Political Giggles

Procrasti-Nation

Baby Loves –

Have I mentioned I’m on freaking fire with this blogging stuff lately? My time management skills have been remarkable. I dig it. Currently, this is my form of a study/work break. We all win.

To piggyback off of that, I wanted to do a little talking about procrastination and how to best combat it. I’ve done some research, gathered my data and now I shall present. Economist problems. Anyway, here are some ways to deal with procrastination:

1. Have A Plan B. This can be as simple as writing a to-do list of things that make you feel productive. So, instead of legitimately procrastinating, check off something on your to-do list. It can be as minor as you’d like, such as responding to some important e-mails you have been putting off, or making a grocery list. It’s the little things.
2. Play. We all need breaks, but be careful not to take frequently lengthy ones, because then it becomes an escape instead of a break. I recommend signing up for lumosity or playing solitaire, as long as it is a game that promotes brain function.
3. Experiment. If you find yourself becoming bored with a current project, try coming at it from a different angle. Sometimes all you need is a different perspective to get those gears turning.
4. Smaller > Bigger. As I mentioned before, it’s the little things. Take bites out of life in sizable chunks and it is bound to feel less overwhelming.
5. Calmness. Anxiety is one of those things that a LOT of people deal with on a regular basis. Try not to let it get to you. If you feel a potential attack coming on, take a step back, then a deep breath, and try again. If that’s not working, take a crack at meditation or yoga or some peaceful/easy listening music.
6. Start in the Middle. In highschool, a lot of my friends always had issues with introductions and opening sentences. A recommendation teachers gave them was to start in the middle of the paper. For projects, I find this also works. If you don’t know where to start, well… don’t start at the beginning. Dive right in and the pieces of the puzzle will hopefully come together as you progress.
7. End in the Middle. A little different from the above mentioned recommendation. Ernest Hemingway apparently used to end a writing session in the middle of a sentence, so he become more excited to pick up where he left off during the next session. I can’t say I’ve tried this before – usually I try to complete my thoughts – but now I’m going to give it a try.
8. Read. I am always, always going to be an advocate for reading, regardless of the time or situation. If you find yourself stuck, read a piece of literature on the subject you are working on. It could inspire you or enrage you, both of which still get those juices flowing.

Personally, I’m a big list maker. I like the satisfaction of having a to-do list and checking off the tasks I complete. Sometimes, if I’m feeling really bummed or overwhelmed, the first thing on my list is “make to-do list”. TA-DA! Already got something checked off. It’s funny how somethings as little as that can change your mood.

Well…. I’ve got to jet. Literature on incentive design mechanisms are calling my name. The funny thing is, I actually really like this stuff, albeit being insanely time consuming. WEIRD. xoxox

Believe in Yourself

It may be a fault or it may be a virtue, but I believe in myself. So does every great man.

Hello!

Here’s an interesting study that was done at a University and it focuses on risk versus reward and what actually motivates individuals. Thought it might be something worth reading! It’s short, too, so there’s that. I need to get back to work, but to read it click here.

Rising U.S. Emissions

Happy Monday, Friends!

Hope everyone is starting the week off right. This is not a very uplifting chart (sorry), but I just finished reading this article and it appears Mr. Obama is sucking once again… what a surprise.

Freaking Fracking

Are you all aware of what fracking is? If not, please check out this article and get yourself informed!

Recycling Facts: Caps/Lids/Tops

Bonjour!

I’m taking a quick break from the work grind to bring you some useful recycling information concerning container caps/lids/tops. Cheers!

Plastic Caps from Plastic Containers: These can be recycled as long as they are attached to their mother container. Includes peanut butter jars, water bottles, DD iced-coffee cups, yogurt containers.

Plastic Caps from Boxes: When I say boxes, I mean milk, juice, broth/stock. These little screw-off plastic caps can also be recycled as long as they are attached to their mother container.

Lonely, Orphaned Plastic Caps: Unfortunately, these need to be thrown out.

Metal Caps from Glass Jars: Can be recycled as long as they are separated from the jar. Included items are ball canning jars (both sections), jam, pasta sauce jars.

Metal Bottle Caps from Glass Bottles: They are too small to be recycled on their own, so people suggest placing them in an aluminum soup can until it is half full. Then, crimp the can top so the bottle caps can’t escape, then place can in recycling. These include items such as beer bottle caps, soda bottle caps, Snapple, wine bottles caps, olive oil bottle caps.

Metal Discs from Aluminum Cans: This metal piece can be recycled. Best method is to have it slightly hanging and folded down into the can, or place at bottom of can and give can a little pinch so it cannot escape.

Straws: Cannot be recycled – throw out.

Now, this information caters particularly to Rhode Island – so I would recommend checking out the specific rules in your home state. Also, please make sure that the container is completely void of food and drink before you place it in the recycling bin. It’s even more awesome if you rinse it in the sink beforehand, too.

Thanks, guys! Happy Recycling 🙂

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

Hi There –

Today marks the official end of my Spring Break (booo). I spent it working out and relearning math, which I bet you think is extremely enthralling. Life of a graduate student.

I just finished perusing an article that focused on heart attack symptoms in women, and it is something I deem important. Thus, the information is getting passed on to you. Read it carefully, because heart attacks aren’t bias medical mishaps; they can happen to anyone. You could be the picture of health or the quintessential couch potato… it doesn’t matter. Of course, the less healthy you are, the more prone you can possibly be.

Fact: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading killer of women in the United States. In 2009, it was responsible for 1 out of every 4 female deaths. Also, close to 2/3 of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease show no prior symptoms.

Some of the signs mentioned were as follows:
– Tooth Pain
– Back Pain
– Vomiting
– Unusual Sweating
– Nausea
– Chest Discomfort (pain OR pressure)
– Profound, Abnormal Fatigue

Of course, it can be difficult to pick up on these symptoms since they can quite easily be confused with other health issues and ailments, or simply ignored. BUT if you do find yourself with any of these symptoms, don’t take it lightly, especially if they get worse with exercise. Call your doctor or get a ride to the ER – you’d much rather be safe than sorry.

2016 Vernal Equinox

In case anyone was curious, the equinox that happened a few days ago – March 20th- was the vernal equinox (the other one that happens every year is the autumnal equinox on September 22 or 23), and it signifies Spring. Technically, it marks the passing of the Sun from the Earth’s southern region into its northern one. At this point, rays from are expected to shine directly over the planet’s equator, creating a phenomenon where both hemispheres receive the same amount of sunlight.

This year, the equinox happened to be the earliest one since 1896. Hmmm…. climate change? Global warming?

 

What Time Is It? Workout Time!

Gorgeous Peeps –

Happy First Day of Spring!!! Time to start thinking pleasant, Spring thoughts and going outside to breath fresh air. With the Equinox arrival, I figured what’s better than a post about exercising? Answer: nothing.

I’ve been training for my annual Boston Boulder Brawl, along with now two 5K’s (RIAND and another I can’t find the link to…), and I have to say: I’ve been crushing it. On average, I make it to the gym to do weight lifting/strength training with a warm-up run on the treadmill two times a week, the climbing gym to do assorted training exercises and climb two times a week, hot yoga once a week, and the past two weeks I’ve even made it to my high school outdoor track to run some miles. Basically, I feel like superwoman. It is awesome.

If anyone wants any specifics on my training regime, please feel free to ask and I would be more than happy to share avec vous. I’m a bit cuckoo when it comes to working out, so I have all my exercises (including weight amount, reps, sets), run logs and climbing recaps on an excel spreadsheet, along with a word document.

To be honest, before today, I hadn’t done too much research on the subject of just how frequently you should work out – mostly I do what feels right for my body and makes sense in my mind – but since I wanted to share information with people who are probably at various stages of fitness, I did research just for you fine folks. Here’s what I came up with:

First of all, there is no magic number of days you should work out. Ideally, aim for 5 – 3 should be strength training, 2 should be cardio, and 2 should be active rest. However, if you don’t workout at all at the moment, you can see results in as little as 1 day a week… BUT that should not mean you stop there. Push yourself! You should also think about the goals you want to achieve.

Strength Training: Ladies, don’t be deterred by this. A lot of people think strength training means getting bulky, but that is definitely not the case (unless of course that’s what you’re going for, and you’re into Olympic Power Lifting, etc). In fact, the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate is. With a higher metabolic rate, your body burns calories faster, and it even burns them when you’re not working out (SCORE). Strength training also strengthens bones and joints, so really, it’s an overall win.

As I mentioned above, aim for 3 strength training days a week. Each session should be approximately 45-60 minutes, and I would highly recommend you complete a few minutes of cardio beforehand to get your muscles warm and blood pumping, plus stretching and foam rolling (this can be done afterwards).

For A-plus strength training, you need to focus on all the different parts of your body; this means upper and lower body, along with pushing and pulling exercises. If anyone needs recommendations for these, please ask me. I’ve got an arsenal. It’s most effective if you focus on different body areas during different sessions (except for core… do that every time), and slowly increase the weight as you feel more comfortable. Also, you may think the machines are the only way to go, but I highly encourage you to try free weights (kettlebells, dumbbells, TRX suspension), along with moves such as squats that use no equipment at all.

Cardio: This is important for your circulatory system and recovery, along with boosting endurance levels (who doesn’t want that?), and helping your body utilize oxygen efficiently. Again, aim for twice a week, with a recommended total of 150 minutes of moderate to intense exercise every week. You can vary how you spend those 150 minutes depending on your goals, but some fun and/or popular methods are spin, jogging outdoors, stairmaster, elliptical machines, HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts, agility ladders, ice skating, rock climbing, and other fitness classes your local gym may offer.

In order for the workout to count as actually being cardiovascular, you need to up your heart rate. Some suggestions I came across were 120 and 150 beats per minute for 45 to 60 minutes; however, this all depends on your baseline and target heart rates, which differs from person to person. You can also do hybrid exercises like kettlebell swings, which encompasses strength training and cardio – woo!

Active Rest: I’ve had to patiently explain to a lot of friends that you do in fact, need to take rest days. It’s absolutely critical to let your body recover and rebuild so that you are able to get back to your workouts super refreshed and recharged. HOWEVER! A rest day does not entitle you to grab a bag of chips and be a bum all day; it just means you shouldn’t push yourself too hard. That’s why it is called an active rest, not couch potato day. Once again, this should be twice a week.

On my off days, I like to go on hikes or do hot yoga, depending on the weather. It still works and stretches my muscles, but I don’t overexert myself, but I do sweat like a madman. It’s awesome. If hot yoga isn’t for you, try regular yoga – I highly recommend any variation. You should aim towards doing 30-60 minutes of active rest during those days, so maybe take your dog for an extra long walk in the park.

Well, that’s a wrap! Some key things to note: your rest days do not have to be two days in a row, and it doesn’t matter where you fit them in during your week, but I would recommend not doing two strength days in a row. You want to give your body about 48 hours to recover after those sessions, since your muscles will be ripped and in need of repair. In the long run, getting yourself into a scheduled routine that works for you and helps you meet goals is what it is all about. If you can build good fitness habits, it will be amazing what can follow. I promise.