Finding Your Inner Child

When was the last time you skipped? Like actually leap up into the air and went down the road like a kid? You are probably thinking, that is so childish. But, you cannot image the world of good it can do you. First of all, skipping can burn twice as many calories as walking and it is easier on your joints.  Did you also know that skipping can connect us with our inner child and help with spontaneous and creative energy? While you are still infused with all that energy, you can also be happier because you are letting your heart have a voice. It takes courage to ignore what people will think about you skipping but the rewards are well worth it. It is better than any mobile application when it coming to making you smile. Lastly, you measure success of your skipping endeavors by the uplifting mood it brings not by the time spent doing it or how far you went.

Hacking Happiness

Did you know that anti-depressant use has risen 400% in the past couple years? The first thought is what is going on? The second is that there has to be something that can be done that does not involve chemicals and medications. More than just scientists are asking that question. Everyone is getting in on it. From positive psychology to better eating to tapping into meditation, there are a slew of mobile applications as well as websites that focus of being happier. These apps monitor sleeping and other health parameters. They also help with yoga and correct breathing. Taking it one step further, some of then such as Lumosity, help train the mind to keep it elastic which helps with resilience if something would happen that would get you down. Any thoughts about this technology in its crusade to increase happiness?

Staving Off Mental Decline

In our digital world, it is really no surprise that mobile applications and gaming mobile applications have become a huge business, especially in the field of brain training games. It is a billion dollar industry and there is still to be hard evidence that these games improve mental function and prevent the decline of it. There is a game called Project: Evo that is proving to be above the rest. They are even seeking approval from the FDA. If they would be able to get the seal of approval, it might even be something that the doctor would be able to prescribe like another drug. If you start doing something that taxes your brain in productive ways, forcing it to repeatedly engage declining skills — learning a new language, for instance — those skills get measurably sharper. The problem, of course, is that most of us are pretty lazy. We’re not often going to take up mentally difficult activities in our dotage.Video games seemed like one possible shortcut.

Tech Improving the World

The future is now, it is just not as well spread out as we would like it to be. With all the software development advancements as well as cloud computing, we are that much closer to solving the world's problems. Some of the things that technology can do is bring meditative practices to the mainstream and use inexpensive biometrics along with it. There could also be the offer of web-based psychotherapies as first-line interventions for depression and anxiety (and probably insomnia). Using the internet, doctors would also be able to monitor the negative cognitive and emotional side-effects from a variety of medical interventions, to ensure unintentional effects from the cure are not more harmful than the treated person's original condition. Lastly, big data model could be adopted to collect massive amount of data in order to get a better picture of the patient or disease. Technology could also promote physical activity and motivate people to do get up and do more.

Illutions

Is your life one? There are academics who say you don't have a life. You're just a mobile application. This idea is rather unsettling. As software development and computers became more powerful, programmers started making simulations -- mimicking real-life situations in software. Scientists modeled everything from pandemics to planet formation. Soon complex and compelling societal models emerged. Extrapolating this idea, in the future there could be a possibility that we will have much more sophisticated and complex simulations that will presumably become self-aware, just like humans supposed are now. Going further with this thought, a historian might want to see what life was life centuries back and create a simulation for it. Now, what is to say that you are not just some simulation that is created? How do you know that you are real? Since we are asking these types of questions, lets take a step further and ask about morality? If this is just a Sim, why do we bother with being moral?

Be That Early Bird

Waking up early is a sign of success and ambition in our society. Yet legislature insists on making schools start later to accommodate the sleep cycles of adolescents. You do not need science to figure out that students in middle and high schools like to stay up late and then stay in bed in the mornings. I do not know about you but eight hours is eight hours whether it goes from midnight to 8 am or 10 pm to 6 am. Why don't the parents take back the responsibility and make them go to bed at a decent time. This early-to-bed approach has the benefit of not needing taxpayer dollars. We won't waste lawmakers' time debating the merits of an 8:15 a.m. start time vs. 8:20 a.m. We will also be able to use that time on more pressing matters such as mobile applications and communication services used in schools as well as video conferencing for tutoring. Just imagine the possibilities.

Put Away The Phone Before Bed

You are probably one of those people that like to check their phones before bed and maybe play one more game on that mobile applications or check on the progress of the web development project. Turns out that it can be bad for you in the long run. It has been known for a while that the light messes with melatonin production which makes us feel sleepy. Not only does that blue light mess with sleep, it can also damage your eyes, make you more vulnerable to disease, and even make you moody. The amount of stimulation can be too much for the eyes and can lead to macular degeneration. Less melatonin has also been linked in any number of cancers. And everyone knows that not getting enough shut eye can make anyone grumpy. It might be beneficial to have a nightly routine where you are able to unwind.

Silver Linings

As I was experiencing a moment of happiness, I wanted to share some of the ways that I got there. We all deserve to be happy and even stay that way but it is something that we have to get ourselves and consciously work on. First of all, learn to see the silver lining in the worst of things and going with the flow. This might sound counter intuitive but try seeing a tearjerker. Even centuries ago it was suggested that people go see sad operas to get all those emotions out so that afterwards they are happier. Turns out that there is some truth to that notion. This sadness that you experience can get you to think of what you have and be thankful for it which can induce a sense of happiness. Now before you go around moping that none of these things nor any mobile applications work consider this, sadness and the occasional bad mood are natural, too. No one can be happy all the time. That is good news too.

Think Happy

One of the keys to being happy is to be aware off your surroundings and yourself, including your feelings, no matter what they might be. First step in changing how you feel is to acknowledge how you naturally react to things. Once you realize what you are feeling you will be able to catch and then reframe your thoughts. You could ask yourself what could be the positives in the situation. On the other side of the coin, you need to be able to take a step back from all the negative thoughts and put distance between you and them. A feeling that kills happiness is fear. I heard that fear can cut deeper than any sword. Taking that with stride, try to live in the present because most of the time the fear is based on what will or will not happen in the future. You have to realize that you can take control of that fear of the video conference presentation and turn it around to work for you. Lastly, start each day with three things that you are grateful for and end it by sharing your favorite moment from that day.

Apple Shortcuts

Apple knows all about your smartphone addiction so the software development team has some shortcuts when it comes to texting. If you are done with a sentence, all you need to do is double tap the space bar and you will get a period so you don't have to go to the numbers keyboard. You can also switch between the numbers and letters keyboard by holding down the 123 key and swiping to what ever number of symbol you need. You can also add other languages to your keyboard by going to settings, general, and keyboard. You can even add the Emoji keys. If you’re in the mood to yell at someone, double-tap the arrow Shift key on the keyboard. It’ll change colors and lock you into using capital letters. Hope this will save you some time while you are firing off the 428th text for the day.

Napping: It Is Alright to Do at Work

Sleeping on the job is not always seen as a good thing. In fact, your boss with probably think that you are lazy and not really doing your job. In recent years, many progressive companies have begun to encourage employees to take mid-day naps to recharge. Many of these companies even have specialized napping rooms that are comfortable and away from the noise of VoIP services and other distractions. Naps can help you refocus and re-energize for the rest of the day. It can also be a huge help to those that are trying to balance work and family life where neither place can be conducive to sleep. Although napping is becoming a more popular employee perk in some industries especially software development, there’s still a great deal of resistance in the corporate world towards sleeping on the job,

Yelling at Your Phone

There are days when those internet phone service is not cooperating and those mobile applications are not doing what they should be doing. Those days you just want to yell at your phone. There could be tech soon that lets you charge the phone by yelling at it. At least there is some good that is coming out of the frustration that you are experiencing. That's the idea behind a recent collaboration between scientists at Queen Mary University of London and Nokia. The team is working to develop a prototype charger that could replenish the battery of a mobile phone using human voices, music or even background noise. There is sound and energy all around us and we need to be able to use the technology to harness its power. Of course this idea is not entirely new because there was a prototype created in 2011. This time it seems like it might make it to the market.

Distractions Left and Right

We live in an information overloaded world where we are constantly bombarded with information and some sort of stimuli, much of it coming from different mobile applications. This can cause more problems than just an emerging case of ADD, it can really hurt businesses and their productivity. One of the tools that employers can use is incorporating workplace flexibility. It can actually reduce employee absences by 20% and improve morale and productivity. The number-one time-wasting activity is surfing the Internet for personal reasons, according to a recent poll from Survey.com. The poll also found that one-third of workers say they are unproductive because they don’t have enough to do. Managers should communicate regularly with their employees about priorities and deadlines. Employees should also be encouraged to ask questions and periodically check in to make sure that they are meeting their manager’s expectations.

Research in the Cloud

Research and software development have finally found each other. It has been a relationship in the making for a long time so it is a surprise that it took so long. Patterns from a lot of data are crucial to certain research and experiments. When there is a computer doing all the large number crunching, the scientists can get more done and see a much bigger picture of what it going on than if they were the ones doing all of the calculations. The costs can also decrease dramatically when a lot of the data is stored in cloud services. Many of the tedious procedures are also becoming automated which to some degree can give more precise and accurate results. Researchers can then remotely select experiments and get sent the results. It take over $1 million dollar to set up a functioning lab so the financial burden constrains experiments and makes it hard for garage-sized startups to get off the ground. Throw in some automated software programs and three people have the potential to do the work of thirty.

Turn Your Phone Off

When is the last time you powered down. All the way down. Not asleep. Not in airplane mode but ON/OFF. Try it with me now. Take your phone out, if you're not already playing with it, and turn it off. Fair warning, you will experience a short stint of anxiety and emptiness and confusion which is all very common. These mobile withdrawals are unpleasant (and slightly pathetic) but the sobering and liberating experience is worth more than your hopeless attempt to beat the 357th level of Candy Crush. I promise. Now lets have a chat. First off, when was the last time you had a conversation with a friend that was there in person without taking your phone out or even thinking about your emails and upcoming video conferences. I thought so. So here are some tips: first of all keep the phone in your pocket and I can assure you that it will take some practice. Secondly, you do not need all those apps, trust me. So just delete them. Also buy yourself a watch and actually use it. Set boundaries such as no phones in the bedroom or bathroom. I hope those are fairly self explanatory. We have more computing power in our pocket than that necessary to put the first man on the moon. Seriously. Think about that for a second.

Tech Products You Should Have

Anyone who owns a smartphone knows it can run through a battery in less than a day with all the mobile applications and communication software.. So I carry a backup battery charger everywhere. The Digital Treasures ChargeIt Universal 3600mAh Power Bank is a great choice to consider and only $30 on Amazon. Cloud based storage is also a must to have in the digital age so that you will not lose any of those important files. And why risk it when cloud-based storage options are so widely available and cheap? One of the best bargains is Google Drive, which is free for the first 15 GB of storage and $1.99 per month ($23.88 per year) for up to 100GB. (You can also get 1TB for $9.99 per month or $119.88 per year.) You can use it to sync files between all of your devices and access your files from anywhere. Electric toothbrushes work better than manual ones. Not only does brushing with an electric toothbrush leave your teeth feeling cleaner, according to a report by The Cochrane Collaboration Oral Health Group, it also reduces plaque and the risk of contracting gingivitis, an early stage periodontal disease that affects 50 percent of adults.

Be More Productive

In this world, we need to figure out a way to work smarter and not harder. It is important to get the most out of your time so that there is a lot more time for the things you love. One of the best tips is to find the three most important things that need to get done, such as finishing that web development project, and do those first thing in the morning because otherwise you will get too busy and run out of time. As far as to-do lists go, it might help to write out everything that needs to be done the night before so that you can just jump right in in the morning. My most recent and favorite change to my to-do list has been separating my "today" list from a master list of everything I need to get done. I often feel anxious about all the things I know I need to do at some point -- I need to write them down somewhere so I don't forget them, otherwise I worry about when they'll get done. But I don't want these cluttering up my list for today. That will just make today seem busier than it is. The whole idea of working smarter, rather than harder, comes from the problem many of us have of putting in more and more hours, only to find we don't get more done. We want to find methods of being more productive in less time. One way to go about this is to adjust the way we measure productivity.

Paperless

So here is the new year and how far have you gotten with all those resolutions? The new year also usually means a clean slate and the perfect time to get all the documents organized especially with tax season right around the bend. More things, such as internet faxing, are going digital this year and in the coming years so it might be a good idea to make the transition now. Of course there are a lot of concerns such as whether it is safe and what about taxes. So how to go about it? A strong backup system is required – either an external backup drive or cloud storage (like Google Drive or Dropbox) or better yet, both. Other necessary tools are a fast document scanner, a flatbed Multi-Function Printer (MFP) for scanning bulky items, a paper shredder and a program that will turn all those scanned documents into PDF files, the standard file format for archiving documents.The key to making this process easy is setting up a simple workflow that becomes habit. A good filing system ensures you can find everything later, which is another IRS requirement. You must be able to produce your records upon request, just as with paper. Scan everything, but also store in paper form official certified documents and anything with a raised seal, such as notarized documents, deeds, wills, title documents, trust documents, birth/death certificates. Other candidates for paper are short-term items you want at your fingertips, like flyers, clippings, and catalogs. Or, keep your desk pristine by scanning those short-term notes into your “delete by” folder.