Kamis, 31 Agustus 2017

What Is a Pipe Dream?

When a hospital worker in Massachusetts chose the lucky ticket in the Powerball jackpot last week, she won more than $750 million, the biggest jackpot in US history, and she said, “My pipe dream came true.” After reading her statement, Robert Mittendorf on Twitter encouraged me to write about the term “pipe dream” because it has an interesting origin. Thanks, Robert!

It seems that “pipe dream” was first used in the late 1800s to imply that something was like the hallucinatory dreams that people had when they smoked opium, which was usually done with a pipe. Back then, opium was mostly considered a useful medicine, and it didn’t have the negative connotations and restrictions that it has today. There were even opium products, such as Syrup of Poppies, which were given to children even though many babies died when they were given too much. Yikes.

pipe dream

Opium pipes had especially long stems and were sometimes called “saxophones,” “gongs,” and, relevant to our topic today, “dream sticks.”

Many of the poets of the Romantic Era in Britain, such as Percy Shelly, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, John Keats, and Thomas de Quincey took opium and believed the dreams and altered mental states affected their work. But it was in America that the term “pipe dream” was eventually coined.

The earliest example of the phrase appearing in print listed in the Oxford English Dictionary is from the “Chicago Tribune” in 1890 and reads “[Aerial navigation] has been regarded as a pipe-dream for a good many years.”

I like the second example better though because it sounds more dream-like. It comes from the novel “Pam,” written by Bettina Riddle von Hutten in 1904: “Just look at the sea, and tell me if, in your wildest pipe-dreams, you ever saw anything lovelier.”

Today, a “pipe dream” is usually something that is a fanciful idea or plan that is unlikely to actually happen—like buying the winning ticket in a $750 million lottery.



What Is Mindfulness, and Should You Try It?

As the mindfulness joke goes, what do we want? Mindfulness! When do we want it? Now!

what is mindfulness?Mindfulness, indeed, is designed to keep us in the now. But there is frequent confusion about how exactly that occurs, and what mindfulness feels like. So let’s start with four things that mindfulness often gets mistaken for:

Mindfulness Impostor #1: An empty mind. Your mind is designed to think, notice, concentrate—anything but be empty. Don’t ask of your mind what it isn’t designed to do.

Mindfulness Impostor #2: Flow. Oftentimes, mindfulness is thought of as a state of deep concentration or absorption. And while it’s probably possible to lose oneself in mindfulness, this state of energized full immersion is more accurately described as psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow.

Mindfulness Impostor #3: Happiness. You can certainly feel happy while being mindful, and it’s wonderful to be mindful of being happy, they’re not one and the same.

Mindfulness Impostor #4: Relaxation.  I’ve seen mindfulness described as “an oasis of calm in which our problems melt away,” which sounds amazing—sign me up. But relaxation often implies passivity, while mindfulness can be a lot of work.

If all these things are what mindfulness is not, what exactly is it?

Dr. John Kabat-Zinn, founder of the American mindfulness movement, started to make waves back in 1991 when he published his now-classic book, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. He defines mindfulness as the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally. But what exactly does that mean?

Kabat-Zinn has inspired a generation of mindfulness researchers, one of whom, Dr. Kristin Neff, has the best explanation of mindfulness I’ve come across.  Picture yourself in a movie theater, she says. A movie is playing on the screen, and you’re wrapped up in the story. You jump when the bad guy appears, bite your nails as the forces battle each other, gasp as plot twists are revealed. But then, in an instant, the person next to you sneezes. The reverie is broken. Suddenly, you are back in your seat with your popcorn, and you remember, “Oh, I’m watching a movie.” This awareness is mindfulness.

In other words, mindfulness is not thought in and of itself; rather, it is a method for watching your thoughts. It’s very meta: an awareness of awareness. You can focus your awareness on whatever you like: you can be mindful of your breath, mindful of the thoughts jumping through your head, mindful of what you can sense with your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin. All that matters is that you are watching the present moment and you are doing nothing to change it.

Using this technique, you can watch, say, your anxious thoughts, but without getting tangled in them. For example, bring to mind a memory of a recent humiliating moment. Now think to yourself, “I really screwed that one up big time.” You probably feel some embarrassment, guilt, or shame. Now change things a little and think to yourself, “I’m having the thought that I really screwed that one up big time.” It’s subtle, but different. With the “I’m having the thought” example, there is distance and abstraction.

Just as when our fellow movie-goer sneezes, our attention shifts from being absorbed in the movie as if it was reality, to being aware of the movie as not reality.  And guess what? Just as the movie isn’t reality, neither are our thoughts. As Shakespeare writes in Hamlet, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” That’s a little freaky, huh? But it’s also freeing. Just because our brain is screaming thoughts us, doesn’t mean we have to get tangled up in them. Instead, we can just watch our brain lob those thoughts without having to catch them.

So how to put this to use?  


Here are three mindfulness exercises to try, each of which only takes a few minutes.

Mindfulness experiment #1: The Hourglass.  Remember Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s definition?  Paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally. The “on purpose” part means you can direct the object and scope of your attention. Here's a classic exercise. Start off with wide attention. Notice, without judging, whatever’s happening around you right now: your thoughts, your senses, your breath. Who knew there could be such cacophony in just sitting and paying attention? After about a minute, narrow your attention to only your breath. Notice the sensation of air moving into and out of your nose, your throat, and your lungs. If your mind wanders away, which it will, gently bring it back and focus again on your breath. Then, after about a minute, expand your attention again to a wide scope. This shifting of wide, narrow, wide gives you different perspectives and helps you practice paying attention “on purpose” in just three minutes.

It’s totally okay if your mind jumps around or goes quickly. Let it. Watch it. And don’t judge it.

Mindfulness experiment #2: Watching your thoughts.  This one is great for people who hate to sit still. In this exercise, simply watch the thoughts that come into your head for a few minutes.  It’s totally okay if your mind jumps around or goes quickly. Let it. Watch it. And don’t judge it. Don’t try to change your thoughts. In contrast to some mindfulness exercises that involve more concentration, this one is more about awareness, and non-judgmental awareness at that.

Mindfulness experiment #3: Mindful listening. This is another good one for the “non-judgmental” part of the definition. Choose a piece of music—perhaps one you love, perhaps one you've never heard before. Put on headphones and close your eyes. Allow yourself to listen to every part of the music—the different instruments or voices—without judging positively or negatively. Just listen and experience without responding. If your mind starts getting annoyed or making a grocery list, just bring it back to the music. Tune in to what you’re hearing in the moment.

There are a zillion other exercises and meditations you can try.  Remember that sense of “Oh, I’m watching a movie,” and use it to watch your breath, a flower, a raisin, or even a headache. No matter what you choose, simply pay attention, on purpose, non-judgmentally.

And if none of this works, you can always try another mindfulness joke: Today, I will live in the moment, unless the moment is unpleasant, in which case I will eat a cookie. 

If you love the show, never miss an episode by subscribing to the Savvy Psychologist on iTunes or Stitcher or listening on Spotify. Or get every episode delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for the Savvy Psychologist newsletter.  And of course, check us out on Facebook to find lots of archived episodes no longer available on iTunes!

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.



Rabu, 30 Agustus 2017

Tax Q&A: Tips for Remote Workers, Freelancers, and Expats

Unless you’re a tax accountant or lawyer, income taxes probably aren’t your favorite topic. To say taxes are confusing and time-consuming is a laughable understatement. No matter if you’re an employee, self-employed, or retired, taxes take a massive bite out of your paycheck, business profits, and investment earnings.

Tax Tips for Remote Workers, Freelancers, and Expats

While taxes can be a downer, the more you understand about them, the more you can save by legally cutting your tax bill each year. In this post, I’ll answer seven tax-related questions that I recently received about working remotely, living abroad, and doing freelance work.

Free Resource: Laura's Recommended Tools—use them to earn more, save more, and accomplish more with your money!

7 Questions & Answers About Taxes

Here are some great questions from Money Girl readers, podcast listeners, and members of Laura's free Dominate Your Dollars Facebook group:

Tax Question #1

Rachel L. says, “I’m an American who’s been living in Canada for many years. How can Americans who live and work abroad avoid having to pay taxes in two different countries?”

Answer:

Rachel is one of the estimated 9 million Americans who live outside of the U.S. Whether you leave to work for an employer, do freelance work while globetrotting, or retire in another country, you can’t escape Uncle Sam’s tax system.

Unlike most countries, the U.S. taxes its citizens no matter where in the world you live. So, even if you never expect to move back, you still must file an annual tax return that includes all your worldwide income, as if you never left.

Unlike most countries, the U.S. taxes its citizens no matter where in the world you live.

Trying to hide your foreign income became more difficult after 2010, when the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) was enacted. It requires all foreign financial institutions to report U.S. customers to the IRS. This leaves expats in danger of stiff back taxes and penalties if you don’t comply with U.S. tax laws.

However, the good news for U.S. expats is that you probably qualify for some nice tax breaks. To qualify, you must have a tax home in a foreign country and receive foreign earned income.

The biggest benefit when you live and work outside of the U.S. is the foreign earned income exclusion. It allows you to reduce your taxable income by up to $101,300 for 2016 per qualifying person. There are also foreign tax credits that may reduce or eliminate what you owe. You claim these benefits by submitting Form 2555 along with Form 1040.

Also note that you can still get a tax refund as an expat, but only if you continue filing annual tax returns. If you have foreign income and don’t file a U.S. tax return, you can’t claim any exclusions or credits, and are breaking the law.

As I mentioned, getting caught not paying U.S. taxes can result in high penalties. If your tax delinquency is at least $50,000, the State Department can even cancel your passport. So, don’t think you can fly under the IRS radar just because you’re no longer living in the U.S.

For much more information, check out Publication 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad. And be sure to consult with an experienced tax accountant if you have any questions.

See also: How to Open an IRA—Understand Eligibility, Rollovers, and Early Retirement

Tax Question #2

Elisabeth B. says, “I’m an American in my early 20s, living and working full-time in Europe for the next few years. I have about $20,000 in my U.S. credit union in a mix of mutual funds, CDs, and savings accounts. I’m financially stable and wondering if my American money could be doing more for me. Can I open an IRA in the U.S. even though I’m earning income abroad?”

Answer:

Thanks for your question, Elisabeth, and congratulations for having a nice chunk of savings at such a young age. One of your top financial priorities should be to maintain a healthy cash reserve, known as an emergency fund.

Having a financial safety net is critical because it keeps you from going into debt if you have a large unexpected expense or hit a rough patch, like losing your job or business income.

Having a financial safety net is critical because it keeps you from going into debt if you have a large unexpected expense or hit a rough patch, like losing your job or business income. How much savings you need is different for everyone, but I recommend keeping at least 3 to 6 months’ worth of living expenses on hand.

Another good rule of thumb is to maintain at least 10% of your annual gross income in an emergency fund. For instance, if you earn $50,000, make a goal to accumulate a minimum of $5,000 in cash reserves.

But don’t be tempted to invest your emergency fund. Exposing it to any amount of risk means it could lose value the moment you need it. To have a healthy financial life you need different buckets of money, each with their own purposes.

The purpose of an emergency fund isn’t to earn money or grow, but to stay safe for future potential financial disasters. So, in general it should always sit tight in a high-yield, FDIC-insured savings account.

Once you’ve got some cash set aside or are saving to an emergency fund on a regular basis, it’s time to start another bucket of money that you want to grow for the future, such as a retirement account.

But is Elisabeth eligible for an IRA while living abroad? To qualify for any type of IRA, you must have some amount of taxable, earned income. As I previously mentioned, expats can typically exclude up to $101,300 of income from taxes, for 2016.

So, unless you choose not to take the foreign income exclusion or you earn over $101,300, you won’t qualify to make IRA contributions. However, you can still invest using U.S. dollar-based, taxable, brokerage accounts.

Also see: What’s the Difference Between a Roth 401k and a Roth IRA?


Tax Question #3

Miriam says, “What would be the consequences if I withheld federal and state taxes from my paycheck for a couple of months? How would I pay it back and would there be any penalties at the end of the year?”

Answer:

You can only claim an exemption from payroll income tax withholding if you had no tax liability last year, and don’t expect to owe any taxes for the current year. For instance, if you’re single, under age 65, and earned less than $10,350 in 2016, you don’t have to pay tax.

However, if you (or a spouse) earn less because you become unemployed for part of the year or lose side income, you can increase the number of allowances on your current W-4 to reduce your withholding to a minimum.

Problem is, if you don’t pay in enough tax during the year, you’ll have a tax liability on Tax Day of the following year. If you pay what’s owed by the deadline, which is typically April 15, there are no penalties. Just make sure you have enough savings to make up any potential tax shortfall.

Also see: How to Fill Out a W-4—Plus, 7 Reasons to Adjust Your Tax Withholding

Tax Question #4

Erica L. says, “Thanks for your podcast on tax deductions for a home business. I have two businesses that I run from home in the same office space. Can I account for both, or can you only take the home office deductions once?”

Answer:

Thanks for this great question, Erica. This is a great follow-up to my recent post and podcast #509, Work from a Home Office? Claim a Tax Deduction and Save Money. If you qualify for the home office deduction, you (or you and a spouse or roommate) can claim the same office space for two or more separate business activities.

Tax Question #5

John says, “I started working remotely for a company that’s out of state. Will I have to file a tax return for the state where the company is located?”

Answer:

In general, when you work remotely, you only need to pay income taxes in the state where you live, no matter where your employer is located.

In general, when you work remotely, you only need to pay income taxes in the state where you live, no matter where your employer is located. However, there are some states—such as Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Nebraska, Oregon, and Pennsylvania—with non-resident tax laws that require you to pay tax, in addition to your home state, unless you meet an exception.

So, if you receive a W-2 form at the end of the tax year that lists a state other than yours, you’ll need to file a non-resident tax return to the state listed. It’s a good idea to consult with a tax accountant to make sure you’re following the rules.

See also: 5 Ways to Pay a Tax Bill You Can't Afford


Tax Question #6

Adam says, “I’m self-employed and can work anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Can I claim the cost of my travel as a business expense?”

Answer:

When you’re self-employed and mobile, your home office essentially travels with you as you open a laptop or smartphone to work from a hotel or café. But that doesn’t mean you can deduct the cost of travel for every day that you work on your business from a remote location. You simply can’t deduct personal expenses.

You can only deduct the business portion of your travel expenses, such as staying in a city while you attend an industry conference, meetings with colleagues, or working with clients. If you plan to deduct all or a portion of an expense, keep the receipt and make notes to document its business significance.

Here are some common business-related travel expenses you might be able to deduct:

  • Travel by airplane, train, bus, car, rental car, taxi, or rideshare between your home and your business destination
  • Shipping and baggage fees
  • Tolls and parking fees
  • Meals and transportation to and from restaurants
  • Hotels
  • Entertainment
  • Dry cleaning and laundry
  • Tips

See Publication 463, Travel, Entertainment, Gift, and Car Expenses for more information.

Tax Question #7

Kevin W. says, “My son, Joseph, is a college freshman who was diagnosed with Autism at age 3 and was non-verbal. Now he’s a sports broadcaster for a local radio station on the air and wants to start writing about sports for their website. What types of expenses are tax deductible when you work from home or travel as a freelance writer or reporter?”

Answer:

Kevin, that’s fantastic! There are many expenses you can deduct when you start a business. In general, they must relate directly to the service you provide, and be what the IRS calls ordinary and necessary. Ordinary, as in common in your trade. And necessary means what’s helpful to generate revenue.

As I previously mentioned, you can’t deduct personal or family expenses. However, if something is partly personal and partly business, you can divide it appropriately and deduct the business portion.

For instance, if you travel for a blogging conference and then extend the trip for a vacation, you could deduct the portion of expenses spent just for the business. If you use your car for business, you can deduct expenses based on the mileage driven.

Here are some more expenses that may apply to freelance writers:

  • Computer
  • Printer
  • Software for writing or bookkeeping
  • Office supplies
  • Website creation
  • Website hosting
  • Photography or graphic design services
  • Subscriptions to trade publications
  • Membership to industry associations
  • Writing classes
  • Conferences
  • Marketing and promotion
  • Business travel

This isn’t a complete list of all the potential business expenses that you can deduct. Check out Publication 535, Business Expenses for more information or consult with a qualified tax accountant to take advantage of every possible and legal deduction.

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Attractive Young Man With Laptop image courtesy of Shutterstock



What Is Mycoprotein?

Becca writes:

"I'd love to hear your thoughts on mycoprotein. I've been using it as a chicken substitute but I don't know much about it."

“Myco” refers to things related to fungi but mycoprotein is not from mushrooms. Rather, it’s produced by a thread-like fungus that’s found in the soil. The official name is Fusarium venenatum.

Mycoprotein is a relatively new thing. It was literally cooked up back in the 1980s by some British industrialists who were worried about a global food crisis--specifically, they were worried that we would be unable to produce enough protein to sustain a growing population. By trial and error, they came up with a process in which the spores are fermented in big vats, with glucose as a food source and various other nutrients. The resulting biomass resembles a sort of fibrous dough that’s high in protein but also high in fiber.  It also has a somewhat meat-like texture and a faint mushroomy smell.

Where can you find mycoprotein?

Mycoprotein is featured in a line of vegetarian meat substitutes sold under the brand name Quorn. As far as I know, Quorn products, which include things like fake chicken tenders and ground beef substitute, are the only way consumers can buy mycoprotein. It’s not available as a protein powder, for example, or as a raw ingredient.

The original Quorn products use small amounts of egg or milk protein to enhance the texture, and malted barley for the flavor, and this makes them inappropriate for vegans and those avoiding gluten. However, the company has now expanded its product line to include some vegan and gluten-free products as well. You’d just need to check your labels carefully.

Is Mycoprotein Safe?

A few years ago, the consumer watchdog organization Center for Science in the Public Interest expressed concern about the safety of mycoprotein, based on a handful of adverse reports. They petitioned the FDA to bad the ingredient or to label it as potentially hazardous, which the FDA ultimately declined to do.

You’d certainly want to avoid mycoprotein if you have any sensitivity or allergy to mushrooms or fungi. Quorn is also a good source of fiber and, as with any fiber-rich food, eating a large amount may cause some gas or other digestive issues in some people. But mycoprotein has been widely distributed in the UK and Europe for several decades, and more recently in North America, and has a much lower rate of reported problems than foods containing soy, for example.

How does Mycoprotein Stack Up Nutritionally?

In terms of protein, a 3 ounce serving of mycoprotein-based meat substitutes contains a respectable 10 to 12 grams of protein. That’s only about half as much as in a 3-ounce serving of chicken or beef but a bit more than a similar-size serving of eggs or tofu.


Most plant-based proteins provide significantly less protein per calorie than meat. You have to eat 450 calories worth of black beans to get the same amount of protein as you’d get in just 175 calories worth of chicken, for example. Like tofu, mycoprotein does a good job of delivering a decent amount of protein for relatively few calories.

But when we’re talking about plant-based proteins, we also need to think about protein quality. Protein researcher Nancy Rodriguez has proposed that we think of protein sources not just in terms of the total amount of protein they provide but also in terms of their essential amino acid density–or what percentage of your daily EAA requirements a serving provides.

Mycoprotein does provide all of the essential amino acids but in smaller amounts than you’d get from chicken or beef. A 3-ounce serving of mycoprotein gives you about a quarter of your daily requirement of EAAs, about the same as a similar amount of scrambled eggs. That’s only about half as much as you’d get from a serving of chicken or beef, but almost twice what you’d get from a serving of tofu.

See also: Building muscle on a plant based diet.

Mycoprotein is also a decent source of fiber, with about 5 grams per serving. The particular type of fiber in mycoprotein (beta glucans) is of interest to cholesterol researchers because it appears to be particularly helpful in lowering cholesterol.

Here’s a table showing how two of the more popular Quorn products stack up to chicken, beef, eggs, and tofu.

[here is the chart if it would look better...not sure how to format]

3 oz

Cals

Pro (g)

Fat (g)

Carb (g)

Fiber (g)

EAAs (g)

EAAs %

Quorn tenders

90

10

2

9

4

3.5

20%

Quorn ground

110

13

2

9

5

3.7

20%

Chicken breast

140

26

3

0

0

10.8

50%

Ground beef 95%

164

25

6

0

0

9.7

50%

Scrambled egg

127

8

9

1

0

4.67

25%

Tofu, firm

46

7

1

1

0.5

3

15%

 

Thanks to Becca for suggesting this week’s topic. I must admit, I didn’t know much about mycoprotein so I was glad to have a reason to do some research. If you enjoy the flavor and texture of these meat substitutes, they look like a healthy option for adding good quality protein to your meatless meals. I think there’s a lot to be said, however, for getting your protein from a variety of sources. So be sure to mix it up!



5 Tips for Eating Well on a Budget

Leanne Brown created Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4 a Day as the culmination of her master's degree at NYU's food studies and food policy program. She released it online as a free PDF, then began a Kickstarter campaign to get print books into the hands of people who needed them most, hoping that the book could be used as inspiration for cooking fresh meals on a SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) budget. The book is now being distributed by Workman, and for every copy purchased, another copy will be donated to someone who needs it. Today, Leanne joins the Clever Cookstr to share advice for everyone about how to cook well on a budget. 

Here are her top five tips:

1) Buy things that you'll use in multiple ways.

For example, pulled pork is a shareable, celebratory dish that starts with an inexpensive cut of meat, pork shoulder. You cook it low and slow in the oven, on the grill, or in a crockpot, and it happily feeds a crowd. Leftovers can be used for sandwiches, tacos, or added to rice and beans or soup. When you're buying basic things that have multiple uses, you'll be able to stretch them over a variety of meals.

2) There are some places where it makes sense to splurge.

Using real butter instead of margarine is worth it in flavor, as just a little bit adds richness. While it might not be part of your kitchen arsenal yet, a microplane grater is ideal for everything from zesting lemons to grating cheese very finely, so you'll use less. 

3) Eat seasonally!

Produce that is in season tends to be both better quality and less expensive. Use summer tomatoes in a panzanella salad with cucumbers and stale bread: it's colorful and bright as well as flavorful.

4) Food can be both celebratory and economical.

Presentation on the plate makes a big difference. Making your own quick pickles, salsas, and other condiments and adding them to standards like hot dogs makes a meal perfect for a special occasion. 

5) Think outside of meat for sources of protein.

Leanne uses lots of eggs and legumes in her cooking. Think of meat as a part of your meal that adds flavor, but not the central part of it. 

Remember to check out past Clever Cookstr episodes. For more great recipes, you can also follow Cookstr on FacebookTwitter, and Pinterest.

And here are this week's bonus recipes: Wilted Cabbage Salad and Spicy Pulled Pork.

Leanne Brown photo credit: Jordan Matter.



Selasa, 29 Agustus 2017

Get More Out of College by Prioritizing Learning

If you’re a college student like absurdly over-achieving intern M.G. (whom I do not resent in any way whatsoever), you have so much opportunity that you can easily make the wrong choices. M.G. is back to class after the winter break. When he’s not learning five languages, getting a black belt in Israeli Krav Maga, and comparing Moby Dick to classical literature—for fun—he actually does attend classes. And last week, he was offered yet another new opportunity: working as a paralegal for a prestigious law firm, making all-important copies for the partners. His semester is already jam-packed with classes, but it’s tempting. Very tempting. After all, the gig sounds great for his resume.

In college, you need to choose between activities where you learn a lot, activities that make your resume look good, or both. But not all resume-building activities are created equal. You want the ones that will give you the most bang for your buck. 

So how do you make sure you’re signing up for the opportunities that will serve you best? Prioritize learning when making choices about how to spend your time.

Run, Don’t Walk, from Activities That Block Learning

First, don’t take the classes you think you won’t learn from. If you’re picking a class to look good on a resume, don’t. Recruiters won’t look at specific classes. Do you really think they want to know how your freshman Advanced Ambition for Upwardly Mobile Teenagers class went? Not likely. They’re far more interested in how you think, problem solve, and deal with people. When you take classes whose only redeeming value is the title, the only thing you’re going to get out of it is a title line on your resume. But even worse, your one-liner is using up a precious class slot that you could use to learn something that changes your life! 

If life gives you a time waster that you can’t just drop, make time-waster-ade.

It’s the same with internships. Jobs that sound like they’d “look good on your resume” are a dime a dozen. Don’t do those either. Find out what’s really involved in that internship. Ask around. If it’s really just carrying coffee around and running a laser printer, don’t do it. A lame-o internship is just wasting your time.

Get Out If You Can (Make the Best of It If You Can't)

If something’s a time-waster, get out! Some commitments, once started, can’t be stopped halfway through. So before saying ‘Yes,” think about whether you can gracefully switch paths if an opportunity turns out to be less than expected. Use your add/drop period to research, and drop a class if you’re not learning. Quit any student groups that are a useless burden. And if you’re carrying coffee at that internship, ask your sponsor to move you to projects where you can make a real difference. 

If life gives you a time waster that you can’t just drop, make time-waster-ade. If your internship is teaching you zilch and you couldn’t drop it early on, look for nontraditional ways to complete it. Seek out special projects. Network with cool people in the office. If you’re spending over a thousand dollars a week for class, or 20 hours a week on an internship, get your money’s worth!


Do Your Research to Find Learning

Of course, we have interwebs! Before committing, you can do research and separate the wheat from the time-wasting non-wheat, like … potatoes … or carrots. 

When picking classes, look on ratemyprofessor.com to find out how much other folks learned in the class and see if the reviews make you more or less interested. Look at the course description carefully, and check out a past syllabus. 

Talk with people who have taken the class or internship you’re considering. Don’t just ask, “Did you like it?” Ask questions to tease out whether or not they learned anything. Ask, “How did this change your world views? What did you learn? How have you applied that learning?” If an experience hasn’t made a difference in someone’s life, that’s a strong hint that it isn’t worth your time and attention.

Seek Out High-Learning Activities

Once you’ve tossed out the time wasters that block learning, decide what kinds of learning you want out of an experience. Do you want to learn to work as part of a team with other students or coworkers? Do you want a boss or professor who can become your mentor? Do you want to learn to fold sweaters really, really well? (I’ve considered working at The Gap for a summer just to learn to fold clothes.)

List what will make a class or internship worthwhile to you. Then rate your different options on those criteria and choose the one that will give you the biggest leg up. Taking minutes for your boss’s meetings might be a low-value internship measured in learning, but if your boss is the White House Chief of Staff, then it might be great for networking. Plus, you can add an action item “prepare for Zombie apocalypse” at the bottom of the minutes and watch the fun when he gets back to the Oval Office.

Let’s recap: when you have competing commitments in college, choose the opportunities that give you the most learning. Beware of empty resume-building classes and internships. Get out of time wasters as soon as you can, and do your research beforehand to make sure you can expect an activity to be good for learning. You can be even more rigorous by creating an explicit learning score-card and using it to evaluate opportunities.

Now that he realizes that learning should be how he makes his decisions, Intern MG knows just what to do. “I’ve identified my high-learning goals as getting deep exposure to journalism practices, understanding entrepreneurship, and learning to manage projects. Operating a photocopy machine, even for a prestigious firm like Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe, will not help me reach those goals.” So MG is going to keep working shifts at a major national newspaper as he co-founds a business and teaches himself MIT’s computers science curriculum … in his spare time. I’m hoping to make sure he goes up for a surprise black belt test his first day on the job—purely as a way of supporting his desire to learn, of course. I’m very generous that way.

I'm Stever Robbins. I run webinars and other programs to help people be Extraordinarily Productive, and build extraordinary careers. If you want to know more, visit http://ift.tt/1LyGwtQ

Work Less, Do More, and Have a Great Life!



How to Make Time for Exercise

How To Make Time For ExerciseAs you may know, I am crazy about encouraging everyone to make movement a big part of their daily lives. It’s not that I think going to the gym or training for a marathon is bad by any means, but living a generally active lifestyle will serve you much better throughout your life than will training really hard for a 10k and then sitting on the couch for the remainder of the day, week or year.

Exercise science has shown us again and again the positive power of regular physical activity in a person's life. Whether that leads to feeling better, having more energy, looking better, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress, or having better focus - which are the things that I am pretty certain every student wants in their life - movement and exercise are amazing for every aspect of being a student. We’ll talk about how exercise directly affects the brain in a future episode but for now, let’s concentrate on how you can build your daily routine.

The problem is, of course, time. Most students take on too many activities every day. This can include classes, homework, research, studying, working, shopping, and perhaps even a little partying.

When the heck do you have time to exercise?

Is that what you think? Is that the narrative that plays in your head every time you look in the mirror? If it is, I am here to challenge you to break that belief down. I think you’re not tying hard enough. I think that you are not thinking outside of the (CrossFit) box.

We all have time to exercise. We all have time to get up and move our bodies everyday. The trick is to make it a priority and to build it into your day. If you simply can’t imagine that, I think you need to look at the amount of time you spend on Snapchat, watching Netflix, eating avocado toast and whatever else you millennials do. You owe it to your body and mind, not to mention your friends and family, to make exercise one of your top priorities. You both need to do it and deserve to do it.

We’ve been led to believe that in order to be physically active, get the ripped body that we want, or to whip our cardiovascular self into shape, we need to dedicate 45-90 minutes to going to the gym but some of the busiest and fittest people I know rarely step foot in a gym or exercise for longer than an hour a couple times a week. Another common belief that we have is thinking that low level activities like walking don’t count. That a ten minute workout isn’t long enough to make a difference. That we have to change into expensive workout gear for it to count as exercise. Well, that is rubbish.

Ways to Make Time

To help you get started or to help you dial-in your already existing routine a little further, here are some ways to make time for exercise — even when you don’t think you have time.

Let’s start the day off on an active note. After your alarm clock goes off, tuck your knees to your chest and wrap your arms around your knees. Now, just rock slightly from side to side. This will wake up your spine and stretch your legs a bit. After doing this stretch for about 30 seconds, straighten your legs and move them from side to side (keeping your back on the mattress or futon). This will loosen your back and also engage your core.  You can finish this quick routine with 10 to 15 crunches in bed. Great! You aren’t even out of bed yet and you have already primed yourself for a better movement day.

Another one for your morning routine (the time you spend in the house, apartment or dorm before you leave for class), every time you touch a doorknob do 10 squats.  If you are like me, you touch about 6-8 doorknobs on average during your morning so before you even eat breakfast, you may have already done about 60 squats and that is more effective for waking you up than a cup of coffee!

During your drive to school or while you’re sitting on the bus or subway, do at least 5 sets of 15 ab flexes. This is where you squeeze your abdominal muscles as though you're trying to touch your ribs to your stomach, hold for a couple of seconds, then release. You can do this literally until you are red on the face.


One barrier to exercising during a busy school day is squeezing in time for a full 45-60 minute workout with a warm-up, cool-down and hopefully a shower. But quick 10-minute workouts are surprisingly effective, and can be injected throughout the day. You can do them in the morning when you wake up, after lunch, between classes, and after dinner. For some awesome 10-minute workouts, check out the Get-Fit Guy episode about the most effective 10-minute workouts you can do practically anywhere.

This one is fun to do with some friends or classmates who are also looking to stay fit. Pick a “fitword of the day”  like "book." Now, whenever anyone in your group says the word book, you all drop and do ten push-ups. The next time that word is used, do nine push-ups, then eight and so on. If you manage to get all the way down to zero, pick a new word and start from scratch.

An easy way to stay mobile and active that we often forget about or overlook is just simply standing and walking.

An easy way to stay mobile and active that we often forget about or overlook is just simply standing and walking. Walk or stand whenever you can. Never sit on the bleachers during a football game. If it is not going to get you in trouble, stand in the back of the room during a lecture. Stand on the bus. Walk while you discuss your homework with classmates. If you have a meeting with a professor, suggest that you walk around campus while you chat. Get creative! According to the Mayo Clinic regular brisk walking can help you:

  • Maintain a healthy weight,
  • Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes,
  • Strengthen your bones and muscles,
  • Improve your mood,
  • Improve your balance and coordination.

The faster, farther and more frequently you walk, the greater the benefits.

Maximize Your Workout

When you are deciding what workout you should do with the fifteen minutes you have between classes, here are four tips to keep in mind that will help you maximize your workout.

Tip# 1: Choose exercises that move as many body parts as possible. Choose things like walking lunges, burpees, push-up variations, jumping jacks, and other exercises that used multiple joints. If you want your body to transform quickly, you should focus on full body exercises that incorporate multi-joint movements.

Tip #2: Choose exercises that move body parts quickly. The act of moving explosively will ensure you burn more calories during the workout and for the hours following the workout. Include moves such as medicine ball slams and throws (you can use your largest text book instead of a medicine ball if you like), do lunge jumps, sprints or if you ride your bike to school (which I highly recommend), fast explosive cycling intervals away from each stop sign.

Tip #3: Choose exercises that you don’t usually do. If you choose exercises your body is unfamiliar with, you’ll burn more calories in less time, because your body won’t be as efficient at those exercises. So if you usually do push-ups, try doing a pull-up, or if you usually choose squats, try lunges instead. Don’t be afraid to mix it up--it will make your body stronger, more mobile, and it will sharpen your mental skills too!

Tip #4: Make it fun for you and your friends. Play Frisbee, soccer, or throw a football around. Ride your bikes around campus. Shoot hoops or hit a tennis ball around. When we have fun while we exercise, we get a similar endorphin boost that people get from long endurance exercise, except that boost is nearly instant, constant, and is often more intense. When we turn workouts into playtime, it stimulates both our brains and our emotions.

If you avoid letting it all go now, while you are young, you will have an easier time when you get to my age of fighting off the “dad body.”

Ok. I think you are probably getting the idea now that you really don’t have an excuse to not exercise. Being a busy student is not a reason to let your fitness slide. And let me tell you, if you avoid letting it all go now, while you are young, you will have an easier time when you get to my age (mid-life crisis territory) of fighting off the “dad body” which I hear is all the rage these days.

Give Me More

To finish off, here are some rapid fire suggestions to draw on when you feel stumped:

  • Find several exercise programs you can do at home (on YouTube or a podcast) and do one of them a couple of times a week.
  • Take regular walks while you are thinking, planning or pontificating.
  • Instead of walking up a flight of stairs, increase your speed and the number of stairs you take. Take two steps at once and you'll target your booty more.
  • Dance! Dance around the house, dance with some music, go to a nightclub or see a live band. Just because you might be in a place that serves alcohol, doesn’t mean it isn’t good for you.
  • Get up 20-30 minutes earlier several days a week and exercise before you start your day. Walk, run, stretch, or do yoga — anything that gets you moving and starts your momentum for the day.
  • Join your school’s fitness center or join a sport team. This is often rolled into your tuition so take advantage of it!
  • Choose an activity that you enjoy. If you hate running, don’t try to force yourself to do it. If you choose something you really like, you will find it easier to make time for it.
  • Even if you live in a tiny dorm room, you have space for some resistance bands and a yoga mat. Find ways to use your furniture to workout. Even a door frame can be used as exercise equipment with a little imagination. You can use some of these tips for working out in a hotel room.
  • Find other ways to get around other than driving or asking a friend or parent for a ride. Check out this post about Adopting a Carless Lifestyle for inspiration.
  • If you really have difficulty fitting exercise into your schedule, consider buying a used treadmill. You can usually find used ones for sale online from well meaning Boomers who are now using them as a clothes racks.
  • Make it a competition with your friends. Use fitness trackers and compare numbers throughout the day. Nothing is more motivating than crushing your friends. Am I right?
  • Don’t aimlessly surf TV channels or the Internet because we all know that’s a surefire way to waste time that you could spend in more active ways. You don’t have to skip TV altogether but before you sit down, set a time limit and stick to it.
  • When you do watch TV, make the most of it. Do some crunches, planks, sun salutations, squats, lunges or pushups while you’re watching. Commercial breaks are great cues to get up and move.
  • And finally - always choose something over nothing. Don’t let the thought “well, I don’t have time for the workout I had planned so I guess I won’t workout today.” Stay flexible and always choose to use whatever time you do have as effectively as possible.

Fitting exercise into your busy student schedule takes effort, planning and forethought but it is well worth the effort. Make a plan, put it on your to-do list, put stickies on your fridge - whatever it takes. I dare you to try it for a month and I know you will find that it pays off, and in ways you never expected.

For more quick workouts, quick tips, and to join the time saving conversation, head over to http://ift.tt/1xq4tPg or http://twitter.com/getfitguy. Also don't forget to subscribe to the Get-Fit Guy podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Spotify, Google Play or via RSS.



What Makes Storms Like Hurricane Harvey So Strong?

Houston, the fifth most populated city in the United States, and the surrounding areas of southeast Texas are currently facing down a historic storm known as Hurricane Harvey. The National Weather Service has warned of “catastrophic flooding” and tweeted that the storm “is unprecedented and all impacts are unknown and beyond anything experienced.” More than 250 highways have been closed due to flooding and more than 2,000 calls for rescue have been made since the storm began. An estimated 76,000 people remain without power.

When asked if his relief agency was prepared to be in Houston dealing with the aftermath for months, Brock Long, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) responded, “FEMA is going to be there for years.”

What makes Hurricane Harvey so uniquely strong? Does the storm represent a new norm in extreme weather?

How are hurricanes classified?

Hurricane Harvey was classified as a Category 4 storm when it first made landfall just south of Corpus Christi, Texas. According to the National Hurricane Center, a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, these categories rank the hurricane’s sustained wind speed on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The scale of 1 to 5 also accounts for potential property damage and loss of life.

In a Category 4 storm, winds clock in at 130 to 156 miles per hour. Power outages are predicted to last weeks and “most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months”. Even well-built houses are expected to sustain severe damage including the potential for the loss of its roof and exterior walls.

But the extreme nature of Hurricane Harvey, and the potential threat brought on by other intense storms like it, is due to more than wind speed. Storm surge – how much ocean levels rise due to onshore winds - and total rainfall also contribute to a hurricane’s intensity. Harvey offers up a particularly destructive combination: an already problematic, but not unheard of, storm surge of a few feet, extremely high levels of rainfall, and a stalling of the storm over a single area for several days.


How much is 50 inches of rain?

Houston and surrounding cities recorded between 25-27 inches of rain in just 24 hours and 15-20 inches more are expected throughout the week. For comparison, Houston ordinarily sees around 50 inches of rain in a year.  That means half of a year’s worth of rain fell in a single day, with potential for an entire year’s worth of rain over the course of just one week.

To look at this level of rainfall another way, an estimated 9 trillion gallons of water has fallen over the greater Houston area. As calculated by the Washington Post, this is enough water to cover the entirety of the contiguous 48 states in 0.17 inches of rain or to fill the Great Salt Lake twice.

The level of flooding is thus severe and photos have already shown cars and entire highways submerged, as well as residents navigating city streets in boats. Adding to the problem, Galveston Bay can no longer serve as a source of drainage for the excess water since it too was elevated by Harvey’s storm surge.

Along with the high levels of rainfall and the significant storm surge associated with Hurricane Harvey, the longevity of the storm over the Houston area is even further contributing to the extreme levels of flooding. There is a lack of winds to force the hurricane inland, but rather multiple areas of high-pressure winds in the upper atmosphere that have essentially left the storm trapped above the Texan coastline for several more days. 5-10 trillion more gallons of rain are expected before the storm is done.

Modeling hurricane patterns is incredibly complicated.

Is climate change to blame for the intensity of Hurricane Harvey?

Modeling hurricane patterns is incredibly complicated, but of course predictions based on climate change models are even more complex. Thus, it’s not as simple as drawing a clear connection between a single storm event and the complex web of activity that results from climate change.

However, we do know that an increase in the intensity and frequency of weather events is one of the main predictions of climate change models. In particular, hurricanes are fed by warm, moist air at the ocean’s surface. This can lead to hurricanes losing intensity before making landfall if they churn up enough deeper – and thus cooler – ocean water leading to a decrease in surface air temperature. Harvey, however, was fed by water in the Gulf of Mexico that has been reported as unusually warm, perhaps due to record high temperatures associated to global warming.

For more information on Hurricane Harvey, newspapers like the New York Times and the Washington Post have lifted their paywalls for news relating to Hurricane Harvey. The United States Geological Survey is tracking the changes made to the coastline by Hurricane Harvey through dune erosion, overwash (the inland movement of sand over the tops of coastal dunes), and inundation (the submersion of shoreline).

Until next time, this is Sabrina Stierwalt with Everyday Einstein’s Quick and Dirty Tips for helping you make sense of science. You can become a fan of Everyday Einstein on Facebook or follow me on Twitter, where I’m @QDTeinstein. If you have a question that you’d like to see on a future episode, send me an email at everydayeinstein@quickanddirtytips.com.



Minggu, 27 Agustus 2017

How to Survive When Your Child Leaves for College

The moment you first hold your new baby, you dream of all the amazing things he/she will do with his/her life. This beautiful new being is so full of possibility—the sky is the limit, his potential endless. And suddenly, in the mere blink of an eye, your sweet bundle of joy is in Kindergarten, getting a driver’s license, attending Senior Prom and then heading off to college! How the heck did that happen!?kid leaving for college

When your child leaves the nest and moves from his cozy, messy room off to a college dorm stacked with bunk beds and little or no closet space (sounds like my house!), you both realize that life as you knew it will probably never be the same.  Home cooked meals are no longer the norm, curfews—a thing of the past, pain-in-the-neck younger siblings temporarily fade into the distance, and that comfortable haven known as home-sweet-home is placed on the back burner while your college student adjusts to his/her new norm, all while you—the parent—try and hold it all together and make sense of your brand new role—college parent.

When your child first leaves the nest and heads off to college, it’s indeed a very bittersweet time for most parents.  We are excited and proud of this amazing new milestone—college bound, but we are also vulnerable—our job as our child’s immediate caregiver and protector is now changing gears and we need to learn a brand new set of coping mechanisms—so that we can embrace and encourage their new college role all while figuring out how we can remain strong.

Mighty Mommy has been down this route 4 times, and shares 6 ways you can survive the bittersweet, early days when your child leaves for college.

Tip #1:  Allow Yourself Time to Grieve

When my oldest daughter left for New York City, I felt like someone had knocked the wind right out of me.  I was thrilled for my country bumpkin to head off to one of the world’s largest, most exciting cities, but I was also left breathless at the thought of her being on her very own while I stayed behind with the rest of our family.   The first five minutes after we parted for the first time was surreal.  I remember putting on a very brave face, and as I hugged her for the last time my eyes welled with hot, salty tears and my heart nearly burst with grief and mixed emotions.

Turns out, my feelings of such emptiness were completely normal.  In The Secrets to Staying Happy After Your Child Heads off to University, the article states, “The sadness parents can feel when offspring head off to college or university often comes as a shock, reports Glynis Kelly, child protection officer at Cornwall College. “For some it is akin to grieving, such is the intensity of the feeling of loss – and all relationships shift gear, causing some unfamiliar tensions as family members learn new ways of interacting with each other.”

I admit, I cried on and off for a few days after my daughter first left, but it was a great release to let the tears flow, and I felt much better within a few short days knowing that was settling in to a great new “home away from home” at her new school.

Tip #2:  Prepare Yourself  

When my first child left for college, truthfully—I was totally unprepared.  Sure, she and I had gone shopping for all the dorm essentials, picked the right meal plan and strategized about how she would make the most of any awkward roommate scenarios such as snoring, walking around the dorm room scantily clad or passing gas, but what I hadn’t counted on was the tremendous ache in my heart when I drove off and left her, to fend for herself, while I returned to our suburban lifestyle with 7 other kids.

In How to deal when a child heads off to college: A parent's survival guide, my feelings were completely validated.

“The mothers who move on most quickly from their initial sadness are those who have actively prepared themselves for their kids’ departure," Carin Rubinstein, professor of psychology at Pima College, learned when she surveyed a thousand empty nest mothers.

"These women had ramped up their working hours, gone back to work part-time or immersed themselves in new interests so that even during the first week after their freshman left home, they were prepared."

The article goes on to say, “The pain of our kids leaving for college is an emotional cocktail of worry and sadness. Part of it is concern for how our kids will acclimatize to their new setting. Many parents find the transition much easier once they know their kids are settled.”

Tip #3: Find Comfort in Other Freshman Parents

No matter what difficult (or joyful) situation I’ve been faced with I’ve always found comfort when I can share my feelings or experiences with others who are standing in my same shoes.  For example, when I experienced 5 years of infertility my husband and I joined a very intimate support group of others who were also trying to conceive.  Just being able to share similar stories of the ups and downs of trying to get pregnant was an amazing comfort to both of us.

If you have bonded with some of your child’s high school parents, don’t be afraid to lean on one another as you regroup and begin to redefine your roles as the parents of college freshman.  You’re all experiencing similar feelings, so stand together as you mourn the very normal feelings of watching your child fly out of the nest and get established in his/her new role in college.  You can also celebrate the amazing excitement together when your freshman comes home for the holidays, takes exams for the first time, and even calls looking for money within the first few weeks of school!


Tip #4:  Be Mindful of Siblings

While it’s totally normal to feel down and out after your child leaves for college, don’t forget that your other children who still remain at home are also dealing with the loss of their older sibling being out of the house.

In The Secrets To Staying Happy After Your Child Heads Off To University, Glynis Kelly, child protection officer at Cornwall College notes "Be particularly mindful of siblings.” They’re sometimes the worst affected when your child goes away to university, perhaps because they haven’t anticipated the effect of an absent brother or sister as well as parents might have done. And if you’re moping around, it may make them feel second best.” 

Often times people assume that because I have 8 kids, four of whom have already gone off to college, it must get easier as each one leaves the nest.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.  Each of my kids are individuals, so when they leave for college, I am still left feeling empty, despite the fact I have a large brood of kids.  When one of my cherubs heads off to their new school, I make sure that the remaining kiddos at home feel extremely important and loved.  Those who stay behind are treated to a special evening out, where we reflect on great times as a family as well as the fun days we have ahead as a smaller clan.

Tip #5:  Decide on How to Stay Connected

With cell phones, texting, instant messaging and other social media venues, staying connected with our kids is easier than ever.  Communication is key; you need to give your child space to become independent and enjoy their new life, but staying in touch and finding out how they are is healthy—for both you and your student.

Sara Gorchoff, assistant professor of psychology at Monmouth College notes in How to deal when a child heads off to college: A parent's survival guide that an informal survey of college freshmen showed that students were very happy with regularly scheduled communications. “Most students wanted to stay in fairly close contact with their parents, but they just want to avoid frequent and unpredictable interruptions.”   So before your child departs for her new college experience, decide together some basic rules of communication.  Most of my kids called and texted dozens of times within the first couple of weeks of their Freshman years, but once they became acclimated to their new environment and began making new friends, the calls tapered off.  We decided on a twice weekly “check in” from there on in.  Wednesday and Sundays are our scheduled times to chat each week, but as a mother who loves to hug her kids, I use texts and tweets as a way to let them know I’m thinking of them several more times throughout the week. 

Tip #6:  Think like Winnie the Pooh

One of my favorite quotes ever is this by Winnie The Pooh: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." I have it framed in my house as a reminder of what a blessing all of my kids are and as they leave the nest, I’ve done my job with a very full heart.

How have you prepared to say handle your emotions when you send your child off to college?

Share your thoughts in the comment section at http://ift.tt/1zMEe2L or post your ideas on the Mighty Mommy Facebook page. You can also connect with me on Twitter @MightyMommy or email me at mommy@quickanddirtytips.com.  Visit my family-friendly boards at http://ift.tt/1wyJKr5.



Jumat, 25 Agustus 2017

Facing Your 4 Most Common Fears of Death

Last week we tackled two questions about the physical aspects of death: Does it hurt? And what will my final moments be like? This week, we’ll continue on with 4 psychological questions about death. I know, I know, this is not exactly cocktail party conversation, but never talking about our deepest fears only makes them grow bigger. So big thanks to listener Marc in North Carolina for starting this conversation.

Fear #1: I’ll die with regretsfear of death

This is certainly a legit fear—pretty much everyone regrets something, though not necessarily a past action. Indeed, two researchers from Cornell University found that our greatest regrets come less from the things we did and more from what we let slip through our fingers. As they put it, “actions produce greater regret in the short-term, whereas inactions generate more regret in the long run.” Why do we more often regret the road not taken?

The reason may be simple: mistaken actions can often be corrected--you can ask for forgiveness, make amends, or try again. But missed opportunities—whether it’s Decca Records not signing the Beatles or you wondering what might have happened if you had taken that job in Paris or asked out your college crush—don’t usually come around again.

Which brings us to: what to do? The usual argument against regret is that it’s unproductive: don’t cry over spilt milk, let it go, it is what it is.

But you can also look at regret as an opportunity. In recognizing and regretting our mistakes, we inherently grow and recalibrate. Regret is a lesson learned; it can propel you to make different, better choices in the future. It can reaffirm your personal standards and values. In other words, regret is shorthand for live and learn.

To take things further, we can share that growth and learning with those we love. So instead of focusing on past regrets, focus on the future, both yours and the future of those you love. What can you do to make their future better and brighter? Learn from your regrets and pass down the wisdom you’ve earned.

Fear #2: I’ll die without repairing broken relationships

Long estrangement, unresolved conflict, and ongoing drama are all like an infestation of termites: it eats away at your foundation and makes everything shakier.

To borrow from Smokey the Bear, only you can make amends. When you’re asking for forgiveness, two things are vital to making it real and making it stick. First is acceptance of responsibility. Take full ownership of whatever happened. Second, actively try to repair the relationship. Whether through words or actions, show that you’re sorry and that you care.

Making peace and asking forgiveness is really hard. One way to motivate yourself is to make relationship repair part of your bucket list. In addition to skydiving or visiting the Great Wall, aim to make amends with people you have wronged and make peace with those who have wronged you. It takes more courage than bungee jumping, but the potential rewards are far greater than any adrenaline rush.


Fear #3: I don’t have a faith and I’m afraid that there’s nothing after death. I worry that this is it

Not identifying with a religious tradition—as is the case for 23% of American adults—can be a challenge when contemplating what happens after we die. Many world religions offer the idea of immortality through an afterlife, which can reduce fear of dying. Furthermore, decades of research find that practicing a religion goes along with generally positive outcomes, offering the faithful meaning, purpose, a moral compass, and importantly, a community.

But in 2016, a multicultural team of researchers from both the United States and Iran conducted a thought-provoking study that found a belief in science can offer many of the same benefits. Much like a strong religious faith, strong belief in science, it turns out, goes along with happiness, lower stress, and, germane to our topic, lower anxiety about death.

Why? Well, it goes without saying that science is not a religion, and all religions are not the same. But when researchers crunched the numbers, they found that there were two links between well being and scientific or religious beliefs: hope and purpose. In essence, science offers hope in a better future and infuses our lives with purpose by working to relieve human suffering and enhance the human experience. And that meshes well with many world religions.

Fear #4: I’ll die without having lived my life to the fullest

Many people worry they’ll die before their time—that they’ll never drink Champagne in Champagne, go back to school to get their bachelor’s degree, or run a marathon. Part of the end of life is the loss of a future—the opportunity to plan and do and experience more—and that can be really hard to come to terms with.

But living life to the fullest goes beyond experiencing the adventures the world has to offer or the achievements you set out to accomplish. It also means contributing and leaving the world a better place.

So think about what your purpose has been. It doesn’t have to be earth-shattering. You don’t have to cure cancer or eradicate hunger, though those wouldn’t be too shabby. But did you put time, sweat, and energy towards a larger cause? Did you inspire, support, or make someone feel good about themselves through your words, actions, or gratitude? Did you brighten the days of others? Did you model resourcefulness, creativity, compassion, or other value you hold dear?

By all means, experience all the fun and amazing things life has to offer, but also find your meaning. It’s an ongoing process, but no matter your circumstances, it’s growing beyond yourself and connecting to a larger purpose.

To wrap up, these are all heavy topics, none of which can be adequately addressed in a listicle of four tips. So if you’re just starting to contemplate your existence (and someday, it’s end), keep reading, talking, and reflecting. The fact that humans are the only animals who know they will someday die can be a burden, but it can also be a blessing if you use that knowledge to live well.

So while walking through that valley and that shadow may be far off, it’s good to take a look at the map; doing so might change your route through life.



Time Traveler: When Did New Words Appear?

Last week, Merriam-Webster launched a new tool on its website called Time Traveler that lets you explore words by year. In other words, you can select a year, like 1991, and see words that were first recorded in that year. For example, in 1991, the words “mixtape,” “bestie,” and “gift card” appeared in print for the first time—at least as far as the people at Merriam-Webster know. Dictionary makers often find earlier instances of words, and when they do, they update their entries, but Time Traveler is based on the currently known first dates, such as 1697 for “apple pie,” 1900 for “phony,” and 1980 for “gridlock.”

And once you start searching, it’s kind of addictive, and it tells you so much about culture. 

years of words

Words from 1967

1967 was the first year you could do “aerobics,” ponder “biotech,” go to “B-school” or go on an “ego trip,” take “estrogen replacement therapy,” and live in a “fantasyland.” 

Words from 1977

In 1977, you could finally do those aerobics on an “exercise bike,” worry about “bad cholesterol” and “Ebola,” take “cisplatin,” and go on a “guilt-trip” after spending too much time at a “strip mall.”

Words from 1987

In 1987, we were wearing “acid-washed” jeans and carrying around “messenger bags.” Drugs were being used “off-label,” we’d gone from “biotech” to “bioterrorism,” and we were wearing “cross-trainers” to the gym. It was the first year we had “GIFs” (and if you try to tell me it’s pronouns JIF, I will fight you).

Words from 1997

By 1997, we were working out on “elliptical trainers,” working in “cube farms,” posting “emoji,” and writing “judgy” posts on our “Weblogs.”

Words from 2007

The examples get more sparse as you get closer to the present day, but 2007 gave us “hashtags,” “listicles” and the “sharing economy.”

Set aside at least an hour to play, and visit the Time Traveler section on the Merriam-Webster website. Right now, there’s a link to it on their homepage.


‘America in So Many Words’

The site also made me think of a book from 1997 that I liked called “America in So Many Words” by Allan Metcalf and David Barnhart.

In the book, the authors choose one word that was coined in America for nearly every year between 1555 (“canoe”) and 1998 (“millennium bug”).

They noted some interesting trends, saying that in the seventeenth century, the hot topic for new words was nature because the settlers were naming all the new things they came across in North America like corn, catfish, raccoons, and moose. 

The authors call the trend in the eighteenth century “independence,” noting new words such as “minutemen,” “cowboy” “veteran,” “immigrant,” and “ticket” as in to vote for a ticket. 

They cite expansion as the trend in the nineteenth century, with new words such as “know-how,” “skyscraper,” “downtown,” “commuter,” and “ranch” (a ranch usually being far bigger than a typical farm).

And the twentieth-century trend was science, with words such as “IQ, “rocket scientist,” “goo,” “brainstorm,” and “streamline.” 

I love looking at these words and thinking about the times and cultures in which  people started using them, and I bet you will too. 

Again, the website is Merriam-Webster’s Time Traveler, and the book is “American in So Many Words.” 

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.



Kamis, 24 Agustus 2017

'Important' or 'Importantly'?

You may occasionally hear or read an objection to the phrase “more importantly.” You can ignore it (unless you are writing a cover letter or some other document where you’ll be judged without the chance to defend yourself). 

important or importantly

“More important” and “more importantly” are both grammatically acceptable and have been in use for decades. It’s unclear which one came first. A Google Ngram search, which shows how often words are used in published books that have been scanned by Google, shows “more important” as much older and more popular, but the Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage says “more importantly” is older and Garner’s Modern English Usage says “more importantly” is fully standard and at least as popular as “more important.”

The Oxford English Dictionary Supplement calls “more important” “a kind of sentence adjective” and “more importantly” “a kind of sentence adverb.” When they say “more importantly” is a kind of sentence adverb, they mean it’s like “thankfully” and “fortunately” when they come at the beginning of a sentence. They aren’t modifying a specific word in the sentence, but rather the entire sentence. 

If you write, “Thankfully, we didn’t run out of guacamole,” you’re thankful for the entire sentiment of the rest of the sentence.

And if you write, “More importantly, the neighbors didn’t call the police because of our loud music,” again, you think all the rest of the sentence is what is important. It’s not just important that the neighbors didn’t call or that it wasn’t the police that the neighbors called; it’s the whole thing—that the neighbors didn’t call the police because of the loud music—that’s what’s important.

“Thankfully” and “importantly”: sentence adverbs!

The only difference between “important” and “importantly” is that you can’t use “important” alone. You have to use “more” or “most” when you use “important” at the beginning of a sentence like that, but you can use “importantly” alone.

“Important, the neighbors didn’t call the police” doesn’t work, but “Importantly, the neighbors didn’t call the police” does work.

And that’s your Quick and Dirty Tip. You can start a sentence with either “more important” or “more importantly.” Both are fine, but when you want to get rid of the word “more” (or the word “most”), you have to use “importantly.”



How to Prevent Back-to-School Germs

We can all agree that schools everywhere, from preschool through college, are generally a monumental germfest. What can we expect, with lots of snot-dripping, sneezing, coughing kids and young adults who may not be too keen on washing those infested hands or covering their cough? What’s even more daunting is living in an enclosed space with these disseminating bugs: the dorms.

These viruses are not only easily carried and spread like wildfire, but are incurable—once plagued with them, they must simply play out its course.  Antibiotics don’t cure viruses, only bacteria. This is another pervasive myth that I dispel for my patients every year. 

But they still wreak havoc on our daily lives, causing missed school days and work days for parents caring for their sick kiddos. It can interfere with your studies, and even test-taking performance. No one wants to be sick at test-time (unless you’d rather play hooky).

Before heading off to school this fall, it’s imperative to learn how to protect yourself and others. But what can you do?

The Typical Viral Course

First, before you sprint to the doctor’s office with the first sign of a sore throat, it may be useful to understand the typical viral course. The typical virus takes about 7-10 days to resolve (refer to this diagram).  The first 3-5 days are the toughest, when our symptoms tend to worsen with each passing day.  After the peak in symptom severity, however, it starts to gradually improve daily thereafter. By days 7-10, most patients feel significantly better.  If you don’t have improvement by day 10, it’s now the time to see the doctor.

How to Prevent a Viral Illness

Although a cure for these viruses does not yet exist, the symptoms can certainly be treated. If you’d like to learn more, check out my 5 tips to treat the common cold in adults here. FYI, cough and cold medications are not recommended for kids younger than 6, as they may induce arrhythmias and increase risk of hospitalizations.

However, the best way to manage a cold and flu virus is really to prevent acquiring it in the first place.  Transmission is more common through the air, but can also spread via touch. Prevention is not difficult to achieve, but it does require everyone to be on the same page and abide by a few (yet simple) rules:

Protect Your Hands

Wash your hands frequently, and teach your classmates how to properly wash their hands. Scrubbing for a minimum of 20 seconds is necessary in order to ensure full eradication of germs. The CDC recommends a neat trick that may be useful for the youngsters—scrub while singing the “happy birthday” song twice from beginning to end. If soap and water are not readily available, carry an antibacterial hand sanitizer as backup. 

Be cognizant of your hands and what they come into contact with at all times. Do not touch your face and, if you do, wash your hands right away. Touching your face with your hands is how it is spread to others by direct contact or via middle-men objects such as doorknobs or elevator buttons.

If you have shared space, such as a dorm room, office or computer, disinfect the keyboard, mouse, chair handles, door handles, bathrooms, and shared toilet space. And of course, do not share cups, food, or eating utensils. And no kissing allowed.

Protect the Air

If you are sick, the best way to prevent air-transfer is to wear a mask.  Understandably, however, going to school with a mask on may not be a pleasant experience, unless you’re Batman. Otherwise, teach and repeatedly demonstrate to your classmates or dormmates that when they cough or sneeze (the two main ways the virus enters the air) to either:

  • Cough or sneeze into a tissue, discard that tissue, and immediately wash the hands
  • Cough or sneeze into the elbow or sleeve if a clean tissue is not readily available

But whatever you do, never cough or sneeze into the open air—this is how viruses are most rapidly transmitted to others.

Flu Shot:

Without hesitation, my family and I receive the flu shot every single year. In fact, we’re often one of the first to do so. Despite the myths, the flu shot is a safe and powerful weapon against the spread of influenza virus, which kills up to 50,000 people a year in the United States alone. I have seen healthy patients die from the flu in my practice, and it is always a devastating tragedy. If you don’t get it to protect yourself, then get it to protect all those who come into contact with you—think of your elderly grandparents, sick parent with diabetes, or your infant sibling.

Rest:

Arguably the most vital rule, rest is vital to allow the body to recover more quickly. And if you are sick, please do whatever necessary to prevent others from getting sick, too.  That includes staying home from school.

So if you’re headed for the college dormitories, set up a dorm room meeting. If you have a school-aged child, why not construct their next book report on this very topic? Do what you can to get as many people on board with these quick and dirty prevention tips. That way, everyone will be on the same page and best protected.

Learn more health tips on Sanaz’s weekly medical podcast at on iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. Or join her Facebook or Twitter pages.

Please note that all content here is strictly for informational purposes only. It does not substitute any medical advice or replace any medical judgment or reasoning by your own personal doctor. Please always seek a licensed physician in your area regarding all health related questions and issues