outside-insight

[outside-insight]

Natural Selection! Buy it now at teechip.com/darling

[outside-insight]

Learn Something New! #15

Physical affection is necessary for humans to lead happier and healthier lives. It promotes greater social and emotional development. Although, those who are touch deprived, however, are more prone to disease, emotional dysfunction, and often lack energy. So hug a friend and cure an illness! (Just don’t get sick) The more ya know!

[outside-insight]

Learn Something New! #14

Ever heard of fasting? It is not an overly attractive idea to those of us who love to eat but, maybe trying it has some good benefits. Valter Longo from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles conducted a study on this. He found that intermittent fasting reduced the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other major illnesses. Not only that but it increases life span as well! The more ya know!

[outside-insight]

Learn Something New! #13

Did you know that you are more receptive to information when your arms are uncrossed? Marketers use a technique to uncross people’s arms so they are more receptive to a pitch. All they do is put something in their hand, like a pamphlet or a drink, to make the potential customer, uncross their arms and make them more receptive. The more ya know!

[outside-insight]

Learn Something New! #12

Did you know your body can tell when it’s day or night? It can determine which types of light come from which times of day. Blue light in the more active hours and orange-red in the later hours. Using that information, it can tell itself when it’s time for bed. Things like iPods and cell phones can be a definite enemy in this case because they produce a lot blue light which is associated with daytime. Try using a “night mode” or apps like f.lux to reduce blue light emissions or just turn it off about 30 mins before bed for a better night’s rest. The more ya know!

[outside-insight]

Learn Something New! #11

Most people can only remember seven items in a list. (That’s as long as a phone number.) Harry Lorayne, memory athlete, says, “There is no such thing as a bad memory, only an untrained one.” Try training yours with the n-back(or dual n-back) game. It tests your ability to remember information in a sequence. There are apps in the App Store or online for your computer.

[outside-insight]

Learn Something New! #10

Ever wanted to be happy on demand? Well, you can! Just smile! Smiling releases good endorphins(happiness molecules) into the brain that make you feel happy and more light-hearted! Plus studies show, smiling makes you appear more attractive. The more ya know!

[outside-insight]

Learn Something New! #9

Here is some food for thought: Why is a hamburger called a hamburger if it is made out of beef and not ham? The name originates from a town in Germany called Hamburg where it was known as “Hamburg Steak” and “Hamburg style meat.” Though, at this time it was served raw! The more ya know!

[outside-insight]

Learn Something New! #8

Superhuman healing seems like a pretty cool power, right? With the aid of technology, we can do just that! Doctors now employ bone growth stimulators to aid in bone healing without invasive treatment. They send electrical impulses or ultrasound waves to the point of injury, promoting bone growth. But this can get really expensive so it is normally used in big sports and spinal fusions. If you can not afford one though, get a cat! Cat’s purring occurs at a sound frequency that also promotes bodily healing. The more ya know!

[outside-insight]

Learn Sonething New! #7

I am sure you have probably heard of Jesus Christ at some point but did you know that Christ is not part of his name? It’s a title! Christ translates to “the anointed, anointed meaning, "chosen” or “set apart for a task.” So he is really Jesus the Anointed. The more you know!

[outside-insight]

Learn Something New! #6

Ever heard of Shaquille O'Neal? He is most well known for playing basketball but he has expanded his interests to include esports! Shaq co-owns the NRG esports league that somewhat recently picked up an Overwatch called Mixup. The more ya know!

[outside-insight]

Learn Something New! #5

Ever heard of the coding language called Python? It’s known for simplicity but high versatility. The funny thing is, it’s not named after the snake! It’s named after the group Monty Python, from Monty Python’s Flying Circus! The more ya know!

[outside-insight]

Learn Something New! #2

In rural areas of the United States, it is not uncommon to find large groupings of pines clustered together. Landowners used to plant them to mark property lines. So when you are riding through a wooded area or along an interstate and you fine some pines, remember! The more ya know!

[outside-insight]

Take a break. Meditate.

Stresses can be good for the body and the mind but, every now and again your brain needs to take a break. Why not take the opportunity to meditate today? 

Mindfulness meditation is an excellent way to take a mental respite.

Northern Arizona University says:

It strengthened immune system and physiological responses to stress and negative emotions.

It improved social relationships with family and strangers.

It reduced stress, depression, and anxiety and increased well-being and happiness.

It increased openness to experience, conscientiousness, and agreeableness and reduced negative associations with neuroticism.

It led to greater psychological mindfulness, which included an awareness that is clear, nonconceptual, and flexible; a practical stance toward reality; and present attention to the individual’s consciousness and awareness.

“One of the surprising findings of this study and what some others are coming up with is how much of a difference it makes to focus your mind and calm down. It actually makes a large difference in your well-being.”

Additional notes: 

It has been known to be just as effective as some drugs used to combat depression and anxiety.

It has been used in sports programs and in the military to sharpen participants ability to focus.

After 11 hours of collective meditation, the brain begins to physically change.

Here’s how you can do it:

Find a place where you know you won’t be disturbed and set a timer for about ten minutes or any other time desired.

Sit comfortably, back up straight, feet in on the floor.(If you prefer open lotus and its comfortable, go for it)

Begin by inhaling through your nose until to the count of two.

Exhale through your mouth until the count of ten.(If you can’t then, exhale until you are empty. That’s the idea anyway)

After a few breaths, close your eyes and continue that way. (IF YOU GET LIGHTHEADED OR FEEL YOU WILL PASS OUT, STOP)

Focus on your breathing as best you can. It may help to count the breaths. Inhale - 1. Exhale - 2. Inhale - 3. Exhale - 4… until you get to ten then start from one again.

When your mind wanders away from your breath, gently bring it back and start from breath one again.

While doing this, consider noticing your body and how it feels. Scan from head to feet and back up again.

Some people prefer to have guided meditation. If you want, download an app called headspace. They give you ten free session that you can listen to over and over again.

Personally, I can tell a difference. I used to have tons of break downs during the school year but now I can better handle the things that come my way in terms of focus and levels of stress, I have less headaches, and I feel more relaxed. Try it out and let me know what you think!

[outside-insight]

Learn Something New! #1

Next time you see a couple holding hands, look to see who’s hand is on the front. The lead hand is dominant member in the relationship. The more ya know!

[outside-insight]

3 Tips to Better Relationships

Want a better relationship with someone? It does not have to be romantic, maybe just a better friend, or maybe you want more friends! Regardless, here are three things you can do to be more interesting to whoever you come into contact with:

1. Watch your body language!

- What you do often conveys more than what you say. Try smiling! It makes you more attractive. Avoid crossing your arms, it shows that you don’t care about whats being said. Have at least one foot pointing at the person you are talking to, our desires are often conveyed through where our feet our pointing! It shows that the other person has your attention and that you value what they say. Nodding along every now and again helps too.

*Here’s a game you can play: In a group of girls and guys, watch to see where everyone’s lead feet are pointing. They’ll often point at the person that the individual finds most attractive or, if its pointing at the door, they probably want to leave!

2. Become genuinely interested in the other person!

- One of the main characteristics of “interesting” people is that they are interested! Ask genuine questions about the other person’s interests. Put some effort into remembering what they said and learn about the things they are interested in. Talk in terms of their interests. Odds are they will more easily be able to talk about the things they are familiar and feel more comfortable around you.

3. Listen

- A major problem we face today is that few people listen. Majority of the time, you can catch yourself thinking about what you want to say next or where you want the conversation to go instead of paying attention. When someone does listen to what we have to say, we feel great! Make them feel great and they’ll come to you more often.

If you want to know more, you should look to the author Dale Carnegie. He wrote an amazing book called How to Win Friends and Influence People that goes into much greater detail about these topics. 

Additionally, if you want to ask me a question about a topic your interested in, I’d be more than happy to talk about it. If I don’t know much, I’ll research it for you! Thanks all!

[outside-insight]