11 Goal Oriented Ways to Succeed at Work

A goal oriented person can easily get things done

A person who can get things done and helps in achieving the objectives is the need and desire of every organization. A goal oriented person is one who can clearly focus on his objectives and can do tasks and activities in order to accomplish them. Such person when employed in an organization can make it achieve it’s long term goals with ease. The person gets better with time and as a characteristic do certain things with a vision in his mind in order to succeed. Being a result driven and task driven personality, a goal oriented individual has certain skills and qualities. The characteristics of a goal oriented personality are:-

Positivity – A goal oriented person always feel positive. His mind is filled with positive thoughts that help him face any challenge with ease without any feelings of fear and shame.

Organized – A person who follows his goals always remain organized to avoid any distraction. Whether it’s making the desk and laptop clean or it’s scheduling the day, the person organizes to get clear state of mind.

Time manager – Such person makes deadlines for completing his professional and personal objectives. He do the assigned task on time and use schedules to achieve short and long time goals.

Decision maker – A goal oriented person can easily make decisions about his work. He can easily decide what he should do to achieve the objective. He can review the options and decide time to do an urgent task.

Self – analyst – A goal oriented person has a good awareness about himself. He knows about his personal strengths and weaknesses and can use them in achieving the desired goal.

After learning about the traits of a goal oriented person, you may certainlh have known your working type. If you still aren’t so result driven, there are certain ways to be a more goal oriented person at work. These are the 11 great ways to develop a goal oriented mindset :-

Make a plan

Making plan is the best goal oriented approach

Being a goal oriented person starts with being a person who practices planning. Each goal starts with it’s planning. First decide what’s the exact goal you are seeking. Then, decide different activities and actions that you need to undertake to achieve this goal. Repeat this process for every goal. There might be short tasks like calling a client or long term tasks like completing a new digital course that might help you meet this goal. Spend time effectively by organizing each task that is required to meet the goal.

Write down your goals

You can become goal oriented by writing down your goals

One worthy step that can help you in getting goal oriented is to write down them. Writing down your goals will help you change your idea to a good plan. You will be able to concentrate better what you are seeking and make objectives and strategies for achieving that goal. Even expert says that writing goals down increases chance of meeting them with 42%. You can use a digital app or just note them down on a paper. You can track your progress, think about different tasks and notice any possible difficulty in advance.

Try to motivate yourself

Become a goal oriented person by keeping yourself motivated

One simple say to achieve all your short and long term objectives within time with much more efficiency is by trying to motivate yourself. Motivating yourself can be done by setting a goal that improves your well being, gives way to grow and makes you happy. You will genuinely feel satisfied on achieving such goal. You can also motivate yourself by giving yourself small rewards throughout the day. This can be having your favorite snack, going out for a short walk or being appreciated by the employer. Things that make you happy can directly help you in your workflow.

Review your progress

Reviewing the progress can help you in being goal oriented

Along with making plans for completing your short and long term objectives in time, it is also important to review the progress you have made to be goal oriented. Schedule a time when you can review your progress. This can be during the end of week or day or at the end of month. Find out how much time you spent on completing each task and what’s the progress now. Make use of your to-do list to conveniently review the progress. You can use tools to know at what time you started the task and when did it end. You’ll be able to recognize time consuming activities and find any problem ahead.

Prioritize the tasks

Accomplishing a goal calls for completing a certain number of tasks. But, it’s important to know as to what task is to be prioritized for making the whole set of actions done successfully. For being a goal oriented individual, it is advised to study all of your options, know about the outcome if you do a certain task today and if it will be helpful in meeting the whole goal. You should know what task is to prioritized for today and what can be done after. Think about the tasks that are better to be delegated to another person such that you can reach the goal.

Do self analysis

A goal oriented person knows his strength and weakness

A goal oriented person is fully aware about himself. He knows about things he is good at, his greatest strengths and also his greatest difficulties. You should also know your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you decide a goal depending on what you can do easily and you’ll be able reach this goal. Self analysis will help you to know if there’s an activity that needs to be done and if you’re not good at it, you can delegate such task to another person. Seeking outside help with maintain the momentum needed in meeting the goal.

Always be positive

A goal oriented person always stay positive

Being positive especially when you have to complete many different tasks for the purpose of accomplishing a goal is what a goal oriented person is good at. Staying positive makes you loom at tasks in a much easier way. You can use positive affirmations for yourself while you’re working towards your goal. “I can do it”,”The task is interesting” or “I’ve got this” and more. You can also imagine something that inspires you to achieve this goal. Like, the money that you’d earn by completing this project will help you in making your dream family vacation come true.

Work with a partner

Working with an accountability partner can make you a goal oriented person

One interesting way to make yourself goal oriented at work is to find an accountability partner. You should work with a colleague and friend. Your family member can also be an accountability partner. You both can motivate and push other to work more and better and can keep track of each others progress. At the end of each day, make an habit of checking along with the coworker, tell them about their progress, how they can do better something and motivate them in reaching the goal.

Make use of tools

There are a number of online tools and applications that will help you become a more goal oriented person. There are apps for making to-do lists, for scheduling different activities, for listing tasks and tracking the time spent on completing such tasks. Even a simple calender can help you avoid procrastination. You can pin important deadlines and find out your pace of working. There are vision boards that will help you stay inspired while working for the goal. Necessary steps can be taken by analyzing the simple data and figures shown by these tools.

Get a constructive feedback

You can become goal oriented by asking for constructive feedback

You can be goal oriented at work by simply making the use of the professional network that you are a part of. Talk about the task related processes and time management techniques that your colleagues are using and keep an eye on all the trending things happening in your industry. If you find any interesting habit or action, implement this in your own task to increase your productivity. You can even talk with your accountability partner every month and ask for their suggestions about the progress in the short term goal and completion of a task.

Implement the 90/90/1 rule

Following the 90/90/1 rule helps you become a goal oriented person

This interesting method will improve your goal oriented approach. According to this rule, you should spend the next 90 days, 90 minutes each day in doing 1 thing that helps you in reaching your goal. This technique can be applied for both professional as well as personal goals. For example, whether you want to build a successful website or your goal is to gain weight, this rule can prove very effective in making you result driven.

A goal oriented person is quite serious about what he wants to achieve and can do anything to make it happen. If you wholly committed to your goals as well the tasks, then you are definitely a goal oriented personality. These are the 11 best tried and tested ways that will surely make you the person that will always be demanded in any working environment.

15 amazing benefits of using a Productivity Planner

A productivity planner has numerous benefits apart from improving productivity

If you are eager to improve your productivity, a productivity planner can really help. Theres is no doubt that the 10 minutes spent on planning something can save your 100 minutes from getting wasted. A planner for productivity is an awesome time management tool that will make you find what tasks you need to do, what is the total time you have for completing them and what task needs to be prioritized. As such, whatever your goal is, a weekly planner can actually help. The lack of cognitive ability to manage the demand of family, work and social life is quite common and this is where the role of daily planner comes in. If you’re planning to achieve something, go ahead with a productivity planner. These reasons will make you believe the power of productivity planners. Keep along this article to know about 15 surprising productivity planner benefits :-

Planners can improve productivity in every manner

Productivity planners improve productivity in every manner

Productivity planner gives you the benefit of an improved productivity. You will be easily able to complete tasks, meet deadlines and achieve your goals. This improved productivity is not limited to just professional goals but also personal goals. Whether it’s for an important work target or it’s for a weekend trip, a planner can be used anywhere. You can even plan to do household chores, shopping and meal planning to improve productivity at home with planners.

Planners can help reduce stress

Productivity planner gives benefit in reducing stress

The hectic schedule in today’s busy life has ruined our physical and mental comfort. Life has become quite stressful as we have to deal with multiple tasks simultaneously. But, a productivity planner gives you the benefit of organizing every single task you need to do. You can list tasks, rearrange them as per their importance and assign time required to complete each task. This gives you an idea of what’s there and if time isn’t enough, less important tasks can be eliminated. This reduces anxiety.

Planners make it less likely to forget something

Productivity planners give benefit of not forgetting something — Productivity planner gives benefit of not forgetting something

It is very difficult to keep track of all the to do activities, important appointments and coming deadlines in this stressful world. Hence, writing down whatever you need to do can make you remember it for long. Writing down all the tasks, deadlines, events and appointments in your productivity planner will give you the benefit of remembering it. Just a simple act of writing something makes it less likely to forget it.

Planners help in time management

Managing time easily is one of the benefits of productivity planners

Managing time in a busy environment can be very challenging. We develop the habit of doing multi tasking without analyzing it’s possible losses. Getting time for everything you want to do is quite tough. Productivity planners help in scheduling each task and activities you need to do. You concentrate on one task at a time according to this schedule. This helps in completing everything efficiently and you get more personal time.

Planners unleash your creativity

You can unleash your creativity with productivity planner

Productivity planners can save your time. This time can be utilized in learning a new skill or to do something creative that you didn’t get time to do. A productivity planner is in itself a tool to exercise your creativity. You can customize the looks of your planner pages as per your creativity. You can color it, doodle around, add photographs or whatever your mind says in your planner.

Planners can be used to share schedule with others

Productivity planners give benefit of sharing schedule with others

Sharing your entire schedule to the entire team or your family and friends can be a long time consuming process manually. But productivity planners give you the benefit of sharing your schedule to the team rapidly. Digital planner softwares have features that make it easy for your family, friends or colleagues to access your schedule while even your privacy is maintained.

Planners help in delegating the tasks

Productivity planner gives benefit of delegating right task to the right person

Delegating the right task to the right person is very important for reaching a goal. And, it can be very confusing manually. A task not delegated to the right person can make delay in accomplishing the goal. A productivity planner can benefit you with this also. As you can see the task calender of every person, you can delegate them the right task by considering their strengths.

Planners can break large goals into smaller tasks

Productivity planners give benefit of breaking large goals into small tasks

Completing a big goal demands to do a lot of activities that look very confusing to do at once. Productivity planners give you the advantage of breaking out these large projects into smaller tasks. You can divide them into small easy to understand sub-tasks as such there’s no confusion about what are the activities you have to complete. Even communicating about complex projects to the team becomes easy by breaking it.

Planners can help spot tasks undone

You can easily spot tasks undone with productivity planner

Planners give you the benefit of quickly spot any task that is overdue. Getting too busy and forgetting an important task just because you had to do another activities is quite normal. Productivity planners make you spot these undone tasks in a flash. And if you are too busy to do that, you can timely assign that task to another person who can complete it.

Planners make you healthy

Productivity planners can make you start a healthy lifestyle

Productivity planners can make you healthy as well. Apart from the usual benefit that planner reduces your stress by avoiding any confusing hectic situation, planners can be used in a lot more ways for health benefits. If you have an important dental appointment, you can timely list it down on your planner. Planners also give you the freedom to plan your diet, sleep, exercise and fitness routine.

Planners put everything in one place

Productivity planner puts everything in one place

One benefit of productivity planner is that is can keep everything in just one place. Especially when you use paper to plan your day, you can eliminate any kind of fragmentation. You can write down everything in one place. Whether it’s your to-do list, or the important day to day appointments or some coming social obligations, you can use productivity planner to put everything in one place. This saves extra time.

Planners can improve customer satisfaction

Another interesting advantage of productivity planner is that it can be used to improve customer satisfaction. When you and your team collectively and individually do something according to the planner, there’s no need of any delays as everything will have it’s time and budget. When you do a project as per the customer’s plan, he feels satisfied and even lead to more revenues and growth for the business.

Planners can make you focus on important activities

Productivity planners give benefit of focusing on important activities

Productivity is badly suffered when you spend your time on activities that are not too important for the whole project. Prioritizing activities is most important for completing a goal on time. Productivity planners give you the benefit of organizing the activities according to their importance. Tasks that help more in goal achievement are more important. If time available is not enough, you can focus on these important activities.

Planners give you a sense of accomplishment

Productivity planners are used to write down tasks you need to do for making a goal successful. When you complete the tasks written on your planner, it gives you a sense of accomplishment. When you cross the tasks you complete or mark them as done, you get a sense of accomplishment and you also feel motivated to do more complex tasks. You will also be able to completely enjoy the leisure time you get by completing tasks in planned time.

Planners help in monitoring employee performance

Productivity planner gives benefit of monitoring employee performance

Productivity planner gives you the advantage of keeping a track of time that is spent on each task. This can be very helpful in monitoring the performance of employees. Time tracking means that employees will try to complete the task given on time as they know that they are being monitored. If the task is taking more time by employees than what it should take according to the planner, areas of improvements can be identified easily.

The importance of a productivity planner cannot be denied considering the above benefits it provides. A productivity planner really helps in time management as there’s not any space for wasting time on unimportant tasks and there’s everything written on the planner that avoids any misinterpretation. Even with such huge pros, these are also a few cons saying that productivity planners reduce flexibility and creativity. Planner prevent action and can lead to complacency. However, researches show that planning is good. Particularly in this technological world where everyone seems to be rushing, you won’t forget any necessary activity just with the help of a planner.

4 ways of brushing teeth with baking soda – pros and cons

Baking soda, a simple kitchen ingredient can be used for brushing teeth

Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a common ingredients used in the kitchen. This simple compound is an integral part of cooking, baking and and other household chores. But, along with that, baking soda is widely used as a teeth whitener. Baking soda is found quite effective in removing the plaque formed on teeth from having tea, coffee or red wine, hence making the teeth clean and white. Due to it’s such an effectiveness, baking soda is now used as one of the primary ingredients by many toothpaste brands. But, that’s not the whole story. Questions about safety regarding baking soda for brushing teeth are still prevalent. In this article, we have got you covered as we’ll be discussing 4 ways of brushing teeth with baking soda, it’s pros and cons and all other doubts regarding it’s use.

Is baking soda effective in cleaning teeth?

Brushing teeth with baking soda is quite effective in making teeth white and clean

The answer to this question is simply yes. Baking soda is proved very working in cleaning teeth. The acidic content of stains on teeth is easily wiped away due to alkaline and salty nature of baking soda. No doubt, it is used in many toothpastes. While merely baking soda might not be as effective as toothpaste containing fluoride in fighting against cavities, baking soda is still good if for cleaning and whitening teeth.

Baking soda toothpaste has many antibacterial properties that will make your teeth get cleaner and brighter after brushing. Teeth that were covered with tartar before brushing with baking soda will be shining white after a proper brushing. Even, baking soda toothpastes are observed to show better results in teeth cleaning that non baking soda toothpastes.

How to use baking soda for brushing teeth?

These are 4 ways for brushing teeth with baking soda

With such a effectiveness of baking soda, if you are also looking for the ways to use baking soda, here are 4 simple ways of brushing teeth with baking soda to get an amazing smile :-

Water and baking soda

The most convenient way of brushing teeth with using baking soda is to mix it with water. All you need is baking soda, water and a small bowl or shot glass for mixing them both. Mix equal parts of baking soda and water (roughly about one tablespoon) in the glass that will result into a thick paste. Apply this paste directly on your teeth with your fingers or a toothbrush. For two minutes, brush the paste in circular motions over the teeth and be sure to cover every teeth. Rinse your mouth after two minutes with water or mouthwash. Rinse more if you feel teeth feel gritty.

Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda

Another way for brushing teeth with baking soda is to use hydrogen peroxide. You can substitute water with hydrogen peroxide in the above method for a much better cleaning. Don’t worry about the bubbles that form while mixing both the ingredients. Follow the process stated above. But, instead of two minutes, rinse your mouth after one minute of brushing. It is advised to consult a dentist before you use this method for cleaning your teeth.

Baking soda toothpaste

The easiest way for getting benefits of brushing teeth with baking soda is to use toothpaste that already contains baking soda as an element. Baking soda is commonly used in many toothpastes due to it’s many benefits. You can conveniently find such toothpastes that will help in teeth cleaning along with breath freshening and controlling tartar.

Lemon and baking soda

Another cool DIY for using baking soda for brushing teeth is to use lemon. You just need to mix equal parts of both baking soda and lemon (roughly half tablespoon) for this recipe. The bleaching property found in the lemon due to presence of citric acid makes it worthy for brushing. Brush with the mixture and don’t forget to rinse your mouth completely after brushing.

How fast does baking soda whiten teeth?

Brushing teeth with baking soda will give significant results in whitening teeth in just a few weeks

After knowing about different ways of brushing teeth with baking soda, if you’re wondering about how fast does it take to whiten teeth, you may expect it to be quite paced if not fast. You will be able to notice a visible difference after just a few days of using it. The result won’t be much great but quite decent. However, after a few weeks of brushing with baking soda, you will genuinely feel your teeth getting whiter and brighter.

Benefits of brushing teeth with baking soda

Brushing teeth with baking soda has numerous benefits

Baking soda can be used in a variety of ways for brushing teeth. Following benefits are enough to understand why it’s a hot topic regarding oral care :-

Easily eliminates plaque

Plaque, a type of biofilm that grows on the surface of your teeth by having certain food items and tea, coffee etc can cause gingivitis and cavities. These group of bacteria can badly damage your teeth and gum. Brushing your teeth with baking soda helps reduce the amount of such plaque as the grains of baking soda gets between such biofilm. This makes your teeth look clean.

Not expensive at all

Another great benefit of using baking soda for brushing teeth is that it’s completely inexpensive. A one time purchase of baking soda will last for months and will provide you the similar benefits as a toothpaste. You will easily find it in your nearby stores under 1$.

Gives a brighter smile

Baking soda is very successful in removing any stains from the teeth. It can easily remove any plaque formed on the surface of your teeth making you get a brighter smile. Baking soda is proved to make your teeth brighter by reducing the stains visible on teeth which makes it such a popular choice.

Best option for people with fluoride toxicity

Traditional toothpastes contain fluoride as the main compound. It has been noted that some people have toxicity towards fluoride and brushing teeth with such toothpaste can cause diarrhea, pain, vomiting and kidney problems. Children less than 6 years old are particularly toxic toward fluoride. In such a scenario, baking soda proves to be a better and safer option.

However, before taking the final decision, you should also keep in mind the following cons of using brushing teeth.

Cons of brushing teeth with baking soda

Brushing teeth with baking soda may not be great enough to fight against dental cavities and has a bad texture

Bad texture and taste

While baking soda may be good enough to remove plaque, you have to compromise with it’s ridiculous taste and texture. While the taste completely unpleasant, it’s texture is something like having sand inside the mouth which will obviously be an issue for most individuals especially if you will use a DIY recipe of baking soda stated above. However, this problem may not bother you if you use a ready to use toothpaste from store.

Not helpful against dental cavities

One downside of brushing teeth with baking soda is that is doesn’t help in fighting against dental cavities due to the absence of fluoride. Fluoride is a natural element present in air, water and even in our bones. An extra fluoride present in toothpastes helps in preventing tooth decay. Even American Dental Association approves toothpastes that have fluoride due to its properties. That’s why baking soda only may not be great in curing dental cavities.

Is it safe to brush your teeth with baking soda?

Brushing teeth with baking soda is found safe if used cautiously

The answer to the question is yes. Indeed, it can damage your teeth if not used in a proper way, a slight care while brushing teeth with baking soda will always work to maximize the results. Yeah, the gritty texture and bad taste of baking soda may be a big downside while looking for a good alternative, it can work good in giving your teeth an incredible shine in a safe way.

Be cautious while using baking soda for cleaning your teeth. You should not use baking soda for brushing teeth for more than a few times in a week. And, while using it, don’t let it sit in your teeth to avoid any damage. Any long contact with baking soda can lead to gum inflammation. Rinse your mouth with mouthwash or water completely after brushing. You may need to rinse again to wash away baking soda.

Baking soda works as a good option for cleaning your teeth and reducing the amount of plaque formed on your teeth. However, you should note that when this plaque gets hard and forms a strong coating called tartar, baking soda may not be much effective. For the best of both worlds i.e. the comfort of a toothpaste and teeth polishing capacity of baking soda, it is best advised to use a toothache that contains baking soda. For that matter, even hydrogen peroxide filled toothpastes also works great. With all the above points, you will be able to use baking soda for brushing teeth in it’s most appealing manner.

101 Flossing tricks : How often should you floss

Flossing is the best way to control plaque formation for cleaner teeth

Flossing is the one term in dental care that everyone has heard of, but almost no-one knows the importance about. As merely brushing your teeth twice in a day doesn’t provide your teeth the care that they deserve, flossing is one way to make them get clean and brighter. Since the plaque formed on your teeth (particularly around the area between two teeth) is sometimes very difficult to remove by brushing, flossing gets an added importance.

It is required to control the plaque growing on your teeth for a great oral care. This plaque gets hard if you leave it alone. You will face issues like bad breath and yellow teeth along with major problems like gum diseases. Brushing alone is not enough to control that plaque formation and that’s where the role of flossing comes in. If you’re also looking forward to improve your oral health by flossing, keep reading the article as we make clear your every doubt relating to flossing.

What is flossing?

In oral hygiene, flossing is a highly recommended habit. As the food you eat gets stuck between the teeth that is difficult to remove with just brushing, flossing helps in easy removal of such food strain. As your teeth gets cleaner, the chances of bacteria and plaque formation reduce incredibly. Even after knowing about it’s such an importance, there is only a small population who have included flossing in their dental care routine.

How to floss?

A dental floss string for flossing your teeth

Out of that small population doing flossing, only a few know how to do it correctly. Flossing is a very tedious and time consuming activity as you have to do it one by one for every teeth. But don’t worry as we discusses how you can floss rightly using right method and right tools : –

Floss using a string

The most traditional method that most people use for flossing is to use a string. For centuries, people have been using a flossing string to clear food strains between their teeth and undeniably this method works great when done correctly. To floss using a string, all you need is to cut an 18 inch long string and wrap around 1 inch of the string on each side around the middle fingers of each hand. Hold this flossing string tight using your thumb and index finger. Glide this string between your teeth. Rub the string against the teeth. Move around and curve around the gum line so that it remove the plaque hidden around.

Repeat the process for each tooth one by one. While flossing using a string, don’t be too harsh as it may cut the gums.

Using floss threader for flossing

A floss threader is a more convenient option for flossing your teeth as it makes it easier to reach those areas that might be difficult to floss otherwise. This tool is the best option for flossing your teeth if you have bridgework, braces, and orthodontic wires.

Floss threader is a flexible yet sturdy flossing tool made of plastic that can be used with the help of a nylon wire. You simply have to insert the wire into the threaders eye for using it. Using the threader that can bent around the curvy mouth edges, it will get simpler to floss behind the archwires, below the bridgework and beneath the retainer bars. After you’ve done flossing, you can simply pull the nylon wire to release out of the threader.

Try air flosser or water flosser

If you’re bored of the traditional flossing method using a wire, you can use air or water flosser. Air or water flosser is the best way to up your game in flossing teeth. These handheld devices work excellently in removing the food strains without much hassle.

An air or water flosser requires electricity to run. This device shoots a stream of air or water directly between your teeth. You are only required to point the nozzle of the flosser at the front of where two teeth meet. This quick shoot of air or water makes the food stuck get away. This method is great for cleaning deeper under the gums. If using a water flosser, you will need to refill the water tank on a regular basis.

Some tips on flossing

After knowing about the methods of flossing, these are a few tips you should keep in mind.

How often should you floss?

Flossing is one such habit that should be adopted on a daily basis for a brilliant oral care. As a thumb rule, try to floss once in a day. Make it a rule and never miss this one time.

If you’re confused about how much should you floss if you have braces, then the answer is same. Don’t skip the rule of flossing once in a day. Having brace is not an excuse. If you’re worried about how you’d be able to floss below the archware of your brace, you can floss using a floss threader using the method described above.

Don’t reuse the same string

Don’t reuse the same floss. Throw away the string right after using it. Using the same floss will give way to the old bacteria and debris to reenter into your mouth that you removed earlier while flossing with that string.

When should you floss?

If you want the best results, it is advised that you should floss at every night before going to bed. By flossing the teeth at night, you will be able to remove food strains and debris that settle on your teeth overnight. However, if you are more comfortable doing it in morning, that’s not an issue.

You may floss your teeth before or after brushing. It doesn’t matter if you floss teeth before or after brushing, the only thing important is to floss. If you floss your teeth before brushing, you will expose off all the food particles and debris lying between the teeth that will be removed completely when you brush. If you floss teeth after brushing them, you will be able to pick up any leftover food strains. However, as per a few observations, brushing your teeth and then flossing is better.

Don’t overdo flossing

One essential tip you should keep in mind while flossing is to never overdo it. Too much of flossing can damage your teeth. You can damage your sensitive gums. The chances of irritating and damaging gum tissues will get higher. Don’t overdo it and keep flossing limited to just once in a day whether in morning or night.

Don’t run the floss like saw

You should avoid a common mistake that almost everyone makes while flossing their teeth. You shouldn’t run the floss back and forth between your teeth like a saw while flossing, rather you shohld rub the floss against your teeth’s surface. This way, you’ll be able to remove more food strains and debris out of the gums. You just need to glide the floss between teeth and wrap it around the teeth base in a C shape.

Flossing is an important factor in giving your teeth the care it needs. By flossing your teeth properly, you will get benefits like a reduction in risk of cavities by controlling any debris and leftover food particles and preventing gingivitis and other gum diseases. A good oral hygiene practice including flossing is also linked with improving heart health. These reasons are enough to make you believe in the importance of flossing in dental hygiene. Here, we have covered all the doubts related to how you floss, the right method and what tips to follow to avoid any gum damage. However, don’t rely solely on flossing. You should still be brushing your teeth twice a teeth. Combine this flossing thing with your brushing routine and you are unlikely to suffer any dental problems.

Living A Nomadic Lifestyle – Advantages and Disadvantages

Nomadic lifestyle allows you to live life to the fullest giving you a varied experience that stays with you forever.

The nomadic lifestyle is the most ancient form of human society that existed in the history of mankind. However, the nomadic lifestyle is still practiced by us in today’s time. But it is more of a choice than a necessity.

Usually, nomads are tribes, people, or communities that do not have permanent residence. They move from place to place either because of work or lifestyle. On top of that, they are not explicitly attached to a specific piece of land.

A nomadic lifestyle comes with a lot of perks but also has its share of cons. At the same time, the larger question remains whether being nomads is still relevant in today’s time or is it just the hype.

What is a Digital Nomad?

The covid pandemic has brought a host of changes in the lifestyle of people all around the world. One of them is people embracing the idea of digital nomadism. But, what does the term digital nomad mean?

A woman practicing digital nomadic lifestyle.

Digital nomads are people who work while traveling instead of from a fixed workspace. The idea is to travel and work remotely. To add to that, working from anywhere is possible due to the better technical support and network outreach. It enables you to stay connected using wifi at different places where you can do work in peace. Those places are co-working spaces, coffee shops, hotels, or traveling in a campervan or RV.

What Does A Nomadic Lifestyle Look Like?

A nomadic lifestyle allows you to travel to places you have never been. Moreover, it helps you immerse yourself in the culture and cuisine of new places. These things are not always possible on vacation. This is because vacations are either tightly scheduled or do not give you enough time to fulfill your wanderlust. But, when you are a nomad, you have ample time to learn, socialize, and experience community-specific things. You may end up camping, learning to cook or a new language, etc.

A man living a nomadic lifestyle enjoying near a swimming pool.

Everything isn’t hunky-dory in the life of a nomad. There are times you may have to sleep on an empty stomach or get lost in unfamiliar places. Health is also something that you need to keep a check on. To sum up, the most critical skill you need to learn for a nomadic lifestyle would be managing limited resources and using them to your benefit.

How Can We Sustain A Nomadic Lifestyle?

A nomadic lifestyle can be desirable from the outset. Whether it be traveling around the world, writing blogs, creating vlogs, and making memories. But, if you are serious enough to go being fully nomadic, then there is a lot to plan for before you decide to start your adventure for a lifetime. In this regard, the first aspect is the shift in your mindset and a complete lifestyle overhaul. Let’s look at some of the changes you might expect when you begin the journey of nomadism.

Two people in the woods for a nomadic lifestyle.

The foremost thing for you to sort out is a career plan that can work the best for a nomad. You need to choose a mobility-based career where you work on the go and make money. If you are traveling through different countries, make sure you have enough savings to sustain in times of lack of income. Financial stability is one of the keys to sustaining a nomadic lifestyle. The other aspect is to accept a minimal lifestyle and manage your expenses intelligently.

How Much Money Do You Need To Live A Nomadic Lifestyle?

Whenever you start to plan for your nomadic lifestyle, the biggest question that comes up is, what about money? How much money do you really need to start a life as a nomad? The amount is probably less than what you might imagine.

The first variable that decides how much you will need to support this sort of lifestyle is where you go. If you decide to go to countries with a cheaper cost of living like Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc., then $500-$600 per month will easily suffice for a comfortable stay at these locations.

Nomadic lifestyle of a girl in Thailand.

Take, for example, Chiang Mai, a mountainous city 700 Km away from Bangkok in northern Thailand. It is one of the thriving spots for digital nomads and is like a hub for them. You can find more than decent accommodation for around $150-$200. On the other hand, meals are also reasonable for around $1-$5, depending upon the type of cuisine you select. To add to that, you can find places for sightseeing and a lot of cultures, history, and traditions for you to explore.

A man living a nomadic lifestyle in the UK.

However, if you plan to travel to Europe, you might have to spend a few extra bucks for cities such as Paris, Prague, Berlin, Budapest, Lisbon, etc. For an estimate, a monthly income of around $1000-$2500 will get you through without any major hiccups. If you choose hostels for accommodation, then your expenses might come down, and you can save more for other activities. It all boils down to your standard of living and the country or city you plan to visit.

Nomadic Lifestyle Advantages, Nomadic Lifestyle Disadvantages

Like everything, the nomadic lifestyle has its pros and cons. But, when you decide whether you should go for it or not, do weigh in if the pros outweigh the cons or vice versa.

Let’s Start With The Advantages:

Feel Liberated And A Sense Of Freedom From Daily Chores

It is an amazing feeling to have the option to go anywhere you want and live life on your terms. Mostly, you won’t be tied to the hard and fast rules of office timings. Just pack your bags, get your tickets ready and go to your favorite place.

Everyday A New Day For An Exciting Adventure

If you like your life filled with surprises, adventure, and excitement, then a nomadic lifestyle welcomes you with open arms. To add to that, when you are traveling from place to place, you always have experiences and make memories that last forever.

A girl's adventure in the course of nomadic lifestyle. — A girl’s adventure in the course of nomadic lifestyle.

More Time For Yourselves

In the fast-paced world, there is not much time for ourselves. A nomadic lifestyle gives you the liberty to take time off the daily chores and take some time for yourself. Thus, it helps to ponder upon new ideas, thoughts, and about themselves.

Meet New People And Make New Connections

A group of people with nomadic lifestyle connecting with each other.

When you are constantly on roads and traveling from one place to another, you meet new people and make new connections. Moreover, you share stories and know about others’ cultures and perspectives. There are times when the nomadic lifestyle helps you build connections that last a long time.

Learn New Things Everyday

The nomadic lifestyle allows one to be more creative and requires constant upskilling. Also, you have to adapt, learn about new aspects of life. So, you have to learn a new language, learn from others and get better every day.

There Are Some Disadvantages Too With Nomadic Lifestyle

Issue of Loneliness

There are times in a nomadic lifestyle when you miss the human touch, especially when traveling alone. The issue of loneliness kicks in because although you are meeting people, those are no permanent relationships. You feel that you want to stay close to your loved ones. So, combating loneliness is an essential factor when you’re on the roads.

A man sitting in loneliness due to nomadic lifestyle.

Managing Your Expenses

A nomadic lifestyle is not cheap; there are so many expenses that are related to the lifestyle. On top of that, when you are at home, you can plan out your costs through a budget. But, it is difficult for nomads because of the unexpected situation. So, it becomes hard to manage expenses and save for the future.

Maintaining Your Health

Health is a priority for every person. So, when you are following a nomadic lifestyle, maintaining your health is complex. It is so because, on the road, it is hard to find correct medications sometimes. Besides, it is hard to maintain your diet and proper nutrition is hard to find. You have to eat fast food at the roadside that can affect your health most of the time.

Missing Your Family Members

A man heading back home after nomadic lifestyle.

Constant travel can have a negative impact on your mind. After a while, you start to miss your family, and at some point, you want to join them, leaving behind a nomadic lifestyle. At last, you want to spend some quality time with your family rather than wander off every time.

Facing Burnout At Some Point

A man feeling travel burnout because of excessive nomadic lifestyle.

There is a term called travel burnout. When you follow a nomadic lifestyle, you travel for an extended period. It can have an adverse effect on your health. This is because constant travel causes physical exhaustion and mental exhaustion. On top of that, your work productivity goes down, and you feel that you are not enjoying the travel as much as you would have liked.

Why Is Nomadic Lifestyle So Hard?

The thing that makes the nomadic lifestyle both exciting and complex is the unpredictable nature of the lifestyle. You are in a constant tussle with an unsettling and unfamiliar situation. On top of that, there is no routine to keep a sense of control over your life. Thus, the biggest challenge for a nomad is to stay healthy both mentally and physically amidst all the chaos.

A girl feeling weighed down by nomadic lifestyle.

Conclusion

Whatever lifestyle you choose for yourself either a nomadic nomadic lifestyle or a normal one, make sure you are happy and comfortable with it. Just like everything in life, a nomadic lifestyle is also not devoid of cons along with all its advantages. Thus, before opting for a certain lifestyle know about it as much as you can. If it feels like that you want the lifestyle then there is no stopping you, just go for it.

How To Make And Use A Dialectical Journal

A dialectical journal enhances your analytical capabilities and critical thinking through continuous reasoning.

Before we start with the dialectical journal, it is important to know the meaning of dialectical. The term “dialectical” refers to an art or practice of knowing the truth through a logical discussion and exchange of ideas and opinions.

To add to that, think of a dialectical journal as a series of conversations in the form of questions and answers in order to arrive at the truth. Besides, the origins of this process have roots in ancient Greece by the greats such as Plato and Socrates.

What Are Dialectical Journal Entries?

A dialectical journal is in the form of a written dialogue or conversation that supports reflective questioning. Apart from this, the questioning can be about anything, such as a passage from a novel. It can be from any other piece of literature or opinion piece also. The dialectical journal entries give you a chance to interact with the written text on a personal level.

A person adding their entry in a dialectical journal.

On top of that, you can reflect on the entry and form an opinion about the same. It helps in a deeper understanding of the entries that you are making. In your responses, write down your ideas, questions, thoughts, and insights while you go through your literature. Thus, the crucial part is that, as a reader, you are soaking up the text and responding with your relevant ideas and feelings.

Double Journal Entry

A dialectical journal is also known as a reader response journal or a double-entry journal. In simple words, a double journal entry is a journal that consists of two columns.

The first or the left column is where you write a concept or a quotation and the right column is for expanding that piece of information. That’s where you can analyze, evaluate and review the information to understand better. Thus, it helps the writer to reflect on the piece of text with more command.

How To Create A Dialectical Journal?

Let’s see the procedure you can follow to create a dialectical journal to increase your understanding of the text.

The first step is to divide the journal into three main columns and keep the center column thin. However, the other two extreme left and right columns should be wider in length.

Secondly, name the center column as page number, left column as quotes, passages, or observations. The third right column will be the area for the analysis. So, name the left column as a note-making, response or evaluation column in your dialectical journal.

In the left-hand corner of the journal, note down all your observations, lists, quotes, or the passages that stand out for you, record them in the left column. Apart from this, note down the critical part of passages only; three dots can abbreviate the remaining part.

The center column will store the page numbers or the notation from the passage or quotes.

The right column is a place to write your response to the text in the left column. In other words, it is the space for you to explain the ideas and information relative to the left column. To add to that, make your response column more viable; you must assign codes for the responses.

A woman noting down her response codes in her dialectical journal.

Codes To Assign In Response Column

(Q) Question – Ask the question that is troubling you in the text.
(C) Connect – Make it relatable by connecting it to your life.
(P) Predict – Assume the text written in the left column and what will happen according to your analysis.
(CL) Clarify – Give a clarification to the earlier asked question and confirm or reject the made prediction.
(R) Reflect – Reflect on whether your analysis was on point or according to the text. Also, you can conclude from it and think deeply about the overall text.
(E) Evaluate – Give out a judgment on what the text could mean or what the author wants to say.

How Many Entries Are There In A Dialectical Journal?

The number of entries in your dialectical journal is not a hard and fast rule to follow. Besides, you can have as many entries in your journal until the entries have some relevance and add value to the existing content. But, if you really need a guide for recording entries, and would help in your process and analysis. Then you can follow some directions.

A man writing down his entry in the dialectical journal.

If you are reading a novel or a piece of literature, then ideally, there should be at least one entry for every 40-50 pages. You can increase the entry for the set of pages. However, they should add some value to the text. Try to get at least 15-20 entries for every novel. Still, the entries should not feel shallow or hasty because the idea is to improve your analytical reasoning ability and give a higher depth of knowledge.

There are some dialectical journal templates, dialectical journal examples to follow to help you work out the number you are looking for to get your journal right.

How Does A Dialectical Journal Work?

The dialectical journal works based on constant back and forth questioning and its response until a conclusive result. In this process of seeking knowledge, you attain command over the content at your hand. On top of this, the journals help you ascend to a higher intellectual state. It is because you are not only gulping information and presenting it on paper. Instead, you apply, assess, question, and comprehend the content.

A dialectical journal works best when you use it daily.

Notably, dialectical journals find their usage in a variety of fields. It is not restricted to any field such as arts, literature, or primary or secondary research. Even middle school students can use it to develop their critical thinking. On top of that, there is one thing that makes it so worthwhile. It is the ease with which you can use them to arrive at the knowledge you are seeking.

Conclusion

The dialectical journal provides a way to explore and analyze your thoughts and ideas to understand the given text better. On top of that, the purpose of a dialectical journal is to point out the crucial pieces of a text. It explains the significance of the ideas noted down in the journal.

To add to this, you can summarize, clarify, question, and critique the set of ideas and opinions for a far better understanding of the text. So, get into a habit of journaling while reading content to increase your knowledge in that field of study.

15 Proven Ways to Practise and Improve Intellectual Wellness

15 Ways to Improve Intellectual Wellness

15 Proven Ways to Practise and Improve Intellectual Wellness

Practise intellectual wellness to challenge your abilities, enhance your skills, and become a better version of yourself.

Have you lately wondered if there are ways through which one can improve their cognitive capacity? Like you want to think faster, boost your brainpower, find enough mental strength to multitask with a constant influx of new ideas.

On top of that, do you want to improve your overall health and happiness in your life? If you wish to do all of these, it’s time to start practising intellectual wellness and improve your intellectual capacity.

A girl sitting calmly sitting by the road and self reflecting is a sign of intellectual wellness.

So, to make sure you have a healthy mind, you need to exercise your brain just as you do with your physical body. But, before we look at ways to do that, let us look at the meaning of intellectual wellness.

What Is Intellectual Wellness?

Intellectual Wellness can be defined as finding ways of expanding one’s knowledge, wisdom, and skills. You can achieve this by recognizing your creative abilities. On top of that, it says that keeping an open mind about learning new concepts is a way to enhance your ability to learn new things. So, it is an ongoing process and pursuit towards an optimal state of intellect.

Ways of Practising Intellectual Wellness

Let us look at 15 proven ways by which you can not only practise Intellectual Wellness but also improve it further.

1. Always Look to Try Something New in Life

The worst thing you can do to your intellectual growth is to get into a comfort zone. Moreover, when you find yourself in a comfort zone, then your brain doesn’t exercise enough to allow your brain to grow and practise intellectual wellness. So, come out of your comfort zone, travel, explore and challenge your brain with new experiences.

2. Don’t Stop Reading

A girl practising intellectual wellness through reading.

One thing that is common in most successful people who have done something good in their field like entrepreneurs, philanthropists, politicians, movie actors, etc. That is, they read a lot. On top of that, read to practise intellectual wellness, whether it be articles, fiction, magazines, etc. Reading will help you learn new ideas and concepts and give a breathing space to your mind apart from your routine work.

3. Doing Regular Physical Activity

Being physically active helps you in many ways, and one among them is the growth of new connections in your brain, which is good for your intellectual wellness. Besides, by doing regular aerobic exercise, you can sharpen your memory and enhance learning.

Doing aerobic exercise helps to achieve intellectual wellness.

So, the next question is, what kind of aerobic exercises can you do? You can walk, run, go biking, swim, hike, or do other cardio exercises. So, get out of your bed and go out for a run from today.

4. Socializing is Important

You must have often heard that humans are social beings. But, today, people isolate themselves from society for various reasons. It hampers the intellectual wellness of a person.

A group of men socializing and improving their intellectual wellness.

Studies show that when you go out and meet other people, you are happier from the inside than others who don’t do so. Also, when you meet new people, you get new ideas, perspectives and also grow as a person.

5. Curiosity Is the Key

Curiosity means that you are willing to learn and know more about things that excite your mind. It is important for your intellectual wellness. The main reason for this is that being curious activates your brain cells and facilitates brain activity. To add to that, being curious about new ideas is an exercise for your brain to become stronger.

6. Take Care Of Your Diet with Proper Nutrients and Minerals

Proper nutrients through veggies help in intellectual wellness.

We all know that food is the fuel for your body. But, do you know that the fuel also runs the brain. In fact, 20% of your daily calories are consumed by the brain. Besides, you can increase your intellectual wellness with a nutrient-rich diet. It will help you to think positively and also understand things better. So, don’t forget to eat veggies and include all sorts of proteins, minerals in your diet.

7. Be Creative in Your Approach

Creativity is the ability to create something new using your mind, experience and imagination. On top of that, it helps to stimulate intellectual wellness in your body and opens your mind to new things. Add to that the ability to solve problems using methods that no one is expecting. So, we can say that a creative mind can make this world a better place and promote harmony in today’s day and age.

8. Keep Yourself Hydrated

A girl keeping herself hydrated for intellectual wellness.

Do you know the simplest way to bring clarity and improve focus is? The answer is to keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of water. To add to that, it is even better if you can add some electrolytes into your drink. So, try to stay hydrated to keep your brain cells active, improve memory and promote intellectual wellness.

9. Have A Good Night Sleep

A person sleeping to keep their mind fresh and promote intellectual wellness.

Sleeping well will help you improve intellectual wellness. It sounds odd, isn’t it? How can your sleep improve intellectual wellness when you are told to keep on doing something or other. But in reality, sleep plays a big factor in clearing out the stress and other toxins present in your mind. That’s why sleep is like a restart button for your system to start fresh and perform better.

10. Start Practising Self-Reflection Using Journals

Self-reflection is a way to cleanse your mind and stay in the present moment. Although there are many ways to do self-reflection, using a journal is one of the easiest ways. Journaling helps to keep a record of how much you are self-aware, gives a new perspective towards life, and provides deeper learning. All of these will lead to intellectual wellness.

11. Meditation for Intellectual Wellness

A girl meditating for increasing her intellectual wellness.

Are you finding it hard to calm your nerves and stay stress-free? Try meditation. It will not only calm you down but also provide you with emotional and mental clarity. Besides, these factors increase your brain power and promote intellectual wellness. So, sit down, relax and start to meditate.

12. Play Games and Solve Puzzles to Stimulate Your Brain

A man solving crosswords to enhance his intellectual wellness.

Source

It would help if you played games like chess and puzzles like sudoku; crosswords are an exercise for your brain. They not only build your intellectual wellness but also improve memory and focus. Thus, you must play games that use your brainpower and encourage problem-solving in your leisure time.

13. Start Learning A Foreign Language

Earlier, we talked about coming out of your comfort zone. One way to do that is by learning a foreign language. It can prove beneficial for your intellectual wellness as it will improve your memory. On top of that, it promotes the ability to grasp new things and communicate better.

14. Learn to Play An Instrument

The kind of impact music has on your brain is unlike any other. Music not only uplifts your mood but also works to mitigate stress. Thus, playing an instrument can promote intellectual wellness in a person.

A person playing guitar to improve his intellectual wellness.

It does so because when you play an instrument, your body and mind work in sync to produce amazing musical patterns and improve brain strength.

15. Expand Your Horizons Through Travelling

Travel will help you in achieving intellectual wellness.

Travelling has a great effect both on your mind and body. First of all, when you travel to new places, you learn a lot of new things such as culture, lifestyle, food habits etc. Secondly, you free up your mind from your usual routine. Thus, these two factors help in promoting intellectual wellness.

Here Are Some Intellectual Wellness Benefits

Scientists argue that the brain can grow, adapt through stress and stimulation throughout your lifespan. It can happen when you practise intellectual wellness and provide your brain with new experiences.

Practising intellectual wellness will improve the way you express your thoughts and bring some clarity to your mind.

You can guess that you have signs of intellectual wellness when you have better memory and an increased tolerance level. On top of that, you have a sense of calmness and a positive attitude.

Conclusion

A healthy mind is as crucial, if not more, than your physical wellness. As per the definition of wellness, it refers to a state of well-being of a human being’s physical, social, and mental aspects. Therefore, intellectual wellness plays an equal part in your overall wellness.

A person who have intellectual wellness are mostly happy.

To sum it up, intellectual wellness is about how much you can use your skills to adapt to the ever-changing surroundings. For that to happen, you should look to try out new experiences that help in improving the cognitive skills of a person.