10 Ways To Woo A Girl The Right Way!

Everyone loves being wooed! But, if you think that courtship ends once you already have the girl (or guy), think again. Wooing your partner doesn’t stop once you decide to enter a relationship.  Instead, real lasting relationships are ones where each one continues to make an effort for the other.

Whether you’re just starting out or have been in relationships for a long time, here are 10 tips on how to woo a girl (or a guy) the right way.

1. Be Genuine

We live in a world wherein being genuine has become such a rare quality. People are always being fake, pretending to be someone they’re not in order to impress the girl. Just think of online social media platforms where single men and women create “images” of themselves.

In person though, a discerning eye can tell real people from fakes. Be genuine and be appreciated for who you truly are.

2. Be chivalrous

I would strongly like to believe that chivalry isn’t dead. Be polite, open doors, walk on the traffic side of the road, and escort her and her friend’s home.

You may think these are small things but these small gestures will never go unnoticed. It’s not that she can’t do these things by herself but it is always good to know that there is someone whose looking out for her.

3. Give her your undivided attention

undivided-attention

Get off that mobile phone of yours when you are with her. You will have plenty of time to check game scorse or reply to your messages and emails when you are home. Unless it is extremely urgent, it will always be appreciated if you can give your phones a rest and give your undivided attention to her.

See Also: How to be a Good Husband to Make Your Life a Bed of Roses 

4. Notice her and likes & dislikes

Always take mental notes of her likes and dislikes and surprise her when she least expects it. Take her to her favorite concert, order her favorite drink when she’s running late, notice when she gets a haircut or wears something different.

She will really appreciate the fact that you are taking a keen interest in her and what she likes, and it will make her feel very happy.

5. Be there when she needs someone

You sure as hell don’t need to be a girl’s doormat but you definitely want to be her shoulder to cry on when she needs it. If she needs someone by her side, make sure it’s you. It will show her how committed, dependable and serious you are about having her in your life and wanting to be in hers.

6. Don’t keep talking about yourself, learn to listen

Noone likes a person who only talks about themselves and shows no interest in learning about the other person. If you are only going to keep bragging about yourself and your life, rest assured she will not turn to give you another look. Show a real interest in getting to know her better; it will take you a long way.

7. Make her feel special

If she is having a bad day, let her vent to you and be supportive about it. In fact, all you probably need to do is to listen.

Remember small dates like the first time you’ve met or the first time you took her out on a date. Make an effort to celebrate these with her. Do whatever is in your power to make her feel loved and cherished.

8. Keep that element of surprise

surprise-her

Now that you have learnt about what makes her happy, surprise her by using that information to your advantage. If she has a fantasy of a perfect date, make it happen for her. If she’s feeling low, show up on her doorstep to take her for a drive. Keep the element of surprise alive in order to keep her wondering and the excitement going.

9. Let her know that you are thinking about her

Drop her a message in the middle of the workday to check how her day is going or pick her up from work so that you’ll get that extra 30 minutes to spend together. Message her good morning first thing when you wake up or send her flowers or any small memento that makes you think of her.

Whatever big or small it maybe, show her that you are thinking about her.

See Also: 4 Original Ways to Be Romantic in the Digital Age 

10. Open up to her:

Many men are brought up to avoid being vulnerable in front of the girl. However, think about it. You only open up in front of people you truly care about and are truly confortable with. If you talk about your fears or your problems or what makes you sad, it will show her that you are really invested in her and are not there just to pass your time.

We live in a world where women are strong and independent. They don’t need a man to be able to provide for them. They don’t need someone who can pay for a date. They are more than capable of doing that themselves.

Instead, how about a man who can treat them right because somehow that breed has become very rare in the 21st century. Make her feel loved and special. Always think of being in the wooing phase even after being in a stable relationship for a while.

This way you will never take each other for granted. Often, spontaneity is the key to a happy relationship. Be on your toes and keep her on hers. In turn, she will surprise you with her love and loyalty as well.

As Marilyn Monroe says, “A girl doesn’t need anyone who doesn’t need her.

 

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Feeling off? 5 ways to get back into alignment RIGHT NOW!

Energy—it’s everywhere.  Our bodies are composed of it.  Our world is made of it.  No doubt, over the past ten years you’ve heard a lot about energy including the power of our thoughts, the law of attraction, manifestation and the like.  Energy thrives in alignment.  So when you’re having one of those amazing days where everything is going right, chances are, you’re in alignment.  When you’re feeling off, stuck, not so peppy, you got it—the exactly opposite is happening.  You’ve gone out of energetic alignment.

It’s ok to go out of alignment.  We all do.  We’re human and each and every day is a gift of exploration, experiences and ways of being.  In fact, being out of alignment can be an opportunity.  It can show us what or who contributed to us falling out of alignment and help us to evaluate if it was even warranted or if it was worth giving our power away temporarily.  Have you ever had one of those days where everything is moving along quite well, but then one thing frustrates you or annoys you and then you find yourself slipping?  Suddenly that good mood has drifted away?  During that occurrence, you’ve fallen out of energetic alignment.

desireThe natural state of energetic alignment is a feeling good place.  It doesn’t necessarily need to be tied to a person, place or thing.  In fact, it’s more powerful when this feeling good comes from the inside.  It’s always an inside job!  When we’re feeling good, that’s the energy we’re transmitting out to the world—just like an antenna broadcasts a certain frequency.  This transmission informs the energy in the field surrounding you to bounce back more situations and experiences that mirror the frequency of the energy you’re sending—whether good or bad.  It’s the snowball effect.  The energy compounds on top of each other.  So when you’re feeling good, you end up having one of those days when everything goes right.

But what about those times when you do feel off?  How do you get back on track?  It’s simpler than you think.  I’ve found that using all five of these tips works best, however if you are pressed for time try one or two.  The point is to ignite your own minute-by-minute transformation—from feeling off to feeling better.  These steps are the most sure fire way to get you back to that good feeling place.

Move it

Movement doesn’t have to be a full blown workout!  If you’re out there groaning about this one, stay with me.  This step can be as simple as taking a walk around the block on your lunch break or taking five to ten minutes to do some yoga sun salutations.  Exercise triggers movement not only of your body, but of the energy within, freeing up any stagnant or stuck energy.  Also, there are many neurological benefits such as the release of endorphins and serotonin to not only help you feel better, but help you sleep better too!

Breathe

This is one of the easiest steps of the five.  Pay attention to your breath.  Most of us participate in shallow breathing during the course of our day.  Shallow breathing keeps us in a fear-based response within our body.  Taking a moment or two or three to focus on our breath, specifically deep cleansing breaths, releases your body’s pent up tension.  Only three deep breaths can begin to shift your mood and your perspective.

Switch your thoughts.

As you well know, thoughts can shape your experience.  While we have upwards of 40 thoughts per minute, it’s impossible to monitor each and every one.  However, there are some that come up regularly that may be negative and may not even be true!  We are often our own worst enemy.  When one of those thoughts pops up, examine it carefully.  Is there any truth to it or is it a worry, someone else’s opinion, or is it something in the past that should be put to bed?  For those thoughts such as “I’m not good enough,” turn it around in that moment.  Although saying “I am enough,” may not initially move mountains for you, over time switching your negative thought to a positive one will eventually program that thought to the positive end of the energetic spectrum over time.

Smile!

You may think this one is silly, but it’s true.  When we smile, the muscles triggered in our faces release powerful neurotransmitters such as endorphins.  Yes, the same neurotransmitters released in exercise!  If you’re smiling at someone it makes them feel at ease and in some cases can make their day!  Smiling at yourself in the mirror, while seeming corny at first, can actually make you feel better too.  So smile big and shine those pearly whites!

Gratitude.

We’ve heard the benefits of gratitude time and time again.  Why is gratitude so powerful?  It boils down to love and appreciation.  Whenever we’re appreciating a person, place, thing or experience, our focus goes there and is aligned with the vibration of love—one of the highest energetic vibrations in the Universe.  When we feel gratitude, not only does that energy go out and bring back more experiences to be grateful for, it makes us feel better too.

Start practicing these five points daily and especially on days when you start out feeling off or not optimum.  You’ll see the process working for you as you move forward.  If you’re having a great day and you employ these five steps, your day will transform into something phenomenal!  Just know that as you keep working with these tips, your energy is spiraling upward and that increases your ability to feel good and attract in your heart’s desires.

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8 Fitness Hacks That Will Make Your Life Better

To stay fit and motivated at the same time in a world full of wonderful distractions is simply not an easy task. Moreover, we all already know how tough it is to stay on track with fitness goals. There are simply those moments when one needs to literally struggle to find the strength to eat clean and hit the gym regularly.

We know how difficult it is so here are some genius health and fitness hacks to make your life better.

Begin The Day With Lemon Water

lemon-water

The only way to go right about all this is to start the day healthily. It will not only help you to stay motivated to eat clean but also to stay active all day long.

Therefore, make sure to develop a habit of having a glass of lukewarm water with a few drops of lemon first thing in the morning. This simple mixture is great for your digestive system and will also simultaneously boost your immune system.

Lemon water is known for its antifungal and detoxifying properties. It also aids in digestion and cleansing the system.

See Also: A List of Superfoods You Definitely Need in Your Diet 

Make A Playlist For Your Workout

Everyone already has a playlist of their favorite music to complement his or her workout nowadays. So, what’s so special about this hack?

The actual trick here is to make a playlist as long as each of your preferred workouts. This way, you can choose the playlist that corresponds with the length of time you intend to work out. You can automatically stop when the music stops and not have to look at your watch or make adjustments to your playlist repeatedly.

Try Different Workouts

A workout routine tends to get boring when one repeats the same routine day in and day out. This eventually leads to various repetitive injuries. Thus, by keeping your exercise regime more dynamic and varied, it will become more fun and encouraging enough to stay on track every day.

The best workout plans always include various types of exercises from stretching to cardio and even strength training exercises.

See Also: Top 5 Fitness Trends for 2016

Get Out Of The Gym

Working out in a gym is fun, but change is also necessary for growth. Therefore, do not just limit yourself to the gym. Take the opportunity to go out in the fresh air to workout whenever possible.

The fresh air, sunshine, and the picturesque views will help boost your motivation. If you are not sure about going alone, sign up for women classes or invite your best buddy along.

Ginger For The Times When You’re Overworked

If you find that you’ve pushed yourself way too hard, reach for some ginger. It can be added to stir-fries, smoothies, juices and even tea.

A study conducted by University of Georgia revealed that eating even just 2 grams of raw or cooked ginger daily reduces muscle soreness from exercising by as much as 25%. Since it contains anti-inflammatory compounds and oils called gingerol, it showed painkilling as well as sedative effects in animal studies.

Eat More To Lose That Fat

Ever heard of such an awesome hack? I suppose not. But, don’t start gulping everything down.

Listen to your body to provide it with enough fuel to stay fired up. Try the three meals and two snacks meal plan to start with. It will help you to improve the energy levels with time.

When In Doubt, Youtube It

Gym memberships are super expensive. Not everyone can afford them. The best way to cut back on those expensive gym membership costs is by trying to workout at home instead.

That’s right, ladies! Make use of the biggest free resource YouTube. Make it your ultimate personal trainer at your service 24 of 7.

Simply  search for free fitness tutorials. You’ll never have to cough out dough for a trainer again.

Drink Up In A Thoughtful Way

drinking-water-everyday

Do you really drink 8 glasses of water every day? To be very honest, everyone does struggle with that. If you are facing the same problem, we’ve got just the trick for you.

Pimp your water bottle with a marker. Draw lines for the water level and write down the time beside it so that you know when to drink. This will help you to achieve your target of 8 glasses per day.

Whatever obstacles you face, don’t give in and keep working hard. These little hacks will get you there.

 

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3 Things You Should Keep In Mind About Fiancés and Finances

Love and marriage are two words that more often than not go together. And yet, finances is another variable that couples must consider seriously before they pledge to a lifelong commitment.

If you are thinking of going into a longterm relationship or are already in the middle of one, here is a must-read list of tips about couples and finances.

1. Find your financial match

financial-match

According to Charles Murray in his piece, “Advice for a Happy Life”, timeliness, cleanliness, and frugality are the three critical commonalities for a successful union. While these attributes may seem minor in comparison to hobbies or political beliefs, they are quotidian conversations, meaning, they come up every day. They’re the quintessential “everyday struggle”.

So, if you are tight with money, then it behooves you to marry someone also tight. If you like to regularly treat yourself, having to convince your partner of every little luxury– will be exhausting. Choose your financial match to avoid weekly arguments.

If you’re not feeling convinced, consider that finances are the number one cause of relationships stress. In the words of Muhammed Ali, “It isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you down. It’s the pebble in your shoe.”

See Also: 5 Ground Rules to Keep Finances from Killing Your Relationship

2. The worst-case scenario

Eating brownie batter, with its raw eggs, is a fun game of Russian roulette. While adults love to warn about the dangers of Salmonella, the bacteria is actually not that common. Turns out, only about 1 in 20,000 eggs are actually infected.

In the case of marriage, however, about 40% end in divorce. If you’re a couple below age 25, then the odds jump to 60%. So, marriage is a much more daunting game of Russian roulette.

To keep the odds in your favor, it may be helpful to talk with your partner about the worst-case scenarios. What are deal-breakers? How would you strive to behave in a break-up? How would you attempt to cooperate?

Emotional trauma aside, being able to work as a team in divorce can save you thousands. Of course, it will be hard to act logically so remember that the average cost of divorce is around $20,000. If this makes you ill, then talk preemptively about an “uncontested” option, where both of you agree to the terms. By avoiding expensive litigation, you could save around 80% of sunken divorce costs.

See Also: 5 Divorce Mistakes to Avoid Right Now 

3. Income & tax sharing

income-and-tax-sharing

Couples manage finances different ways. It is generally thought, however, that merging accounts & assets is the best way to inspire mutual trust and accountability. Furthermore, it’s simply easier to keep track of.

For newlyweds, however, it may take time to arrive at this place of trust. Therefore, it’s possible to do the process slowly, with each party adding money into a shared fund until everything is merged.

In the same vein, it’s important to decide if you’re going to file taxes jointly or separately. Honestly, there are only a few reasons to file separately, such as deep medical debt. Otherwise, it’s not worth the extra time.

Adjust your W-4 tax forms with your respective employers, so that your little family isn’t underpaying in taxes. For a married couple that both work, it’s likely that each of you should claim one allowance, or one of you claim both and the other, none.

While it’s hard or seemingly impossible to contemplate an end to a relationship when you’re just starting out, couples should also make preparations and arrangements for their future to head off potential rows and fights.

 

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How to Be Adaptable in 11 Simple Steps

The ability to adjust to different environments, unexpected changes, people and circumstances is highly important for your personal growth and success. Thanks to a high level of adaptability, leaders stay strong, relevant and optimistic during hard times. These hard times including periods of failure, financial problems, family or work issues, and bankruptcy.

Regardless of the situation, leaders aim to shape their new environments and turn their failures into opportunities. If you’re unwilling to adapt to something new, here are a few baby steps to try in order to become more adaptable in life.

1. Stop whining

stop-whining

What do you do when something terrible happens? Say, ‘I’ll handle it,’ or ‘God, it’s the end of the world and my life’?

Majority of people start whining as soon as they find themselves in a difficult situation. It’s normal but this reaction leads to nowhere.

If you’re one of them, don’t stay at a standstill. Instead, learn to accept the situation, adapt to it and move on.

2. There’s no ‘right’ and ‘wrong’

Eliminate ‘wrong’ beliefs from your life. We used to believe that many things are ‘wrong’ and must be avoided, but it’s not the case if you want to be successful.

Be bold enough to try things that others run away from. This trait has helped many successful people build companies, corporations, and fortune.

3. Improve your coping mechanism

The way you deal with personal and professional setbacks may significantly affect your future success. Discover your coping mechanism and consider changing some aspects of it.

If you usually switch strategies to overcome various life challenges, try to forge ahead, learn from mistakes and try again. Don’t run away from them. Instead, change what’s not working with your coping mechanism.

4. Be open to change

New things aren’t necessarily bad things. No matter how you slice it, changes make our lives better. Unless you’re doing something that can damage your health and overall life, feel free to experiment with spiritual, personal and professional worlds.

See Also: How to Become a Spiritual Badass – The 20 Laws of Spiritual Power

5. Have the whole alphabet for your plan

Successful things don’t happen overnight. And this is where you may need the whole alphabet rather than the first three letters of it. When Plan A doesn’t work, switch to Plan B. If it still doesn’t work, move to Plan C. If 20 plans don’t work, move to Plan W or Y. This way, no change will scare you.

6. Engage in a positive self-talk

I’m not telling you to sit and talk to yourself every morning or evening. That’s kind of madness, right? But positive self-talk every now and then can help you adapt to any changes faster, especially if you have no one to encourage and support you during the rough times.

7. Stick to your natural inclinations

If a situation doesn’t come naturally and you have trouble coping with it, turn to your natural inclinations. If you’re an extrovert who draws the strength and inspiration from talking to other people, no matter whether they’re family members or total strangers, make sure you talk to them.

If you’re an introvert, spend some time alone in order to analyze the situation you are in and find a solution. If you’re introverted extrovert or extroverted introvert, follow your intuition and do what you feel is right to you.

8. Think big

think-big

You can greatly improve your adaptability by learning to think big. Break through the limitations you’ve set for yourself. Let go of them. Expand your horizons. Set realistic goals and you will never feel like you failed.

All of these will not only help you be more adaptable in the future, but will also show you the road to success.

See Also: The Power of Thinking Big

9. Don’t blame yourself

… and others, if you have this habit. Adaptable people know their personalities and they always keep reinventing themselves in order to adapt. They don’t blame themselves for mistakes, failures, rejections, traits and doubts. They do realize that if they can’t change it, they must accept it.

Blaming yourself or others is just a waste of time. Focus on improvement, not the past.

10. Learn how to balance your life

Trying to succeed in all aspects of life is great, but you risk ending up feeling miserable in case of a failure. Create a balanced life, instead. After all, it’s impossible to adapt to all changes in all aspects of life, no matter how strong you are.

When you’re balanced, you feel grounded, calm, clear-headed, inspired and motivated. Take time to look at your life, and figure out the aspects of it that you are either neglecting or paying too much attention to.

You know you’re in a state of imbalance when you don’t good and you’re stretching yourself to fill the gaps.

11. Stop waiting

… for the right time, right place, success, happiness, money, people, you name it. Just stop waiting.

When it comes to adaptability, there’s no ‘right’ moment. You have to take action to cope with the hard stuff. You can either influence or accept it. There’s no other choice.

Adaptability isn’t a part of success; it’s a part of life. It’s vital for a happy life. Although some people are adaptable to circumstances by nature, you can master this skill as well. It will take time, patience and effort, but it will all be worth it in the end.

 

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How Your Coffee, Emails And Sex Might Be Failing You

Timing is everything.

If we do the right things, we get the results, no matter when we do them, right?

Not really…

Doing something is definitely better than doing nothing when it comes to our goals and desires.

BUT.

Doing something at the wrong time is not far from nothing. And definitely VERY far from our best.

We function according to our biological clocks, whether we want it or not, whether we know about it or not.

morningHow well do we function? These days – not so well. We kind of suck at it, doing most of the things against our biological rhythms, that science also refers to as circadian rhythms.

Circadian rhythm

A circadian rhythm is a roughly 24 hour cycle in the physiological processes of living beings.

Circadian rhythms are important in determining the sleeping and feeding patterns of all animals, including human beings.

There are clear patterns of brain wave activity, hormone production, cell regeneration and other biological activities linked to this daily cycle.
~ ScienceDaily.com

“Just by making small tweaks to your schedule—such as when to have the first cup of coffee, when to answer emails, when to nap—you’ll nudge the rhythm of your day back in sync with the rhythm of your biology, and then everything will start to feel easier and flow naturally.

What do I mean by the “rhythm of your biology”?

Contrary to what you might have heard, there is a perfect time to do just about anything. Good timing isn’t something you choose, guess, or have to figure out. It’s already happening inside you, in your DNA, from the minute you wake up to the minute you fall asleep, and every minute in between. An inner clock embedded inside your brain has been ticking away, keeping perfect time, since you were three months old. This precisely engineered timekeeper is called your circadian pacemaker, or biological clock.”

~ The Power of When, Michael Breus, PhD

It was so fascinating for me to find out, after taking the quiz defining chronotypes and reading more about it in “The Power of When”, that I’m such a typical LION (Not astrology). Meaning, I love waking up before the Sun just like other typical lions, I’m most productive when the rest of the world is waking up, best time for me to do brainstorming is around 6 am, best time to drink coffee – around 8 am, best time for creative work is afternoon when I’m not that focused on the outcomes and my mind wanders easier, best time to exercise is late afternoon for strength and muscle building, best time to go to bed is definitely before 10 PM – and it goes on and on and on, describing things like when it’s best to eat, to binge, to run for weight loss or to work out for strength and muscle building, best times to have sex, to ask for a raise or to close the sale, to tell a joke, to travel, to binge-watch my favorite TV shows, to write a novel, to play music, to memorize, to present my ideas, to make a decision, to take a pill, to snack, to go on a job interview, to take a shower, to weigh myself, to do yoga or to fall in love – and the amazing part is? How precise it all is! – I figured out a lot of it doing experiments in my life, that are time and energy consuming, but what if it could be done easier? What if somebody could tell me the exact time to do things that would change the whole game – the outcomes and how I feel about them?

What if?

The book, the website with additional resources – they do exactly that!

Take the Quiz.

Get the Book.

Read it.
Keep it for future reference – it’ll come in handy many many times in your life!

Here are three fascinating things for you to try now.

Coffee.

Did you know, that …

“Drinking coffee first thing in the morning does not wake you up, make you alert, or give you an energy boost. All it does, according to science, is raise your tolerance for caffeine so that you need to drink more and more of it to feel any effects at all.
When you are about to wake up, your body releases stimulants to get your juices flowing and your heart pumping: a brew of hormones including insulin, adrenaline, and cortisol. Like most of our organs and glands, the adrenal gland (producer of adrenaline and cortisol) has a biological clock of its own. It carefully maintains the cortisol rhythm, a few cycles of releasing and suppressing the fight-or-flight hormone over the course of the day.

• If you drink coffee when cortisol level is high, the effects are nonexistent. Compared to cortisol, caffeine is weak tea. The only thing coffee does for you within two hours of waking is to increase your tolerance for caffeine.

• If you drink coffee when cortisol level is low, caffeine gently nudges your adrenals to give you a hit of adrenaline, and you will feel more awake and alert.

Scientific research and bio-time have provided a very clear schedule for coffee breaks to coincide with cortisol level dips.”

THE WORST TIME TO HAVE COFFEE

  • Within two hours of waking.
  • Within six hours of bedtime, especially if you have sleep problems, stress, or are a Dolphin.

THE BEST TIME TO HAVE COFFEE

The cortisol level dips or optimal coffee break times for each chronotype are:

  • Dolphin: 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. No caffeinated beverages after 2:00 p.m., including decaf coffee (yes, there is caffeine in decaf).
  • Lion: 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.; 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  • Bear: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Wolf: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. No caffeinated beverages after 2:00 p.m., including decaf.”

Fascinating isn’t it?

Drinking coffee at the wrong times might be screwing up your whole life!

Is YOUR coffee on time?

Email.

Did you know, that …

“The writing rhythm, or when you should craft emails, depends on whether you’re sending a professional communication or a personal one.
Professional emails should be written at optimal times, when your mental clarity is peaking. When I open a short email, I tend to reply immediately. If I open a long email, I ignore it and hope to deal with it later. At on-peak alertness times, you won’t veer off-topic and will stay focused, concise, and to the point.

Personal emails to friends and family are best written at off-peak alertness times, when you’re more likely to ramble and do a time-consuming photo edit or comment at length on a link.

Your well-crafted emails are more likely to be opened and replied to if you hit send at strategic times. [The sending rhythm]

[Business Emails]

Weekend emails are opened and replied to at a higher percentage than weekday mailings, due to decreased “in-box competition.”
Early mornings and late nights get the highest percentage of reads and replies.

[Personal emails]

If they are going to reply at all, 90 percent of people will do so within one day of receiving an email. Half will reply within one hour. Reply time is faster in the afternoon and evening and slower late at night and early in the morning.

THE WORST TIME TO EMAIL

  • For professional emails: very late at night.
  • For personal emails: mid-morning and afternoon.

THE BEST TIME TO EMAIL

  • Dolphin: Professional, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Personal, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  • Lion: Professional, 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Personal, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Bear: Professional, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Personal, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
  • Wolf: Professional, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Personal, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The author also mentions procrastination rhythm – how we and people we email are more likely to procrastinate on writing and answering to emails at certain times. – Good to know, since someone receiving your email at the wrong time might be procrastinating on replying to it right at this very moment. Maybe it’s time to choose different timing for your emails to get a better response rate instead of becoming a master of email writing.

Have sex.

Did you know, that …

The Simple Science How on earth did humans adopt the practice of having sex at bedtime, “where” and “when” we’re supposed to be unconscious?

One argument is that sex is a sleep aid. There is not much science to back this up. As an expert in sleep medicine, I can attest to the fact that getting in bed at night and turning off the light does bring sleep. Having fifteen to thirty minutes of sex is beside the point. Melatonin goes up when the lights go off. If you have sex with the lamps blazing, sex can delay the onset of sleep for women. Making love while fighting sleep does not increase intimacy between partners.

Only 28 percent of encounters happened because subjects felt sexual. And why would someone feel sexual between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m., when the vast majority of subjects had sex? That’s when your heart rate is slow and melatonin is making you sleepy. Your body is not primed for any physical activity at this time, let alone sex. Turning your partner down night after night out of exhaustion or lack of desire can lead to hurt feelings and emotional distance. Going through the motions doesn’t engender a loving feeling, either.

Good sex, when desire is peaking and you’re physically and mentally alert, has enormous health and emotional benefits. A healthy afterglow rhythm increases circulation, oxygenates the entire body, and gives you a sense of well-being. Antibodies released during sex boost the immune system, preventing and curing minor ailments. Orgasm triggers oxytocin, elevating your mood and sense of connection to your partner all day. When oxytocin levels go up, cortisol levels go down. They’re on a seesaw. More sex, less stress—and less of all the health problems associated with stress, such as obesity, heart disease, and mood disorders. The chemical benefit of sex, that loving feeling, is too often squandered if you have sex and then fall asleep.

THE WORST TIME TO HAVE SEX

  • 11:00 P.M. to 1:00 a.m., when 50 percent of sexual encounters happen.

THE BEST TIME TO HAVE SEX

  • Dolphin: 8:00 p.m.
  • Lion: 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.
  • Bear: 7:00 a.m. or 9:00 p.m.
  • Wolf: 10:00 a.m. or 10:30 p.m.”

Aren’t you wondering now that your sexual life is not exactly “working out” for you, because of bad timing?

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Strange International Laws Every Tourist Should Know

Did you know that a lot of countries have strange international laws?

It’s easy to get in trouble in a foreign country if you don’t know its laws and cultural traditions. Some laws have not been changed for centuries and are rather funny (or dangerous!) for a modern tourist.

Not being aware of them can cause some serious problems during the holidays. If spending a lot of money on fines or going to prison is not on your list of vacation activities, then you’ll have to do some reading beforehand.

Here is a collection of the odd laws some of your travel destinations have.

UK

no-apple-eating-while-driving-uk

Household Inquiry Form

In the UK, responding to the Household Inquiry Form is by far more important than visiting old parents. In case you forget or choose not to do it, you’ll have to pay a $1,300 fine. Moreover, if you provide some false information, you can face a fine of $6,500 or even spend time in prison.

Beware apples

In case you like eating apples, you have to be very careful in the UK. Don’t even think about eating one while driving. You can lose $40 or more for doing so. The case of a woman forced to pay a double fine of $80 for enjoying a juicy fruit in her car is a cautionary tale.

Don’t shake the doormat

Now let’s say you’ve enjoyed your stay in the UK and decided to relocate there. Listen carefully as this is an extremely important piece of information. According to the local laws, one can shake a doormat up only until 8 a.m.

You may smile now but let’s see you smiling they ask you to pay a $1,300 fine. The consequences of not abiding to this law can lead you to a prison sentence. This law is a part of Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and still applies.

Germany

Autobahn no-no’s

Germans are famous for their admiration of order and discipline. They seem to plan everything ahead and want the tourists to do the same. Check twice if you have enough gasoline to reach your destination as it is not legal to run out of it on autobahn (German highway). You are also not allowed to walk along it. The fine is $90.

Due and Sie

We often don’t realize how lucky we are not to have two forms of “you” in the English language – formal and informal. In the German language, there is a huge difference between these forms (“Du” or “Sie”) and you have to be careful using them. If you address a policeman using the informal “you”, be ready to pay a fine of 600 euros. To avoid the misunderstanding, download a translation app before your journey.

See Also: 21 Top Travel Apps and Tools 

Denmark

Turn on those headlights

If you are in Denmark and decide to rent a car, there is one important rule you should know. According to one local law, a driver needs to drive a vehicle with headlights on all the time. It doesn’t matter either if the sun is shining or if it’s raining. If you don’t do it, you’ll have to pay $100.

Italy

Don’t eat and sightsee

Why do most of the tourists come to Italy? To explore the beauty of the architecture and to eat, of course. But here is a tip for you – don’t try to combine those two in one activity. You will probably be forced to pay a fine for eating or drinking while sitting on the church steps or near a public building. Eat your pizza somewhere else and enjoy the remarkable buildings on an empty stomach.

No kissing

What can be more romantic than driving a car in Italy with the love of your life and kissing? Getting in a car accident is certainly not. The police of the Italian city named Eboli thinks so too and will ask you to pay a fine of £415 for kissing in a car.

Dog days

No matter how much you love your dog, this feeling starts to fade on every gray and rainy morning when you have to walk it. If you live in Turin, Italy, there is no way of escaping this torture. The law states that an owner of a dog has to walk his or her pet three times a day. The fine of not being able to do it is quite impressive – $650. It is a bit unclear how the authorities will find out about it, though. Unless your neighbors turn you in?

France

Breathalyzer test

The next thing you have to do after renting a car in France is buying a Breathalyzer. A driver is allowed to drink no more than one glass of wine and should be ready to test the alcohol level. You can buy a Breathalyzer almost in any supermarket.

No to Napoleon

One more thing you should not do in France is naming a pig Napoleon. Or maybe you can avoid paying a fine so long as you don’t call it that in public.

Spain

Bikini ban

The hot sun and the refreshing sea might get you in a bikini mood. But if you wear just the bikini and nothing else on the streets of Barcelona, you will get into trouble. You can enjoy yourself on the beach but change the outfit afterward. Not following this fashion requirement will lead you to paying a fine.

Australia

No to dognappers

Now, let’s travel to a faraway place – the city of Adelaide in Australia. The common practice of posting flyers of a missing pet we have in the US is prohibited here. The reason for such a strange law is that the person who is responsible for stealing a pet from you will be able to avoid any kind of punishment and even receive a reward for it. Don’t help the criminals and you won’t have to pay a $380 fine.

Obscene ballads

One more thing you should avoid while staying in Australia is singing. You can get a fine of $190 for singing songs that contain swear words. There is no way you can avoid the fine even if it’s your favorite song you are singing.

Singapore

no-smoking-in-singapore

Wi-Fi etiquette

You are a brave person if you’ve decided to visit Singapore. There are so many fines you can get here! For instance, you should never use someone else’s Wi-Fi. You’ll be accused of hacking and forced to pay a fine of $10,000 or go to jail.

Flush or else

Are you familiar with the icky feeling of using a public toilet? The people of Singapore feel your pain and force everyone who does not flush to pay a $150 fine.

Bubblegum ban

If you’re thinking about starting a business of selling chewing gum, you are not welcome to Singapore. It’s been almost 15 years since it was banned and selling it now will cause you a lot of problems. The fine of $100,000 is one of them.

Pigeon feeding

Don’t feed pigeons no matter how much they ask you to with their eyes full of tears. If you do, be ready to pay $500.

Smokers beware

Smokers will have a hard time in Singapore. It is not allowed to smoke in public places or vehicles and to cross the border with cigarettes. The fine can go up to $760. You can enjoy a cigarette only in your own home.

Painting graffiti

Whatever you do, don’t paint graffiti. You may be forced to go to prison for this kind of “vandalism” in Singapore. There were several cases of tourists getting into trouble for this form of art.

China

Filial duty

Do you remember the last time you’ve visited your parents? We are all busy people but there should be no excuse for adult children to ignore their parents. The Chinese government thinks the same and introduced a law which makes it illegal not to visit your parents.

Maldives

Leave the Bible at home

The best tip you can get when traveling to the Maldives is leaving your Bible at home. Importing the Holy book into the country is offensive to its people as the only religion that can be publicly recognized is Islam.

Kazakhstan

Illegal selfies

All the selfie lovers, this one is for you. If you happen to be in Kazakhstan airport and want to capture this glorious moment on your camera, stop. It’s illegal to take photos in an airport and anywhere near it. Also, avoid taking pictures in front of official and military buildings.

The United Arab Emirates

no-holding-hands-in-uae

Dangerous PDA

Spending a honeymoon here is not the best idea. You can get arrested for kissing, hugging, and holding hands on the streets of UAE. There have been cases of tourists spending their vacations behind bars for being too affectionate in public.

See Also: Old Dubai to New Dubai: A View 

Barbados

Fashion police

Speaking of fashion, it is against the law to wear anything that has a camouflage coloring. Only Barbados drug and defense forces are allowed to do so.

Bolivia

One glass for women only

If you are a married woman in La Paz, Bolivia, you may drink only one glass of wine in a bar or restaurant. The reasoning behind this law is that women tend to behave inappropriately after drinking more than that. And it may be the ground for a husband to ask for a divorce.

Thailand

Don’t leave home without your underwear!

We saved the best for last.

You are finally on your vacation and want to hit it off, we understand. But there is one thing you have to avoid in Thailand. Don’t leave your home without wearing your underwear. We don’t know how the police will check if you have it on or not. But it’s better if you do just in case.

What did you think of these strange international laws? Remember, if you are traveling, make sure to do some reading on the country you are visiting to avoid hassles or worse.

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4 Signs That You’re Making Positive Progress in Life

Whether you’re hoping to start a successful business or simply looking to live a fulfilling life, progress is an important indicator of current and future success.

But what’s progress to one person may not be progress to the next, so how can you know for sure that you’re making true progress in your life?

Fortunately, there are a few solid indicators that you’re making progress. Outlined below are five of them.

1. You’re Able to Look to Your Mistakes and Learn From Them

learn-from-your-mistakes

Mistakes aren’t the monsters that we make them out to be. Instead, mistakes can help us learn a lot about ourselves and the path we’re taking in our lives.

When you’re on a path of progression, your mistakes are an opportunity for change. You can use your mistakes to ask yourself some thought-provoking questions such as what things can be done to correct them, what might you be able to do differently in the future to prevent making them again, and what lessons can be learned from them.

2. You’re Genuinely Happy for Others

You know how much hard work goes into achieving your dream, which is why you’re no longer jealous when those around you reach their goals. When you’re progressing on your own path, you don’t have any ill feelings for those who are doing the same even if they happen to be further ahead than you.

3. You Know that Success Only Happens When You’re Open to Failure

How are you to work out the finer details—and all the kinks involved in success—if you aren’t willing to put yourself out there?

Progress means to continually move forward, even if that forward motion may be met with a bump in the road or an exceedingly high wall. Failure can certainly be scary and it’s okay to feel fear and anxiety! But, openness to failure is the only way you can continue towards success.

See Also: Why You Should Forget Success And Strive to Fail 

4. You’re Willing to Reassess Your Current Situation

reassess-your-life

It’s easy to trick yourself into thinking you’re making progress when, really, all you’re doing is treading water. If you’re progressing toward your goals, you’re willing to reevaluate the path you’re using to get there.

Of course, this reevaluation takes courage and honesty, because who wants to admit to themselves that they aren’t as far along as they’d hoped? But creating a bit of discomfort in your life by constantly reviewing, rethinking, and revising your goals—and your path towards them—is truly worth it in the end.

5. Your To-Do List is Heavily Influenced by Your Life Goals

You know that change doesn’t happen overnight and empires aren’t built in a day. So, when your life goals make a frequent appearance on your to-do list, you know you’re doing something right.

As previously mentioned, reevaluation of your path is vital to your progression. There is a way to keep yourself in check without going too far off the path, however, and that’s by incorporating your life goals into your daily (or weekly, or monthly) to-do list.

Obviously, you can’t add “reach the summit of Mount Everest” to your daily to-do. Instead, break that life goal down into daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly chunks so you can build up to completing it successfully in the end.

For example, you should probably summit a few smaller mountains before even thinking of attempting Mount Everest, and even further, you should probably train daily to get into peak physical shape for such endeavors.

If you want to continue progressing, then you’ll have to understand how to make goals that you can actually stick to. Don’t know how? Henrik Edberg over at The Positivity Blog, has some excellent tips on setting attainable goals.

See Also: How to Set Personal SMART Goals To Succeed 

If you aren’t sure whether you’ve been making progress, then consider how well the above 5 signs align with you and your actions and adjust your mindset accordingly. And remember, no matter where you are on your journey in life, it’s important to always keep moving forward.

 

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7 Things You Are Good At And You Don’t Even Know

We are our own toughest critics – it’s true for a reason! Everyone says it, and the more you reflect on it, the more believable it is. Even though sometimes it may be in jest, we are critical of ourselves from the minute we wake up –

“My hair is a mess!”
“I look old today.”
“I wish I could cook better.”
“If I wasn’t so lazy I could…”

These are just a few examples, but we’re usually quite hard on ourselves throughout the day. A lot of the time it takes a special friend to remind us about our best qualities, but it doesn’t have to. We have the ability to make ourselves feel good too! Just focus on your most wonderful qualities (ie. all of them) and drive them through the day.

We all deserve to treat ourselves with more respect. We do not need to belittle or undermine ourselves at any point. We all have such admirable qualities, which somehow makes our individuality our common factor.

1. Looking your best

You wake up in the morning, your hair is a mess and all you can see are the bags under your eyes. Fast forward an hour or two later – you’ve showered, shaved, put your makeup on – and you look great! Your hair is just the way you want it, and your attitude is ready to match. You feel great, you’re ready for work, the gala, the dinner, whatever you need to get ready for, and you do it with style.

You’re the only person who knows all the kinks in your hair and best side’s of your face for pictures. Only you know the best way to dress yourself, the best way to make yourself feel confident and powerful. Keep up the good work!

2. Making your friends laugh

Our friends are special people to us – we’ve come into each other’s lives almost by random, and have decided to keep each other around. Your friends value your sense of humour, your attractive qualities, and all the reasons that make you valuable. They talk to you when they have great news or when they have bad news, and vice versa. You’re good at being a good friend, and your friends are living proof.

3. Loving your family

Everyone has a family, and whether or not we are on the best terms with them is not an equal measure to our unconditional love for them. Our family are people that we have to spend a lot of time with, and there are bound to be arguments; but no one else can provide the love for your family that you do, and to each member of your family – who knows you very personally – you are uniquely you, and irreplaceable.

4. Providing for yourself

We use terms like rich and poor too often to describe ourselves and the way we see other people. Whether you think you are rich or poor or not, if you are reading this blog chances are you have a computer, smart phone, internet connection, you can pay for a room to keep all that in, clothes to wear, and a job to pay for it all with. You have a job, that you do well enough to perform and keep, and people there trust you with responsibilities that you have been chosen uniquely to do for the reasons you do it. Be proud of your work.

5. Cooking your favourite food

No matter what your background ethnicity or heritage is, we all have amazing family foods that we eat and carry to next generations – kitchen secrets that only our families know how to make. It can be grandma’s special tomato sauce or dad’s perogies; the reasons we have friends over to enjoy our cooking and cherish a special time together.

6. Enjoying your free time

We all experience stress and anxiety – internet memes have confirmed this. But you’re the only person who knows how to relax and tune out the best way for you. You can find your calm wherever it is best for you, and you don’t need to follow anyone else’s idea about it. You do what you think is fun, and love it, and other people do what they like to do. Gotta love, the things you love.

7. Being respected

As cinema shows us, sometimes we have to make peace, respect and even congratulate or empower our enemies to show respect or make a draw. Well, if enemies can do that, then imagine how much respect your acquaintances, close friends, colleagues, family, online friends, or whomever show you every day in your day to day life. It’s fantastic to think about – our great circle of respect that we all show for each other everyday. And everyday, everyone shows you a unique respect, the only one that can be given to you.

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Working in Isolation — 5 Quick Wins For Boosting Your Productivity 

Nothing is more important than feeling comfortable in your workspace in order to excel at what you do best. Working alone to detach yourself from noise levels and distractions can be good for your output, as proven by many a study. Depending on your type of personality, you may even find that operating under peaceful and tranquil settings frequently in contrast to a regular communal environment will help you get more done and produce greater results across the board.

That being said, everything needs to be taken in moderation and so any time you choose to work in isolation, weight the pros and cons.

Here are five reasons why you may consider this approach for boosting your productivity over the long-term.

1. Reducing everyday stress

work-at-home-happiness

Men and women who choose to work from home can expect an easier time eating healthy and achieving a manageable work-life balance. If you are eating healthier and making more time to spend with your family or friends, you will ultimately feel less stressed out than usual, which contributes towards a more productive workday. A 2011 study from Staples found that employees who worked offsite recorded 25% less stress.

2. Increasing overall happiness

A study by the University of Warwick have found out that people who take time out to work alone are happier and this “happy” state results in as much as 12% increase in productivity. On the other hand, “unhappy” workers were recorded as being 10% less productive.

This proves that human happiness has great and positive causal effects on a person’s productivity levels due to the importance that positive emotions have on how we act and process things.

See Also: 10 Things You Should Know About Creating Your Happiness

3. Becoming more independent

Good things happen when you go it alone. There’s no better way to truly test how independent you are than trying it out.

Whether you are starting a personal project or building up a freelance enterprise, you will build new confidence from finding things out by yourself without the assistance of others. This new mindset will allow you make decisions faster and with conviction so when you return to a communal environment you have a more productive outlook.

4. Less interruptions

work-at-home-less-distractions

Fewer distractions equal more accomplishments. Productivity levels soar when you make plans to get away from it all. Whether that is five minutes or five hours, every second helps.

It’’s important to use this time alone to also think for yourself and get to know yourself better without external influences at play. Hitting your stride becomes easier when your attention isn’’t being split between tasks you value to be important and those belonging to others within your proximity.

See Also: Turn Your Home Office Into A Productivity Zone 

5. Working smarter, not harder

Read any cheat sheet for working smarter, not harder and somewhere on the list will be a section dedicated to finding time for stillness which also translates to being able to work by yourself.

One of the positive effects this has on boosting productivity is being able to reassess the priority of each task on your list so that you are best able to make use of your time. Sometimes, being amongst the noise and the crowds can help you forget how to focus on getting the most out of your day.

 

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