Post-it love

This reminded me of our soon-to-be-married friends (and Day Improver subscribers) Olivia and Drew.  A little over a month ’til The Big Day!  Ah, love…we’re clearly fans.

Like having fun with stickies? Check out Post-it stop motion as well!

(Thanks to Betty for the submission!)

Office camouflage techniques

Bonus points if you speak Russian (does anybody know what the guys says around 40 seconds in?), but it’s not necessary to enjoy these office workers’ disappearing act:

(Thanks to Steve for the submission!)

Paced breathing

Stressed?  Recent studies have shown that you can calm yourself down (and quickly lower your blood pressure) using special breathing techniques.  “Paced breathing” basically guides you into a regular, slower-than-normal rhythym using audio tones, visual cues, and/or biofeedback devices.  The technique is being used successfully with diabetes patients; however, everyone can benefit from it.

Ready to try?  Watch the videos below, breathing in on the high tones and out on the low tones.  The basic blue circle is a little more hypnotic, the other one features lots of pretty pictures.  You can experiment to see which you prefer…

1950’s office safety video

Those of you who know me know that I have a special connection to safety videos and training films. So imagine my delight when I found this one from the 1950’s. OK, it shows its age in a few ways (a less enlightened time for “pretty little things,” who seem to be the major culprits here), but that’s part of its charm. And who knew that a sharpened pencil could be so dangerous to efficiency?

If you’d like to see more bizarre and unintentionally hilarious safety videos (and you have an affinity for horror films…and/or a really strong stomach), check out the original Cracked.com posting.

Be careful!

The vendor-client relationship

Hooray! A business-related day-improver!

I’ll start out by saying that my AndiSites clients are truly the best in the world, so this isn’t something I’ve ever had to deal with.  However, I also work in the entertainment business, where I see this kind of thing all the time.  No matter the industry, though, there’s a little something in here for anyone who’s ever had to charge anyone for anything.

So without further ado…a lighthearted view at the vendor-client relationship.  Enjoy!

(Thanks to Kevin for the submission!)

Biophilia = good nature-lovin’

My husband recently gave me a book that I absolutely LOVE, The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner.  In it, the author visits several different countries to see why they are considered among the happiest in the world.  Things like outlook, attitude, positive politics, and of course free health care figure into the mix, but one thing comes up again and again (especially in countries like Switzerland):  biophilia.

Social psychologist Eric Fromm first used “biophilia” (literally, “love of life or living systems”) to describe our tendency as humans to be attracted to all that is alive and vital.  It’s probably rooted in our biology, since a positive emotional response to living things makes us want to protect them, thereby ensuring their survival.  In other words, our natural love for life helps sustain life.  It also helps explain why ordinary people care for and sometimes risk their lives to save animals, why we keep plants and flowers in and around our homes, and why some people (and I’m definitely one of them) love to be immersed in nature.   Not only does it make us feel better, it’s part of being human.

It seems that nurturing a connection to the outdoors is especially important for children.  In the 2005 book, Last Child in the Woods, author Richard Louv lamented that, thanks to indoor electronic diversions, restricted access to outdoor areas, and overprotective parents,  children are spending less time outdoors, which is leading to all kinds of problems.  He called it Nature Deficit Disorder. Now, I’m not a big fan of inventing disorders to make us feel even worse about ourselves, but the theory behind this one is pretty interesting.

Louv spent 10 years traveling around the USA reporting and speaking to parents and children, in both rural and urban areas, about their experiences in nature. He found that thanks to sensationalist media and good old fashioned paranoia, parents are keeping children indoors in order to keep them “safe” from danger.  As a result, those children are losing their ability to connect to nature.

Electronic media is also a culprit, and we’re all guilty of spending too much time at the computer (even this website relies on you spending at least some time with electronic gadgetry).  Adults tend to balance this with time outdoors near nature  (we still need to run errands, buy groceries, go to the bank), or at least by keeping a plant on their desk.  Children, however, tend to become so immersed in their video games and television shows that they not only don’t go outside, they stop being aware that there is an outside.

According to recent studies, positive effects of nature on children include:  increased respect for the environment (vital for its survival); decreased childhood obesity; fewer attention disorders; stress reduction; better attention span; higher creativity; better cognitive development; and a developed sense of wonder and connection to the earth.

So get your children out into nature, and don’t forget to nurture your own human connection to other living things.  At the very least open up your curtains and take a look outside once in a while.  Better yet, take a walk.  Throw the ball around (your dog will especially appreciate it).  Water a plant.  Listen to the birds.  Even if you’re in the middle of a city, get out of the building once in a while and find one of those little tree wells.

Feel the love.  Feel the biophilia.  Your day will be much improved for it!

Loving kindness…pass it on

You may be familiar with the Loving Kindness meditation, developed from the Buddhist concept of Metta:

May you be filled with loving kindness
May you be well
May you be peaceful and at ease
May you be happy

Stated simply, Metta is the wish that all beings (regardless of social, religious, racial, political, and economic status) have welfare and happiness. Developing Metta through loving-kindness meditation can make it easier to replace feelings of bitterness, resentment, and animosity with more positive feelings of benevolence, sympathy, and love.  Sounds good, right? And it is.

Basically, here’s how it works:  You start out by saying the meditation a few times to yourself, “May I be filled with loving kindness…”.  After that, visualize your loved ones and say it to them.  After that, visualize a mentor or someone who has influenced you in a positive way and say it to him/her.  Then visualize someone who is challenging to you and say it to them (tough, I know, but bear with me here).  Finally, branch out to saying the meditation to your community, country, and the world.  Wish happiness for all beings.

Try it a few times, you’ll see that it really can make a bad day better!  And if a visual way of thinking helps–or you just want to relax for a few minutes–check out this video (bonus: in addition the trippy music, there’s some really beautiful photography):

(Thanks to Betty for the submission!)

How to balance a fork and spoon on a toothpick

Impress-your-friends shenanigans from lifestyle guru/designer Tim Ferriss’ blog.  I know, I know, “lifestyle guru” is a way overused term, but in this case it’s true…he’s the guy who wrote The 4-Hour Workweek, one of my FAVORITE books about how to live the work/ life you really want.  Check it out if you haven’t already.

In the meantime, my apologies for all the soon-to-be-misaligned fork tines out there…

25 Ways to Control and Conquer Stress

The Men’s Health website has a great list of ways to chill out when times are tough. Here are my 25 favorites:

1. Put a green dot on your phone (a reminder to take one deep breath before you answer a call; not only will you feel better, you’ll sound more confident)
2. Spend quality time with a canine (being around a pet provides more stress relief than being around a person…well, duh)
3. Listen to music at work (bland is best; Muzak actually lowers your stress level while also reducing he risk of the common cold)
4. Shut up and smile (before you give a speech, smile, look at the audience, and keep quiet for 2 seconds; it’ll slow you down and create the impression that you’re relaxed and in control…which will relax your audience…which will relax you)
5. Play The Journey to Wild Divine (a CD-ROM game with biofeedback sensors that sense your stress level and how it affects your ability to levitate virtual balls or control birds in flight…if you don’t get too stressed about the $300 price tag)
6. Find a breathtaking view (you’ll get a sense of context and a bigger perspective)
7. Say you’re sorry (by acknowledging that you made a mistake or hurt someone, you can help clear the air, which reduces your stress level)
8. Forgive (realizing that you can’t control someone else’s behavior is difficult, but it’s one of the best ways to destress)
9. Meditate (participants in “mindfulness meditation” saw a 44% reduction in stress over 3 months; just sit quietly for 10 minutes a day and focus on your breathing)
10. Put a hole in a tennis ball and squeeze (let the tension build up in your hand and the rest of your body, then release)
11. Have sex (as the article says, “Either with or without a partner.”  You’ll release beta-endorphins, “the body’s natural, less punk-rock version of heroin.”)
12. Stop checking your portfolio (investors who keep a close eye on their stocks are more likely to be stressed out; instead, get educated and see the bigger financial picture)
13. Add 10 minutes to your ETA (now they’re talking to me directly…don’t cut it so close)
14. Hold your loved one’s hand for 10 minutes (a UNC-Chapel Hill study found that loving contact lowers blood-pressure and heart-rate responses in stressful situations; those who experienced contact were nearly twice as relaxed as those who didn’t)
15. Eat a small bowl of whole-wheat pasta (complex carbohydrates can help boost serotonin, the lack of which can lead to depression, anxiety, and aggression)
16. Resand that old dresser (or do any large project that requires a lot of physical energy; replace the thought, “I am stressed,” with “I have a high energy level,” then use the energy)
17. Stay awake (if you’re too stressed to sleep, vow to stay awake for 30 minutes; it’ll remove the pressure to go to sleep, which may relax you enough to actually, you know, go to sleep)
18. Drum like Keith Moon (group drumming alleviates stress; a drum solo may bring similar benefits)
19. Find the good (if you screwed up, appreciate what you learned; if the kids kept you up with a stomach flu, be grateful this is the only health woe facing your family; by finding the good in a stressor, you reduce the intensity)
20. Buy a real Christmas tree (the natural scent of pine is calming)
21. Hike the high country (high-altitude air is charged with negative ions, which are relaxing and rejuvenating)
22. Hold your tongue (instead of lashing out, choose to be calm, quiet, and in control)
23. Unwind online (go to www.stressremedy.com and click on “Relax Now” in the left-hand nav menu)
24. Grab your ears (lightly tug your lobes and move them in circles in opposite directions for a count of 10; the motion moves the tentorium membrane in your head, which can relieve stress)
25. Find your smell (aromas trigger strong connections to good memories; fresh bread, vanilla, and orange are good to start)

Quick acupressure techniques to ease headaches, reduce stress, relax, and rejuvenate

Try these simple techniques to make your day better in 5 minutes or less.

Headache Relief

Two acupressure points are very valuable for treating headaches:

1. Back of the head–First, find the occipital bone (that hard bony plate smack in the middle of the back of your head). Now move your fingers about an inch-and-a-half below that, and apply pressure to both sides of that area with your thumbs. It may be easier if you lower your head. Keep applying pressure and massage in a circular motion.
2. On the hand–Another effective location is found below the thumb between the first and second metacarpal bones, in the fleshy part below your thumb. Using the thumb of your other hand, apply pressure to this area, massaging in a circular motion. It’s good to apply pressure to both sides, so for best effect use your index finger to massage the other side of your hand. Headaches sometimes show up as “hard” spots in this area. If you find a spot like this (and can stand it), apply pressure directly. Usually once you feel it release, your headache will be gone.

Stress Relief

Two critical points are often used for relieving nausea, emotional upset, and general stress:

1. Underside of wrist (“Pericardium 6″ according to acupressure masters)
2. About an inch-and-a-half above the wrist on the top and underside of the arms (what they call “Triple Burner 5″)–gently grasp these by placing your index finger on the topside point and your thumb on the bottom point.

Massage in gentle circles with light pressure, breathing in deeply for a count of five and exhaling (slowly) for a count of five. Repeat several times.

Relaxation

The “Spirit Gate” (located in the middle of the sternum) is great for reducing anxiety and calming th spirit. Rub this point in a counterclockwise motion while exhaling out pent-up emotions, stress, and agitation.

Rejuvenation

“Stomach 36″ is an acupuncture fave for increasing energy and vitality (also increasing metabolism and improving digestion). These points are located about three inches below the outside of each leg below the kneecap. Massage in a clockwise pattern to bring in more energy (you might want to try one leg at a time, unless you’re way more coordinated than I am and can do clockwise on both at once).

(Thanks to Jeff for the inspiration!)