Detox Your Online Life [As Seen On: IT Training Tips]

I live online! And I wouldn't want it any other way. But sometimes it's good to just step back and figure out what you really need in your life and what is just filling up your inbox and cluttering your bookmarks bar. About once a every three months I try to plan a media clean up. Think of it like a quarterly cleaning list just like you have for your house. I dust up the cluttered folders in my inbox, I run the sweeper over my overly crowded bookmarks bar, and I reorganize all of my social sites and dashboard tasks.

How many times have you been sitting at your desk, ready to get work done, and motivated to accomplish your entire to do list, when suddenly you check your email and someone pinned one of your pins on Pinterest. Now you have to go check that out, but then you wind up spending 45 minutes searching for inspirational quotes to hang on your walls. "Oh, wait, what was I supposed to be doing?" Who can relate? Welcome to the 21st century!!

 Are you ready for a cleanse? Do you want to wash out all of the bad in your online life? Let's do this! I started my cleanse yesterday, and I noticed so many benefits: I'm more productive with less wasted time, my mind feels clear and ready for anything, and I am better organized.

4 ways to cleanse your online life

1. Turn off your phone.
This can be a difficult one. We are so used to staying connected with everyone at all times. But you're at work--you should be getting stuff done. If you're like me and can't handle turning off your device that ties you to the rest of the world, then try doing it only once a week. Every Tuesday I say, "Okay Danyell, no phone today at work!" And I literally sit down, turn it off, and get so much work done. I would recommend that anyone give this a try at least once a week.

2. Clear out your social media sites.
Update your bio, change your profile picture, and freshen up your online appearance. This is the first thing I do when cleaning up my social sites. It not only creates a clean and new look for all of my followers to see and recognize, but it also jump starts my new clean and clear mood.

 Next is the harder part. Go through all of your followers and friends and decide who stays and who goes. This task can be really time consuming, but it seriously is going to be so relieving when you scroll through your feed tomorrow and only see things that you want to see. If you don't want to take the time to do this, then maybe set aside a few minutes to start creating some lists. Lists in social media allow you to organize your followers and favorite people into certain categories. This lets you have a personalized feed with people of a certain category that you choose!

3. Create some folders in your email.
Last month I wrote a post about cleaning out your email, and I truly live by all of the steps that I outlined there. Creating folders is one of the best tips that I've ever used in order to organize my overwhelming mail box. Sometimes we don't have time to get on and clear out our email every single day, but taking the time at least every quarter to do a deep clean and reorganize is the perfect way to detox all of the bad and clear out your mind and mailbox. Another step I like to do at the same time is to reevaluate the mail lists that I am subscribed to. What am I actually reading and what am I just tossing out? Deciding what stays and what goes is the main objective of your email cleaning spree.

4. Change your homepage.
Is your homepage some really text heavy news site? Does it pull you in and distract you every time you open a browser? No matter what your homepage is, it should be something motivating and inspirational. Your homepage is a place for you to glance before you move off to the site you were really aiming for, but it should not be a distraction to the original work that you need to complete. I like using the Chrome extension called Momentum for my homepage. It shows the time and let's me type in a focus for the day. Now every time I open a new tab I am reminded of what I wanted to pay attention to today and keep focused on!

Humanity has created a world that is obsessed with obtaining new information at every moment. We want to take it all in, be at all places, and be alerted if anything new happens in the world. But by doing an online cleanse you will be able to reevaluate your technology usage and look at the world with fresh eyes. Breathe in the relaxing atmosphere and experience the world at a slower and more focused pace.

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This blog post was written by Danyell on ittrainingtips.iu.edu, a blog written by UITS IT Training staff in order to inform readers of tips, tricks, and useful tools when combating different technology, software, and online devices. Check out IT Training Tips for a daily dose of knowledge that's quick and on the go.

The Yin and the Yang within a Home

The yin and yang theory is all about balance within the extremes. Finding the right balance can be a struggle when you don’t know where to begin. Today I've invited my friend, Kathryn to talk about the balance within a home that you need to achieve in order to create the perfect space. Are you Yin or Yang?

Learning more about this feng shui theory can help you be more productive; therefore more successful.

Feng shui is all about the energy: things you can see and things you can’t see. It is all about finding the balance. Notice the tai chi symbol attached: its extreme black and white tadpoles are wrapped around each other. The black tadpole (yin) is not completely black as it will always contain a piece of light (yang), and vice-versa.

Yin-energy is soft, feminine and quiet. Think of a grandma’s house. There is not much action going on and she probably stays home most of the day. Nesting is important. Her home could be decorated with heavy drapes and carpets, table clothes, blankets on the couch, and knick knacks on the shelves; collections from years of gifts and sentimental purchases. Senior citizens tend to slow down their lives and their homes reflect that energy.

All bedrooms should be yin-energy because we need to rest properly each night, but we won’t lead productive lives if we are living with severe low yin-energy.

On the other extreme, we have yang. Yang-energy is fast moving, loud, physical and masculine. Think of your favorite night club; there are a lot of people, high testosterone levels, loud talking, laughing and music! ‘Party-Central’ does not contribute to a healthy home or a productive office, as you would probably not get anything done! Save extreme yang-energy level for celebrations, physical fitness or even motivational speeches and sales talks. -Whenever you need to shine!

You can learn to manipulate certain areas, and get them working for you!

How do you figure out how to balance an area? Let’s start with logic and a little detective work. If you need more yin-energy in the bedroom or quiet work spaces, use yin items. These ideas can help slow down the energy flow:

• Textiles and fabrics appear ‘warmer and heavier’. Place an area rug under your desk; place a blotter under your computer and a chair pad to soften a cold chair.
• Put up a road block. Fast energy comes rushing in one door and out the next; you can’t see it, but it is there. Don’t ever block a door, but you can place a plant or a hall table between your door and another door.
• Use natural lighting. Harsh florescent lighting can not only give you a headache, but it isn’t very versatile. Task lighting can be placed to reduce glare on your computer and augment natural lighting when required.
• Bring in a real or silk plant. Plants can bring a little life to your desk. Choosing a small, soft leaf plant will bring calmness to your work area. Great choices are orchids, peace lily and jade plants.
• Choose images wisely. Softer colors and softer prints will set a quieter mood rather than displaying super heroes.

If you need a little more yang-energy in your world, experiment with yang items:

• Hard surfaces. Clean and clear is the best way to move energy along. No collections or knick knacks; only a few choice items. Reduce heavy materials, rugs, pillows and fluff.
• Glass or Shiny items. Office areas with a lot of exposed windows, mirrors and table tops support yang energy. Brighter lighting can stimulate the body to be more active and more creative.
• No clutter. Think of a sterile environment, no road blocks, dirty laundry bags, garbage or shoe clutter allowed.
• Sharp pointed plants. If you’d like to have a plant, choose a taller one with a sharp shape to the leaves. These types of plants are more dramatic for a high energy area and unleash those creative juices.
• Choose images for the walls that reflect your goals in life: travel destinations, hobbies and other rewards.

You have the power to access what YOU need in YOUR space, so get that space working for you.

You may get an impulse to change everything in your space today, but please take the time to review what you actually need. Yin and yang is only one theory to help you find balance and harmony in your space. You should also consider seasonal changes in your routine and allow yourself to grow. When you find that balance, you’ll find a fuller, happier and more productive life.

Start small. Often, the smallest adjustment can bring the most amazing opportunities!

All the best,
Kathryn

Kathryn of Kathryn Wilking Designs is a Professional Member of the IFSG (International Feng Shui Guild) Author, Stager and Feng Shui Consultant. www.kathrynwilking.com Her recent book; Practical Feng Shui for the Office, is available in e-book and paperback. Get a sneak peek on her site: www.practicalfengshuifortheoffice.com Do you have a question for Kathryn? Ask Kathryn: Kathryn@kathrynwilking.com

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Taking Breaks from Studying

Finals week can really be the worst. Why do schools think it's okay to stress out their students by making every single test all on the same week? The week of your exams is stressful enough, you don't want to be stressing about the weeks that you're studying, too. If you use my tips from my Scheduling Time to Study blog post, you'll be scheduling breaks to celebrate, snack, and spend some time on those social sites that you can't stop thinking about. Taking breaks is one of the healthiest things you can do because it refreshes your mind and gets you ready for another 20 minutes of studying.

The science of taking breaks from studying.

Studies have found direct exposure to nature, viewing nature through windows, and viewing images of nature are restorative. Taking breaks, especially where nature is present will help you properly relax and be able to return to your study sessions feeling cognitively refreshed. Did you know viewing water is one of the most relaxing ways to take a break? And science proves it! One article says, "settings with views of dramatic nature murals, especially those with water, [are] more restorative than settings with window views of real, but mundane nature with built structures present."  So even if you don't have a pond in your backyard hang up a painting and start feeling relaxed.

Make sure your breaks are still productive.

It's always a temptation for me to just stop studying and not go back to it after I take a break. However, if I make my breaks productive, I'm usually more likely to come back feeling ready to keep the work going. Being productive during your breaks is not about doing more work, but rather doing things you want to do in a quick and efficient way. For example, when I'm taking a break from studying I might go for a 10 minutes run and then spend 5 minutes showering, or spend 5 minutes reading some emails and then 10 minutes watching walking my puppies. Having my breaks planned out and having an idea of what you're going to do during those breaks will make your day studying easy and productive. But no matter what you're doing, try to take a moment to relax outside.

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Keep working hard studying for those finals. I know it can be rough because I'm fighting the battle along with you. Do you have any tips and tricks for me?