Great Relaxation Techniques

In the age of the Coronavirus, we are all on edge. It’s important to take the time to focus on the things that matter and to continue nurturing ourselves and taking care of ourselves. Of course we should take care of ourselves physically, but we have to remember mental health too. Here is a great video for relaxation techniques. Take a look and try to remain relaxed during this trying period.

Why Are Girls Less Confident?

Research shows that girls are simply not as confident as boys – and that this change occurs in girls starting at the age of 8. Until they are 8, both boys and girls seem to believe that they can take on the world; they have the same levels of confidence in themselves during these early years. But between 8 and 14, that confidence dissipates in girls by as much as 30%.

Claire Shipman and Katty Kay have researched into these issues a great deal and have suggestions for parents of girls. They include helping your daughter to keep a list of risks and to take risks. Remind her of failure fixes and show her good role models. And, help her to understand that the way her mind works is not a disadvantage – it’s just different.

Read the full article to get all the details and suggestions to help our daughters build their confidence.

4 Day Work Week? Can It Work?

Here’s a novel idea. Microsoft introduced a program in Japan during the summer called “World Life Choice Challenge.” It enabled 2,280 employees to have off every Friday in AUgust and an extra day off each week. While the amount of time at work obviously dropped, productivity increased by almost 40%.

They also created new work policies including that meeting were supposed to be less than 30 minutes long, or to cut out meetings all together and use online messaging apps.

The results? 90% of Microsoft’s employees said they were influenced by the new guidelines. Now, Japan happens to be one of the most stressful work environments in the world. They’ve even coined a term for death from being overworked – karoshi. But the study is interesting and worth taking note.

Out of the Box Jobs

It’s always interesting to see the out-of-the-box jobs that some people have. Most parents can probably be heard telling their kids that they need to focus on their studies; that they need to work hard at math or science; but there are always people who show us that creativity matters and that there are other ways to make a living. Check out how Mitchel Wu is making a living.

Science Photography

Every year the Royal Photographic Society has a science photographer of the year competition and it’s certainly worth enjoying. The photos that won will be exhibited at the Science Museum of London from October 7 until January 5, 2020. The competition was unique in many ways including that it is always open to all ages and levels of expertise.

The winners will be announced on October 7! Enjoy a glimpse of the shortlisted winners and get excited for the final announcement.

Over-Tourism and Under-Tourism

Today, there are areas of the world that are so overwhelmed with tourists that they’ve started creating ordinances against them in various ways. In Venice, one of the cities most overrun with tourists in the world, they have outlawed large cruise ships from coming ashore. In Rome, they’ve started giving tickets to loiterers – to people sitting on steps and laying around.

The environmental impact of over-tourism can’t be overstated. So what are travel-thirsty people supposed to do? It’s a big world out there and there are still plenty of places that aren’t overrun with tourists and that would be quite inviting for a quiet get-away.

CNN recently featured a number of locations in this article including:

  1. Niue
  2. American Samoa
  3. Solomon Islands
  4. Comoros
  5. Federated States of Micronesia

It’s certainly worth checking out the list and planning your next get-away in a more deserted, quieter location.