Efficient study breaks

There has to be a balance, always. Ying and Yang. Breathing and breathing out. When you study you also have to make some time for a short break to relax. Your brain doesn’t process information with the same efficiency the whole time. If you can’t afford (study wisely) your brain to relax, at least give your body the chance to do so. I want to introduce you to some easy exercises and methods you can do by yourself at home to make the most of your study breaks. As I catch myself too often doing just random unnecessary things or watching countless YouTube videos (just this one more, then I continue) in my short study break (which ends up being as long as I´ve studied before) I want to give you and myself suggestions how a study break can be the most effective. A study break is not an invitation to turn off your brain, it’s simply a welcome chance to let it breath for several minutes.

- Physical  movement

• Play your favorite song and just dance!

• Imagine you are picking apples from a very high tree. Stretch your arms, you can reach them.

• Try to reach your toes, touch your left ear with your right hand (around the top of your head) and bend it to the right while pushing your left hand towards the ground. 

 

While I thought that exercises is energy consuming, the contrary happened. Going for a run or a quick bike trip boosts my energy level enormously. Getting some exercise actually wakes up my body and mind and I am in a much lighter and fitter mood afterwards.  Try it out, even if you are just walking your dog or do a quick yoga-session!

-Relaxation

• Sit down and close your eyes. Breath deeply into your stomach, it should go in and out. Take about 4-10 deep breaths and feel your hearth pumping slower. With each breath you take you inhale yellow positivity and exhale all the dark thoughts you have been carrying with you. 

• Cook!
   
  Food is your fuel. You cannot study with an empty stomach, only eating junk-food or snacking the whole time. 
  Stay low on simple carbohydrates (such as white bread) and sugar. 
  Eating too much dietary fiber takes up too much energy to digest. 
  Banana is supposed to be very good due to containing a lot of magnesium and calcium. 
  Orange will prevent you from getting sick as well as apples. 
  (Remember: one apple a day keeps …..) 
  

• Do a puzzle or brain teaser!

-Positivity

Lie on your bed with you eyes closed, careful don’t fall asleep. Try to think the least possible. You are now imaginary moving to a relaxing place like the beach or any place where you feel welcome and safe. Are you there? This is your own inner safe place. This place is free from hate, negative thoughts or guilt. Focus on what you have accomplished so far. Are you happy with where you are in your life right now? Where were you a year ago, also mentally-wise? Amazing what can be accomplished within one year, and you did it all by yourself! Remember, you can always return to your place whenever you feel the need to flee from anything that bothers you. This is you-time at your inner place. Now, open the window and continue your work freshly.

Avoid losing time to Social Media, Youtube, online TV shows etc.

Here is a list of some of some extensions/apps which help you to stay away from your addictive sites:

StayFocusd for Chrome
This extension allows you to access your favorite websites… but only for a certain period of time. You can customize the extension to block entire websites or specific links and give yourself a time quota for accessing them each day.

Strict Pomodoro for Chrome
We all like breaks, but sometimes they can get out of control. Strict Pomodoro allows you to set a timer to make you work for 25 minutes, then break for 5 minutes. This one is my personal favorite because it is simple, yet effective.

Concentrate for Macs
This highly customizable app gives you options to blacklist certain websites, apps, and has a variety of interesting ways to alert and push you to stick to your work by using notifications.

Leechblock for Firefox
This extension lets you set up to six sites on a blacklist and gives you options to set up time limits as well as periods of the day in order to keep you distraction free.

Anyone who tells you that constant cramming is the most effective way of studying is wrong. You should find time for short breaks that allow your mind and body to regain strength. Not only will this result in the increase of efficiency but also in reducing studying time and boosting your abilities. 

 sources and further reading:

http://blog.brainscape.com/2011/06/study-break/

http://swizec.com/blog/study-break-what-students-do-for-mental-breaks-from-studying/swizec/3658

http://www.tutorfi.com/LearningStylesandTechniques/relaxationtips

http://memoteque.com/article/29-how-to-rest-during-studying-relaxation-techniques

http://swizec.com/blog/study-break-what-students-do-for-mental-breaks-from-studying/swizec/3658

http://learnsmartadvantage.com/study-resources/tips-for-a-productive-study-break/

Brats

It was not too long ago when I was a child myself (or am I still one inside of me?).
When I look at the way kids behave and treat each other nowadays I am always wondering, was I the same? No I wasn’t. I didn’t text, whatsapped or got inappropriate messages at 6 years old because I simply didn’t have a phone. I didn’t scream at my teacher or any other person who was older than me, I had respect. I wanted people to consider me as a good kid, a nice girl. Yes, I watched TV but I also crafted. Yes, I was fascinated by Celebrities but I didn’t want to be or look like them.  Manners, I am missing manners and discipline. You’re probably thinking, let kids be kids we are all young only once. Hell no, there is a difference between being a kid and being a spoiled brat. I know as a parent you want to make it “right”, but your 5 year old does not need an IPhone. You can learn the alphabet with a wooden puzzle instead of an IPad app. Am I being old-fashioned? Don’t even get me started on presents or money kids get for Christmas, Birthdays or in between times. I just think it’s the parents’ responsibility to teach their children to appreciate things. As a kiddo or young teenager you want things now, right now. But ask them 2 months later if they still want the same thing, you’ll be surprised. Suggestions are to: get unique things from the second hand store, donate clothes your children grew out of, craft presents and memories and your kids won’t throw things away simply because they don’t want it anymore; they’ll know it’ll be worth to keep. However, it’s not only about stuff it’s also about time and effort. When I lived in the US I met these “supermoms”. Women who quit their job to have kids and become full-time moms. I always had the feeling there is a competition between these supermoms, who is the supersupermom. They put all their time and effort into making their family look like on a perfect Christmas holiday card all year long. Their days are full of: organizing playdate, craft dates, get-togethers in the park, driving to swimming lessons, development-improving classes, cooking classes, buying the latest hip clothes, toys, movies, technologies; I could go on forever. Their kids looked (and acted) like little David and Viktoria Beckhams. I almost fell in love with one and his Hilfiger Shirt. I don’t know if it was because I was an Au pair or because I looked way to regular but these moms and their children looked completely through me. Well, I mostly talked with their Nannies or Au pairs anyway. I assume with being at the gym 24/7, making diet-plans and blogging the results they were just too busy. Children from such families have everything and get everything. Not that I am jealous, really I am not. The contrary, I am glad I could play in dirt and that my mom let me play by myself without making sure I do everything perfectly and telling other moms about it or even blogging about it. If you get that much attention and stuff you have no other option but to turn into a super-spoiled brat.

 Note: It is not my intention to hurt anybody’s feelings. This is simply a sarcastic and exaggerated post.  

Would you want a $40,000 Birthday party?
Take a look:

true words from a mother:

http://themetzfamilyadventures.blogspot.co.at/2013/10/why-my-kids-are-not-center-of-my-world.html 

Just to add something a little off topic:
Today it's called bullying, but my greatgrandmother experienced it in school too. Take a look: 

 What if this girl gets a pimpel, does she go to the doctor as well? Will she ever stand up for herself and accept who she is? Don't these problems fade away when you grow up?

YOUPOST 2

Stereotype: Americans are not environmentally friendly 

The stereotypical picture of America includes high polluting SUVs and plastic-packed XXL (fast) food everywhere. In the country where everything is possible, climate change is too. Do Americans really not care about global warming or are people just making up negative facts about the great US? Let’s take a look.

The National Geographic Society¹  (one of the largest non-profit institutions in the world) yearly releases a survey defining the Greendex² of a country to be able to compare the world’s countries environmental behavior. For this survey 17,000 consumer in 17 countries where asked about their housing, energy usage, consumption of goods, transportation and food choices (organic vs. conventional). Over the years America manages somehow to be ranked lowest.  From 2010 to 2012 Germany, China and Spain have increased their environmental actions/behavior the most whereas Brazil and India (former winner) have decreased largely. Americans and Canadians share the bottom of this ranking, remaining stable.  After studying this Greendex I can conclude that half of the Americans would describe themselves as green. Not even a fourth would say that he/she is concerned about environmental problems and their impact on health or life. However, 6% of Americans actually do feel guilty about their impact on the environment, which basically states that the stereotype is true (referring to this survey).  

Americans care more and more, but still not enough

You can't care about everything.
Financial inability or problems also keep you from being environmentally friendly next to rules and regulations (Americans can't buy the same cars as Europeans).

In general, Americans do a better job in recycling and buying organic food than they did in the past. The real problem is just the attitude towards global warming. There are constantly warnings and studies as well as predictions of scientists, which have failed before such as the prediction of the world-ending in 2012. People have heard it all before. Just saying something might happen if behavior continues like right now doesn’t impress anyone. I found a nice comparison to further explain this³: if there was a group of researchers who built a computer model that is able to tell you what you will be thinking in 24h, would you believe it? Probably not because there hasn’t been anything similar to this before. Same with climate changes. Although climate changes are natural like history proves (ice-age) we are not able to forecast them because we simply don’t understand them. Americans also argue that temperature never remains constant, not throughout the day, the year or decade. I bet you have caught yourself thinking or saying that this time last year was much warmer than right now. If not, just listen to elderly people talking about the weather. 
Weather forecast and climate change forecast - Americans listen to it but don’t trust the opinions on it, hence their behavior. 

How environmentally friendly is your behavior-calculate you personal Greendex:
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/greendex/calculator/

¹ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Geographic_Society

² http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/greendex/#close-modal

³ http://www.drroyspencer.com/2009/05/why-america-does-not-care-about-global-warming/

sources:
http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-content/file/NGS_2012_Final_Global_report_Jul20-cb1343059672.pdf
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/06/06/why-americans-don%E2%80%99t-buy-global-warming-part-i-of-ii/
http://www.psychworld.com/3-reasons-why-we-don%E2%80%99t-care-about-the-environment-2010-06
http://www.gallup.com/poll/2992/americans-environmentally-friendly-issue-seen-urgent-problem.aspx
http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/04/22/earth_day_pew_research_poll_shows_how_little_americans_care_about_the_planet.html