Category : LIFE HACKS
Author : Aura Staff

In the era of technology, any refuge from the glow of the screen is often welcome. You may be interested in attempting the recent trend of Bullet Journaling, to manage your tasks in old-school style. The Bullet Journal is an analogue system created by Ryder Carroll, a Designer based in New York. In his words, the Bullet Journal is meant “to help you track the past, organize the present, and plan for the future.”

Bullet Journaling is all about externalising your thoughts and getting your creative juices flowing. However, don’t worry if your handwriting looks sloppy or if you can’t draw – the point is to enjoy some paper and pen time, to find some calm amid a sense of being overwhelmed. Bullet Journaling encourages you to plan your days on pages of your journal. It allows you to be more present and at ease in the moment without worrying that you’re forgetting something. Moreover, methods such as these also offer an advantage: writing, drawing, using your skills with pen and paper help with better retention by engaging multiple senses — visual, kinaesthetic, and tactical — which helps commit tasks to memory. It also signals to your brain that your goals are important, making you more likely to follow through.

Before you check out the Bullet Journaling method, it’s important that you think about what you want a system to do for you before you dive in. That said, you’ll figure out your needs more as time goes on, so get started after you’ve thought about it for a little while!
Learning Hacks!
Do you,
• get occupied with many little distractions which often derail your day’s tasks? Or,
• end up working past the point of optimal productivity, consistently? Or,
• have many open-ended things to do that could take a lot of time? Or, like most of us,
• often have unrealistic plans on how much you can get done in a day?

If you do any of the above, try out the Pomodoro Technique: thinking in tomatoes rather than hours! Yeah, that sure does sound silly, but millions of people swear by the life-changing power to the Pomodoro Technique (Pomodoro is Italian for tomato). This popular method asks you to alternate pomodoros – focused work sessions – with frequent short breaks to promote sustained concentration and stave off mental fatigue.

This technique’s biggest strength is its simplicity:
• Get a to-do list and a timer.
• Set your timer for 25 minutes, and focus on a single task until the timer rings.
• When your session ends, mark off one pomodoro and record what you completed.
• Then enjoy a five-minute break.
• After four pomodoros, take a longer, more restorative 15-30 minute break.
The 25-minute work sprints are the core of the method, but a Pomodoro practise also includes three rules for getting the most out of each interval:
• Break down complex projects. If a task requires more than four pomodoros, it needs to be divided into smaller, actionable steps. Sticking to this rule will help ensure you make clear progress on your projects.
• Small tasks go together. Any task that takes less than one Pomodoro should be combined with other simple tasks.
Once a pomodoro is set, it must ring. The pomodoro is an indivisible unit of time and cannot be broken, especially not to check incoming emails, team chats, or text messages. Any ideas, tasks, or requests that come up should be taken note of to come back to later.
If the system seems simple, that’s because it is. The Pomodoro technique is all about getting your mind to break down your big tasks, projects, or goals into something you only have to do for the next 25 minutes. It helps you stay hyper-focused on the one next thing you need to do rather than get overwhelmed by the enormity of what you’re taking on. Don’t worry about the outcome – just take it one pomodoro at a time.
Psychology hacks!
1. Do you know that doing things that scare you tend to make you happier? And the happier you are, the less sleep you need! So try to take the risk of doing something new every now and then.
2. Do you know that when you remember a past event, you are actually remembering the last time you remembered it? So next time, you are thinking about a problem of the past that is worrying you now, take some time to evaluate it before letting it upset you in the present.
3. To think more logically, translate it into another language. It forces your brain to put more thought in what you have to say.
4. Sing-talk to yourself to relieve stress. It floods your brain with oxytocin and endorphins.

Relaxation hack!
If you are overcome with stress in your life, or anxiety, try to practise deep breathing exercises When you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The things that happen when you are stressed, such as increased heart rate, fast breathing, and high blood pressure, all decrease as you engage in breathing exercises. The way you breathe affects your whole body. Breathing exercises are a good way to relax, reduce tension, and relieve stress. Breathing exercises are easy to learn. You can do them whenever you want, and you don’t need any special tools or equipment to do them. Try many different exercises to see which works best for you.

New Mom to be?
The journey of pregnancy can be tough and filled with excitement and anxiety of having a cute little one of your own. Birth doesn’t need to be scary! The more you know, the less anxiety. Being aware of all that is happening in each trimester, labour, postpartum, recovery, and caring for the little one can really prepare you much better and ease your journey throughout. Here are some great YouTube channel suggestions you definitely need to check out.

• Channel Mum
This channel provides a video for every single week of your pregnancy with a little peek inside your womb and lots of helpful support and advice.

• Mama Natural
Genevieve Howland, a childbirth educator, and breastfeeding advocate, runs Mama Natural since 2010, creating videos, articles, and social media content that empowers millions of women to embrace natural pregnancy and parenting.

• Bridget Teyler
Certified birth Doula devoted to educating and empowering mothers to experience birth confidently. How you feel about the birth can affect your postpartum experience and this doula can set you up for a satisfying birth experience regardless of how it unfolds.
• Sarah Lavonne
If you want to learn about pregnancy, labour, bringing home a baby, and nursing, then Sarah’s your go-to resource! With her warm, friendly character and wealthy knowledge she can surely reduce any existing anxiety.

Fitness:

With almost a year living through a pandemic and a more sedentary lifestyle, one of the most troubling concern for everyone is weight gain. Many have started through new diet journeys and daily workouts. While these habits may come easily for some, there’s still plenty of people struggling to fit a healthy diet and proper exercise to their daily life. And if you’re one of the latter, then here are some simple tips to get you started.

• Start small.
If you’re totally new to exercise, start by simply brisk walking/jogging/simple stretching exercises for 10- 15 mins and gradually increase your time. Be consistent because that matters more.

• Set aside a particular time
To make exercise part of your daily habit, setting aside a particular time every day for workouts really helps!

• Set a target
Writing down your goal or target to be achieved at the end of the year or month is again another helpful way to keep you determined and persistent. Whether it’s to lose some kilos or walk 10,000 steps a day, write it down.

• Track your steps
To keep you motivated, it’s always helpful to use a step counter. You can use the pre-built health application on your smartphone or get yourself a tracking band.

• Don’t focus on the numbers
It’s very easy to lose the enthusiasm and determination with which we began exercising when we see that the numbers on the weighing scale barely change. Remember that we’re working out to keep our body and mind healthy and active.

You can’t always expect yourself to be motivated to exercise, and that’s where self-discipline comes in. At the end of the day if you have enough self-discipline, you carry out this new habit throughout your life. I assure you, you’ll never regret it. When you make good choices about your activity, you’ll definitely make better choices in the type of food you choose to eat. So start today, sweat a little and don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated enough!

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