How to be Less Sensitive

Firstly before I get into this post, I want to make it clear that there is nothing wrong with being sensitive. In fact sensitivity often enables us to sympathize and empathize with others better than less sensitive people. So why bother becoming less sensitive?

This post isn't aimed at getting rid of a persons sensitivity, no - that would not be a good thing to strive for, but at those who are over-sensitive. Overly-sensitive people can often have problems in their day-to-day lives that other people don't, such as: overreacting to comments & situations, taking offense over trivial things, becoming upset over trivial things, feeling vulnerable and threatened, etc. These can make that persons day-to-day living harder than you might expect.
For those of you who are more sensitive than the average person and would like to put a restraint on how sensitive you are, good news, you can reduce your sensitivity.


1. Don't take Everything to Heart

Don't take offense at, or to heart, everything that somebody else says, if you do - you are going to be offended a lot. Not everyone is out to make you feel upset of distressed so don't take the things people say to heart when they have no intention of trying to cause you emotional harm. 

If you are offended over what someone says that is purposefully directed at you, have you ever thought that it could be because it's true? Sometimes the truth hurts, and when someone says something that we are unhappy with maybe it is because there is truth behind it? Say to yourself  "Is this a true statement?" and if it is, then maybe it is a justified statement? Of course not all true statements are fair to bring up and are completely unnecessary, but sometimes they are.

Another thing that can be taken the wrong way and is generally dramatized inside the mind is criticism. No-one likes criticism as it points out flaws with what you are doing and so is something you could improve upon. Now the person telling you this could be meaning it in a constructive sense or they could be doing it out of spite - lets have a look at both.
If the person is giving criticism constructively it is more than likely because:

• a) they want to help you improve where you need to improve

• b) it is vital that you improve for whatever reason (e.g. in the workplace)

• c) They feel you would benefit from the criticism by knowing where improvements could be made, and in the long-run (and short-run) be better for you.

If the criticism is given constructively then it isn't because they are wanting to bring you down or say it provoke an emotional response, they're doing it because they want to help. So don't fly off the handle or let your emotions get the better of you, just think to yourself that it can't have been nice giving the criticism and that it's good of them to want to help.

If they are doing it spitefully just for the sake of putting you down, again, don't let your emotions get the better of you. It can be very easy to allow your reaction to be based off of emotion (as so many are) rather than thought. Don't let it bother you and carry on, you can say something as simple as "okay, thanks" and just carry on doing what you are doing.

2. What Triggers your Sensitivity?

It is common for a person to be more sensitive in one area than others.  Are we reacting to what is happening now? or are we reacting upon instinct? Often when someone reacts to somebody else at the time, the person is either sad, angry, under stress, etc. These emotions can often lower someones tolerance-levels. It can be something as simple as another person asking them to do something. 

It's common for a trigger to be the result of a earlier life-event. For example: They have trouble with people in authority because they were under the authority of an over-controlling parent perhaps? This is just one example of a previous experience that could trigger a persons sensitivity to react more strongly towards a situation.
When you do feel your sensitivity wavering, stop, and think about a past experience that could be the trigger of your current emotions in the situation, and if it does stem back to a earlier event, then you have something that you need to address.

However, not all triggers are from past events and may be something that has grown and materialized over time. Look into what you find hard to deal with, and don't just have a quick think before declaring to yourself that you are fine, really look deep within yourself and have a search for what bothers you and gets your emotions going. It can be easy to avoid doing this because you avoid the sensitive issues that you don't really want to have to think about and actually want to bury and forget. As long as those feeling remain there however, the sensitivity to those issues will also remain.

3. Don't Lie to Yourself

Over sensitivity is a topic commonly avoided and can be normal for it to be a sensitive subject for others, bringing out denial. A very hard task can sometimes be realising that you too may be a sensitive person, and your characteristics and certain behaviours could actually be a way of coping with sensitive subjects. Not many people can honestly and openly admit to a problem when they have one, or spend the time contemplating on why and how it came about. These people who do though are the people who are able to make change and take hold of their problem and change. 

A big step in finding out if you are overly-sensitive around certain issues is simply by taking the step to search within yourself for answers. Sometimes this process can take hours of self-conflict to gain any results, but this is good, self-conflict indicates that you are putting effort and thought into gaining insight to how you actually feel.

4. Govern your Emotions

Much easier said than done. When you feel your emotions starting to take hold of you, or you can foresee a situation arising whereby your emotions are going to take hold, stay calm and think about what is going on. Is it really something to get worked up over? Take a deep breath and move past it, calm yourself down. Reacting in a calmer state generally produces a better outcome than when acting on pure impulse as an emotional response. You are less likely to have regrets later on too. 

5. Talk About it

Letting these sensitive issues ferment inside you isn't healthy for your well-being, they won't go away on their own and will fester inside of you. Talking to someone you trust is a great way to alleviate the burden that you hold. Opening up will not only get you thinking about these 'sore areas' but can often be a surprise to how much the subject bothers you and/or upsets you. The person will be able to comfort you and will often give advice about what they think you should do. You don't need to tell the world about it, but only 1 or 2 people who you trust. For example: a family member, a close friend, etc.

Conclusion

Keep in mind that most people aren't out to offend or hurt you, sometimes it's a persons characteristic. Find the trigger(s), keep calm, look deep within, and talk about it. Also remember that being sensitive is not a bad thing and can often aid a person in conveying sympathy to others, and can have a better view to how others are feeling at a given moment. 

Feeling Overwhelmed?

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Feeling like there's too many things to do in the limited amount of time that you have to do them? Or maybe you have a huge task ahead of you (possibly multiple huge tasks) and are just finding that it (or they) is/are just getting on top of you both mentally and physically?
Well whilst it may sound a bit flippant to say don't worry, this feeling of being overwhelmed can cease to exist if you are able to cope with it.

There is a large quantity of people who feel overwhelmed on a regular basis and others that get it from time-to-time, but at one point or another everybody comes to know the feeling of being overwhelmed. Feeling overwhelmed in a seemingly overwhelming situation is not a pleasant experience and can lead not only to hindrance and avoidance but also procrastination and sometimes slight depression. If you are someone who gets worked up in these somewhat stressful situations or/and are unable to remain calm then my previous post 'How to Remain Calm in a Stressful Situation' may be of use to you. :)

Different people will be able to handle life experiences differently from others. There are those who can pile task after task onto their plate and still be firing on all cylinders. Then there are those who feel overwhelmed at some of the most simple of things. These are two different extremes on the scale to how people cope. Depending what type of person you are will determine where-bouts you fit on the scale. Remember though that people do handle situations differently to others, so if you are finding a situation easy whilst another is finding it overwhelming, don't belittle them about it because in another scenario that could be you.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when you feel overwhelmed or are getting into that state of mind.

1. Why am I Overwhelmed?

On the surface this seems like a seemingly simple question and 95% of the time you are going to be able to answer it. Sometimes though there are those times (5%) when you honestly have no idea to why you are feeling things are too much. Ask yourself this and really think about the root cause to this horrible feeling. Once you know the answer you can move on to the next questions.

2. Is it Really that Important?

Once you've figured out what's making you feel overwhelmed, now ask yourself whether it's really that important to be feeling this way. If its not then don't worry about it (easier said than done I know), if it is I'm not saying that you should feel stressed but that you should have an awareness to what actually is important enough to maybe warrant stress or anxiety. It's dealing with stress and anxiety that is the trickier problem.

3. Are you really Overwhelmed?

This may sound like an odd question because if you are feeling overwhelmed why should you ask yourself if you are actually overwhelmed? Well, often we can feel like we have too much on our plate and that we're too busy but actually when you look closer you can see that you aren't really that busy and haven't got as much as first seemed. This is as we can still feel busy even when we haven't got that much to do. So taking this closer look will reveal what does need to be done and how much time it will take. Often once you just get on and start you will find that there isn't that much to do and that you can manage perfectly fine.

4. Am I Alone

It's very easy to feel alone when feeling overwhelmed as you are the only one going through that emotion. However this isn't to say that you are alone. There are often people who you can turn to in these situations not only for advice about how to go about dealing with the situation but also for some practical assistance. It's having people like these to turn to that can turn the situation into something much more manageable. 

Conclusion

When you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed or when you are overwhelmed, try asking yourself these questions to help you look at the situation in a clearer fashion. Feel free to ask yourself other questions that you feel would help you cope with the feeling of being overwhelmed. Just remember that when you are overwhelmed that other people have gone through the same emotions and that you can help yourself get through these experiences.

9 Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Most of you who are reading this post will know what sleep deprivation feels like. To wake-up and still feel tired and then for that feeling to remain with you for most of the day, if not all of it. It's not just this feeling of tiredness that is of consequence of sleep deprivation but also many other things. Here's some of the effects that a lack of sleep can bring.

1. Behaviour

Sleep has a direct effect on behaviour. Often when you have a young child and they're crying or playing-up they're normally just tired and so their behaviour becomes worse. It's not only young children who can suffer from bad behaviour as sleep deprivation can effect people of all ages.

When your body stays awake for extended periods of time, regeneration and maintenance of certain parts of the body, such as the brain, begins to falter. It is this incomplete-regeneration/re-charge of the brain through sleeping that has the impact on behaviour and will worsen a persons behaviour.

2. Concentration

Concentration is another thing that is substituted for tiredness.When you can feel your tiredness hanging over you throughout the day you know that you wont be able to concentrate properly because all you want to do is go to sleep. Your body is having to use more energy than usual (when you're not sleep deprived) to keep you going and so other functions like concentration for instance, will see a decline. 

Here's another post of mine: 6 Benefits of Concentration.

3. Head Aches

If you don't like headaches then don't skip sleep as it has been shown that having a lack of sleep can actually bring them on. If you're someone that suffers from chronic headaches/migraines then make sure that you get enough sleep.

4. Weakened Immune System 

Hate colds, coughs, the flu, and other infections and illnesses? I thought so. Well not getting the sleep that your body needs will actually have a negative effect on the immune system, and immune functions that help to fight against illness and infection will start to diminish making you a lot more susceptible to them.  

5. Increased Blood Pressure

Another negativity of sleep deprivation is an increased blood pressure which in itself can bring on many unwanted illnesses and problems.

If you want to read more on high blood pressure then here's the link: Reduce High Blood Pressure.

6. Depression

Another thing about sleep deprivation is that it can lead to depression. This is as regular tiredness will bring your mood down and behaviour (as discussed in point #1), and then when you've reached this level, not getting enough sleep can lower your state even further until it reaches the lower levels of depression, and this is another thing that can bring about some more individual problems. You'd be surprised how much better you can feel when you're getting enough sleep.

7. Memory Loss

This may sound like a bit on the extreme side but tiredness really can have an effect upon memory. Sleep is very necessary for the cognitive functions of the brain and making sure that they are healthy, and it is something that helps us with remembering and recalling information. However, when we don't get enough sleep then the cognitive functions of the brain don't function as-well and will cause our ability to remember and learn new things a lot harder than it should be. 

8. Weight Gain

Many sleep deprived nights may also be contributing to your waistline. Your bodies natural calorie burner comes in the form of your metabolism and it is this that burns the vast majority of your calories. Your body needs sleep so that it can process hormones that aid in the maintenance of your metabolic rate and your appetite. When you don't get enough sleep your body will find it more and more difficult to use these hormones to mange metabolism and appetite which will only add to the waist. 

If you're are struggling with weight and are wanting to lose some pounds, then here's a previous post of mine: How to Lose Weight.

9. Type-2 Diabetes

As discussed in point #7, when your body doesn't get the sleep that it needs it will find it harder to process the hormones needed to regulate bodily functions such as metabolic rate. Well another bodily function that will see a cutback in regulation is sugar processing. And it's this, your body not being able to properly process sugar, that can lead to type-2 diabetes.

Conclusion

It's also interesting to note that if we live by a sleep-deprived life, even though we may feel okay because our bodies have gotten used to sleep deprivation, our bodies will require more and more sleep. So in a sense we're getting into debt with our bodies every time we don't get enough sleep. I do hope that this post has highlighted some key points to keep in mind when it comes to sleep.

9 Tips to Organise a Notebook

In my last post I discussed about the various benefits that come with keeping a notebook to jot down thoughts, ideas, or anything else of use to you. You can read that post here: The Benefits of Writing a Notebook.

This post is going to be about how to organise a notebook so it is easily readable or at least manageable to gather information from. Lots of people who have there own notebook(s) don't keep it organised or tidy, making it hard for them to find or re-read things they have recorded. There are many different ways to keep your notebook organised, so if a method you use doesn't appear here, feel free to comment about it at the bottom.

1. Divide by sections

One of the most common ways of organising a notebook is using the dividing method. This is where you split your notebook up into designated sections for a category of your choice. For example: You may have four sections; one for quotes, one for thoughts and ideas, one for writing or poetry, and one for another topic of interest. Whatever these sections are, there will normally be a set amount of space for each of these categories.

I personally don't get along with this method, not because it doesn't work because it does for many people, but because It doesn't suit my personality. In my notebook, I travel from one random topic to the next very frequently and am not a fan of setting a sort of 'quarantined zone' for a set category. It's just not my style. 

2. Divide by lines

This is the method that I use. As I said above I am someone who will go from subject to subject in a very short time and then continue to revisit these subjects furthering them in development. Because of this, each of my notebook pages will hold a variety of information. So to do my best at organising it, I separate them by lines, and then index them. For example: if I was to write about physics, I would make sure I finish what I was wanting to write and then put a line underneath that segment allowing me to carry on to something else and have the ability to distinguish between topics. It's not the most effective way to organise a notebook but it works for me, and I also implement point #3 as-well.

3. Index

Another popular way of organising a notebook would be to include a index. The index would need to be organised in itself for it to work effectively, for example; alphabetically. This is something that I include in my notebook so finding information is easier. In fact, whatever method you use to organise your notebook, an index never hurts.

4. Include page numbers

This point is really just a simple tip that you should do anyway if you're wanting to organise a notebook. It's easy to jot down an idea and not know where you had placed it, so to include page numbers will help you locate things - of course this ties in with point #3 (index).

5. Contents

If you're the kind of person who is going to fill up many notebooks and want to know what the general contents of the book is - it would be wise to include a contents. Whilst an index will tell you what specific points and information is included in your notebook, a contents will give you the general layout of the book (main titles, categories, and major sub-categories) - meaning you will know sooner if what you're looking for is there or not. If it is, then you could go onto using the index.

6. Write and present neatly

If you just have one notebook that you casually put ideas down into, like if you're out somewhere, then you will probably know how messy and chaotic it can get. Try though, if you can, to write neater and at least present the information in a more readable way, maybe put a limit to the amount of writing that you can put on one page or make sure that you write straight all the time. This is such a simple thing that can go a long way when trying to retrieve previous notes. For me, I know that it would be hard to do this, so I have a better notebook at home in which I write everything up in neat.

7. Categorise whole notebooks

Some people don't like to include multiple topics in one notebook as they feel it can get too overwhelming or can be too much hassle to keep up with. Instead, they have multiple notebooks which they assign a category to. For example; one entire notebook may be for writing, another maybe for maths, another for poetry, another for cookery, another for music etc.

This is another method that allows you to locate information easier. For example; I recently did some work on 'sonata form', therefore I know that this will be in the music notebook. You could then have implemented further organisational techniques into the actual notebook to help you even more.

8. Page tabs

Page tabs are another useful method of organising a notebook. What you label these tabs as is up to you. Some people write the main category titles on them, others put subtitles, and others use them for identification for useful or commonly referenced pages. Whatever you use them for, it will make accessing parts of your notebook so much quicker.

9. Include dates

Another very simple and very quick thing to do. When organising something like a notebook it is always good to include dates. They can be used a bit like page numbers, as long as each page is a successor to the page before it date-wise, and make finding things that bit easier. It also gives an impression of organisation. :)

[Had family over this last week coupled with work, meaning I haven't been able to spend really any time on Smart Blog. Hopefully I'll be able to get back into the rhythm of it].

Benefits of Writing a Notebook

I have recently got a notebook and am quite enthusiastic about sharing the benefits of using one. I record anything in my notebook - ideas, thoughts, facts, recipes, physics and maths, vocabulary, quotes, sketches, anything that I feel like really. I use a mini pocket flip pad (for about £1) that I carry with me to write down anything that comes into my head. I then have a nicer moleskin notebook at home, that I write things in neat and in which I organise ideas and thoughts. It's actually really interesting to read through, but I think that's because it's my own notebook.

There are lots of people who recognise the benefits of writing in a notebook, being very popular amongst writers, but are also used by a vast amount of people who aren't writers. Why? Because of the benefits that keeping a notebook brings. Albert Einstein; Beethoven; Mark Twain; Charles Darwin; George Lucas; Benjamin Franklin; Isaac Newton; Pablo Picasso; and Thomas Edison, all kept notebooks. Not to mention the fictional character Sherlock Holmes. 

1. Creativity

Notebooks are great for promoting creativity as it is a place where you can really let your mind run wild. There's never any worry about being right or wrong because it's your own personal notebook and is meant for your thoughts, ideas, and anything else that you decide to record.

The more that you write in a notebook, the more thoughts and ideas will come to you. This is something that I've noticed since recently gaining my notebook - my creativity seems to have seen a improvement and my notebook is filling up with the things that I want it to be filled with.

2. Inspiration

Inspiration is another thing that springs to mind when discussing the benefits of having a notebook. When looking back through my notebook, I start to become inspired, not because it's the most amazing notebook in the history of mankind, but because new ideas pop into my head about how I can expand or improve upon earlier topics and ideas that I have recorded.

Depending how often you write in your notebook and how long for, will determine how much material you will have to inspire you. The more you write, the more you have to work with, it can be quite shocking how a previous note that you have written can inspire you to achieve something new. 
Albert Einstein when trying to perfect his formulae for his theory of general relativity, came across a discarded formula of his from 3 years before, which looking at these 3 years later inspired him with what he needed to perfect his theory.

3. Keep ideas

Depending upon what you intend for your notebook to contain will depend upon the context of the ideas that you have, but usually when people have a notebook they will jot down ideas. This will allow you to not have to worry about having to try and hold onto a good idea in your head as it will be securely written down in your notebook. 

4. Promotes better writing and reading

The more you do of something, naturally the better you will get. So when writing in your notebook frequently you are going to find that over time your writing will mature. When I look back to some of my first blog posts and then compare them to my most recent ones - I can see the difference in the style and (I would like to think) quality of each post.  
Because it's your own notebook, I assume that you are going to be interested in reading what you have wrote, meaning that as well as your writing seeing an improvement; so will your reading. 

5. Enjoyment

I don't know what it is, but there is something quite enjoyable about the physical act of writing and seeing the results of your work. Writing, I think, seems to help reduce stress as-well and leaves me feeling calmer, and because it reduces stress - it seems to be more enjoyable. As humans, we are 'touchy-feely' creatures, and so be physically holding a pen and acting out the act of writing brings a feeling of comfort.

6. Gives you perspective

Writing a notebook will be able to give you perspective on your life. What you think is important, what you're focusing on, where you would like to be, etc. It kinda allows you to see yourself as another person but yet as the same person. When rummaging through things in your mind, often you wont stop to ask yourself questions about why you are thinking what you are thinking, or what extraneous things are having an impact upon you to effect who you are. These in themselves can be quite deep questions, but when seeing your thoughts written down - it is a lot easier for you to think about these question in more detail.

You'll notice how your thoughts develop over time, and how something that seemed like a priority or of utmost importance (say back in high school for example), just seems trivial now. Having these writings at your disposal will give you the opportunity at giving you perspective on your life, and really, an insight to who you really are as a person.

7. Tells something about your identity

If you fill up a notebook and you decide to keep it for years, maybe for future members of family to read one day, if you're not around to speak to them, through your notebook they will be able to build up a better picture about who you are or were and what you are or were like. Today with modern technology you will be able to record photos and videos for the future, but personal writings can be some of the most revealing and intriguing for future generations. Who knows, your notebook could inspire them to go on and do something amazing.

Thought Vs Idea

Differentiating between the two

You may have read a recent post of mine where I discussed about thought vs action. About how both characteristics are connected, not being able to be separated, and are essential for making the best decisions or to the most optimal. 
However, when describing thought, I was quite general. Thought in itself can be broken down into sub-categories and so I feel that I need to go into more detail. For this post I'm writing about thought vs idea. 

Now a thought is a very general term and looking back at some of my previous posts where I have used the term, I think I should have been more specific. But maybe not, I'll explain more later on.

Thought and idea can be used in a number of manners, but generally they should be referred to as what they actually are. Thought is a vague-term in a sense, as there are lots of other words like; idea, perception, rationale, etc, that get confused with it. Thought can be anything that pops into your head, from the serious, all the way to the down-right hilarious, it's all thought. Thought isn't something that is occasional, it's all the time. Whatever we're doing we're thinking, consciously and subconsciously. It's not something that can be turned 'on' or 'off' because it's a constant.

Idea seems to be a kind of sub-category to thought as it were. It is linked to thought but yet also to problem-solving. An idea is formulated inside of your head when you are looking for a solution to something, hence when someone is said to have a 'bright idea', it is normally a good solution to a problem that is facing them. It is the mind's natural problem solver.

Applying thoughts and ideas

Now thought is a product of thinking, and thought in itself is often categorised into certain types of thinking. Depending on your culture and how you were brought up will also affect how you think, and what thoughts are deemed to be acceptable or not.

I did state before (three paragraphs before) that thought is a general concept and cannot be helped. It can be random yet focused, and it never stops. However, when I have mentioned in previous posts about thought being used in certain decisions or dilemmas, I'm referring to applied thought. When I talk about applied thought, I am talking about the conscious effort you put into a thought and then give it time to deliberate over.

We as people can have lots of conscious thoughts, it doesn't mean that they are all going to be helpful or beneficial for us. A thought is a tiny bit of information your brain processes before moving on to the next bit of information. So some effort on our behalf will be needed to make something of the thought to get it to a stage where we are going to see a positive effect.

This is where time comes into it and where deliberation comes in. When a conscious thought comes into your head, taking the time to deliberate upon it and taking factors into consideration, and then looking at how you may apply the thought into your life and how it may be good for you - that's what I mean about applied thought, and is what I'm normally talking about when I mention thought in other posts I have written, or may write in the future.

Applying ideas to your life is linked into applied thought. Like thought being closely related to action, so to is thought and idea. Idea is the next stage you take after applied thought has been completed.

Applied thought is like the stepping stone to idea, because after you've completed applied thought, your mind will naturally come up with an idea(s) to help form a solution to the problem. This is how idea ties in with applied thought and how it cannot be separated. 

Sometimes you may have an idea that just pops into your head which you perceive to have come from nothing. Well whilst it may seem this way, it didn't. Ideas can only come from thought, you may have been deliberating on something for hours before an idea comes to you, or you could have been deliberating for a mere second, but idea does relate to thoughts, and however fleeting a thought may have been, idea can be the product of the most fleeting of thoughts. An idea can also be the product of a thought that was thought about in the past.

A few days ago when I discussed the relationship between thought and action, I didn't mention anything about idea, which is the stage in-between thought and action. Applied thought leads to idea and idea leads to action. It is the idea which arrives from thought, action is applied upon, linking all three things together.  

Thought Vs Action

Both thought and action are important for wanting to be productive, but which is more important, and how much time should you be spending on each of them?

It can be hard to juggle the two qualities together, with one being pushed to the sideline more than the other.

When it comes to thought vs action, a large majority of people will rely more heavily upon one than the other. One group of people will say that action is the best course to go down - because if you don't act then you'll never get anything done.

The second group of people will say, thought and planning is essential for wanting to take the most efficient, effective, and unproblematic route - "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail".

Whilst both of these schools of thoughts have merit in what they're saying, I tend to disagree with relying upon one more heavily than the other. This isn't to say that success in certain fields can't be achieved with reliance upon either action or thought and less on the other. However, it would make more sense to apply a 50/50 approach.

When I say 50/50, you may be thinking that you put more time into actually acting out a task, then that must mean that you're relying more on action. That's not technically the correct assumption to make. True, the action side to things does generally take longer, but I'm not referring to time-length, but to quality. As planning is essential to make sure you take the right actions - then it seems logical to me that you should put some qualitative thought into it. Henry Ford once stated: "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it".

So when I say 50/50, I am referring to the amount of effort that you put into each. The planning side may take 5 minutes, whilst the acting may take 2 hours (or vice-versa), the point is, if they're both done with intelligence and quality, then this would be a the 50/50 approach I'm meaning, when you tackle thought and action with the same thorough mindset.

Now that may have sounded like I am putting more importance on thought, but that is not the case. Thinking is an incredibly important thing to do and is a hard habit to get used to. Action though, is just as important. After having a brainstorming session, you will need to take action if you ever want to see results. It's through the planning that you can make the right actions, these actions become all the more productive and beneficial, linking the 'thinking' and the 'doing' together.

A lot of times, actions vs thought discussions often refer to the two as being separate. But we need to remember that they are both linked together and are meant to run harmoniously and in unison. They are both one side of a coin, so to take one side over another wouldn't be smart, and would in a sense be irrational.

I like the quote of Napoleon Bonaparte: “Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.”

Another quote that I think is appropriate is by an unknown author who said: "Planning without action is futile, action without planning is fatal". 

How to Stop Getting Ahead of Yourself

As people, it's in our nature to look to the future. Looking towards tomorrow, looking towards next week, looking towards next year etc. 

Now getting ahead of yourself can be good, as things do need to be organised and doing it on the day would be impracticable for in many instances. It's when we start to live in the future when it's a problem, always looking to tomorrow and never focusing on the today, the now.

Concern for tomorrow will sap the energy from the day you're experiencing now. Don't let yourself do this, and stop worrying about what tomorrow's going to bring, instead enjoy the day you have at the moment, in the present. 

None of us know when our last day on this planet's going to be, so why always look to tomorrow? We already have enough for today; enough challenges to face without thinking about tomorrows as-well. 

I can remember when only a couple of years ago, I would waste the days, and often think about what 'tomorrow' was going to bring, what was going to happen in the future. 

What happened, was that it killed my drive. Instead of living in the moment and being productive and acting on the days I had, I wasted them, and always thought something better was going to happen the next. It rarely ever did. 

Every day, if we do something productive, do the things we're supposed to do, we're not only setting ourselves up for tomorrow, but we're in-turn preparing for it and not needing to worry about it or concern ourselves with it. 

I'm going to bring something-up that is said in the Bible quickly. I know that a lot of people who read this may not be Christian, but I do think it is a wise principle we all can apply to our lives, and should. It talks about the birds, how they don't worry about what the next day's going to bring, they don't store up things for tomorrow because they're living in the now.

When thinking about getting ahead of yourself, why do you feel the need to do it? I have a theory, but I don't think I could put this theory onto everyone, but I think it comes from dissatisfaction with the day you having. Now some of you will be thinking; "hold on a minute, I was only organising something for tomorrow", or "I was only thinking about how my job interview is going to go". 

I should probably clarify, when I say about being dissatisfied and linking it to thinking ahead, I'm only meaning it to the people who often worry about tomorrow. The people who always wonder what tomorrow is going to bring. 

Now, thinking about something that is already organised or organising something for the future would not be wrong. 

However, even with this, people sometimes feel unnecessary stress. Try to let yourself relax, think logically, and concentrate on the today.

The main point that I want to get across is that whilst we don't know what tomorrow is going to bring and we can't yet make an official impact on it. We can though, make an impact on the today and the now.

The Problems of Hastiness

Whilst hastiness can be a sign of enthusiasm, often it just creates mistakes and errors. How many of us have said to ourselves: "I wish I hadn't done that", or "If only I had just taken the time to think". I'm guessing a lot of us have, it's a very common thing to do, which is why it can be so problematic.

A proverb you may want to consider is: 'Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth'. - Proverbs 19:2. While some of you who read this aren't Christians, I think it can still be agreed upon, that this is a good principle to apply in our lives.

That if we're hasty and if we're without knowledge, we're going to make mistakes. 

Now a proverb is a generally true statement, and I'm not suggesting that every time someone is hasty something bad happens, but on the vast majority of time - this is a true statement.

You may be thinking, 'I've heard things like this before, I don't need them as I'm not going to make mistakes'. Inevitably you will, we all will, and that's why we need to think about what we do before we act.

So often we want to be in on the action, and want to part of what's happening now. Whilst caught up in the moment we don't think about the consequences until it's too late.

I know many of you who are reading this (and myself included), have learnt from previous mistakes, in fact it's one of the best ways to learn. However, when it comes to being hasty, there's something that always catches us out, always trips us up. We don't only have to learn from our mistakes, but from the mistakes of others as-well.

Some of the things I've done in the past as a result of hastiness and lack-of knowledge of the situation, makes me cringe to think about, and I can think of many different (and much better) ways I could have gone about handling the situation.

The next time your faced with a decision, however small or large it may be, really have a good think about what you're doing. Ask yourself these questions:

1. What Are The Costs? 

There might be no immediate costs that cross your mind at first, and it's not just financial cost I'm talking about. 

Relationships with those around us, spiritual relationships, personal costs, and the emotional costs. Consider it carefully, even if you consider it to be a calculated risk.

I had some grandparents who owned a chain of businesses and funeral directors, and they were offered a deal into some hotels. These hotels would have made them millionaires, however, there was only a tiny chance of the deal falling through. Even though the positive outweighed the negative by far, after my grandparents went through with the deal, it did fall through and they lost everything.

2. What do Others Think? 

It's always good (where possible) to get someone else's idea and opinion. Don't choose someone who normally makes hasty decisions themselves and would tell you to go ahead with your plan, only stopping to think about the costs later. Instead, go to somebody who you know normally makes the right choices and seek their counsel.

You can also think about the situations of others you've heard about or know of, that are similar to yours and what happened to them as a result of their decisions.

3. Pros and Cons 

Try to get into the habit of weighing the positives and negatives of every decision you make. This will help you make the right decisions (if you do it wisely).

First go through all the pros, thinking about them hard, and asking yourself if they're really worth it. If they are, then go over to the negatives, and ponder upon them. If you have a gut instinct that tells you that the negatives outweigh the positive - don't do it.

Also, when you're first going through the pros, and you feel that they're not really worth going along with, then don't do it.

If you've done step 1, then you'll probably have a good idea what the negatives are already.

How to Become Ambidextrous?

What is ambidexterity?

Ambidexterity is the ability to freely use both left and right external parts of your body (e.g. hands), both more or less with the same capabilities.

It's rare to find someone who is naturally ambidextrous, with the odds at every one in one-hundred people.

More often than not, it is more common to find people who were originally left-handed and then to have become ambidextrous. For example: through childhood where they were forced to write with the right hand, jobs where right-handed abilities are emphasised etc.

Right-handed people often become ambidextrous through injuries that limit use of their dominant hand.

Why become ambidextrous?

If you're wanting to achieve something or wanting try something out, there's always going to be a reason behind your choice. That shouldn't be different with the ability of ambidexterity.

I've written some reasons why you should consider it:

1. You break your dominant arm, causing it to be fully incapacitated. Do you want to be unable to write, draw, or whatever else that you need your dominant arm for?

2. With sports, when one arm gets tired, you will be able to switch more easily to the other one.

This can also be used for professional sports: baseball and cricket (to throw the opposition off-guard), for snooker (when the shot is easier to reach with the other hand), tennis where it's better to hit forehand with either hand. 

Some other sports you may want to use ambidexterity for are: golf, basketball, badminton, volley-ball, football/soccer (ambidexterity with your legs), boxing.

3. Some jobs and hobbies are easier when being ambidextrous. For example: sculpting, playing musical instruments etc.

How to become ambidextrous?

Unfortunately, if you're thinking of becoming ambidextrous, it does take time and regular use of you're less-dominant hand.

I've put together a list of different things you can do with your less-dominant hand to become ambidextrous. Note: it may feel weird to do things with your opposite hand in the first couple of weeks or so.

1. I'll start with one of the hardest things to do when wanting to become ambidextrous because of the precision needed. That is Writing. Try to write a paragraph or more a day with your less-dominant hand. Your muscles need development, so practice is the key.

2. Brushing your teeth.

3. Brushing your hair (if you do - I don't normally bother with brushing mine too often) :)

4. Using a computer mouse.

5. Sports.

6. Eating and drinking (maybe you shouldn't do this one in 
public until you've got the hang of it). :)

7. Wearing a watch on your opposite hand.

8. Shaving (be careful when first starting).

9. Cutting your nails (be careful with this as-well).

10. Opening cupboards, draws, and doors.

11. Drawing.

12. Pen-spinning.

The Functions of Sleep

If you've read my last post about sleep (how much sleep do we need), then you'll have noticed that I didn't explain about the functions of sleep. So, I've decided to talk (or should I say write) about them now.

Sleep is still not fully understood, and so the understanding of its functions is also not fully known. However we do have a pretty good idea about some of the proposed functions of sleep.  

1. Restoration 

It has been shown that sleep deprivation has an (assumed) affect on the immune system and can impair its function ( study by Zager et al. in 2007).

Wound healing has also been closely associated with sleeping, and deprivation of it can be a hindrance to the healing of wounds (study conducted by Gumustekin et al 2004).

Sleep has not been directly linked to body growth, however a study has shown that 8 hours of sleep (more specifically slow-wave-sleep), did have an effect on the growth hormone levels of men. (Study by Van Cauter, Leproult, and Plat).

On the other hand a study done on 305 children over a period of 9 years (1-10), tried to establish if height and weight correlated with sleep. The results received suggested that sleep had no effect on a child's growth. (Study by Jenni et al. 2007).

2. Ontogenesis 

The activity occurring during newborn REM sleep appears to be particularly important for development (according to the hypothesis of ontogenetic REM sleep).

Sleep deprivation at an early age has been linked to behavioural problems in later life, decreased brain mass, an abnormal amount of neuronal cell depletion, and permanent sleep disruption.

From various studies on REM sleep, it appears that it is important for brain development.

3. Memory Processing 

Working memory has been shown to be affected by sleep deprivation.

Important for support of higher levels of cognitive functions such as reasoning, episodic memory, and decision making, working memory is also important for further processing information.

Studies have been done on this, and the results point to the conclusion that sleep deprivation means a reduced working memory.

It's not so easy to concentrate either when feeling sleep depraved.

Short Summary

All-in-all, I think we can all agree that sleep is important and that our bodies do need it, otherwise why have it.

I'm sure I've missed something out, if you notice that something is missing, feel free to make a comment. 

Benefits of Flexibility

Not being able to do things that you used to do because of flexibility and joint restriction can be frustrating. 

For example: During primary and middle school, it was common to sit cross-legged on the floor during assemblies. When I reached high school, we no longer had to sit on the floor, but were allowed to sit on chairs. So for three years I didn't sit cross legged at all, and ever since then I've found it hard to sit cross-legged for more than a couple of minutes. 

With stretches that help maintain flexibility, things like my example above (and much more serious ones) could be prevented. (I now can sit cross-legged for a lot longer now since stretching my legs) :)


I've started doing some stretches to help improve flexibility recently, having quite a weak back myself because of various circumstances, and so I thought I would make a list of the benefits for doing so. 

1. Improved posture 

Doing regular stretching causes your body to gain better muscular balance and posture.

Weight and gravity, and/or poor postural habits, mean that your soft tissue structures have adopted poor effects. Stretching can help realign soft tissue structures making it easier to regain good posture. 

2. Improved blood circulation 

Stretching increases blood flow to joints, this is done by increasing the tissue temperature (through stretching) and that then in turn increases blood circulation.

Your joints will have an increase in the transport of nutrients to them as joint synovial fluid (lubricating fluid) will see an increase in production.

You will also have a reduction of joint degeneration.

3. Relieves muscle and joint pain 

A well structured stretching programme can help to reduce pain and soreness from muscles and joints.

Static and slow exercises are good for this, being held for 20-35 seconds. (Although I normally try to hold a stretch for at least a minute).

4. Reduction in risk of lower back pain 

Muscular relaxation is promoted through stretching and a reduction in accumulated toxins, and a lower chance of lower back pain.

Stretching muscles attached to the pelvis (e.g.: hamstrings, quadriceps etc,) reduces stress in your lower back. 

5.  Reduction of injury risk 

Stretching the correct way improves physical health and decreases the resistance of tissue structure. Whilst being physically active and you exceed your tissue maximum extensibility, you'll have a lower chance of injury as your tissues and muscles are used to the stretching of them. 

A better range of motion can be obtained also, with less energy used to do so. 

6. Better muscle coordination 

Nerve impulse velocity (the time it takes for an impulse to reach the brain) sees an improvement by the regular action of stretching, in turn helping opposing muscle groups to work in a more coordinated, synergistic fashion. 

7. Improves strength and balance 

Some types of yoga stretches (ashtanga and power yoga (which is more vigorous than others)) can help to increase muscle tone.

Stretches that involve less movement but involve more precision of alignment, can help strength and endurance benefits.

As your body becomes more accustomed to different stretches and poses, balance will naturally come as muscles and tissues are used more regularly.

How to Enforce a New Habit

Choosing and enforcing new habits can be really easy and really hard at the same time. Easy in the choosing of the new habit, hard in the enforcing of it.

Here is a list of simple tricks and tips you can use to make your new habits stick.

1. Do it Daily 

When enforcing a new habit, doing it daily is a great way of making it stick. It's also one of the easier ways to help new habits stick, rather than doing it only two or three days a week and forgetting about it.

2. Consistency 

It's no good trying to change an old or existing habit or form a new one if you're not going to be consistent in your tackling of it.

Scholars, athletes, musicians and the like, have all had to be consistent in their fields to find success. It really goes along with point number 1, that being a way in which you can remain consistent.

3. Select a period of time 

When deciding what new habit you're going to enforce in your life, also decide how long you're going to practice it for (daily). For example ten days, twenty days, thirty days etc.

For a new habit to stick, normally I would give a guideline of about a month or so, of course this is only a guideline.

If you manage to enforce a new habit in less than a month - great, if it takes longer than a month - don't worry.

Although if it's a habit that you need to change ASAP, then of course the sooner the better.

4. Use a Calender 

Calenders are a great way of reminding yourself to do something, but not only that you can keep track of how you're doing.

I recommend a grid calender, and plotting out each of your days. Then as you do this new habit each day, you can cross them off to let you know how you're doing.

5. Reminders 

If you don't fancy using a calender or would prefer to use another method as-well as or instead of, then placing reminders is the way for you.

Write out a handful of reminders and allocate them to places you know you'll notice them, e.g: on your computer, on your bedroom door, on your car steering wheel, on your shoes, etc. 

Wherever you choose to place them, as long as you know you'll notice them then you can have no fear in forgetting about your new conquest. Just don't forget to put out the reminders, maybe you should make yourself some reminders to remind you to lay out some reminders. :)

6. Know why you're doing it 

Knowing the benefits of you're new habits will be brilliant for motivating yourself to keep it up. For example I'm trying to become more flexible to try and prevent joint and muscle problems when I'm older. I also have quite a weak back with being quite tall, so I thought why not?

Having a goal in mind helps a lot.

11 Tips to Revise Effectively

I hate exams (like a lot of us), and even worse is when I have no idea what any of the answers are. In a position like this it's not surprising to see an end result of a fail or a very low score.

Revising can prevent this feeling (or at least help you to feel more confidant during the exam). I once heard from a academic that anyone can pass an exam with good marks, it just depends if and how they revise.

As I have a few electrical exams coming up and a music theory exam as-well, I thought it would be a good idea to share some revising tips and which one I find the best.

1. Summary Papers 

I thought I would start with my preferred method of revision, and that is to make summarised notes on a page. About 80% (or sometimes more) of the information that we take in when learning is useless, and only 20% (or less) being the key parts. So with this in mind, I divide the page into two long sections (A4 paper,) and start making subtitles with the key points underneath.

The summaries of each sub-heading may take up only a few lines, maybe a whole page, maybe more, the main thing is that you're just noting down the important exam points.

For my last main exams I took (all about electrics), I had only 12 sides of A4 summary pages to revise - which beats reading through books upon books in my opinion.  

2. No Distractions 

However good a multitasker you think you are, you wont be able to revise effectively with noise and interruptions (e.g. the t.v.).

In order to concentrate fully on the information you're trying to absorb, quietness is the best way to go.

If you're in a position where it wont be possible to revise quietly, then more revision will have to be done so you can ground the information into your mind.

I have heard however that baroque music helps while studying. Here's the link to the page: Music moves brain.  

3. Questioning 

Get your friends and family members to question you, particularly the parts you're struggling with. This is a great memorisation technique.

4. Past exam papers 

Past papers are an excellent resource for revision and definitely help if done correctly.

When I did this in the past I would go back over my test (once completed) and tally up all my wrong answers. I then would correct myself mentally and say the right answers out-loud before proceeding to redo the whole test. I would repeat this process until I had no answers incorrect. I did about sixteen different practice exams in this style, It was long and hard but I think I achieved 100% for the exam I took.

5. Study-buddy

Despite the sub-heading it doesn't just have to be just one person you have to study with, it could be a whole group. 

This can be really beneficial as questions will be thrown this way and that way, resulting in acquired exam knowledge.

The downside is that you may be tempted to muck around, but if you're all serious about revising then it should be fine.

6. Take breaks 

Breaks are essential for optimizing the time you spend revising. You are human like the rest of us and our brains become fatigued if pushed too far. This is why short regular intervals are necessary. Whilst you take these breaks, get a drink of water to keep you hydrated and some fruit for those essential vitamins.

A rough guideline to when one should take these breaks is up to oneself, I suggest every 45-60 minutes.

7. Mind maps 

For people who are visual learners mind maps are great. Choose a heading to start with, place it in the middle of your page and branch off sub-headings from it. Then sub-headings from the sub-heading etc.

Personally they're not my style but for a lot of people they work really well.

8. Diagrams and sketches 

Another great one for visual learners is the inclusion of colour, pictures, diagrams, sketches and the like, can really help to solidify the points in your mind.

9. Repetition 

It's a sensible to decide to revise, however if you're going to revise just the once, chances are that you're not going to remember a lot in the exam. Repetition and consistency must be used in order for you to reach and maintain your peak amount of knowledge on the subject.

If you want to I have a previous post about self-discipline for reading.

10. Revise in plenty of time 

Don't put revising off when you know that you have an exam coming up. Force yourself to study, you'll find that once you start it isn't as bad as you were expecting it to be. Quite often the worst part about revising is thinking about revising.

On the day of the exam you'll be glad you did that revision.

11. Revision cards 

Create your own pocket-sized revision cards to carry around. Whenever you have some downtime take out your cards and read them over. For example: on a train, on a bus, whilst in a queue etc.

If only one thing sticks in your mind afterwards, then it's time well spent, after all it is during downtime.

Like I said at the start, exams are hated by many of us and can bring misery about. If you do revise though with one of the above study methods or a different way that works for you you'll do better.

Remember, you're not the only one who's ever been under this amount of stress.

If anyone who's reading this is taking an exam of some sort, I wish you good luck.