Category: life

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The Science Doesn’t Lie: You Need to Make Sleep a Priority

We’re all different when it comes to our sleeping patterns, but I’ve never been able to understand how some people can get by on four or five hours of sleep a night. If I don’t get a solid seven or eight hours, I feel like a zombie.

It turns out, maybe I’m the one who’s always been right in this department!

Sleeping beauty

According to sleep scientist Aric Prather, “Sleep is so critical for so many parts of our body and our mind. Sleep is like the dishwasher of the brain.”

I like that, the dishwasher of the brain.

Prather means that sleep strengthens the immune system and can help regulate your metabolism. Sleep also clears out toxins that build up in your brain and can prevent neurodegenerative disorders.

In other words, sleep does a body good. Really good.

Prather also says that all phases of sleep, from light snoozing to deep sleep, are important for helping the brain and body recover from the day. Sleep can also help us learn and remember information more efficiently.

Sleeping

One more thing to keep in mind: abnormal sleep is known to play a role in some diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Disturbed sleep can even be measured to detect the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.

There is still a lot that researchers and scientists don’t know about sleep, but one thing is clear: sleep is very important and is good for your mental and physical health.

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You know what you should do right now? Go get some ZZZZZZZZs!

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This Organization Turns Empty Parking Lots into Safe Places Where the Homeless Can Sleep at Night

Homelessness is a problem across the entire world. Walk or drive through any city across the globe, and you’ll see down-on-their-luck men and women sleeping in doorways, on park benches, or anywhere else they can try to find some momentary peace.

An Australian charity organization called Beddown is looking to give that country’s homeless population safe places to sleep by providing pop-up accommodations in parking lots that are vacant overnight.

Posted by Beddown on Monday, September 30, 2019

Beddown partnered with Secure Parking, one of Australia’s largest parking lot operators, to do a two-week trial run for the program in the city of Brisbane.

Norman McGillivray founded Beddown after he got the idea while walking through an empty parking lot one night. He thought that the space could be better used as a makeshift homeless shelter than by just sitting empty night after night.

On their Instagram page, the founders of Beddown said,

“We will look to get as close as we can to a proper comfortable bed to provide the homeless with a great night’s sleep is our ultimate goal. Sleep deprivation is a massive issue for our homeless, so being in a place that offers shelter and is safe, secure and comfortable we believe will have a big impact on those who use Beddown.”

Posted by Beddown on Monday, September 30, 2019

Beddown also provides other services in the overnight parking lots, including access to doctors, dentists, and hairdressers. Because the two-week trial in Brisbane was a success, Beddown is now looking to expand to other cities in Australia.

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Here are some initial Statistics and Outcomes from the Pilot: 41 guests used Beddown over the duration of the Pilot. 77% male 23% female guests Sleep rated on average – 4.5 out of 5 Beds rated on average – 4.5 out of 5 100% of guests said they felt safe during their stay. Multiple services accessed by guests – Dr & Nurse, Dentist, Hairdresser, New clothing and Social Services. The most guests turned away in one night due to capacity was 9. The youngest person who tried to access Beddown was just 15 years old. Positive outcomes: “After spending the week here, having a good sleep at night and a routine, it reminded me of life and I booked myself into Rehab for 6 months”. “Being able to sleep all night and away from drugs I’m clearer in the day and have not used drugs for 8 days”. “It’s the first time I have had a dream in years” “I don’t have to watch my back here” A Female guest found employment due to being able to sleep safely at night and able to work during the day. More data being accessed and will be shared soon. This is just the beginning! We now need support from Corporate, Government and the Public to make Beddown a sustainable operation and allow us to roll out across Australia to really help change and save lives. #homelessness #homeless #streetlife #storyofthestreet #beds #globalshift #queensland #brisbane #nsw #sydney #victoria #melbourne #southaustralia #adelaide #westernaustralia #perth #northernterritory #darwin #tasmania #australia #nonprofit #selfesteem #community #usa #uk #quality #endhomelessness #lifechanger

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Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this program succeeds in Australia and then spreads to other parts of the globe. It’s a great idea that could definitely help out a lot of people who are struggling.

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This Is How Your Cat’s Purr Can Literally Help Heal You

This won’t surprise cat owners in the slightest. Your cat’s purr has a real therapeutic effect, and it can even help heal you.

Cats purr for a variety of reasons. Most often, they purr out of contentment and happiness — this is the most obvious reason, easy to observe in any cat who’s happily curled up on the lap of their favorite person. But cats also purr when they are injured, frightened or hungry.

Nobody knows exactly why cats purr when they do. But given that they do so in stressful situations, it’s likely that the purring has a calming and healing effect. According to Wired, some veterinarians have even observed cats lying alongside other injured cats and purring.

It’s called “purr therapy.” (Awesome)

Photo Credit: Pixabay

It seems that the healing power of purring could also extend to humans. Purring is relaxing for humans — it calms our nerves and lowers blood pressure.

Purring may even have literal, physical healing benefits. Domestic cats purr at a frequency of 26 Hz, which is within a range that promotes tissue regeneration. In humans, vibrations at this frequency can help soft tissues like muscles and tendons, and they can also heal bones and keep them strong.

All this isn’t quite as woo-woo as it sounds. Some scientists believe that cats purr to stimulate their bones so they don’t become weak while they lay around all day waiting to hunt. Similarly, vibrating plates have even been proposed to help maintain astronauts’ bone density in space.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

So the next time your cat purrs on your lap, snuggle a little closer. It may be doing your body good!

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A Lab Worker Pricked Herself with Genetically Modified Smallpox and the Resulting Infection Was No Joke

It’s estimated that smallpox has killed around 300 million people throughout history, and it remains the only infectious (human-borne) disease to have been completely eradicated worldwide. Because it is easily modified, however, similar viruses can be found in laboratories and other testing facilities around the world.

And that’s how one lab worker got into some very terrifying – and disgusting – trouble.

When the 26-year-old scientist got notice that she would be changing jobs to one that would involve working with the vaccinia virus (VACV) – a large, complex virus related to smallpox – she was informed of the risks and advised to get a vaccination against it.

She declined, citing concerns about adverse effects and worries over managing the infectious lesion at the injection site…a choice I feel comfortable saying she probably regretted.

Because soon after starting her job, she accidentally pricked herself with a needle containing the genetically altered strain while she was attempting to prick a mouse.

Though she immediately washed the wound, notified her supervisor, and visited the local emergency department, the wound got far, far worse before it began to get better.

Image Credit: CDC

The emergency room physicians washed it again, advised her not to let it come into contact with others, and sent her home with a prescription for continuous monitoring.

After 10 days, it had worsened to the point that she was referred to the CDC. Two days after that, she ended up in the emergency room again, this time with a fever, swollen lymph nodes, pain, and a worsening infection in her finger.

She was given vaccinia antibodies to help her immune system fight off the virus, as well as antibiotics for a secondary infection in her open wound, and she felt better after 48 hours.

The infection, however, did not completely clear up until Day 94.

Image Credit: CDC

It’s not clear, still, what strain of the virus infected the lab worker, which is a bit concerning, says the case report.

“Neither the patient nor the occupational health physician could specify the concentration or strain of VACV preparation used by the patient. Upon inquiry, the study sponsor informed investigators that one of two genetically altered Western Reserve strains could have been involved. The patient was injecting multiple groups of mice with different strains and did not recall which strain she used when the needlestick injury occurred.

The infection cleared up on Day 94, though the worker was relieved of lab duties for 4 months due to her necrosis and a continued potential for transmission.

Alls well that ends well, I suppose. It’s what those poor mice would say, anyway.

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Some Anti-Vaxxers Shamelessly Made Fun of Immunocompromised Patients in the ER

Anti-vaxxers aren’t shy about their opinions, but one pair of anti-vax parents really took things too far by publicly making fun of immunocompromised patients in the ER.

A Redditor posted a screenshot of the parents’ facebook post in a subreddit appropriately called r/Trash.

The anonymous couple had to take their son to the ER, where they were quarantined due to their son’s unvaccinated status. Unvaccinated people pose a serious risk to immunocompromised folks, who often can’t get vaccines because of their condition. Immunocompromised people are vulnerable even to infectious diseases that vaccinated people are immune to. Thus, the quarantine.

Photo Credit: Pexels

“We had to come to the ER after an emergency with my son falling at the playground,” the parents wrote. “We were questioned about our vaccine choices, then it was brought up 3 times on how we should give him a tetanus shot and then 6 hours into our visit we were ‘isolated’ in a room with gowns and gloves so we don’t ‘infect’ any of the immunocompromised patients.”

They then posted a photo of their response to that concern. In the photo, both parents are flipping the bird.

I’m Ready to Fucking Fight from trashy

They finished by reassuring readers that their kid is ok. “Had a little surgery and he is on the mend.”

Commenters on Reddit were furious — the title of the post is “I’m Ready to F*cking Fight,” which everybody was upon reading this post.

“Why even bother going to the hospital if they don’t believe in medicine?” one commenter asked.

“Imagine knowing the symptoms of tetanus and deciding that it’s ok and worth the risk,” another pointed out.

Sigh. At least the hospital did their job to protect their patients by quarantining these parents who clearly don’t give AF.

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You Can Stop Putting These Foods in the Fridge

Some foods will quickly spoil if you don’t put them in the refrigerator.

And then there are other foods that you should honestly never put into the fridge at all.

Some of these foods simply don’t need to take up precious fridge space when they could easily sit out on the counter. Others can actually become lower-quality in the fridge.

In the first category are pickles and hot sauce. Both contain ingredients that naturally keep the product from going bad, even if they’re not in the fridge. Nuts are another example of foods that easily stay fresh at room temperature.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

In the second category, there are many types of produce that don’t need to be in the fridge, including onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, whole melons, and basil. In all of these cases, the cooler temperatures actually change the texture of the produce, making them less fresh.

Instead, store these in a dry place with plenty of ventilation.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The fridge can also interrupt the ripening process for certain types of produce. Avocados can go in the fridge or on the counter, depending on whether they’re ripe (if ripe, put in fridge to keep them good for longer). Stone fruits like peaches can also be left at room temperature to ripen perfectly.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Other items that should never go into the fridge include olive oil and honey, which can actually turn solid when cold (and it’s kind of icky).

The more you know!

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A Man Built a Tiny Bookstore on Wheels to Deliver Books to Villages Without Bookstores

Books remain a very popular pastime, even in the age of social media. Unfortunately, with the advent of e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle, physical book stores are going out of business. But people remain passionate about the power of idly browsing through shelves of books.

That’s what motivated Jean-Jacques Megel-Nuber to create a tiny bookstore on wheels. Jean-Jacques of Alsace, France hired a tiny home maker to create the portable library in 2015. He calls it Au Vrai Chic Littérère.

Jean-Jacques drives the bookstore all around Alsace, bringing the magic of books to small villages in the area. He often shows up at festivals, events, or other public places where he’s been invited. His goal is to make books more accessible and affordable.

The cozy design of the bookstore was intended to make folks curious enough to go inside, Jean-Jacques says.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX27lZFg–y/

“I wanted a little feeling of a cabin and an aura of a small bookstore, which both evoke a lot of dreaming,” Jean-Jacques told Architectural Digest.

He added to Fortune that he needed “a place that makes people want to enter.”

That tiny space houses around 3000 books. In addition to the bookshelves, the structure contains a small place for Jean-Jacques to sleep while he travels. As you can imagine, it can get tricky to tow the bookstore — it’s a very heavy and delicate load! All those books weigh about 1,300 pounds.

But we’d guess that it’s totally worth the trouble, if only to see the reactions on people’s faces when they get to crawl inside this dreamy bookstore.

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15 Funny Tweets About the DMV That Hopefully Won’t Make You Miserable

The DMV is a special kind of hell, isn’t it? The employees are often…unpleasant, the other people waiting are in a bad mood, and overall it’s just a miserable endeavor.

But, since we’ve all been there and it’s a shared human experience, let’s laugh at these funny tweets about spending time at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

1. Gee, thanks a lot.

2. Hahahaha. Amazing.

3. Time to throw in the towel.

4. All worn out.

5. Sir, you need that as well.

6. It’s been a long year.

7. Not a good vibe.

8. God doesn’t go in there.

9. I don’t think she got it.

10. Not off to a good start.

11. That makes a lot of sense.

12. You did what you had to do.

13. The man was a legend.

14. Let’s play a game.

15. That’s about the worst thing you could ever hear.

Share your worst DMV experience with us in the comments!

Let’s compare notes!

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This Is Why Baking Makes You Happy, According to Science

There’s something soothing about baking when you’re having a bad day, when the weather turns dreary, or when you’re feeling a bit blue – and it turns out, that’s not just a weird quirk of mine.

According to psychologists, baking makes people happier.

And it’s not just because you get to lick the spatula, either.

 

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Studies have long shown that creative activities contribute to a sense of well-being, and Boston University professor Donna Pincus told HuffPost that there is a type of “stress relief that people get from having some kind of an outlet and a way to express themselves.”

Outlets like knitting or baking.

Baking also requires the cook to focus on straightforward directions that should be executed in a specific order. The series of tasks is a form of mindfulness, as the mundane activity forces you to focus on it, which lets the troubles of the outside world drift away.

 

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Juliana Ohana, a licensed clinical social worker, told HuffPost that it’s therapeutic because it helps you “balance the moment and the bigger picture.”

Basically, baking is a minor feat that you can use to visualize a happy moment in the future, when the cookies, bread, or cake is finished, delicious, and being shared with family or friends.

The act of sharing your finished product can be good for the body and soul, too, says Pincus.

“You feel like you’ve done something good for the world, which perhaps increases your meaning in life and connection with other people.”

 

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“It can be helpful for people who have difficulty expressing their feelings in words to show thanks, appreciation, or sympathy with baked goods,” adds professor Susan Whitbourne.

I guess in the long run it doesn’t matter which of these things – or none of them – give you the warm fuzzies when you set out your butter, pull up a recipe, and fit the beater on your mixer. Baking makes us feel good, people love to eat baked goods, so there’s really no reason to stop anytime soon.

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This Is How Far You Can Actually Drive After Your Gas Tank Reads Empty

There are two types of people in this world: people who get gas when the gauge drops below half a tank, and people who wait for their gas light to come on, drive a while longer, and then stop to fill up at the last minute.

As someone who falls into the latter category, I’ve long argued that the light is just a warning, and if you’ve got 20 or 30 miles left after it lights up, why hurry?

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4msShGjG–/

But am I right? I don’t know about you, but I’m dying to find out.

Well, lucky for me (and everyone else who likes to push the needle all the way past E, auto repair service YourMechanic has put together a handy chart that will let you know – based on the make and model of your car – how far you can go after your light comes on.

Image Credit: YourMechanic

You’ll definitely want to check, too, because it ranges from over 100 miles (the Chrysler 200) to less than 30 in a Chevy Silverado.

My Honda can go another 60, so you’d better believe I’ll be wagging my finger at my overly cautious fella the next time he says we definitely need to stop!

That said, there are like, sensible reasons to not push it so hard. Your car’s fuel pump burns hotter near empty than it does on a full tank, so if you do it all the time, you’ll burn your pump out faster.

So, YourMechanic recommends you use their chart for emergency situations only.

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