Nowadays everyone is talking about going green or saving the environment. If you feel this is the right thing and want to fight global warming but you don’t know where to start, this article is probably a good starter.

These are just simple steps that may not significantly shrink the big hole in the ozone layer but will make you feel good to know you’re taking steps for a better environment and a better you.

photo by aaardvaark

1. Forget paper towels.

They are always easy to get and seem hygienic to use. Right, but what about all those trees they need to put down to make the paper towels? If you care about them, you may want to consider cloth towels that you can later put in your washing machine and use them again the next day.

2. Save some power

Studies showed that your computer or the TV, when plugged in, even if turned off still consumes electricity. Therefore if you’re leaving for a trip or something that will take a few days un-plug the electronics you don’t need. You can even do it in the morning when you leave for work and plug them back in when you get back 8 hours later.

3. Recycle

Not sure if you’ve heard but the Vatican talked about modern sins. Pollution and not recycling are some of them. Therefore if you want to be closer to God and live a greener life consider recycling. Old materials are used to create new products and reduces the need for raw materials and energy.

4. Use less packaging (plastic bags)

Plastic bags pollution or plastic pollution is already a big threat. For example in some cities (like San Francisco for example), supermarkets have been banned to offer their customers plastic bags. Isn’t it true that you always seem to get more plastic bags than you need and you end up stacking them under the sink? Use a bigger bag that you can put all your groceries in or re-use your carrier bags

5. Drive less

You can set your own targets like “this month I will drive 200 miles less”. Car emissions are one of the biggest threats to global warming and if we don’t do something about it, we will be the ones to suffer the consequences. If you can shop locally and walk to the store instead of driving outside the town to a huge store you will not only put less CO2 in the atmosphere but your body will feel better because you walked.

6. A-rated electronics

If you have an old (collection) fridge that you don’t want to get rid of, you can turn it into “furniture” if it looks that good. A-rated products they build these days are using less power, so you may want to change the one you have with one of these. By the way, I’ve chosen the fridge example because from what I know they contain CFCs which contribute to the hole in the ozone layer. We don’t want that to happen, right ?

7. Cleaning. Watch out

Did you know that many of the products you use to clean your kitchen for example are extremely toxic? Polycarboxylates, phosphonates or bleaching agents are harmful for plants or pets so if you want to make sure you clean “green” make sure you’re using green kitchen products like Ecover for example.

8. Take showers instead of a bath

Many call this one a myth, but taking showers not only uses less water than a bath does but will also use less energy. Save water, take showers! However, if you feel stressed out and a good old bath is your thing do it.

9. Plant a tree

I don’t think this one needs any comments, because it may not only be a green decision but also a great life decision. Imagine when the tree grows and you see it bigger and bigger, fighting with CO2 emissions?

10. Switch lightbulbs

Though Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL) are a little bit more expensive they will probably lower your electricity bill by 60%. Another great thing for using them is they last 12 times more than traditional bulbs.

11. Travel by train

Air transportation is currently responsible for 3.5 percent of all greenhouse gases that are helping the ozone layer hole getting bigger and bigger. Therefore, if the distance is not very big and you can travel by train do it at least 2-3 times a year (instead of flying).

If you can think about more ways don’t hesitate to comment below.

No matter if you’re changing your job or just because you need something new in your life, moving to a new city could be fun at first and a nightmare after. From things you’ll have to eat, to finding a place to live or to making new friends the road may be sprinkled with lots of problems.

New York City - Times Square (by FraukeFoto)

For many people, living in a new city is a big challenge and if you break through, you’ll eventually have to make friends. If finding out things like crime rate, school systems, medical care, taxes, cell phone coverage or bars and restaurants to spend your time, is just as easy as searching on Google, making new friends is not very easy.

This little guide may help you out.

First things, first

Alone in the city or not, you should know what type of people you enjoy spending time with. This is the first step you should consider. If you don’t like people that are frequently spending time in bars or clubs you should avoid such places. Be honest to yourself and decide what people you should meet.

1. Radiate positive energy. Smile, be funny and confident because your behavior will attract or keep people away. You need to be interesting, not boring. This is how you keep shyness away, a main problem for most of the people I’ve seen the first time.
2. Start at work or school. The best way to meet new people in a place you’ve never been before, is to start with the place you spend the most time during the day. Be it school, be it work find someone (nice enough) to show you the area and make a quick list of interesting things you could do. Some of you will say that after 9 hours of work, they have no energy left to spend time with the same people again. Could be true, but these are the first people you meet that could at least open your horizon.
3. Activities, activities, activities. Another great way to find people sharing the same things you do is to find activities to join.
   • sports : go jogging in the park, find a swimming pool or a gym to join, find a group for mountain expeditions, tennis lessons and actually every sport you enjoy.
   • social and cultural: you may want to consider dancing lessons, taking a drama class, find new events in your city on different websites/blogs, attend church on Sundays and so on.
   • for families the easiest way to meet new people is through your kids. Join the charity fund at school, take your kids to soccer practice or swimming lessons. It’s easier to meet other parents, discuss problems that concern both parts and then throw in a barbecue party at your place and invite all those parents.
   • for teenagers or young people, a very good idea to making your first friends is sharing an apartment with someone. I know it could be dangerous but you’ll have to trust your instincts on choosing the right person.

The Lion Conversation Continues by (tberling)

A better you, for better relations

Just attending events or running in the park is not enough to get you friends to spend time with. The most important thing is starting a conversation because a good first impression is very important.

• Don’t be rude. You may not like the person you’ve just met, but it doesn’t mean you have to send them away with bad words. You never know who “they know” and you end up feeling sorry.
• Overcome shyness. Shyness is rooted in fear. The fear of being public humiliated or ignored. The fear of embarrassment is so big that people prefer to sit back and watch others do the talking. If there’s no battle, there’s no winner. Be confident in your self-worth and practice (start conversations). One more thing, make sure everyone knows you’re a newcomer, they will take you easier and you’ll feel better.
• Smart conversation. Don’t ever expect to start a conversation by asking a question that can give a quick “yes” or “no”. Instead of asking “Do you like these paintings?” you can try to say “I like/dislike these paintings because …. What do you think about them?”. Different people require different approaches. If you’re meeting geeks you may want to talk about the gadgets you own and why you like them, but if you meet people working in advertising most likely you’ll have to refer to the latests billboards you’ve seen across town.
• Be funny. That’s a must and I don’t need to explain it, right?

Mistakes you should avoid

1. Old friends. For the first few months until you accommodate and make new friends you’ll probably keep in touch with old buddies. Sometimes the biggest mistake one could do is to hang on old friends too much, so that they have no time for their own. Save time for yourself, it’s an “order”.
2. Don’t be too clingy. If you’re not invited live with it. Don’t take desperate measures and call over and over again or make a scene because those people may have other friends, too. Friendship is a slow motion thing so take your time,be patient and relax. It will come.
3. Couples. They tend to rely only on each other and miss the part where they go out to meet new people.
4. Less TV and Internet. This is good for anyone reading this. Watching TV and surfing on the Internet is very addictive and could keep you tied up to a chair for long hours. On the funny part, keep in mind that I’m not saying to forget about reading SocialPacks, that’s allowed.

I hope these little tips are going to help you out if you plan to move to a new city, and if you have your own tricks I’d love to hear them all.

A divorce is not an easy thing for a married couple so I guess you don’t need me to tell you that it could be devastating for the kids. But it happens. You need to get on to your life and the only solution is the legal break up. A very big problem is how should the children be told, when and more importantly what to tell them.

I’ve had a lot of friends that had to suffer because their parents divorced and I think there are ways to prepare your kids to face the feelings avalanche they’re about to experience. Here are a few tips I could think of.

When to bring up the divorce with your kids

Don’t lie to your kids, this time it’s not going to work. Most of the times children can see and can feel the communication difficulties between the parents and usually anticipate what is about to happen so if the two of you fight try not to mention “divorce” every time you raise your voice.

If you feel that everything you’ve tried is in vain and a divorce is the ultimate solution this is when you should tell your kids. My advice is to try and let them know what’s going to happen before they will see the change, usually a few days before your spouse moves out.

How to tell your kids about the divorce

Don’t use smart words with your kid, simple communication skills are the only ones needed. Therapists advise people to use clear words and simple sentences, that the kids will understand. Blame, could be the hardest part you should overcome. It’s not their fault the two parents are not getting along anymore and you should emphasize on it as much as you can.

Another advice would be, the whole family (both parents and children) to be there. The kids need a reason but don’t expect them to understand that “daddy had an affair” or “mommy loves her boss”. Just give them a reason they’ll accept like “We two don’t love each other like we did when we were young, but nothing will change our love for you.”

What to tell your kids when you’re getting a divorce

One other thing about telling them is that kids need to know what is going to happen with them. Will they change schools or move out with one of the parents and what role each parent will have in their lives from now on. Make it clear to them.

Your children may feel that the family is breaking up if Mommy and Daddy are not together anymore, this is why continuing to communicate after the divorce is extremely important. Do it on the phone, on the Internet or pay them a visit if you were the one leaving home and reassure them no matter what happens a parent will always love the child.

If the divorce is the result of family violence it’s well known that the child takes sides and will tend to stay with the victimized parent. Even if you’re that person, don’t put all the blame on the spouse. The divorce is going to happen because the two parents can’t get along anymore and because there’s no more love. When the kids will grow up they will be able to judge for themselves what happened, right now they just need to be safe and loved.

These are just a few pointers that I could think of, but searching online I came up with a few question that your child may ask about the divorce. Read them and make sure you have a proper answer when they ask.

1. Will I be left alone?
2. Where will I live?
3. Will I ever see Daddy (Mommy) again?
4. What happens if I get sick?
5. Will I stay with my brothers and sisters?
6. If I’m really good and never act up again, will Daddy (Mommy) come back?
7. Who will feed me? Will I have enough to eat?
8. Now that Daddy (Mommy) is leaving, will Mommy (Daddy) leave soon too?
9. My friend _____ had to move to an apartment and share a room with a brother or sister when her parents divorced. Will we do that too?
10. What did I do to cause this? Maybe it was (some recent transgression). Or maybe it was (something else they’ve done wrong recently). I’ll make sure I never, never do that again, and then we’ll all be together again.

As you probably read the whole article was about younger children. But what if your kids are not little anymore, what if they’re teenagers? Sometimes the effects could be even worse because added to the specific problems of their age they are living the drama of their parents divorcing. Don’t forget the medical help of a therapist that has experience with such cases, because it could be the difference between a child that can get over the critical problems of a divorce, and one that won’t.

photo by a bird named su

It happens sometimes to remember a meeting just when you are already late for it or go to the supermarket and forget what you were supposed to buy. These are just a few reasons for people to wish for a very good memory and there is a saying an elephant never forgets.

But what if we can be just like the elephant. What if we can improve our memory skills and memorize all the important things we used to forget, wouldn’t that be a big victory? There are certain memory stimulating games and all sorts of techniques that should help someone improve their memory.

picture by Shutterscript

There are two different approaches to help your memory. Internal techniques that involve association, visualization and observation and external techniques that include written instructions, organizing, environmental factors or sound triggers.

Here are a few ways to improve memory, that helped me and you may benefit from.

1. Keep an active brain. This is probably the best advice I can give you. Your brain is not a muscle so exercising inside your head is needed to keep it “growing” and to create new nerve connections.
   How to do it. More complex ways require learning. A new language, skiing, roller-blading, dancing or playing a musical instrument are all great ways to create activity inside your brain. Just consider how many images or happenings you could associate that new French word you’ve learned. Easier tasks than learning, are puzzles and games.
2. Make associations. Creating a mental link between the things you already knew and new information is very important. Associating things is a very good memory booster. It’s like filing your documents on letters and you go to B to find Bill’s invoices. Let your imagination free when you associate things.
3. Visualize and observe. When you want to remember something in particular you should create a mental picture of what you’re interested in. Be very attentive to details and take a benchmark.
   How to do it. The most common example is forgetting where you’ve parked the car. When you get out look around and see if there are any signs near you, count the lanes to the entrance or see if you’re in front of a certain building. You will most likely remember the color or the architectural elements of that building.
4. Repeat things. Practice makes it perfect, some would say. One of the biggest concerns when talking in front of people is that you may forget your speech. It is true, but how can we make sure we won’t? The more times you hear, see or speak about something the easier you will remember it. Go in front of the mirror and tell the speech loud or focus about it in bed and do it silently.
5. Meditation. I remember when I read The Silva ”Mind Control’ Method (printed book by José Silva) for the first time I was amazed. The guy was a city planner and he lost the drawings for a proposed shopping mall in the area. What he did?
   

   He sat at his desk. In a moment his eyes closed and he became still and quiet. Anyone might have thought he was composing in the face of disaster.

   A full ten minutes later he opened his eyes, rose slowly, and walked outside to his secretary. “I think I’ve found them,” he said calmly. “Let’s look at my expense account for last Thursday, when I was in Hartford. What restaurant did I have dinner in?”

   He telephoned the restaurant. The drawings were there.

   I guess it explains things very well. I always try to meditate 10 minutes a day when everything is peaceful in the office. I put both of my hands over the abdomen, I breathe deep and I try to concentrate on the calmness that surrounds me.

6. Exercise. If you’re fighting a sedentary lifestyle and exercise daily not only your muscles will be happy. You will improve blood circulation throughout your body (brain included), be more alert and relaxed
7. Eating and sleeping. If you’ve been a reader on SocialPacks you already know that we care a big deal about eating and sleeping. There are certain things you can eat to have more energy and a few tips to getting a good night’s sleep that will keep your brain healthier. Try to include fish in your meals, foods containing anti-oxidants, Vitamin E, Niacin, Vitamin B-6.
8. Organize your life. I remember what Grandpa was saying that the way you make your bed is how you sleep. Later on I realized that he was right. Living a complicated life is not going to make it easy for your brain to remember things. If your office is filled with files and papers that no one ever try to put in order, don’t expect to find what you’re looking for. Same goes for your brain.
9. Reduce stress. A cluttered life, eating problems, sleeping problems or a bad job could lead to living a very stressed life. When you’re stressed out you won’t be able to concentrate and makes remembering a very difficult process. Declutter your desk and the whole work environment, relax when you have time and play sports when you can. All these help to have a healthier brain.

I hope these are going to help you out and I am certain you guys have more tips and tricks to improve memory. Just leave your thoughts in the comments below.

In modern cultures, sitting or remaining inactive most of the day without any or little exercise is called a sedentary lifestyle. The main concerns of being inactive go beyond the common depression or the mental problems and will influence your life forever because it could lead to obesity, type II diabetes, heart problems, different cancer types or even hemorrhoids.

photo by RCWW, Inc./Corbis

But these are not the only concerns one should have when having a sedentary lifestyle, because the lack of exercise cause muscle atrophy and weakening that could lead to possible injuries. Daily exercise will reduce the chances for colon cancer by 60 percent and heart disease by 50 percent, scientists say.

The same scientists, say that modern people don’t care about walking or jogging anymore. It’s mainly true. I remember myself a few years ago. I was working late and I was getting home very tired, or at least that’s how I felt. A 30 minutes walk was a no-no. I was wrong. First time I tried it, I went for a 30 minutes run in the park and I noticed not only that I had more energy but more important I wasn’t as tired as I thought.

TVs, computers and using a car are the biggest threats to a healthy lifestyle. I’m not saying we don’t need them, but people are not putting a limit to using them. The best example is the car. I know people that won’t walk to the grocery store even if it’s less than 500m away and the reason is “I can’t carry all that food back home” and this is how over-eating starts.

Globally, one person out of three is aware of the benefits those 30 minutes of exercises a day could bring. These are 10 simple steps for spending half an hour of your time to healthy habits.

1. Forget the car for small distances. This sounds like a cliché I know the benefits of walking are incredible. Drive less, get off the metro or the bus one station before and walk or buy a bicycle. That way you will probably earn up to 10 minutes of exercise.

2. Use the stairs. Forget the elevator, bring back the stairs. So many of you will say I’m crazy and some could have a point if we consider that buildings these days have tens or hundreds of floors. The explanation is that you can always take the elevator and get off three or four floors below and use the stairs for the rest of them. Do it 2-3 times a day and you have a 7-10 minutes of exercise as well.

3. Lunch break. Now that we know how to make the most of the lunch break you can probably see the benefits of walking 10-15 minutes in the park. Simply forget about the office chair or the laptop. The effect is doubled if it’s a sunny day.

4. Home exercise. No one says you have to go to a gym in order to exercise. Yoga, stretching or an indoor training bike are great for healthy muscles. Do all these things outside and your body will use the “healing effects” of sunlight which many of us miss these days.

5. Go to the pool. For me the best time is early in the morning. The blood starts flowing and the whole body begins work. Don’t exaggerate, because you won’t make it to the Olympics. Do it for fun and for staying healthy. Swimming is one of the most complex sports when it comes to muscles.

6. Be active during weekend. Take your kids and wife if you have or your loved one and make a small trip to a new place. River rafting, a trip in the mountains, or playing tennis with a friend, water sports, rollerblading or rollerskating are just a few simple ideas I got right now. Your imagination could be better than mine and as long as you avoid the Internet, over-sleeping and the TV it’s a good thing.

7. Physical activity. It gets everything moving in your body, the blood, the oxygen, nutrients, the nervous system and so on, therefore if there’s work to do at home don’t pay someone to do it if you can manage just as well.

8. A pet. I love dogs and probably so do you. Going with the dog in the park for example shouldn’t be an obligation but a reason to walk for a few minutes outside.

Exercising is a low priority for many and that has been long researched. Just to make my point, studies say that a sedentary lifestyle causes more death than smoking, so this is how important physical activity is. Oh, and if you were wondering how you can exercise without having to move your body the answer is there isn’t a solution. No pills, no nothing. Go out and move a little bit.