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Showing posts with label expertise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label expertise. Show all posts
Exercise Tips
See your doctor before you start any exercise program. Get a full physical to make sure everything's in working order, then find a personal trainer in your neighborhood and make an appointment with him or her for a consultation. Most trainers will give you a free consultation and help you figure out what your fitness level is, your body fat and circumference measurements, and the right way to start a program.
Start Slow! Many beginners make the mistake of doing too much when they first start out. If you haven't worked out in a while (or ever) start with a walking program of about 20 to 30 minutes, 3 days a week. Each session, add a few minutes to your workout to progress each week.
Write down your workouts every day, making notes about what you did, how you felt and how you improved since your last workout.
Schedule your workouts each week, just like you would a doctor's appointment.
Harass your best friend, spouse or significant other into working out with you!
Every day, ask yourself how you will make your life healthier. It can be as simple as drinking more water or parking farther away from the front door.
Reward yourself! Give yourself a massage when you reach your goals, or maybe some new workout clothes.
Set daily or weekly goals. Long term goals are great, but are so far away we often forget why we're working so hard. To stay motivated, write down a daily or weekly goal and then follow number 7 (rewarding yourself) if you reach it.
Prepare for your workout the night before by packing your gym bag or, if you work out at home, laying out your workout clothes so when you get home, you're ready to go.
Eat regularly throughout the day so you don't bonk during your workout.
Stress Management
HOW TO REDUCE, PREVENT, AND COPE WITH STRESS
It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about your stress level. The bills aren’t going to stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day for all your errands, and your career or family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have a lot more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management.
Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun – plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.
Avoid unnecessary stress
Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.
Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.
Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.
Take control of your environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.
Avoid hot-button topics – If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.
Pare down your to-do list – Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.
Alter the situation
If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem doesn’t present itself in the future. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.
Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will likely remain the same.
Be willing to compromise. When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.
Be more assertive. Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. If you’ve got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes to talk.
Manage your time better. Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. But if you plan ahead and make sure you don’t overextend yourself, you can alter the amount of stress you’re under.
Adapt to the stressor
If you can’t change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.
Reframe problems. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time.
Look at the big picture. Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.
Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with “good enough.”
Focus on the positive. When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective.
Accept the things you can’t change
Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it’s easier than railing against a situation you can’t change.
Don’t try to control the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond our control— particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.
Look for the upside. As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.
Share your feelings. Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a therapist. Expressing what you’re going through can be very cathartic, even if there’s nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.
Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.
Make time for fun and relaxation
Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s stressors when they inevitably come.
Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.
Set aside relaxation time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.
Connect with others. Spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress.
Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.
Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.
Adopt a healthy lifestyle
You can increase your resistance to stress by strengthening your physical health.
Exercise regularly. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.
Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.
Reduce caffeine and sugar. The temporary "highs" caffeine and sugar provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better.
Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary. Don’t avoid or mask the issue at hand; deal with problems head on and with a clear mind.
Get enough sleep. Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.
Ways To Prevent Muscle Soreness
You've likely experienced it before. You have a really terrific workout session one day to wake up the next more and struggle to get out of bed. You're muscles scream out as you try and move to your feet - it may be almost enough to make you turn right around crawl back into the comfortable confines under your covers.
If this is something you are dealing with, take relief in knowing there are a few quick and relatively simple ways you can reduce the pain and soreness you are experiencing. Note though that if it is a sharp, more joint-related pain, you should likely speak with a doctor or professional just to make sure you haven't done any real damage.
If it is strictly muscle related however, and feels more like a deep ache when you push on the muscle or stretch it in a certain way, you can be sure that you've just overdone it at the gym and are in need of some good pampering.
1. Go For A Rubdown
You don't have to see a professional masseuse in order to relieve sore muscles. Even getting a loved one or a friend to massage the muscle will help to warm up the muscle and get the blood flowing to it faster. This will also help to increase the speed of the healing process so you can get back into the gym to train quicker. Even if you can't find someone else and are really stuck, try massaging the area yourself (provided of course you are able to do so). Press on the affected area with enough force that you can feel the muscles around the knot tensing but not so much that you are in extreme pain. After pressing for a good 20-30 seconds, release the pressure and rub the area, thinking of trying to 'rub' out the pain.
2. Ice Is Your Friend
Immediately after you feel soreness you should turn to an ice pack. This is the best method to instantly reduce the inflammation in the deep muscle tissue. If you don't have a good ice pack on hand, a frozen bag of peas or corn works perfectly as it is able to bend to the shape of your body. Use it for about 20 minutes every hour at maximum (generally try and do this frequently at the start of the injury and then decrease the frequency as time goes on and swelling is reduced).
3. Increase Your Intake Of Vitamin C
While you may be tempted to load up on aspirin or other over-the-counter pain medications, it may be in your best interest to take a good vitamin C supplement instead. About 500 milligrams of vitamin C has been shown to be a great way to prevent aches and pain, likely do to the antioxidant properties that vitamin C provides. To make this treatment work most effectively, take it both before and after your workout (taking more than 2000 mg/day is not recommended however)
4. Don't Neglect Post Workout Nutrition
Immediately after you workout your body is in the best position to utilize any carbohydrates or protein you give it. It needs the proteins to help repair and rebuild the muscle cells and the carbohydrates to provide your body with the energy to do so. Make sure to have a snack as soon as possible after you are out of the gym - one that combines carbohydrates and protein in about a 2:1 ratio (or if you just performed a very intense or longer duration session you may wish to go with a 3:1 ratio since you will need more carbohydrates to refill your muscles glycogen supply).
5. Never Forget To Warm-Up
Sometimes prevention is simply the best method to decreasing muscle soreness. In this case, you always want to make sure your body is thoroughly warmed up before performing intense exercise, particularly if you are working out first thing in the morning. Having the muscles warm and ready will make them contract faster and easier thus reducing the chances they need to over exert themselves when they are not fully prepared. Take 10 minutes at the start of your workout to perform some simple basic movements to get the blood flowing. Alternatively, another option is to take a hot shower right before your workout to increase your bodies' internal temperature.
So don't let muscle soreness stop you again. Doing one or more of the stated tips will help to greatly decrease the chances that you end up feeling weaker after your workout rather than stronger.
iPhone Photography Tips Part I: The Basics
Since upgrading to the Apple iPhone 4S several months ago, it has increasingly become my daily camera of choice. As it’s the device that I seem to have with me almost every minute of the day, I no longer have to kick myself for not having a way to capture an unexpected moment or scene. In this multi-part series, we’ll be discussing several photography tips for capturing surprisingly good images with the iPhone. Please note that these articles will be discussing photography tips for the iPhone 4S, Apple’s latest and current model, and its associated technologies and capabilities.
With a focus on simplicity and design, Apple products have long held an interest for graphic professionals from a range of specialties.
Their photo and video editing packages and the processing speeds of their Mac line of computing products can reduce the amount of workflow time for pro photographers and videographers drastically. So it was only a natural fit that this philosophy of pushing the boundaries of technology in the interest of the evolution of artistic capabilities would trickle down to handheld devices such as the iPhone line.
If you’re either new to the iPhone, or new to taking the iPhone seriously as acceptable device for capturing images when your DSLR isn’t handy, these photography tips will walk you through some of what can be done with the device, as well as what cannot be achieved with satisfactory results.
First things first…the gear.
The iPhone 4S camera is essentially an 8 megapixel point and shoot which will hold resolutions up to 8×10 inches in print. With an infrared filter and an f2.4 aperture, the quality of the optics surprisingly rivals many point and shoot options on the market. The device also uses an LED flash which can be set to auto or turned on and off as with any camera, and it can also be turned on for low-light video situations. The video capabilities of this small device are mind-blowing, as it can capture full 1080HD video, large enough to eat up the storage quickly even on the high-end model with 64GB of storage. Apple claims that the image signal processor used on the chip within the 4S is as powerful as any point and shoot on the market and as I’ve noticed no lag time with the shutter speed of the device, I believe this is clearly a true statement.
Getting into the basics…hold it steady!
One of the drawbacks to a device this small is its light weight. With a DSLR unit, the bulk of the camera is often enough that we can eliminate much of the motion which would blur our images simply by resting the weight of it in our hands. This is not the case with the iPhone 4S. At 4.9 ounces (140 grams), it can be very difficult to hold the phone steadily enough to eliminate motion. This was especially noticeable on a recent trip I took with my family to the beach, where even the light winds made shooting video a difficult task without inducing motion-sickness to viewers during playback on a large screen.
If you’re serious about toting your iPhone around as a viable alternative to packing your primary camera everywhere you go, think about getting a small travel tripod or monopod. After our trip to the beach, I picked up a Studio Neat Glif Tripod Mount for the phone, which is essentially a bracket that clips onto the device and ads a threaded tripod compatible mount. I also purchased the Joby GPM-D1EN Gorillapod, which I think is one of the absolute most brilliant pieces of gear that I now own. Between these two products, I can now place the camera in a steady enough location to reduce most motion blur.
Digital zoom…don’t even think about it!
As you would probably expect, the iPhone 4S (as well as older models) don’t have optical zoom capabilities due to their slim design and instead rely on digital zoom. If you’re not familiar with this term, essentially whereas optical zoom capabilities of telephoto lenses allow us to magnify our image using the glass within the lens, a lens that does not have this technology uses digital zoom which is not really “zoom” at all. It just enlarges a portion of the images that you select, which quickly degrades image quality. And it degrades it quite drastically.
Therefore, to produce acceptable close ups with the iPhone 4S, you’re left with two options. The first is very simple: just get closer to your subject. This will produce good image quality without relying on the digital zoom function. However, this is not always possible in every scenario. Manufacturers have started to address the lack of optical zoom capabilities within the iPhone by producing miniature telephoto lenses which are mounted to the device. While these are not even close to what you would mount to your DSLR in terms of optics quality and reach, they do a surprisingly good job for a mobile device. I picked up the telephoto lens from Photojojo and while it’s not ever going to win an award for the most durable product on the market, it claims up to an 8X zoom, which is the equivalent of around 200mm. I’m not precisely certain whether it reaches those actual numbers, but it does do the job in a pinch if you’re trying to capture an image of wildlife on the opposite side of a pond and it’s just not feasible to approach by foot.
How to Woo a Girl
Have you ever wanted to woo a girl, and make her sigh dreamily when she thinks about you? Here are some great ways to impress her.
Steps:
Show interest, and show her that you would like to get to know her and you were happy to meet her or talk to her.
Always look into her eyes when speaking to her. That subtly will make her see that you are really taking an interest. Just be careful not to get lost in her eyes when she's talking, otherwise the only thing you'll have to respond with is "Wow, you've got pretty eyes." (see the first point).
Be sensitive and caring. Let her cry on your shoulder if she's sad. Make her smile when she's feeling crummy. However remember that she wants a man in her life so don't be supplicating.
Lead. She wants to be the wooed and not do the wooing so be the first to initiate touch (non-sexual and sexual). Be the one that comes in for the kiss. NEVER ask for ideas for what to do on the date, make plans and a back-up. If she knows of something better she will tell you.
Whisper in her ear. Girls love this.
If you have little siblings, nieces, or nephews, show her that you really care for them. Play with them, watch over and protect them, show the girl that they look up to you.
Dress nicely. Use an attractive cologne if necessary. Be very hygienic with her.
Help others in front of her. (although you should always) Help the poor and needy to show that how much you care for others. But, show some more care for her, which she thinks that, this is only for her.
For Valentine's Day (if you celebrate it) be sweet or thoughtful instead of showy and cliched. A dozen red roses may be the traditional romantic gift, but most girls will be better pleased with a few of their favorite flowers tied with a red, pink, or white ribbon. Actually remembering a girl's favorites will endear you to her more than any elaborate scheme. If it's early in the relationship, though, and you don't know her favorites yet, a teddy bear (or other stuffed animal) is a perfectly fine fallback gift. Do something original to you. But make sure you make her feel comfortable as well.
Pick up lines are OK as long as they aren't obnoxious (meaning avoid the vast majority) or overtly sexual to someone you don't know.
Make her laugh. Girls love guys with a great sense of humor. That doesn't mean you should never take anything seriously, or else you'll come off as a clown.
Learn to dance and learn dance etiquette. Take some ballroom classes to build your confidence, so you learn to lead a girl through a song. Girls love guys that can dance.
Take the first step, if you're going to take her in your arms and sweep her off her feet on the first date, you're about as oblivious as a fish. Girls like the fact that they're being wooed so it doesn't help if you're that 'what's his face' at the corner thinking if you should make a move. That dreamy "eye to eye" across the room crap belongs in movies. If you're going to ever win the prize, you've got to tell the prize you want it.
Break the ice. This is one of most seemingly dicey things to do, but once you have done this, holding a conversation and laughing will be easy, and you will begin to share a good rapport. a good laugh is always a smart way to break the ice. for e.g - you would show this webpage to her, and have a laugh over what is written and the whole idea of having such a page as well.
Learn to be spontaneous. Taking an improve acting class can help with ideas for breaking the ice, and can help you be confident with talking to new people. Ideas flow, and it becomes easier to enter into and disengage from conversation, and can help you be more comfortable with any situation.
Get close with the girl's family. Knowing that she has her family's approval makes her more comfortable, and knowing that you are a likable person is another plus, find out what her interests are and make an effort to connect with them.
Have quality time with her, and always show appreciation.
Always give care for everything she says.
Tips:
- Keep it cool, because even if a girl doesn't like you now, chances are that if you play your cards right you'll eventually spark an interest.
- Wear a nice fragrance, but be warned, it can also repulse her. Think before you decide to put it on.
- Don't stalk girls. They will start to avoid you. However, dropping cute text messages every now and then is okay.
- Remember, girls are totally unpredictable. Some will be sure to act like they DON'T like you at first, because they're afraid of giving you that idea and in turn giving you a big ego and/or making things awkward between you two. She will ONLY respond with genuine interest when she is sure you have an interest in her.
- Girls like guys who are sweet and sensitive. Be nice to all her friends and you'll then become more approachable.
- Don't confuse her and send mixed signals. Ex: one day you're teasing her, the next you're admiring her..she will get confused and flustered and may give up on you.
- Girls don't like nasty breath. Eat mints regularly and brush teeth often.
- Don't just act natural - be natural. If your girl has a brain, she'll be able to detect that you're trying too hard, or striving to be something you're not.
- Nothing is sexier than confidence. However, nothing is as unattractive as arrogance, or more annoying than a needy lack of self-esteem. Try with everything you have to find the drawing medium which is confidence.
- Play a sports team, and be friends with a lot of people. She won't feel so intimidated if she knows you're tight with other girls also. Unless she's insecure about herself or your relationship, then be very clear that those are girl friends and she's your girlfriend.
- Tell her what she wants to hear. Simple. Of course, don't lie to her, otherwise she won't trust you.
- Shower often, and not just with water. Actually use soap, and scrub really hard if you have failed to do this step before. If you just came form PE or playing a sport, (again) scrub really hard. Try to see her reaction when you pass by. Some girls really hate guys with a nasty odor.
- Fashion isn't just for girls... it's for guys to be recognized by girls. Get a nice pair of shoes. A pair of cool jeans will also look cool when bought from a fashionable teen store. Same goes for shirts. Don't just buy one outfit. Clothes should never be worn more than twice a week.
- Calling her pretty or beautiful is more appreciated than hot or sexy, in fact, try to avoid the latter as much as possible.
- Tease her around and joke about who she likes, and bring it up often. Then she will get a sense you might be putting down all those guys because you're waiting for her to realize the guy she should be with is YOU.
- Get in shape.
- Ask her how she's doing and try to notice her moods. If she's sad, comfort her. If she is mad, ask her "What's wrong?" If she does not want to talk about it, don't press.
- Put your arm on her shoulder and casually lean against her. It gets them every time. If she blushes or melts under your weight, that's a good sign!
- Don't wait till forever to make your move. Ask her out the minute you think she likes you back, otherwise she'll think you're just in it for some action or that you're a player.
- Treat her with respect, and don't say rude things about her behind her back.
- Never let her pay for a date UNLESS she absolutely insists.
- Try to be subtle when getting to know her, if she considers you a "friend" it may make her less willing to date you.
- Make sure that you are not mean to her, ever. Girls simply do not accept that.
- But at times reverse and remember that when a girl doesn't say anything thousands of thoughts are going through her head at that moment. . . maybe about you!
- Compliment her in a non-stalker way. If she's wearing an interesting necklace, say "That's an interesting necklace" or "That's a cool necklace" NOT "I always like your necklaces" *scary grin*.
- If you think something's wrong, ask her. Remember what she says and what she is saying. It might come up later on in the future.
- Cute teasing is okay. Something like "well you always look pretty" etc., in a messing-around voice is fine. Going over the top, and constantly putting her down will just make her angry and she'll probably tell her friends. This will result in general angry, vengeful people. This is not exactly what we're aiming for.
- If you have that kind of relationship, walk up behind her and gently hug her around the waist. Whisper in her ear softly so she knows it's you.
- Learn to like what she likes, but not in too many ways.
- Don't be clingy. Be close, keeping in touch every once in awhile, but remember she has friends and doesn't (or shouldn't) want to hang out with just you.
- Best friends are a great resource. If you can get close to her best friend, it can be a gateway to learn things about the girl. for example, every girl has talked with her friends about romantic things she wants to happen to her or maybe even a romantic movie that she really likes that you can take ideas from. you use this information to give her something that is more meaningful than all that cheesy standard romance stuff. Also, a good review from friends can only help you, while a bad review could put some serious doubts into the girls head.
- MOST IMPORTANT- always support her.
- Learn to play an instrument. Girls love guys who can serenade them by playing music.
- Be protective for her. Girls love to be defended not to be the defender.
- If there is a love triangle between you and your friend, don't be the alpha male, Girls like the natural type of boys not the showy, cliche, and very stylistic.
source (http://www.wikihow.com/Woo-a-Girl)
