Listening to Music While Studying Can Help

Listening to Music While Studying Can Help Suzy S. Ah, the power of music!   Recent research has found that fast-paced beats can increase your exercise intensity and slow, quiet music can even reduce stress. But what type of music is best to help you study?  Los Angeles teacher Kelly K. shares her findings here It is widely accepted that the best environment for concentration is a quiet one; however the majority of students in the US say they prefer to study while listening to music, and in fact the highest achieving students are even guiltier of this.   Why do students do this?   To block out more distracting noise, to motivate themselves, to stay awake or to calm nerves… Whatever the reason, it’s important to find music that will serve your needs, while causing the least amount of distraction. The type of music a student listens to while studying contributes to how much information she can retain and how well she can focus.   The most common type of music students report listening to while studying is popular music.   However, if a person chooses to listen to music while trying to complete a task, is popular music really the best choice? No!   Classical instrumental is by far the better choice.   Inspired by the findings of “The Mozart Effect,” I researched this further for my senior thesis in college.   I had 112 participants and my results were statistically significant.   I found that, on average, students score 90% on spatial reasoning tasks conducted in silence, 83% when listening to classical instrumental music, and 72% while listening to popular music with lyrics.  This means that your choice of music could affect your GPA by a whole letter grade!   One of the reasons for this may be that, due to a person’s capacity for attention, lyrics inhibit ability to focus. Interestingly enough, I found that women are not only more likely to listen to music while trying to complete a task, but they are also more likely to become distracted by it.   So, girls: try to study in a quiet environment, but if you must listen to music, make a good choice and go for classical rather than popular! No matter what the reason, students are more likely to study while listening to music than to study in silence.   So, make a smart decision and go for classical instead of popular it could make the difference of a whole letter grade! Kelly K. teaches piano to students of all ages and levels in Los Angeles, CA.   She received her Bachelors degree in Psychology and a minor in Music from Scripps College, and joined the TakeLessons team in August 2011. Sign up for lessons with Kelly  here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by billaday.

How to ask for a payrise

Introvert Whisperer / How to ask for a payrise How to Ask for a Payrise Emma Otusajo June 17, 2019 Communication, Dealing with Fear No responses Go to top Do you wince at the idea of asking your manager for a payrise? Or do you think it’s not worth bothering because you know what the answer would be? Money’s not exactly a topic we’re encouraged to talk about and, with businesses making cutbacks everywhere, it’s easy to think that it’d be impossible to get an increase in your salary, especially not simply by asking! More than half of all employees don’t ask for a pay rise for all sorts of reasons, the most common ones being they don’t think they’ll get it or that the budget is set in stone. But it’s not and you don’t have to muddle along, potentially being paid less than you’re worth. So, how can you justify your worth to your manager that persuades them to put their hands in their pocket? How do you build up the boldness and the courage to ask? Here are some tips to help next time you ask for a raise: Justify your value Think about how you can show your value using facts and figures. Have you exceeded your sales targets? Have you delighted customers in some way? Use positive feedback, sales figures and the company’s key performance indicators to measure your value and what you are bringing to the company, suggests Oliver Lee, manager of Host my BnB. This way, you can start to show in black and white exactly what you’re worth. With a job that has value difficult to measure, such as a job in social care, you can put forward how many successful outcomes you’ve had with customers or specify how much you have helped customers over X period of time. Check Out Other Companies Director of workforcepositive.com, Kearin Lowry, suggests finding out what salaries other companies in your sector are paying their staff to do a similar job. Have a look at some job websites, such as GlassDoor, to find out what others in your profession are getting in their salary, says Oliver Lee. Kearin suggests saying something like: “I’ve noticed that the average salary for positions similar to mine are 5% above my current rate and I have 5+ years of experience”, then ask for a meeting with your manager to talk about this in more detail. This way, you can use it as a good benchmark when asking for boss for a payrise. You might even impress your boss that you’ve done your homework and come to the meeting with your facts and with confidence! Write it all down During conversations, it can be easy to lose your track, especially if you’re a manager is more of an extrovert or tends to speak extensively. People and change consultant, Celia Swales, suggests writing down all of the points you want to raise, how different aspects are making you feel. Write down possible responses for points you think your boss might raise, too and prepare some reasonable answers Practice in the Mirror It’s not just what you say it’s the way you say it and the body language, too! As with a job interview or any other challenging conversation, you usually practice what you’re going to say, but practice facial expressions as well. You know the way you sometimes freeze at a question in an interview? When you practice those facial expressions, focus on how your face feels when you smile or relax and practice away from the mirror, perhaps with a friend. This will help you when you’re having the actual conversation with your manager. If you feel yourself freezing up, take a breath, relax your facial muscles and smile, before answering. Be Realistic Let’s be real here. It’s unlikely you’re going to get an extra 20% increase, so consider asking for a reasonable amount of money. The average salary raise for staff that asks for it is around 2% of their salary. The other part of being realistic is that your boss may tell you the payrise you want isn’t possible, but instead offer you something you a raise slightly lower than what you asked for. Open Questions = Open Mind When going into a meeting, many people have the mindset that they want to get their points across be heard. However, it’s important to listen to what your manager has to say and, when you get an answer that you may expect, such as a no, if you ask some open questions, this can open up the conversation, Celia highlights. She suggests asking questions, such as what would you be looking to see from me that would warrant a pay rise? or what impact does me asking for a raise have on you? These sorts of questions may allow for discussion in more detail and be a doorway into more negotiation. Choose the Right Time You should never feel like your issues aren’t important enough to bother your manager with, states Sarah Aubrey, CEO of HR training provider, DPG Plc. However, choosing the right time to ask for a chat is important. If you know your manager is stressing to finish an end-of-month report and pulling their hair out, maybe just hold on until they’ve finished. Alternatively, just send them a quick email and ask if you can have a chat when they get a minute. What’s the Worst That Can Happen? Often, people are made to feel like their salary or wage is set in stone, as set by the employer. What’s more, it’s not in our nature to think of asking for more money but you know what? You should! The worst that can happen is you can face a straight ‘no’ for now, and if this is the case, you can always ask your manager what you would have to do to get one and then work towards that for the future. Try to keep the gates open for asking again in the future. By Emma Otusajo Emma is a freelance article,  content and copywriter, specialising in areas including career, events and sustainability. She loves the written word and enjoys working with businesses to write great content that interests their customers and brings results. An introvert at heart , she loves connecting with others and writing inspirational stories. You can follow here on her website at  Emma Writes. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

A few things to know about Sexual Harassment - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / A few things to know about Sexual Harassment - Introvert Whisperer A few things to know about Sexual Harassment I got into a fairly lengthy discussion with a 30+-year-old male friend yesterday.   It started because of learning that Matt Lauer (Today Show anchor) was fired for “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace”. I appreciated his candor as he acknowledged that he really didn’t know what any of this meant as he personally had never witnessed what he thought was sexual harassment.   Like many people, he was left wondering if some woman was making it up or “mis-reading” an interaction with a co-worker. This issue is very real and you don’t have to go too far to find a woman who hasn’t had to put up with it at least once in their life.  I have had numerous “events” of this nature throughout my career so I know it’s very real. Most of them were repulsive but one was bad enough I’ve barely ever told anyone. This behavior also occurs with men but less frequently. First, I would like to say that I do know that there are people who have made up false accusations and are poor at reading social interactions.   I’m sure that some of what you’ve heard includes some of those people.   But like every social problem we have, you can’t disregard the problem because a few people have made false claims. What is sexual harassment? Just so we’re all on the same page, here is what the EEOC defines: It is unlawful to harass a person (an applicant or employee) because of that person’s sex. Harassment can include “sexual harassment” or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. Harassment does not have to be of a sexual nature, however, and can include offensive remarks about a person’s sex. For example, it is illegal to harass a woman by making offensive comments about women in general. Both victim and the harasser can be either a woman or a man, and the victim and harasser can be the same sex. Although the law doesn’t prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted). The harasser can be the victims supervisor, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or someone who is not an employee of the employer, such as a client or customer. This is also the type of thing that is hard to prove and as a result, most people don’t do or say anything.   Keep in mind that when this sort of thing happens with a boss or a person of power (think Bill Cosby or Matt Lauer) the recipient of the harassment often feels powerless to push back verbally much less ask for an intervention by a company or authorities for fear of the repercussions.   It’s the perfect crime if you think about it because the bad behavior essentially gets reinforced due to lack of punishment or accountability.   Getting by with bad behavior signals success, which for a person of power can be a heady experience. No wonder you hear of people inflicting years of abuse. Why am I discussing this?   Because my mission is to do everything I can to help you love the work you do.   This is the sort of thing that can cause you to hate your job, lose your personal power and reroute your life.   Don’t inflict this on others and don’t accept it. If you are the recipient of sexual harassment, minimally you should speak up and let the offender know that it’s not ok to do or say the things they are doing.   We teach people how to treat us and if you don’t stand up for yourself you are reinforcing bad behavior, which means it will persist.   There are full-blown classes on this so I won’t get into a full course of action but my main message is to think through what would you do if it happened to you. Respect others and respect yourself. Go to top Power-Influence-Office Politics: it comes down to your Strategic Relationships and understanding of how you build each one of these elements. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that outlines all of this and meaningful actions you can take today!  Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

How to Improve Your Self-Confidence After a Car Accident - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / How to Improve Your Self-Confidence After a Car Accident - Introvert Whisperer How to Improve Your Self-Confidence After a Car Accident I was a confident woman. You must know this type â€" the one that always grabs her chances. I successfully balanced between my personal and professional life. I held control over more or less everything that mattered to me. I worked really hard and I still do. My family is my greatest support. I love my husband and my kids. In a word, I have everything I need to be happy. And I am happy! And I am grateful too… Probably more than I ever was! Why now? Well, that’s because I recently learned one of the greatest life lessons. A few months ago, my car smashed into a big traffic sign when I was rushing to my office. Firstly, I was devastated. Then I lost my self-esteem. Then I suffered. These days, I’m dealing with my struggles and anxieties, but I know that I’m headed in the right direction. How? Here’s my story. I stopped blaming myself for the accident Like I said, I used to be a fighter who rises to the challenge. But after the accident, the situation has changed. These days, I feel that I need to endure so much. Sometimes ‘so much’ becomes ‘too much’. I am still afraid of opening up about the storm inside my head. I suspect that my family won’t really understand me. It’s tough, there’s no doubt about it. I rarely ever speak about this, but I’ve noticed a gradual improvement once I started being kind to myself. I am still working on this, but my first advice to everyone who goes through a similar situation would be to love themselves in spite of the frustration, anger, and disappointment. Saying ‘Hi, dear’ to yourself with a big smile on your face in the morning will do wonders for your self-respect.

Where to Find Your Portuguese Teacher

Where to Find Your Portuguese Teacher Where Can You Take Portuguese Lessons with a Teacher? ChaptersLearning Portuguese with a Teacher at SchoolHow to Learn Portuguese at UniversityFinding Portuguese Lessons Online with a TutorFinding a Private Portuguese Tutor on an Online PlatformLearn to Speak Portuguese Through ImmersionAlthough it doesn't immediately spring to mind,  Portuguese is one of the most spoken languages in the world.This represents just over 220 million native speakers around the world, and puts the Portuguese language ahead of French, Japanese, or German.Portuguese is the official language of 9 different independent countries, including Portugal  in Europe, and Brazil in South America.The language is also spoken in some African countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, and Cape Verde. In Asia, Portuguese is spoken in the autonomous Chinese territory of Macao and East Timor.With so many native speakers geographically spread over four continents, you can imagine why there would be so many reasons to learn Portuguese. But one of the advantages can al so make it a slightly more difficult language to learn.How should go about starting to learn Portuguese?There are less English speakers who speak Portuguese as a second language than Spanish. It'll often therefore be more difficult to find a Portuguese tutor than a Spanish one, but that doesn't mean that it's an impossible task.Obviously you're chances will increase if you live in a city with large Portuguese speaking populations, but even outside of this you can often find a language school offering Portuguese, or even a Portuguese tutor in your city on the Superprof  website.How to learn Portuguese no longer needs to be a question that you struggle to answer; here at Superprof we have everything you need to know to get you started.If you can not afford to travel to Lisbon, talk to the Portuguese locals in your area!And if this is not a feasible option, the spread of the Portuguese across the world means that lots of large cities now have Portuguese communities. It is not uncommon to find Portuguese restaurants or shops selling Iberian products in large towns and cities across the globe. Spending time in these places also increases your exposure to the language in the same immersive way as living in Lisbon or Porto does.For a student, you could learn by working in one of these shops. Many customers are Portuguese-speakers and can help you learn the Portuguese language like a native.For those who do not have enough time, being a customer in these stores can help you create links and opportunities with Portuguese speakers.In short:Learning Portuguese is a real asset to have on your CV. Besides, it may be useful when you go for Portuguese London shopping.But first of all,  find a competent and trustworthy teacher to transmit his or her knowledge to you when it comes to Portuguese vocabulary, grammar, conjugation, pronunciation, and accent. A flawless method will get you a long way.This is the key so that each learner can progress properly. Learning a foreign lan guage also requires a significant personal time investment to achieve one's goals. Since Portuguese is a Latin language,  the  learning will probably be less technical than other languages such as Japanese, Chinese, Korean, or Arabic, which don't use the Latin alphabet.There are different paths into the Portuguese language. You can make your Portuguese learning very academic by studying at school or at university, or you can use  digital means such as websites or applications.  A virtual teacher can fill learning gaps and provide significant linguistic lessons to new learners. Private lessons via platforms such as Superprof can also be an essential tool for studying and improving your language level in Portuguese.Whatever method you choose, be sure to practice between Portuguese lessons in order to reinforce what you have studied and learnt.There are many choices available to you!

How To Build Muscles With The Lafay Method

How To Build Muscles With The Lafay Method How To Practice Bodybuilding With Lafay Method Exercises? ChaptersWho Is Oliver Lafay?What Is The Lafay Method?Why Use The Lafay Method?How Does The Lafay Method Work?What Are The Benefits Of The Method?Bodybuilding is an activity that you have to engage in fully to succeed. It is easy to think that one day soon I will have the results that I am looking for. But for many, that day is further out than it needs to be. Often it is easy to make mistakes because bodybuilding is a sort of fend for yourself kind of exercise where you either hire a trainer, try a new method (like The Lafay Method) or go it alone.Building muscle, going to the gym almost every day, doing push-ups, weight lifting, or do other kinds of exercise. Is very time to consume, especially if you don’t know what you are doing?Sometimes if you do enough research, you can find some great advice from well-known bodybuilders. Who guide you on things like nutrition and calories, to how to build muscle and maintain your bodyweight. This can be an excellent roadmap to a workout rout ine that you know works.Gaps in the market like this are why Olivier Lafay created a new method for people who want to build muscle. CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £4 0/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWho Is Oliver Lafay?Oliver Lafay is a French sportsman and the author of a large number of books about bodybuilding, strength maintenance and body training. His book the Lafay method contains no less than 110 exercises, and it is a number 1 best seller in France. The book takes you through the technique and how to develop your fitness to get the body of your dreams.Lafay noticed a gap in the market and had the idea to create a principle which would allow people to train their body without the necessity for additional weights. He designed the system to use callisthenics, where practitioners use their own body weight and everyday items like chairs, tables and benches.The only issue is that it is currently only available in the French language.Anyone can use this -Bodybuilders, Runners and dancers alike. Photo Source: UnsplashSave money with an online personal trainer.What Is The Lafay Method?The Lafay method was invented circa 2004 in France. It is a training method for bodybuilding which balances the calibration of the body with body weight exercises. It is very focused on the effects of stretching to prepare the body for activity, and these stretches focus on the top of the body the central region of the body and the lower part of the body.The Lafay method is not just a stretching program however it is a comprehensive workout system. The Lafay method promotes endurance, flexibility and also relaxation.  It is a very  complete  fitness program  tha t is suitable for everyone, its simplicity allows you to gain muscle and lose fat with or without additional supplementation.Lafay has focused on creating a training method that was independent of going to the gym. Which allows you to use your own body weight to complete the entire series of postures. So you can train at home, in a playground, in the gym, at the beach or anywhere in fact.All you really need is a bar and something for it to balance on, which is why a playground could be the best location for you. Just make sure you use it when the kids aren't running around to avoid suspicious stares from onlookers and parents. This method is entirely location independent and is the true no excuse approach to exercise. It reminds us all that we all have the potential to be more healthy.You can also find a personal trainer to teach you the Lafay method. CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st l esson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhy Use The Lafay Method?The Lafay method is most well known in France but it is spreading, and people are coming to learn about the principles and benefits of this technique.   You don’t have to pay for any gym membership or fees, you don’t have to wait for machines, and when travelling, it is easy to find a playground and continue your workouts.This is a very flexible method of exercise which allows you to practice where you feel comfortable. You don’t have to do anything more than buying the book to get the exercises and learn about the philosophy. However, currently, the entire method is in French, which makes it hard for people who don’t speak French to access the information. But it is good to realise that as the met hod catches on more and more people will introduce the technique in different languages.Although the method requires nothing to practice it, you should bring your motivation each and every day to make sure you complete your session. Because it can take up to 6 months to see results you do have to remain motivated and dedicated to the practice.Surprisingly the book also touches on diet and psychology so you will be guided to stay motivated and remain committed. While working to attain your fitness and health goals. All without giving up on strength, stamina and endurance and of course flexibility.Lafay method exercises can be done anywhere. Photo Source: UnsplashHow Does The Lafay Method Work?The central idea is to peak your motivation to increase your engagement in a regular fitness regime. You will slowly as time goes on increasing the intensity of the activity while also giving your muscles the opportunity to recover fully. Over time you will see the changes within your body.Unlik e the hours at the gym that you have to invest during bodybuilding or weightlifting sessions. The Lafay method is not time-consuming, this is another clear motivating factor especially if you are very busy and fail to work out because of this.Lafay has created a system that aims to be all-inclusive, motivating and straightforward. It is an exciting system which seems to follow these steps roughly.Take a level test to determine your baseline. This is loosely based on your fitness engagement and activities that you have taken part into date.The training takes shape from here by giving you a suitable level which goes from beginner to advancedYou then follow the instructions based on your level and start working outThe method begins with a warm-upThen it leads you through a few different exercise series, which target different parts of the body. From the shoulders, arms, chest and legs.In between your series you have 25 seconds of rest time.Repeat and move up the levels of which there a re around 13 in total.An Example Of Lafay Exercise:There isn't much information available in English online about this, but I managed to find out about a set of three exercises which are called La Triade:This is the dipping series in which you use your body weight and two chairs.This is a push-ups series which you complete with a space of 40cm between your handsThe last is another push-ups series except for this time you complete it with your feet elevated and an area of 60 to 80cm between your hands.Losing weight does not need to be a headache with the Lafay Method. Photo Source: UnsplashWhat Are The Benefits Of The Method?Some key benefits of this method are the uniquely clear objectives and outcomes that provide each person with the results that they desire. So you can aim to lose weight or build muscle and adjust your workout session to suit your ultimate fitness goal.You could aim to have better endurance for your running or groom a bodybuilders physique. This method is suitabl e for all kinds of people who could all have varied ideal outcomes. But they will work towards those outcomes following the same process.Some Other Benefits Include:You can work on all aspects of your physical performance.Exercises in this method are full body workouts.It guides you entirely through the warm up to the session and the cool down at the end.If you want to be an athlete, this could help you get there, as it can also improve your endurance flexibility and your strength.The method can suit all fitness objectives.It is very nurturing and doesn’t leave you to solve problems alone, you have each difficulty written at length to support any challenges that you are having.The method supports your constant positive development. You will see consistent improvements as long as you follow the plan.The sessions are clearly explained and precisely detailed for you to follow without any confusion.The time investment for each workout is specified, so it is easy to fit it into any sch edule.The exercises are adaptable so you can tweak them to suit your current ability and level of fitness.Many top athletes use this method which is helping to spread the message and prove that the principles taught in the books and at the workshops do work.A lot of personal trainer specialising in the Lafay method.When I visited the Lafay website it said:“The Lafay Method is the opportunity to gain the versatility of an athlete in the minimum practice time. You can gain great strength, endurance, power, flexibility and relaxation all with just 2 workouts per week.”Now that’s impressive! I am sure once they translate their books from French into English and other languages they will have a substantial international following.

How to Reduce Test Anxiety Through Increased Mindfulness

How to Reduce Test Anxiety Through Increased Mindfulness Academic Performance Explained Podcast In this episode of our podcast, MyGuru founder Mark Skoskiewicz interviews John Hankey, a performance/life coach based in California. John Hankey helps students of all ages use mindfulness techniques to overcome their test or performance anxiety, which usually subsides within three to five sessions. This is a slightly longer podcast than usual; it is packed with helpful information, and John even walks through a guided meditation for listeners. We highly recommend that you listen to the full episode on iTunes, but here are some of the highlights.What is mindfulness? What is the difference between mindfulness, meditation, and hypnosis? Mindfulness consists of any act of being present and aware of what is happening in your body and mind. It is an umbrella term that encompasses meditation, yoga, and some forms of hypnosis.What are some of the benefits of mindfulness? Over time, you can strengthen your ability to relax and become able to relax more deeply. This relaxation can have far-reaching benefits, including improving your circulation, boosting your physical health, clearing your mind, stabilizing your emotions, and connecting you to your intuition. How does relaxation affect your ability to learn? Often, when you are trying to remember important information, it is natural to tense your body or strain your mind, but this actually impedes your ability to recall information. In fact, a deeply relaxed state can enhance your ability to access memories in the moment. No matter your skill level, going into a standardized test relaxed instead of stressed will probably earn you more points. It also helps to be relaxed when you are learning new information or studying for a test; this will help you absorb and retain the information better. How can mindfulness be used to overcome test anxiety? When John meets with a client, he usually spends the first 10 min getting that person into a state of deep relaxation with a technique called “progressive muscle relaxation,” which involves relaxing each part of your body one at a time. Next, students imagine that they are taking the test, creating a very vivid mental image. Usually, for students who have test anxiety, visualizing a test scenario will cause their bodies to tense up. Because the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality, these visualizations bring up all the same stresses, anxieties, and tensions that the students experience when they are actually in that situation. This allows them to access and address their typical test-taking behavior outside of an actual testing situation. Finally, they are coached to relax until they are able to experience themselves taking a test while keeping their bodies totally relaxed. --- For more information, you can email John Hankey atinfo@johnhankey.comor check out his radio show, “The Power of Presence, onwww.voiceamerica.com.

English Prepositions In, At, On (Video and Exercise)

English Prepositions In, At, On (Video and Exercise) One of the problems students taking our Skype English lessons frequently have is knowing when to use the prepositions in, at, on. It seems that in every language, the usage of these words is just slightly different, which causes a lot of first language interference.Below is a video by Teauna that shows how to use these three prepositions. After the video, youll find several exercises to help you practice.Ok, here are the exercises for In, At and On. You can write your answers in comments, and well respond.  Come visit me __ my office. It is __ 4th street.I live __ the state of Montana. It is one of the largest states __ the U.S.We will meet __ 7 pm __ Friday, May 25.Lets have dinner __ New York, __ your favorite restaurant.We are expecting to see many new students __ 2013.__ July, it is usually hot __ Montana.You can take another quiz on these prepositions here. luz luque Come visit me at__ my office. It is on__ 4th street.I live _in_ the state of Montana. It is one of the largest s tates _in_ the U.S.We will meet _at_ 7 pm _on_ Friday, May 25.Let’s have dinner _in_ New York, at__ your favorite restaurant.We are expecting to see many new students _in_ 2013._in_ July, it is usually hot in__ Montana. LOIEnglish Good job Luz! You got them all correct. Brguy Perfect explanation ! This site is amazing ! raja haddad 1-in/at 2-in/in 3-at/on 4-in/at 5-in 6-on/in LOIEnglish Raja,Almost! See the answers Luz gave below, he got them all correct. Cherry Ive just understood clearly. Thanks ?? Moon Narjinary8 Come visit me _at_ my office. It is _on_ 4th street.I live _in_ the state of Montana. It is one of the largest states _in_ the U.S.We will meet _at_ 7 pm _on_ Friday, May 25.Let’s have dinner _in_ New York, _at_ your favorite restaurant.We are expecting to see many new students _in_ 2013._In_ July, it is usually hot _in_ Montana.   LOIEnglish Very good Moon! You got them all correct! Silvana Carvalho Thanks! I finally understood. LOIEnglish Thanks Silvana!P ingback: Professores da LOI English: Muireann Prendergast - Aulas de Inglês por Skype| Aprenda Inglês Online() Afnan 1. Come visit me _at_ my office. It is _on_ 4th street. 2. I live _0n_ the state of Montana. It is one of the largest states _in_ the U.S. 3. We will meet _at_ 7 pm _on_ Friday, May 25. 4. Let’s have dinner _in_ New York, _at_ your favorite restaurant. 5. We are expecting to see many new students at 2013. 6. _in_ July, it is usually hot _in_ Montana. LOIEnglish Afnan, you had problems with #2. It should be IN the state of Montana. Also #5 IN 2013. Thanks for answering! susana gonzalez Come visit me AT my office. It is ON 4th street. I live IN the state of Montana. It is one of the largest states IN the U.S. We will meet AT 7 pm ON Friday, May 25. Let’s have dinner IN New York, AT your favorite restaurant. We are expecting to see many new students IN 2013. IN July, it is usually hot IN Montana. LOIEnglish Good! LOIEnglish #2: I live IN the state of Montana.#4: Lets have dinner in New York AT our favorite restaurant.#6: IN July, it is usually hot in Montana.