How to Emulate Life’s Genius: Introducing Biomimicry

Have you ever noticed the most effective and efficient human creations are modeled from nature? From buildings designed like termite mounds to self-healing buildings developed using bacteria in the concrete; biomimicry is phenomenal approach to solve problems in a sustainable way.

Biomimicry (also known as Biomimetics) was coined by Otto Schmidt in the 1950s and describes the transfer of ideas and analogues from biology to technology. ^[1] It is the imitation of models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. Biomimetics and biomimicry derive from Ancient Greece: bios (life) and mimesis (mimetics) is imitation or to imitate.

Using nature to solve problems

Nature has already solved our problems for us. It is up to us to discover how. Nature is a fascinating source of inspiration. It demonstrates how every organism is unique and how it is able to adapt to its own environment. ^[2]

“Nature is imaginative by necessity and has already solved many of the problems we are grappling with today.” – Janine Benyus

Nature is able to respond to its own needs and find solutions that work. In doing so, nature evolves and lasts through countless generations. Furthermore, biomimicry can be applied to completely transform the way we operate, conduct business, and even communicate. Let’s take a look at how biomimicry can be applied on three levels: ^[3]

1. The natural form of organisms are used for inspiration. For example, mimicking the structure of a seashell leading to stronger buildings.
2. Natural process leading to more sustainable materials. For example, mimicking chemical processes such as photosynthesis.
3. The ecosystem. For example, mimicking the functional principles of an ecosystem.

Run an organization like a redwood forest

Jay Harman writes in his book The Shark’s Paintbrush, that a business should be run like a redwood forest. Harman informs us that a mature forest is a fully self-sustaining producer of diversity and abundance. He says that,

“Many businesses function more like an invasive weed, where their strategy is to spread rapidly into an area, lay down shallow roots, and use more than their share of local resources.”

Essentially, we overwhelm and destroy our habitat. In her book Biomimicry, Janine Benyus outlines how we should run our company like that of a redwood forest. In the image below, I have outlined her thought process for running an organization like a redwood forest.

Benyus describes ten key ways to operate like a forest in order to create conditions conducive to further life.

1. Use waste as a resource.
2. Diversify and cooperate with other species to fully use the habitat.
3. Gather and use energy efficiently.
4. Optimize rather than maximize.
5. Use materials sparingly.
6. Don’t foul your nest.
7. Draw up instead of down on resources.
8. Remain in balance with the biosphere.
9. Run on information.
10. Shop locally.

Examples of biomimicry

Let’s take a brief look at some examples of biomimicry in action.

Gecko tape

The bullet train

Cement like corals

Passive cooling in buildings

Self-healing buildings

Harvesting fresh Water

A paradigm shift in how we think

Biomimicry offers us a unique way to see and solve problems. For example, by examining a forest, we find that a forest is actively communicating.

“Biomimicry is basically taking a design challenge and then finding an ecosystem that’s already solved that challenge, and literally trying to emulate what you learn.” – Janine Benyus

Similar to how the internet operates, fungal connectivity is taking place between plants. Yet, like the internet, it is also susceptible to cyber-crime, terrorism, and even warfare. ^[4]

So, why not examine cyber-crime by examining the threats of fungal connectivity? How could we do this? By using biomimicry as a problem-solving methodology. Let’s take a look at how this could be accomplished.

Biological strategies and inspired ideas

AskNature.org is a powerful and free resource to use to explore biomimicry. It offers a way to find biological strategies, inspiring ideas, and resources to problems using nature.

For example, let’s say we want to find solutions to cyber security. By simply typing “cyber security” we are presented with unique strategies using nature to solve the problem (see image below). One such strategy is to look at how glands in Sea Hares secrete two compounds protecting the organism from predators by reacting together to create an unpalatable mixture of hydrogen peroxide and organic chemicals. Let’s take a quick look at how this could work with cyber security.

Step #1: Clearly define the challenge we are trying to solve

Improve cyber security vulnerabilities.

Step #2: Search for biological analogies and/or metaphors

Step #3: Determine whether the problem is related to form, function, or ecosystem

Form follows function (hence, form always comes before function). Think of form as the design of a building, where function is how we use the building.

Step #4: Ask what plant, Animal, or Natural Process solves a similar problem most effectively

Using AskNature.org I was able to find the following potential solution: Sea Hare or Sea Snail.

Step #5: Map-out the biological model

Step #6: Design a solution

Using an abstract len, we could potentially use the sticky ink secretion of a Sea Hare as a cyber security protection concept that sticks to dangerous cyber intrusion and completely prevents it from infecting the network/system/device.

When we look to nature for solutions to contemporary problems, we find that biomimicry provides us a fascinating and unique way to truly improve everything around us. It offers us an opportunity to redesign everything in existence. In essence, biomimicry brings about answers because it forces us to ask the right questions.

Reference

[1]	^	Julian Vincent, Olga Bogatyreva, Nikolaj Bogatyrev, Adrian Bowyer, Anja-Karina Pahl: Biomimetics its practice and theory
[2]	^	Rasha Mahmoud Ali El-Zeiny: Biomimicry as a Problem Solving Methodology in Interior Architecture
[3]	^	SlideShare: Biomimicry Civil Engineering Applications
[4]	^	Timewheel.net: Plants communicate using an internet of fungus

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What Too Much Salt Actually Does To Your Body

Food is one of the major things that cuts across cultures, languages and people and this is so majorly because we need to satisfy the pangs of hunger any time they come calling. The most important sense organ when it comes to food is the sense of taste which is controlled by the tongue. Beyond this sense of taste, the food only completes the task of filling our stomach and nourishing our body. Although most food items come with their natural salt, we most times need to add salt so that these food can taste better.

What we used to believe about too much salt intake 

Humans are wired differently and this difference applies to our sense organs too. While a person’s taste buds may be highly sensitive, the next person’s taste buds might be less sensitive and because of this disparities mostly, the level of salt intake varies for most of us. With several research carried out on the subject, we have been told that high level of salt content in food has negative effects especially because it heightens the risks of high blood pressure, liver and kidney diseases. Adhering to this directives will mean that we eat less salty food and sometimes food lacking in salt. Any price to pay for healthy living right?

The latest findings about salty food 

Acclaimed Nutrition Diva, Monica Reinagel lays the premises for her claims in this article. She announced that salty foods can actually make one hungrier and also burn calories as implied by a new study. The study according to Reinagel was conducted on a small group of Russian cosmonauts who were being prepared for a space exhibition. She explained that researchers regularly tweaked the amount of salt in their food with ranges between 2300-4800 mg of sodium daily, but maintained the calorie levels. What the researchers noticed was however contrary to the perceived notion about too much salt intake. They found that with an increase in salt, the cosmonauts became hungrier. Reinagel also detailed a counter experiment performed on mice and she explained that in both man and mice, an increase in the amount of salt in food resulted to an increase in urine output even with less water intake owing to the fact that their bodies got rid of the excess salt through urine.

Helping the body’s defence 

This research shows that the body is its own strongest defender. The defence mechanism in the body works but relies on the healthy habits we cultivate to keep it working. Therefore, it is not about whether research has shown that too much salt intake does no harm to the body or otherwise, we need to apply moderation to whatever we do especially as it concerns what we eat. The body’s defence system may be strong but much harm can be done before the body kicks out the unnecessary things.

Essentially, this is not a charge for you to know what too much salt does to the body but to live with moderation. Anything done in excess usually has an unpleasant repercussion, so take heed.

To read the full article, click here.

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How to Make Your Haters Like You

Having haters is a part of life. Hate comes in a variety of forms and can come from friends, family members, coworkers, classmates, associates and even random internet trolls.

Haters are the ugly side of success. If you have anything going for yourself, you’ve experienced hate. Whether you are intelligent, thin, curvy, in a relationship, single, have kids, or love your job, you are going to have haters. You hear the snide comments, see the random side-eyes, read the hateful comments under a social media post. You feel the tension when you try to discuss a recent win with a friend and then you find out that there are people dogging you behind your back.

Most people will tell you to just ignore your haters. They say that it’s just a part of life that you have to learn to deal with especially if you plan to do big things. And while that is accurate and sound advice, there is a way to turn some of your haters into friends.

The magic of asking for a favor

The quickest and easiest way to turn a hater into a friend is to ask them for a favor. It’s a well researched psychology technique called the Ben Franklin Effect^[1]. When you ask people who dislike you to help you out, it shifts their perception of the relationship and makes them view you as a friend instead of a foe.

Favors are for friends. You don’t usually do a favor for an enemy or someone you deeply dislike. It all has to do with cognitive dissonance. According to cognitive dissonance theory,^[2] there exists a tendency for people to establish consistency in their beliefs, values and opinions. When attitudes and behaviors become inconsistent, dissonance occurs.

The brain needs to eliminate the dissonance. The brain behaves as an outside observer. It continually watches and evaluates your actions and then contrives explanations for why you do what you do. Dissonance occurs most often in situations where an individual must choose between two incompatible beliefs or actions. So, in this case the reasonable belief is that favors are for friends. When you ask a hater for a favor, you create dissonance and the hater has to change their perception of you in order to perform the ask and eliminate the inconsistency.

Asking for a favor is also a subtle form of flattery. Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People suggests that requesting a favor allows the hater to feel that they have something we don’t. It levels the playing field in their mind. It also makes the hater feel admired and respected. They then not only want to help you but will also begin to see you differently. The hate dissipates.

Turn haters into friends

Asking a hater for a favor requires humility and a bit of thought. The favor should be something small enough that it is easily performed but not so trivial that it seems more of an insult than a favor. This means that you should consider the strengths, weaknesses, intellect and ability level of the person you are asking.

If it’s someone you don’t know, keep the ask simple. Borrowing some change at the vending machine or some other small item, asking them for assistance with an app on your smartphone or asking them to recommend a restaurant or other establishment are all great favors to ask for.

When you make your request, remember to ensure it sounds like you really need the favor and value the person’s help. Keep your tone humble and your body language open. And be sure you express your appreciation and gratitude for their help.

This technique is not just for haters. It works well with people you may not know well such as a colleague, mild acquaintance and even your secret crush. The simple action–making a small and reasonable request–can be the catalyst that transform a hater into a friend.

Experiencing hate as you work to become your best self is inevitable. Turning every hater into a friend isn’t a practical goal but you can befriend some. Simply humbling yourself, and asking for assistance in the form of a favor, is the first step in changing them from foe to friend.

Featured photo credit: Freepik via freepik.com

Reference

[1]	^	The Science Dog: The Ben Franklin Effect
[2]	^	Instructional Design: Cognitive Dissonance (Leon Festinger)

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This Increases Your Sleeping Time by 30%! The Ultimate Cure For Your Bad Sleep

Do you have trouble sleeping? Many issues can cause sleep deprivation including stress, hormonal imbalance, or even unfavorable sleeping environments. Some people tend to hear and feel everything around them when they sleep, while others sleep deeply.

This makes it easier for the former to wake up suddenly during the night to any slight noise or movement. Alternatively, it reduces productivity and creativity since the brain and body do not have enough time to rest. Nevertheless, the dream band is here to remedy this situation.

Your ultimate sleeping solution

This sleeping solution aids in improving sleeping patterns during sleep. The beauty of this product is the fact that it works in a personalized manner through sensors that respond to any brain changes as the user sleeps.

It was created by Rhythm, a neurotechnology company based in San Francisco and Paris. Through a team of seventy people, this amazing product was created with further input and consultation from ten research labs that are located in the USA and Europe.

Increase your sleeping time by 30% 

This band has numerous features that increase the rate of sleeping by thirty percent. It provides the user with subtle sounds as they sleep to prevent them from interrupting their deep sleep. This reduces the chances of the user experiencing issues such as memory consolidation, cellular regeneration, or even hormone regulation. This amazing device also senses the right time for the user to wake up and facilitates this. It offers the user ways that can help him or her improve their sleep.

Accurate and Safe to Use

Its accurate sensors and distinct features make it one of the best sleep improving inventions in the market. Its personalized approach to remedying sleep deprivation caters to the needs of all the users as opposed to a holistic approach.

The band recognizes that each individual has different issues and works to remedy the situation. The brain activity at the time of monitoring aids in controlling the features and triggering sounds that improve sleep. Forbes stated the following with respect to the product, “A cure for all this bad sleep, one that you can literally wrap around your head.”

The band uses five dry polymer EEG electrodes to detect the sleep stage that the user is in. The bone conduction technology used by the machine aids in stimulating and transmitting safe sound to the bone to facilitate the specific sleep stage that the user is in. Apart from this it also uses learning algorithms,  accelerometer, and Pulsoxy sensor to monitor the heart rate and frequency of breathing of the user. The band wraps around the head with the sensors in the fabric band and the internals on the top of the head to aid the user in achieving comfort.

Cool things website reviewed this product and thought that its design is comfortable enough to wear in bed. In fact, they advised users to equate wearing the device to wearing an eye mask as they sleep. For more information on this product, visit this website.

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Going Back to Frat House Living In Your Old Age Helps You To Age Better

Among the elderly, nursing homes, hospices and country-club retirement community homes aren’t the best of all places to spend their sunset days. But Beacon Hill Village in Boston is rewriting the narrative altogether, and the storyline is nothing short of jaw-dropping. A group of seniors who choose to stay adjacent to each other and strive to make their lives better has led to 190 similar communities springing up across the US.

Joseph F. Coughlin gave the community a visit, and while there, his story about a community creating an adorable aging experience sounds like it’s straight out of a fictional movie. A community of seniors, yet their daily life is reminiscent to happen on vacation, undoubtedly they are enjoying their lives. Impressively, they all relate to each other well, showing love and empathy even without the assistance of a caregiver.

Meet Joan Doucette, a 75-year-old cyclist member of the Beacon Hill Village

Imagine abandoning your regular 9-5, catching up with your ‘gang’ and planning a stimulating, adventurous and event-filled holiday? Sheer fun, right?

What Doucette and her 20+ colleagues are doing is what we all wish to enjoy as soon as possible, and their spirit of togetherness beats any other you’ve heard about before. They are lovely and carefree, regularly meeting for tea and movies, evening dinner at the local restaurants, some booze (exclusively men), chit-chats and adventure trips, on their bikes!

Away from Boston is another heart-melting village, San Francisco Village. Whenever one of their members is sick or needs reassurance after a significant setback, volunteers amongst its members uplift their friend. All the groups, as Coughlin writes, aren’t solely for fun and making memories amid their advanced ages.

They need no outside support

What’s impressive about the mantra within these facilities isn’t how they manage to shower each other with love and priceless warmth alone. Most of their members, especially those yet to attain 80 years, pursue different aspirations, including caregiving, engaging younger generations, organizing cultural fetes and volunteering. It is, perhaps a continuation of what their careers and occupations entailed and some nostalgia!

They accept challenges that threaten their newfound homeliness!

Joanne Cooper, a member of the membership committee at Beacon Hill speaks about the threats that they face and how they manage to pull through. Despite the whole community appearing a lot like a peaceful enclave, members exiting is a norm, either by date or voluntary withdrawal. Lack of funding and visionary leadership also forces similar villages elsewhere to close!

The post is, without a doubt, the best as it restores faith in humanity. This idea isn’t confined to the US alone since Homeshare program in the UK, and Switzerland and Germany’s Wohnen für Hilfe nearly have the same ideals. However, as the trend continues and the elderly enjoy their lives on their own, we, the rest, can’t help, but admire how moving the initiatives are.

To read the full article, click here.

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Is the Pump Necessary for Muscle Growth?

In the last fitness center that I trained in, there was a weird guy. The main focus of his training was getting a pump. He thought the pump was absolutely necessary for building muscles in any way. He lived by the philosophy of Arnold Schwarzenegger, in Pumping Iron:

I am like, uh, getting the feeling of coming in a gym, I’m getting the feeling of coming at home, I’m getting the feeling of coming backstage when I pump up, when I pose in front of 5,000 people, I get the same feeling, so I am coming day and night. I mean, it’s terrific. Right? So you know, I am in heaven. — Arnold Schwarzenegger, about the feeling of the pump

That guy once told me, that he started eating junk food before his workout sessions. Because they guaranteed, that he will get a great pump.

I haven’t heard of him since I’ve changed my training location. The chances are high that he’s still desperately chasing the pump, while completely neglecting the more important aspects of his exercise schedule. Today I want to show you, why the pump isn’t as necessary as you might think it is, and how you should train instead.

How your body works

Before we understand, how the pump works, we first need to have a basic knowledge in anatomy.

How your blood circulation works

Everytime you’re contracting your muscles, you’re constricting your blood vessels. As most of you know, the blood in your body moves from the left side of your heart, to the ride side of your heart. While supplying your organs and cells with valuable oxygen and nutrients in the midtime.

The first half of the blood circulation is the easy part for your body. The oxygenated and nutritious blood (red color) is far easier to transport, than the deoxygenated blood (blue color). Because of two reasons:

1. Your heart is on the upper part of your body, because of that, gravity is on your side when pumping the blood.
2. Your heart is actively pressuring the blood to your body parts. Naturally on the first half of the circulation, you still have more power and velocity.

The downside of the circulatory system

These stepping stones leave your body with one big challenge: how do you transport the blood from the middle of your body to your heart again when they have to work against gravity and only barely get help from your heart? A big part of the solution were valves.

Valves are security measurements from your body, so that the blood only flows in a certain direction – to your heart. The valves are only allowing one-way traffic. Without valves, all our blood would likely stay in our feet. Deformed valves, due to increasing age or pregnancy, lead to varicose veins.

Side note: It’s also thought that people that were crucified have died, next to physical exhaustion, from a lack of blood in their upper bodies. Because the immobile and vertical position has created a blood congestion in the lower extremities.

What happens when you’re having a pump

I personally like the pump. Who doesn’t? Whenever I’m training in the gym and get the pump I feel amazing. I suddenly look a couple times more muscular than you actually are. Isn’t it therefore rational to conclude that a pump is an indicator of an effective workout?

Sadly, the scientific explanation of a muscle pump is rather blunt: the muscle contraction in your muscles, for example when you’re doing a biceps curl, constrict the blood flow in your veins. Temporarily, the blood gets trapped inside of your veins, not being able to return.

The blood trapped inside your arms, will lead to an increased volume of your muscular size. It will also lead to an increased visibility of your veins. This heavily affects your appearance – but only in the short term.

The pump therefore is a temporary blood congestion inside your working muscle. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Having this blood congestion forces your body to adapt. It’s a metabolic stress that may increase your protein synthesis in the working muscle. Therefore it might increase your muscle growth.

The downside is, that it increases the stress on your muscles. A functioning blood flow is necessary for recovery. Stress and recovery always have to be in balance, to guarantee best results.

Do you have to leave the gym immediately and run for the hills if you ever experience a pump? No. Is it necessary for muscle growth? No. It may help induce metabolic stress which then might increase muscle growth, but it shouldn’t be the sole purpose of your training.

How to structure your training

Instead of chasing the pump, you should structure your training to guarantee progression. For the beginning two years of my training I have never written down my workouts. I must say, that I wasted some of my potential by not doing that. Progression is the most important metric, when it comes to reaching your fitness goals.

What gets measured gets managed. — Peter Drucker

Write down the date of the workout, the machines or weights you used, how many sets you’ve did and how many repetitions you’ve managed to do. Also don’t forget the percieved intensity, simply rate a workout set from a scale from 1-10. 1 is the easiest and 10 is the hardest. If you value convenience, you can also buy a exercise book. I use the BodyMinder .

Disrupt the balance in your body. You have to increase the weight over time, you have to increase the intensity. If you don’t guarantee progression, your body will see no reason to adapt and stay where it is. Writing down your workouts can also be a motivational source for you. It’s good to look back to see how far you’ve come. Having a workout book also makes your work with a professional coach much easier, as it shows the trainer, which exercises you’re already experienced in.

The pump nonetheless, won’t really hurt your physique. And if the temporary increase in muscular size and vascularity truly motivates you to go to the gym – so be it. From a scientific standpoint nonetheless, the blood congestion only has a minor affect in guaranteeing your muscular growth.

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Can Good Old Friends Be the Best Brain Booster as You Age?

How often do you have a little chat with your 80-year-old grandma or even that 77-year old grandpa? Is it a normal, exciting conversation about what you like, soccer, technology, gossip or anything interesting?

No? Well, maybe you hate speaking with them because they are understandably out-of-touch with what’s happening currently and maybe Alzheimer’s disease. In an attempt to help us understand and even create better conversations with the elderly, Judith Graham presents a post that’s been scientifically proven to work!

Having strong social ties with the elderly can be the key to boosting their memories!

Making a centenarian have a fantastic memory is possible, a factor that’s even scientifically correct, as per a research done at the Northwestern University. After examining what she terms as “SuperAgers” for nine years, a post titled Good Friends Might Be Your Best Brain Booster as You Age says it all. In a series of stories that include several 70-year-olds, 90 and even a 103-year-old grandmother, including a few with Alzheimer’s disease, the point was clear.

Unbelievably, “SuperAgers” have a better memory than some 20, 30-year-olds!

Furthermore, Emily Rogalski of Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine’s Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s disease Center says it is possible to enhance the memory of an elderly. The secret to this is, according to several respondents, is having satisfying, warm, trusting relationships. It may sound unreal, perhaps impossible, but as several caregivers from a couple of retirement homes say, it is always the liveliest members that tend to exhibit higher memory levels.

You can also convert those nags and boring lectures he/she gives into fruitful heart-to-heart!

Gurolnick of a group called Men Enjoying Leisure tries to discuss a plethora of topics, including divorce, illness, children who can’t find jobs and a lot more. And it isn’t all about talking while sitting down that can boost their brains, apparently. Even a small even walk, evening chats over coffee and anything that’s sure to keep your elderly friend engrossed is excellent in cultivating good relationships.

The Parting Shot

Whether you have read something like this before or not, there’s little doubt, this Scientific American’s post will be a timely solution to what many do face and hate every day. Yes – be the conversation driver, let them be happy, and you will soon help that octogenarian remember other stuff.

Instead of shying away from that elderly friend just because he/she will ask the same thing over and over again, strive to leave beautiful memories every day, even when it’s for an hour or two. For them, social relationships are priceless and go a long way in enhancing their cognition, according to several studies. This mainly appeals to the caregiving population who are tired with the dull chats they usually have.

To go through the entire post, click here.

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One Question That Will Help You Refocus and Achieve Greatness at Work

These days, people are working more, and feeling more stressed — yet still have significant financial concerns and feel behind. Research conducted by Groupon has talked about how people perceive their work-life balance.^[1] Here are some of the findings:

• 20% of the respondents said they worked 10 hours/day.
• 60% of the respondents said there wasn’t enough time in the day to do everything.
• 50% said workload was preventing them from work-life balance.
• 53% said they still had significant financial concerns.
• On a 1-10 scale, stress at home averaged a 5; at work, it averaged a 6.4.

That’s a lot of stress — but people still have financial concerns. What gives? How can we make this situation better?

Ask yourself a new question

Chris Bailey, the author of The Productivity Project experimented with different techniques to help him organize and prioritize tasks. By modifying another productivity guru Brian Tracy’s approach, he arrived at this critical question:

“If you could just do one thing on a day, every day, what would you do that would allow you to accomplish the most with the same amount of time?”

When you’ve got the answer for yourself, repeat the question but in a slightly different way: “If you could do only two more things all day, what second and third tasks let you accomplish the most in the same amount of time?”

Not all tasks are created equal

There are certain tasks in any job that, for every minute you spend on them, you can now accomplish more on other tasks.

Consider a project manager. They should be designing project workflow. Checking email is less important or almost a distraction. Customer service support, though? They should be checking email — and answering phones.

Checking off many items on a list means nothing if nothing great was actually accomplished. This in some ways is the difference between “busy” and “productive.” When you’re spending time on things that matter, that is being productive. When you’re just checking off to-do list items, that oftentimes is just being “busy.” There’s no end game contribution.

But when you spend more time and energy on items of significance, you accomplish more in the same amount of time — and by definition you are becoming more productive.

Define your top priority task every day

By asking the critical question “If you could just do one thing on a day, every day, what would you do that would allow you to accomplish the most with the same amount of time?” you will be able to identify the most important task at the moment.

Once the top priority task is defined, review your work progress every day by asking these Did I get done what I intended to? Did I invest enough time, attention, and energy in the right things?

These questions will help you to evaluate your progress and it’s a self-check of whether you got distracted or remained focused on the most important things. This review also helps you to prepare a better plan for the next day.

It all begins with defining priorities and what is truly important. Almost every day is going to have a personal or professional task that needs to come first above all. Isolate that task and work on what matters most. Achieve significant greatness even if you ignore 40 emails.

Most of life is about defining priorities

Knowing your priority is the pathway to a more consistently successful version of self. Ask yourself the critical question to identify the one thing that matters most and design what you work on and focus towards around the answers. You are going to be more productive within days.

Featured photo credit: Vecteezy via vecteezy.com

Reference

[1]

^

Forbes: Too Much Work, Too Much Stress

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15 Minutes Less of Sleep Can Break Your Day

A highly busy person is seen as someone who works tirelessly, working both day and night for their goals. Some even strive for this, and stay up late working all hours, surviving on sheer determination, and a significant amount of coffee. This kind of behavior is destructive. Working without sleep, or working when you haven’t slept enough can have a great impact on your ability to focus, function, and your health overall.

In 1999, a plane, American Airlines 1420 crashed on the runway of Little Rock Airport, Arkansas.^[1] There was nothing out of the ordinary about the flight, such cross country flights are routine, the kind every pilot in the world makes hundreds of times in their career. The plane was working perfectly. Yet the crashed killed 11 people, including the captain, and wounded over one hundred others. After some investigation, it was concluded that the pilots were too fatigued, and didn’t pay full attention the the situation around them, and failed to activate the spoiler system, a device in the plane to aid in landing.

Of course, not all of us are airline pilots, but think about it, how many times have you heard about fatal car accidents that were caused by a tired driver, or a lack of attention. It is extremely common. It has been estimated that 100,000 car accidents per year occur because the driver was fatigued.^[2]

Why do we sleep less now?

As human beings, we have evolved to function around the day and night cycle. For centuries, low light conditions signalled to us that it was time to sleep. However, since the invention of electronic lighting, we have created environments where we can remain constantly in bright light conditions, whether it is in the middle of the night or the middle of the day. What’s worse, it has been discovered that the light emitting from an LED screen, the kind on our phones, tablets, computers, or TV actually slows down or even stops the melatonin , a hormone in the brain which enables us to sleep.^[3] As a result, either through our own behaviour or our devices, we are getting less sleep than we need in order to function.

There have been countless studies into the effects of sleep deprivation, and almost all of them show that it is extremely damaging. Symptoms can range from difficulty focusing, to greater risks of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. By not sleeping as much as we need, we could be putting ourselves in considerable risk.^[4]

The dangers aren’t just health related. Being even slightly sleep deprived can have a huge and disastrous impact on your productivity. It has been shown that losing 90 minutes of sleep can reduce your alertness by as much as one-third. If you’re working in a high pressure and demanding environment, that can have a massive impact on your productivity.^[5] Your mental state after four hours of sleep is similar to that of legal drunkenness.^[6]

However, those who sleep the recommended eight hours per day find they remain focused throughout the day, with few, if any impairments to their mental functioning.

A small adjustment can turn things around

Make a small adjustment in your sleeping habit, as small as 15 or 30 minutes, can make a great difference on your energy level the following day.

Try to gradually add 15 minutes of sleep to your nightly schedule every day. Continue with this until you feel fully rested the next morning. By then you’ll find out exactly how much sleep you need to feel energetic. When you realize the time you need to sleep to gain sufficient energy, stick to that time.

There are a number of things you can do to improve your sleeping. Check out this article if you want to sleep better: 15 Ways to Sleep Better, and Wake up Refreshed

You might find yourself surprised about how much of an impact a tiny adjustment to your sleep pattern can have. Retaining a healthy sleeping pattern will help keep you alert, highly functioning, and productive throughout the day.

Featured photo credit: pixabay via pixabay.com

Reference

[1]	^	CNN: Pilot fatigue, error probable causes of ’99 Little Rock crash
[2]	^	Web MD: Sleep Habits: More Important Than You Think
[3]	^	cnet: Stop your gadgets from keeping you awake at night
[4]	^	Health Line: The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Body
[5]	^	Raymond D. Wells DSC: Sleep Better
[6]	^	Harvard Business Review: Sleep Deficit: The Performance Killer

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When to Worry about Eye Twitching - You Could be Stirring it Unknowingly

Eye twitching, much like eyelid tics and spasms, is never something that can make you lose sleep over. The habitual rippling muscle contractions come and go, sometimes persisting for a few days and thus prompting one to consider Googling more about it. But what many of us don’t probably know about this is that the twitching can be a precursor to something that’s serious. Of course, you won’t know it unless you get to understand why Sanaz Majd’s “When to Worry about Eye Twitching” post deserves a few minutes of your time!

Take the case of Eileen, a 45-year-old female accountant, for example:

Eileen, just like anyone out there, experienced “intermittent and multiple bouts” of it for about a month. The problem affected her efficiency, and it prompted her to seek the advice of Sanaz. The severity had changed, and the accountant was worried that it was something devastating like a brain tumor – Google says so!

A little glance at her patient’s medical history

Sanaz is a house call medic, and that means she knows how to diagnose a disease and probably a bit more reliable at it than Google. She diagnosed the twitching, and the results were an eye-opener. From her differential diagnoses, it was clear that Eileen’s condition may have resulted from multiple causes.

Surprisingly, among the causes are what we do or have every day – eye strain and fatigue, alcohol, coffee, lack of sleep, eye injuries and other reasons. It isn’t a sign of any cancerous tumor, and from how she questioned Eileen and the conclusions, it is clear why many of us experience it frequently.

Reflection based on the post

Twitching happens typically in the left eye only and affects those who wear glasses as well as those who don’t. From her post, though, it is amazing how what many of us do or have every single day contributes to the twitching, despite the rest of the body working well. Maybe you don’t spend hours on your computer or have no allergies, and you still experience your left eye twitching. Or perhaps you only do a single cup of coffee per day, experience little quality sleep and feel the twitching once per week.

This is just a snippet!

Reading this post, you’ll get to know the reason why you also feel the little twitch and how you can eliminate it. It also explains why the feeling could be a signal to more severe disease like Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis.

To read the full article, click here.

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Why Focusing on the Calorie Doesn't Help You Eat Healthier

When it comes to eating healthier or attempting to lose weight, it can be overwhelming to know what to focus on. Some “experts” tell you to focus on carbs, others sugar, and some calories. When looking at the nutrition label on food packaging, the easiest thing to focus on, and often the largest, boldest item, is the calorie count. It seems logical to think that lower calorie foods equal healthy foods, but that’s not always true.

If you focus strictly on how many/few calories you’re intaking, you may be cheating yourself out of important protein your body needs. When you cheat yourself out of calories, your body will use the protein you do eat for energy rather than applying it toward building muscle, improving immunity, and aiding in the health of your hair, skin and nails.^[1]

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), adult women and men should aim to consume 46g to 56g of protein per day, respectively. Those individuals who are especially physically active may require more.^[2]

Before you get too excited about an excuse to eat more calories, here’s the catch: when focusing on intaking the perfect calorie amount, you may inadvertently intake more carbohydrates than you need.

Carbs come in a variety of forms. Some are complex which break down in such a way that assist in workout and your overall health. Unfortunately, most of the yummy, carb-filled foods we tend to reach for such as pasta, potato chips and doughnuts are bad carbs. They also tend to be high in calories. But before you think that high calories equals to high carbs and the decision making is simple, think again.^[3] Low calorie foods like sweet potatoes and oats are high in carbs which are more than your body needs.

Look beyond the calories

Instead of getting hung up on total calories, a simple way to screen all the options you see in a day to look at the ratio of carbs to protein. A small increase in protein intake along with slightly fewer calories help us to be healthier. A 2007 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that increasing protein intake and limiting carb consumption can help overweight individuals reduce calories to achieve successful (and healthy) weight loss.

Utilize the Ratio

Maintaining a better balance of carbohydrates to protein will give you sufficient energy while improving your health. Set a goal of eating foods that have a ratio of one gram of carbs for every one gram of protein can ensure that you are not overloading on carbs but are intaking enough protein.

Avoid foods . Most chips and cereals have a 10 to 1 carbs-to-protein ratio, avoid them. In fact, avoid foods with a ratio higher than 5 to 1 carbs to protein.

Before you start grabbing carb-filled items and using this ratio as an excuse, remember to focus on the healthy sources of calories, carbs and protein. If you aren’t sure where to start, stock your fridge and pantry with lean meats like fish, poultry, eggs, cottage cheese and tofu. Nuts, seeds, grains and yogurt are great examples of snacks that will help you stick to your goals, too.

Not only will you lose weight, but you’ll feel better with more energy. Your body will be so grateful to you.

Start your grocery list now

It may feel overwhelming to stop focusing on calories and shift your attention to carbs and protein, but with a well stocked kitchen, it will be easier than you think. As it stands now, your intense focus on calories equating to health can cheat you out of the real nutrition your body needs. So don’t go another day depriving your body of what it truly needs.

Featured photo credit: Christopher Flowers, Stocksnap via stocksnap.io

Reference

[1]	^	mindbodygreen: 7 Surprising Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Protein
[2]	^	Livestrong: How Common Is Protein Deficiency?
[3]	^	Born Fitness: Fix your diet: Understanding proteins, carbs, and fats

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The Price of Distraction Is Hugely Beyond Your Imagination

People get sidetracked by irrelevant websites and unproductive tasks occasionally. Have you ever stopped to wonder exactly how much these distractions cost us? The amount of time and money we fritter away will blow your mind.

According to McKinsey, high-skilled workers spend a staggering 28% of their working hours reading and replying to e-mail messages.^[1] If we learned to manage our communication technology in a more efficient manner, we could give the economy a $900 million to $1.3 trillion boost per year.

When you find yourself sitting in the office feeling bored or overwhelmed, it’s easy to automatically check your social media. But it comes at a high price. Social media costs the U.S. economy $650 billion every year.^[2]

Take a moment and let those figures sink in. We are a distracted nation, and we’re paying for it – big time.

The rise of connectivity

How did we end up in this situation? The 21st century is characterised by connectivity. Over the past couple of decades, it’s become increasingly difficult to disconnect from sources of information. We can access the internet almost anywhere, we can make cheap phone calls to friends around the globe, and our Facebook feeds are constantly refreshing themselves.

Our addiction becomes especially apparent when we lose our phones or our internet connection drops out. For example, have you ever mislaid your phone for a few hours and become frantic at the thought of missing out on social media notifications and updates? Or perhaps you’ve caught yourself longing for the days where your boss couldn’t just send you a WhatsApp message in the evenings to ask you to do overtime or work faster on a project?

What’s beyond the time loss

Originally, smartphones and other portable devices were designed to maximize convenience, allow us to work on the move, and enhance our productivity. Unfortunately, they have turned into a distraction that often interrupts our daily lives.

For example, you might be working on an important presentation, only to be distracted by several e-mail notifications. You then have a choice – do you stop and answer these messages, or do you carry on with your presentation and hope that the sender doesn’t expect an immediate response? Either way, the notification has interrupted your flow and thrown you off course.

Every time your attention is diverted from your task, you lose time. It takes effort to get back on track, and repeated interruptions can demotivate you. It can feel as though everyone wants a piece of your time, and that you will never get around to finishing anything. If you are a typical American worker, you’ll be distracted every 11 minutes, and it will take you 25 minutes to actually settle down again to your task. The more complicated your project, the longer it takes to regain your focus, because your brain has to put in considerable effort when switching between complex objectives.^[3]

Research carried out at Carnegie Mellon University shows that human beings simply aren’t equipped to “toggle” between work tasks and frivolous distractions such as Facebook. If you try to do two tasks at the same time, your performance on each will suffer.

The researchers carried out a study in which people were asked to read a short passage, and then answer questions that tested their understanding of what they had read. Those who were interrupted during the task performed just 80% as well as the participants who were allowed to do the test in peace.^[4] In short, you shouldn’t be surprised if social media kills your productivity.

Keep your focus where it belongs

So what can you do? First, you can decide to put your phone and other devices away, or at least set them to silent, when focusing on an important project. Deal with distractions before they happen. If you don’t receive notifications, you won’t be distracted. Tell your colleagues that you need to focus on a task, and that they will have to phone you or come to your office if there’s an emergency.

There’s also a useful technique you can use that will quickly get you back on track:

The 20 Second Rule

Positive psychologist Shawn Achor believes that 20 seconds can make all the difference when it comes to behavior change. Specifically, making tasks slightly easier or more accessible will encourage you to do them, whereas making a behavior slightly harder will decrease the likelihood that you will give in to your urges. If something – such as checking your social media – takes you 20 seconds longer to do, you’re less likely to do it.

What does this mean for those of us struggling to manage distractions? Basically, you need to make it slightly more difficult to give into temptation – to check your e-mail, to respond to a notification, and so forth. For example, move your phone so that it takes you 20 seconds longer to reach it, or disable a messaging app so that it takes you 20 seconds longer to log in and enable it again. This approach means you do not have to rely on willpower. Instead, you will have set up a reliable system that facilitates good habits.^[5]

Regain your control over distractions

Remember, most notifications aren’t going to be urgent, and that social media isn’t going to help you get any work done. Advances in technology may mean that it’s harder than ever before to focus on a project, but that doesn’t mean you can’t become more productive. It just requires commitment, practice, and a determination to manage your messages – don’t let them manage you! Remember, building a 20-second temporal gap between yourself and a source of distraction is all you need to do to regain control.

Reference

[1]	^	McKinsey&Company: The social economy: Unlocking value and productivity through social technologies
[2]	^	Mashable: Social Media Distractions Cost U.S. Economy $650 Billion
[3]	^	The New York Times: Brain, Interrupted
[4]	^	The New York Times: Brain, Interrupted
[5]	^	Sam T. Davies: The 20-Second Rule: How to Build Better Habits in 1/3 of a Minute

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