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5 Positive Psychology Principles To Increase Your Happiness

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Happiness can be hard to find in today’s society with mental health problems coming to the forefront and global issues affecting more and more people every day. Because of this, one major survey asked people if they were truly happy. In the United States, only around one-third said that they are truly happy…and that was taken before the COVID-19 pandemic. So what can we do to make ourselves happier? Here are five positive psychology principles that you can use to increase your happiness.

5. Love Yourself

Throughout your life, there are going to be people that you despise, people that you love, and people that you’re completely indifferent one. The one person that you must have an opinion on (and a good one at that) is yourself. This doesn’t mean you have to be a full on narcissist and think that you’re the best and smartest person in the world. It just means that you have to practice self love. Know your worth, realize that you deserve to love and to be loved, and that you’re beautiful both inside and out.

4. Do What You’re Good at and Love

Have you ever heard the old phrase, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life?” It’s a common saying because it’s true. Those that might focus their entire careers on something that they don’t love, but are very good at, might not find happiness in chasing money. While what you love doing might not pay the bills, it’s important to at least keep it as a hobby that you actively do to maintain your happiness. If something like accounting is a true passion of yours, though, then you really struck gold.

3. Get Out More

These days, it can be more and more difficult to meet new people and create relationships that last. Perhaps it’s because we’ve become too focused on the technology of our era, but real in-person relationships are still paramount. Technology has allowed us to keep living without stepping out of our comfort zone, but you should still be doing that on a near daily basis, according to psychologists. This helps to give you a real world view, and will boost your overall happiness as you develop friendships.

2. Always a Silver Lining

Bad things are going to happen in life, and there’s zero way of avoiding that. How you deal with these things happening, though, is what can define your happiness. No matter what this negative change in your life is, it’s important to find a silver lining and make the most of the situation. “Even sorrow has its silver lining, as the emotion that pours forth reminds us of our capacity to love, and to be loved,” wrote “Finding Fatherhood” author Rob Kozak.

1. Remember What Makes You Happy

The famous saying from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” says that “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it,” and that’s absolutely true. Every day, try to think about the things that make you happy. Write it down in a journal, say it in the mirror, it doesn’t matter, just make sure that your feelings are expressed, starting with “I’m happy today because…”

5 Countries With Surprising Laws To Watch Out For When Travelling The Globe

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No matter where you go, even if you’re in the town that you’ve lived your whole life in, you aren’t expected to know every law. Every place has their weird and intricate laws that might sound made up at first until you have a fine in your hand. Some of them might sound weird to us, but are taken very seriously where enforced. If you plan on traveling, here are some countries that have surprising laws that you should watch out for as a tourist.

5. Indonesia

If you’ve been holding it in while on a flight to Indonesia and make a beeline to the bathroom upon landing, make sure that you flush the public toilet. That’s because it’s illegal to not do so in the country. Certain members of the police in Indonesia make it their job to inspect public toilets, so don’t get caught being a flush-skipper.

4. Countries without Alcohol

Many of us partake in a few adult beverages when we travel, but there are certain countries where that’s not going to happen. In fact, you shouldn’t even try as the penalties are much more severe than you might think. Some of the larger countries that have alcohol bans include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Sudan and Saudi Arabia. For some countries, non-Muslim tourists are still permitted to drink, so always check the laws before heading there.

3. France

One of the most common hobbies that people partake in while on vacation is hopping into the ocean or pool to go for a swim. If you’re heading to France, though, you may be a little more scantily clad than you anticipated. That’s because since 1903, France has had a law that says men must wear tight fitting swimwear, claiming that it’s more hygienic that way. You can still wear your larger Bermuda shorts when walking around, but get ready to show some skin when getting into the water.

2. Italy

Italy has a lot of rules for tourists that can result in pesky fines, but one of the most interesting ones comes from the tourist destination city of Venice. Apparently, too many tourists were visiting the city without eating at local restaurants, instead opting to bring their own snacks and eat in the street. Because of this, Venice has banned outdoor eating during certain hours of the day. Now, there’s a fee of around $3 to $10 depending on the day just to wander the street.

1. Singapore

Chewing gum is one of those things that westerners just consider to be part of life and, for many, a daily ritual. In fact, about 50 percent of people in the United States chew gum, but don’t try bringing in too much of your own. While the country outright banned non-medical chewing gum over 30 years ago, they have loosened up on the rules, since. However, it remains that Singapore doesn’t like people spitting out their gum, and you can face a hefty fine if you don’t discard your used gum in a trash can. They like things very clean in Singapore, and you’ll pay a large sum if you don’t do your part.

How To Know Which CRM To Use For Your Business

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Nothing is more important to your business than having a satisfied customer base, which is why a customer relationship management process (or CRM, for short) is vital to thrive. These days, there are a lot of CRMs that are vying for your business, so it can be a bit overwhelming to try and pick from all of these platforms that allow you to consolidate your calls, emails, meetings and much more. So when your business is browsing for the perfect CRM, there are some things to consider. Let’s break down what makes a CRM the right one for your business.

What Your Company Needs

Not all CRMs are built the same, and in some cases, you don’t need many of the services that are offered. Because of this, some small businesses end up paying too much money for a CRM, paying for services that go unused. Before you use a CRM, think about what it is exactly that you’ll be using it for. Are you trying to generate sales leads? Retain customers on a monthly basis? Identify the most glaring concerns and, from there, find which CRM is the most highly rated in that particular category. 

Furthermore, will your business need additional customer support that you don’t have the staff for currently? Some CRMs will allow you to purchase a feature that routes questions to a call center. You can have the easier FAQ type calls sent this way, and CRMs such as Freshsales, Agile and Nextiva have call center capabilities to use.

Test the Features

Just like any service that knows that it’s worth your business, a good CRM will allow you to test their services through a free trial. In most cases, the top CRMs are offering a free trial that runs for 14 days, while some such as Freshsales runs for 21 days. This allows you enough time to get familiar with the user interfaces and see if the options in the service are what you need. You can adjust the subscriptions from there so that you’re only paying for what you’re going to be using.

Ease of Use

While you might consider yourself tech savvy, there may be some people within your business that aren’t going to be able to navigate quite as well on some platforms. Because of this, you want to pick a CRM that’s going to be easy for all employees of your business to use. Interfaces are much different when looking from one CRM to another, and ones like Pipedrive were rated as the easiest to navigate while also offering the ability to manage from your mobile phone. That’s another key aspect for ease of use, as some CRMs can only be accessed from a desktop.

Word of Mouth

Before even hopping into the free trials for some of the CRMs that you haven’t used yet, try asking around to see what other businesses are using. Other businesses will have their preference, so try to find someone in the same field that has a CRM. If you can’t find anyone, then online reviews will always help. Currently, the top reviews for CRMs are being given to Zoho, Monday, Zendesk and Insightly just to name a few. 

5 Common Misunderstandings About Physics

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Physics, the science that we’re taught from a young age and get reminded of on a daily basis. We think we know some of the broader points of physics, especially because we’re taught equations as early as kindergarten. However, there are some things that we think that we know, but only actually have most or just part of the story. There are plenty of common misunderstandings and misconceptions surrounding physics. Here are five of the most common that we see on a daily basis.

5. Space = No Gravity

When we think of space, we tend to think that there isn’t any gravity. After all, movies and television shows often refer to ‘zero gravity’ when flying through space. However, there has to be some amount of gravity in all places, and that includes outer space. If there weren’t gravity in space, there would be no orbiting anything. Though the gravity is very minimal, it’s still there. Gravity becomes weaker with distance, which is why it’s lower on planets that are farther from the sun.

4. The Sun’s True Color

Though you should never look directly at the sun, the common thought is that the color is that of a pure yellow or orange. However, the sun doesn’t really have one particular true color. In fact, “The entire sun and all of its layers are glowing,” says professor Christopher Baird of West Texas A&M. “The ‘color of the sun’ is the spectrum of colors present in sunlight, which arises from a complex interplay of all parts of the sun.” With that said, the color of the sun appears to be white since it has all colors.

3. Objects in Motion

We’ve all heard that objects in motion stay in motion. After all, this is a law of physics that was founded by Sir Isaac Newton. There’s a little more to it than that, though. Objects that are in motion will stay in motion at the same speed until they are stopped or slowed down by an unbalanced force. Force isn’t actually needed to maintain speed, which may be a misconception because we spend most of our lives on foot or in cars where don’t really see that aspect of motion.

2. Mass vs. Weight

Often in conversation, you’ll hear people say that mass and weight are the exact same thing. It’s even in the name ‘body mass index’ where we find out our general health from using our weight under the name of mass. However, mass and weight don’t have identical meanings. Mass, by definition, is the amount of matter that an object contains. Weight, on the other hand, is the force that it exerts gravitationally. So, yes, when you are dieting you are losing both mass and weight. However, if you were on Pluto you would weigh much less while still having the same mass.

1. Black Holes

You’ve probably seen dozens of black holes in science fiction by this point, but they’re all just educational guesses as to what they actually look like. The truth is, we have no clue what a black hole truly looks like. They could be large enough to just barely eclipse the sun, or they could be millions of times larger. Let’s just say that it’s a good thing that nobody knows what the inside of a black hole looks like, because it’s probably not good.

What is Walking Meditation

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Because of the way society is set up now, making sure that you’re walking enough on a daily basis can be difficult. Since we’re tied to our desks, have very little free time and live in cities that don’t allow much for walking peacefully, it can be hard to fit in a good walk. After all, the average American is only getting around 3 to 4,000 steps per day, falling well short of the 10,000 step recommendation set by the Center for Disease Control. Many researchers have said, though, that getting 7 to 8,000 is the sweet spot. Make sure you get the most of those steps, however. To do so, try walking meditation. Not only is it great for your physical health, but also your mental health.

What exactly is walking meditation and where did it come from? The original form of walking meditation came from China hundreds of years ago, with practitioners walking around a room with one hand clenched into a fist while the other hand is covering. In between each breath, a step is taken, and the speed of these breaths and steps is completely up to the person meditating. Some prefer to have very deliberate steps for full relaxation while others make an exercise out of meditating.

You don’t have to limit yourself to just one single room, either. If you want to try walking meditation for yourself, try to find somewhere outside that’s quiet. A place like a hiking trail is a good location, or really anywhere that allows you to get in touch with nature. The practice remains mostly the same no matter your location. You’ll want to walk a handful of steps while holding your breath, making sure that each step has you placing your heel on the ground first and then gradually shifting the weight so that the toes are last to leave the ground. You should be able to feel the weight shift in your feet.

After your determined amount of steps (or whenever you feel most comfortable for full relaxation), pause and stand still, breathing in and out as much as you want. Most that perform walking meditation will go back in the direction they came from after stopping and breathing, though you can continue to move forward if you wish. Either way, make sure that your focus is fully on your body and the world surrounding you. Feel the sensations in your thoughts from the weight on your foot to the balance you’re obtaining with each step.

You don’t need to spend all afternoon doing your meditation, as even just a few minutes can bring a lot of benefits. Studies have shown that walking meditation has been linked to a lowered chance of anxiety, healthier blood pressure and bones, as well as blood sugar control. When your mind and body are at ease, the health benefits are endless. 

The late Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh was a notable supporter of walking meditation and lived to be 95 years old before passing away in 2022. “WYou have feet, and if you don’t make use of them it’s a loss and a waste,” he said. “Someone is telling you now so that in the future you cannot say, ‘No one told me that it was important to enjoy using my feet.’”

5 Key World War Two Battles That Were Won By Narrow Margins

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For just over six years, there were over 5,000 battles that made up World War II, perhaps the most well known conflict in human history. It has been nearly 80 years since the war’s conclusion, but there are certain battles that still stand out and are talked about to this day. Here are some of those key battles that had razor thin margins for victory on either side.

5. Battle of Stalingrad

Starting in August of 1942 and lasting for just over five months, the Battle of Stalingrad was fought by the Soviets alone against the Axis in one of the bloodiest battles in human history. The Soviets were outnumbered initially, but more people joined the cause and eventually there were over 1 million Soviets in total. More than 1.1 million Soviets lost their while over 800,000 Axis, but the Soviet resolve resulted in a narrow victory that decimated the German and Italian armies.

4. Battle of Normandy

Perhaps the most famous battle of World War II, Operation Overlord saw over a dozen Allied countries storm the beaches of France and it was a rough start for the Allies. The Allies would recover, though, establishing a stronghold that would then expand into France to help recapture the country. All in all, the casualties were over 225,000 for the Allies and 288,000 for the Axis over the course of nearly three months. The narrow battle has been well documented, especially in film.

3. Battle of Iwo Jima

Another one of those well documented battles that we still see recreated on the big screen today, the Battle of Iwo Jima took place between only the United States and Japan in the latter country’s Volcano Islands. In terms of logistics, this should have been an easy battle for the Americans. There was no land for Japan to retreat and the air/water support made it so that the U.S. wouldn’t lose in the long run, but Japan still put up a fight for more than a month. Iwo Jima turned into a U.S. base at the cost of 27,000 casualties.

2. Battle of Crete

While the Greek army wasn’t a big player in World War II, the country’s land still played a big part with their ~11,000 soldiers that fought to defend Crete from Germany and Italy. Along with the U.K., New Zealand and Australia, the Allies fought off the Axis invasion at first, but things started to go south. When reinforcements from Germany arrived, the Allies fought hard for nearly two weeks but came up short as the Axis claimed victory on June 1, 1941. However, German forces lost a lot of aircraft in the battle that would play a big part in the final years of war.

1. Battle of the Bulge

In the most pivotal battle of World War II, the Germans had a plan to completely surround the Allied forces and could’ve won them the war. What resulted, though, was the Battle of the Bulge being fought in several countries including Belgium and Germany. It took the final weeks of 1944 and first few weeks of 1945 to complete, but the Battle of the Bulge was an even fight that was ultimately won by the Allies, setting up the completion of the war.

5 Feng Shui Principles That Will Make Your Home A Nicer Place

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Many people tend to place items in their homes where they want to based on their personal thought of what looks good. Not many, at least in the west, consider what the placement of these items means to them spiritually. Thankfully, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of feng shui, which is the Chinese practice of arranging your home so that good energy comes your way. If you aren’t familiar with feng shui, here are some principles to follow that will make your home nicer and improve your life.

5. Follow the Map

Every home should have a map that they follow called the bagua map. This map separates your home into nine different areas, with each area having its own theme. When you enter the home, there should be a career theme. To your left is knowledge and self-cultivation and to the right is travel and helpful people. The other segments of the home include family, wealth/prosperity, fame/reputation, relationships and children/creativity. The exact center of the home, though, should be focused on health and longevity.

4. Go Up

You may notice in the homes of people who practice feng shui that there is a vertical design for most of the home. While it might be impossible to actually make your living space taller, adding designs and shapes to make things appear taller is great for feng shui. Things such as trees, bookshelves and vertical blinds go a long way in making things seem larger than they are. Work with a professional painter to help with increasing verticality as they’re trained in the art.

3. Use the Elements

Wuxing is the use of all of the elements to create perfect feng shui. The elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. When you’re designing your home you should be balancing all of these elements to the best of your abilities. Everything should be balanced from clothing to fountains to plants. Every item in your home represents one of the elements, so each space in your home should contain a good balance between them.

2. Stove Savant

While it might not seem like something major, the stove in your house plays a massive role in proper feng shui. According to the practice, your stove should never be on an island, instead placing it with the back against a wall. The stove also represents a lot, including your resources, career and how you can help to provide yourself with nourishment. The more burners you have on your stove, the better. This is because the burners represent opportunities, so make sure that your stove is the star of the show in your kitchen.

1. Free Entry

The stove is the most important part of the kitchen in terms of feng shui, but your entryway is going to be the most important overall. That’s because the entryway is the source of all energy that comes into your home and you want to set the right tone. Finding the perfect front door can be done at any major hardware store, and you want it to be formal and inviting. Things should be very tidy in this area, too, with no clutter to come into your home as it represents clutter constantly entering your mind.

Tinnitus: What Causes It And How Do You Manage It?

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Tinnitus is one of the more frequent ailments, with over 50 million Americans alone suffering from tinnitus. Some people have a very mild form of tinnitus with slight buzzing or humming while for some it can be debilitating. Tinnitus itself isn’t technically disease, but rather a symptom of another underlying cause. This can range from an injury to the ear to a tumor or other growth in the ear canal. Whatever is causing your tinnitus, there are several forms of treatment to get the annoying noises that it causes.

Hearing Aids

One of the more common forms of treatment that you’ll see for tinnitus is the use of a hearing aid, especially in older patients. That’s because one of the more common causes of tinnitus is age related hearing loss, and hearing aids go hand in hand with that. Hearing aids help because when you experience hearing loss, your body tends to make up for that stimulation and the activity can create those buzzing sounds that tinnitus brings. With hearing aids, your brain doesn’t have to make up for that lack of hearing.

Diet and Exercise

Believe it or not, your physical activity is actually linked to your risk for tinnitus. Studies have shown that people who eat diets that are lower in fats and starches are less likely to experience tinnitus. An increase in physical activity was also linked to lower levels of tinnitus thanks to increased blood flow, with tinnitus being a symptom of poor circulation. Also, make sure you’re getting the proper amount of nutrients in your diet, as vitamin B12 and protein have been found to ease tinnitus.

Medications

There aren’t many medications that are made simply to treat tinnitus, but there are some medications that can help. Most of these are antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications, such as Elavil or Valium. Again, the use of these medications is to cut down on the severity of the symptoms rather than to treat tinnitus itself. If you don’t need any of these medications for mental health, it’s best to go another route for treatment.


Retraining Therapy

For a treatment that doesn’t really focus on anything that includes a lot of technology or medication, you may want to try tinnitus retraining therapy. This all natural approach is a way to adjust your hearing so that you don’t focus too much on the buzzing and humming. Some of this is psychological training, which can also help to relieve anxiety if you are suffering from that, too. This is a more holistic and new approach to tinnitus, but the early results have been good for patients that use this option.

Dental Treatment

Another one of the most common reasons that people experience tinnitus is due to dental issues. This includes people with abscessed teeth and impacted wisdom teeth. If you’re not taking good care of your teeth, there’s a strong chance that it’s the cause of your tinnitus. Check in with a dentist to see if your teeth are the underlying issue.

Implants

Finally, those with severe tinnitus may be eligible to have a cochlear implant placed into their ears. These implants are typically reserved for other ailments, but have been found to be great for tinnitus treatment, as well. There is an adjustment period after the implant, but the long term results are very positive.

Archery: How To Get Started And Why You Should

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Far, far before the days that rifles were used in hunting or sport, humans used bows and arrows. This is why archery is one of the oldest sports in the world, dating back to ancient times when we had to use arrows to take down animals for food. Now, archery is seen as more of a hobby where we attempt to hit small targets from varying distances. Archery has maintained its spot as a global sport, staying on the Olympic stage throughout the years. 

A lot of people get interested in archery every few years when they see it at the Olympics, and there was also an influx of intrigue when “The Hunger Games” series became popular. Getting into archery isn’t the easiest thing, and beginners can tend to feel overwhelmed. For starters, there are different types of bows, with the two primary being the compound and recurve, with the latter being the ideal for beginners who want to know the intricacies of archery.

You’ll want to get familiar with the bow and its parts, including the string, sight, riser, limbs and nock point. As for which bow you select, it’s really up to how comfortable you feel. The best practice is to work with an expert and find a range that allows you to both learn and get some practice. Bows aren’t as expensive as they used to be, thankfully, with archery being one of those sports where the technology has become more accessible to the average person.

With that said, you don’t have to be Robin Hood on your first try to really get into archery. The most valuable tool is working with someone that has knowledge and can coach you into finding your comfort zone. Practice, of course, makes perfect, so don’t give up on your archery dreams before they even start. For some added motivation, here are some reasons why you should get started in archery.

Physical Health

People tend to think that archery is standing around and shooting an arrow then calling it a day, while not taking much physical fitness. However, good archers tend to be in better shape than most of your favorite baseball players. That’s because archery requires tremendous core strength, as well as strength from the arms, back and shoulders. You’ll likely be tremendously sore from archery at first, but less so when you build your strength up over the first few weeks.

Mental Health

Think about the time you’ve done a physical activity like jogging/walking, cycling or really anything else. You’ve probably been hyper focused and afterward felt like you were in a better overall mood. This is especially true for archery, as it requires the physical activity that produces natural endorphins to help improve your mood, and there’s the mental aspect of archery, especially when it comes to focus and patience. Archery is basically meditation in this regard, and you’ll feel a lot calmer overall.

Year-Round Sport

The great thing about archery is that you don’t need it to be sunny with no wind and 70 degrees outside. There are plenty of indoor ranges that make archery a sport that you can participate in all 12 months of the year. With that in mind, it doesn’t feel like a waste of money when you can pick up archery at any point. It also helps to combat some of those winter blues when you find an indoor range.

The Surprising Benefits of Poetry

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Poetry is so old that even the best historians aren’t quite sure just how far back it goes. Predating recorded history, poetry has been a great way for us to express ourselves through written and spoken word while becoming the backbone for what would become modern music. Simply put, poetry is beautiful and in modern times we tend to underestimate its value. Poetry isn’t just something fun to listen to or write, but it also has a slew of benefits in your life. Here are some of the surprising benefits that you get from poetry.

5. Stimulates the Brain

Have you ever gotten goosebumps from listening to a really good song that resonated with you? The exact same thing happens when we listen to or read poetry. It turns out that the stimulation that you get from reading poetry is great for your brain health, as the right hemisphere is triggered. This can help to improve your overall cognitive function, including memory, in your part of the brain that may get bogged down with the monotony of life. Not only that, but poetry can actually help to improve your intelligence.

4. Time to Relax

For the same reasons that poetry helps to stimulate your brain, it also helps you to relax. Studies have shown that poetry is a natural way to reduce stress and promote sleep. Because of this, poetry is being used in high stress areas such as centers for those that have fought in war, as well as hospitals. Even reading your poetry to others can induce a feeling of stress, but once you’ve gotten up there and shared your poems, you’ll feel less anxious and stressed overall.

3. Expand Your Worldview

We don’t often get to see the views of someone else on the other side of the world. Obviously, we can do that with an autobiography or something similar, but it can be too long for the average person. Because of that, poetry is an easily digestible way to understand the way the world and other cultures work. Try reading poetry from other countries and you’ll feel more cultured and aware of others’ situations.

2. Ease Suffering

It seems that poetry is there for us when we need it the most, with it being the go-to for those that are going through trauma such as the death of a loved one. There is likely a poem that deals with exactly what you’re going through in life, and it helps you to find something that’s relatable and make things easier. Psychiatry professor Dr. Norman Rosenthal said that after moving to another country, he found a poem that helped and wanted to see if there were more. “I found many others that did,” he said.

1. Language Learning

One of the best ways to learn your own native language as a child is through poetry, and it’s also among the easiest to learn a new language. Poetry not only teaches you about sentence structure, but also gives you words to use that you may not have known before. Companies that teach people new languages often use poetry, including Babbel. “Parsing through and digesting a poem can be a more bite-sized activity,” the company said, noting that it’s easier than starting a book that will go unfinished.