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6 Ways to Drink Enough Water Every Day

July 24, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Do you drink enough water every day?

Water is the most crucial item that you consume. It provides the body with the hydration it needs to function smoothly. It can boost positive thinking, balance metabolism, protect the body against diseases, and more.

But many people don’t get as much water as they should daily. This dehydrated condition can lead to dehydration which, while it may not be apparent on the surface, might be wreaking havoc on your body. But just saying, “Drink more water!” is often easier said than done. Those who aren’t used to drinking often may have trouble getting the necessary amount of liquid.

So, what can you do to ensure you’re drinking sufficiently? Several options can help promote better hydration, often without you even realizing it!

Here Are 6 Ways To Drink Enough Water Every Day

1. Make It Routine

Routines are powerful things. They can shape your life and allow you to do things in an almost automatic manner naturally. As such, adding the act of drinking water to your day as a routine can be the most effective way of ensuring you get enough of it. Here’s how to do so:

Make A Habit

To do this, find something you often do throughout the day and add a glass of water to them. For example, drink when you stand up to go to the bathroom. Or, when you come out of your car, drink. Find little habits to which you can attach a drink so it becomes an automatic process.

Alarms

Set alarms on your phone at regular intervals to remind you to drink. This can be a bit invasive, but if you’re having trouble, use some positive thinking and go with it until it’s easier for you to drink regularly.

Bottle Markers

Buy a water bottle with time markers that force you to drink specific amounts by a certain time. If you don’t want to blow cash on this expense, get a bottle you don’t mind defacing and use a permanent marker to make your drinking deadlines on the bottle.

Apps

There are plenty of apps available that track your water intake. Some will even give you notifications every hour or so to remind you to drink! Look around for ones that have features that work for you.

Fill Your Glass Up

Just drained your water bottle? Finished downing a glass of water? Go and fill it up immediately, so you don’t put off your next drink due to hassle or laziness.

2. Make It Flavorful

It’s not unusual for someone to make “infused” water by adding certain natural flavors into it. You’d be surprised how much a little touch of sweetness, spice, or other taste can transform a simple bottle or glass of water! Here are some things you can add to your agua for more flavor that will encourage you to keep drinking:

Citrus Fruit

There are many different kinds that you can use in water – oranges, lemons, and calamansi are some of them. You can slice the fruits up and place them inside your water, or use the small calamansi by freezing them in ice and adding them to your water later. Citrus fruits are a great, positive source of vitamin C, too! (1)

Sweet Fruit

Berries, melons, grapes, and even mangos make great additions to water, providing a little boost in flavor that takes them to the next level. Do pay attention to their sugar content, though, and don’t overdo it!

Herbs

There are many different herbs that you can use to spice up your drink. Lemongrass, parsley, mint, and more are all fantastic options. Muddle the herbs of choice to bring out even more good flavor – a wooden spoon works best for this purpose!

Ginger

This root has plenty of positive benefits to the body, adding immunity while preventing oxidation and inflammation. It also gives a bit of a bite to your sky juice, and it’s perfect for when you’re a little under the weather. (2)

3. Change How You Drink

You may be wondering how someone can change how they drink. After all, it’s simple, right? You tip your head back and swallow some water. But this is far from the case! Here are some small changes you can make that may allow you to drink more water every day:

Drink In Sips

When you feel extremely thirsty, that’s a sign that you likely should have been drinking a little more beforehand. It can be challenging to want to drink when you’re not dehydrated, especially if you’re not used to it, so make it a habit to drink in small sips throughout the day.

Use Bigger Containers

Upgrade your standard glass to a large one. Buy a bigger water bottle. Store water in a giant jug. These bigger containers will trick your brain into wanting to drink more.

Get The Temperature Right

Sometimes, a dislike of water stems from lousy temperature control. Try warmer water to see if it works better for you, or add a few ice cubes for a colder option. You never know – this temperature change could entirely alter your enjoyment of water altogether!

Use A Straw

Did you know that you’re more likely to drink more water when you drink through a straw? Try and see if you can drink all your water with a straw. To be more environmentally friendly, go for a reusable straw, such as a metal one – or, at the very least, use paper straws!

Use Sparkling Water

Not everyone likes club soda, but if you do, you can use it to add a little something special to your water. It has all the same properties of water, just with carbonation, so it is not bad for you!

4. Determine How Much You Need

It’s difficult to meet the daily requirements of water if you don’t know what those requirements are. As a rule, the general advice is 2 liters of water per day – or about eight glasses – but this can vary from person to person. You should aim to drink that much at a minimum, but you can drink more if your lifestyle requires it.

Factors that can affect the amount of water you need to drink are:

Exercise level
Climate
Diet
Illnesses

It’s a good idea to figure out how much water you need in a day and when you can drink it. This timing doesn’t seem necessary for many people. But if, for example, you have a long commute home from work or a similar commitment daily, you may not want to down half a bottle of water right before that.

Some aspects of your life may prevent you from drinking water when you can. It’s essential to figure out how much water you need, how often you need it, and when it is most comfortable for you to receive that hydration. Listen to your body and follow its needs!

5. Change Some Eating Habits

There are some habits you can change in relation to mealtimes and your diet that can help you get enough water in your everyday life. After all, these are all products that you consume, and water is one of them. Here are some areas to pay attention to:

Before Meals

It’s a good idea to drink a couple of glasses of water before eating. It can become a mealtime habit that you perform naturally, so you don’t forget, and it also helps to prevent overeating, according to studies. (3)

Swap Dehydrating Drinks

Do you drink a lot of caffeine? How about carbonated drinks? How about anything full of sugar? These components cause moisture to drain from your body to help dilute the high levels of sugar. Switch to water – or at least to some tea – to combat this issue.

Add Hydrating Foods

Have trouble drinking more water? You may be able to eat it instead! Certain foods are packed with liquid that can keep you fresh and hydrated throughout the day. Some options are watermelon, strawberries, celery, cucumber, spinach, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, and more!

Eat More Spicy Foods

You’ll reach for the water more quickly when you eat something spicy. If you can’t drink extra water unprompted, throwing in some savory meals can help you naturally down a lot of water to keep cool. It’s not the best method out there, but it works!

Add More Ice

Pour more ice into your favorite iced drinks to get extra water content quickly. It will cause your drinks to be more diluted, but that’s a small price to pay for better hydration!

6. Invest In A Filter

If you have an issue with water tasting odd or weird, you may want to invest in a filter. You can opt for bottles with filters in them or purchase filters that can be attached to your sink for easy filling straight from the tap.

Filters can help water to taste better – and even smell better! This improvement is because the screen helps to remove a variety of unwanted components from the liquid, allowing it to be as clear and pure as possible.

Plus, filtering water ensures that it is nice and clean, so you don’t have to worry about contamination. It also means you can more easily refill your water without worrying too much about health value. In fact, drinking water that has been cleaned this way actually can reduce the risk of disease.

Final Thoughts On Some Ways To Drink Enough Water Every Day

It’s incredible how much drinking more water can do for your body. Your bodily fluids will be more balanced, your weight will be more easily managed, and your skin will be healthier. You may even find that you have stronger muscles, your gut health will improve, and your kidneys will be in tip-top shape.

Given all these incredible benefits, drinking enough water every day is vital. Find ways to incorporate drinking water into your routine more regularly, even if you have to “cheat” first with water-rich foods or by adding ice to your drinks.

Every single small extra amount of hydration your body receives helps it. Your body will thank you whether that amount is two liters or more!

6 Ways To Lose Weight Without Working Out

July 24, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Lots of people around the world want to lose weight. It’s a goal commonly added to new year’s resolutions, something people constantly seem to be trying for, and an issue that sounds much easier to get through than it really is.

Losing weight typically requires a significant amount of effort. Many people begin intense workout routines to aid their progress, alongside being more mindful of their diet. But what if you don’t want to exercise, or don’t have time to? Are you doomed to never lose weight?

Luckily, the answer is no! There are plenty of simple methods you can implement that may help you even more than exercising will.

Here Are 6 Ways To Lose Weight Without Working Out

Want to learn how to spur weight loss without hitting the gym? Read on to learn more.

1. Add More Of Certain Nutrients

What you eat is, understandably, one of the biggest influencing factors of weight gain, loss, and maintenance. Even if you’re careful to count your calories, or even if you think you eat reasonably, the components of the foods you consume may not be sufficient to help you keep off extra pounds. Here are some nutrients to try getting more of:

Eat More Fiber

Fiber has the benefit of expanding in your stomach, causing you to feel much fuller for prolonged periods of time. This is especially true of viscous fiber, which has been found to greatly increase satiety, furthering weight loss progress quickly.

This occurs because of the gel that forms when any type of viscous fiber touches water. It causes nutrients to be digested and absorbed more slowly so you don’t need to eat again as quickly.

Eat Probiotics

You may know probiotics as the types of bacteria found in things like yogurt and other fermented foods. They hold a lot of positive traits that can significantly help the digestion process. They help regulate mood and can even lower overall fat content within the body.

Eat More Protein

Protein is capable of causing you to feel more full, which can, in turn, have positive effects on overall satiety, allowing you to better regulate your snacking. You may even naturally eat less during meals because you feel full more quickly. (1)

Why does this happen? Many believe that it is because of a number of hormones that are affected by the consumption of protein. Some studies have found that you can lose weight, around 11 pounds, just by upping your protein intake by around 50%!

Get More Vitamin D

Although it’s far from conclusive, some research suggests that having too little vitamin D within your blood can be linked to issues such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and osteoarthritis. Many vitamin D-deficient individuals wind up being highly overweight.

2. Sleep Enough

You may have noticed that the more drowsy you are, the more likely you are to eat in excess. Scientists are slightly at odds about why it happens, but all are in agreement that tired people eat more than they usually do.

Some theories suggest that those who sleep too little produce more ghrelin in their bodies. This hormone is responsible for causing you to feel hungry. It also causes increases in the stress hormone cortisol, and stress can really cause you to overeat due to unhealthy cravings of all sorts.

When you’re sleepy, you also lack impulse control that can prevent you from chowing down on junk foods. Lacking sleep can also cause you to take more pleasure in eating, as your brain recognizes food as a greater reward. It also puts you more at risk of developing diabetes because of excess weight gain.

3. Change How You Eat

Did you know that the way you eat may actually be totally preventing good weight loss progress? Your mealtime habits can really have a huge effect on how much or little you wind up consuming. Here are some changes to consider when trying for weight loss:

Eat More Slowly

Your brain doesn’t register that you’re full right away. It typically takes some time before you get the message from your stomach that you’re full. As such, shoveling food into your mouth usually doesn’t do you any favors. Studies have indicated that those who eat quickly have a higher risk of developing obesity.

Size Down Your Plates

Food plates have grown steadily larger over the past several decades. This means that you’re filling up your plate with more and more food as time goes on. A large plate can trick your brain into thinking you don’t have enough food on it. Try serving less healthy foods in smaller plates, and more healthy foods in bigger ones.

Don’t Eat While Distracted

Your body relies pretty heavily on its senses to determine when it is full. That means that occupying your senses with other things can easily cause you to be too distracted to notice that you’re full.

So if you tend to watch TV, play with your phone, listen to music, or even read while you eat, stop! You’ll eat 10% more than you should during that meal. Sure, it sounds like a small amount, but it adds up over time.

Cut Portions Down

You could eat a lot of your favorite foods if you just cut down on the overall amount you have. Sure, thinking of eating less of the stuff you like doesn’t exactly lend itself to positive thinking, but big portions have been linked many, many times to higher rates of obesity. (2)

Chew More

The more you chew, the slower you eat – and the faster your digestion kickstarts itself! If you make sure to really chew your food and focus on it, it will take you longer to eat and also reduce the total amount of food you consume, which is likely what you’ll want to happen.

4. Eat In The Right Environment

That’s right – it’s not just how you eat, but where you eat, that can affect your size and weight. This happens in very indirect ways, but many of them are scientifically proven and as good a reason as any to incorporate this knowledge into your weight loss journey. Here are some areas to focus on:

Good Lighting

A dim, candlelit room sounds very nice and romantic, but it’s terrible for your weight. Research indicates that you’re up to 24% more likely to eat more positive meals if you’re in a bright room. (3)

Eating Outside of the Kitchen

It’s very convenient to just eat within your own kitchen. Many people even have eat-in ones that they can easily use to grab food, gobble it up, and go.

But the issue with this is that you are very close to lots of other visible food, causing you to potentially eat more. Go to a separate dining room to enjoy your meals and even your snacks!

A Neat Kitchen

When your kitchen is a mess, you actually wind up feeling more stressed out. For some reason yet to be clearly defined, research indicates that using cluttered, messy kitchens actually wind up eating double the amount of snacks! It’s a good reason to get to doing your chores as soon as possible.

5. Be Aware of What Not to Eat

Again, we’re circling back to keeping your diet good and healthy. Just as it is important to know what to include, it’s important to know what to exclude. Here are some examples of foods to keep you on your diet:

Soda

There’s so much sugar in soda that even diet soda options are undeniably bad for you. Even options that use artificial sweeteners as opposed to sugar still wreak havoc on your body. These affect your body’s hormones and enzymes, causing your waist to expand and your metabolism to become unbalanced.

Junk Food

It’s called “junk” for a reason. Not only are most junk foods packed with trans fats, unnecessary calories, and questionable amounts of salt and sugar, but they’re also often full of additives that cause your gut health to deteriorate. This blocks your efforts at weight loss.

Fruit Juice

Yes, even supposedly healthy fruit juices can be suspect. They’re typically full of sugar, just like soda – sometimes just as much sugar, too! This also includes many popular smoothies that include added sugar, ice cream, or other similar products.

So, what can you eat instead? There are lots of healthy options, both for drinks and food, that can help keep prevent unwanted weight gain. You can go for:

Fruits and vegetables
Infused water
Unsalted nuts
Dried fruit
Teas
Yogurt

6. Get Out More Often

When you read this, you may think, “Oh no, here comes the exercise.” But that’s not what this is about, so keep your positive thinking up! Going outside does often involve some form of mild exercises, such as walking back and forth, but it barely counts as working out, and chances are, you won’t even think of it that way. Here are some ideas:

Spend Time In The Mountains

You don’t have to go on a long, treacherous trek or hike up a rustic mountain trail. All you have to do is just get high above ground every once in a while! Did you know that Colorado holds the country’s slimmest people? It’s because many of them live higher up, and research links higher homes to lower weight.

Enjoy Nature

Once again, no intense exercise is necessary to enjoy nature’s benefits. Spending time in a green environment can actually lead to natural weight loss. Though it’s easy to say that this is due to involuntary “exercise” – like walking to an area, getting up to explore, or enjoying outdoor activities – it’s the kind you won’t feel opposed to.

Get Some Sun

Not only does the sun provide you with vitamin D – something we’ve already discussed in terms of its benefits for the body – but it also winds up making you feel more full. Standing out in bright sunlight for around 20 minutes can actually be linked to a lower BMI – and it’s great for your mood!

Final Thoughts On Some Ways To Lose Weight Without Working Out

Working out can be difficult, and not everyone has the means to do so. That’s why it’s a good thing that science has revealed so many other factors that affect what causes someone to lose weight!

Of course, do keep in mind that while people have been able to lose weight without exercise, it can be much easier to do so if you add even simple forms of working out to your routine. Different people and different bodies respond to different methods, so don’t be afraid to experiment to find what works best for you!

5 Lessons to Learn Before Living Your Best Life

July 24, 2019 by Power of Positivity

We’re all learning in our attempt to navigate this messy tale we call life. The goal for most people is to live the best life that they possibly can. It goes without saying, though, that this is much easier said than done.

How do you go about elevating yourself to the point where you feel truly happy? How do you achieve that coveted place in life that you can confidently proclaim is the best?

Here Are 5 Lessons To Learn Before Living Your Best Life

1. Trust And Authenticity Are Crucial

It’s easy to want to lie, conceal, or claim to be better than you are. After all, little white lies and subtle embellishment of your traits can earn you a lot of favor among the people you meet. But there’s a valuable lesson to be learned in focusing on being as genuine and authentic as possible.

Authenticity is what lends itself to influence, confidence, and some degree of social status. When people know they can trust you, and when they feel you are sincere, they give you the benefit of the doubt most of the time. They are happy to be around you, they feel safe around you, and they appreciate you.

But trust isn’t just about other people. You need to learn to trust yourself. Without that confidence in your being, you won’t be able to step forward and believe in your abilities. This lack of self-esteem can stop you from having the positive thinking necessary to unlock your best life and live up to your potential. (1)

It is also crucial that you maintain trust and confidence in others, especially those who are important to you. This does not mean putting blind faith in everyone you meet, but trusting in their intentions and showing them that you believe in them, too.

2. You Need To Aim To Improve, Often

Self-improvement is crucial in your journey to truly live your best life. If you never work on who you are, you’ll never get where you’re trying to go. Many people believed that there’s a point where you’ve reached your peak and don’t need to get any higher – but there’s no such thing. You can get as high as you so desire!

Whenever you’ve been at a certain point for a long time, try working on getting better. Embrace the act of learning and broadening your horizons. Figure out ways to improve and devise action plans to get there. When you think you’ve done your best and succeeded well, pat yourself on the back, and then it’s onto the next goal!

Don’t burn yourself out, of course. There’s a balance to be struck. But know that your journey is an ongoing one and that there are always ways to get even better. That’s how you get to your best self!

Not sure where to start? Begin by challenging yourself regularly. Step outside of your comfort zone now and then, pushing yourself to widen the world, you know. Not sure how to do that, either? Here are some great ideas:

Take a new class
Further your studies in a specific area
Eat more healthily
Work out
Get creative at work
Try something new
Go someplace you’ve never been
Do something you’ve always been afraid of
Try seeing a therapist

3. Love And Kindness Are Endlessly Important

Many times, the world will try to convince you that kindness is a weakness. However, this is far from the case. Compassion, love, and empathy are some of the most important traits you’ll ever learn in your journey towards your best life. Here are some ways that this applies:

Help Others When You Can

Kindness is something that is typically extended to others, and that’s something you can do in your everyday life. Compassion makes you happier, helps you feel fulfilled, and can open your mind to much of the world. Essentially, it makes you a better person!

Doing small things to help others can work wonders for those people. Be there for a person going through a rough patch. Drop off old clothes at a donation drive. Volunteer for a local shelter. Compliment someone. The possibilities are endless!

Prioritize Your Health

Apart from being kind to those around you, you also need to be kind to yourself. This self-care includes taking steps to make sure you’re healthy. See doctors for issues you’re concerned about. Put some effort into physical activity. Eat relatively well. Being healthy gives you the strength you need to live your best life!

Live With Zest

When you live a passionless life, you often wind up without any motivation or purpose. Essentially, you stop living – all you do is barely exist. Without anything that excites you, you may wind up feeling bored with life, causing your progress to grow stagnant.

Do note that this decrease in positive thinking can be a symptom of depression, so if you cannot pull yourself out of the funk in question, speak to your doctor or a therapist!

Be Kind To Those Around You

It’s easy to judge the people you see, but you don’t know their life story. You don’t know their journey, and every person is unique and different from you.

That’s why you need to put aside your judgemental eyes and focus on kindness. You’ll be happier and freer to pursue your own life when you’re not judging everyone around you!

Make Sure You Have Time for Self-Love and Self-Care

Self-love and self-care are two words that we often use today. They’re not overrated at all, though! It’s simple – if you’re not feeling well in body and mind, then you likely won’t be able to live your best life in any way.

Take care of yourself and set time aside to have a little me-time. Watch a show you love or read a book you’ve meant to start. Treat yourself to a special meal or an item you’ve been wanting. Soak in the bath. Dedicate some time to your hobbies. Do what makes you happy!

Heal Through Love

We’ve all heard the saying that time is responsible for healing pain. But experience, love, and life are what give you the chance to heal. When you love, you can forgive yourself, you can forgive others, and you’re in a better place to open yourself to the positive sides of your struggles.

4. You Are Responsible For Your Life

It’s very easy to blame everything around you for where you are in your life. External factors can indeed affect where you are in life. And it is also true that for many people, it’s not as simple as just getting up and changing their circumstances. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try!

Many people fall into the trap of blaming their lack of fulfillment in the world around them. They say there’s nothing they can do, they lie on their backs, and they spend their days complaining. But, to some extent, you are responsible for what you make of your situation! Here are a few things to keep in mind:

You Are (Mostly) In Control Of Your Life

For the most part, your life is in your hands. You have the power to make the changes you want to work towards your desired “best life.” Dislike your job? Come up with an action plan to get another one. Worried about your health? Hit the gym or eat well – both these things significantly reduce all disease risk.

Yes, these are simplifications. But you’d be amazed how simple some things can be if you think of them that way. Take ownership of your life. Analyze the things you can’t change, and see what you can change.

You Are (Fully) In Control Of Your Reactions

All sorts of misfortunes can happen to you. You can’t control that. But you can manage your reactions. This self-control is not easy at first, but you can learn to slowly but surely regulate the way you think and respond to situations of all kinds.

This doesn’t mean you can never be sad about adverse circumstances. Wallow in sadness for a while, then get up and get back to your life. Don’t dwell for too long. Acknowledge the problem and figure out how to move past it.

You Have To Be Responsible

If you want to enjoy freedom, happiness, and independence, then you have to be a responsible person. When you do something wrong, it’s 100% on you. To be mature and live your best life, you must learn to hold yourself accountable for what you do, no matter how hard that is to do.

Other People Won’t Save You

There’s no shame in asking for help when you need it. The trouble comes around when you begin to expect help. If you start turning to others to fix problems for you, you’re going down the wrong path in life. You must save yourself first before anyone else can save you.

5. Perfection Doesn’t Exist

Many of us crave a sense of perfection – but not in the way you might think. You’re likely thinking, “But I know nothing is perfect, that’s life!”, but the concept of not-perfection many of us subscribe to is still as unattainable in the way we desire. To explain, here are some pointers:

Waiting For The Right Time

You’re waiting for the perfect time to start on a new goal, or begin a resolution, or shoot for your dreams. Guess what? There’s no such thing as the right time. The right time is right now. Don’t wait for some magical sign that it’s the right time. You dictate the signs!

Growth and Progress Are Not Linear

Your progress is not going to be one straight, diagonal line upwards. It’s going to leap up and plummet back down. There are going to be straight lines where you hit a standstill and feel stuck.

Naturally, it is going to be sometimes discouraging. But no one’s growth is ever linear, and the sooner you learn that the sooner you get to live your best life.

It’s Never Going To Be How It’s Meant To Be

It’s one thing to visualize where you want to be and why, but it’s another to hold onto a definite and likely unrealistic idea of how you want your life to be. You can get caught up in that fantasy and become unhappy that you’re not getting there.

There are things you cannot change. Optimism is great but blind, false hope will only wind up in disappointment. Do your best to keep yourself realistic, but positive, and set challenging goals that you genuinely know are achievable.

Final Thoughts On Some Lessons To Learn Before Living Your Best Life

Life is an uphill climb, full of trials, tribulations, and unexpected setbacks. But if you keep these five lessons to learn before living your best life in mind, you’re already on your way to all your goals and dreams. It won’t be easy, but we guarantee one thing – it will be worth it!

7 Habits Of Unsuccessful People (And How to Avoid Them)

July 24, 2019 by Power of Positivity

It’s fairly safe to say that all people want to find success at some point in their lives. But because of the way life works, some people’s journey to the top can take much longer than others. People find success in many different ways, but unsuccessful people tend to find failure because of their negative habits. These habits can be dangerous to your future and may significantly harm you if you take part in them!

Here Are 7 Habits Of Unsuccessful People, And How To Avoid Them:

1. They Fail To Interact Well With Others

Success is often about politics, meaning it’s about people and how you interact with them. Here are some bad habits that successful people perform around others:

They Refuse To Listen

We’re meant to listen more than we speak. Unsuccessful people do the opposite. They refuse to pay attention to anyone else and don’t care what others say about them, causing them to miss out on valuable advice and positive, constructive criticism. (1)

They Burn Bridges Too Quickly

It goes without saying that, at some point in your life, you’ll probably have to cut off some toxic people. But a mild disagreement, dislike, or discomfort should not directly cause you to burn bridges in an impulsive and extreme fashion.

Not only could these people potentially cause trouble for you later on, but it’s generally a good idea to maintain contacts as you go up in the world. So keep your acquaintances!

They Hang Out With The Wrong People

If you’re hanging out in the wrong crowd, you’re going to slowly begin to pick up on their traits. Surround yourself with bums and people who have no drive for success and you’ll incorporate their energy into your life.

Hang out with friends who hold you accountable. They’ll support you, but they won’t stand for you making any ridiculous excuses to get out of doing what needs to be done.

They’re Just Not Nice

Going up in the world means networking, building positive relationships, and making friends in high places. You won’t get very far with a nasty attitude that makes everyone think you’re mean.

Instead of doing this, open your mind. Listen to criticism, learn to build a network of contacts, and be friendly. Be accepting of others and surround yourself with successful people!

2. They Don’t Know What Their Goals Are

You need to set goals in order to succeed. There is little you can do if you’re hiding behind a “winging-it” personality. Sure, winging it works for some things – but not for your entire life. Here are some ways this manifests:

Unsuccessful People Waste Time

Unsuccessful people don’t have a very good idea of what their next plans are. This causes them to laze around a lot, wasting their time and falling complacent. As everyone else works hard to move up in the world, they’re stuck in one spot, and they don’t bother doing anything to get out of it.

Act Impulsively

Those who are unsuccessful tend to react naturally on impulse. They spend money on whatever they see. In addition, they make snap decisions without thought. They react immediately to new information without taking the time to process it.

This leads to a lot of regrets and bad choices that ruin their chances of success. Instead of making plans and goals, they rush into things and muck them up.

Conform

Conformity isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but many unsuccessful individuals don’t have their own sense of self. This leads them to copy those around them. They don’t know what to do in life, so they just follow the crowd, blending in and becoming just another monotonous face that could have tried to stand out.

It’s a good idea to list down your short-term and long-term goals. Then, once you have them, create an action plan that will feasibly allow you to get to where you want to be.

3. They Have Bad Work Ethic

Success involves the desire to work towards it. If you have a terrible work ethic, it’s going to stop you from achieving great things. An unsuccessful person doesn’t have a particularly good work ethic at all. They’re mainly interested in doing the bare minimum that they can get away with, just to scrape by.

Unsuccessful people also procrastinate, often putting things off for days, weeks, or even months. They do everything last minute, and not because of any form of executive dysfunction – it’s just because they can’t be bothered to do it earlier. Don’t fall into this trap! Get off your behind and do something, even when it’s difficult!

4. They’re Quick To Give In

Someone who is successful didn’t become that way overnight. They stumbled and fell a lot of different times. They use positive thinking to get them through the most humiliating failures, knowing that each time they fall, they are learning new lessons that they will use on their way to success. (2)

This is why, if you want to avoid unsuccessful behavior, you need to be strong and resilient. You need to be determined to succeed, no matter what. Here are some areas where unsuccessful individuals tend to fall short:

Taking The Easy Way Out

People like to say that there is usually an “easy” way and an actual “right” way. Guess which one unsuccessful people choose? They have no interest in doing things correctly if there’s a simpler and faster way to do them, even if that means the results are lower in quality.

They Sacrifice Nothing

It’s rare that anyone is able to climb the ladder of success without sacrificing something – whether that’s giving up some of their free time, spending barely anything so they can save up, or having to live very far away from loved ones. An unsuccessful person doesn’t have it in them to sacrifice anything.

Unsuccessful People Give Up Quickly

The moment an unsuccessful person sees failure, they abandon the project and turn their attention to something else. They never sharpen their skills, instead accumulating barely mediocre knowledge in many fields that they continue to turn their backs on when failure strikes.

Avoiding Any Risks and Challenges

Unsuccessful individuals never challenge themselves. They stay put, never leaving their comfort zone. Often, they become stuck in one area and never broaden their horizons. They don’t grow – they stagnate.

5. They Are Endlessly Negative

If you don’t have positive thinking, you can’t get anywhere in life. You have to be aware of the power that negative thoughts can have on you. Here are some habits to avoid:

They Find The Bad In Every Situation

People are supposed to find the silver lining in every cloud. Unsuccessful people to the opposite – they find dark clouds in every shining opportunity. For some reason, they’re able to see imaginary bad in all that is good, which stops them from working towards a positive future.

They Dislike Many Things

There’s no end to what a negative person dislikes, probably because they dislike almost everything. They dislike so many people and things that it makes it impossible to get along with them.

They Constantly Complain

No one likes a complainer. Someone who isn’t successful may fall into the trap of complaining constantly. It’s one thing to vent and rant when you’re going through emotional turmoil, but it’s a whole different ballpark to always be running your mouth about what’s wrong with the world.

They Are Never Grateful

Gratitude is one of the most important traits of success. Those who do not practice regular gratitude are less likely to succeed, and they likely have a much worse sense of positive self-esteem, too. (3)

Remember, focusing on the positive will always help you. Don’t get too hung up in the downsides. Look at the upsides and see how you can make them better.

6. They Bring Others Down

Unsuccessful individuals have no interest in chasing success themselves, so they often attempt to bring down the people around them to their level. In other ways, they put other people down so they can feel like they’re higher up. Here are some ways that this may happen:

Judgment

An unsuccessful person doesn’t like listening to input from other people. As such, they wind up being very judgemental. Whenever someone says something to them, they scoff and ignore it, or pick it apart. This prevents people from being open with them again, ever.

Envy

Many unsuccessful individuals envy people who do succeed. But instead of asking those people for advice, they wallow in envy and jealousy. This extra negativity further prevents them from getting anywhere in life.

Manipulation

An unsuccessful person may spread rumors in order to bring down a person they are envious of. They may try to completely ruin that person’s career and life by gossiping, sabotaging, and manipulating in every way possible.

Hoping For Failure

Instead of working harder and hoping for their own success, an unsuccessful person lazes about and hopes for the failure of others. They do not want anyone else to rise above them or taste the blissful feeling of success. Unfortunately, this can bring down an entire team of people.

Make an effort to respect those around you – even those who are doing better than you. Better yet, befriend those people! You may learn a thing or two from them. At the end of the day, everyone is different, and it is okay if your journey to success takes longer. It’s still valid!

7. They Refuse To Take Responsibility

A successful individual is mature. They know that they are primarily in control of their lives. Furthermore, they hold themselves accountable and take responsibility for what is happening. They don’t blame their circumstances for failure – they recognize their mistakes and move on, armed with more knowledge than before.

On the flip side, someone who is always unsuccessful tends to make a habit of blaming other people. They point fingers and never admit to any wrongdoing. Their pride and ego must be shielded, and they, therefore, never learn anything from their mistakes.

It can be very easy to pass on the blame and insist that you had no control over any given situation. But your actions and reactions are all your own, and you get to decide how you conduct yourself, even in difficult times – so keep that in mind.

Final Thoughts On Some Habits Of Unsuccessful People And How To Avoid Them

Only you get to decide what your idea of success is. Once you have that idea, though, it’s time to go towards it with all the planning, intelligence, and determination that you can. Avoid adopting the habits of unsuccessful people and your journey will be much smoother.

10 Signs of “Information Pollution” (and How to Avoid It)

July 24, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Let us begin this (super informative!) article on information pollution by considering a quote by one Daniel J. Boorstin:

“Technology is so much fun, but we can drown in our technology. The fog of information can drive out knowledge.”

First, a bit of background on Mr. Boorstin. He was an American historian who served as the twelfth Librarian of the United States Congress from 1975 to 1987. Did you know that such a position existed? Pretty interesting, eh?

Since Boorstin stepped down from his position in 1987, the amount of information available for consumption has multiplied many times over. This ubiquity of information has its roots in the development and widespread adoption of the internet. Of course, this resource is now available to nearly every person in almost any sector of the globe.

The Library of the U.S. Congress (or ‘L.O.C.’) is the most extensive library in both the United States and the world. To have earned this distinction indicates that the library must hold a vast amount of information. By most measures, it does – around 164 million items.

164 million is a vast number, indeed. But it hardly registers as a blip on the nearly omniscient ‘map’ of information and data.

Some Interesting Facts

Consider this: 266 million ‘e-books’ were sold in 2017 alone. That’s 102 million more books and media that are available in the massive structure that is the L.O.C. combined.

We are, as Mr. Boorstin warned, drowning in our technology. We are subconsciously allowing the opaque and murky fog of information to drive out actual knowledge, including that which adds vibrancy and joy to life.

In this article, we’re going to discuss the concept of “information pollution” and how it is rewiring our nervous system and changing our society. We’ll then get into the signs of information pollution and what you can do about it. Finally, we’ll delve into the popular trend of a “digital detox” and how it can help to safeguard the brain from information pollution.

Defining Overload

“Once [brain] capacity is surpassed, additional information becomes noise and results in a decrease in information processing and decision quality.”

~ Joseph Ruff, Harvard University (source)

In the above quote, Harvard-trained psychologist Joseph Ruff is explaining the concept of information overload.

We define information overload as: “a level of information that is greater than … information processing capacity, i.e., an overly high information load…”

Overloading the human brain with information is not an easy task, and the fact that it can become oversaturated with data is not something to be taken lightly. It’s a sign that there is a severe imbalance somewhere. We’ll talk more about this later.

Information Pollution: This Is Your Brain On (Too Much) Data

In many ways, the human brain is just a massive storage house of information – and by ‘massive,’ we mean incomprehensibly enormous.

Scientists estimate that the human brain is capable of storing the equivalent of 2.5 petabytes of information. Let’s do a bit of conversion and simple math that will help us understand this number.

– 1 petabyte = 1.024 terabytes = 1 million gigabytes (GB)

– 2.5 petabytes = 2.5 million gigabytes

In 2008, the internet giant Yahoo built the world’s largest (and “busiest”) data warehouse. The warehouse is capable of storing and analyzing two petabytes of information. This storage space is used to analyze (and presumably, track *hint* *hint*) the behavior of over 500 million visitors to the World Wide Web every month.

In other words, no even an enormous multi-thousand-square-foot-man memory warehouse can exceed the storage capacity of the three-pound human brain.

But having all of this processing power comes at a cost, particularly if we don’t know how to manage it.

When we don’t know how to manage the brain, we pollute it with unnecessary, irrelevant, and potentially destructive information. This pollution even takes on a material essence in the form of cortisol, which is capable of killing brain cells. Unchecked, the brain’s continuous release of cortisol can cause it to shrink.

Signs of Information Pollution

“Although there is considerably more information with which to deal, our brain’s ability to absorb and utilize this information is no better suited than the people of four of five hundred years ago.” P. Chard (source listed below)

It is critically important that each of us understand that information pollution has adverse effects on the brain that are very real. More important is the willingness to make the necessary effort to prevent and counteract these effects. Let’s discuss the former now.

Here are 10 signs of information pollution:

Poor Performance

The brain can only handle a certain amount of information before the rest becomes “noise” – a static, real or perceived – that interrupts information processing capabilities.

In a study of bank loan officers attempting to predict bankruptcy, the predictions of individuals operating under conditions of information overload were both slower and less accurate.

Diminished Creativity

An abundance of information takes its toll on the creative mind. When a firm in Canada introduced computers to the workforce, management required its workers to increase productivity by an astounding 1,900 percent. In the first hour alone, creative problem solving dropped by 30 percent. By the second hour, it had fallen by 80 percent.

Information pollution necessitates linear thinking, a mode of thought that is in no way conducive to creativity.

Lack of Concentration

Concentration, or sustained attention, implies focusing on one thing for an extended period. It stands to reason, then, that a barrage of information is in no way conducive to this frame of mind.

The prominent neuropsychologist Dr. Kenneth Freundlich explains what science says about the brain, multitasking, and information overload:

“The brain works best when focusing on a single task. It takes time for cognitive processes associated with one task to be turned off. The more complex the task, the longer it takes to access and retrieve the [necessary] information from the brain’s vast storage.”

Bad Memory

The average person consumes an average of 35 gigabytes of data per day. Any guess to how much information we store in the working memory? A maximum of 10 bits.

When we continually overload our brain circuitry – and more specifically, our working memory – it loses its ability to store information. Information pollution causes “a deficit in both short- and long-term working memory,” says Dr. Freundlich.

Anxiety and Overwhelm

When the brain becomes overly stimulated, it becomes overwhelmed. One of the critical symptoms of overwhelm is anxiety, which arises out of a perceived lack of control. You may also experience shortness of breath and tension.

This state of overwhelm stems from information overload researchers sometimes call it “information anxiety,” “library anxiety,” and “information technology anxiety,” among others. The common thread that adjoins these terms is a fear-based response that arises from being exposed to excess information.

Strained Relationships

It stands to reason that continuous exposure to a barrage of information makes us agitated – and agitation is never good for promoting or maintaining harmony between two people.

In one study, people reported experiencing ill health as a result of information overload in the workplace. Of those, 68 percent felt that there was a negative impact on both collegial and personal relationships. In another study, 62 percent of participants admitted experiencing difficulties in their social and personal relationships.

Digital Addiction

Digital addiction is a more courteous way of saying the people can’t put their damn phone down. Or turn the television off. Or shut down their computer. They’re glued unconsciously to their digital screens. Studies show that digital addiction – a legitimate condition that is recognized by many in the academic and medical fields – “increases loneliness, anxiety, and depression.”

Therefore, the vast information dumps that are YouTube and Facebook keep semi-conscious people – children, teenagers, and adults alike – glued to their screens. How? By deliberately hijacking your attention.

Irritability

Information pollution interferes with both our mental and physical equilibrium. Thoughts have tremendous momentum that can carry us down undesirable paths. Of course, that’s including adverse emotional states, if we’re not mindful.

Mental health practitioners studying a condition related to “health … maladies connected to information overload,” called Information Fatigue Syndrome (‘IFS’), concluded that it caused “Pervasive hostility resulting in a chronic state of irritability near anger or even rage.”

Uh, that’s not good.

Bad Decision Making

Many individuals and organizations use data to make better, more informed decisions. The paradox is that humans, being poor judges of “enough information,” semiconsciously consider too much information. And that can produce paralysis by analysis.

The result is poor decision making. According to Huff, After a certain point is reached, the decision-maker has obtained more information than he can process, information overload has occurred and decision-making ability decreases.”

FOMO

Most people who can’t rest the urge to check their devices, email, and other communications, often suffer from FOMO, or the fear of missing out.

FOMO is defined as “a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent.” In one survey taken:

56% of participants report FOMO if not consistently (read: constantly) checking their social networks.
52% have taken or considered taking a sabbatical from one or more social media sites. Only 24 to 31 percent plan to.

Final Thoughts: Is ‘Digital Minimalism’ the Answer to Information Pollution?

“Solitude deprivation: A state in which you spend close to zero time alone with your own thoughts and free from input from other minds.” ~ Cal Newport, author of “Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World.”

Indeed, some of those in high places probably couldn’t care less about the detrimental effects they’re having on innate human neural networks. So it’s up to each of us to take charge of our own digital lives.

Similar to the mind, technology and information is a good servant but a terrible master.

Additionally, technology and information are similar to the mind in that no one should have the right to tell you how to use it.

BUT, it’s a scientific fact that the human brain is not wired to be constantly wired.

First, there’s the issue of humans being biologically incapable of multitasking.

Then, there’s the problem of the automatic stress response that kicks into gear every time our senses are flooded with data.

And, there’s the fact that our working memory can only hold a tiny fraction of the information pollution that we expose ourselves to.

Of course, there’s also the fact that the attention can be subconsciously hijacked – something that the social media conglomerates are constantly doing.

So is digital minimalism the answer? Or a digital detox? That depends.

How much do you really value your voluntary attention?

Scientists Discover Plastic-Eating Worms That Could Save The Planet

July 23, 2019 by Power of Positivity

The plastic crisis we currently face affects everyone on the planet. No one has immunity from the harmful effects of plastic pollution, and unless we do something drastic, our planet and its inhabitants will continue to suffer. While some countries such as Costa Rica have banned single-use plastics, the world has a long way to go before it solves the plastic epidemic.

Some cities, such as Seattle, Washington, have banned single-use straws, and zero-waste grocery stores have begun to pop up across the world. These efforts are commendable, of course, but the rest of the world needs to catch up and follow suit so that we can have a sustainable planet now and in the future.

Here are some startling statistics from Green Peace about just how pervasive the plastic problem has become:

Roughly 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s, which equates to the weight of about a billion elephants.
Of all the plastic, only 9% has been recycled, 12% has been burned and the rest has ended up in landfills or the environment.
12.7 million tons of plastic enter the oceans annually.
Every minute, the equivalent of a truck full of plastic gets dumped into the oceans.
There are five trillion pieces of plastic in our oceans, which is enough to circle the globe over 400 times.
First-world countries like the U.S., U.K., and Canada export plastic waste to countries in Asia and Africa, giving the plastic problem away to often poorer communities.

As you can see, we have reached dire times when it comes to the manufacturing and recycling of plastic. Unfortunately, most plastic is not recyclable. So the only solution seems to be changing the materials we use in our daily products. Or, we could just buy and produce less in general (someone had to say it).

The Plastic-Eating Worm

For now, though, scientists have found another viable solution to the problem – a worm that can literally eat its way through our plastic. Called a waxworm but actually a member of the caterpillar family, this tiny creature could possibly help save our planet. This amazing discovery was made accidentally, as most life-changing findings are.

Professor and beekeeper Federica Bertocchini placed some of these worms in a plastic bag. They later found tiny holes in the bag. Along with scientists Paolo Bombelli and Christopher J. Howe, Bertocchini decided to conduct further research using 100 of the worms.

They placed the worms in various shopping bags and noticed holes after about 40 minutes. After 12 hours, they found that the plastic had decreased by 92mg. So that they could ascertain whether the worms had an actual effect on the plastic, the scientists crushed a couple of worms and put them on the bags. They found holes in them once again; this proved that something in the chemical makeup of the worms had actually eaten through the plastic.

Scientists believe that these plastic-eating worms have a certain enzyme that helps them digest plastic. Hopefully, they will do more studies about this enzyme, and soon! Perhaps scientists can begin to release the worms into areas with heavy plastic pollution to help clean up the Earth.

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