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Science Proves How the Brain Adapts With More Physical Activity

May 25, 2022 by Kristen Lawrence

A new study reveals how the brain adapts when people with depression become more active. Most people know that exercise benefits their health and enhances their quality of life. But when you have depression, just getting out of bed can feel like a monumental task.

Major depression diagnoses continue to rise worldwide, making it one of the most common mental illnesses. According to the World Health Organization, around 264 million people of all ages live with MDD. The leading cause of disability is depression, and it greatly contributes to the burden of disease.

It’s well-known in the scientific community that depression stems from a complex set of factors. Lifestyle habits, genetics, childhood trauma or difficult upbringing, environment, life events, and medical conditions can cause depression. The most common treatments for depression include therapy, antidepressants or other mood stabilizers, and/or lifestyle changes.

While they’re viable treatment options, therapy and medication can sometimes take weeks or months to take effect. However, lifestyle changes like exercise can lead to significant improvements rather quickly. Countless studies have shown how physical activity reduces symptoms of depression. Now, a new study reveals that exercise also helps the brain adapt to change.

The study at the University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) at the Ostwestfalen-Lippe campus confirmed this dual benefit of exercise. The study was published on 9 June 2021 in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.

The research proved that physical activity enhances neuroplasticity, making the brain more adaptable to change. This aids in learning processes and acclimating to new environments and scenarios.

“The results show how important seemingly simple things like physical activity are in treating and preventing illnesses such as depression,” says study leader associate professor Dr. Karin Rosenkranz.

Physical activity increases motivation and desire to socialize

Because of persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, many people with depression cope by withdrawing from the world. This isolation makes it hard to maintain social relationships and causes a loss of interest in other areas of life. Some people with depression find mundane daily tasks such as showering or brushing their teeth difficult, not to mention exercising.

So, their symptoms create a vicious feedback loop, making it hard to break the cycle. Most people with depression know that lifestyle changes would help them feel better. However, when you’re feeling unmotivated or trapped by depression, making changes feels like an impossible task.

That’s why it’s important to have a regimented routine and someone to hold you accountable when treating depression. This study incorporated both of those elements, which may partially explain its positive results. Karin Rosenkranz’s working group recruited 41 people currently being treated for depression at the hospital for the study. The researchers organized the participants into two groups: one completed a three-week exercise program, and the other was a control program without physical activity.

The exercise program was developed by the sports science team from the University of Bielefeld, led by Professor Thomas Schack. It consisted of fun activities that didn’t require competition or tests. Instead, it focused on the teamwork aspect of group exercise classes.

Karin Rosenkranz explains this:

“This specifically promoted motivation and social togetherness while breaking down a fear of challenges and negative experiences with physical activity — such as school PE lessons.”

Both before and after the program, the researchers assessed the severity of the participants’ depression symptoms. They measured symptoms such as loss of drive/interest, lack of motivation, and negative emotions. In addition, they observed the brain’s ability to adapt, also known as neuroplasticity. To do this, they used transcranial magnetic stimulation, a noninvasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate the brain’s nerve cells.

“The ability to change is important for all of the brain’s learning and adaptation processes,” explains Karin Rosenkranz.

It also helps the brain adapt, reduces depression symptoms.

The results of the study reveal that the brain adapts more slowly in people with depression. However, by following the exercise program, participants’ adaptation ability increased dramatically. Remarkably, they had the same neuroplasticity as people without depression after completing the program. This means that in just three short weeks, their brain adapted to the new routine. Their depression symptoms also showed a sharp decrease.

“The more the ability to change increased, the more clearly the clinical symptoms decreased,” says Karin Rosenkranz. The control group didn’t show such a marked difference in depression symptoms.

”This shows that physical activity has an effect on symptoms and the brain’s ability to change. We cannot say to what extent the change in symptoms and the brain’s ability to change are causally linked based on this data,” says the doctor, referring to the limitations. “It is known that physical activity does the brain good, as it, for instance, promotes the formation of neuron connections. This could certainly also play a role here.”

Hopefully, future studies will reveal more about how the brain adapts due to physical activity. It’s important to note that exercise doesn’t just benefit people with depression, though that was the focus of this study. As humans, we all require a certain amount of physical activity for overall well-being. Sadly, our modern world involves far too much sitting and fewer opportunities for moving our bodies.

However, working out doesn’t have to mean slaving away at the gym. Find something you enjoy, even just walking or hiking, and stick to it! You’ll start feeling more energized in no time.

Final thoughts on the study showing how the brain adapts to increased exercise

Millions of people suffer from depression in our modern world, largely because of genetics and lifestyle factors. We move much less than our ancestors, eat more unhealthily, and don’t get near enough sunlight. Simply put, our modern environment seems like the antithesis of health. However, that doesn’t mean we should give up and not take care of ourselves.

This study proves that the brain adapts to change more easily after following an exercise routine. Sure, our bodies and brains weren’t designed for 21st century living, but we can still make positive changes to improve our health.

Researchers Prove That Taking Breaks Can Actually Activate the Brain

May 24, 2022 by Kristen Lawrence

A new German study reveals that taking “mental breaks” can help activate the brain throughout the day. Cramming before an exam provides the perfect example of this. Despite acquiring new knowledge, we tend to forget it as quickly as we learned it. Those who earn the highest exam scores usually space their learning out over days or weeks.

The study builds upon the idea that we can activate our brains by resting more often. The research published in the journal Current Biology shows that we retain knowledge longer when we expand time intervals between learning. Allowing the brain to “reset” and absorb the knowledge strengthens connections between neurons. In turn, this leads to better performance on tasks.

Called the spacing effect, taking breaks between learning can apply to many facets of life. Regarding school exams, spacing out studying helps you remember more material in the long term. At a desk job, getting up for a few minutes each hour gives your brain a chance to recharge. Taking creative breaks may give you new inspiration or insight if you’re working on an art or writing project.

Just as the body needs rest after a workout, the brain requires breaks from mental exercise. Our minds take quite a beating daily, so it’s essential to “power them down” sometimes. We could all benefit from this advice in today’s world, where we suffer from information overload.

The study showing how the spacing effect improves memory

It’s been observed that neurons become activated in our brains and form new connections when we learn. The connections become more robust with repetition, and new neural pathways form in the brain. The knowledge then becomes part of our memory that we can retrieve by reactivating these neurons. In other words, when we space out learning, it becomes easier to absorb the knowledge over time.

Our brains can only hold so much information, after all. There’s always a learning curve when exposed to new information, such as at a new job. However, after a few weeks of repeating the same tasks, we started to feel more comfortable. The job gets easier because, from a scientific standpoint, we’re strengthening neural pathways that hold this new knowledge.

These facts about memory have been well-documented, but there’s not much information about how the spacing effect influences the brain. Scientists discovered this phenomenon over a century ago and found it occurs in almost every animal. So, the German scientists wanted to learn more about how pauses between learning activate the brain and memory.

Neurobiologists Annet Glas, Pieter Goltstein, Mark Hübener and Tobias Bonhoeffer investigated the spacing effect in mice. The team placed a piece of chocolate in a maze, giving the mice three opportunities to remember its location. Researchers allowed the mice to explore the maze and find the chocolate each time, giving them breaks of varying lengths.

Annet Glas says this:

“Mice that were trained with the longer intervals between learning phases were not able to remember the position of the chocolate as quickly. But on the next day, the longer the pauses, the better was the mice’s memory.”

It also proved that taking breaks helps activate the brain.

In addition to observing how the spacing effect influenced memory, scientists measured neural activity in mice. During the maze test, the team measured neuron activity in the brain’s prefrontal cortex. This brain region becomes activated during learning processes and complex thinking tasks. Not surprisingly, scientists found that when the prefrontal cortex wasn’t active, it caused the mice’s performance in the maze declined.

“If three learning phases follow each other very quickly, we intuitively expected the same neurons to be activated,” Pieter Goltstein says. “After all, it is the same experiment with the same information. However, after a long break, it would be conceivable that the brain interprets the following learning phase as a new event and processes it with different neurons.”

The researchers were all stunned when they reviewed the data and came to a new realization. After comparing neuron activity during various learning phases, they discovered something surprising. When the mice only took short breaks, they primarily activated different neurons in the brain. However, the activation pattern became more stable when they took longer breaks. In other words, the same neurons activated during the first learning phase became active again during the next one.

In conclusion, the team found that reactivating the same neurons allowed for stronger connections in the brain. This meant the mice could pick back up where they left off rather than restart the learning process each time. Because the mice learned over a longer period, the neural pathways strengthened. This process helped activate the brain each time the neurons fired, helping to rewire the pathways gradually.

“That’s why we believe that memory benefits from longer breaks,” says Pieter Goltstein.

Final thoughts on how spacing out learning improves cognitive function

We’ve probably all crammed for an exam the night before a test, only to flunk or barely pass, to our dismay. If you ever wondered why this happens, now you have your answer. According to this revolutionary research, it seems that our brains can’t process that much information so quickly. According to the German study, spacing out learning helps activate the brain and rewire neural pathways more effectively.

So, after more than a hundred years, the study provides much-needed information about how neural processes affect learning. If we space out learning, it helps our brains retain the information for a longer period. Of course, this comes with the cost of taking longer to learn the task or knowledge. But, it benefits us in the end because the knowledge sticks with us rather than going in one ear and out the other.

Hopefully, this study will lead to better ways of learning in the future. In our society, we always seem to want more, faster, without regard for consequences. This research, however, provides more evidence that slow and steady always wins in the long term.

18 Things a Self-aware Person Does Without Realizing It

May 24, 2022 by Chris Butler

What if you lived your life without caring what others thought and having the freedom to be yourself? Many lack the courage to live their truths, mainly because it might not fit into society’s molds. However, self-aware people are different because they embrace their individuality and live life individually.

These are the people who are free enough to be different because it’s what makes them happy. Are you daring enough to understand your character and live your truth without regrets?

Eighteen Things Self-Aware Folks Do With Very Little Effort

Do you know why they put mirrors in dressing rooms at department stores? They want their customers to see their true selves. They want them to take a good look in the mirror and see if the clothing suits their style and fits perfectly.

The self-aware person has a proverbial mirror that reflects outward and inwardly, and they’ve become accustomed to looking at their reflections. Here are some other things this person does without knowing it.

1. Never Takes Things Personally

Being in tune with yourself means that you don’t wear your emotions on your sleeve. You’re confident enough that even if a person gives you a dig, you know how to let it roll off your back.

2. Aware of Their Thoughts

Though this person is constantly aware of their thoughts, they know that they’re the only one who hears them. However, they also recognize that they cannot control what pops into their brains, so they know they aren’t required to obey them. Their thoughts aren’t in charge of their life, and they can override these inner voices when they don’t align with their goals and dreams.

3. Don’t Get Caught up in Feelings

You’re always going to have feelings that come and go, but these thoughts don’t mean that you must act on them. They help guide you by directing you to what’s important, but there is a space between the stimulus and the response, and in this space is your power to choose what’s right.

4. Understand Life Has Certainty and Uncertainty

There’s nothing in life that’s sure, and the sands of time are constantly shifting. However, the self-assured person knows that life will come with both certainty and uncertainty, and they will embrace both.

They’ve also discovered that too much certainty can equal boredom, and living in a world of constant uncertainty can bring about great anxiety. So, they learn to roll with the punches and live in the moment.

5. Know What’s Important and What’s Not

Writing down a list of essential things can help you see the reasons why you’re not happy. However, someone who has self-assurance already knows all the things necessary to them, and they’re aware of the things they must let go.

Additionally, they know that they’re responsible for their own happiness, and they don’t depend on others to find it. Keeping this running tally of their lives and goals in mind helps them stay on course.

6. Mistakes Are Chances to Grow

You will never see the self-aware person letting a mistake pass without learning a lesson. They embrace each failure as there’s something to gain that comes with the loss. You can see examples of this throughout history. Remember Milton Hershey and the famous chocolate empire?

At the age of 18, Hershey filed for bankruptcy. He struggled to find a chocolate recipe that would change the world. After numerous failed attempts and filing for bankruptcy twice, he finally found a recipe to change the candy industry forever.

However, what would the outcome have been if he never learned from his mistakes?

7. Live in Reality

Between pessimism and optimism lies a realm of reality. The self-aware person is often a realist, as they choose to see things at face value. Living, in reality, means that sometimes you must admit defeat.

If you don’t accept failures as well as your victories, then how can you grow? They’re eager to accept that where they are isn’t where they want to be, but they know they have the power to change things. Plus, they don’t judge themselves for things out of their control.

8. Don’t Care What Others Think About Them

Going through life always caring about what others think of you can cripple you emotionally. While there is some level of importance of what your spouse and family think, you can’t allow it to stave your dreams and hopes for your life to make them happy.

According to Pick The Brain, people who constantly live to please others have a psychological disorder. It’s a seemingly uncontrollable issue that lives within the self-conscious. Sadly, your full potential and capability cannot be reached when you look to others for validation.

9. Self-Care Is Important

While this person isn’t selfish, they know that it’s okay to put their needs above others through self-care. They don’t need frustration, annoyance, and unhappiness from being last on the list. They know to be healthy and fulfilled in life, their needs are essential.

10. Exude Kindness

This person has learned that being kind to others makes you more loving, compassionate, and full of tenderness. They also know that karma has a way of repaying your debt, whether good or bad.

11. Sets Appropriate Boundaries

The self-assured person lives by an internal set of rules that governs them. Please don’t ask them to step over one of these boundaries they’ve created, as they’re firm in how they live their life. They also believe that having boundaries makes them a better person, and they’re an individual with structure and discipline.

12. Have No Problem Saying No

Why is the word “no” one of the most difficult to utter in the English language? It’s simple; this word gives you power and control over your life. When you tell someone that you can’t possibly fit another thing on your plate, you’re enforcing the boundaries you’ve set. It’s one of the most powerful words you’ll use, and the aware person uses it with ease.

13. Don’t Use the Word Can’t

What you accomplish in life is really about your mindset. The aware person knows that the word “can’t” shouldn’t be in their vocabulary. Remember your parents teaching you the old saying that “Can’t, can’t do anything?” Well, they live by this motto and veto these words from their brain.

14. Know It’s Okay Not to Be Okay

The person who embraces their self-awareness knows that there are going to be days when they’re not okay. They also know that these days are just part of life, and they must embrace the good things that happen to them as well as the bad. However, the knowledge is that for every storm that blows their way, there’s a day filled with sunny skies coming.

15. Can Admit They’re Wrong

It’s challenging to admit that you’re wrong, even if you have confidence in yourself. However, it’s crucial to admit to your mistakes so that you can learn from them. Someone very aware of their internal and external self has no problem admitting defeat. They feel that It’s much better than living in denial.

16. Take Responsibility

These folks have learned over time that it’s easier to take responsibility for their actions than to try to blame it on someone else. When you own something, it’s very liberating. Plus, when you own up to your mistakes, it makes growing from them easier too.

17. Practice Gratitude

Being aware of your life and the world around you allows you to practice gratitude with ease. Where would you be if you weren’t thankful for all the blessings given to you by the Universe? Have you ever heard someone grumble and complain constantly because they don’t have what their neighbor or family member does?

The person who practices awareness learns that once they know to be thankful for the blessings they’ve been given, it opens the path to more. However, they’re okay if they don’t get more, as they’ve learned to be content with what they have in life.

18. They Live Their Truth

The aware person is often considered someone who marches to the beat of their own drum, but it’s okay for them to be different. They’re more concerned with making themselves happy than those around them. They know that at the end of the day they are the ones that are responsible for the joy in their lives, and they’re not going to have that by living a lie.

Final Thoughts on the Actions of a Self-Aware Person

If you live your life based on the expectation of others, then you’re not genuinely living “your” life. The self-aware person is in-tune with their thoughts and needs, and they aren’t afraid to embrace the inadequacies within. Though sometimes the aware folks are often confused with someone conceited or vain, nothing could be further from the truth.

The aware person wants to live their lives to make themselves happy, but they have no problem admitting their failures to help them learn. Additionally, because they live their truths, they are kind, compassionate, and driven individuals. Are you self-aware or do you live your life by the expectations of others?

10 Ways to Stop Resisting Change and Move Forward

May 24, 2022 by Deborah Tayloe

Change is inevitable in life. As soon as you get used to cold temperatures and snow, the flowers begin to bloom, and the warm air fills the atmosphere. Even nature knows that things are constantly evolving, but why are so many people resisting change in life?

If you listened in science class, you might recall the fantastic journey of the caterpillar to become a butterfly. They go through many stages to evolve into something beautiful. There’s a point during the metamorphosis process where the caterpillar completely digests itself, and it appears their life is over, according to Scientific American.

However, while things may seem a little grim when the pupa liquifies, this must happen to complete the process. Now, put that into terms of your life. Have you felt that you’ve been beaten up by living, shaken to your core, and you’ve nothing left to give?

There may be many times you feel that you want to “throw in the towel.” However, it’s during these times of uncertainty that the Universe is molding and shaping you for something bigger, better, and more beautiful than you can imagine.

Change Is Scary

Change is never easy, and it can be downright scary at times. Take, for instance, getting offered a new job and moving halfway across the country. It can be a significant feat to leave family and friends in search of a unique opportunity. However, what you can’t see is there will be new friends, more things to do, and a whole new you will emerge.

However, some people are just resistant to change, almost to the point that any change is upsetting their entire schedule. Did you know that children thrive on habits? Ask any pediatrician, and they will tell you that kids do better when established on a routine.

If you get their bedtime off even by a half-hour, it can cause them to have a major meltdown. It’s also an issue for adults. You become accustomed to waking up at 6 am to be at work by 8 am.

When you oversleep by even 15 minutes, it throws your whole day off. Resisting change is common, and it’s even expected. You may be excited at the opportunity to buy a new home and move to a bigger space, but when it comes down to the actual task of moving, you become reluctant.

Deep down, you know that you made the right decision, but you’re so scared of the unknown. Your mind will play tricks on you in this process too. You will find everything you look at as undesirable in the new home.

You may point out a light switch that feels loose, a room that’s warmer than others, or a wall that has imperfections from shoddy drywall work. However, it’s your brain’s way of justifying your feelings. The good news is that soon those imperfections won’t be noticeable, and the house will feel like your home.

However, when you’re going through this type of metamorphosis in life, things look grim.

Ten Ways To Stop Resisting Change

The good news is that you’re not alone in how you feel, as these are common feelings. Now how do you stop resisting change and embrace the newness that life brings?

Since you can’t stop it, you might as well learn practical coping tools to embrace the opportunities you’ve been given. Here are some ways to help you accomplish this goal.

1. Find Your Inner Strength

Everyone has an inner strength and help that they call on in times of trouble. Turning to your faith can be beneficial when your life is changing. You don’t have to be sad and downtrodden.

You can use tools like meditation, prayers, and yoga to help get you into a better mind space and stop resisting the inevitable.

2. Be More Open and Flexible

As you age, you learn that being flexible sure makes life a lot easier. The more you resist, the more difficult it will be for you. Now, you should know that gaining flexibility will not happen overnight, but you can slowly start to open and extend beyond your comfort zone.

Though it is hard, try ordering something new at your favorite restaurant. Sure, you’ve got manicotti for twenty years when you go to this Italian eatery, but why not change it up and get some lasagna? Start incorporating small changes like this into your life so that you’re not resistant to the bigger things.

3. Discover What You’re Resisting

Identify what about the change is making you so hesitant. For instance, if you’re moving to a new town, write down the parts that cause your apprehension.

If the resistance is coming from not having any friends, you should brainstorm ways to mingle when you get to the new city. Being proactive about your opposition can help you to work through it.

4. Recognize Your Actual Fears

What are you scared of? If you’re buying a new house, is it out of your comfort zone financially? Sure, you can afford it, or the bank wouldn’t give you the loan, but you need identify the concern. When you face your fears, you desensitize them.

Exposure therapy is a tool that therapists often use for people who have phobias. According to the National Library of Medicine, when the condition is anxiety-based, this type of therapy is very effective.

5. Change Your Mindset

Did you know that you have the power to change your mindset? Every time negative thoughts pop into your head about change, you can counter them with something positive. So, if you’re mind starts wandering and you’re thinking, “There’s no way I will be happy in a new city with no one I know,” why not counter it with “There’s going to be so many new and exciting people to meet.”

By changing your thought processes, you can alter your perceptions. Eventually, your brain will automatically start thinking about all the good things rather than dwelling on the negative.

6. Consider the Upsides

Why do people always look at all the negative things about any change? It would help if you considered the upsides. For instance, if you’re changing jobs, why not think about all the money you will make rather than the coworkers you’ll lose? Again, it’s about changing the brain and altering your perceptions to comfort yourself.

7. Talk to a Therapist

A therapist is a person who can help you get through tough times. They can help you uncover why you’re resisting change and give you ways to overcome your fears.

8. Accept Your Resistance

Maybe you need to embrace that resistance to change is expected. Your feelings are normal, and you’re not thinking anything that no one else would in your shoes. Embrace the things that make you fearful, but learn how to have power over your negative thoughts.

9. Switch Perspectives and Identify and See Why Change Is Good

Have you ever heard of someone “playing Devil’s advocate?” Look at the other side of the situation rather than seeing things from only your perspective. How would your parents, friends, or other family members see this change in your life?

Do they see it as positive or negative? Sometimes, changes you’re making aren’t the best for you, and you can’t often see this when you’re in the thick of it. Stepping back and looking at things from another perspective can be very eye-opening.

10. Become a “Change Champion.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if your personality was so adaptable that you could handle any changes that come your way? Resisting change is normal, but why do you have to be so resistant to anything good that might come your way? You have the power to become a change champion, meaning that you learn to roll with the punches.

While you may not like any alterations in your life, they can also bring about amazing things. Have you ever seen someone who rearranges their furniture constantly? These people love to change things around and give their space a fresh look.

They’ve learned the power of change and are using it positively to alter the world around them.

Final Thoughts on Resisting Change

Resisting change has many underlying issues. For some folks, they fear the unknown. Others are scared because they don’t like to do anything that upsets their current routine. Finally, some people fear a lack of their abilities.

Some changes you embrace with open arms, and some you’re being forced to do. What if you lose your job, and the bank forecloses on your home? Moving in this instance isn’t your choice, but you’re being forced into doing something.

Sadly, life comes with good changes and bad ones, but you must be willing to learn how to manage your emotions and outlook. Remember, there’s always someone watching you. If you’re upset and nervous about a new job, a move, or some other major upheaval in life, then your children and other family members will feed off your fears.

Learn how to stop resisting change and make the best of it. Where would that caterpillar be if it didn’t go through the drastic process of metamorphosis, and how sad would this world be without the beautiful butterfly visiting your garden?

Life is changing you, humbling you, and molding you into being a better person, so embrace the journey.

3 Ways To Stop Overspending (And How to Save Money Instead)

May 24, 2022 by Lakeisha Ethans

Overspending can leave you cash-strapped and struggling, living from paycheck to paycheck.

Have you been struggling financially? Do your savings dry up or even fail to start being set aside at all? Do you often spend enough to leave you hanging well before your next paycheck is due? It can be very frustrating to try to spend carefully but still wind up in a lousy situation time and time again!

While there are many reasons that this could be happening. In fact, a CNBC article notes that overspending is one most common mistakes financial advisors see their clients making. Usually, there are ways to stop these problems. At least, you can quell them to more manageable and positive levels. Here are three ways to stop overspending and effective ways to save money as you do so.

1. Focus On Cash, Not Credit

The world has been leaning towards going cashless for a long time, which opens up the risk of overspending through credit cards or similar forms of credit. While debit cards are generally okay to use, credit cards are dangerous for those who tend to overspend. You’ll charge your card for everything and wind up with more debt than you can pay off.

To save money and stop overspending, focusing more on cash instead of credit is a good idea. It would be best if you opted to pay with cash for most of your purchases, and when considering your budget and remaining money, think only of cash. Here are some other tips for shifting your focus away from credit:

·Try Going Cash-Only For A Short Time

If you’ve become very used to using credit cards for everything, it may seem a little impossible or overwhelming to stick to cash long-term right away. To work your way up to it and promote positive thinking, you’ll likely want to start by going cash-only for only a short amount of time. For example, you can set a goal to use cash only for thirty days, or if you rely on cards, just for seven days first. Slowly work your way up to longer and longer periods, ultimately weaning yourself off the dependency on credit!

·Don’t Keep Credit Card Details Memorized Anywhere

The more accessible your credit card information is to you, the more likely you are to use it automatically. Don’t memorize your card details, don’t write them down or carry them around, don’t save them on mobile apps, and don’t save them on websites for future purchases. The goal is to make it harder for you to want to use your credit card. Use debit cards instead if you must!

·Wait 48 Hours To Avoid Overspending

It’s good advice, in general, to wait for a day or two before making a final decision on purchases that aren’t crucial to your life. This is a great way to prevent the prevalence of impulse purchases, and when applied correctly, it can also help you avoid using credit. If you want to buy something, set physical cash aside first and wait 48 hours. For the next 48 hours, use only cash when buying daily necessities.

If you still have that physical cash and don’t need it by the end of those two days, you can make the original purchase as intended. And if you’ve decided that you don’t want to buy that item in that time – well, good for you, too!

2. Determine What Triggers Overspending

If you overspend, something likely triggers your decision to do so. To stop this habit, it only makes sense that you’d have to examine it to find what is causing it to happen in the first place. This requires you to be completely honest about your spending and what has been happening that could be a catalyst for your decision to open your wallet a little too far.

Knowing about something is half the battle won, so understanding why you spend too much is crucial in developing measures and responses to combat that impulse. But how can you identify the triggers of your spending so that you can save money and restrain yourself? Here are some things to consider when trying to identify triggers:

·Your Mood

You’ve probably heard of the concept of an emotional eater, meaning someone who eats a lot when they’re experiencing strong, stressful, or overwhelming emotions. But did you know that emotional spending is also something that can happen? When you’re stressed out, anxious, or feeling bad, you may turn to retail therapy to boost your positive thinking. This can lead to impulsive purchases and a lot of spending. Learning to manage your mood and respond healthily to stress is recommended. Going for a walk, expressing yourself through art, or venting to a trusted person are all better options than going on a spending spree!

·The Environment You’re In

There may be certain environments that motivate you to spend money or make you buy the nice things you see. Think about it. Do you tend to spend a lot when you’re in a shopping mall? Or do you visit craft fairs and blow your budget on trinkets? Do festive decorations make you want to shop and buy gifts? Consider what environments make you most likely to spend and work on avoiding them. Of course, you can’t steer clear of these places all the time, so if need be, you should bring as little money as possible to these locations.

·The Time Of The Day You Shop

It seems a little arbitrary on the surface, but the time you choose to shop may determine how much you spend. For example, you may have more energy to make wise choices with your spending in the morning. Or perhaps, in the evening, you may be less stressed out because you’ve completed your to-do list, which allows you to spend more mindfully. Or even maybe you shop best in the middle of the day because the existence of a time limit for your process will enable you to avoid hanging around for too long and buying unnecessary things. Basically, determine how the day’s time determines the way you shop and adapt accordingly!

·The People You’re Around

Are a lot of your friends more affluent than you? Do they tend to be a little more liberal with their spending methods? Do they opt for shopping as a hangout option? When they invite you out, do they suggest or bring you to be expensive or pricey places? Any of these things could make you feel pressured into spending or could lead to you getting swept up at the moment, resulting in a decision to spend your money when you normally wouldn’t. Try suggesting more financially gentle options for your hangouts with friends and loved ones, or disclose your financial situation so you can discuss a compromise. And, of course, if there are people in your life who make you feel bad for not spending as much money as them, it’s time to drop them and move on!

3. Plan And Budget

This is an obvious step, but many people who overspend and struggle to save money don’t do it. Or maybe they think they are but are doing it improperly. Even if you think you’ve been planning and budgeting, if you struggle with saving and spending, then you’re likely not doing this properly. And if you don’t plan or budget at all – it’s time to start! Here’s how to begin:

·Take Stock Of Your Income

How can you properly ensure you know everything about your income? You need to track the exact income you receive and determine where it’s going. It may take a month to develop a full and accurate idea of how much you spend and where. Write down your income or use a spreadsheet or money-tracking software.

Log your expenses and divide them into as many categories as you need: housing payments, utilities, basic non-negotiable necessities, loans, and debt repayments, groceries, savings, eating outdoors, buying clothes, buying games, and whatever else is relevant. This will give you an accurate picture of your spending and how to improve it.

·Budget Based On Your Income

Now that you’ve taken stock of your income, you can look through what you spend and determine what you can cut down on, what is entirely unnecessary, and how much your expenses exceed or don’t exceed your income. You may have a few wake-up calls about how much you’re spending on different things. Get honest with yourself about what you truly need. If you need to, investing in a consultation with a financial advisor may be a worthy expenditure, but tread lightly and do your research before choosing an advisor to speak to.

·Plan Your Bills

If you forget to pay your bills on time, you could be hit with all sorts of fees. Set reminders and always pay them as soon as you get the income to do so. If necessary, you can and should set up automatic billing, so you don’t need to remember to pay your bills for them to be settled on time.

·Set Financial Goals

To save money and stop overspending, you’ll need to set goals regarding how much you want to improve the management of your finances. Set concrete goals – for example, a goal like “I will halve my spending on clothing from $100 a month to $50 a month” or “I will put aside 15% of my income for savings every month”. These concrete, specific goals ensure that you’re not able to hedge around vague statements like “I’ll spend less on clothes” or “I’ll save a little more.” Set a mix of short-term and long-term goals and work towards them every day, adjusting goals for realism and challenge as you go.

Final Thoughts On How To Stop Overspending And Effective Ways To Save Money

These modern years are turbulent times for many people and their finances. You shouldn’t feel ashamed if you’ve been having trouble managing your money. Instead, focus your efforts and energy on utilizing wise methods to save money and stop overspending. Even if the change is small, a little bit of extra money can go a long way and do many positive things for your life!

6 Things Every Avid Gamer Should Know About Sleep

May 23, 2022 by Lakeisha Ethans

The gaming community grows bigger and bigger every year. With the advent of more accessible ways to game, people of all ages and backgrounds have come to love the hobby. But, as with any community, they deal with specific stereotypes–like how a gamer does not enough sleep!

Are you one of those gamers who spends all night playing to your heart’s content? Or do you think you’re totally fine and are regulating your bedtime schedule well? Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, it’s a good idea to educate yourself on some facts about sleep. If you’re an avid gamer, here are six things you need to know about sleep.

1. Gaming At Night Keeps You Awake

When you play a video game, you can become quite immersed in it. That immersion lends itself to physical and mental arousal that keeps you alert, even after you’ve closed the game. This can even lend itself to physical reactions, such as:

Heightened heart rate
More active brain waves
Reduced sleepiness

The stimulation from video games is more than enough to make it hard to sleep. It’s best to turn off your console at least an hour before you need to go to bed. If you don’t, you’ll wind up tossing and turning throughout the night.

2. Sleep Is Affected By Your Environment

A lot of gamers boast about having a flashy setup featuring LEDs, lots of other flashing lights, and high-tech devices. That’s all very cool – unless it’s in your bedroom!

In order to fall asleep, you need to be in an environment that’s conducive to it. While you can probably sleep anywhere if you’re exhausted enough, the best sleep is had in a comfortable atmosphere. You’ll want little to no light, a cool temperature, comfortable bedding, and a space free from the stress of daily life.

The brain often draws connections between the things in its environment and whether or not it should be asleep. For example, you’re much more likely to feel sleepy in your living room than when you’re out and about. This means that your brain registers certain environmental factors with different things. The sight of a warm blanket is associated with sleep, but a gaming setup is associated with wide-awake fun!

Having your gaming setup in your bedroom can be disruptive if your brain has decided that this space is one for wakefulness. Plus, the distraction of knowing that your games are right there can make it even harder to want to sleep. And when you know your bed is so near to you, you can trick yourself into thinking you’ll sleep in five minutes. Then, the next thing you know, it’s two hours later!

It may be best to move your setup elsewhere if you have room for it somewhere different in your house. If you really have no choice about its location, just make sure to turn all lights associated with your gaming corner off.

3. Even If You Get Enough Sleep, Gaming Can Reduce Its Quality

You might think that sleeping for the recommended nightly amount will absolve you of sleep-related troubles. But if you game a lot, think again! The fact is that gaming in general, even at reasonable hours, can reduce the quality of your sleep. Here are some facts and figures about the ways gaming affects sleep, according to studies:

More than an hour of daily gaming gives you a 30% higher risk of poor sleep.
Gaming for several hours often results in later and later bedtimes.
A high volume of gaming can cause symptoms of insomnia and fatigue.
Sleep latency is longer and sleep efficiency is lower when you game a lot.
You are at risk of needing sleep medication if you spend a lot of time playing games.
Playing video games can completely change your sleep quality and habits.

It is worth noting that there are no loopholes to these facts. You can’t game all weekend and then avoid games all week so you get six days of good sleep. It doesn’t work that way! The average daily time, calculated from a week of activity, is what matters. Your 14 hours of Saturday gaming still amount to 2 hours a day every week when it comes to statistics.

Another thing to consider is the period of time that you spend gaming without a break. Long stretches of uninterrupted gameplay can wreak havoc on your sleep, says research. You will:

Have more trouble falling asleep
Feel sleepier throughout the day
Spend less time asleep on average

All the fun you get from gaming isn’t worth the exhaustion you’ll get if you don’t sleep well enough. A lack of sleep is associated with physical and mental health issues and can decrease positive thinking significantly. Basically, you’ll feel awful if you don’t rest enough, and you might get sick!

4. Blue Light Is Bad For Sleep

Blue light is a product of artificial lighting from your electronics, and it’s known to cause sleep problems. This is because the light that is emitted is on a wavelength that can trick your mind. Studies say that the blue wavelength can feel just like daytime to the brain, making you feel awake as a result.

Numerous studies have also found links between the use of electronics at night and the ability to sleep well. The human brain has built-in sleep-wake cycles and uses light to judge those cycles, so any nighttime brightness can be damaging. The blue light prevents you from producing enough of the sleep hormone melatonin.

Gaming consoles are just like any other electronic device; they emit blue light! If you game on a PC or on your phone, you can download a filter to reduce that light. If your console doesn’t allow for such filters, try purchasing blue-light-blocking glasses. Some eyeglasses can even come with a coating that blocks that light already, so ask your doctor about them!

It may also be a good idea to cut back on gaming close to bedtime. Give yourself two or three hours before it’s time to turn in so that your brain can readjust. While you’re at it, avoid other sources of blue light, too!

5. Intense Games Make It Hard To Sleep

Have you ever watched a heart-pumping movie and found yourself too wound up to sleep afterward? The same can happen with video games! With all the visual information, attention, and decision-making that games require, it can get pretty tense. Studies show that a game’s intensity can predict poor sleep even more than gaming duration does!

Virtually any game can have “intense” content that will keep you up at night. It’s all about pace, content, and even the mental or emotional demands of the game. Still, the worst offenders are fast-paced options packed with the need for quick reactions and heavy action. As such, the most common genres that create this problem are:

Action
Beat-em-up
Metroidvania
Roguelike
Horror
Soulslike
Stealth

There’s no need to avoid games like this altogether, so keep your positive thinking! Just try to avoid playing games that tend to wind you up when your bedtime draws near. Even better, you can play casual or calming games before you sleep to help you settle in. Anything that brings positive, cozy feelings with it can be a great choice.

6. Energy Drinks Harm Sleep

Energy drinks, such as Monster, are almost synonymous with the stereotypical gamer. Whether you fit that stereotype or not, it’s worth learning about how much they can harm your sleeping habits.

At their core, energy drinks are so named because they make you feel energized. Their “secret” is simple: it’s all about caffeine! These drinks are packed with caffeine and sugar that keep you awake the way coffee will. And well, we all know how bad caffeine can be for sleep!

But how, exactly, does caffeine do this? In a nutshell, the psychoactive ingredient works by inhibiting receptors of adenosine, which is a chemical that promotes sleep. The longer you’re awake, the more adenosine naturally builds up, and caffeine stops that from happening, according to research.

Caffeine can remain in effect for as long as six hours. This means that if you drink an energy drink – or coffee – six hours before bed, it could still keep you up. Worse still, individuals who drink caffeine a long time before bed can be completely unaware that their sleep was affected. They may falsely believe that they got good sleep, but scans and tests would reveal otherwise, as they do in research! Caffeine also affects sleep in the following ways.

· It Makes Sleep Bad

When you drink caffeine, you can find yourself struggling to fall asleep and stay asleep. You’re also likely to feel less satisfied with your nighttime rest when the morning breaks, says research. This is because caffeine disrupts crucial restorative slow-wave sleep, preventing you from reaping the usual benefits of such rest.

· It Doesn’t Counteract Sleep Loss

Some people believe that drinking caffeine will more than offset the lack of sleep from last night. This isn’t true at all. No amount of caffeine will “make up” for lost sleep, say studies. In fact, nothing at all can give you back the hours of snooze time you didn’t get. That’s why ignoring your sleep needs is just so not worth it!

· It Traps You In A Sleepy Cycle

People often drink caffeine so they feel more awake, but that doesn’t always happen, say studies. With the excessive sleep problems that can come from the overuse of caffeine, you’re also likely to feel more tired. This means that you’ll crave more caffeine the next day, which will worsen sleep problems further, which will make you sleepier… and it goes on! This dangerous cycle is how many gamers get addicted to energy beverages.

· It Causes Insomnia

To some degree, caffeine use can be alright, especially if you need to pull a rare all-nighter. But with caffeine overuse, as often seen with energy drinks in the gaming world, the effects are less positive. Studies show that too much caffeine can lead to the manifestation of insomnia symptoms. If you already have insomnia, it can worsen your condition!

Final Thoughts On The Importance Of Sleep For Avid Gamers

Gaming is an exciting way to pass the time, but be smart about it. Make sure you’re not sacrificing your health and sleep for the sake of this hobby, no matter how fun it seems! Discover top betting platforms at vedonlyöntiilmanrekisteröitymistä.com for convenient and secure gaming.

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