiness when you are feeling underpaid

• Reignite your passion with your work, find meaning in it and see the results that you are creating. Every day you come in and you make a difference somehow, start to see how it's affecting other people, and start to appreciate yourself for doing it.
• Ask for a raise. Simple but often never done option.
• If you are being underpaid and if there is no room for a raise (and you have asked), then I suggest finding ways to reduce your stress levels. Trying things like guided meditations, exercise or stress relieving hobbies can reduce the feeling of being undervalued because your life is suddenly so much more than just working for money.

7. You Are Overwhelmingly Overworked

We all get burnt out from work sometimes as work comes in flows of business. And at some point, you crack and the pressure and stress gets to be a little too much; especially since you have sacrificed your personal life just to try and keep on top of this ever increasing workload. If you feel overworked, you need to learn some self-care so you can keep on top of the burnout:

• Stop helping out unnecessarily, at least until you feel under worked. Start saying no to anything that isn't vitally important.
• Find a way to automate or reduce your workload. Delegate, hire new staff, get programs into to automate parts of your job role.
• Keep on top of your mental health, make sure you are doing the necessary things to keep it in check, whatever your process is (or find a process and implement it).
• Set boundaries. Work shouldn't be your life, if you say you are clocking off at 6, you clock off at 6. Set hard boundaries because this technologically advancing modern world will push them. If you finish work, don't check your emails, leave the office, go do something recreational to help you relax and rest, I advise going on a walk to let your head relax.

8. You Are Feeling Really Unappreciated at Work

One of the core driving elements in humans is our need for recognition and if it goes un appeased, you will feel unhappy. You can try and force appreciation out of your co-workers and bosses, like a child with their 10th crayon drawing sticking it under their parents noses and gladly proclaiming what they have done. But that is never as satisfying as it seems and the validation received is not authentic enough, it feels hollow and empty. So what can you do about it since you cannot control anyone expression appreciation of your hard work? Be the change you want to see in the office. Create an initiative to show everyone else they are appreciated, I bet that half of your office feel unappreciated. Start a culture of appreciation and gratitude, start thanking people and noticing their hard work. Go out of your way to make someone else feel appreciated, the more you do it, the better your environment will become. With all things, Expectation equals Manifestation. If you treat everyone with appreciation and make an effort, they will most certainly make an effort to appreciate you back. Someone just has to start the chain, why shouldn't it be you? All of these issues can also be resolved by you quitting your job and finding a greener field. Sometimes your job just sucks, your boss is just unworkable, no matter how positive you are, people are always unappreciative and negative and you really are underpaid.

What If You Hate Your Job But Can't Quit?

There is a difference between being unhappy in your job role and hating your job which makes it much harder when you want to quit and you can't. Not everyone can just quit their job whenever they feel like it, even with some savings hidden away, you have bills to pay, a social life to maintain (when you can get one!) and people who rely on you. But you HATE your job, you wake up in the morning and you really wish you could wake up as somebody else in an alternate timeline. Here are our top 3 things to do when you really hate your job and can't quit.

1. Change departments or job roles within the business. Shop around, see if there is another role that would be more suited to you or that you would actually find more interesting.
2. Change your attitude. You attitude controls your reality, if you wake up and decide that you hate work, you are not going to have a good day. Change your mindset from negative to gratitude. Make a list of all the reasons you are grateful for your job, it may take a while, but the more reasons you find the be grateful, the easier it is going to work will become.
3. Apply for other jobs, there is nothing stopping you from quitting your job if you have another solid job lined up and if it's making you THAT miserable. No amount of money is worth the struggle to your mental health.

Final Thoughts

Remember that happiness is completely within your control. How you handle outside influences trying to wreak havoc on your happiness by putting you down and making you feel unworthy is completely up to you. You can't always let every comment bounce off you like water off a duck's back, but you can control the environment you are in, the attitude in which you face adversity, and you control what you think. Make an effort to learn to see things in another way because even if you quit and go to a greener grass, not everything will always be "perfect".

More About Leading a Fulfiling Career

• How to Have a Successful Career and a Fulfilling Personal Life
• How to Know if You Need a Career Change Now
• What to Do When You Hate Your Job but Want a Successful Career

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8 Reasons Why You’re Unhappy at Work (And What to Do)

Work isn't great right now. Do you remember when you were so excited to get this job? But now, the excitement of change and accomplishment has worn off, and you find yourself in a general state of unhappiness at work... Why are you really unhappy at work? There are plenty of reasons to be unhappy in your job role and it is easy to place blame on other people or things out of your control. What is the real reason, underneath your excuses and the feeling of just knowing you aren't happy? And why don't you just quit? That is always the go to move, isn't it? You don't like your job, quit it and find another. But after a few jobs, you find that the problem isn't the job, it is like no matter what dream job you get, you end up back here. Unhappy. Even if this job was your dream before, the crushing reality that it is not all you thought it would be is setting in. And in reality, not all of us can just quit our jobs and flit off and get their dream job, we have lives and responsibilities. So I compiled a helpful list of all the top 8 reasons people are unhappy at work and what to do about it to help you move forward towards a happier life in your current job role.

1. You Hate Your Boss

Your boss, thou who decides thy fate doth hath the uncanny ability to rub you up the wrong way. Not everyone likes their boss, we all dream of this perfect boss who doesn't micro manage and isn't incompetent. But nobody is perfect, not even your dream boss. Your boss controls your work environment, they organize work, define your job role and is your support network and back up if you reach a problem. If you have an issue with your boss, it's time to take some responsibility and do something about it. You are not responsible for your boss' behavior but you can control your reactions, actions and attitude moving forward. If you walk into the office every day committing to hate your boss, there is no room for growth or amending fences. You need to decide to find a way to make this work, here are the 3 things you can do to help you take control of your happiness at work:

• Discuss your issues with your boss and find a way you can both work together. Team up and create a plan so that you can both work and not vex each other.
• Improve your communication skills with them. We all communicate in different ways, you need to find a way to see eye to eye. Find out how they communicate and learn to communicate in that way so that they will respond to you better because they feel heard and understood.
• Step up. If you can't reason with your boss and they keep shutting you down, find a way to work around them so you don't have to rely on them. Take on more responsibility.

2. You Hate Your Co-Workers

We ALL have co-workers we do not like, they drive us up the wall in ways you couldn't even imagine. Your happiness is dependent on your environment and, if you spend 40+ hours of your week in an environment that doesn't make you happy, you will be unhappy. Co-workers play a huge part in this, as social creatures, we crave social interaction and we are forced to socialize with our co workers simply by proximity. If we are surrounded by negative people who don't make us feel good about ourselves, unhappiness and a drop in self confidence follows. What can we do about this? We have two options when dealing with annoying co workers:

• Change your attitude about them. Realize that the things your co-workers are doing that annoy you are just reflections of your own inner judgement. For example, Brenda from accounting tells lots of white lies and it drives you mad because you hate lying. That is an issue with your experiences with lying and not something you can control. You can't control their actions (the white lies) but you can control your reactions (your very obvious eye roll and comment). Instead of responding negatively to them, change the narrative to a more positive judgement and release the negative one. Re-write who you think they are and see the other side of the picture. So when Brenda tells a small white lie, think about how she does it to make someone else feel better, even if she doesn't believe it herself, she's compassionate and focus on the good.
• Avoid them. Some people are just incompatible, it can't be helped and if you can't change them or accept them for who they are, simply avoid them at all costs. Requests to move desks if you have too, find a way to not be around them if they are causing you this much pain and stress.

3. Your Job Isn't Fun or Rewarding

Your job isn't always going to be fun and games; and when it no longer becomes rewarding, you are going to feel unhappy. Human beings thrive on rewards and entertainment and we love competition. By making your work environment fun and rewarding, you will start to enjoy going to work. How can you make your job more fun and rewarding?

• You can try creating games for yourself to play, friendly competitions with your co workers (if you like them!)
• Create a rewards system so if you hit a target or goal, you get a coffee from Starbucks or another small treat. An example of this would be, if you close 3 files by 5pm, you get to have a cocoa nib; or if you win today's sales target, you get to have the victory trophy on your desk for the day.

4. You Don't Believe in the Work That You Are Doing

This one is one of the core reasons you're unhappy in a job role; you are living out of alignment of your core values. If your job role doesn't match up with your core values, then you will be miserable. If you value helping people and you work in program coding, you will struggle to be happy, unlike someone whose values problem solving. It isn't impossible to enjoy your job if your values don't align with your work. You could reason that by doing program coding, you are helping someone, be it your co-workers or the people who will eventually use your project. You can always flip your perspective. Learn what your core values are and find a way for them to align with your job role, in doing so changing the motivation that drives you to do your work. For example, to help people or to problem solve. And if you can't, maybe it is time to start to consider a career change into a job you have always wanted to do secretly, deep down.

5. You Feel Stagnant in Your Job Role and You Are Bored

Your job isn't going anywhere and you feel like you are wasting your time on this earth, feeling utterly unfulfilled. We love being safe and secure but we also love progression, we get bored of the same ol' same old, we want new challenges and things to do. If you are just pushing through papers, day in day out, you will become unhappy so what can you do about it?

• Apply for a promotion or ask for new challenges from your boss.
• Mix up your attitude, find ways to make it more fun and exciting.
• Shop around for a promotion at another firm.

6. You Are Underpaid

You feel underpaid for the work that you are doing and it is making you feel unhappy because all the hard work you are putting in isn't being appreciated enough. If it was, you wouldn't feel underpaid. Let's ask the hard question, are you really being underpaid? Or do you just feel unappreciated or overworked? Maybe it is because you have taken on additional responsibilities and you feel like you aren't being rewarded accordingly. People who are unhappy because they feel underpaid are stressed about money, they are working hard and it is going unnoticed and unappreciated. The key component at play here is stress. Increasing bills and expenses in their personal life, general life stresses, more and more work is coming in and it is being unrewarded and you feel like you need a reward for handling all this stress. And you do, but you have been purchasing stress relief for a while and you need more money to pay for more stress relief, as more stresses get dropped into your inbox each day. If you feel underpaid, it is because you don't love your work and it's is not worth the amount of stress for your salary. Have you heard that famous quote:

Working for something you don't care about is called Stress. Working for something you do care about is called Passion.

Here are things you can do to spark happiness when you are feeling underpaid

• Reignite your passion with your work, find meaning in it and see the results that you are creating. Every day you come in and you make a difference somehow, start to see how it's affecting other people, and start to appreciate yourself for doing it.
• Ask for a raise. Simple but often never done option.
• If you are being underpaid and if there is no room for a raise (and you have asked), then I suggest finding ways to reduce your stress levels. Trying things like guided meditations, exercise or stress relieving hobbies can reduce the feeling of being undervalued because your life is suddenly so much more than just working for money.

7. You Are Overwhelmingly Overworked

We all get burnt out from work sometimes as work comes in flows of business. And at some point, you crack and the pressure and stress gets to be a little too much; especially since you have sacrificed your personal life just to try and keep on top of this ever increasing workload. If you feel overworked, you need to learn some self-care so you can keep on top of the burnout:

• Stop helping out unnecessarily, at least until you feel under worked. Start saying no to anything that isn't vitally important.
• Find a way to automate or reduce your workload. Delegate, hire new staff, get programs into to automate parts of your job role.
• Keep on top of your mental health, make sure you are doing the necessary things to keep it in check, whatever your process is (or find a process and implement it).
• Set boundaries. Work shouldn't be your life, if you say you are clocking off at 6, you clock off at 6. Set hard boundaries because this technologically advancing modern world will push them. If you finish work, don't check your emails, leave the office, go do something recreational to help you relax and rest, I advise going on a walk to let your head relax.

8. You Are Feeling Really Unappreciated at Work

One of the core driving elements in humans is our need for recognition and if it goes un appeased, you will feel unhappy. You can try and force appreciation out of your co-workers and bosses, like a child with their 10th crayon drawing sticking it under their parents noses and gladly proclaiming what they have done. But that is never as satisfying as it seems and the validation received is not authentic enough, it feels hollow and empty. So what can you do about it since you cannot control anyone expression appreciation of your hard work? Be the change you want to see in the office. Create an initiative to show everyone else they are appreciated, I bet that half of your office feel unappreciated. Start a culture of appreciation and gratitude, start thanking people and noticing their hard work. Go out of your way to make someone else feel appreciated, the more you do it, the better your environment will become. With all things, Expectation equals Manifestation. If you treat everyone with appreciation and make an effort, they will most certainly make an effort to appreciate you back. Someone just has to start the chain, why shouldn't it be you? All of these issues can also be resolved by you quitting your job and finding a greener field. Sometimes your job just sucks, your boss is just unworkable, no matter how positive you are, people are always unappreciative and negative and you really are underpaid.

What If You Hate Your Job But Can't Quit?

There is a difference between being unhappy in your job role and hating your job which makes it much harder when you want to quit and you can't. Not everyone can just quit their job whenever they feel like it, even with some savings hidden away, you have bills to pay, a social life to maintain (when you can get one!) and people who rely on you. But you HATE your job, you wake up in the morning and you really wish you could wake up as somebody else in an alternate timeline. Here are our top 3 things to do when you really hate your job and can't quit.

1. Change departments or job roles within the business. Shop around, see if there is another role that would be more suited to you or that you would actually find more interesting.
2. Change your attitude. You attitude controls your reality, if you wake up and decide that you hate work, you are not going to have a good day. Change your mindset from negative to gratitude. Make a list of all the reasons you are grateful for your job, it may take a while, but the more reasons you find the be grateful, the easier it is going to work will become.
3. Apply for other jobs, there is nothing stopping you from quitting your job if you have another solid job lined up and if it's making you THAT miserable. No amount of money is worth the struggle to your mental health.

Final Thoughts

Remember that happiness is completely within your control. How you handle outside influences trying to wreak havoc on your happiness by putting you down and making you feel unworthy is completely up to you. You can't always let every comment bounce off you like water off a duck's back, but you can control the environment you are in, the attitude in which you face adversity, and you control what you think. Make an effort to learn to see things in another way because even if you quit and go to a greener grass, not everything will always be "perfect".

More About Leading a Fulfiling Career

• How to Have a Successful Career and a Fulfilling Personal Life
• How to Know if You Need a Career Change Now
• What to Do When You Hate Your Job but Want a Successful Career

from Lifehack - Feed https://ift.tt/2BxLCZd

9 Efficient Learning Habits of Smart Learners

Whether you are learning a new instrument, language, or from a course, you can always learn in a better way. With the learning community growing constantly, there is always research and studies that have talked about certain habits; specifically habits that promote a smarter and efficient learning atmosphere. In fact, the habits I'll bring up are so effective, most schools don't talk about them. This post will explore why that's the case and how you can integrate these learning habits in your life.

What Is Considered To Be Efficient Learning?

Before getting to the techniques, first it's best to understand what efficient learning is. In short, efficient learning is a blanket term that applies to widespread techniques. There's no one method of learning efficiently that is above everything. It's any technique you can think of that smoothes out the learning process and makes retaining the information easier. For example, one technique that Inc. recommended was the idea of spreading out learning. Research uncovered that if you want the information to stick, then try out "distributed practice."((Psy Blog: The Very Best Learning Method Is Not Taught To Students Or Teachers)) The idea behind it is to study briefly, take a break, and then study again. These intense bursts of learning over a long period of time are similar to other techniques I recommended in the past. As such, they are highly effective in any field. Some other examples can be self-directed learning, leveraging a memory palace, and more. As you can see, these techniques make studying and learning easier than it otherwise would be. But that raises a key question I hinted at above: If they're so effective and highly regarded, why haven't schools adopted these strategies? Kent State's John Dunlosky commented about it once and shed some light on the problem:

"These strategies are largely overlooked in the educational psychology textbooks that beginning teachers read, so they don't get a good introduction to them or how to use them while teaching."

You also have regulations. In the United States, there is a Federal Curriculum (FC) that teachers must structure their courses around. As you are no doubt aware, the FC is not up to date with current learning strategies. That being said, it doesn't mean you can't apply these techniques in your everyday life. Whether you are going to school or not, the methods below will help you to better grasp efficient learning and retain information better.

What Can You Do To Learn More Efficiently

There are all kinds of research studies out there talking about various methods. Below are some simple and ready to use strategies:

1. Eat and Avoid Certain Foods

Research has uncovered that there are certain foods that boost learning while others inhibit learning. The focus on these studies revolves around general brain function. For foods to avoid, a lot of it points to food that has refined sugar or is highly processed.((Harvard Health Publishing: Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food)) This also includes baked goods like doughnuts and cookies. However, there are other foods you might not have expected. Examples are margarine, fruit juice, or white bread. As for foods to actually eat, good brain food would be foods with Omega-3 fatty acids and folic acid.((Nat Rev Neurosci.: Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function)) What this means is you want to eat sardines, salmon, walnuts, broccoli, spinach, celery, avocados, and blueberries. As the study uncovered, eating these particular foods - in their raw or cooked state depending - will help you focus and have a better memory. These foods also reduce brain injury. All you need to do is eat the right foods around the time you are planning on studying. This also means avoiding the listed bad foods at any cost during that time, even after you finished studying.

2. Drink Water

Our brain is 73% water. So if you feel your brain isn't working right, it's likely you are dehydrated. Even a mild case of dehydration can inhibit your learning capabilities. One study found that when we feel thirsty, we experience a 10% decline in cognition.((Physiology.org: Effect of water deprivation on cognitive-motor performance in healthy men and women)) This might not seem like much but 10% can be a big difference. It can be the difference between grasping and processing information properly and misinterpreting it. So stay hydrated over the course of the day. And if you struggle remembering that, or any other information, bring a water bottle with you and sip on it during class. There are also all kinds of helpful apps and water bottles that help you to stay hydrated during the day too.

3. Sleep

While this one seems counter-productive, it really isn't. Harvard researchers found that dreaming may be used as a method to reactivate and reorganize material recently learned.((Harvard Health Publishing: Learning while you sleep: Dream or reality?)) This makes sense since so many other studies have mentioned that sleep is conducive to improving brain function in general. But don't think that you need a long sleep in order for this to work. One German study also found that even a 6-minute nap can help improve memory too.((BBC News: Six-minute nap 'may boost memory'))

4. Collaborative Learning

Teamwork provides all kinds of benefits. When you are in the right kind of group, studying and learning together can provide ample benefits. One study from Science Direct found that through this, students:((Science Direct: Benefits of collaborative learning))

• Improves both collaboration and communication skills;
• Were more engaged with other students and the topic;
• Had a deeper understanding of the subject;
• And had long-term retention benefits.

Of course, this technique can be hit or miss with some people. Some people don't always have the luxury of studying in a group. Some may prefer studying by themselves naturally. And there are benefits to studying alone. Take self-directed learning which is focused more on independent learning. That being said, studying in a group does have those benefits amongst finding motivation, and learning new perspectives. Who knows, you may be one conversation away from solving a problem that you've struggled with.

5. Remove Stress

No matter who you are, stress can be a massive impairment to learning and even recalling information. Most people have experienced the feeling during test time where they blank on an answer. That's likely due to stress at that moment. But even stress outside of testing situations is bad. One study looked at short term stress and how it would associate with brain-cell communication.((Science Daily: Short-term Stress Can Affect Learning And Memory)) It impaired it so much that individuals experienced those blank moments. What's worse is those stressful events occurred a few hours before tests or presentations. Because you want to avoid stress, you want to practice all kinds of techniques to reduce stress. Physical activity, breathing exercises, and meditating are all techniques that calm us and remove stress. Try these 7 Stress Management Techniques to Get Back on Track.

6. Listen To Music

In studying situations, you'd think you want a nice quiet area to curl up and study. In school, that's typically the library. However, there's been research that shows that a quiet place may not be the most ideal spot. In fact, one study from Stanford found listening to certain music to improve studying.((Stanford Medicine: Music moves brain to pay attention, Stanford study finds)) The study uncovered that music activated certain areas in the brain associated with making predictions and paying attention. It also made students more receptive to information.((Science Direct: Music during lectures: Will students learn better?)) Unfortunately, these studies do have a bit of a flaw. They used classical music. So it's hard to say what other types of music would be conducive for studying. Regardless, there are all kinds of calming and soothing music online. And there're also music for productivity: Productivity Music for Focus (Recommended Playlists). You're always just one search away from various music that's meant to help you learn. Try it out!

7. Avoid Multitasking

Over the years, we've grown used to doing multiple things at once. Texting, reading, and streaming media all at once for example. However, in a studying atmosphere that won't work. Trying to do multitasking is merely a distraction. It reduces our brain's ability to store new information and to properly process it.((informED: How Technology-Based Multitasking Impacts Learning)) After all, we are forcing our brain to jump from one task to a completely different one. To help with avoiding multitasking, find yourself a learning environment to help you not get distracted. A library, a café, or a room in your house or apartment that's away from other noise. And if you absolutely need your laptop, perhaps getting apps like ColdTurkey or Anti Social to block out pesky distractions.

8. Teach Someone Else (Or Think About It)

As one of the many old sayings go: "While we teach, we learn." That saying is true thanks in part to a study that was published in Memory and Cognition. The study found that students who taught - or even thought they had to teach - the material were efficient learning. The study found that those students spent more time thinking about how they would explain topics or concepts. This, in turn, improved their overall understanding and grasp of topics and theories. Even if you don't end up teaching someone, the mere thought you have to can help you to solidify topics.

9. Try Various Learning Techniques

The last efficient learning technique I'd suggest is to learn using various strategies. Not necessarily these techniques but other forms of learning. Are you someone who learns from a book or needs visual aids? Try learning by listening to speeches, or podcasts. Do you study alone most times? Consider forming a study group and collaborating with people. Each study method is good in its own way. But the thing with these study methods is they activate certain parts of your brain. They also store that information in those particular parts. So by having information spread out throughout various sections of your brain, the more interconnected the information is.

Bottom Line

At the core, efficient learning is a matter of retaining, recalling, and understanding a topic. Each person has their own tricks and tips that work for them and its a reason to explore. To explore new study methods. Who knows, maybe you'll find a better system to help you grasp topics like never before. That's the beauty of learning! There are no right or wrong answers for what method is best for you.

More About Learning

• 7 Most Important Cognitive Skills for Fast and Successful Learning
• Essential Learning Methods to Help You Learn Effectively
• How to Apply the Adult Learning Theory to Learn Faster

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