Random Tips

Just Ask

~ Yasmin ~ 13 Comments

Hey Everyone!

Hope you’re all doing well!

I think that deep down each and everyone one of us knows the value of helping others and most of us can probably think of at least one instance in which we have helped someone else.

However, I believe the thing that most of us humans struggle with is actually asking for help when we need it ourselves. Many of us are afraid to ask others for help because we fear being rejected or we just immediately assume that the other person will say no.

If you are anything like me, you may feel that you are being a burden to other people if you ask them for help. Without a doubt, there is definitely a limit to how much someone can help us because helping others requires time and effort.

However, most of us only focus on the burden that we are putting on others and we don’t focus on how rewarding helping us may be for the other person.

In fact, a great deal of psychological research shows that helping others increases self-esteem, sense of belonging and overall well-being.

Of course, there is a wrong way and a right way to ask for help. I know that it is really tempting to ask for help through text or email. However, this is not such a great idea because its easier for you to ask but its also easier for them to say no.

Also, whatever you do, don’t send a mass email asking for help because you’re much less likely to get a response. Most of the people included in the mass email may not even reply because they will just assume that someone else will help you.

When you are about to ask someone for help try to follow these tips:

  • Ask in person or over the phone: The live interaction is key and research shows that you are 34 percent more likely to get a yes if you ask in person or over the phone.
  • Be specific and direct: Most people are not mind readers so don’t be vague and don’t assume that they already know what you need. Be completely honest and tell the person exactly what you need, when you need it, etc. so that person cam make a decision to help or not.
  • Be positive and understanding: I know this is obvious but make sure to ask for help in a kind and friendly manner. And if they do happen to say no don’t take it personally.

I know that at first it is very difficult to ask for help but research has shown that succesful people have strengthened their “asking muscle”. These people have gotten past the initial difficulty of asking for help because occassionally everyone needs help to succeed.

With Love,

Yasmin

Advertisement

Got Back to School Blues? Read this

~ Yasmin ~ 16 Comments

Hey Everyone,

Hope you’re all doing well!

Right now, here in the United States it is currently back to school season. As the summer vacation comes to and end many students of all ages will be returning to their schools or their colleges and universities.

Every year, around this time of the year I see lots of videos and articles about study tips and I see a lot of content about what the latest back to school gadgets and accessories are.

However, I haven’t come across any content about what I like to describe as having the right mindset for going back to school.

In my personal experience, many students hate going back to school often because of all of the hard work that they will have to do in order to be a succesful student.

I know that when I was a student often times I would feel the same way as well and not just during the beginning of the school year but especially during the middle and end of the academic year.Basically, all of the hard work would drain me and I would start to lose motivation and I would hate being a student.

During my university years the only thing that helped me get through this slump was to change my mindset by remembering all of those students that are less fortunate.

Ideally, getting an education should be the right of each and every student. Unfortunately, a large percentage of people throughout the world, mostly girls and women, are not given this fundamental human right.

We all know that knowledge is power but sometimes we forget that many people throughout the world, due to various circumstances, are not got given the opportunity to gain a formal education.

If you are reading this blog post you are obviously literate. However, there are millions of people who are illiterate, who do not know how to read or write, because they were likely never given the opportunity to learn.

Unfortunately, many students throughout the world pursue their education under very difficult circumstances.

Most of us have some form of transportation to take us to and from school or perhaps we walk a reasonable distance to reach our school.

However, in some parts of the world students walk very long distances, often in extreme weather conditions, in order to reach their school. Unfortunately, in certain parts of the world, students risk their lives just to commute to and from school. Once they reach their school, many students do not get to sit in nice, clean, well insulated buildings. Some students sit in tents that are used as classrooms and many students attend school without enough supplies such as books, pens, and paper.

If you are a student, the next time you lose your motivation, please remember those students that are less fortunate and perhaps this will help you regain your focus and motivation to work towards academic success. You never know, perhaps your academic success may enable you to one day help out other students throughout the world!

With Love,

Yasmin

Watch and Walk

~ Yasmin ~ 37 Comments

Hey Everyone!

Hope you’re all doing well!

I would like to admit something that is slightly embarrassing and may seem weird to some people. One of my most favorite things to do in my free time is to watch various TV dramas. But this is not exactly my weird admission.

My weird (and slightly embarrassing habit) is that I watch these TV dramas on my smartphone while I walk around the house.

As you all know, one of the major problems with watching too much TV is that it is a very sedentary activity. And in all honesty the only reason I started to walk while I watched my favorite dramas was because I wanted to make my favorite pastime slightly less unhealthy (if that makes sense😊)

I never imagined that I would share this on the blog because in all honesty I didn’t think it would benefit anyone. But that changed when I decided to count my steps for a few days and I found that on average I took around 2,500 steps each time. The length of each episode is around 40 minutes but I like to skip through some boring scenes so it’s usually around 25 to 30 minutes and obviously since I am inside my walking pace is very moderate.

Obviously, this cannot and should not replace the 30 minutes of moderate daily activity that is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the CDC. However, in my opinion it is a very fun way to take more steps each day!

Many of you may have heard of the recommendation to walk 10,000 steps a day. Although this number is somewhat arbitrary, it is not inaccurate. Most experts agree that the average person should get at least 7,500 steps a day and the more steps that you get the better!

Averaging around 2,500 steps per episode means that I complete around 25 percent of my 10,000 steps in this manner. The way I think about it is that if you aim to take 10,000 steps a day, watching your favorite show while doing so can make the experience more enjoyable.

Obviously this tip is not for everyone, but if you do decide to try this please make sure that you’re putting your safety first. Please make sure that you don’t accidentally bump into anything and God forbid injure yourself! If you have a treadmill, perhaps a safer alternative would be to watch your favorite show on a TV while you’re on the treadmill.

I hope you enjoy this quirky tip!

With Love,

Yasmin