Think Tank: The Neuro Blog
5 Simple Money Saving Tips to Try Today
They say “money doesn’t buy happiness”, but we can all agree that money does buy things that make you, and the people around you happy. Having money can mean having the financial freedom to actually spend time with people who matter most to you. Do you want to be a step closer to financial freedom? Start by taking control of your money instead of allowing your money to take control over you. Treat your money as a tool to achieve your goals and not something that should dictate your every move. “Saving money” sounds like an easy task but how many saving money challenges have you done in the past only to end up not finishing through to the end? Everyone wants to save but not everyone knows the “right how to”. Because your financial situation is different from everyone else’s, your journey to savings and financial freedom may be a little different too. Don’t know where to start? Here are some ultra easy saving tips that you can start doing today: Make an inventory of all your paid memberships and subscriptions Now, probably more than ever in history, there is a boom on online subscriptions and memberships. From streaming sites, dating platforms, coaching sessions, to exclusive shopping apps - it has become such an easy exercise to enter your credit card information and be done with it. You won’t even realize how much you spend until you get your monthly statement. Start by doing an inventory of all your memberships and subscriptions - write them down (or type them out in a document) and really evaluate each of them. This includes both online (e.g. music and video streaming sites, etc.) and offline memberships (e.g. gym memberships, exclusive clubs, etc.). Do you need it? How often are you using it? Are you taking advantage of the service and all its possible offers? Are there better and cheaper alternatives out there that’s available to you? For the subscriptions that you really want to retain, check if there are available membership and payment plans that allow you to save. You’re going to be paying for it anyway, why not save in the process? How about those “free for 6 mos subscription” offers that you signed up for and said you’re unsubscribing at the end of the free period? Did you end up actually unsubscribing to them? These monthly subscription payments may be small from month to month, but if you add these up, you’ll be surprised how much of your hard-earned dollars are going to waste. Use credit card wisely A credit card is a very useful and rewarding tool, but only for those who know how to use it. If you’ve watched or read “Confessions of a Shopaholic”, then you probably know how the lead character’s life was taken over by credit card debt. While she did end up taking control of her life and finding true love, the same will not be said for you if you continue to be unwise in using your credit card. Again, credit cards are not the enemy! Credit cards are amazing tools - think of all the reward points, airline miles and other benefits! The way people use credit cards usually is the problem and it seriously needs to stop. Think of your credit card as an equivalent to the cash that you own. If you see something you want to buy and you can’t buy it, or pay the monthly installment with the cash that you have, then don’t use your card for it. Live within, or even lower, than your spending power, and your bank account will eventually reward you. If you can, pay every month’s balance in full. It is not “ultra easy” as the title of this article promised, but if you are wise in using your credit card, it will be. You will be in a more difficult situation if you don’t pay your credit balance in full. Know when to buy in bulk There’s a belief that buying in bulk saves you money. It does, on many occasions, but not all the time. If you’re buying in bulk, you have to be very strategic about it because it is still more money that you spend paying upfront. If you buy in bulk, you’d need to have storage space for it. Will you end up buying the extra space you need to store the items you purchased e.g. containers, extra cabinets, etc.? Within what period of time are you going to use the items that you bought? Is it going to be the same quality when stored? The next time you’re tempted to buy in bulk, think of the value you’re getting from it and compare it with the price you’re buying it for so you can make a better decision. Delete apps that make you spend impulsively Do you ever have that moment when you can’t sleep so you picked up your mobile phone and you started browsing? You found yourself going to your installed shopping app and after 30 minutes of mindless browsing, you’re waiting for your deliveries the next day - you go to sleep owning a few hundred dollars less in the process. These apps are amazing, but admit it, they make you spend impulsively. They entice you with sales and ads for things you don’t need but buy nonetheless! In the same way that you can’t eat popcorn that’s not in your pantry, you can’t also shop if there’s nowhere to shop at. Granted that you can easily reinstall it, but it is in the hopes that you catch yourself in time before the app even gets installed (again). Money won’t be the root of all evil if you know how to use it and you establish your dominance over it. In a way, money does buy happiness because it lets you afford things that will make you happy, give you peace of mind and make you and your family live comfortably. Money does buy happiness but it is not everything - the sooner you realize that is the sooner you step towards the direction of your financial freedom. Hero Image by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash
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5 Career Questions You Need To Ask Yourself in 2021 (Part 5 of 6)
Taking your career to the next level in 2021 may seem like a sick cosmic joke to some people, especially to those whose industries have been severely affected by the pandemic. Some people have lost their jobs, taken pay cuts and reduced benefits to help their companies’ cash flow; and although a glimmer of hope is showing at the end of the tunnel, it might be a long journey to recovery for some. Given this, you might be perplexed with the 4th installation of this 6-part series - how in the world are you going to level up your career given this disheartening landscape? Leveling up has a lot to do with the way you think, and the way you approach things. It may mean shifting your direction towards a path you’re much better off on and following through on that. It may mean taking two steps back from a path you’re not supposed to be on and taking one step towards the right direction. So how do you level up your career in 2021? You can start by answering these 5 questions: Are you where you want to be? Before you go into the specifics of things, you must ask yourself first: are you where you want to be? Are you happy? Are you valued? Do you (almost regularly) dread Mondays and going back to work? Is your workplace providing you with opportunities to grow both as a person and as a professional? Your work right now may not be the place you’ve envisioned for yourself 5 years ago, but has it pleasantly surprised you in the process? Or do you feel stuck, with no foreseeable end in sight? Reflection, or self-reflection, happens when you pay very close attention to your own thoughts, feelings and behavior. It allows you to consciously assess how you feel towards the things that are happening to you and the situations that you are in. It is looking into your values, inspirations, aspirations and cross comparing them to your current situation - do they match? If you find that they are, then very good for you! All career paths will have their bad days and bad turns as nothing is ever going to be perfect. But as long as you feel inspired and what you do speaks to your purpose, then you are most probably in the right path. You just have to keep going and watch out for opportunities to learn more. If the answer is no, or you’ve been laid off, for example, there is definitely no need to despair. You’ve already done the first step - you’ve identified the problem. There is something that you want to change, and that gives you a sense of purpose and direction - you become a man on a mission. What are you doing to improve yourself and your skills? If you’re a man on a mission, you set your eyes out on a goal. You focus on that goal and come up with a game plan to achieve it. One good component of your game plan could be improving the set of skills that you have; fortifying and strengthening your strongest suits and capitalizing on that. You can take advantage of a lot of online courses and resources that are available for free. These programs range from diverse topics and each course is designed to work based on your schedule preferences. Is your CV/résume updated? Be honest, how long ago since you last updated your résume? When was the last time you took a corporate headshot for yourself? Is your résume photo still from your college graduation even though you graduated more than 5 years ago? Even if you’re not applying for a new job, it’s always good to keep your profile updated with changes in your job description, the trainings you’ve attended, even the new skills you’ve gained! These things pile up over the years and it is difficult and will most likely take more time to remember them all at once, as opposed to updating the file every time there’s new information. Your résume is a written collection of your professional achievement and milestones. It speaks for you when you are not in the room, so give it the proper voice to do your awesomeness justice. Are you making authentic connections? Look at your LinkedIn profile, and see how many connections you have. Of those connections, how many do you actually know? How many do you genuinely think you can learn from? If you answer not too many, then it might be time to authentically connect with people and expand your network. Reach out to people whose industries you’re curious to know more about. Who knows, you might find yourself a career mentor who will be able to teach you some tricks of the trade. They say experience is the best teacher and how awesome will it be for someone to impart their acquired wisdom through their experiences to you? The idea of getting a mentor (or even mentoring someone whom you know might benefit from it) comes from a place of humility - from knowing and recognizing that no matter how successful and “self-made” you are, there’s always an opportunity to learn something new. When you’re looking at your work issues, there’s a tendency that your judgment may be biased. A mentor, on the other hand, is an “outsider” looking in who may be able to provide you with a fresh perspective and a new angle on things which you may not be able to see from your side. Are you ready and willing to make the change? You’ve reflected and identified the problem, you’ve updated your résume and you’ve made connections; the most important question is, are you ready and willing to make the change? Change is scary and some people are not willing to do it for fear of uncertainty which is a very valid point especially from a survival standpoint. Change requires putting in the work and making sacrifices. It can mean long hours and efforts towards something that may or may not work out in the end. But you know what? Change can also mean waking up Monday morning feeling refreshed, energized and ready to take work challenges head-on. It can mean being in a place where you’re valued, respected, and celebrated for the contributions you bring and the impact you make. It doesn’t always have to be radical changes for something rewarding to happen, sometimes small incremental baby steps get the job done as well. What matters is, you have to be very strategic about every step that you take. You also don’t always have to keep moving. It’s okay to stop, take stock of what’s happening, regroup and recoup. Look at the bigger picture and see how each piece of the puzzle connects to the rest. Whichever way you want to take the trajectory of your career for 2021, know one thing: you are worth it. Step in your purpose and wear your confidence like a glove that fits perfectly and watch things happen. That’s it for part 5, see you in the last one! Hero Image by Saulo Mohana on Unsplash
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4 Tips to a More Productive You in 2021 (Part 4 of 6)
As you approach this fresh, new year, it would be good to do some introspection on your level of productivity. Take a good look at how you actually spent the hours in your days this past year. Were your weekday (and weekend) calendar filled with so much to do’s that there’s barely any white space anymore? Or, did you plan out to do a ton of stuff (in your head) but essentially only managed to binge-watch a boatload of YouTube videos and get updated on all of your friends’ lives on Instagram? If a tv show is going to do a documentary of your life, how’s “A Day in the Life of insert your name” going to look like? Productivity is generally defined as the ability of a person or a group of persons, to produce output efficiently within a given time. Your productivity level may be determined by a variety of internal and external factors. Your time management skills, as well as your physical capability, may determine how productive you are in a day. Your priorities, motivations and external distractions also play a huge part on whether you’re ticking off every item in your to-do list or not. Are you ready to re-examine and take your productivity to the next level in 2021? Here are 4 tips to get you on your way: Figure out what’s distracting you and tackle it head-on Knowing what the problem is, is always an important step to solve it. You’ve set yourself a goal but for some cosmic, unfathomable reason, you’ve done everything else but that. You may have found yourself procrastinating every single time you’re faced with a particular task at hand. You think the reason why you’re being unproductive is because you’re procrastinating. The thing is, the act of procrastination in itself is not the problem, but rather it is a reaction to other underlying problems that you may not even be aware of. If you find yourself wanting to do something else when you’re supposed to be a doing a certain task, ask yourself, why? What is it with this task that you are navigating away from it? Go to the very root cause of the emotion you’re feeling and tackle it head-on. It might be rooted to deeper feelings of anxiety, vulnerability, etc. Once you figure these out, you may just be well on your way to keep your procrastination tendencies at bay. Set realistic goals Being able to set realistic goals is already a goal in itself. Figuring out how to be strategic with your goals is a good way to set you up for success. You consider yourself productive when you’re ticking off your goals one by one, whether long term or short term. As you would obviously want to achieve the goals that you set for yourself, you need to make sure that you operate in your reality when setting one. You “operate in your reality” when you take into account the factors that are going to be at play when you work to achieve your goal. Given your resources (e.g. time, money, energy, etc.) and commitment, do you think it is realistic to set 10 resolutions for yourself? Or 4 to 5 carefully planned and thought out goals instead? Making sure that the goals you set are realistic does not only improve your productivity, it also increases your enthusiasm and gives you the foundation you need to work on more realistic goals that excite you in the future. Find out what motivates you Motivation is one of the most important ingredients in leading a productive life. If you’re motivated, you become invested, you show up, you own it and you put in the work. It is the fuel to your engine, it’s what keeps you going and moving forward despite difficulties. In the greater scheme of things, it is what you tell yourself when you question why are you doing what you’re doing. What is it that motivates you? What is it that drives you enough to try hard, and try even harder when the going gets tough? Figure it out, internalize it and write it down. The next time you want to work on something important and you can’t find any reason to continue, all those pictures of the Maldives in your vision board will summon all the creativity that you need to finish that proposal. Maintain work-life balance Pre-pandemic, “working from home” is almost unheard of and is usually a workplace practice reserved for more progressive companies with systems already laid out in place. Because of recent events, people had to make adjustments and systems had to be put in place because they had no choice. As this practice is relatively new, some people had trouble navigating this uncharted territory. Employees who work from home may feel an added pressure to be productive and prove that they are working because they can’t be seen doing the actual work similar to a physical office situation. How has your daily work schedule changed when you had to work from home? Did the number of your meetings increase? Are your “work hours” still confined within the usual work hours, or has the boundary between personal and work time become blurred? Is your boundary being respected or do you keep getting emails and work messages outside of the time that you should only be available? How has this affected your productivity, both personal and professional? For the sake of maintaining work-life balance which ultimately contributes to the quality of your life and relationships, you need to ask questions. You may think you’re being productive, but in reality, you’re stacking up your tiles in one aspect but emptying out other important ones in the process. You have to keep in mind that you work to live, and not live to work. Productivity may be a double-edged sword for some in a way that you can’t be too over lest you risk being burnout or too under that you don’t accomplish anything. It doesn’t have to be that way for you, not in 2021. Know your priorities, determine your commitment level and establish boundaries - you’ll be sure to find a groove that works for you. That’s it for part 4, see you in part 5! Hero Image by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
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3 Reasons Why You Should Turn Your “New Year’s Resolutions” into Goals Instead
Along with a brand new year comes a promise of new beginnings and fresh starts. A new year is a literal beginning to something new; something that hopefully has the potential to make things better. Year after year, a lot of people has gotten into the habit of making “New Year’s Resolutions” - listing things they hope to achieve in the coming year. However, this habit, along with buying a planner that only gets filled out until March, although admirable and has the best intentions, isn’t always the best gameplan to work on something you really want to happen. How many “this year I’m going to lose weight” or “this year I’m going to start being more productive” have you written in your planner only to find it collecting dust and being forgotten? These resolutions, as deeply desired and absolutely wanted as they may be, don’t have a strong enough voice in your life that it’s easy for them to be buried underneath all the clutter and noise. Life eventually and inevitably happens throughout the year, and before you know it, you’re at the end of yet another year with your resolutions buried at the end of your what-could-have-been pile. Well, guess what? This time will be different because you will make it so! A resolution is defined as your decision to do or not do something, whereas a goal is defined as a desired result of something that you want to happen. How about instead of waiting for every New Year to work on a resolution, you decide to set yourself a goal instead? Here are 3 reasons why you should do so, and a few tips to help you get started: Goals are S.M.A.R.Ter You’ve probably heard this in every leadership session you’ve ever attended - create SMART goals. This is one big difference between a resolution and a goal; a resolution is more like a promise, something that you throw off into the universe and hope it sticks. If anything, it sounds more like a wish. Not to take anything away from your desire to see it come true, it just lacks a solid depth to follow through. A goal, and a SMART one at that, on the other hand, has all the ingredients for success. Specific goals give you clarity; it gives you the desired action and how you are to get there using the resources (e.g. time, money, etc) that you have. It’s measurable and achievable because you will know exactly what you want and you will be well aware when you’ve reached it. It’s relevant in such a way that it plays into your biggest desires in life - it makes you want something to happen that you’re willing to put in the work for it. Goals promote longevity and continuous progress Goals may be time bound but they are not confined to be set only during New Years. Also, the timeline within which you want to achieve a goal is not confined to just a given year. Frustration usually kicks in when you set yourself a resolution at the start of the year and you don’t achieve it towards the end. You fall into the vicious cycle of setting yourself up for failure and feeling frustrated about it in the end. You can avoid all that by setting goals instead. Long term goals are aspirations that you see yourself achieving within the next 3 to 5, sometimes even 10 years depending on the preparation and effort needed. Short term goals are usually goals that you see yourself getting within several months up to a few years. One common problem of most people is procrastination. It’s not something you obviously want to happen, it just does. Sometimes you know you want something to happen, but because your brain is so intimidated by it, it tends to do everything but the thing you need to do. The good thing about setting a goal is it allows you to break it into smaller and more doable chunks of habit that you can form over time. These habits accumulate, and if you’re consistent enough, they contribute to the realization of your goal over time. Goals are aligned with your lifestyle Goals are not rigid and unyielding mantras that you tell yourself - It’s not “you-have-it-or-you-don’t”. Instead, goals give you the power to adjust and modify depending on your resources and other things that happen in your life. It gives premium to progress, rather than perfection. It gives emphasis on your journey and what it took you to get to where you are. In some ways, you may even find that the end goal you have has changed for the better because you put so much value in the way you took to get there. It’s not bad either, it only means your mindset is strong enough and conditioned in such a way that you’re not defined by a single achievement, but rather of a collective experience that makes you a whole person. Don’t wait for New Year’s to work on something. Sit yourself down and reflect on the things you really want to happen and break it down to smaller (and s.m.a.r.ter) goals that you can work on. Every new day is a chance to be better and do better. Whatever you do to get the energy and focus to work on a goal you’ve always wanted, or the calm and clarity to step back and assess your progress and your journey, your efforts will not be wasted because you’re working on your most incredible asset - you. Every investment you make on yourself and your goals is always a step in the right direction. What are you waiting for? Get in that thinking chair and get to work! Hero Image by Isaac Smith on Unsplash
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Ready to take things to the next level in 2021? Start with these 5 things. (Part 1 of 6)
New years are always a good thing; it’s a symbol of new beginnings, of moving forward, and of progress. It’s a reminder that no matter how broken you think you are, you get to have another shot - you can right the wrong and put one foot in front of the other, hopefully towards the right direction. This year sure have made you aware that you’re stronger than you ever were and capable of doing so much more. As you gear up and get ready to leave 2020 behind, have you ever asked yourself: “what’s the one thing I did in 2020 that I absolutely don’t want to do anymore next year?” Or maybe, what’s the one thing I did this year that I’d like to do more of in the coming year? You’re here, you’re strong, you’re ready - now what? Don’t let your momentum go to waste! Harness all that positivity brought about by looking forward to the next and buckle it up with all the grit you’ve developed from 2020’s challenges and use it to take things to the next level in 2021. Not sure where to start? Here are 5 things you can start with: Nutrition and Fitness Don’t ever get tired of being reminded that “health is wealth”, because it is and you know that it is. You can’t do anything when you’re lying sick in bed. You definitely won’t be able to reap the fruits of your hard work when you’re too weak to enjoy them. The good thing about taking your nutrition and fitness to the next level in 2021 is, it doesn’t need to be time-consuming, costly or inconvenient. This is an aspect in your life that’s only going to get better as you put effort into it. There’s no losing when you’re healthy, and the first step to ensure that is to pay attention to what you do with your body and what you put in it. Mental Health and Self-Care You can’t give from an empty cup, that’s a plain and simple fact. Most of the time, you are your worst critic and you’re not even aware that you are. Your mental health is very important because it affects the way you feel, the way you think, and the way you relate to yourself and to others. It has a lot to do with how you handle daily stress in your life and how you process emotions. Making an effort to improve your mental health makes so much sense if you realize how this impacts the quality of your life. Productivity This one may be a bit of an extreme for some people. Some people may have been “too productive” during the past year to the point of feeling burnt out, or “not productive at all” because of too many distractions and disturbances. Regardless where you are in this spectrum, it’s not too late to change. It’s never too late to lay down your priorities and goals, figure out the best way to achieve them, and decide which among those you want to knock out first. Career For some people who work in industries hugely impacted by the pandemic, 2020 might be one of the worse, if not the worst year, ever. A lot of people have been laid off, demoted, working hours reduced or other benefits put on hold or taken away. 2021 gives you a chance to reassess what you want in life in terms of career. If you’re unemployed, maybe it’s a chance to revisit your steps and see how you could use what happened to propel you in the right direction. Take one step backward, then 2 steps forward. If you’re employed, ask yourself: are you really where you want to be? Relationships With social distancing and lockdown regulations in place in many areas all over the world, 2020 sure took a toll on a lot of relationships. While it may be true that technology helped a lot in bridging the “gap” with the virtual meetings and conversations happening, there is still nothing better than a face to face conversation with another human being. The reactions and expressions are real-time, and you don’t have to worry about a crappy internet connection or forgetting to unmute! In 2021, and assuming (and hoping) that situations will slowly go back to normal, it might be time to reconnect with people who are important to you and rethink who among them are you willing to go that extra mile for to keep in your life. This article is the first of a six-part series which aims to open a more in-depth discussion on each of the above aspects. “Leveling up” may sound intimidating and scary, but it shouldn’t. Similar to the online games that you play, you need to “be more” as you make progress. Your character has to be stronger, better equipped to face the villains and move on to the next. You hope that 2021 will be so much better than 2020, but the question is, how will 2021-you be better than the 2020 version? Hero Image by Xan Griffin on Unsplash
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3 Ways to Shift Your Mindset (because it matters!)
How many times have you counted yourself out of something because you feel, nay you think, you can’t do it? How many opportunities for promotion or job opportunities did you flat-out not apply for because you think you’re not qualified or good enough “yet”? How many times have you hesitated to volunteer an answer or opinion in fear that you may be thought of differently or be judged for it? In most of these scenarios, your mindset and how it is framed went in your way and influenced the majority of the decision-making process that happened. Mindset is defined as a “person’s world view and core assumptions”. It is the lens with which we see and assess that world outside of ourselves and how we relate ourselves to that world. It affects everything - our self-esteem, our self-worth, our careers, our relationships, our interactions and at a psychological level, even our health. Standford Psychologist Carol Dweck says that your mindset plays a huge role in whether or not you become successful. Your mindset, depending on whether it is “fixed” or “growth”, determines how you process and respond to situations. A fixed mindset lets you believe that your qualities and traits are definite and can no longer be changed. For people with fixed mindsets, success is usually measured against a fixed standard, and anything below that standard is considered a failure. A growth mindset fosters the idea that learning, development, growth and experience develops through time. It welcomes challenges and lets you see the value of the journey and how it relates to the destination. For example, you’re in a competition and you made it to the last round along with other competitors. You know you gave your absolute best in that last round, but someone else won instead of you. A fixed mindset will make you feel you’re a failure because you didn’t make it, you didn’t win and you didn’t get the title in spite of your hard work. A growth mindset, on the other hand, will let you look within yourself and reflect on what happened. You recognize that losing doesn’t make you a failure, it only gives you more insight as to what you can do better the next you want to try. Can you shift your mindset? Absolutely! But since your mindset is a product of decades worth of conditioning starting from the day you were a child, it would take a lot of willpower and effort to shift it. Here are 3 simple ways you can start doing today: Be Kind to yourself Most of the time and you may not even see it, you are your worst critic. You are too harsh at yourself for failing but you don’t stop and appreciate yourself for your wins. You forget to take care of your most important ally - yourself. Give yourself the grace to try new things and explore new and unfamiliar territories - even if it means failing a few times. Set aside a few minutes in your day to meditate and take stock of what’s happening in your life and how much room to grow you still have ahead of you. Adopt a healthy lifestyle A healthy body is essential to support a healthy mind. Being mindful with what you consume is one of the simplest steps to self-care. You already know the drill - eat healthier, get some exercise in your routine, aim to have better sleep, etc. You already know what to do and how to do it, what else is stopping you? Surround yourself with people who lift you up Depending on where you are in life right now, you may have already accumulated a lot of friends. It may not be obvious, but the people you spend most of your time with tend to affect your mindset and how you see things in general. It’s quite difficult to be a hopeful star in the midst of discouraging black holes. Should you have any friends like this, you don’t have to ditch them, just try to spend a little less time with them and more with your friends who lift you up and support you. It is not to be misinterpreted that having a growth mindset means anyone can become a super genius or break records in their field because they tried - no. Growth mindset puts more focus on living up to your own personal potential. If it is in your potential to become the next scientist to come up with the next world-defining invention, why not? The world is not all rainbows, butterflies, unicorns and cupcakes - you already know that. Adopting a growth mindset doesn’t necessarily mean that things will always go according to plan, it means being able to adapt even if things are not okay and don’t go your way. So what if you fail sometimes? Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and have another go - only you can stop you. So, don’t count yourself out before giving anything a good try. Your mindset can either be the bridge or the roadblock that stands between you and everything you are meant to be. Hero Image by Franciele da Silva on Unsplash.
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3 Ways to Improve Your Home Office
Pre-pandemic, working from home seemed like a foreign idea to most people. It’s an idea we’re not very much familiar with - something that is not so much as inconceivable but an idea that more or less begs the questions “why” and “how”. We have been institutionally and traditionally programmed that work is meant to be done at the office. Then, not so many months ago (although feels like forever, to be honest), COVID-19 happened and we’re now navigating the “new normal”. Suddenly, the questions “why” and “how” should we work from home have been answered. Why - obviously, companies want to curb the spread of the virus and a hundred different people using the same office elevator daily isn’t exactly a good way to do that. How - except for some very specific jobs that require onsite presence (e.g. manufacturing, production, etc), majority of companies have found a way to successfully transition their employees to working from home. Working from home isn’t just a concept or an idea anymore, it has now become a reality for most of us. One of the requirements of this reality is having our “home office” - a place where we spend the majority of our day to accomplish work. If you already have a home office setup or you’re still in the process of making one, here are some tips to get you going: Location, location, location Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you should make every place in your house your work space. For your sanity and overall well-being, try to separate your workspace from the rest of your home activities. If you have the space, having a separate room dedicated as your home office is a good idea. It can still give you the feeling of “going to work”, minus the morning rush hour and commute. If you don’t have a spare room, a dedicated space or a corner in your place where you can be undisturbed is good enough for a home office space. It would be good if your space has lots of natural light, but if none, make sure to provide for adequate lighting. Bringing your laptop in the kitchen counter while you wait for your food to cook is okay, but as much as possible try to separate these activities so it doesn’t bleed into each other and you lose focus on the tasks you’re doing. Invest in the right tools and equipment You’re spending at least 8 hrs of your entire day in your home office - that’s more than enough reason to invest in items that will make your life easier and more comfortable. Investing in a sturdy, non-wobbly table is always a good idea because you don’t want to feel as if there is an earthquake while you type away your important report, right? As you will be sitting for long periods, investing in an ergonomic chair that supports your back is also recommended for better posture. Working on your laptop may also cause eye strain and stiff neck - you can try investing in a laptop stand to raise your monitor to eye level and getting an external mouse and keyboard as well. Making sure that all necessary items and gadgets are within reach like printers, papers, headphones (or coffee machine, anyone?), etc. will save you time and effort throughout the day. Having an excellent internet connection is an important, if not the most important component in making sure that your work-from-home life is smooth. Stressing over intermittent connection isn’t exactly anyone’s definition of smooth. Make sure that your internet provider is steady and reliable - investing in signal boosting gadgets may also work. If you have the space and the will for it, try putting indoor plants in your home office, too. They can help purify the air and counter irritants at the same time give you that much needed dash of green. Take disciplined breaks One common misconception about working from home is you constantly have to prove you’re working. Don’t panic if the last message on Slack for you was sent five minutes ago and you haven’t replied yet. You can’t be expected to be glued to your screen the entire office hours and you shouldn’t expect that from your workmates either. You’re entitled to breaks when you’re working in the office - what’s stopping you from taking the same breaks at home? One surefire way to get fed up with something is to keep on doing it over and over to the point of saturation. No matter how much you love coding, or writing and no matter how nice, light and airy your home office is, you’re going to be sick of it if you don’t step away from it from time to time. Schedule “disciplined” breaks throughout the day - that is to make sure that you strike a balance between just taking a break to clear your head and taking 1-hr Netflix breaks on the couch. Impose a “strictly-no-checking-of-laptop” day during the weekend to give you the mental space to draw a line between working and your actual life. Working from home and having a home office is meant to keep you safe from the virus while still being employed, it’s not meant to take over your life. You must be thinking “Why should I go through so much trouble for all these when this setup is temporary?”. While this sentiment is valid and may very well be true for some people, investing in a fully functional home office isn’t just good for your 9-5 job. It can also be a space in your house that you can dedicate for creating things, personal plans and projects. A place where you can sit down, bury your head in a project you’re personally passionate about. It might even give birth to that side hustle you’ve always wanted to do! No matter what or how you feel towards working from home, whether you’re living for it or you’re vehemently against it, there is no denying that for some people, it might just be the way moving forward, pandemic or not. Make the most of the opportunity while it’s here. Who knows? You might be positively surprised where it ends up taking you.
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Zoom Fatigue: What is it and what can you to do to ease it?
Over the last 6 months of this “new normal”, many of us have transitioned to working and/or studying in the comforts of their homes. Part and parcel of this transition is the continuous exposure to what has become a common household name that is “zoom”. Zoom, although only one of the many video conferencing softwares in the market, has gained popularity as the video conferencing choice of many because of its accessibility and abundance in features. How many minutes did you spend choosing the perfect virtual background? Whether you’re working or studying at home, did you ever feel that you’re more exhausted than you were when you were in your office/school? If your answer is yes, join the club because you’re not alone. Countless hours spent in front of your laptop or phone, either watching webinars or attending meetings, is not only physically exhausting, it can also be mentally draining. With more and more people experiencing “zoom fatigue”, let’s try to break down why it happens and what you should do to get your energy (and sanity) back. Why is it draining? National Geographic explains that since humans communicate through a mix of verbal and non verbal cues, and most often non verbal cues like eye contact, hand gestures, and other subtle body languages are not entirely expressed and understood through a zoom meeting, it makes the process harder than it’s supposed to. These nonverbal cues help emphasize your point, however, they don’t always translate well on video calls, making you exert more effort, therefore making you more tired. Being on a zoom meeting requires that you’re properly dressed, at least from the waist up, and in a well lit area. Add this preparation and effort to the number of zoom calls you have to have in a week and multiply with the number of times you’ve had to troubleshoot because someone can’t find the unmute button, well you get the idea. Help! How do you ease zoom fatigue? You’re tired because being on video calls requires you to exert more energy in getting your point across. Since speaking louder or doing bigger gestures might be unavoidable if you want the people on screen to understand your presentation, what other things can you do to ease zoom fatigue? 1. Avoid Multitasking Admit it or not, we’re all guilty of this at some point. Multitasking is something we enjoy, it’s something we’re proud of! Doing and accomplishing multiple things at the same time makes our adrenalines pump, our prides swell and our brains run. Ask yourself how many times have you checked your email while in a zoom meeting? Or how many times did you check your social media account while someone else is presenting? Harvard Business Review relates that in fact, multitasking while you are on your zoom meeting can make you less productive. Because your brain is scattered and working on a lot of different things, you tend to lose focus. When you don’t get to finish a task on time, you have to keep working on it making the process inefficient. No matter how much of a superhero we think we are, our multitasking abilities have limits too. 2. Take a break and stretch Wherever you are, whether in the office, school or at home, you need to rest and recharge. Not because you’re working at home doesn't mean you constantly have to work all the time. Breaks are there for a reason, so use them and thank yourself later. As much as you can, try not to schedule your meetings one after the other, or else you won’t just be physically drained, you also won’t be able to perform at your best mentally . A 20 to 30-min gap in between meetings should be enough to allow you to stretch your tired muscles and eyes for a little bit. Take a break so you can reload, recharge and ready your mental guns for the next battle. 3. Switch to emails and phone calls How many meetings have you attended while thinking to yourself “this could have been discussed in an email”? Now that you know how annoying that feels, the next time you’re setting up a zoom meeting, ask yourself the most important question of all: is a meeting really needed for this? Do yourself, and the rest of the meeting attendees, a favor and make sure that all things requisite for a productive meeting are there before you actually set it up. Also, whoever said phone calls aren’t a thing anymore? If it’s a one-on-one meeting, just have a phone call, not all meetings need to be on video! A phone call will allow you to be more relaxed, concentrating your efforts and energy to your volume and intonation instead. 4. Build boundaries Not because you’re at home doesn’t mean you constantly have to keep working. Repeat that three times until you’ve internalized it. Majority of people at home have this flawed mentality that they constantly have to prove they’re working and not just sitting around binging on Netflix and chips. Long hours doesn’t always translate to productivity in the same manner that longer meetings doesn’t mean more work is accomplished. In fact, the shorter the meeting, the better. Concise and direct-to-the-point meetings should be the standard, especially for zoom meetings. There is a reason why meetings have time limits, so stick to it. Set the boundaries and expectations and very respectfully make sure that everyone is aware. Zoom meetings are already part of our routine, there is no denying that. It is an amazing thing because even in this situation, it allows us to continue being employed, it gives us the platform to study and connect with people and get things done! It’s now up to you to set the limits and take control of the platform and make it something that will help you make things happen.
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Our Top 5 Episodes of the Joe Rogan Podcast: Part 2
In 2016, we released a list of Our Top Five Episodes of the Joe Rogan Podcast. Now, we're back with a list of our top 5 (more recent) Rogan episodes recommended by a member of our very own Neuro team. Check out some of our new favorite episodes below: JRE #1480 Kevin Hart - Comedian, Actor and Producer Many of us have a love/hate relationship with Kevin Hart, but his work ethic and determination is undeniable. He’s also entertaining as hell and does a great impression of Dave Chapelle, which will make this episode worth listening to. His intensity is extremely contagious as he dives into his journey to recovery with a fractured spine and shares how his priorities immediately shifted when he realized that he was married to his job and dating his family.Kevin explains how his go-getter attitude is based on his game-like view of life and how he’s constantly challenging himself to open new levels and adopt new mindsets. He says that the grind comes from a balance of discipline and enthusiasm, and you can really grasp that feeling in everything he does. In the episode, Joe and Hart discuss the greatness of Michael Jordan and Mike Tyson and even chat about an epic dinner among comedic greatness. The show ends with a clip of Eddie Murphy slamming Bill Cosby while accepting his Mark Twain trophy in hopes that he’s going to make a comeback and obviously a plug to Kevin Hart’s new audiobook: The Decision. I haven’t listened to it yet, but it’s on my list!JRE #1368 Edward Snowden - An American Whistleblower AKA President of Secrets If you’ve watched the movie Snowden, you’ve heard about how the protagonist leaked classified information from the NSA while he was working for the CIA. But that’s just a glimpse of what went on, and this episode goes into more of what happened. In this episode, Snowden goes through his story in depth with minimal interruptions, and it’s great to hear about his journey and how he came to his position at such a young age. His perspective and insight on 9/11 as an 18 year old kid is eye opening. Snowden shares how he went on to go undercover as a diplomat in Geneva as part of the CIA, was part of the NSA in Tokyo and back to the CIA with higher ups at Dell. If you’re a fan of hearing about corrupt intelligence communities and lack of privacy, then run it! JRE #1227 Mike Tyson - Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion The boxer who bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear might ring a bell or maybe the crazy guy with tigers and a face tat in The Hangover, but he’s much more than just these epic highlights!I’ve never been let down by an article or interview on Mike Tyson. His story always gets more bizarre and yet increasingly impressive. He doesn’t mention his pet pigeons or much of his childhood story in this podcast episode, but dabbles on his early exposure to drugs and alcohol. I was surprisingly shocked to find out that Joe Rogan has never tried cocaine and Mike Tyson has never had a cup of coffee.He has never ending stories that seem short of a movie script, but if you want to hear about how he gave one of his Bentleys to a cop to get out of a crash or how he ordered his tigers from prison, then this is the episode to jump on.JRE #1213 Dr. Andrew Weil - An American doctor who advocates for alternative medicine Dr. Weil is a fountain of wisdom when it comes to this subject of natural healing. He also isn’t a snooze sesh if you’re interested in this stuff. Dr. Weil is fascinated with the body’s ability to heal itself and says that medicine should start right there and that’s the only way out of the healthcare crisis. He also discusses the many health benefits of matcha including cancer fighting antioxidants and the calming alertness effect of L-Theanine, which is naturally found in green and black tea leaves. Weil and Rogan dive into the bullshit trend of detoxing and colonics and reveal the true power of the liver. It was crazy to hear how counteractive medications could be and how they intensify depression, become highly addictive and mess with your mind. Don’t sleep on this episode if you’re into integrative health and wellness! JRE #946 Dennis McKenna - Ethnopharmacologist AKA Mr. Psychedelics My grandpa has been wanting to do Ayahuasca for ages and if it’s his dying wish, I need to give it to him, right? I’ve now dove into the deep end of psychedelics because I need to know everything before I let my old man wild out in a forest with a shaman. If you have a few hours to spare and are in the mood to listen to some far out theories that may make sense, then this is the episode for you. What if we learned that psychedelics were the answer to addictive behaviors, bridged the gap between us and nature, and is the answer to helping us love ourselves, each other, and make us better human beings.In this episode, Rogan and McKenna discuss ayahuasca, DMT, and how psychedelics open the mind. They’re some wild concepts, but you’re onto something Dennis McKenna and I’m here for it!
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