​One of the most inventive ploys is to unlock the car with the help of a coin. A thief inserts a coin into the door handle of the car from the passenger side because drivers rarely pay attention to this door when alone. Later when the driver closes the car, the keychain lock will seemingly work, making the appropriate sound, but the central lock will get blocked by the coin and the car will stay open. That’s why it’s worth taking a look around the car before and after locking it.

Since 1996, all cars have started to be equipped with OBD ports. This is the port of access to the car computer, which is used for diagnostics. With the help of special equipment connected to the OBD, you can disable the standard alarm or unlock the doors. But the main thing is that the ignition key input can be imitated with its help.

One of the ways to protect the OBD port is:

• The port connector on all cars is standard. By changing its shape or the order in which the wires are located, you will make the equipment of car thieves’ useless.

Of course, in order to perform such a ploy, a thief will have to get inside the car, but this won’t be difficult for a professional.

This type of car theft is usually performed in a semi-empty parking lot. And it’s very simple:

• A thief inserts a plastic bottle between a tire and a car fender from the passenger’s side so that a driver won’t notice it immediately. When the owner comes back to the car and starts to move it, he hears a loud and frightening noise from the bottle.
• When this happens, a driver will usually get out of the car to check what has happened. This is the moment when the theft happens, because drivers rarely turn off the engine and take their keys and valuables with them to check a wheel or find the source of an unknown noise.

Go around the car before leaving the parking lot and always stay aware.

​This method is usually used when a car is parked in a yard. Thieves throw objects at the car that won’t harm it, but will activate the alarm. It will last until the owner grows impatient or the neighbors start complaining, asking for silence.

Thinking that the alarm got broken, the owner of the car will turn it off, and that’s when car thieves will jump into action. Even if they are not able to steal the car, they will be happy to steal some part of it.

​This trick is usually performed at traffic lights and in crowdless places. It is expected that most people place and carry a bag with money and documents in the passenger seat and don’t lock the door when the car is in motion.

The moment you stop at a traffic light, a thief comes up to the car, and grabs the bag by opening the passenger door. After that, everything usually goes as per the thief’s plan — the driver leaves the car and runs after the thief. That’s the moment when the car gets stolen. If the thief’s expectations didn’t come true and the driver stays in the car, it’s likely that the driver will be contacted later and offered their belongings for a fee.

The same scheme is used by seemingly harmless beggars who come up to drivers at traffic lights. They try to provoke you to get out of the car, so that their partners can steal the car or other valuables.

​Not every driver studies the instruction manual of their car thoroughly, but they can find the answer to this question there. This ball is a climate control sensor.

Depending on the readings that the sensor transmits to the car’s computer, the climate control system selects the fan’s operation mode. That’s why every instruction manual warns you to not cover or block the sensor with other objects. This ball has a decorative function in cars that don’t have climate control.

If you don’t know for sure what kind of a relationship people in front of you have, you’d better not try to guess and name the variants. It’s likely that your interlocutor will be pushed away by questions such as:

• “Is it your mother/sister/brother/son?”
• “Are you related?”

You can mistakenly call an elder sister a mother, or call people who don’t like each other relatives. Resembling each other can be a big offense for them. It’s much simpler and more polite to make the conclusion about what relationship status people in front of you have by watching their behavior, mannerisms, and speech.

​People like to talk about their own relationships and the relationships of others. However, if your interlocutors aren’t sharing their relationship status right away, you’d better not ask them how long they’ve been seeing each other and whether they are married or not.

People in front of you might turn out to be simple acquaintances who decided to come to the party together. Questions about marriage can be unpleasant for couples that have disagreements on this topic.

Here are some other questions you are better off avoiding:
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• “Do you have kids?”
  
• “Are you pregnant?”
  
• “Did you want a baby boy or a baby girl?”

We can assure you that any mother of multiple kids repeatedly gets asked the question, “Are they all yours?” This likely makes her go mad! A question about having kids can annoy child-free couples and upset those who can’t have a baby. Additionally, the pregnancy topic can sound like a tease or a hint about being overweight.

If your interlocutor came with kids, it’s better to ask about their interests and if they’re without kids, it’s better to find a more neutral topic for your initial conversation.

Of course, people are less likely to speak about obvious and visible health issues of their interlocutor but they often ask irrelevant questions about the specifics of one’s appearance like:
​

• “Was it painful?”
  
• “Is it real?”
  
• “Where did you get your [blank] done?”

Very few people actually find it interesting to tell strangers about their tattoos, piercings, and dreadlocks. Moreover, one should never touch other people or items on them — it’s a violation of personal space.

Asking about cosmetic procedures a person has undergone is not an indicator of good manners either. Even if you’re sure that the person in front of you visits a solarium, you shouldn’t ask them for salon contacts. Perhaps this person wants to pretend that this is their natural skin color and your question might spoil their mood.

​Hobbies are a good topic for small talk — It can make strangers good friends. However, there is also a range of questions that can embarrass an interlocutor. For example, asking why a person needs 5 dogs or why they have such an expensive hobby is definitely not a pleasant question. Your interlocutor might think that you consider their hobbies silly.

Few people ask their interlocutors how much they earn. Instead, they might try to find out how much experts in this sphere earn in general.

Moreover, people don’t like to admit that their salary is not that high and they simply like their job. Or that they don’t like their job and want to change it but haven’t found the right opportunity yet. Anyway, questions about money and remunerations are too personal to be asked.

• “How much was it?”
  

Purchases can be another uncomfortable topic. Perhaps you simply asked about the cost of the item because your friend has recently bought the same thing and you simply want to compare the prices. But your interlocutor might think that you’re trying to assess their financial status and their ability to afford certain purchases.

How to answer embarrassing questions:

What if someone asks you unpleasant questions? The following actions might be of great help:
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• Change the topic.
  
• Give a short answer.
  
• Refuse to answer.

Very often, ignoring a question will be enough to make your interlocutor understand that it’s embarrassing for you. Changing the topic and giving a short answer is also a good signal that you don’t like it.

However, if your interlocutor insists on the answer, you can simply say, “I don’t want to talk about it, let’s change the topic.” It’s much better than getting angry, nervous, and irritated at the topic you don’t like.

Questions set the course of the conversation. Learning to ask them correctly means becoming a good interlocutor who attracts other people. Have you ever faced an embarrassing situation because of awkward questions?

At the base of Marie Kondo’s method, there is your own picture of a perfect house. Even if it’s a rented apartment or house that you don’t like for some reason, you can still make it as comfortable as possible.
​

• Don’t start cleaning up before you throw away all the things you don’t need. The ritual of getting rid of stuff should be done at least every 1.5 to 2 months.
• Try to estimate everything in terms of the comfort it gives you. You will definitely not need the things that are in the deepest corners of your wardrobe that only give you good memories. Thinking you should keep it “just in case” is never wise, so make decisions faster and don’t hold onto stuff.
• Don’t measure memories with things because the memories won’t disappear if you throw away an old plate, a dress you used to wear many years ago, tickets to the concert of your favorite singer or an old grandfather’s frame.
• Sort things not according to the room but rather, according to the category.
• Don’t make your drawers too full! Things that are not seen as often are never used, so give them some room.
• Keep things in a way so you can see them well. For example, if it’s in a cabinet, put the stuff in vertically.
• Create a “place of power”. In other words, create a place where you can enjoy some time surrounded by your favorite stuff.

Leo Babauta who created a blog about minimalism asks you to think about why you buy stuff. It may be to have a feeling of safety, for approval, or for comfort. He advises you to try to think about what you really need and what you think you need.

When it comes to cleaning, Leo loves the theory of “small things that are hard to notice” instead of one big thing. For example, it’s better to sweep the floor just as soon as you notice it instead of spreading it around the house and cleaning the entire place.
​

• Another one of his principles is what he calls, the “hug method”. In the “hug method”, you only clean the areas you can hug with your arms without walking around the entire room. If you move from one area to another, you can finish the cleaning 2 times faster than usual.
• When deciding what you need, you should get 3 boxes and label them as “keep”, “might need”, and “throw away”. Box number 2 has the right to spend just 6 months on your shelf before you throw the stuff away.

This system was designed in 1982 by Sandra Felton, an American woman who lost her dissertation in her house. This was the last straw: Sandra was tired of feeling like she was doing something wrong, so she decided to study this problem and make her own rules.

She thinks that it’s easy to make a place clean if you have a certain order in it, where everything should have its own place. Teach yourself to put things in their place. This habit, just like any other, can be acquired in 21 days.

Some of Sandra’s rules:
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• Ask for help. Ask your relatives to do things that don’t irritate them and help children to treat cleaning like a game with small prizes.
• Use the magic of 3 boxes: “throw away”, “give away or sell”, and “put away for storage”. Make sure that the last box is not big: there should be only the most necessary things inside it.
• If something takes less than 30 seconds (for example washing one plate), do it now and forget about it.
• From time to time, try to look at your house as if it’s not yours in order to decide what can be improved.

​Alison Hodgson discovered the minimalistic approach to organizing a room and started writing articles about how she relaxed her consciousness when she had a fire in her house. The family had enough time to save only the necessary devices and clothes; the toys and other things were burned. According to Alison, they couldn’t even remember what was kept in the farthest cabinet and they couldn’t throw them away.

Her main recommendation is a little too hopeful, but it still gives us an understanding of what is really valuable: ask yourself what will be the first things you would grab in a fire and only keep the things that really bring you joy.

“FlyLady” is probably the most famous cleaning system, mainly because the creator believes that cleaning should be enjoyable. Her main principle is to try to get rid of the stress brought on by long hours of cleaning on weekends. This time could have been spent with your family.

The author of the system recommends spending 15 minutes per day and literally using a timer.
​

• During the week, pay attention to one area. For example, Monday for the hall, Tuesday for the bathroom, and so on.
• Once a week, do the cleaning in order to remove dust and washing the floor, but this process should not take more than 1 hour.
• Put out the “hot spots” — the places where there is always a lot of stuff: the table, the workplace, and so on. The cleaning won’t take more than 5 minutes.

“Un-messing” helps to clean your apartment better without having too many extra things around. There are several methods:
​

• The special box: put the things in this box that you don’t use. Fill the box up once a month. Once a month, give away, sell, or throw away the stuff in the box.
• 1/10 method: every 10 days, throw away 1 thing.
• The rocket method: every day, 10 minutes should be spent on going around the apartment and packing all the trash in a box or in a plastic bag.

The “Sparkling house” system is based on the right attitude to cleaning: don’t take it as something global and necessarily unpleasant. This method’s creators turned cleaning into a series of everyday rituals.
​

• “Destroying evidence” means to clean everything right now — this is the main principle.
• “Mini-routine” is the morning cleaning that starts from ventilating the room, making up the bed, watering flowers, and sorting through stuff.
• “Room of the day” means to choose a room and do more in it than in the others. Spend about 15-30 minutes on cleaning it.
• “Sheep” are the tasks for the room of the day — get rid of the sheep one by one so that there’s no huge herd by the end of the week.
• “Ducks” are tasks geared around un-messing the apartment, sorting stuff in boxes and throwing away the useless ones.
• “Worms” are small everyday tasks for children that they can have fun doing, but they should get used to doing some work every day. They should collect their toys and sort their own clothes after washing — the “worms” should grow together with the child.

​Tantrums often occur as a result of a child hearing a “No” from their parents. While you may not want to see your child acting out when they hear your refusal, you have to set their limits firmly. Life does not always go the way we want, and the sooner a child understands this, the sooner he or she will learn how to cope with disappointment. By working through tough emotions your child will learn how to cope with their anger and fears, instead of stuffing them inside.

If your kid throws a tantrum right in front of you, it means he or she feels safe enough to feel how they feel and live through their emotions in your presence. Be compassionate and help your kid cry out all their anger, fears, and frustration and let these things go.

Neither kids nor adults choose what to feel, but adults can actually choose how to act when experiencing their emotions. Little kids cannot control their behavior when they’re angry or upset. It’s highly important that instead of telling your child to stop crying and punishing them for feeling strong emotions, you maintain the atmosphere of trust and comfort.

​As adults we know that crying is our natural release valve that helps us get rid of stress, anxiety, and disappointment. This is true for little kids as well. If your toddler’s tantrum is accompanied by tears, they will get rid of the excess stress hormones that trigger anxiety.

Bottled up emotions can also result in sleep issues. A child that has successfully regulated their emotions through meltdowns and even tears, will have an easier time falling asleep and staying asleep through the whole night.

​As we grow older we learn how to keep our feelings inside. We suppress them and we seldom let ourselves cry, or even discuss our fears and worries with friends or family. Emotional breakdowns are frowned upon by society, which can make adulthood very stressful. Toddlers are still at the age that they can express their emotions and be understood, before they grow up and start having to think about how they look in the eyes of the public.

​As kids learn, they encounter problems that they have never faced before and they don’t know how to solve them. Expressing frustration through crying is a positive reaction that helps a child to live through their negative emotions and let them go. Once they’re done with crying, they will normally come back to solving the problem with a renewed sense of determination.

​We learn as we grow older, and managing one’s emotions is something that needs to be learned as well. With time, children realize that communicating their anger and anxiety through words is the best way to cope with these feelings. But in order to acquire mature skills like decision making, your kid needs to try the “wrong” ways, as well.

Of course, you may still be embarrassed when having to comfort your kid who is crying out loud in a public place, but you are certainly not the first and won’t be the last parent to go through this. Keep reminding yourself that tantrums come and go, and this is just a necessary stage of your child’s growing up.

​Animals are very sensitive to smells. You should already know which smells your pet hates. Some of them can’t stand the smell of lemons, for others it’s alcohol. So if you put some home fragrance with a specific smell, for example, on a shelf or a table where you have souvenirs, it can scare away the pet.

​Put up a scratching post can be a way to stop your pet from turning to your furniture for scratching. Normally cats like armrests, so adjust the scratching post exactly in front of it. Every time your pet comes to a favorite scratching place, it will meet an obstacle and slowly get used to a new scratching surface. You can put several posts in your apartment.

​To save the most accessible and attractive spots on your couch from scratching and biting, just put flexible trays on the armrests. You can purchase them in furniture stores like Ikea. This will protect the couch not just from your pet, but also from drinks.

​Don’t get mad and angry when you see your pet chewing or scratching the furniture. Just keep a water gun nearby and each time that your pet might damage something, just spray it with some water. It is better than firmly saying “No” and sooner or later your pet will realize that it’s better to not touch that spot.

​To protect your stuff from chewing and scratching you can buy a special spray. It is different for cats and dogs. It contains only natural and not dangerous ingredients, so your pet is safe. Just cover the furniture with that spray. You aren’t going to feel anything because the scent is undetectable for people, but it is the opposite for animals.

​To prevent your pet from going into certain rooms, install pet gates that you can purchase online. They fit in any doorway and they are a good solution for a bedroom when you want your bed to be fur-free, but still want to be able to see your furry friend.

​Sticky Paws are transparent strips that look like tape. You can apply them anywhere you want and they won’t leave a residue after you remove them. Animals don’t like sticky surfaces, so they will simply stay away and everyone will be happy.

​Pets have a lot of energy, especially the young ones. Pay attention to which kinds of toys your pet likes more and each time you leave them alone, give them their favorite toy to entertain them. For a cat, it can be a hanging toy attached to a scratching post. For a dog, it can be something to chew.

​In the hustle and bustle of an already stressful life, you may find yourself losing your cool when your kids behave rudely. However, it’s not wise to pour out your frustration on the kids just because you have control over them. The kid is obviously angry or upset which is why they’re misbehaving. But what are you going to show by displaying your anger? Perhaps diminishing the difference between yourself and your kids.

Take a step back and count to 10, and instead of overreacting or yelling, talk to the kid. Leave the room if need be and this should calm both of you down.

​There’s definitely a reason why your child is hyper and misbehaving. With small kids, it can be petty reasons like tiredness or hunger. With children who are a little older, it can be stress or peer pressure. Yes, it is a proven fact that kids go through stress too!

That’s why it’s important to sit down and try to understand the reason why your child is misbehaving. The way they’re reacting to things is rooted in what’s going on in their mind.

​When your kids are displaying anger, showing love or cuddling them is the last thing on your mind. But what if that’s the very thing the child needs at that moment? Sometimes it’s important to sit down and have a discussion with your children about why their behavior is wrong.

Children are not mature enough to distinguish between what’s right and wrong. At times, they might think of a certain kind of behavior as natural and normal. Thus, it is the responsibility of the parents to discuss what they expect out of their kids. Give them an explanation as to why it’s wrong — don’t just show a yes or no sign.

​Very often, the reason kids disobey is that they don’t know their limits — they don’t know where to stop. Don’t pamper your kid so much that they stop distinguishing between right and wrong behavior. Put some rules into play and make sure that you adhere to them as well.

Also, it’s important not only to reward them for good work done but also to make them aware of the consequences of bad behavior. It’s very important that you follow through on these consequences.

​Punishment doesn’t always work, especially when it’s in a physical form. Forget about spanking them and start focusing on how to make them understand the importance of behaving well. Point out when they falter for the very first time. Good manners aren’t all about making our kids sit down and dictate a lecture back to us. Good manners are teaching them how to behave during occasions appropriately.

Teach them about family bonding, tell them stories about great people, and most importantly, acknowledge whenever they display good behavior. You may also give them small responsibilities that give them the courage to believe in themselves.

It’s always said that you cannot compel a person to respect you as it’s a feeling that comes naturally. However, with children, the case is different. You shouldn’t always go around saying, “I am your parent, so you ought to respect me.” They won’t. At the same time, it is also important that they understand your position as a parent and stay within their limits.

When doing this, be firm yet polite in your approach while setting the rules. If a rule is broken, a punishment will be given and a reward for good deeds should be the same way. By following what you have said consistently, you will gain your children’s trust and they’ll see you as a genuine person.

​Last but not least, practice what you preach. Remember, your kids are always watching you. So if you want them to put down the tablet, get rid of yours first. If you want them to be more interactive rather than glued to the TV screen, take time out to be there for them yourself.

Be polite, have patience, and watch your kids do the same. Show them the kind of behavior that you want to see in them and be their role model. Subconsciously, they’ll always want to be like you.

​Hormones are our body’s messengers that help to control almost all the processes happening inside us. That’s why it’s important to keep them in balance. Sugar is not a product that helps with this. It actually works the other way around by creating an imbalance when it comes to hormones. That’s why instead of helping, it affects the inflammatory processes in the body and increases blood sugar levels, encouraging glands to produce more oil.

​There are good (or complex) carbs and bad (or simple) carbs. Refined carbs are related to the second group—the bad carbs. A good example of a refined carbohydrate food is bread — white bread made of refined grains is softer and more fluffy than whole grain bread. Therefore, refined grains are grains that are processed by manufacturers in order to make them softer and less heavy.

The sad part in this is that these carbs overload our bodies with carb processing work. This process makes oil glands overproduce oil and we end up with an oily scalp.

​Any fried food, especially deep fried and fast food, overload our bodies with oil because of the overstimulation of oil glands. The oil they produce covers our skin, including the scalp, with extra grease.

Therefore, having a fast food hamburger in the evening may turn your hair into a sticky mess overnight. Not only should you avoid consuming these foods to make your diet more healthy, but also to make your hair look neater.

​As strange as it might sound, milk products can also be blamed for the production of extra sebum. This is all because dairy, like milk, butter, and cheese are digested by our bodies as oils and fats, therefore, leaving us with sticky hair and the appearance of facial acne. They also contain components related to an excess amount of the hormone testosterone, which also affects the production of extra sebum.

Therefore, a glass of warm, full-fat milk in the evening can make you need an urgent hair wash in the morning.

​An excess consumption of salt leads to swelling, under-eye bags, dandruff, and overall body dehydration. The last point makes the body produce more oil to fight the lack of water. Again, all this ends up causing sticky and greasy hair, especially in those who are prone to it. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the consumption of crackers, chips, fries and salted nuts because it’s these that contain excess salt.

​Vitamins B and E are among most essential vitamins for our body and hair. Not only do they help grow strong and beautiful hair, but they also regulate the production of extra oils, thus, making your hair look better. Foods like beans, vegetables, and fruits are rich in vitamin B and it’s these that can help your hair look stunning. Vitamin E can be found in leafy green vegetables, sunflower seeds, and nuts.

​Our body needs zinc in small amounts and this mineral doesn’t get stored in us. The good news is that if you increase the consumption of zinc-rich products, it can help fight your body’s production of oil. You can find zinc in food supplements, however, it’s also available in natural foods like oats, shellfish, and eggs.

​Having a prone-to-be-oily hair type doesn’t mean you should stop consuming fats completely. Fats are an important component of the proper working of our bodies. Just regulate the consumption of saturated and trans fats. It’s pretty easy to identify them because they tend to stay solid at a room temperature. Therefore, margarine, butter, and animal fat are all trans fats. Change them for “good” fats like nuts, vegetable oils, and some types of fish.

​The future baby’s well-being is the ultimate concern that accompanies every expectant mother, and these worries can turn into real stress. Paradoxically, the first thing you need to do to have a healthy baby is calm down. Ann Borders, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Evanston Hospital, says that the inability to cope with stressful situations contributes to early delivery and low birth weight.

Stress increases the production of a corticotropin-releasing hormone (or CRH). In mothers-to-be, CRH influences the length of a pregnancy and the fetal maturation. The higher the CRH level, the sooner the labor day comes.

The surprising thing is, it’s the first trimester that matters the most. We used to think that to prevent premature birth, expectant mothers should mostly avoid during the last trimester. In reality, it’s quite the opposite. The pre-term delivery is provoked by an early rise of CRH, caused by stress experienced during the first weeks of pregnancy.

​Scientists have found that high cortisol levels can lower a child’s IQ. Normally, the placenta produces enzymes that break down cortisol, but it cannot cope well enough if the stress is too intense or too prolonged.

They have also confirmed that stress experienced during pregnancy may have an effect on the baby’s brain development. In particular, a study conducted by a Wayne State University team found that maternal stress influences brain connectivity and the organization of neural functional systems, making it less efficient.

These new technologies have also allowed researchers to understand that our brain doesn’t develop from the simplest to the most complicated systems. It turns out that the cerebellum, the stress-response center is one of the first things to develop, making the fetus sensitive to a mother’s stress from the very beginning.

​Surprisingly, the mother’s mood influences not only fetal development but also sleep. A 2007 study discovered that the expectant mother’s stress influences the baby’s sleep time.

The scientists examined babies ages 6, 18, and 30 months, measuring their sleep time and how often they wake up during the night. It turns out that children whose mothers experienced anxiety during their pregnancy period had sleep issues at 18 and 30 months. This happens because of cortisol that goes through the placenta and affects the brain area that is responsible for the baby’s circadian rhythm.

​A 2011 study has confirmed that maternal stress influences a child’s health in general. The results showed a higher risk of an early infection and mental disorders in children who suffered from stress in the womb. There are also other problems, like eye, ear, digestive, respiratory, skin, musculoskeletal, circulatory, and genitourinary diseases. It can also contribute to a child’s development of allergies and asthma.

A link was also found between stress and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. The influence of stress, in this case, turned out to be stronger than that of a smoking pregnant mother.

​Dr. Elysia Davis from the University of Denver says that a high cortisol level in a pregnant woman makes a child more prone to feeling stress in the future. This shows up almost immediately when the newborn’s blood is drawn by the hospital. These babies show a more intense stress response.

As toddlers, they experience fear when exposed to simple challenges like seeing a stranger entering a room or having a ball rolled toward them. Normally, a kid would joyfully join in the game, but these children freeze or run to their moms to feel safe again.

Mothers also noticed that these children show a more intense level of anxiety at preschool and school age and are more afraid of going to school.

​After reading all this information, you may want to avoid even the slightest stressful situation, hide from the world, and practice meditation day and night, but hey, leave that bubble alone!

Research shows that short-term stress doesn’t harm the baby. To know this, they measured the cortisol levels in expectant mothers’ saliva and the amniotic fluid after a stressful event, and found that short-term stress didn’t influence the fetus at all.

Long-term stress, on the other hand, does lead to an increase in CRH levels in the amniotic fluid, elevating the risk of the consequences described above.

Fortunately, stress isn’t something you can’t cope with. There’s always a way to keep it at bay. Here’s what you can do:
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• Be mindful of what you eat and when. Don’t miss your breakfast, eat more fruits and vegetables, fish, and whole grains. Try to eat at the same time every day.
• Exercise. Pregnancy doesn’t mean you should stay on the couch. Take a walk in the park, go to a swimming pool, or do low-impact aerobics. Exercising will increase the level of the happiness hormone, making you forget about the stress.
• Meditate. This awesome practice is known for decreasing anxiety, so why not try it?
• Surround yourself with people that make you happy. Chatting with family or meeting with friends who can support you and simply be there for you will definitely make your day better.
• Write down what troubles you. This simple practice decreases the intensity of the negative emotions you experience.
• Enjoy your hobby (or find a new one if the old doesn’t please you anymore). This will keep your hands and mind busy and won’t let you overthink things.
• Sleep more. This will not solve all your problems, but will give your body the rest it needs to keep you and your baby healthy.
• Talk to a specialist. If you cannot cope on your own, seek professional help. Your mood swings may be a sign of depression or the stress you’ve experienced might be too intense to manage alone. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

​The research conducted on prairie voles, whose behavior and reactions are similar to humans, showed that stress may be beneficial if the baby has a supportive environment after birth. The cortisol rise the fetus experiences in the womb may promote developmental plasticity. Those subjects who experienced a high-quality of care after birth showed no signs of elevated anxiety.

Another study also showed that love and the strong bond created between a mother and her child was able to reverse the impact of stress experienced in the womb, even in terms of babies’ cognitive development.

Well, what else can we say: don’t worry too much! Your love and support is the main thing your baby needs. Talk to your belly bump, stroke it, sing songs to it — help your body send the fetus signs of your love and care.

​Everyone knows that the last phrase spoken is memorized better than the conversation as a whole. In fact, this effect doesn’t just work for conversations. For example, you have a really important job interview where you’re competing with other people. You’ll have an advantage if you can manage to see the hiring manager first or last: there is a greater chance that they will memorize and hire you. Of course, you’ll have to be as good as the other candidates.

​Imitating the behavior of a person you want to be like is actually a way to have the same character traits. It works the same way as the placebo effect: you basically make yourself think that you have a certain character trait, and over time, you really will. The most important thing is to do it as often as possible: if you do it only once a month, it won’t work.

By the way, the same works for emotions: in order to get yourself in a certain mood, start doing some things that are connected with this feeling. This means, for example, that in order to get yourself in a better mood, you just need to smile more often.

​Of course, this doesn’t mean you should hug people you barely know. But if you greet people with a smile and sincere warmth, sooner or later, they will feel the same toward you. The trick is, that you use positive emotions to make the other person feel that you are happy to see them. The other person will start with smiling back at you and over time, they will start to really like you.

​Imagine this: you are suggesting an idea at a business meeting and you want it to be accepted. Try to lead the conversation not in the direction of discussing the viability of the idea, but the details of its realization. For example, you want to plant trees in the neighborhood? Ask which kinds of trees are more preferable. You want to build a playground for children? Discuss the materials. This way, there is a bigger probability that the people will start to treat the idea as if it is already accepted and they are more inclined to agree with you.

​Procrastination is a really dangerous thing because “later” often turns into “never.” There is a really simple trick that helps to combat laziness: start doing something as soon as you remember it. The thing is, on a subconscious level, we always try to finish things. Make yourself do something and you will thank yourself later: even if you don’t complete it, at least you will do something which is definitely better than doing nothing.

​According to the theory proposed by psychologist Frederick Herzberg, dissatisfaction and satisfaction with a job depend on completely different factors. A comfortable environment and medical insurance, of course, make employees more loyal, but they don’t motivate them enough. If you want to make an employee more effective, it is not enough to just raise their salary: notice the success of their colleagues, create opportunities for professional growth, and make the job itself as interesting as possible.

​Marketers love this trick so much, but you can also use it in real life in order to get what you want. In sales, the least profitable price becomes the decoy. For example, you are faced with a choice: a small cup of coffee for $1 and a bigger one for $1.50. The difference is not really that much, so a lot people will choose the smaller one because it’s cheaper. But if they are offered a third option, the one that is twice as big as the first one not for $2, but for only $1.75, the picture becomes completely different: the biggest price will seem the best. Remember this trick when you are asking someone for a favor or trying to suggest your idea at a business meeting.

​Taking someone else’s position quickly in a conflict is not the best decision. You should be calm and reasonable. Stay neutral until you hear the arguments from both sides. This way you will demonstrate your ability to analyze things in an unbiased way. People will notice this and trust you more.

Is the man depicted in the profile or frontal view? There is no right answer in this test. Just look at the photo and figure it out according to your feelings.

If you think that this is a photo of the man in frontal view, it might mean that:
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• You look into people’s eyes confidently, without any embarrassment, and can convince people with your words. You’re open to everything that is new, you take on risky business easily, and embark on the execution of even the craziest ideas with passion. You’re an active, easygoing, and a sociable person.
• You enjoy being in the spotlight and like to live a life full of exciting events and unpredictable pleasant twists and turns. You need constant movement since you cannot sit still for long in one place. Freedom is important to you, both in self-expression and in personal relationships. You’re afraid of attachments and the way they can change the flow of your life. You have your own opinion on any issue and are ready to defend it to the end.
• You’re an optimist who tries to find the good in everything. You inspire other people and charge them with your energy. Your healthy egoism doesn’t allow you to move away from your intended goals. New experiences, positive emotions, and adventures are crucial for you to feel satisfied.

If you think that the man is photographed in profile view, it most likely means that:
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• You’re a shy and modest person. It’s important for you to keep everything under control and you always try to predict all the possible scenarios. If something gets out of control, you get lost and nervous. You can be confused, but quickly find the composure to solve problems and overcome obstacles.
• You’re quite a secretive person who doesn’t make contact with everyone around you. You have a few really close friends who could replace dozens of new acquaintances. You’re ready to sacrifice your interests in favor of your loved ones. You are able to read the emotions and mood of people in their eyes. You are a delicate person who notices little things and follows their own feelings, but not generally accepted rules.
• You’re able to listen to others and examine certain situations critically. You’re a sensitive person whose kind heart is easy to hurt. By overcoming insults and unpleasant life moments, you become stronger and more enduring. You try to stay positive, you like to dip into deep thought, and you try hard to understand yourself. Harmony and inner peace are important for your well-being.