Mind

No one likes public toilets, especially in those situations when you’re using it after someone else and the seat is still warm. They’re often associated with unhygienic places, being dirty, smelly, and a breeding ground for diseases. Most people are glad when they see a hand dryer as they don’t have to touch one of those icky cloth towels you access via a rotary dispenser. But, what if you found out these hand dryers might not be as hygienic as you think?

In January and February, it can be hard to summon a positive attitude about winter. The holidays are over, but the days are still extremely short. The weather is frigid in most parts of the United States, and there’s isn’t another fun holiday until Valentine’s Day, which most people are conflicted about anyway. If you’re just feeling down because of the crummy weather, here are some little tips that will help boost your mood this winter.

Whether you work at home or in a busy office, a standing desk could bring a lot of benefit to your life. With over 80 percent of American workers sitting at a desk, doctors are quickly discovering that these sedentary jobs are more harmful than they could have ever dreamed. If you work in an office, you’re not only sitting down from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — you’re also sitting down either in a car or on public transportation, spending your downtime at home sitting on the couch, then finally laying down in bed to start the whole process again.

Whether you’re trying to clear out the old in favor of the new or just chasing that oh-so-comforting post-purge glow, we’re here to help. Today, we’ll run down a list of helpful questions that should get you on your way to a less-cluttered, simpler state of mind. So, to avoid the risk of making this introduction far too cluttered, we’re going to get to it! Here are nine, ruthless questions to help you declutter.

There are so many great Mother’s Day gift options out there. Despite these endless choices, many people rely on old favorites like flowers and chocolates to express their love to their mom. This is a woman who stayed up all night with you, cleaned your bodily fluids off the floor, and put up with years of your teenaged angst, the least you could do is spring for a real gift instead of drooping tulips.

Easter is a great time to get together with friends and family. Lots of people mark this occasion by gifting the kids in their life with beautiful Easter baskets filled with toys, gifts, and other treasures. If you don’t want to spend more than $20 to $50 (which most people don’t), you can DIY a fun basket that any toddler or preschooler will love. Here are some great ideas to get you started.

If you have a friend who recently went through this process themselves, they’ll probably want to celebrate as soon as it’s over. One of the best ways that you can help to celebrate their success and achievement is to bring them a personalized housewarming gift. It doesn’t need to be expensive — just something to show that you’ve been thinking about them and want to join in the celebration of their success.

If you’ve ever realized that a chronic, unpleasant feeling in your life is emptiness, you’re not alone. With the advent of globalization and open borders comes freedom, and people are moving around more than ever before. Trips across the ocean are cheaper than they’ve ever been, jobs regularly move to new cities, and families that used to live within a single block are now spread around the globe. On an individual level, it’s now easier than ever to ignore our feelings, and distract ourselves with a potent cocktail that includes but isn’t limited to work, social media, food, alcohol and drugs, and shopping.

This Valentine’s Day, instead of making a reservation at an overpriced restaurant and shelling out for a bouquet of red roses, take your significant other for a fun and unique date night. One of the best ways that you can get closer to a partner is by sharing common experiences and learning new things together. Think outside of the box – it doesn’t necessarily have to be a stereotypically romantic outing. Anything where you’re intentionally taking time out of your schedule to be together is romantic in our eyes. Check out some of the best experiences you can have with your significant other this Valentine’s Day.

With the amount of information online today, it’s so easy to start scrolling through Facebook or Instagram and not realize that you’ve been staring at the screen glassy-eyed for 45 minutes. Social media can have a huge impact on our lives, and the faster we acknowledge that the easier it will be for us to take back control. There are a number of strategies that we can employ to help us manage our social media, and control what we see so we don’t spend hours aimlessly scrolling. Here are a few ways that you can declutter your social media to help boost your productivity.