One Minutes Solutions to Making Life a Bit Better

All it takes is one minute. Are you one of those people that wonders where the day went by the time it gets to be time to go to sleep? You probably also jump at the prospect of having to only spend several minutes to improve your health or happiness. Fortunately there are some one minute solutions to making life a bit better. Of course, there is really no need to forgo the web applications that help with meditation or longer exercises. Take a minute to give someone a hug. It will make you feel good and lower your blood pressure. Don't forget to laugh and smile because it releases endorphins and other feel good hormones. If you work at a desk job -- or even if you're just a tech fan outside of the office -- you probably spend a fair amount of time in front of screens. But all that computer time can do a number on your eyes. Make sure to look somewhere else for some time and have your eye focus on something that is at least 20 feet away.

Sunday Nights: Getting a Jump Start on the Week

There are a lot of hacks and ways to stay on top of your game in the professional world and at home. Not to mention a slew of mobile and web applications that are at your fingertips. Sunday can be a great day to relax and rejuvenate for the following week. Sunday night on the other hand should be used in ensuring that the following week run as smooth as possible. One of the first things that you should do is write down the hardest challenges awaiting your in the next couple days. When you write down the problems of the week, you have put them into an archive. Your brain takes a breather because you know what is facing you. Now that you have the stressors out of your system, do something that your enjoy and gets those happy chemicals flowing. You should also use that Sunday to reconnect with people that are not involved with your work. The best part about that is it will give your mind a new perspective and a breather from always talking and thinking of ways to increase profits, start a new company, or improve marketing. And connecting with these people also means that you should not have any gadgets out.

Doing the Mind Some Good

There are plenty of game and mobile applications along with exercises that you can do to keep the mind sharp, but what about the physical ways that you can help your brain function? First of all hydration is super important. Dehydration can lead to lethargy, difficulties concentrating, and ultimately cognitive decline. When you first wake up in the morning, drink two glasses of water to flush out your system and get the day started. Also keep water with you at all times. Best part is that it can help with controlling your weight as well. It is well documented that eating sugar can lead to mood swings, irritability and sluggishness. If you are craving it, keep some fruit around. While you are eliminated sugars, you should also moderate your caffeine and alcohol intake. It can leave you dehydrated and lacking key nutrients. Lastly, do not forget to exercise. It can be something small as taking a walk at lunch too. It will help you function better, keep stress at bay, and manage depression.

Four Day Work Week?

What are your thoughts on moving to a four day work week? It seems like the five day forty hour week has been the norm since forever but it is actually relatively new. Many companies have been toying the with idea of shorter weeks and some have actually tried it out. Turns out, it might be more beneficial than you imagined. First of all, there is increased productivity because your employees are better rested and happier. It is also better for families who are trying to balance a career and have a life a home as well. Employee turnover can be extremely difficult for businesses. Losing talented people, and then having to spend time and money identifying and training replacements, can be a major burden. Having that extra time off can also stimulate creativity so they can find amazing solutions and create great mobile applications as well. Would you be willing to jump onboard with the shorter work week?

Time Staring at Screens

A new survey of British youngsters found the time they spend online tripled in a decade to more than 27.5 hours a week at the end of 2014. The average adult Internet user claims to spend over 20 hours online every week, double the time from a decade ago. The study also found that Internet users can be careless when it comes to protecting themselves online. "The majority of internet users (68%) are happy to provide personal information online in the belief they will benefit in some way," the study said. With so much data being online and stored using cloud services, it is amazing that there are not more hacks. When it comes to deciding what type of cloud services to use, bigger businesses should really consider the private cloud because it would be too much of a risk if any of the data were to leak out. How much time do you spend online? Imagine all the things that you could be doing with that time instead.

Reconnecting With Joy

So here you are, the wearer of many hats, but are you happy? We try to juggle so many different roles but at what expense? Now is the time to get your schedule under control and see what the really important things in life are. One of the first things that you should do is decline or shorten a meeting. Are you really productive in achieving your goals in all of those meetings? You could even opt for a video conference which could be made shorter and you do not have to leave your computer. Next, try to group similar tasks together so that you are able to focus better and actually immerse yourself in the work. While you have been busy creating to-do lists, did you notice that it never really gets shorter. One of the things that you can do to take a hard look at that list and ask if each thing on there is relevant to what you are doing. Take the time to really understand what works for you in terms of productivity such as the time of day and the mobile applications that can help with the to-do list. Lastly, make time for play because it will stimulate creativity and even give you more energy.

Technology and Aging

Our vision weakens as we age and eventually we reach the point where we don't trust our ability to find places once the sun sets. It would be great if street signs would talk to us through a bluetooth headset as we approach. What about when we are too old to actually drive? For so many people, it is seen as a sign of independence but with smarter cars and even ones that can drive themselves, more people will be able to stay on the roads longer. Another way that technology will make life easier is if doctors' appointments will be held over internet phone services. It will be alright that they are not there in person because the patient will have remote vitals monitoring. Many of the routine services that doctors traditionally have provided in their office are changing. There are mobile applications that help you track weight, exercise, calories, etc. There will be more apps that help you understand your body, your illnesses, your surgeries, your medications and their possible side effects.