Embracing the Stress

To make stress work for you, you must first understand the underlying biochemistry. The reason that humans experience stress is that it is supposed to be a motivating factor for us to change things so that the stress is decreased. More importantly, dopamine has been shown to have the added effect of inducing motivation. Once you actually reach your objectives, your body gives you a generous boost of dopamine so you feel accomplished, rewarded and just plain good. The best way to tap into that feel good sensation is to create a list of small goals that are very achievable so you will be even more motivated once you start knocking the things off the list. Another way to make stress work for is to change your relationship with it. You need to see it in a positive light rather than some horrible thing to avoid. Stress can also creep up when you have so much to do that you become paralyzed by what to tackle first. In that situation, try prioritizing your workload based on how much creativity is required for each task, starting with the most mindless activities. These could be anything from completing administrative duties to answering internet phone calls. Save those creative juices for the software development.

Clothes Turned Into Computers

Much like the screens on mobile phones, these fabrics could register the user’s touch and transmit information elsewhere, like to a smartphone or tablet computer. They are made from conductive yarns that come in a rainbow of colors and can withstand the clothing manufacturing process, so “can be woven into textiles on the same looms that are used to make traditional fabrics,” according to a Google news release. Google also announced a new partnership with Levi Strauss in which the companies would try to make interactive garments that would allow people to do things like send someone a text message by swiping their jacket cuff. How do you feel about being able to use your clothes as part of a mobile application? What about the risk of others hacking sensors on the clothes? With the internet of things, the security needs to be that much better.

Take Time Without Screens

I have a challenge for you. Take several hours (waking) of each day and do something without a screen. It might serve as a healthy reminder of just how tethered you are to your screens. It will also set a wonderful example for the children in your life. One of the things that you can do is take time to eat together without any phones at all. Sounds simple enough but too many times I see people that are supposed to be eating together engrossed in their smartphones and communication services. Another thing that you can try is to play a board game. Seriously. When was the last time you tried that instead of Words With Friends? You should also try making art, any art. Creating something will actually get those happy chemicals flowing and if might help you in your career as well. If you are really stuck on what to make, try one of those zen coloring books. Lastly, take a hike somewhere and enjoy the fresh air. Really appreciate the smells and sounds. Stop and smell the roses.

Lighting and Your Mood

If you're feeling sleepy or irritable, or suffering from headaches during the workday, there may be a reason you haven't considered--your lighting. We tend not to think about the lighting too much as long as we can see alright. Since we spend a good part of our under those light pounding away on the computer working on the latest web application project, it might be worth a look. First of all, it is interesting to note that most work places have levels of lighting that are way higher than OSHA recommendations. More light does always mean better and clearer vision. So turn it down a bit. Blue light occurs in nature and boosts attention and mood during the morning and early afternoon. The only problem is that when we work past sunset and continue to be bombarded with blue light because too much of it disrupts sleep cycles. To solve this problem, look for lighting options with less blue light. Finally, use natural light as much as possible. It will help with eye strain and you might even save on the electric bill.

Streamlining Life

While you were very busy running the show at your business, there were chores piling up and other things that needed to get done. At the office, you are already using cloud services and internet phone systems but there are other things at home that could be streamlined to be more productive. First of all you need to see your time as translatable into money. Then based on that decision, see if you can actually hire someone to do it cheaper that what you make in that time. One of the things that you can start with is the laundry and dry cleaning. There is a company that will pick up and drop off your laundry for you so you can go to those meetings looking your best. Nothing says stress like a trip to the grocery story. The parking lot is littered with carts and slow moving meanderers and those screaming bratty kids. There are actually several companies that will deliver the food for you right to your door. Lastly, it is also important that you plan your weekend to get the most out of your relaxation time.

Be Happy Through Gratitude

With the World Happiness Report coming out recently, there has been more attention on being happy and how to get there. One of the main ways to be happier is to practice gratitude. You might be thinking, well where do I start? You could start keeping a gratitude journal. The key here is to document people you are grateful for. Think about what life would be like without them and how they have touched your life. You can even do it only once a week and still experience all the positive effects. Another thing that you can do to chase away stress is to take less than a minute to smile, say thank you, and set an intension for the day. Even if you do not feel like smiling, do it anyway because research has shown that it can actually help release feel good molecules. Say thank you to someone that has helped you in some way today, whether it was just a listening ear or some help on that web development project. So here is to being more grateful for what we have and striving to make the world a better place.

A Watch in Reverse

The concept of a watch can be interesting once the restriction of going forward is abandoned. With the Apple watch due to launch pretty soon, there are a number of mobile application developers that are switching gears and making apps for the watch and its smaller screen. One of the most interesting concepts is the app that counts down how much time you have left to live. The idea comes for the fact that many people have a tendency to discount the future in favor of the present. For example, they will say, I am going to the gym tomorrow but today I am going to have that last cigarette. With the Life Clock, you would be able to add time based on good habits and subtract time based on bad ones. Of course, you might be thinking that it will only make people think about the future and forget to live in the present. I think it could work in both directions simultaneously. You will be constantly reminded of just how much time you have left so that you do not take the present for granted and at the same time be motivated to do more to extend that time by picking up healthier habits. How do you feel about time and watches?

Time Management

Everyone has 168 hours in a week, no exceptions. When it comes to running a business, it is imperative that you are able to manage your time to be able to live the life you want. There might be some great mobile applications out there but do not get suckered into thinking that it is really helping when you are probably just wasting repeating the same bad habits with a new toy. The first thing that you should do is take a look at where you spend your time and be honest with yourself. Write it down so that you can really see where you stand. The first part of addressing an issue is to identify the cause and that it even exists. Once you have the whole picture right in front of you, really ask yourself what you want to be doing and where you want to spend more time. Rather than feeling enslaved by your job or business, focus on what you really want and learn to manage yourself effectively so that you can accomplish more without sacrificing precious time.

Weed Out Perfectionism

Did you know that aiming for perfection can stifle and sometimes completely kill creativity, spontaneity, and disruption? You need all of the in order to really achieve your goals and do great work. You need to get your work out there and then see what type of revision it will need. There will be more progress once those ideals are knocked down. This is why software development companies embrace the idea of updates. Also, the market is always changing so the perfect solution will also be changing along with it. Business should understand that nobody is perfect and mistakes will happen. The turning point in that thinking is that the people that make those mistakes are held accountable and then take actions to make improvements. The business also have to realize that sometimes slightly less than perfect can be good enough. It is what keep the whole team moving in the right direction. What are your thoughts of being perfect?

Finding Motivation

Everyone has days when their get up and go, got up and left. You might be saying that there are people depending on you to stay motivated and yet you know every procrastination trick in the book. There are a couple ways to get out of the funk. First try starting something new that is related to the work that you are doing. Getting something going will be able to get that momentum started. Once you got it going, there are so many other things that are begging for your attention and you feel temped to continue to procrastinate. My advise is to shut everything off including but not limited to phone services, email, and texts. You should try to get someone to hold you accountable. There is nothing quite like the support of a good friend. While your friend is busy dangling a carrot in front of you, you can compete with the clock. Break up the big project into small tasks and set a time limit on each for about 15 minutes. Smaller tasks are much easier to digest than the whole entire project..

Freaking Out: There is a Solution for It

So you are just about to present the content management system that you just set up for your client and the nerves are running amok. There are a couple things that you can do to chill out. A deep breath is an automatic and effective technique for winding down, and deep breathing in a stressful situation can help relax your body and get everything into synch. Before you go into that room that is beginning to feel like the fighting pits, put in those earbuds and listen to some music or a meditation mobile application. If you are listening to music, dance along with it. Research shows people feel less anxious after they dance. Spend a few minutes moving your body, taking in rhythm and music and literally changing your stance. If you really don't want to bust out your Michael Jackson moves in the office outside the conference room, you can take a quick walk or use those squishy stress balls. They are there for a reason.

Breaking Down Language Barriers

Yep, Google has the mobile application for that. An update to the Google Translate app, announced Wednesday, will add the ability to translate printed text by aiming your phone's camera at it -- even if you don't have an Internet or data connection. The feature will be available on both the Android and iOS versions of the app. It will allow users to translate French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish to English, and vice versa. The mobile applications can also translate the spoken language and it will detect which it is. The apps breaks down barriers but I do not think it is a substitute for learning the language of the country in which your are in. To fully experience the culture and language, it is important to be able to put the phone down and look up. I hope that it will be used to help people learn the language until they get to a point where they can speak it and understand all the nuances themselves. What are your thoughts?

Evolution of Gaming

Do you remember when Pong came out? Games have come a long way, from consoles to gaming applications to PCs. As of late, gaming has been on Xboxes and PlayStations with incredible processing speeds as well as amazing graphics. It is a huge market based on the fact that in 2013, consumers spent an estimated $21 billion on video games. Here are some more numbers to chew on, The average gamer is 30 years old and 48% of gamers are female. Blowing away some major long standing stereotypes here. The future of gaming is in the field of virtual reality and gaming using cloud services. There might not be a console pretty soon since more and more of our devices are connected to the internet. Mobile applications such as Game of War are bringing intense strategy games to mobile devices. I am interested to see where virtual reality will go.

Be Confident

Confidence can go a long way in professional and private life. Sometimes though it is harder than it seems to muster it up. Confidence is built though, it just does not happen overnight or with any mobile applications that cost way too much money. There are some secrets to finding that unstoppable inner confidence. First of all, stop comparing yourself to others. There is only one you and you should be focusing on your own strengths and goals. Besides you are just seeing the surface of these people's lives and not any deeper. While you are focusing on your strengths, remember to store those limiting thoughts far way. they will only slow you down. Another rule of thumb is to never say anything about yourself that you do not want to become a reality. As far as reality goes, know what can be changed and deal with what cannot. This means that we cannot dwell on the past.

Habits for Happiness

How is it that some people always seem to be so dang happy? How do they manage to pull it off? Here are a couple tips to getting your days to be sunnier. First of all, it is important to be grateful that you wake up every morning and concentrate on the beauty and wonder of life. Living in the present can do wonders. This means that you are not allowed to sweat the small stuff. Once you get your day going, make sure that you are considerate to all the people that you come across because you never know when your smile might be the only one some of them see that day. Also, never stop being a student. You need to keep up to date on events in your field and maybe learn some new things like web development. It has been shown that learning new skills can boost those happy feelings. While you are learning, take each challenge with stride. Do not wallow in self-pity and learn from mistakes so you can move on to finding a solution.