25 Pieces of Random Advice to Improve Your Mental Health

1. Prioritize your mental and physical health by getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising regularly.

2.  Be kind to others and practice empathy. Remember that everyone has their own struggles and challenges. 

3.  Cultivate a growth mindset by embracing challenges and learning from mistakes. 

4.  Take breaks from technology and social media to reduce stress and improve focus. 

5.  Plan for the future by setting goals and making a budget. 

6.  Learn something new every day, whether it's a new skill or a new fact. 

7.  Stay organized and declutter your space to reduce stress and improve productivity. 

8.  Practice good personal hygiene and keep yourself clean and well-groomed. 

9.  Use positive affirmations and visualization to improve your mindset and confidence. 

10.  Cultivate a strong support system of friends and family who you can rely on. 

11.  Practice good time management by setting deadlines and breaking big tasks into smaller chunks. 

12.  Be honest with yourself and others to build trust and maintain healthy relationships. 

13.  Practice mindfulness and meditation to reduce stress and improve focus. 

14.  Keep an open mind and be willing to change your perspective. 

15.  Be patient and persistent when working towards your goals. 

16.  Communicate effectively by being clear and direct in your communication. 

17.  Show gratitude for what you have and practice generosity towards others. 

18.  Learn how to manage stress and handle difficult situations with a calm attitude. 

19.  Take care of your physical environment and keep your living and working spaces clean and tidy.

20.  Make a habit of reading and learn from others through books, articles, or other forms of media.

21.  Avoid procrastination by breaking tasks down and tackling them one at a time. 

22.  Protect your personal information and be vigilant when it comes to online security. 

23.  Invest in long-term relationships, whether they are friendships or romances. 

24.  Find a hobby or interest that you're passionate about and make time for it regularly. 

25.  Be optimistic and try to see the best in situations and people. 

Not all advice will be suitable for everyone, some will be more relevant than others depending on your circumstances and what you are looking for. Remember that you should always take the time to consider any advice you receive and determine whether it is a good fit for you and your current circumstances. 

7 ways to combat decision fatigue

All I was doing was trying to buy a jar of instant coffee. But there was so much of it!

And it wasn't just any jar of coffee, it was for a friend. So, obviously, I wanted my friend to think that I was cool and only bought the hippest coffee (I'm old).

I needed my friend to know that I am someone who can be trusted to buy good coffee. 'Will my friend mind that it's instant?' I was thinking.

But I also need my friend to know that I am good with money. I don't know why, I just do. And also, because I was buying a whole jar of the stuff, I didn't want to lumber my friend with some disgusting slop that made him think bad things about me everytime he had a mug of insipid, weak, pale brown liquid.

So there I was: Standing immobile, staring at jars of coffee

Completely unable to make a decision.

I had decision fatigue.

Too much choice!

Have you ever turned the corner into the coffee aisle, (that's right, aisle), or the cereal aisle? It looks like we have quite a lot of choice.

It looks like you can choose from a baffling assortment of combinations. Doesn't it? But can you? And how much does it really matter?

Modern-problems like these can slow us down, even stop us in our tracks. But how do we combat this problem of constantly having to choose between some quite similar products or options.

Here are 7 ideas to help if you catch yourself experiencing decision fatigue:

Take a deep breath and remind yourself that this is just a decision about coffee, not a life-or-death situation. The world will not stop spinning if you make the wrong choice.

Flip a coin! It is true to say that some of the coffee, although branded very differently, might even have been produced in the same place.

Close your eyes and point to one of the options. When you open your eyes, whichever jar your finger is pointing to is the one you should choose.

Go with what you've picked before. Is there a brand or a taste that you liked before? Is there one that your friend always buys? Go with what you know is good. In small decisions like this, you've already done the hard work: you made that initial choice, maybe went through a couple of duff ones before deciding. Go with what works.

Consider the "five-second rule." If you can't decide within five seconds, just choose the jar that you can grab the quickest. Speed is key! Don't waste time deciding. No need to waste extra cogitation on life's simple decisions.

Or, conversely, pick a completely new, outlandish thing that you have never picked before. I know! Brave you. Turn your back on the tried, tested and true and choose a new brand that might just be your next favourite thing. One of three things could happen:

• It might be amazing and a new experience - well done!
• It might be no different! As I say, lots of the same product are branded as different.
• Or, it might be truly horrible, a proper memory you have to share with your friend - 'Remember that horrible coffee you bought once?' 'Yes! Haha!'

Ask a friend or loved one to choose for you. They might have better luck at making a decision than you do.

That's just what happened! In the end, my son caught up with me, saw me there, blankly staring at the jars and just picked one up at random. This broke the spell and we moved on! I don't even remember which coffee I bought, just that I had a great time with my friend, drinking a lovely, hot drink!

How to survive if your gut biome is out of balance?

If your gut microbiome is out of balance, you could feel weak, bloated or constipated. But recent research is showing that an imbalance in your body's microbiome could even affect your mental health - contributing to brain fog, or even anxiety or depression. That's why it has even been called your psychobiome.

An imbalance in the gut microbiome is known as dysbiosis.

Dysbiosis has been linked to a range of health problems, including:

Digestive issues: such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain.

Immune system problems: such as an increased risk of infections and autoimmune diseases.

Metabolic problems: an increased risk of metabolic conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Mental health problems: There is growing evidence that the gut microbiome can affect mental health and behavior. Dysbiosis has been linked to an increased risk of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders.

It's worth noting that the gut microbiome is complex and that there is still much that researchers don't know.

Conditions such as bloating, fatigue or cognitive behaviour might be caused by other conditions - even serious ones, so please make sure to see a healthcare professional if you are worried. But it's clear that maintaining a healthy gut microbiome can be important.

The effect of dysbiosis on our hormones

An imbalance in the gut microbiome can affect our hormones because it produces a number of substances that can change the endocrine system - responsible for producing and regulating hormones in the body.

For example, the gut microbiome produces hormones such as serotonin, which is involved in mood regulation, ghrelin, which is involved in appetite and energy metabolism, cortisol, which is involved in stress response, and insulin, which is involved in blood sugar control.

In addition, the gut microbiome can also affect the way that the body processes and eliminates hormones. For example, it plays a role in the metabolism of estrogen, which is a hormone involved in reproductive health. Dysbiosis, has even been linked to hormonal imbalances and an increased risk of certain hormonal conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8784943/#:~:text=A%20dysbiotic%20microbiota%20in%20PCOS,)%2C%20and%20increased%20androgen%20secretion%20%5B]

It's complex! A lot more research is needed to fully understand how all of it works. But, it's clear that the gut microbiome plays a role in hormonal healthand is important for overall health and well-being.

What if I have dysbiosis?

If you feel bloated, eat too many processed foods or feel anxious or depressed, it could be caused by anything - get yourself checked out by a proper doctor. But, if you think you have the symptoms of dysbiosis:

Digestive issues (diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain),

Immune system problems (increased risk of infections and autoimmune diseases),

Metabolic problems (difficulty losing weight, obesity or type 2 diabetes)

Or

Mental health problems (anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders) Then it might be useful for you to consult a gut specialist. Actually, eating a varied diet is useful in any case. You know what they say: Eat the rainbow!

So, how do you survive dysbiosis?

To combat dysbiosis, you need to do things to make your gut bacteria happy. It is normal for the gut composition to vary from person to person but in general, a healthy gut microbiome contains a diverse population of beneficial bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that work together to support overall health and well-being.

• Lactobacillus: found in fermented foods such as yogurt and sauerkraut. It has been shown to have a number of health benefits, including the ability to improve digestion and support the immune system.
• Bifidobacterium: commonly found in fermented foods and is known for its ability to support digestive and immune health.
• Escherichia coli: While some strains of E. coli are associated with food poisoning, others are actually beneficial and play a role in the gut microbiome. These strains help to produce vitamin K and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
• Faecalibacterium: involved in the digestion of fiber and has been linked to a number of health benefits, including the ability to reduce inflammation.
• Bacteroides: This is a group of bacteria that is involved in the breakdown of complex sugars and has been shown to support digestive health.
• Akkermansia: this has been shown to have a number of health benefits, including the ability to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation.

There are many factors that can influence the composition of the gut microbiome, including diet, lifestyle, medications, and the environment. Some people may have a naturally diverse and healthy gut microbiome, while others may be more prone to imbalances.

Eat a healthy, varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. Importantly, limit intake of processed foods, which are often high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and additives. These include processed meats, processed cheeses, cake, biscuits etc.

Incorporate fermented foods into your diet such as yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi which are rich in probiotics.
Avoid overusing antibiotics: While antibiotics can be life-saving in some cases, they can also kill off beneficial bacteria in the gut. Try to use them only when necessary and consider taking a probiotic supplement to help repopulate the gut with beneficial bacteria after a course of antibiotics.
Consider taking a probiotic supplement: Probiotic supplements contain live microorganisms that can help to support a healthy gut microbiome. There are many different types of probiotic supplements available, so it's a good idea to speak with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian to determine which one is right for you.
Practice stress management techniques: Chronic stress has been linked to an imbalance in the gut microbiome. Incorporating stress management techniques, such as mindfulness, exercise, and relaxation techniques, into your daily routine can help to support a healthy gut microbiome.

Mental Health and the Psychobiome

Lately, I've been reading research about the gut biome - that mysterious population of good microorganisms which inhabits your digestive system.

These microorganims have been found to exert a lot more influence on us than we ever realised - and did you know there are more microorganims present in your body than your own cells? Trillions of them! [https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-human-microbiome-project-defines-normal-bacterial-makeup-body]

In humans, gut bacteria have been found to be important for a number of reasons.

They take care of your food for you, they clear up infections, they regulate your metabolism:

Digestion: The gut microbiome helps to break down and digest food, particularly non-digestible fibers, which are important for maintaining bowel health.

Nutrient absorption: The gut microbiome helps to produce certain vitamins and other nutrients that are important for human health, such as vitamin K and certain B-vitamins.

Immune system function: The gut microbiome plays a role in the development and function of the immune system. It helps to protect against infections and may also influence autoimmune diseases.

Metabolic health: The gut microbiome helps to regulate metabolism and has been linked to an increased risk of metabolic conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Mental health: There is growing evidence that the gut microbiome can affect mental health and behavior. Research has shown that there is a link between the gut microbiome and conditions such as anxiety, depression, and stress.

So you see, the gut microbiome is an important component of human health too and has been shown to have a wide-ranging impact on various aspects of our lives!

The psychobiome refers to the influence of the microbiota (the microorganisms that live in and on the human body) on the brain and behavior.

There is growing evidence that the gut microbiome, which is the population of microorganisms living in the digestive tract, can affect mental health and behavior. For example, research has shown that there is a link between the gut microbiome and conditions such as anxiety, depression, and stress.

Wait? The gut microbiome may affect mental health?

One theory is that the gut microbiome can produce neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, which are involved in mood regulation. The gut microbiome might even produce other substances that affect the brain, such as short-chain fatty acids, which have been shown to have an impact on brain function. In addition, the gut microbiome may influence the immune system, which can in turn affect the brain and behaviour.

All this is an area of active research, but lots of research shows that the gut microbiome plays a role in mental health and that there is a bidirectional relationship between the gut and the brain. This means that not only can the gut microbiome influence the brain, but the brain can also influence the gut microbiome.

Can we improve our diet if we want to improve our psychbiome?

Yes! There are several ways in which you can improve your diet to support a healthy gut microbiome:

Eat a diverse range of plant-based foods: These can provide a variety of prebiotics, which are non-digestible fibers that feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Examples include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. Incorporate fermented foods into your diet: These are rich in probiotics, which are live microorganisms that can provide health benefits when consumed in sufficient amounts. Examples include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi.

Limit your intake of processed foods: These are often high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and additives, which can disrupt the balance of the gut microbiome.

Avoid overusing antibiotics: While these medications can be life-saving in some cases, they can also kill off beneficial bacteria in the gut. Try to use them only when necessary and consider taking a probiotic supplement to help repopulate the gut with beneficial bacteria after a course of antibiotics.

But everyone's different! What works for one person may not work for another. If you consider making changes to your diet to improve your gut microbiome, it's a good idea to speak with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian for personalized recommendations.

Which bacteria do fermented foods support in our gut?

Fermented foods contain probiotics - live microorganisms.

Different fermented foods contain different types of probiotics.

For example:
yogurt contains bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genera,
sauerkraut contains Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides,
Kefir contains a variety of bacteria and yeast, including Lactobacillus kefiri and Saccharomyces kefir
and Kimchi contains Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brevis.

Not all fermented foods contain probiotics, as some types of fermentation do not result in the production of live microorganisms. It's also worth noting that the probiotic content of fermented foods can vary depending on how they are made and stored. To ensure that you are getting live probiotics from your fermented foods, it's a good idea to choose products that are made with traditional fermentation methods and that are kept refrigerated.

Traditional methods of fermentation?

Yes, there are quite a few!

Lactic acid fermentation

This is a type of fermentation that occurs when bacteria convert carbohydrates into lactic acid. It is used to produce fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and pickles.

Alcohol fermentation

This is a type of fermentation that occurs when yeasts convert sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide. It is used to produce fermented beverages such as beer, wine, and sake.

Acetic acid fermentation

This is a type of fermentation that occurs when bacteria convert ethanol into acetic acid. It is used to produce vinegar.

Butyric acid fermentation

This is a type of fermentation that occurs when bacteria produce butyric acid as a byproduct. It is found in fermented dairy products such as butter and ghee.

It's absolutely not an exact science yet and there are many other factors which affect how we feel and how we respond to the foods we eat, but if we start to feel bloated or lethargic, then this may be one are to explore. It might work and it can't hurt!

Next: How to survive if your gut biome is out of balance.

THIS IS WATER by David Foster Wallace

In today's post I wanted to mention a speech given by David Foster Wallace called 'This is Water'.

 

 It was aimed at a group of students at a commencement ceremony at Kenyon College in Ohio in 2009.

It is an insightful piece of rhetoric aimed at those people who go through life thinking that they are at the centre of the world. In a few short minutes David deals with the concepts of reality, freedom and choice.

I like it because it was a little of what I was trying to say in my blog about being cut up while driving.
Well worth a listen.

How to Get More Comments for your Blog

This post is about how to get more comments for your blog.

Well the answer is: I have absolutely no idea.

We all know the basics:

• make it interesting,
• be controversial if you want to promote discussion,
• post often.

But to be honest, I have been writing this blog for 3 years now.

My How to survive alien invasion post has nearly 18,000 views on it and there is one comment.

One person went to the trouble of writing what he thought about it.

Well there you are. Can someone please tell me how to get more comments for my blog?

Do They Do It For The Money? Or, What Makes Entrepreneurs Tick?

Which job in the world will have you staying up till your eyes and your bones are begging you for sleep? Where will you find people who are willing to lose everything – everything! – for the sake of one more go at their dream? Walk into the life of an entrepreneur and you’ll see exactly that kind spark. The burning fires deep within the eyes of the mad, or the demented, or the insane, or merely those who wish to follow a dream, no matter what anyone else says.

In his book, Half Time, Bob Burford tells us that, ‘The first half of life is a quest for success, the second half is a quest for significance.’ Well, entrepreneurs must shoot through to that second half pretty quickly because in all the startup stories I read to prepare for this article, one thing pretty much stood out loud and proud.

Entrepreneurs need significance.

They have a need to change the world. Whether this is because they have spotted something missing and want to fix that, or whether they simply have a grand vision of how things should be. They want to make a difference.

If you have ever designed a website with a database, you will have heard of MySQL right? Marten Mickos, founder of MySQL AB says: ‘Entrepreneurialism is essentially a belief system: you must believe in something that is bigger than yourself’.

And the truth is, it is far more than just a belief; entrepreneurs need to have a burning desire within them to go through the kind of hardships that they have to endure - the years of failure and the heartache when things go wrong. It is how Caterina Fake, founder of Flickr, can sit with a smile on her face talking about the time when they only had enough money left to keep them going for 3 months. But more on hardship later.

Now, when someone first asked me, ‘What drives business startups?’ I thought about it for a second and arrived at the most obvious answer: Money! Of course!

Well, just look at the most famous startups you can think of: Facebook, YouTube, Virgin, Amazon, eBay. What links this diverse group of companies together? They are all High Net Worth companies. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft is the second richest man in the world, according to the Forbes Rich List. You don’t get that far in life, in business, in the world, without wanting to earn humungous amounts of cash. Right?

Wrong. The further I looked into the Motivation, the Beliefs of Startups, the more I realised how wrong my one second answer was. In fact, for many of the entrepreneurs who make it big, earning money is way down the list, if it is on the list at all. After all, if you wanted big money, why not go and train as a banker or a lawyer or go and work in the corporate world? They have money to burn and there would be no sleeping under your desk because you have no-where to live, or mortgaging your life to the hilt just to keep going.

So what is it? What is the key magic ingredient that pushes 10% of start-ups over that Tipping Point and into successful territory?

Angela Duckworth, a researcher into success motivation would say that it is GRIT. That sheer determination that pushes people on to try when all the odds are stacked against them.

Simon Sinek, author of ‘Start With Why’, would say that people are successful not because they want to succeed, but purely because they have a basic need, driven by their brain anatomy to make their idea do well, whatever the cost.

Sinek also tells us of the story of an entrepreneur who could have been one of the most famous men in history, Samuel Pierpont Langley. Langley tried very hard to invent the first heavier-than-air flying machine. In fact, his earlier efforts attracted so much interest that he managed to secure a phenomenal amount in those days: A government grant of $50,000. But we have not heard of Langley. The man in the street would just look blank if you asked them about Samuel Pierpont Langley. Langley did not have the correct belief system to push his efforts past the tipping point. Instead, we have all heard of Wilbur and Oliver Wright who believed that they could do it and inspired a team of people to join them in that belief.

So, what is the right belief system? Are you a Langley or a Wright?

The Wright Brothers would go out with their team of trusted employees no matter what the weather conditions. They wanted to fly. They believed that man could fly and they did not stop until they did it.

Thomas Alva Edison, who was the fourth most prolific inventor in history has also been called the world’s biggest failure. How can the man who gave us the motion picture camera and the electric light bulb possibly be known as a failure? Because he just kept on trying until he succeeded. Never mind if the 50^th prototype did not work, just get a new sheet of paper ready and design it a different way.

Did he do it for the money? Not at all! In fact, this is what he said about money: ‘Gold is a relic of Julius Caesar, and interest is an invention of Satan’.

Come close and I’ll whisper: He did it because he genuinely wanted to make the world a better place and crucially, he genuinely thought that he could do it. There may have been days when nothing went right. There may have been days when he had to listen to naysayers and doubters, or when cashflow was not what it could have been, but he just kept going.

I believe that these two things combine to make a great entrepreneur’s personality. The steeley determination which gives them that stubborn, pig-headed quality and a super human self-belief which makes them sure that their idea is the best idea in the world and everyone needs to know just how good it is.

And money? Well, that’s one of the perks of the job isn’t it?

What are the belief systems which set these guys apart from the sheep? What makes one person raise their head above the parapet and declare to the world: I will make this a success no matter what anyone else says? In the next post we will take a look at start-ups which should not have worked: the unlikeliest partnerships, the wackiest ideas, and the craziest hair in the business and find that spark which made them say ‘Yes I can!’

Belief Systems of Startups

Let me guess, you want to be an entrepreneur. You have had an amazing idea and have come online to find out how to turn it into reality. The world would be a better place if only everyone would use your product and the minute they all realize this, they will fall over themselves to come and give you all their money.

Just hang on a second. Before you quit your job and remortgage your home. You need a reality check. Ask yourself this simple question:

How many people actually make it as entrepreneurs?

I mean, sure we hear about the successes, the ones which end up splashed all over the papers, but what about the losers?

Did you know that a third of all startups fail within two years and two thirds fail within four years? These statistics from the US Small Business Administration put it so neatly don’t they? Just a few numbers on a spreadsheet. Why don’t they list how much money these guys lose? Or the hours schlepping round trade fairs and angel investors, trying to sell their idea? Or how about those precious hours spent away from home which can even end in two people going their separate ways and families tearing apart?

Being an entrepreneur is a way of life. You can forget about the four hour week and holidays spent on a yacht in the Bahamas. Those are just pipe dreams. That is what happens at the end.

Bringing a product to market is hard work. But most people just see the end results. The flash suits and the celebrity parties and think that practically anyone can have a go at it.

The truth is that most people are just not a good fit and do not have what it takes.

Still reading?

So, what drives an entrepreneur? What belief systems cause one man to get up and try again where another one would lay down and just give up?

As Roy H Williams of the Monday Morning Memo would say: See it, believe it, say it.

I am also personally of the opinion that what drives an entrepreneur to succeed above all else is belief.

Self-belief, belief in the product and belief that the public will accept this new product, this new reality, with open arms and hand over their hard earned dollars with open wallets.

This is what drives people to succeed. This is what makes them squash that inner nagging voice of doubt which tells them that maybe they are no good after all. It is what refuses to let them listen to everyone around them, from their mother to their milkman, who tell them that they are wasting their time.

Because time is something that they will have to spend. An entrepreneur spends, an average of 80 hours a week or more, getting their idea off the ground.

Do you have 80 hours a week to spare? Not so eager to start, or still rearing to go?

The key to successful business is not to try to earn more money or have a bigger car or pay yourself a bigger bonus than the other guy. The real key is to find out what makes you jump out of bed in the morning. What makes you tick? What drives your passion?

And once you have the answer to this question, then you are well on the way to beating those two-thirds of people who fall by the wayside.

Entrepreneurs need to have a burning desire within them to go through the kind of hardships that they have to endure - the years of failure and the heartache when things go wrong. It is how Caterina Fake, founder of Flickr, can sit with a smile on her face talking about the time when they only had enough money left to keep going for 3 months.

Others have spoken about just having one day’s cash flow left but they still kept going, hoping against hope that something would turn up. And you know what? The harder you work the luckier you become.

As Daniel Goleman tells us, it is the strength of character, the steeley determination of personality which drives them more than any other kind of trait. And it is emotional intelligence which forces them to even try in the first place.

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone. All the pieces of the jigsaw have to come together to make one whole successful picture. And if even one piece is missing then it can mean that a project is doomed to failure.

Just having an idea, no matter how great it is, may not necessarily be enough. Some unbelievably misguided people really do think that they have an earth-shattering discovery and they only have to mention it, they only have to whisper their idea and people will either:

a) steal it.

b) adore it.

c) finance it.

Poor fools. The first check they expect is not the reality check that they get.

If you have managed to read down this far then welcome! This series of articles is written for the kind of entrepreneurs who are destined to succeed. Those who have their feet firmly planted on the ground. The people who can see the mountain in front of them and the spoon in their hands, and they do not hesitate for even one second. They simply start digging. Heck, if that’s what its going to take to get them to the other side, then that is what they are going to do. And nothing is going to stop them or get in their way.

In the next article, we will take a look at some of the most successful business startups and examine why and how they have succeeded. What are the beliefs which drive their founders to do well? Is it money? Is it philanthropy? Why do these businesses rise to the surface when others around them have sunk without a trace? And how do they keep going when times get rough?

Test

Hello!

5 Fears About Google Glass - Is Your Privacy the Biggest Problem?

Perform a search with the words 'Google glass fears' today and there are 6,770,000 hits.
Scanning through the first ten pages, most of the stories are about 'privacy fears'.

Slash Gear are worried about the facial recognition problem. Third parties might be able to develop apps which let your Glass recognise the faces of people nearby - although at the moment, it could just be the people it already knows from memory, soon, this ability might be expanded.

Big arguments on Cnet where people are not sure if they will invade privacy or not - but the article's points about them needing to up their game if they are to appeal to the wider populace are very valid.

Business Insider are talking of the 'paranoia' associated with the unknown. There is talk of banning people wearing them while driving (well, duh!) and many worries about people taking surreptitious pictures.

There are plenty of other fears:
Are they a safe thing to wear close to your temples?
Will they ruin your eyesight?

Now, let's just take a minute to think about things. After all the hype, what do we actually know to be facts? The little child in all of us must yearn for this magical toy, I know I do. But are they really what we have assumed them to be? You know when you assume, you make an ass of you and me!

I think most of us have heard about Robert Scoble. Despite a webpage which takes forever to download, this computerphile has publicly declared his love for the Glass. We have seen him shower with them on (It's Chico time all over again!), we have seen him share them with others, and he has told us that he will never, ever, ever take them off.

Although running time is only 3 hours, so he has to take them off sometimes, unless he just lies down with them on while he recharges them, becoming inanimate himself, waiting for the augmentation to come back.

Because that is what they are supposed to be after all, augmented reality.

So, this privacy thing:

The Fear: Everyone will take pictures of everyone without their knowledge!

No, everyone can take pictures of everyone already without their knowledge.

Not only does almost every other person have a camera in some sort of portable device, but also, secret camera recording devices have been available for years.

What Google glass will bring is some idiot with a pair of glasses frames shouting 'Glass, take a picture' at you when they walk around. Or, they will wave their hands in front of the frames a few times, probably too quickly, switching the camera on and off a few times before they get what they want. Not the magical experience everyone hopes for.  Apparently the resolution is not so sharp at the moment either.

What if the person does not want their picture taken? Can they come and shout, 'Glass, delete all photos' at someone who is wearing Goggle's glaases? In fact can anyone come and talk to your glasses? Have you ever left the room with the Speech Recognition software running and come back to find that it has been obeying someone talking on TV?



The Fear: My pictures will be uploaded online without my knowledge.

Yes, hello? They already can be. How many pics of people have you seen online without their consent? Celebrities without makeup, Walmart shoppers, Geeks and Nerds they are already up there.

What glass will bring, is after taking this low-res photo, someone fumbling with their Smartphone (which already has two high quality cameras), logging in to Facebook or Twitter and doing it that way. Because how are they going to log in to these places with Google Glass? Shout their password in?

As will all mobile devices, we will have to see about the health concerns. In twenty or thirty years' time, we will have to investigate the effects of prolonged use of mobile devices so close to the temples and eyes.

But my biggest worry is the massive potential for distraction.

How many of you have tried to speak to a child who is watching their favourite programme on TV?
The hypnotic effects are much greater if it is favourite video game or when they are lost online.

I've already written about having someone step out into the road while texting.

This is the latest fear: Google glass will produce generations of the deaf, dumb and blind.

Plugged in and zoned out. Augmented, but not actually present in the here and now.

What is going to stop someone trying to read their emails while they drive along the M4?

Or even watching TVCatchup walking along the road?

Try talking to your kids then!

Steve Pavlina: How to Make Money From Your Blog

I have just spent the past half an hour reading the most amazing blog post.
Even though it was written seven years ago, this monster sized post had me glued right up until the end as if it was the latest bestseller from the New York Times list.

The title? How to Make Money From Your Blog.

Steve Pavlina calls his site Personal Development For Smart People and I really feel like this post has opened my eyes to the amazing possibilities which are out there. I'm sure I'll be going back to check out his other posts.

Why?

I don't know, I can't put my finger on it for the moment, but Steve has a particular style of no-nonsense straight-talking which seems to cut through the rest of the rubbish which is out there and bring you the information exactly as it is.

His underlying message seems to be, 'know what you want and be true to yourself'. He starts by asking, 'are you 100% satisfied with making money from your blog at all?' This makes sense because in case anyone has any sort of qualms about it, then they will subconsciously self-sabotage at every stage to set themselves up for a fall.

I'm sure I'm not the only one to have noticed this, and I feel a little like the cheerleader who arrives when the game is over but still insists on doing the whole routine, but I wanted to bring this new information to my readers.

It is very refreshing to find something like this.

I like that. Thanks Steve.

How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed by the Internet

Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
LinkedIn
Plurk
Klout
StumbleUpon
Reddit
YouTube

It is so easy to feel completely overwhelmed by the internet. And everyday there seems to be a new website which 'everyone has known about for ages' but which you have never even heard of.

Social media has its own set of sites - if you ever visit a page which has all the social media icons, there can be twenty to thirty different little buttons. Then there are spin offs of the main sites which add value such as Tweetdeck.com, SocialOomph.com, Twitpic.com, Justunfollow.com for Twitter.

Today was the first time I visited Tweetdeck.

Yes, I know.

I've heard that it existed for a long time, but never went on it before. You can join and then allow your twitter account to have access and you see all the Twitter services laid out side by side. Very useful if you need to interact with a lot of people quickly.

Following on from there, SocialOomph.com promises a lot such as automated tweets and JustUnfollow.com lets you find out who follows you and who has unfollowed you.

It is so easy to get bogged down with the minutiae and to go off on a tangent and forget why you switched the computer on.

Facebook has its own timesucking properties with all the thousands of games and apps.

And for a blogger there is no end to what to do, blog, find links, write guest posts.

But the fact is, that these time wasters are excellent at making you think that you are extremely busy, spending a lot of time being productive. Hours can go by in the blink of an eye as computer time runs at a very different speed to real-world time. Einstein would have very quickly developed another theory about time and relativity in the real world compared to the virtual world.

The way to survive this, is to take it for what it is - a series of entertaining diversions which do not really mean as much as you think.

Although it feels like there is a vast mountain of information out there which needs sifting for the golden nuggets, hasn't there always been a huge tranche of knowledge? The big difference now is that it is possible to see exactly what you don't know. It is that ocean of the unknown which lurks just at the edge of your consciousness - or is a Google click away! Remember when they used to show you how many millions of pages of results they had?

The truth is, even if someone did nothing but read stuff online for their whole life, they would still not be able to get through a fraction of the everything there is.

Just understand that there will always be information and knowledge there that it will not be possible to examine in as great detail as you would like. Be careful to prioritise your time so that the real jobs get done and swimming in the information soup is minimised to downtime only.

While some people are very good at blinkering themselves so that they get on with their lives, others are pulled in so many directions that they eventually grind to a standstill.

If you are on a Mac, then Anti Social is an app which blocks off the social media parts of the internet for as long as you want.

Focus Writer is a great app for writers and allows them to focus on writing, with timers and to-do lists factored in to a familiar looking app.

However to do it, the main emphasis is on how well you can control yourself and how well you can narrow your focus down to what you want to achieve.

The people who can do this will be the successful ones in the unfocused years to come.

6 Ways to help you revise

It is that time of year again when the exams are looming and the books have been piled up, ready to study.

Here are a few tips to help all you hard working students make the most of the study time which is left.

Find out as much as you can about the test

Ask your teachers questions! It can only go one of two ways: Either they will tell you how many questions will be in the test and what type, or they won't.

If there will be many short answer or MCQ type questions, then a general knowledge of the whole subject is important, whereas if there will be more essay-type questions, then an in-depth knowledge of the topics will be better.

Other things to find out are:

• How long will each test last?
• How many questions?
• Will all the topics be covered equally?
• Will practicals be included in the test or simply theory?
• Are past papers available?

Plan your work

Armed with a list of topics for each subject, quickly skim over the notes to make sure that they are complete. If not, use text books, ask your teacher or get together with friends to compare notes.

Write a list of the main topics for each subject and order them into levels of difficulty. Write the one you find more difficult to master at the top. These are the topics that you will tackle first.

Plan your time

Next work out how much time you have to revise before the exams start. Don't forget to schedule in days between separate exams.

If you do not have much time left, then use your text books to skim over the main points. Write bullet point lists and learn the main facts. Your aim here is to cover a lot of material quickly so that you will be able to answer a large number of questions reasonably well.

For essay questions, use your time to answer specific questions. Time yourself writing out an answer to an essay question so that you get a feel for how long it takes.

If you have a reasonable amount of time left, then plan to cover all the topics a couple of times. Read through your notes, make bullet point lists or flash cards. On the next read through, ask questions as you read the text. Why did Henry VII do that? How would a person digest protein? What are the geographical features of coastal erosion?

Reading your notes critically will get you thinking differently about the text - not just some words to memorise, but information to know.

Finally, test yourself. It is good if you can do this with a study partner. Close the book and see how much you remember.

Spread the work out

Make a study timetable to help spread out the work. Don't learn the same information over and over again. Move forward. The point of studying the harder stuff first is so that your revision gets easier and you may even have things to look forward to towards the end.

Also don't spend too much time on one topic. If it is a general exam, then you should get a higher mark if you know a lot about most of the topics. Only learning one thing thoroughly is risky and if that topic is not even covered in the exam then you are stuck.

Plan some downtime

Do not forget to schedule in plenty of breaks and downtime. Don't forget meals and drink plenty of water while you study.

If your timetable is not too strict then you have more of a chance of sticking to it. Have lots of breaks, but make sure that you come back after the breaks are over.

Treat yourself after every study period. It can be anything: 5 minutes on your favourite game or website, a snack, a chat to a friend, anything to look forward to when you have finished the work.

Get some sleep!

Finally, relax!
Don't stress out too much
Sleep when you are supposed to.
You can only do so much, take it in short easy steps and keep a note of how much you have done to motivate yourself to do more.
You know, it could be an enjoyable experience if you do it right!

Don't do this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5mqbKs1PoI

5 Ways To Survive With A Toddler At Home

Ah Toddlers, you've got to love them!

For anyone who does not know what a toddler is, they are a child who is just beginning to walk between 1 and 3 years old.

If you spend everyday at home with a little child then you know how rewarding, annoying, exhilarating and stressful it can be - all at the same time.


Their constant energy can be so tiring, and yet their ideas and questions and just plain unashamed curiosity about everything can open your eyes to a brand new world.



1.     TALK to your toddler. Whether you are washing up, doing household chores, or working from home, chat to your toddler and let them know how things are going. Praise them for their actions, let them know that you are proud. Keep an easy-going dialogue going. This way they are more inclined to talk to you. Which means that they are more likely to discuss it with you if they are planning to turn the living room into a swimming pool that day.

2.     Schedule, plan, timetable. Let your toddler know what is going to happen that day.
Tell them when they will have a snack, when they will sleep, when you will go to the park. Having a gaping void of time stretching out in front of you is not good for anyone, let them know that things are going to happen. Even better if you can plan a week: We always go shopping on Tuesdays, we always go to the library on Wednesdays. They learn about time, and days and weeks. But you have to be able to cope with constantly telling them which day it is or what time it is.

3.     Go Out At Least Once A Day. Take them to a park or a soft play area or a children's group. It breaks your day up and makes you get changed and get ready to go out too. You both get exercise and most importantly, all that energy finds a release outside rather than in your house, and on your walls and furniture.

4.    Let Your Toddler Help You. Your life can either be a relentless struggle against time, with you trying to get a stack of things done while  wrestling with your toddler's demands, or it can be more of an interaction. Most children love the vacuum cleaner, for example, once they get over the noise. So let them hoover. Let them join in with making their own lunch. Set out the separate things on the table and let them put everything together on their plate. There must be hundreds of ways that they can 'help' you. It makes them feel important and wanted and brings out that totally cute, sincere side of them which is so enchanting.

5.   Set Strict Boundaries. All children benefit from knowing what they can do and knowing what they can't. You know that they are constantly pushing to see if they can get things their way. If you say they can snack at 10am, they will try to get something at 9.30.
Interestingly, psychologists have shownt that once they know that pushing absolutely will not work, they move on. Don't be a pushover. If you say something, stick to it. No-one gets confused or gets mixed messages and everyone should be happy. Most of the time.

Dealing with a little child all day can be exhausting. You will not win every day. Somedays you will just end up crawling around on your hands and knees playing pirates, but keep good timetables and do what you say, when you say you will and hopefully, things should be fine.

Today's blog post is a look forward to the future by a visit to the past:

Children Chapter IV
by Khalil Gibran


And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."

And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Banned By Paypal

I read somewhere that being banned by Paypal was a little like catching chicken pox. It is not a question of whether you will be banned, but when.

But, unlike chicken pox which goes away after a while, being banned by Paypal is apparently for life.

Soon after I wrote the article criticizing them for the violin thing, I found out that I had been banned by Paypal.

After many phone calls asking why they have banned me, despite not having a very active account, I have not discovered the reason. Apparently all this time I have been a dangerous risk to their business and they do not want to have any dealings with subversives like me.

So, I have started the procedure of trying to find out why they have banned me through official channels.

I'll keep you posted about how I get on.

How to Survive Procrastination

Hi there, I've been meaning to write about procrastination for a very long...

...hang on, the email thingy just made the new noise, I changed the computer theme and now it goes 'Briiiiiiiiing!' instead of bing-bong. It might be an important message.

No, well it was just someone trying to get me to buy carbon credits again.

Procrastination is the art of avoiding the main...

...I wonder if anyone has liked my new photo on Facebook? I'll just check. My friends are all so great you know, as soon as I put something up, I get about a million 'likes', I don't want to hurt their feelings by not replying straight away!

Psychologists think that we procrastinate to avoid the pain of having to do a tough...

...my how time flies! I didn't realise it was lunch time already. I've been looking forward to this so much today, I made a special lunch for myself today.

Two o'clock! Time to work.

Other reasons that psychologists give for our procrastinatory tendencies is delayed gratifi...

...Is 'procrastinatory' a word? There is a great online dictionary called Onelook. It references dictionaries from all over the world.

Well, I honestly have no idea how I ended up on YouTube!

I pride myself in being maybe the only person left in the world who has not seen the Gangnam Style video! Yes, well, of course I've watched the parodies, I'm not a total Neanderthal!

But its cats! In water! They are sooooo funny!

Hang on a sec, I've just got to email this to 300 of my closest friends. They'll kill me if they find out I've watched it without forwarding it.

Phew, that only took an hour! It was a lot longer last time.

Wow, 5 o'clock. I know! I'm going to take this work home with me. Yes, well, you know, I do work hard all day so I shouldn't have to, but they do rely on me here to get everything done on time and so I take it home as a matter of pride more than anything else.

See you tomorrow for another hard working day!
















Image Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

How to Survive the Zombie Mummies

Every morning I have the good fortune to drive along a road where there is a good school in an affluent area.

Lucky me.

And every morning I meet the mummies.

No, not exactly what I had in mind.

I mean the Zombie Mummies.

That's better.

It is only the school run, but these women, I'm sorry, but they are all women, I have yet to see a man at the wheel, have probably been up for hours primping and preening because they are primed to perfection.

They are mostly all driving large 4x4s which their husbands have bought for them to run around town in, no doubt.

And these women are all dead behind the eyes. There is little to no contact with the passengers and there is zero awareness of what is going on in the road around them.

This is a road where there are cars parked on either side, school buses drive up and down, and hundreds of school children are walking around.

What is the point of the Zombie Mummy?

The point of the zombie mummy is to get from point A to point B.

How does the Zombie Mummy fulfill its purpose?

The zombie mummy fulfills its purpose by getting from point A to point B.

How do You Survive a Zombie Mummy?

Stay out of the way. Stay well out of the way. The zombie mummy does not see you and it does not know that you are there. This is good.

Your aim is to keep it this way. If they are driving down this narrow road towards you, chances are, they have not registered that you are also driving towards them. If, by a hapless manoeuvre of your own, you have managed to become entangled in a face-off, it will sit there until there is no obstruction in its way. It does not matter that it only has to move back 1 foot and you have to reverse along half of the road. Just do it. It will sit there. I'm telling you, just do it.

Legend has it that if you stare too long into the face of a zombie mummy, ... no I can't it's just too horrible to even think about.

That wasn't too hard was it?

The zombie mummy will now drive past you and leer.

Decades of research have been conducted about this. Too many for me to summarise here. But to boil it down into two sentences: Some think that this leer is gratitude. I don't.

None of these researchers has even looked at a zombie mummy the way that I have, day after relentless day.

But I have lived. I am a survivor. Now I am here to share my experiences with you.

Two simple points:

• Try to stay out of the way
• Do NOT expect any gratitude

I have been trying my own little experiments. But I urge you, you must NOT try any of these for yourself:

I thank them. I suddenly give way when they least expect it. I show a cheery hand signal to try to reach that submerged fleck of humanity which must surely be deep down there somewhere. The animus which impels the beast.

Don't thank me, my little efforts are weak and puny in a world that is dominated by the SUV and the designer poodle. But I try.

OK, thank me a little.

Never be locked out!

If you have forgotten something and have to go back into the house for anything at all - whether it is to switch the lights off or go and get bus fare, or get one glove or your purse, or update your facebook status, ALWAYS, keep hold of the key.

It is so easy, when your thoughts are elsewhere, maybe already at your destination, to put your keys down absentmindedly. But, the second that the front door closes, you will immediately remember that your keys are still in the house.

Better than this, as long as you live in a safe area, if you have forgotten something, open the door and get into the habit of leaving the key in the lock. When this becomes a natural habit, then you will never have to be worried about being locked out again.

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