All posts tagged: avoid

6 Rare Habits Of Men Who Avoid A Midlife Crisis And Don’t Completely Ruin Their Lives | Greg Boudle

6 Rare Habits Of Men Who Avoid A Midlife Crisis And Don’t Completely Ruin Their Lives | Greg Boudle

Published by Jenni Sidey

Midlife has a reputation for making men do impulsive, life-altering things: quitting stable jobs, and ruining perfectly good relationships in search of something more. But not everyone goes down that path.  Some men go through this phase with clarity, which is often the result of a few habits that keep them tethered to real life.  Here are the six rare habits of men who avoid a midlife crisis and don’t completely ruin their lives: 1. Men who avoid a midlife crisis regularly practice mindfulness Mindfulness is the first step for a reason. You must let go of the beliefs and judgments you learned from your outer world. You’ll need to sit quietly and learn to be an observer rather than a first responder. One of the most powerful shifts a person can make is learning to think about their own thinking instead of just reacting to it, says psychologist Nick Wignall. That gap between a thought and your response to it is exactly where a meditation practice lives, and it is where real self-knowledge starts …

A walking coach says these three moves will help you build lower-body strength and avoid hiker’s knee

A walking coach says these three moves will help you build lower-body strength and avoid hiker’s knee

Published by Jenni Sidey

Planning to do lots of hiking this summer, but worried that your body might not be able to keep up? Building strength in your lower body is essential if you’re someone who enjoys a lot of hill or trail walking but are prone to something known as hiker’s knee. “It’s a term commonly used for knee pain caused by repetitive stress during steep descents, excessive hiking, or weak supporting muscles,” explains walking coach Ludgina Dieujuste. “The pain is often localised at the front of the knee or around the kneecap, and can cause aching, swelling, or a grinding sensation.” Article continues below You may like Hiker’s knee might surface after a long walk, or even while you’re still on the hike and walking downhill—this is because the “motion puts extra strain on the joints and muscles,” says Diejuste, who explains that one of the best ways to prevent this type of pain is by strengthening the muscles around your knee. “When these muscles are stronger, they help the kneecap track properly, absorb impact when walking …

The 5 Most Common Causes of Arguments and How to Avoid Them

The 5 Most Common Causes of Arguments and How to Avoid Them

Published by Jenni Sidey

You come home from work after a hard day, already irritable, and it doesn’t take much to set you off—a sarcastic comment, or the kids’ toys littering the living room floor. In a matter of nanoseconds, you and your partner are off and running, each snapping at the other, pointing fingers, and talking about “always” and “you never.” Once the dust settles, you realize it was just one of those perfect emotional storms. All is quickly repaired and forgiven. But for some couples, this way of living is not the exception, but the norm. They say things like, “Sure, we argue a lot, like every other couple.” Half of their time on a long weekend is spent in verbal battles, or they’re in a deep emotional freeze for days afterward. My response, as they’re sitting in my office, is no, this doesn’t have to be the status quo; you don’t have to spend your relationship in a state of war. 5 Common Argument Triggers Arguments are not, in themselves, the problem; rather, they are byproducts …

Shisa Kanko: Japanese Method Can Help Avoid Mistakes

Shisa Kanko: Japanese Method Can Help Avoid Mistakes

Published by Sam Flores

If you’ve ever left the house only to wonder whether you turned off the stove or unplugged your curling tongs, you’re not alone. However, this uncertainty doesn’t have to be your destiny. In Japan, railway operators use a simple but powerful technique to avoid mistakes. And this method might be exactly what you need to stay focused on everyday tasks. It’s called “shisa kanko”. “Shisa kanko essentially means ‘pointing and calling,’ which is used to improve attentiveness and accuracy,” said Joy Gallon, a licensed therapist with Thriveworks. “It was developed as a method of ensuring safety on the Japanese railway system. Operators are trained to focus on and point at an object such as a signal or stopping point and verbally ‘call out’ the name of the object.” Research by Japan’s Railway Technical Research Institute in 1994 found that the practice of shisa kanko reduced incidents of human error by almost 85%. “Because the practice uses eyes, hands, mouth and ears, it actively engages the senses,” Gallon said. “Studies have shown that it increases the …

Could revisiting Asimov’s laws help us avoid AI’s ‘Chernobyl moment’?

Could revisiting Asimov’s laws help us avoid AI’s ‘Chernobyl moment’?

Published by Sam Flores

The conflict in Iran – but also the war in Ukraine – show not only that AI is radically changing the economics of war (which may be good news), but also that we may be heading towards some kind of “Chernobyl moment”. We may soon experience a disaster that will force us to belatedly realise we should have drawn up some shared rules to govern a technological development that we ourselves triggered. Even Dario Amodei, the founder of AI company Anthropic, who seems passionate about taking action to prevent Armageddon, acknowledges that he doesn’t have the answer we desperately need. One of the most interesting attempts to regulate the use of artificial intelligence may have been the one drafted during the second world war by a PhD student at Columbia University who was then temporarily employed by the US Navy. His name was Isaac Asimov, and in his early short story Runaround (1941), he postulated three laws that are still surprisingly inspiring for anyone thinking about how to solve the intellectual and political problem that …

The common kitchen design mistakes most people make and how to avoid them

The common kitchen design mistakes most people make and how to avoid them

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more A gleaming new kitchen often tops the list for home renovations, promising renewed confidence in the heart of the home. However, a successful kitchen upgrade involves far more than just aesthetic changes or new fixtures. Beyond the superficial, critical layout decisions – from optimising circulation and storage to correctly sizing and positioning an island – are paramount for everyday functionality. Experts are now highlighting common kitchen layout challenges and offering practical design solutions to overcome them. Consider circulation and spacing “We’re seeing kitchens take on more roles than ever, from cooking and dining to working and entertaining,” highlights Kiya Kelly-Paine, design expert from home and design platform Houzz, who specialises in design trends and how people are improving their homes. Thoughtfully planned kitchen with …

Expecting charity shops to recycle your unwanted clothes is creating a rubbish pile – here’s how to help to avoid that

Expecting charity shops to recycle your unwanted clothes is creating a rubbish pile – here’s how to help to avoid that

Published by Sam Flores

Charity shops are generally seen as a responsible way to get rid of unwanted belongings. In theory, donating items allows them to be reused and raises money for important causes. However, many charity shops struggle to make use of the donations they receive. The UK has more charity shops per person than any other country, handling hundreds of thousands of tonnes of used clothing every year in addition to a wide range of other household items. When goods are donated to charity shops, they are either sold to local customers to be reused or purchased by commercial companies and traded through complex international markets. An estimated 70-90% of donated goods follow these routes, with local traders reusing and recycling as much as possible. However, large quantities are also dumped and burned, resulting in environmental damage and waste. My ongoing research shows the challenges charity shops face in reusing donated goods. Charity shops are the primary outlet for used textiles in the UK: roughly half of all textiles currently collected for reuse and recycling are charity …

Common kitchen layout mistakes and how to avoid them

Common kitchen layout mistakes and how to avoid them

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more When it comes to home renovations, a new shiny kitchen certainly gives you the confidence to make the most of the hardest working room in the house. But it’s safe to say, there’s more than meets the eye to kitchen upgrades, a total refurb, or switching up the fixtures. From circulation and storage, to kitchen island sizing and placement, thoughtful layout choices can be make or break in everyday use. Here, experts outline the most common kitchen layout challenges – and practical ways to design around them… Consider circulation and spacing “We’re seeing kitchens take on more roles than ever, from cooking and dining to working and entertaining,” highlights Kiya Kelly-Paine, design expert from home and design platform Houzz, who specialises in design trends …

What to Eat (and Avoid) for Psoriasis Relief, According to Experts

What to Eat (and Avoid) for Psoriasis Relief, According to Experts

Published by Jenni Sidey

Psoriasis is more than just itchy skin that won’t cooperate. It’s a condition driven by an overactive immune response beneath the surface. “Under the skin plaques, in addition to intense inflammation, there is also angiogenesis, or the abnormal growth of blood vessels,” says William Li, MD, physician, scientist, and author of Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself. “These new blood vessels deliver even more inflammatory cells and cytokines to the skin, making the lesions and symptoms worse in a vicious cycle.” Medical treatments for psoriasis are designed to target those pathways, and it turns out that certain foods can also impact them—for better or worse. There’s no miracle diet that can make psoriasis disappear. But what you put on your plate could dial down inflammation or rev up the intensity or frequency of your flares. Ahead, discover what’s worth eating and limiting to help keep them in check. The best foods for psoriasis The dietary pattern with the strongest evidence behind it hails from across the Atlantic. …

Screenwriters Union reach tentative deal with studios to avoid another Hollywood strike

Screenwriters Union reach tentative deal with studios to avoid another Hollywood strike

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Hollywood screenwriters and major studios have reached a surprise four-year tentative agreement, concluding roughly three weeks of intense negotiation. The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) announced on X that its negotiating committee unanimously endorsed the deal with The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), representing the studios. The AMPTP confirmed the agreement on its website Saturday, stating, “We look forward to building on this progress as we continue working toward agreements that support long-term industry stability.” While specific terms remain undisclosed, the agreement is anticipated to address key writer priorities, including enhanced healthcare provisions and robust protections against artificial intelligence. The WGAW noted on X that the deal safeguards writers’ health plans, builds upon 2023 gains, and “helps address free work challenges.” This contract, which extends for four years rather than the typical three, requires approval from the …