Tuesday, November 8, 2016

The Ultimate Guide To Buying Your Dream Home

Home

All of us have an idea of what our dream home will be like. We might’ve made vision boards filled with magazine cut-outs of Gothic mansions, penthouses or swanky Upper East Side apartments. Some of us are even actively working towards it.

Buying a beautiful house is probably the most important and expensive purchase you’ll ever make, so it is imperative to consider a few things before actually doing it such as figuring out the mortgage, researching the home loans available and of course effectively managing your finances before and after.

1. Decide How Your Dream House Will Be Like

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This is the time to unleash the dreamer in you. Imagine how your dream house will be like. Don’t think about the house you’d buy if you had all the money in the world but the house you really need. Work out the number of rooms depending on the number of people who will live in it, whether it’s going to be an apartment or bungalow, and the like. Check out pictures and home listings online. Also, consider the location and neighbourhood.

2. Decide Your Budget

Budget

Once you have a good idea about your needs, think about the budget and planning. How much money are you willing to shell out? If you’re looking at listings online, compare prices. Once you fix a budget, try to stay within it as you’ll have extra expenses – furniture, decoration, and maintenance costs – to consider.

3. Double Check Size, Location, Price

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Now that you know exactly what you’re after, it’s time to review the facts. Check if the size of your new home is adequate not only for now but also for the future, especially if you’re planning to have children. Check if the location doesn’t make daily commuting to the office difficult and if the neighbourhood isn’t shady.

And finally, the price. See if you can get it a bit cheaper. As per stats, 44% buyers found their dream home via the internet and 33% hired a realtor. We suggest you hire a realtor and go for a pre-inspection. Make sure you’re getting a good deal.

4. Fix A Deadline

Deadline

Now fix a date in the future, write it down, and tape it to the fridge or wherever you’re likely to see it often. This is your goal. By this day, not only will you have purchased your dream move, but you’ll also be busy packaging items to move in. Make sure the date is realistic and that you can work towards it every day.

5. Research Home Loan Options

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Perhaps the most important step of all, this is where you figure out the finances. Spend time researching the home loan options available, and choose one that seems the most flexible, saves interest costs and offers a grace period or EMI repayments. Calculate the EMI you have to pay back each month and see if you need a pay rise in your salary or another job. Do not take a risk here.

6. Work Out The Mortgage

Remember that prices of houses rise and fall. Do you have plans of selling this place in the future and moving somewhere else? Do you want to rent a part of it and make passive income? Given that 42.9% of all families have a home-secured debt (2013), it is important to not fall into the trap.

There are plenty of affordable mortgage rates available – choose whether you need one with a fixed interest, adjustable rates or an interest-only loan. Consult a professional in case you are unsure before getting a mortgage pre-approval.

7. Get A Home Warranty

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Nothing in this world is permanent. Earthquakes and natural disasters can happen anytime. All houses require regular repairing. Think about the future white-washing costs, plumbing leaks, rust and sediment deposition and get a home warranty that will ensure that even if something goes wrong, you don’t have to burn a hole in your pocket to replace it.

To recap, before embarking on the purchase of a new home, list your requirements for your new house, make a plan, decide a budget and fix a deadline. Then research on your home loan, mortgage and warranty options and choose the one that is the best match. Go for a prior inspection and if it’s your first time, don’t hesitate to ask for professional advice and soon enough your dream home will be all yours!

Featured photo credit: http://www.stockvault.net/photo/132348/beautiful-house via stockvault.net

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6 Ways to Include Meditation in Your Daily Routine

meditation-02

Meditation has tremendous benefits – science proves it. However, not many people are actively engaged in meditation. Work pressures, home responsibilities and other social obligation keep us from taking a much needed break to reconnect with our inner-self through meditation.

Meditation reconnects us with our inner self and provides the much needed opportunity to inspect our thoughts and engage into deliberate relaxation to rejuvenate and regrow with more vigor and enthusiasm.

If you are a busy person or someone who is totally new to meditation, here are six simple ways to include meditation into your daily routine:

1. Start small and slow

We all are busy and meditation requires time to practice and get used to it. Masters always ask their disciples to start small and start slow meditation. Selecting a specific time of the day and using that time to do meditation will make your brain to start accepting the new routine.

Start with simple breathing exercises during the day i.e. during lunch hours, right after you wake up or before the sleep, you can easily integrate meditation in your daily routine just by doing focused breathing exercises for just brief period of time.

2. Be easier on yourself

You cannot force meditation on yourself. If you do, you will never be able to meditate properly. Your mind chatter will never simply vanish if you force meditation on yourself so make sure you are fully convinced on the benefits of meditation.

Meditation is your relationship with yourself so surrender yourself in this relationship and be more open to yourself to experience new realities through meditation.

3. Body Scanning

Another way to integrate meditation in your daily life is to scan your body and do gradual relaxation meditation. Start with simple shift in focus on each part of the body right from your scalp to your toes.

Slowly and gradually start scanning your body and start counting backwards from 100 to 1 while continuing to focus on each part of the body.

4. Working with your feelings and sensations

Focusing on the feelings and sensations of your body can also be a good start for meditation. Welcoming the feelings, sensations, sounds and pictures you experience in your daily life can help you pause and feel at peace with yourself.

Welcoming of all the feelings and sensations makes you accept things as they are and will further calm you down. Stop resisting your feelings and welcome everything. In time, you’ll be able to experience the complete benefits of meditation just by doing this.

5. Find a community

If you are busy or not sure how to start meditation, it is also a good option if you can find a friend or group – online or otherwise – to support you in integrating meditation in your daily life. An accountability buddy or community participation is a great way to keep you committed and motivated to routine engagement in meditation.

Online Facebook groups are also your other option to engage with other like-minded people and learn from their experiences. Once you start to interact with others, you will feel more confident about yourself and more comfortable participating in meditation on a daily basis.

6. Use wearable technology

There are many apps that can help you learn meditation or force you to do breathing exercises. There are also wearable technologies that help you do the same. The new Fitbit Charge 2 is a device designed to help you do breathing exercises. By using its internal timer and alarm features, you can follow the on-screen instructions on your Charge HR2 and easily do some breathing exercises.

Meditation has its benefits. The above-mentioned methods are simple things to help you make meditation a routine activity. Commit yourself and you can be on your way to living a stress-free life.

Featured photo credit: We know your dreams via weknowyourdreams.com

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The Ultimate Trick for Starting a Healthy Habit Without Willpower

Willpower equals strength

As you probably know, we all have a limited supply of willpower available to us – unfortunately, there seems to be an unlimited number of decisions to make each day. What should I eat for lunch? Should I go to bed now, or binge watch the rest of Supernatural? Should I work on my project or scroll through Facebook? And on and on…

How can we stop this avalanche of decisions from crushing us and conserve our existing willpower at the same time? Easy- pre-make some choices using implementation intentions.

What are implementation intentions?

Implementation intentions are simple instructions you write for yourself on what to do in a given situation. They are backed by tons of studies, including a few that show that their use leads to a more than 2X success rate!

They are usually written in an “If/Then” (or “When ____ happens/I will ____”) format, as in “If I want to sit down and watch TV when I get home in the evening, then I will wait 10 minutes before I do”. Then, you just read your intention at a strategic time (in the previous example, right before you leave work to go home would be a good time).

While you can use implementation intentions for specific, one-time events (“if I make a toast at the wedding, then I’ll make no mention of that wild trip to Vegas the groom and I went on”), they work extremely well for establishing healthy habits.

You can also strengthen an implementation intention by creating a second, interrelated one (see the alarm clock example below).

Waiting for 10 minutes between impulse (I want to watch TV) and gratification (Yay! I’m watching TV!) is a great way to increase the size of your willpower reservoir.

Implementation intentions are similar to affirmations, but only superficially. For example, affirmations are usually visionary in nature providing direction. However, they also usually have no concrete plan in place for making it happen. Implementation intentions are more tactical and should be very specific and clear with what you should do when a situation arises. Personally, I use both: affirmations for the goal and direction, and implementation intentions for the specific methods and strategies.

Converting your goals into implementation intentions

The method for turning a regular goal into a much more effective implementation intention is very simple. Just figure out some concrete way you can work towards or achieve your goal and when and where you can do it. Here’s an example:

Goal: Exercise at least twice a week.

So, let’s say you have a gym membership and know you will have time in the evening on Mondays and Wednesdays to work out. In that case, you could structure your implementation intention like this: “If it is Monday or Wednesday at 8 p.m., then I will go to the gym and exercise for at least 20 minutes”.

Implementation Intentions in Action

Here’re a few examples of how you can use implementation intentions to achieve or work towards several common goals. Each includes the if/then statement to write and when to read the statement each day. Feel free to use these yourself, just modify it as necessary to fit your unique situation.

Eating less

If/Then statement: “When I want to eat something, I will first put it on a plate and take a picture of it”.

When to read: First thing in the morning or before your first meal or snack.

This establishes the habit of taking note of everything you eat. Even if you never share your pics with anyone or look at them yourself, this practice has been shown to decrease the amount you consume and improve the quality of what you do eat. Present state awareness is a powerful thing.

Get up the first time your alarm clock sounds

If/Then statement: “If my alarm clock goes off in the morning, then I immediately get out of bed!” plus the related “If I want to hit the snooze button, then I will get out of bed immediately anyway!”

When to read: In the late evening or right before you go to sleep at night.

I use these on a daily basis myself. Since I started, I have yet to fail at getting up on time!

Meditation

If/Then statement: “When I wake up each morning, I will sit still and meditate for at least five minutes”.

When to read: In the late evening or right before you go to sleep at night.

Meditation is one of those things that everyone knows is good for them, but few people stick to it over the long term. A lot of people might find it difficult to meditate even with implementation intentions. In that case, I would suggest looking into binaural beats, a type of sound that is proven (by numerous studies) to modify your brainwaves in a way that supports meditation.

Exercise

If/Then statement: “When I arrive at work in the morning, I will take the stairs instead of the elevator.”

When to read: In the morning before work.

Of course, this one only applies if you work in an office building (and not on the first floor). If you work too high up to feasibly take the stairs all the way up, get off several floors below yours and hoof it the rest of the way.

These are just a few examples. Implementation intentions can be used for pretty much anything where you can specify a when, where and how. Just make sure that any implementation intentions you make are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. The ones you really want to focus on here are specific and achievable. The rest of them usually fall into place by themselves due to the nature of implementation intentions.

Finally, a word of caution: if you suffer from socially prescribed perfectionism (you believe others have unrealistically high expectations for you), implementation intentions might not be good for you. A recent study found that this tool had a significant negative psychological impact on people in this group.

For everyone else, though, implementation intentions have been shown to increase goal attainment very significantly.

So, write your first implementation intention now, and save your willpower for the difficult, unexpected decisions that life throws at you! As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will”.

Featured photo credit: http://www.strengthoverego.com via strengthoverego.com

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7 Websites Every Psychologist Should Bookmark

psychology

The life of a psychologist is filled with research studies, academic journals, online sources, and books. Catching up on all the latest psychology news used to be a hassle, but thanks to the internet, things are changing. While there are plenty of psychology websites around, the following seven are shaping up the way we receive our psychology news.

1. PsycPORT

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The American Psychological Association (APA) launched a newswire to keep curious mental health readers in the know about recent studies. The site offers headline stories with some of the most trusted sources from around the world. News topics published on this site include social psychology, mental health, behavior, stress management, and more.

It’s a simple, basic website, although you should never underestimate it, as PsycPORT is one of the most respected psychology news sites on the internet.

2. WebMD Health

webmd

WebMD is one of the most popular medical websites on the web. It houses endless pages of pharmaceutical drugs, therapy treatment, diagnosis, and of course, mental disorders. The site also contains an eye-watering amount of published content by their MD contributors who are experts in their specialization, which includes psychiatry.

WebMD offers its readers the opportunity to catch up on all the latest health news. One of the biggest features of WebMD is its powerful Symptom Checker. Used by millions, this feature allows the public to self-diagnose any condition or illness using a symptom knowledge base. You can also use the Symptom Checker for mental disorders; it’s reportedly the most reliable on the internet.

3. Psychology Today

psychology-today-magazine

Psychology Today, although only publishes print every two months, is the most popular psychology magazine in the world. With a total circulation of 250,000, this magazine has informed the general public on the important news of mental health since 1967. However, in modern days, Psychology Today is mostly known for its directory database which helps locate therapists or psychologists in your area.

Their blog, run by hundreds of expert contributors and journalists, include areas in psychiatry, sociology, anthropology, and parenting.

4. The New York Times’ Well

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The New York Times, the most trusted news outlet in the US, has a health blog section Well. In this section, readers can find the latest health news, including stories about psychology and ‘the mind.’ Award-winning authors, psychiatrists, and bloggers roam this part of the New York Times and publish some of the greatest pieces on the web.

There isn’t much else to say; it’s the NYTimes for god sake. The content speaks for itself.

5. PsychCentral

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Dr. John Grohol, an expert in online psychology and behavior, launched the site in 1995, headquartered in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Today, over 230 support groups are active on the site, in addition to its over 383,000 community members. PsychCentral offers the latest news on psychology and mental disorders, while also featuring its very own testing and screening quizzes.

Moreover, the site also has a massive knowledge database of all types of mental disorders and treatment plans. Over 3 million unique visitors a month are estimates, based on Google webmaster statistics.

6. Mental Daily

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Mental Daily is one of the newer websites on this list. Founded in 2016, the psychology e-zine, or online magazine, has reported news on mental health, neuroscience, and sociology. It even became the first magazine to report on the emerging field of cyberpsychology. Notable stories include Mental Daily slamming India’s mental health system and the cybernetic study on misogyny against women by women on Twitter.

Aside from the news articles, Mental Daily’s site also features an online encyclopedia where you can find just about every psychopharmacological drug, and mental disorder, based on the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Mental Daily is like a mix of WebMD with Psychology Today.

7. The r/psychology/Subreddit

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The subreddit section of psychology is home to numerous viral stories. If it went viral, chances are it came from a Reddit subpage. In r/psychology/, lies all the latest news from psychology outlets like Psychology Today, NYTimes, The Atlantic, and others. Here, you will be able to join in on any debate regarding the latest psychology news headlines, and most times, it gets heated. This subpage of Reddit contains over 220,000 readers and continues to grow on the daily.

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History Really Matters - Here's Why

history-really-matters

Philosopher George Santayana is known for his famous statement that states that those who forget about history are doomed to repeat it. However, that is just one of the many reasons why it is so important for us to learn as much about history as we can. While history is not really cyclical, it is nevertheless important. Without understanding where we’ve come from, we cannot understand where we are, and we most definitely cannot understand where we might be going. Even debates that are prevalent in American politics today go back to the founding generation and the disputes between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson that occurred while both served in President George Washington’s cabinet. If you stop and really take the time to think about it you can realize that the majority of our society today can be traced back to our history hundreds or even thousands of years ago.

What Questions Does History Attempt to Answer?

Studying for a masters of history online can be a great way to learn about the past and how it impacts the present. Historians can provide a context for past events and show how the past unfolded. Every historian has a perspective, and these professionals ask questions of the past. The who, what, and when of history is generally known with quite a bit of certainty, especially for more recent events. Instead of looking at the known parameters, historians usually concern themselves with the questions of why events happen as they do and how historical processes manifest themselves. There is definitely no better way to learn about the past than to study it.

Historians Can Show How Humans Behave Badly

History is primarily a study of humanity, and historians are usually placed under the umbrella of the humanities by those who like to classify academic disciplines. Humans in the past have frequently behaved in pretty pitiful ways. Events like the Crusades, the Napoleonic Wars, the American Civil War and the World Wars have seen deaths that have reached into the hundreds of thousands or even into the millions. Great atrocities have been carried out. When historians ask the how and why questions regarding these horrible epochs in world history, they are attempting to help people in the present avoid similar mistakes. While history is not cyclical, it does exhibit patterns in human behavior. This is also something that can really help psychologists be successful in analyzing society behaviors as well as personal behaviors. It really is amazing how much we can learn about people today by studying people of our past.

History Helps Us Understand Why Society Progresses

In addition to looking at the negative events from the past in an attempt to avoid reliving them, historians also look into great triumphs. Scientific discoveries have greatly impacted the world that we live in, and the practice of the scientific method requires some understanding of the past. Humans have traditionally built upon the knowledge that has been accumulated over time, and some remembrance of past knowledge is necessary for new discoveries. By learning about the past we can find even better ways to progress in the future.

While many people might feel that history is just a litany of names and dates that are generally disconnected, a closer look at the subject shows that our current standard of living is inexorably tied to the people and events from many years ago. Connecting these people and events to the present is one major way that the study of history can enrich our lives. There is also nothing better than being able to hear great and inspiring stories about the incredible people of our past.

Featured photo credit: pixabay.com via pixabay.com

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How to Exercise When You Don’t Feel Like it

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No matter how motivated, energized or regimented you are when it comes to getting in your daily workout, you’re likely to face a day that you just don’t feel like exercising. Whether you’re exhausted from a poor night’s sleep, you’re thinking about all of the other tasks on your plate or you just can’t seem to muster up the energy to lace up your sneakers and hit the pavement, there are times that working out just doesn’t seem appealing.

With all the countless health benefits that come along with regular exercise, most Americans try to adhere to the recommended 30 minutes of activity a day. In fact, just 30 minutes of walking every day can help you manage your weight, improve your mood, increase energy levels, and help you sleep better at night, according to Mayo Clinic. So how do you get yourself to exercise when you’re just not in the mood?

1. Enlist a Buddy

One of the best ways to get motivated to move is to commit time to walking or running with someone else. Call a friend, grab your spouse or stop by your neighbor’s house to recruit them to join you. This will hold you accountable and make the activity more of a social event than a workout. You can even use the Lumo Run sensor which can serve as a personal accountability coach to motivate you to achieve your best performance.

2. Dress the Part

Oftentimes, the biggest hurdle to actually going to the gym or getting outside to exercise is the actual act of getting ready to go. Once you’re dressed in workout gear – shoes and all – it’ll be much more difficult to turn back to the couch and kick up your feet or to crawl into bed. Whether you feel like it or not, lace up your running shoes, slip on your yoga pants or swap your cozy sweatshirt for a tank top and you’ll be halfway out the door before you realize.

3. Set a Goal

Setting a daily goal, a weekly goal or even a monthly goal will help you stay on track in your fitness regimen. This goal can include anything from walking a certain number of steps each day or completing a local marathon event by year’s end. By setting a realistic and achievable goal that you can easily track and to which you can hold yourself accountable, you’re more likely to set your competitive drive in gear in order to reach your objective.

4. Fuel Up

More often than not, your body is fatigued or lethargic because it doesn’t have the energy source or hydration it needs to get moving. This is particularly true first thing in the morning, as your body has gone without food or water for many hours. Additionally, you lose water weight through the emission of water vapor and sweat as you sleep, according to NPR. Try drinking a high-protein shake or guzzling down a glass of cold water before attempting to exercise so you set your metabolism and energy levels in motion.

5. Sign Up for a Class

If your workout regimen has become so repetitive that it’s just not interesting enough anymore, you’re more likely to opt for catching up on reruns at home than heading to the gym. If this is the case, sign up for an exercise class (they’re usually free with your membership) or make an appointment with a personal trainer to shake up your routine. Your mind and your body will benefit, as switching up your sequence will help you work new muscles and get you out of your monotonous rut.

6. Shake Up Your Soundtrack

Have you ever found yourself unknowingly bobbing your head or tapping your foot when a popular pop song comes on the radio overhead while waiting on line at a coffee shop? For most people, music has the incredible power to make them move, especially if it’s a fast-paced dance song or widely popular jingle. Make yourself a CD or download some new songs on iTunes, and use this as the soundtrack to your workout. You’ll find yourself groovin’ and movin’ before you know it!

There are always times when a workout feels like the last thing you want to do, but these six simple suggestions will help you get motivated to move when you need it most. While it’s certainly healthy – and even recommended – to take a few “rest days” a week, regular exercise is a crucial component of a healthy lifestyle. Make a point to move every day on your own, with a friend, at a class or to the sound of new beats, and it will become a routine that you won’t want to skip!

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