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Category: Leisure and Interests

Published on Leave a comment on Happiness: Is It Luck or Discipline?

Learn how to cultivate happiness through mindful choices and healthy habits.

Robert Puff Ph.D. - Psychology Today

Have you ever looked at someone who seems to radiate joy and wondered, "Are they just lucky?" It's easy to assume that people who seem to have had easier lives—stable families, good education, successful careers—are simply fortunate when it comes to happiness. Conversely, we might believe those who have faced significant challenges are destined to struggle to find joy.

But is happiness just a matter of luck? After a lifetime of exploring this question, I've come to a different conclusion.

Learning from Life's Challenges

Throughout my life, I've sought out individuals who seem genuinely happy, regardless of their external circumstances. These aren't necessarily the wealthiest, most attractive, or most accomplished individuals. They are simply people who seem to be thriving, despite whatever life throws their way. And when I ask them about the turning point in their lives, the moment that led to their current state of well-being, the answer is always the same: challenges.…

Published on Leave a comment on How To Learn The Art Of Small Talk and Make it Less Awkward

Learning the Beauty of Small Talk
It can be Beneficial

Whether it's at a party, a friend's wedding, or the workplace, some people just dread small talk. And while these events are great places to meet new people, it can bring more anxiety than excitement for some. They might worry that it will be boring, awkward, or that they'll run out of things to say. Then there are people who believe small talk represents meaningless and trivial conversation. But it doesn't have to be that way! In reality, increased well-being and positivity are some of the benefits of small talk.

Be interested in things

People with hobbies and interests always seem to have a topic or an opinion to share. Get inspired by them, and you'll have a launching point to get someone else involved in conversation.

Get your mind right

If you spend the week before the event anticipating and worrying because you know you'll feel uncomfortable, you're setting yourself up for failure.…

Published on Leave a comment on Scientists Show Strolls With Stops Use More Energy Than Continuous Walking

Researchers show more energy needed to get going than later in walks when body is working more efficiently.

Researchers have hit on an unusual tip for walkers who want to burn more calories: rather than plodding along steadily from start to finish, consider taking rest stops.

The advice emerged from a study of volunteers who were put through their paces in the laboratory to measure the oxygen and energy demands of short strolls versus longer walks.

Tests on the participants found that walking or climbing stairs in 10- to 30-second bouts required 20 to 60% more oxygen, a proxy for energy consumption, than covering the same distance in one continuous session, largely because walking is more efficient after several minutes in motion.

“When we walk for shorter bouts, we use more energy and consume more oxygen to cover the same distance,” said Francesco Luciano, a researcher at the University of Milan and first author on the study.…

Published on Leave a comment on The Fallacy Of 10,000 Steps and The Proven Benefits Of Less – Let’s Settle This!

Over the last 2 Years, I have been finding Articles on Benefits of 20 Minute Walks, 10 Minute Walks and 15 Minute Walks as well as 30, 45 and 60 Minute Walks. Now I've found a Flexible Articles that addresses Benefits for different lengths of time - for 10-15 Minutes, for 30 Minutes, for 45-60 Minutes and Over 60. And here is that Article, to see what may suit you:

Short Walks Or Long Walks? Best Walking Duration For Maximum Benefits

There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to walking. Whether you’re opting for short walks to clear your mind or committing to long walks for weight loss and mental well-being. So, whether you choose to walk for 10 minutes or 90 minutes, the most important thing is that you’re moving. Walking, in any form, can be a valuable part of a healthy lifestyle.

One of the easiest exercises to do is walking.…

Published on Leave a comment on How To Do Companion Planting With A Handy List For Beginners

by Green Life Soil in WA

Companion planting is the careful placement of plants (especially vegetables and herbs) which have been shown to have beneficial effects on one another. Sometimes, this comes down to simple physical reasons – taller plants provide shelter from sun and wind for plants that need protection. Climbing plants can be trained up over taller plants to maximise production in small spaces. Some plants make good companions because their roots grow to different depths, so simply do not compete with each other for water and nutrients.

Plants in the legume family (eg. Peas and beans) promote growth in nearby plants with their nitrogen fixing ability – nodules on the roots enable plants to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form used by plants. Also they tend to be deep rooted, which promotes aeration of the soil, thus benefiting their neighbours.

The shape of some plants and their flowers can visually confuse insect pests.…

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Published on 2 Comments on The Unexpected Ways Free Outdoor Play Sets Your Child Up for Success

MANY PEOPLE WANT THEIR KIDS TO BE BRAINY OR SUCCESSFUL WHEN THEY GROW UP.
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE WILL SHOW YOU A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY TO HELP YOUR KIDS THAT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY OVERLOOKED OR EVEN UNDISCOVERED BY MOST PARENTS IN THIS DAY and GENERATION.
I HOPE YOU GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT - IT COULD MAKE A LOT OF DIFFERENCE FOR YOUR CHILDREN. SO MANY PARENTS THESE DAYS, HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP ON HOURS OF TV ETC AND AN ABSCENCE OF NATURE. IT HAS NOT EVEN BEEN CONSIDERED BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE. IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT BACKGROUND TO PASS ON, WE NEED TO LEARN FROM THOSE WHO DO and BRING THEIR KIDS UP THAT WAY. SHALL WE GO?

From Rain Or Shine Mamma

When we think of learning, our mind immediately tends to conjure up images of classrooms, desks and text books. After all, school is the epitome of learning and an institution that most of us send our kids to in order to gain essential skills.…

Published on Leave a comment on 10 Meaningful Habits To Support Your Mental Health – Everyone Needs To Do These

EVERYONE NEEDS TO LOOK AFTER THEIR MENTAL HEALTH IN THIS STRESSFUL AGE. THIS BENEFITS OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH AS WELL. MENTAL HEALTH and PHYSICAL HEALTH ARE MORE CLOSELY RELATED THAN WE REALIZE BECAUSE FOR A VERY LONG TIME EVERYTHING WAS THOUGHT OF (and treated) AS SEPARATE BY THE MEDICAL PROFESSION BUT NOT SO BY NATURAL PRACTITIONERS LIKE NATUROPATHS - THEY SEE THINGS AS INTERRELATED. LETS SEE WHAT THIS WRITER FROM Positive.News HAS TO OFFER US, SHALL WE?

1. Move: it’s a mental health super booster

Your mind as well as your body get a mood-boosting workout from physical activity. It releases feelgood endorphins, reduces stress hormones and aids relaxation. Research shows it can be 1.5 times more effective than counselling and medication at managing depression. Short, high intensity exercise works best, but experts say all forms of physical activity are beneficial – and no one’s suggesting you have to sign up to a marathon unless you want to.…

Published on Leave a comment on Chicago Woman, 104, Skydives From Plane, Aiming To break Record For World’s Oldest Skydiver!

I DOUBT THAT ANYONE WILL BE A CANDIDATE TO BREAK HER RECORD, HEY? IT'S 38c TODAY, SO I AM RELAXING AND LOOKING FOR MORE GOOD NEWS ITEMS FOR YOU WHEN I FOUND THIS! THE MORE THE BETTER, HEY???

From the TODAY Program and Associated Press

A 104-year-old Chicago woman is hoping to be certified as the oldest person to ever skydive after leaving her walker on the ground and making a tandem jump in northern Illinois.

Chicago Lady 104 Skydives In Tandem With Instructor Breaks Record

“Age is just a number,” Dorothy Hoffner told a cheering crowd moments after touching the ground Sunday at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, about 85 miles (140 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The Guinness World Record for oldest skydiver was set in May 2022 by 103-year-old Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson from Sweden. But Skydive Chicago is working to have Guinness World Records certify Hoffner’s jump as a record, WLS-TV reported.…

Published on Leave a comment on What to Feed Ducks and Geese by Happy Wanderer.

They have Lots of Info! They Say: You Can Feed Them These Alternatives to Bread - As a kid, we regularly got rid of stale bread by taking it down to the pond and feeding the wild ducks. Unfortunately, it is really bad to feed bread to ducks, geese, swans, waterbirds and other wild birds. Beyond the harm it causes the birds, it also pollutes the environment. Here’s what to feed ducks instead of bread, and these alternatives are much healthier for both your feathered friends and the planet.

For Too Long, I Didn't Read

Bread is bad for ducks, geese, and other waterbirds. Like really bad. So just don’t.

I have always loved ducks, from when I was a preschooler to the flock I strolled by every day on campus during graduate school. As a kid, my sister and I thought we were being good citizens of the planet by taking our old bread to the ducks at a nearby pond.…

Published on Leave a comment on Retired Dentist’s Bird’s-Eye View Of Australia From His Homemade Jet Aircraft

By James Tugwell ABC

Look up on any sunny weekend on the NSW south coast and you may just see a 5-metre-long bright red jet zooming along the coastline.

What you might not notice, as it zooms past at nearly 500 kilometres per hour, is that the jet is homemade — the first of its model to be flown outside of America.

Andre Viljoen Flies His Homemade Jet
(Supplied: Marg Craig Photography)

It took retired dentist Andre Viljoen more than 3,000 hours in his small hangar in Moruya to build the plane from a kit he ordered online.

But when he is gliding 500 feet above the coastline, it is worth it.

"It's probably like being in a very, very fast racing car," Dr Viljoen says.

The Subsonnex jet is the latest addition to Dr Viljoen's aviation collection: he built his previous four aircraft in his garage.

Building homemade planes
From as young as four years old, Dr Viljoen dreamt about soaring through the clouds and he has never outgrown his aeronautical fascination.…