Photo by carloseduravier

Get ur freak on
Headbanger.. hit me, hit me, hit me, hit me

Missy Elliot ~ Get ur freak on ~

Nobody (or almost nobody) likes to study; I know I don’t. But it’s something we have to do, it’s a natural and necessary part of our development as human beings, not just for your school or carreer. But just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it has to become a drag; no way! You can make it acceptable at least, perhaps even rewarding. Studying should become a decent activity, here’s what you should do.

1. Understand studying!

Picture by sosarem

Learning is an unpleasant activity not just because it feels like you’re wasting your time or stuff like that; in most cases, it’s a subconscious response. That’s just a clever way of saying that your brain thinks studying is bad. Why? Well because of our society; when parents punish their kids, they often make them study. Also, the feeling that it’s too hard or pointless can actually make it pointless. If you want to learn something, you have to make yourself understand that first. Once you understand that you have to finish this and you stop kidding yourself, you’re half way there.

2. Learn the right things!

Photo by sidereal
So you’ve motivated yourself, you want to do this, you’ve got the right attitude… what now? Make sure you have the right books, reference, whatever, and put them in the right order. Learning things in the correct order will actually speed things up. Sounds like a paradox? Not really. It’s just common sense; do it the wrong way and nothing will catch, and you’ll just waste a lot of time. Go back to 1. if that’s the case. Also, if you’re using the Internet, be careful, cause there’s a lot of wrong or partial information. Use the big boys (Wikipedia, Britannica, etc)for a bit more safety, but even there you’ll find some small mistakes. So be careful with the learning material.

3. Learn the right way!

Photo by chotda

So you have the attitude, you have the learning material and still not learning? Well if the TV’s on and the dog’s barking there and that kind of stuff… it’s really understandable. You need to find that learning place, that is different for different people. Whether it’s quiet or filled with music, bright or darker, there should be no distractions (window, TV, pet, etc). Also, try to estimate your time - a realistic approach. If you don’t have enough time…

4. Turn useless time into productive time!

Photo by un4gtableann

Useless time can actually be… useful. Good all around tips here, but for studying, it’s a bit different. You should especially pay attention to time used for transportation and bath time. When you’re on the bus or other ways of transportation, try and do a quick recap (which by the way is really important) or read something new. When you’re taking a bath, do a light read or something; nothing too big, because this way it won’t spoil your relaxation. Also if you want to gain more time, you should know yourself. Know what’s good for you, how you can focus, things like that. It’s important that you find your own way of studying. Make notes, write down the most important ideas, listen to music, whatever gets you going. Also, it’s really important to know if your auditive memory is better than your visual memory. If it is, it’s definetly a good idea to read the stuff out loud, record it, and then listen to it. This can be a good idea even if it’s not (you can apply it on the bus).

5. Finish things up!

Photo by Fort Photo

Even when you feel like you’re making progress, you have to do things all the way, otherwise it’s your loss. Even if it feels like you know bits and pieces and you can put them together when needed, you shouldn’t rely on that. Also, don’t delay everything until the last moment, that won’t get you very far. Start things right, work your way to the top, and be careful at the finish. That’s what the champions do.

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‘Cause we were never being boring
We had too much time to find for ourselves
And we were never being boring
We dressed up and fought, then thought: “Make amends”
Pet Shop Boys ~Being Boring~

In life, you do things you don’t want to; things you may find useless, unpleasant, or just boring. You may also waste a lot of time when you’re say, taking the bus to school or work, or when you’re cooking or just don’t have what to do at work; and you probably sometimes feel like you just don’t have enough time to finish your work and really need to relax and unwind. The thing is that you have two problems which could solve each other! Sounds really weird, but filling these ‘gaps’ in your day to day time is really important, but mostly underestimated. Here’s what you can do.

1. Take an mp3 player (ipod) or a good book with you.

Photo by D T Photo
Or both! Put them in a small backpack or even in your pocket, it won’t really bother you. This way, whenever you’re don’t have anything really important to do, like cooking or just typing you can start listening to music. Whenever you’re in the bus, you can start reading, or during the lunch break after you’ve eaten. (more…)

So when I’m crying alone
Yeah, when I’m cold as a dying stone
Grow me a garden of roses
Paint me the colors of sky and rain
~Poets of the fall - Roses~

Credits photo

Many of our male readers know that flowers are useful - best present someone could give ( flowers never get old fashion) and they are (more…)

This is all so beautiful
But how much of this will really be
Enough to keep me on my feet
~Rachael Lampa - The Art~

Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses art materials, combining traditional psychotherapeutic theories and techniques with a subtler, more modern way of getting rid of your psychological and even physical problems. Also it’s a favorite of more and more people because you can do it at home, with your friends or family or alone, it’s fun and you train certain skills. It’s especially good for teenagers, people in their 40s, junkies and really stressed out people, but it has shown incredible results for just about everybody who tried it.

Image by Petra
The point of it is not directly to paint, but rather to know yourself better and to understand your most inner feelings, in a liberating and fun gesture. It doesn’t matter if you can’t paint or never painted at all, the only important thing is to be yourself and to try to express what you feel through lines, shapes and colours. You don’t need words to express yourself, and this is a great example. After you’ve finished a painting, take a look at it and say out loud what you think it means; then take a small break and think if it actually means that in your case. (more…)

Photo by carf

We all have our more sad days, when we’re feeling a bit weary and down. It can be something that got you upset recently, for some it’s a seasonal thing like winter blues or it just can spring out of nowhere. I think everybody can related to at least a few similar moments during their lives, and I’m not talking about depression here either, that’s the ultimate stage in what I call “feeling like crap.” Anyway, when it happens, we all need a lift up and a pat on the back, to help us get back to enjoying life. The following is a set of 7 suggestions you might want to consider when faced with such moments, that will undoubtedly, at least, make you feel better.

1. Listen to music. This always charges my batteries and gets me going on, no matter on. Personally I like to put a few favorite songs on queue and let them play, while I’m lying in the bed, perfectly calm (although I listen to some pretty hard stuff), trying to feel the music. I’m totally in the zone. It’s a whole Rainman experience, I know, but it does its job; you can try it too if you like, just play any kind of music that makes you feel good. I wouldn’t advise playing any depressing or mellow songs though, as they can end up causing more harm then good.
2. Party. A party is always a good idea to cure any kind of blues; round up your buds and hit the clubs for some action, dancing is always a good idea, while alcohol is clear not. It will only make you feel crappier. But hey even yet, why not plan your own party? You never need a good reason, other then having a good time, you don’t need to plan it too much either, don’t stress out, just go with the flow; call all your mates, tell them to bring some friends too and you’re on for a great night. Themed parties are the most fun, I’m a nut for luau parties, although I’ve never been at one. Damn it! (more…)

There are still many things we don’t know about our bodies, so in some cases it’s hard to say what makes us healthy or unhealthy. Still, it’s obvious that despite a good diet, and exercising and that kind of things, there are other factors which have to be taken into consideration. In fact, recent studies have made it clear that there has to be a balance between the body and the soul are at harmony. The five principles necesary to obtain this harmony are written below, and they are not as hard as you would expect.

1. Regenerate by sleeping

Photo by animefx
This is the first and most natural way of regenerating your energy and mantaining a mental balance, and it is the best way to help the body be prepared. Nowadays we sleep a whole lot less than ancient times; since the discovery of the light bulb, the time alocated to sleep has grown smaller and smaller. Among the effects of a long period of time with insufficient sleep are high amounts of sugar in the bloodstream, high arterial tension, higher colesterol level, neurosis and a general state of discomfort.

2. Use stress towards your advantage

Stress is one of the things that causes most damage to us, due to the constant go-go and insecurities, among others. Still, what if you could use this enemy towards your advantage? Sounds weird? Not really. Just think: if you could live your life in your bed, without doing anything, just sitting there, would it really fullfil your needs? You may be inclined to say it would, but if you thought about it really careful, you would realize that it won’t. Here’s what you have to do, in order to make stress your ally:

3. Set up a (very) loose routine

Routine is a two-way knife; it can either be helpful, in some cases, or it can make your life pretty unpleasant. As for myself, I’m the go with the flow and improvise kind of man; I’ve always been that way. But even so, I feel the need for some stability at some times.

4. Love 

Photo by Levana’s Cats =^..^=
Recent studies have shown that people who are in love don’t just feel better, they are better. The body works brilliantly and the brain has no problems. No need to talk about this… any kind of love will do!

5. Detach yourself from some things

Photo by Michael Mozzarella
After a long day, or just a stresful period, try to detach a bit from your problems; everybody has problems, but it’s up to you to deal with them in the best way you can. If you want to solve them, try to analyze the situation and be as objective as possible. If you just want to relax, then try to find a method to take your mind off them. Try to meditate, or jog, or do whatever you feel is good. Do what suits you best!

I hope you’ve realized by now that being healthy doesn’t reffer to just the body; the mind and soul have to be healthy too, even more than the body. Try to find a way to be happy with yourself, that’s the first step. Then, appreciate what you have!

I heard this old story before
Where the people keep on playing for their metaphors
But don’t leave much up to the imagination[…]
Never knowing
Shocking but we’re nothing
We’re just moments, we’re clever but we’re clueless
~Jack Johnson~

Photo by msoubhagya
One of my favorite quotes is (I’m not sure exactly how it is) “life is happening while you are too busy planning your future”. A whole lot of people get bored, or just miss out on some very important things just because they don’t know what to seek for in other activities. Let me put this in a different way: If you were to watch a movie, a very fascinating movie, and you are kept tense, you’re imagining varios possible scenarious, trying to find explications, the tension and imagining of scenarios will probably last a while after the movie. If you are trying to find motivations in the protagonists’ actions, you will probably stumble on to a piece of thought which will be useful, or at least interesting for you.

Even if the movie is not very serious, you can use your own mind to extrapolate the situations, to picture yourself as the main actor, and other things similar to those; this kind of activity will help you make 110% of that movie, literally. Have you ever wondered why some movies, or songs, or books are great, while others are just incredibly great? It’s because there is something about them which just makes you go to a certain place, they say something to you. If you listen to such a song, you almost certainly have a favorite lyric, which you just feel great saying, or the melodic line gets stuck in your head. This is the subconscious at work for you, sticking on to what it thinks is more important, even when you think you enjoy another tune more.

Photo by nicky’s_eye_view

Which takes us to the initial quote; while you’re expecting for a song to come next in the playlist, another just pops in and makes you feel better than the one you were expecting for would have. This could happen in some cases. You should stop and feel the moment; get caught in the music, just by listening to it! Stop thinking about your day to day problems, just try to make the most out of your relaxation time. Find your inspiration from a fragment of a lyric, from a line in a tv show, or from the plot of a cinematographic mastermind, or even from a character within a book. Also, inspiration doesn’t have to come from certain places, it could come from everywhere, even from reading this!

Let’s take the music of Jack Johnson, for example (if you haven’t listened to his stuff, you really should). I don’t know about you, but whenever I listen to it, it just takes me to a special place; it gives me a certain special feeling, and charges me with a positive energy, its effect is very calming and soothing. It may not do the same thing for you, but definetly there is some kind of music that has the same effect. Try to think and feel the music, don’t let it just pass through you! It’s very important, in virtually everything, from music and movies, to life itself. Feel life, instead of letting it feel you. Try to be aware about everything that happens to you, because if you do this, not only will you accumulate numerous ideas that will help you and feelings that will make you feel better, but just by paying attention to some small things in life, you will see things in a way that you probably never imagined before.

                                                               Photo by nature55

Photo by Back in the Pack

So Sgt. Pepper took you by surprise
You better see right through that mother’s eyes
Those freaks was right when they said you was dead
The one mistake you made was in your head
Ah, how do you sleep?
Ah, how do you sleep at night?

~John Lennon~

The benefits of napping have been argued for years, by the world’s finest sleep statisticians and researchers, with mixed opinions. Some argue napping is bad for you, as it causes instability to your internal clock and sleep disorders, while other believe naps to be very healthy and quite recommend it. General thought is that for every two hours you are awake you accumulate one hour of “sleep debt”. (16 awake and 8 asleep fits nicely into a 24 hour day, eh what?) If you don’t pay off your debt during your nightly sleep, it carries over until you do get it paid off. Your nap probably serves to push back how early you can fall asleep at night.

Lately a new term has been coined by specialists, called “power napping,” that consists in napping a full hour, during which your energy levels should be at a maximum. So in layman’s terms, grabbing an hour’s sleep during the day may be as beneficial as a whole night in bed, according to scientists. Of course some sleep during the night is needed, don’t think  it’s possible for a man, who hasn’t slept for over 24 hours, to recuperate a night time of sleep in the course of one hour. Even the brains agree, as experts say that a full night’s sleep is still necessary for many vital body functions, even though a short sleep may boost learning and memory.

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Less than a week ago I was packing my bags when it occurred to me that I hear really often “Oh, I forgot to put it in my bag”, where it can be toothbrush, favorite sweater, documents, head. So here are some steps you can follow to reduce the risk to let something behind:

First of all, think at the purpose you’re packing – pleasure or businessJ. It’s better to put first the things you need most, the object of the trip. This would be the first step.

Then the money and the papers you need –IDs and others, if you need. It’s good to have 2-3 pens and some unwritten paper too.

The third step is to put the technology – battery and phone chargers, notebook, mp3-player, i-pod or what you think you’ll need.

Very important are the hygiene products – toothbrush, toothpaste, towel(s), shampoo, shower gel, cosmetics, deodorant. If you think you’d need it, now’s the moment to add some drugs(medicines).

Then you just have to put your clothes too and it’s all ready. Put some comfortable old shoes, the new ones are usually uncomfortable. I recommend to have 2 bags, one with important and valorous things that you’ll probably use until you’ll get to the destination and another with … everything else.

Bon voyage!

     ,, Go  clean your room,  young man /young lady!”-that is something most of us hear everyday. Another spoiled day…or maybe not.  Cleaning your room does not really have to be a punishment. There are ways to make it easier for you and to do it in a short time. This activity is well-known to have positive effects on people’s state of mind because it’s useful to take one’s mind of problems and to help fighting stress.

      First of all it is better to take the decision to clean the room yourself. This would mean starting in the right way and it would help you psychologically. Of course, you don’t have to take this decision when your room can no longer be called a room in which a human being can live.

      Second of all, make a plan, Open the windows, analyse the situation and decide what you need and what you should start with. It is better to have a certain order in what you do so that you won’t find yourself in front of a total chaos

      Third of all, get the products you need. There are a lot of brands to choose from, most of them efficient and easy to use, They really make work easier and help you finish faster. Of course, don’t forget to read the instructions attentively so that you won’t spoil the furniture and that you will use them correctly and safely.

      After these preparations you can start. It is better not to interrupt your activity for things that could distract you such as a TV show or a little chat on the internet. Once you have finished, you can do whatever you want to.

       Use whatever you need to make your activity more pleasant: listen to your favorite music or even call a friend to help or …just to watch.

       When cleaning, be attentive to details because everything is important. After cleaning the furniture, put everything in order, so that you could find and reach everything easily .It will be easier for you later. Throw away everything you don’t need and continue to do that in the future so that it will be easier for you to clean your room the next time.

        You can also use this opportunity to redecorate and to make your room more pleasant .You don’t  have to use magazines, although they sometimes offer good tips, just use your own taste and  what you like. You can use decorative plants, art objects or anything that comes to your mind.

         In the end you will be happy to see that you have succeeded and  that your room looks great! So, good luck and go clean that room!

And now here are some tips to help you :

-put all your small things in baskets or plastic boxes, they are practical and decorative too

-it’s useful to have a dustbin in your room 

-you can use things such as photographs, decorative plates, funny menus or even a diploma in a frame to personalize your room

-even a puzzle with a spectacular landscape can become a point of interest

-use the nature too: seashells, feathers, leaf arrangements etc.