If You Want to Be Happy, Expect Nothing and Appreciate Everything
I had a count-down on my phone showing me the days left to go before I’d be reunited with my family again. I had always been very independent. The typical kid who begged to be sent to boarding school and loved summer camp. I then studied abroad and later worked abroad for years; I was never one to “miss” home. But 2020 was different. For all of us.
Read full story4 Classroom-Free Tips To Help You Learn a New Language As Quickly As A Child
Immersion is an excellent way to learn a new language; arguably the best way. Admittedly I’m biased. I can’t take much credit for the fact I speak French and English; I learned without it giving it much thought. My parents decided to move abroad and that was the end of it; it was sink or swim. Or rather, speak or forever be silent (which, frankly, to someone like me, is almost worse). And despite my biased preference for total immersion, there’s a science to back it up. Studies have indeed shown that an immersive environment is a far more effective way to become fluent in a new language than a classroom setting.
Read full storyQuiet Introverts Hold the Key to Happiness and Strong Relationships
Sitting on the opposite end of the dinner table, he caught my eye. I had barely noticed him all night. I nodded my head slightly as though to ask, ‘How are you?’. He nodded back awkwardly. Shrugged his shoulders as though to say ‘fine’.
Read full storyBusiness Leaders Should Look to Internal Side-Gigs to Boost Engagement
My mind jumps to Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson strolling past driverless cars and indoor slides in Google’s dog-friendly Mountain View campus. Ryan Reynold’s casual visit to chat about superheroes; the free massage credits, the free fitness classes, the free gourmet food, the free ride home. And yet one benefit is especially relevant for businesses today. The “free” time.
Read full storyCalm Down! Everyone You Admire Is Still Figuring It Out
Amardeep Parmar for one of our podcast episodes. I didn’t want to dwell too much on the “how-tos” of becoming a successful online writer, so we dug a little deeper into issues like the pressures of living up to expectations, the fear of failure, and our dreams of attaining financial freedom. And there’s one point we touched on in particular that really resonated with me.
Read full storyA Proven Way to Boost Productivity and Ideation: Humor
Yesterday was a big day for me. I’ve been lifting my spirits with intermittent doses of The Office US to escape the gloom and doom of an ever-so-uneventful winter, and yesterday’s grand finale brought this much-loved era to an end. I know I was late to the party but boy, what a party. Today’s priority will be finding a new short comedy to cherish before I spiral into a chocolate-eating frenzy in my search for a substitute pandemic-respite.
Read full story4 Science-Backed Ways to Improve Your Focus
It turns out that all the things that you’re avoiding; all the things that make you feel like you’re being unproductive, could actually improve your focus. The reason you haven’t realized before is that struggling to focus is like running in a hamster wheel. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle: the more you struggle, the harder you try to focus; the harder you try to focus, the more you struggle.
Read full storyWhy Emotional Safety is the Single Most Attractive Thing About You
People fall out of love with their partners every day. Nobody goes into a relationship knowing the day will come. You know it could come, but you don’t feel that it could; at least not right now. And it’s confusing when it happens.
Read full story4 Negative Thought Patterns Making You Age Faster, According to Psychologists
Telomeres. They’re the key players in the aging process; essential parts of your cells’ DNA that determine how quickly your cells age. They’re the biological equivalent of a hairdresser who chops off more than you bargained for, leaving you wishing you could go back to the good old days when you actually looked like yourself.
Read full storyLearn to Network Like a Pro from One of The Biggest Names in NYC’s Startup Scene
She is “1 of the 10 Most Well-Connected People in New York City’s Startup Scene”, according to Inc., “1 of the 100 Most Influential Tech Women On Twitter”, according to Business Insider, and “1 of 5 Women Changing the World of VC/Entrepreneurship”, according to Forbes.
Read full storyNetflix’s New ‘Marriage or Mortgage’ Casts a Harrowing Doubt on Younger Generations’ American Dream
I could hardly believe it. Refusing to get back to work until the sugar hangover from my delicious fruit smoothie had passed, I lay paralyzed in a fructose-induced coma on my sister’s couch; my eyes glued to the TV.
Read full story4 Career-Boosting Things You Should Include In Every Introductory Email.
I’ve had to send a good few emails in my day. In fact, working in a corporate setting, I’ve probably written the words “kind regards” more times than I’ve pronounced my own name. But it’s only more recently since I went freelance and launched a new podcast, that I’ve had to increase my outreach to people who have absolutely no idea who I am.
Read full storyHow to Really Make The Most of Your 20s
The hardest thing about going through a pandemic in your 20s is exactly that — you’re in your 20s. You’re at an age where your ‘real’ life hasn’t really started yet. You’re just starting your career, maybe not quite sure of what you want to do. Or you want to travel, and you don’t have hopes of settling down. Maybe you want to date without commitment or hang off the edge of a Greenpeace ship if that’s what you’re vibing tomorrow.
Read full storyA Pep Talk - For When You're Feeling Overwhelmed
The first time I felt completely out of my depth was at university. My insecurity began to affect my grades. I was stressed and afraid, and these negative thoughts that I would fail clouded my mind to the extent that I couldn’t focus.
Read full story7 Important Things to Remember During Your Next Salary Negotiation
"If you don't ask, you don't get." This is something that applies to business and life just as much as it applies to your career. Here is what I’ve learned about negotiating your salary following my first hic-up. They’re pieces of advice that I’ve applied since then, which have never failed me.
Read full storyA Lesson To All Women: No Is A Full Sentence
I recently listened to Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations Podcast; an episode titled Best Lifesaving Lessons, in which she talks to Gavin De Becker, a security specialist and author of The Gift of Fear.
Read full storyThis Trick Can Help You Practice Patience When You Need It Most
I’ve had countless conversations with friends and family about patience. It’s that skill we all wish would come more naturally to us so we wouldn’t feel so annoyed and agitated when we have to endure tedious situations. Oftentimes, those situations involve waiting, and all we want to do is skip to the end. Whether it’s waiting in line or waiting for our dreams to come to fruition, we wish we didn’t feel that yearning to go faster.
Read full storyNew Data Reveals You Don't Have Free Will
All of those decisions you have to make — the ones that keep you up at night and prevent you from being present — they’re not worth the worry. According to the laws of physics, you don’t actually have any free will. Apparently, you can’t control what you do — at least not to the extent you think you can.
Read full storyOscar Health, The New York Startup Making Healthcare Affordable For All
The average national cost for health insurance in 2020 was $456 for an individual and $1,152 for a family, per month. These stratospheric costs leave around 31 million Americans unable to afford basic health care, and even those who do take out insurance often find themselves unprotected, as numerous insurance programs don't even cover all forms of medical exams and treatment plans.
Read full storyYou Don't Need to Be Rich to Give to Others
The standing ovation was well-deserved. I saw him deliver his speech live, at a TEDx event in Manchester (UK) last year. Some people cried, some people laughed, and some people felt goose-bumps. And at the end, everyone stood up to cheer; to congratulate not only his speech but his extraordinary effort to improve peoples’ lives.
Read full story