Weekly Round-Up #145: Haikus, Hygge And Hobbies
In this week’s round-up we take a look at some more decluttering techniques, why Swedish Death Cleaning is now a thing and how you can try to stay calm when you’re feeling super-stressed
Welcome to this week’s round-up where we take a look at some more decluttering techniques, why Swedish Death Cleaning is now a thing and how you can try to stay calm when you’re feeling super-stressed.
And, as it’s Friday the 13th (and I hope you don’t suffer from Triskaidekaphobia) here’s an article on why we view Friday the 13th to be so unlucky. Now, please excuse me whilst I open an umbrella in the house while walking under a ladder and stroking a black cat!
10 Top Ways Students Can Have More Money This School Year – Coupon Chief
We all know that College/University is a seriously expensive time so being able to save money is a must – and all the little bits you save can soon add up to a decent amount. Coupon Chief have put together a fantastic set of tips on how to get the most out of your limited budget – and a lot of these will apply to all of us, not just students.
10 Desk Hacks To Improve Your Thinking And Alertness At Work (Infographic) – 10 Machines
Do you rush out to buy the latest gadget, planner or productivity widget in the hope it will make everything “magically” okay? Well, you can still sate your gadget needs whilst becoming super productive using some of the gadgets listed in 10 Machines infographic – I have a coffee warmer and it’s a lifesaver! I’m also thinking you could put Self-Adhesive Vinyl* on your desk to create a whiteboard desk rather than trying to paint it or buying a made-to-order one.
Got A Hobby? Might Be A Smart Professional Move – NPR
Having a hobby is not, despite what some may say, a waste of time – it can, in fact, make you more productive at work, even if the hobby isn’t directly related to your profession. A hobby helps the creative juices flow, allows you to relax and even enter a form a meditative state without you even realising it – and meditation is extremely important to mental wellbeing.
Office Cliches: An Illustrated Guide – Headway Capital
Right, you lot! Stop all of that “Blue Sky Thinking”, stop “Thinking Outside The Box” and let’s not “Get On The Same Page”! Are you as tired as me of all of these phrases being used? This Infographic from Headway Capital gives you a handy illustrated guide to some of the commonly used phrases you may come across in your office – you can even use them to set up your own in-office Buzzword Bingo!
10 Haikus About Office Life – CashNetUSA
A Haiku is a Japanese poem that consists of 17 syllables written in lines of three, five and then three words. They are usually written to evoke thoughts and feelings about the natural world around us but someone has taken the art form a step further and written Haiku’s about our office (my favourite is the Tea one!)
You Are What You Eat – Restructuring You
If you’re looking at eating more healthily – or are starting to plan your health kick for after Thanksgiving/Christmas then Restructuring You has some great background on the importance of healthy food and food types.
A Small Business Guide To Facebook Video Marketing – Business Backer
I’ve added this article to this week’s round-up as I’m sure some of you will be wanting to advertise goods and services in the run-up to Thanksgiving and Christmas and may be thinking of using Facebook as your marketing tool of choice. You may also be running a blog and wondering how to get extra readers to your site – well, it looks like Facebook video is the way forward and Business Backer has all the tips you’ll need.
I’ve Adopted A ‘2-Hour Rule’ Based On The Habit That Led Einstein, Darwin, And Nietzsche To Brilliance – Business Insider UK
When I first saw the headline, my immediate thoughts jumped to David Allen’s 2 Minute Rule and I was wondering how on Earth a “2 Hour Rule” would work – well, it turns out I got completely the wrong end of the stick and the article is more about doing nothing rather than something! I mentioned earlier the importance of meditation and this article shows how Einstein and a lot of other famous people used this technique for a couple of hours to great effect.
7 Things You Need To Stop Doing To Make Your Life Less Complicated – Life Goals Mag
Are you a perfectionist? Maybe you need to be a little self-critical in order to make your life a little easier. Life Goals Mag covers 6 more things you may be doing without realising which is causing your life to be a lot more difficult than it may need to be.
The 7 Golden Rules Of Decluttering – Zoopla
In last week’s round-up I gave you a few decluttering tips to get you started with your Autumn Cleaning routine. I decided to carry on the trend this week as I’ve been in a bit of a cleaning frenzy over the past week thanks to the inspiration I gave myself from writing last week’s article! In this article from property guys Zoopla they have some great tips on how to declutter before a move, but it can equally be applied to a general clear out – I love their “four box rule” – I think it could be an interesting technique to try.
Seven 5-Minute Decluttering Projects You Can Accomplish Today – Becoming Minimalist
Just because you think you don’t have enough time doesn’t mean that you can’t fit in a little decluttering. I’m a big fan of backfilling time (doing things whilst your waiting for something else to be completed) so while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil, or that pizza to cook in the over pick one of Joshua Becker’s decluttering tasks you’ll be able to fit into 5 minutes.
I Took The 30-Day Minimalism Challenge, Got Rid Of 338 Possessions, And Still Failed — Here’s What I Learned – Business Insider UK
I thought I’d include a second article from Business Insider (I don’t normally run 2 articles from the same source in one round-up just so I can fit everything in) as it proves that we’re not all super declutterers like Marie Kondo and, despite getting rid of a tonne of stuff can still feel like a failure,
Yes, Swedish “Death Cleaning” Is A Thing
So I was flicking through my Facebook timeline this week when I came across not one but two articles on a new thing called “Swedish Death Cleaning”… what a catchy name! The theory behind it goes (roughly) that you wouldn’t want your family to have to deal with all the rubbish you’ve accumulated when you pass away so you’d better start getting rid of it whilst you’re still alive. It’s a nice idea if a little morbid. Still, it gives you the opportunity to get rid of all the embarrassing rubbish you’ve been hoarding for years. The two articles that I saw were:
- Swedish “Death Cleaning” Is The New Decluttering Trend – treehugger
- Swedish “Death Cleaning” Is The Morbid New Way To De-Clutter Your Life – New York Post
7 Tips To Hygge Your Home: The Do’s And Don’ts Of Hygge Decor –
Sticking with Scandinavian home-making trends, this post from FTD by Design gives you 7 tips to Hygge your home. Hygge is a way of making your home a simple, peaceful and calm place to live. You can find out more about what Hygge is here. I must admit I fail on the neutral colour scheme, but I ace it on twinkly lights and candles!
A Neuroscientist Explains The Best Way To Stay Calm When You’re Feeling Stressed – IdeaPod
It’s quite easy to get stressed out, but very difficult to stay calm if we start to feel those tensions rise. Daniel Levitin is a neuroscientist and has studied how the brain performs under stressful situations and has spoken on a TED talk about how to break the stress cycle. If you find yourself getting worked up when small things go wrong – as I do on occasion – it’s well worth a watch as there are some great tips.
Here Are 5 Signs You Have A Strong Personality That Intimidates Others – Hack Spirit
Do you inspire or intimidate others? Sometimes the distinction between both can be a fine line that’s very easy to cross. Hack Spirit gives you 5 signs that you may be intimidating to others – although I think with points 1,2 and 3 you may be considered just plain rude rather than intimidating!
Have A Great Weekend
I hope you have enjoyed this round-up, as always if you have any links you like to share with me and my readers please contact me through the website or send me a tweet.
Until next week,
Stay Productive!
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