How much do you know about the quality of the sofa you invested your money in? Did you get what you paid for?

Let’s face it.

There are tons of things you need to consider when you’re buying a piece of furniture. With so many considerations, it’s easy to feel confused, intimidated and frustrated. In the end, we just stick to things that make sense.

Unfortunately, a lot of manufacturers and retailers aren’t really honest about their products. There are things that they choose not to tell their customers. As a result, buyers often pay more than the quality they get.

To steer clear of overpaying for furniture, you need to have the right knowledge and ask the right questions.

Aesthetics aside, the first thing that consumers should consider is comfort.

In general, there are four principal components that can contribute to comfort: frame, spring system, cushion, and tailoring. If all these four passed the standard of quality, comfort would follow.

Here are the things to look for:

Framing and Cushioning

Let’s start with the framing.

If the frame is hardwood, ask if it has undergone kiln-drying. It’s the process of removing the moisture content of timber by using heat and airflow in a controlled environment. Kiln-dried wood lasts longer despite changes in humidity. It keeps wood from buckling, cracking or weakening.

To check the quality of the frame, feel the thickness of the board on the side of the sofa at the bottom. The standard width should be 1 and ¼ inches. Thinner boards will squeak if people move around it.

When it comes to cushioning, the heavier, the better. This is regarding the relationship between weight and quality.

For the spring system, sinuous wires or S-type springs are the standard and should run from front to back. You should be able to feel the spring when you push down on the sofa.

The Tailoring

Checking on how well the fabric of the sofa is tailored is equally important. Check if the seams are even and the piping ( tube-shaped edging ) lines up.

For printed sofas, the patterns should match both on the sides and front. For high-end pieces, the fabric should wrap the entire piece, including the back skirt. Patterns should start from one segment and continue to the next. There should be a seam in the center of the sofa’s back.

Quality of Leather

It is important for the buyer to listen to the salesperson when buying leather pieces. If he says that it’s a leather-match or leather-like, it’s not leather at all. The way to tell the difference is to look at the base of the sofa and see if it is dyed all the way through.

Next, ask if the leather is top grain. Top grain is the highest quality of leather, and furniture pieces made from this material are really expensive.

Non-top grain leather pieces could be split and they don’t wear much. They need to be moisturized and be kept away from the sun.

Drawers and Veneering

Dining sets, bedroom sets, tables, and lounges should be proportional to each other.

For pieces with drawers, check how they are hung. If drawers are tilted, the buyer will have an idea right away about the quality.

To check, take out the top drawer and check if its interior feels rough. Rough drawer interior means low-quality. Furniture pieces with excellent craftsmanship usually have dust panels that stop you from looking onto one drawer from another.

Check also the corner of the drawer and see how the veneers match. Veneer is a decorative covering of fine wood applied on top of a solid material, like plywood.

Good quality drawers are made with binders while cheaper ones are made with rollers. Checking the drawer on the upper left-hand part, where the manufacturer’s name is stamped, can give you a feel of the furniture quality.

Manufacturer’s Warranty

The warranties on wood furniture typically cover cracking and splitting for one year. As for upholstered furniture, warranties generally include the frames. High-end types of furniture, meanwhile, should have five-year warranties on spring systems and cushions.

Consumers should check if they have a manufacturer’s warranty or retailer’s warranty. If it only shows the original address in tiny print at the bottom of the contract, the warranty will be void if they will move.

Takeaway

Consumers should be prudent when it comes to furniture shopping. The bits of advice above will help in finding the best furniture at the best price. So, go out and look for good furniture that you and your family will enjoy for many years to come.

See Also: Top 10 Tips for Buying Stylish Furniture on a Budget

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Unemployment is tough, especially when you’re stuck in it for several months. Every day, you wake up early, get dressed, make a plan for the day, and hit the job boards only to find yourself falling short of the competition most of the time.

It’s particularly hard to stay positive during this period. Job searches are incredibly stressful. Between worrying about your lack of income, waiting to hear back from several prospects, and submitting your ninth application for the week, you have a lot going on.

A February 2015 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that levels of agreeableness, openness, and conscientiousness decreased over time in unemployed participants. These things can negatively affect the way you feel about your situation.

It’s crucial to maintain a positive outlook and to take care of yourself. You need to manage your stress, stay healthy, and maintain a high level of productivity as these are the things that can help you land a job faster.

Hack Your Mind

The term “mind hacking” is increasingly popular nowadays and for good reasons. Mind hacks are essentially tricks and tips you can use to impact your cognition.

Essentially, they can help you manage your attitude. For example, if you’re frustrated in finding a work in sports, you can choose to let that negativity and hopeless feeling take over or you can reframe your perspective.

See Also: The Secret Mind Hacks That Can Change Your Life Today

Here are a few simple ways to hack your mind as well as the best job search tips worth giving a try.

Start a gratitude journal

Every morning, after you wake up, write down three specific aspects of your life you’re grateful for. They can be as simple as the bagel you’re eating or as meaningful as your loving relationship with your spouse. Happiness is a byproduct of appreciation.

Counting all the awesome things in your life helps you focus on the positives and cultivate a sense of contentment. This is crucial to staying healthy and focused during a job search.

Perform acts of kindness

You don’t have to go build houses with Habitat for Humanity (although you absolutely can) in order to spread joy in the world. Any small act of kindness will do, like buying someone’s coffee or giving a compliment to a stranger.

Write daily affirmations

Choose a negative thought you have about yourself, like “I’m not smart enough to work in sports.” Then, write out the positive opposite of that belief. It could be, “I am capable and ready to work in sports.”

Keep a few of these affirmations on hand, like in a note on your phone. Refer to them and remember them when you find yourself drowning in negative self-talks.

Create a “done list”

This is the anti-to-do list. Writing your accomplishments by the end of your day can help you celebrate all your wins, no matter how small. Plus, you can reflect on it the following morning to start your day off right. They can remind you of your daily successes.

Create a Dream Job

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Create your own opportunity.

Let’s say you want to work in sports, but you’re not finding the right career that suits your unique skills and various passions. Start by defining your career wants.

For example, you want a flexible schedule, creative freedom, and you prefer to work from home. Research your industry, then find out where you can create this opportunity.

You want to combine your photography skills, writing ability, and passion for working with people? Then start a freelance gig where you can create digital albums for athletes.

Share your work on a blog or personal website. This way, potential employers or clients will notice your passion and strengths.

See Also: How to Market Yourself During A Career Search

Seek Out Recreation

No matter how desperate your job search feels like, you still need some “me time.” Focus on two gifts you can give yourself: socialization and physical activity.

These things will help you stay happy and healthy during the stressful periods in your life.

A June 2016 report published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that 20 minutes of moderate exercise can enhance motivation for cognitive tasks and increase feelings of energy. It can reduce feelings of confusion, fatigue, and depression, too.

Combine staying active with being social. Join running clubs and try to meet new people while engaging in exercise. These breaks away from job hunting are crucial. They can help you clear your head and feel refreshed when you return to the job boards.

See Also: Top 5 Uncommon Jobs In The US And How To Get Them

If you’re looking for work in sports, planning a major career change, or just passively looking at open jobs, make sure you add some variety to your efforts. This is one of the best job search tips that can bring a positive perspective to the process.

How are you breaking up your tedious job search?

The post 3 Surprising Tips That Will Transform Your Job Search Approach appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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You probably feel guilty, irresponsible, and unproductive when you catch yourself daydreaming during an important task. In the words of Harvard psychologist Matthew Killingsworth and his colleagues: “A wandering mind is an unhappy mind.”

On the surface, the source of this guilt and despair seems obvious. Daydreaming implies you are procrastinating — and nobody likes to waste time or be off-task. Yet, if you look more deeply at the reasons for this guilt, the scene becomes much more complex.

For example, when our minds wander, we feel freer. As philosopher Søren Kierkegaard pointed out, freedom may seem appealing, but it also causes anxiety. This anxiety makes us feel dizzy as if we are without “gravity” when our minds are adrift.

Psychology researcher Jerome Singer confirmed that this type of guilty daydreaming is no good for us. Yet, as he also pointed out, daydreaming can be spectacularly great — but only if we do it the right way.

Daydreaming The Right Way

In my book, “Tinker, Dabble, Doodle, Try,” I explained in detail how daydreaming can lead to glorious outcomes with a few tweaks.

What you want to aim for is called positive constructive daydreaming (PCD) — also known as “daydreaming that rocks!” These sessions of unfocusing can be spontaneous or planned, and they will ultimately make you feel more self-aware, more creative, and far less bored.

When you engage in PCD, you give your focused attention a break and allow yourself to plan and rehearse what’s to come. In other words, if you allow yourself to constructively daydream, you are likely to realize things about the future that you would miss otherwise.

Let your mind wander on a leash; it will lead you to the jewels of self-awareness and illuminate missing information hidden in your brain. When you find these clues, you can connect the dots of your past and present to construct a more accurate prediction of the future.

How to Engage in PCD

PCD is drastically different from the guilty daydreams you suddenly slip into, like the ones about last night’s shenanigans instead of tomorrow’s big meeting. Here are four steps to help you master daydreaming psychology.

Start by planning

Planning a daydream may sound counterintuitive. Just think of it as taking the time to plan a skydive rather than spontaneously jumping out of an airplane.

When you consciously set aside time to daydream, you avoid the shock and dismay of unexpected mind-wandering.

Turn your attention inward

You spend most of the day engaging the world with your senses, which means the majority of what you learn comes from the outside.

Daydreaming is all about closing the door on perception and turning your attention inward. Closing your eyes may help you get disconnected faster.

At first, it may feel like your mind is simply going on a wild goose chase. But, studies show that this is simply your brain’s planning mechanisms just under the radar. If you find it difficult to turn inward at will, try marking the switch with a relaxing chair tilt or a much-needed walk to the window.

Do something low-key

You may think of daydreaming as total downtime, but a recent study claimed otherwise. Daydreaming actually has the potential to improve your creative ability.

Doing nothing at all or something that takes up too much attention will be less effective, so try knitting, gardening, coloring, or light-hearted doodling while you daydream to get your creative brain charged.

See Also: Top Tips On Training Your Brain To Be Creative

Overcome the vomit response

Social psychologist Jennifer Mueller and her colleagues found that although we laud the attributes of a creative mind, we are actually predisposed to hate our own creativity. This goes particularly true during times of uncertainty.

Our brains, without overt warning, associate the word “creativity” with “vomit” and “agony.” Someone else being creative may feel like music to your ears, but once you start to become creative yourself, the music metaphorically becomes haunting and disturbing.

It’s crucial to acknowledge the fact that creativity will cause your stomach to churn. When you find yourself feeling queasy, recognize why you feel this way and keep on truckin’.

The Lowdown

So, what’s the earth-shattering lowdown here?

• Daydreaming can improve your focus, creativity, and self-awareness. It can also help you envision and prepare for the future.
• Set aside a time in your day to veg out.
• Turn your attention inward by switching off your perceptions. Close your eyes to get a quick start.
• Do something low-key or don’t do anything.
• Beware of your brain’s tendency to resist, and use self-talk to tell it to chill. Sit back, relax, and daydream yourself to success.

See Also: 5 Top Weird Brain Facts

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So, you want to run a marathon. You want to feel the rush of adrenaline. You want to experience the feeling of great accomplishment and satisfaction in crossing the finishing line. But, how are you going to run 26.2 miles when you get winded running for the bus?

The truth is that anyone can complete a marathon if he or she trains properly. He only needs to have the desire, time and the right tips on how to train for a marathon.

“Anyone that takes the time to prepare for a marathon can do it,” says Shelly Glover, coauthor of The Competitive Runner’s Handbook. “You can run a marathon without training properly, but you won’t enjoy the experience.”

Getting Started

If you have never run before or you run very infrequently, Glover advises that you start running regularly for about a year. You can build it up to 15 miles a week. Other experts, like David Whitsett, author of The Non-Runner’s Marathon Trainer, suggest that beginners should have, at least, five months to train.

That includes one or more months of doing three-mile runs several times a week and then four months to train in earnest.

For people who run regularly, most training programs last three to five months, depending on the runner’s strength and ability. The more time you give yourself to train, the better experience and the less risk of injury you’ll have.

Plus, the more time you spend training, the more confidence you’ll have when you run the race. Physical ability is important, but your mental outlook is even more so.

Most importantly, you need to be in good physical shape before training. If your strength, flexibility or overall health is weak, you’ll need to work on that. You can consider weight training, yoga or a visit to your general health-care practitioner beforehand.

The Training

“The journey to the marathon is as important as completing it,” says Glover. “The people you meet, the friendships you make, your self-growth, the level of discipline and organization you need – it all helps you believe in yourself.”

Weekly training schedules for beginners generally begin with four to six runs per week that total 15 to 20 miles. For the succeeding weeks, you need to increase your mileage by 5 to 10%, up to 40 miles a week.

The weekly long run is the most important aspect of the training. First-time and casual marathoners should gradually increase the length of their weekly long runs. They need to complete at least three runs of 18 to 20 miles prior to the marathon.

Your last long run should be completed two weeks before the marathon, leaving the last week or two to recover from your training. This will enable you to peak on marathon day.

Charity Curley, 32, describes herself as “sort of a runner” before she made the decision to run in the New York City Marathon. Running a marathon has always been on her life’s to-do list. However, it wasn’t until she accidentally stumbled upon some New York City Marathon stragglers one night that she decided to go for it.

“I was standing on the curb, unaware that it was the day of the marathon, and I saw people cheering for a group of very tired-looking walkers and slow runners,” Curley says. “These were people who were really committed to finishing, even if it took them seven hours to do so. It was very inspiring to me.”

She entered the lottery for the New York City Marathon in 1999 but didn’t get in until 2001. During those two years, she became a runner, building up to regular seven-mile runs. She followed one of the six 18-week training programs offered from New York Road Runners, which targeted both first-timers and advanced marathoners.

“It was like a recipe,” Curley says of the weekly running schedule. “I picked the one that looked like it fit me the most and followed it to a tee.” She also found the lectures offered by the NYRR to be valuable in helping her complete the marathon in just less than four hours, a time she was very pleased with.

Cross Training

Glover is not a big fan of cross-training. She believes that the most important thing to do to train for a marathon is run.

However, she does admit that strength and flexibility are important factors in conditioning. She also believes that yoga and weight training are helpful in preventing injury. Other marathon coaches do recommend cross-training to help build strength and stamina.

According to the New York City Marathon Website training guide, you can replace up to 25 percent of your mileage with other activities. This includes biking, swimming or other aerobic non-weight-bearing exercise. But, you must do these non-running activities at a pace that will help you achieve the same mileage and

See Also: How Runners Can Easily Improve Their Foot Strength

Shoes and Clothing

Knowing how to train for a marathon is only a part of the preparation. You also need to invest in the right gear.

Your running shoes, not surprisingly, are the most important pieces of equipment you’ll need. Do not skimp on them and do not run in old tennis shoes.

Good shoes will not only make you more comfortable when you run, but they’ll protect you from injury, too. Most runners’ stores have knowledgeable salespeople who can help you find the proper shoe for your foot and stride.

Keep in mind that not all running shoes can fit everyone. The shape and arch of your foot will dictate the type of shoe you should purchase.

You should replace your sneakers after every 500 miles of running. During your training, you should consider getting two pairs of shoes so that you don’t wear them out before the race.

You don’t want to get new shoes just before the marathon as you need to break them in. Glover suggests making sure you’ve run about 100 miles in them, including one long run.

Women also need to invest in a good jog bra that fits well. Glover warns women runners that their breast size might change during training due to weight loss or muscle gain. Make sure you buy a new bra if your straps are leaving marks or you notice the bra moving too much while you’re training.

Because your training can’t be put on hold due to inclement weather, it’s also a good idea to treat yourself with an all-weather gear. A wicking base layer to protect against the cold and a waterproof breathable shell for the inevitable rainy day are great investments for runners.

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Politics has become a major part of our modern day lives.

You’ll have to deal with it when you are debating with friends and family or making big decisions in life. You can either be a conservative fighting for free enterprise or a socialist fighting for wealth redistribution.

The truth is, it doesn’t really matter which side you choose because, at the end of the day, conservatism and socialism are two sides of the same coin.

To dive deeper into this, I will be using the hermetic premise of polarity. If you would like to know more about hermetic premises, you can check out my book: 8 Lessons to Succeed at Anything.

POLARITY

The premise of polarity states that polarity exists in everything and that there is no definitive line that separates two polar opposites. Just think about temperature (hot/cold), wealth (rich/poor), health (skinny/fat) and even the economy (inflation/deflation). Political polarization is true as well.

As a coach, a very common question I ask my clients is ‘Who wants to be Rich?’ and, as expected, everyone immediately raises their hands. But, the truth is that people don’t really want to be rich, they just don’t want to be poor. Being rich is just their way of running away from being poor.

Politically speaking, conservatives are just running away from what they want from socialism and socialists are running away from what they don’t want from conservatism.

LAW OF RHYTHM

Think of the law of rhythm as the swing of a pendulum. It covers equal length on both sides in the same amount of time, regardless of any circumstances.

When you engage in polarity, you activate the law of rhythm.

A friend of mine whose life goal was to become rich frequently finds himself poor more often. His life has become a rhythmic cycle of being poor, rich and then poor again.

In politics all around the world, you would often find two major parties competing for power. There are Conservatives and Socialists and Republicans and democrats.

As soon as one party comes into power, the pendulum hits its maximum position and the swing back begins (their downfall). At this time, the opposition does anything and everything they can to gain power back, which inevitably does happen at one point or another.

WHAT YOU RESIST PERSISTS

It’s a common reaction to run away from things we find dangerous, unpleasant or unwanted. However, when we do run away, it reinforces the fact that what we don’t want is dangerous, unpleasant and unwanted.

For example, in a recent conversation I had with this extreme French socialist, she told me that what she wanted for the world was wealth redistribution for everyone. I asked her why.

She answered by saying that the rich have too much and they should share with the poor. As an example, she told me that she works on a rich man’s boat and that the money she makes helps her live the life she has. She told me that he could pay her more and still live the life that he wanted.

I followed up this example of hers with a series of questions to see what she was truly running away from (resisting). It turned out that she was unconsciously running away from the fear of failure. She believed that she was too incapable of becoming rich.

Therefore, to deal with her own fear and incapability issues, she demonized the rich and wanted to bring them down to her level. And her way of achieving this would be supporting and voting for someone who would bring up taxes for the rich and have more benefits for the poor.

Her decision is to back a regime that will discourage entrepreneurs and businessmen from conducting business and generate income, leading to a fall in the economy. This, as a result, can leave the government with not enough money to pay for benefits, leaving people poor and incapable.

In terms of conservatives, a good example is Donald Trump who wants to bring the USA back to the ‘good old days’. He wants to regain its status as the most dominant country in the world that has everything under control.

He and his voters are unconsciously resisting change because of the fear of losing control. His strict immigration policy is one good example. He fears that too many immigrants from different cultures and backgrounds will change the way the country is.

See Also: How Cognitive Bias Played Into The Most Divisive Election Ever

FINDING WHAT IS IT THAT YOU TRULY WANT

Usually, people think that the solution to polarity is balancing the two opposing forces. In reality, however, a proper balance can never be achieved. As long as you are on a polarity, you will always experience oscillations.

The only way to escape polarity is to:

1. Become aware of the polarity you are in and to identify what you are running away from
2. Identify what you truly want, while being free of what you don’t want.

Consider this:

The extreme socialist from the previous examples realized that she wanted wealth redistribution because she felt incapable. That gave her the freedom to realize that what she truly wanted was to travel the world. This also opened her eyes to the fact that a socialist or a conservative government would have little or no impact on her in relation to achieving her dream.

See Also: The Ultimate Stepping Stone to Personal Freedom

In conclusion, you can have a million reasons why you should be a socialist or conservative but you don’t really need to be either. When you realize what you truly want, you’ll find a way to get out of any political polarization you’re in.

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American life expectancy is on the decline for the first time in decades and there are a number of factors that come into play. Today, let’s talk about two important variables that are affecting our normal life expectancy — obesity and opioids.

The Greatest Threat Comes From Obesity

More Americans are becoming obese. Roughly a third of the people in the United States are. This leads to a number of health problems as well as a decline in overall life expectancy.

Obesity as a cause of early death is the easiest to prevent. Being just 40 pounds overweight can shave 3 years off of your life expectancy while being 100 pounds overweight can shave off a decade.

There are a few things that have made America number one in terms of obesity, one of which includes our diet. We eat more processed foods than anyone else, and we only get an average of 30% of our daily calories from fresh unprocessed foods.

Government subsidies have made these processed and fast foods more profitable for decades, and it has made this diet a cultural norm for everyone here. Our attitudes toward work play a role in our weight issues, too.

When we work more and play less, we become so stressed out that we often turn to food for comfort. This can also contribute to obesity.

Obesity on its own is bad enough for your body, but it also increases the risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes. It can also lead to heart disease and stroke.

If this sounds like you, here are some simple ways in which you can turn your health around:

• Only drink water and say goodbye to sugary drinks
• Go for a walk every day
• Eat more fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables

See Also: Foods That Will Help You Keep Your Family Healthy

Opioid Deaths Are On The Rise

Opioid prescriptions have been on a steep rise for decades, and this has led to an increase in addiction. People start off taking pain medications with a prescription for various reasons. When their supply runs out, they are left with a dilemma: buy it on the streets or seek addiction treatment.

Since addiction treatment still hasn’t surpassed the advances in opioid prescriptions, many still prefer to buy their supplies off the street. Eventually, the habit becomes too expensive to maintain such that addicted people switch to cheaper and more readily available heroin.

This has led to a surge in heroin-related overdose deaths. In 2014 alone, nearly 30,000 people died from heroin overdoses, and that number has continued to skyrocket. There has been constant news regarding people passing out from overdosing with heroin while driving, sometimes with their children in the car. It has become a serious national health crisis.

See Also: Spiritual Pointers for Quitting a Bad Habit 

Socioeconomic Disparity In Life Expectancy

What is probably the most shocking thing about the latest American life expectancy statistics is the disparity between different socioeconomic classes. The life expectancy for lower-class Americans has gone down significantly over the past several decades, while the life expectancy for higher class Americans has gone up dramatically over the same period.

In 1980, the poorest American man could expect to live to 76.2 years, while the poorest American woman could expect to live to 82.5 years. Today, that same man will only live to 76.1 years, while that same woman will only live to 78.3 years.

Upper-middle-class men and women have made the most significant gains in life expectancy during the same time period. Upper-middle-class men could expect to live to see 79.9 years in 1890, while upper-class men could expect to live to see 82.6 years.

Today, those same men can expect to see 87.8 years and 88.8 years respectively–a significant increase. Upper-class women have made similar gains, going from a life expectancy of 86.1 years in 1980 to a life expectancy of 91.9 years today.

Do upper classes experience less stress, healthier lifestyles, and receive better medical care than the lower classes? Learn more about the decrease in American life expectancy from this infographic.

What can you do to increase your chances of long-term survival?

Via: MesoTreatmentCenters.org

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You must have heard a lot of people say that the ‘first impression is the last impression’. Frankly, that can be quite true. The first few moments you spend with a person is crucial since it will determine the direction of your conversation and even your relationship.

Whether you are set for an interview or dealing with an important client, you need to make a good impression in the first thirty seconds. The impression you create is the fine blend of your personality, body language, and communication skills.

When you are able to mix up all these three elements in the right proportion and present them before other people, you’ll be able to give your presence more impact.

On an average, a person can hold his attention towards another for the first eight to ten seconds of their meeting. After that, the attention gets diverted to other things. If you want to impress others with your personality, try to capture their attention within that time frame.

Here are five ways that will help you make a good impression in less than thirty seconds.

Use open body language

Before you try to talk freely to a person, you need to open up your body. Your body language and movements are essential when making a good impression.

Prior to the conversation, you should take a deep breath, boost up your confidence and stretch your shoulders. It will make you appear stronger.

A relaxed and confident person is able to communicate freely with others. If you are too tensed up, you will not be able to make the desired impact.

Make eye contact

People like talking to live persons, not inanimate objects. Making eye contact is one good way to make the person you are talking to feel that way.

You may find it awkward to keep looking into the eyes of the other person, but it gives your presence more impact. It enables you to communicate non-verbally, which is one of the best ways to establish a connection.

People who avoid making eye contact are often the people who don’t have enough confidence. Therefore, if you want to make a strong first appearance, make visual contact.

Share things that you may have in common

When talking to a person for the first time, trying to make a connection can be difficult. One good way to start is to find things you both share.

If you are introduced by a friend or someone you know to another person, you can start off the conversation by talking about that person who introduced you. You can also talk about common interests, like business or profession.

Avoid giving a long introduction about yourself. No one is interested in knowing all those details. If you want to have a long relationship with the person, you need to make a good impression for the relationship to flourish.

See Also: How To Keep A Conversation Going With 8 Different Topics

Smile

A friendly smile can win the hearts of others when you talk to them. It makes the discussion friendlier, infusing the willingness to go ahead with the discussion.

Keep a friendly and genuine smile on your face when you talk. It will give you the impression of someone who is easy to approach and amicable. It delivers a sense of warmth to the people you are talking to.

Introverts are often associated with people who find it difficult to smile. These people are not as outgoing as others and may find it hard to create a positive impression.  Whatever the topic of discussion, make sure you start off in a light-hearted manner.

Allow others to speak

When you have thirty seconds, it’s easy to feel pressured about speaking the entire time. After all,  need to create an impression, right?

Well, that’s not always the case. It’s still best if you can provide the other person an equal opportunity to talk. Communication is not a single-way process so you and your partner should have an equal chance of sharing and listening.

Although you need to start the conversation, make sure to just speak for a while and allow the other person to speak after. When he’s talking, listen and respond with appropriate body languages so you can make a good impression.

You should blink, nod and smile at the right moments. These actions can make the other person feel that you are acknowledging what he is saying. Thus, you can develop a relationship that rests on mutual respect and warmth.

See Also: First Day at Work? How to Make a Good Impression

Along with these, you can also ask questions. This is a sign of your interest and engagement. Even if you do not agree with what the other person is saying, you need to respond strategically. 

When you try to make a good impression in the first thirty seconds, you should make your appearance pleasing. Showing non-aggressiveness and mutual understanding are some of the best strategies to develop a relationship.

Hopefully, these tips will be beneficial to you the next time you need to make a quick good impression.

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Reading is one of the most common pieces of advice you’ll get when it comes to life improvement. Just think about Mark Zuckerberg. We often hear about how he devours dozens of books per month and how successful he has become for that.

To tell you the truth, there were many times I felt motivated to improve my reading habits. Unfortunately, that kind of resolution never seemed to stick.

Then, I moved into a new apartment and my roommate happened to be a real-life bookworm. I mean, I have never seen a person own SO MANY books just because she liked all of them.

It was astonishing to see how her drawers were full of books, and even more when she said they didn’t fit that she had to place them in two or even three rows. Amazed, I asked her to share some of her secrets.

Everything turned out to be simpler than I thought. So, here’s what I found out in my odyssey trying to read more books, based on both our experiences.

Forget the “Top 100 Best Books” lists

Though finding a good reading list advertised by popular magazines sounds like the best way to start your reading adventures, it is actually not. Most of the books on those lists will contradict your taste and (take it from me, I’ve tried) you’ll end up feeling unmotivated. You may even feel disappointed in yourself because you’re not able to get through the books deemed as the world’s best reads.

To start with, such lists are subjective, especially the modern books. Only time will tell how great a book is. Secondly, if you want to try a reading list, figure your taste in literature first.

It could be about fantasy, science fiction, realism, non-fiction or memoirs. After finding out your genre, do a quick search for the top ten books in that genre. This will heighten your chances of finding books you will genuinely enjoy.

See Also: 9 Ways Reading Fiction Can Jump Start Your Career

Drop a book if you are reading it forcefully

This is vital at the start of your journey. If you did the most reading in your school and college years because you were too diligent, then you’ve developed a certain aversion to reading because you did it forcefully.

If you feel like you are not enjoying a book, just close it and forget about it. Knowing that you don’t have to reread every chapter of a deadly boring novel twice because your professor will give an intricately difficult quiz is truly liberating.

Forget the idea that books should educate

The idea of books being educational is one of the reasons why a lot of people quit reading books after graduation.

When we come to college and start reading difficult books, we had the idea that they were meant to educate us. Some teachers and researchers believe that at the time those books were published, they didn’t have any educational purpose and were purely written for entertainment.

So, brush off the idea that books are all meant to be technical and educational. Curl up in a blanket and enjoy your favorite book about elves, battles, love and magic.

As a kid, I enjoyed reading fairy tales. I could read the whole evening without even noticing the time because I picked stories I really liked. I read for fun.

Find someone with shared taste in books

Once you meet someone who has the same taste as yours when it comes to books, you’ll find yourself too eager to start reading the book he’s just finished. You’ll feel eager to share your views and hear his opinion.

This approach works better than any motivational quote on how to read more books.

A Few Obstacles You Might Encounter

As I struggled on my journey to start reading as much as my incredible roommate does, I made the following realizations.

You won’t love books overnight

Although I would love to get as excited about new releases and upcoming books as my roommate gets, the truth is I don’t always feel that way. This, however, doesn’t mean that I won’t be able to enjoy a good read and finish more books.

Remember, aversion can have deep roots and overcoming it can take some time.

Recently, I’ve read a book in three days, two of those days were work days. The book wasn’t big, but I still stayed up to 2 AM because I wanted to know its ending.

If you can’t bring yourself to finish a book you’ve started, then that is the wrong book for you. This doesn’t mean that you’re a failure, lazy or unmotivated. You just don’t have the right book in your hands.

Find a challenge if you are an A-type person

I actually started reading books when my roommate told me about a book challenge she was in. It’s a challenge where you need to read a book starting with every letter of the alphabet. That’s a total of 26 mandatory books per year.

Although I failed drastically, I won at one important thing: I actually started reading. Though this was little compared to my enormous plans, I was still able to conquer it.

Aim for the process, not for the aim

If you often think about how your friends are going to react to the books you’re reading, then you’re thinking about the aim. If you feel good just because you are curled up with a new amazing book, it means you genuinely love the process. The habit is more likely to stick.

Experiment with timing

If you are genuinely bad at sticking to new habits, try to trick your brain by setting tiny goals. You can make it as tiny as you want.

When you set and accomplish small goals, it becomes easier for you to feel motivated. After a month, you’ll be surprised that you just can’t stop adding more books to your list.

See Also: 7 Reasons To Start Reading Books? Here’s why!

If you are horrified by the idea of having to read tons of books, don’t worry. All you need to do is find the genre of books you truly love and you won’t even find yourself complaining about how much reading you have to do.

The post How To Start Reading More Books In Just 30 Days appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Flying drones can mean great fun not just for you, but your family, too. However, since the devices can come with a hefty price tag, investing your money in them won’t be an easy decision to make.

To give you a clearer idea on what you can get from a drone hobby, here’s a quick list of its health benefits.

Get Out, Get Active

Flying a drone is not just about lounging in a lawn chair and spying on your next door neighbors. Get creative. You can take your drone literally to new heights by bringing it to hiking, scaling hills and mountains or sending it off from the best vantage point possible.

If you have a remote control drone, you can bring it to the beach and use it to film action shots of you and your family having a blast.

Having fun with your drone outdoors is only one of its benefits.

Look at it this way: the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends at least 30 minutes of daily exercise to lower your risk of stroke or heart attack. Taking the drone out for 15 minutes, twice a day for an adventure can check that off the list.

Being exposed to fresh air and sunlight will do you a world of good, too. Fifteen minutes under direct sunlight can give you all the vitamin D you need for healthy calcium production, bone health, and muscle growth. In addition to that, spending time outdoors can help you sleep better and may alleviate depression, too.

New Friends For Longer

Hobbyists generally gather together through clubs and social network platforms. When you get a drone, you get to join an enthusiastic community of pilots who share the same passion.

According to a 2015 study published by Live Science, having a wide circle of friends is outstandingly good for your health. When looking at the relationships of people with multiple friendships, the researchers found lower incidents of high blood pressure and smaller waist circumferences.

More relationships with like-minded people generally mean being more social and outgoing. You get to receive encouragement and enjoy a dose of dopamine and endorphins from laughter.

This 2015 study proved the findings of a similar meta-analysis from 2010, which looked at over 140 studies with over 300,000 participants combined. The findings concluded that more friends relate to a longer lifespan due to a better quality of life and ongoing support. So, if you are looking to quit smoking or get fit, grab a drone, meet fellow pilots, and replace your bad habit with a wholesome hobby.

A Sharpened Mind

Multiple studies have proven that practicing skills that involve hand-eye coordination on a regular basis can slow down degenerative brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Although you could take up knitting or scrapbooking, engaging in a drone hobby is infinitely more fun.

Once you have gotten down basic drone controls, you can begin to experiment with more tricky maneuvers or speed racing. Weaving in and out of your friend’s drones through formations will take some skill but it’s going to be a blast.

Also, if you happen to love other hand-eye games, like tennis, there is a hidden advantage to your drone. The drone developer Virgin Active actually makes a model designed to improve your tennis swing. While filming your swing and performance, the drone drops balls for you to practice returning. Cool, right?

Get More From Your Drone

Ever thought about combining your drone hobby with another activity you’re passionate about?

Photographers can enlist their drone for aerial photography, for example. Bird watchers can use their drone to get closer to nests or record rare sights in canopies. Really, the ways you can use a drone are endless.

If you need more ideas about how to get the most out of your drone hobby, check out Awesome Drones. The website has a bounty of information about flying locations, drone capabilities, and the latest news and reviews about recent models, accessories, and software.

After that, get moving, make friends, and try joining your local drone club. If you do not have an existing drone club, why not start one? A quick search on any social media platform will reveal fellow local drone hobbyists. You’ll be surprised with how many people you can meet!

In recent years, the popularity of drones has grown exponentially. The quality of drones continues to increase as well as their capabilities. You can certainly find a model that can suit your tastes.

All that is left is for you to get out there and pilot it! Let your drone open the door to days of sunshine, new friends, and longer, healthier life.

The post The Health Benefits Of A Drone Hobby appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Losing weight can be easy as long as you know the right things to do. However, since there are a lot of confusing tips on how to lose weight naturally and quickly, the process becomes challenging and frustrating.

For long-term health, it is essential that you avoid the weight loss quick fixes that promise astounding results and stick with these tips.

Keep a food diary

The most important step towards achieving the right body weight is keeping a food diary of everything you eat each day. This needs a lot of commitment and this is something that you should be ready to undertake if losing weight is your top priority.

If you have excessive body fat and on your way to obesity, you must put your health first. Having a food diary is important since it will give you a clear idea of what you eat and drink and how they are contributing to your weight issues.

Reduce your sugar intake

Eliminating or limiting the amount of sugar you take can be a tough job. One easy way to start is to pay close attention to food labels so you’d know how much sugar is in the food you purchase.

Eat your breakfast

The most important meal of the day is breakfast. It will help boost your metabolic rate which means you’ll burn more calories during the day.

If eating a proper breakfast isn’t feasible, a diet smoothie is a good alternative. You should eat about half of your daily calories in the morning.

Sleep

Have you ever asked yourself why you consume a lot of food after a sleepless night? The reason is very simple.

Most of your hormones are affected by sleep. This includes leptin which reduces your cravings and ghrelin which boosts your appetite.

When you don’t sleep enough, your body produces more ghrelin while the amount of leptin decreases. Because of this, you’ll find yourself frequently breaking your diet.

As a solution, try to get a maximum of seven to eight hours of sleep. Switch your thermostat off while you sleep and make sure your room is completely dark. This type of environment can boost the production of melatonin, a hormone that can promote better sleep.

Avoid stress

When you are under stress, your body produces two types of hormones: cortisol and adrenaline. Cortisol can increase your food cravings and push you to eat more than you should. This is commonly referred to as “Stress Eating disorder”.

This condition can make it very challenging for you to achieve the proper body weight. In addition to this, stress can also increase your risk of heart diseases.

Avoid unhealthy eating habits

Having too much fat in your diet won’t help you lose weight. Eating too many sweets and foods with high glycemic index won’t do you any good, too. Such foods can increase your blood sugar level at a very high rate and this can affect the way your body utilizes fats. Instead of eating these foods, go for foods that are low in carbohydrates.

See Also: 8 Bad Food Habits That are Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Goals

Eat a lot of vegetables and fruits

If you are really committed to losing weight, then it is important that you make fruits and vegetables as parts of your diet. Fruits contain essential nutrients that are needed by your body. In addition to this, certain fruits have fiber that can help suppress your appetite. Take, for example, oranges.

Remain focused

Some people might see the process of losing weight as a very difficult task, but that isn’t always the case. With the right motivation and goals, it should be much easier.

When setting your goals, it is important to be realistic about what you can achieve. You can write down your goals and place them in areas where you’ll see them often. The more you get reminded, the more you’re going to feel motivated.

Increase you water intake

Ensure you drink between six to ten glasses of water each day and be sure not to include carbonated drinks and juices when counting. Water helps increase your body’s metabolic rate as well as the process of eliminating toxic and harmful substances from your system. Water keeps your body hydrated, too.

Take your time when eating your food

For weight loss, it is essential that you develop the habit of eating slowly. It will give your body enough time to send the right signals to your brain that you’re already full.

Regular exercise

Regular exercise is a very good way to achieve your weight loss goals. It won’t only help you burn excess calories, but it can help improve your energy level, too.

Exercise is one of the most crucial elements in weight loss. As such, it is critical for you to incorporate a comprehensive workout plan in your overall weight loss strategy. If you are unsure where to start, you could find a personal trainer to help you with your daily workout routine.

See Also: 6 Ways to Lose Weight (and Still Have Fun)

The post 11 Best Tips To Help You Lose Weight Naturally appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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