Blow it right!
You might be surprised to know that there is a right way to blow your nose and you probably have been doing it wrong. When blowing your nose be gentle and blow one nostril at a time. Don’t honk both with all pressure you can muster. That will do you more harm than good as your mucus will shoot up to your sinuses and possibly cause an infection, making things worse. To loosen mucus, use a saline spray or mist to make the maneuver easier. You might wonder - how hard is too hard? If your “blowout” is followed by a faint headache, you have blown too hard. And if you hear that crackling sound in your ear afterwards, you have blown way too hard. Be gentle!
Five minute soak
Tea is touted as God’s own nectar of goodness. It can lower risks of heart attack, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease with just a sip of this powerhouse of antioxidants. To make the most of your tea, it is recommended that you steep your teabags for at least five minutes, which will help unleash more antioxidants. Excuse yourself on those days when you are getting late but otherwise let the teabags take a good soak and contemplate on life while you are at it. Also you can ditch the sugar for some honey to amp up the dose of goodness.
Floss comes before
Haven’t we all faced the age old predicament? Should you brush first or floss first? You probably know by now that flossing comes first. It is recommended that you take care of the larger pieces of food first by brushing and then tackle the leftovers. When flossing don’t just jerk the floss up and down, make a C shaped loop around each tooth and gently move up and down. Who would’ve thought flossing had anything to do with boosting brainpower? The plaque that accumulates between the teeth can prompt an immune response preventing arteries from getting nutrients to the brain. We know you are looking for your floss already, aren't you?
Pick up the pen
We all love to see those neat programmed Times New Romans and Comic Sans more than our own messy scribbled scripts. But it may be a good idea to ditch the keyboard and pick up the pen once in a while. Research shows that writing words by hand can improve cognitive skills like learning and memory. It is more likely that you remember things that you write them down as opposed to typing by a large margin. Students take note! Reports also suggest that those that take written notes perform better in conceptual questions that those type notes electronically. So unplug now and pick up your mighty pen today and write down the shopping list or a to-do list. Or you could write down a heartfelt love-letter to rekindle the passion, wouldn’t that be nice?
Dance it out!
Who would’ve thought busting a move could boost your brain? The mentally challenging aspects of dancing like synchronization and planning can protect against cognitive decline. Research has also shown that dancing is a surefire stress-buster and lifts your spirits. Guess Grey’s Anatomy was right after all. If you are too lazy to shake it, you might want to reconsider. Dancing can also increase energy levels and improve physical performance. As an added bonus, dancing can help you shed a few kilos. So hit the floor and move like jagger!
